Chats on Old Lace and Needlework Part 19

A portrait of Henry, Prince of Wales, in flat-st.i.tch on rose satin 21 0 0

Another on satin, "Bathsheba," spangled, 17 13 6 16 0

Another on satin, birds on gold and silver, 13 13 (Harris) 13 13 6

A bead picture, 15 11 11 11 0

A stump and bead picture, 12 11 12 1 6

A small book-cover, 14 8 13 12 0

A Stuart stump picture, figures and silver fountain, tortoisesh.e.l.l frame, 22 16 15 15 0

A stump picture, lady with coral necklace, 18 12 23 10 0

A stump picture, lady under arch with a black swan, 20 16 (Stoner) 34 0 0

A stump picture, King Charles as Ahasuerus with Haman and Mordecai, and pearl-embroidered carpet, 23 17 28 0 0

A stump picture, lady under a canopy, large pearls, 13 19, (Stoner) 34 0 0

A Stuart Pet.i.t Point picture, Abraham and Hagar 16 16 0

A Stuart pet.i.t point picture, "Judgment of Paris," 24 17 25 0 0

A Stuart pet.i.t point picture, King Solomon and Queen of Sheba 18 18 0

A beadwork picture, lady and gentleman, lion and unicorn, 21 17 12 12 6

An embroidered picture, "Peter denying Christ," 24 17 (S. G. Fenton) 9 19 6

A pet.i.t point picture, lake with boats and figures, 15 12 (Harris) 14 14 6

A large stump picture, with horse and rider and figures of four seasons 30 10 0

A stumpwork picture, four figures, castle and birds and flowers (S. G. Fenton) 33 0 0

A picture sketched on white satin, not worked 4 15 0

A Stuart picture on canvas 9 19 6

A fine Stuart jewel-casket, numerous secret drawers, covered in needlework (S. G. Fenton) 47 5 0

A Stuart box, covered with bullion-work (S. G. Fenton) 12 12 0

A Stuart box, with embroidery and pearls (Spero) 16 16 0

A Stuart box, coloured bullion, 10 6 9 9 0

An embroidered box, with portrait on lid (S. G. Fenton) 53 11 0

A Stuart mirror, covered with stump embroidery, representing Charles I. and his Queen (ill.u.s.trated), (Rosthron) 102 18 0

Another mirror, with painted and embroidered figures (Harris) 34 0 0

A Charles I. mirror in old lace and gold frame, with borders in embroidery, with portrait, castle, and floral decoration 40 0 0

3 yds. 13 inches long, 12 inches deep, Cornice in Pet.i.t Point, Christie's, July, 1908 (Harris) 204 15 0

XV

CONCLUSION

XV

CONCLUSION

Needlework as a national art is as dead as the proverbial door-nail; whether or not it ever regains its position as a craft is a matter of conjecture. Personally, I incline to the belief that it is absolutely extinct. The death-knell rang for all time when the sewing-machine was invented. The machine has been a very doubtful blessing, as it has allowed even the art of st.i.tchery in ordinary work to slide into the limbo of forgotten things. What woman now knows what it is to "back-st.i.tch" a shirt cuff, for instance, drawing a thread for guidance, and carefully going back two or three threads in order to make a neat, firm line of st.i.tching? The sewing-machine does all this, and _does_ it _well_, a clever machinist turning out more work in a week than a seamstress in a year. If this were all, it would be no matter for regret, but with the necessity for needlework has vanished the desire.

The lady quoted in Green's History is now non-existent. "She was a pattern of sobriety unto many, very seldom seen abroad except at church; when others recreated themselves at holidays and other times, she would take her needlework, and say, 'Here is my recreation.'"

In spite of the many Schools of Embroidery, with a few notable exceptions, nothing is done to raise the standard of embroidery above making miserable little cushion-covers, table-centres, and suchlike pretty fripperies for the temporary adornment of the house. The women of Germany, Holland, Sweden, Italy, on the contrary, take a great interest in the embroidery of the bed and table linen and the really artistic embroidery of their national costumes. Nothing of this is seen in England. Table linen is bought _ready hemmed_ at the shop. Dainty tea-cloths and serviettes are purchased ready embroidered (by machine) and trimmed with machine-made lace. Even _lingerie_ of all cla.s.ses is machine-made and bought by the dozen, instead of being made by the daughters of the house.

The only hope of a revival lies in the various Art schools in the country where designing for fine embroidery and lace is encouraged.

Unfortunately, however, equal facilities are offered for designing of machine-made imitations. The Royal School of Needlework, not being a Government inst.i.tution, offers no encouragement to outsiders. It is in the hands of a number of ladies, who manage it as they will; and although very fine work is accomplished, they trust too much to modern designers and artists who work out their own pet theories and hobbies.

If only they would put aside all theories and new ideas, and _go back_ to the best periods of English art both for their designs and execution, even yet, with the intelligent use of the glorious examples in the adjoining Museum, much might be done to revivify this expiring art.

FINISH.