Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 64

LACE IN KNOTTED St.i.tCH (figs. 818 and 819).--This charming little lace, which is of Italian origin, was taken from a cushion cover, used for church purposes. The st.i.tches, made in the order indicated in the working detail, fig. 819, are overcast at the last with a fleecy thread, such as Coton a repriser D.M.C, of a rather sober colour, such for instance as Bleu-Indigo 334, Rouge-Geranium 352, or Jaune-Rouille 363.

You overcast the slanting bars and pa.s.s over the st.i.tches that connect the two picots.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 821. WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 820.]

RETICELLA LACE (figs. 820 and 821).--The Reticella laces are generally made on a design traced upon parchment, similar to those required for the laces described later on. But as the manner of working has been modified in the lace represented here, we thought it as well to adopt the same simplification, often used in beautiful pieces of old needlework, which consists in subst.i.tuting a braid made upon a pillow, for the bars made with the needle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 822. VENETIAN LACE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 823. VENETIAN LACE.]

You begin by laying and fastening down the braid by means of very small st.i.tches upon the lines of the pattern, which should be traced upon black paper; you next proceed to make the centre bars, covered with plain b.u.t.tonhole st.i.tches, on which you mount a row of st.i.tches, like those of fig. 755; these are followed by another bar, to make which, you pick up the loop of the st.i.tches of the preceding row and by another row like the second, finished off with picots, like those ill.u.s.trated in fig. 700. The bases of the pyramids likewise consist of bars, b.u.t.tonholed on both sides and edged on the inside with picots.

The st.i.tches of the first row should not be too close together, that there may be room for those of the second row between, as we have already explained in fig. 702, in the chapter on Irish lace.

The inside of the pyramids is worked in the st.i.tch represented in fig.

755, the picots round them are like the ones in fig. 599.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 824. VENETIAN LACE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 825. VENETIAN LACE.]

The lace, represented in fig. 820 in its original size, was worked in Fil a dentelle D.M.C No. 80, whilst the second engraving, representing the same subject, shows us how perfectly well it can also be made in heavier and coa.r.s.er materials, these being in this instance, Lacets superfins D.M.C No. 4 and Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C No. 20.

VENETIAN LACES (figs. 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, 828).--Under the name of Venetian point are comprised, not only certain kinds of pillow lace, but even more generally, the beautiful needle-made lace, the outlines of which are bordered with handsome scallops in high relief.

We shall confine our attention in the present instance to the needle-made Venetian lace as the other can be learnt without any great difficulty by following the instructions already given for the making of pillow lace.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 826. VENETIAN LACE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 827. VENETIAN LACE.]

The preparation of the pattern, in most kinds of needlework, is a most important matter and one requiring the greatest care, but in the case of needlemade lace and pillow lace the processes are different.

The paper on which the design is traced must first be backed or lined with unglazed black paper (made specially for this purpose). p.r.i.c.k holes all along the lines of the pattern, at exactly the same distance from each other, remove the tracing and tack the black paper upon rather coa.r.s.e linen.

This done, you take from three to five lengths of the thread of which the lace is to be made, lay them down together upon the lines marked by the p.r.i.c.kings and secure them at each hole by a st.i.tch made over the threads.

Fig. 822, with the others of the same series in their natural size, show the proper distance that should be left between the p.r.i.c.kings, and the laying down of the threads begun; whilst in fig. 823, we have the threads laid down throughout, even for the little eyelet holes, which are to be openworked afterwards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 828. VENETIAN LACE. MATERIALS--For the open st.i.tches: Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 100 to 200. For the outlining and for the padding: Coton surfin D.M.C Nos. 120 to 150.[A]]

When all this preliminary work is finished, the pattern is ready for the lace st.i.tches that are to form the filling in, between the raised outlines. In order to keep your work perfectly clean and preserve it from unnecessary contact with your fingers, cover all those parts of the pattern you are not immediately engaged on, with a piece of blue paper with a hole, about the size of a pea, cut in it. This you move along as you go, working only at the part of the pattern which is visible through the hole, keeping all the rest carefully covered up and sewing paper over each part as soon as it is finished; this should not be removed until you are ready to join all the separate parts together with bars or latticed ground and work the b.u.t.tonhole edges.

All the different lace st.i.tches that are used as fillings must be begun and fastened off at the outline threads, which you must be careful not to drag out of their place.

