team. beeton's book of needlework. consisting of descriptions and instructions, illustrated by six hundred engravings, of tatting patterns. crochet patterns. knitting patterns. netting patterns. embroidery patterns. point lace patterns. guipure d'art. berlin work. monograms. initials and names. pillow lace, and lace stitches. _every pattern and stitch described and engraved with the utmost accuracy, and the exact quantity of material requisite for each pattern stated._ chancellor press _beeton's book of needlework_ was originally published in great britain in by ward, lock and tyler. this facsimile edition published in great britain in by chancellor press grosvenor street london w printed in czechoslovakia samuel butler's preface the art of needlework dates from the earliest record of the world's history, and has, also, from time immemorial been the support, comfort, or employment of women of every rank and age. day by day, it increases its votaries, who enlarge and develop its various branches, so that any addition and assistance in teaching or learning needlework will be welcomed by the daughters of england, "wise of heart," who work diligently with their hands. the recent introduction of point lace has brought a finer, and, apparently, more difficult class of fancy work into general favour. ladies may now, however, confidently commence, with our patterns before them, to reproduce antique laces; for care and patience, with a knowledge of point lace stitches, are alone required to perfect the beautiful work, which, as shown in existing specimens of exquisite old lace, constitute the chief glory of women's refined industry in past centuries. instructions in tatting, in embroidery, in crochet, in knitting and netting, in berlin wool work, in point lace, and guipure d'art are prefixed to the pages devoted to these separate branches of needlework. the whole work is interspersed with coloured and other patterns in point lace, guipure d'art, tatting, embroidery, and designs for monograms and initials for marking handkerchiefs and table-linen. the quantity of materials required for each class of work is also given with every pattern. the idea of combining a series of minute and exact instructions in fancy needlework with useful patterns was conceived some years ago by one whose life was devoted to the inculcation of the practical duties of woman's life, and to assisting her sex in their daily work of household management and refinement. her great wish was that her book of needlework should be as valuable in its way to her countrywomen as her work upon household management was useful in showing the best mode of providing for the diurnal wants of families. other hands have brought to a conclusion her original plans. the best attainable workers have contributed to this volume. only those who knew the extent of the late mrs. beeton's design, will miss, in the pages now before them, "the touch of a vanished hand." s.o.b. _paternoster row,_ . contents. tatting instructions tatting patterns embroidery instructions embroidery patterns crochet instructions crochet patterns knitting instructions netting instructions knitting and netting patterns alphabets for monograms and initials monograms and initials point lace work point lace instructions point lace patterns instructions and patterns in guipure d'art berlin work instructions tatting. tatting instructions [illustration: tatting shuttle.] the needlework called tatting in england, _frivolité_ in french, and _frivolitäten_ in german, is a work which seems, from all accounts, to have been in favour several generations ago. modern ingenuity has discovered some ways of improving on the original plan of tatting, which was, indeed, rather a primitive sort of business as first practised. to mrs. mee, one of our most accomplished _artistes_ in all matters connected with the work-table, belongs, we believe, the introduction of the plan of working from the reel instead of the shuttle. by this alteration the advantage of the shuttle being constantly kept filled with cotton was gained, and the necessity also obviated for frequently joining the thread; and to mdlle. riego, equally distinguished in all details appertaining to the employment of the needle, ladies are indebted for an arrangement by which the same thread used in the making of the pattern is used for fastening the work. the old plan only provided for the working of the different portions which constituted the pattern, and then these portions had to be sewn together with a needle and thread. the ingenious workers on the continent have also given much attention of late to the art of tatting, and our instructions now printed comprise what we consider the best mode of learning and doing this exceedingly interesting and fashionable work. [illustration: tatting pin.] tatting differs entirely from crochet, and is composed of stitches forming _knots_. it is intended as an imitation of point lace, and is especially used for trimming under-linen, on account of its strength. to make the stitches or knots a small instrument is used, called a _shuttle_. this shuttle consists of two oval pieces, flat on one side and convex on the other, and is made of wood or ivory. the two oval pieces are joined together by a strong cross-piece. the illustration shows the construction of the shuttle. these shuttles are made in ivory, pearl, tortoiseshell inlaid with pearl, and silver; they are also manufactured in coloured bone, black, red, and white. the best to work with are the pearl for a white shuttle, and the inlaid tortoiseshell for a black shuttle; the prices vary from sixpence to one shilling and two-and-sixpence each. in selecting a shuttle be careful to see that the ends close, as if dropped it soon becomes unthreaded, which is very inconvenient. the cotton intended for the work is wound round this shuttle, and the thickness of the cotton varies according to the style of work. it is better to use the proper tatting cotton, because it is stronger than the ordinary kinds; this is manufactured by messrs. walter evans and co. for the purpose. their boar's head cotton is also frequently used, and answers very well. _shuttles._ these are made in sizes:--finest, no. ; no. , useful medium size; no. , the largest. _the way to hold the hands._ take the shuttle in the right hand, between the thumb and second finger, and allow the forefinger to remain at liberty, and rest the under part of the shuttle _between_ the second and third and _on_ the middle finger. place the thread round the three middle fingers of the left hand, so as to form a loop, keeping the second and third fingers a little apart, and bring the cotton again between the thumb and forefinger, letting the end fall within the palm of the hand, while the end of cotton which holds on to the shuttle passes over the thumb-nail. _to make a stitch._ keep the hands in the position above described; pass the shuttle at the back, through the loop--that is, between the second and third fingers. take the end of the shuttle which comes out from the loop between the forefinger and thumb of the right hand, and strain the cotton very tightly towards the right. when the cotton is drawn through the loop, this cotton must not be impeded by the fourth finger; it should, on the contrary, slide over it, and be drawn tight. it should divide the loop into two parts. after this withdraw the second left-hand finger, which is _above_ the cotton, and pass it again under that cotton, so as to draw up the loop. a _half-stitch_ is thus formed, and must be tightened by being drawn closely to the forefinger and thumb of the left hand. for the remaining half of the stitch keep the hands in the same position, but, instead of letting the cotton fall over the thumb, pass this cotton over the back of the hand; then let the shuttle fall between the second and third fingers of the left hand, in front, and take it out again at the back, strain the cotton very tightly, withdraw the second finger from the loop, letting the cotton which is behind the hand sweep over the fingers. when this is done, guide with the unoccupied fingers of the left hand this second half-stitch up to the other, thus completing _one stitch_. _the way to make a loop in tatting._ when a certain number of stitches are made, very tightly draw in the loop by straining the cotton until the first stitch touches the last, and thus a loop is formed. during this process the stitches should be held tightly between the forefinger and thumb. _the way to make a purl._ a _purl_ is a small loop of cotton often used as an edging in tatting, as, for instance, round the outer edge of the ovals in tatted insertion no. . the following is the easiest method of making a purl:--the stitches are not made quite closely together at the place where a purl is to be made; about one-sixth of an inch is left between each. this space is left free until the loop is made by uniting the stitches; then the small piece of cotton in the space bulges out between the stitches, and forms the purl. if several are required a small space is left between every two or three stitches, according to the desired number. care must be taken in that case that the small pieces of cotton left be all of the same length, so that the purl may be perfectly even. the purl can also be made thus: at the same time with the end of thread take the tatting-pin or a very large darning needle or knitting needle in the left hand, so that the point may come out farther than the row of stitches; if then you wish to make a purl, throw the cotton on the pin before making the stitch; then fasten this stitch, and push it at once close to the preceding; the pin with the cotton should come above the stitches. do not take out the pin before all the purl and all the stitches are completed and joined together. _joining the work._ place the tatting-pin in the loop that is to be joined, and with the hook draw the thread of the loop--that is, round the hand through it--pass the shuttle through this loop, and draw it up tightly close to the stitches. a "straight" or double thread is used to join various parts of the work, and forms very beautiful patterns. without the straight thread we should be unable to imitate point lace patterns, or, indeed, to execute any designs but those composed of circles, ovals, &c. to use this straight thread shuttles are required; they should be of different colours. sometimes one end of thread is left attached to the reel instead of using the second shuttle. in commencing a loop the straight thread is held between the second and third fingers of the left hand, about or inches from the work; the other shuttle is held as usual in the right hand, and the stitches and purls worked with it upon the foundation of the straight thread of the second shuttle. * * * * * tatting. .--_pine pattern collar in tatting._ [illustration: i.--pine pattern collar in tatting.] materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; a small shuttle. this collar is worked with very fine tatting cotton as follows:-- st circle: double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton. nd circle: double, join it to the last purl of the st circle, double, purl times, double, draw the cotton up. rd circle: double, join it to the last purl of the nd circle, double, join it to the th purl of the nd circle, double, purl times, double, draw the cotton up. th circle: double, join it to the last purl of rd circle, double, purl, double times, double, draw the cotton up. th circle: double, join it to the last purl of th circle, double, purl, double times, draw up the cotton. th circle: double, join it to the last purl of the th circle, double, join it to the th purl of the preceding circle, double, purl times, double, join it to the first purl of the st circle, double, draw up the cotton. this completes the star pattern in centre of pine. st circle of pine: double, purl, double times, double, draw up the cotton. nd circle: double, join to the last purl of st circle, double, join it to the th purl of st circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton and join it to the rd purl of centre star. rd circle: double, join to the last purl of nd circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton and join it on to the centre purl of nd circle in star. th circle: double, join to the last purl of rd circle, double, purl times, double, purl, double, draw up the cotton and join it to the th purl of nd centre circle in star. th circle: double, join the cotton to the last purl of th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton, repeat the th circle twice more, then join the cotton to the centre purl of th circle in star. th circle: double, join to the last purl of th circle, purl, double times, double, draw up the cotton and join it to the centre purl of th circle in star. th circle: double, join to the last purl of th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton. repeat the th circle times. th circle: double, join the cotton to the last purl of the th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton, turn the work downwards, and work the th circle: double, purl, double, join it to the st purl of the st circle of pine, double, join it to the nd purl of first pine circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton. th circle: double, join to the last purl of the th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton. th circle: double, join to the last purl of the th circle, double, purl times, double, purl, double, draw up the cotton. th circle: double, join to the last purl of the th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton. th circle: double, join to the last purl of the th circle, double, purl times, double, draw up the cotton, and repeat from commencement until the collar is the required size. the upper part of the pines is filled in with lace stitches, as clearly shown in our illustration. * * * * * .--_tatted insertion._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or boar's head crochet cotton no. ; tatting pin no. ; large shuttle. [illustration: .--tatted insertion.] this insertion should be worked with coarse cotton. double *, purl, double, repeat from * times, purl, double, draw up the cotton, turn the pattern downward, and work another circle the same as that above described, leaving one-sixth of an inch of cotton between each circle. * * * * * .--_lace edging in tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; any sized shuttle. for a finer edging, no. . st oval: fill the shuttle, but do not cut it off from the reel, as a double thread is used, and commence by working double stitches, purl, double; draw up. double thread: putting the thread attached to the reel round the left hand, work double, purl, double. [illustration: .--lace edging in tatting.] nd oval: double, join to purl in st oval, double; draw up. the pattern is now complete. repeat from beginning, taking care that the next oval be close to the last. crochet a heading with the same cotton, working chain, double into the purl in double thread. repeat. * * * * * .--_lace edging in tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; any sized shuttle. for a finer edging, no. . [illustration: .--lace edging in tatting.] st oval: fill the shuttle, but do not cut it off from the reel, as a double thread is required, and commence by working double stitches, purl, double stitches, draw up. nd oval: close to last oval, work double, purl, double; draw up. double thread: putting the thread attached to the reel round the left hand, work double, purl, double; then join the shuttle-thread to the purl in nd oval, by drawing it through with a pin. then do another similar chain of stitches with the double thread, viz., double, purl, double. rd oval: double, join to the purl in nd oval--the same as that to which the shuttle-thread has been fastened-- double; draw up. th oval: close to last oval, work double, join to purl of st oval, double, draw up. the pattern is now complete. repeat from beginning, taking care that the next oval be close to the last. crochet a heading with the same cotton, working chain, double into the purl of double thread, chain, double into the next purl. repeat. * * * * * .--_border in tatting with crochet edging._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; a bone shuttle. [illustration: .--border in tatting with crochet edging.] work * double stitches (that is, times following purled stitch and plain), purl, four times following double stitches, purl, double stitches, draw up the cotton so as to form an oval, and for the smaller oval, work double stitches, but leave, before beginning the first double stitch, the space of one-sixth of an inch between this oval and the preceding; repeat from *, leaving the same space between each oval; join together the larger ovals by the purl. for the crochet edging, work the st row in the following manner:-- double (followed by chain) in each of the smaller ovals. the nd and rd rows are composed of short treble stitches, placed one above the other, and divided by one chain. while working the short treble stitches of the rd row form the small purl thus:-- * short treble in the first short treble of preceding row, let the loop slip off from the crochet needle, insert the needle in the under stitch, from which comes the loop now made into a purl, work double in the first short treble of preceding row, chain, under which miss stitch, and repeat from *. * * * * * .--_border in tatting with crochet._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . for a coarser size use boar's head cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. . [illustration: .--border in tatting with crochet.] double stitches, purl, times following, double stitches, purl, double stitches, draw up the oval, but not quite tight, leave a space about one-sixth of an inch, leave a similar space between this oval and the next, work double stitches, fasten them to the nearest purl of preceding oval, then work twice following double stitches, purl, then double stitches, purl, double stitches, and draw up the oval * * * * * .--_tatted insertion._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this strip of insertion is worked with crochet cotton, and consists of a row of circles, two of which are always joined together, and edged on either side with chain stitches. work first * double, purl divided by double, double, long purl about one-fifth of an inch long, double divided by purl, long purl, times alternately double, purl, then double; join the stitches into a circle; work close to this a second circle, and knot the end of the cotton together with the cotton with which the first circle has been begun; repeat from *, but henceforward in the first of the two circles fasten the cotton on to the middle purl of the preceding circle, instead of working the middle purl. when the strip of insertion is sufficiently long, edge it on either side with a row of chain stitches, by working double in long purl and chain between. [illustration: .--tatted insertion.] * * * * * .--_rosette in tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this rosette is worked with two cottons, viz., plain, purl, plain, double, purl, double, purl, plain; turn the work downwards, double, fastened on the last purl turned downwards; this forms one loop turned upwards; turn work downwards, double, purl, double, fastened on first purl turned downwards; turn figure thus formed downwards; double, single, repeat times more from *, joining the figures by means of the purl stitch; the ends of the cotton are knotted together. [illustration: .--rosette in tatting.] * * * * * .--_star in tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--star in tatting.] fill the shuttle, and commencing a loop, work double, then purl and double times, draw into a round; join the cotton to the st purl loop. st oval.--commence a loop close to the joining, work double, join to st purl of round, work double and draw close; reverse the work. join the thread from reel, and holding it out for a straight thread, commence the scallop:-- double, purl, double, reverse the work. the nd oval same as first. repeat oval and scallop alternately, until the star is completed. * * * * * .--_insertion worked in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--insertion worked in tatting.] this strip of insertion is worked with two cottons. work with the cotton in the left hand over that in the right hand. both ends of cotton are fastened together at the beginning by a knot. first work one half of the insertion the long way in the following manner:-- plain, purl, plain (the purl must be very short); turn the purl downwards, double, purl, * double, purl, plain, which must all be turned upwards; then turn the work so that the upper edge is turned downwards; work double, fastened on to the last purl turned downwards (the fastening of the stitches is made with the thread in the right hand); a loop turned upwards is thus formed; turn the work downwards, draw the cotton in right hand underneath that in left hand, and work double, purl, double, all turned upwards; fasten these stitches on st purl turned downwards. in this pattern st of border pattern is thus completed; turn it downwards, double, purl, double, purl, plain, turn work downwards, double, fastened on last purl of last pattern, turned up. repeat from *. when the insertion is of sufficient length, work the other half in same manner, and fasten it on the st half by means of purl stitches between the double stitches twice repeated. * * * * * .--_tatted insertion for trimming lingeries_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--tatted insertion.] this insertion consists of rows of three-branched patterns which lie opposite each other, and are joined by slanting rows of knots. a coloured silk ribbon is drawn through these rows which join the patterns. each of the branches of pattern consists of double, purl, double, and must be worked close to another. when the rd branch is completed, fasten another piece of cotton on to the middle branch. work double over this nd piece of cotton, and then work without the nd piece of cotton a nd three-branched pattern like the st.* fasten the nd piece of cotton on to the middle branch of the just-finished pattern, work double over it, then again a three-branched pattern; in this pattern as well as in the following ones, instead of working the purl of the st branch, fasten it on to the purl of the rd branch of the preceding three-branched pattern of the _same_ row, as can be seen in illustration. repeat till the strip of insertion is sufficiently long. * * * * * .--_circle in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--circle in tatting.] work first ovals, each composed of double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, double stitches; these ovals are joined together by the purl at the sides, then the circle is tightened as much as possible, and the cotton with which you are working is twisted round the ends of cotton that have been cut: the cotton is then fastened off nearly underneath. begin a fresh small oval, composed of double stitches, which should be fastened to the preceding oval after double stitches (to the purl in the centre of the first oval), then fasten it again to the purl which joins together the first and the second oval; leave a space of about one-fourth of an inch, and work an oval composed of double stitches, purl, followed each by double stitches, double stitches. a very little farther off make a very small oval, composed of double stitches, which after the four first double stitches is joined to the centre purl of the second oval, leaving the same space between as before, make another oval of double stitches, purl, each followed by double stitches, double stitches; but the first purl is _missed_, because at this place the oval is joined to the fifth purl of the corresponding oval; once more leave a space of one-fourth of an inch, and repeat. at the end of the round the two ends of cotton are tied tightly together. * * * * * .--_tatted border with beads_. materials: black purse silk, or, for white trimming, messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; hanks of beads no. to the yard of border. [illustration: .--tatted border with beads.] this border, edged with beads no. , is worked in middling-size purse silk over fine silk cord of the same colour as the silk. before beginning to work this pattern, thread the beads which take the place of purl stitches, and which are slipped in between two double stitches. when the row of stitches is of the length required, form the trefoil leaves, and sew a few beads over the places where they are joined. these trefoil leaves are made separately, and then sewn together. * * * * * .--_insertion in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; any sized shuttle; for a finer insertion no. or . [illustration: .--insertion in tatting.] st oval: fill the shuttle, but do not cut it off from the reel, as a double thread is used, and commence by working double stitches, purl, double, draw up. double thread: putting the thread attached to the reel round the left hand, work double, purl, double. nd oval: double, join to purl of st oval, double, draw up. repeat till the length required is worked, then cut off. for the fresh length, which will make the other half of the insertion, the shuttle must still be attached to the reel. commence by working-- st oval: double, join to the purl which connects the first and second ovals of the piece already worked, double, draw up. double thread: double, purl, double. nd oval: double, join to the same purl as last--namely, the one connecting the first and second ovals of the piece already worked, double, draw up. repeat, joining the two next ovals to the purl which connects the two next in the piece already worked, and so on. crochet a heading each side, working chain, double into the purl of double thread, repeat. with a heading on one side only, this makes a pretty wide edging. * * * * * .--_border in tatting and crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , and crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--border in tatting and crochet.] this lace is rendered stronger by the crochet rows of scallops and treble stitch round the edge. begin with the tatting as follows: make a circle of double, purl divided by double, double. this circle is repeated at a distance of about three-fourths of an inch, only instead of the st purl each following circle must be fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle. then take some crochet cotton, which must be finer than the cotton used for tatting, and work a row of double stitches over the thread which joins the circles. the number of stitches depends on the length and size of the cotton; work double stitches round the circles at the place where both ends meet. the outer row consists of treble stitches, which are worked with chain stitch between, missing stitch under each chain. the scallops consist of the two following rows:-- double, with which the last and first purl of circles are joined, chain; in each of the other purl, double, chain, between double stitches. nd row: double in each chain stitch scallop, double, long double, double. * * * * * _and_ .--_lady's veil in net and tatting_. [illustration: .--lady's veil in net and tatting.] this veil is slightly gathered in front and fastened to the brim of the bonnet. it is tied at the back under the chignon. the veil is of black silk net. the flowrets are tatted with black purse silk, and worked in appliqué over the tulle. the veil is edged round with a tatted lace made with the same silk. for the patterns and lace and instructions, see nos. and . no. shows the way in which the veil is worn upon the bonnet, and no. shows its shape when stretched out. * * * * * _and_ .--_patterns in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. for a white veil; fine black silk for a black veil; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--shape of veil.] [illustration: .--tatting pattern for veil ( ).] [illustration: --tatting pattern for veil ( ).] the patterns nos. and are meant for ornamenting the veil no. . they are sewn upon the net at regular distances. for working the pattern no. , make with black silk or white cotton times alternately double, purl, at the end purl, then join the stitch into a circle, *fasten the silk on to the next purl. then spot or josephine knot, consisting of plain stitches, carry the shuttle downwards through the loop, and draw the stitches close together; repeat times more from *. fasten the silk on to the next purl, and work a circle as follows:-- times double, divided by purl; fasten the silk on to the next purl, work again spot, after which the silk is fastened, then work more similar circles divided by spot; they are fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle instead of the st purl. fasten off the silk after the last circle. for no. work double, divided by purl, join the stitches into a circle, knot the beginning and the end of the cotton together, cut off the ends at a short distance. then work a smaller circle, consisting of double, divided by purl; at the place of the st purl fasten the cotton at a short distance on to the nd purl of the large circle. the ends of this circle are knotted together and cut off in the same way. then work a circle consisting of double, fasten the silk on to the th purl of the large circle, work double, and join the stitches into a circle. then take the ends of the circles, and work close fine stitches with silk round them, so as to form the stem. the completed pattern is sewn upon the net. * * * * * _and_ .--_diamond pattern and circle in tatting, for trimming linen collars, cuffs, &c_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no ; tatting-pin no. . .--diamond pattern.--work, not far one from the other, four leaves, each composed of double stitches, rather long purl divided one from the other by double stitches, double stitches. instead of making the st purl in each of the next leaves, fasten the cotton to the last leaf of preceding leaf. fasten off and cut the cotton; begin a fresh circle by double stitches, purl divided by double stitches, more double stitches; fasten the cotton to the centre purl of one of the four leaves, and work a very small circle thus:-- double stitches, fasten the cotton to the last purl of the first circle, double stitches, purl, double stitches; fasten the cotton * to the th purl of the leaf; work a larger circle thus:-- double stitches fastened to the purl of the small circle, double stitches, purl divided by double stitches, more double stitches; fasten the cotton not far off to the second purl of the second leaf; work another small circle similar to that above-described; fasten the cotton to the third purl of the second leaf, then to the fourth purl of the same leaf, and repeat from * three times more, always fastening the first purl of the first circle you are working (each time you repeat the pattern) to the purl of the last small circle last worked; fasten off and cut the cotton. [illustration: .--diamond in tatting.] [illustration: .--circle in tatting.] * * * * * .--circle.--begin it in the centre by working a circle of purl, rather long, divided one from the other by double stitches. after you have fastened off and cut the cotton, work * one very small circle composed of double stitches, long purl, double stitches; fasten the cotton not far off to the first purl of the circle, and repeat from * times more, at regular distances. fasten off and cut the cotton, and begin * a fresh circle of double stitches, purl divided each by double stitches, more double stitches; fasten the cotton to the purl of the very small circle, and work, not far off, a circle of double stitches, purl divided by double stitches, more double stitches; fasten the cotton to the purl of the next small circle, and repeat from * times more. instead of making the first purl of the next large circle, fasten the cotton to the last purl of the small circle. * * * * * .--_border in tatting and crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--border in tatting and crochet.] begin this border with one of the smaller circles consisting of * double, purl, double, purl, double; work a large circle at a short distance, double, times purl divided by double, double; close to this circle another as follows:-- double, fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, times double divided by purl, purl, double; a third circle as follows:-- double fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, times double divided by purl, purl, double; the cotton is fastened a short distance further on to the second purl of the first worked small circle, which must be turned downwards; then turn the work so that the three circles which are joined together are turned downwards. work another small circle as follows at the distance of two-fifths of an inch:-- double, purl, double, leave again an interval of about two-fifths of an inch, and repeat from * till the lace is long enough; but in working the following figures, consisting of three circles, the st circle must be fastened on to the last purl of the rd circle at the place of the st purl. complete the tatting with the following rows of crochet:--* slip stitch in the purl of one of the small circles turned upwards, chain, slip stitch in the next purl, chain; repeat from *. in the following row work double in every stitch. * * * * * .--_insertion in tatting and lace stitch_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--insertion in tatting and lace stitch.] this insertion forms a very pretty standing-up collar when worked with fine cotton and a coloured ribbon drawn through. it consists of rows of branched figures turned opposite one another, which are worked separately and then joined into a row. work times as follows:-- double, purl, double, * draw into a circle and * work at a short distance a nd circle as follows:-- double fastened on to the last purl of the st circle, times double, purl, double, repeat once more from *, knot together the two ends of the cotton, and fasten them on the wrong side. one figure is thus completed; each following figure is fastened on to the preceding one on the middle purl of a circle (see illustration). when a sufficient number of such figures have been worked, work a nd row of them in the same manner, and fasten from illustration each middle circle of one figure on to the corresponding circle of the st row. the circles filled with lace stitch are worked when the rows are completed from illustration in the empty places between patterns; work first double, fasten them on to a purl on the side of a leaf turned inside, * double, fasten them on to a purl of the next leaf, repeat times more from *, work double, join the stitches into a circle, but not too close, so that the purls keep their natural position; cut off the cotton, and fasten the two ends on the wrong side. the lace stitch inside of these circles is worked with fine crochet cotton; the pattern may be changed for a single or double wheel. * * * * * .--_insertion in tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . begin by working separately a sufficient number of small rosettes, each composed of six ovals of double stitches and purl. these ovals are worked first in a straight row, then they are joined into a circle and united in the centre by button-hole stitches. the rosettes are joined together with fine cotton. the crochet border is then worked on either side in chain stitches and treble crochet, as seen in illustration. [illustration: .--insertion in tatting.] * * * * * .--_centre of a tatted couvrette_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this illustration shows the centre of a tatted couvrette in full size, and measuring inches across. separate rosettes like the pattern may be joined together with smaller ones, and form a very pretty couvrette. the pattern is worked in rounds. begin the rosette with a circle, consisting of double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double. take up another shuttle, and work over the cotton on it, fasten the end on the last double of the circle and work over it, beginning close to the circle, plain, circle like the st worked with the st shuttle, and which is fastened on the last purl of the st circle at the place of the st purl; plain, and continue to work so alternately till you have circles divided by plain stitches. draw up very tightly the cotton over which you work, so that the circles form a rosette, which is closed by sewing together the two corresponding purl of the first and last circle. both the ends of the cotton over which you have worked are knotted together. for the nd round, fasten the cotton on one shuttle on the middle purl of a circle, work a circle like those of the st round, take up the nd shuttle, and work on exactly as in the st round, only work plain between the circles over the cotton on the nd shuttle. the nd round consists of circles; the cotton with which you work must be fastened at the required places on the middle purl of a circle of the preceding round. the rd and following rounds are worked in the same manner; the number of circles must be such as to keep the couvrette quite flat. in the pattern the rd round has circles. fasten the cotton well after each round. [illustration: .--centre of a tatted couvrette.] * * * * * .--_tatted lace_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--tatted lace.] this very simple lace consists of scallops which look as if they were slightly gathered. it must be worked with tatting cotton. each scallop consists of plain, purl, plain, then alternately purled stitches, draw up these stitches till the cotton between the st and last stitch is two-fifths of an inch long, and work a nd similar scallop at a short distance from the st. but in the following scallops fasten each to the last purl of the preceding scallop instead of working the st purl. * * * * * .--_tatted lace_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. or ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--tatted lace.] this pretty lace is worked with fine tatting cotton. work with threads; the knots are worked over the cotton, which is held in the right hand. work first the outer scallops of the lace fasten both ends of cotton together and make double, divided by purl, turn the work so as to turn the wrong side upwards, fasten the cotton over which you work on to the last purl, go back over the same row, miss purl next to the cotton with which you work, double divided by purl, fastening the cotton over which you work on the next purl of the st row after every double stitch. this forms scallop. * turn the work downwards (that is, the purl stitch must be turned downwards), make times double, purl, purled stitch: this is the straight row between outer scallops of the lace. then work a scallop like the preceding one, fastening it from illustration after the first row on the middle one of the outer purl of the preceding scallop, with the cotton over which you work; repeat from * till the lace is long enough, and fasten the cotton. knot both ends together again, fasten the cotton over which you work on the first purl of the first scallop, make double, short purl, double, turn so that the upper edge of the row is turned downwards, and the scallops upwards, double, fasten the middle purl of the of the next straight row together by drawing the cotton, with which you are working through the nd purl, so as to form a loop, draw the cotton over which you work through this loop and draw up the latter; work double, fasten the cotton over which you work on to the short purl worked after double, turn the work so that the outer scallops of the lace are turned downwards, double, fasten the cotton over which you work on the first purl of the next scallop, repeat from *, and fasten the cotton. after having fastened both ends together again, turn the work the right side upwards and the outer scallops upwards also, fasten the cotton over which you work on to the short purl which is under the first loop; * work times double, purl, double, fasten the cotton over which you work on the purl under the next loop, and repeat from * till the lace is completed. * * * * * .--_collar in tatting and darned netting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; messrs. walter evans and co.'s french embroidery cotton no. ; square netting. [illustration: .--collar in tatting and darned netting] the pattern is worked with very fine cotton; the netted grounding over a mesh measuring two-fifths of an inch round. the collar is ornamented round the outer edge with a tatted lace. work a straight strip of netting for the grounding; begin with stitches, work rows backwards and forwards, increasing at the end of each row, so that the last row has holes; work row without increasing; then continue to work with the same number of stitches, increasing at the end of one row and decreasing at the end of the other. when the strip is sufficiently long, work row again without increasing or decreasing, and form the side by making rows, decreasing stitch at the end of each, cast off the last stitches on stitch without forming a new stitch on the needle. trace the outline of the collar on the grounding with thick cotton, and begin to darn it from illustration. when the darning is completed work the tatted lace with the same cotton, as follows:-- double, short purl, alternately, times double, purl, double, draw up the stitch so as to form a scallop leaving one-fifth of an inch between the first and last stitch; work a second scallop at a short distance from the first, and so on; every scallop is fastened on to the preceding one after the first double stitches. work a row of double overcast stitch between the darned netting and the tatted lace; work this row over the cotton tracing, marking the outline of the collar on the grounding and over the cotton between the tatted scallops. work also a row of double overcast round the neck part, gathering in the collar a little if necessary. cut away the netting on the wrong side close to the row of overcast stitches. * * * * * .--_mignardise and tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; fine mignardise braid. [illustration: .--mignardise and tatting.] patterns formed of mignardise and tatting are of quite new style, and look very pretty. the insertion is easy to work by the following process:--make first a circle, as follows: plain stitch, double, purl, double, purl, double, plain; fasten the cotton on to one side of the mignardise, at the distance of about five-eighths of an inch, by taking loops of it together; work a second circle at a short distance from the first, and so on. when the strip of insertion is sufficiently long, work in the same manner on the other side of the mignardise. this kind of work is destined to become very popular, and nothing can be more light and graceful than the union of mignardise and tatting. * * * * * .--_linen bag for cotton_. materials: fine linen, inches square; messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. . [illustration: .--linen bag for cotton.] the bag seen in illustration no. is meant to keep the cotton for working a couvrette; it consists of a round piece, measuring inches across, which is hemmed all round, and trimmed with a tatted lace. it is drawn together at top. * * * * * .--_tatting insertion_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s cotton no. . the insertion shown in illustration no. is composed in two similar halves. begin the first in the following way:-- double, purl, double, purl, double, join the stitches into a circle, and work a second similar circle at a distance of one-third of an inch; instead of the st purl, draw the cotton through the nd purl of the first-worked circle; leave an interval of one-eighth of an inch, and repeat the two rounds till the insertion is sufficiently long. then tat round the pieces of cotton which join the two rounds, work round the longest double, and round the shortest double, inserting the shuttle alternately once upwards and once downwards, but for the rest proceeding as in the common button-hole stitch. when the first half is completed, work the second in the same way, and fasten it on to the first with the purl. [illustration: .--tatting insertion.] * * * * * .--_tatting insertion_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s cotton no. . [illustration: .--tatting insertion.] the pretty effect of the insertion shown in illustration no. is obtained by means of longer and shorter purl. work as follows:--join double into a circle, long purl, double, long purl, double *. after an interval of five-eighths of an inch, begin the large figure of the pattern: double, small purl, double, draw the cotton through the last purl of the small circle, double, drawn through the st purl of the same circle, double, small purl, double, long purl, double, small purl, double, repeat times more from *, and draw up. after an interval of five-eighths of an inch comes another small circle: double, draw the cotton through the last purl of the large figure, double, draw the cotton through the next long purl of the same figure, double, long purl, double, long purl, double. repeat the pattern for the length of insertion required. the threads which join the small circles are worked over with double in the manner described above, only the cotton at the principal figure must be left loose the width of a straw, so as to imitate a long purl. complete the insertion from illustration by tatting round the small circles of double on the other side (but in the contrary direction), form no purl, but draw the cotton through the long purl of the large figure; the threads which join the circles are likewise drawn through the middle long purl of the large figure; this thread is then tatted over with double, like the opposite outer edge. * * * * * .--_tatted square or diamond_. materials: if for couvrettes, messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . for d'oyleys, tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . for headdresses, tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . the square is composed first of nine -branched patterns, worked in rows of patterns each, and joined on one to the other with purl. each pattern consists of branches close to each other, and each branch consists of double, purl, double; when the branches of one pattern are completed, cut off the cotton, and fasten both ends together so as to form a small circle in the centre. then work a second pattern, which is fastened on to the first and second branches of the first pattern, instead of working the purl stitch; work a third pattern, which is fastened in the same manner on to the second pattern. then work more rows exactly the same as can be seen in illustration. [illustration: .--tatted square.] *for the border of the square, fasten the cotton on the first purl of the first pattern, work double, purl divided by double, double, draw up the stitches close, fasten the cotton again on to the same purl of the first pattern *, and work the following scallop at a short distance:-- double fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, purl divided by double, double, draw up the stitch, leaving an interval of two-fifths of an inch between the first and the last; fasten the cotton on to the next purl which joins two patterns, repeat twice more from *, and continue to repeat from *. * * * * * .--_tatted rosette_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or crochet cotton no. . [illustration: .--tatted rosette.] this rosette is very pretty for trimming _lingeries_; it is worked with very fine crochet or tatting cotton. begin in the centre and work one circle: times alternately double, purl, then purled stitch. fasten the cotton on to the first purl and work the nd round: small circle, consisting of double divided by purl. fasten the cotton on to the next purl of the middle circle, and repeat in rounds. rd round: fasten the cotton on the middle purl of the first circle of the preceding round, * work at a short distance double divided by purl, join the stitches into a circle, fasten the cotton at the same distance on to the middle purl of the next circle of the preceding round, and repeat in rounds from *, after which the cotton is fastened off. * * * * * .--_rosette in tatting_. [illustration: .--rosette in tatting.] materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . begin this rosette with the circle in the centre, and work times alternately double, purl, double, join the stitches into a circle and fasten the cotton. take a second shuttle and work over the cotton on this shuttle; knot the two ends of cotton together * and work plain, fasten the cotton over which you work on a purl of the circle which is completed, and which must be turned downwards; plain, purl; repeat times more from *, and fasten the cotton. work now with one of the shuttles the small circles on the outside; * fasten the cotton on to a purl of the second round, and work a circle as follows:-- double, purl, double, fasten the cotton on to the same purl of the second round, work a similar circle at a short distance, and a third at the same distance. repeat times more from *, and fasten off the cotton neatly. * * * * * .--_diamond in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--diamond in tatting.] this diamond is suitable for trimming collars, cuffs, &c., when worked with fine cotton. work first the four corner patterns separately, as follows:-- double, purl divided by double, double, join the stitches into a circle, work close to this circle a second one consisting of double fastened on the last purl of the st circle, double, purl divided by double, double; then a rd circle consisting of double fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl divided by double, double. take a second shuttle, fasten the cotton on the end of the cotton of the st circle, throw the cotton of the st shuttle over the fingers of the left hand, and work with this cotton over the cotton on the other shuttle in the right hand. work double, and then one circle as follows with the cotton in the left hand only:-- double fastened on the last purl of the rd of the circles worked close to each other, double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double, then again over the cotton on the other shuttle, double, purl divided by double, double, then with one shuttle only one circle as follows:-- double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double fastened on st purl of the circle worked at the beginning, double; then again with two shuttles double. fasten the cotton on the piece of cotton before the double worked with two shuttles, so that the stitches worked over two shuttles form a circle, and cut off the cotton. when three of these patterns have been worked, work the centre pattern of the square. it consists of leaves touching each other at the lower points; each leaf is formed of double, purl divided by double, double; each following leaf is fastened on to the preceding one at the place of the st purl. then work first round of the oval circles of the square, with which the corner patterns are joined. fasten the cotton on one purl of one corner pattern, make double, purl, double; fasten on the corresponding purl of another corner pattern, work double, purl, double, join the stitches into a circle, fasten the cotton on to the same purl to which the cotton has already been fastened, carry the latter on to the next purl of the same corner pattern, fasten it, then work three more circles like the first, which are fastened on to each preceding circle, at the place of the first purl; fasten the cotton on the two cross purl of the centre pattern, and work four similar circles on the other side of the same. the circles which go across the square in the opposite direction are worked in the same manner. when the square is completed, draw two threads on each side of each corner pattern on to the other side of the square along the cotton which joins the circles together. * * * * * .--_tatting for cap crown_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--tatting for cap crown.] this pattern is very pretty for the crown of a cap like the one described on page , and also for covers, toilet cushions, &c. the size of the cotton depends upon the use you wish to make of the pattern. the pattern is worked with fine tatting cotton. it consists of eight-branched rosettes joined together with small circles. each rosette is worked as follows: work loops or branches close to each other, consisting of double, purl, double; fasten both ends of the cotton together, and cut them off. each of the small circles which joins the rosettes together consists of double, purl divided by double. it is easy to see from the illustration how the patterns are joined together by means of the purl stitches. * * * * * _and_ .--_cap in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--cap in tatting.] this very pretty cap consists of an oval crown in tatting, edged all round with a tatted lace, the lappets are made in tatting also. the cap is trimmed with large and small rosettes of narrow blue velvet. a narrow velvet ribbon is drawn through the straight open-work edge of the lace, as can be seen in illustration. [illustration: --border for cap no. .] * * * * * no. .--border for cap.--the upper part of the border consists of rows of circles worked at a distance of three-fifths of an inch from each other. the circles of the st row consist of double, purl divided by double, double. in the following rows each circle is fastened on to the cotton, which joins circles in the st row, instead of working the middle purl, the cotton between circles in the last row must only be two-fifths of an inch long. then work a certain number of six-branched rosettes, each branch consisting of double, purl, double. each rosette is fastened on to every other circle of the st row, as can be seen in illustration. the border is completed as follows:--* double, purl divided by double, purled stitch fastened on to the middle purl of a circle of the st row, plain, purl divided by double, join the stitch into a circle, turn the lace so that the rosettes are turned upwards, fasten the cotton on to the purl of the next branch of the next rosette, work double, purl divided by double, double; fasten the cotton on to the purl of the next branch, * work double, purl divided by double, double; fasten the cotton on to the next branch, repeat once more from *, work double, purl divided by double, double, and repeat from * to the end of the lace. * * * * * .--_lace in tatting and crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; crochet cotton no. . [illustration: .--lace in tatting and crochet.] the beauty of this lace depends entirely upon the regularity of the tatting. the purl stitches must be very regularly made, the circles must be drawn up tight. make * circle, consisting of double, purl divided by double, double; close to this circle a second one; double fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, times double divided by purl, purl double, close to the nd circle a third one similar to the first, but instead of working the st purl fasten it on the last purl of the preceding circle; leave an interval of about - / inch, and repeat from * till the lace is sufficiently long. the rest is worked in crochet. take the fine crochet cotton and work the straight row at the top to join the patterns together. crochet double in the first and last purl of the first and last circle of one pattern, then a sufficient number of double stitches under the piece of cotton which joins circles. at the place where the circles are drawn together, join the two pieces of cotton (the beginning and the end) in such a manner that the top of the lace forms a straight line (see illustration). the nd row consists of treble in every other stitch, chain after every treble. then work on the other side of the lace * a row of treble stitches divided by chain. the treble stitches are worked in the purl stitches of the circles. work long treble in the st purl left free of the st circle ( th purl of the circle), chain, * treble, chain, treble, chain, treble in the next purl, but cast off the st treble only so far as to keep loops on the needle. when the nd treble is completed cast off all the loops on the needle, chain, treble divided by chain, chain, treble in the following purl, which are cast off like those above described, chain, treble divided by chain in the next purl of a pattern, chain, long treble with which you must join the last purl and the first one of the next pattern, chain; repeat from *. the next row consists of small scallops worked round the chain stitch scallops of the preceding row; work in each double, treble, double, double in the first and last chain stitch of every pattern. * * * * * .--_insertion in tatting and crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--insertion in tatting and crochet.] begin the tatting with fine cotton and shuttles. work with the cotton on one shuttle over the cotton on the other in the following manner:--knot the ends of cotton together * times double divided by a short purl, long purl divided by double; the st and rd purl must be three-fifths of an inch long, the nd one two-fifths of an inch; times double divided by a short purl, purl two-fifths of an inch long; repeat from * till the strip of insertion is sufficiently long. then work a similar row of tatting, and join the two rows before working the long purl, by fastening the cotton on the corresponding long purl of the st row, so that the rows are joined closely together, and the purl stitches of either are turned outwards. at the top and bottom of the tatting work the following rows of crochet:--* double in the middle one of the long purl, chain, double in each of the following long purl, chain; repeat from * to the end of the row. nd row. double in each scallop, miss the double stitches of the preceding row under chain. the rd row consists of treble stitches in every other stitch, chain after every treble. lastly, the leaves are worked with thick cotton by filling up the first and last long purl of a pattern with darning stitch from illustration; the cross stitches between the two rows of tatting are worked with very fine cotton. * * * * * .--_purse in tatting and beads_. materials: grey purse-silk; steel beads; scarlet glacé silk; a steel clasp with chain. this purse is worked in tatting with grey silk and beads. the beads are threaded on a piece of silk, with which you work over another piece of the same. begin each of the second halves of the purse with the circle in the centre, which consists of purled stitch, purl (all the purl of this circle are three-tenths of an inch long, and are covered with six beads, which must be drawn up close together before working the purl), double divided by purl. join the stitches into a circle by knotting together the two ends of the silk. nd round: begin again and work one of the small circles; * double, draw up one bead after each, double, short purl without beads, double, bead after each, double, fasten the silk on the purl of the middle circle, so as to let it come between the rd and th bead of the beads on that purl; double, bead after each, double, short purl, double, bead after each, double, join the stitches into a circle, draw up beads; work a larger circle without fastening the silk belonging to the smaller one; double, bead after each, double, purl with beads, double, bead after each, double; short purl, double, bead after each, double, purl with beads, double, bead after each, double; draw up beads close to this large circle and repeat from *. each following small circle must be fastened on the next purl of the circle which forms the centre; they are also fastened on to each other, instead of working the st purl, by fastening the piece of silk over which you work on the preceding small circle; in the larger circles, instead of working the st purl with beads, the piece of silk must be fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, so that it comes between the nd and rd beads. at the end of the round, the ends of the silk are knotted together and fastened off. [illustration: .--purse in tatting and beads.] rd round: * double, bead after each, double, short purl, double, bead after each, double fastened on the middle purl of the st circle of the preceding round, double, bead after each, double, purl with beads, double, bead after each, double; join the stitches into a circle, and work at a short distance a nd circle; double, bead after each, double, fastened on the last purl of the just-finished circle of this round, double, bead after each, double fastened on the purl of the preceding round which is between circles; the loop must come between the beads; double, bead after each; double, purl with beads; double, with bead after each; double; leave a small interval, and repeat times more from *, then fasten the ends. when two similar parts have been worked, line them with scarlet glacé silk; fasten them together round the outside, and sew on the clasp. a round of large circles edges the purse round the outside. the st of these circles consists of double, bead after each, double, purl with beads, double, bead after each, double. work a nd circle at a short distance from the st: * double, bead after each, double fastened on the purl of the st circle of this round; double, bead after each, double, purl with beads, double, bead after each, double; leave a short interval, and repeat from * till a sufficient number of circles have been made. the last purl is not worked in the last circle. * * * * * .--_insertion in tatting and crochet._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--insertion in tatting and crochet.] this pattern is composed of leaves and flowers. each of the six leaves forming a circle is composed of double, purl, separated by double, double (the first and last purl of each leaf must be joined in the manner before explained), and the centre of each circle forms a wheel. the flower has four leaves: each leaf consists of double, ii purl, separated each by double, and again double; each leaf is filled up with button-hole stitches in fine cotton. to form the circle in the centre of this flower, turn several times the thread which joins the leaves, and work button-hole stitches round it. join the flowers and the circles by knotting them together, or by making purl longer than the others, and by drawing the next figure through. the crochet border on each side of the tatting consists of six rows, which are plainly seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_border in tatting and lace stitch._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. and . [illustration: .--border in tatting and lace stitch.] this mixture of tatting and lace stitch is a style of work not only entirely new, but very pretty and effective when cotton of very different sizes is used. the tatting is begun with a row of circles two-thirds of an inch distant from each other; each circle consists of stitches of plain tatting. fasten a nd row to the st, and a rd to the nd, by working a circle of stitches of plain tatting at one-third of an inch distance, * then at the same distance; fasten the cotton on the next circle of the preceding row, work a circle at the same distance again, and repeat from *. the cotton is fastened on the circles by drawing it through the circle with a crochet-needle, so as to form a loop, and then drawing it out of the loop. take care to keep the distance between circles always the same. between the circles of the rd row draw another piece of cotton, by fastening the cotton on each circle of the rd row at distances of two-thirds of an inch. then work the lower edge of the border in the following way:-- small spot called a _josephine knot_ (for which work stitches of plain tatting, draw the cotton downwards through the loop which fastens the stitches, and draw up the whole), fasten the cotton between the next two circles of the rd row, * and a little further make a spot consisting of stitches of single tatting, close to this a circle formed of double, purl divided by double, double; then again a spot of stitches of plain tatting, turn the last spots so as to make their round sides come opposite one another; fasten the cotton on again between the next circles of the rd row. then a little further off work small spot ( stitches of plain tatting), circle of double, purl, double fastened on the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl divided by double, double; then again a small spot ( plain stitches), fasten the cotton on again between the next circles of the rd row, and repeat from *, always fastening each new circle to the corresponding purl of the preceding one. on the other long side, the border is completed by rows of crochet. the st row is formed by working double under the piece of cotton between circles of the st row, with chain stitches between. nd row: treble in every other stitch, chain stitch after every treble. the strip of insertion is then tacked on a piece of cardboard or oil-cloth, and the lace stitches are worked between the circles, as is seen in illustration. * * * * * .--_tatted rosette._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. for large rosette, no. for small rosette; tatting-pin no. . this rosette forms a very pretty trimming for lingerie--cravats, caps, handkerchiefs, &c. the raised pattern in the centre consists of rounds, consisting of circles each, which are sewn together and then fastened on the rosette. the circles of each round must be worked close to each other: after working the last circle of each round, knot the beginning and end of the cotton together. each circle of the smallest round has double, the circles of the next round each , the circles of the following one , and the circles of the last and largest round double stitches. when these circles have been sewn on one to another as in illustration, work a large circle consisting of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double. the purls of this circle are fastened on to the circles of the next round of the rosette. fasten the cotton on to the next purl of the middle circle, and work a circle as follows:-- double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double. repeat times more from *, but now, instead of working the st purl of every circle, fasten it on to the last purl of the preceding circle. then fasten the cotton. for the last round, which consists of scallops and rounds, fasten the cotton on to the middle purl of a circle of the preceding round, and work a circle consisting of times alternately double, [illustration: .--tatted rosette.] purl, then double. then fasten a second thread on to the same purl on which the just completed circle has been fastened, and over which all the scallops are to be worked. work over it double, fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl, double, purl, double. fasten the cotton on to the middle purl of the next circle of the preceding round, and repeat from * till the round is completed; but in working these circles, instead of the first purl, fasten them on to the last purl of the preceding scallop. lastly, the raised pattern is sewn on. * * * * * .--_linen bag for tatting, &c._ materials: fine linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. or ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--linen bag for tatting, &c.] this pretty linen bag is meant to keep tatting and such work from being soiled before it is completed. the bag is drawn together round the top. its size depends upon what you wish to put into it. the original pattern is - / inches deep, and inches wide; it is hemmed round the top, and trimmed with a narrow tatted lace, consisting of large and small circles. * * * * * .--_tatted border._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--tatted border.] begin this elegant border with rows of tatting, in the following manner:-- st row: double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double; draw these stitches up into a circle, and repeat the circle at a very short distance, till the border is long enough; but instead of working the first purl of each circle, you must join the circle to the preceding one; the purl on the sides of the circle must therefore be longer than that in the middle. for the nd row take another shuttle, make a loop on the left side with the cotton, and work with this end of cotton over the cotton in the right hand, which is also to be held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. then work in the following way:-- double, then circle consisting of double, purl, double; to form this circle, let the cotton in the left-hand shuttle fall downwards, and make a loop round the left hand with the cotton on the shuttle of the right hand. then take up again the left-hand shuttle, and join the circle to the middle purl of the st circle of the st row by drawing the cotton through the purl like a loop, and then drawing the cotton in the right hand through this loop. * double, circle, double, joined to the middle purl of the next circle of the st row; circle, double, circle joined on the middle purl of the following circle; repeat from *. the upper edge of the border is worked in crochet rows, in the following manner:-- st row: * treble, divided by chain in the st circle of the st row of tatting; chain; repeat from *. nd row: * treble in the st chain of the preceding row, purl ( chain, slip stitch in the st), miss stitch of the preceding row under it; repeat from *. * * * * * .--_rosette in embroidery and tatting._ materials for trimmings: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. ; tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . for couvrettes, crochet cotton no. . this rosette, joined to other similar ones, forms a very pretty trimming for articles of fine linen, or even for small couvrettes; if used for the former, they must be worked with very fine cotton. the centre of the rosette is formed of an embroidered raised pattern worked in _point de minute_; round this centre there are small circles worked in button-hole stitch; the embroidery is worked with knitting cotton, the circles with crochet cotton. before beginning the circles, make a circle consisting of a foundation chain of stitches, in order to be able to fasten the button-hole stitch; in each of the stitches of the foundation chain work double, then fasten the cotton. in the nd round of these circles fasten the cotton on every th stitch of the crochet circle. work round of open-work treble stitch in the double stitch of the crochet circle, work in tatting the border of the rosette as follows in round:--* double, purl, double, fastened on to chain stitch between treble stitch, double; purl, double,; join these stitches into a circle; turn the work so that the wrong side lies upwards, and work a second larger circle at a short distance consisting of double, purl divided by double, double, turn again and repeat from *. the smaller circles must be fastened after every other treble stitch; the larger and smaller circles must be fastened above one another at the place of the st purl. [illustration: .--rosette in embroidery and tatting.] * * * * * --_linen collar trimmed with tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co's tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--linen collar trimmed with tatting.] the diamond pattern placed in the corner of the collar is commenced in the centre. for each of the four centre leaves work double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, then more double stitches. fasten off the cotton, cut it, and begin a fresh leaf by working double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, then more double stitches. (this small leaf forms one of the corners of the diamond pattern.) fasten the cotton to the fourth purl of one of the four centre leaves, and work another leaf similar to the preceding. join this leaf by its two centre purl to the two last purl of the corner leaf (see illustration). after two more similar leaves, work one corner leaf, and continue the pattern in the same manner until you come back to the first corner leaf, then fasten off, and cut the cotton. place the diamond pattern upon the point of the collar, and cut away the material under it; fold back the edges, sew them neatly, and cover them with the following crochet edging:--make alternately chain, purl (the latter composed of chain joined together by slip stitch). it will be easy to work the circles in tatting from our illustration; they form an elegant border round the collar. we shall merely say that the centre circle is always worked separately, and that the cotton is fastened on afresh to work the eight outer leaves. the upper edge of this border is worked in crochet. it is composed of two rows--one formed of chain stitches, and a few slip stitches worked in the purl of the circles in tatting, the other worked in open treble crochet. * * * * * .--_cravat in cambric muslin and tatting._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this cravat consists of a strip of cambric muslin yard long, inches wide, hemmed on both sides. the ends of the cravat are ornamented with patterns in tatting, worked with tatting cotton no. . a rosette in tatting is sewn on in the middle of the end of the cravat. the end of the cravat is pointed, lined on the wrong side with a strip of the same material as the cravat, and edged with a tatted lace. begin the rosette in the centre with a circle worked in the following manner:-- double, purl, * twice double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, twice double divided by purl, purl, * double, purl; repeat from * to * once more, double. at the beginning of the nd round fasten the cotton on the st purl of the st round, and [illustration: .--cravat in muslin and tatting.] work as follows:--* circle consisting of double, purl, double, purl, double; fasten the cotton on to the next purl, circle like the preceding one, fastened on to the next purl, circle consisting of double, purl, double fastened on to the next purl, circles consisting each of double, purl, double; between the fasten the cotton on to the next purl; similar circles fastened also on to the next purl, circle consisting of double, purl, double, fastened on to the next circle; repeat once more from *, and fasten off the cotton. fasten on the cotton afresh for the rd round, worked in the following manner:--* circle consisting of double, purl, double, purl, times double divided by purl; purl, double, purl, double; fasten the cotton at a short distance on to the st purl of the nd round, circle worked as follows:-- double fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle of this round, double, purl, times double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, double fastened on to the next purl of the nd circle of the nd round; similar circles, between each of which the cotton is to be fastened on to the nearest purl of a circle of the nd round; repeat once more from *, and knot the beginning and the end of the cotton together. when completed, the rosette is sewn on the material of the cravat with button-hole stitches, taking up one purl with each stitch; the muslin is cut away underneath the rosette; then work a round of knotted stitches underneath the button-hole stitch. for the lace, make a row of circles one-fifth of an inch distant from each other, consisting each of double, purl, double, purl, times double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, double, which are fastened together by the purl of each circle, and are sewn on the cravat over the cotton between the circles in overcast stitch. * * * * * --_cravat in cambric muslin and tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--cravat in muslin and tatting.] the end of this cravat is formed by a long rosette or _médaillon_ in tatting. this rosette is likewise begun in the centre, and consists of rounds, the first of which are worked like those of the rosette in illustration , with this difference only, that in the nd round each of the circles nearest to the top and to the bottom of the rosette consists of double, purl, double, purl, double. rd round: * circle, consisting of double, purl, double, purl, times double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, double, fastened on to the next purl of the nd circle of the preceding round; circle as follows:-- double, the last of which is fastened on to the last purl of the preceding round, double, purl, twice double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, double fastened on the next purl of the preceding round; more similar circles, between each of which the cotton is fastened on to the next purl of the preceding round; repeat from * once more, fasten the two ends of the cotton together. th round: * fasten on the cotton afresh with a circle consisting of double, purl, double, purl, times double divided by purl, purl, double, purl, double, fastened on to the middle purl of the st circle of the preceding round; a nd circle worked in the same way, only instead of working the last purl, fasten the cotton on to the last purl of the preceding circle, then on to the st circle of the preceding round; more similar circles, between each of which the cotton is fastened on to the middle purl of a circle of the preceding round, and then on to the nd purl of the larger circle at the bottom of the medallion; repeat once more from *. the pattern is sewn on the cravat with button-hole stitches, as can be seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_border in crochet and tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . this border is formed of circles in tatting and crochet leaves, which are joined together by rows of crochet work; a narrow [illustration: .--border in crochet and tatting.] border in tatting forms the lower edge. omitting this edge, the border forms a strip of insertion. each of the rosettes or circles is begun in the centre; work first double (a double stitch is formed by passing the thread over the back of the hand, and then passing the shuttle upwards between the forefinger and second finger, and drawing it up, then work a stitch of plain tatting; this completes the double stitch, and whenever so many double stitches are directed it means the stitches), purl, repeat times, join the stitch into a circle, work at a small distance * a smaller ring consisting of double, purl, divided each by double stitches, double, draw the cotton through the purl of the first circle, and repeat times more from *, only each following circle must be fastened on to a purl of the preceding circle after double stitches, and having completed each circle the thread must be drawn through the purl of the first circle, which forms the centre of the rosette. the beginning and the end of the thread are knotted together. for the tatted border, make at short distances loop with double, purl, double; after having worked a sufficient number of such loops, wind another thread round the thread between the loops, turning always loop on the right side and on the left. now begin the crochet part with the leaves. make for each of these a foundation chain of stitches, crochet back over this chain double in the last stitch but one, double in the next stitch, treble in each of the following chain, treble in the next stitch, treble, long treble, and treble in the next following stitch of the foundation chain. work on the other side of the chain the same pattern, only the reverse way; then double in the point of the leaf thus formed, and edge the whole leaf with a round of double stitches, always working double in each stitch of the preceding row, and in the long treble stitch. in working this last round, the circles must be joined to the leaves by taking up the purl stitch of the circle before casting off the corresponding double stitch of the leaf; then work the stem which joins the rows of circles and leaves with a row of chain stitches, on which a row of double is worked. then comes the border which forms the upper edge. make a row of chain stitches, joining leaves and circles together, then work rows of treble, work more rows over the tatted border, the first row entirely in chain stitches, after every fourth stitch take up the purl of the loops on one side. nd row: treble in the middle stitch of the chain, treble, divided by chain. rd row: treble, chain, miss under the last. in the last row the leaves and circles must be fastened on the border, as seen in illustration. * * * * * .--_diamond in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; any sized shuttle. [illustration: .--diamond in tatting.] st oval: fill the shuttle, but do not cut it off from the reel, as a double thread is required, and commence by working double stitches, purl, then ( double, purl times), double, draw up. double thread: putting the thread attached to the reel round the left hand, work single stitches, taking care to do them tightly. nd oval: double, join to the last purl of st oval, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches tightly worked. rd oval: double, join to last purl of nd oval, double, join to next purl of nd oval, then ( double, purl times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. th oval: double, join to last purl of last oval, double, join to next purl, then ( double, purl, times) double, join to st purl of st oval, double, draw up. double thread: single stitches. now cut off both threads, and with a needle fasten off neatly at the back of first oval by sewing thread over the other. the diamond is now finished. the centre must be filled up with lacework, using fine sewing-cotton. arranged in groups of or , diamonds form a very pretty trimming for the skirts of silk dresses, the body being trimmed with single diamonds. * * * * * .--_linen collar trimmed with tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , tatting-pin no. ; piece of very fine cord. this collar is ornamented with a triangle and a border of a very effective pattern. the triangle is begun in the centre, by working for each of the three leaves double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, and more double stitches. when the third leaf is completed, fasten off and cut the cotton. now take, instead of the cotton wound upon the shuttle, a piece of extremely fine cord, over which work with the cotton from the reel the following row of stitches:-- double stitch, fasten the cotton to the centre purl of one of the three leaves, * double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, double stitches, fasten the cotton to the centre purl of the nearest leaf, double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, double stitches fastened to the same purl as before. repeat from * twice more, then fasten off, and cut the cord and the cotton. begin afresh, and work small circles, each composed of plain stitches placed quite close together (these form one of the corners of the triangle), then at small distances one from the other work similar circles, every second one of which is fastened to one purl of the row of [illustration: .--linen collar trimmed with tatting.] stitches worked over the cord (see illustration). cut away from the collar the piece of linen which is to be replaced by the triangle, fold in the edges and work them round in button-hole stitch, and fill up the space with the triangle. for the border, work first * one circle composed of double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, more double stitches; take up the cord once more and work over it, double stitches, then, without cord, circle composed of double stitches, purl divided one from the other by double stitches, more double stitches; take up the cord again and work over it double stitches, purl divided each by double stitches, double stitches. fasten the cotton to the third purl (reckoning from the last) of the second circle worked without cord; double stitches fastened to the fourth purl of the row of stitches worked over the cord (see illustration), double stitches, purl divided each by double stitches, double stitches fastened to the purl of next circle, double stitches fastened to the last purl of the row, double stitches, purl divided each by double stitches, double stitches; fasten the cotton to the sixth purl of the circle (reckoning from the beginning), double stitches. repeat from *. work over the top of the border a crochet edging similar to that round the diamond pattern of collar no. . for the point of the border, at the corner of the collar, see illustration no. . * * * * * .--_tatted collar_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this collar is worked with very fine tatting cotton. it consists of four branched tatted patterns and of separate tatted circles, fastened on to one another as seen in illustration. the four branched patterns are worked as follow:-- double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double, and join the knots into a circle. work similar leaves close to this st leaf, but instead of working the st purl, fasten them on to the last purl of the preceding leaf; besides this, instead of [illustration: .--tatted collar.] working the last purl of the th branch, fasten it on to the first purl of the st branch. when such four-branched pattern is completed, knot both ends of the cotton together and cut them off. make a row of similar patterns by joining them on to the middle purl of a branch of the preceding pattern, instead of working the middle purl of the last branch (see illustration). two rows of similar patterns are joined by the above-mentioned circles, consisting of double stitches, by fastening these circles from illustration between four branched patterns. begin each circle with double stitches, fasten it on to the corresponding purl of the four-branched pattern, work again double, fasten on to the next purl, and continue in the same manner till the circle is sufficiently large. each circle is ornamented with lace stitch. the collar is edged round the neck with close button-hole stitches. * * * * * .--_tatted collar_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . this collar is commenced at the top, and worked with fine cotton in the following manner:-- st oval: double, purl, times, draw the cotton into a circle, double, purl, double, times, purl, double, draw the cotton into a circle, and join it to the first purl of the first circle; work two more circles the same as last. nd oval: double, purl, times, join the third purl to the third purl of the centre circle of preceding pattern, double, purl, times, double, purl, draw the cotton up, and work small circles, as follow:-- double *, purl, double, times, * purl, double, joining each circle to the purl of the nd oval. rd oval: double, purl, times, joining the rd purl to the nd purl of the centre circle of the preceding pattern, double, purl, times, double, purl, draw the cotton up, and work small circles, similar to the small circles described in nd oval. [illustration: .--tatted collar.] * * * * * .--_circle in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co's tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--circle in tatting.] this circle is worked with fine cotton, and will be very pretty for ornamenting cravat-ends and different articles of lingerie. it is commenced in the centre with double, purl, repeated times, draw the cotton into a ring, and work small circles, as follow:-- double, * purl, double, repeat from * times, purl, double, draw up the cotton, and join it to the purl of centre ring and corresponding circle. large circle: double, * purl, double, repeat from * times, double, draw up the cotton, and join it to the th purl of small circle. the centre of ring is filled up with lace stitches. * * * * * .--_tatting medallion for trimming lingeries, &c._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. for cravats and collars, for pocket-handkerchiefs, for petticoats; tatting-pin no. or . this pattern is suitable for trimming cravats, collars, pocket-handkerchiefs, petticoats, &c., according to the size of the cotton with which it is worked. work first the round of circles which incloses the leaves, overlapping each other in the centre; begin with the smallest circle, which is at the top of the pattern; it consists of double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double. then work at a short distance another circle like the preceding one, only work double instead of , and instead of working the first purl, fasten the circle on to the last purl of the preceding circle; all the other circles are fastened on to each other in the same manner. the next circle, worked again at a distance of about one-fifth of an inch, has double; fasten it on to the preceding circle, double, purl, double, purl, double. the following four circles are worked like the preceding one; only work in the first of these circles double instead of , in the second double, in the third double. the piece of cotton which joins the circles together must also be somewhat longer between the larger circles. then work a circle [illustration: .--tatting medallion.] as follows: double, fasten the cotton, double, purl, double, purl, double; then a similar circle, but always working double instead of . the next circle consists of double, fasten the cotton, double, purl, double, purl, double; the two following circles are worked in the same manner, working double instead of . then comes the largest circle of the round, which consists of double, double, purl, double, purl, double. work circles more like the nd to th of those just described (the th circle forms the middle), only the order of sizes must be reversed, so that the round closes with the smallest circle. then fasten both ends of the cotton together, so that the circles are joined into a circle. then work round this row of circles another round, the circles of which must be of graduated sizes like those of the first round. fasten the cotton on to the middle purl of the first small circle of the first round, and work one circle as follows:-- double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double; fasten the cotton on to the middle purl of the next circle, &c. the remaining circles are worked in the same manner, only they must be increased and decreased in size gradually like the circles of the first round; this is done by increasing or decreasing the number of purl, instead of working the first purl of every following circle, fasten it on to the last purl of the preceding circle. when the round is completed, fasten both ends of the cotton together. in the centre of the oval pattern, fasten five-branched patterns of graduated size, which are worked in one piece. for the smallest of these patterns work first three circles, consisting of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then again double (these circles must be close to each other; the second and third circles must, moreover, be fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle). the cotton is then fastened on the first circle between the beginning and the end of the same, then work close to them two small circles, consisting of double, purl, double, fasten the cotton between the beginning and the end of the third circle. the other five-branched patterns are worked in the same manner at intervals of about three-tenths of an inch; but the separate circles of each pattern must become gradually larger. in the largest pattern the three large circles consist of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, double; the two smaller circles consist each of double, purl, double; the size of the other patterns can easily be worked from this; the cotton which joins these last together is covered by over-casting with a needle and thread, so as to imitate double stitches. the five-branched patterns are then fastened in the oval pattern; they must overlap each other to half way, as seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_tatted diamond_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or if required finer; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: --tatted diamond.] this pattern is meant to ornament lingerie; it is worked with fine tatting cotton in the following manner:--work a * circle consisting of double, purl, double, turn the circle downwards and work at a short distance another circle consisting of double, purl divided by double, double; at a similar distance a circle of double fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl divided by double, double; then again a circle consisting of double fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl divided by double, double: fasten the cotton on to the first circle. then turn the work so that the last three circles are turned downwards, leave an interval of at least three-fourths of an inch, and repeat three times more from *, fastening the circles on to each other from illustration. knot together the beginning and end of the cotton, work button-hole stitches round the cotton which joins the circles, as shown in illustration. the purl stitches of the four middle circles of the diamond are knotted together. * * * * * .--_tatted cravat end_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; shuttles. this cravat end is given in full size. it is ornamented with a tatted medallion, edged with lace. the tatting is worked with tatting fine cotton and two shuttles. make first the two rosettes which form the centre of the medallion, then the insertion-like part which edges the rosettes. the larger rosette is worked as follows:--knot the cotton of both shuttles together and work with shuttle only circle consisting of double, purl one-fifth of an inch long, double; * close to this circle, which is turned downwards, work over the cotton with the other shuttle, double, purl, double; this forms one of the scallops joining two circles. then turn the work again and work close to the just completed scallop another circle like the first, but which is joined to the first circle instead of working the purl. repeat times more from *. then work another scallop and fasten both ends of cotton on to the cotton over which the first scallop has been worked, at the place where the scallop is joined to the first circle. the first round of the rosette is thus completed. work then the nd round over the cotton on the nd shuttle, beginning to work where the two ends of cotton have been fastened, * double, purl, double, fastened on to the purl of the next scallop of the preceding round, double, purl, double fastened on to the cotton between two scallops of the [illustration: .--tatted cravat end.] preceding round; repeat times more from *. the larger rosette is now completed. the smaller rosette is worked like the first, only without the second round. the insertion-like border is worked in two halves as follows:--the half which touches the edge of the medallion is worked as follows:--knot both ends of cotton together and *, work with shuttle only circle consisting of double, purl one-fifth of an inch long, double; turn the circle downwards and work close to it over the cotton on the nd shuttle double, purl, double; this forms a scallop of the border. then turn the work again and work close to the scallop another circle like the first, but which is fastened on to the first circle instead of working the purl. turn the work again, work a scallop like the preceding one, and repeat times more from *, only the scallops at the lower edge of the medallion must have a few double stitches more, as can be seen in illustration. after working the last scallop fasten the two ends of the cotton on to the st circle; then cut them off. the second inner half is worked like the first; only the circles are worked without any purl stitch, and fastened on to the circles of the first half from illustration; the scallops of this half are somewhat smaller; each consists of double, purl, double. the completed border is sewn on to the rosettes from illustration; the different pieces must be first fastened on cardboard. the cotton must be wound several times round the long threads, as seen in illustration. the medallion is then sewn into the muslin at the top only; the remaining border is edged, before joining it to the muslin, with a straight row of knots to be worked over cotton, and fastened on to each outer scallop of the border at regular intervals. the number of double stitches between two purl is different, as distinctly seen in illustration. for the lace knot both ends of cotton together, * work with one shuttle only circle consisting of double, purl, double; turn the work and make another circle consisting of double, times alternately purl, double; then fasten this circle on to the preceding one, where it has been joined into a circle, so that both circles meet as seen in illustration. after having turned the work again, work double over the cotton on the nd shuttle, which form a scallop between the circles, and repeat from *. the lace is then sewn round the edge of the muslin. * * * * * .--_rosette in tatting and embroidery_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or no. if desired in a larger size. [illustration: . rosette in tatting and embroidery.] this rosette is suitable for ornamenting lingeries, cravats, &c. it is worked in white embroidery and lace stitch, and edged all round with a tatted lace. for the latter work with very fine cotton * large circle, consisting of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double. at a short distance from this circle work a smaller one, consisting of double fastened on to the last purl of the large circle, double. leave again an interval as small as the last, and repeat from * times more. but in working the large circles, instead of working the st purl, fasten them on the same purl of the large circle on which the small circle has been fastened; besides this, in working the last ( th) large circle, instead of working the last purl, fasten it on the st purl of the st circle; the last small circle is fastened on to the same purl. the lace is thus joined into a circle, and is sewn round the outside of the rosette with button-hole stitches. * * * * * .--_cravat end in tatting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--cravat end in tatting.] the illustration shows the end of a tatted cravat. work first the middle row of the cravat at the same time with the row of circles on the left side of the middle row in illustration; begin with the first circle of the middle row. it consists of times alternately double, small purl, then double. work close to this circle, which must be turned downwards, a josephine knot, consisting of plain stitches, then a circle consisting of double, purl one-fifth of an inch long, times alternately double, small purl; double, long purl, double. *turn this circle (which is the first of the side row) downwards, work close to it a josephine knot, then a circle consisting of double, small purl, double. turn this circle downwards, work a josephine knot, and then again a circle like the first of the side row, but instead of working the first long purl, fasten it on to the last purl of the preceding circle of the same row. then hold the work so that the circles of the side row are turned downwards, work a josephine knot, circle like the first circle of the middle row, turn the work, make josephine knot, and then a circle like the second circle of the side row. repeat from * till the cravat is sufficiently long. the last circle of the middle row must correspond to the first circle of the same row. then begin to work the lower edge at the same time with the last circle of the middle row, * josephine knot, then a circle like the circles of the side row, again josephine knot, fastened on to the next purl of the last circle of the middle row; repeat times more from *. then continue as before, and work on the right side of the middle row a row of circles exactly like those which have been worked at the same time with those of the middle row. the fastening on of the cotton between two josephine knots is seen in illustration. the circles at the other end of the cravat are fastened like those of the first-described end. the cravat is edged all round with a row of circles with josephine knots worked exactly like those of the preceding row, and the manner of fastening which is seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_rosette in tatting and embroidery_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. , or if required larger; tatting-pin no. . [illustration: .--rosette in tatting and embroidery.] the centre of this rosette is worked in lace stitch on muslin, edged round with button-hole stitch and trimmed with a tatted lace, which is worked at the same time with the centre. work first * a small circle consisting of double, purl, double, fastened on to the button-hole stitch edging of the rosette, then double, purl, double. then turn the just-completed circle downwards, and afterwards work at a short distance a large circle consisting of double, times alternately purl, double, lastly purl, double, then josephine knot consisting of plain. then turn the work again, so that the last large circle is turned downwards, and repeat from * times more; the large and small circles must be fastened on to one another, as seen in illustration. the fastening of the small circles on to the centre is likewise done from the illustration. .--_cravat end in tatting and darned netting_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; square of netting; fine mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: .--cravat end in tatting and darned netting.] the end of this cravat is ornamented with a square of darned netting, edged with a tatted border, and sewn on to the material of the cravat. but the diamond in tatting (page ), or the square (page ) will look very pretty with this border. the square is worked in diamond netting, and has seven holes in length and breadth. they are darned in linen stitch, darning stitch, and _point d'esprit_, with mecklenburg thread. the ground is worked over a mesh measuring three-tenths of an inch round. for each square one more row than is needed must be worked, and the cast-on stitches are cut off, as they are longer than the stitches of the other rows. the tatted border is worked with fine tatting cotton. fasten the cotton at one corner of the square and work * a circle consisting of double, purl, then six times alternately double, purl, double, fasten the cotton on to the same stitch of the ground where it was first fastened; #work a second circle like the first, but fasten it, instead of working the first purl on to the last purl of the preceding circle; fasten the cotton again on to the same stitch, then on to the next stitch, and work a small circle, consisting of double fastened on to the last purl of the preceding circle, double, purl, double. the cotton is fastened on to the same netted stitch as before, and then on to the next stitch; repeat twice more from #, and then repeat from * in all three times more, so that the square is edged all round. it is sewn into the material from the illustration. * * * * * .--_tatted antimacassar. (see pages_ - .) materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. , or tatting cotton no. , or for a larger size tatting cotton no. ; tatting-pin no. ; large shuttle. the illustration shows the fourth of the antimacassar and the whole of the rosette which forms the centre. begin with the latter, with the five-branched pattern in the centre, at the same time with the following round of circles:--*work first one circle of this round, consisting of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, double; then at a short distance a circle like the one just made, in which, however, instead of working the first purl, the cotton must be joined on to the last purl of the preceding circle. then work at a short distance the first leaf of the five-branched pattern, which consists of double, purl, double. when this branch is completed, repeat at a short distance times more from *; but in working the branches of the five-branched pattern, instead of working the purl, join it on to the purl of the first branch of the five-branched pattern (this purl forms the centre of the pattern). all the circles must also be joined one to each other, as can be seen from illustration. then work the scallops round the border of the rosette, * fasten the cotton on to the purl which joins the two next circles of the preceding round, and work one scallop consisting of times alternately double, purl, then double. repeat times more from *. when the rosette is completed, work eight rosettes in the same manner and join them into a circle from illustration by means of small three-branched patterns, and then join them on to the middle rosette. the strip of insertion which comes next is worked in two halves as follows:--work first, for the half turned towards the centre, two rows of circles lying opposite each other; begin with one of the largest circles, consisting of double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double; * at a short distance work a smaller circle of double, purl, double; after another short distance, a circle like the first joined on to it; then again a smaller circle, which at the place of the first purl is joined on to the purl of the preceding small circle. a short distance from this work again one of the larger circles just described, which is fastened on to the preceding similar circle; then repeat from * till the double row has nine larger and eight smaller circles. the first half of the strip of insertion is completed; the second outer half is worked like the first, only the small circles must here be worked without any purl, and two of them together must always be fastened on to the two joined small circles of the first half, as was done for the five-branched pattern of the rosette; besides this, each of the large circles has double, purl, times alternately double, purl, then double. when eight similar patterns have been worked, join them into a circle from illustration by means of small rosettes; this circle is then joined to the already-finished part of the cover. the small rosettes and remaining patterns of the antimacassar are easily worked from illustration. the completed patterns are joined together in the course of the work. * * * * * tatting cotton is supplied by messrs. walter evans and co., of derby, in all sizes from to . crochet cotton, which is preferred by some tatters, is sold in all sizes from to . the following table will assist ladies in selecting the size of either tatting or crochet cotton. all these cottons are on reels containing yards:-- |--------------------------------|-----------------|---------------| | | tatting. | crochet. | |--------------------------------|-----------------|---------------| | petticoat edgings and | | | | insertions | | and | | night dress trimmings | | | | lingerie trimming | | | | collars and cravats | | | | pocket handkerchiefs | | | | parasol covers | | | | antimacassars | , | and | | pincushions | | | | caps | | | | lace | , , | , , | | insertions | , , | , , | |--------------------------------|-----------------|---------------| ladies at a distance from town or on the continent will be glad to have some guide as to the quantity of cotton required to complete their work. the quantity of tatting or crochet cotton used by an average worker is found to be two yards to the square inch with a single shuttle; three yards to the square inch with two shuttles. * * * * * embroidery instructions. the art of embroidering with cotton on linen, muslin, cambric, piqué, &c., is very easy to learn by strictly attending to the following instructions. the size of the thread and needle must correspond to that of the material on which you embroider; the needle must not be too long, and the cotton must be soft. messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton is the best. skilful embroiderers never work over anything, because when you tack the material on paper or cloth each stitch shows, and if the material is very fine, leaves small holes; but for those that are learning we should advise them to tack the material to be embroidered upon a piece of _toile cirée_. if you work without this, place the material straight over the forefinger of the left hand; the material must never be held slantways. the three other fingers of the left hand hold the work; the thumb remains free to give the right position to each stitch. the work must always, if possible, lie so that the outline of the pattern is turned towards the person who works. for the sake of greater clearness one part of the following illustrations is given in larger size than nature. preparing the patterns is one of the most important things in embroidery, for the shape of the patterns is often spoiled merely because they have not been prepared with sufficient care. [illustration: .--scallop.] illustration shows how to prepare a scallop. take thicker cotton than that with which you work; never commence with a knot, and do not take a thread longer than sixteen or eighteen inches. the outlines of the scallops are first traced with short straight stitches. in the corners particularly the stitches must be short. the space between the outlines is filled with chain stitches, as can be seen from illustration; they must not be too long, otherwise the embroidery will look coarse. it is in this way that every pattern to be worked in button-hole or satin stitch is to be prepared. [illustration: .--double overcast stitch.] illustration shows the double overcast stitch or button-hole stitch in a straight line. after having traced the outline begin to work from left to right; fasten the cotton with a few stitches, hold it with the thumb of the left hand under the outline, insert the needle downwards above the outline, draw it out under the same above the cotton which you hold in the left hand, and draw it up. repeat for all the stitches in the same manner; they must be regular and lie close to one another. great care should be taken that the material on which you embroider is not puckered. [illustration: .--overcast stitch.] illustration (_overcast stitch_).--the double overcast and the button-hole stitches are worked from left to right, whilst back stitches, knotted and satin stitches are worked from right to left. the stitch is worked in the same way as the double overcast, only the needle must never be drawn out _above_, but _below_, the cotton with which you work, and which you keep down with the thumb of the left hand. [illustration: .--slanting overcast stitch.] illustration .--the slanting overcast stitch is worked without tracing the outline, always inserting the needle downwards--that is, from top to bottom. the needle must be inserted in the manner shown in illustration--that is, not straight, but slanting; insert it a little farther than the last stitch, and draw it out close to it. the wrong side of the work must show back stitches. this sort of stitch is used for the fine outlines in patterns or letter. [illustration: .--back stitch.] illustration .--this shows the back stitch, the working of which is well known; it is worked in several rows close to each other. [illustration: .--point croisé.] [illustration: .--point croisé.] illustrations & show another kind of back stitch, called _point croisé_, which is only used on very thin and transparent materials. this stitch forms on the wrong side a sort of darned pattern, which is seen by transparence on the right side, and gives the embroidered pattern a thicker appearance, contrasting with the rest of the work (see the lower leaves of the flower on illustration ). for this stitch insert the needle into the material as for the common back stitch, draw it out underneath the needle on the opposite outline of the pattern, so as to form on the wrong side a slanting line. insert the needle again as for common back stitch; draw it out slanting at the place marked for the next stitch on the opposite outline, as shown in illustration . [illustration: --- knotted stitch.] illustration shows the knotted stitch; the simplest way of working it is to work two back stitches at a short distance from each other over the same thread. the knotted stitch seen in illustration is worked thus:--take about four threads of the material on the needle, draw the needle half out, wind the cotton twice round the point of the needle, hold it tight with the thumb, draw the needle out carefully and insert it at the place where the stitch was begun, and draw it out at the place where the next stitch is to be worked. [illustration: .--knotted stitch.] [illustration: .--knotted stitch] the knotted stitch seen on illustration is worked in nearly the same manner as the preceding one. before drawing the cotton out of the material hold it tight with the left-hand thumb; leave the needle in the same position, wind the cotton twice round it, turn the needle from left to right, so (follow the direction of the arrow) that its point arrives where the cotton was drawn out (marked by a cross in illustration), insert the needle there, and draw it out at the place of the next stitch. illustrations & .--raised satin stitch is principally used for blossoms, flowers, leaves, letters, &c. after having traced the outlines of the pattern, fill the space left between them with chain stitches in a direction different from that in which the pattern is to be embroidered; begin at the point of the leaf, working from right to left, make short straight stitches, always [illustration: .--raised satin stitch.] inserting the needle close above the outline and drawing it out below. the leaves on the flowers, as well as on the branches, must be begun from the point, because they thus acquire a better shape. if you wish to work a leaf divided in the middle, as seen in illustration , you must trace the veining before you fill it with chain stitches, then begin at one point of the leaf and work first one half and then the other. [illustration: .--raised satin stitch.] [illustration: .--point de plume.] illustration shows the so-called _point de plume_ on a scalloped leaf. it is worked like the satin stitch, only the needle is drawn through the material in a slanting direction. [illustration: .--point de minute.] illustration (_point de minute_).--this stitch is often used instead of satin stitch when the patterns must appear raised. wind the cotton several times round the point of the needle, which is inserted into the material half its length (the number of times the cotton is to be wound round the needle depends on the length of the pattern), hold fast the windings with the thumb of the left hand, draw the needle and the cotton through the windings, insert the needle into the material at the same place, and draw it out at the place where the next stitch is to begin. [illustration: .--ladder stitch.] [illustration: .--ladder stitch.] illustrations & show the _ladder stitch_, often used in ornamental embroidery. trace first the outlines as seen in illustrations; mark also the cross stitches between the outlines, so that the first touch the outlines only at both ends. the outlines are embroidered in overcast stitch or double overcast; the material is cut away underneath the ladder stitch between the outlines. we have now shown the different kinds of stitches used in embroidery; the following illustrations show them used for different patterns. [illustration: .--button-hole stitch scallop.] [illustration: .--button-hole stitch scallop.] [illustration: .--button-hole stitch scallop.] [illustration: .--button-hole stitch scallop.] illustrations to (_different button-hole stitch scallops_).--these scallops are prepared as above described. take care to have the stitches even and regular; the scallops must be wide in the centre and very fine at both ends. illustrations & (_button-holes and eyelets_).--this kind of embroidery is used only in round or long patterns. trace first the outline of the hole, cut away a small round piece of material, not too close to the outlines (when the button-hole is very small merely insert the point of the scissors or a stiletto into the material), fold the edge of the material back with the needle, and work the hole in overcast stitch, inserting the needle into the empty place in the centre and drawing it out under the outline. some button-holes are worked separately; sometimes they are in a row; if so, take care to begin to work each button-hole at the place where it touches the next. in the following button-holes the outside must be traced double, so as to reach as far as the next one, but each button-hole is finished at once. illustration shows a button-hole worked round in button-hole stitch, an eyelet-hole worked in overcast. [illustration: .--button and eyelet holes.] [illustration: .--button and eyelet holes.] [illustration: .--shaded button-hole.] [illustration: .--shaded button-hole.] illustrations & .--shaded button-holes are worked like the others, only they are prepared, as can be seen in illustration , so as to mark the thickness. the stitches must gradually get narrower or wider, and be worked very close to each other. [illustration: .--leaf in raised satin stitch.] illustrations & (_two leaves in raised satin stitch_).--in a leaf like the one seen in work first the outline and veining in overcast stitch; work one half of the leaf in satin stitch, and the other half between the overcast outline and veining in back stitch. the stem of a leaf is always worked last. [illustration: .--leaf in raised satin stitch.] [illustration: .--raised leaf.] illustrations & (_two leaves in satin stitch and point de plume_).--for leaves like the one seen in begin with the veinings, then work the inner points, then the outer ones, and lastly the raised spots in the centre. the leaf seen in is worked, one half in _point de plume_, the other half in back stitch or _point d'or_. [illustration: .--raised leaf.] [illustration: .--leaf.] illustration .--- the outline of this leaf is embroidered in overcast stitch; the open-work veining consists of eyelets; one half of the leaf is worked in back stitch, the other half in a kind of satin stitch worked without chain stitches underneath; the stitches are worked across the leaf, leaving between two stitches an interval as wide as the stitch itself. the next row is then worked in these intervals, and each stitch begins half-way up the one before and after it. [illustration: .--leaf raised.] [illustration: .--leaf raised.] [illustration: .--raised leaf.] illustrations to (_leaf in raised embroidery).--this kind of embroidery is particularly beautiful, as it is worked separately and sewn on the material with an outline in very fine cotton, this produces the shade seen in (see also illustrations to ). for such leaves work first one half in overcast and satin stitch (illustration ); the other half is worked on a separate piece of material (see illustration ); cut away the material along the overcast outline, and fasten it on the foundation material along the outline which forms the veining on illustration . [illustration: .--raised embroidered leaf.] [illustration: .--half of leaf ( ).] [illustration: .--centre of leaf ( ).] illustrations to show a similar leaf; both halves are worked separately (see ); the centre is worked in open lace stitch. the latter (see no. ) is traced, then make ladder stitches across, work the outlines in overcast stitch, and cut away the material underneath the ladder stitch. the cross stitches are then worked in darning stitch with very fine cotton wherever two threads meet. [illustration: .--blossom in satin stitch.] illustration (_blossom in satin stitch_).--the eyelet is worked in overcast stitch, then work the upper part of the blossom all in one piece as far as the beginning of the veining, thence the blossom is worked in two halves. [illustration: .--blossom in satin stitch.] [illustration: .--bead partly covered.] illustrations & (_blossom in satin stitch_).--the raised centre of this flower is formed by a bead, over which the embroidery is worked. when the leaves have been worked one after the other, place a bead in the centre, left free in such a manner that one hole lies on the material, and work over the bead by inserting the needle into its upper hole, then underneath the material, drawing it out above the material close to the bead, and so on (see ). [illustration: .--star in satin stitch.] illustration (_star pattern in satin stitch_).--the centre, which forms a wheel, is worked first. draw the threads across the circle marked by an outline; in the centre they are wound round, always taking one thread _on the needle_ and leaving the next thread _under the needle_, as can be seen in on the half-finished pattern. the material underneath the wheel is only cut away when the rest of the pattern has been embroidered. [illustration: .--star in point de reprise.] illustrations & (_patterns in back, satin, and ladder stitches_).--the small star in the centre of no. is worked in _point de reprise_. [illustration: .--star.] [illustration: .--flower in satin stitch.] illustration (_flower in satin stitch_).--the fine veinings are worked with fine black silk in _point russe_, which renders the effect of the flower very beautiful. [illustration: --rose in satin stitch.] [illustration: .--petal for rose.] illustrations & (_rose in satin stitch_).--no. shows one petal larger than full size. the outer circle only is prepared with chain stitches underneath, so as to appear raised; the inner circles are worked flat. the centre of the rose is embroidered in open work. [illustration: .--heartsease.] illustration (_embroidered heartsease_).--for the knotted stitch see no. . for the _point croisé_ see and . [illustration: .--raised flower] illustration (_flower in raised satin stitch_). [illustration: .--ear of corn.] illustration (_an ear of corn in point de minute_). [illustration: .--bluebell.] [illustration: .--inner part of bluebell.] illustrations , , & (_bluebell in raised satin stitch_).--this flower is worked partly in separate pieces, as has been described. illustration shows the raised part stretched out flat. when it is finished it is fastened down along the dotted line on no. , which shows the inner part of the flower. [illustration: .--flower.] illustration (_flower in point de minute_).--this stitch is here worked over a thick foundation of chain stitches. for raised patterns it looks very well. [illustration: .--outer part of bluebell.] [illustration: .--flower appliquéd on net.] illustrations & (_flower worked in appliqué_).--to work in appliqué, two materials, either similar or different, are needed. you can work either in appliqué of muslin on muslin, or of muslin on net, or of net on net. muslin on brussels net is the prettiest way of working in appliqué; we will therefore describe it: the other materials are worked in the same manner. trace the pattern on the muslin, fasten the latter on the net, and trace the outlines of the pattern with very small stitches work them in overcast stitch with very fine cotton, taking care not to pucker the material. the veinings are worked in overcast. when the pattern has been embroidered cut away the muslin round the outlines with sharp scissors, so that the net forms the grounding (see no. ). the greatest care is required in cutting out the muslin to avoid touching the threads of the net. [illustration: .--border.] illustrations & (_narrow borders_).--it will be easy to work these borders from the above instructions. observe only that on border the outer row of scallops is worked first, then the button-hole stitch row, and the rest afterwards. the spots are edged all round in knotted stitch. the wheels in the centre of the eyelets of no. are worked with very fine cotton in loose button-hole stitch; they are wound round with the cotton in a second row. [illustration: .--border.] [illustration: .--insertion.] illustrations to .--three strips of insertion, which are worked nearly like the ladder stitch. for no. , in tracing the outlines, make two small knots at short distances by winding the cotton four times round the needle, as can be seen in illustration; the windings are held down with the thumb of the left hand, draw the needle through, and a knot is formed. the outlines are worked in button-hole stitch only when all the knots have been made, and then the material is cut away underneath. illustration is a variety of the slanting ladder stitch. illustration .--the cross threads are worked in two rows in the common herring-bone stitch, as can be seen by the black lines on the illustration. the straight lines at the top and at the bottom are worked in double overcast; lastly, the wheels are worked in a row as described for the star pattern, no. . [illustration: .--insertion.] [illustration: .--insertion.] [illustration: . u] [illustration: . c] [illustration: . b] [illustration: . o] illustrations to (_embroidered initials_).--to learn to work initials the roman characters are the easiest to begin with. they must be traced and prepared like other embroidery in satin stitch, only the chain stitches underneath must not be too thick: it would take away the shape of the letters. all depends on the fineness and regularity of the stitches; they must be worked in overcast stitch. work from left to right, and the letter when completed must look rather like raised printing than like embroidery. gothic letters are much more difficult to work on account of the many flourishes; it requires great practice in needlework to embroider them well. illustration .--the small black dots are worked in black silk on the thick parts of the letter: the fine strokes are covered with cross threads of black silk. illustration .--the outlines of the letter and the fine strokes are worked in black silk. illustration .--this letter is embroidered in raised satin stitch and _point de plume_. illustration .--this letter is worked in back stitches, over which are worked at regular distances cross stitches of black silk. illustration .--letter in satin and back stitch. illustration to be worked in overcast and double overcast. illustration .--letter g in _point russe_ with black silk. [illustration: .] [illustration: .] [illustration: .] [illustration: .] illustration (_embroidered figures_).--they are worked like the letters in _point de plume_ and overcast; the dots are worked in knotted stitch. * * * * * embroidery. [in working the following embroidery patterns it will be found advisable to trace the design clearly upon tracing-paper with a sharp-pointed lead pencil. the pattern thus traced must be perforated with a fine needle in a succession of tiny holes, at the rate of about twenty to the inch. those ladies who possess a sewing-machine will find no difficulty in accomplishing this. several thicknesses of paper can be perforated at the same time, if required, by any ordinary machine. to transfer the traced and perforated design to the fabric to be embroidered, it is only necessary to rub a small quantity of powder blue through the holes.] .--_insertion in embroidery_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this insertion is worked in raised satin stitch and button-hole stitch. the outlines must first be traced and the space filled up with chain stitches. to work a leaf, begin at the point, working from right to left, making short stitches, and always inserting the needle close above the outline and drawing it out below. the holes left for the ribbon to pass through are worked in plain button-hole stitch, the dots are worked in raised satin stitch. [illustration: .--insertion in embroidery.] * * * * * .--_insertion in embroidery and stitching_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . the veinings of this pretty insertion must be worked in overcast stitch (no. , _embroidery instructions_), the leaves and flowers in raised satin stitch, the scallops in button-hole stitch, and the outer edge of the leaves in back stitch (no. , _embroidery instructions_) with no. cotton. [illustration: .--insertion in embroidery and stitching.] * * * * * .--_cravat end in embroidery_. materials: muslin, cambric, or linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. , or fine black china silk. this graceful design is worked in raised satin stitch (see nos. and , _embroidery instructions_) and back stitching, or point russe. black silk may be introduced at will, and the delicate leaves may be stitched in fine black silk, and the flowers embroidered in white, with the stamens in black silk. [illustration: .--embroidered pattern for cravat ends, &c.] * * * * * .--_basket embroidered in chenille_. materials: a basket of fine wicker-work; skein of black chenille, and of blue chenille. this small round basket measures seven inches across; it has a cover and two handles. the wicker is very delicately plaited, and is ornamented with a pattern in chenille which is very easy to work. upon the cover, work in point russe one large star in blue chenille, with the centre and outer circle in black. all round, work small stars in blue chenille, with a black stitch in the centre. the position of these stars is shown in our illustration. the basket requires no mounting; it is not even lined. [illustration: .--basket embroidered in chenille.] * * * * * .--_pattern for collars and cuffs in embroidery._ materials: muslin, cambric or lawn; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton perfectionné no. . work the outer circle in long even scallops (see page of _embroidery instructions_) in raised button-hole stitch; the spray of flowers is embroidered in raised satin stitch, the leaves in the same, and the rosebud calyx in tiny eyelet-holes. the centres of the roses are embroidered in open-work. [illustration: .--embroidery pattern for collars, cuffs, &c.] * * * * * .--_cravat end in embroidery_. materials: muslin, brussels net; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . tack the traced muslin over the net and work the scallop of the inner edge; next the design in the centre must be worked in raised satin stitch (see no. in _embroidery instructions_). the raised dots are also worked in satin stitch (see page of _embroidery instructions_). lastly, work the outer edging of round scallops and the lines of raised dots, and with a pair of embroidery scissors carefully cut away the muslin from the outer edge and from the leaves of the centre pattern. [illustration: .--cravat end in embroidery.] * * * * * .--_embroidery pattern for collars, cuffs, &c_. materials: linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s cotton perfectionné no. . this pretty star should be worked in fine overcast stitch (see no. in _embroidery instructions_). the centre is worked in raised satin stitch leaves round a circle of button-hole stitch, in the middle of which a wheel is worked thus:--slip the cotton under the thick edge and fasten it, then cross it over and back so as to make bars, then twist the cotton twice round bar; this will bring it to the centre; work over and under each of the bars until a thick dot is formed; fasten the cotton beneath this, and twist it twice round the bar opposite to the first one you worked, and finish off. [illustration: .