[Ill.u.s.tration: SORRENTO BARS.]

RALEIGH BARS (No. 10). Make a bar of threads, as for Venetian bars, and work on it about eight st.i.tches. At the ninth, instead of bringing up the needle through the loop to form another b.u.t.ton-hole, slip it under the bar, and bring it up on the right-hand side, leaving a loop of thread about two inches long, which you will hold down with your thumb, to keep it in its place. Now twist your needle six times under the right hand thread of this loop; draw it up, when it will make a knot, and slip the needle through it, above the bar, to continue the process. It may be observed that when this bar forms a part of the foundation of a piece of point, only two of these dots are generally seen on it, and they are placed near each other, almost in the centre of the bar.

POINT D'ALENcON (No. 11). This is only common herring-bone st.i.tch, with the needle twisted once or oftener under the thread of each st.i.tch, according as the s.p.a.ce to be filled is narrow or wide.

SPANISH POINT (No. 12). This is the raised st.i.tch which gives the peculiarly rich appearance to all the Spanish lace. A certain thickness of soft cotton is tacked down on the lace, in the form desired, and this is covered closely with b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch, edged with Raleigh dots, or with small loops. It is to be noticed that this is not attached to the lace by the b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tches, but only by the thread which tacks down the soft cotton, so that it can be picked off without injury. The b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tches must be worked very smoothly, and quite close together.

ROSETTE (No. 13). This is exactly like a spider's web, worked on three, four, or more threads, according to the shape of the s.p.a.ce intended to be filled. Begin by making a Sorrento bar across the s.p.a.ce, from one point to the opposite; then a second one, slipping the needle under the first in going, and over it in twisting back; then do a third, or fourth, if necessary; but when you have twisted back to the centre of the last, make the rosette, leaving the half bar single.

The rosette is done by pa.s.sing the needle under two threads, then continuing to slip it under two, the first of which is always the last of the previous two, until you have made the spot a sufficient size, when you finish the last bar, by twisting down to the braid, and fastening off. The size of the s.p.a.ce must be the guide for that of the rosette; but from six to ten times round a centre is an average.

[Ill.u.s.tration: St.i.tCHES.]

BRUSSELS LACE (No. 14). Consecutive rows of Brussels edging, worked alternately from left to right, and from right to left.

VENETIAN LACE (No. 15). Rows of Venetian edging. As this st.i.tch can only be worked from left to right, a line of Brussels is usually placed between every two rows, and being worked from right to left, saves the trouble of running the needle along the braid.

SORRENTO LACE (No. 16). Successive rows of the Sorrento edging.

ENGLISH LACE (No. 17). This is to be worked with the finest thread that is made. Do a number of Sorrento bars (closely twisted threads), at equal distances, in one direction throughout the s.p.a.ce: then take one thread under all these, in exactly the opposite direction; take a st.i.tch on the braid to secure it, and twist to the first cross. Pa.s.s the needle under the single thread and over the twisted one, till it has gone four times round, when the spot will be sufficiently large.

Twist on the single thread to the next cross, and repeat. Do this until the whole s.p.a.ce is filled, as seen in the engraving, where the distance between the threads is sufficiently accurately represented.

This lace always looks best, however, when the lines are diagonal.

English lace is often radiated; that is, the lines are more distant from each other at one edge than at the other, and the spots proportionably larger, presenting the appearance of a fan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OPEN ENGLISH LACE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRABANT EDGING.]

OPEN ENGLISH LACE (No. 18). This is a variety of the previous lace, being worked in the same way, but on four lines of threads, instead of two, namely, one diagonal from left to right, one from right to left, one horizontal, and one perpendicular. The spots are worked on the last line made. The distance of the lines is seen in the engraving.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LYONS POINT.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRUSSELS LACE.]

The accompanying diagram gives another variety of open English lace.

The straight bars are formed of single threads, while the diagonal ones are twisted; and at every cross a tight b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch is worked, to keep the threads together. Observe, that in working bars, a tight st.i.tch should always be taken on the braid, at the beginning and end of every one.

MECKLIN WHEELS (No. 19). Work Venetian bars on a single thread, in one direction, at equal distances. Then take a thread in the opposite direction, and cover it also with b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch a little beyond the first cross. Take another needle and thread and work a few st.i.tches, in the form of a circle, round each cross, so that by slipping the first needle through every st.i.tch, a foundation may be formed for the b.u.t.ton-hole work with which the wheel is made, a single Raleigh dot being added between every two threads. The st.i.tches taken with the extra needle should form a sort of railroad for holding the thread in its place. This mode of working wheels will be found very superior to the old one of pinning down the circle of thread. When all the wheels are worked, the st.i.tches made with the extra needle should be cut away at the back.

