The Art of Modern Lace Making Part 9

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 52.--Modern Lace.]

No. 53.

MODERN-POINT LACE EDGING.

This is an easy design to follow and is simply made. Heavy Sorrento bars with picot loops form the ground-work, while the filling-in st.i.tches are of the same cla.s.s done in fine thread in regular squares and also a combination of point de fillet and point de Grecque. A dainty picot-finish is added at the lower edge. This edging is pretty for bordering draperies or decorating dresses, and may be made as fine or as coa.r.s.e as desired.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 53.--Modern-Point Lace Edging.]

No. 54.

SQUARE IN MODERN-POINT LACE.

In this design will be observed a favorite combination--the rose and the b.u.t.terfly. Close inspection will also disclose that the filling-in st.i.tches are of a diverse character, and that to this diversification much of the beauty of the work is due. As most of the st.i.tches are easily recognized, and as the copyist can easily adapt methods for the combinations seen, it will not be necessary to definitely describe them.

The square may be used for a scarf-end in connection with the edging No.

53 seen on page 91, if the braid selected is sufficiently fine. When coa.r.s.er braid is chosen, the square will be pretty for doilies, tidies or the center of a table spread. The design may be daintily made up of ribbon, with silk for the st.i.tches. In this event it may be set into a scarf or drapery of China or Surah silk with charming results.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 54.--Square in Modern-Point Lace.]

No. 55.

LOUIS XIV. CURTAIN-LACE.

This is a very popular decoration for curtains and vestibule doors and is made of heavy ecru or white net and braid. The design selected is generally a border with a corner piece, and sometimes a center piece.

The specimen here given is simply a square of the net decorated as ill.u.s.trated to convey an idea of this at present fashionable curtain lace. The design is first traced on tracing cloth that is then underlaid with brown paper to hold it stiffly in place. The net is then laid over this and smoothly basted down so that the tracing shows through plainly.

Then ecru or white Battenburg braid is used to follow the design, and is shaped into the leaves and flowers seen, rings being used for the centers of the blossoms and ecru or white cord for the stems. The net is cut from under the rings at the centers of the large roses, and each opening is filled in with point de fillet and English wheels. The effect is very rich and the work is not difficult to do.

When a curtain is thus embroidered or decorated with braid, it is bordered the same as the square ill.u.s.trated, or upon that principle, with rows and points of Battenburg braid. Ribbon is often used in this way for tidies, bureau scarfs and various other little household decorations, and in this event the flower and foliage tints may be carried out in the design.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 55.--Louis XIV. Curtain-Lace.]

DARNED-NET SCARFS, KERCHIEFS, TIDIES, EDGINGS, INSERTIONS, ETC., ETC., WITH DESIGNS FOR THE SAME AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Bobbin net, or "bobbinet," or "net" as it is now commonly called, was first made by machinery in 1809, and was so called because the threads from which it was made were wound upon bobbins, and _twisted_ into meshes instead of being _looped_ in knitting style as they were previous to the invention of the machine. The latter was invented by John Heathcoat, the son of an English farmer; but to France must be given the credit of introducing the "darned work" by which some of its costliest net laces were first made. From these laces originated the industry of darning net by machinery and by hand, and in all grades from fine silk-blonde and Brussels net to the coa.r.s.est wash net, such as is used for curtains and draperies.

In the earlier days the pattern was stamped on the net by means of wooden blocks, and the net was then placed in a frame, and the darner with her left hand under the lace followed the design with her needle and cotton, linen or silk floss held over the work in the right hand.

This method may be employed at the present time; or, the design may be drawn on thick paper and the net basted over it; or, if the net is coa.r.s.e the design may be followed by counting the meshes and inserting the needle and floss accordingly; or the design may be transferred to the net itself by black or colored pencils, or stamping. The darner must decide for herself which method for holding the work she will use. Some of the most expert darners simply hold the net loosely in their hands and copy the design by eye alone. Wash-silk floss, India floss which is of linen but looks like silk, and ordinary darning flosses are all used for this work. Darned net is liked for many purposes, as will be observed by the variety of designs and ill.u.s.trations given on these pages.