--embroidery pattern for collars, cuffs, &c.] * * * * * .--_embroidery covering for a quilted counterpane_. materials: cashmere, cambric muslin, or linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--embroidery covering for a quilted counterpart.] this is an embroidery-pattern for a woollen or silk quilted counterpane. such counterpanes generally have a lining which is turned back on the right side, and buttoned down at the point of each scallop. the pattern is a quilted counterpane of scarlet cashmere; the lining is of fine linen. before embroidering it, make the points for the corners. the embroidery is worked in button-hole stitch, overcast, satin, and ladder stitch. it can also be worked on fine cambric or muslin, and then the embroidered pattern sewn on the piece of linen which forms the cover on the wrong side. make the button-holes as seen on illustration, and sew on mother-of-pearl or china buttons. * * * * * [illustration: .--embroidery pattern for cravat ends, &c.] * * * * * .--_embroidery pattern for ornamenting collars, cuffs, &c_. materials: muslin, cambric, or linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pattern is worked in satin stitch, point russe, and point d'or on muslin, cambric, or linen; it is suitable for collars, or cravat ends, or handkerchief corners. * * * * * .--_handkerchief in embroidery_ materials: french cambric; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--handkerchief in embroidery.] three rows of hem-stitching ornament this handkerchief; the pattern forms an insertion within the outer rows, the flowers are worked in raised satin stitch, with eyelet-hole centres (see no. of _embroidery instructions_); the tendrils are worked in overcast stitch; three rows of raised dots, in groups of four, are worked on the inner side of the last row of hem-stitching. this pattern looks very handsome on a broad-hemmed handkerchief. * * * * * .--_convolvulus leaf insertion_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--convolvulus leaf insertion.] the convolvulus leaves are worked in raised satin stitch, the veinings and stems in overcast stitch, the eyelet-holes in slanting overcast stitch. (see no. of _embroidery instructions_.) * * * * * .--_insertion_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this simple insertion is worked in raised satin stitch, the stems alone excepted; these are embroidered in overcast stitch. [illustration: .--insertion.] * * * * * and .--_two patterns in embroidery for trimming lingerie_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. , and mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: and .--patterns for trimming lingerie.] these patterns are worked in point russe and stitching; the spots in satin and knotted stitch. illustration is ornamented in the centre with lace stitches. * * * * * _and_ .--_insertion_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the two insertions, nos. and , are worked partly in satin stitch, partly in open-work embroidery, and are edged on either side with an open-work hem. [illustration: .--insertion.] [illustration: .--insertion.] * * * * * .--_couvrette in appliqué embroidery_. materials: net, fine muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the pattern must be traced on the muslin, which should be tacked on the net. the outline of the design must be traced with very small stitches, and worked in overcast stitches, as are also the veinings; the dots are worked in raised satin stitch; the border is embroidered with satin stitch flowers and scallop button-hole stitch. to work appliqué on net, see no. of _embroidery instructions_. [illustration: .--couvrette in appliqué embroidery.] * * * * * .--_wreath for centre of pincushion or toilet mat_. materials for pincushion: jaconet muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . for toilet mat: white piqué; cotton no. . [illustration: .--wreath for centre of pincushion or toilet mat.] the leaves and flowers are worked in satin stitch; the eyelet-holes and stems in overcast stitch. * * * * * .--_corner for handkerchief in point russe_. materials: french cambric, fine china black sewing-silk, or filoselle. [illustration: .--corner for handkerchief in point russe.] point russe stitch is made by a succession of back stitches. these stitches carefully follow every line of the design, and are worked in black china sewing-silk or filoselle. the pattern should be repeated at each corner of the handkerchief. * * * * * _to_ .--_borders and insertions_.--_white embroidery_. materials: lawn; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. , and mecklenburg thread no. ; fine black sewing-silk. [illustration: .--embroidered border.] for the border no. , trace first the outlines of the scallop, then draw the threads which are to form the wheel in each scallop (take for this fine mecklenburg thread, for the rest embroidery cotton), fasten them at the places where they cross each other, and work at these places small and large spots in satin stitch. then work the scallops in button-hole stitch; edge each larger spot with button-hole stitch all round, and make a row of button-hole stitches for the upper edge of the border, and above this a row of herring-bone stitches. the material is cut away underneath the wheels. * * * * * [illustration: .--corner in embroidery.] [illustration: .--corner in embroidery.] the corner borders, illustrations and , are worked in point russe, chain and satin stitch, with fine black sewing silk. * * * * * [illustration: --- cravat end in embroidery] .--_muslin cravat_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. ; no. for the edges. this cravat is worked on fine muslin, embroidered upon both ends in raised satin stitch; the scalloped edge is worked in button-hole stitch; the bouquet in the centre is worked in appliqué satin stitch--that is, the leaves of the rose and the foliage are worked separately on muslin; they are then cut out and worked in appliqué (see nos. and , _embroidery instructions_) upon the cravat, as seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_sandwich case_. materials: strip of grey kid; strip of oil silk; skein black silk; skein red purse silk; hank steel beads; steel button. this case will be found very useful on the occasion of a journey or picnic, as it can be carried in the pocket without any inconvenience. the case is made of a strip of grey kid, scalloped out at the edges. the words "bon appetit," or "good appetite," at will, are worked over it in overcast with black purse silk and steel beads, the scroll pattern in chain stitch with red silk. the back and front of the case are formed of the same strip, which is lined with oilskin, and to which narrow side-pieces are added to form the pocket. these pieces are lined and scalloped out in the same way as the back and front, and then the scallops of both sides are joined together, and worked round in button-hole stitch with purse silk. the case is fastened down with a steel button. if another colour is preferred, the sandwich case can be made of brown kid. the scroll pattern should then be worked in rich blue purse silk, and gold beads used for the letters, which should be embroidered as before in black silk. the edge may be worked in double overcast stitch in blue or black silk. a gold button must replace the steel when this alteration of colour is made. [illustration: .--sandwich case.] * * * * * .--_insertion_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this insertion is worked in raised satin stitch between two rows of hem-stitching; a small eyelet-hole is worked in the centre of each flower. [illustration: .--insertion.] * * * * * .--_cravat end in raised embroidery_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s. embroidery cotton nos. and . this pattern is a muslin cravat inches long. the greater part of the embroidered ends is worked in satin stitch; the leaves in the bouquet of the centre are worked in raised embroidery. (see nos. and , _embroidery instructions_.) the dotted lines are raised by taking four threads of the muslin on the needle, draw it half out, wind the cotton twice round the point, holding it tightly under the thumb, draw the needle out and insert it at the place where the stitch was begun, and draw it out where the next stitch is to be worked. [illustration: .--cravat end in raised embroidery.] * * * * * .--_lady's purse_. materials: russia leather; blue silk; black purse silk; blue silk soutache; fine gold braid; and gold thread. [illustration: .--lady's purse.] this purse is embroidered upon russia leather; an oval-shaped medallion is cut out in the centre; a piece of blue silk is gummed on under the leather so as to show within the oval; both leather and silk are then lined with calico and stretched upon a small embroidery frame. the front and back of the purse are made all of one piece, the centre of which is the bottom; after the embroidery is completed a piece of leather is added on each side to give the necessary fullness. four flowrets are worked over the blue silk, with black purse silk, in raised satin stitch, with a dot in gold thread for the centre. the stems are black and the leaflets gold. the inner border round the oval medallion is worked in gold braid, and the outer one in blue soutache. the network upon the leather is formed of threads of black purse silk, fastened at every crossing with a stitch of gold thread; the outer border round this network is formed entirely of gold braid. on the opposite side of the purse initials may be worked in black and gold, over the blue silk oval medallion. the purse is lined with brown watered silk, and mounted with a clasp of gilt steel. * * * * * .--_table-napkin ring_. materials: crimson cashmere; _toile cirée_; reel each of white, black, green, blue, and yellow chinese silk. [illustration: .--table-napkin ring] stretch a strip of cashmere of a bright shade of crimson over a piece of _toile cirée_, and work the pattern over it in point russe with fine silk. the outer borders have white and black outlines, and leaflets of green silk. the stars have black and blue outlines, a yellow cross and dots. the figure between the stars is black and yellow. * * * * * _and_ .--_knife basket_. materials: grey american cloth; red cloth; black jet beads and bugles; red worsted braid, three-quarters of an inch wide; some strong wire; a cigar-box. [illustration: .--knife basket.] this basket is meant for holding dessert knives. it consists of a common cigar-box nine inches and two-fifths long, five inches and four-fifths wide, and two inches and one-fifth high, covered inside and out with grey american cloth, which is ornamented with embroidery worked in appliqué. the seams are made in overcast stitch. the feet consist of four pieces of strong wire three inches and two-fifths long. these pieces of wire are first covered with wool, and then with jet beads; they are then bent into loops, and fastened on at the bottom of the box by means of holes bored into it for that purpose. the feet must be fastened before covering the inside of the box. the inside of the basket is ornamented with an embroidered pattern in appliqué, which must also be worked before covering the box. the leaves are made of red cloth, the stems and veinings of black bugles. no. shows the pattern in full size; the flowers and leaves are edged with light grey purse silk, over which small stitches in black silk are fastened at regular intervals. inside the box fasten a deal board covered on both sides with american cloth, so as to divide the basket into two compartments, and fasten on to this board a handle consisting of a piece of wire seven inches long, wound round with beads. the basket is ornamented with ruches of red worsted braid; between two box pleats of the ruche a black bugle is fastened. [illustration: .--knife basket.] * * * * * .--_satin stitch embroidery_. materials: purse silk of two colours, in shades of green and shades of red or magenta for the flowers, gold twist. [illustration: .--fuchsia spray.] this branch is embroidered with purse silk of the natural colours of the flowers and leaves, or in different shades of one colour, on silk canvas. fuchsia blossoms are here designed, and should be worked in raised embroidery; the stamens to be worked in gold twist. * * * * * .--_acacia spray in raised satin stitch embroidery_. materials: four shades of green purse silk for the leaves; skein of brown silk; shades of white or gold silk for the flowers. [illustration: .--acacia spray.] this spray of acacia is worked in raised satin stitch embroidery; the flowers should be carefully shaded, and the veinings should be worked before the leaves are embroidered. the flowers may be worked gold colour, or imitate the white acacia blossom. * * * * * [illustration: .--tobacco pouch.] [illustration: .--tobacco pouch.] _and_ .--_tobacco pouch_. materials: fine crimson cloth; bits of coloured and white cloth for the pattern; purse silk of various colours; white kid; brass rings; gimp cord; and silk tassels. this pouch is cut in four pieces, two of which are given in full size; the two others must be worked after the same patterns. these patterns represent the attributes of a lover of tobacco; they are cut out of cloth and worked in appliqué over crimson cloth. in no. the outer chain stitch border is green. the knot from which the different articles are suspended is black, the cigar-case yellow in cloth appliqué, the cigars brown in satin stitch. the case is crossed by two rows of chain stitch in blue silk, and edged all round with button-hole stitch, also blue. the two pipes are of white cloth, edged round with yellow silk; the shade is imitated by long stitches of grey silk. the upper part of the pouch is of blue cloth, with a white silk edging and yellow dots; the under part of brown cloth with a black edging and a pattern worked in chain stitch with white; the three tassels are embroidered with black and yellow silk. in no. the outer border is yellow, the knots black, the small pattern at the top is of blue cloth edged with yellow; the pipes of white cloth edged with blue and shaded with grey. the bundle of cigars is of brown cloth, shaded with black silk stitches, and fastened on with double rows of chain stitch in yellow silk. the cigar-case is of light green cloth, edged with white; the grecian pattern and dots are embroidered over it with white silk also. to make up the pouch, cut out the four pieces and join them together by seams, which are hidden under yellow soutache; cut out also and join in the same way four pieces of white kid for the lining, and fasten it on to the crimson cloth at the top only. sew small brass rings round the top, and pass a double piece of crimson silk cord through them. add silk tassels of various colours at the bottom of the pouch, and at each of its four corners. * * * * * .--_insertion_ materials: linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--insertion.] this strong and simple insertion is useful for petticoat trimmings. it is worked in button-hole stitch; the stems in overcast stitch; the circles can be filled up with lace stitches or with wheels, or the pattern may be worked upon brussels net and the linen cut away. * * * * * .--_embroidery pattern for ornamenting needlebooks, workbaskets, &c._ materials: coloured purse silk; silk or cashmere; glacé silk; gold beads. this pattern is worked in french embroidery and point russe, with coloured purse silk on silk or cashmere. the thimble, cotton, and ribbon are worked in appliqué with glacé silk. the colours are chosen according to personal taste. the thimble is ornamented with small gold beads. a bead is placed in the centre of each pair of scissors to imitate the screw. [illustration: .--pattern for needlebook, &c.] * * * * * .--_embroidery pattern for ornamenting needlebooks, &c._ materials: coloured purse silk; silk or cashmere; beads. the shuttlecocks are worked in raised satin stitch; the feathers in point russe; the battledores in very thickly raised double overcast; the interior is filled with a netting worked in chain stitch or dotted stitch; the flowers are worked in satin stitch and beads; the ribbon is embroidered in appliqué, with a contrasting shade of silk ribbon. [illustration: .--pattern for needlebook, &c.] * * * * * _and_ .--_travelling bag_ materials: inches of java canvas; single berlin wool of shades of a pretty green; shades of bronze colour and white; floss silk--white, brown, and shades of yellow; purse silk--black, yellow, cerise, blue, and grey; steel beads; brown silk fancy braid. [illustration: .--travelling bag.] this pattern is of the ordinary shape of travelling-bags, but it is very prettily worked. besides the engraving showing the bag when completed, the bouquet in the centre in full size is given. this bouquet is also worked upon the java canvas. for each petal the white wool is passed several times from one stitch of the canvas to another till the required thickness is obtained, then stitch is worked at the point with white silk. the centres are filled up in point d'or with shades of yellow silk. the buds are made like the petals, but with stitches of white silk at the point instead of . the leaves are worked in shades of green wool with stitch of brown silk in the centre; the stems are embroidered in overcast with light brown wool. the scroll-pattern border round the bouquet is made with brown fancy braid put on with steel beads. [illustration: .--bouquet for travelling bag.] the remaining space outside this border is worked in coloured purse silk. the st outline of the squares is worked in black silk, by inserting the needle in and out of the stitches of the canvas. when you have worked all the square thus, stitches one from the other, work on either side, at one stitch's distance, the outlines of yellow silk, which are worked in back stitch, two strips of the java canvas being covered by each stitch. next to the inner yellow outline comes a border worked over two strips of the canvas, in slanting stitches; this border is alternately blue in one square and grey in the other. a star is embroidered in point russe in the centre of each square; it is grey in the blue squares and blue in the grey; a steel bead is placed in the middle of each star. the small crosses between the squares are worked in cerise. the outer border of the work is composed of a piece of black soutache, edged with a tiny trefoil pattern in cerise silk. the front and back pieces of the bag are worked in the same manner. the side pieces are made of plain java canvas. the embroidered part measures inches in its widest part, and is inches deep. the bag is lined with light brown silk, and made up with a steel clasp. * * * * * .--_embroidery trimming for muslin bodices_. materials: fine muslin; fine black silk; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pattern is very easily worked, and looks very nice for a trimming. it is worked on fine white muslin; the border is worked in button-hole stitch with white cotton; these scallops are covered with loose button-hole stitch in black silk. the feather-like branches are worked likewise in black silk in herring-bone stitch. the white spots are worked in raised embroidery. the large oval openings through which a narrow ribbon velvet is drawn are worked round with button-hole stitches: [illustration: .--trimming for bodices.] * * * * * , , _and_ --_toilet cushion cover in white embroidery_. this handsome embroidery pattern is to be worked on fine muslin; if lined with coloured silk or satin it is very effective. the patterns, which are covered white dots on illustration, are worked in point d'or; the outlines of these patterns are worked in fine double overcast. the flower-leaves and wings of birds, which appear raised on illustration on account of the dark shadows, are worked separately and sewn on at the corresponding places. no. shows the wing of a bird, no. a rose-leaf somewhat increased in size; the former is worked entirely in button-hole stitch, or trimmed with a ruche of coloured ribbon. this pattern may also be worked on glacé silk with purse silk. [illustration: .--toilet cushion cover in white embroidery.] [illustration: .--wing of bird.] [illustration: .--rose leaf.] [illustration: .--pattern for glove box.] * * * * * _and_ .--_glove box_. materials: inches of french blue cashmere; silks of various colours. a shape in bamboo cane, painted brown and varnished. [illustration: .--glove box.] the ornamentation of this box is both novel and tasteful. it is embroidered in coloured silks, upon light blue cashmere. part of the embroidery pattern is given in full size. all the outlines are worked in overcast, the stitches being made rather long and slanting, and the small leaves are each composed of one stitch, as in point russe. the leaves are alternately red and yellow upon a green stem; the scalloped outline which has no leaves is red. the pine patterns are worked in satin stitch--the centre one is green, edged with red; the side ones are pink, edged with red; the small wing-like figures are black, edged with maize; the diamond, maize, edged with black, with an outer rim of maize. in the round pattern the centre is pink; the edge red, with red and yellow leaves; the outer circles are successively white, green, and red; at the top the centre branch is yellow, the leaves red and yellow, the side ones are green, with the leaves pink and green. the strip of embroidered cashmere is lined with blue silk, slipped through the bamboo-canes of the mounting, and joined together at the side by a seam. the cover is lined with plain blue cashmere, upon which initials might be embroidered at discretion. the four corners are ornamented with pretty silk tassels, of colours to match with the embroidery. to fasten the box, sew on a blue ribbon to the cover, and one to the box. * * * * * _and_ .--_hanging letter case_. materials: crimson velvet; white satin beads; gold soutache; and fine gold bouillon. no. shows the letter case when completed in a reduced size, no. the principal part of the embroidered pattern in full size. the letter case is composed of two parts. the larger part is inches long, inches wide; it is ornamented on the upper part with a pattern in gold soutache, and the word letters or lettres embroidered in gold bouillon; underneath there is a pattern embroidered in oval white satin beads, edged round with fine white chenille; the scroll pattern is embroidered in gold bouillon. the second part is placed over the lower part of the first, and forms the pocket which contains the letters. the centre flower is composed of oval beads, edged round with white chenille; another white bead is placed in the centre, and edged with gold bouillon. the other flowers are also composed of white satin beads, edged with gold bouillon. [illustration: .--hanging letter case.] [illustration: .--pattern for embroidered letter case.] * * * * * .--_embroidered edging_. materials: muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. [illustration: .--embroidered edging.] this edging is worked in broderie anglaise or overcast stitch; the edge in scallop button-hole stitch; the ovals and dots in raised satin stitch. the stems are worked in slanting overcast stitch (no. , _embroidery instructions_). * * * * * .--_border in oriental embroidery_. materials: purse silk of the following shades:--dark red, bright red, shades of green, of blue, of yellow violet. [illustration: .--border in oriental embroidery.] the four ovals placed together are worked of four contrasting colours. these ovals are composed of two rows of chain stitch. the outer row of the first oval is dark red, and the inner one bright red. following the same arrangement, the second oval is of two shades of green; the third of two shades of blue; and the fourth of two shades of yellow. the knotted stitch in the centre is violet. the dots outside the ovals are worked in satin stitch, and are alternately red, yellow, violet, and blue. the stems are long stitches of black silk. the arabesque patterns between those formed of four ovals are worked in chain stitch with silk of two shades of brown. the colours of the ovals may be varied as much as you please, but the brown shades of the arabesque patterns should remain the same for the whole of the border. * * * * * _and_ .--_embroidery stars_. materials: fine linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these stars are designed for medallions, to be worked on linen collars and cuffs. no. is worked in successive rows of back-stitching, round an open wheel; ladder stitch (see no. , _embroidery instructions_) is worked round this, and a raised scallop in button-hole stitch forms the edge. [illustration: .--embroidery star.] * * * * * [illustration: .--embroidery star.] no. is worked in raised satin stitch; the interior of the star is filled with lace wheels. * * * * * _and_ .--_key bag_. materials: grey kid; grey silk; steel-coloured glacé silk; purse silk of shades of blue-green, shades of brown, and silver-grey, scarlet, and white; grey silk cord; grey glacé silk ribbon. this bag is made of grey kid, and lined with grey silk. the embroidery imitates on one side a key formed of poppies, leaves, and stems, in the upper part of which sits an owl, "the [illustration: .--key bag.] [illustration: .--key bag.] bird of night." the poppies are worked with blue-green purse silk in shades; the plumage of the owl is worked with brown silk of shades in satin stitch, the colours blending one into the other, as can be clearly seen in illustration no. . the eyes of the owl are embroidered in scarlet and white silk. illustration no. shows the other side of the bag, which is ornamented with steel-coloured silk appliqué figures, in the form of a gothic lock. they are edged with fine grey silk cord. the screws of the lock are imitated in satin stitch embroidery with silver-grey silk. after having lined each part, join the two halves of the bag with a border of grey glacé silk ribbon, which must, of course, continue round the revers. the bag is fastened by means of a loop and steel button. * * * * * _and_ --- _embroidery patterns for trimming cravats, bodices, morning caps, &c._ [illustration: --embroidery pattern for cravats, &c.] materials: muslin or cambric; messrs. walter evans and co.'s no. for lingerie, no. for couvrettes. these patterns, worked on muslin or cambric, are suitable for trimming various articles of lingerie; joined on to other squares they make pretty covers. they can also be embroidered with coloured silk, wool, or thread, on cloth, rep, or cashmere, for trimming couvrettes and toilet pincushions. the patterns should be embroidered in satin stitch and edged with chain stitch; they can also be worked in button-hole stitch. when the pattern is worked on woollen material this material must be cut away inside the leaves and spots. [illustration: .--embroidery pattern for cravats, &c.] * * * * * _and_ .--_pen-wiper in cloth appliqué_. materials: circles of black cloth; large white, small white, and red circles of cloth; white and red stars of cloth; small black beads; gold and black purse silk; small ivory handle or figure. this pretty little pen-wiper is covered with small circles of cloth. no. is one of these circles seen in full size. there are white and red ones, and they are pinked out round the edge. in the centre of each red circle place a white, and in the centre of each white circle a red star, and work a cross over it with small round black beads. the border, in herring-bone stitch, is worked with gold-coloured purse silk on the red, and with black on the white cloth. the centre of the pen-wiper is covered with a circle of white cloth larger than the side ones, worked in point russe and point mexico in black silk. when all the circles are prepared, sew them neatly on to a round piece of red cloth, placing alternately white and red, so as to overlap one another, and between each a circle of black cloth, also pinked out round the edge. the work is then fastened upon a round of cardboard lined with black glazed calico, and a [illustration: .--pen-wiper in embroidery.] small handle of carved ivory, or an ivory figure, is fixed in the centre. the circles of black cloth are used to wipe the pens. [illustration: .--full-sized circle for pen-wiper.] * * * * * .--_insertion_. materials: fine muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--insertion.] the flowers of this insertion are embroidered in raised satin stitch round an open eyelet hole, worked in overcast stitch the stars are worked in point russe stitch; the four eyelet holes which surround each flower, in overcast stitch; and the edge is finished with a row of hem-stitching on each side. * * * * * .--_insertion_. materials: fine muslin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this insertion is entirely embroidered in raised satin stitch; the dots and stems should be worked first, and the leaves afterwards. it is edged on both sides with a row of hem-stitching. [illustration: .--insertion.] * * * * * .--_cigar case_. materials: russia leather; fine silk cord; black purse silk; gold thread. the material of this cigar case should be finely-embossed light brown russia leather; the centre pattern to be embroidered in well-raised satin stitch with black purse silk. all the lighter outlines shown in the illustration are worked in gold thread. the border to be worked in fine silk cord of the same colour as the leather, with a network of black purse silk, stitched with gold at all the crossings. on the opposite side of the cigar case [illustration: --cigar case.] initials may be worked. the lining of light brown watered silk, or fine leather, and the mountings gilt or steel. * * * * * .--_wicker waste paper basket_. materials: basket and stand; coloured berlin wools; cloth fringe; and glazed calico. [illustration: .--waste paper basket.] the basket may be of any size, but of the shape of the pattern. it rests upon two brass hooks fastened upon a stand. this stand can be made by any joiner, and should match the furniture of the room. the trimming consists of an embroidered border, lined with glazed calico, and put on round the edge; the lower part of the border is trimmed with a woollen fringe. the shades selected should correspond with the prevailing colour of the room. * * * * * [illustration: .--insertion.] .--_insertion_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the edge of this insertion is worked in raised button-hole stitch, and embroidered in sharply-pointed scallops; the dotted line is worked in raised satin stitch, as are also the flowers which compose the centre wreath; the eyelet holes are worked in overcast stitch. * * * * * [illustration: .--embroidered linen collar.] _and_ .--_embroidered linen collars_. materials: double linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these patterns are to be worked on linen taken double. no. is worked in button-hole, satin, and knotted stitch (see nos. , , , and of _embroidery instructions_), and point d'or with white cotton, and point russe with black silk. no. is worked entirely with white cotton in button-hole, satin, knotted ladder, and overcast stitch. (see nos. , , , , and of _embroidery instructions_.) [illustration: .--embroidered linen collar.] * * * * * [illustration: --what-not in the shape of a hammock.] _and_ .--_what-not_. materials: fine canvas; shades of violet floss silk; shades of green floss silk; sea-green wool, or floss silk; skein of yellow floss silk; green chenille; cord and tassels. [illustration: .--pattern for what-not (full size).] this small what-not or jewel-stand is very elegant. it is meant to place upon the toilet-table. no. shows the hammock when completed, no. one-half of the embroidery pattern in full size; it is worked upon fine canvas. the violets are in floss silk of three shades of violet, with a raised spot worked in yellow silk in the centre, the leaves are worked in berlin wool of various shades of green, and the stems in overcast of a light green shade. the pattern is grounded in tent stitch with sea-green silk. the hammock is composed of two sides and an under-piece cut out in cardboard, covered with the embroidered canvas outside, lined and quilted with plain green silk inside. it is edged round the top with green chenille. the mounting is composed of bamboo-canes; the hammock is fastened on to it with green silk cord, finished off with tassels. * * * * * .--_embroidered handkerchief_. materials: grass lawn or french cambric; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this embroidery pattern is worked between the borders of a handkerchief, which may be either of french cambric or grass lawn. the design is simple, but effective, and very easy to work. if worked on fine french cambric, the handkerchief should be lightly tacked upon _toile cirée_. the rows of raised dots should be worked first, and then the graceful branches of pointed leaves in satin stitch. the plain round dots might be worked in bright red marking cotton in either of the patterns. to produce a good effect, rather fine cotton must be selected, and no. will be found very effective on either lawn or cambric. for mourning wear, this pattern should be embroidered with black filoselle, or the leaves can be worked in white cotton, and the dots in filoselle. [illustration: .--handkerchief border.] * * * * * _and_ .--_two medallions for a purse in embroidery_. materials: light brown russia leather; black, scarlet, and gold silk; steel or gold clasp. these medallions are intended to ornament a small purse, but may be employed on a variety of articles. [illustration: .--medallion for a purse in embroidery.] [illustration: .--medallion for a purse in embroidery.] the raised spots of no. should be worked in black silk, in satin stitch, the branched sprays in point russe in scarlet and gold, the four largest being in scarlet and the intermediate sprays in gold silk. medallion no. is worked entirely in point russe, and may be embroidered in one colour, or in alternate branches of scarlet and gold, or scarlet and black. * * * * * .--_work-bag_. materials: drab cloth; small pieces of cloth of different colours; embroidery silk of different colours; scarlet satin; red silk braid; red cord; cardboard; cotton wool; and a strap of light-coloured leather. [illustration: .--work bag.] this work-bag is made in the shape of a rolled-up plaid. the outside consists of drab cloth, trimmed with appliqué embroidery. the inside of the bag is slightly wadded and lined with red satin, which is quilted in diamonds. the seams are covered with red braid, and a leather strap completes the whole. cut out a good pattern in paper, and then cut the satin and wadding and the drab cloth which forms the outside. after having traced the pattern on the cloth, work it with small pieces of coloured cloth in appliqué embroidery. the different figures are sewn over the centre partly in point russe, partly in button-hole stitches, with embroidery silk. the stems in the middle are worked with silk in chain stitches. the colours may be chosen according to taste. cut a pattern in cardboard, and fasten the drab cloth on it. the edge must be bordered with red satin, and the satin lining must be sewed in. the ends of the bag are likewise cut out of cardboard; the inside is wadded and lined with red satin; the outside worked in appliqué embroidery like the rest of the bag. all the seams are covered with red silk cord. the straps are fastened with a few stitches, as seen in the illustration. * * * * * _to_ .--_pattern for braces_. materials: java canvas; black silk; red wool; calico. [illustration: .--pattern for braces (full size).] these braces are made of java canvas lined with calico ornamented with embroidery in black silk and red wool, and edged on either side with loose button-hole stitch and crochet vandykes in red wool. illustration shows part of the embroidered braces, full size. work first the embroidery of the braces, then line them with calico; work loose button-hole stitch and crochet vandykes on all the edges of the cross bands as well as at the top and bottom of these strips, and sew on the tabs for the braces between the lining and the canvas. the latter are then edged with button-hole stitch and crochet-vandykes. the vandykes are worked as follow--in one row: double in button-hole stitch, * purl ( chain, double in the st), missing the next button-hole stitch under it; double in the following button-hole stitch, repeat from *. the tabs are made of tape worked round with red button-hole stitch, with button-holes worked with red cotton. no. shows another [illustration: .--embroidered braces.] way of working these braces on fine ribbed piqué. work any berlin wool work pattern in the common cross stitch over the ribs of the piqué. for the vandyke border work in every other button-hole stitch, double divided by chain stitches. [illustration: .--pattern for braces (full size).] * * * * * .--_embroidery border for a reading-desk_. materials: white silk rep; black velvet, rep, or cloth; gold and silver brocade; gold and silver braid; silk cord and thread. this pattern is embroidered on white silk rep with silver and gold thread, and sewn on over a black velvet, rep, or cloth centre. the dark patterns are worked in appliqué with black velvet, the two other shades in gold and silver brocade. the embroidery is worked in satin stitch with gold and silver braid, silk and cord of the same material. the border can also be worked upon the material for the centre if it is not intended to contrast with it. the pattern can also be worked entirely in silk with satin stitch. the size of the border may, of course, be increased if desired, but the third pattern in the darkest shade must, in any case, form the centre of it. [illustration: .--embroidery border for a reading desk.] * * * * * [illustration: .--lappet or sash end in venetian embroidery.] .--_lappet or sash end in venetian embroidery._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. and no. ; net and muslin. the pattern must first be traced on muslin, which is then tacked over net. the outlines are worked in button-hole stitch, and the veinings are sewn over, using the coarse cotton for tracing; the muslin is then cut away all round the pattern. * * * * * .--_venetian border._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. and no. ; net and muslin. [illustration: .--venetian border.] this design is elegant and effective, without there being a great deal of work in it. it is useful for tuckers for evening dresses or handkerchief borders. the muslin is laid over the net, sewn neatly over, and then cut away between the pattern, leaving the net for the ground work. [illustration: .--lace insertion.] * * * * * _ .--lace insertion._ materials: fine black sewing silk; black brussels net. this lace insertion is first outlined in running stitch upon the net; the leaves are then darned across the net holes; the stems are worked in overcast stitch; the dots are embroidered by darning across the circle previously outlined; the lace stitches in the centre are formed by gently enlarging the net holes with a fine stiletto, and then sewn lightly round, the remaining holes being filled with lace stitches consisting of fine button-hole stitches, very evenly worked over the entire space surrounding the open holes. to be effective the very finest black silk should be employed. this pattern may be worked in appliqué by placing muslin over net, sewing all the outlines in fine overcast stitch, and when finished, carefully cutting away the muslin. * * * * * _and_ .--_slipper on java canvas._ materials: light brown java canvas; green silk; green filoselle and purse silk; green silk ribbon three-fifths of an inch wide; some wadding; cork soles. [illustration: .--slipper on java canvas.] this slipper is very pretty, and easy to work. it is made of light brown java canvas, and embroidered in point russe with green filoselle. it is lined with green silk, and slightly quilted. the soles are of cork. the slipper is trimmed all round with a ruche of green silk ribbon three-fifths of an inch wide, pleated in double box pleats. the heel is turned down inside. no. shows the pattern of the point russe stitch nearly full size. [illustration: .--point russe stitch for slipper (no. )] * * * * * _and_ .--_medallions in point russe_. materials: coloured filoselle, cloth, velvet, cashmere, or silk. these medallions can be alternated for ornamenting small covers, cushions, borders, &c. they are worked with coloured filoselle in point russe, herring-bone stitch, coral stitch, and knotted stitch, on cloth, velvet, cashmere, or silk. the middle oval of both medallions contrasts with the colour of the ground, and must therefore be worked in appliqué on the latter with herring-bone stitch, before working the outer border. the wreath on no. is worked in coral stitch; the knots, which imitate small blossoms, in knotted stitch. the choice of colours is left to the personal taste of the worker. [illustration: .--medallion in point russe.] [illustration: .--medallion in point russe.] * * * * * .--_butterfly for handkerchief corner_. materials: french lawn or cambric; fine black silk. this butterfly is worked in the finest black silk procurable, in order more closely to imitate etching. it is worked in point russe and scallop stitch; the dark shaded scallops are worked in button-hole scallop stitch, the stitches being taken very closely together, but not raised by the usual method of placing chain stitches beneath the button-hole stitches. the outlines and flowers are worked in point russe, the dot in knotted stitch (see no. , _embroidery instructions_.) [illustration: .--butterfly for handkerchief corner.] the initials are embroidered in raised slanting overcast stitch, and should be worked with great regularity. * * * * * _to_ .--_pattern for a couvrette in appliqué_. (_see pages - _.) materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and ; cambric muslin; brussels net; flesh-coloured silk; sewing silk of the same shade; skein of a darker shade; blue silk; brown silk; gold thread. this style of work is most effective for couvrettes or bed covers. it is worked in cambric muslin and silk, over brussels net. the arabesque patterns are worked in cambric muslin, the outlines are embroidered in overcast, and the material is cut away all round. the medallions are made of blue silk; the figures upon them are cut out of flesh-coloured silk, and are gummed first upon tissue-paper, then upon the blue silk; the figures are further fastened upon the medallions in overcast stitch with fine silk of a rather darker shade of flesh-colour. the scarfs are cut out of bright rose-coloured silk; the quiver and arrows and all the other attributes are worked in gold thread; the hair in fine brown silk. the edge of the blue silk medallions is worked round in button-hole stitch, but so as to be easily unripped when the couvrette has to be cleaned. a border in open ladder stitch is worked round them (see no. , _embroidery instructions_). the openings in the centre pattern are also filled in with lace stitches. * * * * * crochet instructions. [illustration: a crochet-needle] cotton or thread, wool or silk, with a crochet-needle, are the materials required for working crochet. the needle, whether it be steel or bone, must be smoothly polished. the long wooden and bone crochet-needles are used for wool; for cotton and silk work short steel needles screwed into a bone handle are best. the beauty of the crochet-work depends upon the regularity of the stitches, as is the case with every other style of needlework. the stitches must be elastic, but if too loose they look as bad as if too tight. the size of the needle and that of the cotton or wool must correspond; work only with the point of the needle, and never move the stitch up and down the needle. the cotton with which you work must be of the very best quality; for borders, insertions, rosettes, imitation of guipure, use evans's crochet cotton; for couvrettes, counterpanes, covers, &c., use knitting-cotton. all crochet-work patterns are begun on a foundation chain; there are three kinds of foundation chains--the plain foundation, the double foundation, and the purl foundation chain. the plain foundation chain consists of chain stitches. [illustration: .--plain foundation chain.] illustration .--form a loop with the cotton or other material with which you work, take it on the needle, and hold the cotton as for knitting on the forefinger and other fingers of the left hand. the crochet-needle is held in the right hand between the thumb and forefinger, as you hold a pen in writing; hold the end of the cotton of the loop between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, wind the cotton once round the needle by drawing the needle underneath the cotton from left to right, catch the cotton with the hook of the needle and draw it as a loop through the loop already on the needle, which is cast off the needle by this means and forms one chain stitch. the drawing the cotton through the loop is repeated until the foundation chain has acquired sufficient length. when enough chain stitches have been made, take the foundation chain between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, so that these fingers are always close to and under the hook of the needle. each stitch must be loose enough to let the hook of the needle pass easily through. all foundation chains are begun with a loop. [illustration: .--double foundation chain.] illustration (_the double foundation chain_).--crochet chain stitches, insert the needle downwards into the left side of the st chain stitch, throw the cotton forward, draw it out as a loop, wind the cotton again round the needle and draw it through the two loops on the needle, * draw the cotton as a loop through the left side of the last stitch (see illustration), wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through both loops on the needle. repeat from * till the foundation chain is long enough. [illustration: .--purl foundation chain.] illustration (_purl foundation chain_).--* crochet chain stitch, then treble stitch--that is, wind the cotton round the needle, insert the needle downwards into the left side of the st of the chain stitches, wind the cotton round the needle, draw it through the stitch, wind the cotton again round the needle, and at the same time draw the cotton through the last loop and through the stitch formed by winding the cotton round the needle. wind the cotton once more round the needle, and draw it through the remaining loops on the needle. the chain stitches form a kind of scallop or purl. repeat from *. the following crochet stitches require foundation chains like nos. and ; they are all worked in separate rows excepting the two nos. and . make a loop at the beginning of every row, as has been described (no. ), and take it on the needle. [illustration: .--slip stitch.] illustration (_slip stitch_).--draw the needle through the back part of a foundation chain stitch, or in the course of the work through the back part of a stitch of the preceding row, wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through the stitch and loop on the needle. the illustration shows a number of slip stitches, the last of which is left quite loose; the arrow marks the place where the needle is to be inserted for the next stitch. [illustration: .--double stitch.] illustration (_double stitch_).--these are worked nearly like the preceding ones. draw the cotton as a loop through the back part of a stitch, wind the cotton round the needle, and draw it through the two loops on the needle. [illustration: .--double stitch.] illustration .--these double stitches are worked nearly like the preceding ones; the st row is worked like that of no. ; in the following ones insert the needle into the two upper sides of a stitch of the preceding row. [illustration: .--ribbed stitch.] illustration (_the ribbed stitch_).--this stitch is worked backwards and forwards--that is, the right and wrong sides are worked together, which forms the raised ribs. insert the needle always into the back part of every stitch. work chain stitch at the end of every row, which is not worked, however, in the following row. [illustration: .--slanting stitch.] illustration (_slanting stitch, double stitch_).--this stitch is worked like that described in no. ; the cotton is not wound round the needle the first time in the usual manner, but the needle is placed in the direction of the arrow, above the cotton. draw the cotton through as a loop; the stitch is finished like the common double stitch. [illustration: .--cross stitch.] illustration (_cross stitch_).--this stitch is worked like no. on a foundation like no. , only insert the needle through the two upper sides of a stitch. [illustration :--long double stitch.] illustration (_long double_).--for this stitch wind the cotton round the needle, insert it into the back part of a stitch, draw the cotton out as a loop, wind the cotton again round the needle, and cast off together the two loops and the loop formed by winding the cotton round the needle. [illustration .--treble stitch.] illustration (_treble stitch_).--these stitches are worked as has been described for the purl foundation chain, no. . the treble stitches are worked on a foundation chain or in the stitches of the preceding row. illustration (_long treble_).--these are worked like treble stitches, only the cotton is wound twice round the needle; the double long treble (illustration ) is worked by winding the cotton three times round the needle. the loops formed by winding the cotton round the needle are cast off one by one with one of the loops on the needle. the two loops that remain at the end are cast off together after winding the cotton round the needle. [illustration: .--long treble stitch.] [illustration: .--double long treble stitch.] [illustration: .--cross treble stitch.] [illustration: .--cross treble stitch.] illustration - (_cross treble_).--illustration shows this stitch completed; illustrations and show them in the course of the work. wind the cotton twice round the needle as for a long treble, insert the needle into the stitch in which the first half of the cross treble is to be worked, wind the cotton round the needle, draw the cotton through as a loop, wind the cotton again round the needle and cast off together with the same the loop on the needle and the loop formed by throwing the cotton forward; you have now loops left on the needle, of which has been formed by winding the cotton round the needle; missing these, wind the cotton again round the needle, miss the next stitches of the foundation chain, and draw a loop through the third stitch. you have now loops on the needle. always cast off loops at a time till only loop remains on the needle. work chain stitches (if you wish to have the stitches more or less) slanting, work , , or chain stitches, missing, of course, the same number of foundation chain, work treble stitch, inserting the needle, as shown by the arrow on no. , into the cross chain of the completed treble stitch. [illustration: .--cross treble stitch.] [illustration: .--raised spots.] illustration (_raised spots_).--the grounding on which these spots are worked consists of double crochet. they are worked across rows of the ground, and formed of treble stitches, the spots of one row being placed between those of the preceding. work first rows of double stitch, in the rd row work first double stitches and then spot as follows:-- treble, inserting the needle into both sides of stitch of the first row (the preceding row is missed); the treble stitch is only completed so far that loops remain on the needle; then work treble stitches in the same stitch as the first, which are also only completed as far as the first treble stitch, so that after the nd treble there remain loops and after the rd loops on the needle (see illustration). the loops are cast off together by winding the cotton once more round the needle and drawing it through. miss under the spot the next double stitch of the preceding row; the spots are repeated at intervals of stitches and in every other row. [illustration: .--hollow spots.] illustration (_hollow spots_).--the ground is worked in double crochet (illustration ). these spots, which appear raised, consist of treble stitches; they are worked in every other row at intervals of stitches. for working them leave loop on the needle, insert the needle between the long sides of the last-worked double stitch, and work treble stitches, always inserting the needle into the front part of stitch of the preceding row. the first treble are completed entirely without taking up the loop which was on the needle; with the fifth treble stitch only the loops are cast off together by winding the cotton round the needle. miss stitch of the preceding row under the spot. [illustration: .--open-work spots.] illustration (_open-work spots_).--these spots are treble stitches divided by chain; miss stitches under the latter; for the rest, they are worked like the raised spots (illustration ). [illustration: .--raised treble stitch.] illustration (_raised treble stitch_).--these stitches are long treble worked on a ribbed ground (illustration ), and are thrown across rows of the same. the raised treble are always worked on the same side of the work and in the long side of the corresponding stitch of the last row but two. after every row with treble stitch comes a row in ribbed stitch. at the beginning work rows of ribbed stitch; the treble stitches begin only in the th row. [illustration: .--purl stitch.] illustration (_purl stitch_).--these purl stitches imitate a lace edging perfectly well. work double, draw out the loop to a certain length (this forms the purl), take the needle out of it, insert it in the front part of the last stitch which has been worked (see illustration), wind the cotton round the needle and draw it through as a loop; double, purl, and so on. [illustration: .--purl stitch.] illustration (_purl stitch turned upwards_).--work treble, then chain stitch. insert the needle into the nd of the chain stitch downwards, so that the chain stitches form a scallop upwards (see illustration), wind the cotton round the needle and draw the cotton through; work chain stitch and treble in the next stitch but , missing stitches under it. [illustration: .--purl stitch.] illustration (_purl stitch turned downwards_).--the chain stitches form a scallop turned downwards. after having worked the chain stitches take the needle out of the loop, insert it underneath the upper chain of the nd chain stitch, from right to left, and draw it through the loop in the direction of the arrow. wind the cotton round the needle and cast all the loops off together. it is evident that the purl stitches may be worked at larger or smaller distances. * * * * * crochet patterns. .--_small crochet basket_. materials: balls of closely-covered white and silver, and ball of pink and silver twine; a crochet needle. [illustration: .--small crochet basket.] for the bottom: make a chain of stitches and unite it, work long, chain, and repeat three times more. nd round: work long into the st chain, make chain, work long into the next chain, make chain, work long into the same place, make chain, and repeat. rd round: long, chain, working twice into the chain of last round. th round: long, chain, increasing in every other rd chain by working twice into it. th round: increasing in every rd chain, repeat. for the leaves: make a chain of stitches, then work a row of long stitch and chain stitch with the silver twine. nd round: work long stitch into each chain stitch in st row, make chain stitch, repeat. (at the point, make long, with a chain stitch between each), repeat on the other side of the chain, long stitch and chain stitch alternately. rd round: with pink: work over a wire in double crochet stitch into each loop, work more leaves in the same way, join each leaf half way, then sew it to the centre, work a row of double crochet yard in length, and twist it for the handle. this should also be crocheted over wire. * * * * * to .--_couvrette in crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. , and steel crochet needle. this very pretty pattern is composed of separate circles representing dahlias in raised work upon an open centre. no. shows one of these large circles in full size, no. one of the small circles placed in the spaces between the larger ones, no. part of the border, and no. the couvrette when completed, but in reduced size. for each large circle make a chain of stitches, and join it into a circle. st round: stitches of double crochet over the circle of chain stitches. nd round: stitches of double crochet. rd round: double, chain, miss . th round: [illustration: .--couvrette in crochet.] the same as the preceding--the double always on the rd chain. th round: close double crochet; stitches in in the centre stitch of each loop. th to th round: the same as the th, close double crochet, increasing in the centre of each small scallop, which forms the raised petals of the dahlia. th round: here begins the open-work border round the dahlia. work double between petals, taking together the centre stitches, double in the next, chain. there will be loops of chain in the round. th to th round: double in centre of each loop, chain between. th round: double in centre of st loop, chain, treble in next loop; in the top of this treble stitch work double, with chain between each; make chain. repeat the same all round, and the large circle is completed. six of these are required. [illustration: .--showing one of the small circles full size of no. .] for each small circle make a chain of stitches, and join it into a round. st round: stitches of close double crochet. nd round: treble, chain, miss , times. rd round: treble over each loop of chain, double between. this completes of the small circles placed round the large ones in the centre of the couvrette. the that are placed between the other large circles have more round, which is worked as follows:-- treble in the centre of scallop in the top of this treble stitch, double, with chain between each, chain. repeat the same all round. [illustration: .--showing one of the large circles full size of no. .] when all the circles are completed, join them together, as seen in illustration , and work the border as follows:-- st round: treble in one of the trefoil branches of a small circle, chain, treble in next trefoil, chain, treble in rd trefoil, chain, long treble in th trefoil, chain, long treble in trefoil of a large circle, treble in each of the next trefoils of the large circle, chain between each chain, long treble in the last trefoil of the large circle, chain. repeat all round. nd round: treble, with chain between, in first stitch of last round, * chain, miss , treble with chain between next stitch. repeat from *. rd and th rounds: the same as the nd. the treble always in chain. th round: in each chain, treble, with chain between the nd and rd, chain after the treble. the same all round. th round: the same as the th. th round: treble in chain, trefoil in the top of the treble, chain. repeat the same all round, which completes the couvrette. [illustration: .--border for couvrette.] * * * * * .--_star in crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , or with no. or for couvrettes. a number of these stars joined together will make very pretty strips of insertion. for this purpose they should be worked with fine cotton. they may also be used for trimming collars, cuffs, and cravats, the material being cut away underneath. if worked with crochet cotton no. or , they will make nice couvrettes, bed-quilts, &c. [illustration: .--star in crochet.] the star is begun by the outer circle. make a chain of stitches, and join it into a circle. * make chain, miss , work extra long treble, treble, and double, inserting the needle under the chain, then double worked as usual, long double, extra long double, miss , and work double, inserting the needle _under_ the th. repeat times from * fasten off, and for the centre of the star work as follows:-- st round: * chain, turn, miss and work double in the next chain, double in the st of the chain, thus forming loop. repeat from * times more. nd round: double on the first loop of chain of the first branch, double in the centre of the branch, chain; slip the stitch which is upon the needle in one of the stitches of the foundation chain of the outer circle, work double in the first of the chain last made, then double in the remaining loop of chain of the branch, and double at the bottom of the branch. repeat times more from *. the centre star must be joined on to the outer circle at regular distances. * * * * * .--_crochet silk bag over rings_. materials: skeins each of black, blue, rose, and drab coarse purse twist; skeins of the spangled silk for the top part of the bag and strings; the tassel for the bottom is made of the silks that are left; rings. work over a ring in double crochet, with black, stitches and fasten off; this is for the centre ring. then with the rose colour take a ring and work stitches in double crochet as before, take a second ring, and work double crochet over it without cutting off the silk, work over more rings in the same manner, then work on the other side of the rings to correspond, join the first and last ring together, and sew in the centre ring; this completes the st circle. work more rounds in the same way, rose colour, with drab centre, blue with black, drab with rose centre, black with blue, join circles of the alternate colours to the st circle, to each ring, then sew the second ring to the corresponding one of the next circle, till the are united; join the other circles in the following manner: join one ring to the second from the one that was sewed to the st circle, join the next ring to the corresponding one of the next circle (which will be the one opposite to the one sewed in the st circle), and repeat, joining the other in the same way. [illustration: .--crochet silk bag.] for the small diamond make a chain of stitches and unite it, work long stitches into the circle, make chain, work single stitch to the centre of the ring missed in joining the last circle, make chain, work long into the circle, make chain, and work a stitch of single crochet to the centre of the next ring, make chain, work long into the same place, make chain, work long into the same place, make chain, and work a stitch of single crochet to the next ring, make chain, and join it to the first of the long stitches; this completes the diamonds; work more, joining them in the same way, then work over rings, and join one on each side of every diamond; this completes the lower part of the bag. for the top part of the bag work stitches of double crochet to the centre of each ring, make chain, and repeat. st round: work long stitch, make chain, miss loop, and repeat. work more rounds in the same way, working the long stitch into the chain stitch of last row. run some cord in the top of the bag to match one of the colours used, and make the tassel for the bottom from the silk that is remaining after working the crochet. * * * * * .--_crochet sovereign purse._ materials: skein of black purse silk: skein of coloured ditto; a few steel beads; and a steel clasp. the open portion of this purse is worked in coloured, and the raised rose and outer border in black, silk, the latter being dotted with steel beads. a few rows of plain double crochet are worked, increasing where necessary, to make the work lie flat; then rows of loops of chain in coloured silk, and then rows of thick double crochet, threading the beads first on the silk, and pushing them up to the stitches when required. [illustration: .--crochet sovereign purse.] the black silk must now be joined on to the centre, and the little raised piece worked in treble crochet, inserting the hook on the _upper_ side of the stitches. three rounds of treble are executed, and when both sides of the purse are finished they should be joined together (except where the clasp is put on) by a row of open treble, ornamented with beads. this purse is so easy to make, that it might be worked without the least difficulty from the illustration. * * * * * .--_stars in crochet_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. or . this pattern can be used for a couvrette or pincushion cover, according to the size of the cotton with which it is worked. each star is begun in the centre by a chain of stitches. in the st stitch work treble, * chain, treble in this same st stitch, repeat from * times more, chain, slip stitch in the th of the chain. you have thus formed rays, joined to the st stitch. now work (without cutting the cotton) the branches, which are begun from the centre. st branch.-- st round: chain, treble in the th, so as to form a purl with the last , chain, treble with chain between, missing stitches under the chain, chain, slip stitch in the last of the chain. nd round: double over the st chain, double with purl between over the next chain, double over the next chain, purl, double over the next chain; then, on the other side of the branch, purl, double, purl, double, double with purl between, double on the last chain of the branch, slip stitch in the stitch from which the leaf was begun, double over the chain of the circle. here begins the second branch. st round of the nd leaf: chain, double in the last so as to form a circle. [illustration: .--stars in crochet.] nd round: double in each of the first chain, in the next stitch work double, chain, double to form the point, double in each of the remaining stitches, slip stitch in the st stitch of the st round. rd round: double, purl, repeat from * twice more, then work in double crochet as far as the point, work double with chain between, then work the nd half of the branch the same as the st. before beginning the next leaf, work double on the chain stitches of the circle; work branches, repeating alternately the above explained; cut the cotton and fasten it on again to the point of one of the branches, in order to join them together by the two following rounds:-- st round: double in the point of one of the leaves, * chain, purl under the chain; thus make chain, turn the chain with the crochet to the right, insert the needle downwards in the first chain, and make a slip stitch, chain, purl under, chain, purl under, chain, slip stitch in the point of the next leaf, repeat from * five times more. nd round: * double over the nearest chain; purl as usual--that is, above the chain-- double over the next chain. now work trefoil (thus: chain, purl, chain, purl, chain, double in the double coming just before the purl). double on each of the next chain of last round, purl, double, trefoil, repeat five times from *. join the stars by a few stitches, as seen in the illustration. * * * * * .--_crochet purse over rings._ materials: rings; skeins each of cerise and black, and of maize coarse purse silk. work in double crochet with maize over one ring stitches; this is the centre ring for the bottom of the purse. [illustration: .--crochet purse over rings.] then work with cerise colour over a ring stitches, take another ring and work stitches, repeat this till you have rings, then work round the other half of each ring stitches; and when the are finished, join the first to the last to make a circle; sew the maize ring into the centre of it, then work over rings with black in the same manner, and place them outside the cerise circle. then work over rings with maize colour, and join them beyond the black, but not to lie flat down; they are to stand up to form the sides of the purse. work over rings with cerise, and these you can join one to each of the former rounds in working the second half of the crochet, as it will save the sewing. work over rings in black, and join them in the same manner to the cerise. for the edge, with cerise, work into the centre stitch of the ring a stitch of double crochet, make chain, work into the stitch joining the rings an extra long stitch, make chain, repeat. then work rounds of single open crochet. th round: * work a stitch of double crochet and chain alternately, missing loop between each times, then work a long stitch, make chain, work into the next loop long stitch, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, make chain, work a long stitch into the next loop, repeat from *. th round: work into the chain long stitch, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, * make chain, work a stitch of double crochet into the chain in last round, repeat from * times more, miss the next chain, * work a stitch of double crochet into the next chain, make chain, repeat from * times more, then repeat from the beginning. th round: join the black, work into the chain long stitch, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, make chain, work a th long stitch into the same place, * make chain, work a stitch of double crochet into the chain, repeat from * times more, miss the next stitches of double crochet, * work a stitch of double crochet into the chain, make chain, repeat from * times more, then repeat from the beginning. th round: work into the chain long stitch, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, repeat the stitches of double crochet with chain between, as in last round, then repeat from the beginning. th and th rounds the same as the th. add a tassel at the bottom, and strings run into the last row of open crochet complete the purse. * * * * * [illustration: .--crochet brioche cushion.] .--_crochet brioche cushion_. materials: skeins of -thread fleecy, of six shades of red (these should be most of the darker shades); skeins of white ditto; skein of white filoselle. make a chain of stitches with the darkest shade of red wool, and join it into a circle. work round of raised spots thus:--turn the wool times round the needle, insert the needle in chain, and draw it through all the loops, then work slip stitch, insert the needle in the next stitch, work double, and begin a fresh spot. continue in the same way all round. nd round: divide the round into parts; work spots with the rd shade of red, always working double between each spot, and taking care to place them between those of preceding round: after spots, work double, then more, and so on. rd round: rd shade of red, spots, double. th round: th shade, spots, double. th round: th shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spots, double. th round: th shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spots, double. th round: th shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spots, double. th round: same shade, spot, double. the pattern of raised spots being now completed, continue to work with the lightest shade of red in double stitches, decreasing once above each pattern, so as to close up the circle gradually. the white flowers are worked over the plain part of the cushion with white wool, and silk for the petals, and a black dot in the centre. the cushion is stuffed with horsehair and lined with glazed calico. a round of thick pasteboard is stitched in at the bottom, to make it stand firmer. * * * * * _ .--daisy pattern for a crochet couvrette._ materials: for a large couvrette, messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. ; for pincushion covers, mats, and such-like small articles, boar's head cotton no. or . a pattern of this description is most useful, as it can be converted to so many purposes. counterpanes, couvrettes of every description, mats, pincushions, and a thousand other things can all be arranged from the design. [illustration: .--daisy pattern for a crochet couvrette.] each circle is made separately, and joined to the others, as the last row is crocheted. begin in the centre; make chain, insert the needle in the first, and make * a long treble stitch, then make chain, repeat times from *, always inserting the needle in the st chain stitch, join the last chain to the th of the st chain to close the round. nd round: work double crochet, * chain, turn, work a slip stitch in each of the chain; work round the stem thus made in close crochet, working stitches in to turn at the point; miss stitch of preceding row, work double crochet, and repeat from * times more, making petals in all. rd round: work at the back of the last row, behind the petals; make petal between each petal in last row, double crochet at the back of each, and cut the cotton at the end of the round. th round: double crochet at the point of each of the petals, chain between each petal. th round: treble, chain, repeat. th and last round: double crochet in the centre of the st chain, * chain, treble in the centre of the next chain, chain, slip stitch in the top of the treble stitch, chain, slip stitch in the same place, chain, a rd slip stitch in the same place, chain, double crochet in the centre of the next chain, repeat from * to the end of the round. there should be trefoil patterns in the round. for the couvrette join the circles together, as shown in illustration, in working the last round. as many circles can be added as may be required for the couvrette. * * * * * .--_crochet lace_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. or . this lace produces a very good effect when worked with fine cotton. make a sufficiently long foundation chain, and work the st row entirely in double stitch. nd row: * treble in the next stitch, chain, miss stitch under it; repeat from *. rd row: long treble in the rd stitch of the preceding row, * purl (each consisting of chain, double, in the st of the same), long treble in the same stitch of the preceding row, purl, miss , double in the following stitches, purl, miss stitches, long treble in the th stitch; repeat from *. [illustration: .--crochet lace.] th row: * double in the middle of the next purl of the preceding row, purl, long treble divided by purl in the middle of the next double in the preceding row, purl; repeat from *. th row: * long treble, divided by purl in the middle of the next double of the preceding row, purl, double in the middle of the next purl of the preceding row, purl; repeat from *. repeat the th and th rows alternately till the border is wide enough. * * * * * .--_crochet border_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , , , or . [illustration: .--crochet border.] this border is suitable for a great variety of purposes, according to the size of the cotton employed; in coarse cotton it will make a trimming for couvrettes and berceaunette covers; with fine cotton it can be used for children's clothes, small curtains, &c. make a sufficiently long foundation chain, and work the st row: * treble divided by chain in the st foundation chain stitch, miss ; repeat from *. nd row: * in the st scallop of the preceding row, double, treble, double, then chain, purl ( chain, slip stitch in the st of the four), chain, miss under these the next chain stitch scallop; repeat from *. rd row: treble in the chain stitch on either side of the purl in the preceding row, chain. th row: * double divided by chain in the two first treble of the preceding row (insert the needle underneath the upper parts of the stitch), chain, slip stitch in the th of these stitches so as to form a loop, chain, repeat from *. th row: * slip in the middle stitch of the scallop formed by chain in the preceding row, treble, chain, treble, chain, treble, all these stitches in the loop of the preceding row, so as to form a clover-leaf pattern; repeat from *, but fasten the th treble with a slip stitch on the th treble of the preceding figure. th row: in the first and last stitch of the middle treble of the clover-leaf double, chain between, th row: * double in the nd chain stitch of the scallop which is above the middle treble of the clover-leaf, chain, purl ( chain, slip stitch in the st), chain, double in the next chain stitch of the same scallop, chain, purl, chain, miss one chain of the scallop, double, chain, purl, chain, double in the next chain stitch, chain. double in the middle stitch of the following scallop, chain, repeat from *. * * * * * [illustration: .--crochet border.] --_crochet border_ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , , or , according to the article for which it is required. on a sufficiently long foundation chain work the st row: double in each chain stitch. nd row: alternately double, chain, miss under the latter stitches of the preceding row. rd row: treble in each double of the preceding row, double in the middle stitch of each scallop, chain between. th row: double on each double of the preceding row, treble on each treble, chain between. th row: double on each treble of the preceding row, chain between. th row: double in each stitch of the preceding row. th row: * treble in the st stitch of the preceding row, chain, miss , treble in the following stitches, miss stitches, treble in the following stitches, chain, miss stitch, treble, chain, miss ; repeat from *. th row: repeat regularly treble in the scallop formed of chain in the preceding row, double in the middle of the following chain. th row: * double in the th treble of the preceding row, treble, long treble in next treble but , long treble in each of the following treble, long treble, treble in the next treble, double in the next treble but , chain, purl ( chain, slip), chain stitch; repeat from *. th row: * double in the th treble of the preceding row, chain, purl, chain, miss under them, double, chain, purl, chain, double in the next chain but of the next scallop, chain, purl, chain, double in the chain stitch after the purl of the preceding row, chain, purl, chain; repeat from *. th row: in each scallop of the preceding row double (they must meet on either side of the purl); they are divided alternately by chain, and by a scallop formed of chain, purl, and chain, only in the chain stitch scallops which join the two treble figures work no double, but chain, purl, chain. * * * * * _ to .--wicker arm chair, covered with crochet._ material: berlin wool in two colours. [illustration: .--wicker arm chair, covered with crochet.] the seat and back of this arm-chair are covered with two round couvrettes, worked in crochet with berlin wool of two colours. they are fastened on the chair with woollen braid, finishing off with tassels of the same colour. begin each couvrette in the centre with a foundation chain of stitches, with the lightest wool; join them into a circle, and work the st round in the following manner:-- double. nd round: * chain, double, in the next stitch of the st round, inserting the needle in the upper part of the stitch; repeat from * times more; at the end of this round work slip stitch in the st chain of this round. we shall not repeat any more the repetitions from * to the end of the round. rd round: * chain, double, in the next scallop of the preceding round; at the end of the round chain. th round: double in each scallop of the preceding round. th round: begin to work with the darker wool and crochet slip stitch, inserting the needle in the front chain of the stitches of the th round. the th round is worked once more with light wool, and consists entirely of double stitch, worked by inserting the needle at the back of the stitches of the th round, so that the slip stitches appear raised on the right side of the work, and form a round of chain stitches. the middle part of the couvrette is then finished. [illustration: .--pattern for arm chair border.] [illustration: .--border for arm chair ( ).] illustration shows it in full size. th round: * chain, missing stitch of the preceding round under them, double. th round: * chain, double, in the next scallop of the preceding round. th round: double in each scallop. th round, like the th; th round, like the th; [illustration: .--couvrette for arm chair ( ).] th, th, th, th, and th rounds, like the th-- th; th-- th rounds like the th-- th. th round: alternately treble with the light wool, treble with the dark; but every treble stitch must be cast off with the wool of the colour of the next stitch; that is, a light treble stitch with the dark wool, and a dark treble stitch with the light wool. now and then crochet treble stitches in one stitch of the preceding round, so that the couvrette remains perfectly flat. st round: double in every stitch. the nd-- st rounds consist of a double repetition of the th-- th rounds. the nd and rd rounds are made in open work like the th and th rounds. the th round is worked in treble stitches like the th round. then work the outer border. it consists of chain stitch scallops which are worked alternately with dark and light wool. illustration no. shows a part of the border with the treble round in full size. work from it with the light wool double on light treble stitch of the preceding round, chain, double, on the next light treble, throw the wool off the needle and let it hang over the right side of the work; crochet with the dark wool double on the treble stitch between the double of this round, leave the wool on the right side of the work; chain, double, on the next dark treble. take the needle again out of the loop, draw the wool on to the right side, and work the next chain stitch scallop again with the light wool. instead of this border, pattern no. may be worked. it consists of rounds to be worked after the th round of the couvrette. st round of the border: with dark wool, * double in stitch, of the th round; double, treble, double, in the next stitch; repeat from *. nd round: with the light wool, * treble, inserting the needle in the next treble stitch of the th round, thus working over the double stitch between the spots of the preceding round; chain. rd round * double in each chain stitch of the preceding round. to work the nd of these double, insert the needle at the same time in the upper part of the middle treble of the st round. th round: dark wool, * double in each double of the preceding round, miss , and work treble in the next stitch but one; the last of these treble is cast off with light wool, miss , and continue to work with the light wool double in the next stitch but one, miss , treble in the next stitch, cast off the last with the dark wool, miss ; repeat from *. * * * * * _ to .--crochet insertions._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , , or . [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] these insertions are worked with crochet cotton of sizes which depend upon the use you wish to make of them. the insertion seen in illustration is worked the long way in rows. make a sufficiently long foundation chain, and work the st row as follows:-- slip stitch in the st stitch of the foundation, * chain, miss , double in the next stitch but , repeat from *. nd row: slip stitch in the middle of the st chain, * chain, slip stitch in the middle stitch of the next chain, repeat from *. rd row: treble in the st stitch, * leaf worked as follows: chain, then without noticing the loop left on the needle long treble in the nd and in the st of the chain; these stitches are not cast off separately, but together with the loop left on the needle. then chain, miss , treble in the th stitch, repeat from *. th row: double in the st of the chain, * chain, double in the st of the next chain, repeat from *. th row: * leaf as in the rd row, double in the double stitch of the preceding row, chain, repeat from *. th row: treble in the point of the st leaf, * chain, treble in the point of the next leaf, repeat from *. th and th rows: like the st and nd. [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] the insertion seen in illustration is worked in rows, and is begun in the centre on a foundation chain sufficiently long not to be worked too tight. st row: double in the st stitches, * double divided in the same way on the other side of the foundation chain, inserting the needle in the st row into the chain. illustration shows an insertion which imitates darned netting; it is worked on a grounding imitating netting with raised figures. the grounding consists of rows. work on a sufficiently long foundation chain the st row as follows: cross treble in the st and rd stitch, * chain, missing stitches under them, cross treble in the th and th stitch, repeat from *. nd row: double in the st stitch, * chain, miss under them, double in the th stitch, repeat from *. rd to th rows: double in the middle stitch of every chain stitch scallop, chain between. th row: like the st. work from illustration square patterns on this grounding, consisting each of leaves; for these leaves carry on the cotton taken double in double windings from double stitch to another, so as to have threads lying close to each other; darn these as can be seen in illustration, with single cotton. [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] * * * * * .--_crochet lace_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. . [illustration: .--crochet lace.] a particular kind of purl makes this border look very like guipure lace. begin with a foundation chain worked in the following manner:--* chain, the last of them forms purl; this is made by drawing out a long loop on the needle, taking the needle out of the loop, inserting it in the chain stitch before the last one, drawing the cotton through it, and continuing to work so that the loop out of which the needle has been drawn forms purl. all the purl must be equally long; to do this more easily the loop may be kept on the needle till a chain stitch has been worked in that which comes just before the purl, continue the foundation chain, and repeat from *. st row: long double in the st stitch of the foundation, * chain, slip stitch in the nearest purl of the foundation chain; repeat from *. nd row: double in the st stitch, * purl, chain, missing stitch under it; slip stitch in the slip stitch of the preceding row; repeat from *. rd row: like the st. th row: double in the st stitch, * purl, chain, purl, chain, missing stitches under them; double in the th stitch; repeat from *. th row: long double in the st stitch, chain, purl, chain, * double in the middle of the next chain of the preceding row, purl, chain, purl, chain; repeat from *. th to th rows: alternately like the th and th rows. th row: double in the st stitch, * chain, double long treble (throw the cotton times round the needle) in the st of these chain stitches; the stitch is only completed so far as still to leave loops on the needle; double long treble in the same chain stitch. this stitch is cast off so as to leave in all loops, and the cotton over the needle; these loops are cast off together by drawing the cotton once through them. this forms leaf, or one-half of the bell-shaped patterns. purl, chain, leaf like the preceding one, slip stitch in the st of the first chain stitches; the other half of the pattern is then completed; purl, chain, purl, chain, double in the middle stitch of the next scallop of the preceding row, purl, chain, purl, chain, double in the middle stitch of the following scallop th row: slip stitch in the next purl of the preceding row, purl, chain, slip stitch in the next purl of the preceding row, purl, chain, slip stitch in the following purl, purl (the purl which are worked on the purl of the bell-shaped pattern are made in this row and in the following one as follows:--crochet chain after the slip stitch, leave it for purl, and work the next chain stitch in the slip stitch), purl, chain, purl, chain, double in the middle stitch of the following scallop, purl, chain, purl, chain. th row: purl on the next purl of the preceding row, chain between, purl, chain, purl, chain, double in the middle stitch of the next chain stitches, bell-shaped pattern like those of the th row, purl, chain, purl, chain. * * * * * crochet d'oyleys in imitation of point lace. --_d'oyley no_. . material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, unite it. round : * double crochet, chain, repeat from * times more, double crochet, unite it to the st stitch. round : single crochet up the st of the chain in last row, *, long into the loop of chain, chain, repeat from *. round : long into the chain in last round, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain in last round, repeat. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, chain, repeat. round : the same as th. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : * double crochet, chain, repeat from * times more. round : into the chain double crochet, long, and double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the double crochet in st round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain in last round double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the one in rd round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the in th round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the in th round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the in th round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the in th round, chain, repeat. work patterns of no. for this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. into the circle double crochet, *, long, chain, repeat from * twice more, double long, chain, double long, * chain, long, repeat from * twice more, double crochet, chain. repeat from the beginning. in working the nd pattern, join it to the st with the nd chain, work leaves in this manner, then make only chain, and work a th leaf without joining it to the rd, make chain after th leaf, and work a stitch of double crochet into last chain, make chain. work a th leaf, and join it to the th as before, chain, double crochet into the next chain, chain. work a th leaf in the same way, and join it; but make no chain stitch after the th leaf. work patterns of no. for this d'oyley. no. .--the same as no. , only work leaves instead of , on each side. work patterns of no. for this d'oyley. no. .--work the st leaves of no. this is not repeated in this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. work into the circle double crochet, long, double, long, chain, double long, long, double crochet, chain, joining the th long stitch to the corresponding stitch in st leaf, chain. work the rd leaf the same as the st without joining it to the nd, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, work a th leaf, and join it to the rd, chain, and join it to the st stitch of double crochet at the beginning of the st leaf. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--tie a round of cotton about this size o. round : double crochet into the round. round : double crochet into successive loops, work into rd loop, repeat. round : double crochet into every loop. round : double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : into the chain in last round long, chain, more long stitches into the same place, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, chain, repeat. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round i: double long into the circle. round : double crochet between each long in last round. round : long, chain, miss loop, repeat. round : long into the chain, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain in last round, chain, repeat. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .-- st row: make a chain of stitches, work long stitch into the th, *, chain stitches, miss loops, long into the next, repeat from * to the end of the row. nd row: chain, *, double crochet on the other side of the chain into the centre one of the between the long stitch, chain, turn, and work into the chain double crochet and long, chain, repeat from * times more, work into the chain stitches at the end loops of chain with the double crochet and long stitch as before, then work the other half of the pattern to correspond. rd row: into the space between the long stitches double crochet, chain, repeat. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : into the circle double long, with chain between each. round : double crochet into the chain in last round, repeat. round : long, chain, miss loop, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain in last round, chain, repeat. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : long into the circle. round : double crochet into every loop. round : double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : long, long into the next loop, repeat. round : double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into the circle. round : *, chain, join it to the th, work into the circle double crochet, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long and double crochet, single crochet into the st double crochet, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, double crochet into the same place, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, double crochet into the chain, chain, single crochet into the stitches of double crochet at the end, single crochet down the for the stem, single crochet into successive loops round the circle, repeat from * twice more. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--*, make chain stitches, turn, double crochet into each loop, repeat from * twice more, then work round both sides of these points double crochet, chain, miss loop at the top of each point, work twice into the same loop, then chain, double crochet into each end, unite the th to the last of the centre point of . this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--round : * make a chain of stitches, and unite it, repeat from * more times. round : double crochet into successive loops, stitches into the th, into each of the next loops, repeat. round : double crochet, chain, double crochet into the centre of the in last, chain, miss , repeat. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat. this pattern is not repeated. no. .--*, make a chain of stitches, unite it, long into successive loops, double long, long, double crochet, chain, double crochet into the next loop, chain, double crochet into the same place, chain, work into successive loops double crochet, long, double long, long, unite the last to the first, chain, repeat from * once more, then double crochet into the st of the chain, chain, double crochet into each, and into each of the remaining of the chain. this pattern is not repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, *, work into successive loops double crochet, long, double crochet, more double crochet into the same loop as the last, repeat from * once, make a chain of stitches, unite to the th, work into the circle, *, long, chain, long, repeat from * times, work into the chain long, chain, work another long into the same place, repeat, join the last with single crochet to the last of the chain, double crochet over the of the leaf, long into successive loops, double long into successive loops, long into the next loop, and long into the next. this pattern is not repeated. when all these pieces are done, join them as shown in the engraving, sewing them firmly together with the same cotton, then work an edging round in the following manner:-- st row: double long into the chain at the point of the leaf of no. pattern, chain, double long into the nd chain in the same leaf, chain, double long into the st chain of the nd leaf of the same pattern, chain, long into the chain of no. pattern, chain, long into the chain of the next leaf in the same pattern, chain, long into the rd chain from the join of the th pattern, chain, single crochet into the nd chain from the long stitch, chain, single crochet into the rd chain from the last, chain, long into the nd chain from the last, chain, work into the nd chain from the join of the th pattern long, chain, double crochet into the next chain, chain, long into the next chain, chain, double crochet in the st chain from the join of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the st chain of the nd leaf of the same pattern, chain, double crochet into the last chain of the same leaf, chain, double crochet into the chain of no. pattern, chain, long into the chain between the leaves of the same pattern, chain, long into the next chain, chain, long into the st chain of the rd leaf of the same pattern, chain, single crochet into the rd of double crochet from the join of th pattern, chain, single crochet into the centre of the nd double crochet from the last, chain, single crochet into the nd of double crochet from the last, chain, double crochet into the chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the th long stitch of the same leaf, chain, double crochet into the end of the stem of th pattern, chain, double long into the st chain of the th pattern, chain, double long into the last chain of the same leaf, chain, double long into the nd chain of the nd leaf, chain, long into the rd chain of no. pattern, chain, long into the nd chain of the same pattern from the last, chain, long into the rd chain from the join of the th pattern, chain, long into the rd chain from the last, chain, double crochet into the centre of the of double crochet in th pattern, chain, long into the double crochet of same pattern, chain, double crochet into the chain in centre of same leaf, chain, long into the rd chain from the join of the th pattern, chain, single crochet into the rd chain from the last, chain, double long into the rd chain from the stitch of single, chain, and join it to the double long stitch at the beginning of the row. nd row: *, chain, and unite it, chain to cross, and on the other side into the circle double crochet, long, chain, long, chain, double long, chain, then work down the other side to correspond, double crochet into successive loops of the foundation, repeat from *, joining the leaves in the st chain. * * * * * _ .--d'oyley no. ._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet, double crochet into the next loop, repeat. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : double crochet into successive loops, beginning on the th of the in last round, chain, single crochet into the last double crochet, and repeat. round : double crochet into the centre one of the in last round, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain in last round, repeat. round : double crochet into successive loops, beginning on the th of the in last round, chain, single crochet into the last double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet into the centre one of the in last round, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain in last round. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : *, chain, double crochet into the circle, repeat from * twice more. round : long into the chain, repeat. round : long into each loop. round : long, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : long into the chain in last round, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, chain, repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : into the circle double crochet, long, double long, chain, double long, long, double crochet. round : double crochet into every loop. round : chain, miss loop, long and repeat, long at the point, finish with a single stitch, chain, and repeat this once more. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it, chain of and unite it, chain of and unite it, work double crochet into successive loops, beginning on the st of the st loop of , into the next loop, and into each of the next, double crochet into each of the st of the loop of , into the next, into each of the next , double crochet into each of the st of the next loop of , into the next, into each of the next . nd row: double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : into the circle double crochet, long, double long, treble long, double long, long, double crochet. round : double crochet into each of the st loops, into each of the next, and into the next, into each of the next, and into each of the next. round : long, *, chain, long into the next loop, repeat from * at the end, unite the last to the st stitch, chain, repeat from the beginning; in uniting the last stitch of the nd leaf, take up the centre stitch of the chain with it, make chain, and work a rd leaf in the same manner; in uniting the last stitch of the rd leaf, take up the last of the chain with it, make chain, turn, and work double crochet into each, join the last to the last of the and chain stitch. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into loop, chain, repeat times more. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the st double crochet in last round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain in last round double crochet, long, double crochet, and repeat. round : double crochet into the st double crochet in last round, chain, repeat. round : into the chain in last round double crochet, long, more double crochet, repeat. no. .-- st row: make a chain of stitches. long into the th, *, chain, miss loops, long into the next, repeat from * to the end of the row. nd row: turn, into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat this to the end, then into the chain double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, work the other side to correspond. rd row: double crochet into the st double crochet in last row, chain, and repeat to the point, chain, double crochet into the double long, work the other side to correspond. th row: into the chain double crochet, chain, single into the last double crochet, more double crochet into the same place, repeat. no. .-- st row: chain of stitches, double crochet into each of the st, stitches into the th, work on the other side of the chain to correspond. nd row: double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat. rd row: double crochet into the chain, repeat. no. .--the same as no. in the st d'oyley, only leaves instead of , on each side, and at the end; of these will be required for this d'oyley. no. .--work the st leaves of no. in the st d'oyley; of these will be required for this d'oyley. no. .--work only leaf of no. in the st d'oyley. this is not to be repeated in this d'oyley. no. .--the same as no. in st d'oyley. no. .--the same as no. . no. .--the same as no. in st d'oyley. no. .--the same as no. . no. .--the same as no. in the st d'oyley. no. .--the same as no. in st d'oyley; of these will be required. no. .--the same as no in st d'oyley; of these will be required. when all these pieces are done, sew them firmly together, and work the edging round in the following manner:-- double crochet into the st chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the last chain of same leaf, chain, double crochet into the st chain of nd leaf, chain, double crochet in the chain of same leaf, chain, long into the th of the chain, from the joining of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the nd chain, chain, long into the nd chain from the last, chain, long into the last chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the chain of same leaf, chain, double crochet into the chain of nd leaf, chain, long into the st double crochet from the join of no. pattern, chain, long into the next stitch of double crochet after the long stitch, chain, long into the rd chain from the join of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the rd chain from the long stitch, chain, long into the rd chain from the stitch of double crochet, chain, long into the st chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the chain of same leaf, chain, double crochet into the chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the last chain of same leaf, chain, long into the st chain from the join of th pattern, chain, long into the next chain of same pattern, chain, long into the th chain from the join of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the nd chain from last, chain, long into the nd chain from last, chain, double crochet into the st chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the last chain of same leaf, chain, double crochet into the st chain of nd leaf, chain, double crochet into the last chain of nd leaf, chain, double crochet into the last chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the chain of same pattern, chain, double crochet into the st chain of nd leaf, chain, double crochet into the chain of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the last chain of same pattern, chain, long into the centre chain of st leaf of th pattern, chain, double crochet into the st chain of nd leaf same pattern, chain, double crochet into the chain of same leaf, chain, long into the th chain from the join of the rd pattern, chain, double crochet into the nd chain, chain, long into the nd chain of same pattern, chain, long into the st chain from join of th pattern, chain, long into the next chain of same pattern, chain, and unite. nd row: the same edging as to st d'oyley. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. ._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . work patterns from no. in st d'oyley, patterns from no. in same d'oyley, pattern from no. in same d'oyley, and pattern from no. , patterns from no. in same d'oyley, pattern from no. , pattern from no. ; and from no. in same d'oyley, patterns from no. in st d'oyley, pattern from no. in nd d'oyley, pattern from no. in same d'oyley, pattern from no. in same d'oyley, and from no. . then pattern in the following manner:--round : make a chain stitch of stitches, double crochet, long into successive loops, double crochet, double crochet at the point, and work down the other side to correspond. round : long into each loop. round : chain, miss loops, double crochet into the next, repeat. round : double crochet into the st chain of rd round, chain, repeat. work pattern in this way, chain of , double crochet into each, chain, double crochet into the last double crochet, turn, double crochet into the circle, with chain between each, into each chain, long, turn, double crochet between each of the long, with chain between each double crochet, turn, into the st double crochet long, chain, double long, chain, treble long, chain, double long, chain, long all into the same place, double crochet into the chain. repeat this times more, then work down the of , long, and of single crochet. the edging to be the same as in the former d'oyleys. the st round of the edging takes up so much space to write, that we think it better to leave it to the judgment of the worker. it will be seen by the engraving when it is necessary to work a double long or long stitch, or a stitch of single or double crochet, and the number of chain stitches between must be just sufficient to make the circle perfect. the best way is to cut a round of blue paper and place them on it from the engraving, then sew them together, and tack them to the paper, and work the st row of the edging before removing the paper. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. ._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . work patterns from no. in st d'oyley, and from no. , pattern from no. , pattern from no. in st d'oyley, patterns from no. , and from no. in same d'oyley, pattern from no. in nd d'oyley, and leaf from no. in nd d'oyley, pattern from no. in nd d'oyley, and the following pattern. no. .--make a chain of stitches, turn, miss loop, double crochet into successive loops, turn, double crochet, long, double long, treble long into loops, double long, long, double crochet, chain, work down the other side to correspond, then double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat all round. no. .--make a chain of stitches, turn, miss loop, double crochet into successive loops, * chain, miss two loops, long into the next, repeat from * times more, chain, miss loops, double crochet into successive loops, double crochet into every loop on both sides. next round: * chain, turn, miss loop, double crochet, long, miss loops of the foundation, double crochet, repeat from * at the point, miss only loop, work patterns of this number. no. .--make a chain of stitches, turn, miss loops, long, *, chain, long, repeat from * times, double crochet, turn, *, chain, double crochet into the st chain stitch, repeat from * times, at the point make chain instead of , work down the other side to correspond, turn, and into each of the chain double crochet, long, and double crochet, at the point long instead of , double crochet down the stem, chain of , turn, miss loops, single crochet, then into the circle long, turn, double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat, turn, double crochet into the chain in last row, chain, repeat, turn, into the chain double crochet, chain, repeat, turn, into the chain double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, repeat, work down the stem, double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, chain of , turn, miss loops, long, double crochet, double crochet, turn, double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat, turn, into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat, work down the stem in double crochet. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : into the circle long. round : double crochet into each loop, chain after each. round : double crochet into the chain, chain, repeat. round : long into the chain, repeat. round : double crochet, make chain, miss loop, repeat. *, for the leaves, chain of , turn, double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, chain to cross the stem, on the other side double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, double crochet at the point, work down the other side to correspond, double crochet down the stem, chain of , repeat from *, chain of , and unite it to the chain of the round, turn, double crochet down the stem, work another leaf in the same manner, then work a stem of , and make another leaf the same as before, finish with a stem of . no. .--round : make a chain of stitches, and unite it, double crochet, miss loops, chain, repeat twice more. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet into successive loops, long into successive loops, double crochet into successive loops, repeat. round : long, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet into loop, into the next, repeat. round : long, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, chain, single crochet into the last double crochet, more of double crochet into the same place, chain, repeat. round : long into the chain, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, chain, single crochet into the last double crochet, more double crochet into the same place, chain, repeat. when all these pieces are done sew them together, as shown in the engraving, and work the edging to correspond with the other d'oyleys. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. ._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. ; and skein of fine embroidery cotton, by the same makers. pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat times more. round : into the chain stitches of double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet into the st of the , chain, miss loops, double crochet into the next, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet into the st of the , chain, miss loops, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, and repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, repeat times more. round : chain, miss the st, then work into successive loops double crochet and long, double crochet into the double crochet in st round, repeat. round : double crochet into the in st round, chain, and repeat. round : chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, double long, double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the in the rd round, chain, repeat. round : same as th. round : double crochet into the in th round, chain, repeat. round : chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, double long. round : same as th. round : same as th. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of , and unite it. round : double crochet into loop, double crochet into the next, repeat. round : double crochet into successive loops, chain, single crochet into the last double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet into the rd of the , chain, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : long and chain alternately, missing loop between each. round : double crochet into the chain, chain, double crochet into the next chain, chain, work another double crochet into the same place, chain, repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat times more. round : double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, and double long, double crochet into the last of the double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet at the top of the point, chain, miss loop, double crochet into the next, chain, miss loops, double crochet into the next, chain, double crochet into the in last round. work the other side of the point to correspond. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet into loop, into the next, repeat. round : chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops, double crochet and long, miss of the last round, work double crochet into successive loops, repeat times more, at the end of the round work more double crochet. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat all, round the points and stitches beyond the th, chain, double crochet into each of the , finish the round with chain and double crochet as before. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, repeat times more. round : into the chain double crochet, chain, repeat till double crochet are done, repeat. round : double crochet into the in st round, chain, repeat. round : same as nd. round : double crochet into the in rd round, chain, repeat. round : same as nd. round : same as th. round : same as nd, only chain instead of . round : double crochet into the in th round, chain, repeat. round : the same as th, only making chain instead of . four of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat twice more. round : into the chain double crochet, long, double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat, chain, work more leaves in the same way, double crochet into the chain, chain, repeat round sides of the leaf, chain, repeat the stitch of double crochet and chain round sides of each leaf, joining them with chain. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. no. .-- st row: make a chain of stitches, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, double long, turn. nd row: double long into each of the , long into successive loops, long into the double crochet at the point of the leaf, long into successive loops, double long into the next loops, double long into the end of the st row, unite the last to the first double long in nd row. rd row: double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat. no loop to be missed at the point, then work with the embroidery cotton a smaller leaf on it in satin stitch, raising it first with the cotton. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : long into the circle. round : double crochet, taking both sides of the loop, chain, miss loop, repeat. round : double crochet into the centre of the chain, chain, repeat. round : into the chain of last row double crochet, long, double long, long, double crochet, repeat, then work patterns from no. in st d'oyley, pattern from no. , patterns with leaves from no. in st d'oyley, patterns with leaves, and pattern with leaf, work patterns from no. in st d'oyley. when all these patterns are done join them as shown in the engraving, and work the edging as directed in the former d'oyleys. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. _. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into each loop. round : double crochet into loop, and into the next, repeat. round : increase to double crochet. round : chain, single crochet into the st chain, double crochet, and repeat times more. round : double crochet into the centre one of the in last round, chain, repeat. round : double crochet into every loop. round : chain, single crochet into the st, double crochet, and repeat. round : double crochet into the th of the , chain, repeat. round : double crochet into every loop. round : chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, and double long, miss loops of the last round, work double crochet, repeat. round : double crochet over the in last round, miss loop, double crochet into the next, *, chain, miss loop, repeat from * times more, repeat from the beginning of the row. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet into the circle. round : double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. round : double crochet into the chain, repeat. round : long, chain, single crochet into the nd of the chain, miss loop, repeat. four patterns of this number will be required for this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. round : double crochet, chain, miss loop, repeat times more. round : into the chain, *, double crochet, chain, single crochet into the st chain, repeat from * twice more, more double crochet, repeat from the beginning of the row. no. .--make a chain of , and unite it. round : long, chain, repeat times more. round : into the chain in last row long, chain, work another long into the same place, chain, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, into the chain double crochet, chain, work another double crochet into the same place, repeat. round : into the chain double crochet, chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, double crochet, chain, single crochet into the st of the , double crochet, chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, double crochet, chain, double crochet into the centre one of the in last round, chain, repeat; then work patterns from no. in st d'oyley, pattern from no. , patterns from no. , from no. , and each from nos. , , and in st d'oyley, pattern from each of nos. and in nd d'oyley, patterns from no. in th d'oyley, and pattern each from nos. and in the th d'oyley. sew these pieces firmly together as shown in the engraving, and add the edging as before. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. ._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. ; and skein of their fine embroidery cotton. pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches and unite it. st round: double crochet into each loop. nd round: double crochet into each loop. rd round: double crochet, chain, miss loops, repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet. th round: long, chain, miss loops, repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet, chain, single crochet into the one double crochet, work another double crochet into the chain, double crochet into the next chain, repeat. th round: double crochet into the st of the in last round, chain, repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet, repeat. no. .--make a chain of stitches, work double crochet into each, make a chain of stitches, work double crochet into each, make a chain of stitches, double crochet into each. nd row: double crochet into the end of each of these points, then work round _both_ sides of these points in double crochet, working twice into the end of each point. rd row: double crochet over the at the beginning of last row, *, chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, miss loop, work a long stitch into the next, repeat from * all round, at the beginning and end of the rd point miss loops instead of , then work a stitch of double crochet into the st of the , chain, miss the st, work into successive loops long and double crochet, double crochet into the last of the . this completes the pattern. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. st round: double crochet into each loop. nd round: double crochet into loop, double crochet into the next, repeat. rd round: double crochet into successive loops, double crochet into the next, repeat. th round: double crochet into successive loops, *, chain, miss loops, double crochet into the next, repeat from *. th round: double crochet over the in last round, work into the chain double crochet, chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, more double crochet into the same place, repeat. th round: double crochet over the in last round, *, chain, double crochet over the st of the in last round, repeat from *. th round: double crochet over the in last round, *, work into the chain double crochet, chain, work a stitch of single crochet into the st of the , double crochet into the same place, repeat from *. this completes the pattern. then work a circle in satin stitch on the plain part of the pattern with the fine embroidery cotton. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. * make a chain of stitches, miss the st, and work into successive loops double crochet, long, and double long, unite the last double long to the th of the chain in the circle, repeat from * times more, *, work in single crochet to the top of the point and down stitches of the other side, then make a chain of stitches, miss the st, work into successive loops stitches of double crochet, long, and double long, unite the last to the rd of the next point, and repeat from * times more. three of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. work patterns from no. in the st d'oyley, work patterns from no. in the same d'oyley, work pattern from no. , and from no. in st d'oyley, work patterns with leaf from no. in st d'oyley, and pattern with leaves, work patterns from no. in the th d'oyley, and pattern from no. in the same d'oyley, and from no. , work patterns from no. in the th d'oyley, and pattern from no. in the same d'oyley, work pattern from no. in th d'oyley. join these pieces as before, and add the same edging. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. _ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. ; and skein of their fine embroidery cotton. pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, work a stitch of double crochet into each of the st, work into the th, work down the other side of the chain to correspond, and unite it. nd round: *, work long, make chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, miss loop, and repeat from *. no loop to be missed at the point. when this round is finished, make chain, miss the st, and work into successive loops long, and of double crochet, then make chain, unite to the th, and work into the circle double crochet, make chain, repeat times more. nd round: work into the chain double crochet, long, and of double crochet, repeat. rd round: work double crochet, make chain, miss loop, and repeat. three of these patterns are required for this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches. st round: work double crochet into each loop. nd round: work double crochet, make chain, miss loop, repeat. rd round: work into the chain long, make chain, work another long into the same place, make chain, work a third long into the same place, make chain, and repeat. th round: work into the centre of long long, make chain, work more long into the same place, make chain, work into the centre of the chain double crochet, make chain, work another of double crochet into the same place, make chain, and repeat. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. work pattern from no. in st d'oyley, work pattern from nos. , , and , work pattern with leaves from no. in st d'oyley, and with only leaf, work pattern from each of nos. and in st d'oyley, work pattern from in th d'oyley, and from no. in the same d'oyley, work patterns from no. in th d'oyley, work patterns from no. in th d'oyley, and from no. in the same d'oyley, work pattern from no. in th d'oyley, work patterns from no. , and pattern from no. in th d'oyley, then sew them together as before. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. _. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . pattern no. --make a chain of stitches, and unite ir. st round: work into the circle long, make chain, repeat times more. nd round: work double crochet into every loop. rd round: *, make chain, turn, miss loop, work double crochet down the chain, miss loop, work double crochet and repeat from * times more. th round: work double crochet, beginning on the st of the , make chain, miss loops, work double crochet, make chain, miss loops, work double crochet, make chain, work double crochet into the point, work down the other side to correspond, make chain, miss loops, work double crochet, make chain, miss loops, and repeat. th round: work into each of the chain double crochet, long stitches, and double crochet. no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. st round: work a stitch of double crochet into loop, work double crochet into the next, repeat. nd round: * work double crochet, make chain, work single crochet into the st of the chain, repeat from * times more, work double crochet. rd round: * make chain stitches, work double crochet in the centre one of the , turn, work double crochet into the chain, make chain, work single crochet into the st of the chain, work double crochet into the chain, repeat from * times more. th round: work double crochet into each loop of chain, above the last work double crochet into the last loop of , make chain, turn, work single crochet into the last of the chain, double crochet, make chain. th round: work double crochet, beginning on the st of the in the st loop of chain, * make chain, turn, miss loop, work into successive loops a stitch of double, long, double long, then miss double crochet stitches, work double crochet into successive loops, make chain, single crochet into the st of the chain, miss loop, double crochet into successive loops, repeat from * times more, then work double crochet. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it. st round: work into the circle long, make chain, repeat times more. nd round: work into the chain double crochet, make chain, work another stitch of double crochet into the same place, make chain, work double crochet into the next chain, make chain, and repeat. rd round: work into the chain double crochet, work double crochet into the chain, make chain, work double crochet into the next chain, and repeat. th round: work a stitch of double crochet into the chain in last round, * work double crochet into successive loops, beginning on the st of the , make chain, work single crochet into the st of the , repeat from * twice more, then work double crochet into successive loops, and repeat from the beginning of the round. two of these patterns will be required for this d'oyley. no. .--make chain and unite it, make a chain of and unite it, make a chain of and unite it. st round: work in the chain stitches of double crochet, work into the chain double crochet, work into the chain double crochet. nd round: work stitches of double crochet into successive loops, make chain, work single crochet into the st of the chain, repeat this times more, then work double crochet and repeat from the beginning in the centre loop, repeat this times instead of . two of these are required for this d'oyley. no. .--make a chain of stitches, work double crochet into each, turn, make chain, work double crochet into the th chain on the other side, * make chain, miss loops, work double crochet into the next, repeat from * times more, work single crochet into the end loop, work double crochet into successive loops, work double into the st loop of , work double crochet into each loop of , and into the end one, then * work double crochet, make chain, work single crochet into the st of the , repeat from * all round. work patterns from no. in st d'oyley, from no. , with leaves, and with leaves, from no. in st d'oyley, patterns from no. in same d'oyley, and patterns from no. in th d'oyley, sew them together as shown in the engraving, and add the edging as before. * * * * * .--_d'oyley no. _. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . pattern no. .--make a chain of stitches, turn, miss loops, work double crochet, make chain, miss loops, work long, make chain stitches, miss loops, work long stitch, make chain stitches, work a stitch of double crochet into the last loop, then work into the st chain on the other side, double crochet, long, work into the next chain long stitches, work long stitches into the next chain stitches, then work into the chain at the point long stitches, then work down the other side to correspond, * make chain, miss loop, work long, make chain, work long stitch into the same place, make chain, work another long stitch into the same place, miss loop, work double crochet, repeat from * times more, then work into the st chain double crochet, make chain, work long stitch, * make , work double long stitch, repeat from * twice more, make chain, work long; all these stitches are worked into the same chain, then work double crochet into the chain stitch between the nd and rd long stitches, repeat this times more; this finishes the leaf; then make chain, and work a second leaf the same as st, then work double crochet down, then make chain, and work a third leaf the same as st, work stitches down the stem, and work a th leaf the same as st, work double crochet down the stem, work a th leaf the same as st, make a chain of stitches, turn, and work back in double crochet. [illustration: .--d'oyley no. .] no. .--make a chain of stitches, and unite it, *, work a stitch of double crochet into the circle, make chain, and repeat from * five times more, then work stitches into each of the chain, then work stitches of double crochet, beginning on the second of the , *, make chain stitches, and work a stitch of single crochet into the st of the chain, then work stitches of double crochet, and repeat from * times more; for the stem make a chain of stitches, turn, * work stitches of double crochet, make chain, turn, and work a stitch of single crochet into the st, repeat from * times more, then work down the other side to correspond; then work pattern from no. in st d'oyley, and from no. , with only two leaves, and from no. in the same d'oyley; work pattern from no. in th d'oyley, and from no. in th d'oyley; work pattern from no. in th d'oyley, and from no. ; work patterns from no. in the same d'oyley, sew the pieces together as before, and work the edging. * * * * * _and_ .--_work-basket in straw and silk crochet-work_. materials: straw; brown floss silk; brown ribbon, - / inch wide; small glass beads; a piece of bamboo cane. this basket has a cover formed of two pieces. it can be employed for many things, and is formed entirely of crochet-work with brown silk over straw. a ruche trimmed with beads and bows of brown silk ribbon form the trimming of the basket. the straws over which you crochet must be damp, so as not to be stiff. they should be of unequal length, and when you join the two ends of two straws together, try to hide the beginning with the other straws. begin the basket in the centre of the bottom part with stitches; then work rounds on either side of this first row, working alternately double stitch, or chain stitches, the double stitch in the chain stitch of the preceding round, the last round over wire. [illustration: .