HENRIQUEZ LACE (No. 20). This st.i.tch, and the one that follows it, are invariably worked with the finest thread manufactured. Like English lace, it has a better effect done on diagonal bars, than on those which are taken straight up and down, or across a s.p.a.ce. Make one twisted bar across the s.p.a.ce, then take a single thread nearly close to it. Twist it twice round, then darn a spot on the two threads; twist five or six times round, darn another, and repeat to the end. Do all the lines in one direction first, making the spots fall one beneath the other. Then begin the lines in the opposite direction, taking the thread under in one way, and over in returning, whilst, in order to keep the close bars apart, the thread must be twisted between them. Care must be taken that the bars in one direction, fall between the spots in the other.

CORDOVAN LACE (No. 21). Worked like the preceding; but with three bars in each line instead of two.

VALENCIENNES LACE (No. 22). This st.i.tch also is done with the finest threads made. It is simple darning, of the closest and finest description, done with so much regularity that it resembles cambric.

BRABANT EDGING is a name sometimes given to a union of the Brussels with the Venetian edging. A row of Brussels is first worked, and on it a row of Venetian. The diagram gives the effect of this arrangement.

Another variety of edging is produced by two or three rows of Brussels being worked on one another. This is frequently seen in old lace; and, with Venetian on the outer edge of the braid, is often termed Lyons Point.

When s.p.a.ces similar to those in the accompanying diagram are to be filled with Brussels lace, the best way is to work each side to the centre, and then run the needle up the middle, catching up alternately a st.i.tch on each side. Sometimes the centre is not closed up at all.

The diagram in page 132 gives a specimen of a modification of the Little Venetian Lace. The first st.i.tch is taken as usual, but is followed by three others, worked as closely as possible. A s.p.a.ce equal to that of four st.i.tches is left between every four. In the second row, the four st.i.tches are worked on the loop. The engraving also shows how the st.i.tches are adapted to the different s.p.a.ces in a pattern.

FOUNDATION St.i.tCH (No. 23). This is ordinary b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch, worked over a thread, and as closely as possible. The thread is taken across the s.p.a.ce, from right to left, to form a bar, which is then covered with close Brussels, worked from left to right. Each st.i.tch of a row is worked between two of the previous rows.

ESCALIER St.i.tCH (No. 24). Work nine b.u.t.ton hole st.i.tches as close to each other as possible. Miss the s.p.a.ce of two, and repeat. In the second row, work one after each of the first seven, miss the s.p.a.ce of the last two, work two on the loop, and seven more on the next nine, miss the last two of the nine; repeat in every successive row, pa.s.sing over the last two of nine st.i.tches, and doing two on the vacant s.p.a.ce.

CADIZ LACE (No. 25). Do six close Brussels st.i.tches. Miss the s.p.a.ce of two, do two more, and again miss the s.p.a.ce of two, repeat from the six st.i.tches.

2nd row: Do two over the loop of every s.p.a.ce, and miss all the st.i.tches, whether six or two. Repeat these two rows alternately, to form the lace.

BARCELONA LACE (No. 26). The first row of this lace is exactly like Sorrento edging.

2nd row: Do four close st.i.tches on the long st.i.tch, and miss the short one, taking care not to draw the thread too tightly.

3rd: A row of Sorento edging, the long st.i.tch coming over the four st.i.tches of the last row, and both the b.u.t.ton-holes being worked on the loop, so that the short st.i.tches come over the short of the first row. These two rows, worked alternately, make the lace.

FAN LACE (No. 27), 1st row: Six close Brussels, miss the s.p.a.ce of six.

Repeat.

2nd: Six st.i.tches over every six, miss the same s.p.a.ce.

3rd: Six close Brussels on every loop, missing the s.p.a.ce between.

4th: Six over every six, and six on every loop.

5th: Six close over the six on the long loop, miss the other six.

Repeat these last three rows as often as may be required to fill up the s.p.a.ce.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LITTLE VENETIAN LACE.]

SPOTTED LACE (No. 28). This very light and pretty lace is done thus:--

1st: X two close b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tches, miss the s.p.a.ce of four, X repeat to the end, without drawing the thread too tightly.

Begin the next row, and all following, at a little distance from the one preceding, and do two close st.i.tches on every loop of thread.

VENETIAN SPOTTED LACE (No. 29). This lace consists of a series diamonds, formed by Venetian bars crossing each other diagonally, in each of the sections of which, four spots of English lace are to be worked. The foundation threads of the Venetian bars are first laid; then the English lace spots are worked, and the b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch of the Venetian bars is done the last. This lace is well suited to fill up large s.p.a.ces.

OPEN ANTWERP LACE (No. 30). For this lace a new st.i.tch is required, called the double Brussels. Instead of a simple b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch, the needle is twisted once in the loop, so that when drawn up, it has a _longer_ appearance than the ordinary Brussels. The st.i.tches are to be worked quite close to each other.

1st row: X eight close double st.i.tches, miss the s.p.a.ce of six, X repeat, without drawing the thread very tightly across the missing s.p.a.ce.

2nd: X five double over the eight, two double on the loop of thread, X repeat.

3rd: X two double on the five, five over the two, X when five st.i.tches are worked over two, one goes between the two, and two on each side of it.

4th: X eight double over five and miss the s.p.a.ce over the two, leaving the loop rather loose, X. Repeat from the second row throughout the s.p.a.ce.