No. 1.

SCARF-END OF DARNED NET.

This ill.u.s.tration pictures a very pretty scarf-end, but presents it only half of its actual width. The scarf is about a yard in length and is darned with linen floss and edged with the finest feather-edge braid.

The center portions of the flowers and foliage are cut out after the solid darning is made, and the s.p.a.ces are then filled in with a fancy mesh done with fine cotton in point de Bruxelles st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 1.--Scarf-End of Darned Net (Half Size).]

No. 2.

NARROW CUFF OF DARNED NET.

This engraving presents a cuff of darned net in its actual width. The design is also suitable for an edging and may be easily changed into an insertion. Feather-edge braid is used to complete the cuff. A collar may be made to match if desired.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 2.--Narrow Cuff of Darned Net.]

No. 3.

CORNER OF KERCHIEF OF DARNED NET.

This kerchief is made similarly to the scarf-end ill.u.s.trated on page 97, and as represented, the corner is only one-half its actual size. The kerchief itself is about twenty-two inches square and is very dainty in effect. The stars which fill in the central portion are very simple to make, and the eyelets in each are punched with a bodkin and then worked once around in point de Bruxelles or b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch. The kerchief is made of fine Brussels net and the darning is done with India floss.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 3.--Corner of Kerchief of Darned Net (Half Size).]

No. 4.

TIDY OF DARNED NET.

This engraving represents a charming little tidy made of coa.r.s.e wash-net darned with wash-silk floss in Oriental colorings. The tidy has an inch wide hem and is about eleven inches wide and twelve long. The hem is fastened down by three rows of darning st.i.tches, the outer row being deep garnet, the middle row bright old-rose and the inner row deep orange. One small fan is made of the orange and pale-blue, another of the old-rose with sulphur-yellow, and the third peac.o.c.k-blue and crimson. One large fan is made of pale-pink and silver-gray (darned together), and wood-brown; another is made of the garnet and the sulphur-yellow, while the third is made of orange and pale-blue. The scrolls meeting at the center are made, one of wood-brown, one of sulphur-yellow and one of garnet, and the rest of the design is made in different shades of dull green. Laid over white, this tidy is very effective. It may be darned in one color on white, black or ecru net if preferred, and with linen floss.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 4.--Tidy of Darned Net.]

No. 5.

TIE-END OF DARNED NET.

A tie-end in its actual width is here ill.u.s.trated. The tie is about three-quarters of a yard long, and is darned in all-over style in the design seen in the engraving, with linen floss. A line of fine feather-edge braid finishes the tie in a dainty manner. This design may be used for any other article preferred, and its details will also suggest other designs of a similar character which may be invented by the worker. This scarf as well as the others just described, may be made up in black if preferred; and in this event it will be easier for the darner to follow the meshes if she bastes her net over a white background. The design may or not be traced on this background.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 5.--Tie-end of Darned Net (Full Width).]

No. 6.

DARNED-NET EDGING, WITH OVER-WROUGHT St.i.tCH.

This handsome edging is darned upon a wide strip of net with coa.r.s.e and fine embroidery cotton, and after the pattern is completed the lower edge of the net is cut away. The coa.r.s.e cotton is used to outline the design and fill in some of the central portions, while the fine is darned in between the outer and center portions, and is used for the over-wrought portions. These portions are "run" back and forth loosely to form a raised foundation for the buds and rose-centers before the over-wrought work is done. The edging is given full-size and no difficulty will be experienced in following the design or making the lace; and the design may be adapted to any article of wear that can be made of darned net. A scarf or kerchief, dotted with rosebuds made like those of this design would be a very dainty article of personal adornment; and the buds might be made of pale-pink or yellow floss with a charming effect. The floral idea might be further carried out by using shaded green floss for the foliage.