--bottom of work basket ( ).] it is necessary to increase regularly in all the rounds to keep the work flat. when you have finished the bottom begin the border of the basket, which is worked of the same piece with it, and consists of rounds. it is worked in the same way as the bottom, the first rounds without increasing the number of stitches, but in the following rounds increase double stitches at both ends, in order that the edge may be a little wider in the upper part. in the last round add a piece of wire to the straws. [illustration: .--work basket in straw and crochet.] the cover of the basket is formed of two pieces. begin in the middle with stitches; crochet each half in rows forming a half circle, working backwards and forwards; at the beginning of each row turn the straws, and take care that the rows which are finished form a straight line. each half of the cover requires rows; the last one is worked over wire. the two halves are united at the straight sides by a brown silk ribbon - / inch wide, which is sewed on underneath, and which forms a sort of hinge; sew on also a piece of wire covered with brown silk, so as to make the hinge stronger. form the handle with a piece of bamboo cane inches long, and covered with straws; work over it in long stitches of brown silk, and let it go down to the bottom of the basket; then sew the cover on the handle with the brown ribbon, which forms the two parts. trim the basket with a ruche of double box pleats, ornamented with glass beads and with bows of brown silk ribbon. * * * * * _and_ .--_two crochet borders_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton nos. and . no. .--crochet cotton of two sizes is used for this border (no. and no. ); it is begun in the centre by a chain of stitches of the length required. [illustration: .--crochet border.] st row: double in each stitch of the chain. nd row: turn and work on the opposite side of the chain, * double, chain, miss . repeat from *. rd row: * double on the st loop of chain, chain, double in the centre of the stitches which are under the st loop of chain, chain, double on the same loop, chain. repeat from *. th row: * double in the centre of the st loop of chain, chain, treble in the st, but before you complete the treble stitch make chain. repeat from *. this row completes the upper half of the border. the lower half is worked over the st row of plain double crochet. th row: double in each of the first stitches, chain, miss , double, come back over the loop of chain and work double in each stitch, come back again and work small points, each made thus: chain, double in the th, and treble in each of the others, double over the round scallop. when you have worked the small points repeat from *, but always join the st point of one scallop to the last point of the next scallop. the pattern inside the scallops is worked in rows with fine cotton. (see illustration.) * * * * * [illustration: .--crochet border.] no. .--the border is begun above the pointed scallops, filled up with lace stitches, by making alternately chain, purl (_i.e._, chain and slip stitch in the st). when the chain is long enough, turn and work the st row: alternately chain, double in the centre stitch between the purl. nd row: turn, work double in the centre of the st loop of chain, chain, purl, chain, double in the centre of next loop, and so on. the rd row (which is the last) is worked on the opposite side of the chain with purl. * in each of the first stitches work double, make chain, miss the last of the double just worked, and work double in the th, come back over the loop of chain, and work small points over it. for each point make chain, work double in the nd, treble in the st of the chain, double upon the loop of chain. repeat from * times more. in the following scallops always fasten the first point of one scallop to the last point of the preceding scallop. when this row is completed fill up the inner part of each scallop with a network of fine thread, joining the threads at all the places where they cross each other by or stitches with a sewing needle. [illustration: .--crochet border.] * * * * * .--_crochet antimacassar_. materials: reels of messrs. walter evans and co.'s boar's head cotton no. . [illustration: .--crochet antimacassar.] this pattern can be adapted for a round couvrette or a square one, and is also pretty done in silk for a sofa cushion. make a chain of stitches, and unite it. st round: work into loop a long stitch, make chain stitch, work another long stitch into the same place, make chain, repeat. nd round: long stitches into loop, make chain stitches, miss loop, and repeat. rd round: double crochet into the chain in last round, make chain, and repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet, long stitches, and more double crochet, and repeat. th round: long stitch into the st double crochet in last round, make chain, and repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet, * make chain, work double crochet, repeat from * times more, make chain, work a stitch of single crochet into the nd of the , make chain stitch, and repeat from the beginning of the round. th round: long stitch into the loop formed with the chain, make chain, and repeat. th round: into the chain double crochet into successive loops, make chain, work double crochet into each of the next loops, make chain, work into the th loop double crochet, long stitches, and another double crochet, make chain, miss loop, work double crochet into successive loops, make chain, work double crochet into each of the next, make chain, and repeat. this completes the circle. circles sewn together like the engraving will make a good-sized couvrette, in the length, and in the width. if a round couvrette is wished, work circle for the centre larger than the others; this can be done by repeating the th and th rounds, then sew circles round the centre one, and increase the number of circles in each row till you have made it the size you wish. for the square one, tassels are required for the end and sides; these are made by winding the cotton over a cardboard inches deep about times, then twist threads of the cotton into a cord, cut the cotton wound on the cardboard at one end, make inches of the cord into a loop and tie it firmly with the middle of the tassel, then turn it, tie a thread tightly round, about an inch below the cord, and net over the head; of these tassels will be sufficient. * * * * * .--_crochet insertion_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. . [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] the patterns of this insertion are worked in a row, and always two opposite circles at a time. make a foundation chain of stitches, join them into a circle, then work a nd circle consisting again of chain stitches. work round this circle double stitches, and double round the st circle; after the last stitch begin again at the nd circle, and work chain scallops as follows:-- double in the next stitches, * chain, double in the next stitches, repeat times more, double in the last stitches; work in the same manner round the other circle. to get to the next pattern, work slip stitches between the circles in the middle of the just-completed pattern, leaving the cotton under the work and drawing it through the stitch upwards through the loop on the needle; chain stitches, and then circles like those just described, and so on. * * * * * _and_ .--_tobacco pouch in crochet work_. materials: black purse silk; crimson ditto; gold thread. the pouch is begun at the bottom, in the centre of the star. with crimson silk make a chain of stitches, and join it into a circle. work rounds of double crochet, stitches in each stitch. th round: crimson stitches, gold stitch, and so on. th round: all gold stitches. th round: crimson stitches, gold, and so on. th round: all crimson stitches. th round: crimson stitches, gold, &c. th round: similar to the preceding. [illustration: .--star for tobacco pouch, no. .] th round: gold stitches, crimson, &c. th round: gold stitches, black stitches over the centre gold stitches of preceding round, &c. th round: gold stitches, black stitches, &c. th round: gold stitch, black stitches, &c. th round: gold stitches, black stitches, &c. th round: gold stitches, black stitches, &c. th round: gold stitches, over the black stitches of preceding round, and on either side, crimson stitches, &c. th round: gold stitches over the centre ones of preceding round, crimson stitches, &c. now work plain crimson rounds, and begin the pattern from no. . the centre is crimson, and the pattern is black and gold. the border round the top is of the same colours. [illustration: .--tobacco pouch.] complete the work by rounds of open treble crochet, and round of gold scallops. in the open rounds pass a double cord of black silk, finished off with small balls of black silk gimp and gold; and on either side of the pouch fasten one of these same balls with two tassels, one crimson and one black. the pouch is lined with white kid. * * * * * _and_ .--_crochet rosettes_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. , , or . these rosettes are suitable for trimming cuffs, collars, and bodices, or for making couvrettes, according to the size of the cotton with which they are worked. [illustration: .--crochet rosette.] .--make a foundation chain of chain; join them into a circle and work the st round; double. nd round: * chain, missing stitches of the preceding round under them, double; repeat times more from *. rd round: slip stitch in the first stitches of the next scallop, * chain, miss the last and work back on the other , double, treble, long treble, double long treble (throw the cotton times round the needle), slip stitch in the middle stitch of the next scallop; repeat times more from *. work a wheel in the centre of the rosette, which is ornamented with a circle of chain stitch, as can be seen in illustration; take up one thread of the wheel with every other chain stitch. * * * * * [illustration: .--crochet rosette.] .--begin the rosette with a leaf-like pattern in the centre, and work the st row: * chain, miss the last, work back over the following stitches, double, treble, long treble, double long treble, long treble, treble, double in the upper part of the chain stitch before the last, slip stitch in the lower part of the same stitch. the first leaf of the middle pattern is then completed; repeat times more from *. join the first and last leaves together by working slip stitch in the st of the chain stitch. nd round: (fasten on the cotton afresh), slip stitch in the point of each leaf, chain between. rd round: double in each scallop. the rosette is then completed. * * * * * .--_crochet trimming, with embroidered flowers worked in appliqué, and velvet ribbon_. [illustration: .--crochet trimming, with embroidered flowers worked in appliqué and velvet ribbon.] this trimming consists of strips of crochet insertion, ornamented with embroidery patterns worked in appliqué, and velvet ribbon drawn through. they are worked the long way with fine crochet cotton. begin on a sufficiently long foundation chain of stitches which can be divided by , and work the st row: chain, * double, on the first stitches of the foundation, leaf, as follows:-- chain, without reckoning the loop left on the needle, extra long treble (for which the cotton is wound times round the needle) in the second of the chain, a similar treble in the first, then cast off the treble stitches together, wind the cotton once round the needle, and cast off the last loop with the loop left on the needle. miss under the leaf stitches of the foundation, and repeat from *. nd row: double on the double of the preceding row, inserting the needle in the whole stitches, chain stitches between. rd row: * double in the first double of the preceding row, chain, slip stitch in every other stitch of the next scallop of the preceding row, chain between, chain stitches; repeat from *. th row: * double in the middle of the double of the preceding row, chain, slip stitch in the middle stitch of each of the scallops, consisting of chain in the preceding row, chain between, chain; repeat from *. these last rows (the third and fourth) are repeated on the other side of the foundation chain. when the strips of insertion are completed, sew them together so that opposite scallops meet, and ornament them with the embroidery patterns and velvet ribbon. * * * * * .--_crochet insertion_. this pretty insertion is very suitable for cerceaunette covers or pillow-cases, and should be worked with middle-sized cotton. if the insertion is used for anything but a pillowcase, omit the lower border on which the button-holes are made. begin the insertion in the middle of one of the star-like figures, with a foundation chain of stitches; join them into a circle by making slip stitch, and crochet thus:--* chain, slip stitch in the th of these chain; this forms purl; chain, slip stitch in the circle, repeat from * times more. work slip stitches in the next chain, then crochet * in the next purl; double divided by chain, chain, repeat times from *. fasten the thread after having fastened the last chain-stitches with a slip stitch to the st double stitch of this round. this completes the star-like figure. work on one side of these figures the following rows:-- st row: * treble in the nd scallop of the four placed together, chain, double in the next scallop, chain, treble in the last of the scallops, chain, treble in the st scallop of the following placed together, chain, double in the next nd scallop, chain, treble in the rd scallop, chain. repeat from *. nd row: treble in the st stitch of the preceding row, * miss stitches, treble in the th following stitch. repeat from *. rd row: * treble cast off together as one stitch on the next stitches of the preceding row, chain. repeat from *. th row: double on the next stitch of the preceding row, * chain, slip stitch in the double; this forms purl; double on the next stitches of the preceding row. repeat from *. after having worked these four rows likewise on the other side of the star figures, work over the last the following rows for the button-holes:-- st row: double in the next purl, * chain, double in the next purl. repeat from *. nd row: double in each stitch of the preceding row. rd row: alternately double, chain, under which miss stitches. th row: like the nd row. th row; * double on the next double of the preceding row, purl ( chain, slip stitch in the last double stitch). repeat from *. [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] * * * * * .--_crochet insertion_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. . this insertion is worked in our pattern with fine crochet cotton on a double foundation chain. for the outer edge work a row of purl stitches as follows:-- double in the st stitch, * chain, purl, consisting of chain, slip stitch in the st chain, double in the next stitch but ; repeat from *. the open-work centre consists of rows of scallops; the st of these rows is worked on the other side of the foundation chain; double in the middle stitch of every scallop, chain between, then row of slip stitches, and finally a row of purl stitches like the st row of the insertion. for the raised flowers, which are fastened over the grounding at unequal distances, * make a foundation chain of stitches, fasten it on over the grounding from illustration by taking the needle out of the loop, inserting it into the chain of the grounding, and drawing the loop through; miss the last of the chain, and work back over the others; slip stitch, double, long double, treble, long double, double, slip stitch, then slip stitch in the st stitch, * chain, missing stitches under them, double in the th stitch; repeat from *. each following row consists of double in the middle stitch of every scallop of the preceding row, chain between. then work the st row of the border on the other side of the insertion; double in the st stitch of the foundation, inserting the needle into the back part of the stitch; repeat times more from *, and the flower is completed. [illustration: .--crochet insertion.] * * * * * .--_crochet garter_. materials: grey thread of medium size; fine red wool; fine round white elastic cord; a pearl button. this garter is worked in close double crochet, over fine elastic cord; the border and pattern in red wool, the centre in grey thread. [illustration: .--crochet garter.] begin in the middle by a chain of stitches, with red wool; take the elastic cord, which must always be stretched out a little, and work over it. work on both sides of the foundation chain; the pattern is completed in the course of the two first rounds; the button-hole is made at the beginning of the first round; make a loop of stitches, and, when you come to it, work over this loop instead of over the foundation chain. increase the number of stitches at either end of the garter, to round it off. when the second round is completed work two plain grey rounds, then a plain red one. the last round (grey thread) is composed of alternately double, purl formed of chain, slip stitch in the first, missing stitch under the purl. sew on a pearl button to correspond with the button-hole. the garter would be both more elegant and more elastic if worked entirely in silk. * * * * * .--_crochet trimming for a lady's chemise_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton, and a needle to match. this pattern, as can be seen in illustration, is an imitation of old guipure lace; it is worked all in one piece for the bosom and sleeves, and is part of one of the shoulder-pieces in full size. both strips of rosettes join at that place, and one is continued for the part round the bosom and the other for the sleeve. in the pattern there are rosettes round the bosom, and round each sleeve. these rosettes are fastened one to another in the course of the work. they are made in the following manner:--make a chain of stitches, and join it into a ring. st round: chain, slip stitch in the th chain, which forms a purl (the first chain are reckoned as treble), chain, treble in the ring, * chain, slip stitch in the st to form a purl, chain, treble in the ring. repeat times from *. instead of the last treble, work a slip stitch to fasten the end of the round to the chain of the beginning, which thus form treble. nd round: chain (the first to be reckoned as treble), * treble on the st treble of last round, chain. repeat times from *. slip stitch in the treble at the beginning. rd round: on each scallop of preceding round work double, purl, double, purl, double, purl, double. this completes the rosette. each rosette is fastened to the last by joining the middle purl of both. in the illustration, which is full-size, the purl that are to be joined to those of another rosette are marked by a cross. the joining between the part round the bosom and the sleeve is made in the same manner. the space left between rosettes is filled up with a star formed of chain stitches, marked in our illustration with an asterisk. for this star make a chain of stitches, the st of which forms the centre; slip the loop you have on the needle through one of the purl that are free, make chain, double in the centre stitch. repeat times from *; then tie the two ends tightly, or sew them together of these stars are required for each shoulder. [illustration: .--crochet trimming for a lady's chemise.] for the border.--it is worked at the same time both round the bosom and sleeves. st round: * double in the centre purl of the st scallop of the rosette, which we will call the _first rosette_; chain, double in the centre purl of the nd scallop of the same rosette, chain; then work the kind of cross which comes between each rosette (see illustration). to make this cross throw the cotton times round the needle, work double treble in the last purl left free of the st rosette, keep the last loop on the needle, throw the cotton twice round it, and work a double treble in the st purl left free in the nd rosette, throw the thread twice round the needle, work treble with the loop left on the needle, make chain, and work treble in the last double treble, which completes the cross; make chain. repeat from * at each slit on the shoulders; after the last cross make chain, slip stitch in the purl at the end of the slit, chain to come to the next space, where a cross is to be made. nd round: work alternately treble, chain, miss ; at the slit on the shoulders work double over the chain. the two rounds just explained are also worked round the upper edge, and finished round the sleeves by the following round:-- double in one of the spaces in last round, * chain, double in the nd of the chain, which forms a purl, chain, double on the next but one of the last round, chain, double in the nd of the chain, chain, double in the next space. repeat from *. on the upper edge of the bosom, between the st and nd rounds of the border, work round of crosses, but throwing the cotton twice only round the needle, so that the treble stitches are not double; make chain between each cross. * * * * * knitting. .--knitting, though considered to be an old-fashioned art, is by no means so ancient as lacemaking. knitting has never entirely quitted the hands of english and german ladies; indeed, among all good housewives of any civilised country, it is reckoned an indispensable accomplishment. knitting schools have been established of late years both in ireland and scotland, and her majesty the queen has herself set an example of this industry, as well as largely patronised the industrial knitters of scotland. of the rudiments of this useful art many ladies are at present ignorant; it is in the hope of being useful to these that the following instructions are offered. to knit, two, three, four, or five needles, and either thread, cotton, silk, or wool are required. knitting needles are made of steel, of ivory, or of wood; the size to be used depends entirely upon the material employed, whether thread, cotton, silk, single or double wool, for knitting. as the size of the needles depends upon that of the cotton, a knitting gauge is used (see no. ). the gauge (page ) is the exact size of messrs. h. walker and co.'s knitting gauge. our readers will remark that english and foreign gauges differ very essentially; the finest size of german needles, for example, is no. , which is the size of the coarsest english wooden or ivory needle. straight knitting is usually done with two needles only for round knitting for socks, stockings, &c., three, four, and five needles are employed. [illustration: .--knitting gauge.] * * * * * .--_casting on_. this term is used for placing the first row or round of knitting stitches on the needles--"casting them on"--and is done in two ways--by "knitting on" the stitches, or as follows:-- hold the thread between the first and second finger of the left hand, throw it over the thumb and first finger so as to form a loop, and pass the needle in the loop; throw the thread lightly round the needle, pass it through the loop, and draw up the thread; this forms the first stitch (see no. ). [illustration: .--casting on.] .--_to knit on_. [illustration: .--knitting on.] take the needle on which the stitches are cast in the left hand, and another needle in the right hand--observe the position of the hands (no. ). hold the left-hand needle between the thumb and third finger, leaving the first finger free to move the points of the needles. (the wonderful sense of touch in the first or index finger is so delicate, that an experienced knitter can work without ever looking at her fingers, by the help of this touch only--in fact, knitting becomes a purely mechanical labour, and as such is most useful.) insert the point of the right-hand needle in the loop or stitch formed on the left-hand needle, bring the thread once round, turning the point of the needle in front under the stitch, bringing up the thread thrown over, which in its turn becomes a stitch, and is placed on the left-hand needle. .--_simple knitting (plain)_. [illustration: .--plain knitting.] pass the right-hand needle into the st stitch of the left-hand needle, at the back throw the thread forward, and with the first finger pass the point of the needle under the stitch in forming a fresh stitch with the thread already thrown over, as in "knitting on," only, instead of placing the newly-formed stitch on the left-hand needle, leave it on the right-hand needle, and let the stitch drop off the point of the left-hand needle. continue thus until all the stitches are taken from the left to the right-hand needle, and the row is then complete. .--_to purl, pearl, or seam_. seaming or purling a stitch is done by taking up the stitch _in front_ instead of at the back, throwing the thread over and knitting the stitch as in plain knitting; but before beginning to purl, the thread must be brought in front of the needle, and if a plain stitch follows, the thread is passed back after the purl stitch is made (see no. ). [illustration: .--purling.] .--_to increase_. increasing or making a stitch is done by throwing the thread once round the needle and in the next row knitting it as an ordinary stitch. [illustration: .--increasing.] .--_to decrease_. this is done in two ways: _firstly_, taking up two stitches and knitting them together as one; _secondly_, by taking up a stitch without knitting it, called slipping, then by knitting the following stitch in the usual way, and then slipping the st (unknitted) over the nd (knitted) (see no. ). when it is necessary to decrease two stitches at once, proceed thus:--slip one, knit two stitches together, then slip the unknitted stitch over the two knitted together. [illustration: .--decreasing.] .--_round knitting_. to knit a round four or five needles are used; it is thus that stockings, socks, cuffs, mittens, &c., are made. to knit with four needles, cast on, say, stitches upon one needle, insert a second needle in the last stitch of the first, and cast on stitches; proceed in a similar way with a third needle, but casting on only; when this is done, knit the two extra stitches on the first needle on to the last; this makes stitches upon each needle, and completes the round. .--_casting off_. knit two stitches, and with the left-hand needle slip the first stitch over the second; continue this to the end of the row. _note_.--the last knitted row, before casting off, should be knitted loosely. .--_to pick up a stitch_. this is done by taking up the thread between two stitches and forming a stitch with it. * * * * * the following designs of new stitches can be used for a variety of work:-- .--_peacock's tail pattern_. needles, wood or ivory; messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton. [illustration: .--peacock's tail pattern.] cast on a number of stitches divisible by nine, as it takes nine stitches for each pattern, and two for each border; the border, which is in plain knitting, will not be mentioned after the first row. _st row_.-- plain for border; plain *, make , plain, repeat this four times from *, make , plain; repeat from the beginning--then plain for border. _nd row_.-- purl, plain, purl; repeat. [illustration: .--spiral stitch.] _rd row_.--take together, plain, take together; repeat. _th row_.--purl together, purl , purl together; repeat. _th row_.--take together, plain, take together. begin from the st row. thirteen stitches are large enough for a stripe for a sofa-cover. these stripes should be sewn together after all are finished. * * * * * .--_spiral stitch_. materials: needles, thick steel or bone; double wool. this stitch is far more effective worked in thick wool than in cotton. it is done in stripes alternately wide and narrow. for wide stripes cast on twenty-one stitches, for narrow fifteen; this without counting the first and last stitch, the first being slipped, the last always plainly knitted. _st row_.--purl together to end of row. _nd row_.--make , * plain, make , repeat from * end by making the last stitch before the plain knitted one at end of row. * * * * * [illustration .--knotted stitch.] .--_knotted stitch_. materials: needles, wood or ivory; double wool. cast on stitches. _st row_.--all plain, throwing the wool twice round the needle before each stitch. _nd row_.--each stitch on the needle is now composed of threads of wool: knit the first plain, the second purl, the third plain; cast off the second over the third, and the first over the second; this leaves but one stitch; repeat from first row until a sufficient length is obtained. this pattern makes very pretty borders. * * * * * .--_knitted moss borders_. materials: steel needles; moss wool of several shades of green. cast on enough stitches for double the width required, say twenty, and knit very tightly in plain knitting, row by row, until a sufficient length has been obtained. cut off and place the strip on a sieve over a basin of boiling water, and cover it over. when it has absorbed the steam, and while wet, iron it with a box-iron. then cut the strip down the centre, and unravel the wool on each side. the threads of wool all curling, resemble moss. they are held firmly by the selvedge of the knitting. * * * * * .--_german brioche stitch_ materials: wood or ivory needles; wool. cast on an even number of stitches. all the rows are knitted as follows:--slip , taken as for purling, make , take together. in the following rows the made stitch must always be slipped, the decreased stitch and the slipped stitch of the previous row knitted together. [illustration: .--german brioche stitch.] ordinary brioche stitch is made by casting on an even number of stitches, and working the rows as follows:-- make , slip , take together; repeat. _note_.--the made stitch and the slipped stitch of the previous row must always be knitted together, and the decreased stitch of that row slipped. * * * * * netting. .--netting is one of the prettiest and one of the easiest accomplishments of a lady. the materials are simple, while the effects produced by good netting are most elegant and of great durability. one great advantage of netting is that each stitch is finished and independent of the next, so that if an accident happens to one stitch it does not, as in crochet or knitting, spoil the whole work. netting, so easy to do, is most difficult to describe. the materials required are--a netting-needle and mesh (see illustration no. ). these are made of bone, of wood, of ivory, and most commonly of steel. the wood, bone, and ivory are only used for netting wool, the steel for silk, cotton, &c. the needle is filled by passing the end of the thread through the little hole at the left-hand point, and tying it; then the thread is wound on the needle as on a tatting shuttle. the needles are numbered from to ; these last are extremely fine. the meshes correspond to the sizes of the needles, and are made of the same materials. the larger the size of the stitch required the thicker the mesh must be selected; indeed, large hat meshes are often used for some patterns. a stirrup to slip over the foot to which the foundation is attached is required by those who do not use a netting cushion, placed before them on the table and heavily weighted; to this the foundation is fastened. the stirrup is made of a loop of ribbon, to which the foundation is tied. some ladies work a pretty stirrup of the exact shape of a horseman's stirrup; a loop of ribbon is passed through this, and the foundation fixed as before. [illustration .--needle and mesh.] .--_to net_. place the mesh under the thread, between the thumb and finger of the left hand; it must rest on the middle of the finger and be held only by the thumb (see illustration no. ). take the needle in the right hand, pass the thread over the middle and ring finger and over the mesh, pass the needle upwards and behind the mesh in the large loop which forms the thread round the fingers, and at the same time through the first stitch or loop of the foundation. draw the needle out, retaining the loops on the fingers and dropping them off, the little finger being the last to release the thread. as the thread tightens and the knot is firm, the loop on the little finger should be drawn up quickly and smartly. the next stitches are precisely similar, and row upon row is formed in the same manner. having learnt the stitch, the next task is to make a foundation. tie a large loop of strong thread on the stirrup ribbon, and net fifty stitches into this loop, then net four or five rows, and the foundation is ready. [illustration: .--netting.] simple netting as above explained forms diamonds or lozenges. when a piece of netting is finished it is cut off the foundation, and the little ends of thread that held the stitches are drawn out. .--_square netting_. is done precisely in the same manner as plain netting, only begin from one stitch, then net two stitches into this first, and increase by making two in the last loop of every row. as soon as the right number of stitches is complete diminish exactly in the same way by netting two stitches as one at the end of each row until one stitch alone remains. these squares are used for guipure d'art and for darning on. .--_round netting_ is nearly similar to plain netting. a little difference exists in the way of passing the needle through the stitch; this is shown in no. . after having passed the needle through the stitch it is drawn out and passed from above into the loop just made. this stitch is very effective for purses. [illustration: .--round netting.] .--_diamond netting_ is often called "pointed netting," and is made by netting from one stitch, increasing one stitch at the end of each row, and decreasing in the same way, as described at page . .--_to net rounds_. to form a circle, as for a purse, the needle must pass through the first stitch, keeping the last three or four on the mesh and removing this when required by the work. .--_"english" netting_ is made as follows:--net a row of plain netting, begin the second row by netting the second stitch, then net the first; repeat, always passing by one stitch and taking it up. _ rd row_.--plain. _ th row_.--begin by a plain stitch, then continue as in the nd row. _ th row_.--plain. [illustration: .--"english" netting.] .--_lace edging_. begin by one stitch and net two in one at the end of each row until as many stitches are required for the narrowest part of the edge. * increase one then in the two loops until the point of the edge or scallop is reached; at the next row leave the squares which form the point, and begin from *. .--_open lace_. this kind of edging is made with two meshes of different sizes and extremely fine crochet cotton. tie the thread to the foundation, net rows with the small mesh of the required length. _ th row_.--on the large mesh, one stitch in each stitch. _ th row_.--on the small mesh take stitches together to form loop; repeat to end of row. _ th row_.--on the large mesh make loops in each stitch; repeat to end of row. [illustration: .--open lace.] _ th row_.--on the small mesh, one loop in each of the first stitches, pass over the th, repeat to end. _ th row_.--on the small mesh make a loop in each of the two first stitches, pass over the th; repeat. _ th row_.--on the small mesh make a loop in each of the two first stitches, pass over the rd; repeat. this lace is often used in fine wool of two colours to trim opera-caps, children's hoods, &c. .--_shell border_. this border is intended as an edging for square netting for couvrettes, d'oyleys, &c. the mesh must be three times as long as that employed for the square netting. make stitches in the first stitch of the edge, pass over , make in the ninth, and repeat. then take the mesh used for the square netting, and net one stitch in each stitch, take a still smaller mesh, and complete by adding another row of one stitch in each stitch. this border forms a very appropriate edging for all articles in square netting, as couvrettes, mats, also for trimming guipure d'art work, and should be netted in the row of holes edging the work; two sets of shells must be worked at the corners when a little fulness is required. [illustration: .--shell border.] * * * * * knitting and netting patterns .--_knitted sock for a child._ materials for pair: ounce of single berlin wool; yard of narrow pink or blue ribbon; fine steel pins. this sock fits well, and is easy to make. it is knitted upon two pins, backwards and forwards. cast on stitches and knit rows, but increase once at the end of every other row on the right side of the work, so that there are stitches in the nd row. now cast off stitches and knit rows, increasing stitch at the end of every other row. now more rows, decreasing stitch at the end of every other row; this forms the toe. cast on stitches on the same needle, and knit rows, decreasing stitch at the end of every other row, and cast off. pick up the stitches on the upper part of shoe, and knit rows, alternately plain and purl rows, decreasing stitch on each side of the stitches in every other row, which forms the toe and front of sock. knit rows of plain, purl stitches alternately, then open rows with plain row between. the open rows are worked as follows:--* purl together, purl , make , repeat *, plain rows, open row, plain row, and cast off. the sock is sewn together down the back of leg, centre of sole, and the point joined like a gusset to form the toe. [illustration: .--knitted sock.] * * * * * .--_knitted pattern for counterpanes, berceaunette covers, couvrettes, antimacassars, &c._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton; steel knitting-needles of a corresponding size. [illustration: .--knitted pattern for counterpanes, berceaunette covers, &c.] according to the size of the cotton employed, this beautiful square makes different articles, such as counterpanes, couvrettes, &c. &c. if worked with evans's cotton no. , it will be suitable for the first-mentioned purpose. begin the square in the centre, cast on stitches, on each needle; join them into a circle, and knit plain the st round. nd round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit ; repeat times more from *. rd round: plain knitting. this knitted round is repeated after every pattern round. we shall not mention this again, nor the repetition from *. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . the th to th rounds are knitted in the same manner, only in every other round the number of stitches between the stitches formed by throwing the cotton forward increases by , so that in the th round stitches are knitted between. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit , knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . nd round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit , slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit , knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit , slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit , knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward times alternately, slip , knit , draw the first over the last, throw the cotton forward; knit , slip , knit , draw the first over the last, knit , knit together, knit , three times alternately, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , four times alternately, throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; throw the cotton forward, knit , slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch; knit , knit together, knit , four times alternately throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , six times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit six times alternately, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . nd round: knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit stitches together, times alternately throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, knit , times alternately knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit stitches together, times alternately throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the, slipped over the knitted stitch, times alternately knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , times alternately throw the cotton forward, slip , knit , draw the slipped over the knitted stitch, throw the cotton forward, knit stitches together as stitch, times alternately throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton torward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . you now have stitches on each needle; knit round, and cast off. when completed, the squares are joined together on the wrong side. * * * * * .--_knitted sleeping sock._ materials for one pair: ounces white fleecy, ply; ounces light blue fleecy. [illustration: .--knitted sleeping sock.] these socks are knitted with white and blue wool in a diamond pattern, and in rounds like a stocking. begin at the upper part of the sock; cast on stitches with blue wool on pretty thick steel knitting-needles, and knit rounds of the diamond pattern as follows:-- st round: quite plain. nd round: purled; both these rounds are worked with blue wool. rd to th rounds: knitted plain with white wool. th round: with blue wool; knit , draw the wool through the next stitch of the nd round worked with blue wool, draw it out as a loop, keep it on the needle, knit again stitches, and so on. th round: with blue wool; the loop which has been taken up on the preceding round is purled off together with the preceding stitch. repeat the rd and th rounds twice more; the loop of one round must be placed between those of the preceding one. then knit with white wool rounds, alternately stitches knitted, stitches purled, then work the foot in the diamond pattern in the same way as usual for a stocking. the heel is formed by leaving stitches on each side the seam stitch, and knitted backwards and forwards in the diamond pattern. at the toe decrease so that the decreasings form a seam on both sides of the toe. this is obtained by knitting the rd and th stitches of the st needle together; on the nd needle slip the th stitch before the last, knit the next stitch and draw the slipped stitch over the knitted one; decrease in the same manner on the other needles of this round. repeat these decreasings exactly in the same direction and at the same places, so that there are always stitches between the decreasings at the end and at the beginning of needles; they always take place after or plain rounds, and at last after plain round. the remaining stitches are knitted off and together. to complete the sock, the outline of the sole is marked by working slip stitches with blue wool in crochet all round it; work also slip stitches on the selvedge stitch of the heel. the stocking is finished off at the top with a double round of loops in blue wool, worked over a mesh four-fifths of an inch wide. * * * * * _ and .--netted fichu or cape._ material: fine wool, or white and blue silk; netting needle and meshes. this fichu or cape is made either with fine wool or with silk used three or four times double. it may be worn as an evening wrap, either over a cap or on the hair, or as a necktie. the ground in our pattern is white, the border blue. the illustration of the ground and of the border, in full size, will serve as a guide for the size of the meshes to be used. for the ground cast on the first mesh, with white silk, stitches; work rows on the stitches. from the rd row, always miss the last stitch, so that each row is decreased stitch. continue in this manner till the th row, when there will be but stitches left. from the th row, miss stitches at the end of each row. the ground is completed with the th row. the st row of the work is the _cross-way side_; the last, the _point at the bottom_; fasten on the blue silk to the st stitch of the st row, and on a larger mesh work row round the ground of the fichu, not forgetting that the stitch on the outer edge at the sides must always be taken, and stitches made in the th, th, th, [illustration: .--netted fichu, or cape, for evening dress.] th, st, rd, and th stitches at the sides, as well as in each of the middle stitches of the last row; in each of the other stitches stitch should be made. on the corners of the sides increase _once_, on the cross-way side, seven times in all. this forms the st round of the edging or lace. [illustration: .--showing the netting full size for border of fichu.] nd round of the lace: in each stitch make stitches--still on the larger mesh. rd round: always miss the small flat scallop formed in last row, and work stitches in the stitch which forms a tight loop. keep thus the same number of stitches, with which work more rounds. for the last round, work stitch in each _tight_ loop. * * * * * _ .--lady's knitted purse._ materials: skeins of black purse silk; skeins of scarlet ditto; black jet beads; a steel clasp with chain; a tassel of black beads; steel knitting-needles. [illustration: .--lady's knitted purse.] this purse is knitted with black and scarlet purse silk, and ornamented with black beads and a black bead tassel. begin the purse with the black silk in the centre of the bottom part, and cast on for one part of it stitches. knit rows on these backwards and forwards, in such a manner that the work is knitted on one side and purled on the other. the st stitch of every row is slipped, the st row of this part is purled. * on that side where hangs the thread with which you work take the back chain of the selvedge stitches of the part you have just knitted on a separate needle, and knit another part, which must have rows, and the st row of which is knitted. repeat times more from *. the stitches of several parts can be taken on the same needle, so as not to be hindered in working by too many needles. when the th part is completed, take the selvedge stitches on the left hand on another needle, cast them off together with the cast on stitches of the st part, and fasten the silk thread. then take the right-hand selvedge stitches of one black part on a needle, take the red silk on which the beads have been strung and work rows on these stitches, the st row from the wrong side, and therefore purled; in the st, as well as in all the other purled rows, the last stitch must be purled together with the next stitch of the next black part. in the purled rows, moreover, excepting in the first and last one, a bead must be worked in after casting off the nd, th, and th stitches. the stitch must be worked by inserting the needle into the back part, and in drawing through the silk which has been thrown forward, let the bead slide through the stitch so that it is on the right side of the work. in the following knitted row, the needle must also be inserted into the back part of the bead stitch. when such red parts have been completed, work again black parts on the selvedge stitch of the same, in which the beads are not knitted in, but sewn on afterwards, when the purse is completed. then work times more alternately red and black parts; when the last black parts have been completed cast off the stitches of the last black part together with the selvedge stitches, the st on the wrong side; the stitches of the th part are cast off in the same manner together with the selvedge stitches of the th. the red parts which remain to be worked on the black part are thus lessened by ; the nd, rd, and th, and the th, th, and th of these parts must be by rows longer. then gather all the stitches and selvedge stitches of the parts on needles, in such a manner that the black parts, the stitches and selvedge stitches of which have been cast off together, are placed on the sides of the purse, and knit as follows with black silk, first on the stitches of the one needle, and then on those of the other:-- row knitted, knitting together every rd and th stitch; then work rows backwards and forwards on the same number of stitches, which must be knitted on the right side; then work rows more in the same manner, casting off the first stitches of the rows. then cast off all the remaining stitches, sew the beads on the black parts from illustration; also the clasp and bead tassel. * * * * * to .--_knitted antimacassar or berceaunelle cover._ materials: grey and violot fleecy wool. [illustration: .--square for antimacassar.] this antimacassar, part of which is seen on no. , smaller than full size, is made of rosettes and small squares, which are knitted separately with violet and grey fleecy wool with fine knitting-needles. in the middle of each rosette sew on a tatted circle of grey wool. the edge of the antimacassar is ornamented with a grey woollen fringe. for each rosette cast on stitches with violet wool, and knit rows backwards and forwards in such a manner that the work is knitted on one side and purled on the other: the first of these rows is purled, the first stitch of every row is slipped; * then take the first five selvedge stitches of the knitted part on a separate needle (on the side where the end of wool hangs down, leaving it unnoticed for the present), inserting the needle into the back chain of the stitch (the selvedge stitch which is next to the cast-on stitch remains, therefore, unworked upon), and knit on these a new part, which must have rows; the first row is knitted, and in this row work stitches in the first stitch, one purled and one knitted, so that this new part is equally six stitches wide. repeat times more from *. after having worked several parts, the stitches can, of course, be taken on the same needle, so as not to increase the number of needles. when the th part is com-* *pleted, take the selvedge stitches of the left-hand side of the same on a separate needle, cast them off with the cast-on stitches of the first part, and fasten the wool. then take the selvedge stitches on the right hand of one part on a separate needle; take the grey wool, and work on these stitches rows backwards and forwards; the first row is knitted; it is worked on the right side of the work; in this, and in every following _knitted_ row, knit the last stitch together with the next stitch of the next violet part. when such grey parts are completed (each of the remaining parts consists of rows, and begins with one knitted row), take all the stitches and the selvedge stitches of these parts on four needles and knit with these stitches, also with grey wool row knitted, in which the selvedge stitches must be decreased to by knitting always stitches together as stitch; each of the other stitches is knitted as usual. then purl rows with violet wool, and cast off. [illustration: .--rosette for antimacassar.] [illustration: .--part of antimacassar.] for the tatted circle in the centre of the rosette, work with grey wool a circle consisting of double, and times alternately purl - ths of an inch long, double, then purl and double. the circle is sewn on the rosette, from illustration, with grey wool. no. shows such a rosette full size. the small squares (_see_ no. ) are worked with grey wool; cast on stitches, join the stitches into a circle, and purl rows. to form the corners, knit together times stitches after every stitches in the first of these two rounds, in the second round knit together stitches after every stitches; these decreasings and those of the other rounds must always take place, at the same places as in the preceding round. then take the violet wool, and knit rows; in the first of these knit times stitches together after intervals of stitches; no decreasings take place in the nd, th, and th rows; in the rd row knit together times stitches as stitch, and in the th and th rows times stitches as stitch. after the th round, the remaining stitches are cast off together as stitch. then fasten the wool and cut it off. lastly, sew the rosettes and squares together from no. for a cover, and edge it round the border with a fringe of grey wool. * * * * * [illustration: .--knitted border.] .--_knitted border._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s no. or no. knitting cotton. if knitted with thick cotton, this border will be suitable for trimming a quilt or berceaunette cover; if, on the contrary, fine cotton is used, the pattern will form a very pretty collar for a little boy or girl. to make a collar, begin by a chain of stitches, and work rows backwards and forwards alternately, knitting stitches and purling . in the nd, th, and th rows the stitches are purled, and the are knitted. th row: * purl , make , knit , purl . repeat from *. th row: alternately purl , knit . all the rows with _even_ numbers are knitted like this, except that the number of the knitted stitches are increased by in each of them. we will not, therefore, henceforth mention these rows. th row: * knit , make , knit , make , knit , purl . repeat from *. th row: * knit , make , knit , make , knit , purl . repeat from *. th row: * knit , make , knit , make , knit , purl . repeat from *. the pattern is continued in the same manner. the small gores formed between the ribs are increased by stitches in every second row. each of these gores has stitches in the st row, which is the last. cast off all the stitches after this row. take a crochet needle, and with the same cotton as that used for the knitting work stitch of double crochet in every stitch of the selvedge, then the following rows for the edging. st row: alternately treble, chain, under which miss . nd row: alternately double over treble of preceding row, purl (that is, chain and slip stitch in the first), under which miss . over the first row of the knitting work row of close double crochet. the border is now completed. * * * * * .--_knee-cap in knitting._ materials: for pair, oz. pink -thread fleecy wool, and a small quantity of white ditto. begin each knee-cap by casting on with pink wool stitches, equally divided upon needles, and joining them into a circle. upon this number of stitches work rounds, alternately knitting and purling stitches. in the th round begin the gore which covers the knee; it is worked separately backward and forwards, always alternately knitting and purling stitches. [illustration: .--knee-cap in knitting.] after rows change the pattern, so as to form small squares knit the first row of this gore upon stitches slipped off from the last row on to a separate needle. at the end of each following row knit the nearest stitch of the nearest needle, so as to increase stitch in each row of the gore. continue in this way until only stitches remain of the ribbed part. after this work the remainder of the gore separately, decreasing once at the beginning and end of each row till only stitches remain; then take up stitches of the selvedge on each side of these stitches, and work rounds, alternately knitting and purling stitches. the edging at the top and bottom of the knee-cap is worked in crochet. with white wool make a chain of stitches; turn and work row of crochet _à tricoter_; then work a second row thus: the first part, as usual, with white, but coming back, with pink make chain between each stitch, work in the same way on the other side of the foundation chain, thus forming a small ruche, and sew it on to the edge of the knitting. * * * * * .--_knitted neckerchief in black shetland wool._ material: black shetland wool. this three-cornered neckerchief is knitted in the following pattern (commencing at the corner). st row: slip , make , knit together, inserting the needle into the back part of the stitch, slip , make , knit together. nd row: knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in the preceding row; the other stitches are purled. in the next row the holes are alternated; the neckerchief must of course be increased at the beginning and end of every other row. it measures at the upper edge yard inches across from one corner to the other; the lower corner is rounded off. the neckerchief is edged with a knitted lace. [illustration: .--knitted neckerchief in shetland wool.] the lace is worked in rows backwards and forwards, the cross way. cast on stitches and work the st row as follows:--slip , knit , knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . nd row: slip , purl , knit and purl with the stitch formed in the preceding row by throwing the wool forward. rd row; slip , knit together, knit , knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl , knit in the stitch formed in the preceding row by throwing the wool forward, purl . th row: slip , knit together, knit , knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , knit together, knit , knit together, throw the wool forward times alternately, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in the preceding row, purl . th row: slip , knit together, knit , times alternately; knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , knit together, times alternately knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , knit in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, times alternately throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, times alternately throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, times alternately throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . th row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, twice alternately throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row, purl . st row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, throw the wool forward, knit together, knit . nd row: slip , purl , knit , purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in preceding row. rd row: slip , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together, knit . th row: purled. repeat from the st row till the lace is sufficiently long. then sew on the lace round the edge; the lace can be knitted somewhat narrower for the upper edge. one of the ends of the neckerchief is knotted, as seen in the illustration, and the other end is drawn through the knot. * * * * * _ and .--knitted bodice without sleeves._ materials: ounces black, - / ounces purple fleecy; black silk elastic; a steel buckle; black bone buttons. this bodice is knitted in brioche stitch with black and purple wool, so that the raised ribs appear black on one side and purple on the other. the bodice fits quite close. it is fastened in front with black bone buttons and a steel buckle. two strips of silk elastic are knitted in at the bottom. begin at the bottom of the bodice with black wool, and cast on stitches. the needles must be rather fine, and the knitting not too loose. work backwards and forwards rows as follows:--slip the st stitch, alternately throw the wool forward, slip as if you were going to purl it, and knit . in the next row knit together the stitch which has been slipped and the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward, slip the knitted stitch, after having thrown the wool forward. in the th row take the purple wool and work row as before. [illustration: .--knitted bodice without sleeves (back).] [illustration: .--knitted bodice without sleeves (front).] now work alternately row with black wool and row with purple, but as the wool is not cut off, the brioche stitch must be alternately knitted and purled. work always rows on the same side from right to left. the following th row is worked with black wool in common brioche stitch, only the slipped stitch of the preceding row is purled together with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward. th row: turn the work, with purple wool purled brioche stitch. th row: on the same side with black wool knitted brioche stitch. after having worked rows all in the same manner, begin the front gore. divide the stitches upon three needles, stitches on one needle for the back, and stitches for each front part on the two other needles. then work the first stitches of the left front part (this row must be worked on that side of the work upon which the ribs appear purple) in knitted brioche stitch; the th stitch must have a slipped stitch, with the wool thrown forward, therefore it is a purple rib. after this stitch begin the gore with the following stitches. the ribs are then worked so that a purple one comes over a black one, and a black one over a purple one. do not work upon the following black stitch; knit the following stitch with the one formed by throwing the wool forward. throw the wool forward, and then only slip the black stitch which had been left, so that it comes behind the stitch which has just been knitted. this crossing of the stitch is repeated once more, then knit the following stitch together with the one formed by throwing the wool forward, throw the wool forward, slip the crossed black stitch and the two following single black stitches. the slipped stitch and the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward before the rd single black stitch are then knitted together, so that the crossed stitches are placed in opposite directions. the three black stitches which are knitted off together as stitch in the next row form the middle line of the front gore, and are continued in a straight line to the point of the gore. the crossing takes place twice in this row, but now the black stitch is slipped first. after the th stitch knit together the following stitch with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward. then continue to work in common brioche stitch to the other front part, where the gore begins before the th stitch from the end. in the next row, which is worked in purled brioche stitch with black wool, take up the black loop between two purple ribs after the th stitch; purl it so as to form the stitch which is missing at that place. the slipped stitches in the preceding row are purled together as one stitch with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward between the ribs. the loop is also taken up on the other side of the front gore in the same manner, as well as on the other front part. then work rows without increasing or decreasing. the crossing of the stitch is repeated after every rows, always on the knitted brioche stitch side, with purple wool. in the th row of the gore the middle stitches are not knitted together, but separately, so that the pattern must be decreased in rows. in the back stitches only must be decreased, two in every th row. after the th row another decreasing takes place on the outer edges of the front parts for the neck; they decrease stitches ( st rib) after the th stitch from the front edge in every rd row. the stitches which close to the neck are cast off together with the stitches on the shoulders. then cast off loosely the stitches of the back; take all the selvedge stitches of the front on the needles, and knit rows of brioche stitch with black wool, making button-holes on the right front part. on the wrong side of this part sew on a strip of black silk, with slits worked round in button-hole stitch, stitching at the same time into the knitting. the following scallops are knitted round the top of the jacket and round the armholes with black wool:--take the selvedge stitches on the needles, work rows alternately, stitch knitted, stitch purled, thread the wool into a berlin wool-work needle, * cast off stitches together, draw the wool through the needle, and take the following stitches on the wool in the worsted-needle; repeat from *. sew on the buttons the strips of silk elastic on either side of the black stripe at the bottom, and fasten the ends of the latter with the steel buckle. _ .--baby's boot._ materials for one pair: / ounce red, / ounce white, berlin wool; steel knitting-needles. this pretty boot consists of a shoe knitted in red wool, and a sock in white wool ornamented with red. begin the knitting with the upper scalloped edge of the latter. cast on stitches with red wool, divide them on four needles, and knit in rounds as follows:-- st and nd rounds: with red wool, purled. rd to th round: with white wool. rd round: knitted. th round: * knit , throw the wool forward, knit , throw the wool forward, knit , knit together. repeat times more from *. th round: knitted; the stitches formed by throwing the wool forward are knitted as one stitch. knit stitches together at the place where stitches were knitted together in the th round, so that the decreasing of the preceding round forms the middle stitch of the stitches to be decreased in this round. th and th rounds: like the th. th round: knitted; you must have stitches left. th to th round: with red wool. th round: knitted. th and th rounds: purled. th to th round: with white wool. th round: knitted. th round to th round: alternately purl , knit , inserting the needle in the back part of the stitch. st to rd round: with red wool. st round: knitted. nd round and rd round: purled. th and th rounds: with white wool. th round: knitted. th round: alternately throw the wool forward, knit together. each stitch formed by throwing the wool forward is knitted as one stitch in the next round. th to th round: with red wool. th round: knitted. th and th rounds: purled. th to th round: with white wool. alternately purl , slip , as if you were going to purl it; the wool must lie in front of the slipped stitch; in the following rounds take care to purl the slipped stitches. [illustration .--baby's boot.] take now stitches for the front gored sock part (leave stitches untouched), and work backwards and forwards with red wool. th to th row: with red wool. th row: knitted. th row: purled. th row: knitted. st to th row: with white wool in the pattern described in the th round. but as you work backwards and forwards you must alternately knit and purl the stitches. decrease stitch at the beginning and at the end of the th and th rows; decrease stitch in the middle of the th row, so that the th row has stitches left. after this work with red wool. th row: knitted. th row: knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit . repeat these last rows times more and knit plain to the th, decreasing one, however, on each side. now work with the whole number of stitches, taking up the selvedge stitches of the gored part and dividing them with the other stitches on four needles. knit once more in rounds; the next rounds are alternately round knitted, round purled. in the last knitted rounds decrease twice close together in the middle of the back part of the shoe. knit rounds; in every other round decrease twice in the middle of the front of the shoe, leaving stitches between the two decreasings. the number of stitches between the decreasings decreases with every round, so that the decreasings form slanting lines meeting in a point. cast off after these rounds, by knitting together opposite stitches on the wrong side. the sock part is edged with a raised red border, which is worked by taking all the red stitches of the st round of the shoe on the needle and knitting rounds, so as to leave the purled side of the stitch always outside; then cast off very tight. draw a piece of braid through the open-work row in the sock part, and finish it off at either end with tassels to match. * * * * * .--_knitted border for a bedquilt_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s no. white knitting cotton; thick steel pins. cast on a sufficient number of stitches for the length of the border, which must be able to be divided by ; knit plain rows: th row: alternately make , knit together. then more plain rows. [illustration .--knitted border for a bedquilt.] now begin the pattern:-- st row: * make , knit _slantways_ (to knit a stitch slantways, insert the needle from the front to the back and from right to left); # purl ; knit slantways. repeat from # times more than from * to the end of the row. nd row: purled. rd row: knit , * make ; knit slantways; # purl ; knit slantways. repeat from # four times more. repeat from * to the end of the row. th row: the same as the second. the continuation of the work is clearly shown in our illustration. the increasing caused by knitting the _made_ stitches is regularly repeated in each second row, so that the stitches between the striped divisions increase, and form large triangles; the striped divisions, on the other hand, are narrowed so as to form the point of the triangles. to obtain this result, decrease five times in the th, th, th, and th rows, by purling together the two last stitches of one purled division, so that each division has but eleven stitches left in the th row. in the th row knit together one purled stitch with one knitted slantways, so that there will be only stitches left for each division; these stitches are knitted slantways in the th and th rows. in the st row they are knitted together, two and two. there remain in each division three more stitches, which are knitted together in the th row. two rows entirely purled completethe upper edge of the border. * * * * * .--_knitted quilt._ materials: -thread fleecy wool; wooden needles. this pattern may be worked in narrow strips of different colours, and in that case each strip should contain row of patterns; or the quilt may be composed of wide strips with several rows of patterns, those of one row being placed between those of the preceding. in the first case, that is if you work narrow strips, you may use several colours; but if wide strips are preferred, they should be of two colours only. our pattern was worked in wide strips, alternately grey and red. each strip is knitted the short way. [illustration: .--knitted quilt.] for a strip with five raised patterns in the width cast on stitches. nd row: right side of the work. slip , purl , * make , purl . repeat from * times more; make , purl . rd row: slip , knit all the stitches that were purled in the preceding row, and purl all those that were made. th row: slip , purl , * knit , make , purl . repeat from * times more; knit , make , purl . th row: slip , knit all the purled stitches, purl all the rest. th row: slip , purl , * knit , make , purl . repeat from * times more; knit , make , purl . th row: the same as the th. th row: slip , purl , * knit , make , purl , and so on. th row: the same as the th row. th row: slip , purl , * slip , knit , pass the slipped stitch over the knitted one, knit , purl , repeat from *. th row: knit all the purled stitches, purl all the rest. th row: slip , purl , * slip , knit , pass the slipped stitch over, knit , purl , and repeat from *. th row: the same as the th. th row: slip , purl , * slip , knit , pass the slipped stitch over, purl , and repeat. th row: slip , * knit together, knit . repeat from * times more; knit together, knit . the second row of patterns begins with the th row. there are only in this nd row, so that after the st slipped stitch you purl stitches instead of , and in the nd row, after the th made stitch, you purl more stitches. repeat alternately these rows of raised patterns, and when you have a sufficient number of strips sew them together. trim the quilt all round with a knotted fringe. * * * * * .--_stitch in knitting, for couvrettes, comforters, opera caps, carriage shawls, jackets, &c._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. , or fine wool. cast on an uneven number of stitches. st row: slip , * make , knit , make , knit . repeat from *. nd row: slip , * knit together, and repeat from * to the end of the row. [illustration: .--stitch for couvrettes, comforters, &c.] * * * * * _and_ .--_knitted veil._ material: fine shetland wool. [illustration: .--knitted veil.] illustration represents a knitted veil in reduced size. the original was worked with fine shetland wool in an open pattern; it is edged with a knitted lace. its length is inches, its width inches. work the veil from a paper pattern of a shape corresponding to that of illustration . compare the paper shape often with the knitting in the course of the work, and try to keep them alike. knit the veil in the pattern of the original, or in the pattern of illustration . for the former one begin at the lower edge of the veil, cast on stitches upon thick wooden needles, and work the st row: * knit , throw the wool forward, knit together twice, repeat from *. nd row: purled. rd row: knit , throw the wool forward, knit together, * throw the wool forward, knit together twice, and repeat from *. th row: purled. th row: like the nd row. the pattern must be reversed. the pattern figures increase with the increasings at the beginning and at the end of each row. the pattern of illustration consists of the following rows:-- st row: slip , then alternately throw the wool forward, and knit together. nd row: entirely knitted; make stitch of the wool thrown forward in the last row. when the veil is finished, wet it, and stretch it over paper or pasteboard; let it dry, and then edge it with the following lace:--cast on , knit the st. nd row: knit , throw the wool forward, knit . rd row: knitted. th row: knit , throw the wool forward, knit , throw the wool forward, knit together twice, knit . th row: knitted. th row: knit , throw the wool forward, knit , throw the wool forward, knit together times, knit . th row: cast off stitches, knit . th row: knitted. [illustration: . pattern of veil.] [illustration: .--knitted pattern with embroidery.] * * * * * .--_knitted pattern with raised embroidery_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. or . this pattern is worked in rows going backwards and forwards with thick or fine cotton according to the use you wish to make of it. the star-like figures on the knitted squares are worked with soft cotton in _point de poste_. cast on a number of stitches long enough ( stitches are necessary for the two squares), work the st row: * knit stitches, alternately times knit together, throw the cotton forward. repeat from *, the nd row is worked like the st, only purled, in this row, as well as in the following ones, the stitch must be knitted with the cotton thrown forward _after_ the stitch, the last stitch of a plain square with the first cotton thrown forward of the open-work figure. the number of stitches in the last must always be . the pattern consists alternately of these two rows. each pattern contains rows, with the th the squares are reversed. the star figures are embroidered with double cotton by working chain stitch in the middle of each square; draw the needle underneath the knitting to the next centre of a square. * * * * * _and_ .--_knitted table cover, (see page .)_ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s coarse knitting cotton; thick steel knitting-needles. [illustration: .--table-cover border.] this cover is suitable for either a large or a small table, as the pattern may be increased as much as required. it is suitable for antimacassars. cast on stitches, join them into a circle, and work the st round four times alternately. throw the cotton forward, knit . nd round: entirely knitted. rd round: * throw the cotton forward, knit . repeat times more from *. after every pattern round knit round plain. until after the st round, we shall not mention this any more. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit *. from the th to the th round the knitted stitches in every other round increase by stitch, so that in the th round there are stitches between those formed by throwing the cotton forward. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together *. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together *. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit together *. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, *. st round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. nd round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. rd round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit *. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: entirely knitted *. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: entirely knitted. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: entirely knitted. st round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. nd round: entirely knitted. rd round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit three times, throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit *. st round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. nd round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. rd round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit *. th round: * knit , knit together, knit , knit together, knit *. when the cover is completed, edge it all round, with the following border worked the short way:--cast on stitches and knit the st row, slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . nd row: slip , knit the rest. repeat this row after every pattern row. rd row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: cast off stitches, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: entirely knitted. begin again at the st row, knit a sufficient length of the border, and then trim the cover with it on the outer edge. [illustration: .--looped knitting.] * * * * * .--_looped knitting._ materials: -thread fleecy wool; wooden knitting-needles; flat wooden mesh. cast on a sufficient number of stitches, and knit the st row plain. _nd row_.--slip the st stitch; insert the needle into the next stitch, and throw the cotton forward as if you were going to knit the stitch; place the mesh behind the needle in the right hand, and turn the wool which is on this needle upwards, bring it back again on the needle so that it is wound once round the mesh, and twice round the needle. then only the double stitch through the second stitch, knit it, and insert the needle into the next stitch, and repeat what has been explained. knit the last stitch without a loop. _rd row_.--before drawing out the mesh, turn the work and knit one plain row. every double stitch is knitted as one stitch, so as to attain the same number of stitches as in the st row. _th row_.--like the nd row. repeat these rows as often as required. this knitting is chiefly used for borders of mats. * * * * * [illustration: .--pattern for comforters.] .--_knitted pattern for comforters._ materials: -thread fleecy; wooden knitting-needles. cast on a sufficient number of stitches. st row: * stitches in the first stitch, knit , purl , knit , knit stitches together, repeat from *. nd row: plain knitting. rd row: purled. th row: knitted. repeat these four rows, only in the next row the stitches knitted together are worked on the stitches worked in stitch, and the stitches to be worked in stitch are to be placed on the one formed by knitting stitches together. * * * * * .--_knitted d'oyley. (see page .)_ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. ; glazed embroidery cotton no. ; steel knitting-needles. this pattern is knitted with very fine crochet cotton. the middle part as well as the lace border are worked separately; the latter is sewn on to the middle part. the spots in the thick parts are worked in afterwards with coarser cotton. commence the pattern in the centre, cast on stitches, join them into a circle, and knit plain rounds. rd round: alternately knit , throw the cotton forward. th and th rounds: plain. th round: alternately knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: plain. every other round is plain. we shall not mention these plain rounds any more. th round: knit , * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit ; repeat from * to the end of the round; lastly, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. the th, th, nd, and th rounds are worked like the th round; only the middle plain part of the pattern figures increases by stitches in every pattern round, so that there are plain stitches in the th round between the stitches formed on either side of the same by throwing the cotton forward. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together. th round: * throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . th round: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward. nd round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. nd round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th round: * knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward. th and th rounds: plain, then cast off loosely. for the lace border, which is worked in the short way backwards and forwards, cast on stitches and knit as follows:-- st row: slip , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. nd row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . rd row: slip , knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . th row: slip , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: knit together (knit together the stitch and the next stitch formed by throwing the cotton forward), throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together (stitch formed by throwing the cotton forward and the next stitch). th row: knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together. th row: knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit . th row: slip , knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together. then begin again on the nd row, and work on till the border is long enough; sew the lace on to the centre, slightly gathering the former. lastly, work in the spots with glazed or coarse embroidery cotton. * * * * * _ .--knitted braces_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. or . these braces are knitted with coarse white cotton, taken double; the braces themselves are worked in brioche stitch, the lappets are knitted plain. begin at the bottom of the front lappet, make a foundation chain of stitches, knit rows plain backwards and forwards, then divide the stitches into two halves to form the button-hole; knit rows on each of the halves consisting of stitches; then take the stitches again on one needle and work rows on them. then work a second button-hole like the first one; knit more rows plain, increasing at the end of every row, so that the number of stitches at the end of the lappet is . then begin the pattern in brioche stitch; it is worked as follows:--knit first row, then slip the first stitch of the first following pattern row, * throw the cotton forward, slip the next stitch (slip the stitches always as if you were going to purl them), knit together; repeat times more from *; the last stitch is knitted. nd row of the pattern: slip the st stitch, * knit ; the stitch which has been formed in the preceding row by throwing the cotton forward is slipped after the nd knitted stitch; repeat times more from *; knit the last stitch. rd row: slip the st stitch, * decrease (here, and in all the following rows, knit the next stitch together with the stitch before it, which has been formed in the preceding row by throwing the cotton forward), throw the cotton forward, slip ; repeat from *; knit the last stitch. th row: slip the st stitch, * knit , slip the stitch which has been formed in the preceding row by throwing the cotton forward, knit , knit the last stitch. repeat these rows till the braces are long enough. the pattern is inches long. then knit rows plain, decreasing at the end of every row, then work each lappet separately, dividing the stitches so that each lappet is stitches wide. each lappet has rows; after the first rows make a button-hole as described for the preceding one. work rows between the st and nd button-hole. the lappets are rounded off by decreasing after the nd button-hole. [illustration: .--knitted braces.] * * * * * .--_pattern for knitted curtains, &c._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. . this pattern is suitable for knitting different articles, according to the thickness of the cotton used. the number of stitches must be divided by ten. the pattern is knitted backwards and forwards. [illustration: .--pattern for knitted curtains.] st row: all plain. nd row: * knit , make , slip , knit , pass the slipped stitch over the knitted one, knit , knit together, make . repeat from *. rd row: purl the long stitch formed by making in preceding row, * make , purl together, purl , purl together, make , purl . repeat from *. (by _make_ is meant twist the cotton twice round the needle, which forms one long stitch, and is knitted or purled as such in next row.) th row: knit , * make , slip , knit , and pass the slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, make , knit . repeat from *. th row: purl , * make , purl together, make , purl . repeat from*. th row: knit , * knit together ( stitch and long stitch), make , knit , make , slip , knit , pass the slipped stitch over (the knitted stitch is a _long stitch_), knit . repeat from *. continue the pattern by repeating always from the nd to the th row; the th row is the repetition of the nd row, but it is begun (compare the two rows) about the middle of the nd row, so as to change the places of the thick diamonds in the following pattern. this will be easily understood in the course of the work. * * * * * _ .--knitted insertion._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. or . cast on stitches, and knit in rows, backwards and forwards, as follows:-- st row: slip , knit together, throw cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw cotton forward, knit , knit together, throw cotton forward, knit . this row is repeated times more; the stitch formed by throwing the cotton forward is knitted as stitch. th row: slip , knit together, make , knit ; place next stitches upon another needle behind the cotton, and leave them alone; knit , knit together, throw cotton forward, now knit the first of the stitches which have been left; knit the last of the together with the next stitch on the needle, throw cotton forward, knit . repeat these rows till strip is long enough. [illustration: .--knitted insertion.] * * * * * _and_ .--_knitted cover for sofa cushion._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. ; eight ply fleecy wool. [illustration: .--stitch for sofa cover.] this cushion ( inches wide, inches high) is made of grey calico; it is covered on one side with knitting, worked with grey crochet cotton. the knitted cover has an open-work pattern, worked backwards and forwards on a number of stitches which can be divided by , and which must suit the width of the cushion, in the following manner:-- st row: alternately throw the cotton forward, knit together. nd row: slip , knit the other stitches. the stitch formed by throwing the cotton forward is knitted as stitch. rd row: knit , * throw the cotton forward, knit together. repeat from *; after the last decreasing knit . th row: like the nd row. these four rows are repeated till the cover is sufficiently large. draw a narrow piece of red worsted braid through every other open-work row of the pattern, as can be seen in illustration . when the cushion has been covered with the knitting, it is edged all round with a border knitted the long way, in the above-mentioned open-work pattern; it is rows wide, and also trimmed with worsted braid: a fringe of grey cotton and red wool, / inches wide, is sewn on underneath the border at the bottom of the cushion; to this is added a thick red worsted cord, by which the cushion is hung on over the back of an arm-chair. the cushion, on account of its simplicity, is especially suitable for garden chairs. [illustration: .--sofa cushion.] * * * * * .--netted nightcap. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s crochet cotton no. . this cap is netted with crochet cotton over a mesh measuring three-quarters of an inch round; work first a long square for the centre of the crown, cast on stitches, and work backwards and forwards rows with the same number of stitches. then work rounds round this square, and fasten the cotton. then count stitches for the front border, and stitches for the back border, and leave them for the edge of the cap. on the remaining stitches on each side work the strings in rows backwards and forwards on the same number of stitches; each string is pointed off at the lower end by decreasing stitch in every row. sew in a narrow piece of tape in the back border of the cap; the remaining part of the border, as well as the strings, are trimmed with crochet lace or with netted edging, no. . [illustration: .--netted nightcap.] * * * * * .--_netted nightcap_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton, -thread, no. . [illustration: .--netted nightcap.] this nightcap is very simple and practical. it consists of two similar three-cornered pieces, sewn together so as to form a double triangle; the point of the triangle is turned back, as seen in illustration, and fastened on the lower half of the same. the cap is edged with a lace; a similar lace covers the seam between both parts of the cap. the pattern is worked with crochet cotton over a mesh measuring three-quarters of an inch round. begin each half in the corner; cast on stitches, and work backwards and forwards, increasing stitch at the end of every row, till the number of stitches is . then sew both halves together, and trim the cap and strings (the latter are worked as on the cap no. ) with the following lace: work rows of open-work treble stitches--the treble stitches are divided by chain--then work row of double, always working double round the chain stitches which divide treble in the preceding row, or with netted edging no. . * * * * * .--_knitted pattern_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s knitting cotton no. for couvrettes, or berlin wool for sofa quilts. this pattern can be worked either in wool or cotton, and is suitable for many purposes. cast on a sufficient number of stitches, divided by , for the st row: knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward knit together, knit , purl , repeat from *. nd row: the stitches knitted in the st row are purled as well as the stitches formed by throwing the cotton forward; the purled stitches are knitted. this row is repeated alternately, therefore we shall not mention it again. rd row: * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , purl . th row: purl , * knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , purl . th row: knit , * purl , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . th row: knit , * purl , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit . th row: * knit , purl , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together. th row: throw the cotton forward, knit together, * knit , purl , knit , throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together. th row: * throw the cotton forward, knit together, throw the cotton forward, knit together, knit , purl , knit . the knitting can now be easily continued from illustration. [illustration: .--knitted pattern.] * * * * * _to_ .--knitted shawl. materials: shetland wool, white and scarlet; steel needles. [illustration: .--pattern for shawl ( ).] [illustration: .--pattern for shawl ( ).] this shawl is knitted in the patterns given on nos. and . both illustrations show the patterns worked in coarse wool, so as to be clearer. begin the shawl, which is square, on one side, cast on a sufficient number of stitches (on our pattern ); the needles must not be too fine, as the work should be loose and elastic. knit first rows plain, then of the open-work row of pattern no. , which is worked in the following manner:-- st row: slip the first stitch, * knit together, inserting the needle into the back part of the stitch, slip , knit together, throw the wool twice forward; repeat from *. nd row: knit and purl in the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward in the preceding row; the other stitches are purled. in the next row the holes are alternated--that is, after the st slipped stitch knit , throw the wool forward, and then knit twice together. when such open-work rows are completed, knit row plain, and then work the pattern seen on no. , which forms the ground, and is worked in the following way:-- st row: slip the st stitch, alternately throw the wool forward, and decrease by slipping stitch, knitting the next, and drawing the slip stitch over the knitted one. nd row, entirely purled. when such rows have been worked in this pattern, work again rows of the open-work pattern, but work on each side of the stripes, each stitches wide, in the pattern of the ground (no. ); each first stripe is at a distance of stitches from the edge, and each second stripe at a distance of stitches. after the th open-work row, work again rows in the pattern of the ground, then again open-work rows, and then begin the ground, only continue to work on both sides of the shawl the narrow stripes of the ground pattern, the narrow outer and the two wide inner stripes of the border in the open-work pattern. when the ground (pattern no. ) is square, finish the shawl at the top with two wide and one narrow open-work row, as at the bottom, divided by stripes in the ground pattern. knot in, all round the shawl, a fringe of scarlet wool; the fringe must be - / inches deep. [illustration: .--knitted shawl.] * * * * * table of sizes of messrs. walter evans & co.'s knitting cotton, threads. |------------------|-----------------------------| | | no. | |------------------|-----------------------------| |borders | , | |couvrettes | | |d'oyleys | , | |edgings | , | |insertions | , | |nightcaps | | |quilts | , , | |socks | | |table covers | | |------------------------------------------------| monograms and initials. alphabets. * * * * * .--_alphabet_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these letters are embroidered in overcast stitch and in satin stitch, and are the capitals for the alphabet no. . stars ornament this very effective alphabet. [illustration: .--alphabet (capitals).] .--_alphabet (small letters)_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this alphabet will be found useful for marking linen as well as pocket-handkerchiefs. it is worked in satin stitch, the stars in fine overcast; an eyelet-hole occupies the centre of each star. [illustration: .--alphabets (small letters)] .--_alphabet of small capitals_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. for linen. no. for handkerchiefs. these letters will be found useful for marking table-linen; they may be worked either in green, red, or white cotton. the letters are worked in raised satin stitch with raised dots and open eyelet-holes. [illustration: .--alphabet of small capitals.] .--_alphabet_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pretty alphabet is worked in satin stitch, both raised and veined; the design is composed of forget-me-not blossoms and leaves. raised dots worked in satin stitch form all the fine lines. [illustration: .--alphabet in satin stitch.] .--alphabet in coral stitch. material: coloured ingrain marking cotton, or black sewing silk, or filoselle. the letters of this alphabet are particularly suitable for pocket-handkerchiefs. the embroidery is worked either with marking cotton, or coloured or black sewing silk; the long white lines are worked in overcast stitch, the small white spots in satin stitch, the remaining parts of the letters in coral stitch, as can be distinctly seen in illustration. [illustration: .--alphabet in coral stitch.] --- small alphabet. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this useful alphabet is worked in satin stitch, veined in parts and ornamented with tendrils. as the alphabet of capitals (page , no. ) and that of these small letters correspond, any name may be worked from them. [illustration: .--- alphabet of small letters.] .--alphabet (capitals). materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . this alphabet is worked in raised satin stitch, the outlines being partly scalloped; for the fine lines, which should be worked in overcast, embroidery cotton no. should be employed. [illustration: .--alphabet in satin stitch.] . alphabet (capitals). material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the alphabet here illustrated is in the florid style; the graceful flowing lines are worked in raised satin stitch, as well as the variously-sized dots which ornament the letters. [illustration: .--alphabet (florid capitals).] --alphabet. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . the letters are worked in point d'or, or dotted stitch, with an outline in fine overcast, and large raised spots in satin stitch. the ornamental wreaths round the first five letters can of course be worked round any of the others. it is very fashionable to work one letter only upon handkerchief corners. [illustration: .--alphabet in paint d'or.] .--_alphabet in white embroidery_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. this alphabet is worked in appliqué; the ears of corn only are worked in overcast, satin, and knotted stitch. these letters look particularly well on transparent materials. the ears may be omitted by beginners, though they add much to the beauty of the alphabet. to this alphabet are added the ten numerals, which will be found exceedingly useful. by means of the whole alphabet and all these figures, any combination of initials and numbers can be made. [illustration: .--alphabets and numerals in white embroidery.] .--_alphabet (see page_ ). materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. ; very fine black silk. the vine-leaves and grapes of this graceful and fanciful alphabet are worked in veined and slightly raised satin stitch, the tendrils in point russe; for these the fine black silk is employed. * * * * * .--_sampler (frontispiece_). materials: cambric muslin or fine linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. , , and ; red cotton and black silk. this illustration shows a sampler which will be found useful for learning to embroider letters for marking linen. the material used is cambric muslin or fine linen. work the embroidery with white embroidery cotton, red cotton, or black silk. the thick parts of the letters are worked in slanting satin stitch and back stitch; the outlines of the stitched parts are worked in overcast, as well as the fine outlines of the letters and all the fine outlines of the patterns. the monograms and crowns are worked in a similar manner. work button-hole stitch round the outside of the sampler. the letters and crowns may, of course, be employed for other purposes. * * * * * .--_alphabet (capitals)_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. this effective alphabet is very easily worked, the stitches employed being raised and veined satin stitch, and overcast. the raised dots are worked in satin stitch, care being taken to preserve their position in the _centre_ of each open space. [illustration: .--alphabet (capitals).] * * * * * monograms and initials. * * * * * [illustration: .--alice.] .--_alice_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the letters of this name, except the initial letter, are very simple, being worked in plain satin stitch, while the initial letter is worked in raised satin stitch, point de poste, and overcast. .--_amalie_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . [illustration: .--amalie.] the highly-ornate initial of this name is not difficult to work, requiring only great regularity and evenness in embroidering the tendrils and eyelet-holes. the veinings of the letter must be carefully defined. the remainder of the name is executed in plain satin stitch, a few eyelet-holes being introduced. "amalie" can easily be altered into "amelia" by changing the place of the _a_ and _e_. in the centre of each letter a large eyelet-hole is placed; smaller eyelet-holes of graduated sizes occupy parts of the overcast scrolls, which should be worked with no. cotton. the initial letter is worked in raised satin stitch. [illustration: .--amy.] .--_amy_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pretty name is worked in delicately raised satin stitch and point de pois; the dots in dotted satin stitch, and the elegant little design beneath is worked in point russe. .--_annie_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--annie.] the letter _a_ of this name is rather elaborate, and is worked in point de pois or back stitching, the outlines in fine overcast, the letters in satin stitch. the ornaments surrounding the word "annie" are worked in overcast. .--_a.m.k._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked in satin stitch, with small dots of raised satin stitch. the eyelet-holes in the middle letter to be worked in overcast. [illustration: .--a.m.k.] .--_b.r._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--b.r.] these initials are worked in appliqué in the centre of a medallion in satin stitch, overcast, and lace stitches. .--_carrie_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--carrie.] this name is very easy to work, being very clearly and simply embroidered in overcast and satin stitch. the thick dots may be worked without the eyelet-holes if preferred. [illustration: .--caroline.] .--_caroline_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pretty name requires care in working; the leaves which adorn the letters must be very well defined; they, as well as the letters, are embroidered in satin stitch, the initial letter being veined, and the ornaments worked in overcast and eyelet-holes. .--_charlotte_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . [illustration: .--charlotte.] this name is worked in satin stitch and overcast, the small and elegant dots in point de russe and graduated satin stitch; the large ones are worked in raised satin stitch. .--_cornelie_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this word is worked in plain satin stitch, the ornamentation in overcast stitch. [illustration: .--cornelie.] .--_c.m._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this design is simple, is worked in graduated satin stitch, and is most elegant. [illustration: --c.m.] [illustration: .--dora.] .--_dora_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elaborate design should not be attempted by beginners in the art of embroidery; it is worked in overcast stitch, raised and veined satin stitch; the tendrils are entirely worked in graduated overcast; the name is placed over a graceful spray of wild flowers worked in the above-named stitches. this pattern, although originally designed to be worked on net or fine muslin, is far more effective when worked on cambric or fine lawn. .--_d.c._ [illustration: .--d.c.] material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these letters are worked in satin stitch and veined satin stitch; the forget-me-nots are worked in raised satin stitch with a small eyelet-hole in the middle worked in overcast stitch. .--_emily_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked in satin stitch, the dots in the middle in point de poste, the rest of the letters in satin stitch and in dotted satin stitch. [illustration: .--emily.] .--_ernestine_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elegant design is most effective; the first letter very elaborate; the rest of the letters simply worked in satin stitch. the small stars are worked in overcast stitch, and the initial letter itself in veined satin stitch. [illustration: .--ernestine.] .--_etta_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the letters which compose this name are formed entirely of leaves, flowers, and tendrils, worked entirely in satin stitch and overcast; the tendrils which surround the name are worked in overcast, and have a few eyelet-holes placed among them. [illustration: .--etta.] .--_eva_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . this name is worked in satin stitch, the leaf in point de sable; the veinings are worked in raised satin stitch. [illustration: .--eva.] .--_e.a._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s white and red embroidery cotton no. . this very pretty monogram is worked quite in a new style of embroidery. the design represents the emblems of faith, hope, and charity. the outlines of the shield and cross are worked in overcast, the initials "e.a.," the torch, and the anchor in satin stitch with white cotton, the leaves partly in satin stitch with white and partly in point d'or with red cotton, with only a fine outline in overcast. the cross and the flames of the torch are embroidered in the same manner. [illustration: --e.a.] .--_e.a.p._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these pretty initials are worked in satin stitch, the middle letter in point russe and point de poste. [illustration: .--e.a.p.] .--_e.p._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these elegant letters are worked in veined and raised satin stitch. [illustration: .--e.p.] [illustration: .--e.r.] .--_e.r._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the ovals are worked in overcast and point de pois, the letters in satin stitch, the ornamentation in satin stitch and overcast. [illustration: .--e.a.] .--_e.a._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these initials are placed in a medallion; they are worked in satin stitch and overcast, and in appliqué on muslin. for that part of the pattern in which the name is to be embroidered the material is taken double. .--_elisabeth_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this word is embroidered in satin stitch and overcast. a few small eyelet-holes break the monotony of the outlines, and give lightness to this name. [illustration: .--elisabeth.] .--_elise_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . the open part of these letters is ornamented by one or more dots; the thick work is raised over chain stitches worked in no. , a rather coarser cotton. [illustration: .--elise.] .--_emma_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked in satin stitch; the large dots may be worked with the eyelet-holes in fine overcast, the smaller dots in satin stitch. the remaining letters in raised satin stitch and point de sable. [illustration: .--emma.] .--_f.b._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elegant monogram is worked in raised satin stitch, the inside embroidered with lace. the leaves and tendrils are worked in satin stitch and point de sable. [illustration: .--f.b.] .--_f.s._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . the initials "f.s." are placed in the pages of an open book, the outlines of which are worked in overcast, the sides in point de pois. the wreath of flowers which surrounds the book is embroidered in satin stitch, the tendrils and veinings are in overcast. the initials are worked in fine satin stitch. [illustration: .--f.s.] .--_fanny._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is simply worked in satin stitch and overcast. [illustration: .--fanny.] .--_francis._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the initial letter of this elegant design is worked in fine over-casting; the centre star in raised satin stitch with lace in the middle; the leaves surrounding it in veined satin stitch; the other letters are worked in plain satin stitch; and the dots of the line in point de poste. [illustration: .--francis.] .--_e.c._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the initials "e.c." are worked within a frame of overcast outlines and satin stitch dots. vine-leaves and grapes worked in point de pois and eyelet-holes are placed as ornaments around the frame. [illustration: .--e.c.] .--_gordon_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this pretty name being worked in raised satin stitch, is very suitable for gentlemen's handkerchiefs. [illustration: .--gordon.] .--_helene_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . we give the french version of this pretty name, it being easily changed to english "helen" by omitting the final _e_ in working. the name is worked in plain satin stitch, slightly raised at the thickest parts of the letters. [illustration: .--helene.] .--_h.d.g._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elegant design is worked in fine overcast and satin stitch, and point de russe. [illustration: --h.d.g.] --_jessie._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this design is very simple to work, the letters being so clear and well defined. the thick satin stitch is scalloped in parts. [illustration: .--jessie.] .--_j.c._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the letters "j.c." are worked in raised satin and overcast stitch, the thickest part of each letter being worked in scallops. [illustration: .--j.c.] .--_lina_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked in raised veined satin stitch; the small stars are worked in point russe round eyelet-holes. [illustration: . lina.] .--_lizzie_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked partly in satin stitch, partly in raised dots and fine overcast; the letters are in the greek style, and have an excellent effect if well worked. [illustration: .--lizzie.] .--_l.g.a._ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. , and linen thread no. . lace stitches are introduced in the medallion which incloses these letters, the outlines being worked in overcast and point de pois, the pens and initials in raised satin stitch, as also the flowers. the open portion is filled in with mechlin wheels, which are thus worked: a number of single threads cross each other in the space to be filled up; these are placed about a quarter of an inch from each other. all the bars in one direction must now be worked in fine button-hole stitch, then the opposite bars must be worked, and the button-hole stitch must be continued about six inches past the point where the two lines cross. the thread must be slipped loosely round the cross twice, running over and under alternately, so as to form a circle; then work in button-hole to the centre of a quarter of the circle; make a dot by inserting a pin in the next button-hole and working three stitches in the loop thus formed by the pin. these dots may be omitted from these wheels. [illustration: .--l.g.a.] .--_l.c._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the effect of this design when well worked is excellent, for, although simple, the contrast between the letters and stars throws each into relief. veined and raised satin stitch, with very small eyelet-holes, are the stitches used here. [illustration: .--l.c.] .--_marie_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton nos. and . this name is embroidered in satin stitch; the veinings are well defined, and the tendrils should be worked with no. cotton, as they require very fine work. stars of overcast and eyelet-holes are the only ornaments. [illustration: --marie.] .--_maria_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the initial letter of this name is worked in overcast and point de pois, the remaining letters in satin stitch, the ornamentation in satin stitch and overcast. [illustration: .--maria.] .--_maude_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is worked in veined satin stitch; the small stars in raised satin stitch, and the elegant tendrils are worked in overcast. this work is peculiarly adapted for the marking of a trousseau. [illustration: .--maude.] .--_m._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elegant design can be worked in coloured silk if preferred, or the coronet omitted at will. the letter "m" is worked in raised and veined satin stitch; the centre stars are worked in fine overcast round an eyelet-hole; the coronet is worked in very fine satin stitch and point de pois, and stars to correspond with those worked in the letter and in the wreath below, the leaves of which are worked in satin stitch and overcast stitch. [illustration: .--m.--handkerchief corner.] .--_m.b.d._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these initials are worked in satin stitch and overcast, the open work in fine overcast round eyelet-holes. [illustration: .--m.b.d.] [illustration: .--m.b.g.] .--_m.b.g._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these elegant letters are simply worked in graduated satin stitch and fine overcast with eyelet-holes. [illustration: .--m.h.e.] .--_m.h.e._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this elegant design is worked in graduated satin stitch, the middle letter is done in point croisé. this stitch is only worked on very thin and transparent materials. insert the needle into the material as for the common back stitch, draw it out underneath the needle on the opposite outline of the pattern so as to form on the wrong side a slanting line. insert the needle again as for common back stitch. .--_natalie._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the initial letter of this word contains all those following, and is surrounded by a wreath of roses and other flowers; these are worked in satin stitch, the leaves in point de pois, the letters in raised satin stitch. the dots which are represented on the groundwork of the initial are worked in back stitching; these may be worked in scarlet ingrain cotton if desired for morning handkerchiefs. [illustration: .--natalie.] .--_o.r._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this monogram is worked in satin stitch, and the oval is worked in eyelet-holes of graduated sizes. [illustration: .--o.r.] .--_phoebe_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the first letter of this word is very elaborate; it is worked in satin stitch, point de sable, and point de pois, the rest of the letters in satin stitch. [illustration: .--phoebe.] .--_monogram for pocket handkerchiefs_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton perfectionné no. . [illustration: .--monogram for marking handkerchiefs] this monogram is worked partly in appliqué, partly in satin stitch. for the middle part of the medallion sew on the pattern in appliqué of cambric with button-hole stitch; the remaining part of the embroidery is worked in satin stitch and point russe. .--_monogram for pocket handkerchiefs_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. , and linen thread no. . this monogram is also worked in appliqué and satin stitch. the circle all round the medallion is worked in appliqué; in the middle work lace stitches from illustration. the edge of the medallion is worked round with button-hole stitch. [illustration: .--monogram for marking handkerchiefs.] .--_rosa_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . here the name is inclosed in a medallion of overcast and back stitching, the lower part having a graceful wreath of leaves worked in satin stitch. the letters which form the name are worked in raised and scalloped satin stitch and point de pois. [illustration: . rosa.] .--_rosina_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . the stars round this graceful initial letter are worked in raised satin stitch round an eyelet-hole, the leaves in graduated satin stitch, the stems overcast, the wreaths of flowers worked in satin stitch and open eyelet-holes, the stems and veinings in overcast, and the stars on the stems to correspond with those worked in the letter: the rest of the letters in simple satin stitch rather thickly raised. [illustration: .--rosina.] .--_r.s._ materials: black china silk; messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these letters are worked in raised satin stitch with a design of point russe worked in black silk. [illustration: .--r.s.] .--_s.e.b._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these letters are worked in graduated satin stitch, the centre star is worked in raised satin stitch, and the four surrounding it as eyelet-holes. [illustration: .--s.e.b.] .--_l.e.p._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . these initials are worked in plain satin stitch, and the elegant stars are worked in point russe worked round an eyelet-hole. [illustration: .--l.e.p.] .--_victoria_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s embroidery cotton no. . this name is most elaborately worked in satin stitch, over-casting and eyelet-holes. the initial letter is worked in satin stitch, and the stars in fine overcast round an eyelet-hole. [illustration: .--victoria.] * * * * * point lace work. lace is of two kinds--pillow lace, which is made upon a cushion or pillow, and point lace, which is made of stitches or _points_ worked in patterns by hand, which are joined by various stitches forming a groundwork, also the result of the needle above. pillow lace is entirely worked on the pillow or cushion, the pattern and ground being produced at the same time. pillow lace is sometimes correctly called bone or bobbin lace, but it appears that the distinction has never been very nicely observed either by lace-workers or lace-traders, many sorts which are really pillow lace being called point, on account of some peculiarity in the stitch or pattern. the requisites for producing lace in perfection are the dexterity and taste of the workers, and the goodness of the material. to produce many beautiful fabrics a mechanical dexterity alone suffices, but in lace-making the worker must have some artistic talent, even when supplied with designs, for any one can perceive that deviations from the design are easily made, and that the slightest alteration by a worker wanting in taste will spoil the whole piece of workmanship. the following illustrations are specimens of ancient and modern laces from mrs. bury palliser's collection:-- [illustration: .--dalecarlian lace.] [illustration: .--old mechlin.] [illustration: .--mechlin lace (queen charlotte's).] no. shows dalecarlian lace, made by the women of dalecarlia. this is a coarse kind of lace, and is sewn on caps, &c., and, although highly starched, is never washed, for fear of destroying its coffee-coloured tint, which, it appears, is as much prized now by the swedish rustics as it was by english ladies in the last century. [illustration: .--buckingham point trolly, (black lace).] both these specimens of mechlin belonged to queen charlotte, who much admired this elegant lace. no. .--the bedford plaited lace is an improvement on the old maltese. honiton guipure lace is distinguished by the groundwork being of various stitches, in place of being sewn upon a net ground. the application of honiton sprigs upon bobbin net has been of late years almost superseded by this modern guipure. the sprigs, when made, are sewn upon a piece of blue paper and united on the pillow with "cutworks" or "purlings," or else joined with the needle by various stitches--lacet, point, réseau, cutwork, button-hole, and purling. [illustration: .--bedford plaited lace ( ).] those who wish to study lace and lace-making should read mrs. bury palliser's _history of lace_ (sampson low and marston). [illustration: .--honiton guipure lace.] point lace. the materials required for this elegant branch of needlework are neither numerous nor expensive. tracing cloth, leather, or toile cirÉe, various braids and cords, linen thread and two or three sizes of needles, scissors and thimble. tracing cloth is required when ladies copy point lace patterns, and is the most convenient mode of taking them, as the design can be worked upon the tracing cloth, which, though transparent, is very strong; the price is s. d. per yard. fine leather is the material upon which bought patterns are usually traced, and is decidedly more pleasant to work on than is any other material. in selecting patterns ladies should choose those traced upon green leather in preference to scarlet or buff, as green is better for the eyesight than any other colour. [illustration: .--point lace scissors.] toile cirÉe is only a substitute for leather, and is not as pleasant to work upon in warm weather. the needles employed are usually messrs. walker's needles, nos. and . the scissors should be small, sharp, and pointed, as in illustration no. . an ivory thimble may be safely employed in this light work. [illustration: .--linen braid.] [illustration: .--linen braid.] [illustration: .--linen braid.] [illustration: .--linen braid.] [illustration: .--linen braid.] [illustration: .--linen braid.] the braids are of various widths and kinds. none but pure linen braid should be employed; those with machine-made edgings are eschewed by many lace-workers, the plain, loose-woven linen braid of various widths and qualities being alone acceptable to experienced hands. but all ladies do not care to be at the trouble of edging the braid, and will find nos. , , , and very useful. no. is a plain linen braid with a vandyked edge, which works out very prettily. no. is an edged braid with open holes, in imitation of the point lace work of the fifteenth century. point lace cords resemble the satin stitch embroidery in their close, regular smoothness; the price is s. per hank, and they are of various thicknesses, from the size of a coarse crochet thread up to that of a thick piping cord. these cords are used to ornament the braid, and are closely sewn on the braid, following its every outline, and serve as _beading_ to the edging, being always sewn on the outer edge alone. the finer kinds of this cord are used in place of braid where very light work is needed, as in the point lace alphabet which forms the frontispiece of this work. directions for laying on the cord when employed as braid are given on page . when used as a finish only, and to impart the raised appearance of venice and spanish lace, it is fixed on the braid by plain, close sewing. the thread used should be mecklenburg linen thread; that of messrs. walter evans and co. we strongly recommend as being of pure linen, washing and wearing well; it is pleasant to work with, from the regularity and evenness of the make. the numbers run thus:-- , , , , , , , , , , , , , and --and will be found adapted for every kind of lace stitch. no. is the coarsest, no. the finest, size. in working point lace the following directions must be attended to: begin at the left hand, and work from left to right, when not otherwise directed, as in reverse rows. before cutting off the braid run a few stitches across it to prevent it widening. joins should be avoided, but when a join is indispensable, stitch the braid together, open and turn back the ends, and stitch each portion down separately. when passing the thread from one part to another, run along the centre of the braid, allowing the stitches to show as little as possible. in commencing, make a few stitches, leaving the end of the thread on the wrong side and cutting it off afterwards. in fastening off, make a tight button-hole stitch, run on three stitches, bring the needle out at the back, and cut off. having now completed our list of materials, we can proceed to lay on the braid. [illustration: .--mode of placing the braid.] to place the braid.--no. shows the design traced upon paper or tracing cloth, and lightly tacked to a foundation of leather or toile cirée. run on a straight line of braid for the lower edge, with fine stitches, working as shown from left to right. take another piece of braid, or the other end of the same piece, and begin to lay the braid by "running" stitches in its centre, keeping it as smooth and even as possible. the outer edge presents no difficulty, but the inner edge will not lie evenly without being drawn in by a needle and thread, as follows:--thread a no. needle with no. mecklenburg thread about inches long, fasten the thread to one point, and insert the needle in and out of the edge of the braid, as if for fine gathering; this thread when drawn up will keep the braid in its place. two or three fastening off stitches should be worked when each circle, half circle, or rounded curve of a pattern is finished, as the drawing or gathering thread remains in the work, and forms an important, though unseen, part of its structure. as much of the beauty of point lace depends upon the manner of placing the braid, ladies cannot bestow too much pains upon this part of the work, which is a little troublesome to beginners. many fancy shops now undertake this braid-placing for ladies, who can have their own pattern braided and commenced or braided alone at trifling expense. among these may be mentioned the following houses:--goubaud, , henrietta-street, covent-garden. boutillier, oxford-street, w. the stitches used in point lace may be divided into-- stitches proper, or _points_. connecting bars. finishing edgings. wheels, rosettes. the term point lace, or lace stitches (_points_), has of late been applied to every stitch executed with mecklenburg thread, and many stitches are erroneously named by modern writers. as there are more than one hundred stitches employed in this beautiful art, much study and opportunity of seeing specimens of old point lace is required to give a novice any idea of the various kinds of point lace; but by attention to the following stitches the rudiments of the art may be easily acquired and very beautiful lace produced. the first stitch is point de bruxelles, or brussels lace stitch. this stitch, as may be clearly seen in illustration no. , is a simple button-hole stitch worked loosely and with great regularity. the whole beauty of brussels lace depends upon the evenness of the stitches. this stitch is sometimes employed as an edging, but is more often worked in rows backwards and forwards, either as a groundwork or to fill spaces, as in the point lace collar, no. . [illustration: . point de bruxelles (brussels lace).] [illustration: .--point de bruxelles (brussels lace worked in rows).] brussels point is the foundation of nearly all the lace stitches. point de venise (venetian or venice point) is worked from left to right, like brussels point. work one loose button-hole, and in this stitch work four button-hole stitches tightly drawn up, then work another loose button-hole stitch, then four more tight button-hole stitches in the loose one, repeat to the end of the row, and fasten off. [illustration: .--point de venise (venice point).] [illustration: .--petit point de venise (little venice point).] petit point de venise (little venice point) is worked in the same manner as point de venise, but one tight stitch only is worked in each loose button-hole stitch. this is a most useful stitch for filling small spaces. [illustration: .--point d'espagne (spanish point).] no. .--point d'espagne (spanish point) is worked from left to right as follows:--insert the needle in the edge of the braid, keeping the thread turned to the right, bringing it out inside the loop formed by the thread (see illustration no. ); the needle must pass from the back of the loop through it. pass the needle under the stitch and bring it out in front, thus twice twisting the thread, which produces the cord-like appearance of this stitch. at the end of each row fasten to the braid and return by sewing back, inserting the needle once in every open stitch. [illustration: .--close point d'espagne (close spanish point).] no. .--point d'espagne (close) is worked in the same way as open point d'espagne, but so closely as to only allow the needle to pass through in the next row. this stitch is also worked from left to right; fasten to the braid at the end of each row, and sew back to the left again. no. .--treble point d'espagne is worked in exactly the same way as the open and close point d'espagne, as may be seen in illustration no. . three close stitches, one open, three close to the end of each row. sew back, and in the next row begin one open, three close, one open, then close to the end; repeat the rows as far as necessary, taking care that the close and open stitches follow in regular order. diamonds, stars, and various patterns may be formed with this stitch. [illustration: .--treble point d'espagne (treble spanish point).] no. .--point de grecque is begun from left to right, is worked backwards and forwards, and is begun by one stitch in loose point de bruxelles and three of close point d'espagne; then one brussels, three point d'espagne to the end of the row; in returning work back in the same manner. [illustration: .--point de grecque (grecian point).] no. . point de valenciennes (valenciennes stitch).--this stitch appears complicated, but is really easy to work. begin at the left hand and work six point de bruxelles stitches at unequal distance, every alternate stitch being larger. nd row: upon the first large or long stitch work close button-hole stitches, then short point de bruxelles stitch under the one above, then close stitches, and so on to the end of row (right to left). [illustration: .--point de valenciennes (valenciennes stitch).] rd row: close button-hole in the of previous row, short point de bruxelles, close in the bruxelles stitch, short point de bruxelles, close, short point de bruxelles, close, l short, close, short, and repeat. th row: close, short point de bruxelles, close, short, close, short, close, l short, and repeat. continue the rows until sufficient of the pattern is worked. [illustration: .--point d'alençon, with twisted stitch.] no. . point d'alenÇon.--this stitch is used to fill up narrow spaces where great lightness is required. point d'alençon is worked under and over in alternate stitches, like hem stitch. nos. and show point d'alençon. in no. a twisted stitch is worked over the plain point d'alençon, which is clearly shown in no. ; this twist is made by passing the thread three times round each plain bar, and working the knot shown in illustration no. over _both_ strands of the bar. [illustration: .--point d'alençon, with button-hole stitch.] the point d'alenÇon no. is a festoon of close button-hole stitch worked over the plain bars. [illustration: .--point d'angleterre (open english lace).] no. .--point d'angleterre (open english lace).--open english lace is thus worked:--cover the space to be filled in with lines of thread about one-eighth of an inch apart, then form cross lines, intersecting those already made and passing alternately under and over them; work a rosette on every spot where two lines cross, by working over and under the two lines about times round, then twist the thread twice round the groundwork thread, and begin to form another rosette at the crossing threads. no. shows this stitch much enlarged. [illustration: .--point d'angleterre (enlarged).] no. ,--point turque (turkish stitch).--this easy and effective stitch looks well for filling either large or small spaces; the thread employed should be varied in thickness according to the size of the space to be filled. st row: work a loop, bringing the thread from right to left, passing the needle through the twist and through the loop, draw up tight and repeat. nd row: straight thread from right to left. rd row: work the same as first using the straight thread in place of the braid, and passing the needle through the loop of previous row, as shown in illustration no. . [illustration: .--point turque.] no. .--cordova stitch is useful for varying other stitches. it resembles the point de reprise of guipure d'art, and is worked in a similar manner over and under the side of squares formed by straight and parallel lines. (see no. .) [illustration: .--point de cordova (cordova stitch).] no. .--point de reprise.--this stitch is worked by darning over and under two threads, forming a triangle. the space is filled by parallel and cross-way bars, placed at equal distances, and on the triangles thus produced point de reprise is worked. [illustration: .--point de reprise.] no. .--point brabanÇon (brabançon lace) is worked as follows:--left to right. st row: long loose, short loose, point de bruxelles alternately to end of row. nd row: tight point de bruxelles in the long loose stitch, short loose point de bruxelles in the short loose stitch of previous row, repeat. rd row: same as first. [illustration: .