We again remark, for the benefit of those of our readers who may not have read the preceding chapter attentively, that in working all the finer lace st.i.tches, the needle should be held with the eye towards the worker and the point turned outwards. All the inside portions of the pattern have to be worked in separately; (for a choice of st.i.tches to serve as fillings see figs. 720 to 762) until all the s.p.a.ces are filled, as represented in figs. 825 and 826. The st.i.tches should be selected as far as possible, to suit the style of the design. Flowers look best worked in an open or lattice st.i.tch, leaves on the other hand in a thick close st.i.tch.

When all the insides are done, the edges and outlines have to be closely b.u.t.tonholed.

The old Venetian laces are bordered with scallops in high relief, worked over a thick pad of laid threads, as described on p. 83, fig. 191, relating to Venetian embroidery.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 829. VENETIAN LACE WITH NET GROUND.

MATERIALS--For the open st.i.tches: Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 100 to 200.--For the outlining: Coton surfin D.M.C Nos. 120 to 150.]

VENETIAN LACE WITH NET GROUND (fig. 829).--The outlining of the figures with several strands of Coton surfin D.M.C, should, in the case of detached pieces of lace, be done at once, but where the figures are connected by bars or by a net ground as in fig. 825, the b.u.t.tonholed outlines should be done last. Thus in making the lace, fig. 829, you should begin by working all the insides of the flowers and foliage, then the net ground which may be replaced by bars with picots and then only proceed to the outside b.u.t.tonholing and the scallops.

As all this kind of lace-work is very laborious and takes a long time to do, we advise our readers to use thread that is slightly tinted; in the first place it does not turn yellow as white thread is liable to do and secondly, being softer and less twisted it takes every bend and turn more readily than the stiffer white material does.

Of all the different kinds of thread, so frequently alluded to in these pages, the higher numbers of Fil d'Alsace D.M.C and Fil a dentelle D.M.C are the best for the finer kinds of lace, and they all have the soft ivory tint, we so admire in the old needlework.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 830. SPRAY IN NEEDLE-POINT. MATERIALS--For the open st.i.tches: Fil a dentelle D.M.C No. 200.--For the outlining: Coton surfin D.M.C Nos. 120 to 150.[A]]

SPRAY IN NEEDLE-POINT (fig. 830).--Needle-point lace, also called Brussels lace, requires the same preparatory work as Venetian lace; but it seldom contains such a variety of st.i.tches and openwork as the latter.

The flowers are generally worked in one of the st.i.tches, represented in figs. 720 and 740; the outlines are less thickly b.u.t.tonholed and the st.i.tches, set everywhere less closely.

Here also, the finished parts should be carefully covered with paper to keep them from getting soiled.

The needle-point lace designs are ordinarily speaking more realistic and as regards the composition, less artistic and severe than the Venetian point ones.

The spray, represented in our engraving, is a specimen of an ordinary Brussels lace pattern and of the st.i.tches it is worked in.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] See at the end of the concluding chapter, the table of numbers and sizes and the list of colours of the D.M.C threads and cottons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: APPLIQUe WORK ON SATIN SET WITH FINE CORD.]

Miscellaneous fancy work.

As the plan on which this book was constructed rendered a systematic cla.s.sification of the different subjects it treats of necessary, a certain amount of miscellaneous fancy work, which does not come under any of the previous headings remains to be dealt with in the present chapter. In most cases the ill.u.s.trations and the accompanying directions are but an application to a practical use of the different kinds of st.i.tches already described in previous chapters and those who are familiar with all these various branches of needlework will have no difficulty in understanding what follows.

KNOTTED CORD (figs. 831, 832, 833, 834, 835).--The knotted cord referred to in the letter press belonging to figs. 772 and 773 in the chapter on Irish lace, comes under the present heading: in making it, the fingers take the place of a crochet needle.

You tie two ends of thread or braid together, take one thread in the left hand fig. 831, and with the forefinger of the right, pull out a loop long enough for the left forefinger to pa.s.s through and hold the end of the thread tight with the little finger of the right hand.

Then draw the left forefinger backwards through the loop and behind the thread that is round the loop and lies in the left hand, fig. 832. As you lay the thread round the left forefinger, you must pa.s.s the knot and the ends of thread as well, over into the left hand, and with the right hand pull the thread that lies on the right and draw up the loop, fig. 833.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 831. KNOTTED CORD. FIRST POSITION OF THE HANDS.]