--point brabançon (brabançon lace).] [illustration: .--point de fillet (net groundwork stitch).] [illustration: .--point de fillet and point de reprise.] no. is used for groundwork where brussels net is not imitated, and is very effective. it is begun in the corner or crosswise of the space to be filled. a loose point de bruxelles stitch is first taken and fastened to the braid, then passed twice through the braid as shown in illustration, and worked in rows backwards and forwards as follows:-- point de bruxelles stitch; before proceeding to the next stitch pass the needle _under_ the knot, _over_ the thread, and again _under_ it, as shown in illustration no. . this stitch is very quickly worked. no. shows point de fillet applied in filling a space, with a few stitches of point de reprise worked upon this pretty groundwork. no. .--point de tulle.--this stitch is used as a groundwork for very fine work, and is worked in rows backwards and forwards in the same stitch as open point d'espagne, page . when this is completed the work is gone over a second time, by inserting the needle under one twisted bar, bringing it out and inserting it at +, and bringing it out again at the dot. this produces a close double twist which is very effective. [illustration: .--point de tulle.] no. .--mechlin lace (mechlin wheels).--this is one of the prettiest stitches in point lace, but also one of the most difficult to work correctly. it is thus worked:--work a number of diagonal bars in button-hole stitch on a single thread in one direction, then begin in the opposite side the same way, and work or stitches past the spot where the two lines cross, pass the thread round the cross twice under and over the thread to form a circle. work in button-hole stitch half one quarter, make a dot by putting a fine pin in the loop instead of drawing the thread tight, and work button-hole stitches in the loop held open by the pin, then take it out, and continue as before. beginners will do well to omit the dot, leaving the loop only on the wheel. mechlin wheels are also worked in rows upon horizontal and parallel lines of thread. [illustration: .--mechlin lace wheels.] no. .--escalier lace.--this useful lace may be varied in pattern to any extent by placing the open stitches in any desired order; it then takes the name of diamond or antwerp lace, according to the design. true escalier lace is made by working nine button-hole stitches close together; then miss --that is, work none in the space that stitches would occupy--work , miss as before to the end of row, begin the nd row stitches from the end, to cause the open spaces to fall in diagonal lines--a succession of steps or stairs (_escalier_), which gives name to this stitch. [illustration: .--escalier lace worked in diamonds.] no. .--spanish point lace is adorned with highly-raised scrolls, flowers, &c. this is effected by working over an underlay of coarse white thread or over fine white linen cords. the wheels are worked by winding soft coarse linen thread round pencils or smooth knitting-pins of various sizes, and working over the circle thus obtained a succession of close button-hole stitches. these wheels are sewn on to the lace when completed. the groundwork of spanish lace is usually worked in what are called raleigh bars (see page ), but this lace has sometimes for groundwork point de venise. an easy mode of working this handsome lace is to trace the design upon very fine good linen; raise the thick parts as above directed, and embroider the whole in fine thick scalloped button-hole stitch; fill the ground with raleigh bars, or, as shown in illustration no. , in treble point de venise, and cut away the linen from beneath the groundwork. [illustration: .--spanish point lace (worked à l'anglaise).] wheels and rosettes. wheels or rosettes are used to fill up circles, or in combination to form lace. the simplest is-- the sorrento wheel.--nos. and .--this is worked by fastening the thread in the pattern to be filled up by means of the letters. fasten it first at the place _a_, then at the place _b_, carrying it back to the middle of the first formed bar by winding it round, fasten the cotton at the place _c_, carrying it back again to the centre by winding it round the bar, and so on; then work over and under the bars thus formed as in english lace. see page , and illustrations nos. and . [illustration: and .--sorrento wheels.] no. .--english wheel.--this is worked in the same manner as the sorrento wheel, but instead of _winding_ the thread over and under the bars, the needle is inserted under each bar and brought out again between the thread and the last stitch; this gives a kind of button-hole stitch, and gives the square, firm appearance possessed by this wheel. [illustration: .--english wheel.] no. .--rosette in point d'angleterre.--this rosette is worked in a somewhat similar manner to the wheel above described, the difference being that after each stitch passed round and under the bars, the thread is passed loosely round in the reverse direction, as shown in illustration no. , before proceeding to make the next stitch. [illustration: .--rosette in raised point d'angleterre.] no. is a rosette or star which is used to fill circles of braid, and forms the centre of many modern point lace patterns. it is worked upon a pattern traced and pricked in small holes at equal distances. two threads are employed, one coarse tracing thread, the other of finer thread. the coarse thread is laid on thus:--pass the needle containing the fine thread, no. , through one of the pricked holes, over the tracing thread and back through the same hole; repeat, following the traced outline until the whole of the coarse thread is laid over the outline, then work over in tight button-hole stitch with picots or purls, as on the raleigh bars (see page ). this mode of laying on tracing or outlining thread is also applied to fine braid and to point lace cord, as in the alphabet no. (see page ). [illustration: .--rosette for centre of point lace circles.] bars. the word _bar_ is applied to the various stitches used to connect the various parts of point lace work, and the beauty of the work depends greatly upon the class of bar and its suitability to the lace stitches used. the simplest bar is-- no. .--the sorrento bar.--it is worked from right to left, a straight thread being carried across and fastened with a stitch. the return row consists of a simple twist under and over the straight thread; three of these bars are usually placed close together at equal distances between each group. the thread is sewn over the braid in passing from one spot to another. [illustration: .--sorrento bars.] [illustration: .--sorrento bars.] sorrento bars are also applied as shown in illustration no. . no. .--d alencon bars are worked upon point de bruxelles edging, and are only applied to the inner part of a pattern, never being used as groundwork bars. the thread is merely passed three times over and under the point de bruxelles stitches, the length of these bars being regulated by the space to be filled; when the third bar is completed a tight point de bruxelles stitch is used to fasten off the bar, the thread is passed through the next point de bruxelles stitch, and a second bar begun. [illustration: .--d'alençon bars.] [illustration: .--venetian bar.] no. .--the venetian bar is so simple that it hardly needs description. it is worked over two straight threads in reverse button-hole stitch. no. shows the venetian bar applied as the "veining" of leaf, and worked upon sorrento bars. [illustration: .--venetian bar.] no. .--venetian bars are worked so as to form squares, triangles, &c., in button-hole stitch upon a straight thread. the arrow in the illustration points to the direction for working the next. [illustration: .--- plain venetian bars.] no. .--bars of point d'angleterre.--these bars may be worked singly or to fill up a space, as in illustration. work rosettes as in point d'angleterre, page ; when each rosette is finished twist the thread up the foundation thread to the top, fasten with one stitch, then pass it under the parallel line running through the centre and over into the opposite braid; repeat on each side of each rosette, inserting the threads as in illustration. [illustration: .--bars of point d'angleterre.] no. .--point de venise bars (edged).--begin at the right hand and stretch a line of thread to the left side of the braid, fastening it with one tight stitch of point de bruxelles. upon this line work a succession of tight point de bruxelles stitches. in every third stitch work one point de venise stitch. [illustration: .--point de venise bars (edged).] no. .--we now come to the most important feature of bars--the _dot, picot_, or _purl_, for by all these names it is known. this dot is worked in various ways upon different lace bars. dotted point de venise bars are worked as follow:-- [illustration: .--dotted point de venise bars.] stretch the thread from right to left, on this work five tight stitches of point de bruxelles, then insert a pin in this last stitch to hold it open and loose, pass the needle under the loose stitch and over the thread, as clearly shown in illustration no. , and in this loop work three tight point de bruxelles stitches. then work five more stitches, and repeat to end of row. [illustration: .--picot or dot on sorrento bar.] no. shows a dot or picot upon a sorrento bar worked between rows of point de bruxelles, three twisted stitches being worked into the loop left by the twisted thread; this forms a picot resembling satin stitch in appearance. nos. and .--raleigh bars are worked over a foundation or network of coarse thread, twisted in places so as to more easily fall into the desired form. [illustration: .--raleigh bars.] [illustration .--network for working raleigh bars.] by following the numbering from no. to , in no. , a square place may be easily filled, and portions of this arrangement applied to form groundwork of any shape desired. upon this groundwork tight point de bruxelles stitches are worked, and the dot worked upon these in one of the following ways:-- dot or picot.-- st mode: five tight point de bruxelles stitches, one loose point de bruxelles; pass the needle under the loop and over the thread, as shown in point de venise bars no. , draw up, leaving a small open loop as in tatting. work five tight point de bruxelles and repeat. nd mode: proceed as above, but instead of continuing the tight stitches work two or three tight stitches in the loop thus formed, and repeat. rd mode: work four tight point de bruxelles stitches, one loose, through which pass the needle point, wind the thread three or four times round the point, as shown in illustration no. , press the thumb tightly on this, and draw the needle and thread through the twists. this is a quick mode of making the picot, and imitates most closely the real spanish lace. illustration no. also shows how this stitch may be applied as a _regular_ groundwork, but the beauty of old point groundwork bars is the variety of form. [illustration: .--third mode of making picots or dots.] edges and purl finish. the correct edging of lace is a most important part of this art, and care should be taken to work a proper edge for each kind of lace. sorrento edging should be worked upon limoges lace. spanish lace requires a full rich edge, as shown in no. , &c. the simplest edge is point de bruxelles, which is worked somewhat like the stitch no. , and is secured by a knot worked in the braid. many lace-workers omit this knot. [illustration: .--point de bruxelles edging.] no. .--sorrento edging is worked with one short and one long stitch alternately. [illustration: .--sorrento edging.] no. .--point de venise is worked precisely like that stitch (see page ), three and even four stitches being worked in the loop. [illustration: .--point de venise edging.] no. .--point d'angleterre edging is worked in point de bruxelles, the thread being again drawn through the braid before proceeding to the next stitch. this edging is strong and useful. [illustration: .--point d'angleterre edging.] no. .--point d'espagne edging.--this stitch is easily worked. insert the point of the needle through the braid and wind the thread round it times, draw the needle through these windings and draw the picot tight, sew over the braid the space of stitches, and repeat. [illustration: .--point d'espagne edging.] no. .--antwerp edge.--this edge is only a variety of point d'angleterre edging, and differs only in the mode of making the knot; the thread is passed over, under, and through the loop formed by the point de bruxelles lace. [illustration: .--antwerp edge.] note.--it will be observed that the stitches here given are much enlarged for the sake of clearness in showing details. patterns. no. .--_star in point lace_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . trace the outline upon paper or leather, lay the braid on as directed. work the centre in sorrento bars, and on these work a rosette in point d'angleterre, the edge in point d'angleterre edging, and the wheels in open english lace. [illustration: .--star in point lace.] * * * * * no. .--_medallion in point lace_. materials: linen braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this medallion is useful for cravat ends and for a number of purposes, as trimming for sachets, dresses, &c. having placed the braid as before directed, work an english rosette in the centre, fill in the ground with point de fillet or with point de bruxelles. an edging of spanish point completes this pretty medallion. [illustration: .--medallion in point lace.] * * * * * no. .--_point lace border_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this border represents the completed work shown on p. . a point d'angleterre rosette is worked in each circle. the plain braid is edged by sorrento edging. venice bars are worked above the trimming, and treble point de venise edges the border. [illustration: .--point lace border.] * * * * * no. .--_point lace border_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this border is both easily and quickly worked in sorrento bars. the edge is worked in two rows of point de bruxelles. [illustration: .--point lace border.] * * * * * no. .--_insertion in limoges lace_. materials: plain linen braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this insertion will be found very useful, being so quickly worked. edge the braid with sorrento edging, fill up with bars and plain point d'alençon and sorrento wheels, no. . [illustration: .--insertion in limoges lace.] * * * * * no. --_point lace border for handkerchief._ materials: fine lace braid or cord; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this border is suited for a handkerchief or for trimming a square bodice. the braid is not tacked on by stitches running through the centre, as is usual in point lace braids, but sewn on by passing a thread from underneath over the braid and out through the same hole, as is done by lace-workers with a thick thread; this forms the design. the stitches employed in this pattern are raleigh bars, which connect the work; sorrento edging, which finishes the whole outline; english rosettes filling the open spaces. point lace cord may be used for this in place of braid. [illustration: . point lace border for handkerchief.] * * * * * no. .--_star-centre for toilette cushion in point lace_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. and . [illustration: .--star-centre for toilette cushion in point lace.] this beautiful star will be found useful for other purposes than as a toilette cushion cover, and is worked as follows:--english rosette in centre; sorrento wheels in the ovals, worked with no. thread; point de bruxelles ground, worked with no. ; braid edged by dotted venetian edges. the eight spaces may be filled with or contrasting stitches, taking care that they contrast well, and are placed alternately, and worked in no. . * * * * * [illustration: .--cravat end in point lace.] .--_cravat end in point lace_. materials: fine braid: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this cravat is worked in sorrento wheels, point d'alençon bars, and sorrento edging. * * * * * [illustration: .--point lace edging.] [illustration: .--point lace edging.] _and_ .--_point lace edgings_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. and . these edgings can be used as a finish to insertions and other trimmings or for edging couvrettes. no. is worked with sorrento wheels; the edge in two rows of point de bruxelles, a straight thread being drawn from the end to the beginning of each scallop over which the second row is worked. no. is worked with the same materials in treble point de venise, edged by the same, and finished off with a row of point de bruxelles, the upper edge being worked in the same way. * * * * * .--_design in point lace for collar, lappet, &c._ materials: linen braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. and . this design may be used for a variety of purposes, and is extremely effective. the principal stitches required are given at the sides of the pattern. _a_ is valenciennes lace, _b_ brussels net, _c_ venetian spotted, _d_ sorrento edging, _e_ mechlin wheel, _f_ english rosette, _g_ raleigh bars. [illustration: .--design in point lace for collar, lappet, &c.] * * * * * .--_oval for cravats, &c._ materials: point lace cord; muslin; embroidery cotton; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. and . this beautiful oval is worked in point lace and embroidery. this is begun from the centre on the muslin by over-casting the space filled by a wheel. the eyelet-holes are then worked, and the satin stitch ornament raised and prepared for working. the edge, of point lace cord, is then laid on, and the under portion edged in tight and open point de bruxelles, the centre of the circles being worked in point de bruxelles. the light groundwork is worked entirely in mechlin wheels, the satin stitch being worked when these are completed. this pattern can be enlarged and applied to many purposes. the muslin is cut away when the whole work is finished. [illustration: .--oval pattern for ornamenting cravats, &c.] * * * * * .--_point lace trimming for square bodice_. materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or . we give two sizes of thread, as this design is capable of many uses, and the size of the thread differs with these. the pattern is worked in english rosettes and bars (see no. ). no. edging looks well with this pattern. [illustration: .--point lace trimming for square bodice.] * * * * * --_point lace collar._ materials: fine braid or cord; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: --point lace collar.] set on the braid or cord by passing a thread through a hole pricked in the pattern over the braid and out again through the same hole. edge the braid with point de bruxelles, the design being filled by mechlin wheels, sorrento wheels, point de feston, and the mixed stitch shown in no. , which is composed of d'alençon and sorrento bars, and is easily worked. those who cannot work mechlin wheels easily, can substitute close english, as shown in illustration no. . the bars are sorrento. [illustration: .--d'alençon and sorrento bars.] [illustration: .--close english wheels.] * * * * * [illustration: --point lace collar.] .--_point lace collar._ materials: fine braid or cord; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this collar is worked in the same way as no. , though the stitches vary. the grecian line is worked in point de reprise, the pattern in close english wheels, point de reprise, point de bruxelles, english rosettes, and raleigh bars. * * * * * [illustration: .--point lace lappet.] .--_point lace lappet._ materials: braid; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or , according to the fineness required. this lappet is exceedingly pretty. it is composed of the following stitches:--point d'alençon, point de tulle, english rosettes, sorrento bars, d'alençon bars, dotted venise bars, and the fancy stitch point d'anvers, which is not a true point lace stitch, but which is much employed in modern point. [illustration: .--point lace lappet.] [illustration: .--point d'anvers.] [illustration: .--point grecque.] point grecque is another useful variety of fancy stitch, and so easily worked as to be a favourite stitch with beginners. * * * * * [illustration: .--letter a in point lace.] [illustration: .--letter a enlarged.] _ to .--alphabet in point lace. (see endpapers.)_ materials: point lace cord; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this alphabet is useful for marking pocket-handkerchiefs, and for initials for sachets, &c. the cord is laid upon the pattern and pricked out by passing a thread up through a hole over the cord, and back through the same hole; then pass on to the next hole, and repeat. the holes should be about an eighth of an inch apart, or nearer when the pattern is finely convoluted. the letters are worked in point de bruxelles, point d'alençon, and dotted sorrento bars. no. shows the letter a greatly enlarged, to show the mode of working. * * * * * table of threads suited to various articles worked in point lace. |----------------------------------|-------------------| |caps | " " | |collars | " " | |couvrettes | | |cravats | " | |d'oyleys | | |dress trimmimgs | " | |edgings | " | |handkerchiefs | | |insertions, coarse | | | " fine | " | |----------------------------------|-------------------| point lace cord runs about twelve yards to the hank. point lace edged braid runs thirty-six yards on cards. plain linen twelve yards in each hank. * * * * * guipure d'art. instructions and patterns in guipure d'art. * * * * * ancient guipure was a lace made of thin vellum, covered with gold, silver, or silk thread, and the word guipure derives its name from the silk when thus twisted round vellum being called by that name. in process of time the use of vellum was discontinued, and a cotton material replaced it. guipure lace was called _intelle à cartisane_ in england in the sixteenth century. various modern laces are called guipure, but the word is misapplied, since guipure lace is that kind only where one thread is twisted round another thread or another substance, as in the ancient guipure d'art. in every design where lace can be introduced, guipure d'art will be found useful. it looks particularly well when mounted upon quilted silk or satin. the squares, when worked finely, look well as toilet-cushions, or, if worked in coarser thread, make admirable couvrettes, and as covers for eider-down silk quilts are very elegant. guipure squares should be connected by guipure lace, crochet, or tatting, or they may be edged with narrow guipure lace and joined at the corners only when placed over coloured silk or satin; thus arranged, a sofa-cushion appears in alternate squares of plain and lace-covered silk; a ruche of ribbon and fall of lace to correspond completes this pretty mounting. not one of the least important attractions of guipure d'art is the speed with which it is worked, and the ease with which fresh patterns are designed by skilful workers. guipure d'art is an imitation of the celebrated ancient guipure lace, and is worked in raised and intersected patterns upon a square network of linen thread, mecklenburg thread of various sizes being used for this purpose. the needles employed are blunt, and have large eyes, to admit the linen thread. materials required: one frame of wire covered with silk ribbon; one square of mecklenburg thread net (_fillet_), either coarse or fine; mecklenburg thread; netting-needles and meshes of various sizes. the netted foundation, or "_fillet_," upon which this elegant work is embroidered, can be made by ladies very easily, and at much less cost than when bought ready made. the square is worked by netting with coarse no. or fine no. thread over a mesh measuring three-quarters of an inch or more, in rows backwards and forwards. begin with stitches, and increase at the end of every row till you have one more stitch than is required for the number of holes. thus, if a square of holes is required, continue to increase up to stitches, then decrease at the end of every row till stitches only remain. the last stitches are knotted together without forming a fresh stitch. the completed foundation is laced upon the frame, taking the lacing cotton through the double edge formed by the increased and decreased stitches. if the four corners of the netting are tied at each corner of the frame before beginning the lacing, that operation is greatly facilitated. the netting should be laced as tightly as possible, it being far easier to darn on than when loose. [illustration: .--frame for guipure d'art.] ladies who wish to excel in working guipure d'art should practise each of the stitches until they attain perfect regularity and quickness in their execution. two or three hours devoted to this in the first instance will not be time wasted, as the most elaborate pattern will be worked with ease as soon as the stitches are mastered. the mecklenburg thread of messrs. walter evans and co., of derby, will be found a better colour than any other, as it closely resembles the shade of the ancient guipure lace. it is sold only in spools of yards each, and the numbers run as follow; no. , , , , lo, , , ; no. being the coarsest, and no. the finest. the principal stitches used in guipure d'art are point d'esprit, point de toile, point de feston, point de reprise, point de bruxelles, and wheels and stars. point d'esprit is worked with finer cotton than the foundation, say no. on a foundation of no. . it consists of a succession of small loops, as will be seen clearly in the illustration. the learner should begin from the mark * no. , and working a row of loops the length required, turn the frame and work loops on the opposite half of each square intersecting the first worked loops in the centre of each intervening bar of netting. a careful examination of nos. and will explain this more clearly than is possible in words. * * * * * [illustration: .--point d'esprit.] point de toile, or linen stitch, is plain darning under and over each thread; this forms a fine close groundwork, and is much used in guipure d'art. care should be taken to keep the same number of stitches in each square, both along and across; the number of threads shown in illustration no. is only, but and even are used in many netted foundations in fine patterns. [illustration: .--point de toile.] * * * * * point de feston is worked by a series of overcast stitches, as seen by illustration , which clearly shows the manner of working. the frame is turned at each stitch, the stitches are taken across the squares, and increase in length at the top of the square. [illustration: .--point de feston.] * * * * * point de reprise, or darning, is worked by stretching or threads over , or , or more squares. the thread is darned over and under, and the needle used to arrange the last stitch while passing through to form the next. this stitch is very easily acquired. it is always worked with coarser thread than the foundation; no. thread should be employed for a coarse groundwork. no. shows this stitch used to form stars, figures, &c. [illustration: --point de reprise.] [illustration: .--leaf.] * * * * * point de bruxelles, as shown on pages and , is a kind of loose button-hole stitch, and is used for forming various patterns and for filling up squares. it also forms "leaves," when the number of stitches is decreased each row until the leaf finishes off in a point. nos. and clearly show this stitch. [illustration: .--point de bruxelles.] [illustration: .--point de bruxelles.] * * * * * wheels are easy to work, and are begun in the centre. four threads are taken across, as shown in design no. ; the thread is twisted in bringing it back to the centre, and the wheel formed by passing the thread under and over the netting and the crossing threads. it is fastened off on the back of the several wheels. [illustration: .--wheel (commenced).] [illustration: .--wheel.] wheel no. is a square wheel, and is worked in the same manner, with the addition of point d'esprit loops, through which, and under and over the cross-twisted threads, or rows of thread are passed. [illustration: .--square wheel.] [illustration: .--wheel larger than its real size.] * * * * * stars are of various form, as shown in nos. , , , , and . no. is worked in point de feston (see page ) round a single square hole, which is filled in by a small wheel or rosette. no. is worked in point de feston and point de bruxelles, alternately round a centre simply crossed by point d'esprit threads. [illustration: .--star.] no. is more elaborate, and is worked thus:--begin at the place marked _a_; twist the linen thread times round the nearest thread, draw it on to the knot _b_; repeat this times, following the order of the letters; twist the linen thread also between the threads, as can be seen from the illustration, and fasten it underneath the knot _a_; for the wheel fasten on the cotton afresh and work the remaining pattern in darning stitch (point de reprise). [illustration: .--star.] [illustration: .--star.] no. consists of a double cross formed by twisted loops of linen thread. copy these loops exactly from illustration one part of the straight cross lies underneath, then comes the slanting cross, and lastly, the other part of the straight cross. [illustration: .--detail of star.] [illustration: .--star.] in the centre the loops of linen thread are fastened with two rounds of stitches. (see illustration ). overcast stitch is worked like embroidery overcast, and forms the stems of the flowers and leaves of guipure d'art; it is worked over one or two coarse threads. it is employed in no. , and forms the triangles in the centre of the middle squares. * * * * * [illustration: .--insertion in guipure d'art.] .--_insertion in guipure d'art._ materials: guipure frame netting of holes wide; mecklenburg thread no. or ; needle no. . for the netted foundation, which is six holes wide, begin at one corner with stitches, work rows, at the end of each of which increase stitch, continue to work the strip with the same number of stitches, alternately decreasing at the end of one row and increasing at the end of the next. for decreasing net stitches together, for increasing net stitches in the same hole. when the strip is sufficiently long, complete it by decreasing in the same proportion as the increasing at the beginning. as the pattern is so clearly shown in the illustration, it will be very easy to work from it. it is worked in point de feston and star wheels; the border is in point d'esprit. the insertion is finished on either side with a row of button-hole stitches. * * * * * .--_lace border in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or . this border may be used for various purposes; it makes a pretty edging for toilet cushions if worked in fine thread, and looks equally well for trimming couvrettes, &c., in no. thread. the netting is nine holes wide, the stitches employed are point d'esprit and point de feston, the edge is in button-hole stitch, the netted ground is cut away outside the scallops. [illustration: .--lace border in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_square for d'oyley_ materials: frame; square of netting; mecklenburg reel thread nos. and ; needle no. . [illustration: .--pattern of square for d'oyley.] this square may be used to form part of a couvrette, or a d'oyley, or pincushion. the three other corners of the square are worked exactly like the one seen in illustration; the rosette in the centre is shown in full size. the square is worked in point d'esprit, linen stitch, and point de reprise. each of the leaves of the foliage is worked in one hole of the netting; they are worked by throwing the cotton three times across the hole, and working darning stitch on them. the stem is worked in overcast on the thread of the netting. the daisy in the centre is worked like the leaves, each leaf taking up one or more holes of the netting. * * * * * [illustration: .--corner border in guipure d'art.] _and_ .--_corner borders in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. for couvrettes, no. for pillow-cases, no. for lace edgings. these corner borders are suitable for pillow-cases or small couvrettes; the stitches worked on these patterns are linen stitch, darning stitch, point de bruxelles, and wheels. the edge is formed by button-hole stitches. the netting is cut away after these are worked. [illustration: .--corner border in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_strip of insertion in guipure d'art._ material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this strip of insertion is stitches wide, and is worked in zigzag lines of point de feston, with a border of point d'esprit and point de toile; a four-point star occupies the centre of the triangle left by the zigzag line. this pattern is so easy to work that it hardly needs description, the only part requiring care being the squares of point de feston; these are begun in the centre, and the thread should be drawn rather tightly so as to form a good square. [illustration: .--pattern for a strip of insertion in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_small square_. materials: frame; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. , , or for the netting, and no. for the pattern. [illustration: .--small square.] work over a mesh measuring - / inch round the foundation of each square, which has seven stitches in length, and as many in breadth. it is embroidered in darning stitch, and point d'esprit, and wheels. the outer edge is worked round in button-hole stitch. larger squares are worked in the same manner, only a few rows larger in length and breadth. the squares are fastened together with a few stitches, and sewn on the pincushion or any article they are intended to ornament. * * * * * .--_insertion in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. , or for very fine work. this strip of insertion is very pretty, and can be used for all kinds of lingeries. the size of the material depends, of course, on the use to be made of the insertion. the guipure pattern is worked in linen stitch and point d'esprit, the raised leaves in darning stitch. the edges are worked round with button-hole stitches. [illustration: .--insertion in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_rosette in guipure d'art._ [illustration: .--rosette in guipure d'art.] material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this rosette is worked in point de toile and small wheels. a larger wheel occupies the centre, and is ornamented with a round of overcast. * * * * * .--_quarter of a square in guipure d'art_. materials: one guipure frame; mecklenburg thread nos. and ; needle no. . [illustration: .--quarter of a square in guipure d'art.] this pattern shows, in full size, one quarter of a square in guipure d'art. the outer border is in point d'esprit, then comes a border in linen stitch. there are large stars in the corners; these stars are worked in raised darning stitch only, and fastened on the netting at the points of each brand; in the centre of the star there is a wheel (see no. ) edged with button-hole stitch. the pattern for the centre, one quarter of which only is seen in the illustration, consists of branches forming small triangles in point de bruxelles, open-worked stars or wheels worked over holes of the netting, and a four-branched centre of point de feston with a wheel in the middle. * * * * * _and_ .--_square patterns in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s linen thread no. for the netting, and their mecklenburg thread for the guipure stitches no. . [illustration: .--square pattern in guipure d'art.] no. . the outer border of this pretty square is worked in point d'esprit, the inner border in point de toile; then follows a round of small wheels or rosettes. for these, fasten the cotton to one of the knots of the first square stitch of this round, work one loop upon each of the three other knots, so as to form a slanting cross; then work round the centre point of the cross, passing alternately under and over its branches, then twist the cotton over the threads of the foundation until the next square is reached, and begin another wheel. [illustration: .--square pattern in guipure d'art.] the centre of no. is composed of wheels and point de reprise; the pattern round the centre is worked in point de feston, differing a little from that given on pages and , but the illustration clearly shows the difference. no. has similar borders to no. ; the centre is occupied by a star (see page ) in point de feston; four large wheels surround this; the square stitches between are filled with small wheels and with groups of long loops, fastened together in sheaves. point d'esprit and point de toile, worked one way only, complete this square. * * * * * _to_ .--_four patterns in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or , according to the size of the work. these four patterns will be found useful for filling up small squares, or for varying the usual groundwork of point d'esprit. [illustration: .--pattern in guipure d'art.] no. is a succession of point de feston stitches, which half fill each square of the netting. this pattern must be worked with great regularity. [illustration: .--pattern in guipure d'art.] no. consists of a kind of double point d'esprit. no. is a thread twisted and taken _across_ each square, and resembles lace stitches. [illustration: .--pattern in guipure d'art.] no. is a succession of small close wheels, intermingled with point d'esprit. this grounding is very effective. [illustration: .--pattern in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_lace border for veils, &c_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; strip of square netting of the required length; oblong frame. this simple border is easily and quickly worked. the edge is overcast, the ground worked in point d'esprit, the border in point de toile, and the pattern in point de reprise. when completed the netting is cut away from the overcast edge. [illustration: .--lace border for veils, &c.] * * * * * _and_ _a_.--_squares in guipure d'art_. materials: squares of netting of holes; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or , according to the fineness required. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] these squares are very pretty for cravat ends, cuffs, or handkerchiefs. they are worked on netting with very fine cotton in the usual manner, beginning on two stitches in one corner the different stitches of the guipure darning can be distinctly seen in illustration, and are point de feston, point de reprise, point de toile, and point d'esprit on no. , and the same stitches surround a wheel in no. _a_. [illustration: _a_.--square in guipure d'art.] * * * * * [illustration: .--guipure d'art insertion.] .--_insertion in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. to ; strip of netting length, required. this insertion is worked in point de toile, and wheels worked in point de feston. the ground in point d'esprit. * * * * * _and_ .--_square in guipure point de venise (reticella)_ materials: coarse or fine linen; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or . [illustration: .--square in point de venise.] [illustration: .--quarter square in reticella work (enlarged).] this square is worked in the so-called point de venise, together with other squares; it is very pretty for covers, toilet cushions, &c. it is worked on coarse or fine linen, according to the use you wish to make of it. prepare a square piece of linen, by drawing out long and cross threads, so as to form perfect squares. in the pattern no. , which is worked on fine linen, threads have been drawn out, both the long and cross way; squares are formed in this way each time that threads have been drawn out; leave or threads of the ground, which form the framework. then fasten the piece of linen on cardboard, and work close button-hole stitch round the inner edge then work with darning stitch over the long and cross threads of the ground. from no. , which shows the fourth part of the square times larger than full size, it is easy to see how the framework is darned. when the latter is entirely darned, work the patterns in the different squares in button-hole stitch. the circular and serpentine patterns consist of rows of button-hole stitch; the patterns which imitate whole rosettes and half rosettes are worked in rows of button-hole stitch. for each row the thread must be first drawn from one place to the other, as can be seen in illustration, and fastened on the framework. the knots in the last button-hole stitched row are made by working in each stitch when completed, another stitch, and drawing the cotton again through the first completed knot. it is easy, however, to work all the patterns from no. . the dotted lines in the right-hand corner show the direction of the patterns which are wanting there. the square is edged all round with an open-work hem, which can also be worked from no. . * * * * * _and_ .--_corner patterns in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . these patterns are very pretty for cushions, handkerchiefs, &c. the netted ground is to be worked from the corner. cast on stitches, and work in rows backwards and forwards, increasing stitch at the end of every row. the pattern is worked in point d'esprit, linen, and darning stitch, as can be seen in illustration. [illustration: and --corner borders.] * * * * * .--_flower for ornamenting cravats and caps in guipure d'art_. materials: black or coloured silks, or messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: .--flower in guipure d'art.] this pattern is worked with middle-sized light-coloured purse silk in guipure d'art on netting. this pattern can also be worked with white thread or black silk in point de reprise. * * * * * .--_work basket with covering of darned netting_. materials: bamboo cane basket; blue satin; cardboard; netting; messrs. walter evans and co's mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: .--work basket covered with guipure d'art.] this elegant basket is made of bamboo cane and blue satin, fastened on cardboard, and covered with guipure d'art. the stand of varnished bamboo is twelve inches long, seven and a half inches wide, and five and a half inches high. the case inside is made of cardboard, covered on both sides with blue satin, and the guipure d'art on the outside only. the stitches used are point de toile, point de reprise, and point d'esprit. * * * * * _and_ .--_squares in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or ; and point d'esprit according to the fineness required. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] both these square patterns are suitable for ornamenting lingerie, cravats, collars, &c. repeated at regular intervals on a larger centre, they are likewise suitable for couvrettes, cushions, pillow-cases, &c.; they are worked in darning and linen stitch. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_insertion in guipure d'art_. materials: strip of netting holes wide, and of the required length; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or . this simple insertion consists of double rows of wheels worked at each side of a strip of point d'esprit, an edge of button-hole stitches being worked between the rows. [illustration: .--guipure d'art insertion.] * * * * * _and_ .--_squares for antimacassar_. materials: square of netting of holes; messrs. walter evans and co's mecklenburg thread no. . [illustration: .--square for antimacassar.] no. is very quickly worked. the border and groundwork in point d'esprit, the centre star in point de reprise, the pattern in point de toile. wheels fill in the four holes in the centre of the squares. no. has a border in point d'esprit, the star is worked in point de feston, the other stitches are point de toile. wheels in part of star pattern no. . [illustration: .--square for antimacassar.] * * * * * _and_ .--_borders in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. or . these corner borders are very suitable for couvrettes, and, worked with fine thread, for pocket-handkerchiefs. the netted ground of the borders is to be worked in the size seen in illustration; for the border no. darn the ground in button-hole stitch, darning stitch, point d'esprit, and point de feston; the pattern no. is worked in linen stitch and point d'esprit; small wheels are also to be worked. both borders are to be worked round in button-hole stitch; the netted ground is cut away along the outside. [illustration: .--border in guipure d'art.] [illustration: .--border in guipure d'art.] * * * * * _and_ .--_squares in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; netted squares of and holes. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] these two small squares are suitable for ornamenting cravats, lappets for caps and lingeries. they are worked in darning and linen stitch. the centre part of the square, no. , is a small wheel covered with raised stitches. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_square in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . the centre of this square is worked in point de feston as well as the border; point de toile forms the groundwork of the square in the centre, round which a row of button-hole stitch is worked. [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_insertion in guipure d'art_. materials: strip of netting of holes in width; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . the ground of this simple pattern is worked in point d'esprit, square wheels are worked in the centre of the strip. [illustration: .--insertion in guipure d'art.] * * * * * _to_ .--_different strips of insertion, rosettes and lace, in guipure d'art_. materials: fine white cotton; messrs. waiter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread nos. and . these strips of insertion, rosettes, and borders are very suitable for ornamenting lingeries, cravats, &c. the ground of insertion, nos. and , is worked with fine white cotton over a fine steel knitting-needle, in slanting netting, and darned with thread in the manner seen in illustrations. the ground of each strip is rounds wide, and worked with button-hole stitch along the edges; the darned patterns can be worked from illustration. [illustration: .--insertion in guipure d'art.] [illustration: .--insertion in guipure d'art.] * * * * * [illustration: .--rosette in guipure d'art.] for the rosette, no. , cast on stitches over a fine knitting-needle, and join the stitches into a circle; in the st round work stitches in every stitch. in the nd-- th rounds work stitches in every increased stitch of the preceding round, and in every other stitch stitch. in the th round take a steel knitting-needle double the size of the first, and work over it stitch in every stitch of the preceding round. then work the th round over the fine needle as follows:-- [illustration: .--border in guipure d'art.] draw always the second stitch of stitches through the first, and work stitch in the stitch which has been drawn through the first, and then stitch through the other stitch. in the th round work always stitches in the stitch between the crossed stitches, stitch in all the other stitches. lastly, darn the rosette, from illustration, with fine glazed cotton. for the ground of the rosettes, illustrations nos. and , cast on stitches, join the stitches into a circle, and work then in the st round stitches in every stitch; in the following rounds stitches in every increased stitch, in all the other stitches stitch. the last ( th) round is worked without increasing. then darn the rosettes, from illustrations, with thread in darning stitch, linen stitch, and point d'esprit. the edges of the two rosettes are worked round in button-hole stitch; in every selvedge stitch work button-hole stitches. these two rosettes can be joined together for small couvrettes. [illustration: .--rosette in guipure d'art.] [illustration: .--rosette in guipure d'art.] the ground of the border, no. , is formed by a strip of straight netting squares wide, cut out in vandykes on one side, and worked round in button-hole stitch, as seen in illustration. this ground is darned, from no. , in darning stitch, point d'esprit, linen stitch, and ornamented with bars and wheels (see illustration). * * * * * [illustration: .--corner border in guipure d'art.] _and_ .--_corner borders in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. for handkerchief, or no. for couvrettes. these corner borders are suitable for handkerchiefs, couvrettes, &c., or as strips of insertion for cushions or pillow-cases. they are worked with more or less fine cotton, according to the use they are meant for. they are edged round with button-hole stitch on the outside, and finished off with a row of crochet purl. work double in every button-hole stitch; after every other stitch draw out the loop on the needle about one-tenth of an inch; take out the needle and leave the loop as a purl; take up loop in last double stitch, and cast it off with the next double stitch. [illustration: .--corner border in guipure d'art.] * * * * * .--_jewel case, forming pincushion_. materials: deal box; satin ruche; satin ribbon; quilted satin and silk cord; guipure netting. this case consists of a square cardboard or deal box, lined with satin, and slightly quilted; it is also covered on the top with satin, and ornamented all round with a satin ruche four-fifths of an inch wide, pleated in the manner seen in illustration. the top of the box is stuffed so as to form a pincushion. it is then covered with guipure d'art no. . ornament all round with silk cords, and at the corners with bows of satin ribbon. [illustration: .--jewel case, with pincushion.] * * * * * .--_guipure pattern for jewel case_. materials: netting holes square; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this cover is worked in point d'esprit, point de toile, point de reprise, and point de feston. thick dots are introduced occasionally. [illustration: .--guipure pattern for jewel case (no. ).] * * * * * .--_parasol cover in guipure d'art. (seepage .)_ materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. , and cotton no. . for working this cover, one part of which is shown in our illustration two-thirds of its full size, work first a straight strip of netting for the foundation, which must count as many holes in width as are required for the width of the covering. the size of the holes depends on the size of the knitting-needle or mesh which you use. the pattern is worked with cotton no. , over a steel knitting-needle which measures two-fifths of an inch round. begin the strip in one corner. cast on stitches, and work in rows backwards and forwards, increasing stitch at the end of every row, till you have stitch more than the stripe is to have holes in width, on our pattern stitches; then work row on the same number of stitches, and then increase alternately stitch at the end of row, and decrease at the end of the next, till the strip is stitches long. the strip is finished off in a straight line at the bottom by working a certain number of rows in which the last stitch remains untouched. at the beginning of the row do not work stitch ever the mesh, but only knot in the stitch of the preceding row, so that the cotton is drawn on tight. when the strip is completed, trace from no. the outlines for the pattern of each of the eight parts of the parasol with double thread, in such a manner that two parts lie next to each other, but reversed, that is, the point of one part must lie next to the wide part of the next part. then work in each part the pattern seen in illustration, and afterwards each part round with button-hole stitch, working over the double outline. cut out the different parts, and sew them together on the wrong side with close overcast stitch. * * * * * [illustration: .--scent sachet in guipure d'art.] .--_scent sachet in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; green satin; poudre d'iris; green satin ribbon; green silk cord. the size of the netting depends on that of the sachet. the netting must be fastened in a frame, and darned with fine thread; the flowers are worked in darning stitch, and the ground in point d'esprit. the cushion is made of green satin, perfumed with poudre d'iris. when the netting has been fastened on, it is edged all round with a green satin ruche, and green silk cord, forming loops at every corner. * * * * * [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] .--_square in guipure d'art_. materials: netted square of stitches; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this pattern is worked in point d'esprit, edged with an outline of point de reprise. this outline may be worked in close button-hole stitch. point de toile is used for the groundwork, upon which point de reprise is worked. * * * * * _and_ .--_work case in guipure d'art_. materials: blue satin; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; blue silk cord. [illustration: .--work case in guipure d'art (back).] this little work-case, of darned netting and blue satin, is five inches and four-fifths long, four inches wide, and is fastened with a loop and button. the back, front, side, and the flap are worked all in one piece. the netting is worked with white thread no. , over a mesh measuring at least two-fifths of an inch round. for the flap the netting must be slanted off on both sides; this is done either by decreasings, or by cutting off the corners of the work. the latter is then darned in linen stitch, darning stitch, and point d'esprit, from no. , which shows the front of the case, and from no. , which shows the back. the netting is then lined with blue satin, and sewn together at the sides with button-hole stitches on the right side. the flap is edged with button-hole stitch; sew on a small button, and make a small loop to correspond. the case is edged all round with blue silk cord. [illustration: .--work case in guipure d'art (front).] * * * * * .--_banner screen in guipure d'art_. materials: netting; messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; carved oak stand; glacé silk; cords; tassels. banner-screens are used in two ways, either suspended from the mantelpiece or mounted as shown in illustration no. . the banner is inches long, inches wide, lined with coloured glacé silk, and edged with a lace border of guipure d'art. the design for the banner is given in page . work the netting for the groundwork over a larger or smaller mesh, according to the size you wish it to be. the pattern is worked in point d'esprit, point de reprise, and point de toile. when the pattern is completed, line the banner with coloured silk, edge with a gathered border of guipure d'art, finish with coloured silk cords and tassels. the banner may be finished off in close button-hole stitch, instead of adding the lace border. [illustration: .--banner screen in guipure d'art.] * * * * * [illustration: .--border in guipure d'art.] .--_border in guipure d'art_. material: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. . this border is suited for couvrettes. it is worked in point d'esprit, point de reprise, or plain darning stitch, edged by a row of button-hole, and finished with a crochet edging. * * * * * [illustration: .--square in guipure d'art.] .--_square in guipure d'art_. materials: messrs. walter evans and co.'s mecklenburg thread no. ; netted square of holes. this pretty square is worked in a pattern formed by point de feston, point de toile, and point de reprise, the star in the centre as that shown on page , omitting the alternate points; border of point d'esprit, ground worked in simple crossed bars. table of the right size of mecklenburg thread to use in working:-- |----------------------------------|--------------| | | no. | |----------------------------------|--------------| | antimacassars | | | borders | | | handkerchiefs | | | insertions | | | lace edgings and insertions | | | lamp shades | | | parasol covers | | | sachets | | | sofa cushions | | | toilet cushions | | | toilet mats | | |----------------------------------|--------------| * * * * * frames may be obtained for large, middle-size, and small squares. oblong frames are used for working insertions and lace edgings. * * * * * berlin work instructions. berlin work includes every kind of stitch which is made upon canvas with wool, silk, or beads. the principal stitches used are common cross stitch, gobelin stitch, leviathan stitch, raised or velvet stitch, tent stitch, and others. the materials and needle must always be carefully chosen of a corresponding size. for common cross stitch and raised stitch penelope canvas must be used; for small articles, such as slippers, bags, or borders, single berlin wool is preferable; for larger ones fleecy wool or double berlin wool (the latter, however, is much more expensive). for gobelin stitch and tent stitch undivided canvas (not penelope) is required. purse silk is often used for the latter; it is more brilliant than floss silk or filoselle. floss silk is generally used for other stitches because it covers the thread of the canvas better than purse silk; it is, however, often replaced by filoselle, which is a much cheaper material. moss wool is hardly ever used. before beginning to work upon a piece of canvas the raw edges must be hemmed or sewn over with wool. care must be taken not to crumple the canvas in the course of the work. it is best to roll one end of the canvas upon a round piece of deal while the other end is kept down upon the table with a lead cushion. handsome artistic patterns should always be worked in a frame. when you undertake to work a large pattern begin in the centre, and complete one half before you commence the other. always work the stitches in the same direction, from the top downwards--this is very essential to the beauty and regularity of the pattern. always begin with the colour which is used the oftenest; those colours that lose their dye in working must be put in last. when the pattern is finished begin the grounding. the wool must not be drawn too tightly, otherwise the threads of the canvas appear. if the wool is too coarse for the canvas, one long stitch is to be made from left to right as far as the particular colour is to be worked, and over this long stitch, cross back in the usual way. the plainest stitch in berlin wool work is the common cross stitch; illustrations to show varieties of the same. we now proceed in the following pages to show, by description in writing and by most careful illustration, all the stitches which are used in berlin work. these are numerous, but neither too great in number nor too simple or too elaborate in execution for those who aspire to become berlin workers. * * * * * [illustration: .--common cross stitch.] illustration .--the common cross stitch is worked in rows backwards and forwards over threads in height and in width (square of the canvas) in straight lines; the st row is worked from left to right; the nd row, which completes the stitches, from right to left. illustration shows rows of completed stitches and row in course of working. * * * * * [illustration: .--long cross stitch.] illustration shows the long cross stitch. it is worked like the preceding one, only over threads in height and in width. * * * * * [illustration: .--long cross stitch.] illustration shows a long cross stitch, which is worked like the preceding one, except that threads are missed between stitches, and in the next row the stitches are worked between those in the preceding row. this stitch is not worked in rows backwards and forwards; each stitch is completed before beginning the next. * * * * * [illustration: .--slanting cross stitch.] illustration .--the long slanting cross stitch is worked like no. , in rows backwards and forwards; the st row is slanting, the nd is straight. the places for inserting the needle and for drawing it out are marked on the illustration with a cross and dot. * * * * * [illustration: .--damask stitch.] illustration .--the damask stitch is worked in single rows from left to right, over threads in height and in width. the stitches of one row come between those of the next. the cross and dot shown in illustration are where to insert and draw out the needle. * * * * * [illustration: .--rep stitch.] illustration shows the rep stitch--a variety of the preceding. the first half of it is worked slantways over threads in height and in width, the second half, like the common cross stitch, from right to left over the rd and th of the canvas threads; each stitch is completed at once. the illustration shows the last stitch being worked; the first half of the stitch is completed; the dot shows where the needle must be inserted for the second half; it is drawn out where the cross is placed on illustration. * * * * * [illustration: .--leviathan stitch.] illustration .--the leviathan stitch consists of slanting and straight cross stitch over threads in height and in width. each stitch is completed immediately. no. shows one half of the stitch completed and the wool as it must be placed for working the first half of the straight cross stitch. * * * * * [illustration: .--leviathan stitch.] illustration .--the leviathan stitch is worked exactly like the preceding, only the stitches are not worked on the same threads in the different rows, as may be seen from illustration. * * * * * [illustration: .--double leviathan stitch.] illustration .--the double leviathan stitch is a variety of the preceding; it is worked over threads in height and as many in width. make a common cross stitch over these threads, then a long cross stitch in height and a long cross stitch in width. illustration shows stitches completed and being worked. * * * * * [illustration: .--tent stitch.] illustration .--tent stitch. each stitch is worked over stitch in height and in width, and is worked in rows from left to right. * * * * * [illustration: .--slanting gobelin stitch.] illustration .--the slanting gobelin stitch is worked on undivided canvas; each stitch is worked over threads in height and in width, divided from the next stitch only by an interval of thread. * * * * * [illustration: .--straight gobelin stitch.] illustration .--the straight gobelin stitch is worked over threads in height with thread between, so that the stitches appear more raised; they are worked over thin cord or a thick piece of wool. * * * * * illustration .--the raised or velvet stitch is worked over small round wooden meshes, and forms small raised loops. take similar meshes and as many threaded needles as there are colours in the work; make first a slanting stitch, as for the beginning of the common cross stitch, but instead of drawing out the needle straight under the place where it was inserted, draw it out exactly at the same place, so as to form a slanting stitch on the right and on the wrong side; then begin to work over mesh; insert the needle above it and draw it out in a slanting direction underneath. on the wrong side of the work a regular cross stitch is formed. illustration shows rows of velvet stitch completed and rows being worked; the first of the latter is yet on the mesh, the second being worked so as to show the position of the wool upon the mesh. observe that the rows of the velvet stitch are worked upwards, and that meshes are necessary, because the lower one must not be drawn out before the next row is completed. the loops may be cut open if preferred. [illustration: .--raised or velvet stitch.] * * * * * [illustration: .--plaited stitch.] illustration .--the plaited stitch is worked like the herring-bone stitch. each stitch is worked over threads in height and in width. illustration shows one part of the plaited stitch completed, and the place where the needle is to be inserted for the next stitch is marked by a dot. for the next stitch the needle is carried under the threads below the stitches of the preceding row. * * * * * illustration .--the plush stitch is also worked upwards. begin to work a common cross stitch, then insert the needle through the canvas over threads in height and in width, downwards in a slanting direction. do not draw the wool close up, but leave a loop hanging down about four-fifths of an inch long, and make more common cross stitch to fasten the loop. this stitch can also be worked over flat meshes. work a common cross stitch at the end of every row. when the work is completed the loops are cut open and clipped, as may be seen from illustration. [illustration: .--plush stitch.] * * * * * illustrations to .--three berlin wool work borders for trimming baskets, &c. no. .--the outer rows which edge the border are worked in long straight cross stitch; each stitch is crossed in the centre with a back stitch. [illustration: .--berlin work border.] the grounding consists of rows of vandykes placed opposite each other, which are formed of long straight stitches of different lengths. the squares in the centre are formed in the same way, and are completed in the middle with a knot. no. .--the ground is worked in cross stitch, the raised patterns in satin stitch; in the middle of each pattern there is a cross stitch. the outer rows are worked in half cross stitch over threads in height and in width in different shades. no. .--the petals of the flowers are worked over threads in height and in width, and consisting of slanting stitches. [illustration: --berlin work border.] [illustration: .--berlin work border.] in the centre the flower is completed by a knot; the ground in cross stitch is completed on either side by a narrow border of scallops, formed of slanting stitches divided in the centre by slanting stitch. it is easy to work these stitches from illustration. the choice of colours depends upon what use the border is intended for and upon personal taste. * * * * * plates [illustration: tatted antimacassar (see page ).] [illustration: --couvrette in appliquÉ] [illustration: --knitted table cover (_see page_ ).] [illustration: --knitted d'oyley (_see page_ ).] [illustration: .--parasol cover in guipure d'art (_see page _).] index. acacia spray in embroidery, . antimacassar, crochet, . antimacassar in tatting, . antimacassar, knitted, to . appliqué, pattern for a couvrette in, to . arm-chair, covered with crochet, . arm-chair in crochet, patterns for, , . baby's boot, knitted, . bag, crochet silk, over rings, . banner screen in guipure d'art, , . bars, point lace. d'alençon, . point d'angleterre, . point de venise, edged, . point de venise, dotted, . raleigh, , . sorrento, , . sorrento, dotted, . venetian, plain, , , . basket, small, crochet, . basket, crochet, . basket, crochet, . basket, embroidered in chenille, . bedford plaited lace ( ), . bed-quilt, knitted border for, . berlin wool-work instructions, p. . berlin work, borders in, to . berlin stitches. common cross stitch, . damask stitch, . leviathan stitch, , . leviathan double stitch, . long cross stitch, , . plaited stitch, . plush stitch, . raised or velvet stitch, . rep stitch, . slanting cross stitch, . slanting gobelin stitch, . straight gobelin stitch, . tent stitch, . (black lace) buckingham point trolly ( ), . bodice, knitted, , . boot, baby's, knitted, borders, crochet, , border, embroidered, . border for a reading-desk in embroidery, . border for couvrettes, guipure d'art, . borders for handkerchief, corner, in guipure d'art, , . borders, guipure d'art, , , . border, guipure d'art, . border in crochet and tatting, . border in oriental embroidery, . border in tatting and crochet, . border in tatting and crochet, . border in tatting and crochet, . border in tatting and lace stitch, . border in tatting, with beads, . border in tatting, with crochet edging, . border, knitted, . border, tatting, . borders, two crochet, , . border, with beads, tatted, . bouquet, embroidered, for travelling-bag, . braces, embroidered, . braces, knitted, . brioche cushion in crochet, . butterfly, embroidered, for handkerchief corner, . cap, border for, in tatting, . cap crown in tatting, . cap in tatting, , . chenille, basket embroidered in, . cigar-case, embroidered, . circle for collars, cuffs, &c., in tatting, . circle in tatting, . circle in tatting, . circle in tatting, . collar in tatting, . collar in tatting and darned netting, . collar, linen, trimmed with tatting, . collar, linen, trimmed with tatting, . collar, pine pattern, in tatting, . collar, tatted, . collar, trimming for, in tatting, . collar, trimming for, in tatting, . comforters, &c., knitting stitch for, . convolvulus leaf insertion in embroidery, . corner borders in guipure d'art, , . corner borders in guipure d'art, , . corner borders in guipure d'art, , . corner for handkerchief in point russe embroidery, . corner in embroidery, . corner in embroidery, . cotton, tatting, page . couvrette, centre of a tatted, . couvrette, daisy pattern for a, in crochet, . couvrette for arm-chair in crochet, . couvrette in appliqué, embroidery, . couvrette in crochet, to . couvrette in tatting, . covering for a quilted counterpane in embroidery, . cravats, &c., in embroidery, patterns for, . cravats, &c., in embroidery, patterns for, . cravat in tatting, . cravat end in embroidery, . cravat end in embroidery, . cravat end in raised embroidery, . cravat end in tatting, . cravat end in tatting, . cravat end in tatting and darned netting, . cravat end, oval, in tatting, . cravat in muslin and tatting, . cravat, muslin, embroidered, . crochet, antimacassar in, . crochet, arm-chair covered with, . crochet, arm-chair, patterns for, , . crochet bag, silk, over rings, . crochet basket, small, . crochet basket, . crochet basket, . crochet borders, , . crochet borders, two, , . crochet, brioche cushion, . crochet, couvrette for arm-chair, . crochet, couvrette in, to . crochet, daisy pattern for a couvrette in, . crochet d'oyleys in imitation of point lace. no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . crochet garter, . crochet, insertion, . crochet, insertion, . crochet, insertion, . crochet, insertion, . crochet, insertion, . crochet, insertion, . crochet instructions. crochet hook, page . foundation chain, double, . foundation chain, plain, . foundation chain, purl, . spots, raised, . spots, hollow, . spots, open work, . crochet, lace, . crochet, lace, . crochet, purse in, over rings, . crochet rosettes, , . crochet sovereign purse, . crochet, star in, . crochet, stars in, . crochet stitches. cross stitch, . cross treble stitch, , , . double long treble stitch, . double stitch, , . long double stitch, . long treble stitch, . purl stitch, . purl stitch, . purl stitch, . raised treble stitch, . raised ribbed stitch, . raised slanting stitch, . slip stitch, . treble stitch, . crochet trimming for a lady's chemise, . crochet trimming, with embroidered flowers worked in appliqué and velvet ribbon, . crochet work, tobacco-pouch in, , . crochet work, work-basket in straw and, , . curtains, knitted pattern for, . daisy pattern for a crochet couvrette, . dalecarlian lace, . diamond in tatting, . diamond in tatting, . diamond in tatting, . diamond in tatting, . diamond netting, . diamond tatting for collars, &c., . d'oyleys, crochet, in imitation of point lace. no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . no. , . d'oyley, knitted, . edgings and purled edgings, point lace. antwerp, . point d'angleterre, . point de bruxelles, , point d'espagne, . point de venise, . sorrento, . edging, embroidered, . embroidered border, . embroidered border, . embroidered bouquet for travelling bag, . embroidered braces, . embroidered braces, full-sized pattern for, . embroidered braces, full-sized pattern for, . embroidered butterfly for handkerchief corner, . embroidered cigar-case, . embroidered edging, . embroidered handkerchief, . embroidered hanging letter-case, . embroidered in chenille, basket, . embroidered key-bag, . embroidered key-bag, . embroidered knife-basket, . embroidered knife-basket, . embroidered lace insertion, . embroidered lady's purse, . embroidered letter-case, pattern for, . embroidered linen collar, . embroidered linen collar, . embroidered needle-book, pattern for, . embroidered needle-book, pattern for, . embroidered penwiper, full-sized circle for, . embroidered slipper, on java canvas, . embroidered slipper, point russe stitch for, . embroidered what-not, in the shape of a hammock, , . embroidery, acacia spray in, . embroidery and stitching, insertion in, . embroidery, appliqué, couvrette in, . embroidery border for a reading-desk, . embroidery, border in oriental, . embroidery, convolvulus leaf insertion in, . embroidery, corner for handkerchief in point russe, . embroidery, corner in, . embroidery, corner in, . embroidery, covering for a quilted counterpane in, . embroidery, cravat end in, . embroidery, cravat end in, . embroidery, cravat end in raised, . embroidery, fuchsia spray in, . embroidery, glove-box in, . embroidery, glove-box in, . embroidery, handkerchief border in, . embroidery, handkerchief in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery, insertion in, . embroidery instructions, p. . bead partly covered, . blossom in satin stitch, , . bluebell, . bluebell, inner part, . bluebell, part of, . borders, , . ear of corn, . flower, . flower in satin stitch, . flower appliquéd on net, , heartsease, . initials, to . insertions, to . leaf, . leaf in raised satin stitch, , . leaf, raised, , . leaf, raised, . leaf, half of, . leaf, centre of, . raised embroidered leaf, . raised flower, . raised leaf, . raised leaf, . raised satin stitch leaf, , . rose in satin stitch, . rose, petal for, . star, . star in point de reprise, . star in satin stitch, . stitch, embroidery. stitch, back, . stitch, button and eyelet holes, , . stitch, button-hole scallop, to . stitch, double overcast, . stitch, knotted, , , . stitch, ladder, , . stitch, overcast, . stitch, point croisé, , . stitch, point de minute, . stitch, point de plume, . stitch, embroidery--_continued_. stitch, satin, raised, , . stitch, scallop, . stitch, shaded button-hole, , . stitch, slanting overcast, . embroidery, medallion for a purse in, . embroidery, medallion for a purse in, . embroidery, medallion in point russe, . embroidery, medallion in point russc, . embroidery, monograms and initials in. embroidery, alphabet in coral stitch, . embroidery, alphabet in floral, . embroidery, alphabet in florid style, . embroidery, alphabet in forget-me-nots, . embroidery, alphabet, point d'or, . embroidery, alphabet, raised satin stitch, . embroidery, alphabet in satin stitch, . embroidery, alphabet scalloped, . embroidery, alphabet, small, . embroidery, initials in, to . embroidery, monograms in, to . embroidery, names in, to . embroidery, sampler in, . embroidery, star alphabet, capitals, . embroidery, star alphabet, small, . embroidery, white, alphabet in, . embroidery, pattern for collars, cuffs, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for collars, cuffs, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for cravats, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for cravats, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for cravat ends, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for cravat ends, &c., in, . embroidery, pattern for trimming lingeries in, , . embroidery pattern for what-not (full size), . embroidery, penwiper in, , . embroidery, rose-leaf in, . embroidery, sandwich-case in, . embroidery stars, , , . embroidery stars, , . embroidery, table-napkin ring in, . embroidery, tobacco-pouch in, . embroidery, tobacco-pouch in, . embroidery, travelling-bag in, . embroidery, trimming in, for bodices, . embroidery, venetian border in, . embroidery, venetian, lappet or sash end in, . embroidery, waste-paper basket in, . embroidery, white, toilet-cushion cover in, , , . embroidery, wing of bird, . embroidery, work-bag in, . embroidery, wreath in, for centre of pincushion or toilet-mat, . english netting, fichu, netted, , . flower in guipure d'art, . frame for guipure d'art . full-sized circle for embroidered pen-wiper, . fuchsia spray in embroidery, . garter, crochet, . glove-box in embroidery, . glove-box in embroidery, . gauge, knitting, . guipure d'art. guipure d'art, banner-screen in, , . guipure d'art, border for couvrettes in, . guipure d'art t, borders for handkerchief, corner, , . guipure d'art, borders in, , , . guipure d'art, border in, . guipure d'art, corner borders in, , . guipure d'art, corner borders in, , . guipure d'art, corner borders in, , . guipure d'art, flower in, . guipure d'art, frame for, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertion in, . gaipure d'art, insertion in, . guipure d'art, insertions, &c., in, to . guipure d'art, instructions in, p. . guipure d'art jewel-case cover, . guipure d'art, jewel-case covered in, . guipure d'art, lace borders for veils in, . guipure d'art, lace border in, . guipure d'art, parasol-cover in, . guipure d'art, quarter square in, . guipure d'art, rosettes in, . guipure d'art, rosettes in, , . guipure d'art stitches. grounding, to . point de bruxelles, , . point d'esprit, . point de feston, . point de reprise, , . point de toile, . stars, to . wheels, to . guipure d'art, scent-sachet in, . guipure d'art, small squares, . guipure d'art, squares for antimacassar, , . guipure d'art, square for d'oyley in, . guipure d'art, squares in, for dresses, , . guipure d'art, square in, . guipure d'art, square in, . guipure d'art, square in, . guipure d'art, squares in, , . guipure d'art, squares in, to . guipure d'art, squares in, , a. guipure d'art, squares in, , . (guipure d'art), square in reticella work, . (guipure d'art), square in reticella work, enlarged, . guipure d'art, work-basket covered with, . guipure d'art, work-case in, , . handkerchief border in embroidery, . handkerchief in embroidery, . hanging letter-case embroidered, . honiton guipure lace, . insertion, crochet, . insertion, crochet, . insertion, crochet, . insertion, crochet, . insertion, crochet, . insertion, crochet, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery, . insertion in embroidery and stitching, . insertion in guipure d art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertion in guipure d'art, . insertions in guipure d'art, to . insertions in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting, . insertion in tatting and crochet, . insertion in tatting and crochet, . insertion in tatting and lace stitch, . insertion in tatting for trimming lingeries, . insertion, knitted, . insertion, wide, tatting, . insertion, wide, tatting, . insertion, wide, tatting, . insertion, worked in tatting, . instructions in berlin wool work, p. . berlin work, borders in, to . berlin stitches. common cross stitch, . damask stitch, . leviathan stitch, , . leviathan double stitch, . long cross stitch, , . plaited stitch, . plush stitch, . raised or velvet stitch, . rep stitch, . slanting cross stitch, . slanting gobelin stitch, . straight gobelin stitch, . tent stitch, . instructions in crochet. crochet hook, p. . foundation chain, double, . foundation chain, plain, . foundation chain, purl, . spots, raised, . spots, hollow, . spots, open work, . instructions in embroidery. bead partly covered, . blossom in satin stitch, , . bluebell, . bluebell, inner part, . bluebell, part of, . borders, , . ear of corn, . flower, . flower in satin stitch, . flower appliquéd on net, . heartsease, . initials, to . insertions, to . leaf, . leaf, half of, . leaf, centre of, . leaf in raised satin stitch, , . leaf, raised, , . leaf, raised, . raised embroidered leaf, . raised flower, . raised leaf, . raised leaf, . raised satin stitch leaf, , . rose in satin stitch, . rose, petal for, . star, . star in point de reprise, . star in satin stitch, . stitch, embroidery. stitch, back, . stitch, button and eyelet holes, , . stitch, button-hole scallop, to . stitch, double overcast, . stitch, knotted, , , . stitch, ladder, , . stitch, overcast, . stitch, point croisé, , . stitch, point de minute, . stitch, point de plume, . stitch, satin raised, , . stitch, scallop, . stitch, shaded button-hole, , . stitch, slanting overcast, . instructions in guipure d'art, p. . instructions in tatting. joining the work, p. v. pin, tatting, p. ii. shuttles, tatting, pp. i, iii. the way to hold the hands, p. iii. the way to make a loop in tatting, p. iv. the way to make a purl, p. v. the way to make a stitch in tatting, p. iv. jewel-case cover, guipure d'art, . jewel-case covered in guipure d'art, . key-bag, embroidered, . key-bag, embroidered, . knee-cap, knitted, . knife-basket, embroidered, . knife-basket, embroidered, . knitted antimacassar, to . knitted baby's boot, . knitted bodice, , . knitted border, . knitted border for bed-quilt, . knitted braces, . knitted comforters, pattern for, . knitted counterpanes, pattern for, . knitted cover for sofa-cushion, , . knitted curtains, patterns for, . knitted d'oyley, . knitted insertion, . knitted knee-cap, . knitted neckerchief, . knitted pattern, . knitted pattern, with embroidery, . knitted purse, lady's, . knitted quilt, . knitted shawl, to . knitted sleeping sock, . knitted sock for a child, . knitted table-cover, , . knitted veil, , . knitting cotton, table of sizes of, p. . knitting gauge, . knitting, looped, . knitting, materials required for, . knitting needles, . knitting on, . knitting, rosette for antimacassar in, . knitting stitches. brioche stitch, . casting off, . casting on, . decreasing, . increasing, . knitting on, . knotted stitch, . looped knitting, . moss borders, . peacock's tail pattern, . picking up stitches, . plain knitting, . purling, . round knitting, . spiral stitch, . knitting stitch for comforters, &c., . lace, bedford plaited ( ), . (lace, black), buckingham point troll ( ), . lace border for veils in guipure d'art . lace border in guipure d'art, . lace, crochet, . lace, crochet, . lace, dalecarlian, . lace, deep, in tatting, . lace edging in tatting, . lace edging in tatting, . lace, honiton guipure, . lace insertion, embroidered, . lace in tatting and crochet, . lace, mechlin (queen charlotte's), lace, netted, . lace, netted, open, . lace, old mechlin, . lace point. braid, placing the, . braids, to . cords, p. . edgings, to . general directions for working, pp. , . materials required, p. . modes of working dots and picots, , . scissors for, . threads, sizes of, p. . lace, tatted, . lace, tatted, . lady's embroidered purse, . lady's veil in net and tatting, , . lappet or sash-end in. venetian embroidery, . linen collar embroidered, . linen collar embroidered, . linen tatting-bag, . linen bag for tatting cotton, . looped knitting, . materials required fur knitting, . materials required for netting. . mechlin lace (queen charlotte's), . medallion for a purse in embroidery, . medallion for a purse in embroidery, . medallion for trimming lingeries in tatting, . medallion in point russe embroidery, . medallion in point russe embroidery, . medallion, tatting, . mignardise and tatting, . monograms and initials in embroidery. alphabet, coral stitch embroidery, . alphabet, floral embroidery, . alphabet, florid style of embroidery, . alphabet, forget-me-nots (embroidered), . alphabet, point d'or (embroidered), . alphabet, raised satin stitch embroidery, . alphabet, satin stitch (embroidered), . alphabet, scalloped, in embroidery, . alphabet, small, in embroidery, . alphabet, star, capitals, in embroidery, . alphabet, star, small, in embroidery, . alphabet, white, embroidery, . initials in embroidery, to . monograms in embroidery, to . names in embroidery, to . sampler in embroidery, . muslin cravat, embroidered, . neckerchief, knitted, . needle and mesh for netting, . needles, knitting, . netted fichu, , . netted lace, . netted nightcaps, , . netted open lace, . netted shell border, . netting, . netting, . netting stitches. diamond, . english, . bound, , . square, . netting, materials required for, . netting needle and mesh, . nightcaps, netted, , . old mechlin lace, . on knitting, . parasol-cover in guipure d'art, . patterns for arm-chair crochet borders, , . pattern for a couvrette in appliqué, to . pattern for collars, cuffs, &c., in embroidery, . pattern for collars, cuffs, &c., in embroidery, . pattern for cravats, &c., in embroidery, . pattern for cravats, &c., in embroidery, . patterns, embroidery, for what-not (full size), . pattern for cravat ends, &c., in embroidery, . pattern for cravat ends, &c., in embroidery, . pattern for embroidered braces (full size), . pattern for embroidered braces (full size), . pattern for embroidered letter-case, . pattern for embroidered needle-book, . pattern for embroidered needle-book, . pattern for knitted comforters, . pattern for knitted counterpanes, . pattern for trimming lingeries in embroidery, , . patterns for veil in tatting, , . pattern, knitted, . patterns, point lace. alphabet, . alphabet, description of, to . bars, d'alençon and sorrento, . borders, , . collars, , . cravat end, . design for point lace collar, lappets, &c., . dress trimming, . edgings, , . handkerchief border, . insertion (limoges), . lappet, . lappet, . letter __a in point lace, , . medallion, . oval for cravats, . star, . toilet cushion centre, . wheels, close english, . penwiper in embroidery, , . point lace. braid, placing the, . braids, to . cords, p. . edgings, to . general directions for working, , . materials required, p. . modes of working dots or picots, , . scissors for, . threads, sizes of, p. . point lace bars. d'alençon, . point d'angleterre, . point de venise, edged, . point de venise, dotted, . raleigh, , . sorrento, , . sorrento, dotted, . venetian, plain, , , . point lace edgings and purled edgings. antwerp, . point d'angleterre, . point do bruxelles, . point d'espagne, . point de venise, . sorrento, . point lace patterns. alphabet, . alphabet, description of, , . bars, d'alençon and sorrento, . borders, , . collars, , . cravat end, . design for point lice collar, lappets, &c., . dress trimming, . edgings, , . handkerchief border, . insertion (limoges), . lappet, . lappet, . letter _a_ in point lace, , . medallion, . oval for cravats, . star, . toilet cushion centre, . wheels, close english, . point lace stitches. brussels lace, , . escalier lace, . mechlin lace, . point d'angleterre, . point d'angleterre, enlarged, . point d'anvers, . point d'alençon, . point d'alençon, . point brabançon, . point de bruxelles, , . point de cordova, . point d'espagne, . point d'espagne; close, . point d' espagne, treble, . point de fillet, . point de fillet and point reprise, . point de grecque, , . point de reprise. . point de tulle, . point turque, . point de valenciennes, . point de venise, . point de venise, petit, . spanish point, . point lace wheel and rosettes. english, plain, . english, raised, . mechlin, . rosette for centres, . sorrento, , . wheels and rosettes, , . point russe stitch for embroidered slipper, . purse, crochet sovereign, . purse in crochet over rings, . parse in tatting and beads, . purse, knitted, . quarter-square in guipure d'art, . quilt, knitted, . rose-leaf in embroidery, . rosettes, crochet, , . rosettes, embroidery and tatting, , , . rosette for antimacassar in knitting, . rosettes in guipure d'art, , , . rosette in tatting, . rosette in tatting, . rosette in tatting, . rosette in tatting, . rosette in tatting and embroidery, . rosette in tatting and embroidery, . rosette in tatting and embroidery, . round netting, , . sandwich-case in embroidery, . scent-sachet in guipure d'art, . shawl, knitted, to . shell border, netted, . sleeping sock, knitted, . slipper, embroidered on java canvas, . sock, knitted, for a child, . sofa-cushion, knitted cover for, , . squares for antimacassar in guipure d'art, , . square for d'oyley in guipure d art, . square, guipure d'art, . square, guipure d'art, . square, guipure d'art, . squares, guipure d'art, , . squares in guipure d'art, to . squares in guipure d'art, , a. squares in guipure d'art, , . squares in guipure d'art for dresses, , . square in reticella work (guipure d'art), . square in reticella work (guipure d'art), enlarged, . square in tatting for pincushion or couvrette, . square netting, . squares, small, in guipure d'art, . star, crochet, . stars in crochet, . stars in embroidery, , , . stars in embroidery, , . star in tatting, . stitches, crochet. cross stitch, . cross treble stitch, , , . double long treble stitch, . double stitch, , . long double stitch, . long treble stitch, . purl stitch, . purl stitch, . purl stitch, . raised treble stitch, . raised ribbed stitch, . raised slanting stitch, . slip stitch, . treble stitch, . stitches, guipure d'art. grounding, to . point de bruxelles, , . point d'esprit, . point de feston, . point de reprise, , . point de toile, . stars, to . wheels, to . stitches, knitting. brioche stitch, . casting off, . casting on, . decreasing, . increasing, . knitting on, . knotted stitch, . looped knitting, . moss borders, . peacock-tail pattern, . picking up stitches, . plain, . purling, . round knitting, . spiral stitch, . stitches, netting. diamond, . english, . round, , . square, . stitches, point lace. brussels lace, , . escalier lace, . mechlin lace, . point d'alençon, . point d'alençon, . point d'angleterre, . point d'angleterre, enlarged, point d'anvers, . point brabançon, . point de bruxelles, , . point de cordova, . point d'espagne, . point d'espagne, close, . point d'espagne, treble, . point de fillet, . point de fillet and point reprise, . point de grecque, , . point de reprise, . point de tulle, . point turque, . point de valenciennes, , point de venise, . point de venise, petit, . spanish point, . table-cover, knitted, , . table-napkin ring in embroidery, . table of sizes of knitting cotton, p. . tatting and beads, purse in, . tatting and crochet, border in, . tatting and crochet, border in, . tatting and crochet, insertion in, . tatting and crochet, insertion in, . tatting and crochet, lace in, . tatting and darned netting, collar in, . tatting and darned netting, cravat-end in, . tatting and embroidery, rosette in, . tatting and embroidery, rosette in, . tatting and embroidery, rosette in, . tatting and lace stitch, insertion in, . tatting and mignardise, . tatting and muslin, cravat in, . tatting and net, lady's veil in, , . tatting, antimacassar in, . tatting-bag, linen, . tatting, border, . tatting, border for cap in. . tatting, border in crochet and, . tatting, border in crochet and, . tatting, border in, with crochet edging, , . tatting, border in lace stitch and, . tatting, border, with beads, . tatting, cap-crown in, . tatting, cap in, , . tatting, circle for collars, cuffs, &c., in, . tatting, circle in, . tatting, circle in, . tatting, circle in, . tatting, collar in, . tatting, collar in, . tatting, collar, pine pattern in, . tatting-cotton, p. . tatting-cotton, linen bag for, . tatting, couvrette, centre of a, . tatting, cravat-end in, . tatting, cravat-end in, . tatting, oval cravat-end in, . tatting, cravat in, . tatting, deep border in crochet and, . tatting, deep lace in, . tatting, diamond in, . tatting, diamond in. . tatting, diamond in, . tatting, diamond in, . tatting, diamond, for collars, &c., . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion, . tatting, insertion in, for trimming lingeries, . tatting, insertion worked in, . tatting instructions. joining the work, p. v. pin, tatting, p. ii. shuttles, tatting, pp. i, iii. the way to hold the hands, p. iii. the way to make aloop in tatting, p. iv. the way to make a purl, p. v. the way to make a stitch in tatting, p. iv. tatting, lace, . tatting, lace, . tatting, lace edging in, . tatting, lace edging in, . tatting, linen collar trimmed with, . tatting, linen collar trimmed with, . tatting, medallion for trimming lingeries in, . tatting, oval cravat-end in, . tatting, patterns for veils in, , . tatting, rosette in, . tatting, rosette in, . tatting, rosette in, . tatting, rosette in, . tatting, square in, for pincushion or couvrette, . tatting, star in, . tatting, trimming for collar in, . tatting, trimming for collar in, . tatting, wide insertion in, . tatting, wide insertion in, . tatting, wide insertion in, . tatting, with beads, border in, , tobacco-pouch in crochet work, , . tobacco-pouch in embroidery, . tobacco-pouch in embroidery, . toilet-cushion cover in white embroidery, , , . travelling-bag in embroidery, . trimming, crochet, with embroidered flowers worked in appliqué and velvet ribbon, . tramming for a lady's chemise, in crochet, . trimming in embroidery for bodices, . veil, knitted, , . veil, lady's, in net and tatting, , . veils, patterns for, in tatting, . venetian border in embroidery, . waste-paper basket in embroidery, . what-not, embroidered in the shape of a hammock, , . wheels and rosettes, point lace. english plain, . english raised, . mechlin, . rosette for centres, . sorrento, , . wheels and rosettes, , . wing of bird in embroidery, . work-bag in embroidery, . work-basket covered with guipure d'art, . work-basket in straw and silk crochet* work, , . work-case in guipure d'art, , . wreath in embroidery for centre of pin-cushion or toilet-mat, . * * * * * produced from scanned images of public domain material from the google print project.) transcriber's note words in {curly brackets} were abbreviated in the original text, and have been expanded for this etext. greek is indicated with plus symbols, +like this+. the art of needle-work, from the earliest ages; including some notices of the ancient historical tapestries edited by the right honourable the countess of wilton. "i write the needle's prayse." _third edition._ london: henry colburn, publisher, great marlborough street. . to her most gracious majesty the queen dowager this little work, intended to illustrate the history and progress of an art ennobled by her majesty's practice, and by her example recommended to the women of england, is, by her majesty's most gracious permission, inscribed, with the utmost respect, by her majesty's most grateful and most obedient servant, the authoress. preface. if there be one mechanical art of more universal application than all others, and therefore of more universal interest, it is that which is practised with the needle. from the stateliest denizen of the proudest palace, to the humblest dweller in the poorest cottage, all more or less ply the busy needle; from the crying infant of a span long and an hour's life, to the silent tenant of "the narrow house," all need its practical services. yet have the needle and its beautiful and useful creations hitherto remained without their due meed of praise and record, either in sober prose or sounding rhyme,--while their glittering antithesis, the scathing and destroying sword, has been the theme of admiring and exulting record, without limit and without end! the progress of real civilization is rapidly putting an end to this false _prestige_ in favour of the "destructive" weapon, and as rapidly raising the "conservative" one in public estimation; and the time seems at length arrived when that triumph of female ingenuity and industry, "the art of needlework" may be treated as a fitting subject of historical and social record--fitting at least for a female hand. the chief aim of this volume is that of affording a comprehensive record of the most noticeable facts, and an entertaining and instructive gathering together of the most curious and pleasing associations, connected with "the art of needlework," from the earliest ages to the present day; avoiding entirely the dry technicalities of the art, yet furnishing an acceptable accessory to every work-table--a fitting tenant of every boudoir. the authoress thinks thus much necessary in explanation of the objects of a work on what may be called a maiden topic, and she trusts that that leniency in criticism which is usually accorded to the adventurer on an unexplored track will not be withheld from her. contents. chapter i. page introductory chapter ii. early needlework chapter iii. needlework of the tabernacle chapter iv. needlework of the egyptians chapter v. needlework of the greeks and romans chapter vi. the dark ages.--"shee-schools" chapter vii. needlework of the dark ages chapter viii. the bayeux tapestry.--part i. chapter ix. the bayeux tapestry.--part ii. chapter x. needlework of the times of romance and chivalry chapter xi. tapestry chapter xii. romances worked in tapestry chapter xiii. needlework in costume.--part i. chapter xiv. needlework in costume.--part ii. chapter xv. "the field of the cloth of gold" chapter xvi. the needle chapter xvii. tapestry from the cartoons chapter xviii. the days of "good queen bess" chapter xix. the tapestry of the spanish armada; better known as the tapestry of the house of lords chapter xx. on stitchery chapter xxi. "les anciennes tapisseries." tapestry of st. mary hall, coventry. tapestry of hampton court chapter xxii. embroidery chapter xxiii. needlework on books chapter xxiv. needlework of royal ladies chapter xxv. modern needlework the art of needlework. introduction. chapter i. "le donne son venute in eccellenza di ciascun'arte, ove hanno posto cura; e qualunque all'istorie abbia avvertenza, ne sente ancor la fama non oscura. * * * * * e forse ascosi han lor debiti onori l'invidia, o il non saper degli scrittori." ariosto. in all ages woman may lament the ungallant silence of the historian. his pen is the record of sterner actions than are usually the vocation of the gentler sex, and it is only when fair individuals have been by extraneous circumstances thrown out, as it were, on the canvas of human affairs--when they have been forced into a publicity little consistent with their natural sphere--that they have become his theme. consequently those domestic virtues which are woman's greatest pride, those retiring characteristics which are her most becoming ornament, those gentle occupations which are her best employment, find no record on pages whose chief aim and end is the blazoning of manly heroism, of royal disputations, or of trumpet-stirring records. and if this is the case even with historians of enlightened times, who have the gallantry to allow woman to be a component part of creation, we can hardly wonder that in darker days she should be utterly and entirely overlooked. mohammed asserted that women had no souls; and moreover, that, setting aside the "diviner part," there had only existed _four_ of whom the mundane qualifications entitled them to any degree of approbation. before him, aristotle had asserted that nature only formed women when and because she found that the imperfection of matter did not permit her to carry on the world without them. this complimentary doctrine has not wanted supporters. "des hommes très sages ont écrit que la nature, dont l'intention et le dessein est toujours de tendre à la perfection, ne produirait s'il était possible, jamais que des hommes, et que quand il naît une femme c'est un monstre dans l'ordre de ses productions, né expressément contre sa volonté: ils ajoutent, que, comme on voit naître un homme aveugle, boiteux, ou avec quelqu'autre défaut nature; et comme on voit à certains arbres des fruits qui ne mûrissent jamais; ainsi l'on peut dire que la femme est un animal produit par accident et par le hasard."[ ] without touching upon this extreme assertion that woman is but "un monstre," an animal produced by chance, we may observe briefly, that women have ever, with some few exceptions,[ ] been considered as a degraded and humiliated race, until the promulgation of the christian religion elevated them in society: and that this distinction still exists is evident from the difference at this moment exhibited between the countries professing mohammedanism and those professing christianity. still, though in our happy country it is now pretty generally allowed that women are "des créatures humaines," it is no new remark that they are comparatively lightly thought of by the "nobler" gender. this is absolutely the case even in those countries where civilization and refinement have elevated the sex to a higher grade in society than they ever before reached. women are courted, flattered, caressed, extolled; but still the difference is there, and the "lords of the creation" take care that it shall be understood. their own pursuits--public, are the theme of the historian--private, of the biographer; nay, the every-day circumstances of life--their dinners--their speeches--their toasts--and their _post coenam_ eloquence, are noted down for immortality: whilst a woman with as much sense, with more eloquence, with lofty principles, enthusiastic feelings, and pure conduct--with sterling virtue to command respect, and the self-denying conduct of a martyr--steals noiselessly through her appointed path in life; and if she excite a passing comment during her pilgrimage, is quickly lost in oblivion when that pilgrimage hath reached its appointed goal. and this is but as it should be. woe to that nation whose women, as a habit, as a custom, as a matter of course, seek to intrude on the attributes of the other sex, and in a vain, a foolish, and surely a most unsuccessful pursuit of publicity, or power, or fame, forget the distinguishing, the high, the noble, the lofty, the pure and _unearthly_ vocation of their sex. every earthly charity, every unearthly virtue, are the legitimate object of woman's pursuit. it is hers to soothe pain, to alleviate suffering, to soften discord, to solace the time-worn spirit on earth, to train the youthful one for heaven. such is woman's magnificent vocation; and in the peaceful discharge of such duties as these she may be content to steal noiselessly on to her appointed bourne, "the world forgetting, by the world forgot." but these splendid results are not the effect of great exertions--of sudden, and uncertain, and enthusiastic efforts. they are the effect of a course, of a system of minor actions and of occupations, _individually_ insignificant in their appearance, and noiseless in their approach. they are like "the gentle dew from heaven" in their silent unnoted progress, and, like that, are known only by their blessed results. they involve a routine of minor duties which often appear, at first view, little if at all connected with such mighty ends. but such an inference would lead to a false conclusion. it is entirely of insignificant details that the sum of human life is made up; and any one of those details, how insignificant soever _apparently_ in itself, as a link in the chain of human life is of _definite_ relative value. the preparing of a spoonful of gruel may seem a very insignificant matter; yet who that stands by the sick-bed of one near and dear to him, and sees the fevered palate relieved, the exhausted frame refreshed by it, but will bless the hand that made it? it is not the independent intrinsic worth of each isolated action of woman which stamps its value--it is their bearing and effect on the mass. it is the daily and hourly accumulation of minute particles which form the vast amount. and if we look for that feminine employment which adds most absolutely to the comforts and the elegancies of life, to what other shall we refer than to needlework? the hemming of a pocket-handkerchief is a trivial thing in itself, yet it is a branch of an art which furnishes a useful, a graceful, and an agreeable occupation to one-half of the human race, and adds very materially to the comforts of the other half. how sings our own especial bard?-- "so long as garments shall be made or worne; so long as hemp, or flax, or sheep shall bear their linnen wollen fleeces yeare by yeare; so long as silkwormes, with exhausted spoile of their own entrailes, for mans gaine shall toyle: yea, till the world be quite dissolv'd and past, so long, at least, the needle's use shall last." 'tis true, indeed, that as far as _necessity_, rigidly speaking, is concerned, a very small portion of needlework would suffice; but it is also true that the very signification of the word necessity is lost, buried amidst the accumulations of ages. we talk habitually of _mere necessaries_, but the fact is, that we have hardly an idea of what merely necessities are. st. paul, the hermit, when abiding in the wilderness, might be reduced to necessities; and in that noble and exalted instance of high principle referred to by mr. wesley,[ ] where a person unknown to others, seeking no praise, and looking to no reward but the applaudings of his own conscience, bought a pennyworth of parsnips weekly, and on them, and them alone, with the water in which they were boiled, lived, that he might save money to pay his debts.--surely a man of such incorruptible integrity as this would spend nothing intentionally in superfluities of dress--and yet, mark how many he would have. his shirt would be "curiously wrought," his neckcloth neatly hemmed; his coat and waistcoat and trousers would have undergone the usual mysteries of shaping and seaming; his hat would be neatly bound round the edge; his stockings woven or knitted; his shoes soled and stitched and tied; neither must we debar him a pocket-handkerchief and a pair of gloves. and see what this man--as great, nay, a greater anchoret in his way than st. paul, for he had the world and its temptations all around, while the saint had fled from both--yet see what _he_ thought absolutely requisite in lieu of the sheepskin which was st. paul's wardrobe. see what was required "to cover and keep warm" in the eighteenth century,--nay, not even to "keep warm," for we did not allow either great-coat or comforter. see then what was required merely to "cover," and then say whether the art of needlework is a trivial one. could we, as in days of yore, when sylphs and fairies deigned to mingle with mortals, and shed their gracious influence on the scenes and actions of every-day life--could we, by some potent spell or by some fitting oblation, propitiate the genius of needlework, induce her to descend from her hidden shrine, and indulge her votaries with a glimpse of her radiant self--what a host of varied reminiscences would that glimpse conjure up in our minds, as-- "----guided by historic truth, we _trod_ the long extent of backward time!" she was twin born with necessity, the first necessity the world had ever known, but she quickly left this stern and unattractive companion, and followed many leaders in her wide and varied range. she became the handmaiden of fancy; she adorned the train of magnificence; she waited upon pomp; she decorated religion; she obeyed charity; she served utility; she aided pleasure; she pranked out fun; and she mingled with all and every circumstance of life. many changes and chances has it been her lot to behold. at one time honoured and courted, she was the acknowledged and cherished guest of the royal and noble. then in gorgeous drapery, begemmed with brilliants, bedropped with gold, she reigned supreme in hall and palace; or in silken tissue girt she adorned the high-born maiden's bower what time the "deeds of knighthood" were "in solemn canto" told. in still more rich array, in kingly purple, in regal tissue, in royal magnificence, she stood within the altar's sacred pale; and her robes, rich in tyrian dye, and glittering with ophir's gold, swept the hallowed pavement. when battle aroused the land she inspirited the host. when the banner was unfurled she pointed to the device which sent its message home to every heart; she displayed the cipher on the hero's pennon which nerved him sooner to relinquish life than it; she entwined those initials in the scarf, the sight of which struck fresh ardour into his breast. but she fell into disrepute, and was rejected from the halls of the noble. still was she ever busy, ever occupied, and not only were her services freely given to all who required them, but given with such winning grace that she required but to be once known to be ever loved--so exquisitely did she adapt herself to the peculiarities of all. with flowing ringlets and silken robe, carolling gaily as she worked, you would see her pinking the ruffles of the cavalier, and ever and anon adding to their piquancy by some new and dainty device: then you would behold her with smoothly plaited hair, and sad-coloured garment of serge, and looks like a november day, hemming the bands of a roundhead, and withal adding numerous layers of starch. with grave and sedate aspect she would shape and sew the uncomely raiment of a genevan divine; with neat-handed alacrity she would prepare the grave and becoming garments of the anglican church, though perhaps a gentle sigh would escape, a sigh of regret for the stately and glowing vestments of old: for they did honour to the house of god, not because they were stately and glowing, but because they were offerings of _our best_. in all the sweet charities of domestic life she has ever been a participant. often and again has she fled the splendid court, the glittering ball-room, and taken her station at the quiet hearth of the gentle and home-loving matron. she has lightened the weariness of many a solitary vigil, and she has heightened the enjoyment of many a social gossip. nor even while courted and caressed in courts and palaces did needlework absent herself from the habitations of the poor. oh no, she was their familiar friend, the daily and hourly companion of their firesides. and when she experienced, as all do experience, the fickleness of court favour, she was cherished and sheltered there. and there she remained, happy in her utility, till again summoned by royal mandate to resume her station near the throne. the illustrious and excellent lady who lately filled the british throne, and who reigned still more surely in the hearts of englishwomen, and who has most graciously permitted us to place her honoured name on these pages, allured needlework from her long seclusion, and reinstated her in her once familiar place among the great and noble. * * * * * fair reader! you see that this gentle dame needlework is of ancient lineage, of high descent, of courtly habits: will you not permit me to make you somewhat better acquainted? pray travel onward with me to her shrine. the way is not toilsome, nor is the track rugged; but, "where the silver fountains wander, where the golden streams meander," amid the sunny meads and flower-bestrewn paths of fancy and taste--there will she beguile us. do not then, pray do not, forsake me. footnotes: [ ] on aurait de la peine à se persuader qu'une pareille opinion eût été mise gravement en question dans un concile, et qu'on n'eût décidé en faveur des femmes qu'après un assez long examen. cependant le fait est très véritable, et ce fut dans le concile de macon. problème sur les femmes, où l'on essaye de prouver que les femmes ne sont point des créatures humaines.--_amsterdam, ._ [ ] as, for instance, the ancient germans, and their offshoots, the saxons, &c. [ ] southey's life; vol. ii. chapter ii. early needlework. "the use of sewing is exceeding old, as in the sacred text it is enrold: our parents first in paradise began." john taylor. "the rose was in rich bloom on sharon's plain, when a young mother, with her first-born, thence went up to sion; for the boy was vow'd unto the temple service. by the hand she led him; and her silent soul the while, oft as the dewy laughter of his eye met her sweet serious glance, rejoic'd to think that aught so pure, so beautiful, was hers, to bring before her god." hemans. in speaking of the origin of needlework it will be necessary to define accurately what we mean by the term "needlework;" or else, when we assert that eve was the first sempstress, we may be taken to task by some critical antiquarian, because we may not be able precisely to prove that the frail and beautiful mother of mankind made use of a little weapon of polished steel, finely pointed at one end and bored at the other, and "warranted not to cut in the eye." assuredly we do not mean to assert that she did use such an instrument; most probably--we would _almost_ venture to say most _certainly_--she did not. but then again the cynical critic would attack us:--"you say that eve was the first professor of _needle_work, and yet you disclaim the use of a needle for her." no, good sir, we do not. like other profound investigators and original commentators, we do not annihilate one hypothesis ere we are prepared with another, "ready cut and dried," to rise, like any fabled phoenix, on the ashes of its predecessor. it is not long since we were edified by a conversation which we heard, or rather overheard, between two sexagenarians--both well versed in antiquarian lore, and neither of them deficient in antiquarian tenacity of opinion--respecting some theory which one of them wanted to establish about some aborigines. the concluding remark of the conversation--and we opined that it might as well have formed the commencement--was-- "if you want to lay down _facts_, you must follow history; if you want to establish a system, it is quite easy to place the people where you like." so, if i wished to "establish a system," i could easily make eve work with a "superfine drill-eyed needle:" but this is not my object. it seems most probable that eve's first needle was a thorn: "before man's fall the rose was born, st. ambrose sayes, without the thorn; but, for man's fault, then was the thorn, without the fragrant rosebud, born." why thorns should spring up at the precise moment of the fall is difficult to account for in a world where everything has its use, except we suppose that they were meant for needles: and general analogy leads us to this conclusion; for in almost all existing records of people in what we are pleased to call a "savage" state, we find that women make use of this primitive instrument, or a fish-bone. "avant l'invention des aiguilles d'acier, on a dû se servir, à leur défaut, d'épines, ou d'arêtes de poissons, ou d'os d'animaux." and as eve's first specimen of needlework was certainly completed before the sacrifice of any living thing, we may safely infer that the latter implements were not familiar to her. the cimbrian inhabitants of britain passed their time in weaving baskets, or in sewing together for garments the skins of animals taken in the chase, while they used as needles for uniting these simple habiliments small bones of fish or animals rudely sharpened at one end; and needles just of the same sort were used by the inhabitants of the sandwich islands, when the celebrated captain cook first visited them. proceed we to the material of the first needlework. "they sewed themselves fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons." thus the earliest historical record; and thus the most esteemed poetical commentator. "those leaves they gather'd, broad as amazonian targe, and, with what skill they had, together sew'd, to gird their waist." it is supposed that the leaves alluded to here were those of the banian-tree, of which the leaves, says sir james forbes, are large, soft, and of a lively green; the fruit a small bright scarlet fig. the hindoos are peculiarly fond of this tree; they consider its long duration, its outstretching arms, and overshadowing beneficence, as emblems of the deity, and almost pay it divine honours. the brahmins, who thus "find a fane in every sacred grove," spend much of their time in religious solitude, under the shade of the banian-tree; they plant it near the dewals, or hindoo temples; and in those villages where there is no structure for public worship, they place an image under one of these trees, and there perform morning and evening sacrifice. the size of some of these trees is stupendous. sir james forbes mentions one which has three hundred and fifty _large_ trunks, the smaller ones exceeding three thousand; and another, whereunder the chief of the neighbourhood used to encamp in magnificent style; having a saloon, dining room, drawing-room, bedchambers, bath, kitchen, and every other accommodation, all in separate tents; yet did this noble tree cover the whole, together with his carriages, horses, camels, guards, and attendants; while its spreading branches afforded shady spots for the tents of his friends, with their servants and cattle. and in the march of an army it has been known to shelter seven thousand men. such is the banian-tree, the pride of hindûstan: which milton refers to as the one which served "our general mother" for her first essay in the art of needlework. "both together went into the thickest wood; there soon they chose the fig-tree; not that tree for fruit renown'd, but such as at this day, to indians known, in malabar or deccan spreads her arms, branching so broad and long, that in the ground the bended twigs take root, and daughters grow about the mother tree, a pillar'd shade high overarch'd, and echoing walks between: there oft the indian herdsman, shunning heat, shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds at loopholes cut through thickest shade: those leaves they gather'd, broad as amazonian targe; and, with what skill they had, together sew'd, to gird their waist." some of the most interesting incidents in holy writ turn on the occupation of needlework; slight sketches, nay, hardly so much, but mere touches which engage all the gentler, and purer, and holier emotions of our nature. for instance: the beloved child of the beautiful mother of israel, for whom jacob toiled fourteen years, which were but as one day for the love he bare her--this child, so eagerly coveted by his mother, so devotedly loved by his father, and who was destined hereafter to wield the destinies of such a mighty empire--had a token, a peculiar token, bestowed on him of his father's overwhelming love and affection. and what was it? "a coat of many colours;" probably including some not in general use, and obtained by an elaborate process. entering himself into the minutiæ of a concern, which, however insignificant in itself, was valuable in his eyes as giving pleasure to his boy, the fond father selects pieces of various-coloured cloth, and sets female hands, the most expert of his household, to join them together in the form of a coat. but, alas! to whom should he intrust the task? she whose fingers would have revelled in it, rachel the mother, was no more; her warm heart was cold, her busy fingers rested in the tomb. would his sister, would dinah execute the work? no; it was but too probable that she shared in the jealousy of her brothers. no matter. the father apportions the task to his handmaidens, and himself superintends the performance. with pleased eye he watches its progress, and with benignant smile he invests the happy and gratified child with the glowing raiment. this elaborate piece of work, the offering of paternal affection to please a darling child, was probably the simple and somewhat clumsy original of those which were afterwards embroidered and subsequently woven in various colours, and which came to be regarded as garments of dignity and appropriated to royalty; as it is said of tamar that "she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled." it is even now customary in india to dress a favourite or beautiful child in a coat of various colours tastefully _sewed together_; and it may not perhaps be very absurd to refer even to so ancient an origin as joseph's coat of many colours the superstition now prevalent in some countries, which teaches that a child clothed in a garment of many colours is safe from the blasting of malicious tongues or the machinations of evil spirits. in the book of samuel we read, "and hannah his mother, made him a little coat." this seems a trivial incident enough, yet how interesting is the scene which this simple mention conjures up! with all the earnest fervour of that separated race who hoped each one to be the honoured instrument of bringing a saviour into the world, hannah, then childless, prayed that this reproach might be taken from her. her prayer was heard, her son was born; and in holy gratitude she reared him, not for wealth, for fame, for worldly honour, or even for her own domestic comfort,--but, from his birth, and before his birth she devoted him as the servant of the most high. she indulged herself with his presence only till her maternal cares had fitted him for duty; and then, with a tearful eye it might be, and a faltering footstep, but an unflinching resolution, she devoted him to the altar of her god. but never did his image leave her mind: never amid the fair scions which sprang up and bloomed around her hearth did her thoughts forsake her first-born; and yearly, when she went up to the tabernacle with elkanah her husband, did she take him "a little coat" which she had made. we may fancy her quiet happy thoughts when at this employment; we may fancy the eager earnest questionings of the little group by whom she was surrounded; the wondering about their absent brother; the anxious catechisings respecting his whereabouts; and, above all, the admiration of the new garment itself, and the earnest criticisms on it; especially if in form and fashion it should somewhat differ from their own. and then arrives the moment when the garment is committed to its envelope; and the mother, weeping to part from her little ones, yet longing to see her absent boy, receives their adieux and their thousand reminiscences, and sets forth on her journey. again she treads the hallowed courts, again she meekly renews her vows, and again a mother's longings, a mother's hopes are quenched in the full enjoyment of a mother's love. beautiful and good, the blessing of heaven attending him, and throwing a beam of light on his fair brow, the pure and holy child appears like a seraph administering at that altar to which he had been consecrated a babe, and at which his ministry was sanctioned even by the voice of the most high himself, when in the solemn stillness of midnight he breathed his wishes into the heart of the child, and made him, infant as he was, the medium of his communications to one grown hoary in the service of the altar. the solemn duties ended, hannah invests her hopeful boy with the little coat, whilst her willing fingers lingeringly perform their office, as if loth to quit a task in which they so much delight. and then with meek step and grateful heart she wends her homeward way, and meditates tranquilly on the past interview, till the return of another year finds her again on her pilgrimage of love--the joyful bearer of another "little coat." and a high tribute is paid to needlework in the history of dorcas, who was restored to life by the apostle st. peter, by whom "all the widows stood weeping, and showing the coats and garments which dorcas made while she was with them." "in these were read the monuments of dorcas dead: these were thy acts, and thou shalt have these hung as honours o'er thy grave: and after us, distressed, should fame be dumb, thy very tomb would cry out, thou art blessed!" but it is not merely as an object of private and domestic utility that needlework is referred to in the bible. it was applied early to the service of the tabernacle, and the directions concerning it are very clear and specific; but before this time, and most probably as early as the time of abraham, rich and valuable raiment of needlework was accounted of as part of the _bonâ fide_ property of a wealthy man. when the patriarch's steward sought rebekah for the wife of isaac, he "brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and _raiment_." this "raiment" consisted, in all likelihood, of garments embroidered with gold, the handiwork, it may be, of the female slaves of the patriarch; such garments being in very great esteem from the earliest ages, and being then, as now, a component portion of those presents or offerings without which one personage hardly thought of approaching another. fashion in those days was not quite the chameleon-hued creature that she is at present; nor were the fabrics on which her fancy was displayed quite so light and airy: their gold _was_ gold--not silk covered with gilded silver; and consequently the raiment of those days, inwrought with slips of gold beaten thin and cut into spangles or strips, and sewed on in various patterns, sometimes intermingled with precious stones, would carry its own intrinsic value with it. this "raiment" descended from father to son, as a chased goblet and a massy wrought urn does now; and was naturally and necessarily inventoried as a portion of the property. the practice of making presents of garments is still quite usual amongst the eastern nations; and to such an excess was it carried with regard to those who, from their calling or any other circumstance, were in public favour, that, so late as the ninth century, bokteri, an illustrious poet of cufah, had so many presents made him, that at his death he was found possessed of a hundred complete suits of clothes, two hundred shirts, and five hundred turbans. horace, speaking of lucullus (who had pillaged asia, and first introduced asiatic[ ] refinements among the romans), says that, some persons having waited on him to request the loan of a hundred suits out of his wardrobe for the roman stage, he exclaimed--"a hundred suits! how is it possible for me to furnish such a number? however, i will look over them and send you what i have."--after some time he writes a note and tells them he had _five thousand_, to the whole or part of which they were welcome. in all the eastern world formerly, and to a great extent now, the arraying a person in a rich dress is considered a very high compliment, and it was one of the ancient modes of investing with the highest degree of subordinate power. thus was joseph arrayed by pharaoh, and mordecai by ahasueras. we all remember what important effects are produced by splendid robes in "the tale of the wonderful lamp," and in many other of those fascinating tales (which are allowed to be rigidly correct in the delineations of eastern life). they were doubtless esteemed the richest part of the spoil after a battle, as we find the mother of sisera apportioning them as his share, and reiterating her delighted anticipations of the "raiment of needlework" which should be his: "a prey of divers colours, of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil." job has many allusions to raiment as an essential part of "treasures" in the east; and our saviour refers to the same when he desires his hearers not to lay up for themselves "treasures" on earth, where _moth_ and rust corrupt. st. james even more explicitly: "go to now, ye rich men; weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. your gold and silver is cankered, and your garments are moth-eaten." the first notice we have of gold-wire or thread being used in embroidery is in exodus, in the directions given for the embroidery of the priests' garments: from this it appears that the metal was still used alone, being beaten fine and then rounded. this art the hebrews probably learnt from the egyptians, by whom it was carried to such an astonishing degree of nicety, that they could either weave it in or work it on their finest linen. and doubtless the productions of the hebrews now must have equalled the most costly and intricate of those of egypt. this the adornments of the tabernacle testify. footnote: [ ] persia had great wardrobes, where there were always many hundred habits, sorted, ready for presents, and the intendant of the wardrobe sent them to those persons for whom they were designed by the sovereign; more than forty tailors were always employed in this service. in turkey they do not attend so much to the richness as to the number of the dresses, giving more or fewer according to the dignity of the persons to whom they are presented, or the marks of favour the prince would confer on his guests. chapter iii. needlework of the tabernacle. "the cedars wave on lebanon, but judah's statelier maids are gone." byron. gorgeous and magnificent must have been the spectacle presented by that ancient multitude of israel, as they tabernacled in the wilderness of sinai. these steril solitudes are now seldom trodden by the foot of man, and the adventurous traveller who toils up their rugged steeps can scarce picture to himself a host sojourning there, so wild, so barren is the place, so fearful are the precipices, so dismal the ravines. on the spot where "moses talked with god" the grey and mouldering remnants of a convent attest the religious veneration and zeal of some of whom these ruins are the only memorial; and near them is a small chapel dedicated to the virgin, while religious hands have crowned even the summit of the steep ascent by "a house of prayer;" and at the foot of the sister peak, horeb, is an ancient greek convent, founded by the emperor justinian years ago, which is occupied still by some harmless recluses, the monotony of whose lives is only broken by the few and far between visits of the adventurous traveller, or the more frequent and startling interruptions of the wild arabs on their predatory expeditions. but neither church nor temple of any sort, nor inquiring traveller, nor prowling arab, varied the tremendous grandeur of the scene, when the israelitish host encamped there. weary and toilsome had been the pilgrimage from the base of the mountain where the desolation was unrelieved by a trace of vegetation, to the upper country or wilderness, called more particularly, "the desert of sinai," where narrow intersecting valleys, not destitute of verdure, cherished perhaps the lofty and refreshing palm. here in the ravines, in the valleys, and amid the clefts of the rocks, clustered the hosts of israel, while around them on every side arose lofty summits and towering precipices, where the eye that sought to scan their fearful heights was lost in the far-off dimness. far, far around, spread this savage wilderness, so frowning, and dreary, and desolate, that any curious explorer beyond the precincts of the camp would quickly return to the _home_ which its vicinity afforded even there. clustered closely as bees in a hive were the tents of the wandering race, yet with an order and a uniformity which even the unpropitious nature of the locality was not permitted to break; for, separated into tribes, each one, though sufficiently connected for any object of kindness or brotherhood, for public worship, or social intercourse, was inalienably distinct. and in the midst, extending from east to west, a length of fifty-five feet, was reared the splendid tabernacle. for god had said, "let them make me a sanctuary, that i may dwell among them;" and behold, "they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the lord. and every man with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the lord's offering: and every man with whom was found shittim-wood for any work of the service brought it. and all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. and all the women whose hearts stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. and the rulers brought onyx-stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; and spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense." and all these materials, which the "willing-hearted" offered in such abundance that proclamation was obliged to be made through the camp to stop their influx, had been wrought under the superintendence of bezaleel and aholiab, who were divinely inspired for the task; and the tabernacle was now completed, with the exception of some of the finest needlework, which had not yet received the finishing touches. but what was already done bore ample testimony to the skill, the taste, and the industry of the "wise-hearted" daughters of israel. the outer covering of the tabernacle, or that which lay directly over the framework of boards of which it was constructed, and hung from the roof down the sides and west end, was formed of tabash skins; over this was another covering of ram-skins dyed red; a hanging made of goats' hair, such as is still used in the tents of the bedouin arabs, had been spun and woven by the matrons of the congregation, to hang over the skins; and these substantial draperies were beautifully concealed by a first or inner covering of fine linen. on this the more youthful women had embroidered figures of cherubim in scarlet, purple, and light blue, entwined with gold. they had made also sacerdotal vestments, the "coats of fine linen" worn by all the priests, which, when old, were unravelled, and made into wicks burnt in the feast of tabernacles. they had made the "girdles of needlework," which were long, very long pieces of fine twined linen (carried several times round the body), and were embroidered with flowers in blue, and purple, and scarlet: the "robe of the ephod" also for the high priest, of light blue, and elaborately wrought round the bottom in pomegranates; and the plain ephods for the priests. but now the sun was declining in the western sky, and the busy artificers of all sorts were relaxing from the toil of the day. in a retired spot, apart from the noise of the camp, paced one in solitary meditation. stalwart he was in frame, majestic in bearing; he trod the earth like one of her princes; but the loftiness of his demeanour was forgotten when you looked on the surpassing benignity of his countenance. each accidental passer hushed his footstep and lowered his voice as he approached; more, as it should seem, from involuntary awe and reverence than from any understood prohibition. but with some of these loiterers a child of some four or five summers, in earnest chase after a brilliant fly, whose golden wings glittered in the sunlight, heedlessly pursued it even to the very path of the solitary, and to the interruption of his walk. hastily, and somewhat peremptorily, the father calls him away. the stranger looks up, and casting a glance around, from an eye to whose brilliance that of the eagle would look dim, he for the first time sees the little intruder. gently placing a hand on the child's head, "bless thee," he said, in a voice whose every tone was melody: "bless thee, little one; the blessing of the god of israel be upon thee," and calmly resumed his walk. the child, as if awed, mutely returned to his friends, who, after casting a glance of reverence and admiration, returned to the camp. here, scattered all around, are groups occupied in those varied kinds of busy idleness which will naturally engage the moments of an intelligent multitude at the close of an active day. here a knot of men in the pride of manhood, whose flashing eyes have lost none of their fire, whose raven locks are yet not varied by a single silver line, are talking politics--such politics as the warlike men of israel would talk, when discoursing of the promised land and the hostile hosts through whose serried ranks they must cut their intrepid way thither, and whom, impatient of all delay, they burn to engage. here were elder ones, "whose natural force" was in some degree "abated," and who were lamenting the decree, however justly incurred, which forbade them to lay their bones in the land of their lifelong hope; and here was a patriarch, bowed down with the weight of years, whose silver hairs lay on his shoulders, whose snow-white beard flowed upon his breast, who as he leaned upon his staff was recounting to his rapt auditors the dealing of jehovah with his people in ancient days; how the most high visited his father abraham, and had sworn unto jacob that his seed should be brought out of captivity, and revisit the promised land. "and behold," said the old man, "it will now come to pass." but what is passing in that detached portion of the camp? who sojourn in yonder tents which attract more general attention than all the others, and in which all ages and degrees seem interested? now a group of females are there, eagerly conversing; anon a hebrew mother leads her youthful and beautiful daughter, and seems to incite her to remain there; now a hoary priest enters, and in a few moments returns pondering; and anon a trio of more youthful levites with pleased and animated countenances return from the same spot. on a sudden is every eye turned thitherward; for he who just now paced the solitary glade--none other than the chosen leader of god's host, the majestic lawgiver, the meekest and the mightiest of all created beings--he likewise wends his way to these attractive tents. with him enters aaron, a venerable man, with hoary beard and flowing white robes; and follow him a majestic-looking female who was wont to lead the solemn dance--miriam the sister of aaron; and a youth of heroic bearing, in the springtime of that life whose maturity was spent in leading the chosen race to conquest in the promised land. with proud and pleased humility did the fair inmates of those tents, the most accomplished of israel's daughters, display to their illustrious visitors the "fine needlework" to which their time and talents had been for a long season devoted, and which was now on the eve of completion. the "holy garments" which god had commanded to be made "for glory and for beauty;" the pomegranates on the hem of the high priest's robe, wrought in blue and purple and scarlet; the flowers on his "girdle of needlework," glowing as in life; the border on the ephod, in which every varied colour was shaded off into a rich and delicate tracery of gold; and above all, that exquisite work, the most beautiful of all their productions--the veil which separated the "holy of holies," the place where the most high vouchsafed his especial presence, where none but the high priest might presume to enter, and he but once a year, from the remaining portions of the tabernacle. this beautiful hanging was of fine white linen, but the original fabric was hardly discernible amid the gorgeous tracery with which it was inwrought. the whole surface was covered with a profusion of flowers, intermixed with fanciful devices of every sort, except such as might represent the forms of animals--these were rigidly excluded. cherubims seemed to be hovering around and grasping its gorgeous folds; and if tradition and history be to be credited, this drapery merited, if ever the production of the needle did merit, the epithet which english talent has since rendered classical, "_needlework sublime_." long, despite the advancing shades of evening, would the visitors have lingered untired to comment upon this beautiful production, but one said, "behold!" and immediately all, following the direction of his outstretched arm, looked towards the tabernacle. there a thin spiral flame is seen to gleam palely through the pillar of smoke; but perceptibly it increases, and even while the eye is fixed it waxes stronger and brighter, and quickly though gradually the smoke has melted away, and a tall vivid flame of fire is in its place. higher and taller it aspires: its spiral flame waxes broader and broader, ascends higher and higher, gleams brighter and brighter, till it mingles in the very vault of heaven, with the beams of the setting sun which bathe in crimson fire the summits of sinai. in the eastern sky the stars gleam brightly in the pure transparent atmosphere; and ere long the moon casts pale radiant beams adown the dark ravines, and utters her wondrous lore to the silent hills and the gloomy waste. the sounds of toil are hushed; the weary labourer seeks repose; the toil-worn wanderer is at rest: the murmuring sounds of domestic life sink lower and lower; the breath of prayer becomes fainter and fainter; the voice of praise, the evensong of israel, comes stealing through the calm of evening, and now dies softly away. nought is heard but the password of the sentinels; the far-off shriek of the bat as it flaps its wings beneath the shadow of some fearful precipice; or the scream of the eagle, which, wheeling round the lofty summits of the mountain, closes in less and lesser circles, till, as the last faint gleam of evening is lost in the dark horizon, it drops into its eyrie. the moon and the stars keep their eternal watch; the beacon-light of god's immediate presence flames unchanged by time or chance. it may be that the appointed earthly shepherd of that chosen flock passes the still hours of night and solitude in communion with his god; but silence is over the wilderness, and the children of israel are at rest. chapter iv. needlework of the egyptians. "how is thy glory, egypt, pass'd away! weep, child of ruin, o'er thy humbled name! the wreck alone that marks thy deep decay now tells the story of thy former fame!" there can be little doubt that the jewish maidens were beholden to their residence in egypt for that perfectness of finish in embroidery which was displayed so worthily in the service of the tabernacle. egypt was at this time the seat of science, of art, and learning; for it was thought the highest summary which could be given of moses' acquirements to say that he was skilled in all the learning of the egyptians. by the researches of the curious, new proofs are still being brought to light of the perfection of their skill in various arts, and we are not without testimony that the practice of the lighter and more ornamental bore progress with that of the stupendous and magnificent. of these lighter pursuits we at present refer only to the art of needlework. the egyptian women were treated with courtesy, with honour, and even with deference: indeed, some historians have gone so far as to say that the women transacted public business, to the exclusion of the men, who were engaged in domestic occupations. this misapprehension may have arisen from the fact of men being at times engaged at the loom, which in all other countries was then considered as exclusively a feminine occupation; spinning, however, was principally, if not entirely, confined to women, who had attained to such perfection in the pretty and valuable art, that, though the egyptian yarn was all spun by the hand, some of the linen made from it was so exquisitely fine as to be called "woven air." and there are some instances recorded by historians which seem fully to bear out the appellation. for example: so delicate were the threads used for nets, that some of these nets would pass through a man's ring, and one person could carry a sufficient number of them to surround a whole wood. amasis king of egypt presented a linen corslet to the rhodians of which the threads were each composed of fibres; and he presented another to the lacedemonians, richly wrought with gold; and each thread of this corslet, though itself very fine, was composed of other threads all distinct. nor did these beautiful manufactures lack the addition of equally beautiful needlework. though the gold thread used at this time was, as we have intimated, solid metal, still the egyptians had attained to such perfection in the art of moulding it, that it was fine enough not merely to embroider, but even to interweave with the linen. the linen corslet of amasis, presented, as we have remarked, to the lacedemonians, surpassingly fine as was the material, was worked with a needle in figures of animals in gold thread, and from the description given of the texture of the linen we may form some idea of the exquisite tenuity of the gold wire which was used to ornament it. corslets of linen of a somewhat stronger texture than this one, which was doubtless meant for merely ornamental wear, were not uncommon amongst the ancients. the greeks made thoraces of hide, hemp, linen, or twisted cord. of the latter there are some curious specimens in the interesting museum of the united service club. alexander had a double thorax of linen; and iphicrates ordered his soldiers to lay aside their heavy metal cuirass, and go to battle in hempen armour. and among the arms painted in the tomb of rameses iii. at thebes is a piece of defensive armour, a sort of coat or covering for the body, made of rich stuff, and richly embroidered with the figures of lions and other animals. the dress of the egyptian ladies of rank was rich and somewhat gay: in its general appearance not very dissimilar from the gay chintzes of the present day, but of more value as the material was usually linen; and though sometimes stamped in patterns, and sometimes interwoven with gold threads, was much more usually worked with the needle. the richest and most elegant of these were of course selected to adorn the person of the queen; and when in the holy book the royal psalmist is describing the dress of a bride, supposed to have been pharaoh's daughter, and that she shall be brought to the king "in raiment of needlework," he says, as proof of the gorgeousness of her attire, "her clothing is of wrought gold." this is supposed to mean a garment richly embroidered with the needle in figures in gold thread, after the manner of egyptian stitchery. perhaps no royal lady was ever more magnificently dowered than the queen of egypt; her apparel might well be gorgeous. diodorus says that when moeris, from whom the lake derived its name, and who was supposed to have made the canal, had arranged the sluices for the introduction of the water, and established everything connected with it, he assigned the sum annually derived from this source as a dowry to the queen for the purchase of jewels, ointments, and other objects connected with the toilette. the provision was certainly very liberal, being a talent every day, or upwards of £ , a year; and when this formed only a portion of the pin-money of the egyptian queens, to whom the revenues of the city of anthylla, famous for its wines, were given for their dress, it is certain they had no reason to complain of the allowance they enjoyed. the egyptian needlewomen were not solely occupied in the decoration of their persons. the deities were robed in rich vestments, in the preparation of which the proudest in the land felt that they were worthily occupied. this was a source of great gain to the priests, both in this and other countries, as, after decorating the idol gods for a time, these rich offerings were their perquisites, who of course encouraged this notable sort of devotion. we are told that it was carried so far that some idols had both winter and summer garments. tokens of friendship consisting of richly embroidered veils, handkerchiefs, &c., were then, as now, passing from one fair hand to another, as pledges of affection; and as the last holy office of love, the bereaved mother, the desolate widow, or the maiden whose budding hopes were blighted by her lover's untimely death, might find a fanciful relief to her sorrows by decorating the garment which was to enshroud the spiritless but undecaying form. the chief proportion of the mummy-cloths which have been so ruthlessly torn from these outraged relics of humanity are coarse; but some few have been found delicately and beautifully embroidered; and it is not unnatural to suppose that this difference was the result of feminine solicitude and undying affection. the embroidering of the sails of vessels too was pursued as an article of commerce, as well as for the decoration of native pleasure-boats. the ordinary sails were white; but the king and his grandees on all gala occasions made use of sails richly embroidered with the phoenix, with flowers, and various other emblems and fanciful devices. many also were painted, and some interwoven in checks and stripes. the boats used in sacred festivals upon the nile were decorated with appropriate symbols, according to the nature of the ceremony or the deity in whose service they were engaged; and the edges of the sails were finished with a coloured hem or border, which would occasionally be variegated with slight embroidery. shakspeare's description of the barge of cleopatra when she embarked on the river cydnus to meet antony, poetical as it is, seems to be rigidly correct in detail. enobarbus.--i will tell you. the barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold; purple the sails, and so perfumed, that the winds were love-sick with them: the oars were silver; which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made the water, which they beat, to follow faster, as amorous of their strokes. for her own person, it beggar'd all description: she did lie in her pavilion (cloth of gold, of tissue), o'erpicturing that venus, where we see the fancy outwork nature; on each side her stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids, with diverse-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem to glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, and what they undid, did. agrippa.-- o, rare for antony! enobarbus.--her gentlewomen, like the nereides, so many mermaids, tended her i' the eyes, and made their bends adornings; at the helm a seeming mermaid steers; the silken tackle swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands, that yarely frame the office. from the barge a strange invisible perfume hits the sense of the adjacent wharfs. the city cast her people out upon her; and antony, bethroned in the market-place, did sit alone, whistling to the air; which, but for vacancy, had gone to gaze on cleopatra too, and made a gap in nature. it is said that the silver oars, "which to the tune of flutes kept stroke," were pierced with holes of different sizes, so mechanically contrived, that the water, as it flowed through them at every stroke, produced a harmony in concord with that of the flutes and lyres on board. such a description as the foregoing gives a more vivid idea than any grave declaration, of the elegant luxury of the egyptians. it were easy to collect instances from the bible in which mention is made of egyptian embroidery, but one verse (ezek. xxvii. ), when the prophet is addressing the tyrians, specifically points to the subject on which we are speaking: "fine linen, with broidered work from egypt, was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail," &c. a common but beautiful style of embroidery was to draw out entirely the threads of linen which formed the weft, and to re-form the body of the material, and vary its appearance, by working in various stitches and with different colours on the warp alone. chairs and fauteuils of the most elegant form, made of ebony and other rare woods, inlaid with ivory, were in common use amongst the ancient egyptians. these were covered, as is the fashion in the present day, with every variety of rich stuff, stamped leather, &c.: but many were likewise embroidered with different coloured wools, with silk and gold thread. the couches too, which in the daytime had a rich covering substituted for the night bedding, gave ample scope for the display of the inventive genius and persevering industry of the busy-fingered egyptian ladies. we have given sufficient proof that the egyptian females were accomplished in the art of needlework, and we may naturally infer that they were fond of it. it is a gentle and a social occupation, and usefully employs the time, whilst it does not interfere with the current of the thoughts or the flow of conversation. the egyptians were an intelligent and an animated race; and the sprightly jest or the lively sally would be interspersed with the graver details of thoughtful and reflective conversation, or would give some point to the dull routine of mere womanish chatter. it seems almost impossible to have lived amidst the stupendous magnificence of egypt in days of yore, without the mind assimilating itself in some degree to the greatness with which it was surrounded. the vast deserts, the stupendous mountains, the river nile--the single and solitary river which in itself sufficed the needs of a mighty empire--these majestic monuments of nature seemed as emblems to which the people should fashion, as they did fashion, their pyramids, their tombs, their sphynxes, their mighty reservoirs, and their colossal statues. and we can hardly suppose that such ever-visible objects should not, during the time of their creation, have some elevating influence on the weakest mind; and that therefore frivolity of conversation amongst the egyptian ladies was rather the exception than the rule. but a modern author has amused himself, and exercised some ingenuity in attempting to prove the contrary:-- "many similar instances of a talent for caricature are observable in the compositions of egyptian artists who executed the paintings on the tombs; and the ladies are not spared. we are led to infer that they were not deficient in the talent of conversation; and the numerous subjects they proposed are shown to have been examined with great animation. among these the question of dress was not forgotten, and the patterns or the value of trinkets were discussed with proportionate interest. the maker of an earring, or the shop where it was purchased, were anxiously inquired; each compared the workmanship, the style, and the materials of those she wore, coveted her neighbour's, or preferred her own; and women of every class vied with each other in the display of 'jewels of silver and jewels of gold,' in the texture of their 'raiment,' the neatness of their sandals, and the arrangement or beauty of their plaited hair." we are too much indebted to this author's interesting volumes to quarrel with him for his ungallant exposition of a very simple painting; but we beg to place in juxta-position with the above (though otherwise somewhat out of its place) an extract from a work by no means characterised by unnecessary complacency to the fair sex. "'cet homme passe sa vie à forger des nouvelles,' me dit alors un gros athénien qui était assis auprès de moi. 'il ne s'occupe que de choses qui ne le touchent point. pour moi, mon intérieur me suffit. j'ai une femme que j'aime beaucoup;' et il me fit l'éloge de sa femme. 'hier je ne pus pas souper avec elle, j'étais prié chez un de mes amis;' et il me fit la description du repas. 'je me retirai chez moi assez content. mais j'ai fait cette nuit un rêve qui m'inquiète;' et il me raconta son rêve. ensuite il me dit pesamment que la ville fourmillait d'étrangers; que les hommes d'aujourd'hui ne valaient pas ceux d'autrefois; que les denrées étaient à bas prix; qu'on pourrait espérer une bonne récolte, s'il venait à pleuvoir. après m'avoir demandé le quantième du mois, il se leva pour aller souper avec sa femme." chapter v. needlework of the greeks and romans. "------supreme sits the virtuous housewife, the tender mother-- o'er the circle presiding, and prudently guiding; the girls gravely schooling, the boys wisely ruling; her hands never ceasing from labours increasing; and doubling his gains with her orderly pains. with piles of rich treasure the storehouse she spreads, and winds round the loud-whirring spindle her threads: she winds--till the bright-polish'd presses are full of the snow-white linen and glittering wool: blends the brilliant and solid in constant endeavour, and resteth never." j. h. merivale. it was an admitted opinion amongst the classical nations of antiquity, that no less a personage than minerva herself, "a maiden affecting old fashions and formality," visited earth to teach her favourite nation the mysteries of those implements which are called "the arms of every virtuous woman;" viz. the distaff and spindle. in the use of these the grecian dames were particularly skilled; in fact, spinning, weaving, needlework, and embroidery, formed the chief occupation of those whose rank exonerated them, even in more primitive days, from the menial drudgery of a household. the greek females led exceedingly retired lives, being far more charily admitted to a share of the recreations of the nobler sex than we of these privileged days. the ancient greeks were very magnificent--very: magnificent senators, magnificent warriors, magnificent men; but they were a people trained from the cradle for exhibition and publicity; domestic life was quite cast into the shade. consequently and necessarily their women were thrown to greater distance, till it happened, naturally enough, that they seemed to form a distinct community; and apartments the most distant and secluded that the mansion afforded were usually assigned to them. of these, in large establishments, certain ones were always appropriated to the labours of the needle. "je ne dirai" (says the sarcastic author of anacharsis) "qu'un mot sur l'éducation des filles. suivant la différence des états, elles apprennent à lire, écrire, coudre, filer, préparer la laine dont on fait les vêtemens, et veiller aux soins du ménage. en général, les mères exhortent leurs filles à se conduire avec sagesse; mais elles insistent beaucoup plus sur la nécessité de se tenir droites, d'effacer leurs épaules, de serrer leur sein avec un large ruban, d'être extrêmement sobres, et de prévenir, par toutes sortes de moyens, un embonpoint qui nuirait à l'élégance de la taille et à la grâce des mouvemens." homer, the great fountain of ancient lore, scarcely throughout his whole work names a female, greek or trojan, but as connected naturally and indissolubly with this feminine occupation--needlework. thus, when chryses implores permission to ransome his daughter, agamemnon wrathfully replies-- "i will not loose thy daughter, till old age find her far distant from her native soil, beneath my roof in argos, at her task of tissue-work." and iris, the "ambassadress of heaven," finds helen in her own recess-- "----weaving there a gorgeous web, inwrought with fiery conflicts, for her sake wag'd by contending nations." hector foreseeing the miseries consequent upon the destruction of troy, says to andromache-- "but no grief so moves me as my grief for thee alone, doom'd then to follow some imperious greek, a weeping captive, to the distant shores of argos; there to labour at the loom for a taskmistress." and again he says to her-- "hence, then, to our abode; there weave or spin, and task thy maidens." and afterwards-- "andromache, the while, knew nought, nor even by report had learn'd her hector's absence in the field alone. she in her chamber at the palace-top a splendid texture wrought, on either side all dazzling bright with flow'rs of various hues." though "penelope's web" is become a proverb, it would be unpardonable here to omit specific mention of it. antinoüs thus complains of her:-- "elusive of the bridal day, she gives fond hope to all, and all with hope deceives. did not the sun, through heaven's wide azure roll'd, for three long years the royal fraud behold? while she, laborious in delusion, spread the spacious loom, and mix'd the various thread; where, as to life the wondrous figures rise, thus spoke th' inventive queen with artful sighs:-- 'though cold in death ulysses breathes no more, cease yet a while to urge the bridal hour; cease, till to great laertes i bequeath a task of grief, his ornaments of death. lest, when the fates his royal ashes claim, the grecian matrons taint my spotless fame: when he, whom living mighty realms obey'd, shall want in death a shroud to grace his shade.' thus she: at once the generous train complies, nor fraud mistrusts in virtue's fair disguise. the work she plied; but, studious of delay, by night revers'd the labours of the day. while thrice the sun his annual journey made, the conscious lamp the midnight fraud survey'd; unheard, unseen, three years her arts prevail; the fourth, her maid unfolds th' amazing tale. we saw, as unperceiv'd we took our stand, the backward labours of her faithless hand. then urg'd, she perfects her illustrious toils; a wondrous monument of female wiles." the greek costume was rich and elegant; and though, from our familiarity with colourless statues, we are apt to suppose it gravely uniform in its hue, such was not the fact; for the tunic was often adorned with ornamental embroidery of all sorts. the toga was the characteristic of roman costume: this gradually assumed variations from its primitive simplicity of hue, until at length the triumphant general considered even the royal purple too unpretending, unless set off by a rich embroidery of gold. the first embroideries of the romans were but bands of stuff, cut or twisted, which they put on the dresses: the more modest used only one band; others two, three, four, up to seven; and from the number of these the dresses took their names, always drawn from the greek: molores, dilores, trilores, tetralores, &c. pliny seems to be the authority whence most writers derive their accounts of ancient garments and needlework. "the coarse rough wool with the round great haire hath been of ancient time highly commended and accounted of in tapestrie worke: for even homer himself witnesseth that they of the old world used the same much, and tooke great delight therein. but this tapestrie is set out with colours in france after one sort, and among the parthians after another. m. varro writeth that within the temple of sangus there continued unto the time that he wrote his booke the wooll that lady tanaquil, otherwise named caia cecilia, spun; together with her distaff and spindle: as also within the chapel of fortune, the very roiall robe or mantle of estate, made in her own hands after the manner of water chamlot in wave worke, which servius tullius used to weare. and from hence came the fashion and custome at rome, that when maidens were to be wedded, there attended upon them a distaffe, dressed and trimmed with kombed wooll, as also a spindle and yearne upon it. the said tanaquil was the first that made the coat or cassocke woven right out all through; such as new beginners (namely young souldiers, barristers, and fresh brides) put on under their white plaine gowns, without any guard of purple. the waved water chamelot was from the beginning esteemed the richest and bravest wearing. and from thence came the branched damaske in broad workes. fenestella writeth that in the latter time of augustus cæsar they began at rome to use their gownes of cloth shorne, as also with a curled nap.--as for those robes which are called crebræ and papaveratæ, wrought thicke with floure worke, resembling poppies, or pressed even and smooth, they be of greater antiquitie: for even in the time of lucilius the poet torquatus was noted and reproved for wearing them. the long robes embrodered before, called prætextæ, were devised first by the tuscanes. the trabeæ were roiall robes, and i find that kings and princes only ware them. in homer's time also they used garments embrodered with imagerie and floure, work, and from thence came the triumphant robes. as for embroderie itselfe and needle-worke, it was the phrygians invention: and hereupon embroderers in latine bee called phrygiones. and in the same asia king attalus was the first that devised cloth of gold: and thence come such colours to be called attalica. in babylon they used much to weave their cloth of divers colours, and this was a great wearing amongst them, and cloths so wrought were called babylonica. to weave cloth of tissue with twisted threeds both in woofe and warpe, and the same of sundrie colours, was the invention of alexandria; and such clothes and garments were called polymita, but fraunce devised the scutchion, square, or lozenge damaske worke. metellus scipio, among other challenges and imputations laid against capito, reproached and accused him for this:--'that his hangings and furniture of his dining chamber, being babylonian work or cloth of arras, were sold for , sesterces; and such like of late days stood prince nero in , sesterces, _i.e._ forty millions.' the embrodered long robes of servius tullius, wherewith he covered and arraied all over the image of fortune, by him dedicated, remained whole and sound until the end of sejanus. and a wonder it was that they neither fell from the image nor were motheaten in yeares."[ ] it was long before silk was in general use, even for patrician garments. it has been supposed that the famous median vest, invented by semiramis, was silken, which might account for its great fame in the west. be this as it may, it was so very graceful, that the medes adopted it after they had conquered asia; and the persians followed their example. in the time of the romans the price of silk was weight for weight with gold, and the first persons who brought silk into europe were the greeks of alexander's army. under tiberius it was forbidden to be worn by men; and it is said that the emperor aurelian even refused the earnest request of his empress for a silken dress, on the plea of its extravagant cost. heliogabalus was the first man that ever wore a robe entirely of silk. he had also a tunic woven of gold threads; such gold thread as we referred to in a prior chapter, as consisting of the metal alone beaten out and rounded, without any intermixture of silk or woollen. tarquinius priscus had also a vest of this gorgeous description, as had likewise agrippina. gold thread and wire continued to be made entirely of metal probably until the time of aurelian, nor have there been any instances found in herculaneum and pompeii of the silken thread with a gold coating. these examples will suffice to show that it was not usually the _material_ of the ancient garments which gave them so high a value, but the ornamental embellishments with which they were afterwards invested by the needle. the medes and babylonians seem to have been most highly celebrated for their stuffs and tapestries of various sorts which were figured by the needle; the egyptians certainly rivalled, though they did not surpass them; and the greeks seem also to have attained a high degree of excellence in this pretty art. the epoch of embroidery amongst the romans went as far back as tarquin, to whom the etruscans presented a tunic of purple enriched with gold, and a mantle of purple and other colours, "tels qu'en portoient les rois de perse et de lydie." but soon luxury banished the wonted austerity of rome; and when cæsar first showed himself in a habit embroidered and fringed, this innovation appeared scandalous to those who had not been alarmed at any of his real and important innovations. we have referred in a former chapter to the practice of sending garments as presents, as marks of respect and friendship, or as propitiatory or deprecatory offerings. and the illustrious ladies of the classical times had such a prophetical talent of preparation, that they were ever found possessed, when occasion required, of store of garments richly embroidered by their own fair fingers, or under their auspices. of this there are numerous examples in homer. when priam wishes to redeem the body of hector, after preparing other propitiatory gifts, "----he open'd wide the sculptur'd lids of various chests, whence mantles twelve he took of texture beautiful; twelve single cloaks; as many carpets, with as many robes; to which he added vests an equal store." when telemachus is about to leave menelaus-- "the beauteous queen revolv'd with careful eyes her various textures of unnumber'd dyes, and chose the largest; with no vulgar art her own fair hands embroider'd every part; beneath the rest it lay divinely bright, like radiant hesper o'er the gems of night." that much of this work was highly beautiful may be inferred from the description of the robe of ulysses:-- "in the rich woof a hound, mosaic drawn, bore on full stretch, and seiz'd a dappled fawn; deep in the neck his fangs indent their hold; they pant and struggle in the moving gold." and this robe, penelope says, "in happier hours her artful hand employ'd." to invest a visitor with an embroidered robe was considered the very highest mark of honour and regard. when telemachus is at the magnificent court of menelaus-- "----a bright damsel train attend the guests with liquid odours and _embroider'd vests_." * * * * * "give to the stranger guest a stranger's dues: bring gold, a pledge of love; a talent bring, a _vest_, a _robe_." * * * * * "--------in order roll'd the robes, the vests are rang'd, and heaps of gold: and adding _a rich dress inwrought with art_, a gift expressive of her bounteous heart, thus spoke (the queen) to ithacus." when cambyses wished to attain some point from an ethiopian prince, he forwarded, amongst other presents, a rich vest. the ethiopian, taking the garment, inquired what it was, and how it was made; but its glittering tracery did not decoy the unsophisticated prince. when xerxes arrived at acanthos, he interchanged the rites of hospitality with the people, and presented several with median vests. probably our readers will remember the circumstance of alexander making the mother of darius a present of some rich vestures, probably of woollen fabrics, and telling her that she might make her grandchildren learn the art of weaving them; at which the royal lady felt insulted and deeply hurt, as it was considered ignominious by the persian women to work in wool. hearing of her misapprehension, alexander himself waited on her, and in the gentlest and most respectful terms told the illustrious captive that, far from meaning any offence, the custom of his own country had misled him; and that the vestments he had offered were not only a present from his royal sisters, but wrought by their own hands. outré as appear some of the flaring patterns of the present day, the boldest of them must be _quiet_ and unattractive compared with those we read of formerly, when not only human figures, but birds and animals, were wrought not merely on hangings and carpets but on wearing apparel. ciampini gives various instances.[ ] what changes, says he, do not a long course of years produce! who now, except in the theatre, or at a carnival or masquerade (spectaculis ac rebus ludiciis), would endure garments inscribed with verses and titles, and painted with various figures? nevertheless, it is plain that such garments were constantly used in ancient times. to say nothing of homer, who assigns to ulysses a tunic variegated with figures of animals; to say nothing of the massagetæ, whom herodotus relates painted animals on their garments with the juice of herbs; we also read of these garments (though then considered very antiquated) being used under the cæsars of rome. they say that alcisthenes the sybarite had a garment of such magnificence that when he exhibited it in the temple of juno at lacinium, where all italy was congregated, it attracted universal attention. it was purchased from the carthaginians, by dionysius the elder, for talents. it was twenty-two feet in breadth, of a purple ground, with animals wrought all over, except in the middle, where were jupiter, juno, themis, minerva, apollo, venus: on one sleeve it had a figure of alcisthenes, on the other of his city sybaris. that this description is not exaggerated may be inferred from the following passage from a homily on dives and lazarus by a bishop of amuasan in pontus, given by ciampini. "they have here no bounds to this foolish art, for no sooner was invented the useless art of weaving in figures in a kind of picture, such as animals of all sorts, than (rich persons) procure flowered garments, and also those variegated with an infinite number of images, both for themselves, their wives, and children. . . . . . . whensoever thus clothed they go abroad, they go, as it were, painted all over, and pointing out to one another with the finger the pictures on their garments. "for there are lions and panthers, and bears and bulls, and dogs and woods, and rocks and huntsmen; and, in a word, everything that can be thought of, all drawn to the life: for it was necessary, forsooth, that not only the walls of their houses should be painted, but their coats (tunica) also, and likewise the cloak (pallium) which covers it. "the more pious of these gentry take their subjects from the gospel history: _e.g._ christ himself with his disciples, or one of the miracles, is depicted. in this manner you shall see the marriage of cana and the waterpots; the paralytic carrying his bed on his shoulders; the blind man cured by clay; the woman with the issue of blood taking hold of the border (of christ's garment); the harlot falling at the feet of jesus; lazarus coming from the tomb: and they fancy there is great piety in all this, and that putting on such garments must be pleasing to god." the palmated garment was figured with palm-leaves, and was a triumphal or festive garment. it is referred to in an epistle of gratian to augustus: "i have sent thee a palmated garment, in which the name of our divine parent constantine is interwoven." in allusion to these lettered garments ausonius celebrates sabina (textrice simul ac poetria), whose name thus lives when those of more important personages are forgotten:-- they who both webs and verses weave, the first to thee, o chaste minerva, leave; the latter to the muses they devote: to me, sabina, it appears a sin to separate two things so near akin, so i have wrote thy verses on my coat.[ ] and again: whether the tyrian robe your praise demand, or the neat verse upon the edge descried, know both proceed from the same skilful hand: in both these arts sabina takes a pride.[ ] it is imagined that the embroidered vestments worn in homer's time bore a strong resemblance to those now worn by the moguls; and the custom of making presents, so discernible through his work, still prevails throughout asia. it is not (says sir james forbes) so much the custom in india to present dresses ready made to the visitors as to offer the materials, especially to europeans. in turkey, persia, and arabia, it is generally the reverse. we find in chardin that the kings of persia had great wardrobes, where there were always many hundred habits, sorted, ready for presents, and that more than forty tailors were always employed in this service. it is not improbable that this ancient custom of presenting a visitor with a new dress as a token of welcome, a symbol of rejoicing at his presence, may have led to many of the general customs which have prevailed, and do still, of having new clothes at any season of joy or festivity. new clothes are thought by the people of the east _requisite_ for the due solemnization of a time of rejoicing. the turks, even the poorest of them, would submit to any privation rather than be without new clothes at the bairam or great festival. there is an anecdote recorded of the caliph montanser billah, that going one day to the upper roof of his palace he saw a number of clothes spread out on the flat roofs of the houses of bagdat. he asked the reason, and was told that the inhabitants of bagdat were drying their clothes, which they had newly washed, on account of the approach of the bairam. the caliph was so concerned that any should be so poor as to be obliged to wash their old clothes for want of new ones with which to celebrate this festival, that he ordered a great quantity of gold to be instantly made into bullets, proper to be shot out of crossbows, which he and his courtiers threw, by this means, upon every terrace of the city where he saw garments spread to dry. footnotes: [ ] book viii. chap. . [ ] ciampini, vetera monimenta, cap. xiii. [ ] "licia qui texunt, et carmina; carmina musis, licia contribuunt, casta minerva, tibi. ast ego rem sociam non dissociabo, sabina, versibus inscripsi, quæ mea texta meis." [ ] "sive probas tyrio textam sub tegmine vestem, seu placet inscripti commoditas tituli. ipsius hæc dominæ concennat utrumque venustas: has geminas artes una sabina colet." chapter vi. the dark ages.--"shee-schools." "there was an auncient house not far away, renown'd throughout the world for sacred lore and pure unspotted life: so well they say it govern'd was, and guided evermore through wisedome of a matrone grave and hore, whose onely joy was to relieve the needes of wretched soules, and helpe the helplesse pore: all night she spent in bidding of her bedes, and all the day in doing good and godly dedes." faerie queene. "meantime, whilst monks' _pens_ were thus employed, nuns with their _needles_ wrote histories also: that of _christ his passion_ for their altar-clothes; and other scripture- (and more legend-) stories in hangings to adorn their houses."--fuller, ch. hist., b. . needlework is an art so indissolubly connected with the convenience and comfort of mankind at large, that it is impossible to suppose any state of society in which it has not existed. its modes varied, of course, according to the lesser or greater degrees of refinement in other matters with which it was connected; and when we find from muratori that "nulla s'è detto fin qui dell'arte del tessere dopo la declinazione del romano imperio; e solo in fuggire s'è parlato di alcune vesti degli antichi," we may fairly infer that the _ornamental_ needlework of the time was not extensively encouraged, although never entirely laid aside. the desolation that overran the world was found alike in its greatest or most insignificant concerns; and the same torrent that swept monarchs from their thrones and peers from their halls did away with the necessity for professors of the decorative arts. there needed not the embroiderer of gold and purple to blazon the triumph of a conqueror who disdained other habiliment than the skin of some slaughtered beast.[ ] the matron who yet retained the principle of roman virtue, or the fair and refined maiden of the eastern capital, far from seeking personal adornment, rather shunned any decoration which might attract the eyes and inflame the passions of untamed and ruthless conquerors. all usual habits were subverted, and for long years the history of the european world is but a bloody record of war and tumult, of bloodshed and strife. few are the cases of peace and tranquillity in this desert of tumult and blood-guiltiness; but those few "isles of the blessed" in this ocean of discord, those few sunny spots in the gloomy landscape, are intimately connected with our theme. the use of the needle for the daily necessities of life could never, as we have remarked, be superseded; but the practice of ornamental needlework, in common with every ennobling science and improving art, was kept alive during this period of desolation by the church, and by the individual labours and collective zeal of the despised and contemned monks. sharing that hallowed influence which hovered over and protected the church at this fearful season--for, from the carelessness or superstition of the barbarians, the ministers of religion were spared--nunneries, with some few exceptions, were now like refuges pointed out by heaven itself. they were originally founded by the sister of st. anthony, the hermit of the egyptian desert, and in their primitive institution were meant solely for those who, abjuring the world for religious motives, were desirous to spend their whole time in devotional exercises. but their sphere of utility became afterwards widely extended. they became safe and peaceable asylums for all those to whom life's pilgrimage had been too thorny. the frail but repentant maiden was here sheltered from the scorn of an uncharitable world; the virtuous but suffering female, whose earthly hopes had, from whatever cause, been crushed, could here weep and pray in peace: while she to whom the more tangible trouble of poverty had descended might here, without the galling yoke of charity and dependence, look to a refuge for those evil days when the breaking of the golden bowl, the loosing of the silver cord, should disable her from the exertions necessary for her maintenance. have we any--ay, with all their faults and imperfections on their heads--have we, in these days of enlightenment, any sort of substitute for the blessings they held out to dependent and suffering woman of whatever rank? convents became also schools for the education of young women of rank, who here imbibed in early youth principles of religion which might enable them to endure with patience and fortitude those after-trials of life from which no station or wealth could exempt them; and they acquired here those accomplishments, and were taught here those lighter occupations, amongst which fine needlework and embroidery occupied a conspicuous position, which would qualify them to beguile in a becoming manner the many hours of leisure which their elevated rank would confer on them. "nunneries," says fuller, "also were good shee-schools, wherein the girles and maids of the neighbourhood were taught to read and work; and sometimes a little latine was taught them therein. yea, give me leave to say, if such feminine foundations had still continued, provided no _vow_ were obtruded upon them (virginity is least kept where it is most constrained), haply the weaker sex (besides the avoiding modern inconveniences) might be heightened to an higher perfection than hitherto hath been attained. that sharpnesse of their wits and suddenness of their conceits (which their enemies must allow unto them) might by education be improved into a judicious solidity, and that adorned with arts which now they want, not because they cannot learn, but are not taught them. i say, if such feminine foundations were extant now of dayes, haply some virgins of highest birth would be glad of such places, and i am sure their fathers and elder brothers would not be sorry for the same." miss lawrance gives a more detailed account of the duties taught in them. "in consequence of convents being considered as establishments exclusively belonging to the latin church, protestant writers, as by common consent, have joined in censuring them, forgetful of the many benefits which, without any reference to their peculiar creed, they were calculated to confer. although providing instruction for the young, the convent was a large establishment for various orders of women. there were the nuns, the lay sisters, always a numerous class, and a large body of domestics; while in those higher convents, where the abbess exercised manorial jurisdiction, there were seneschal, esquires, gentlemen, yeomen, grooms, indeed the whole establishment of a baronial castle, except the men-at-arms and the archer-band. thus within the convent walls the pupil saw nearly the same domestic arrangement to which she had been accustomed in her father's castle; while, instead of being constantly surrounded with children, well born and intelligent women might be her occasional companions. and then the most important functions were exercised by women. the abbess presided in her manorial court, the cellaress performed the extensive offices of steward, the præcentrix led the singing and superintended the library, and the infirmaress watched over the sick, affording them alike spiritual and medical aid. thus, from her first admission, the pupil was taught to respect and to emulate the talents of women. but a yet more important peculiarity did the convent school present. it was a noble, a well-endowed, and an independent institution; and it proffered education as a boon. here was no eager canvassing for scholars, no promises of unattainable advantages; for the convent school was not a mercantile establishment, nor was education a trade. the female teachers of the middle ages were looked up to alike by parent and child, and the instruction so willingly offered was willingly and gratefully received; the character of the teacher was elevated, and as a necessary consequence so was the character of the pupil." but in addition to those inmates who had dedicated their lives to religion, and those who were placed there specifically for education, convents afforded shelter to numbers who sought only temporary retirement from the world under the influence of sorrow, or temporary protection under the apprehension of danger. and this was the case not merely through the very dark era with which our chapter commences, but for centuries afterwards, and when the world was comparatively civilized. our own "good queen maude" assumed the veil in the convent of romsey, without however taking the vows, as the only means of escaping from a forced marriage; and in the subsequent reign, that of stephen, so little regard was paid to law or decorum, that a convent was the only place where a maiden, even of gentle birth, if she had riches, could have a chance of shelter and safety from the machinations of those who resorted to any sort of brutality or violence to compel her to a marriage which would secure her possessions to her ravisher. it was then in the convents, and in them alone, that, during the barbarism and confusion consequent upon the overthrow of the ancient empire, and the irruption of the untamed hordes who overran southern europe from the north and west,--it was in the convents that some remnants of the ancient art of embroidery were still preserved. the nuns considered it an acceptable service to employ their time and talents in the construction of vestments which, being intended for the service of the church, were rich and sumptuous even at the time when richness and elegance of apparel were unknown elsewhere.[ ] it was no proof of either the ignorance or the bad taste or the irreligion of the "_dark_" ages, that the religious edifices were fitted up with a rich and gorgeous solemnity which are unheard of in these days of light and knowledge and economy. and besides the construction of rich and elaborately ornamented vestments for the priests, and hangings for the altars, shrines, &c., besides these being peculiarly the occupation of the professed sisters of religious houses, it was likewise the pride and the delight of ladies of rank to devote both their money to the purchase and their time to the embroidering of sacerdotal garments as offerings to the church. and whether temporarily sheltering within the walls of a convent, or happily presiding in her own lofty halls, it was oftentime the pride and pleasure of the high-born dame to embroider a splendid cope, a rich vest, or a gorgeous hanging, as a votive and grateful offering to that holy altar where perhaps she had prayed in sorrow, and found consolation and peace. footnotes: [ ] "in the most inclement winter the hardy german was satisfied with a scanty garment made of the skin of some animal."--gibbon. [ ] muratori (diss. ), speaking of the mean habiliments usual in italy even so late as the th century, adds, "ma non per questo s'hanno a credere così rozzi e nemici del lusso que' secoli. a buon conto anche in italia qui non era cieco, sovente potea mirare i più delicati lavori di seta, che _servivano di ornamenti alle chiese e alle sacre funzioni_." chapter vii. needlework of the dark ages. "last night i dreamt a dream; behold! i saw a church was fret with gold, with arras richly dight: there saw i altar, pall, and pix, chalice, and font, and crucifix, and tapers burning bright." w. s. rose. over those memorials of the past which chance and mischance have left us, time hath drawn a thick curtain, obliterating all soft and gentle touches, which connected harmoniously the bolder features of the landscape, and leaving these but as landmarks to intimate what had been there. we would fain linger on those times, and call up the gentle spirits of the long departed to describe scenes of quiet but useful retirement at which we now only dimly guess. we would witness the hour of recreation in the convent, when the severer duties of the cloister gave place to the cheerful one of companionship; and the "pale votary" quitted the lonely cell and the solitary vigil, to instruct the blooming novice in the art of embroidery, or to ply her own accustomed and accomplished fingers in its fairy creations. the younger ones would be ecstatic in their commendations, and eager in their exertions to rival the fair sempstress; whilst a gratified though sad smile would brighten her own pale cheek as the lady abbess laid aside the richly illuminated volume by which her own attention had been engrossed, and from which she had from time to time read short and instructive passages aloud, commenting on and enforcing the principles they inculcated; and holding the work towards the casement, so that the bright slanting rays of the setting sun which fell through the richly carved lattice might illumine the varied tints of the stitchery, she would utter some kind and encouraging words of admiration and praise. perhaps the work was a broidered scarf for some spiritual father, a testimony of gratitude and esteem from the convent at large; perhaps it was a tunic or a girdle which some high and wealthy lady had bespoken for an offering, and which the meek and pious sisterhood were happy to do for hire, bestowing the proceeds on the necessities of the convent; or, if those were provided, on charity. perhaps it was a pair of sandals, so magnificently wrought as to be destined as a present by some lofty abbot to the pope himself, like those which robert, abbot of st. alban's, sent to the pope adrian the fourth; and which alone, out of a multitude of the richest offerings, the pope retained;[ ] or if it were in england (for our domestic scene will apply to all the christian world) it might be a magnificent covering for the high altar, with a scripture history embroidered in the centre, and the border, of regal purple, inwrought with gold and precious stones. we say, _if in england_, because so celebrated was the english work, the opus anglicum,[ ] that other nations eagerly desired to possess it. the embroidered vestments of some english clergymen were so much admired at the papal court, that the pope, asking where they had been made, and being told "in england," despatched bulls to several english abbots, commanding them to procure similar ones for him. some of the vestments of these days were almost covered with gold and precious stones. or it might be a magnificent pall, in the days in which this garment had lost its primitive character, that taxed the skill and the patience of the fair needlewoman. it was about the year a.d. that pope gregory sent two archbishop's palls into england; the one for london, which see was afterwards removed to canterbury, and the other to york. fuller gives the following account of this garment primitively:-- "the pall is a pontificall vestment, considerable for the matter, making, and mysteries thereof. for the matter, it is made of lamb's-wooll and superstition. i say, _of lamb's-wooll, as it comes from the sheep's back, without any other artificiall colour_, spun (say some) by a peculiar order of nunnes, _first cast into the tombe of st. peter_, taken from his body (say others); surely most sacred if from both; and (superstitiously) adorned with little black crosses. for the form thereof, the _breadth exceeded not three fingers_ (one of our bachelor's lamb-skin hoods in cambridge would make three of them), _having two labells hanging down before and behind_, which the archbishops onely, when going to the altar, put about their necks, above their other pontificall ornaments. three mysteries were couched therein. first, humility, which beautifies the clergy above all their costly copes; secondly, innocency, to imitate lamb-like simplicitie; and thirdly, industry, to follow him who fetched his wandering sheep home on his shoulders. but to speak plainly, the mystery of mysteries in this pall was, that the archbishops receiving it showed therein their dependence on rome; and a mote in this manner ceremoniously taken was a sufficient acknowledgment of their subjection. and, as it owned rome's power, so in after ages it increased their profit. for, though now such palls were freely given to archbishops, whose places in britain for the present were rather cumbersome than commodious, having little more than their paines for their labour; yet in after ages the archbishop of canterburie's pall was sold for five thousand florenes:[ ] so that the pope might well have the golden fleece, if he could sell all his lamb's-wooll at that rate."[ ] the accounts of the rich embroidered ecclesiastical vestments--robes, sandals, girdles, tunics, vests, palls, cloaks, altar-cloths, and veils or hangings of various descriptions, common in churches in the dark ages--would almost surpass belief, if the minuteness with which they are enumerated in some few ancient authors did not attest the fact. still these in the most diffuse writers are a mere catalogue of church properties, and, as such, would, in the dry detail, be but little interesting to our readers. there is enough said of them, however, to attest their variety, their beauty, their magnificence; and to impress one with a very favourable idea of the female ingenuity and perseverance of those days. the cost of many of these garments was enormous, for pearls and precious jewels were literally interwrought, and the time and labour bestowed on them was almost incredible. it was no uncommon circumstance for three years to be spent even by these assiduous and indefatigable votaries of the needle on one garment. but it is only casually, in the pages of the antiquarian, that there is any record of them:-- "with their names no bard embalms and sanctifies his song: and history, so warm on meaner themes, is cold on this." "noi" (says muratori) "che ammiriamo, e con ragione, la beltà e varietà di tante drapperie dei nostri tempi, abbiam nondimeno da confessare un obbligo non lieve agli antichi, che ci hanno prima spianata la via, e senza i lumi loro non potremmo oggidì vantare un sì gran progresso nell'arti." and that this was the case a few instances may suffice to show; and it may not be quite out of place here to refer to one out of a thousand articles of value and beauty which were lost in the great conflagration ("which so cruelly laid waste the habitations of the servants of god") of the doomed and often suffering, but always magnificent, croyland abbey. it was "that beautiful and costly sphere, most curiously constructed of different metals, according to the different planets. saturn was of copper, jupiter of gold, mars of iron, the sun of brass, mercury of amber, venus of tin, and the moon of silver: the colours of all the signs of the zodiac had their several figures and colours variously finished, and adorned with such a mixture of precious stones and metals as amused the eye, while it informed the mind of every beholder. such another sphere was not known or heard of in england; and it was a present from the king of france." no insignificant proof this of the mechanical skill of the eleventh century. we are told that pope eutychianus, who lived in the reign of the emperor aurelian, buried in different places martyrs with his own hands; and he ordained that a faithful martyr should on no account be interred without a dalmatic robe or a purple colobio. this is perhaps one of the earliest notices of ecclesiastical pomp or pride in vestments. but some forty years afterwards pope silvester was invested by the hands of his attendants with a phrygian robe of snowy white, on which was traced in sparkling threads by busy female hands the resurrection of our lord; and so magnificent was this garment considered that it was ordained to be worn by his successors on state occasions: and to pass at once to the seventh century, there are records of various church hangings which had become injured by old age being carefully repaired at considerable expense; which expense and trouble would not, we may fairly infer, have been incurred if the articles in question, even at this more advanced period, had not been considered of value and of beauty. leo the third, in the eighth century, was a magnificent benefactor to the church. with the vessels of rich plate and jewels of various descriptions which were in all ages offering to the church we have nothing to do: amongst various other vestments, leo gave to the high altar of the blessed peter, the prince of the apostles, a covering spangled with gold (_chrysoclabam_) and adorned with precious stones; having the histories both of our saviour giving to the blessed apostle peter the power of binding and loosing, and also representing the suffering of peter, the prince of the apostles, and paul. it was of great size, and exhibited on st. peter and st. paul's days.[ ] pope paschal, early in the ninth century, had some magnificent garments wrought, which he presented to different churches. one of these was an altar-cloth of tyrian purple, having in the middle a picture of golden emblems, with the countenance of our lord, and of the blessed martyrs cosman and damian, with three other brothers. the cross was wrought in gold, and had round it a border of olive-leaves most beautifully worked. another had golden emblems, with our saviour, surrounded with archangels and apostles, of wonderful beauty and richness, being ornamented with pearls. in these ages robes and hangings with crimson or purple borders, called _blatta_, from the name of the insect from which the dye was obtained, were much in use. an insect, supposed to be the one so often referred to by this name in the writings of the ancients, is found now on the coasts of guayaquil and guatima. the dye is very beautiful, and is easily transferred. the royal purple so much esteemed of old was of very different shades, for the terms purple, red, crimson, scarlet, are often used indiscriminately; and a pretty correct conception may be acquired of the value of this imperial tint formerly from the circumstance that, when alexander took possession of the city of susa and of its enormous treasures, among other things there were found five thousand quintals of hermione purple, the finest in the world, which had been treasured up there during the space of years; notwithstanding which, its beauty and lustre were no way diminished. some idea may be formed of the prodigious value of this store from the fact that this purple was sold at the rate of crowns a pound, and the quintal is a hundredweight of paris. pope paschal had a robe worked with gold and gems, having the history of the virgins with lighted torches beautifully related: he had another of byzantine scarlet with a worked border of olive-leaves. this was a very usual decoration of ecclesiastical robes, and a very suitable one; for, from the time when in the beak of noah's dove it was first an emblem of comfort, it has ever, in all ages, in all nations, at all times, been symbolical of plenty and peace. this pope had also a robe of woven gold, worn over a cassock of scarlet silk; a dress certainly worth the naming, though not so much as others indebted to our useful little implement which cowper calls the "threaded steel." but he had another rich and peculiar garment, which was entirely indebted to the needlewoman for its varied and radiant hues. this was a robe of an amber colour,[ ] _having peacocks_. pope leo the fourth had a hanging worked with the needle, having the portrait of a man seated upon a peacock. pope stefano the fifth had four magnificent hangings for the great altar, one of which was wrought in peacocks. we find in romance that there was a high emblematical value attached to peacocks; not so high, however, as to prevent our ancestors from eating them; but it is difficult to account for their being so frequently introduced in designs professedly religious. in romance and chivalry they were supereminent. "to mention the peacock (says m. le grand) is to write its panegyrick." many noble families bore the peacock as their crest; and in the provençal courts of love the successful poet was crowned with a wreath formed of them. the coronation present given to the queen of our henry the third, by her sister, the queen of france, was a large silver peacock, whose train was set with sapphires and pearls, and other precious jewels, wrought with silver. this elegant piece of jewellery was used as a reservoir for sweet waters, which were forced out of its beak into a basin of white silver chased. as the knights associated these birds with all their ideas of fame, and made their most solemn vows over them, the highest honours were conferred on them. their flesh is celebrated as the "nutriment of lovers," and the "viand of worthies;" and a peacock was always the most distinguished dish at the solemn banquets of princes or nobles. on these occasions it was served up on a golden dish, and carried to table by a lady of rank, attended by a train of high-born dames and damsels, and accompanied by music. if it was on the occasion of a tournament, the successful knight always carved it, so regulating his portions that each individual, be the company ever so numerous, might taste. for the oath, the knight rising from his seat and extending his hand over the bird, vowed some daring enterprise of arms or love:--"i vow to god, to the blessed virgin, to the dames, and to the _peacock_, &c. &c." in later and less imaginative times, the peacock, though still a favourite dish at a banquet, seems to have been regarded more from its affording "good eating" than from any more refined attribute. massinger speaks of "the carcases of three fat wethers bruised for gravy, to make sauce for a single peacock." in shakspeare's time the bird was usually put into a pie, the head, richly gilt, being placed at one end of the dish, and the tail, spread out in its full circumference, at the other. and alas! for the degeneracy of those days. the solemn and knightly adjuration of former times had even then dwindled into the absurd oath which shakspeare puts into the mouth of justice shallow:-- "by _cock_ and _pye_, sir, you shall not away to night." in some of the french tapestries birds of all shapes, natural and unnatural, of all sizes and in all positions, form very important parts of the subjects themselves; though this remark is hardly in place here, as the tapestries are of later date, and not solely needlework. to return, however: mention is made in an old chronicle of _antiquitas congregatio ancilarum, quæ opere plumario ornamenta ecclesiam laborabant_. it has been a subject of much discussion whether this opus plumarium signified some arrangement of real feathers, or merely fanciful embroidery in imitation of them. lytlyngton, abbot of croyland, in edward the fourth's time, gave to his church nine copes of cloth of gold, exquisitely feathered.[ ] this was perhaps embroidered imitation. a vestment which cnute the great presented to this abbey was made of silk embroidered with eagles of gold. richard upton, elected abbot in , gave silk embroidered with falcons for copes; and about the same time john freston gave a rich robe of venetian blue embroidered with golden eagles. these were positively imitations merely; yet they evince the prevailing taste for feathered work, and, as we have shown, feathers themselves were much used. it is recorded that pope paul the third sent king pepin a present of a mantle interwoven with peacocks' feathers. and from whatever circumstance the reverence for peacocks' feathers originated,[ ] it is not, even yet, quite exploded. there are some lingering remnants of a superstitious regard for them which may have had their origin in these very times and circumstances. for how surely, where they are rigidly traced, are our country customs, our vulgar ceremonies, our apparently absurd and senseless usages, found to emanate from some principle or superstition of general and prevailing adoption. in some counties we cannot enter a farm-house where the mantel-piece in the parlour is not decorated with a diadem of peacock feathers, which are carefully dusted and preserved. and in houses of more assuming pretensions the same custom frequently prevails; and we knew a lady who carefully preserved some peacock feathers in a drawer long after her association with people in a higher station than that to which she originally belonged had made her ashamed to display them in her parlour. _this_ could not be for _mere_ ornament: there is some idea of _luck_ attached to them, which seems not improbably to have arisen from circumstances connected originally with the "vow of the peacock." at any rate, the religious care with which peacocks' feathers are preserved by many who care not for them as ornaments, is not a whit more ridiculous than to see people gravely turn over the money in their pockets when they first hear the cuckoo, or joyfully fasten a dropped horse-shoe on their threshold, or shudderingly turn aside if two straws lie across in their path, or thankfully seize an old shoe accidentally met with, heedless of the probable state of the beggared foot that may unconsciously have left it there, or any other of the million unaccountable customs which diversify and enliven country life, and which still prevail and flourish, notwithstanding the extensive travels and sweeping devastations of the modern "schoolmaster." do not our readers recollect cowper's thanksgiving "on finding the heel of a shoe?"-- "fortune! i thank thee, gentle goddess! thanks! not that my muse, though bashful, shall deny she would have thanked thee rather, hadst thou cast a treasure in her way; for neither meed of early breakfast, to dispel the fumes and bowel-raking pains of emptiness, nor noontide feast, nor ev'ning's cool repast, hopes she from this--presumptuous, though perhaps the cobbler, leather-carving artist, might. nathless she thanks thee, and accepts thy boon, whatever; not as erst the fabled cock, vain-glorious fool! unknowing what he found, spurned the rich gem thou gavest him. wherefore, ah! why not on me that favour, (worthier sure!) conferr'dst, goddess! thou art blind, thou sayest: enough! thy blindness shall excuse the deed." return we to our needlework. we have clear proof that, before the end of the seventh century, our fair countrywomen were skilled not merely in the use of the needle as applied to necessary purposes, but also in its application to the varied and elegant embroidered garments to which we have so frequently alluded, as forming properties of value and consideration. they were chiefly executed by ladies of the highest rank and greatest piety--very frequently, indeed, by those of royal blood--and were usually (as we have before observed) devoted to the embellishment of the church, or the decoration of its ministers. it was not unusual to bequeath such properties. "i give," said the wife of the conqueror, in her will, "to the abbey of the holy trinity, my tunic worked at winchester by alderet's wife, and the mantle embroidered with gold, which is in my chamber, to make a cope. of my two golden girdles, i give that which is ornamented with emblems for the purpose of suspending the lamp before the great altar."[ ] amongst some costly presents sent by isabella, queen of edward the second, to the pope, was a magnificent cope, embroidered and studded with large white pearls, and purchased of the executors of catherine lincoln, for a sum equivalent to between two and three thousand pounds of present money. another cope, thought worthy to accompany it, was also the work of an englishwoman, rose de bureford, wife of john de bureford, citizen and merchant of london. anciently, banners, either from being made of some relic, or from the representation on them of holy things, were held sacred, and much superstitious faith placed in them; consequently the pious and industrious finger was much occupied in working them. king arthur, when he fought the eighth battle against the saxons, carried the "image of christ and of the blessed mary (always a virgin) upon his shoulders." over the tomb of oswald, the great christian hero, was laid a banner of purple wrought with gold. when st. augustine first came to preach to the saxons, he had a cross borne before him, with a banner, on which was the image of our saviour christ. the celebrated standard of the danes had the sacred raven worked on it; and the ill-fated harold bore to the field of hastings a banner with the figure of an armed man worked in gold thread: to the same field william bore a standard, a gift from the pope, and blessed by his holiness. it is recorded of st. dunstan, who, as our readers well know, excelled in many pursuits, and especially in painting, for which he frequently forsook his peculiar occupation of goldsmith, that on one occasion, at the earnest request of a lady, he _tinted_ a sacerdotal vestment for her, which she afterwards embroidered in gold thread in an exquisitely beautiful style. most of these embroidered works were first tinted, very probably in the way in which they now are, or until the freer influx of the more beautiful german patterns, they lately were; and it is from this previous tinting that they are so frequently described in the old books as _painted_ garments, _pictured_ vestments, &c., this term by no means seeming usually to imply that the use of the needle had been neglected or superseded in them. the garments of edward the confessor, which he wore upon occasions of great solemnity, were sumptuously embroidered with gold by the hands of edgitha, his queen. the four princesses, daughters of king edward the elder, were most carefully educated: their early years were chiefly devoted to literary pursuits, but they were nevertheless most assiduously instructed in the use of the needle, and are highly celebrated by historians for their assiduity and skill in spinning, weaving, and needlework. this was so far, says the historian, from spoiling the fortunes of those royal spinsters, that it procured them the addresses of the greatest princes then in europe, and one, "in whom the whole essence of beauty had centered, was demanded from her brother by hugh, king of the franks." our fair readers may take some interest in knowing what were the propitiatory offerings of a noble suitor of those days. "perfumes, such as never had been seen in england before; jewels, but more especially emeralds, the greenness of which, reflected by the sun, illumined the countenances of the bystanders with agreeable light; many fleet horses, with their trappings, and, as virgil says, 'champing their golden bits;' an alabaster vase, so exquisitely chased, that the corn-fields really seemed to wave, the vines to bud, the figures of men actually to move, and so clear and polished, that it reflected the features like a mirror; the sword of constantine the great, on which the name of its original possessor was read in golden letters; on the pommel, upon thick plates of gold, might be seen fixed an iron spike, one of the four which the jewish faction prepared for the crucifixion of our lord; the spear of charles the great, which, whenever that invincible emperor hurled in his expeditions against the saracens, he always came off conqueror; it was reported to be the same which, driven into the side of our saviour by the hand of the centurion, opened, by that precious wound, the joys of paradise to wretched mortals; the banner of the most blessed martyr maurice, chief of the theban legion, with which the same king, in the spanish war, used to break through the battalions of the enemy, however fierce and wedged together, and put them to flight; a diadem, precious from its quantity of gold, but more so for its jewels, the splendour of which threw the sparks of light so strongly on the beholders, that the more steadfastly any person endeavoured to gaze, so much the more dazzled he was--compelled to avert his eyes; part of the holy and adorable cross enclosed in crystal, where the eye, piercing through the substance of the stone, might discern the colour and size of the wood; a small portion of the crown of thorns enclosed in a similar manner, which, in derision of his government, the madness of the soldiers placed on christ's sacred head. "the king (athelstan), delighted with such great and exquisite presents, made an equal return of good offices, and gratified the soul of the longing suitor by a union with his sister. with some of these presents he enriched succeeding kings; but to malmesbury he gave part of the cross and crown; by the support of which, i believe, that place even now flourishes, though it has suffered so many shipwrecks of its liberty, so many attacks of its enemies."[ ] it is not to be supposed that at a time when the "whole island" was said to "blaze" with devotion, and when, moreover, her own fair daughters surpassed the whole world in needlework, that the english churches were deficient in its beautiful adornments. far otherwise, indeed. we forbear to enumerate many, because our chapter has already exceeded its prescribed limits; but we may particularize a golden veil or hanging (vellum), embroidered with the destruction of troy, which witlaf, king of mercia, gave to the abbey of croyland; and the coronation mantle of harold harefoot, son of cnute, which he gave to the same abbey, made of silk, and embroidered with "hesperian apples." richard, who was abbot of st. alban's from to , made a present to his monastery of a suit of hangings which contained the whole history of the primitive martyr of england, alban. croyland abbey possessed many hangings for the altars, embroidered with golden birds; and a garment, which seems to have been a peculiar, and considered a valuable one, being a black gown wrought with gold letters, to officiate in at funerals. the enigmatical letters which were worked on ecclesiastical vestments in those days, were various and peculiar, and have given abundant scope for antiquarian research. we have heard it surmised that they took their rise in times of persecution, being indications (then, doubtless, slight and unostentatious ones) by which the christians might know each other. but they came into more general use, not merely as symbolical characters, but individual names were wrought, and that not on personal garments alone, for pope leo the fourth placed a cloth on the altar woven with gold, and spangled all over with pearls. it had on each side (right and left) a circle bounded with gold, within which the name of his holiness was written in precious stones. in many old paintings a letter or letters have been noticed on the garment of the principal figure, and they have been taken for private marks of the painter, but it is more probable, says ciampini,[ ] that they are either copied from old garments, or are intended to denote the dignity of the character to which they are attached. we will conclude the present chapter by remarking that one of the most magnificent specimens of ancient needlework in existence, and which is in excellent preservation, is the state pall belonging to the fishmongers company. the end pieces are similar, and consist of a picture, wrought in gold and silk, of the patron, st. peter, in pontificial robes, seated on a superb throne, and crowned with the papal tiara. holding in one hand the keys, the other is in the posture of giving the benediction, and on each side is an angel, bearing a golden vase, from which he scatters incense over the saint. the angel's wings, according to old custom, are composed of peacocks' feathers in all their natural vivid colours; their outer robes are gold raised with crimson; their under vests white, shaded with sky blue; the faces are finely worked in satin, after nature, and they have long yellow hair. there are various designs on the side pieces; the most important and conspicuous is christ delivering the keys to peter. among other decorations are, of course, the arms of the company, richly emblazoned, the supporters of which, the merman and mermaid, are beautifully worked, the merman in gold armour, the mermaid in white silk, with long tresses in golden thread. this magnificent piece of needlework has probably no parallel in this country. footnotes: [ ] when robert, abbot of st. alban's, visited his countryman pope adrian the fourth, he made him several valuable presents, and amongst other things three mitres and a pair of sandals of most admirable workmanship. his holiness refused his other presents, but thankfully accepted of the mitres and sandals, being charmed with their exquisite beauty. these admired pieces of embroidery were the work of christina, abbess of markgate. [ ] "anglicæ nationis feminæ multum acu et auri textura, egregie viri in omni valeant artificio. però fu renomato opus anglicum."--from muratori. [ ] a florene is _s._ _d._ [ ] "the pall was a bishop's vestment, going over the shoulders, made of sheep-skin, in memory of him who sought the lost sheep, and when he had found it laid it on his shoulders; and it was embroidered with crosses, and taken off the body or coffin of st. peter."--camden. [ ] anastasius bibliothecarius. de vitis romanorum pontificum. as this work is the fountain whence subsequent writers have chiefly obtained their information with regard to church vestments, that is to say, decorative ones, it may not be amiss to transcribe a passage, taken literally at random from scores of similar ones. it will give the reader some idea of the profusion with which the expensive garnitures were supplied:-- "sed et super altare majus fecit tetra vela holoserica alithina quatuor, cum astillis, et rosis chrysoclabis. et in eodem altare fecit cum historiis crucifixi domini vestem tyriam. et in ecclesia doctoris mundi beati pauli apostoli tetra vela holoserica alithyna quatuor, et vestem super altare albam chrysoclabam, habentem historiam sanctæ resurrectionis, et aliam vestem chrysoclabam, habentem historiam nativitatis domini, et sanctorum innocentium. immo et aliam vestem tyriam, habentem historiam cæci illuminati, et resurrectionem. idem autem sanctissimus præsul fecit in basilica beatæ mariæ ad præsepe vestem albam chrysoclabam, habentem historiam sanctæ resurrectionis. sed et aliam vestem in orbiculis chrysoclabis, habentem historias annunciationis, et sanctorum joachim, et annæ. fecit in ecclesia beati laurentii foris muros eidem præsul vestem albam rosatam cum chrysoclabo. sed et aliam vestem super sanctum corpus ejus albam de stauraci chrysoclabam, cum margaritis. et in titulo calixti vestem chrysoclabam ex blattin byzanteo, habentem historiam nativitatis domini, et sancti simeonis. item in ecclesia sancti pancratii vestem tyriam, habentem historiam ascencionis domini, seu et in sancta maria ad martyres fecit vestem tyriam ut supra. et in basilica sanctorum cosmæ et damiani fecit vestem de blatti byzanteo, cum periclysin de chrysoclabo, et margaritis."--i. . [ ] "de staurace." [ ] "opere plumario exquitissime præparatas." [ ] in the classical ages, they were in high repute. juno's chariot is drawn by peacocks; and olympian jove himself invests his royal limbs with a mantle formed of their feathers. [ ] the name of dame leviet has descended to posterity as an embroiderer to the conqueror and his queen. [ ] will. of malmesbury, . [ ] vet. mon. cap. . chapter viii. the bayeux tapestry.--part i. "needlework sublime." cowper. great discussion has taken place amongst the learned with regard to the exact time at which the bayeux tapestry was wrought. the question, except as a matter of curiosity, is, perhaps, of little account--fifty years earlier or later, nearly eight hundred years ago. it had always been considered as the work of matilda, the wife of the conquering duke of normandy until a few years ago, when the abbé de la rue started and endeavoured to maintain the hypothesis that it was worked by or under the direction of the empress matilda, the daughter of henry the first.[ ] but his positions, as dibdin observes,[ ] are all of a _negative_ character, and, "according to the strict rules of logic, it must not be admitted, that because such and such writers have _not_ noticed a circumstance, therefore that circumstance or event cannot have taken place." hudson gurney, charles a. stothard, and thos. amyot, esqrs. have all published essays on the subject,[ ] which establish almost to certainty the fact of the production of this tapestry at the earlier of the two periods contended for, viz. from to . in this we rejoice, because this herculean labour has a halo of deep interest thrown round it, from the circumstance of its being the proud tribute of a fond and affectionate wife, glorying in her husband's glory, and proud of emblazoning his deeds. as the work of the empress matilda it would still be a magnificent production of industry and of skill; as the work of "duke william's" wife these qualities merge in others of a more interesting character.[ ] this excellent and amiable princess was a most highly accomplished woman, and remarkable for her learning; she was the affectionate mother of a large family, the faithful wife of an enterprising monarch, with whom she lived for thirty-three years so harmoniously that her death had such an effect on her husband as to cause him to relinquish, never again to resume, his usual amusements.[ ] little did the affectionate wife think, whilst employed over this task, that her domestic tribute of regard should become an historical memento of her country, and blazon forth her illustrious husband's deeds, and her own unwearying affection, to ages upon ages hereafter to be born. for independently of the interest which may be attached to this tapestry as a pledge of feminine affection, a token of housewifely industry, and a specimen of ancient stitchery, it derives more historic value as the work of the conqueror's wife, than if it were the production of a later time. for it holds good with these historical tapestries as with the written histories and romances of the middle ages;--authors wrote and ladies wrought (we mean no pun) their characters, _not_ in the costume of the times in which the action or event celebrated took place, but in that in which they were at the time engaged; and thus, had matilda the empress worked this tapestry, it is more than probable that she would have introduced the armorial bearings which were in her time becoming common, and especially the norman leopards, of which in the tapestry there is not the slightest trace. in her time too the hair was worn so long as to excite the censures of the church, whilst at the time of the conquest the normans almost shaved their heads; and this circumstance, more than the want of beards, is supposed by mr. stothard[ ] to have led to the surmise of the anglo-saxon spies that the normans were all priests. this circumstance is faithfully depicted in the tapestry, where also the chief weapon seen is a lance, which was little used after the conquest. these peculiarities, with several others which have been commented on by antiquarian writers, seem to establish the date of this production as coeval with the action which it represents, and therefore invaluable as an historical document. "it is, perhaps," says one of the learned writers on the bayeux tapestry, "a characteristic of the literature of the present age to deduce history from sources of second-rate authority; from ballads and pictures rather than from graver and severer records. unquestionably this is the preferable course, if amusement, not truth, be the object sought for. nothing can be more delightful than to read the reigns of the plantagenets in the dramas of shakspeare, or the tales of later times in the ingenious fictions of the author of waverley. but those who would draw historical facts from their hiding-places must be content to plod through many a ponderous worm-eaten folio, and many a half-legible and still less intelligible manuscript. "yet," continues he, "if the bayeux tapestry be not history of the first class, it is, perhaps, something better. it exhibits genuine traits, elsewhere sought in vain, of the costume and manners of that age which, of all others, if we except the period of the reformation, ought to be the most interesting to us; that age which gave us a new race of monarchs, bringing with them new landholders, new laws, and almost a new language. "as in the magic pages of froissart, we here behold our ancestors of each race in most of the occupations of life, in courts and camps, in pastime and in battle, at feasts and on the bed of sickness. these are characteristics which of themselves would call forth a lively interest; but their value is greatly enhanced by their connection with one of the most important events in history, the main subject of the whole design." this magnificent piece of work is feet in length by inches in width, is now usually kept at the town-hall in rouen, and is treasured as the most precious relic. it was formerly the theme of some long and learned dissertations of antiquarian historians, amongst whom montfaucon, perhaps, ranks most conspicuous. still so little _local_ interest does it excite, that mr. gurney, in , was nearly leaving bayeux without seeing it because he did not happen to ask for it by the title of "toile de st. jean," and so his request was not understood; and ducarel, in his "tour," says, "the priests of this cathedral to whom we addressed ourselves for a sight of this remarkable piece of antiquity, knew nothing of it; the circumstance only of its being annually hung up in their church led them to understand what we wanted; no person there knowing that the object of our inquiry any ways related to william the conqueror, whom to this day they call duke william." during the french revolution its surrender was demanded for the purpose of covering the guns; fortunately, however, a priest succeeded in concealing it until that storm was overpast. bonaparte better knew its value. it was displayed for some time in paris, and afterwards at some seaport towns. m. denon had the charge of it committed to him by bonaparte, but it was afterwards restored to bayeux. it was at the time of the usurper's threatened invasion of our country that so much value was attached to, and so much pains taken to exhibit this roll. "whether," says dibdin, "at such a sight the soldiers shouted, and, drawing their glittering swords, "clashed on their sounding shields the din of war,--" confident of a second representation of the same subject by a second subjugation of our country--is a point which has not been exactly detailed to me! but the supposition may not be considered very violent when i inform you that i was told by a casual french visitor of the tapestry, that '_pour cela, si bonaparte avait eu le courage, le résultat auroit été comme autrefois_.' matters, however, have taken _rather_ a different turn." the tapestry is coiled round a machine like that which lets down the buckets to a well, and a female unrols and explains it. it is worked in different coloured worsteds on white cloth, to which time has given the tinge of brown holland; the parts intended to represent flesh are left untouched by the needle. the colours are somewhat faded, and not very multitudinous. perhaps it is the little variety of colours which matilda and her ladies had at their disposal which has caused them to depict the horses of any colour--"blue, green, red, or yellow." the outline, too, is of course stiff and rude.[ ] at the top and bottom of the main work is a narrow allegorical border; and each division or different action or event is marked by a branch or tree extending the whole depth of the tapestry; and most frequently each tableau is so arranged that the figures at the end of one and the beginning of the next are turned from each other, whilst above each the subject of the scene and the names of the principal actors are wrought in large letters. the subjects of the border vary; some of Æsop's fables are depicted on it, sometimes instruments of agriculture, sometimes fanciful and grotesque figures and borders; and during the heat of the battle of hastings, when, as montfaucon says, "le carnage est grand," the appropriate device of the border is a _layer of dead men_. "from the fury of the normans, good lord deliver us," was, we are told, in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries a petition in the litanies of all nations.[ ] for long did england sorrow under their "fury," though _in time_ the conquest produced advantageous results to the kingdom at large. whether this norman subjugation was in accordance with the will of the monarch edward, or whether it was entirely the result of duke william's ambition, must now ever remain in doubt. harold asserted that edward the confessor appointed him his successor (of which, however, he could not produce proof); to this must be opposed the improbability of edward thus ennobling a family of whom he felt, and with such abundant cause, so jealous. probably the old chronicler (fabyan) has hit the mark when he says, "this edgarre (the rightful heir) was yonge, and specyally for harolde was stronge of knyghtes and rychesse, he wanne the reygne." be this as it may, however, harold on the very day of edward's interment, and that was only the day subsequent to his death, was crowned king in st. paul's; apparently with the concurrence of all concerned, for he was powerful and popular. and his government during the chief part of his short kingly career was such as to increase his popularity: he was wise, and just, and gracious. "anone as he was crowned, he began to fordoo euyll lawes and customes before vsed, and stablysshed the good lawes, and specyally whiche (suche) as were for the defence of holy churche, and punysshed the euyll doers, to the fere and example of other."[ ] but uncontrolled authority early began to produce its wonted results. he "waxyd so prowd, and for couetouse wold not deuyde the prayes that he took to hys knyghtys, that had well deseruyd it, but kepte it to hymself, that he therby lost the fauour of many of his knyghtys and people."[ ] this defection from his party doubtless made itself felt in the mortal struggle with the norman duke which issued in harold's discomfiture and death. proceed we to the tapestry. the first scene which the needlewoman has depicted is a conference between a person who, from his white flowing beard and regal costume, is easily recognized as the "sainted edward," and another, who, from his subsequent embarkation, is supposed to be harold. the subject of the conference is, of course, only conjectured. harold's visit to normandy is well known; but whether, as some suppose, he was driven thither by a tempest when on a cruise of pleasure; whether he went as ambassador from edward to communicate the intentions of the confessor in william's behoof; or whether, as the tapestry is supposed more strongly to indicate, he obtained edward's reluctant consent to his visit to reclaim his brother who, a hostage for his own good conduct, had been sent to william by edward; these are points which now defy investigation, even if they were of sufficient importance to claim it. harold is then seen on his journey attended by cavaliers on horseback, surrounded by dogs, and, an emblem of his own high dignity, a hawk on his fist. one great value of this tapestry is the scrupulous regard paid to points and circumstances which at first view might appear insignificant, but which, as correlative confirmations of usages and facts, are of considerable importance. thus, it is known to antiquarians that great personages formerly had two only modes of equipment when proceeding on a journey, that of war or the chase. harold is here fully equipped for the chase, and consequently the first glimpse obtained of his person would show that his errand was one of peace. the hawk on the fist was a mark of high nobility: no inferior person is represented with one: harold and guy earl of ponthieu alone bear them. in former times this bird was esteemed so sacred that it was prohibited in the ancient laws for any one to give his hawk even as a part of his ransom. in the reign of edward the third it was made felony to steal a hawk; and to take its eggs, even in a person's own ground, was punishable with imprisonment for a year and a day, besides a fine at the king's pleasure. nay, more than this, by the laws of one part of the island, and probably of the whole,[ ] the price of a hawk, or of a greyhound, was once the very same with the price of a man; and there was a time when the robbing of a hawk's nest was as great a crime in the eye of the law, and as severely punished, as the murder of a christian. and of this high value they were long considered. "it is difficult," says mr. mills,[ ] "to fancy the extravagant degree of estimation in which hawks were held during the chivalric ages. as symbols of high estate they were constantly carried about by the nobility of both sexes. there was even a usage of bringing them into places appropriated to public worship; a practice which, in the case of some individuals, appears to have been recognised as a right. the treasurer of the church of auxerre enjoyed the distinction of assisting at divine service on solemn days with a falcon on his fist; and the lord of sassai held the privilege of perching his upon the altar. nothing was thought more dishonourable to a man of rank than to give up his hawks; and if he were taken prisoner he would not resign them even for liberty." the different positions in which the hawk is placed in our needlework are worthy of remark. here its head is raised, its wings fluttering, as if eager and ready for flight; afterwards, when harold follows the earl of ponthieu as his captive, he is not, of course, deprived of his bird, but by a beautiful fiction the bird is represented depressed, and with its head turned towards its master's breast as if trying to nestle and shelter itself there. could sympathy be more poetically expressed? afterwards, on harold's release, the bird is again depicted as fluttering to "soar elate." the practice very prevalent in these "barbarous times," as we somewhat too sweepingly term them, of entering on no expedition of war or pastime without imploring the protection of heaven, is intimated by a church which harold is entering previously to his embarkation. that this observance might degenerate in many instances into mere form may be very true; and the "hunting masses" celebrated in song might, some of them, be more honoured in the breach than the observance: nevertheless in clearing away the dross of old times, we have, it is to be feared, removed some of the gold also; and the abolition of the custom of having the churches open at _all times_, so that at any moment the heart-prompted prayer might be offered up under the holy shelter of a consecrated roof, has tended very much, it is to be feared, to abolish the habit of frequent prayer. a habit in itself, and regarded even merely as a habit, fraught with inestimable good. we next see harold and his companions refreshing themselves prior to their departure, pledging each other, and doubtless drinking to the success of their enterprise whatever it might be. the horns from which they are drinking have been the subject of critical remark. we find that horns were used for various purposes, and were of four sorts, drinking horns, hunting horns, horns for summoning the people, and of a mixed kind. they were used as modes of investiture, and this manner of endowing was usual amongst the danes in england. king cnute himself gave lands at pusey in berkshire to the family of that name, with a horn solemnly at that time delivered, as a confirmation of the grant. edward the confessor made a like donation to the family of nigel. the celebrated horn of alphus, kept in the sacristy in york minster, was probably a drinking cup belonging to this prince, and was by him given together with all his lands and revenues to that church. "when he gave the horn that was to convey it (his estate) he filled it with wine, and on his knees before the altar, 'deo et s. petro omnes terras et redditus propinavit.' so that he drank it off, in testimony that thereby he gave them his lands."[ ] many instances might be adduced to show that this mode of investiture was common in england in the time of the danes, the anglo-saxons, and at the close of the reign of the norman conqueror. the drinking horns had frequently a screw at the end, which being taken off at once converted them into hunting horns, which circumstance will account for persons of distinction frequently carrying their own. such doubtless were those used of old by the breton hunters about brecheliant, which is poetically described as a forest long and broad, much famed throughout brittany. the fountain of berenton rises from beneath a stone there. thither the hunters are used to repair in sultry weather, and drawing up water with their horns (those horns which had just been used to sound the animated warnings of the chase), they sprinkle the stone for the purpose of having rain, which is then wont to fall throughout the whole forest around. there too fairies are to be seen, and many wonders happen. the ground is broken and precipitous, and deer in plenty roam there, but the husbandmen have forsaken it. our author[ ] goes on to say that he personally visited this enchanted region, but that, though he saw the forest and the land, no marvels presented themselves. the reason is obvious. he had, before the time, contracted some of the scepticism of these matter-of-fact "schoolmaster abroad" days. he wanted faith, and therefore he did not _deserve_ to see them. the use of drinking horns is very ancient. they were usually embellished or garnished with silver; they were in very common use among our saxon ancestors, who frequently had them gilded and magnificently ornamented. one of those in use amongst harold's party seems to be very richly decorated. the revellers are, however, obliged to dispatch, as their leader, harold, is already wading through the water to his vessel. the character of harold as displayed throughout this tapestry is a magnificent one, and does infinite credit to the generous and noble disposition of matilda the queen, who disdained to depreciate the character of a fallen foe. he commences his expedition by an act of piety; here, on his embarkation at bosham, he is kindly carrying his dog through the water. in crossing the sands of the river cosno, which are dangerous, so very dangerous as most frequently to cause the destruction of those who attempt their transit, his whole concern seems to be to assist the passage of others, whose inferior natural powers do not enable them to compete with danger so successfully as himself; his character for undaunted bravery is such, that william condescends to supplicate his assistance in a feud then at issue between himself and another nobleman, and so nobly does he bear himself that the proud norman with his own hands invests him with the emblems of honour (as seen in the tapestry); and, last scene of all, he disdained all submission, he repelled all the entreaties with which his brothers assailed him not personally to lead his troops to the encounter, and the corpses of , normans on this field, and of even a greater number on the english monarch's side, told in bloody characters that harold had not quailed in the last great encounter. unpropitious winds drive him and his attendants from their intended course. many historians accuse the people of ponthieu of making prisoners all whose ill fortune threw them upon their coast, and of treating them with great barbarity, in order to extort the larger ransom. be this as it may, harold has scarcely set his foot on shore ere he is forcibly captured by the vassals of guy of ponthieu, who is there on horseback to witness the proceeding. the tapestry goes on to picture the progress of the captured troop and their captors to belrem or beurain, and a conference when there between the earl and his prisoner, where the fair embroideresses have given a delicate and expressive feature by depicting the conquering noble with his sword elevated, and the princely captive, wearing indeed his sword, but with the point depressed. it is said that a fisherman of ponthieu, who had been often in england and knew harold's person, was the cause of his capture. "he went privily to guy, the count of pontif, and would speak to no other; and he told the count how he could put a great prize in his way, if he would go with him; and that if he would give him only twenty livres he should gain a hundred by it, for he would deliver him such a prisoner as would pay a hundred livres or more for his ransome." the count agreed to his terms, and then the fisherman showed him harold. hearing of harold's captivity, william the norman is anxious on all and every account to obtain possession of his person. he consequently sends ambassadors to guy, who is represented on the tapestry as giving them audience. the person holding the horses is somewhat remarkable; he is a bearded dwarf. dwarfs were formerly much sought after in the houses of great folks, and they were frequently sent as presents from one potentate to another. they were petted and indulged somewhat in the way of the more modern fool or jester. the custom is very old. the romans were so fond of them, that they often used artificial methods to prevent the growth of children designed for dwarfs, by enclosing them in boxes, or by the use of tight bandages. the sister of one of the roman emperors had a dwarf who was only two feet and a hand breadth in height. many relations concerning dwarfs we may look upon as not less fabulous than those of giants. they are, like the latter, indispensable in romances, where their feats, far from being dwarfish, are absolutely gigantic, though these diminutive heroes seldom occupy any more ostensible post than that of humble attendant. "fill'd with these views th' _attendant dwarf_ she sends: before the knight the dwarf respectful bends; kind greetings bears as to his lady's guest, and prays his presence to adorn her feast. the knight delays not." "a hugye giaunt stiffe and starke, all foule of limbe and lere; two goggling eyen like fire farden, a mouthe from eare to eare. before him came a dwarffe full lowe, that _waited on his knee_." sir cauline. "behind her farre away a dwarfe did lag that lasie seem'd, in being ever last, or wearied with _bearing of her bag_ of needments at his backe." faerie queene. the dwarf worked in the tapestry has the name tvrold placed above him, and seems to have been a dependant of odo, bishop of bayeux, william the conqueror's brother.[ ] the first negotiations are unsuccessful; more urgent messages are forwarded, and in the end duke william himself proceeds at the head of some troops to _compel_ the surrender of the prisoner. count guy is intimidated, and the object is attained; every stage of these proceedings is depicted on the canvas, as well as william's courteous reception of harold at his palace. the portraiture of a female in a sort of porch, with a clergyman in the act of pronouncing a benediction on her, is supposed to have reference to the engagement between william and his guest, that the latter should marry the daughter of the former. many other circumstances and conditions were tacked to this agreement, one of which was that harold should guard the english throne for william; agreements which one and all--under the reasonable plea that they were enforced ones--the anglo-saxon nobleman broke through. it is said that his desertion so affected the mind of the pious young princess,[ ] that her heart broke on her passage to spain, whither they were conveying her to a forced union with a spanish prince. as this young lady was a mere child at the time of harold's visit to normandy, the story, though exceedingly pretty, is probably very apocryphal. ducarel gives an entirely different explanation of the scene, and says that it is probably meant to represent a secretary or officer coming to william's duchess, to acquaint her with the agreement just made relative to her daughter. the earl of bretagne is at this moment at war with duke william, and the latter attaching harold to his party, from whom indeed he receives effectual service, arrives at mount st. michel, passes the river cosno (to which we have before alluded), and arrives at dol in brittany. parties are seen flying towards rennes. william and his followers attack dinant, of which the keys are delivered up, and the normans come peaceably to bayeux; william having previously, with his own hands, invested harold with a suit of armour. harold shortly returns to england, but not before a very important circumstance had taken place. william and harold had mutually entered into an agreement by which the latter had pledged himself to be true to william, to acknowledge him as edward's successor on the english throne, and to do all in his power to obtain for him the peaceable possession of that throne; and as harold was, the reigning monarch excepted, the first man in england, this promised support was of no trifling moment. william resolved therefore to have the oath repeated with all possible solemnity. his brother odo, the bishop of bayeux, assisted him in this matter. accordingly we see harold standing between two altars covered with cloth of gold, a hand on each, uttering the solemn adjuration, of which william, seated on his throne, is a delighted auditor; for he well knew that the oath was more fearful than harold was at all aware of. for "william sent for all the holy bodies thither, and put so many of them together as to fill a whole chest, and then covered them with a pall; but harold neither saw them, nor knew of their being there, for nought was shown or told to him about it; and over all was a phylactery, the best that he could select. when harold placed his hand upon it, the hand trembled and the flesh quivered; but he swore, and promised upon his oath, to take ele to wife, and to deliver up england to the duke; and thereunto to do all in his power, according to his might and wit, after the death of edward, if he should live, so help him god and the holy relics there! (meaning the gospels, for he had none idea of any other). many cried 'god grant it!' and when harold had kissed the saints, and had risen upon his feet, the duke led him up to the chest, and made him stand near it; and took off the chest the pall that had covered it, and showed harold upon what holy relics he had sworn, and he was sorely alarmed at the sight." footnotes: [ ] archæologia, vol. xvii. [ ] biblio. tour, vol. i., . [ ] archæol. vols. xviii., xix. [ ] one writer, bolton corney, esq., maintains that this work was provided at the expense of the chapter of bayeux, under their superintendence, and from their designs. "if it had not (says he) been devised within the precincts of a church it could not have escaped female influence: it could not have contained such indications of _celibatic_ superintendence. it is not without its domestic and festive scenes; and comprises, exclusive of the borders, about figures; but in this number there are only three females." [ ] henry iii., . [ ] archæol. vol. xix. [ ] the attempts to imitate the human figure were, at this period, stiff and rude: but arabesque patterns were now _chiefly_ worked; and they were rich and varied. [ ] henry iii., . [ ] fabyan's chron. [ ] rastell's chron. [ ] henry ii., . [ ] hist. chiv. [ ] archæol. and . [ ] master wace. roman de rou, &c., by taylor. [ ] archæologia, vol. xix. [ ] "her knees were like horn with constant kneeling." chapter ix. the bayeux tapestry.--part ii. "but bloody, bloody was the field, ere that lang day was done." hardyknute. "king william bithought him alsoe of that folke that was forlorne, and slayn also thoruz him in the bataile biforne. and ther as the bataile was, an abbey he lite rere of seint martin, for the soules that there slayn were. and the monkes well ynoug feffed without fayle, that is called in englonde abbey of bataile." immediately after the solemn ceremony described in the foregoing chapter, harold is depicted as returning to england and presenting himself before the king, edward the confessor. "but the day came that no man can escape, and king edward drew near to die." his deathbed and his funeral procession are both wrought in the tapestry, but by some accident have been transposed. his remains are borne in splendid procession to the magnificent house which he had builded (_i.e._ rebuilded), westminster abbey; over which, in the sky, a hand is seen to point as if in benediction. it is well known that the abbey was barely finished at the time of the pious monarch's death, and this circumstance is intimated in an intelligible though homely manner in the tapestry by a person occupied in placing a weathercock on the summit of the building. the first pageant seen within its walls was the funeral array of the monarch who so beautifully rebuilt and so amply endowed it. before the high altar, in a splendid shrine, where gems and jewelry flashed back the gleams of innumerable torches, and amid the solemn chant of the monks, whose "miserere" echoed through the vaulted aisles, interrupted but by the subdued wail of the mourners, or the emphatic benediction of the poor whose friend he had been, were laid the remains of him who was called the sainted edward; whose tomb was considered so hallowed a spot that the very stones around it were worn down by the knees of the pilgrims who resorted thither for prayer; and the very dust of whose shrine was carefully swept and collected, exported to the continent, and bought by devotees at a high price. we next see in the tapestry the crown _offered_ to harold (a circumstance to be peculiarly remarked, since thus depicted by his opponent's wife), and then harold shows right royally receiving the homage and gratulations of those around. but the next scene forbodes a change of fortune: "isti mirant stella," is the explanation wrought over it. for there appeared "a blasing starre, which was seene not onelie here in england, but also in other parts of the world, and continued the space of seven daies. this blasing starre might be a prediction of mischeefe imminent and hanging over harold's head; for they never appeare but as prognosticats of afterclaps." popular belief has generally invested these ill-omened bodies with peculiar terrors. "these blasing starres--dreadful to be seene, with bloudie haires, and all over rough and shagged at the top." they vary, however, in their appearance. sometimes they are pale, and glitter like a sword, without any rays or beams. such was the one which is said to have hung over jerusalem for near a year before its destruction, filling the minds of all who beheld it with awe and superstitious dread. a comet resembling a horn appeared when the "whole manhood of greece fought the battaile of salamis." comets foretold the war between cæsar and pompey, the murder of claudius, and the tyranny of nero. though _usually_, they were not _invariably_, considered as portents of evil omen: for the birth and accession of alexander, of mithridates, the birth of charles martel, and the accession of charlemagne, and the commencement of the tátár empire, were all notified by blazing stars. a very brilliant one which appeared for seven consecutive nights soon after the death of julius cæsar was supposed to be conveying the soul of the murdered dictator to olympus. an author who wrote on one which appeared in the reign of elizabeth was most anxious, as in duty bound, to apply the phenomenon to the queen. but here was the puzzle. "to have foretold calamities might have been misprision of treason; and the only precedent for saying anything good of a comet was to be drawn from that which occurred after the death of julius cæsar;" but it so happened that at this time elizabeth was by no means either ripe or willing for her apotheosis.[ ] comets, one author writes, "were made to the end the etherial regions might not be more void of monsters than the ocean is of whales and other great thieving fishes, and that a gross fatness being gathered together as excrements into an imposthume, the celestial air might thereby be purged, lest the sun should be obscured." another says, they "signifie corruption of the ayre. they are signes of earthquake, of warres, chaunging of kyngdomes, great dearth of corne, yea, a common death of man and beast." so a poet of the same age:-- "there with long bloody hair a blazing star threatens the world with famine, plague, and war; to princes death, to kingdoms many crosses, to all estates inevitable losses; to herdsmen rot, to plowmen hapless seasons, to sailors storms, to cities civil treasons." but a writer on comets in crowned all previous conjecture. "as if god and nature intended by comets to ring the knells of princes; esteeming the bells of churches upon earth not sacred enough for such illustrious and eminent performances." no wonder that the comet in harold's days was regarded with fearful misgivings. it did not, however, dismay him. duke william, as may be supposed, did not tamely submit to a usurpation of what he considered, or affected to consider, his own dominions--a circumstance which we see an envoy, probably from his party in england, makes him acquainted with. he holds a council, seemingly an earnest and animated one, which evidently results in the immediate preparation of a fleet; of which the tapestry delineates the various stages and circumstances, from the felling of the timber in its native woods to the launching of the vessels, stored and fully equipped in arms, provisions, and heroes for invasion and conquest. william in this expedition received unusual assistance from his own tributary chiefs, and from various other allies, who joined his standard, and without whom, indeed, he could not, with any chance of success, have made his daring attempt. a summer and autumn were spent in fitting-up the fleet and collecting the forces, "and there was no knight in the land, no good serjeant, archer, nor peasant of stout heart, and of age for battle, that the duke did not summon to go with him to england; promising rents to the vavassors, and honours to the barons." thus was an armament prepared of seven hundred ships, but the one which bore william, the hero of the expedition, shone proudly pre-eminent over the rest. it was the gift of his affectionate queen. it is represented in the canvas of larger size than the others: the mast, surmounted by a cross, bears the banner which was sent to william by the pope as a testimony of his blessing and approbation. on this mast also a beacon-light nightly blazed as a _point d'approche_ of the remainder of the fleet. on the poop was the figure of a boy (supposed to be meant for the conqueror's youngest son), gilded, and looking earnestly towards england, holding in one hand a banner, in the other an ivory horn, on which he is sounding a joyful reveillee. but long the fleet waited at st. valeri for a fair wind, until the barons became weary and dispirited. then they prayed the convent to bring out the shrine of st. valeri and set it on a carpet in the plain; and all came praying the holy relics that they might be allowed to pass over sea. they offered so much money, that the relics were buried beneath it; and from that day forth they had good weather and a fair wind. "than willyam thanked god and saynt valary, and toke shortly after shyppynge, and helde his course towarde englande." on the arrival of the fleet in england a banquet is prepared. the shape of the table at which william sits has been the theme of some curious remarks by father montfaucon, which have been copied by ducarel and others. it is in form of a half-moon, and was called by the romans _sigma_, from the greek +s+. it was calculated only for seven persons; and a facetious emperor once invited eight, on purpose to raise a laugh against the person for whom there would be no place. "a knight in that country (britain) heard the noise and cry made by the peasants and villains when they saw the great fleet arrive. he well knew that the normans were come, and that their object was to seize the land. he posted himself behind a hill, so that they should not see him, and tarried there watching the arrival of the great fleet. he saw the archers come forward from the ships, and the knights follow. he saw the carpenters with their axes, and the host of people and troops. he saw the men throw the materials for the fort out of the ships. he saw them build up and enclose the fort, and dig the fosse around it. he saw them land the shields and armour. and as he beheld all this his spirit was troubled; and he girt his sword and took his lance, saying he would go straightway to king harold and tell the news. forthwith he set out on his way, resting late and rising early; and thus he journeyed on by night and by day to seek harold his lord." and we see him in the tapestry speeding to his beloved master. meanwhile harold is not idle. but the fleet which, in expectation of his adversary's earlier arrival, he had stationed on the southern coast, had lately dispersed from want of provisions, and the king, occupied by the norwegian invasion, had not been able to reinstate it; and "william came against him (says the saxon chronicle) unawares ere his army was collected." thus the enemy found nor opposition nor hinderance in obtaining a footing in the island. taken at such disadvantage, harold did all that a brave man could do to repel his formidable adversary. the tapestry depicts, as well as may be expected, the battle. "the priests had watched all night, and besought and called upon god, and prayed to him in their chapels, which were fitted up throughout the host. they offered and vowed fasts, penances, and orisons; they said psalms and misereres, litanies and kyriels; they cried on god, and for his mercy, and said paternosters and masses; some the spiritus domini, others salus populi, and many salve sancte parens, being suited to the season, as belonging to that day, which was saturday. "and now, behold! that battle was gathered whereof the fame is yet mighty. "then taillefer, who sang right well, rode, mounted on a swift horse, before the duke. "loud and far resounded the bray of the horns, and the shocks of the lances, the mighty strokes of clubs, and the quick clashing of swords. one while the englishmen rushed on, another while they fell back; one while the men from over sea charged onwards, and again at other times retreated. when the english fall, the normans shout. each side taunts and defies the other, yet neither knoweth what the other saith; and the normans say the english bark, because they understand not their speech. "some wax strong, others weak; the brave exult, but the cowards tremble, as men who are sore dismayed. the normans press on the assault, and the english defend their post well; they pierce the hauberks and cleave the shields; receive and return mighty blows. again some press forwards, others yield, and thus in various ways the struggle proceeds." the death of harold's two brothers is depicted, and, finally, his own. it is said that his mother offered the weight of the body in gold to have the melancholy satisfaction of interring it, and that the conqueror refused the boon. but other writers affirm, and apparently with truth, that william immediately transmitted the body, unransomed, to the bereaved parent, who had it interred in the monastery of waltham. with the death of harold the tapestry now ends, though some writers think it probable that it once extended as far as the coronation of william. there can be little doubt of its having been intended to extend so far, though it is impossible now to ascertain whether the queen was ever enabled quite to complete her herculean task. enough there is, however, to stamp it as one of the "most noble and interesting relics of antiquity;" and, as dibdin calls it, "an exceedingly curious document of the conjugal attachment, and even enthusiastic veneration of matilda, and a political record of more weight than may at first sight appear to belong to it." taking it altogether, he adds, "none but itself could be its parallel." almost all historians describe the normans as advancing to the onset "singing the song of roland," that is, a detail of the achievements of the slaughtered hero of roncesvalles, which is well known to have been, for ages after the event to which it refers, a note of magical inspiration to deeds of "derring do". on this occasion it is recorded that the spirit note was sung by the minstrel taillefer, who was, however, little contented to lead his countrymen by voice alone. it is not possible that our readers can be otherwise than pleased with the following animated account of his deeds:[ ]-- the onset of taillefer "foremost in the bands of france, arm'd with hauberk and with lance, and helmet glittering in the air, as if a warrior-knight he were, rushed forth the minstrel taillefer-- borne on his courser swift and strong, he gaily bounded o'er the plain, and raised the heart-inspiring song (loud echoed by the warlike throng) of roland and of charlemagne, of oliver, brave peer of old, untaught to fly, unknown to yield, and many a knight and vassal bold, whose hallowed blood, in crimson flood, dyed roncesvalles' field. "harold's host he soon descried, clustering on the hill's steep side: then turned him back brave taillefer, and thus to william urged his prayer: 'great sire, it fits me not to tell how long i've served you, or how well; yet if reward my lays may claim, grant now the boon i dare to name; minstrel no more, be mine the blow that first shall strike yon perjured foe.' 'thy suit is gained,' the duke replied, 'our gallant minstrel be our guide.' 'enough,' he cried, 'with joy i speed, foremost to vanquish or to bleed.' "and still of roland's deeds he sung, while norman shouts responsive rung, as high in air his lance he flung, with well directed might; back came the lance into his hand, like urchin's ball, or juggler's wand, and twice again, at his command, whirled its unerring flight.-- while doubting whether skill or charm had thus inspired the minstrel's arm, the saxons saw the wondrous dart fixed in their standard bearer's heart. "now thrice aloft his sword he threw, 'midst sparkling sunbeams dancing, and downward thrice the weapon flew, like meteor o'er the evening dew, from summer sky swift glancing: and while amazement gasped for breath, another saxon groaned in death. "more wonders yet!--on signal made, with mane erect, and eye-balls flashing, the well taught courser rears his head, his teeth in ravenous fury gnashing; he snorts--he foams--and upward springs-- plunging he fastens on the foe, and down his writhing victim flings, crushed by the wily minstrel's blow. thus seems it to the hostile band enchantment all, and fairy land. "fain would i leave the rest unsung:-- the saxon ranks, to madness stung, headlong rushed with frenzied start, hurling javelin, mace, and dart; no shelter from the iron shower sought taillefer in that sad hour; yet still he beckoned to the field, 'frenchman, come on--the saxons yield-- strike quick--strike home--in roland's name-- for william's glory--harold's shame.' then pierced with wounds, stretched side by side, the minstrel and his courser died." we have dwelt on the details of the tapestry with a prolixity which some may deem tedious. yet surely the subject is worthy of it; for, in the first place, it is the oldest piece of needlework in the world--the only piece of that era now existing; and this circumstance in itself suggests many interesting ideas, on which, did our space permit, we could readily dilate. ages have rolled away; and the fair hands that wrought this work have mouldered away into dust; and the gentle and affectionate spirit that suggested this elaborate memorial has long since passed from the scene which it adorned and dignified. in no long period after the battle thus commemorated, an abbey, consecrated to praise and prayer, raised its stately walls on the very field that was ploughed with the strife and watered with the blood of fierce and evil men. the air that erst rang with the sounds of wrath, of strife, of warfare, the clangour of armour, the din of war, was now made musical with the chorus of praise, or was gently stirred by the breath of prayer or the sigh of penitence; and where contending hosts were marshalled in proud array, or the phalanx rushed impetuous to the battle, were seen the stoled monks in solemn procession, or the holy brother peacefully wending on his errand of charity. but the grey and time-honoured walls waxed aged as they beheld generation after generation consigned to dust beneath their shelter. time and change have done their worst. a few scattered ruins, seen dimly through the mist of years, are all that remain to point to the inquiring wanderer the site of the stupendous struggle of which the results are felt even after the expiration of eight hundred years. these may be deemed trite reflections: still it is worthy of remark, that many of the turbulent spirits who then made earth echo with their fame would have been literally and altogether as though they never had been--for historians make little or no mention of them--were it not for the lasting monument raised to them in this tapestry by woman's industry and skill. matilda the queen's character is pictured in high terms by both english and norman historians. "so very stern was her husband, and hot, that no man durst do anything against his will. he had earls in his custody who acted against his will. bishops he hurled from their bishoprics, and abbots from their abbacies, and thanes into prison;" yet it is recorded that even his iron temper was not proof against the good sense, the gentleness, the piety, and the affection of a wife who never offended him but once; and on this occasion there was so much to palliate and excuse her fault, proceeding as it did from a mother's yearnings towards her eldest son when he was in disgrace and sorrow, that the usually unyielding king forgave her immediately. she lived beloved, and she died lamented; and, from the time of her death, the king, says william of malmsbury, "refrained from every gratification." independently of the value of this tapestry as an historical authority, and its interest as being projected, and in part executed, by a lady as excellent in character as she was noble in rank, and its high estimation as the oldest piece of needlework extant--independently of all these circumstances, it is impossible to study this memorial closely, "rude and skilless" as it at first appears, without becoming deeply interested in the task. the outline engravings of it in the "tapisseries anciennes historiées" are beautifully executed, but are inferior in interest to mr. stothart's (published by the society of antiquarians), because these have the advantage of being coloured accurately from the original. in the study of these plates alone, days and weeks glided away, nor left us weary of our task. footnotes: [ ] the comet of carried dismay and horror in its course. not only mighty monarchs, but the humblest private individuals seem to have considered the sign as sent to them, and to have set a double guard on all their actions. thus sir symonds d'ewes, the learned antiquary, having been in danger of an untimely end by entangling himself among some bell-ropes, makes a memorandum in his private diary never more to exercise himself in bell-ringing when there is a comet in the sky.--aikin. [ ] by thomas amyot, esq., f.s.a.--archæol., vol. xix chapter x. needlework of the times of romance and chivalry. "as ladies wont to finger the fine needle and nyse thread." faerie queene. though, during bygone ages, the fingers of the fair and noble were often sedulously employed in the decoration and embellishment of the church, and of its ministers, they were by no means universally so. marvellous indeed in quantity, as well as quality, must have been the stitchery done in those industrious days, for the "fine needle and nyse thread" were not merely visible but conspicuous in every department of life. if, happily, there were not proof to the contrary, we might be apt to imagine that the women of those days came into the world _only_ "to ply the distaff, broider, card, and sew." that this was not the case we, however, well know; but before we turn to those embroideries which are more especially the subject of this chapter, we will transcribe, from a recent work,[ ] an interesting detail of the household responsibilities of the mistress of a family in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. "while to play on the harp and citole (a species of lute), to execute various kinds of the most costly and delicate needle-work, and in some instances to 'pourtraye,' were, in addition to more literary pursuits, the accomplishments of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the functions which the mistress of an extensive household was expected to fulfil were never lost sight of. "few readers are aware of the various qualifications requisite to form the 'good housewife' during the middle ages. in the present day, when household articles of every kind are obtainable in any country town, and, with few exceptions, throughout the year, we can know little of the judgment, the forethought, and the nice calculation which were required in the mistress of a household consisting probably of three-score, or even more persons, and who, in the autumn, had to provide almost a twelvemonth's stores. there was the fire-wood, the rushes to strew the rooms, the malt, the oatmeal, the honey (at this period the substitute for sugar), the salt (only sold in large quantities), and, if in the country, the wheat and the barley for the bread--all to be provided and stored away. the greater part of the meat used for the winter's provision was killed and salted down at martinmas; and the mistress had to provide the necessary stock for the winter and spring consumption, together with the stockfish and 'baconed herrings' for lent. then at the annual fair, the only opportunity was afforded for purchasing those more especial articles of housewifery which the careful housewife never omitted buying--the ginger, nutmegs, and cinnamon, for the christmas posset, and sheer-monday furmety; the currants and almonds for the twelfth-night cake (an observance which dates almost as far back as the conquest); the figs, with which our forefathers always celebrated palm-sunday; and the pepper, the saffron, and the cummin, so highly prized in ancient cookery. all these articles bore high prices, and therefore it was with great consideration and care that they were bought. "but the task of providing raiment for the family also devolved upon the mistress, and there were no dealers save for the richer articles of wearing apparel to be found. the wool that formed the chief clothing was the produce of the flock, or purchased in a raw state; and was carded, spun, and in some instances woven at home. flax, also, was often spun for the coarser kinds of linen, and occasionally woven. thus, the mistress of a household had most important duties to fulfil, for on her wise and prudent management depended not merely the comfort, but the actual well-being of her extensive household. if the winter's stores were insufficient, there were no markets from whence an additional supply could be obtained; and the lord of wide estates and numerous manors might be reduced to the most annoying privations through the mismanagement of the mistress of the family." the "costly and delicate needle-work" is here, as elsewhere, passed over with merely a mention. it is, naturally, too insignificant a subject to task the attention of those whose energies are devoted to describing the warfare and welfare of kingdoms and thrones. thus did we look only to professed historians, though enough exists in their pages to evidence the existence of such productions as those which form the subject of our chapter, our evidence would be meagre indeed as to the minuter details: but as the "novel" now describes those minutiæ of every day life which we should think it ridiculous to look for in the writings of the politician or historian, so the romances of the days of chivalry present us with descriptions which, if they be somewhat redundant in ornament, are still correct in groundwork; and the details gathered from romances have in, it may be, unimportant circumstances, that accidental corroboration from history which fairly stamps their faithfulness in more important particulars: and it has been shown, says the author of 'godefridus,' by learned men, in the memoirs of the french academy of inscriptions, that they may be used in common with history, and as of equal authority whenever an inquiry takes place respecting the _spirit and manners of the ages_ in which they were composed. but we are writing a dissertation on romance instead of describing the "clodes ryche," to which we must now proceed. so highly was a facility in the use of the needle prized in these "ould ancient times," that a wandering damsel is not merely _tolerated_ but _cherished_ in a family in which she is a perfect stranger, solely from her skill in this much-loved art. after being exposed in an open boat, emare was rescued by syr kadore, remained in his castle, and there-- "she tawghte hem to _sewe_ and _marke_ all _maner of sylkyn werke_, of her they wer ful fayne."[ ] syr kadore says of her-- "she ys the konnyngest wommon, i trowe, that be yn crystendom, of _werk_ that y have sene." and again describing her-- "she _sewed sylke_ werk yn bour." this same accomplished and luckless lady had, princess though she was, every advantage of early tuition in this notable art, having been sent in her childhood to a lady called abro, who not only taught her "curtesye and thewe" (virtue and good manners), but also "golde and sylke for to sewe, amonge maydenes moo:" evidently an old dame's school; where, however, we may infer from the arrangement of the accomplishments taught, and the special mention of needlework, that the extra expense would be for the _sewing_; whereas, in our time and country (or county), the routine has been, "reding and soing, three-pence a week: a peny extra for manners." this expensive and troublesome acquirement--the art of sewing in "golde and silke"--was of general adoption: gorgeous must have been the appearance of the damsels and knights of those days, when their "----clothys wyth bestes & byrdes wer _bete_,[ ] all abowte for pryde." "by that light amadis saw his lady, and she appeared more beautiful than man could fancy woman could be. she had on a robe of _indian silk, thickly wrought with flowers of gold_; her hair was so beautiful that it was a wonder, and she had covered it only with a garland."[ ] "now when the fair grasinda heard of the coming of the fleet, and of all that had befallen, she made ready to receive oriana, whom of all persons in the world she most desired to see, because of her great renown that was everywhere spread abroad. she therefore wished to appear before her like a lady of such rank and such wealth as indeed she was: the robe which she put on was adorned with _roses of gold, wrought with marvellous skill, and bordered with pearls and precious stones_ of exceeding value."[ ] "his fine, soft garments, wove with cunning skill, all over, ease and wantonness declare; these with her hand, such subtle toil well taught, for him, in silk and gold, alcina wrought."[ ] "mayde elene, al so tyte. in a robe of samyte,[ ] anoon sche gan her tyre, to do lybeau's profyte in kevechers whyt, arayde wyth golde wyre. a velvwet mantyll gay, pelored[ ] wyth grys and gray sche caste abowte her swyre; a sercle upon her molde, of stones and of golde, the best yn that empyre."[ ] we read perpetually of "kercheves well schyre,[ ] "arayde wyth ryche gold wyre." but the labours of those days were not confined to merely good-appearing garments: the skill of the needlewoman--for doubtless it was solely attributable to that--could imbue them with a value far beyond that of mere outward garnish. "she seyde, syr knight, gentyl and hende,[ ] i wot thy stat, ord, and ende, be naught aschamed of me; if thou wylt truly to me take, and alle wemen for me forsake ryche i wyll make the. i wyll the geve an alner,[ ] imad of sylk and of gold cler, wyth fayr ymages thre; as oft thou puttest the hond therinne a mark of gold thou schalt wynne, in wat place that thou be."[ ] but infinitely more marvellous is the following:--"king lisuarte was so content with the tidings of amadis and galaor, which the dwarf had brought him, that he determined to hold the most honourable court that ever had been held in great britain. presently three knights came through the gate, two of them armed at all points, the third unarmed, of good stature and well proportioned, his hair grey, but of a green and comely old age. he held in his hand a coffer; and, having inquired which was the king, dismounted from his palfrey and kneeled before him, saying, 'god preserve you, sir! for you have made the noblest promise that ever king did, if you hold it.' 'what promise was that?' quoth lisuarte. 'to maintain chivalry in its highest honour and degree: few princes now-a-days labour to that end; therefore are you to be commended above all other.' 'certes, knight, that promise shall hold while i live.' 'god grant you life to complete it!' quoth the old man: 'and because you have summoned a great court to london, i have brought something here which becomes such a person, for such an occasion.' then he opened the coffer and took out a crown of gold, so curiously wrought and set with pearls and gems, that all were amazed at its beauty; and it well appeared that it was only fit for the brow of some mighty lord. 'is it not a work which the most cunning artists would wonder at?' said the old knight. lisuarte answered, 'in truth it is.' 'yet,' said the knight, 'it hath a virtue more to be esteemed than its rare work and richness: whatever king hath it on his head shall always increase his honour; this it did for him for whom it was made till the day of his death: since then no king hath worn it. i will give it you, sir, for one boon.'----'you also, lady,' said the knight, 'should purchase a rich mantle that i bring:' and he took from the coffer the richest and most beautiful mantle that ever was seen; for besides the pearls and precious stones with which it was beautified, there were figured on it all the birds and beasts in nature; so that it looked like a miracle. 'on my faith,' exclaimed the queen, 'this cloth can only have been made by that lord who can do everything.' 'it is the work of man,' said the old knight; 'but rarely will one be found to make its fellow: it should belong to wife rather than maiden, for she that weareth it _shall never have dispute with her husband_.' britna answered, 'if that be true, it is above all price; i will give you for it whatsoever you ask.' and lisuarte bade him demand what he would for the mantle and crown."[ ] but the robe which occupied the busy fingers of the saracen king's daughter for seven long years, and of which the jewelled ornaments inwrought in it--as was then very usual--were sought far and wide, has often been referred to (albeit wanting in fairy gifts) as a crowning proof of female industry and talent. we give the full description from the romance of 'emare,' in ritson's collection:-- "sone aftur yu a whyle, the ryche kynge of cesyle to the emperour gaun wende, a ryche present wyth hym he browght, a cloth that was wordylye wroght, he wellcomed hym at the hende.[ ] "syr tergaunte, that nobyll knyghte hyghte, he presented the emperour ryght, and sette hym on hys kne, wyth that cloth rychyly dyght. full of stones ther hit was pyght, at thykke as hit myght be, off topaze and rubyes, and other stones of myche prys, that semely wer to se, of crapowtes and nakette, as thykke ar they sette for sothe as y say the. "the cloth was displayed sone, the emperoer lokede therupone, and myght hyt not se, for glysteryng of the ryche ston redy syght had he non, and sayde, how may thys be? the emperour sayde on hygh, sertes thys ys a fayry, or ellys a vanyte. the kyng of cysyle answered than, so ryche a jewell ys ther non in all crystyante. "the amerayle[ ] dowghter of hethennes made this cloth withouten lees, and wrowghte hit all with pride, and purtreyed hyt with gret honour, wyth ryche golde and asowr,[ ] and stones on ylke a side; and, as the story telles in honde, the stones that yn this cloth stonde sowghte they wer full wyde. seven wynter hit was yn makynge, or hit was browght to endynge, in herte ys not to hyde. "in that on korner made was idoyne and amadas, with love that was so trewe, for they loveden hem wit honour, portrayed they wer with trewe-love flour, of stones bryght of hewe, wyth carbankull and safere, kasydonys and onyx so clere, sette in golde newe, deamondes and rubyes, and other stones of mychyll pryse, and menstrellys with her gle. "in that other korner was dyght, trystram and isowde so bryght, that semely wer to se, and for they loved hem ryght, as full of stones ar they dyght, as thykke as they may be, of topase and of rubyes, and other stones of myche pryse, that semely wer to se, with crapawtes and nakette, thykke of stones ar they sette, for sothe as y say the. "in the thyrdde korner, with gret honour, was florys and dame blawncheflour, as love was hem betwene, for they loved wyth honour, purtrayed they wer with trewe-love-flower, with stones bryght and shene. ther wer knyghtes and senatowres, emerawdes of gret vertues, to wyte withouten wene, deamondes and koralle, perydotes and crystall, and gode garnettes bytwene. "in the fowrthe korner was oon of babylone the sowdan sonne, the amerayle's dowghter hym by, for hys sake the cloth was wrowght, she loved hym in hert and thowght, as testy-moyeth thys storye. the fayr mayden her byforn was purtrayed an unykorn, with hys horn so hye, flowres and bryddes on ylke a syde, wyth stones that wer sowght wyde, stuffed wyth ymagerye. "when the cloth to ende was wrought, to the sowdan sone hit was browght, that semely was of syghte: 'my fadyr was a nobyll man, of the sowdan he hit wan, wyth maystrye and myghth; for gret love he yaf hyt me, i brynge hit the in specyalte, thys cloth ys rychely dyght.' he yaf hit the emperour, he receyved hit wyth gret honour, and thonkede hym fayr and ryght." we must not dismiss this subject without recording a species of mantle much celebrated in romance, and which must have tried the skill and patience of the fair votaries of the needle to the uttermost. we all have seen, perhaps we have some of us been foolish enough to manufacture, initials with hair, as tokens or souvenirs, or some other such fooleries. in our mothers' and grandmothers' days, when "fine marking" was the _sine quâ non_ of a good education, whole sets of linen were thus elaborately marked; and often have we marvelled when these tokens of grandmotherly skill and industry were displayed to our wondering and aching eyes. what then should we have thought of king ryence's mantle, of rich scarlet, bordered round with the beards of kings, sewed thereon full craftily by accomplished female hands. thus runs the anecdote in the 'morte arthur:'-- "came a messenger hastely from king ryence, of north wales, saying, that king ryence had discomfited and overcomen eleaven kings, and everiche of them did him homage, and that was thus: they gave him their beards cleane flayne off,--wherefore the messenger came for king arthur's beard, for king ryence had purfeled a mantell with king's beards, and there lacked for one a place of the mantell, wherefore he sent for his beard, or else he would enter into his lands, and brenn and slay, and never leave till he have thy head and thy beard. 'well,' said king arther, 'thou hast said thy message, which is the most villainous and lewdest message that ever man heard sent to a king. also thou mayest see my beard is full young yet for to make a purfell of; but tell thou the king that--or it be long--he shall do to _me_ homage on both his knees, or else he shall leese his head.'" in queen elizabeth's day, when they were beginning to skim the cream of the ponderous tomes of former times into those elaborate ditties from which the more modern ballad takes its rise, this incident was put into rhyme, and was sung before her majesty at the grand entertainment at kenilworth castle, , thus:-- "as it fell out on a pentecost day, king arthur at camelot kept his court royall, with his faire queene dame guenever the gay, and many bold barons sitting in hall; with ladies attired in purple and pall; and heraults in hewkes,[ ] hooting on high, cryed, _largesse, largesse, chevaliers tres hardie_. "a doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas right pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee; with steven[ ] fulle stoute amids all the preas, sayd, nowe sir king arthur, god save thee, and see! sir ryence of northgales greeteth well thee, and bids thee thy beard anon to him send, or else from thy jaws he will it off rend. "for his robe of state is a rich scarlet mantle, with eleven kings beards bordered about, and there is room lefte yet in a kantle,[ ] for thine to stande, to make the twelfth out: this must be done, be thou never so stout; this must be done, i tell thee no fable, maugre the teethe of all thy rounde table. "when this mortal message from his mouthe past, great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower, the king fum'd; the queen screecht; ladies were aghast; princes puff'd; barons blustered; lords began lower; knights stormed; squires startled, like steeds in a stower; pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall; then in came sir kay, the king's seneschal. "silence, my soveraignes, quoth this courteous knight, and in that stound the stowre began still: then the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight; of wine and wassel he had his wille: and when he had eaten and drunken his fill, an hundred pieces of fine coyned gold were given this dwarfe for his message bold. "but say to sir ryence, thou dwarfe, quoth the king, that for his bold message i do him defye; and shortly with basins and pans will him ring out of north gales; where he and i with swords, and not razors, quickly shall trye whether he or king arthur will prove the best barbor: and therewith he shook his good sword excalábor." drayton thus alludes to the same circumstance:-- "then told they, how himselfe great arthur did advance, to meet (with his allies) that puissant force in france, by lucius thither led; those armies that while ere affrighted all the world, by him strooke dead with feare: th' report of his great acts that over europe ran, in that most famous field he with the emperor wan: as how great rython's selfe hee slew in his repaire, who ravisht howell's neece, young helena the faire; and for a trophy brought the giant's coat away, made of the beards of kings."[ ]---- and spenser is too uncourteous in his adoption of the incident; for he not only levels tolls on the gentlemen's beards, but even on the flowing and golden locks of the gentle sex:-- "not farre from hence, upon yond rocky hill, hard by a streight there stands a castle strong, which doth observe a custom lewd and ill, and it hath long mayntaind with mighty wrong: for may no knight nor lady passe along that way, (and yet they needs must passe that way, by reason of the streight, and rocks among,) but they that ladies locks doe shave away, and that knight's berd for toll, which they for passage pay. "a shamefull use, as ever i did heare, said calidore, and to be overthrowne. but by what means did they at first it reare, and for what cause, tell, if thou have it knowne. sayd then that squire: the lady which doth owne this castle is by name briana hight; then which a prouder lady liveth none; she long time hath deare lov'd a doughty knight, and sought to win his love by all the meanes she might. "his name is crudor, who through high disdaine and proud despight of his selfe-pleasing mynd, refused hath to yeeld her love againe, untill a mantle she for him doe fynd, with beards of knights and locks of ladies lynd, which to provide, she hath this castle dight, and therein hath a seneschall assynd, cald maleffort, a man of mickle might, who executes her wicked will, with worse despight."[ ] "to pluck the beard" of another has ever been held the highest possible sign of scorn and contumely; but it was certainly a refinement on the matter, for which we are indebted to the morte arthur, or rather probably, according to bishop percy, to geoffrey of monmouth's history originally, for the unique and ornamental purpose to which these despoiled locks were applied. so particularly anxious was charlemagne to shew this despite to an enemy that, as we read in huon de bordeaux, he despatched no less than fifteen successive messengers from france to babylon to pull the beard of admiral gaudisse. and this, by no means pleasant operation, was to be accompanied by one even still less inviting. "alors le duc naymes, & tres tous les barons, s'en retournèrent au palais avec le roy, lequel s'assist sur un banc doré de fin or, & les barons tous autour de luy. si commanda qu'on luy amenast huon, lequel il vint, et se mist à genoux devant le roy, ou luy priant moult humblement que pitié & mercy voulsist avoir de luy. alors le roy le voyant en sa presence luy dist: huon puisque vers moy veux estre accordé, si convient que faciez ce que je vous or donneray. sire, ce dist huon, pour obeir à vous, il n'est aujourd'huy chose en ce monde mortel, que corps humain puisse porter, que hardiment n'osasse entreprendre, ne ia pour peur de mort ne le laisseray à faire, & fust à aller jusques à l'arbre sec, voire jusques aux portaux d'enfer combattre aux infernaux, comme fist le fort hercule: avant qu'à vous ne fusse accordé. huon, ce dist charles, je cuide qu'en pire lieu vous envoyeray, car, de quinze messages qui de par moy y ont este envoyez, n'en est par revenu un seul homme. si te diray ou tu iras, puis que tu veux qui de toy aye mercy, m'a volonté est, qu'il te convient aller en la cité de babylonne, par devers diray, & gardes que sur ta vie ne face faute, quand là seras venu tu monteras en son palais, là ou tu attendras l'heure de son disner & que tu le verras assis à table. si convient que tu sois armé de toutes armes, l'espee nuë au poing, par tel si que le premier & le plus grand baron que tu verras manger à sa table tu luy trencheras le chef quel qu'il soit, soit roy, ou admiral. et apres ce te convient tant faire que la belle esclarmonde fille à l'amiral gaudisse tu fiances, & la baises trois fois en la presence de son pere, & de tous sous qui la seront presens, car je veux que tu sçaches que c'est la plus belle pucelle qu'aujourd'huy soit en vie, puis apres diras de par moy à l'admiral qu'il m'envoye mille espreuiers, mille ours, mille viautres, tous enchainez, & mille jeune valets, & mille des plus belles pucelles de son royaume, & avecques ce, convient _que tu me rapportes une poignee de sa barbe, et quatre de ses dents machoires_. ha! sire, dirent les barons, bien desirez sa mort, quant de tel message faire luy enchargez, vous dites la verité ce dit le roy, car si tant ne fait que j'aye la barbe & les dents machoires sans aucune tromperie ne mensonge, jamais ne retourne en france, ne devant moi ne se monstre. car je le ferois pendre & trainer. sire, ce dit huon, m'avez vous dit & racompté tout ce que voulez que je face. oui dist le roy charles ma volonté est telle, si vers moy veux avoir paix. sire ce dit huon, au plaisir de nostre seigneur, je feray & fourniray vostre message." in what precise way the beards were sewed on the mantles we are not exactly informed. whether this royal exuberance was left to shine in its own unborrowed lustre, its own naked magnificence, as too valuable to be intermixed with the grosser things of earth: whether it was thinly scattered over the surface of the "rich scarlet;" or whether it was gathered into locks, perhaps gemmed round with orient pearl, or clustered together with brilliant emeralds, sparkling diamonds, or rich rubies--"sweets to the sweet:" whether it was exposed to the vulgar gaze on the mantle, or whether it was so arranged that only at the pleasure of the mighty wearer its radiant beauties were visible:--on all these deeply interesting particulars we should rejoice in having any information; but, alas! excepting what we have recorded, not one circumstance respecting them has "floated down the tide of years." but we may perhaps form a correct idea of them from viewing a shield of human hair in the museum of the united service club, which may be supposed to have been _compiled_ (so to speak) with the same benevolent feelings as that of the heroes to whom we have been alluding. it is from borneo island, and is formed of locks of hair placed at regular intervals on a ground of thin tough wood: a refined and elegant mode of displaying the scalps of slaughtered foes. these coincidences are curious, and may serve at any rate to show that king ryence's mantle was not the _invention_ of the penman; but, in all probability, actually existed. the ladies of these days did not confine their handiwork merely to the adornment of the person. we have seen that among the egyptians the couches that at night were beds were in the daytime adorned with richly wrought coverlets. so amongst the classical nations "------the menial fair that round her wait, at helen's beck prepare the room of state; beneath an ample portico they spread the downy fleece to form the slumberous bed; and o'er soft palls of purple grain, unfold _rich tapestry, stiff with inwoven gold_." and during the middle ages the beds, not excluded from the day apartments, often gave gorgeous testimony of the skill of the needlewoman, and were among the richest ornaments of the sitting room, so much fancy and expense were lavished on them. the curtains were often made of very rich material, and usually adorned with embroidery. they were often also trimmed with expensive furs: philippa of hainault had a bed on which sea-syrens were embroidered. the coverlid was often very rich: "the ladi lay in hire bed, with riche clothes bespred, of gold and purpre palle."[ ] "here beds are seen adorned with silk and gold."[ ] "------on a bed design'd with gay magnificence the fair reclin'd; high o'er her head, on silver columns rais'd, with broidering gems her proud pavilion blaz'd." "thence pass'd into a bow'r, where stood a bed, with milkwhite furs of alexandria spread: beneath, a richly broider'd vallance hung; the pillows were of silk; o'er all was flung a rare wrought coverlet of phoenix plumes, which breathed, as warm with life, its rich perfumes."[ ] the array of the knights of these days was gorgeous and beautiful; and though the materials might be in themselves, and frequently were costly, still were they entirely indebted to the female hand for the rich elegance of the _tout ensemble_. and the custom of disarming and robing knights anew after the conflict, whether of real or mimic war, to which we have alluded as a practice of classical antiquity, was as much or even more practised now, and afforded to the ladies an admirable opportunity of exhibiting alike their preference, their taste, and their liberality. "amadis and agrayes proceeded till they came to the castle of torin, the dwelling of that fair young damsel, where they were disarmed and mantles given them, and they were conducted into the hall."[ ] "thus they arrived at the palace, and there was he (the green sword knight) lodged in a rich chamber, and was disarmed, and his hands and face washed from the dust, and they gave him a rose-coloured mantle."[ ] the romance of "ywaine and gawin" abounds in instances: "a damisel come unto me, the semeliest that ever i se, lufsumer lifed never in land, hendly scho toke me by the hand, and sone that gentyl creature al unlaced myne armure; into a chamber scho me led, and with a mantil scho me cled; it was of purpur, fair and fine; and the pane of ermyne." again-- "the maiden redies hyr fal rath,[ ] bilive sho gert syr ywaine bath, and cled him sethin[ ] in gude scarlet, forord wele with gold fret, a girdel ful riche for the nanes, of perry[ ] and of precious stanes." and-- "the mayden was bowsom and bayne[ ] forto unarme syr ywayne, serk and breke both sho hym broght, that ful craftily war wroght, of riche cloth soft als the sylk, and tharto white als any mylk. sho broght hym ful riche wedes to wer." on the widely acknowledged principle of "love me, love my dog," the steed of a favoured knight was often adorned by the willing fingers of the fair. "each damsel and each dame who her obeyed, she task'd, together with herself, to sew, with subtle toil; and with fine gold o'erlaid a piece of silk of white and sable hue: with this she trapt the horse."[ ] the tabards or surcoats which knights wore over their armour was the article of dress in which they most delighted to display their magnificence. they varied in form, but were mostly made of rich silk, or of cloth of gold or silver, lined or trimmed with choice and expensive furs, and usually, also, having the armorial bearings of the family richly embroidered. thus were women even the heralds of those times. besides the acknowledged armorial bearings, devices were often wrought symbolical of some circumstance in the life of the wearer. thus we are told in amadis that the emperor of rome, on his black surcoat, had a golden chain-work woven, which device he swore never to lay aside till he had amadis in chains. the same romance gives the following incident regarding a surcoat. "then amadis cried to florestan and agrayes, weeping as he spake, good kinsman, i fear we have lost don galaor, let us seek for him. they went to the spot where amadis had smitten down king cildadan, and seen his brother last on foot; but so many were the dead who lay there that they saw him not, till as they moved away the bodies, florestan knew him by the sleeve of his _surcoat_, which was of azure, worked with silver flowers, and then they made great moan over him." the shape of them, as we have remarked, varied considerably; besides minor alterations they were at one time worn very short, at another so long as to trail on the ground. but this luxurious style was occasionally attended with direful effects. froissart names a surcoat in which sir john chandos was attired, which was embroidered with his arms in white sarsnet, argent a field gules, one on his back and another on his breast. it was a long robe which swept the ground, and this circumstance, most probably, caused the untimely death of one of the most esteemed knights of chivalry. sir john chandos was one of the brightest of that chivalrous circle which sparkled in the reign of edward the third. he was gentle as well as valiant; he was in the van with the black prince at the battle of cressy; and at the battle of poictiers he never left his side. his death was unlooked for and sudden. some disappointments had depressed his spirits, and his attendants in vain endeavoured to cheer them. "and so he stode in a kechyn, warmyng him by the fyre, and his servantes jangled with hym, to {thentent} to bring him out of his melancholy; his servantes had prepared for hym a place to rest hym: than he demanded if it were nere day, and {therewith} there {came} a man into the house, and came before hym, and sayd, 'sir, i have brought you tidynges.' 'what be they, tell me?' 'sir, surely the {frenchmen} be rydinge abrode.' 'how knowest thou that?' 'sir,' sayd he, 'i departed fro saynt saluyn with them.' 'what way be they ryden?' 'sir, i can nat tell you the certentie, but surely they take the highway to poiters.' 'what {frenchmen} be they; canst thou tell me?' 'sir, it is sir loys of saynt julyan, and carlovet the breton.' 'well, quoth sir johan chandos, i care nat, i have no lyst this night to ryde forthe: they may happe to be {encountred} though i be nat ther.' "and so he taryed there styll a certayne space in a gret study, and at last, when he had well aduysed hymselfe, he sayde, 'whatsoever i have sayd here before, i trowe it be good that i ryde forthe; i must retourne to poictiers, and anone it will be day.' 'that is true sir,' quoth the knightes about hym. 'then,' he sayd, 'make redy, for i wyll ryde forthe.' "and so they dyd." the skirmish commenced; there had fallen a great dew in the morning, in consequence of which the ground was very slippery; the knight's foot slipped, and in trying to recover himself, it became entangled in the folds of his magnificent _surcoat_; thus the fall was rendered irretrievable, and whilst he was down he received his death blow. the barons and knights were sorely grieved. they "lamentably complayned, and sayd, 'a, sir johan chandos, the floure of all chivalry, vnhappely was that glayue forged that thus hath {wounded} you, and brought you in parell of dethe:' they wept piteously that were about hym, and he herde and vnderstode them well, but he could speke no worde."--"for his dethe, his frendes, and also some of his enemyes, were right soroufull; the englysshmen loued hym, bycause all noblenesse was founde in hym; the frenchmen hated him, because they doubted hym; yet i herde his dethe greatly complayned among right noble and valyant knightes of france[ ]." across this surcoat was worn the scarf, the indispensable appendage of a knight when fully equipped: it was usually the gift of his "ladye-love," and embroidered by her own fair hand. and a knight would encounter fifty deaths sooner than part with this cherished emblem. it is recorded of garcia perez de vargas, a noble-minded spanish knight of the thirteenth century, that he and a companion were once suddenly met by a party of seven moors. his friend fled: but not so perez; he at once prepared himself for the combat, and while keeping the moors at bay, who hardly seemed inclined to fight, he found that his scarf had fallen from his shoulder. "he look'd around, and saw the scarf, for still the moors were near, and they had pick'd it from the sward, and loop'd it on a spear. 'these moors,' quoth garci perez, 'uncourteous moors they be-- now, by my soul, the scarf they stole, yet durst not question me! "'now, reach once more my helmet.' the esquire said him, nay, 'for a silken string why should you fling, perchance, your life away?' 'i had it from my lady,' quoth garci, 'long ago, and never moor that scarf, be sure, in proud seville shall show.' "but when the moslems saw him, they stood in firm array: he rode among their armed throng, he rode right furiously. 'stand, stand, ye thieves and robbers, lay down my lady's pledge,' he cried, and ever as he cried, they felt his faulchion's edge. "that day when the lord of vargas came to the camp alone, the scarf, his lady's largess, around his breast was thrown: bare was his head, his sword was red, and from his pommel strung seven turbans green, sore hack'd i ween, before garci perez hung." it casts a redeeming trait on this butchering sort or bravery to find that when the hero returned to the camp he steadily refused to reveal the name of the person who had so cravenly deserted him. but the favours which ladies presented to a knight were various; consisting of "jewels, ensigns of noblesse, scarfs, hoods, sleeves, mantles, bracelets, knots of ribbon; in a word, some detached part of their dress." these he always placed conspicuously on his person, and defended, as he would have done his life. sometimes a lock of his fair one's hair inspired the hero: "than did he her heere unfolde, and on his helme it set on hye, with rede thredes of ryche golde, whiche he had of his lady. full richely his shelde was wrought, with asure stones and beten golde, but on his lady was his thought, the yelowe heere what he dyd beholde."[ ] it is recorded in "perceforest," that at the end of one tournament "the ladies were so stripped of their head attire, that the greatest part of them were quite bareheaded, and appeared with their hair spread over their shoulders yellower than the finest gold; their robes also were without sleeves; for all had been given to adorn the knights; hoods, cloaks, kerchiefs, stomachers, and mantuas. but when they beheld themselves in this woful plight, they were greatly abashed, till, perceiving every one was in the same condition, they joined in laughing at this adventure, and that they should have engaged with such vehemence in stripping themselves of their clothes from off their backs, as never to have perceived the loss of them." a sleeve (more easily detached than we should fancy those of the present day) was a very usual token. elayne, the faire mayden of astolat gave syr launcelot "a reed sleeve of scarlet wel embroudred with grete perlys," which he wore for a token on his helmet; and in real life it is recorded that in a serious, but not desperate battle, at the court of burgundy, in , one of the knights received from his lady a sleeve of delicate dove colour, elegantly embroidered; and he fastened this favour on his left arm. chevalier bayard being declared victor at the tournament of carignan, in piedmont, he refused, from extreme delicacy, to receive the reward assigned him, saying, "the honour he had gained was solely owing to the sleeve, which a lady had given him, adorned with a ruby worth a hundred ducats." the sleeve was brought back to the lady in the presence of her husband; who knowing the admirable character of the chevalier, conceived no jealousy on the occasion: "the ruby," said the lady, "shall be given to the knight who was the next in feats of arms to the chevalier; but since he does me so much honour as to ascribe his victory to my sleeve, for the love of him i will keep it all my life." another important adjunct to the equipment of a knight was the pennon; an ensign or streamer formed of silk, linen, or stuff, and fixed to the top of the lance. if the expedition of the soldier had for its object the holy land, the sacred emblem of the cross was embroidered on the pennon, otherwise it usually bore the owner's crest, or, like the surcoat, an emblematic allusion to some circumstance in the owner's life. thus, chaucer, in the "knighte's tale," describes that of duke theseus: "and by his banner borne is his _penon_ of gold ful riche, in which ther was ybete the minotaure which that he slew in crete." the account of the taking of hotspur's pennon, and his attempt at its recapture, is abridged by mr. mills[ ] from froissart. it is interesting, as displaying the temper of the times about these comparatively trifling matters, and being the record of history, may tend to justify our quotations of a similar nature from romance. "in the reign of richard the second, the scots commanded by james, earl of douglas, taking advantage of the troubles between the king and his parliament, poured upon the south. when they were sated with plunder and destruction they rested at newcastle, near the english force which the earl of northumberland and other border chieftains had hastily levied. "the earl's two sons were young and lusty knights, and ever foremost at the barriers to skirmish. many proper feats of arms were done and achieved. the fighting was hand to hand. the noblest encounter was that which occurred between the earl douglas and sir henry percy, surnamed hotspur. the scot won the pennon of his foeman; and in the triumph of his victory he proclaimed that he would carry it to scotland, and set it on high on his castle of dalkeith, that it might be seen afar off. "percy indignantly replied, that douglas should not pass the border without being met in a manner which would give him no cause for boasting. "with equal spirit the earl douglas invited him that night to his lodging to seek for his pennon. "the scots then retired and kept careful watch, lest the taunts of their leader should urge the englishmen to make an attack. percy's spirit burnt to efface his reproach, but he was counselled into calmness. "the scots then dislodged, seemingly resolved to return with all haste to their own country. but otterbourn arrested their steps. the castle resisted the assault; and the capture of it would have been of such little value to them that most of the scotch knights wished that the enterprise should be abandoned. "douglas commanded, however, that the assault should be persevered in, and he was entirely influenced by his chivalric feelings. he contended that the very difficulty of the enterprise was the reason of undertaking it; and he wished not to be too far from sir henry percy, lest that gallant knight should not be able to do his devoir in redeeming his pledge of winning the pennon of his arms again. "hotspur longed to follow douglas and redeem his badge of honour; but the sage knights of the country, and such as were well expert in arms, spoke against his opinion, and said to him, 'sir, there fortuneth in war oftentimes many losses. if the earl douglas has won your pennon, he bought it dear, for he came to the gate to seek it, and was well beaten: another day you shall win as much of him and more. sir, we say this because we know well that all the power of scotland is abroad in the fields; and if we issue forth and are not strong enough to fight with them (and perchance they have made this skirmish with us to draw us out of the town), they may soon enclose us, and do with us what they will. it is better to loose a pennon than two or three hundred knights and squires, and put all the country to adventure.'" by such words as these, hotspur and his brother were refrained, but the coveted moment came. "the hostile banners waved in the night breeze, and the bright moon, which had been more wont to look upon the loves than the wars of chivalry, lighted up the scottish camp. a battle ensued of as valiant a character as any recorded in the pages of history; for there was neither knight nor squire but what did his devoir and fought hand to hand." the scots remained masters of the field: but the douglas was slain, and this loss could not be recompensed even by the capture of the percy. little did the "gentle kate" anticipate this catastrophe when her fairy fingers with proud and loving alacrity embroidered on the flowing pennon the inspiring watchword of her chivalric husband and his noble family--esperance. footnotes: [ ] historical memoirs of queens of england.--h. lawrance. [ ] emare. [ ] _bete_--inlayed, embroidered. [ ] amadis of gaul, bk. i. ch. xv. [ ] ibid. bk. iv. ch. iii. [ ] orl. fur.: transl. by rose. [ ] _samyte_--rich silk. [ ] _pelored_--furred. [ ] lybeaus disconus. [ ] _schyre_--clear. [ ] _hende_--kind, obliging. [ ] _alner_--pouch, bag or purse. [ ] launfal. [ ] amadis of gaul, bk. i. ch. xxx. [ ] _hende_--kind, civil, obliging. [ ] saracen king. [ ] _asowr_--azure. [ ] _hewke_--herald's coat. [ ] _steven_--voice, sound [ ] _kantle_--a corner. [ ] drayton's polyolbion, song . [ ] faerie queene. book vi. [ ] the kyng of tars. [ ] orl. fur. [ ] partenopex of blois. [ ] amadis of gaul. [ ] ibid. [ ] _rath_--speedily. [ ] _sethin_--afterward. [ ] _perry_--jewels. [ ] _bayne_--ready. [ ] orl. fur., canto . [ ] froissart, by lord berners, vol. i. p. . [ ] the fair lady of faguell. [ ] hist. chivalry. chapter xi. tapestry. the term _tapestry_ or _tapistry_ (from _tapisser_, to line, from the latin word _tapes_, a cover of a wall or bed), is now appropriated solely to woven hangings of wool and silk; but it has been applied to all sorts of hangings, whether wrought entirely with the needle (as originally indeed all were) or in the loom, whether composed of canvass and wool, or of painted cloth, leather, or even paper. this wide application of the term seems to be justified by the derivation quoted above, but its present use is much more limited. in the thirteenth century the decorative arts had attained a high perfection in england. the palace of westminster received, under the fostering patronage of henry iii., a series of decorations, the remains of which, though long hidden, have recently excited the wonder and admiration of the curious.[ ] "near this monastery (says an ancient itinerary) stands the most famous royal palace of england; in which is that celebrated chamber, on whose walls all the warlike histories of the whole bible are painted with inexpressible skill, and explained by a regular and complete series of texts, beautifully written in french over each battle, to the no small admiration of the beholder, and the increase of royal magnificence." round the walls of st. stephen's chapel effigies of the apostles were painted in oil; (which was thus used with perfectness and skill two centuries before its presumed discovery by john ab eyck in ,) on the western side was a grand composition of the day of judgment: st. edward's or the "painted chamber," derived the latter name from the quality and profuseness of its embellishments, and the walls of the whole palace were decorated with portraits or ideal representations, and historical subjects. nor was this the earliest period in which connected passages of history were painted on the wainscot of apartments, for the following order, still extant, refers to the _renovation_ of what must previously--and at some considerable interval of time probably, have been done. "anno, , hen. . mandatum est vicecomiti south'ton quod cameram regis lambruscatam de castro winton depingi faciat eisdem historiis quibus fuerat pri'us depicta." about , langton, bishop of litchfield, commanded the coronation, marriages, wars, and funeral of his patron king edward i., to be painted in the great hall of his episcopal palace, which he had newly built. chaucer frequently refers to this custom of painting the walls with historical or fanciful designs. "and soth to faine my chambre was ful wel depainted---- and all the wals with colours fine were painted bothe texte and glose, and all the romaunt of the rose." and again:-- "but when i woke all was ypast, for ther nas lady ne creture, save on the wals old portraiture of horsemen, hawkis, and houndis, and hurt dere all ful of woundis." often emblematical devices were painted, which gave the artist opportunity to display his fancy and exercise his wit. dr. cullum, in his history of hawsted, gives an account of an old mansion, having a closet, the panels of which were painted with various sentences, emblems, and mottos. one of these, intended doubtless as a hint to female vanity, is a painter, who having begun to sketch out a female portrait, writes "dic mihi qualis eris." but comfort, or at least a degree of comfort, had progressed hand in hand with decoration. tapestry, that is to say needlework tapestry, which, like the bayeux tapestry of matilda, had been used solely for the decoration of altars, or the embellishment of other parts of sacred edifices on occasions of festival, or the performance of solemn rites, had been of much more general application amongst the luxurious inhabitants of the south, and was introduced into england as furniture hanging by eleanor of castile. in chaucer's time it was common. among his pilgrims to canterbury is a tapestry worker who is mentioned in the prologue, in common with other "professors." "an haberdasher and a carpenter, a webbe, a dyer, and a tapiser." and, again:-- "i wol give him all that falles to his chambre and to his halles, i will do painte him with pure golde, and _tapite_ hem ful many a folde." these modes of decorating the walls and chambers with paintings, and with tapestry, were indeed contemporaneous; though the greater difficulty of obtaining the latter--for as it was not made at arras until the fourteenth century, all that we here refer to is the painful product of the needle alone--many have made it less usual and common than the former. pithy sentences, and metrical stanzas were often wrought in tapestry: in wresil castle and other mansions, some of the apartments were adorned in the oriental manner with metrical descriptions called proverbs. and warton mentions an ancient suit of tapestry, containing ariosto's orlando, and angelica, where, at every group, the story was all along illustrated with short lines in provençal or old french. it could only be from its superior comfort that an article so tedious in manufacture as needlework tapestry could be preferred to the more quickly-produced decorations of the pencil; it was also rude in design; and the following description of some tapestry in an old manor house in king john's time, though taken from a work of fiction, probably presents a correct picture of the style of most of the pieces exhibited in the mansions of the middle ranks at that period. "in a corner of the apartment stood a bed, the tapestry of which was enwrought with gaudy colours representing adam and eve in the garden of eden. adam was presenting our first mother with a large yellow apple, gathered from a tree that scarcely reached his knee. beneath the tree was an angel milking, and although the winged milkman sat on a stool, yet his head overtopped both cow and tree, and nearly covered a horse, which seemed standing on the highest branches. to the left of eve appeared a church; and a dark robed gentleman holding something in his hand which looked like a pincushion, but doubtless was intended for a book: he seemed pointing to the holy edifice, as if reminding them that they were not yet married. on the ground lay the rib, out of which eve (who stood the head higher than adam) had been formed; both of them were very respectably clothed in the ancient saxon costume; even the angel wore breeches, which, being blue, contrasted well with his flaming red wings." no one who has read the real blunders of artists and existing anachronisms in pictures detailed in "percy anecdotes," will think the above sketch at all too highly coloured; though doubtless the tapestry hangings introduced by queen eleanor which would be imitated and caricatured in ten thousand different forms, were in much superior style. the moors had attained to the highest perfection in the decorative arts, and from them did the spaniards borrow this fashion of hangings,[ ] and "the coldness of our climate (says her accomplished biographer, miss agnes strickland, speaking of eleanor,) must have made it indispensable to the fair daughter of the south, chilled with the damp stone walls of english gothic halls and chambers." of the chillness of these walls we may form some idea, from a feeling description of a residence which was thought sufficient for a queen some centuries later. in the year , mary, the unhappy queen of scots, writes thus:-- "in regard to my lodging, my residence is a place inclosed with walls, situated on an eminence, and consequently exposed to all the winds and storms of heaven. within this inclosure there is, like as at vincennes, a very old hunting seat, built of wood and plaister, with chinks on all sides, with the uprights; the intervals between which are not properly filled up, and the plaister dilapidated in the various places. the house is about six yards distant from the walls, and so low that the terrace on the other side is as high as the house itself, so that neither the sun nor the fresh air can penetrate it at that side. the damp, however, is so great there, that every article of furniture is covered with mouldiness in the space of four days.--in a word, the rooms for the most part are fit rather for a dungeon for the lowest and most abject criminals, than for a residence of a person of my rank, or even of a much inferior condition. i have for my own accommodation only wretched little rooms, and so cold, that were it not for the protection of the curtains and tapestries which i have had put up, i could not endure it by day, and still less by night."[ ] the tapestries, whether wrought or woven, did not remain on the walls as do the hangings of modern days: it was the primitive office of the grooms of the chamber to hang up the tapestry which in a royal progress was sent forward with the purveyor and grooms of the chamber. and if these functionaries had not, to use a proverbial expression, "heads on their shoulders," ridiculous or perplexing blunders were not unlikely to arise. of the latter we have an instance recorded by the duc de sully. "the king (henry iv.) had not yet quitted monceaux, when the cardinal of florence, who had so great a hand in the treaty of the vervins, passed through paris, as he came back from picardy, and to return from thence to rome, after he had taken leave of his majesty. the king sent me to paris to receive him, commanding me to pay him all imaginable honours. he had need of a person near the pope, so powerful as this cardinal, who afterwards obtained the pontificate himself: i therefore omitted nothing that could answer his majesty's intentions; and the legate, having an inclination to see st. germain-en-laye, i sent orders to momier, the keeper of the castle, to hang the halls and chambers with the finest tapestry of the crown. momier executed my orders with great punctuality, but with so little judgment, that for the legate's chamber he chose a suit of hangings made by the queen of navarre; very rich, indeed, but which represented nothing but emblems and mottos against the pope and the roman court, as satirical as they were ingenious. the prelate endeavoured to prevail upon me to accept a place in the coach that was to carry him to st. germain, which i refused, being desirous of getting there before him, that i might see whether everything was in order; with which i was very well pleased. i saw the blunder of the keeper, and reformed it immediately. the legate would not have failed to look upon such a mistake as a formed design to insult him, and to have represented it as such to the pope. reflecting afterwards, that no difference in religion could authorise such sarcasms, i caused all those mottos to be effaced."[ ] in the sixteenth century[ ] a sort of hanging was introduced, which, partaking of the nature both of tapestry and painting on the walls, was a formidable rival to the former. shakspeare frequently alludes to these "painted cloths." for instance, when falstaff persuades hostess quickly, not only to withdraw her arrest, but also to make him a further loan: she says-- "by this heavenly ground i tread on, i must be fain to pawn both my plate and the _tapestry_ of my dining chambers!" falstaff answers-- "glasses, glasses is the only drinking, and for thy walls a pretty slight drollery, or the story of the prodigal, or a german hunting in water-work, is worth a thousand of these fly-bitten tapestries. let it be ten pounds if thou canst. if it were not for thy humours, there is not a better wench in england! go wash thy face and draw thy action." in another passage of the play he says that his troops are "as ragged as lazarus in the _painted cloth_." there are now at hampton court eight large pieces or hangings of this description; being "the triumphs of julius cæsar," in water-colours, on cloth, and in good preservation. they are by andrea mantegna, and were valued at _l._ at the time, when, by some strange circumstance, the cartoons of raphael were estimated only at _l._ tapestry was common in the east at a very remote era, when the most grotesque compositions and fantastic combinations were usually displayed on it. some authors suppose that the greeks took their ideas of griffins, centaurs, &c., from these tapestries, which, together with the art of making them, they derived from the east, and at first they closely imitated both the beauties and deformities of their patterns. at length their refined taste improved upon these originals; and the old grotesque combinations were confined to the borders of the hanging, the centre of which displayed a more regular and systematic representation. it has been supposed by some writers that the invention of tapestry, passed from the east into europe; but guicciardini ascribes it to the netherlanders; and assuredly the bayeux tapestry, the work of the conqueror's queen, shows that this art must have acquired much perfection in europe before the time of the crusades, which is the time assigned by many for its introduction there. probably guicciardini refers to woven tapestry, which was not practised until the article itself had become, from custom, a thing of necessity. unintermitting and arduous had been the stitchery practised in the creation of these coveted luxuries long, very long before the loom was taught to give relief to the busy finger. the first manufactories of tapestry of any note were those of flanders, established there long before they were attempted in france or england. the chief of these were at brussels, antwerp, oudenarde, lisle, tournay, bruges, and valenciennes. at brussels and antwerp they succeeded well both in the design and the execution of human figures and animals, and also in landscapes. at oudenarde the landscape was more imitated, and they did not succeed so well in the figure. the other manufactories, always excepting those of arras, were inferior to these. the grand era of general manufactories in france must be fixed in the reign of henry the iv. amongst others he especially devoted his attention to the manufacture of tapestry, and that of the gobelins, since so celebrated, was begun, though futilely, in his reign. his celebrated minister, sully, was entangled in these matters somewhat more than he himself approved. . "i laid, by his order, the foundations of the new edifices for his tapestry weavers, in the horse-market. his majesty sent for comans and la planche, from other countries, and gave them the care and superintendence of these manufactures: the new directors were not long before they made complaints, and disliked their situation, either because they did not find profits equal to their hopes and expectations, or, that having advanced considerable sums themselves, they saw no great probability of getting them in again. the king got rid of their importunity by referring them to me."[ ] . "it was a difficult matter to agree upon a price with these celebrated flemish tapestry workers, which we had brought into france at so great an expense. at length it was resolved in the presence of sillery and me, that a , _l._ should be given them for their establishment. henry was very solicitous about the payment of this sum; 'having,' said he, 'a great desire to keep them, and not to lose the advances we have made.' he would have been better pleased if these people could have been paid out of some other funds than those which he had reserved for himself: however, there was a necessity for satisfying them at any price whatever. his majesty made use of his authority to oblige de vienne to sign an acquittal to the undertakers for linen cloth in imitation of dutch holland. this prince ordered a complete set of furniture to be made for him, which he sent for me to examine separately, to know if they had not imposed upon him. _these things were not at all in my taste_, and i was but a very indifferent judge of them: the price seemed to me to be excessive, as well as the quantity. henry was of another opinion: after examining the work, and reading my paper, he wrote to me that there was not too much, and that they had not exceeded his orders; and that he had never seen so beautiful a piece of work before, and that the workman must be paid his demands immediately."[ ] the manufactory languished however, even if it did not become entirely extinct. but it was revived in the reign of louis xiv., and has since dispersed productions of unequalled delicacy over the civilised world. it was called "gobelins," because the house in the suburbs of paris, where the manufacture is carried on, was built by brothers whose names were giles and john gobelins, both excellent dyers, and who brought to paris in the reign of francis i. the secret of dying a beautiful scarlet colour, still known by their name. in the year this place, till then called "gobelines' folly," changed its name into that of "hotel royal des gobelins," in consequence of an edict of louis xiv. m. colbert having re-established, and with new magnificence enriched and completed the king's palaces, particularly the louvre and the tuilleries, began to think of making furniture suitable to the grandeur of those buildings; with this view he called together all the ablest workmen in the divers arts and manufactures throughout the kingdom; particularly painters, tapestry makers from flanders, sculptors, goldsmiths, ebonists, &c., and by liberal encouragement and splendid pensions called others from foreign nations. the king purchased the gobelins for them to work in, and laws and articles were drawn up, amongst which is one that no other tapestry work shall be imported from any other country. nor did there need; for the gobelins has ever since remained the first manufactory of this kind in the world. the quantity of the finest and noblest works that have been produced by it, and the number of the best workmen bred up therein are incredible; and the present flourishing condition of the arts and manufactures of france is, in great measure, owing thereto. tapestry work in particular is their glory. during the superintendence of m. colbert, and his successor m. de louvois, the making of tapestry is said to have been practised to the highest degree of perfection. the celebrated painter, le brun, was appointed chief director, and from his designs were woven magnificent hangings of alexander's battles--the four seasons--the four elements--and a series of the principal actions of the life of louis xiv. m. de louvois, during his administration, caused tapestries to be made after the most beautiful originals in the king's cabinet, after raphael and julio romano, and other celebrated italian painters. not the least interesting part of the process was that performed by the _rentrayeurs_, or fine-drawers, who so unite the breadths of the tapestry into one picture that no seam is discernible, but the whole appears like one design. the french have had other considerable manufactories at auvergne, felletin and beauvais, but all sank beneath the superiority of the gobelins, which indeed at one time outvied the renown of that far-famed town, whose productions gave a title to the whole species, viz., that of arras. walpole gives an intimation of the introduction of tapestry weaving into england, so early as the reign of edward iii., "de inquirendo de mysterâ tapiciorum, london;" but usually william sheldon, esq., is considered the introducer of it, and he allowed an artist, named robert hicks, the use of his manor-house at burcheston, in warwickshire; and in his will, dated , he calls hicks "the only auter and beginner of tapistry and arras within this realm." at his house were four maps of oxford, worcester, warwick, and gloucestershires, executed in tapestry on a large scale, fragments of which are or were among the curiosities of strawberry-hill. we meet with little further notice of this establishment. this beautiful art was, however, revived in the reign of james i., and carried to great perfection under the patronage of himself and his martyr son. it received its death blow in common with other equally beautiful and more important pursuits during the triumph of the commonwealth. james gave £ to assist sir francis crane in the establishment of the manufactory at mortlake, in surry, which was commenced in the year . towards the end of this reign, francis cleyn, or klein, a native of rostock, in the duchy of mecklenburg, was employed in forming designs for this institution, which had already attained great perfection. charles allowed him £ a year, as appears from rymer's foedera: "know ye that we do give and grant unto francis cleyne a certain annuitie of one hundred pounds, by the year, during his natural life." he enjoyed this salary till the civil war, and was in such favour with the king, and in such reputation, that on a small painting of him he is described as "il famosissimo pittore francesco cleyn, miracolo del secolo, e molto stimato del re carlo della gran britania, ." the tapestry manufacture at mortlake was indeed a hobby, both of king james and prince charles, and of consequence was patronised by the court. during charles the first's romantic expedition to spain, when prince of wales, with the duke of buckingham, james writes--"i have settled with sir francis crane for my steenie's business, and i am this day to speak with fotherby, and by my next, steenie shall have an account both of his business, and of kit's preferment and supply in means; but sir francis crane desires to know if my baby will have him to hasten the making of that suit of tapestry that he commanded him."[ ] the most superb hangings were wrought here after the designs of distinguished painters; and windsor castle, hampton court, whitehall, st. james's, nonsuch, greenwich, and other royal seats, and many noble mansions were enriched and adorned by its productions. in the first year of his reign, charles was indebted £ to the establishment for three suits of gold tapestry; five of the cartoons were wrought here, and sent to hampton court, where they still remain. a suit of hangings, representing the five senses, executed here, was in the palace at oatlands, and was sold in for £ . rubens sketched eight pieces in charles the first's reign for tapestry, to be woven here, of the history of achilles, intended for one of the royal palaces. at lord ilchester's, at redlinch, in somersetshire, was a suit of hangings representing the twelve months in compartments; and there are several other sets of the same design. williams, archbishop of york, and lord keeper, paid sir francis crane £ for the four seasons. at knowl, in kent, was a piece of the same tapestry wrought in silk, containing the portraits of vandyck, and st. francis himself. at lord shrewsbury's (hoythorp, oxfordshire) are, or were, four pieces of tapestry from designs by vanderborght, representing the four quarters of the world, expressed by assemblages of the nations in various habits and employments, excepting europe, which is in masquerade, wrought in chiaroscuro. and at houghton (lord oxford's seat) were beautiful hangings containing whole lengths of king james, king charles, their queens, and the king of denmark, with heads of the royal children in the borders. these are all mentioned incidentally as the production of the mortlake establishment. after the death of sir francis crane, his brother sir richard sold the premises to charles i. during the civil wars, this work was seized as the property of the crown; and though, after the restoration, charles ii. endeavoured to revive the manufacture, and sent verrio to sketch the designs, his intention was not carried into effect. the work, though languishing, was not altogether extinct; for in mr. evelyn's very scarce tract intituled "mundus muliebris," printed in , some of this manufacture is amongst the articles to be furnished by a gallant to his mistress. one of the first acts of the protectorate after the death of the king, was to dispose of the pictures, statues, tapestry hangings, and other splendid ornaments of the royal palaces. cardinal mazarine enriched himself with much of this royal plunder; and some of the splendid tapestry was purchased by the archduke leopold. this however found its way again to england, being repurchased at brussels for £ by frederick, prince of wales, father of george iii. in "two well-intended statutes" were made: one for the encouragement of the linen and _tapestry manufactures_ of england, and discouragement of the importation of foreign tapestry:--and the other--start not, fair reader--the other "for regulating the packing of herrings."[ ] footnotes: [ ] see smith's history of the ancient palace of westminster. [ ] but not from them would be derived the art of painting with the needle the representation of the human figure. hence, perhaps, the awkward and ungainly aspect of these, in comparison with the arabesque patterns. from a fear of its exciting a tendency to idolatry mohammed prohibited his followers from delineating the form of men or animals in their pictorial embellishments of whatever sort. [ ] von raumer's contributions, . [ ] sully's memoirs. we have, in a subsequent chapter, a more full account of this tapestry. [ ] gent's mag., . [ ] sully's memoirs, vol. ii. [ ] sully's memoirs, vol. iii. [ ] miscellaneous state papers, vol. i. no. . [ ] "the rich tapestry and arras hangings which belonged to st. james's palace, hampton court, whitehall, and other royal seats, were purchased for cromwell: these were inventoried at a sum not exceeding £ , . one piece of eight parts at hampton court was appraised at £ , : this related to the history of abraham. another of ten parts, representing the history of julius cæsar, was appraised at £ ." chapter xii. romances worked in tapestry. "and storied loves of knights and courtly dames, pageants and triumphs, tournaments and games." rose's partenopex. it has been a favourite practice of all antiquity to work with the needle representations of those subjects in which the imagination and the feelings were most interested. the labours of penelope, of helen, and andromache, are proverbial, and this mode of giving permanency to the actions of illustrious individuals was not confined to the classical nations. the ancient islanders used to work--until the progress of art enabled them to weave the histories of their giants and champions in tapestry; and the same thing is recorded of the old persians; and this furniture is still in high request among many oriental nations, especially in japan and china. the royal palace of jeddo has profusion of the finest tapestry; this indeed is gorgeous, being wrought with silk, and adorned with pearls, gold, and silver. it was considered a right regal offering from one prince to another. henry iii., king of castile, sent a present to timour at samarcand, of tapestry which was considered to surpass even the works of asiatic artists in beauty: and when the religious and military orders of some of the princes of france and burgundy had plunged them into a kind of crusade against the turkish sultan bajazet, and they became his prisoners in the battle of nicopolis, the king of france sent presents to the sultan, to induce him to ransom them; amongst which tapestry representing the battles of alexander the great was the most conspicuous. tapestry was not used in the halls of princes alone, but cut a very conspicuous figure on all occasions of festivity and rejoicing. it was customary at these times to hang ornamental needlework of all sorts from the windows or balconies of the houses of those streets through which a pageant or festal procession was to pass; and as the houses were then built with the upper stories far overhanging the lower ones, these draperies frequently hung in rich folds to the ground, and must have had, when a street was thus in its whole length appareled and partly roofed by the floating streamers and banners above--somewhat the appearance of a suite of magnificent saloons. "then the high street gay signs of triumph wore, covered with shewy cloths of different dye, which deck the walls, while sylvan leaves in store, and scented herbs upon the pavement lie. adorned in every window, every door, with carpeting and finest drapery; but more with ladies fair, and richly drest in costly jewels and in gorgeous vest." when the black prince entered london with king john of france, as his prisoner, the outsides of the houses were covered with hangings, consisting of battles in tapestry-work. and in tournaments the lists were always decorated "with the splendid richness of feudal power. besides the gorgeous array of heraldic insignia near the champions' tents, the galleries, which were made to contain the proud and joyous spectators, were covered with tapestry, representing chivalry both in its warlike and its amorous guise: on one side the knight with his bright faulchion smiting away hosts of foes, and on the other side kneeling at the feet of beauty." but the subjects of the tapestry in which our ancestors so much delighted were not confined to _bonâ fide_ battles, and the matter-of-fact occurrences of every-day life. oh no! the lives of the saints were frequently pourtrayed with all the legendary accompaniments which credulity and blind faith could invest them with. the "holy and solitary" st. cuthbert would be seen taming the sea-monsters by his word of power: st. dunstan would be in the very act of seizing the "handle" of his infernal majesty's face with the red-hot pincers; and st. anthony in the "howling wilderness," would be reigning omnipotent over a whole legion of sprites. here was food for the imagination and taste of our notable great-grandmother! yet let us do them justice. if some of their religious pieces were imbued even to a ridiculous result, with the superstitions of the time, there were others, numberless others, scripture pieces, as chaste and beautiful in design, as elaborate in execution. the loom and needle united indeed brought these pieces to the highest perfection, but many a meek and saintly madonna, many a lofty and energetic st. paul, many a subdued and touching magdalene were produced by the unaided industry of the pious needlewoman. nay, the whole bible was copied in needlework; and in a poem of the fifteenth century, by henry bradshaw, containing the life of st. werburgh, a daughter of the king of the mercians, there is an account "rather historical than legendary,"[ ] of many circumstances of the domestic life of the time. amongst other descriptions is that of the tapestry displayed in the abbey of ely, on the occasion of st. werburgh taking the veil there. this tapestry belonged to king wulfer, and was brought to ely monastery for the occasion. we subjoin some of the stanzas:-- "it were full tedyous, to make descrypcyon of the great tryumphes, and solempne royalte, belongynge to the feest, the honour and provysyon, by playne declaracyon, upon every partye; but the sothe to say, withouten ambyguyte, all herbes and flowres, fragraunt, fayre, and swete, were strawed in halles, and layd under theyr fete. "clothes of golde and arras[ ] were hanged in the hall depaynted with pyctures, and hystoryes manyfolde, well wroughte and craftely, with precious stones all glysteryng as phebus, and the beten golde, lyke an erthly paradyse, pleasaunt to beholde: as for the said moynes,[ ] was not them amonge, but prayenge in her cell, as done all novice yonge. "the story of adam, there was goodly wrought, and of his wyfe eve, bytwene them the serpent, how they were deceyved, and to theyr peynes brought; there was cayn and abell, offerynge theyr present, the sacryfyce of abell, accepte full evydent: tuball and tubalcain were purtrayed in that place, the inventours of musyke and crafte by great grace. "noe and his shyppe was made there curyously sendynge forthe a raven, whiche never came again; and how the dove returned, with a braunche hastely, a token of comforte and peace, to man certayne: abraham there was, standing upon the mount playne to offer in sacrifice isaac his dere sone, and how the shepe for hym was offered in oblacyon. "the twelve sones of jacob there were in purtrayture, and how into egypt yonge josephe was solde, there was imprisoned, by a false conjectour, after in all egypte, was ruler (as is tolde). there was in pycture moyses wyse and bolde, our lorde apperynge in bushe flammynge as fyre, and nothing thereof brent, lefe, tree, nor spyre.[ ] "the ten plages of egypt were well embost, the chyldren of israel passyng the reed see, kynge pharoo drowned, with all his proude hoost, and how the two table, at the mounte synaye were gyven to moyses, and how soon to idolatry the people were prone, and punysshed were therefore, how datan and abyron, for pryde were full youre."[ ] then _duke_ joshua leading the israelites: the division of the promised land; kyng saull and david, and "prudent solomon;" roboas succeeding; "the good kynge esechyas and his generacyon, and so to the machabus, and dyvers other nacyon." all these "theyr noble actes, and tryumphes marcyall, freshly were browdred in these clothes royall." * * * * * "but over the hye desse, in the pryncypall place, where the sayd thre kynges sate crowned all, the best hallynge[ ] hanged, as reason was, whereon were wrought the nine orders angelicall dyvyded in thre ierarchyses, not cessynge to call _sanctus, sanctus, sanctus_, blessed be the trynite, dominius deus sabaoth, three persons in one deyte." then followed in order our blessed lady, the twelve apostles, "eche one in his figure," the four evangelists "wrought most curyously," all the disciples "prechynge and techynge, unto every nacyon, the faythtes[ ] of holy chyrche, for their salvacyon." "martyrs then followed, right manifolde;" confessors "fressely embrodred in ryche tyshewe and fyne." saintly virgins "were brothered[ ] the clothes of gold within," and the long array was closed on the other side of the hall by "noble auncyent storyes, and how the stronge sampson subdued his enemyes by his myghty power; of hector of troye, slayne by fals treason; of noble arthur, kynge of this regyon; with many other mo, which it is to longe playnly to expresse this tyme you amonge." but the powers of the chief proportion of needlewomen, and of many of the subsequent tapestry looms were devoted to giving permanence to those fables which, as exhibited in the romances of chivalry, formed the very life and delight of our ancestors in "------that happy season ere bright fancy bent to reason; when the spirit of our stories, filled the mind with unseen glories; told of creatures of the air, spirits, fairies, goblins rare, guarding man with tenderest care." these fables, says warton, were not only perpetually repeated at the festivals of our ancestors, but were the constant objects of their eyes. the very walls of their apartments were clothed with romantic history. we have mentioned the history of alexander in tapestry as forming an important part of the peace offering of the king of france to bajazet, and probably there were few princes who did not possess a suit of tapestry on this subject; a most important one in romance, and consequently a desired one for the loom. there seems an innate propensity in the writers of the romance of chivalry to exaggerate, almost to distortion, the achievements of those whose heroic bearing needed no pomp of diction, or wild flow of imagination to illustrate it. thus charlemagne, one of the best and greatest of men, appears in romance like one whose thirst for slaughter it requires myriads of "paynims" to quench. arthur, on the contrary, a very (if history tell truth) a very "so-so" sort of a man, having not one tithe of the intellect or the magnanimity of him to whom we have just referred--arthur is invested in romance with a halo of interest and of beauty which is perfectly fascinating; and it seems almost impossible to divest oneself of these impressions and to look upon him only in the unattractive light in which history represents him. a person not initiated in romance would suppose that the real actions of alexander--the subjugator of greece, the conqueror of persia, the captor of the great darius, but the generous protector of his family--might sufficiently immortalize him. by no means. he cuts a considerable figure in many romances; but in one, appropriated more exclusively to his exploits, he "surpasses himself." the world was conquered:--from north to south, and from east to west his sovereignty was acknowledged; so he forthwith flew up into the air to bring the aerial potentates to his feet. but this experiment not answering, he descended to the depths of the waters with much better success; for immediately all their inhabitants, from the whale to the herring, the cannibal shark, the voracious pike, the majestic sturgeon, the lordly salmon, the rich turbot, and the delicate trout, with all their kith, kin, relations, and allies, the lobster, the crab, and the muscle, "the sounds and seas with all their finny drove" crowd round him to do him homage: the oyster lays her pearl at his feet, and the coral boughs meekly wave in token of subjection. doubtless in addition to the legitimate "battles" these exploits, if not fully displayed, were intimated by symbols in the tapestry. the tale of troy was a very favourite subject for tapestry, and was found in many noble mansions, especially in france. it has indeed been conjectured, and on sufficient grounds, that the whole iliad had been wrought in a consecutive series of hangings. though during the early part of the middle ages homer himself was lost, still the "tale of troy divine" was kept alive in two latin works, which in formed the basis of a prose romance by a sicilian. the great original himself however, had become the companion not only of the studious and learned, but also of the fair and fashionable, while yet the flemish looms were in the zenith of their popularity. this subject formed part of the decoration of holyrood house, on the occasion of the marriage of henry the seventh's daughter to james, king of scotland in . we are told in an ancient record, that the "hanginge of the queene's gret chammer represented the ystory of troye toune, that the king's grett chammer had one table, wer was satt, hys chamerlayne, the grett sqyer, and many others, well served; the which chammer was haunged about with the story of hercules, together with other ystorys." and at the same solemnity, "in the hall wher the qwene's company wer satt in lyke as in the other, an wich was haunged of the history of hercules." the tragic and fearful story of coucy's heart gave rise to an old metrical english romance, called the 'knight of courtesy and the lady of faguel.' it was entirely represented in tapestry. the incident, a true one, on which it was founded, occurred about ; and was thus:-- "some hundred and odd years since, there was in france one captain coucy, a gallant gentleman of an ancient extraction, and keeper of coucy castle, which is yet standing, and in good repair. he fell in love with a young gentlewoman, and courted her for his wife. there was a reciprocal love between them; but her parents understanding of it, by way of prevention, they shuffled up a forced match 'twixt her and one monsieur faiell who was a great heir: captain coucy hereupon quitted france in discontent, and went to the wars in hungary against the turk; where he received a mortal wound, not far from bada. being carried to his lodging, he languished for some days; but a little before his death he spoke to an ancient servant of his, that he had many proofs of his fidelity and truth; but now he had a great business to intrust him with, which he conjured him by all means to do, which was, that after his death, he should get his body to be opened and then to take his heart out of his breast, and put in an earthen pot, to be baked to powder; and then to put the powder in a handsome box, with that bracelet of hair he had worn long about on his left wrist, which was a lock of mademoiselle faiell's hair, and put it among the powder, together with a little note he had written with his own blood to her; and after he had given him the rites of burial, to make all the speed he could to france, and deliver the box to mademoiselle faiell. the old servant did as his master had commanded him, and so went to france; and coming one day to monsieur faiell's house, he suddenly met with him, who examined him because he knew he was captain coucy's servant, and finding him timorous and faltering in his speech, he searched him, and found the said box in his pocket with the note, which expressed what was therein. he dismissed the bearer with menaces, that he should come no more near his house: monsieur faiell going in, sent for his cook, and delivered him the powder, charging him to make a little well-relished dish of it, without losing a jot of it, for it was a very costly thing; and commanded him to bring it in himself, after the last course at supper. the cook bringing in the dish accordingly, monsieur faiell commanded all to void the room, and began a serious discourse with his wife: however since he had married her, he observed she was always melancholy, and he feared she was inclining to a consumption; therefore he had provided for her a very precious cordial, which he was well assured would cure her. thereupon he made her eat up the whole dish; and afterwards much importuning him to know what it was, he told her at last, she had eaten coucy's heart, and so drew the box out of his pocket, and showed her the note and bracelet. in a sudden exultation of joy, she with a far-fetched sigh said, '_this is precious indeed_,' and so licked the dish, saying, '_it is so precious, that 'tis pity to put ever any meat upon 't_.' so she went to bed, and in the morning she was found stone dead."[ ] but a more national, a more inspiriting, and a more agreeable theme for the alert finger or the busy loom is found in the life and adventures of that prince of combatants, that hero of all heroes, guy earl of warwick. help me, shades of renowned slaughterers, whilst i record his achievements! bear witness to his deed, ye grisly phantoms, ye bloody ghosts of infidel paynims, whom his christian sword mowed down, even as corn falls beneath the the reaper's sickle, till the redoubtable champion strode breast deep in bodies over fifteen acres covered with slaughtered foes![ ] and all this from christian zeal! "in faith of christ a christian true the wicked laws of infidels, he sought by power to subdue. "so passed he the seas of greece, to help the emperour to his right, against the mighty soldan's host of puissant persians for to fight: where he did slay of sarazens and heathen pagans many a man, and slew the soldan's cousin dear, who had to name, doughty colbron. "ezkeldered that famous knight, to death likewise he did pursue, and almain, king of tyre also, most terrible too in fight to view: he went into the soldan's host, being thither on ambassage sent, and brought away his head with him, he having slain him in his tent." or passing by his "feats of arms in strange and sundry heathen lands," note his beneficent progress at home-- "in windsor forest he did slay a boar of passing might and strength; the like in england never was, for hugeness both in breadth and length. some of his bones in warwick yet, within the castle there do lye; one of his shield bones to this day hangs in the city of coventry. "on dunsmore heath he also slew a monstrous wild and cruel beast, call'd the dun cow of dunsmore heath, which many people had opprest; some of her bones in warwick yet still for a monument doth lie, which unto every looker's view, as wondrous strange they may espy. "and the dragon in the land, he also did in flight destroy, which did both men and beasts oppress, and all the country sore annoy:" or look we at him all doughty as he was, as the pilgrim of love, as subdued by the influence of the tender passion, a suppliant to the gentle phillis, and ready to compass the earth to fulfil her wishes, and to prove his devotion: "was ever knight for lady's sake so tost in love, as i, sir guy; for phillis fair, that lady bright, as ever man beheld with eye; she gave me leave myself to try the valiant knight with shield and spear, ere that her love she would grant me, who made me venture far and near." or, afterwards view him as-- "all clad in grey in pilgrim sort, his voyage from her he did take, unto that blessed, holy land, for jesus christ, his saviour's sake." lastly, recal we the time when the fierce and ruthless danes were ravaging our land, and there was scarce a town or castle as far as winchester, which they had not plundered or burnt, and a proposal was made, and per force acceded to by the english king to decide the struggle by single combat. but the odds were great: colbrand the danish champion, was a giant, and ere he came to a combat he provided himself with a cart-load of danish axes, great clubs with knobs of iron, squared barrs of steel lances and iron hooks wherewith to pull his adversary to him. on the other hand the english--and sleepless and unhappy, the king athelstan pondered the circumstance as he lay on his couch, on st. john baptist's night--had no champion forthcoming, even though the county of hants had been promised as a reward to the victor. roland, the most valiant knight of a thousand, was dead; heraud, the pride of the nation, was abroad; and the great and valiant guy, earl of warwick, was gone on a pilgrimage. the monarch was perplexed and sorrowful; but an angel appeared to him and comforted him. in conformity with the injunctions of this gracious messenger, the king, attended by the archbishop of canterbury and the bishop of chichester, placed himself at the north gate of the city (winchester) at the hour of prime. divers poor people and pilgrims entered thereat, and among the rest appeared a man of noble visage and stalwart frame, but wan withal, pale with abstinence, and macerated by reason of journeying barefoot. his beard was venerably long and he rested on a staff; he wore a pilgrim's garb, and on his bare and venerable head was strung a chaplet of white roses. bending low, he passed the gate, but the king warned by the vision, hastened to him, and entreated him "by his love for jesus christ, by the devotion of his pilgrimage, and for the preservation of all england, to do battle with the giant." the palmer thus conjured, underwent the combat, and was victorious. after a solemn procession to the cathedral, and thanksgiving therein, when he offered his weapon to god and the patron of the church, before the high altar, the pilgrim withdrew, having revealed himself to none but the king, and that under a solemn pledge of secrecy. he bent his course towards warwick, and unknown in his disguise, took alms at the hands of his own lady--for, reader, this meek and holy pilgrim, was none other than the wholesale slayer, whose deeds we have been contemplating--and then retired to a solitary place hard by-- "where with his hand he hew'd a house, out of a craggy rock of stone; and lived like a palmer poor, within that cave himself alone." nor was this at all an unusual conclusion to a life of butchery; all the heroes of romance turned hermits; and as they all, at least all of arthur's round table, were gifted with a very striking development of the organ of combativeness, their profound piety at the end of their career might not improbably give rise to a very common adage of these days regarding sinners and saints. but here was a theme for tapestry-workers! a real original, genuine english romance; for though the only pieces now extant be, or may be, translated from the french, still there are many concurring circumstances to prove that the original, often quoted by chaucer, was an ancient metrical english one. that it is difficult to find who sir guy was, or in fact, to prove that there ever was a sir guy at all, is nothing to the purpose; leave we that to antiquarians, and their musty folios. guy of warwick was well known from west to east, even as far as jerusalem, where, in henry the fourth's time, lord beauchamp was kindly received by those in high stations, because he was descended from "a shadowy ancestor, so renowned as guy." one tapestry on this attractive subject which was in warwick castle, before the year , was so distinguished and valued a piece of furniture, that a special grant was made of it by king richard ii. conveying "that suit of arras hangings in warwick castle, which contained the story of guy earl of warwick," together with the castle of warwick and other possessions, to thomas holland, earl of kent. and in the restoration of forfeited property to this lord after his imprisonment, these hangings are particularly specified in the patent of king henry iv., dated . and the castle wherein the tapestry was hung was worthy of the heroes it had sheltered. the first building on the site was supposed to be coeval with our saviour, and was called caer-leon; almost overthrown by the picts and scots, it lay in ruins till caractacus built himself a manor-house, and founded a church to the honour of st. john the baptist. here was afterwards a roman fort, and here again was a pictish devastation. a cousin of king arthur rebuilt it, and then lived in it--arthgal, first earl of warwick, a knight of the round table; this british title was equivalent to _ursus_ in latin, whence arthgal took the bear for his ensign: and a successor of his, a worthy progenitor of our valiant sir guy, slew a mighty giant in a duel; and because this giant's delicate weapon was a tree pulled up by the roots, the boughs being snagged from it, the earls of warwick, successors of the victor, bore a ragged staff of silver in a sable shield for their cognisance. we are told that,-- "when arthur first in court began, and was approved king, by force of arms great victoryes wanne, and conquest home did bring. then into england straight he came with fifty good and able knights, that resorted unto him, and were of his round table." of these the most renowned were syr perceval, syr tristan, syr launcelot du lac, syr ywain, syr gawain, syr galaas, syr meliadus of leonnoys, sir ysaie, syr gyron, &c. &c., and their various and wondrous achievements were woven into a series of tales which are known as the "romances of the round table." of course the main subject of each tale is interrupted by ten thousand varied episodes, in which very often the original object seems entirely lost sight of. then the construction of many of these romances, or rather their want of construction, is marvellous; their genealogies are interminable, and their geography miraculous. one of the most marvellous and scarce of these romances, and one, the principal passages of which were frequently wrought into tapestry, was the "roman du saint greal," which is founded upon an incident, to say the least very peculiar, but which was perhaps once considered true as holy writ. st. joseph of arimathoea, a very important personage in many romances, having obtained the hanap, or cup from which our saviour administered the wine to his disciples, caught in the same cup the blood which flowed from his wounds when on the cross. after he had first achieved various adventures, and undergone an imprisonment of forty-two years, st. joseph arrives in england with the sacred cup, by means of which numerous miracles are performed; he prepares the round table, and arthur and his knights all go in quest of the hanap, which by some, to us unaccountable, circumstance, had fallen into the hands of a sinner. all make the most solemn vow to devote their lives to its recovery; and this they must indeed have done, and not short lives either, if all recorded of them be true. none, however, but two, ever _see_ the sacred symbol; though oftentimes a soft ray of light would stream across the lonesome wild, or the dark pathless forest, or unearthly strains would float on the air, or odours as of paradise would entrance the senses, while the wandering and woeworn knight would feel all fatigue, all sense of personal inconvenience, of pain, of sickness, or of sorrow, vanish on the instant; and then would he renew his vows, and betake himself to prayer; for though all unworthy to see the holy grayle, he would feel that it had been borne on viewless pinions through the air for his individual consolation and hope. and syr galahad and syr perceval, the two chaste and favoured knights who, "after the dedely flesshe had beheld the spiritual things," the holy st. grael--never returned to converse with the world. the first departed to god, and "flights of angels sang him to his rest;" the other took religious clothing and retired to a hermitage, where, after living "a full holy life for a yere and two moneths, he passed out of this world." but wide as is the range of the romances of the "round table," they form but a portion of those which solaced our ancestors. charlemagne and his paladins were, so to speak, the solar system round which another circle revolved; alexander furnished the radiating star for another, derived chiefly perhaps from the east, where numbers of fictitious tales were prevalent about him; and many romances were likewise woven around the mangled remains of classic heroes. "the mightiest chiefs of british song scorn'd not such legends to prolong; they gleam through spenser's elfic dream, and mix in milton's heavenly theme; and dryden in immortal strain, had raised the 'table round' again." the stories of the tapestry in the royal palaces of henry viii. are preserved in the british museum.[ ] these are some of them re-copied from warton:-- in the tapestry of the tower of london, the original and most ancient seat of our monarchs, there are recited, godfrey of bulloign; the three kings of cologne; the emperor constantine; st. george; king of erkenwald; the history of hercules; fame and honour; the triumph of divinity; esther and ahasueras; jupiter and juno; st. george; the eight kings; the ten kings of france; the birth of our lord; duke joshua; the riche history of king david; the seven deadly sins; the riche history of the passion; the stem of jesse; our lady and son; king solomon; the woman of canony; meleager; and the dance of maccabee. at durham place were the citie of ladies (a french allegorical romance); the tapestrie of thebes and of troy; the city of peace; the prodigal son; esther, and other pieces of scripture. at windsor castle the siege of jerusalem; ahasueras; charlemagne; the siege of troy; and hawking and hunting. at nottingham castle, amys and amelion. at woodstock manor, the tapestrie of charlemagne. at the more, a palace in hertfordshire, king arthur, hercules, astyages, and cyrus. at richmond, the arras of sir bevis, and virtue and vice fighting. among the rest we have also hannibal, holofernes, romulus and remus, Æneas, and susannah. many of these subjects were repeated at westminster, greenwich, oatlands, bedington in surrey, and other royal seats, some of which are now unknown as such. footnotes: [ ] warton. [ ] arras, a very common anachronism. after the production of the arras tapestries, arras became the common name for all tapestries: even for those which were wrought before the looms of arras were in existence. [ ] moynes--nun. lady werburg [ ] _spyre_--twig, branch. [ ] _youre_--burnt. [ ] _hallynge_--tapestry. [ ] _faythtes_--feats, facts. [ ] _brothered_--embroidered. [ ] epistolæ ho-elianæ. [ ] "fifteen acres were covered with the bodies of slaughtered saracens; and so furious were the strokes of sir guy, that the pile of dead men, wherever his sword had reached, rose as high as his breast."--ellis, vol. ii. [ ] harl. mss. . chapter xiii. needlework in costume.--part i. "what neede these velvets, silkes, or lawne, embrodery, feathers, fringe and lace." bp. hall. "time was, when clothing sumptuous or for use, save their own painted skins, our sires had none. as yet black breeches were not." cowper. manifold indeed were the varieties in mode and material before that _beau ideal_ of all that is graceful and becoming--the "black breeches"--were invented. for though in many parts of the globe costume is uniform, and the vest and the turban of a thousand years ago are of much the same make as now, this is not the case in the more polished parts of europe, where that "turncoat whirligig maniac, yclept fashion," is the pole-star and beacon of the multitude of men, from him who has the "last new cut from stultz," to him who is magnificent and happy in the "reg'lar bang-up-go" from the eastern parts of the metropolis. it would seem that england is peculiarly celebrated for her devotion at fashion's shrine; for we are told that "an englishman, endevoring sometime to write of our attire, made sundrie platformes for his purpose, supposing by some of them to find out one stedfast ground whereon to build the summe of his discourse. but in the end (like an orator long without exercise) when he saw what a difficult peece of worke he had taken in hand, he gave over his travell, and onely drue the picture of a naked man, unto whome he gave a paire of sheares in the one hand, and a piece of cloth in the other, to the end he should shape his apparell after such fashion as himselfe liked, sith he could find no kind of garment that could please him anie while together, and this he called an englishman. certes this writer shewed himself herein not to be altogether void of iudgement, sith the phantasticall follie of our nation, even from the courtier to the carter, is such, that no forme of apparell liketh vs longer than the first garment is in the wearing, if it continue so long and be not laid aside, to receive some other trinket newlie devised. "and as these fashions are diverse, so likewise it is a world to see the costlinesse and the curiositie; the excesse and the vanitie; the pompe and the brauerie; the change and the varietie; and, finallie, the ficklenesse and the follie that is in all degrees; insomuch that nothing is more constant in england than inconstancie of attire. "in women, also, it in most to be lamented, that they doo now far exceed the lightnesse of our men (who nevertheless are transformed from the cap even to the verie shoo) and such staring attire as in time past was supposed meet for none but light housewives onlie, is now become a habit for chast and sober matrons. "thus _it is now come to passe, that women are become men, and men transformed into monsters_." this ever-revolving wheel is still turning; and so all-important now is the mode that one half of the world is fully occupied in providing for the personal embellishment of the other half and themselves; and could we contemplate the possibility of a return to the primitive simplicity of our ancient "sires," we must look in the same picture on one half of the world as useless--as a drug on the face of creation. why, what a desert would it be were all dyers, fullers, cleaners, spinners, weavers, printers, mercers and milliners, haberdashers and modistes, silk-men and manufacturers, cotton-lords and fustian-men, tailors and habit makers, mantuamakers and corset professors, exploded? we pass over pin and needle makers, comb and brush manufacturers, jewellers, &c. the ladies would have nothing to live for; (for on grave authority it has been said, that "woman is an animal that delights in the toilette;") the gentlemen nothing to solace them. "the toilette" is the very zest of life with both; and if ladies are more successful in the results of their devoirs to it, it is because "nous sommes faites pour embellir le monde," and not because gentlemen practice its duties with less zeal, devotion, or assiduity--as many a valet can testify when contemplating his modish patron's daily heap of "failures." indeed to put out of view the more obvious, weighty, and important cares attached to the due selection and arrangement of coats, waistcoats, and indispensables, the science of "cravatiana" alone is one which makes heavy claims on the time, talents, and energies of the thorough-going gentleman of fashion. he should be thoroughly versed in all its varieties--the royal george: the plain bow: the military: the ball room: the corsican: the hibernian tie: the eastern tie: the hunting tie: the yankee tie: (the "alone original" one)--the osbaldiston tie: the mail coach tie: the indian tie, &c. &c. &c. though of these and their numberless offshoots, the yankee tie lays most claim to originality, the ball room one is considered the most exquisite, and requires the greatest practice. it is thus described by a "talented" professor:-- "the cloth, of virgin white, well starched and folded to the proper depth, should be made to sit easy and graceful on the neck, neither too tight nor loose; but with a gentle pressure, curving inwards from the further extension of the chin, down the throat to the centre dent in the middle of the neck. this should be the point for a slight dent, extending from under each ear, between which, more immediately under the chin, there should be another slight horizontal dent just above the former one. it has no tie; the ends, crossing each other in broad folds in front, are secured to the braces, or behind the back, by means of a piece of white tape. a brilliant broach or pin is generally made use of to secure more effectually the crossing, as well as to give an additional effect to the neckcloth." what a world of wit and invention--what a fund of fancy and taste--what a mine of zeal and ability would be lost to the world, "if those troublesome disguises which we wear" were reduced to their old simplicity of form and material! industry and talent would be at discount, for want of materials whereon to display themselves; and money would be such a drug, that politicians would declaim on the miseries of being _without_ a national debt. commerce, in many of its most important branches, would be exploded; the "manufacturing districts" would be annihilated; the "agricultural interest" would, consequently and necessarily, be at a "very low ebb;" and the "new world," the magnificent and imperial empress (that is to be) of the whole earth, might sink again to the embraces of those minute and wonderful artificers from whom, i suppose, she at first proceeded--the coral insects; for who would want cotton! no, no. selfish preferences, individual wishes, must merge in the general good of the human race; and however "their own painted skins" might suffice our "sires," clothing, "sumptuous," as well as "for use," must decorate ourselves. to whom, then, are the fullers, the dyers, the cleaners--to whom are the spinners and weavers, and printers and mercers, and milliners and haberdashers, and modistes, and silk-men and manufacturers, cotton lords and fustian men, mantuamakers and corset professors, indebted for that nameless grace, that exquisite finish and appropriateness, which gives to all their productions their charm and their utility?--to the needlewoman, assuredly. for though the raw materials have been grown at sea island and shipped at new york,--have been consigned to the liverpool broker and sold to the manchester merchant, and turned over to the manufacturer, and spun and woven, and bleached and printed, and placed in the custody of the warehouseman, or on the shelf of the shopkeeper--of what good would it be that we had a fifty-yard length of calico to shade our oppressed limbs on a "dog-day," if we had not the means also to render that material agreeably available? yet not content with merely rendering it available, this beneficent fairy, the needlewoman, casts, "as if by the spell of enchantment, that ineffable grace over beauty which the choice and arrangement of dress is calculated to bestow." for the love of becoming ornament--we quote no less an authority than the historian of the 'state of europe in the middle ages,'--"is not, perhaps, to be regarded in the light of vanity; it is rather an instinct which woman has received from nature to give effect to those charms which are her defence." and if it be necessary to woman with her charms, is it not tenfold necessary to those who--heaven help them!--have few charms whereof to boast? for, as harrison says, "it is now come to passe that men are transformed into monsters." "better be out of the world than out of the fashion," is a proverb which, from the universal assent which has in all ages been given to it, has now the force of an axiom. it was this self evident proposition which emboldened the beau of the fourteenth century, in spite of the prohibitions of popes and senators,--in spite of the more touching personal inconvenience, and even risk and danger, attendant thereupon--to persist in wearing shoes of so preposterous a length, that the toes were obliged to be fastened with chains to the girdle ere the happy votary of fashion could walk across his own parlour! happy was the favourite of croesus, who could display chain upon chain of massy gold wreathed and intertwined from the waistband to the shoe, until he seemed almost weighed down by the burthen of his own wealth. wrought silver did excellently well for those who could not produce gold; and for those who possessed not either precious metal, and who yet felt they "might as well be out of the world as out of the fashion," latteen chains, silken cords, aye, and cords of even less costly description, were pressed into service to tie up the _crackowes_, or piked shoes. for in that day, as in this, "the squire endeavours to outshine the knight, the knight the baron, the baron the earl, the earl the king, in dress." to complete the outrageous absurdity of these shoes, the upper parts of them were cut in imitation of a church-window, to which fashion chaucer refers when describing the dress of absalom, the parish clerk. he-- "had paul 'is windowes corven on his shose." despite the decrees of councils, the bulls of the pope, and the declamations of the clergy, this ridiculous fashion was in vogue near three centuries. and the party-coloured hose, which were worn about the same time, were a fitting accompaniment for the crackowes. we feel some difficulty in realising the idea that gentlemen, only some half century ago, really dressed in the gay and showy habiliments which are now indicative only of a footman; but it is more difficult to believe, what was nevertheless the fact, that the most absurd costume in which the "fool" by profession can now be decked on the stage, can hardly compete in absurdity with the _outré_ costume of a beau or a belle of the fourteenth century. the shoes we have referred to: the garments, male or female, were divided in the middle down the whole length of the person, and one half of the body was clothed in one colour, the other half in the most opposite one that could be selected. the men's garments fitted close to the shape; and while one leg and thigh rejoiced in flaming yellow or sky-blue, the other blushed in deep crimson. john of gaunt is portrayed in a habit, one half white, the other a dark blue; and mr. strutt has an engraving of a group assembled on a memorable occasion, where one of the figures has a boot on one leg and a shoe on the other. the dauphiness of auvergne, wife to louis the good, duke of bourbon, born , is painted in a garb of which one half all the way down is blue, powdered with gold fleurs-de-lys, and the other half to the waist is gold, with a blue fish or dolphin (a cognizance, doubtless) on it, and from the waist to the feet is crimson, with white "fishy" ornaments; one sleeve is blue and gold, the other crimson and gold. in addition to these absurd garments, the women dressed their heads so high that they were obliged to wear a sort of curved horn on each side, in order to support the enormous superstructure of feathers and furbelows. and these are what are meant by the "horned head-dresses" so often referred to in old authors. it is said that, when isabel of bavaria kept her court at vincennes, a.d. , it was necessary to make all the doors of the palace both higher and wider, to admit the head-dresses of the queen and her ladies, which were all of this horned kind. this high bonnet had been worn, under various modifications, ever since the fashion was brought from the east in the time of the crusades. some were of a sugar-loaf form, three feet in height; and some cylindrical, but still very high. the french modistes of that day called this formidable head-gear _bonnet à la syrienne_. but our author says, if female vanity be violently restrained in one point, it is sure to break out in another; and romish anathemas having abolished curls from shading fair brows, so much the more attention was paid to head-gear, that the bonnets and caps increased every year most awfully in height and size, and were made in the form of crescents, pyramids, and horns of such tremendous dimensions, that the old chronicler juvenal des ursins makes this pathetic lamentation in his history of charles vi.:-- "et avoient les dames et damoyselles de chacun costé, deux grandes oreilles si larges, que quand elles vouloient passer par l'huis d'une chambre il fallait qu'elles se tournassent de costé et baisassent, ou elles n'eussent pu passer:" that is, "on every side old ladies and young ladies were seen with such high and monstrous ears (or horns), that when they wanted to enter a room they were obliged perforce to stoop and crouch sideways, or they could not pass." at last a regular attack was made on the high head-gear of the fifteenth century by a popular monk, in his sermons at nôtre dame, in which he so pathetically lamented the sinfulness and enormities of such a fashion, that the ladies, to show their contrition, made _auto da fés_ of their syrian bonnets in the public squares and market-places; and as the church fulminated against them all over europe, the example of paris was universally followed. many attempts had previously been made by zealous preachers to effect this alteration. in the previous century a carmelite in the province of bretagne preached against this fashion, without the power to annihilate it: all that the ladies did was to change the particular shape of the huge coiffures after every sermon. "no sooner," says the chronicler, "had he departed from one district, than the dames and damoyselles, who, like frightened snails, had drawn in their horns, shot them out again longer than ever; for nowhere were the _hennins_ (so called, abbreviated from _gehinnin_, incommodious,) larger, more pompous or proud, than in the cities through which the carmelite had passed. "all the world was totally reversed and disordered by these fashions, and above all things by the strange accoutrements on the heads of the ladies. it was a portentous time, for some carried huge towers on their foreheads an ell high; others still higher caps, with sharp points, like staples, from the top of which streamed long crapes, fringed with gold, like banners. alas, alas! ladies, dames, and demoiselles were of importance in those days! when do we hear, in the present times, of church and state interfering to regulate the patterns of their bonnets?"[ ] it is no wonder that fashions so very extreme and absurd should call forth animadversion from various quarters. thus wrote petrarch in :-- "who can see with patience the monstrous, fantastical inventions which the people of our times have invented to deform, rather than adorn, their persons? who can behold without indignation their long pointed shoes; their caps with feathers; their hair twisted and hanging down like tails; the foreheads of young men, as well as women, formed into a kind of furrows with ivory-headed pins; their bellies so cruelly squeezed with cords, that they suffer as much pain from vanity as the martyrs suffered for religion? our ancestors would not have believed, and i know not if posterity will believe, that it was possible for the wit of this vain generation of ours to invent so many base, barbarous, horrid, ridiculous fashions (besides those already mentioned) to disfigure and disgrace itself, as we have the mortification to see every day." and thus chaucer, a few years later:-- "alass! may not a man see as in our daies the sinnefull costlew array of clothing, and namely in too much superfluite, or else in too disordinate scantinese: as to the first, not only the cost of embraudering, the disguysed indenting, or barring, ounding, playting, wynding, or bending, and semblable waste of clothe in vanitie." the common people also "were besotted in excesse of apparell, in wide surcoats reaching to their loines, some in a garment reaching to their heels, close before and strowting out on the sides, so that on the back they make men seem women, and this they called by a ridiculous name, _gowne_," &c. &c. before this time the legislature had interfered, though with little success: they passed laws at westminster, which were said to be made "to prevent that destruction and poverty with which the whole kingdom was threatened, by the outrageous, excessive expenses of many persons in their apparel, above their ranks and fortunes." sumptuary edicts, however, are of little avail, if not supported in "influential quarters." king richard ii. affected the utmost splendour of attire, and he had one coat alone which was valued at , marks: it was richly embroidered and inwrought with gold and precious stones. it is not in human nature, at least in human nature of the "more honourable" gender, to be outdone, even by a king. gorgeous and glittering was the raiment adopted by the satellites of the court, and, heedless of "that destruction and poverty with which the whole kingdom was threatened," they revelled in magnificence. of one alone, sir john arundel, it is recorded, that he had at one time fifty-two suits of cloth of gold tissue. at this time, says the old chronicle, "cut werke was great bothe in court and tounes, bothe in mens hoddes, and also in their gounes, brouder and furres, and gold smith werke ay newe, in many a wyse, eche day they did renewe." unaccountable as it may seem, this rage of expense and show in apparel reached even the (then) poverty-stricken sister country scotland; and in laws were enacted to suppress it. it is told of william rufus, that one morning while putting on his new boots he asked his chamberlain what they cost; and when he replied "three shillings," indignantly and in a rage he cried out, "you--how long has the king worn boots of so paltry a price? go, and bring me a pair worth a mark of silver." he went, and bringing him a much cheaper pair, told him falsely that they cost as much as he had ordered: "ay," said the king, "these are suitable to royal majesty." this is merely a specimen of the monarch's shallow-headed extravagance; but the costume of his time and that immediately preceding it was infinitely superior in grace and dignity to that of the fantastical period we have been describing. the english at this period were admired by all other nations, and especially _by the french_, from whom in subsequent periods _we_ have copied so servilely, for the richness and elegance of their attire. with a tunic simply confined at the waist, over this, when occasion required, a full and flowing mantle, with a veil confined to the back of the head with a golden circlet, her dark hair simply braided over her beautiful and intelligent brow and waving on her fair throat, the wife of the conqueror looked every inch a queen, and what was more, she looked a modest, a dignified, and a beautiful woman. the male attire was of the same flowing and majestic description: and the "brutal" anglo-saxons and the "barbarous" normans had more delicacy than to display every division of limb or muscle which nature formed, and more taste than to invent divisions where, heaven knows, nature never meant them to be. the simple _coiffure_ required little care and attendance, but if a fastening did happen to give way, the anglo-norman lady could raise her hand to fasten it if she chose. the arm was not pinioned by the fiat of a _modiste_. and the material of a dress of those days was as rich as the mode was elegant. silk indeed was not common; the first that was seen in the country was in , when charlemagne sent offa, king of mercia, a belt and two vests of that beautiful material; but from the particular record made of silk mantles worn by two ladies at a ball at kenilworth in , we may fairly infer that till this period silk was not often used but as "------a robe pontifical, ne'er seen but wonder'd at." occasionally indeed it was used, but only by persons of the highest rank and wealth. but the woollens were of beautiful texture, and britain was early famous in the art of producing the richest dyes. the welsh are still remarkable for extracting beautiful tints from the commonest plants, such most probably as were used by the britons anciently; and it is worthy of note that the south sea cloths, manufactured from the inner bark of trees, have the same stripes and chequers, and indeed the identical patterns of the welsh, and, as supposed, of the ancient britons. linen was fine and beautiful; and if it had not been so, the rich and varied embroidery with which it was decorated would have set off a coarser material. furs of all sorts were in great request, and a mantle of regal hue, lined throughout with vair or sable, and decorated with bands of gold lace and flowers of the richest embroidery, interspersed with pearls, clasped on the shoulder with the most precious gems, and looped, if requisite, with golden tassels, was a garment at which a nobleman, even of these days, need not look askance. robert bloet, second bishop of lincoln, made a present to henry i. of a cloak of exquisitely fine cloth, lined with black sables with white spots, which cost a sum equivalent to £ of our money. the robes of females of rank were always bordered with a belt of rich needlework; their embroidered girdles were inlaid, or rather inwrought, with gold, pearls, and precious stones, and from them was usually suspended a large purse or pouch, on which the skill of the most accomplished needlewomen was usually expended. this rich and becoming mode of dress was gradually innovated upon until caprice reigned paramount over the national wardrobe. for "fashion is essentially caprice; and fashion in dress the caprice of milliners and tailors, with whom _recherche_ and exaggeration supply the place of education and principle." that this modern definition applied as accurately to former times as these, an instance may suffice to show. richard i. had a cloak made, at enormous cost, with precious and shining metals inlaid _in imitation of the heavenly bodies_; and henry v. wore, on a very memorable occasion, when prince of wales, a mantle or gown of rich blue satin, full of small eyelet-holes, as thickly as they could be put, and a needle hanging by a silk thread _from every hole_. the following incident, quoted from miss strickland's life of berengaria, will show the esteem in which a rich, and especially a furred garment was held. richard i. quarrelled with the virtuous st. hugh, bishop of lincoln, on the old ground of exacting a simoniacal tribute on the installation of the prelate into his see. willing to evade the direct charge of selling the see, king richard intimated that a present of a fur mantle worth a thousand marks might be a composition. st. hugh said he was no judge of such gauds, and therefore sent the king a thousand marks, declaring, if he would devour the revenue devoted to the poor, he must have his wilful way. but as soon as richard had pocketed the money he sent for the fur mantle. st. hugh set out for normandy to remonstrate with the king on this double extortion. his friends anticipated that he would be killed; but st. hugh said, "i fear him not," and boldly entered the chapel where richard was at mass, when the following scene took place:-- "give me the embrace of peace, my son," said st. hugh. "that you have not deserved," replied the king. "indeed i have," said st. hugh, "for i have made a long journey on purpose to see my son." so saying, he took hold of the king's sleeve and drew him on one side. richard smiled and embraced the old man. they withdrew to the recess behind the altar and sate down. "in what state is your conscience?" asked the bishop. "very easy," said the king. "how can that be, my son," said the bishop, "when you live apart from your virtuous queen, and are faithless to her; when you devour the provision of the poor, and load your people with heavy exactions? are those light transgressions, my son?" the king owned his faults, and promised amendment; and when he related this conversation to his courtiers he added, "were all our prelates like hugh of lincoln, both king and barons must submit to their righteous rebukes." furs were much used now as coverings for beds; and they were considered a _necessary_ part of dress for a very considerable period. in sir john cullum's hawsted, mention is made that in cecilia, widow of william talmache, died, and, amongst other bequests, left "to thomas battesford, for black coats for poor people, xxx_s._ in part." "to john camp, of bury st. edmunds, furrier, for furs for the black coats, viij_s._ xj_d._" on which the reverend and learned author remarks, "we should now indeed think that a black coat bestowed on a poor person wanted not the addition of fur: such, however, was the fashion of the time; and a sumptuary law of edward iii. allows handicraft and yeomen to wear no manner of furre, nor of bugg,[ ] but only lambe, coney, catte, and foxe." the distinction in rank was expressly shown by the kind of fur displayed on the dress, and these distinctions were regulated by law and rigidly enforced. by a statute passed in , for regulating the dress of the scottish lords of parliament, the gowns of the earls are appointed to be furred with ermine, while those of the other lords are to be lined with "criestay, gray, griece, or purray." the more precious furs, as ermine and sable, were reserved exclusively for the principal nobility of both sexes. persons of an inferior rank wore the _vair_ or _gris_ (probably the hungarian squirrel); the citizens and burgesses, the common squirrel and lamb skins; and the peasants, cat and badger skins. the mantles of our kings and peers, and the furred robes of the several classes of our municipal officers, are the remains of this once universal fashion. furs often formed an important part of the ransom of a prisoner of rank:-- "sir," quoth count bongars, "war's disastrous hour hath cast my lot within my foeman's power. name ransome as you list; gold, silver bright, palfreys, or dogs, or falcons train'd to flight; or choose you _sumptuous furs, of vair or gray_; i plight my faith the destin'd price to pay."[ ] certain german nobles who had slain a bishop were enjoined, amongst other acts of penance, "ut varium, griseum, ermelinum, et pannos coloratos, non portent." the skin of the wild cat was much used by the clergy. bishop wolfstan preferred lambskin; saying in excuse, "crede mihi, nunquam audivi, in ecclesia, cantari _catus_ dei, sed _agnus_ dei; ideo calefieri agno volo." the monk of chaucer had "------his sleeves purfiled, at the hond, with gris, and that the finest of the lond." it is not till about the year that there is any specific enumeration of the royal apparel for festival occasions. the proper officers are appointed to bring for the king on this occasion "a golden crown, a red satin mantle adorned with sapphires and pearls, a robe of the same, a tunic of white damask; and slippers of red satin edged with goldsmith's work; a balbrick set with gems; two girdles enamelled and set with garnets and sapphires; white gloves, one with a sapphire and one with an amethist; various clasps adorned with emeralds, turquois, pearls, and topaz; and sceptres set with twenty-eight diamonds."[ ] so much for the king:--and for the queen--oh! ye enlightened legislators of the earth, ye omnipotent and magisterial lords of creation, look on that picture--and on this. "for our lady the queen's use, sixty ells of fine linen cloth, forty ells of dark green cloth, a skin of minever, a _small brass pan_, and _eight towels_." but john, who in addition to his other amiable propensities was the greatest and most extravagant fop in europe, was as parsimonious towards others as selfish and extravagant people usually are. whilst even at the ceremony of her coronation he only afforded his queen "three cloaks of fine linen, one of scarlet cloth, and one grey pelisse, costing together _l._ _s._ _d._;" he himself launched into all sorts of expenditure. he ordered the minutest articles for himself and the queen; but the wardrobe accounts of the sovereigns of the middle ages prove that they kept a royal warehouse of mercery, haberdashery, and linen, from whence their officers measured out velvets, brocades, sarcenets, tissue, gauzes, and trimmings, of all sorts. a queen, says miss strickland, had not the satisfaction of ordering her own gown when she obtained leave to have a new one; the warlike hand of her royal lord signed the order for the delivery of the materials from his stores, noting down with minute precision the exact quantity to a quarter of a yard of the cloth, velvet, or brocade, of which the garment was composed. "blessed be the memory of king edward iii. and philippa of hainault his queen, who first invented clothes," was, we are told, the grateful adjuration of a monkish historian, who referred probably not to the first assumption of apparel, but to the charter which was granted first by that monarch to the "cutters and linen armourers," subsequently known as the merchant-tailors, who at that period were usually the makers of all garments, silk, linen, or woollen. female fingers had sufficient occupation in the finer parts of the work; in the "silke broiderie" with which every garment of fashion was embellished; in the tapestry; in the spinning of wool and flax, every thread of which was drawn by female hands, and in the weaving of which a great portion was also executed by them. in the forty-fourth year of this king, "as the book of worcester reporteth, they began to use cappes of divers coloures, especially red, with costly lynings; and in the year , the forty-seventh of the above prince, they first began to wanton it in a new round curtall weede, which they call a cloake, and in latin _armilausa_, as only covering the shoulders, and this notwithstanding the king had endeavoured to restrain all these inordinances and expenses in clothing; as appears by the law by parliament established in the thirty-sixth year of his reign. all ornaments of gold or silver, either on the daggers, girdles, necklaces, rings, or other ornaments for the body, were forbid to all that could not spend ten pounds a-year; and farther, that no furre or pretious and costly apparel, should be worne by any but men possessed of _l._ a year." besides the rigid enactments of the law, and the anathemas of divines, other and gentler means were from time to time resorted to as warnings from that sin of dress which seems inherent in our nature, or as inducements to a more becoming one. we quote a specimen of both:-- "there was a lady whiche had her lodgynge by the chirche. and she was alweye accustomed for to be longe to araye her, and to make her freshe and gay, insomuch that it annoyed and greued moche the parson of the chirche, and the parysshens. and it happed on a sonday that she was so longe, that she sent to the preeste that he shod tarye for her, lyke as she had been accustomed. and it was thenne ferforthe on the day. and it annoyed the peple. and there were somme that said, how is hit? shall not this lady this day be pynned ne wel besene in a myrroure? and somme said softely, god sende to her an evyll syght in her myrroure that causeth us this day and so oftymes to muse and to abyde for her. and thene as it plesyd god for an ensample, as she loked in the myrroure she sawe therein the fende, whiche shewed hymselfe to her so fowle and horryble, that the lady wente oute of her wytte, and was al demonyak a long tyme. and after god sente to her helthe. and after she was not so longe in arayeng but thanked god that had so suffered her to be chastysed."[ ] the 'garment of gude ladyis' is a lecture of a most beguiling kind, and an exquisite picture. "wald my gud lady lufe me best, and wirk after my will, i suld ane garment gudliest gar mak hir body till. "of he honour suld be her hud, upoun hir heid to weir, garneist with governance so gud, na demyng[ ] suld hir deir.[ ] "hir kirtill suld be of clene constance, lasit with lesum lufe, the mailyeis[ ] of continwance for nevir to remufe. "her gown suld be of gudliness, weill ribband with renowne, purfillit[ ] with plesour in ilk place, furrit with fyne fassoun.[ ] "her belt suld be of benignitie, about hir middill meit; hir mantill of humilitie, to tholl[ ] bayth wind and weit. "hir hat suld be of fair having[ ], and her tepat of trewth, hir patelet[ ] of gude pansing, hir hals-ribbane of rewth. "hir slevis suld be of esperance, to keip hir fra dispair; hir gluvis of the gud govirnance, to hyd hir fingearis fair. "hir schone suld be of sickernes[ ] in syne that scho nocht slyd; hir hois of honestie, i ges, i suld for hir provyd. "wald scho put on this garmond gay, i duret sweir by my seill, that scho woir nevir grene nor gray that set hir half so weill." footnotes: [ ] lady's magazine. [ ] bugg--buge, lamb's furr.--dr. jamieson. [ ] ancassin and nicolette. [ ] the first instance in which the name of this stone is found.--miss lawrence. [ ] the knyght of the toure. [ ] _demyng_--censure. [ ] _deir_--dismay. [ ] _mailyeis_--network. [ ] _purfillit_--furbelowed. [ ] _fassoun_--address, politeness. [ ] _tholl_--endure. [ ] _having_--behaviour. [ ] _patelet_--run. [ ] _sickernes_--steadfastness. chapter xiv. needlework in costume.--part ii. "and the short french breeches make such a comelie vesture that, except it were a dog in a doublet, you shall not see anie so disguised as are my countriemen of england." holinshed. "out from the gadis to the eastern morne, not one but holds his native state forlorne. when comelie striplings wish it were their chance for cenis' distaffe to exchange their lance; and weare curl'd periwigs, and chalk their face, and still are poring on their pocket glasse; tyr'd with pinn'd ruffs, and fans, and partlet strips, and buskes and verdingales about their hips: and tread on corked stilts a prisoner's pace." bp. joseph hall. "they brought in fashions strange and new, with golden garments bright; the farthingale and mighty ruff, with gowns of rich delight." a warning-piece to england. the queen (anne neville) of richard iii. seems to have been somewhat more regally accoutred than those of her royal predecessors to whom we referred in the last chapter. among "the stuff delivered to the queen at her coronation are twenty-seven yards of white cloth of gold for a kirtle and train, and a mantle of the same, richly furred with ermine. this was the dress in which she rode in her litter from the tower to the palace of westminster. this was an age of long trains, and the length was regulated by the rank of the wearer; anne, for her whole purple velvet suit, had fifty-six yards. from the entries of scarlet cloth given to the nobility for mantles on this occasion, we find that duchesses had thirteen yards, countesses ten, and baronesses eight." the costume of henry vii.'s day differed little from that of edward iv., except in the use of shirts bordered with lace and richly trimmed with ornamental needlework, which continued a long time in vogue amongst the nobility and gentry. a slight inspection of the inventories of henry viii.'s apparel will convince us of a truth which we should otherwise, readily have guessed, viz., that no expense and no splendour were spared in the "swashing costume" of his day. its general aspect is too familiar to us to require much comment. we may remark, however, that four several acts were passed in his reign for the reformation of apparel, and that all but the royal family were prohibited from wearing "any cloth of gold of purpure colour, or silk of the same colour," upon pain of forfeiture of the same and £ for every offence. shirt bands and ruffles of gold were worn by the privileged, but none under the degree of knight were permitted to decorate their shirts with silk, gold, or silver. henry viii.'s "knitte gloves of silk" are particularly referred to, and also his "handkerchers" edged with gold, silver, or fine needlework. these handkerchiefs, wrought with gold and silver, were not uncommon in the after-times. in the ballad of george barnwell, it is said of milwood-- "a handkerchief she had, all wrought with silk and gold, which she, to stay her trickling tears, before her eyes did hold." in the east these handkerchiefs are common, and it is still a favourite occupation of the egyptian ladies to embroider them. we are surprised now to find to what minute particulars legal enactments descended. "no husbandman, shepherd, or common labourer to any artificer, out of cities or boroughs (having no goods of their own above the value of £ ), shall use or wear any cloth the broad yard whereof passeth _s._ _d._, or any hose above the price of _d._ the yard, upon pain of imprisonment in the stocks for three days." it was in a subsequent reign, that of mary, that a proclamation was issued that no man should "weare his shoes above sixe inches _square_ at the toes." we have before seen that the attention of the grave and learned members of the senate, the "conscript fathers" of england, was devoted to the due regulation of this interesting part of apparel, when the shoe-toes were worn so long that they were obliged to be tied up to the waist ere the happy and privileged wearer could set his foot on the ground. now, however, "a change came o'er the spirit of the day," and it became the duty of those who exercised a paternal surveillance over the welfare of the community at large to legislate regarding the _breadth_ of the shoe-toes, that they should not be above "sixe inches square." "great," was anciently the cry--"great is diana of the ephesians;" but how immeasurably greater and mightier has been, through that and all succeeding ages, the supreme potentate who with a mesh of flimsy gauze or fragile silk has constrained nations as by a shackle of iron, that shadowy, unsubstantial, ever-fleeting, yet ever-exacting deity--fashion! at her shrine worship all the nations of the earth. the savage who bores his nose or tattooes his tawny skin is impelled by the same power which robes the courtly eastern in flowing garments; and the dark-hued beauty who smears herself with blubber is influenced by the selfsame motive which causes the fair-haired daughter of england to tint her delicate cheek with the mimic rose. and it is not merely in the shape and form of garments that this deity exercises her tyrannic sway, transforming "men into monsters," and women likewise--if it were possible: her vagaries are infinite and unaccountable; yet, how unaccountable soever, have ever numberless and willing votaries. it was once the _fashion_ for people who either were or fancied themselves to be in love to prove the sincerity of their passion by the fortitude with which they could bear those extremes of heat and cold from which unsophisticated _nature_ would shrink. these "penitents of love," for so the fraternity--and a pretty numerous one it was--was called, would clothe themselves in the dog-days in the thickest mantles lined throughout with the warmest fur: when the winds howled, the hail beat, and snow invested the earth with a freezing mantle, they wore the thinnest and most fragile garments. it was forbidden to wear fur on a day of the most piercing cold, or to appear with a hood, cloak, gloves, or muff. they supposed or pretended that the deity whom they thus propitiated was love: we aver that the autocrat under whose irreversible decrees they thus succumbed--was fashion. and, after all, who is this all-powerful genius? what is her appearance? whence does she arise? did she alight from the skies, while rejoicing stars sang pæans at her birth? was she born of the sunbeams while a glittering rainbow cast a halo of glory around her? or did she spring from ocean while nereids revelled around, and mermaids strung their harps with their own golden locks, soft melodies the while floating along the glistering waves, and echoing from the tritons' booming shells beneath? no. alas, no! she is subtle as the air; she is evanescent as a sunbeam, and unsubstantial as the ocean's froth;--but she is none of these. she is--but we will lay aside our own definition in order that the reader may have the advantage of that of one of the greatest and wisest of statesmen. "quelqu'un qui voudrait un peu étudier d'où part en première source ce qu'on appelle les modes verrait, à notre honte, qu'un petit nombre de gens, de la plus méprisable espèce qui soit dans une ville, laquelle renferme tout indifféremment dans son sein; pour qui, si nous les connaissions, nous n'aurions que le mépris qu'on a pour les gens sans moeurs, ou la pitié qu'on a pour les fous, disposent pourtant de nos bourses, et nous tiennent assujettis à tous leurs caprices." can this indeed be that supereminent deity for whom so "many do shipwrack their credits," and make themselves "ridiculous apes, or at best but like the cynnamon-tree, whose bark is more worth than its body." "clothes" writes a venerable historian, "are for necessity; warm clothes for health; cleanly for decency; lasting for thrift; and rich for magnificence. now, there may be a fault in their number, if too various; making, if too vain; matter, if too costly; and mind of the wearer, if he takes pride therein. "_he that is proud of the russling of his silks, like a madman laughs at the rattling of his fetters._ for, indeed, clothes ought to be our remembrancers of our lost innocency. besides, why should any brag of what's but borrowed? should the estrige snatch off the gallant's feather, the beaver his hat, the goat his gloves, the sheep his sute, the silkworm his stockings, and neat his shoes (to strip him no farther than modesty will give leave), he would be left in a cold condition. and yet 'tis more pardonable to be proud, even of cleanly rags, than (as many are) of affected slovennesse. the one is proud of a molehill, the other of a dunghill." but the worthy fuller's ideal picture of suitable dress was the very antipodes of the reality of elizabeth's day, when that rage for foreign fashions existed which has since frequently almost inundated the island, and our ancestors masked themselves "------in garish gaudery to suit a fool's far-fetched livery. a french hood join'd to neck italian, the thighs from germany and breast from spain. an englishman in none, a fool in all, many in one, and one in several." and shakspeare, who has perhaps suffered no peculiarity of his time to escape observation, makes portia satirize this affectation in her english admirer:--"how oddly he is suited! i think he bought his doublet in italy, his round hose in france, his bonnet in germany, and his behaviour everywhere." a reverend critic thus remarks on the luxurious modes of his time: "these tender parnels must have one gown for the day, another for the night; one long, another short; one for winter, another for summer. one furred through, another but faced; one for the workday, another for the holiday. one of this colour, another of that. one of cloth, another of silk or damask. change of apparel; one afore dinner, another at after: one of spanish fashion, another of turkey. and to be brief, never content with enough, but always devising new fashions and strange. yea, a ruffian will have more in his ruff and his hose than he should spend in a year. he which ought to go in a russet coat spends as much on apparel for him and his wife as his father would have kept a good house with." the following is of later date, and seems, somewhat unjustly we think, to satirize the fair sex alone. "why do women array themselves in such fantastical dresses and quaint devices; with gold, with silver, with coronets, with pendants, bracelets, earrings, chains, rings, pins, spangles, embroideries, shadows, rebatoes, versicoloured ribbons, feathers, fans, masks, furs, laces, tiffanies, ruffs, falls, calls, cuffs, damasks, velvets, tassels, golden cloth, silver tissue, precious stones, stars, flowers, birds, beasts, fishes, crisped locks, wigs, painted faces, bodkins, setting sticks, cork, whalebone, sweet odours, and whatever else africa, asia, and america can produce; flaying their faces to produce the fresher complexion of a new skin, and using more time in dressing than cæsar took in marshalling his army,--but that, like cunning falconers, they wish to spread false lures to catch unwary larks, and lead by their gaudy baits and dazzling charms the minds of inexperienced youth into the traps of love?" though the costume of elizabeth's day, especially at the period of her coronation was, splendid, it had not attained to the ridiculous extravagance which at a later period elicited the above-quoted strictures; and we are told that her own taste at an early period of life was simple and unostentatious. her dress and appearance are thus described by aylmer, lady jane grey's tutor, and afterwards bishop of london. "the king (henry viii.) left her rich clothes and jewels; and i know it to be true, that, in seven years after her father's death, she never in all that time looked upon that rich attire and precious jewels but once, and that against her will. and that there never came gold or stone upon her head, till her sister forced her to lay off her former soberness, and bear her company in her glittering gayness. and then she so wore it as every man might see that her body carried that which her heart misliked. i am sure that her maidenly apparel, which she used in king edward's time, made noblemen's daughters and wives to be ashamed to be dressed and painted like peacocks; being more moved with her most virtuous example than with all that ever paul or peter wrote touching that matter. yea, this i know, that a great man's daughter (lady jane grey) receiving from lady mary, before she was queen, good apparel of tinsel, cloth of gold and velvet, laid on with parchment-lace of gold, when she saw it, said, 'what shall i do with it?' 'marry!' said a gentlewoman, 'wear it.' 'nay,' quoth she, 'that were a shame, to follow my lady mary against god's word, and leave my lady elizabeth, which followeth god's word.' and when all the ladies, at the coming of the scots' queen dowager, mary of guise, (she who visited england in edward's time), went with their hair frownsed, curled, and double-curled, she altered nothing, but kept her old maidenly shame-facedness." and there is a print from a portrait of her when young, in which the hair is without a single ornament, and the whole dress remarkably simple. yet this is the lady whose passion for dress in after life could not be sated; to whom, or at least before whom (and the queen was not slow in appropriating and resenting the hint[ ]), latimer, bishop of london, thought it necessary to preach on the vanity of decking the body too finely; and who finally left behind her a wardrobe containing three thousand dresses. a modern fair one may wonder how such a profusion of dresses could be accommodated at all, even in a royal wardrobe, with fitting respect to the integrity of puffs and furbelows. but clothes were not formerly kept in drawers, where but few can be laid with due regard to the safety of each, but were hung up on wooden pegs, in a room appropriated to the sole purpose of receiving them; and though such cast-off things as were composed of rich substances were occasionally _ripped_ for domestic uses (viz., mantles for infants, vests for children, and counterpanes for beds), articles of inferior quality were suffered to _hang by the walls_ till age and moths had destroyed what pride would not permit to be worn by servants or poor relations. to this practice, also, does shakspeare allude: imogen exclaims, in 'cymbeline,'-- "poor i am stale, a garment out of fashion; and, for i am richer than to hang by the walls, i must be ripp'd--" the following regulations may be interesting; and the knowledge of them will doubtless excite feelings of joy and gratitude in our fair readers that they are born in an age where "will is free," and the dustman's wife may, if it so please her, outshine the duchess, without the terrors of parliament before her eyes:-- "by the queene. "whereas the queene's maiestie, for avoyding of the great inconvenience that hath growen and dayly doeth increase within this her realme, by the inordinate excesse in apparel, hath in her princely wisdome and care for reformation thereof, by sundry former proclamations, straightly charged and commanded those in authoritie under her to see her lawes provided in that behalfe duely executed; whereof notwithstanding, partly through their negligence, and partly by the manifest contempt and disobedience of the parties offending, no reformation at all hath followed; her maiestie, finding by experience that by clemencie, whereunto she is most inclinable, so long as there is any hope of redresse, this increasing evill hath not beene cured, hath thought fit to seeke to remedie the same by correction and severitie, to be used against both these kindes of offenders, in regard of the present difficulties of this time; wherein the decay and lacke of hospitalitie appeares in the better sort in all countreys, principally occasioned by the immeasurable charges and expenses which they are put to in superfluous apparelling their wives, children, and families, the confusion also of degrees in all places being great; where the meanest are as richly apparelled as their betters, and the pride that such inferior persons take in their garments, driving many for their maintenance to robbing and stealing by the hieway, &c. &c. "her maiestie doth straightly charge and command-- "that none under the degree of a countess wear: cloth of gold or silver tissued; silke of coulor purple. "under the degree of a baronesse:-- cloth of golde; cloth of silver; tinselled satten; sattens branched with silver or golde; sattens striped with silver or golde; taffaties brancht with silver or golde; cipresses flourisht with silver or golde; networks wrought in silver or golde; tabines brancht with silver or golde; or any other silke or cloth mixt or embroidered with pearle, golde, or silver. "under the degree of a baron's eldest sonne's wife: any embroideries of golde or silver; passemaine lace, or any other lace, mixed with golde, silver, or silke; caules, attires, or other garnishings for the head trimmed with pearle. "under the degree of a knighte's wife:-- velvet in gownes, cloakes, savegards, or other uppermost garments; embroidery with silke. "under the degree of a knighte's eldest sonne's wife:-- velvet in kirtles and petticoates; sattens in gownes, cloakes, savegards, or other uppermost garments. "under the degree of a gentleman's wife, bearing armes:-- satten in kirtles, } damaske, } tuft taffetie, } in gownes." plaine taffetie, } grograine } venice and paris seem to have been the chief sources of fashion; from these depôts of taste were derived the flaunting head-dresses, the "shiptire," the "tire valiant," &c., which were commonly worn in these days of gorgeous finery, and which were rendered still more _outré_ and unnatural by the _dyed_ locks which they surmounted. the custom of dyeing the hair is of great antiquity, and was very prevalent in the east. mohammed dyed his hair red; abu bekr his successor did the same, and it is a custom among the scenite arabs even to this day. the ancients often mixed gold dust in their hair, and the gauls used to wash the hair with a liquid which had a tendency to redden it. it was doubtless in personal compliment to queen elizabeth, that all the fashionables of her day dyed their locks of a hue which is generally considered the reverse of attraction. periwigs, which were introduced into england about , were to be had of _all colours_. it is in allusion to this absurd fashion that benedick says of the lady whom he might chuse to marry:--"her hair shall be of what colour it please god." men first wore wigs in charles the second's time; and these were gradually increased in size, until they reached the acme of their magnificence in the reign of william and mary, when not only men, but even young lads and children were disguised in enormous wigs. and though in the reign of queen anne this latter custom was not so common, yet the young men had the want of wigs supplied by artificial curlings, and dressing of the hair, which was then only performed by the women. one bill preserved amongst the harl. mss. runs thus:-- "next door to the golden ball, in st. bride's lane, fleet street, lyveth lidia beercraft. who cutteth and curleth ladies, gentlemen, and children's hair. she sells a fine pomatum, which is mixed with ingredients of her own making, that if the hair be never so thin, it makes it grow thick; and if short, it makes it grow long. if any gentleman's or children's hair be never so lank, she makes it curle in a little time, and to look like a periwig." and this, indeed, the looking like a periwig, seems to have been then the very _beau ideal_ of all beauty and perfection, for another fair tonsoress advertises to cut and curl hair after the french fashion, "after so fine a manner, that _you shall not know it to be their own hair_." how applicable to these absurdities are the lines of an amiable censor of a later day!-- "we have run through ev'ry change, that fancy, at the loom exhausted, has had genius to supply; and, studious of mutation still, discard a real elegance, a little us'd, for monstrous novelty and strange disguise." to return to elizabeth:-- the best known, and most distinguishing characteristic of the costume of her day was the ruff; which was worn of such enormous size that a lady in full dress was obliged to feed herself with a spoon two feet long. in the year , sumptuary laws were published by proclamation, and enforced with great exactness, by which the ruffs were reduced to legal dimensions. extravagant prices were paid for them, and they were made at first of fine holland, but early in elizabeth's reign they began to wear lawn and cambric, which were brought to england in very small quantities, and sold charily by the yard or half yard; for there was then hardly one shopkeeper in fifty who dared to speculate in a whole piece of either. so "strange and wonderful was this stuff," says stowe, speaking of lawn, "that thereupon rose a general scoff or byeword, that shortly they would wear ruffs of a spider's web." and another difficulty arose; for when the queen had ruffs made of this new and beautiful fabric, there was nobody in england who could starch or stiffen them; but happily her grace found a dutchwoman possessed of that knowledge which england could not supply, and "guillan's wife was the first starcher the queen had, as guillan himself was the first coachman." "afterward, in , ( th of elizabeth), one mistress dinghen vauden plasse, born at teenen in flanders, daughter of a worshipful knight of that province, with her husband, came to london, and there professed herself a starcher, wherein she excelled; unto whom her own nation presently repaired and employed her, rewarding her very liberally for her work. some of the curious ladies of that time, observing the neatness of the dutch, and the nicety of their linen, made them cambric ruffs, and sent them to mistress dinghen to starch; soon after they began to send their daughters and kinswomen to mistress dinghen, to learn how to starch; her usual price was, at that time, _l._ or _l._ to teach them to starch, and _s._ to learn them to see the starch. this mrs. dinghen was the first that ever taught starching in england." the ruffs were adjusted by poking sticks of iron, steel, or silver, heated in the fire--(probably something answering to our italian iron), and in may a lady of antwerp, being invited to a wedding, could not, although she employed two celebrated laundresses, get her ruff plaited according to her taste, upon which "she fell to sweare and teare, to curse and ban, casting the ruffes under feete, and wishing that the devill might take her when shee did wear any neckerchers againe." this gentleman, whom it is said an invocation will always summon, now appeared in the likeness of a favoured suitor, and inquiring the cause of her agitation, he "took in hande the setting of her ruffes, which he performed to her great contentation and liking; insomuch, as she, looking herself in a glasse (as the devill bade her) became greatly enamoured with him. this done, the young man kissed her, in the doing whereof, he writhed her neck in sunder, so she died miserably." but here comes the marvel: four men tried in vain to lift her "fearful body" when coffined for interment; six were equally unsuccessful; "whereat the standers-by marvelling, caused the coffin to be opened to see the cause thereof: where they found the body to be taken away, and a blacke catte, very leane and deformed, sitting in the coffin, _setting of great ruffes and frizling of haire_, to the great feare and woonder of all the beholders." the large hoop farthingales were worn now, but they were said to be adopted by the ladies from a laudable spirit of emulation, a praiseworthy desire on their parts to be of equal standing with the "nobler sex," who now wore breeches, stuffed with rags or other materials to such an enormous size, that a bench of extraordinary dimension was placed round the parliament house, (of which the traces were visible at a very late period) solely for their accommodation. strutt quotes an instance of a man whom the judges accused of wearing breeches contrary to the law (for a law was made against them): he, for his excuse, drew out of his slops the contents; at first a pair of sheets, two table-cloths, ten napkins, four shirts, a brush, a glass, and a comb; with nightcaps and other things of use, saying, "your worship may understand, that because i have no safer a storehouse, these pockets do serve me for a room to lay up my goods in,--and, though it be a strait prison, yet it is big enough for them, for i have many things of value yet within it." his excuse was heartily laughed at and accepted. this ridiculous fashion was for a short time disused, but revived again in . the breeches were then chiefly stuffed with hair. many satirical rhymes were written upon them; amongst others, "a lamentable complaint of the poore countrye men agaynst great hose, for the loss of their cattelles tales." in which occur these:-- "what hurt, what damage doth ensue, and fall upon the poore, for want of wool and flaxe, of late, whych monstrous hose devoure. "but haire hath so possess'd, of late, the bryche of every knave, that no one beast, nor horse can tell, whiche way his taile to save." henry viii. had received a few pairs of silk stockings from spain, but knitted silk ones were not known until the second year of elizabeth, when her silk-woman, mrs. montague, presented to her majesty a pair of black knit silk stockings, for a new-year's gift, with which she was so much pleased that she desired to know if the donor could not help her to any more, to which mrs. montague answered, "i made them carefully on purpose for your majestie; and seeing they please you so well, i will presently set more in hand." "do so (said the queen), for i like silk stockings so well, that i will not henceforth wear any more cloth hose." these shortly became common; though even over so simple an article as a stocking, fashion asserted her supremacy, and at a subsequent period they were two yards wide at the top, and made fast to the "petticoat breeches," by means of strings through eyelet holes. but elizabeth's predilection for rich attire is well known, and if the costume of her day was fantastic, it was still magnificent. a suit trimmed with sables was considered the richest dress worn by men; and so expensive was this fur, that, it is said a thousand ducats were sometimes given for "a face of sables." it was towards the close of her reign that the celebrated gabrielle d'estrées wore on a festive occasion a dress of black satin, so ornamented with pearls and precious stones, that she could scarcely move under its weight. she had a handkerchief, for the embroidering of which she engaged to pay crowns. and such it was said was the influence of her example in paris, that the ladies ornamented even their shoes with jewels. yet even this costly magnificence was afterwards surpassed by that of villiers, duke of buckingham, with whom it was common, even at an ordinary dancing, to have his clothes trimmed with great diamond buttons, and to have diamond hatbands, cockades, and earrings, to be yoked with great and manifold ropes and knots of pearl; in short, to be manacled, fettered, and imprisoned in jewels: insomuch that at his going to paris in , he had twenty-seven suits of clothes made, the richest that embroidery, lace, silk, velvet, gold, and gems could contribute; one of which was a white uncut velvet set all over, both suit and cloak, with diamonds valued at fourscore thousand pounds, besides a great feather, stuck all over with diamonds, as were also his sword, girdle, hatband, and spurs.[ ] it would but weary our readers were we to dwell on the well-known peculiarities of the "cavalier and roundhead" days; and tell how the steeple-crowned hat was replaced at the restoration by the plumed and jewelled velvet; the forlorn, smooth, methodistical pate, by the curled ringlets and flowing lovelock; the sober, sombre, "sad" coloured garment, with its starched folds, by the gay, varied, flowing drapery of all hues. then, how the plume of feathers gave way to the simpler band and buckle, and the thick large curling wig and full ruffle, to the bagwig, the tie, and stock. the dashing cloak and slashed sleeves were succeeded by the coat of ample dimensions, and the waistcoat with interminable pockets resting on the knees; the "breeches" were in universal use, though they were not of the universal "black" which cowper immortalises; but "black breeches" and "powder" have had their reign, and are succeeded by the "inexpressible" costume of the present day. we will conclude a chapter, which we fear to have spun out tediously, by lady morgan's animated account of the introduction, in france, of that universally-coveted article of dress--a cashmir shawl:-- "while partaking of a sumptuous collation (at rouen), the conversation naturally turned on the splendid views which the windows commanded, and on the subjects connected with their existence. the flocks, which were grazing before us had furnished the beautiful shawls which hung on the backs of the chairs occupied by our fair companions, and which might compete with the turbans of the grand signor. it would be difficult now to persuade a parisian _petite maitresse_ that there was a time when french women of fashion could exist without a cashmir, or that such an indispensable article of the toilet and _sultan_ was unknown even to the most elegant. 'the first cashemir that appeared in france,' said madame d'aubespine, (for an educated french woman has always something worth hearing to say on all subjects,) 'was sent over by baron de tott, then in the service of the porte, to madame de tessé. when they were produced in her society, every body thought them very fine, but nobody knew what use to make of them. it was determined that they would make pretty _couvre-pieds_ and veils for the cradle; but the fashion wore out with the shawls, and ladies returned to their eider-down quilts.' "monsieur ternaux observed that 'though the produce of the cashmerian looms had long been known in europe, they did not become a vogue until after napoleon's expedition to egypt; and that even then they took, in the first instance, but slowly.' the shawl was still a novelty in france, when josephine, as yet but the wife of the first consul, knew not how to drape its elegant folds, and stood indebted to the _brusque_ rapp for the grace with which she afterwards wore it. "'permettez que je vous fasse l'observation,' said rapp, as they were setting off for the opera; 'que votre schall n'est pas mis avec cette grâce qui vous est habituelle.' "josephine laughingly let him arrange it in the manner of the egyptian women. this impromptu toilette caused a little delay, and the infernal machine exploded in vain! "what destinies waited upon the arrangement of this cashemir! a moment sooner or later, and the shawl might have given another course to events, which would have changed the whole face of europe."[ ] the empress josephine (says her biographer) had quite a passion for shawls, and i question whether any collection of them was ever as valuable as hers. at navarre she had one hundred and fifty, all extremely beautiful and high-priced. she sent designs to constantinople, and the shawls made after these patterns were as beautiful as they were valuable. every week m. lenormant came to navarre, and sold her whatever he could obtain that was curious in this way. i have seen white shawls covered with roses, bluebells, perroquets, peacocks, &c., which i believe were not to be met with any where else in europe; they were valued at , and , francs each. the shawls were at length sold _by auction_ at malmaison, at a rate much below their value. all paris went to the sale. footnotes: [ ] "her majesty told the ladies, that if the bishop held more discourse on such matters, she would fit him for heaven; but he should walk thither without a staff, and leave his mantle behind him." [ ] life of raleigh, by oldys. [ ] lady morgan's france in - . chapter xv. the field of the cloth of gold. "where are the proud and lofty dames, their jewell'd crowns, their gay attire, their odours sweet? where are the love-enkindled flames, the bursts of passionate desire laid at their feet? where are the songs, the troubadours, the music which delighted then?-- it speaks no more. where is the dance that shook the floors, and all the gay and laughing train, and all they wore? "the royal gifts profusely shed, the palaces so proudly built, with riches stor'd; the roof with shining gold o'erspread, the services of silver gilt, the secret hoard, the arabian pards, the harness bright, the bending plumes, the crowded mews, the lacquey train, where are they?--where!--all lost in night, and scatter'd as the early dews across the plain." bowring's anc. span. romances. romance and song have united to celebrate the splendours of the "field of the cloth of gold." the most scrupulously minute and faithful of recorders has detailed day by day, and point by point, its varied and showy routine, and every subsequent historian has borrowed from the pages of the old chronicler; and these dry details have been so expanded by the breath of fancy, and his skeleton frame has been so fleshed by the magical drapery of talent, that there seems little left on which the imagination can dilate, or the pen expatiate. the astonishing impulse which has in various ways within the last few years been given to the searching of ancient records, and the development of hitherto obscure and comparatively uninteresting details, and vesting them in an alluring garb, has made us as familiar with the domestic records of the eighth henry, as in our school-days we were with the orthodox abstract of necessary historical information,--that "henry the eighth ascended the throne in the th year of his age;" that "he became extremely corpulent;" that "he married six wives, and beheaded two." not even affording gratuitously the codicil which the talent of some writer hath educed--that "if henry the eighth had not beheaded his wives, there would have been no impeachment on his gallantry to the fair sex." but in describing this, according to some, "the most magnificent spectacle that europe ever beheld," and to others, "a heavy mass of allegory and frippery," historians have been contented to pourtray the outward features of the gorgeous scene, and have slightly, if at all, touched on the contending feelings which were veiled beneath a broad though thin surface of concord and joy. truly, it were a task of deep interest, even slightly to picture them, or to attempt to enter into the feelings of the chief actors on that field. first and foremost, as the guiding spirit of the whole, as the mighty artificer of that pageant on which, however gaudy in its particulars the fates of europe were supposed to depend, and the earnest eyes of europe were certainly fixed--comes wolsey.--gorgeously habited himself, and the burnished gold of his saddle cloth only partially relieved by the more sombre crimson velvet; nay, his very shoes gleaming with brilliants, and himself withal so lofty in bearing, of so noble a presence, that this very magnificence seemed but a natural appendage, wolsey took his lofty way from monarch to monarch; and so well did he become his dignity, that none but kings, and such kings as henry and francis, would have drawn the eyes of the myriad spectators from himself. and surely he was now happy; surely his ambition was now gratified to the uttermost; now, in the eyes of all europe did the two proudest of her princes not merely associate with him almost as an equal, but openly yield to his suggestions--almost bow to his decisions. no--loftily as he bore himself, courtly as was his demeanour, rapid and commanding as was his eloquence, and influential as seemed his opinions on all and every one around--the cardinal had a mind ill at ease, as, despite his self-control, was occasionally testified by his contracted brow and thoughtful aspect. after exerting all the might of his mighty influence, and for his own aggrandisement, to procure this meeting between the two potentates, he had at the last moment seen fit to alter his policy. he had sold himself to a higher bidder; he had pledged himself to charles in the very teeth of his solemn engagement to francis. even whilst celebrating this league of amity, he was turning in his own mind the means by which to rupture it; and was yet withal, nervously fearful of any accident which should prematurely break it, or lead to a discovery of his own faithlessness.--so much for his enjoyment! our king henry was all delight, and eager impetuous enjoyment. he had not outlived the good promise of his youth; nor had his foibles become, by indulgence, vices. he loved to see all around him happy; he loved, more especially, to make them so. he delighted in all the exercises of the field; he was unrivalled in the tilt and the tournament; and when engaged in them forgot kings and kingdoms. his vanity, outrageous as it was, hardly sat ungracefully on him, so much was it elevated then by buoyant good humour--so much was it softened at that time by his noble presence, his manly grace, his kingly accomplishments, and his regal munificence. the stern and selfish tyrant whom one shudders to think upon, was then only "bluff king hal," loving and beloved, courted and caressed by an empire. he gave himself up to the gaieties of the time without a care for the present, a thought for the future. could he have glanced dimly into that future! but he could not, and he was happy. francis was admirably qualified to grace this scene, and to enjoy it, as probably he did enjoy it, vividly. yet was this gratification by no means unalloyed. his gentle manly nature was irritated at certain stipulations of henry's advisers, by which their most trivial intercourse was subjected to specific regulations. there were recorded instances enough of treacherous advantages taken to justify fully this conduct on the part of henry's ministers; but francis felt its injustice, as applied to himself, and at that time, made use of a generous and well-known stratagem to convince others. but in the midst of his enjoyments he had misgivings on his mind of a more serious nature, caused by the emperor's recent visit to dover. these misgivings were increased by the meeting between henry and charles at gravelines; and too surely confirmed by quickly-following circumstances. the gentle and good katharine of england, and the equally amiable queen claude, the carefully-trained stepdaughter of the noble and admirable anne of bretagne, probably derived their chief gratification here from the pleasure of seeing their husbands amicable and happy. for queens though they were, their happiness was in domestic life, and their chief empire was over the hearts of those domesticated with them. not so the dowager queen of france--the lively, and graceful, and beautiful duchess of suffolk; for though very fond of her royal brother, and devoted to her gallant husband, she had yet an eye and an ear for all the revelries around, and had a radiant glance and a beaming smile for all who crowded to do homage to her charms. and yet her heart must have been somewhat hard--and that we know it was not--if she could have inhaled the air of france, or trod its sunny soil, without recollections which must have dimmed her eye at the thoughts of the past, even whilst breathing a thanksgiving for the present. somewhat less than five years ago, she had been taken thither a weeping bride; youth, nature, inclination, nay, hope itself, sacrificed to that expediency by which the actions of monarchs are regulated. we are accustomed to read these things so much as mere historical memoranda, to look upon them in their cold unvarnished simplicity of detail, like the rigid outlines of stiff old portraits which we can scarcely suppose were ever meant to represent living flesh and blood--that it requires a strong effort to picture these circumstances to our eyes as actually occurring. in considering the state policy of the thing--and the apparent national advantage of the king of england's sister being married to the king of france--we forget that this king of england's sister was a fair young creature, with warm heart, gushing affections, and passions and feelings just opening in all the vividness of early womanhood; and that she was condemned to marry a sickly, querulous, elderly man, who began his loving rule by dismissing at once, even while she was "a stranger in a foreign land," every endeared friend and attendant who had accompanied her thither; and that, worse than all, her young affections had been sought and gained by a noble english gentleman, the favourite of the english king, and the pride of his court. surely her lot was hard; and well might she weepingly exclaim, "where is now my hope?" little could she suppose (for louis, though infirm, was not aged) that three or four short months would see her not only at liberty from her enforced vows, but united to the man of her heart. must there not, while watching the tilting of her graceful and gallant husband, must there not have been melancholy in her mirth?--must there not, in the keen encounter of wits during the banquet or the ball--must there not have mingled method with her madness? who shall record, or even refer to the hopes, and feelings, and wishes, and thoughts, and reflections of the thousands congregated thither; each one with feelings as intense, with hopes as individually important as those which influenced the royal king of france, or the majestic monarch of england! the loftiest of christendom's knights, the loveliest of christendom's daughters were assembled here; and the courteous bayard, the noble tremouille, the lofty bourbon, felt inspired more gallantly, if possible, than was even their wont, when contending in all love and amity with the proudest of england's champions, in presence of the fairest of her blue-eyed maidens,--the noblest of her courtly dames. nor were the lofty and noble alone there congregated. after the magnificent structure for the king and court, after every thing in the shape of a tenement in, out, or about the little town of guisnes, and the neighbouring hamlets, were occupied, two thousand eight hundred tents were set up on the side of the english alone. no noble or baron would be absent; but likewise knights, and squires, and yeomen flocked to the scene: citizens and city wives disported their richest silks and their heaviest chains; jews went for gain, pedlars for knavery, tradespeople for their craft, rogues for mischief. then there were "vagaboundes, plowmen, laborers, wagoners, and beggers, that for drunkennes lay in routes and heapes, so great resorte thether came, that bothe knightes and ladies that wer come to see the noblenes, were faine to lye in haye and strawe, and hold theim thereof highly pleased." the accommodations provided for the king and privileged members of his court on this occasion were more than magnificent; a vast and splendid edifice that seemed to be endued with the magnificence, and to rise almost with the celerity of that prepared by the slaves of the lamp, where the richest tapestry and silk embroidery--the costliest produce of the most accomplished artisans, were almost unnoticed amid the gold and jewellery by which they were surrounded--where all that art could produce, or riches devise had been lavished--all this has been often described. and the tent itself, the nucleus of the show, the point where the "brother" kings were to confer, was hung round with cloth of gold: the posts, the cones, the cords, the tents, were all of the same precious metal, which glittered here in such excessive profusion as to give that title to the meeting which has superseded all others--"the field of the cloth of gold." this gaudy pageant was the prelude to an era of great interest, for while dwelling on the "galanty shew" we cannot forget that now reigned solyman the magnificent, and that this was the age of leo the tenth; that charles the fifth was now beginning his influential course; that a sir thomas more graced england; and that in germany there was "one martin luther," who "belonged to an order of strolling friars." under leo's munificent encouragement, rafaello produced those magnificent creations which have been the inspiration of subsequent ages; and at home, under wolsey's enlightened patronage, colleges were founded, learning was encouraged, and the college of physicians first instituted in , found in him one of its warmest advocates and firmest supporters. a modern writer gives the following amusing picture of part of the bustle attendant on the event we are considering. "the palace (of westminster) and all its precincts became the elysium of tailors, embroiderers, and sempstresses. there might you see many a shady form gliding about from apartment to apartment, with smiling looks and extended shears, or armed with ell-wands more potent than mercury's rod, driving many a poor soul to perdition, and transforming his goodly acres into velvet suits, with tags of cloth of gold. so continual were the demands upon every kind of artisan, that the impossibility of executing them threw several into despair. one tailor who is reported to have undertaken to furnish fifty embroidered suits in three days, on beholding the mountain of gold and velvet that cumbered his shop-board, saw, like brutus, the impossibility of victory, and, with roman fortitude, fell on his own shears. three armourers are said to have been completely melted with the heat of their furnaces; and an unfortunate goldsmith swallowed molten silver to escape the persecutions of the day. "the road from london to canterbury was covered during one whole week with carts and waggons, mules, horses, and soldiers; and so great was the confusion, that marshals were at length stationed to keep the whole in order, which of course increased the said confusion a hundred fold. so many were the ships passing between dover and calais, that the historians affirm they jostled each other on the road like a herd of great black porkers. "the king went from station to station like a shepherd, driving all the better classes of the country before him, and leaving not a single straggler behind." though we do not implicitly credit every point of this humorous statement, we think a small portion of description from the old chronicler hall (we will really inflict _only_ a small portion on our readers) will justify a good deal of it; but more especially it will enlighten us as to some of the elaborate conceits of the day, in which, it seems, the needle was as fully occupied as the pen. indeed, what would the "field of the cloth of gold" have been without the skill of the needlewoman? _would it have been at all?_ "the frenche kyng sette hymself on a courser barded, covered with purple sattin, broched with golde, and embraudered with corbyns fethers round and buckeled; the fether was blacke and hached with gold. corbyn is a rauen, and the firste silable of corbyn is _cor_, whiche is a harte, a penne in english, is a fether in frenche, and signifieth pain, and so it stode; this fether round was endles, the buckels wherwith the fethers wer fastened, betokeneth sothfastnes, thus was the devise, _harte fastened in pain endles, or pain in harte fastened endles_. "wednesdaie the daie of june, the twoo hardie kynges armed at all peces, entered into the feld right nobly appareled, the frenche kyng and all his parteners of chalenge were arraied in purple sattin, broched with golde and purple velvet, embrodered with litle rolles of white sattin wherein was written _quando_, all bardes and garmentes wer set full of the same, and all the residue where was no rolles, were poudered and set with the letter ell as thus, l, whiche in frenche is she, which was interpreted to be _quando elle_, when she, and ensuyng the devise of the first daie it signifieth together, _harte fastened in pain endles, when she_. "the frenche kyng likewise armed at al pointes mounted on a courser royal, all his apparel as wel bardes as garmentes were purple velvet, entred the one with the other, embrodred ful of litle bookes of white satten, and in the bokes were written _a me_; aboute the borders of the bardes and the borders of the garmentes, a chaine of blewe like iron, resemblyng the chayne of a well or prison chaine, whiche was enterpreted to be _liber_, a booke; within this boke was written as is sayed, _a me_, put these two together, and it maketh _libera me_; the chayne betokeneth prison or bondes, and so maketh together in englishe, _deliver me of {bondes}_; put to {the} reason, the fyrst day, second day, and third day of chaunge, for he chaunged but the second day, and it is _hart fastened in paine endles, when she deliuereth me not of bondes_; thus was thinterpretation made, but whether it were so in all thinges or not i may not say." the following animated picture from an author already quoted, has been drawn of this spirit-stirring scene:-- "upon a large open green, that extended on the outside of the walls, was to be seen a multitude of tents of all kinds and colours, with a multitude of busy human beings, employed in raising fresh pavilions on every open space, or in decorating those already spread with streamers, pennons, and banners of all the bright hues under the sun. long lines of horses and mules, loaded with armour or baggage, and ornamented with gay ribbons to put them in harmony with the scene, were winding about all over the plain, some proceeding towards the town, some seeking the tents of their several lords, while mingled amongst them, appeared various bands of soldiers, on horseback and on foot, with the rays of the declining sun catching upon the heads of their bills and lances; and together with the white cassock and broad red cross, marking them out from all the other objects. here and there, too, might be seen a party of knights and gentlemen cantering over the plain, and enjoying the bustle of the scene, or standing in separate groups, issuing their orders for the erection and garnishing of their tents; while couriers, and poursuivants, and heralds, in all their gay dresses, mingled with mule drivers, lacqueys, and peasants, armourers, pages, and tent stretchers, made up the living part of the landscape. "the sounding of the trumpets to horse, the shouts of the various leaders, the loud cries of the marshals and heralds, and the roaring of artillery from the castle, as the king put his foot in the stirrup, all combined to make one general outcry rarely equalled. gradually the tumult subsided, gradually also the confused assemblage assumed a regular form. flags, and pennons, and banderols, embroidered banners, and scutcheons; silver pillars, and crosses, and crooks, ranged themselves in long line; and the bright procession, an interminable stream of living gold, began to wind across the plain. first came about five hundred of the gayest and wealthiest gentlemen of england, below the rank of baron; squires, knights, and bannerets, rivalling each other in the richness of their apparel and the beauty of their horses; while the pennons of the knights fluttered above their heads, marking the place of the english chivalry. next appeared the proud barons of the realm, each with his banner borne before him, and followed by a custrel with the shield of his arms. to these again succeeded the bishops, not in the simple robes of the protestant clergy, but in the more gorgeous habits of the church of rome; while close upon their steps rode the higher nobility, surrounding the immediate person of the king, and offering the most splendid mass of gold and jewels that the summer sun ever shone upon. "slowly the procession moved forward to allow the line of those on foot to keep an equal pace. nor did this band offer a less gay and pleasing sight than the cavalcade, for here might be seen the athletic forms of the sturdy english yeomanry, clothed in the various splendid liveries of their several lords, with the family cognisance embroidered on the bosom and arm, and the banners and banderols of their particular houses carried in the front of each company. here also was to be seen the picked guard of the king of england, magnificently dressed for the occasion, with the royal banner carried in their centre by the deputy standard bearer, and the banner of their company by their own ancient. in the rear of all, marshalled by officers appointed for the purpose, came the band of those whose rank did not entitle them to take place in the cavalcade, but who had sufficient interest at court to be admitted to the meeting. though of an inferior class, this company was not the least splendid in the field; for here were all the wealthy tradesmen of the court, habited in many a rich garment, furnished by the extravagance of those that rode before; and many a gold chain hung round their necks, that not long ago had lain in the purse of some prodigal customer." but we cease, being fully of opinion with the old chronicler that "to tell the apparel of the ladies, their riche attyres, their sumptuous juelles, their diversities of beauties, and their goodly behaviour from day to day sithe the fyrst metyng, i assure you ten mennes wittes can scarce declare it." and in a few days, a few short days, all was at an end; and the pomp and the pageantry, the mirth and the revelry, was but as a dream--a most bitter, indeed, and painful dream to hundreds who had bartered away their substance for the sake of a transient glitter: "we seken fast after felicite but we go wrong ful often trewely, thus may we sayen alle." homely indeed, after the paraphernalia of the "field of the cloth of gold," would appear the homes of england on the return of their masters. for though the nobles had begun to remove the martial fronts of their castles, and endeavoured to render them more commodious, yet in architecture the nation participated neither the spirit nor the taste of its sovereign. the mansions of the gentlemen were, we are told, still sordid; the huts of the peasantry poor and wretched. the former were generally thatched buildings composed of timber, or, where wood was scarce, of large posts inserted in the earth, filled up in the interstices with rubbish, plastered within, and covered on the outside with coarse clay. the latter were light frames, prepared in the forest at small expense, and when erected, probably covered with mud. in cities the houses were constructed mostly of the same materials, for bricks were still too costly for general use; and the stories seem to have projected forward as they rose in height, intercepting sunshine and air from the streets beneath. the apartments were stifling, lighted by lattices, so contrived as to prohibit the occasional and salutary admission of external air. the floors were of clay, strewed with rushes, which often remained for years a receptacle of every pollution.[ ] in an inventory of the goods and chattels of sir andrew foskewe, knight, dated in the th year of king henry the eighth, are the following furnitures. we select the hall and the best parlour, in which he entertained company, first premising that he possessed a large and noble service of rich plate worth an amazing sum, and so much land as proved him to be a wealthy man:-- "the hall.--a hangin of greine say, bordered with darneng (or needlework); item a grete side table, with standinge tressels; item a small joyned cuberde, of waynscott, and a short piece of counterfett carpett upon it; item a square cuberde, and a large piece of counterfett wyndowe, and five formes, &c. "perler.--imprim., a hangynge of greene say and red, panede; item a table with two tressels, and a greyne verders carpet upon it; three greyne verders cushyns; a joyned cupberd, and a carpett upon it; a piece of verders carpet in one window, and a piece of counterfeit carpett in the other; one flemishe chaire; four joyned stooles; a joyned forme; a wyker skryne; two large awndyerns, a fyer forke, a fyer pan, a payer of tonges; item a lowe joyned stole; two joyned foote-stoles; a rounde table of cipress; and a piece of counterfeitt carpett upon it; item a paynted table (or picture) of the epiphany of our lord."[ ] but notwithstanding this apparent meagreness of accommodation, luxury in architecture was making rapid strides in the land. wolsey was as magnificent in this taste as in others, as hampton court, "a residence," says grotius, "befitting rather a god than a king," yet remains to attest. the walls of his chambers at york place, (whitehall,) were hung with cloth of gold, and tapestry still more precious, representing the most remarkable events in sacred history--for the easel was then subordinate to the loom. the subjects of the tapestry in york place consisted, we are told, of triumphs, probably roman; the story of absalom, bordered with the cardinal's arms; the petition of esther, and the honouring of mordecai; the history of sampson, bordered with the cardinal's arms; the history of solomon; the history of susannah and the elders, bordered with the cardinal's arms; the history of jacob, also bordered; holofernes and judith, bordered; the story of joseph, of david, of st. john the baptist; the history of the virgin; the passion of christ; the worthies; the story of nebuchadnezzar; a pilgrimage; all bordered. this place--whitehall--henry decorated magnificently; erected splendid gateways, and threw a gallery across to the park, where he erected a tilt-yard, with all royal and courtly appurtenances, and converted the whole into a royal manor. this was not until after fire had ravaged the ancient, time-honoured, and kingly palace of westminster, a place which perhaps was the most truly regal of any which england ever beheld. recorded as a royal residence as early--almost--as there is record of the existence of our venerable abbey; inhabited by knute the dane; rebuilt by edward the confessor; remodelled by henry the third; receiving lustre from the residence, and ever-added splendour from the liberality of a long line of illustrious monarchs, it had obtained a hold on the mind which is even yet not passed away, although the ravages of time, and of fire, and the desecrations of subsequent ages, have scarcely left stone or token of the original structure. after the fire, however, henry forsook it. he it was who first built st. james's palace on the site of an hospital which had formerly stood there. he also possessed, amongst other royal retreats, havering bower, so called from the legend of st. edward receiving a ring from st. john the evangelist on this spot by the hands of a pilgrim from the holy land; which legend is represented at length in westminster abbey; eltham, in kent, where the king frequently passed his christmas; greenwich, where elizabeth was born; and woodstock, celebrated for "the unhappy fate of rosamond, who long ago prov'd most unfortunate." the ancient palace of the savoy had changed its destination as a royal residence only in his father's time. with the single exception of westminster--if indeed that--the most magnificent palace which the hand of liberality ever raised, which the finger of taste ever embellished. various indeed have been the changes to which it has been doomed, and now not one stone remains on another to say that such things have been. now--of the thousands who traverse the spot, scarce one, at long and far distant intervals, may glance at the dim memories of the past, to think of the plumed knights and high-born dames who revelled in its halls; the crowned and anointed kings who, monarch or captive, trod its lofty chambers; the gleaming warriors who paced its embattled courts; the gracious queen who caused its walls to echo the sounds of joy; the subtle heads which plodded beneath its gloomy shades; the unhappy exiles who found a refuge within its dim recesses; or[ ] the lame, the sick, the impotent, who in the midst of suffering blessed the home that sheltered them, the hands that ministered to their woes. no. the majestic walls of the savoy are in the dust, and not merely all trace, but all idea of its radiant gardens and sunny bowers, its sparkling fountains and verdant lawns, is lost even to the imagination in the matter-of-fact, business-like demeanour of the myriads of plodders who are ever traversing the dusty and bustling environs of waterloo-bridge. in our closets we may perchance compel the unromantic realities of the present to yield beneath the brilliant imaginations of the past; but on the spot itself it is impossible. who can stand in wellington-street, on the verge of waterloo-bridge, and fancy it a princely mansion from the lofty battlements of which a royal banner is flying, while numerous retainers keep watch below? probably the sounds of harp and song may be heard as lofty nobles and courtly dames are seen to tread the verdant alleys and flower-bestrewn paths which lead to the bright and glancing river, where a costly barge (from which the sounds proceed) is waiting its distinguished freight. ever and anon are these seen gliding along in the sunbeams, or resting at the avenue leading to one or other of the noble mansions with which the bright strand is sprinkled. of these, perhaps, the most gorgeous is york-place, while farthest in the distance rise the fortified walls of the old palace of westminster, inferior only to those of the ancient abbey, which are seen to rise, dimmed, yet distinct, in the soft but glowing haze cast around by the setting sun. and that building seen on the opposite side of the river? strangely situated it seems, and in a swamp, and with none of the felicity of aspect appertaining to its loftier neighbour, the savoy. yet its lofty tower, its embattled gateway, seem to infer some important destination. and such it had. the unassuming and unattractively placed edifice has outlived its more aspiring neighbours; and while the stately palace of the savoy is extinct, and the slight remains of westminster are desecrated, the time-honoured walls of lambeth yet shelter the head of learning and dignify the location in which they were reared. eastward of our position the city looks dim and crowded; but, with the exception of the sprinkled mansions to which we have alluded, there is little to break the natural characteristics of the scene between temple-bar and the west minster. the hermitage and hospital on the site of northumberland house harmonise well with the scene; the little cluster of cottages at charing has a rural aspect; and that beautiful and touching memento of unfailing love and undiminished affection--that tribute to all that was good and excellent in woman--the cross, which, formed of the purest and, as yet, unsoiled white marble, raised its emblem of faith and hope, gleaming like silver in the brilliant sky--that--would that we had it still! somewhat nearer, the may-pole stands out in gay relief from the woods which envelop the hills northward, where yet the timid fawn could shelter, and the fearful hare forget its watch; where yet perchance the fairies held their revels when the moon shone bright; where they filled to the brim the "fairy-cups" and pledged each other in dew; where they played at "hide and seek" in the harebells, ran races in the branches of the trees, and nestled on the leaves, on which they glittered like diamonds; where they launched their tiny barks on the sparkling rivulets, breathing ere morning's dawn on the flowers to awaken them, tinting the gossamer's web with silver, and scattering pearls over the drops of dew. closer around, among meadows and pastures, are all sounds and emblems of rural life; which as yet are but agreeably varied, not ruthlessly annihilated, by the encroachments of population and the increase of trade. truly this is a difficult picture to realise on waterloo-bridge, yet is it nevertheless a tolerably correct one of this portion of our metropolis at the time of "the field of the cloth of gold." footnotes: [ ] henry. [ ] strutt's manners and customs. [ ] it was at length converted into an hospital. chapter xvi. the needle. "a grave reformer of old rents decay'd." j. taylor. "his garment-- with thornes together pind and patched was." faerie queene. _hodge._ "tush, tush, her neele, her neele, her neele, man; neither flesh nor fish, a lytle thing with an hole in the ende, as bright as any syller, small, long, sharp at the point, and straight as any piller." _diccon._ "i know not what it is thou menest, thou bringst me more in doubt." _hodge._ "knowest not what tom tailor's man sits broching thro' a clout? a neele, a neele, a neele, my gammer's neele is gone." gammer gurton's needle. it is said in the old chronicles that previous to the arrival of anne of bohemia, queen of richard the second, the english ladies fastened their robes with skewers; but as it is known that pins were in use among the early british, since in the barrows that have been opened numbers of "neat and efficient" ivory pins were found to have been used in arranging the grave-clothes, it is probable that this remark is unfounded. the pins of a later date than the above were made of boxwood, bone, ivory, and some few of silver. they were larger than those of the present day, which seem to have been unknown in england till about the middle of the fifteenth century. in , however, the manufacture of brass pins had become sufficiently important to claim the attention of the legislature, an act having been passed that year by which it was enacted, "that no person shall put to sale any pins, but only such as shall be double headed and have the head soldered fast to the shank, the pins well smoothed, and the shank well sharpened." gloucestershire is noted for the number of its pin manufactories. they were first introduced in that county, in , by john tilsby; and it is said that at this time they employ , hands, and send up to the metropolis upwards of £ , of pins annually. our motto says, however, that his garment "with thornes together pind and _patched_ was;" and a french writer says, that before the invention of steel needles people were obliged to make use of thorns, fish bones, &c., but that since "l'établissement des sociétés, ce petit outil est devenu d'un usage indispensable dans une infinité d'arts et d'occasions." he proceeds:--"de toutes les manières d'attacher l'un à l'autre deux corps flexibles, celle qui se pratique avec l'aiguille est une des plus universellement répandues: aussi distingue-t-on un grand nombre d'aiguilles différentes. on a les aiguilles à coudre, ou de tailleur; les aiguilles de chirurgie, d'artillerie, de bonnetier, ou faiseur de bas au métier, d'horloger, de cirier, de drapier, de gainier, de perruquier, de coiffeuse, de faiseur de coiffe à perruques, de piqueur d'étuis, tabatières, et autres semblables ouvrages; de sellier, d'ouvrier en soie, de brodeur, de tapissier, de chandelier, d'emballeur; à matelas, à empointer, à tricoter, à enfiler, à presser, à brocher, à relier, à natter, à boussole ou aimantée, &c. &c." needles are said to have been first made in england by a native of india, in , but the art was lost at his death; it was, however, recovered by christopher greening, in , who was settled with his three children, elizabeth, john, and thomas, by mr. damar, ancestor of the present lord milton, at long crendon, in bucks, where the manufactory has been carried on from that time to the present period.[ ] thus our readers will remark, that until far on in the sixteenth century, there was not a needle to be had but of foreign manufacture; and bearing this circumstance in mind, they will be able to enter more fully into the feelings of those who set such inestimable value on a needle. and, indeed, _if_ all we are told of them be true, needles could not be too highly esteemed. for instance, we were told of an old woman who had used one needle so long and so constantly for mending stockings, that at last the needle was able to do them of itself. at length, and while the needle was in the full perfection of its powers, the old woman died. a neighbour, whose numerous "olive branches" caused her to have a full share of matronly employment, hastened to possess herself of this domestic treasure, and gathered round her the weekly accumulation of sewing, not doubting but that with her new ally, the wonder-working needle, the unwieldy work-basket would be cleared, "in no time," of its overflowing contents. but even the all-powerful needle was of no avail without thread, and she forthwith proceeded to invest it with a long one. but thread it she could not; it resisted her most strenuous endeavours. in vain she turned and re-turned the needle, the eye was plain enough to be seen; in vain she cut and screwed the thread, she burnt it in the candle, she nipped it with the scissars, she rolled it with her lips, she twizled it between her finger and thumb: the pointed end was fine as fine could be, but enter the eye of the needle it would not. at length, determined not to relinquish her project whilst any hope remained of its accomplishment, she borrowed a magnifying glass to examine the "little weapon" more accurately. and there, "large as life and twice as natural," a pearly gem, a translucent drop, a crystal _tear_ stood right in the gap, and filled to overflowing the eye of the needle. it was weeping for the death of its old mistress; it refused consolation; it was never threaded again. we give this incident on the testimony of a gallant naval officer; an unquestionable authority, though we are fully aware that some of our readers may be ungenerously sceptical, and perhaps even rude enough to attempt some vile pun about the brave sailor's "drawing a long yarn." if, however, gammer gurton's needle resembled the one we have just referred to, and that, too, at a time when a needle, even not supernaturally endowed, was not to be had of english manufacture, and therefore could only be purchased probably at a high price, we cannot wonder at the aggrieved feelings of her domestic circle when the catastrophe occurred which is depicted as follows:--the parties interested were the dame gammer gurton herself; hodge, her farming man; tib, her maid; cocke, her boy; and gib, her cat. the play from which our quotation is taken is not without some pretensions to wit, though of the coarsest kind: it is supposed to have been first performed at christ's college, cambridge, in ; and warton observes on it, that while latimer's sermons were in vogue at court, gammer gurton's needle might well be tolerated at the university. act i. scene . hodge and tib. _hodge._ "i am agast, by the masse, i wot not what to do; i had need blesse me well before i go them to: perchance, some felon spirit may haunt our house indeed, and then i were but a noddy to venter where's no need." _tib._ "i'm worse than mad, by the masse, to be at this stay. i'm chid, i'm blam'd, and beaten all th' hours on the day. lamed and hunger starved, pricked up all in jagges, having no patch to hide my backe, save a few rotten ragges." _hodge._ "i say, tib, if thou be tib, as i trow sure thou be, what devil make ado is this between our dame and thee?" _tib._ "truly, hodge, thou had a good turn thou wart not here this while; it had been better for some of us to have been hence a mile: my gammer is so out of course, and frantike all at once, that cocke, our boy, and i poor wench, have felt it on our bones." _hodge._ "what is the matter, say on, tib, whereat she taketh so on?" _tib._ "she is undone, she saith (alas) her life and joy is gone: if she hear not of some comfort, she is she saith but dead, shall never come within her lips, on inch of meat ne bread. and heavy, heavy is her grief, as, hodge, we all shall feel." _hodge._ "my conscience, tib, my gammer has never lost her neele?" _tib._ "her neele." _hodge._ "her neele?" _tib._ "her neele, by him that made me!" _hodge._ "how a murrain came this chaunce (say tib) unto her dame?" _tib._ "my gammer sat her down on the pes, and bade me reach thy breches, and by and by, a vengeance on it, or she had take two stitches to clout upon the knee, by chaunce aside she lears, and gib our cat, in the milk pan, she spied over head and ears. ah! out, out, theefe, she cried aloud, and swapt the breeches down, up went her staffe, and out leapt gib at doors into the town: and since that time was never wight cold set their eyes upon it. god's malison she have cocke and i bid twentie times light on it." _hodge._ "and is not then my breches sewed up, to-morrow that i shuld wear?" _tib._ "no, in faith, hodge, thy breches lie, for all this never the near." _hodge._ "now a vengeance light on al the sort, that better shold have kept it; the cat, the house, and tib our maid, that better should have swept it. se, where she cometh crawling! come on, come on thy lagging way; ye have made a fair daies worke, have you not? pray you, say." * * * * * act i. scene . gammer, hodge, tib, cocke. _gammer._ "alas, alas, i may well curse and ban this day, that ever i saw it, with gib and the milke pan. for these, and ill lucke together, as knoweth cocke my boy, have stacke away my dear neele, and rob'd me of my joy, my fair long straight neele, that was mine only treasure, the first day of my sorrow is, and last of my pleasure." _hodge._ "might ha kept it when ye had it; but fools will be fools still: lose that is fast in your hands? ye need not, but ye will." _gammer._ "go hie the, tib, and run along, to th' end here of the town. didst carry out dust in thy lap? seek where thou porest it down; and as thou sawest me roking in the ashes where i morned, so see in all the heap of dust thou leave no straw unturned." _hodge._ "your neele lost? it is pitie you shold lacke care and endles sorrow. tell me, how shall my breches be sewid? shall i go thus to-morrow?" _gammer._ "ah, hodge, hodge, if that i could find my neele, by the reed, i'd sew thy breches, i promise the, with full good double threed, and set a patch on either knee, shall last this months twain, now god, and saint sithe, i pray, to send it back again." _hodge._ "whereto served your hands and eyes, but your neele keep? what devil had you els to do? ye keep, i wot, no sheep. i'm fain abrode to dig and delve, in water, mire and clay, sossing and possing in the dirt, still from day to day a hundred things that be abroad, i'm set to see them weel; and four of you sit idle at home, and cannot keep a neele." _gammer._ "my neele, alas, i lost, hodge, what time i me up hasted, to save milk set up for thee, which gib our cat hath wasted." _hodge._ "the devil he take both gib and tib, with all the rest; i'm always sure of the worst end, whoever have the best. where ha you ben fidging abroad, since you your neele lost?" _gammer._ "within the house, and at the door, sitting by this same post; where i was looking a long hour, before these folke came here; but, wel away! all was in vain, my neele is never the near!" "gammer gurton's needle," says hazlitt, "is a regular comedy, in five acts, built on the circumstance of an old woman having lost her needle which throws the whole village into confusion, till it is at last providentially found sticking in an unlucky part of hodge's dress. this must evidently have happened at a time when the manufactures of sheffield and birmingham had not reached the height of perfection which they have at present done. suppose that there is only one sewing needle in a village, that the owner, a diligent notable old dame, loses it, that a mischief-making wag sets it about that another old woman has stolen this valuable instrument of household industry, that strict search is made every where in-doors for it in vain, and that then the incensed parties sally forth to scold it out in the open air, till words end in blows, and the affair is referred over to the higher authorities, and we shall have an exact idea (though, perhaps, not so lively a one) of what passes in this authentic document between gammer gurton and her gossip dame chat; dickon the bedlam (the causer of these harms); hodge, gammer gurton's servant; tyb, her maid; cocke, her 'prentice boy; doll scapethrift; master baillie, his master; dr. rat, the curate; and gib, the cat, who may fairly be reckoned one of the _dramatis personæ_, and performs no mean part." from the needle itself the transition is easy to the needlework which was in vogue at the time when this little implement was so valuable and rare a commodity. we are told that the various kinds of needlework practised at this time would, if enumerated, astonish even the most industrious of our modern ladies. the lover of shakspeare will remember that the term _point device_ is often used by him, and that, indeed, it is a term frequently met with in the writers of that age with various applications; and it is originally derived, according to mr. douce, from the fine stitchery of the ladies. it has been properly stated, that _point device_ signifies _exact_, _nicely_, _finical_; but nothing has been offered concerning the etymology, except that we got the expression from the french. it has, in fact, been supplied from the labours of the needle. _poinct_, in the french language, denotes a _stitch_; _devise_ any thing _invented_, disposed, or _arranged_. _point devise_ was, therefore, a particular sort of patterned lace worked with the needle; and the term _point lace_ is still familiar to every female. they had likewise their _point-coupé_, _point-compté_, _dentelle au point devant l'aiguille_, &c. &c. but it is apparent, he adds, that the expression _point devise_ became applicable, in a _secondary_ sense, to whatever was uncommonly exact, or constructed with the nicety and precision of stitches made or devised with the needle. various books of patterns of needlework for the assistance and encouragement of the fair stitchers were published in those days. mr. douce[ ] enumerates some of them, and the omission of any part of his notation would be unpardonable in the present work. the earliest on the list is an italian book, under the title of "esemplario di lavori: dove le tenere fanciulle et altre donne nobile potranno facilmente imparare il modo et ordine di lavorare, cusire, raccamare, et finalmente far tutte quelle gentillezze et lodevili opere, le quali pò fare una donna virtuosa con laco in mano, con li suoi compasse et misure. vinegia, per nicolo d'aristotile detto zoppino, mdxxix. vo." the next that occurs was likewise set forth by an italian, and entitled, "les singuliers et nouveaux pourtraicts du seigneur federic de vinciolo venitien, pour toutes sortes d'ouvrages de lingerie. paris, . to." it is dedicated to the queen of france, and had been already twice published. in a second part came out, which is much more difficult to be met with than the former, and sometimes contains a neat portrait, by gaultier, of catherine de bourbon, the sister of henry the fourth. the next is "nouveaux pourtraicts de point coupé et dantelles en petite moyenne et grande forme, nouvellement inventez et mis en lumière. imprimé à montbeliard, . to." it has an address to the ladies, and a poem exhorting young damsels to be industrious; but the author's name does not appear. vincentio's work was published in england, and printed by john wolfe, under the title of "new and singular patternes and workes of linnen, serving for paternes to make all sortes of lace, edginges, and cutworkes. newly invented for the profite and contentment of ladies, gentilwomen, and others that are desireous of this art. . to." he seems also to have printed it with a french title. we have then another english book, of which this is the title: "here foloweth certaine patternes of cutworkes; newly invented and never published before. also, sundry sortes of spots, as flowers, birdes, and fishes, &c., and will fitly serve to be wrought, some with gould, some with silke, and some with crewell in coullers; or otherwise at your pleasure. and never but once published before. printed by rich. shorleyker." no date. in oblong quarto. and lastly, another oblong quarto, entitled, "the needle's excellency, a new booke, wherein are divers admirable workes wrought with the needle. newly invented and cut in copper for the pleasure and profit of the industrious." printed for james boler, &c., . beneath this title is a neat engraving of three ladies in a flower garden, under the names of wisdom, industrie, and follie. prefixed to the patterns are sundry poems in commendation of the needle, and describing the characters of ladies who have been eminent for their skill in needlework, among whom are queen elizabeth and the countess of pembroke. the poems were composed by john taylor the water poet. it appears that the work had gone through twelve impressions, and yet a copy is now scarcely to be met with. this may be accounted for by supposing that such books were generally cut to pieces, and used by women to work upon or transfer to their samplers. from the dress of a lady and gentleman on one of the patterns in the last mentioned book, it appears to have been originally published in the reign of james the first. all the others are embellished with a multitude of patterns elegantly cut in wood, several of which are eminently conspicuous for their taste and beauty. we are happy to add a little further information on some of these works, and on others preserved in the british museum. "les singuliers et nouveaux pourtraicts du seigneur federic de vinciolo venitien, pour toutes sortes d'ouvrages de lingerie. dédié à la reyne. a paris, ."[ ] the book opens with a sonnet to the fair, which announces to them an admirable motive for the work itself:-- "pour tromper vos ennuis, et l'esprit employer." aux dames et damoyselles. sonnet. "l'un s'efforce à gaigner le coeur des {grands} seigneurs pour posseder en fin une exquise richesse; l'autre aspire aux estats, pour monter en altesse, et l'autre, par la guerre alléche les honneurs. "quand à moy, seulement pour chasser mes langueurs, je me sen satisfaict de vivre en petitesse, et de faire si bien, qu'aux dames ie delaisse un grand contentement en mes graves labeurs. "prenez doncques en gré (mes dames) ie vous prie, ces pourtrais ouvragez lesquels ie vous dedie, pour tromper vos ennuis, et l'esprit employer. "en ceste nouveauté, pourrez beaucoup apprendre, et maistresses en fin en cest oeuvre vous rendre, le travail est plaisant: si grand est le loyer." which, barring elegant diction and poetic rule, may be read thus:-- whilst one man worships lordly state as yielding all that he desires-- this, fertile acres begs from fate; another, bloody laurels fires. to dissipate my devils blue, trifles, i'm satisfied to do; for surely if the fair i please, my very labours smack of ease. take then, fair ladies, i you pray, the book which at your feet i lay, to make you happy, brisk and gay. there's much you here may learn anew, which _comme il faut_ will render you, and bring you joy and honour too. proceed we to the-- "ouvrages de point coupé," of which there are thirty-six. some birds, animals, and figures are introduced; but the patterns are chiefly arabesque, set off in white, on a thick black ground. then, with a repetition of the ornamented title-page, come about fifty patterns, which are represented much like the german patterns of the present day, in squares for stitches, but not so finely wrought as some which we shall presently notice. these patterns consist of arabesques, figures, birds, beasts, flowers, in every variety. to many the stitches are ready counted (as well as pourtrayed), thus:-- "ce pélican contient en longueur mailles, et en hauteur ." this pattern of maternity is represented as pecking her breast, towards which three young ones are flying; their course being indicated by the three lines of white stitches, all converging to the living nest. "ce griffon {contient} en hauteur mailles, et en {longueur} ." small must be the skill of the needlewoman who does not make this a very rampant animal indeed. "ce paon contient en longueur mailles, et en hauteur ." "la licorne en hauteur {contient} mailles, et en longueur , &c. &c." "la bordure contient mailles." "la bordure de haut {contient} mailles." this is a very handsome one, resembling pine apples. "ce quarré contient mailles." there are several of these squares, and borders appended, of very rich patterns. but the book contains far more ambitious designs. there are sol, luna, mars, mercury, jupiter, venus, saturn, neptune, and others, whose dignities and vocation must be inferred from the emblematical accompaniments. there is "la déesse des fleurs représentant le printemps." "la déesse des bleds representant l'esté." "ce bacchus representant l'autonne." "ceste figure representant l'hiver," &c. &c. appended is this "extraict du privilege." "per grace et privelege du roy, est permis a jean le clerc le jeune, tailleur d'histoires à paris, d'imprimer ou faire imprimer {vendre} et distribuer un livre intitulé livre de patrons de lingerie, dedie a la royne, nouvellement inventé par le seigneur federic de vinciolo venitien, avec deffences à tous libraires, imprimeurs, ou autres, de quelque condition et qualité quilz soyent, de faire ny contrefaire, aptisser ny {agrandir}, ou pocher lesdits figures, ny exposer en vente ledict livre sans le {congé} ou permission dudict le clerc, et ce jusques au temps et terme de neuf ans finis et accomplis, sur peine de confiscation de tous les livres qui se trouveront imprimez, et damande arbitraire: comme plus a plein est declaré en lettres patentes, données à paris ce douziesme jour de novembre, ." another work, preserved in the british museum, was published at strasbourg, , seemingly from designs of the same vinciolo. these consist of about six-and-thirty plates, with patterns in white on a black ground, consisting of a few birds and figures, but chiefly of stars and wreaths pricked out in every possible variety; and at the end of the book a dozen richly wrought patterns, without any edging, were seemingly designed for what we should now call "insertion" work or lace. there is another, by the same author, printed at basil in , which varies but slightly from the foregoing. this frederick de vinciolo is doubtless the same person who was summoned to france, by catherine de medicis, to instruct the ladies of the court in the art of netting the lace of which the then fashionable ruffs were made. in another volume we have-- "corona delle nobili et virtuose donne, nel quale si dimostra in varij dissegni tutte le sorti di mostre di punti tagliati, punti in aria, punti fiamenghi, punti à reticelle, e d'ogni altre sorte, cosi per freggi, per merli, e rosette, che con l'aco si usano hoggidì per tutta l'europa. "e molte delle quali mostre possono servire ancora per opere a mazzette. "con le dichiarationi a le mostre a lavori fatti da lugretia romana. "in venetia appresso alessandro di vecchi, ." the plates here are very similar to those in the above-mentioned works. some are accompanied by short explanations, saying where they are most used and to whom they are best suited, as-- "hopera bellissima, che per il più le signore duchese, et altre signore si servono per li suoi lavori." "queste bellissime rosette usano anco le gentildonne venetiane da far traverse." but certainly the best work of the kind is, "the needle's excellency," referred to in mr. douce's list. it contains a variety of plates, of which the patterns are all, or nearly all, arabesque. they are beautifully executed, many of them being very similar to, and equally fine with, the german patterns before the colouring is put on, which, though it guides the eye, defaces the work. these are seldom seen uncoloured, the germans having a jealousy of sending them; but we have seen, through the polite attention of mr. wilks, of regent street, one or two in this state, and we could not but admire the extreme delicacy and beauty of the work. some few of the patterns in the book we are now referring to are so extremely similar, that we doubt not the modern artists have borrowed the _idea_ of their beautifully traced patterns from this or some similar work; thereby adding one more proof of the truth of the oft quoted proverb, "there is nothing new under the sun." as a fitting close to this chapter, we give the needle's praises in full, as sung by the water poet, john taylor, and prefixed to the last-mentioned work. the praise of the needle. "to all dispersed sorts of arts and trades, i write the needles prayse (that never fades) so long as children shall be got or borne, so long as garments shall be made or worne, so long as hemp or flax, or sheep shall bear their linnen wollen fleeces yeare by yeare: so long as silkwormes, with exhausted spoile, of their own entrailes for man's gaine shall toyle: yea till the world be quite dissolv'd and past, so long at least, the needles use shall last: and though from earth his being did begin, yet through the fire he did his honour win: and unto those that doe his service lacke, he's true as steele and mettle to the backe he hath indeed, i see, small single sight, yet like a pigmy, _polipheme_ in fight: as a stout captaine, bravely he leades on, (not fearing colours) till the worke be done, through thicke and thinne he is most sharpely set, with speed through stitch, he will the conquest get. and as a souldier (frenchefyde with heat) maim'd from the warres is forc'd to make retreat; so when a needles point is broke, and gone, _no point mounsieur_, he's maim'd, his worke is done, and more the needles honour to advance, it is a tailor's javelin, or his lance; and for my countries quiet, i should like, that women kinde should use no other pike. it will increase their peace, enlarge their store, to use their tongues lesse, and their needles more. the needles sharpnesse, profit yields, and pleasure, but sharpnesse of the tongue, bites out of measure. a needle (though it be but small and slender) yet it is both a maker and a mender: a grave reformer of old rents decay'd, stops holes and seames and desperate cuts display'd, and thus without the needle we may see we should without our bibs and biggins bee; no shirts or smockes, our nakednesse to hide, no garments gay, to make us magnifide: no shadowes, shapparoones, caules, bands, ruffs, kuffs, no kerchiefes, quoyfes, chinclouts, or marry-muffes, no croscloaths, aprons, handkerchiefes, or falls, no table-cloathes, for parlours or for halls, no sheetes, no towels, napkins, pillow beares, nor any garment man or woman weares. thus is a needle prov'd an instrument of profit, pleasure, and of ornament. which mighty queenes have grac'd in hand to take, and high borne ladies such esteeme did make, that as their daughters daughters up did grow, the needles art, they to the children show. and as 'twas then an exercise of praise, so what deserves more honour in these dayes, than this? which daily doth itselfe expresse a mortall enemy to idlenesse. the use of sewing is exceeding old, as in the sacred text it is enrold: our parents first in paradise began, who hath descended since from man to man: the mothers taught their daughters, sires their sons thus in a line successively it runs for generall profit, and for recreation, from generation unto generation. with work like cherubims embroidered rare, the covers of the tabernacle were. and by the almighti's great command, we see, that aaron's garments broidered worke should be; and further, god did bid his vestments should be made most gay, and glorious to behold. thus plainly and most truly is declar'd the needles worke hath still bin in regard, for it doth art, so like to nature frame, as if it were her sister, or the same. flowers, plants and fishes, beasts, birds, flyes, and bees, hills, dales, plaines, pastures, skies, seas, rivers, trees; there's nothing neere at hand, or farthest sought, but with the needle may be shap'd and wrought. in clothes of arras i have often seene, men's figur'd counterfeits so like have beene, that if the parties selfe had been in place, yet art would vie with nature for the grace; moreover, posies rare, and anagrams, signifique searching sentences from names, true history, or various pleasant fiction, in sundry colours mixt, with arts commixion, all in dimension, ovals, squares, and rounds, arts life included within natures bounds: so that art seemeth merely naturall, in forming shapes so geometricall; and though our country everywhere is fild with ladies, and with gentlewomen, skild in this rare art, yet here they may discerne some things to teach them if they list to learne. and as this booke some cunning workes doth teach, (too hard for meane capacities to reach) so for weake learners, other workes here be, as plaine and easie as are a b c. thus skilful, or unskilful, each may take this booke, and of it each good use may make, all sortes of workes, almost that can be nam'd, here are directions how they may be fram'd: and for this kingdomes good are hither come, from the remotest parts of christendome, collected with much paines and industrie, from scorching _spaine_ and freezing _muscovie_, from fertill _france_, and pleasant _italy_, from _poland_, _sweden_, _denmark_, _germany_, and some of these rare patternes have beene fet beyond the bounds of faithlesse _mahomet_: from spacious _china_, and those kingdomes east, and from great _mexico_, the indies west. thus are these workes, _farrefetcht_ and _dearely bought_, and consequently _good for ladies thought_. nor doe i derogate (in any case) or doe esteeme of other teachings base, for _tent worke_, _rais'd worke_, _laid worke_, _frost works_, _net worke_, most curious _purles_, or rare _italian cut worke_, fine, _ferne stitch_, _finny stitch_, _new stitch_, and _chain stitch_, brave _bred stitch_, _fisher stitch_, _irish stitch_, and _queen stitch_, the _spanish stitch_, _rosemary stitch_, and _mowse stitch_ the smarting _whip stitch_, _back stitch_, and the _crosse stitch_ all these are good, and these we must allow, and these are everywhere in practise now: and in this booke there are of these some store, with many others, never seene before. here practise and invention may be free. and as a squirrel skips from tree to tree, so maids may (from their mistresse or their mother) learne to leave one worke, and to learne another, for here they may make choice of which is which, and skip from worke to worke, from stitch to stitch, until, in time, delightful practise shall (with profit) make them perfect in them all. thus hoping that these workes may have this guide, to serve for ornament, and not for pride: to cherish vertue, banish idlenesse, for these ends, may this booke have good successe." footnotes: [ ] it is worth while to remark the circumstance, that by a machine of the simplest construction, being nothing in fact but a tray, , needles thrown promiscuously together, mixed and entangled in every way, are laid parallel, heads to heads, and points to points, in the course of three or four minutes. [ ] illustrations, vol. ii. p. . [ ] this seems to be a somewhat earlier edition of the second book in mr. douce's list. chapter xvii. tapestry from the cartoons. "for, round about, the walls yclothed were with goodly arras of great majesty, woven with gold and silk so close and nere, that the rich metal lurked privily, as faining to be hidd from envious eye; yet here, and there, and every where unwares it shew'd itselfe and shone unwillingly; like to a discolour'd snake, whose hidden snares through the greene gras his long bright burnisht back declares." faerie queene. raphael, whose name is familiar to all "as a household word," seems to have been equally celebrated for a handsome person, an engaging address, an amiable disposition, and high talents. language exhausts itself in his eulogy.[ ] but the extravagant encomiums of lanzi and others must be taken in a very modified sense, ere we arrive at the rigid truth. the tone of morals in italy "did not correspond with evangelical purity;" and raphael's follies were not merely permitted, but encouraged and fostered by those who sought eagerly for the creations of his pencil. his thousand engaging qualities were disfigured by a licentiousness which probably shortened his career, for he died at the early age of thirty-seven. great and sincere was the grief expressed at rome for his untimely death, and no testimony of sorrow could be more affecting, more simple, or more highly honourable to its object than the placing his picture of the transfiguration over his mortal remains in the chamber wherein he died. it was probably within two years of the close of his short life when he was engaged by pope leo the tenth to paint those cartoons which have more than all his works immortalised his name, and which render the brief hints we have given respecting him peculiarly appropriate to this work. the cartoons were designs, from scripture chiefly, from which were to be woven hangings to ornament the apartments of the vatican; and their dimensions being of course proportioned to the spaces they were designed to fill, the tapestries, though equal in height, differed extremely in breadth. the designs were, . the nativity. . the adoration of the magi. . } } . } the slaughter of the innocents. } . } . the presentation in the temple. . the miraculous draught of fishes. . st. peter receiving the keys. . the descent of christ into limbus. . the resurrection. . noli me tangere. . christ at emmaus. . the ascension. . the descent of the holy ghost. . the martyrdom of st. stephen. . the conversion of st. paul. . paul and barnabas at lystra. . paul preaching. . death of ananias. . elymas the sorcerer. . an earthquake; showing the delivery of paul and silas from prison: named from the earthquake which shook the foundations of the building. the artist endeavours to render it ideally visible to the spectator by placing a gigantic figure, which appears to be raising the superincumbent weight on his shoulders; but the result is not altogether successful. . st. peter healing the cripple. - . contain emblems alluding to leo the tenth. these are preserved in one of the private apartments of the vatican palace. . justice. in this subject the figures of religion, charity, and justice are seen above the papal armorial bearings. the last figure gives name to the whole. when the cartoons were finished they were sent into flanders to be woven (at the famous manufactory at arras) under the superintendence of barnard van orlay of brussels, and michael coxis, artists who had been for some years pupils of raphael at rome. two sets were executed with the utmost care and cost, but the death of raphael, the murder of the pope, and subsequent intestine troubles seem to have delayed their appropriation. they cost seventy thousand crowns, a sum which is said to have been defrayed by francis the first of france, in consideration of leo's having canonised st. francis of paola, the founder of the minims. adrian the second was a man "alienissimo da ogni bell'arte;" an indifference which may account for the cartoons not being sent with the tapestries to rome, though some accounts say that the debt for their manufacture remained unliquidated, and that the paintings were kept in flanders as security for it. they were carried away by the spanish army in - during the sack of rome, but were restored by the zeal and spirit of montmorenci the french general, as set forth in the woven borders of the tapestries nos. and . pope paul the fourth ( ) first introduced them to the gaze of the public by exhibiting them before the basilica of st. peter on the festival of corpus domini, and also at the solemn "function of beatification." this use of them was continued through part of the last century, and is now resumed. in they were taken by the french from rome and sold to a jew at leghorn, and one of them was burnt by him in order to extract the gold with which they were richly interwoven; but happily they did not furnish so much spoil as the speculator hoped, and this devastation was arrested. the one that was destroyed represented christ's descent into limbus; the rest were repurchased for one thousand three hundred crowns, and restored to the vatican in . we have alluded to two sets of these tapestries, and it is believed that there were two; whether _exactly_ counterparts has not been ascertained. we have traced the migrations of one set. the other was, according to some authorities, presented by pope leo the tenth to our henry the eighth; whilst others say that our king purchased it from the state of venice. it was hung in the banqueting house of whitehall, and after the unhappy execution of charles the first, was put up, amongst other royal properties, to sale. being purchased by the spanish ambassador, it became the property of the house of alva, and within a few years back was sold by the head of that illustrious house to mr. tupper, our consul in spain, and by him sent back to this country. these tapestries were then exhibited for some time in the egyptian hall, piccadilly, and were afterwards repurchased by a foreigner. probably they have been making a "progress" throughout the kingdom, as within this twelvemonth we had the satisfaction of viewing them at the principal town in a northern county. the motto of our chapter might have been written expressly for these tapestries, so exquisitely accurate is the description as applied to them of the gold thread:-- "as here and there, and every where unwares it shew'd itselfe and shone unwillingly; like to a discolour'd snake, whose hidden snares through the greene gras his long bright burnisht back declares." the cartoons themselves, the beautiful originals of these magnificent works, remained in the netherlands, and were all, save seven, lost and destroyed through the ravages of time, and chance, and revolution. these seven, much injured by neglect, and almost pounced into holes by the weaver tracing his outlines, were purchased by king charles the first, and are now justly considered a most valuable possession. it is supposed that the chief object of charles in the purchase was to supply the then existing tapestry manufactory at mortlake with superior designs for imitation. five of them were _certainly_ woven there, and it is far from improbable that the remaining ones were also.[ ] there was also a project for weaving them by a person of the name of james christopher le blon, and houses were built and looms erected at chelsea expressly for that purpose, but the design failed. the "british critic," for january, this year, has the following spirited remarks with regard to the present situation of the cartoons. "the cartoons of raffaelle are very unfairly seen in their present locale; a long gallery built for the purpose by william the third, but in which the light enters through common chamber windows, and therefore is so much below the cartoons as to leave the greater part of them in shade. we venture to say there is no country in europe in which such works as these--unique, and in their class invaluable--would be treated with so little honour. it has been decided by competent opinions, that their removal to london would be attended with great risk to their preservation, from the soot, damp, accumulation of dust, and other inconveniences, natural or incident to a crowded city. this, however, is no fair reason for their being shut up in their present ill-assorted apartment. there is not a petty state in germany that would not erect a gallery on purpose for them; and a few thousand pounds would be well bestowed in providing a fitting receptacle for some of the finest productions of human genius in art; and of the full value of which we _alone_, their possessors, seem to be comparatively insensible. various portions of cartoons by raffaelle, part of the same series or set, exist in england; and it is far from unlikely that, were there a proper place to preserve and exhibit the whole in, these would in time, by presentation or purchase, become the property of the country, and we should then possess a monument of the greatest master of his art, only inferior to that which he has left on the walls of the vatican." of all these varied and beautiful paintings, that of the adoration of the magi, from the variety of character and expression, the splendor and oriental pomp of the whole, the multitude of persons, between forty and fifty, the various accessaries, elephants, horses, &c., with the variety of splendid and ornamental illustrations, and the exquisite grouping, is considered as the most attractive and brilliant in tapestry. as a piece of general and varied interest it may be so; but we well remember being, not so suddenly struck, as attracted and fascinated by the figure of the christ when, after his resurrection, he is recommending the care of his flock to st. peter. the colours have faded gradually and equably--(an advantage not possessed by the others, where some tints which have stood the ravages of time better than those around them, are in places strikingly and painfully discordant)--but in this figure the colours, though greatly faded, have yet faded so harmoniously as to add very much to the illusion, giving to the figure really the appearance of one risen from the dead. the outline is majestic; turn which way we would, we involuntarily returned to look again. at length we mentioned our admiration to the superintendent, and the reply of the enthusiastic foreigner precluded all further remark--for nothing further could be said:-- "madam, i should have been astonished if you had not admired that figure: _it is itself_; it is precisely _the finest thing in the world_." footnotes: [ ] for example:--"egli avea tenuto sempre un contegno da guadagnarsi il cuore di tutto. rispettoso verso il maestro, ottenne dal papa che le sue pitture in una volta delle camere vaticane rimanessero intatte; giusto verso i suoi emuli ringraziava dio d'averlo fatto nascere a' tempi del bonarruoti; grazioso verso i discepoli gl'istruì e gli amò come figli; cortese anche verso gl'ignoti, a chiunque ricorse a lui per consiglio prestò liberalmente l'opera sua, e per far disegni ad altrui o dar gl'indirizzo lasciò indietro talvolta i lavori propri, non sapendo non pure di negar grazia, ma differirla."--lanzi, vol. ii. consequently when his body before interment lay in the room in which he was accustomed to paint, "non v'ebbe sì duro artefice che a quello spettacolo non lagrimasse."--"ne pianse il papa." of his works:--"le sue figure veramente amano, languiscono, temono, sperano, ardiscono; mostrano ira, placabilità, umiltà, orgoglio, come mette bene alla storia: spesso chi mira que' volti, que' guardi, quelle mosse, non si ricorda che ha innanzi una immagine; si sente accendere, prende partito, crede di trovarsi in sul fatto.--tutto parla nel silenzio; ogni attore, _il cor negli occhi e nella fronte ha scritto_; i piccioli movimenti degli occhi, degli narici, della bocca, delle dita corrispondono a' primi moti d'ogni passione; i gesti più animati e più vivi ne descrivono la violenza; e ciò ch'è più, essi variano in cento modi senza uscir mai del naturale, e si attemperano a cento caratteri senza uscir mai dalla proprietà. l'eroe ha movimenti da eroe, il volgar da volgare; e quel che non descriverebbe lingua nè penna, descrive in pochissimi tratti l'ingegno e l'arte di raffaello."--p. . "il paese, gli elementi, gli animali, le fabbriche, le manifatture, ogni età dell'uomo, ogni condizione, ogni affetto, tutte comprese con la divinità del suo ingegno, tutto ridusse più bello."--p. . i have thought this long extract pardonable as applied to one whose finest designs are now, through so many channels, rendered familiar to us. [ ] in a priced catalogue of his majesty's collection of "limnings," edited by vertue, is the following entry. "item, in a slit box-wooden case, some two cartoons of raphael urbinus for hangings to be made by, and _the other five are by the king's appointment delivered to mr. francis cleen at mortlake, to make hangings by_."--cartonensia. chapter xviii. the days of "good queen bess." "a worthie woman judge, a woman sent for staie." "when fame resounds with thundring trump, which rends the ratling skies, and pierceth to the hautie heavens, and thence descending flies through flickering ayre: and so conjoines the sea and shore togither, in admiration of thy grace, good queene, thou'rt welcome hither." _the receyving of the queene's maiestie into hir citie of norwich._ "we may justly wonder what has become of the industry of the english ladies; we hear no more of their rich embroiderings, and curious needlework. is all the domestic simplicity of the former ages entirely vanished?"--aikin. the age of elizabeth presents a never-failing field of variety through which people of all tastes may delightedly rove, gathering flowers at will. the learned statesman, the acute politician, the subtle lawyer, will find in the measures of her burleigh, her walsingham, her cecil, abundant food for approbation or for censure; the heroic sailor will glory over the achievements of her time; the adventurous traveller will explore the eldoradic regions with raleigh, or plough the waves with drake and frobisher; the soldier will recal glorious visions of essex and sidney, while poesy wreathes a bay round the memory of the last, which shines freshly and bright even in the age which produced a ben jonson, and him "who was born with a star on his forehead to last through all time"--shakspeare. the age of elizabeth was especially a learned age. the study of the dead languages had hitherto been confined almost exclusively to ecclesiastics and scholars by profession, but from the time of henry the seventh it had been gradually spreading amongst the higher classes. the great and good sir thomas more gave his daughters a learned education, and they did honour to it; henry the eighth followed his example; lady jane grey made learning lovely; and elizabeth's pedantry brought the habit into full fashion. if a queen were to talk sanscrit, her court would endeavour to do so likewise. the example of learned studies was given by the queen herself, who translated from the greek a play of euripides, and parts of isocrates, xenophon, and plutarch; from the latin considerable portions of cicero, seneca, sallust, horace, &c. she wrote many latin letters, and is said to have spoken five languages with facility. as a natural consequence the nobility and gentry, their wives and daughters, became enthusiasts in the cause of letters. the novelty which attended these studies, the eager desire to possess what had been so long studiously and jealously concealed, and the curiosity to explore and rifle the treasures of the greek and roman world, which mystery and imagination had swelled into the marvellous, contributed to excite an absolute passion for study and for books. the court, the ducal castle, and the baronial hall were suddenly converted into academies, and could boast of splendid tapestries. in the first of these, according to ascham, might be seen the queen reading "more greeke every day than some prebendarie of this church doth read _latin_ in a whole week;" and while she was translating isocrates or seneca, it may be easily conceived that her maids of honour found it convenient to praise and to adopt the disposition of her time. in the second, observes warton, "the daughter of a duchess was taught not only to distil strong waters, but to construe greek; and in the third, every young lady who aspired to be fashionable was compelled, in imitation of the greater world, to exhibit similar marks of erudition." a contemporary writer says, that some of the ladies of the court employ themselves "in continuall reading either of the holie scriptures, or histories of our owne or forren nations about us, and diverse in writing volumes of their owne, or translating of other mens into our english and latine toongs. i might here (he adds) make a large discourse of such honorable and grave councellors, and noble personages, as give their dailie attendance upon the queene's majestie. i could in like sort set foorth a singular commendation of the vertuous beautie, or beautiful vertues of such ladies and gentlewomen as wait upon his person, betweene whose amiable countenances and costlinesse of attire there seemeth to be such a dailie conflict and contention, as that it is verie difficult for me to gesse whether of the twaine shall beare awaie the preheminence. this further is not to be omitted, to the singular commendation of both sorts and sexes of our courtiers here in england, that there are verie few of them which have not the use and skill of sundrie speaches, beside an excellent veine of writing before-time not regarded. would to god the rest of their lives and conversations were correspondent to these gifts! for as our common courtiers (for the most part) are the best lerned and endued with excellent gifts, so are manie of them the worst men when they come abroad, that anie man shall either heare or read of. trulie it is a rare thing with us now to heare of a courtier which hath but his owne language. and to saie how many gentlewomen and ladies there are, that beside sound knowledge of the greeke and latine toongs, are thereto no lesse skilful in the spanish, italian, and french, or in some one of them, it resteth not in me. sith i am persuaded, that as the noblemen and gentlemen doo surmount in this behalfe, so these come verie little or nothing at all behind them for their parts, which industrie god continue, and accomplish that which otherwise is wanting!"[ ] at this time the practice (derived from the chivalrous ages, when every baronial castle was the resort of young persons of gentle birth, of both sexes) was by no means discontinued of placing young women, of gentle birth, in the establishment of ladies of rank, where, without performing any menial offices, they might be supposed to have their own understood duties in the household, and had in return the advantage of a liberal education, and constant association with the best company. persons of rank and fortune often retained in their service many young people of both sexes of good birth, and bestowed on them the fashionable education of the time. indeed their houses were the best, if not then the only schools of elegant learning. the following letter, written in , is from a young lady thus situated: "to my good mother mrs. pake, at broumfield, deliver this. "deare mother, "my humble dutye remembred unto my father and you, &c. i received upon weddensday last a letter from my father and you, whereby, i understand, it is your pleasures that i should certifie you what times i do take for my lute, and the rest of my exercises. i doe for the most part playe of my lute after supper, for then commonlie my lady heareth me; and in the morninges, after i am reddie, i play an hower; and my wrightinge and siferinge, after i have done my lute. for my drawinge i take an hower in the afternowne, and my french at night before supper. my lady hath not bene well these tooe or three dayes: she telleth me, when she is well, that she will see if hilliard will come and teche me; if she can by any means she will, &c. &c.--as touchinge my newe corse in service, i hope i shall performe my dutye to my lady with all care and regard to please her, and to behave myselfe to everye one else as it shall become me. mr. harrisone was with me upone fridaye; he heard me playe, and brought me a dusson of trebles; i had some of him when i came to london. thus desiring pardone for my rude writinge, i leave you to the almightie, desiringe him to increase in you all health and happines. "your obedient daughter, "rebecca pake." could any thing afford a stronger contrast to the grave and certainly severe study to which elizabeth had habituated herself, than the vain and fantastic puerility of many of her recreations and habits,--the unintellectual brutality of the bearbaits which she admired, or the gaudy and glittering pageants in which she delighted? she built a gallery at whitehall at immense expense, and so superficially, that it was in ruins in her successor's time; but it was raised, in order to afford a magnificent reception to the ambassadors who, in , came to treat of an alliance with the duke of anjou. it was framed of timber, covered with painted canvas, and decorated with the utmost gaudiness. pendants of fruit of various kinds (amongst which cucumbers and even carrots are enumerated) were hung from festoons of flowers intermixed with evergreens, and the whole was powdered with gold spangles; the ceiling was painted like a sky with stars, sunbeams, and clouds, intermixed with scutcheons of the royal arms; and glass lustres and ornaments were scattered all around. here were enacted masques and pageants chiefly remarkable for their pedantic prolixity of composition, and the fulsome and gross flattery towards the queen with which they were throughout invested. everything, in accordance with the rage of the day, assumed an erudite, or, more truly speaking, a pedantic cast. when the queen (says warton) paraded through a country town, almost every pageant was a pantheon. when she paid a visit at the house of any of her nobility, at entering the hall she was saluted by the penates, and conducted to her privy chamber by mercury. even the pastry cooks were expert mythologists. at dinner, select transformations of ovid's metamorphoses were exhibited in confectionary; and the splendid iceing of an immense historic plum-cake was embossed with a delicious basso-relievo of the destruction of troy. in the afternoon, when she condescended to walk in the garden, the lake was covered with tritons and nereids; the pages of the family were converted into wood-nymphs, who peeped from every bower; and the footmen gambolled over the lawns in the figure of satyrs. scarcely we think could even the effusions of euphues--a fashion also of this period--be more wearisome to the spirit than a repetition of these dull delights. this predilection for learning, and the time perforce given to its acquisition, must necessarily have subtracted from those hours which might otherwise have been bestowed on the lighter labours and beguiling occupations of the needle. nor does it appear that after her accession elizabeth did much patronise this gentle art. she was cast in a more stirring mould. in her father's court, under her sister's jealous eye, within her prison's solitary walls, her needle might be a prudent disguise, a solacing occupation, "woman's pretty excuse for thought." but after her own accession to the throne _action_ was her characteristic. nevertheless we are not to suppose that, because needlework was not "a rage," it was frowned upon and despised. by no means. it is perhaps fortunate that elizabeth did not especially patronise it; for so dictatorial and absolute was she, that by virtue of the "right divine" she would have made her statesmen embroider their own robes, and her warriors lay aside the sword for the distaff. but as, happily, it now only held a secondary place in her esteem, we have raleigh's poems instead of his sampler, and bacon's learning instead of his stitchery. but it was not in her nature to suffer any thing in which she excelled to lie quite dormant. she was an accomplished needlewoman; some exquisite proofs of her skill were then glowing in all their freshness, and her excellence in this art was sufficiently obvious to prevent the ladies of her court from entirely forsaking it. many books, with patterns for needlework, were published about this time, and in a later one queen elizabeth is especially celebrated in a laudatory poem for her skill in it. that proficiency in ornamental needlework was an absolute requisite in the accomplishments of a country belle, may be inferred from the prominent place it holds in drayton's description of the well-educated daughter of a country knight in elizabeth's days: "the silk well couth she twist and twine, and make the fine march pine, and with the needlework: and she couth help the priest to say his mattins on a holy day, and sing a psalm in kirk. "she wore a frock of frolic green, might well become a maiden queen, which seemly was to see; a hood to that so neat and fine, in colour like the columbine, ywrought full featously." the march pine or counterpanes here alluded to, taxed in these days to the fullest extent both the purse of the rich and the fingers of the fair. elizabeth had several most expensively trimmed with ermine as well as needlework; the finest and richest embroidery was lavished on them; and it was no unusual circumstance for the counterpane for the "standing" or master's bed to be so lavishly adorned as to be worth a thousand marks. at no time was ornamental needlework more admired, or in greater request in the every-day concerns of life, than now. almost every article of dress, male and female, was adorned with it. even the boots, which at this time had immense tops turned down and fringed, and which were commonly made of russet cloth or leather, were worn by some exquisites of the day of very fine cloth (of which enough was used to make a shirt), and were embroidered in gold or silver, or in various-coloured silks, in the figures of birds, animals, or antiques; and the ornamental needlework alone of a pair of these boots would cost from four to ten pounds. the making of a single shirt would frequently cost _l._, so richly were they ornamented with "needleworke of silke, and so curiously stitched with other knackes." "woman's triflings," too, their handkerchiefs, reticules, workbags, &c., were decorated richly. we have seen within these few days a workbag which would startle a modern fair one, for, as far as regards _size_, it has a most "industrious look," but which, despite the ravages of near three centuries, yet gives token of much original magnificence. it is made of net, lined with silk; the material, the net itself, (a sort of honeycomb pattern, like what we called a few years ago the grecian lace,) was made by the fair workwoman in those days, and was a fashionable occupation both in france and england. this bag is wrought in broad stripes with gold thread, and between the stripes various flowers are embroidered in different coloured silks. the bag stands in a sort of card-board basket, covered in the same style; it is drawn with long cords and tassels, and is large enough perhaps, on emergency, to hold a good sized baby. it is more than probable that female skill was in request in various matters of household decoration. the arras looms, indeed, had long superseded the painful fingers of notable dames in the construction of hangings for walls, which were universally used, intermingled and varied in the palaces and nobler mansions by "painted cloth," and cloth of gold and silver. thus shakspeare describes imogen's chamber in cymbeline: "her bed-chamber was hanged with tapestry of silk and silver." we have remarked that henry the eighth's palaces were very splendid; elizabeth's were equally so, and more consistently finished in minor conveniences, as it is particularly remarked that "easye quilted and lyned formes and stools for the lords and ladyes to sit on" had superseded the "great plank forms, that two yeomen can scant remove out of their places, and waynscot stooles so hard, that since great breeches were layd asyde men can skant indewr to sitt on." her two presence chambers at hampton court shone with tapestry of gold and silver, and silk of various colours; her bed was covered with costly coverlids of silk, wrought in various patterns, by the needle; and she had many "chusions," moveable articles of furniture of various shapes, answering to our large family of tabourets and ottomans, embroidered with gold and silver thread. but it was not merely in courts and palaces that arras was used; it was now, of a coarser fabric, universally adopted in the houses of the country gentry. "the wals of our houses on the inner sides be either hanged with tapisterie, arras-work,[ ] or painted cloths, wherein either diverse histories, or hearbes, beasts, knots, and such like are stained, or else they are seeled with oke of our owne, or wainescot brought hither out of the east countries." the tapestry was now suspended on frames, which, we may infer, were often at a considerable distance from the walls, since the portly sir john falstaff ensconced himself "behind the arras" on a memorable occasion; polonius too met his death there; and indeed shakspeare presses it into the service on numerous occasions. the following quotation will give an accurate idea of properties thought most valuable at this time; and it will be seen that ornamental needlework cuts a very distinguished figure therein. it is a catalogue of his wealth given by gremio when suing for bianca to her father, who declares that the wealthiest lover will win her, in the taming of the shrew. _gremio._ "first, as you know, my house within the city is richly furnished with plate and gold; basons and ewers, to lave her dainty hands; my hangings all of tyrian tapestry; in ivory coffers i have stuff'd my crowns; in cypres chests my _arras_, counterpoints, costly apparel, tents, and canopies, fine linen, _turkey cushions boss'd with pearl, valence of venice gold, in needlework_, pewter and brass, and all things that belong to house or house-keeping." the age of elizabeth was one which powerfully appeals to the imagination in various ways. the æra of warlike chivalry was past; but many of its lighter observances remained, and added to the variety of life, and perhaps tended to polish it. we are told, for instance, that as the earl of cumberland stood before elizabeth she dropped her glove; and on his picking it up graciously desired him to keep it. he caused the trophy to be encircled with diamonds; and ever after, at all tilts and tourneys, bore it conspicuously placed in front of his high crowned hat. jousting and tilting in honour of the ladies (by whom prizes were awarded) continued still to be a favourite diversion. there were annual contentions in the lists in honour of the sovereign, and twenty-five persons of the first rank established a society of arms for this purpose, of which the chivalric sir henry lee was for some time president. the "romance of chivalry" was sinking to be succeeded by the heavier tomes of gomberville, scudery, &c., but the extension of classical knowledge, the vast strides in acquirement of various kinds, the utter change, so to speak, in the system of literature, all contributed to the downfall of the chivalric romance. sir philip sidney's arcadia introduced a rage for high-flown pastoral effusions; and now too was re-born that taste for metaphorical effusion and spiritual romance, which was first exhibited in the fourth century in the bishop of tricca's romance of "barlaam and josaphat," and which now pervaded the fast-rising puritan party, and was afterwards fully developed in that unaccountably fascinating work, "the pilgrim's progress." nevertheless, as yet "courted and caress'd, high placed in hall, a welcome guest," the harper poured to lord and lady gay not indeed "his unpremeditated lay," but a poetical abridgment (the precursor of a fast succeeding race of romantic ballads) of the doughty deeds of renowned knights, so amply expatiated upon in the time-honoured folios of the "olden time." the wandering harper, if fallen somewhat from his "high estate," was still a recognised and welcome guest; his "matter being for the most part stories of old time, as the tale of sir topas, the reportes of bevis of southampton, guy of warwicke, adam bell, and clymme of the clough, and such other old romances or historical rhimes." though the character of the minstrel gradually lost respectability, yet for a considerable part of elizabeth's reign it was one so fully acknowledged, that a peculiar garb was still attached to the office. "mongst these, some bards there were that in their sacred rage recorded the descents and acts of everie age. some with their nimbler joynts that strooke the warbling string; in fingering some unskild, but onelie vsed to sing vnto the other's harpe: of which you both might find great plentie, and of both excelling in their kind." the superstitions of various kinds, the omens, the warnings, the charms, the "potent spells" of the wizard seer, which "could hold in dreadful thrall the labouring moon, or draw the fix'd stars from their eminence, and still the midnight tempest,"-- the supernatural agents, the goblins, the witches, the fairies, the satyrs, the elves, the fauns, the "shapes that walk," the "uncharnel'd spectres, seen to glide along the lone wood's unfrequented path"-- the being and active existence of all these was considered "true as holy writ" by our ancestors of the elizabethan age. on this subject we will transcribe a beautifully illustrative passage from warton:-- "every goblin of ignorance" (says he) "did not vanish at the first glimmerings of the morning of science. reason suffered a few demons still to linger, which she chose to retain in her service under the guidance of poetry. men believed, or were willing to believe, that spirits were yet hovering around, who brought with them _airs from heaven, or blasts from hell_; that the ghost was duly relieved from his prison of torment at the sound of the curfew, and that fairies imprinted mysterious circles on the turf by moonlight. much of this credulity was even consecrated by the name of science and profound speculation. prospero had not yet _broken and buried his staff_, nor _drowned his book deeper than did ever plummet sound_. it was now that the alchemist and the judicial astrologer conducted his occult operations by the potent intercourse of some preternatural being, who came obsequious to his call, and was bound to accomplish his severest services, under certain conditions, and for a limited duration of time. it was actually one of the pretended feats of these fantastic philosophers to evoke the queen of the fairies in the solitude of a gloomy grove, who, preceded by a sudden rustling of the leaves, appeared in robes of transcendant lustre. the shakspeare of a more instructed and polished age would not have given us a magician darkening the sun at noon, the sabbath of the witches, and the cauldron of incantation." it were endless, and indeed out of place here, to attempt to specify the numberless minor superstitions to which this credulous tendency of the public mind gave birth or continuation; or the marvels of travellers,--as the anthropophagi, the ethiops with four eyes, the hippopodes with their nether parts like horses, the arimaspi with one eye in the forehead, and the monopoli who have no head at all, but a face in their breast--which were all devoutly credited. one potent charm, however, we are constrained to particularise, since its infallibility was mainly dependent on the needlewoman's skill. it was a waistcoat which rendered its owner invulnerable: we believe that if duly prepared it would be found proof not only against "silver bullets," but also against even the "charmed bullet" of german notoriety. thus runs the charm:-- "on christmas daie at night, a thread must be sponne of flax, by a little virgine girle, in the name of the divell; and it must be by hir woven, and also _wrought with the needle_. in the brest or forepart thereof must be made _with needleworke_ two heads; on the head at the right side must be a hat and a long beard, and the left head must have on a crowne, and it must be so horrible that it maie resemble belzebub; and on each side of the wastcote must be _wrought_ a crosse." the newspaper, that now mighty political engine, that "thewe and sinew" of the fourth estate of the realm, took its rise in elizabeth's day. how would her legislators have been overwhelmed with amazement could they have beheld, in dim perspective, this child of the press, scarcely less now the offspring of the imagination than those chimeras of their own time to which we have been alluding; and would not the wrinkled brow of the modern politician be unconsciously smoothened, would not the careworn and profound diplomatist "gather up his face into a smile before he was aware," if the first newspaper were suddenly placed before him? it is not indeed in existence, but was published under the title of "_the english mercurie_," in april, , on the first appearance near the shores of england of the spanish armada, a crisis which caused this innovation on the usual public news-letter circulated in manuscript. no. , dated july , , is the first now in existence; and as the publication only began in april, it shows they must have been issued frequently. we have seen this no. , which is preserved in the british museum.[ ] in it are no advertisements--no fashions--no law reports--no court circular--no fashionable arrivals--no fashionable intelligence--no murders--no robberies--no reviews--no crim. cons.--no elopements--no price of stocks--no mercantile intelligence--no police reports--no "leaders,"--no literary memoranda--no poets' corner--no spring meetings--no radical demonstrations--no conservative dinners--but "the "english mercurie, "published by authoritie, "for the prevention of false reportes, "_whitehall, july , ._" contains three pages and a half, small quarto, of matter of fact information. two pages respecting the armada then seen "neare the lizard, making for the entrance of the channell," and appearing on the surface of the water "like floating castles." a page of news from ostend, where "nothing was talked of but the intended invasion of england. his highnesse the prince of parma having compleated his preparationes, of which the subjoined accounte might be depended upon as _exacte and authentique_." something to say--for a newspaper. and a few lines dated "london, july , of the lord mayor, aldermen, common councilmen, and lieutenancie of this great citie" waiting on her majesty with assurances of support, and receiving a gracious reception from her. such was the newspaper of . * * * * * the great events of elizabeth's reign, in war, in politics, in legislation, belong to the historian; the great march of mind, the connecting link which that age formed between the darkness of the preceding ones (for during the period of the wars of the roses all sorts of art and science retrograded), and the high cultivation of later days, it is the province of the metaphysician and philosopher to analyse; and even the lighter characteristics of the time have become so familiar through the medium of many modern and valuable works, that we have ventured only to touch very superficially on some few of the more prominent of them. footnotes: [ ] harrison. [ ] from this separate mention of _tapisterie_ and _arras-work_ by so accurate a describer as harrison, it would seem that tapestry of the needle alone was not, even yet, quite exploded. [ ] sloane mss. no. . chapter xix. tapestry of the spanish armada, better known as tapestry of the house of lords. "he did blow with his wind, and they were scattered." 'inscription on the medal.' the year had been foretold by astrologers to be a wonderful year, the "climacterical year of the world;" and the public mind of england was at that period sufficiently credulous and superstitious to be affected with vague presentiments, even if the preparation of an hostile armada so powerful as to be termed "invincible," had not seemed to engraft on these vague surmises too real and fearful a groundwork of truth. the preparations of philip ii. in spain, combined with those of the duke of parma in the low countries, and furthered by the valued and effective benediction of the shaken and tottering, but still influential and powerful head of the roman church, had produced a hostile array which, with but too much probability of success, threatened the conquest of england, and its subjugation to the papal yoke. not since the norman conquest had any event occurred which, if successful, would be fraught with results so harassing and distressing to the established inhabitants of the island. though the norman conquest had, undoubtedly, _in the course of time_, produced a beneficial and civilising and ennobling influence on the island, it was long and bitter years ere the groans of the subjugated and oppressed anglo-saxons had merged in the contented peacefulness of a united people. yet william was certainly of a severe temper, and was incited by the unquenchable opposition of the english to a cruel and exterminating policy. philip of spain seemed not to promise milder measures. he was a bigot, and moreover hated the english with an utter hatred. during his union with mary he had utterly failed to gain their good will, and his hatred to them increased in an exact ratio to the failure of his desired influence with them. neither time, nor trouble, nor care, nor expense, was spared in this his decided invasion; and it is said that from italy, sicily, and even america, were drafted the most experienced captains and soldiers to aid his cause. well, then, might england look with anxiety, and even with terror, to this threatened and fast approaching event. but her energies were fully equal to the emergency. elizabeth, now in the full plenitude of her power, was at the acme of her influence over the wills, and in a great degree over the affections of her subjects, at least over by far the greater portion of them; one factious and discontented party there was, but too insufficient to be any effectual barrier to her designs. and the cause was a popular one: protestants and romanists joined in deprecating a foreign yoke. her powerful and commanding energies did not forsake her. her appeal to her subjects was replied to with heart-thrilling readiness, the city of london setting a noble example; for when ministers desired from it five thousand men and fifteen ships, the lord mayor, in behalf of the city, craved their sovereign to accept of ten thousand soldiers and thirty ships. this spirited precedent was followed all through the empire, all classes vied with each other in contributing their utmost quota of aid, by means and by personal service, and amongst many similar instances it is recorded of "that noble, vertuous, honourable man, the viscount montague, that he now came, though he was very sickly, and in age, with a full resolution to live and dye in defence of the queene, and of his countrie, against all invaders, whether it were pope, king, and potentate whatsoever, and in that quarrell he would hazard his life, his children, his landes and goods. and to shew his mynde agreeably thereto, he came personally himselfe before the queene, with his band of horsemen, being almost two hundred; the same being led by his owne sonnes, and with them a yong child, very comely, seated on horseback, being the heire of his house, that is, ye eldest sonne to his sonne and heire; a matter much noted of many, to see a grandfather, father, and sonne, at one time on horsebacks afore a queene for her service." for three years had philip been preparing, in all parts of his dominions, for this overwhelming expedition, and his equipments were fully equal to his extensive preparations; and so popular was the project in spain, and so ardent were its votaries, that there was not a family of any note which had not contributed some of its dearest and nearest members; there were also one hundred and eighty capuchins, dominicans, jesuits, and mendicant friars; and so great was the enthusiastic anticipation, that even females hired vessels to follow the fleet which contained those they loved; two or three of these were driven by the storm on the coast of france. this armada consisted of about one hundred and fifty ships, most of which were of an uncommon size, strength, and thickness, more like floating castles than anything else; and to this unwieldy size may, probably, be attributed much of their discomfiture. for the greater holiness of their action, twelve were called the twelve apostles; and a pinnace of the andalusian squadron, commanded by don pedro de valdez, was called the "holy ghost." the fleet is said to have contained thirty-two thousand persons, and to have cost every day thirty thousand ducats. the duke of parma's contemporary preparations were also prodigious, and of a nature which plainly declared the full certainty and confidence in which the invaders indulged of making good their object. but the preparations were doomed not to be even tried. the finesse and manoeuvres of the shrewd sir francis walsingham[ ] had caused the invasion to be retarded for a whole year, and by this time england was fully prepared for her foes. the result is known. the hollow treaty of peace into which parma had entered in order, when all preparations were completed, to take her by surprise, was entered into with an equal share of hypocritical policy by elizabeth. "so (says an old historian) as they seemed on both sides to sew the foxe's skin to the lion's." so powerful was the effect on the public mind, not only of this projected enterprise, but of its almost unhoped for discomfiture, that all possible means were taken to commemorate the event. one method resorted to was the manufacture of tapestry representing a series of subjects connected with it. at that time flanders excelled all others in the manufacture of tapestry, it was scarcely indeed introduced into england; and our ancestors had a series of ten charts, designed by henry cornelius vroom, a celebrated painter of haarlem, from which their flemish neighbours worked beautiful draperies, which ornamented the walls of the house of lords. at the time of the union with ireland, when considerable repairs and alterations were made here, these magnificent tapestries were taken down, cleaned, and replaced, with the addition of large frames of dark stained wood, which set off the work and colouring to advantage. they formed a series of ten pictures, round which portraits of the distinguished officers who commanded the fleet were wrought into a border. with a prescience, which might now almost seem prophetic, mr. john pine, engraver, published in a series of plates taken from these tapestries; and "because," says he, "time, or accident, or moths may deface these valuable shadows, we have endeavoured to preserve their likeness in the preceding prints, which, by being multiplied and dispersed in various hands, may meet with that security from the closets of the curious, which the originals must scarce always hope for, even from the sanctity of the place they are kept in." "on the th day of july, , the english discovered the spanish fleet with lofty turrets like castles, in front like a half moon, the wing thereof spreading out about the length of seven miles, sailing very slowly, though with full sails, the winds being as it were tired with carrying them, and the ocean groaning under the weight of them." this forms the subject of the first tableau. the english commanders suffered the spaniards to pass them unmolested, in order that they might hang upon their rear, and harass them when they should be involved in the channel; for the english navy were unable to confront such a power in direct and close action. the second piece represents them thus, near fowey, the english coast displayed in the back-ground, diversified perhaps somewhat too elaborately into hill and dale, and the foliage scattered somewhat too regularly in lines over each hill, but very pretty nevertheless. a small village with its church and spire appears just at the water edge, eddystone lighthouse lifts its head above the waters, and, fit emblem of the patriotism which now burned throughout the land, and even glowed on the waters, a huge sea monster uprears itself in threatening attitude against the invading host, and shows a countenance hideous enough to scare any but spaniards from its native shores. no. represents the first engagement between the hostile fleets, and also the subsequent sailing of the spanish armada up the channel, closely followed by the english, whose ships were so much lighter, that in a running warfare of this kind they had greatly the advantage. the sea is alive too with dolphins and other strange fish, with right british hearts, as it has been said that "they seemed to oppose themselves with fierce and grim looks to the progress of the spanish fleet." the view of the coast here is very good; and, where it retires from start point so as to form a bay or harbour, the perspective is really admirably indicated by two vessels dimly defined in the horizon. the views of the coast are varied and interesting; and the distances and perspective views are much more accurately delineated than was usual at the time; but, as we have remarked, they were designed by an eminent painter, and one whose particular _forte_ was the delineation of shipping and naval scenes. the pictures are certainly as a series devoid of variety. in two of them the calais shore is introduced; and the intermixture of fortifications, churches, houses, and animated spectators, eagerly crowding to behold the fleets sailing by, produces an enlivening and busy scene, which, set off by the varied, lively, and appropriate colouring of the tapestry, would have a most striking effect. but the man who, unmoved by the excitement about him, is calmly fishing under the walls, without even turning his head toward the scene of tumult, must be blessed with an apathy of disposition which the poor enraged dolphins and porpoises might have envied. with these exceptions the tapestries are all sea pieces with only a distant view of the coast, and portray the two fleets in different stages of their progress, sometimes with engagements between single ships, but generally in an apparent state of truce, the english always the pursuers, and the spaniards generally drawn up in form of a crescent. the last however shows the invading fleet hurriedly and in disorder sailing away, when bad weather, the duke of parma's delay, and a close engagement of fourteen hours, in which they "suffered grievously," having "had to endure all the heavy cannonading of their triumphant opponents, while they were struggling to get clear of the shallows," convinced them of the impossibility of a successful close to their enterprise, and made them resolve to take advantage of a southern breeze to make their passage up the north sea, and round scotland home. "he that fights and runs away, may live to fight another day." so, however, did _not_ the spaniards. "about these north islands their mariners and soldiers died daily by multitudes, as by their bodies cast on land did appear. the almighty ordered the winds to be so contrary to this proud navy, that it was, by force, dissevered on the high seas west upon ireland; and so great a number of them driven into sundry dangerous bays, and upon rocks, and there cast away; some sunk, some broken, some on the sands, and some burnt by the spaniards themselves." misfortune clung to them; storm and tempest on the sea, and inhospitable and cruel treatment when they were forced on shore so reduced them, that of this magnificent armada only sixty shattered vessels found their home; and their humbled commander, the duke de medina sidonia, was led to understand that his presence was not desired at court, and that a private country residence would be the most suitable. it was on this occasion, when the instant danger was past but by no means entirely done away, as for some time it was supposed that the armada, after recruiting in some northern station, would return, that elizabeth with a general's truncheon in her hand rode through the ranks of her army at tilbury, and addressed them in a style which caused them to break out into deafening and tumultuous shouts and cries of love, and honour, and obedience to death. thus magnificently the english heroine spoke: "my loving people,--we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes; but i assure you i do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. let tyrants fear; i have always so behaved myself that, under god, i have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects; and therefore i am come amongst you, as you see at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my god, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour, and my blood, even in the dust. i know i have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but i have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of england too; and think foul scorn that parma or spain, or any prince of europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, i myself will take up arms, i myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field; i know already, for your forwardness, you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you, in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. in the mean time my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but, by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my god, of my kingdoms, and of my people." the tapestry, the magnificent memorial of this great event, was lost irreparably in the devastating fire of . some fragments, it is said, were preserved, but we have not been able to ascertain this fact. one portion still exists at plymouth, though shorn of its pristine brilliancy, as some of the silver threads were drawn out by the economists of the time of the commonwealth. this piece was cut out to make way for a gallery at the time of the trial of queen caroline, was secreted by a german servant of the lord chamberlain, and sold by him to a broker who offered it to government for _l._ some inquiry was made into the circumstances, which, however, do not seem to have excited very great interest, since the relic was ultimately bought by the bishop of landaff (van mildert) for _l._ by him it was presented to the corporation of plymouth, who still possess it. footnote: [ ] he contrived, by means of a venetian priest, his spy, to obtain a copy of a letter from philip to the pope; a gentleman of the bedchamber taking the keys of the cabinet from the pockets of his holiness as he slept. upon intelligence thus obtained, walsingham got those spanish bills protested at genoa which should have supplied money for the preparations. chapter xx. on stitchery. "here have i cause in men just blame to find, that in their proper praise too partial bee, and not indifferent to womankind, * * * * * scarse do they spare to one, or two, or three, rowme in their writtes; yet the same writing small does all their deedes deface, and dims their glories all." faerie queene. "christine, whiche understode these thynges of dame reason, replyed upon that in this manere. madame ise wel {that} ye myght fynde ynowe & of grete nombre of women praysed in scyences and in crafte; but knowe ye ony that by {the} vertue of their felynge & of subtylte of wytte _haue founde of themselfe_ ony newe craftes and scyences necessary, good, & couenable that were neuer founde before nor knowne? for it is not so grete maystry to folowe and to lerne after ony other scyence founde and comune before, as it is to fynde of theymselfe some newe thynge not accustomed before. "_answere._--ne doubte ye not {the} contrary my dere frende but many craftes and scyences ryght notable hathe ben founde by the wytte and subtylte of women, as moche by speculacyon of understandynge, the whiche sheweth them by wrytynge, as in craftes, {that} sheweth theym _in werkynge of handes_ & of laboure." _the boke of the cyte of ladyes._ again we must lament that the paucity of historical record lays us under the necessity of concluding, by inference, what we would fain have displayed by direct testimony. the respectable authority quoted above affirms that "many craftes and scyences ryght notable hathe ben founde by the wytte and subtylte of women," and it specifies particularly "werkynge of handes," by which we suppose the "talented" author means needlework. that the necessity for this pretty art was first created by woman, no one, we think, will disallow; and that it was first practised, as it has been subsequently perfected, by her, is a fact of which we feel the most perfect conviction. this conviction has been forced upon us by a train of reasoning which will so readily suggest itself to the mind of all our readers, that we content ourselves with naming the result, assured that it is unnecessary to trouble them with the intervening steps. one only link in the chain of "circumstantial evidence" will we adduce, and that is afforded by the ancient engraving to which we have before alluded in our remarks upon eve's needle and thread. there whilst our "general mother" is stitching away at the fig-leaves in the most edifying manner possible, our "first father," far from trying to "put in a stitch for himself," is gazing upon her in the most utter amazement. and while she plies her busy task as if she had been born to stitchery, his eyes, _not_ his fingers, "follow the nimble fingers of the fair," with every indication of superlative wonder and admiration. in fact, it is no slight argument in favour of the original invention of sewing by women, that men very rarely have wit enough to learn it, even when invented. there has been no lack of endeavour, even amongst the world's greatest and mightiest, but poor "work" have they made of it. hercules lost all the credit of his mighty labours from his insignificance at the spinning wheel, and the sceptre of sardanapalus passed from his grasp as he was endeavouring to "finger the fine needle and nyse thread." these love-stricken heroes might have said with gower--had he then said it-- "what things she bid me do, i do, and where she bid me go, i go. and where she likes to call, i come, i serve, i bow, i look, i lowte, my eye followeth her about. what so she will, so will i, when she would set, i kneel by. and when she stands, then will i stand, _and when she taketh her work in hand_, of _wevyng or of embroidrie_. then can i _only_ muse and prie, upon her fingers long and small." our modern hercules, the leviathan of literature, was not more successful. _dr. johnson._--"women have a great advantage that they may take up with little things, without disgracing themselves; a man cannot, except with fiddling. had i learnt to fiddle i should have done nothing else." _boswell._--"pray, sir, did you ever play on any musical instrument?" _dr. johnson._--"no, sir; i once bought a flageolet, but i never made out a tune." _boswell._--"a flageolet, sir! so small an instrument? i should have liked to hear you play on the violoncello. _that_ should have been your instrument." _dr. johnson._--"sir, i might as well have played on the violoncello as another; but i should have done nothing else. no, sir; a man would never undertake great things could he be amused with small. i once tried knotting; dempster's sister undertook to teach me, but _i could not learn it_." _boswell._--"so, sir; it will be related in pompous narrative, 'once for his amusement he tried knotting, nor did this hercules disdain the distaff.'" _dr. johnson._--"knitting of stockings is a good amusement. as a freeman of aberdeen, i should be a knitter of stockings." nor was dr. johnson singular in his high appreciation of the value of some sort of stitchery to his own half of the human race, if their intellects unfortunately had not been too obtuse for its acquisition. the great censor of the public morals and manners a century ago, the spectator, recommends the same thing, though with his usual policy he feigns merely to be the medium of another's advice. "mr. spectator,--you are always ready to receive any useful hint or proposal, and such, i believe, you will think one that may put you in a way to employ the most idle part of the kingdom; i mean that part of mankind who are known by the name of the women's men, beaux, &c. mr. spectator, you are sensible these pretty gentlemen are not made for any manly employments, and for want of business are often as much in the vapours as the ladies. now what i propose is this, that since knotting is again in fashion, which has been found a very pretty amusement, that you will recommend it to these gentlemen as something that may make them useful to the ladies they admire. and since it is not inconsistent with any game or other diversion, for it may be done in the playhouse, in their coaches, at the tea-table, and, in short, in all places where they come for the sake of the ladies (except at church, be pleased to forbid it there to prevent mistakes), it will be easily complied with. it is besides an employment that allows, as we see by the fair sex, of many graces, which will make the beaux more readily come into it; and it shows a white hand and a diamond ring to great advantage; it leaves the eyes at full liberty to be employed as before, as also the thoughts and the tongue. in short, it seems in every respect so proper that it is needless to urge it further, by speaking of the satisfaction these male knotters will find when they see their work mixed up in a fringe, and worn by the fair lady for whom, and with whom, it was done. truly, mr. spectator, i cannot but be pleased i have hit upon something that these gentlemen are capable of; for it is sad so considerable a part of the kingdom (i mean for numbers) should be of no manner of use. i shall not trouble you further at this time, but only to say, that i am always your reader and generally your admirer. c. b. "p.s.--the sooner these fine gentlemen are set to work the better; there being at this time several fringes that stay only for more hands." but, alas! the sanguine writer was mistaken in supposing that at last gentlemen had found a something "of which they were capable." the days of knotting passed away before they had made any proficiency in it; nor have we ever heard that they have adopted any other branch or stitch of this extensive art. there is variety enough to satisfy anybody, and there are gradations enough in the stitches to descend to any capacity but a man's. there are tambour stitch--satin--chain--finny--new--bred-- ferne--and queen-stitches; there is slabbing--veining--and button stitch; seeding--roping--and open stitch: there is sockseam--herring-bone--long stitch--and cross stitch: there is rosemary stitch--spanish stitch--and irish stitch: there is back stitch--overcast--and seam stitch: hemming--felling--and basting: darning--grafting--and patching: there is whip stitch--and fisher stitch: there is fine drawing--gathering-- marking--trimming--and tucking. truly all this does require some +nous+, and the lords of the creation are more to be pitied than blamed for that paucity of intellect which deprives them of "woman's pretty excuse for thought." raillery apart, sewing is in itself an agreeable occupation, it is essentially a useful one; in many of its branches it is quite ornamental, and it is a gentle, a graceful, an elegant, and a truly feminine occupation. it causes the solitary hours of domestic life to glide more smoothly away, and in those social unpretending reunions which in country life and in secluded districts are yet not abolished, it takes away from the formality of sitting for conversation, abridges the necessity for scandal, or, to say the least of it, as we have heard even ungallant lordly man allow, it keeps us out of mischief. and there are frequent and oft occurring circumstances which invest it with characteristics of a still higher order. how many of "the sweet solicitudes that life beguile" are connected with this interesting occupation! either in preparing habiliments for those dependent on our care, and for love of whom many an unnecessary stitch which may tend to extra adornment is put in; or in those numberless pretty and not unuseful tokens of remembrance, which, passing from friend to friend, soften our hearts by the intimation they convey, that we have been cared for in our absence, and that while the world looked dark and desolate about us, unforgetting hearts far, far away were holding us in remembrance, busy fingers were occupied in our behoof. oh! a reticule, a purse, a slipper, how valueless soever in itself, is, when fraught with these home memories, worth that which the mines of golconda could not purchase. and of such a nature would be the feelings which suggested these well-known but exquisite lines:-- "the twentieth year is well nigh past, since first our sky was overcast, ah, would that this might be the last! my mary! "thy spirits have a fainter flow, i see thee daily weaker grow, 'twas my distress that brought thee low, my mary! "thy needles, once a shining store, for my sake restless heretofore, now rust disused and shine no more, my mary! "for though thou gladly would'st fulfil the same kind office for me still, thy sight now seconds not thy will, my mary! "but well thou play'dst the housewife's part, and all thy threads with magic art, have wound themselves about this heart, my mary!" an interesting circumstance connected with needlework is mentioned in the delightful memoir written by lady murray, of her mother, the excellent and admirable lady grisell baillie. the allusion itself is very slight, merely to the making of a frill or a collar; but the circumstances connected with it are deeply interesting, and place before us a vivid picture of the deprivations of a family of rank and consequence in "troublous times," and moreover offer us a portrait from _real life_ of true feminine excellence, of a young creature of rank and family, of cultivated and refined tastes and of high connexions, utterly forgetting all these in the cheerful and conscientious discharge, for years, of the most arduous and humble duties, and even of menial and revolting offices. it may be that my readers all are not so well acquainted with this little book as ourselves, and, if so, they will not consider the following extract too long. "they lived three years and a half in holland, and in that time she made a second voyage to scotland about business. her father went by the borrowed name of dr. wallace, and did not stir out for fear of being discovered, though who he was, was no secret to the wellwishers of the revolution. their great desire was to have a good house, as their greatest comfort was at home; and all the people of the same way of thinking, of which there were great numbers, were continually with them. they paid for their house what was very extravagant for their income, nearly a fourth part; they could not afford keeping any servant, but a little girl to wash the dishes. "all the time they were there, there was not a week that my mother did not sit up two nights, to do the business that was necessary. she went to market, went to the mill to have the corn ground, which it seems is the way with good managers there, dressed the linen, cleaned the house, made ready the dinner, mended the children's stockings and other clothes, made what she could for them, and, in short, did everything. "her sister, christian, who was a year or two younger, diverted her father and mother and the rest who were fond of music. out of their small income they bought a harpsichord for little money, but is a _rucar_ now in my custody, and most valuable. my aunt played and sang well, and had a great deal of life and humour, but no turn to business. though my mother had the same qualifications, and liked it as well as she did, she was forced to drudge; and many jokes used to pass betwixt the sisters about their different occupations. every morning before six my mother lighted her father's fire in his study, then waked him (she was ever a good sleeper, which blessing, among many others, she inherited from him); then got him, what he usually took as soon as he got up, warm small beer with a spoonful of bitters in it, which he continued his whole life, and of which i have the receipt. "then she took up the children and brought them all to his room, where he taught them everything that was fit for their age; some latin, others french, dutch, geography, writing, reading, english, &c.; and my grandmother taught them what was necessary on her part. thus he employed and diverted himself all the time he was there, not being able to afford putting them to school; and my mother, when she had a moment's time, took a lesson with the rest in french and dutch, and also diverted herself with music. i have now a book of songs of her writing when there; many of them interrupted, half-writ, some broke off in the middle of a sentence. she had no less a turn for mirth and society than any of the family, when she could come at it without neglecting what she thought more necessary. "her eldest brother, patrick, who was nearest her age, and bred up together, was her most dearly beloved. my father was there, forfeited and exiled, in the same situation with themselves. she had seen him for the first time in the prison with his father, not long before he suffered;[ ] and from that time their hearts were engaged. her brother and my father were soon got in to ride in the prince of orange's guards, till they were better provided for in the army, which they were before the revolution. they took their turn in standing sentry at the prince's gate, but always contrived to do it together, and the strict friendship and intimacy that then began, continued to the last. "though their station was then low, they kept up their spirits; the prince often dined in public, then all were admitted to see him: when any pretty girl wanted to go in they set their halberts across the door and would not let her pass till she gave each of them a kiss, which made them think and call them very pert soldiers. i could relate many stories on this subject; my mother could talk for hours and never tire of it, always saying it was the happiest part of her life. her _constant attention was to have her brother appear right in his linen and dress_; they wore little point cravats and cuffs, which many a night she sat up to have in as good order for him as any in the place; and one of their greatest expenses was in dressing him as he ought to be. "as their house was always full of the unfortunate people banished like themselves, they seldom went to dinner without three, four, or five of them to share it with them; and many a hundred times i have heard her say she could never look back upon their manner of living there without thinking it a miracle. they had no want, but plenty of everything they desired, and much contentment, and always declared it the most pleasing part of her life, though they were not without their little distresses; but to them they were rather jokes than grievances. the professors and men of learning in the place came often to see my grandfather; the best entertainment he could give them was a glass of alabast beer, which was a better kind of ale than common. he sent his son andrew, the late lord kimmerghame, a boy, to draw some for them in the cellar, and he brought it up with great diligence, but in the other hand the spigot of the barrel. my grandfather said, 'andrew! what is that in your hand?' when he saw it he ran down with speed, but the beer was all run out before he got there. this occasioned much mirth, though perhaps they did not well know where to get more. "it is the custom there to gather money for the poor from house to house, with a bell to warn people to give it. one night the bell came, and no money was there in the house but a orkey, which is a doit, the smallest of all coin; everybody was so ashamed no one would go to give it, it was so little, and put it from one to the other: at last my grandfather said, 'well, then, i'll go with it; we can do no more than give all we have.' they were often reduced to this by the delay of the ships coming from scotland with their small remittances; then they put the little plate they had (all of which they carried with them) in the lumber, which is pawning it, till the ships came: and that very plate they brought with them again to scotland, and left no debt behind them." this is a long but not an uninteresting digression, and we were led to it from the recollection that lady grisell baillie, when encompassed with heavy cares, not only sat up a night or two every week, but felt a satisfaction, a pleasure, in doing so, to execute the needlework required by her family. and when sewing with a view to the comfort and satisfaction of others, the needlewoman--insignificant as the details of her employment may appear--has much internal satisfaction; she has a definite vocation, an important function. nor few nor insignificant are her handmaidens, one or other of whom is ever at her side, inspiriting her to her task. her most constant attendant is a matron of stayed and sober appearance, called utility. the needlewoman's productions are found to vary greatly, and this variation is ascribed with truth to the influencing suggestions of the attendant for the time being. thus, for instance, when utility is her companion all her labours are found to result in articles of which the material is unpretending, and the form simple; for however she may be led wandering by the vagaries of her other co-mates, it is always found that in moments of steady reflection she listens with the most implicit deference to the intimations of this her experienced and most respectable friend. but occasionally, indeed frequently, utility brings with her a fair and interesting relative, called taste; a gentle being, of modest and retiring mien, of most unassuming deportment, but of exquisite grace; and it is even observed that the needlewoman is more happy in her labours, and more universally approved when accompanied by these two friends, than by any other of the more eccentric ones who occasionally take upon themselves to direct her steps. of these latter, fashion is one of her most frequent visitors, and it is very often found that as she approaches utility and taste retire. this is not, however, invariably the case. sometimes the three agree cordially together, and their united suffrages and support enhance the fame of the needlewoman to the very highest pitch; but this happy cordiality is of infrequent occurrence, and usually of short duration. fashion is fickle, varying, inconstant; given to sudden partialities and to disruptions unlooked for, and as sudden. she laughs to scorn utility's grave maxims, and exaggerates the graceful suggestions of taste until they appear complete caricatures. consequently they, offended, retire; and fashion, heedless, holds on her own course, keeping the needlewoman in complete subjection to her arbitrary rule, which is often enforced in her transient absence by her own peculiar friend and intimate--caprice. this fantastic being has the greatest influence over fashion, who having no staple character of her own, is easily led every way at the beck of this whimsical and absurd dictator. the productions which emanate from the hands of the needlewoman under their guidance are much sought for, much looked at, but soon fall into utter contempt. but there is another handmaiden created for the delight and solace of mankind in general, and who from the earliest days, even until now, has been the loving friend of the needlewoman; ever whispering suggestions in her ear, or tracing patterns on her work, or gently guiding her finger through the fantastic maze. she is of the most exquisite beauty: fragile in form as the gossamer that floats on a summer's breath--brilliant in appearance as the colours that illumine the rainbow. so light, that she floats on an atom; so powerful that she raises empires, nay, the whole earth by her might. her habits are the most vagrant imaginable; she is indeed the veriest little gossip in creation, but her disposition to roam is not more boundless than her power to gratify it. one instant she is in the depths of the ocean, loitering upon coral beds; the next above the stars, revelling in the immensity of space; one moment she tracks a comet in his course, the next hobnobs with the sea-king, or foots a measure with mermaids. a most skilful architect, she will build palaces on the clouds radiant with splendour and beautiful as herself; then, demolishing them with a breath, she flies to some moss-grown ruin of the earth, where a glimpse of her countenance drives away the bat and the owl; the wallflower, the moss, and the ivy, are displaced by the rose, the lily, and the myrtle; the damp building is clothed in freshness and splendour, the lofty halls resound with the melody of the lute and the harp, and the whole scene is vivid with light and life, with brilliancy and beauty. again, in an instant, all is mute, and dim, and desolate, and the versatile sorceress is hunting the otter with an esquimaux; or, pillowed on roses whose fragrance is wafted by softest zephyrs around, she listens to the strain which the bulbul pours; or, wrapped in deepest maze of philosophic thought, she "treads the long extent of backward time," by the gigantic sepulchres of egyptian kings; or else she flies "from the tempest-rocked hebrides or the icebound northern ocean--from the red man's wilderness of the west--from the steppes of central asia--from the teeming swamps of the amazon--from the sirocco deserts of africa--from the tufted islands of the pacific--from the heaving flanks of Ætna--or from the marbled shores of greece;"--and draws the whole circle of her enchantments round the needlewoman's fingers, within the walls of an humble english cottage. but it were equally unnecessary and useless to dilate on her fairy wanderings. suffice it to say that so great is the beneficent liberality of this fascinating being, that every corner of her rich domain is open to the highest or lowest of mortals without reserve; and so lovely is she herself, and so bewitching is her company, that few, few indeed, are they who do not cherish her as a bosom friend and as the dearest of companions. bearing, however, her vagrant characteristics in mind, we shall not be surprised at the peculiar ideas some people entertain of her haunts, nor at the strange places in which they search for her person. one would hardly believe that hundreds of thousands have sought her through the smoke, din, and turmoil of those lines "where all antipathies to comfort dwell,"--the railroads; while others, more adventurous, plough the ocean deep, scale the mighty mountains, or soar amid the clouds for her; or, strange to say, have sought her in the battle field 'mid scenes of bloody death. like hotspur, such would pluck her-- "from the pale-faced moon;" or would "dive into the bottom of the deep, where fathom-line could never touch the ground" for her. but she is a lady before whom strength and pride fall nerveless and abased; her gracious smiles are to be wooed, not commanded; her bright presence may be won, not forced; "for spotless, and holy, and gentle, and bright, she glides o'er the earth like an angel of light." possessing all the gentleness of her mother--_taste_, she shrinks from everything rude or abrupt; and when, as has frequently been the case, persons have attempted to lay violent hands upon her, she has invariably eluded their vigilance, by leaving in her place, tricked out in her superabundant ornaments to blind them, her half-brother--_whim_, who sprang from the same father--_wit_, but by another mother--_humour_. she herself, wanderer as she is, is not without her favourite haunts, in which she lingers as if even loath to quit them at all. finally, wherever yet the _accomplished_ needlewoman has been found, in the jewish tabernacle of old--in the grecian dome where the "tale of troy divine" glowed on the canvass--or in the bower of the high-born beauty of the "bright days of the sword and the lance"--in the cell of the pale recluse--or in the turretted prison of the royal captive--there has fancy been her devoted friend, her inseparable companion. footnote: [ ] she was then a mere child, not more, if i remember rightly, than twelve years old. chapter xxi. "les anciennes tapisseries;" tapestry of st. mary's hall, coventry; tapestry of hampton court. "there is a sanctity in the past." bulwer. all monuments of antiquity are so speedily passing away, all traces of those bygone generations on which the mind loves to linger, and which in their dim and indistinct memories exercise a spell, a holy often, and a purifying spell on the imagination are so fleeting, and when _irrevocably_ gone will be so lamented--that all testimonies which throw certain light on the habits and manners of the past, how slight soever the testimonies they afford, how trivial soever the characteristics they display, are of the highest possible value to an enlightened people, who apply the experience of the past to its legitimate and noblest use, the guidance and improvement of the present. in this point of view the work which forms the subject of this chapter[ ] assumes a value which its intrinsic worth--beautiful as is its execution--would not impart to it; and it is thus rendered not less valuable as an historical record, than it is attractive as a work of taste. "là chez eux, (we quote from the preface to the work itself,) c'est un siège ou un tournoi; ici un festin, plus loin une chasse; et toujours, chasse, festin, tournoi, siège, tout cela est _pourtraict au vif_, comme aurait dit montaigne, tout cela nous retrace au naturel la vie de nos pères, nous montre leurs châteaux, leurs églises, leurs costumes, leurs armes et même, grâce aux légendes explicatives, leur langage à diverses époques. il y a mieux. si nous nous en rapportons à l'inventaire de charles v., exécuté en , toute la littérature française des siècles féconds qui précédèrent celui de ce sage monarque, aurait été par ces ordres traduite en laine." this book consists of representations of all the existing ancient tapestries which activity and research can draw from the hiding-places of ages, copied in the finest outline engraving, with letter-press descriptions of each plate. they are published in numbers, and in a style worthy of the object. we do not despair of seeing this spirited example followed in our own country, where many a beautiful specimen of ancient tapestry, still capable of renovation by care--is mouldering unthought of in the lumber-rooms of our ancient mansions. we have seen twenty-one numbers of this work, with which we shall deal freely: excepting, however, the eight parts which are entirely occupied by the bayeux tapestry. our own chapters on the subject were written before we were fortunate enough to obtain a sight of these, which include the whole of the correspondence on the tapestry to which we in our sketch alluded. la tapisserie de nancy.--"aurait une illustre origine, et remonterait à une assez haute antiquité. prise dans la tente de charles le téméraire, lors de la mort de ce prince, en , devant la capitale de la lorraine, qu'il assiégeait, elle serait devenue un meuble de la couronne, et aurait servi au palais des ducs de ce pays, depuis rené jusqu'à charles iv.----c'est une de ces anciennes tapisseries flamandes dont le tissu, de laine tres fine, est éclairé par l'or et la soie. la soie et la laine subsistent encore, mais l'or ne s'aperçoit plus que dans quelques endroits et à la faveur d'un beau soleil. nous ferons remarquer que le costume des divers personnages que figurent dans notre monument est tout à fait caractéristique. ce sont bien là les vêtements et les ornements en usage vers la moitié du quinzième siècle, et la disposition artistique, le choix du sujet, ainsi que l'exécution elle-même portent bien l'empreinte du style des oeuvres de environ.----la maison de bourgogne était fort riche en joyaux, en vaisselle d'or ou d'argent et en _tapis_." the tapestry presents an allegorical history, of which the object is to depict the inconveniences consequent on what is called "good cheer." later on this formed the subject of "a morality." originally this tapestry was only one vast page, the requisite divisions being wrought in the form of ornamented columns. it was afterwards cut in pieces, and unfortunately the natural divisions of the subject were not attended to in the severment. more unhappily still the pieces have since been rejoined in a wrong order; and after every possible endeavour to read them aright, the publishers are indebted to the "morality" before referred to, which was taken from it, and was entitled "la nef de santé, avec le gouvernail du corps humain, et la condamnaçion des bancquetz, a la louenge de diepte et sobriéte, et la traictie des passions de l'ame." banquet, bonnecompagnie, souper, gourmandise, friandise, passetemps, je pleige d'autant, je boy à vous, and other rare personifications, not forgetting that indispensable guest _then_ in all courtly pastime, le fol, "go it" to their hearts' content, until they are interrupted _vi et armis_ by a ghastly phalanx in powerful array of apoplexie, ydropsie, epilencie, pleurisie, esquinancie, paralasie, gravelle, colicque, &c. tapisserie de dijon.--"on conviendra qu'il serait difficile de trouver un monument de ce genre plus fidèle sur le rapport historique, plus intéressant pour les arts, et plus digne d'être reproduit par la gravure. je ferai en outre remarquer combien cet immense tableau de laine, qui est unique, renferme de détails précieux à la fois pour la panoplie, pour les costumes, et l'architecture du commencement du siècle, ainsi que pour l'histoire monumentale de dijon." this tapestry, judging by the engravings in the work we quote, must be very beautiful. the groups are spirited and well disposed; and the countenances have so much _nature_ and expression in them, as to lead us readily to credit the opinion of the writer that they were portraits. the buildings are well outlined; and in the third piece an excellent effect is produced by exposing--by means of an open window, or some simple contrivance of the sort--part of the interior of the church of nôtre dame, and so displaying the brave leader of the french army, la tremouille, as he offers thanks before the shrine of the virgin. the tapestry was worked immediately after the siege of dijon, ( ) and represents in three scenes the most important circumstances relating to it; the costumes, the arms, and the architecture of the time being displayed with fidelity and exactitude. the first represents the invading army before the walls; the second a solemn procession in honour of notre-dame-de-bonne-espoir. in the midst is elevated the image of the virgin, which is surrounded by the clergy in their festal vestments, by the religious communities, by the nobility, the bourgeois, and the military, all bearing torches. to this solemn procession was attributed the truce which led to a more lasting peace, though there are some heterodox dissentients who attribute this substantial advantage to the wisdom and policy of the able commander la tremouille, who shared with bayard the honourable distinction of being "sans peur et sans reproche." tapisseries de bayard.--a château which belonged to this noted hero was despoiled at the revolution, and it was doubtless only owing to an idea of its worthlessness that some of the ancient tapestry was left there. these fragments, in a deplorable state, were purchased in , and there are yet sufficient of them to bear testimony to their former magnificence, and to decide the date of their creation at the close of the fourteenth or beginning of the fifteenth century. the subjects are taken from homer's "iliad," and "il est probable (says m. jubinal) que ce poëme se trouvait originairement reproduit en laine presque tout entier, malgré sa longueur, car ce n'était pas le travail qui effrayait nos aïeux." valenciennes was celebrated for the peculiar fineness and gloss of its tapestry. by the indefatigable industry of certain antiquarians, some pieces in good preservation representing a tournament, have lately been taken from a garret, dismantled of their triple panoply of dust, cleaned and hung up; after being traced from their original abode in the state apartments of a prince through various gradations, to the damp walls of a registry office, where, from their apparent fragility alone, they escaped being cut into floor mats. those of the chateau d'haroue, and of the collection dusommerard, are also named here; but there is little to say about them, as the subjects are more imaginary than historical. they are of the sixteenth century, representing scenes of the chase, and are enlivened with birds in every position, some of them being, in proportion to other figures, certainly _larger_ than life, and "twice as natural." tapisseries de la chaise dieu.--"l'abbaye de la chaise dieu fut fondée en par robert qu'alexandre de canonisa plus tard en ; et dont l'origine se rattachait à la famille des comtes de poitou. "robert fut destiné de bonne heure aux fonctions du sacerdoce." he went on pilgrimage to the tombs of some of the apostles, and it was on his return thence that he was first struck with the idea of founding a coenobitical establishment. "réuni à un soldat nommé etienne, à un solitaire nommé delmas, et à un chanoine nommé arbert, il se retira dans la solitude, et s'emparant du désert au profit de la religion, il planta la croix du sauveur dans les lieux jusqu'à-là couverts de forêts et de bruyères incultes, et rassembla quelques disciples pour vivre auprès de lui sous la règle qu'un ange lui avait, disait il, apportée du ciel. "bientôt la réputation des cénobites s'étendit; robert fut reconnu comme leur chef. de toutes parts on accourut les visiter. des donations leur furent faites, et sur les ruines d'une ancienne église une nouvelle basilique s'éleva. "telle est à peu prés l'histoire primitive de l'abbaye de la chaise-dieu." the chaise-dieu tapestries are fourteen in number, three of them are ten feet square, and the others are six feet high by eighteen long, excepting one which measures nearly twenty-six feet. twelve are hung on the carved wood-work of the choir of the great church, and thus cover an immense space. further off is the ancient choir of the monks, of which the wood-work of sculptured oak is surprisingly rich. not even the cathedral of rheims, of which the wood-work has long been regarded as the most beautiful in the kingdom, contains so great a number. unhappily in times of intestine commotion this chef d'oeuvre has been horribly mutilated by the axes of modern iconoclasts, more ferocious than the barbarians of old. the two other tapestries are placed in the church of the penitents, an ancient refectory of the monks which now forms a dependent chapel to the great temple. these magnificent hangings are woven of wool and silk, and one yet perceives almost throughout, golden and silver threads which time has spared. when the artist prepared to copy them for the work we are quoting, no one dreamt of the richness buried beneath the accumulated dust and dirt of centuries. they were carefully cleaned, and then, says the artist, "je suis ébloui de cette magnificence que nous ne soupçonnions plus. c'est admirable. les gobelins ne produisent pas aujourd'hui de tissus plus riches et plus éclatans. imaginez-vous que les robes des femmes, les ornemens, les colonnettes sont émaillés, ruisselants de milliers de pierres fines et de perles," &c. it would be tedious to attempt to describe individually the subjects of these tapestries. they interweave the histories of the old and new testaments; the centre of the work generally representing some passage in the life of our saviour, whilst on each side is some correspondent typical incident from the old testament. above are rhymed quatrains, either legendary or scriptural; and below and around are sentences drawn from the prophets or the psalms. these tapestries appear to have been the production of the close of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth centuries, denoting in the architecture and costumes _more_ the reigns of charles viii. and louis xi., than of louis xii. and francis i. such pieces were probably long in the loom, since the tapestry of dijon, composed of a single _lai_ of twenty-one feet, required not less, according to a competent judge, than ten years' labour. there are some most beautiful, even amongst these all-beautiful engravings, which we much regret to see there--engravings of the tapestry in the cathedral of aix, which tapestry ought still to enrich our own country. shame on those under whose barbarous rule these, amongst other valuable and cherished monuments, were, as relics of papistry, bartered for foreign gold. "l'histoire manuscrite de la ville d'aix dit que cette tapisserie avait servi à l'église de st. paul de londres ou à toute autre église cathédrale d'angleterre; qu'à l'époque de la réformation, les tableaux et les tapisseries ayant été exclus des temples, les anglais cherchèrent à vendre dans les pays étrangers quelques-unes des tapisseries qui ornaient leurs cathédrales, et _qu'ils en brûlèrent un plus grand nombre_!" this tapestry represents the history of our saviour, in twenty seven compartments, being in the whole about feet long. it is supposed to have been woven about , when william warham was archbishop of canterbury, and chancellor. warham had been previously bishop of london; and as his arms are on this tapestry, and also the arms of two prior bishops of london who are supposed to have left legacies to ornament the church which were applied towards defraying the expenses of this manufacture, it seems quite probable that its destination was st. paul's, and not any other cathedral church. the arms of the king are inwrought in two places; for henry contributed to the embellishment of this church. he loved the arts; he decorated churches; and though he seceded from the roman communion, he maintained throughout his life magnificent decorations in his favourite churches as well as the worship of the ancient catholic church. it was first under edward, and more decidedly under elizabeth, that the ceremonies of the church were completely changed, and that those which had been considered only decent and becoming were stigmatised as popish. nor did this fantasy reach its height until the time of cromwell. lord douglas, earl of buchan, who founded the society of antiquaries in edinburgh, endeavoured during the interval of the peace of amiens, to treat with the archbishop of aix for the repurchase of this tapestry. he would have placed it in a gothic church belonging to an ancient scotch abbey on his domains. he had already ornamented this church with several beautiful monuments of antiquity, and he wished to place this tapestry there as a national monument, but the treaty was broken off. the tapestries of aulhac, representing the siege of troy, and those of beauvais, embracing a variety of subjects from history both sacred and profane; of the louvre, representing the miracle of st. quentin, tapestry representing alexander, king of scotland; and those of st. remi, at rheims, are all engraven and described. those of the magnificent cathedral church at rheims, consisting of forty tapestries, forming different collections, but all on religious subjects, will probably form the material for future numbers. * * * * * that there are ancient tapestries existing in england fully equal to those in france is, we think, almost certain; but of course they are not to be summoned from the "vasty deep" of neglect and oblivion by the powerless voice of an obscure individual. gladly would we, had it been in our power, have enriched our sketch by references to some of them. the following notice of a tapestry at coventry is drawn from "smith's selections of the ancient costume of britain;" and the names of the tapestries at hampton court palace from "pyne's royal residences." we have recently visited hampton court for the express purpose of viewing the tapestries. there, we believe, they were, entirely (with the exception of a stray inch or two here and there) hung over with paintings. the splendid though neglected tapestry of st. mary's hall at coventry offers a variety of materials no less interesting on account of the sanctity and misfortunes of the prince (henry vi.) who is there represented, than curious as specimens of the arts of drawing, dyeing, and embroidery of the time in which it was executed. it is thirty feet in length and ten in height; and is divided into six compartments, three in the upper tier and three in the lower, containing in all upwards of eighty figures or heads. the centre compartment of the upper row, in its perfect and original state, represented the usual personification of the trinity--(the trinity guild held its meetings in the hall of st. mary) surrounded by angels bearing the various instruments of the passion. but the zeal of our early reformers sacrificed this part of the work, and substituted in its stead a tasteless figure of justice, which now holds the scales amidst the original group of surrounding angels. the right hand division of this tier is occupied with sundry figures of saints and martyrs, and the opposite side is filled with a group of female saints. in the centre compartment below is represented the virgin mary in the clouds, standing on the crescent, surrounded by the twelve apostles and many cherubs. but the two remaining portions of this fine tapestry constitute its chief value and importance to the city of coventry, as they represent the figures of henry vi., his queen, the ambitious, and crafty, and cruel, yet beautiful and eloquent and injured margaret of anjou, and many of their attendants. during all the misfortunes of henry, the citizens of coventry zealously supported him; and their city is styled by historians "queen margaret's secret bower." as the tapestry was purposely made for the hall, and probably placed there during the lives of the sovereigns, the figures may be considered as authentic portraits. * * * * * the first presence chamber in hampton court is (or was) hung with rich ancient tapestry, representing a landscape, with the figures of nymphs, fawns, satyrs, nereides, &c. there is some fine ancient tapestry in the king's audience chamber, the subjects being, on one side, abraham and lot dividing their lands; and on the other, god appearing to abraham purchasing ground for a burying-place. the tapestry on the walls of the king's drawing-room represents abraham entertaining the three angels; also abraham, isaac, and rebecca. the tapestry which covers three sides of the king's state bedchamber represents the history of joshua. the walls of the queen's audience chamber are covered with tapestry hangings, which represent the story of abraham and melchisedec, and abraham and rebecca. the ball room is called also the tapestry gallery, from the superb suite of hangings that ornament its walls, which was brought from flanders by general cadogan, and set up by order of george i. the series of seven compartments describes the history of alexander the great, from the paintings of the celebrated charles le brun. the first represents the story of alexander and his horse bucephalus; the second, the visit of alexander to diogenes; the third, the passage of alexander over the granicus; the fourth, alexander's visit to the mother and wife of darius, in their tent, after the battle of arbela; the fifth, alexander's triumphal entrance into babylon; the sixth, alexander's battle with porus; the seventh, his second entrance into babylon.--these magnificent hangings were wrought at the gobelins. the tapestry hangings in the king's private bedchamber describe the naval battle of solebay between the combined fleets of england and france and the dutch fleet, in . * * * * * of all the tapestries here recorded, the last only, representing the battle of solebay, are now visible. footnote: [ ] "les anciennes tapisseries historiées, ou collection des monumens les plus remarquables, de ce genre, qui nous soient restés du moyen age." a paris. chapter xxii. embroidery. "flowers, plants and fishes, beasts, birds, flyes, and bees, hils, dales, plaines, pastures, skies, seas, rivers, trees, there's nothing neere at hand, or farthest sought, but with the needle may be shap'd and wrought." john taylor. perhaps of all nations in very ancient times the medes and babylonians were most celebrated for the draperies of the apartments, about which they were even more anxious than about their attire. all their noted hangings with which their palaces were so gorgeously celebrated were wrought by the needle. and though now everywhere the loom is in request, still these and other eastern nations maintain great practice and unrivalled skill in needle embroidery. sir john chardin says of the persians, "their tailors certainly excel ours in their sewing. they make carpets, cushions, veils for doors, and other pieces of furniture of felt, in mosaic work, which represents just what they please. this is done so neatly, that a man might suppose the figures were painted instead of being a kind of inlaid work. look as close as you will, the joining cannot be seen;" and the hall of audience at jeddo, we are told, is a sumptuous edifice; the roof covered with gold and silver of exquisite workmanship, the throne of massy gold enriched with pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones. the tapestry is of the finest silk, wrought by the _most curious hands_, and adorned with pearls, gold, and silver, and other costly embellishments. about the close of the ninth or beginning of the tenth century, the caliph moctadi's whole army, both horse and foot, (says abulfeda) were under arms, which together made a body of , men. his state officers stood near him in the most splendid apparel, their belts shining with gold and gems. near them were black and white eunuchs. the porters or door-keepers were in number . barges and boats, with the most superb decorations, were swimming on the tigris. nor was the palace itself less splendid, in which were hung _ , pieces of tapestry, , of which were of silk embroidered with gold_. the carpets on the floor were , . a hundred lions were brought out with a keeper to each lion. among the other spectacles of rare and stupendous luxury, was a tree of gold and silver, which opened itself into eighteen larger branches, upon which, and the other less branches sate birds of every sort, made also of gold and silver. the tree glittered with leaves of the same metals, and while its branches, through machinery, appeared to move of themselves, the several birds upon them warbled their natural notes. the skill of the eastern embroiderer has always had a wide field for display in the decoration of the _tents_, which were in such request in hot countries, among nomadic tribes, or on military excursions. the covering of tents among the arabs is usually black goats' hair, so compactly woven as to be impervious to rain. but there is, besides this, always an inner one, on which the skill and industry of the fair artisan--for both outer and inner are woven and wrought by women--is displayed. this is often white woollen stuff, on which flowers are usually embroidered. curious hangings too are frequently hung over the entrances, when the means of the possessors do not admit of more general decoration. magnificent _perdahs_, or hangings of needlework, are always suspended in the tents of persons of rank and fashion, who assume a more ambitious decoration; and there are accounts in various travellers of tents which must have been gorgeous in the extreme. nadir shah, out of the abundance of his spoils, caused a tent or tabernacle to be made of such beauty and magnificence as were almost beyond description. the outside was covered with fine scarlet broad cloth, the lining was of violet coloured satin, on which were representations of all the birds and beasts in the creation, with trees and flowers; the whole made of pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and other precious stones; and the tent-poles were decorated in like manner. on both sides of the peacock throne was a screen, on which were the figures of two angels in precious stones. the roof of the tent consisted of seven pieces; and when it was transported to any place, two of these pieces packed in cotton were put into a wooden chest, two of which chests were a sufficient load for an elephant: the screen filled another chest. the walls of the tent--tent-poles and tent-pins, which were of massy gold, loaded five more elephants; so that for the carriage of the whole were required seven elephants. this magnificent tent was displayed on all festivals in the public hall at herat, during the remainder of nadir shah's reign. sir j. chardin tells us that the late king of persia caused a tent to be made which cost , , _l._ they called it the house of gold, because gold glittered everywhere about it. he adds, that there was an inscription wrought upon the cornice of the antechamber, which gave it the appellation of the throne of the second solomon, and at the same time marked out the year of its construction. the following description of antar's tent from the bedouin romance of that name has been often quoted:-- "when spread out it occupied half the land of shurebah, for it was the load of forty camels; and there was an awning at the door of the pavilion under which of the absian horse could skirmish. it was embroidered with burnished gold, studded with precious stones and diamonds, interspersed with rubies and emeralds, set with rows of pearls; and there was painted thereon a specimen of every created thing, birds and trees, and towns, and cities, and seas, and continents, and beasts, and reptiles; and whoever looked at it was confounded by the variety of the representations, and by the brilliancy of the silver and gold: and so magnificent was the whole, that when the pavilion was pitched, the land of shurebah and mount saadi were illuminated by its splendour." extravagant as seems this description, we are told that it is not so much exaggerated as we might imagine. "poetical license" has indeed been indulged in to the fullest extent, especially as to the size of the pavilion; yet marco polo in sober earnest describes one under which , soldiers might be drawn up _without incommoding the nobles at the audience_. it is well known that mohammed forbade his followers to imitate any animal or insect in their embroideries or ornamental work of any sort. hence the origin of the term _arabesque_, which we now use to express all odd combinations of patterns from which human and animal forms are excluded. that portion of the race which merged in the moors of spain were especially remarked for their magnificent and beautiful decorative work; and from them did we borrow, as before alluded to, the custom of using tapestry for curtains. at the present day none are perhaps more patient and laborious embroiderers than the chinese; their regularity and neatness are supposed to be unequalled, and the extreme care with which they work preserves their shades bright and shining. the indians excel in variety of embroidery. they embroider with cotton on muslin, but they employ on gauze, rushes, skins of insects, nails and claws of animals, of walnuts, and dry fruits, and above all, the feathers of birds. they mingle their colours without harmony as without taste; it is only a species of wild mosaic, which announces no plan, and represents no object. the women of the wandering tribes of persia weave those rich carpets which are called turkey carpets, from the place of their immediate importation. but this country was formerly celebrated for magnificent embroideries, and also for tapestries composed of silk and wool embellished with gold. this latter beautiful art, though not entirely lost, is nearly so for want of encouragement. but of all eastern nations the moguls were the most celebrated for their splendid embroideries; walls, couches, and even floors were covered with silk or cotton fabrics richly worked with gold, and often, as in ancient times, with gems inwrought. but this empire has ever been proverbial for its splendour; at one time the throne of the mogul was estimated at , , _l._ sterling, made up by diamonds and other jewels, received in gifts during a long succession of ages. we have, in a former chapter, alluded to the custom of embroidery in imitation of feathers, and also for using real feathers for ornamental work. this is much the custom in many countries. some of the inhabitants of new holland make artificial flowers with feathers, with consummate skill; and they are not uncommon, though vastly inferior, here. various articles of dress are frequently seen made of them, as feather muffs, feather tippets, &c.; and we have seen within the last few months a bonnet covered with _peacock's_ feathers. this, however, is certainly the _extreme_ of fancy. the celebrated mrs. montague had hangings ornamented with feathers: the hangings doubtless are gone: the name of the accomplished lady who displayed them in her fashionable halls is sinking into oblivion, but the poet, who perchance merely glanced at them, lives for ever. on mrs. montague's feather hangings. "the birds put off their ev'ry hue, to dress a room for montague. the peacock sends his heavenly dyes, his _rainbows_ and his _starry eyes_; the pheasant plumes, which round infold his mantling neck with downy gold; the cock his arch'd tail's azure shew; and, river blanch'd, the swan his snow. all tribes beside of indian name, that glossy shine, or vivid flame, where rises, and where sets the day, whate'er they boast of rich and gay, contribute to the gorgeous plan, proud to advance it all they can. this plumage, neither dashing shower, nor blasts that shape the dripping bow'r, shall drench again or discompose-- but screen'd from ev'ry storm that blows it boasts a splendour ever new, safe with protecting montague." some canadian women embroider with their own hair and that of animals; they copy beautifully the ramifications of moss-agates, and of several plants. they insinuate in their works skins of serpents and morsels of fur patiently smoothed. if their embroidery is not so brilliant as that of the chinese, it is not less industrious. the negresses of senegal embroider the skin of different animals of flowers and figures of all colours. the turks and georgians embroider marvellously the lightest gauze or most delicate crape. they use gold thread with inconceivable delicacy; they represent the most minute objects on morocco without varying the form, or fraying the finest gold, by a proceeding quite unknown to us. they frequently ornament their embroidery with pieces of money of different nations, and travellers who are aware of this circumstance often find in their old garments valuable and interesting coins. the saxons imitate the designs of the most accomplished work-people; their embroidery with untwisted thread on muslin is the most delicate and correct we are acquainted with of that kind. the embroidery of venice and milan has long been celebrated, but its excessive dearness prevents the use of it. there is also much beautiful embroidery in france, but the palm for precedence is ably disputed by the germans, especially those of vienna. this progress and variations of this luxury amongst various nations would be a subject of curious research, but too intricate and lengthened for our pages. we have intimations of it at the earliest period, and there is no age in which it appears to have been totally laid aside, no nation in which it was in utter disrepute. some of its most beautiful patterns have been, as in architecture, the adaptation of the moment from natural objects, for one of the first ornaments in roman embroidery, when they departed from their primitive simplicity in dress, was the imitation of the leaf of the acanthus--the same leaf which imparted grace and ornament to the corinthian capital. but it would be endless to enter into the subject of patterns, which doubtless were everywhere originally simple enough, with "here and there a tuft of crimson yarn, or scarlet crewel." and patient minds must often have planned, and assiduous fingers must long have wrought, ere such an achievement was perfected, as even the covering of the joint stool described by cowper:-- "at length a generation more refin'd improved the simple plan; made three legs four, gave them a twisted form vermicular, and o'er the seat with plenteous wadding stuff'd, induc'd a splendid cover, green and blue, yellow and red, of tapestry richly wrought and woven close, or needlework sublime. there might ye see the piony spread wide, the full-blown rose, the shepherd and his lass, lapdog and lambkin with black staring eyes, and parrots with twin cherries in their beak." but from the days of elizabeth the practice of ornamental needlework, of embroidery, had gradually declined in england: the literary and scholastic pursuits which in her day had superseded the use of the needle, did not indeed continue the fashion of later times; still the needle was not resumed, nor perhaps has embroidery and tapestry ever from the days of elizabeth been so much practised as it is now. many _individuals_ have indeed been celebrated, as one thus:-- "she wrought all needleworks that women exercise, with pen, frame, or stoole; all pictures artificial, curious knots or trailes, what fancy could devise; beasts, birds, or flowers, even as things natural." but still embroidery had ceased to be looked upon as a necessary accomplishment, or taught as an important part of education. in the early part of the last century women had become so mischievous from the lack of this employment, that the "spectator" seriously recommends it to the attention of the community at large. "mr. spectator, "i have a couple of nieces under my direction who so often run gadding abroad, that i do not know where to have them. their dress, their tea, and their visits, take up all their time, and they go to bed as tired doing nothing, as i am often after quilting a whole under-petticoat. the only time they are not idle is while they read your spectator, which being dedicated to the interests of virtue, i desire you to recommend the long-neglected art of needlework. those hours which in this age are thrown away in dress, play, visits, and the like, were employed in my time in writing out receipts, or working beds, chairs, and hangings for the family. for my part i have plied my needle these fifty years, and by my good will would never have it out of my hand. it grieves my heart to see a couple of idle flirts sipping their tea, for a whole afternoon, in a room hung round with the industry of their great-grandmother. pray, sir, take the laudable mystery of embroidery into your serious consideration; and as you have a great deal of the virtue of the last age in you, continue your endeavours to reform the present. "i am, &c., ------" "in obedience to the commands of my venerable correspondent, i have duly weighed this important subject, and promise myself from the arguments here laid down, that all the fine ladies of england will be ready, as soon as the mourning is over (for queen anne) to appear covered with the work of their own hands. "what a delightful entertainment must it be to the fair sex whom their native modesty, and the tenderness of men towards them exempt from public business, to pass their hours in imitating fruits and flowers, and transplanting all the beauties of nature into their own dress, or raising a new creation in their closets and apartments! how pleasing is the amusement of walking among the shades and groves planted by themselves, in surveying heroes slain by the needle, or little cupids which they have brought into the world without pain! "this is, methinks, the most proper way wherein a lady can show a fine genius; and i cannot forbear wishing that several writers of that sex had chosen to apply themselves rather to tapestry than rhyme. your pastoral poetesses may vent their fancy in great landscapes, and place despairing shepherds under silken willows, or drown them in a stream of mohair. the heroic writers may work of battles as successfully, and inflame them with gold, or stain them with crimson. even those who have only a turn to a song or an epigram, may put many valuable stitches into a purse, and crowd a thousand graces into a pair of garters. "if i may, without breach of good manners, imagine that any pretty creature is void of genius, and would perform her part herein but very awkwardly, i must nevertheless insist upon her working, if it be only to keep her out of harm's way. "another argument for busying good women in works of fancy is, because it takes them off from scandal, the usual attendant of tea-tables and all other inactive scenes of life. while they are forming their birds and beasts, their neighbours will be allowed to be the fathers of their own children, and whig and tory will be but seldom mentioned where the great dispute is, whether blue or red is now the proper colour. how much greater glory would sophronia do the general if she would choose rather to work the battle of blenheim in tapestry than signalise herself with so much vehemence against those who are frenchmen in their hearts! "a third reason i shall mention is, the profit that is brought to the family when these pretty arts are encouraged. it is manifest that this way of life not only keeps fair ladies from running out into expenses, but is at the same time an actual improvement. "how memorable would that matron be, who shall have it subscribed upon her monument, 'she that wrought out the whole bible in tapestry, and died in a good old age, after having covered yards of wall in the mansion house!' "the premises being considered, i humbly submit the following proposals to all mothers in great britain:-- " . that no young virgin whatsoever be allowed to receive the addresses of her first lover, but in a suit of her own embroidering. " . that before every fresh humble servant she shall be obliged to appear with a new stomacher at the least. " . that no one be actually married until she hath the child-bed pillows, &c., ready stitched, as likewise the mantle for the boy quite finished. "these laws, if i mistake not, would effectually restore the decayed art of needlework, and make the virgins of great britain exceedingly nimble-fingered in their business." chapter xxiii. needlework on books. "and often did she look on that which in her hand she bore, in velvet bound and broider'd o'er-- her breviary book." marmion. "books are ours, within whose silent chambers treasure lies preserved from age to age-- these hoards of truth we can unlock at will." wordsworth. deep indeed are our obligations for those treasures which "we can unlock at will:" treasures of far more value than gold or gems, for they oftentimes bestow that which gold cannot purchase--even forgetfulness of sorrow and pain. happy are those who have a taste for reading and leisure to indulge it. it is the most beguiling solace of life: it is its most ennobling pursuit. it is a magnificent thing to converse with the master spirits of past ages, to behold them as they were; to mingle thought with thought and mind with mind; to let the imagination rove--based however on the authentic record of the past--through dim and distant ages; to behold the fathers and prophets of the ancient earth; to hold communion with martyrs and prophets, and kings; to kneel at the feet of the mighty lawgiver; to bend at the shrine of the eternal poet; to imbibe inspiration from the eloquent, to gather instruction from the wise, and pleasure from the gifted; to behold, as in a glass, all the majesty and all the beauty of the mighty past, to revel in all the accumulated treasures of time--and this, all this, we have by reading the privilege to do. imagination indeed, the gift of heaven, may soar elate, unchecked, though untutored through time and space, through time to eternity, and may people worlds at will; but that truthful basis which can alone give permanence to her visions, that knowledge which ennobles and purifies and elevates them is acquired from books, whether "song of the muses, says historic tale, science severe, or word of holy writ, announcing immortality and joy." the "word of holy writ," the bible--we pass over its hopes, its promises, its consolations--these themes are too sacred even for reference on our light page--but here, we may remark, we see the world in its freshness, its prime, its glory. we converse truly with godlike men and angelic women. we see the mighty and majestic fathers of the human race ere sin had corrupted all their godlike seeming; ere sorrow--the bequeathed and inherited sorrows of ages--had quite seared the "human face divine;" ere sloth, and luxury, and corruption, and decay, had altered features formed in the similitude of heaven to the gross semblance of earth; and we walk step by step over the new fresh earth as yet untrodden by foot of man, and behold the ancient solitudes gradually invaded by his advancing steps. most gentle, most soothing, most faithful companions are books. they afford amusement for the lonely hour; solace perchance for the sorrowful one: they offer recreation to the light-hearted; instruction to the inquiring; inspiration to the aspiring mind; food for the thirsty one. they are inexhaustible in extent as in variety: and oh! in the silent vigil by the suffering couch, or during the languor of indisposition, who can too highly praise those silent friends--silent indeed to the ear, but speaking eloquently to the heart--which beguile, even transiently, the mind from present depressing care, strengthen and elevate it by communion with the past, or solace it by hopes of the future! listen how sweetly one of the first of modern men apostrophises his books:-- "my days among the dead are past; around me i behold, where'er these casual eyes are cast, the mighty minds of old; my never-failing friends are they, with whom i converse day by day. "with them i take delight in weal, and seek relief in woe; and while i understand and feel how much to them i owe, my cheeks have often been bedew'd, with tears of thoughtful gratitude. "my thoughts are with the dead; with them i live in long past years; their virtues love, their faults condemn, partake their hopes and fears, and from their lessons seek and find instruction with a humble mind. "my hopes are with the dead; anon my place with them will be, and i with them shall travel on through all futurity; yet leaving here a name, i trust, that will not perish in the dust."[ ] yet how little are we of the present day, who have books poured into our laps, able to estimate their real value! nor is it possible that they can ever again be estimated as they once were. the universal diffusion of them, the incalculable multiplication of them, seems to render it impossible that the world can ever be deprived of them. no. we must call up some of the spirits of the "pious and painful" amanuenses of those days when the fourth estate of the realm, the public press--was not--to tell us the real value of the literary treasures we now esteem so lightly. he will tell us that in his day the donation of a single book to a religious house was thought to give the donor a claim to eternal salvation; and that an offering so valued, so cherished, would be laid on the high altar amid pomp and pageantry. he might perhaps personally remember the prior and convent of rochester pronouncing an irrevocable sentence of damnation on him who should purloin or conceal their treasured latin translation of aristotle's physics. he would tell us that the holiest and wisest of men would forego ease and luxury and spend laborious years in transcribing books for the good of others; he will tell us that amongst many others, osmond, bishop of salisbury, did this, and perchance he will name that guido de jars, in his fortieth year, began to copy the bible on vellum, with rich and elegant decorations, and that the suns of half a century had risen and set, ere, with unintermitting labour and unwearied zeal, he finished it in his ninetieth. he will also tell us, that when a book was to be sold, it was customary to assemble all persons of consequence and character in the neighbourhood, and to make a formal record that they were present on this occasion. thus, amongst the royal mss. is a book thus described:-- "this book of the sentences belongs to master robert, archdeacon of lincoln, which he bought of geoffrey the chaplain, brother of henry vicar of northelkingston, in the presence of master robert de lee, master john of lirling, richard of luda, clerk, richard the almoner, the said henry the vicar and his clerk, and others: and the said archdeacon gave the said book to god and saint oswald, and to peter abbot of barton, and the convent of barden." these are a few, a very few of such instances as a spirit of the fourteenth century might allude to--to testify the value of books. indeed, even so late as the reign of henry the vi., when the invention of paper greatly facilitated the multiplication of mss. the impediments to study, from the scarcity of books, must have been very great, for in the statutes of st. mary's college, oxford, is this order--"let no scholar occupy a book in the library above one hour, or two hours at the most; lest others shall be hindered from the use of the same." the scarcity of parchment seems indeed at times to have been a greater hindrance to the promulgation of literature than even the laborious and tedious transcription of the books. about , one master hugh, being appointed by the convent of st. edmondsbury to write a copy of the bible, for their library, could procure no parchment in england. the following particulars of the scarcity of books before the era of printing, gathered chiefly by warton, are interesting. in , lupus, abbot of ferrieres in france, sent two of his monks to pope benedict the third, to beg a copy of cicero de oratore, and quintilian's institutes, and some other books: for, says the abbot, although we have part of these books, yet there is no whole or complete copy of them in all france. albert, abbot of gemblours, who with incredible labour and immense expense had collected a hundred volumes on theological, and fifty on general subjects, imagined he had formed a splendid library. about , charlemagne granted an unlimited right to hunting to the abbot and monks of sithin, for making their gloves and girdles of the skins of the deer they killed, and covers for their books. at the beginning of the tenth century, books were so scarce in spain, that one and the same copy of the bible, st. jerome's epistles, and some volumes of ecclesiastical offices and martyrologies, often served several different monasteries. amongst the constitutions given to the monks of england by archbishop lanfranc, in , the following injunction occurs: at the beginning of lent, the librarian is ordered to deliver a book to each of the religious; a whole year was allowed for the perusal of this book! and at the returning lent, those monks who had neglected to read the books they had respectively received, are commanded to prostrate themselves before the abbot to supplicate his indulgence. this regulation was partly occasioned by the low state of literature in which lanfranc found the english monasteries to be; but at the same time it was a matter of necessity, and partly to be referred to the scarcity of copies of useful and suitable authors. john de pontissara, bishop of winchester, borrowed of his cathedral convent of st. swithin at winchester, in , bibliam bene glossatam, or the bible, with marginal annotations, in two large folio volumes; but he gives a bond for due return of the loan, drawn up with great solemnity. this bible had been bequeathed to the convent the same year by his predecessor, bishop nicholas de ely: and in consideration of so important a bequest, and marks in money, the monks founded a daily mass for the soul of the donor. about roger de tusula, dean of york, gave several latin bibles to the university of oxford, with a condition that the students who perused them should deposit a cautionary pledge. the library of that university, before the year , consisted only of a few tracts, chained or kept in chests in the choir of st. mary's church. books often brought excessive prices in the middle ages. in , walter, prior of st. swithin's at winchester, and afterwards abbot of westminster, purchased of the monks of dorchester in oxfordshire bede's homilies and st. austin's psalter, for twelve measures of barley, and a pall on which was embroidered in silver the history of birinus converting a saxon king. about , a copy of john de meun's roman de la rose was sold before the palace-gate at paris for forty crowns, or _l._ _s._ _d._ in edward the third's reign, one hundred marks (equal to _l._) were paid to isabella de lancaster, a nun of ambresbury, for a book of romance, purchased from her for the king's use. warton mentions a book of the gospels, in the cotton library, as a fine specimen of saxon calligraphy and decorations. it is written by eadfrid, bishop of durham, in the most exquisite manner. ethelwold his successor did the illuminations, the capital letters, the picture of the cross, and the evangelists, with infinite labour and elegance; and bilfred, the anchorite, covered the book, thus written and adorned, with silver plates and precious stones. it was finished about . the encouragement given in the english monasteries for transcribing books was very considerable. in every great abbey there was an apartment called "the scriptorium;" where many writers were constantly busied in transcribing not only the service books for the choir, but books for the library. the scriptorium of st. alban's abbey was built by abbot paulin, a norman, who ordered many volumes to be written there, about . archbishop lanfranc furnished the copies. estates were often granted for the support of the scriptorium. that at st. edmundsbury was endowed with two mills. the tithes of a rectory were appropriated to the cathedral convent of st. swithin, at winchester, _ad libros transcribendos_, in the year . nigel in the year gave the monks of ely two churches, ad libros faciendos. when the library at croyland abbey was burnt in , seven hundred volumes were consumed which must have been thus laboriously produced. fifty-eight volumes were transcribed at glastonbury during the government of one abbot, about the year . and in the library of this monastery, the richest in england, there were upwards of four hundred volumes in the year . but whilst there is sufficient cause to admire the penmen of former days, in the mere transcription of books, shall we not marvel at the beauty with which they were invested; the rich and brilliant illuminations, the finely tinted paintings, the magnificent and laborious ornament with which not merely every page, but in many manuscripts almost every line was decorated! they, such as have been preserved, form a valuable proportion of the riches of the principal european libraries: of the vatican of rome; the imperial at vienna; st. mark's at venice; the escurial in spain; and the principal public libraries in england. the art of thus illuminating mss., now entirely lost, had attained the highest degree of perfection, and is, indeed, of ancient origin. in the remotest times the common colours of black and white have been varied by luxury and taste. herodotus and diodorus siculus mention purple and yellow skins, on which mss. were written in gold and silver; and amongst the eastern nations rolls of this kind (that is gold and silver on purple), exquisitely executed, are found in abundance, but of a later date. still they appear to have been familiar with the practice at a much more remote period; and it is probable that the greeks acquired this art from egypt or india. from the greeks it would naturally pass to the latins, who appear to have been acquainted with it early in the second century. the earliest specimen of purple or rose-coloured vellum is recorded in the life of the emperor maximinus the younger, to whom, in the commencement of the third century, his mother made a present of the poems of homer, written on purple vellum in gold letters. such productions were, however, at this time very rare. the celebrated codex argenteus of ulphilas, written in silver and gold letters on a purple ground, about , is probably the most ancient existing specimen of this magnificent mode of calligraphy. in the fourth century it had become more common: many ecclesiastical writers allude to it, and st. jerome especially does so; and the following spirited dialogue has reference to his somewhat condemnatory allusions. "purple vellum greek mss.," says breitinger, "if i remember rightly, are scarcer than white crows!" belinda. "pray tell us 'all about them,' as the children say." philemon. "well, then, at your next court visit, let your gown rival the emblazoned aspect of these old purple vellums, and let stars of silver, thickly 'powdered' thereupon, emulate, if they dare, the silver capital greek letters upon the purple membranaceous fragments which have survived the desolations of time! you see, i do not speak _coldly_ upon this picturesque subject!" alimansa. "nor do i feel precisely as if i were in the _frigid_ zone! but proceed and expatiate." philemon. "the field for expatiating is unluckily very limited. the fact of the more ancient mss. before noticed, the _pentateuch_ at _vienna_, the fragment of the gospels in the british museum, with a psalter or two in a few libraries abroad, are all the mss. which just now occur to me as being distinguished by a _purple tint_, for i apprehend little more than a _tint_ remains. whether the white or the purple vellum be the more ancient, i cannot take upon me to determine; but it is right you should be informed that st. jerom denounces as _coxcombs_, all those who, in his own time, were so violently attached to your favourite purple colour." lisardo. "i have a great respect for the literary attainments of st. jerom; and although in the absence of the old italic version of the greek bible, i am willing to subscribe to the excellence of his own, or what is now called the _vulgate_, yet in matters of taste, connected with the harmony of colour, you must excuse me if i choose to enter my protest against that venerable father's decision." philemon. "you appear to mistake the matter st. jerom imagined that this appetite for purple mss. was rather artificial and voluptuous; requiring regulation and correction--and that, in the end, men would prefer the former colour to the intrinsic worth of their vellum treasures." * * * * * we must not omit the note appended to this colloquy. "the general idea seems to be that purple vellum mss. were intended only for 'choice blades,' let us rather say, tasteful bibliomaniacs--in book collecting. st. jerom, as philemon above observes, is very biting in his sarcasm upon these 'purple leaves covered with letters of gold and silver.'--'for myself and my friends (adds that father), let us have lower priced books, and distinguished not so much for beauty as for accuracy.' "mabillon remarks that these purple treasures were for the 'princes' and 'noblemen' of the times. "and we learn from the twelfth volume of the specileginum of theonas, that it is rather somewhat unseemly 'to write upon purple vellum in letters of gold and silver, unless at the particular desire of a prince.'" "the _subject_ also of mss. frequently regulated the mode of executing it. thus we learn from the th epistle of boniface (bishop and martyr) to the abbess eadburga, that this latter is entreated 'to write the epistles of st. peter, the master and apostle of boniface, in letters of gold, for the greater reverence to be paid towards the sacred scriptures, when the abbess preaches before her carnally-minded auditors.'" about the close of the seventh century the archbishop of york procured for his church a copy of the gospels thus adorned; and that this magnificent calligraphy was then new in england may be inferred from a remark made on it that "inauditam ante seculis nostris quoddam miraculam." this art, however, shortly after declined everywhere; and in england the art of writing in gold letters, even without the rich addition of the purple-tinted material, seems to have been but imperfectly understood. the only remarkable instance of it is said to be the charter of king edgar, in the new minster at winchester, in . in the fourteenth century it seems to have been more customary than in those immediately preceding it. but we have been beguiled too long from that which alone is connected with our subject, viz., the _binding_ of books. probably this was originally a plain and unadorned oaken cover; though as books were found only in monastic establishments, or in the mansions of the rich, even the cover soon became emblematic of its valuable contents. the early ornaments of the back were chiefly of a religious character--a representation of the virgin, of the infant saviour, of the crucifixion. dibdin mentions a latin psalter of the ninth century in this primitive and substantial binding, and on the oaken board was riveted a large brass crucifix, originally, probably, washed with silver; and also a ms. of the latin gospels of the twelfth or thirteenth century, in oaken covers, inlaid with pieces of carved ivory, representing our saviour with an angel above him, and the virgin and child. the carved ivory may probably be a subsequent interpolation, but it does not the less exemplify the practice. but as the taste for luxury and ornament increased, and the bindings, even the clumsy wooden ones, became more gorgeously decorated--the most costly gems and precious stones being frequently inlaid with the golden ornaments--the shape and form of them was altogether altered. with a view to the preservation and the safety of the riches lavished on them, the bindings were made double, each side being perhaps two inches thick; and on a spring being touched, or a secret lock opened, it divided, almost like the opening of a cupboard-door, and displayed the rich ornament and treasure within; whilst, when closed, the outside had only the appearance of a plain, somewhat clumsy binding. at that time, too, books were ranged on shelves with the leaves in front; therefore great pains were taken, both in the decoration of the edges, and also in the rich and ornamental clasps and strings which united the wooden sides. these clasps were frequently of gold, inlaid with jewels. the wooden sides were afterwards covered with leather, with vellum, with velvet,--though probably there is no specimen of velvet binding before the fourteenth century; and, indeed, as time advanced, there is scarcely any substance which was not applied to this purpose. queen elizabeth had a little volume of prayers bound in solid gold, which at prayer-time she suspended by a gold chain at her side; and we saw, a few years ago, a small devotional book which belonged to the martyr-king, charles, and which was given by him to the ancestress of the friend who showed it to us, beautifully bound in tortoise-shell and finely-carved silver. but it was not to gold and precious stones alone that the bindings of former days were indebted for their beauty. the richest and rarest devices of the needlewoman were often wrought on the velvet, or brocade, which became more exclusively the fashionable material for binding. this seems to have been a favourite occupation of the high-born dames about elizabeth's day; and, indeed, if we remember the new-born passion for books, which was at its height about that time, we shall not wonder at their industry being displayed on the covers as well as the insides[ ]. but very probably this had been a favourite object for the needle long before this time, though unhappily the fragility of the work was equal to its beauty, and these needleworked covers have doubtless, in very many instances, been replaced by more substantial binding. the earliest specimen of this description of binding remaining in the british museum is "fichetus (guil.) rhetoricum, libri tres. (impr. in membranis) to. paris ad sorbonæ, ." it has an illuminated title-page, showing the author presenting, on his knees, his book to the pope; and it is decorated throughout with illuminated letters and other ornaments; for long after the invention of printing, blank spaces were left, for the capitals and headings to be filled up by the pencil. hence it is that we find some books quite incomplete; these spaces having been left, and not filled up. when the art of illuminating still more failed, the red ink was used as a substitute, and everybody is acquainted with books of this style. the binding of fitchet's 'rhetoric' is covered with crimson satin, on which is wrought with the needle a coat-of-arms: a lion rampant in gold thread, in a blue field, with a transverse badge in scarlet silk; the minor ornaments are all wrought in fine gold thread. the next in date which i have seen there is a description of the holy land, in french, written in henry vii.'s time, and illuminated. it is bound in rich maroon velvet, with the royal arms: the garter and motto embroidered in blue; the ground crimson; and the fleurs-de-lys, leopards, and letters of the motto in gold thread. a coronet, or crown, of gold thread, is inwrought with pearls; the roses at the corners are in red silk and gold; and there is a narrow border round the whole in burnished gold thread. there is an edition of petrarch's sonnets, printed at venice in . it is in beautiful preservation. the back is of dark crimson velvet, and on each side is wrought a large royal coat-of-arms, in silk and gold, highly raised. the book belonged to edward vi., but the arms are not his. queen mary's psalter, containing also the history of the old testament in a series of small paintings, and the work richly illuminated throughout, had once an exterior worthy of it. the crimson velvet, of which only small particles remain to attest its pristine richness, is literally thread-bare; and the highly-raised embroidery of a massy fleur-de-lys is also worn to the canvas on which it was wrought. on one side scarcely a gold thread remains, which enables one, however, to perceive that the embroidery was done on fine canvas, or, perhaps, rather coarse linen, twofold: that then it was laid on the velvet, seamed to it, and the edges cut away, the stitches round the edge being covered with a kind of cordon, or golden thread, sewed over;--just, indeed, as we sew muslin on net. there are three, in the same depository, of the date of queen elizabeth. one a book of prayers, copied out by herself before she ascended the throne. the back is covered with canvas, wrought all over in a kind of tentstitch of rich crimson silk, and silver thread intermixed. this groundwork may or may not be the work of the needle, but there is little doubt that elizabeth's own needle wrought the ornaments thereon, viz., h. k. intertwined in the middle; a smaller h. above and below, and roses in the corners; all raised high, and worked in blue silk and silver. this is the dedication of the book: "illustrissimo ac potentissimo henrico octavo, angliæ, franciæ, hiberniæq. regi, fidei defensori, et secundum christum ecclesiæ anglicanæ et hibernicæ supremo capiti. elizabeta majest. s. humillima filia omne felicitatem precatur, et benedictionem suam suplex petit." there is in the bodleian library among the mss. the epistles of st. paul, printed in old black letter, the binding of which was also queen elizabeth's work; and her handwriting appears at the beginning, viz. "august.--i walk many times into the pleasant fields of the holy scriptures, where i plucke up the goodliesome herbes of sentences by pruning: eate them by reading: chawe them by musing: and laie them up at length in the hie seate of memorie by gathering them together: that so having tasted thy sweeteness i may the less perceive the bitterness of this miserable life." the covering is done in needlework by the queen (then princess) herself: on one side an embroidered star, on the other a heart, and round each, as borders, latin sentences are wrought, such as "beatus qui divitias scripturæ legens verba vertit in opera."--"vicit omnia pertinax virtus." &c., &c.[ ] there is a book in the british museum, very _petite_, a ms containing a french pastoral--date --of which the satin or brocade back is loaded with needlework in gold and silver, which now, however, looks heavy and tasteless. but the most beautiful is archbishop parker's, "de antiquitate britannicæ ecclesiæ:" a.d. . the material of the back is rich green velvet, but it is thickly covered with embroidery: there has not indeed, originally, been space to lay a fourpenny-piece. it is entirely covered with animals and flowers, in green, crimson, lilac, and yellow silk, and gold thread. round the edge is a border about an inch broad, of gold thread. of the date of is a book of magnificent penmanship, by the hand of a female, of emblems and inscriptions. it is bound in crimson silk, having in the centre a prince's feather worked in gold-thread, with the feathers bound together with large pearls, and round it a wreath of leaves and flowers. round the edge there is a broader wreath, with corner sprigs all in gold thread, thickly interspersed with spangles and gold leaves. all these books, with the exception of the one quoted from ballard's memoirs, were most obligingly sought out and brought to me by the gentlemen at the british museum. probably there are more; but as, unfortunately for my purpose, the books there are catalogued according to their authors, their contents, or their intrinsic value, instead of their outward seeming, it is not easy, amidst three or four hundred thousand volumes, to pick out each insignificant book which may happen to be-- "in velvet bound and broider'd o'er." footnotes: [ ] southey. [ ] we have seen cartouche-boxes embroidered precisely in the same style, and probably therefore of the same period as some of the embroidered books here referred to. [ ] ballard's memoirs. chapter xxiv. needlework of royal ladies. "thus is a needle prov'd an instrument of profit, pleasure, and of ornament, which mighty queenes have grac'd in hand to take." john taylor. needlework is an art so attractive in itself; it is capable of such infinite variety, and is such a beguiler of lonely, as of social hours, and offers such scope to the indulgence of fancy, and the display of taste; it is withal--in its lighter branches--accompanied with so little bodily exertion, not deranging the most _recherché_ dress, nor incommoding the most elaborate and exquisite costume, that we cannot wonder that it has been practised with ardour even by those the farthest removed from any necessity for its exercise. therefore has it been from the earliest ages a favourite employment of the high and nobly born. the father of song hardly refers at all to the noble dames of greece and troy but as occupied in "painting with the needle." some, the heroic achievements of their countrymen on curtains and draperies, others various rich and rare devices on banners, on robes and mantles, destined for festival days, for costly presents to ambassadors, or for offerings to friends. and there are scattered notices at all periods of the prevalence of this custom. in all ages until this of "inventions rare steam towns and towers." the preparation of apparel has fallen to woman's share, the spinning, the weaving, and the manufacture of the material itself from which garments were made. but, though we read frequently of high-born dames spinning in the midst of their maids, it is probable that this drudgery was performed by inferiors and menials, whilst enough, and more than enough of arduous employment was left for the ladies themselves in the rich tapestries and embroideries which have ever been coveted and valued, either as articles of furniture, or more usually for the decoration of the person. rich and rare garments used to be infinitely more the attribute of high rank than they now are; and in more primitive times a princess was not ashamed to employ herself in the construction of her own apparel or that of her relatives. of this we have an intimation in the old ballad of 'hardyknute'--beginning "stately stept he east the wa', and stately stept he west." "farewell, my dame, sae peerless good, (and took her by the hand,) fairer to me in age you seem, than maids for beauty fam'd. my youngest son shall here remain to guard these lonely towers, and shut the silver bolt that keeps sae fast your painted bowers. "and first she wet her comely cheeks, and then her boddice green, her silken cords of twisted twist, well plett with silver sheen; and apron set with mony a dice of needlewark sae rare, wove by nae hand, as ye may guess, save that of fairly fair." but it harmonises better with our ideas of high or royal life to hear of some trophy for the warrior, some ornament for the knightly bower, or some decorative offering for the church, emanating from the taper fingers of the courtly fair, than those kirtles and boddices which, be they ever so magnificent, seem to appertain more naturally to the "milliner's practice." therefore, though we give the gentle fairly fair all possible praise for notability in the "apron set with mony a dice of needlework sae rare," we certainly look with more regard on such work as that of the danish princesses who wrought a standard with the national device, the raven,[ ] on it, and which was long the emblem of terror to those opposed to it on the battle-field. of a gentler character was the stupendous labour of queen matilda--the bayeux tapestry--on which we have dwelt too long elsewhere to linger here, and which was wrought by her and under her superintendence. queen adelicia, the second wife of henry i., was a lady of distinguished beauty and high talent: she was remarkable for her love of needlework, and the skill with which she executed it. one peculiar production of her needle has recently been described by her accomplished biographer; it was a standard which she embroidered in silk and gold for her father, during the memorable contest in which he was engaged for the recovery of his patrimony, and which was celebrated throughout europe for the exquisite taste and skill displayed by the royal adelicia in the design and execution of her patriotic achievement. this standard was unfortunately captured at a battle near the castle of duras, in , by the bishop of liege and the earl of limbourg, the old competitor of godfrey for lower lorraine, and was by them placed as a memorial of their triumph in the great church of st. lambert, at liege, and was for centuries carried in procession on rogation days through the streets of that city. the church of st. lambert was destroyed during the french revolution. the plain where this memorable trophy was taken is still called the "field of the standard." perhaps, second only to queen matilda's work, or indeed superior to it, as being entirely the production of her own hand, were the needlework pieces of joan d'albert, who ascended the throne of navarre in . though her own career was varied and eventful, she is best known to posterity as the mother of the great henry iv. she adopted the reformed religion, of which she became, not without some risk to her crown thereby, the zealous protectress, and on christmas-day, , she made a public profession of the protestant faith; she prohibited the offices of the catholic religion to be performed in her domains, and suffered in consequence many alarms from her catholic subjects. but she possessed great courage and fortitude, and baffled all open attacks. against concealed treachery she could not contend. she died suddenly at the court of france in , as it was strongly suspected, by poison. this queen possessed a vigorous and cultivated understanding; was acquainted with several languages, and composed with facility both in prose and verse. her needlework, the amusement and solace of her leisure hours, was designed by her as "a commemoration of her love for, and steadiness to, the reformed faith." it is thus described by boyle: "she very much loved devices, and she wrought with her own hand fine and large pieces of tapestry, among which was a suit of hangings of a dozen or fifteen pieces, which were called the prisons opened; by which she gave us to understand that she had broken the pope's bonds, and shook off his yoke of captivity. in the middle of every piece is a story of the old testament which savours of liberty--as the deliverance of susannah; the departure of the children of israel out of egypt; the setting joseph at liberty, &c. and at all the corners are broken chains, shackles, racks, and gibbets; and over them in great letters, these words of the third chapter of the second epistle to the corinthians, ubi spiritus ibi libertas. "to show yet more fully the aversion she had conceived against the catholic religion, and particularly against the sacrifice of the mass, having a fine and excellent piece of tapestry, made by her mother, margaret, before she had suffered herself to be cajoled by the ministers, in which was perfectly well wrought the sacrifice of the mass, and a priest who held out the holy host to the people, she took out the square in which was this history, and, instead of the priest, with her own hand substituted a fox, who turning to the people, and making a horrible grimace with his paws and throat, delivered these words, dominus vobiscum." we are told that anne of brittany, the good queen of france, assembled three hundred of the children of the nobility at her court, where, under her personal superintendence, they were instructed in such accomplishments as became their rank and sex, but the girls, most especially, made accomplished needlewomen. embroidery was their occupation during some specified hours of every day, and they wrought much tapestry, which was presented by their royal protectress to different churches. her daughter claude, the queen of francis i., formed her court on the same model and maintained the same practice; queen anne boleyn was educated in her court, and was doomed to consume a large portion of her time in the occupation of the needle. it was an employment little suited to her lively disposition and coquettish habits, and we do not hear, during her short occupation of the throne, that she resorted to it as an amusement. "ai lavori d'aracne, all'ago, ai fusi inchinar non degnò la man superba." the practice of devoting some hours to embroidery seems to have continued in the french court. when the young queen of scots was there, the french princesses assembled every afternoon in the queen's (catherine of medici's) private apartment, where "she usually spent two or three hours in embroidery with her female attendants." it is also said, that katharine of arragon was in the habit of employing the ladies of her court in needlework, in which she was herself extremely assiduous, working with them and encouraging them by her example. burnet records, that when two legates requested once to speak with her, she came out to them with a skein of silk about her neck, and told them she had been within at work with her women. an anecdote, as far as regards the skein of silk, somewhat more housewifely than queenly. in this she differed much from her successor, queen catherine parr, for having had her nativity cast when a child, and being told, from the disposition of the stars and planets in her house, that she was born to sit in the highest seat of imperial majesty; child as she was, she was so impressed by the prediction, that when her mother required her to work she would say, "my hands are ordained to touch crowns and sceptres, not needles and spindles." when the orphaned daughter of this lady, by the lord admiral, was consigned to the care of the duchess of suffolk, the furniture of "her former nursery" was to be sent with her. the list is rather curious, and we subjoin it. "two pots, three goblets, one salt parcel gilt, a maser with a band of silver and parcel gilt, and eleven spoons; a quilt for the cradle, three pillows, three feather-beds, three quilts, a testor of scarlet embroidered with a counterpoint of silk say belonging to the same, and curtains of crimson taffeta; two counterpoints of imagery for the nurse's bed, six pair of sheets, six fair pieces of hangings within the inner chamber; four carpets for windows, ten pieces of hangings of the twelve months within the outer chamber, two quishions of cloth of gold, one chair of cloth of gold, two wrought stools, a bedstead gilt, with a testor and counterpoint, with curtains belonging to the same." return we to katharine of arragon: her needlework labours have been celebrated both in latin and english verse. the following sonnet refers to specimens in the tower, which now indeed are swept away, having left not "a wreck behind." "i read that in the seventh king henrie's reigne, fair katharine, daughter to the castile king, came into england with a pompous traine of spanish ladies which shee thence did bring. she to the eighth king henry married was, and afterwards divorc'd, where virtuously (although a queene), yet she her days did pass in working with the _needle_ curiously, as in the tower, and places more beside, her excellent memorials may be seen; whereby the _needle's_ prayse is dignifide by her faire ladies, and herselfe, a queene. thus far her paines, here her reward is just, her works proclaim her prayse, though she be dust." the same pen also celebrated her daughter's skill in this feminine occupation. mary was skilled in all sorts of embroidery; and when her mother's divorce consigned her to a private life, she beguiled the intervals of those severer studies in which she peaceably and laudably occupied her time in various branches of needlework. it is not unlikely the psalter we have alluded to elsewhere was embroidered by herself; and a reference to the fashionable occupations of the day will bring to our minds various trifling articles, the embroidery of which beguiled her time, though they have long since passed away. "her daughter mary here the sceptre swaid, and though she were a queene of mighty power, her memory will never be decaid, which by her works are likewise in the tower, in windsor castle, and in hampton court, in that most pompous roome called paradise; who ever pleaseth thither to resort, may see some workes of hers, of wondrous price. her greatness held it no disreputation to take the needle in her royal hand; which was a good example to our nation to banish idleness from out her land: and thus this queene, in wisdom thought it fit, the needle's worke pleas'd her, and she grac'd it." we extract the following notice of the gentle and excellent lady jane grey, from the 'court magazine.' "ten days' royalty! alas, how deeply fraught with tragic interest is the historic page recording the events of that brief period! and how immeasurable the results proceeding therefrom. love, beauty, religious constancy, genius, and learning, were seen in early womanhood intermingling their glorious halo with the dark shadowings of despotism, imprisonment, and violent death upon the scaffold! "in the most sequestered part of leicestershire, backed by rude eminences, and skirted by lowly and romantic valleys, stands bradgate, the birth-place and abode of lady jane grey. the approach to bradgate from the village of cropston is striking. on the left stands a group of venerable trees, at the extremity of which rise the remains of the once magnificent mansion of the greys of groby. on the right is a hill, known by the name of 'the coppice,' covered with slate, but so intermixed with fern and forest-flowers as to form a beautiful contrast to the deep shades of the surrounding woods. to add to the loveliness of the scene, a winding trout-stream finds its way from rock to rock, washing the walls of bradgate until it reaches the fertile meadows of swithland. "in the distance, situate upon a hill, is a tower, called by the country-people old john, commanding a magnificent view of the adjoining country, including the distant castles of nottingham and belvoir. with the exception of the chapel and kitchen, the princely mansion has now become a ruin; but a tower still stands, which tradition points out as her birth-place. traces of the tilt-yard are visible, with the garden-walls, and a noble terrace whereon jane often walked and sported in her childhood; and the rose and lily still spring in favourable nooks of that wilderness, once the pleasance, or pleasure-garden of bradgate. near the brook is a beautiful group of old chestnut-trees. "'this was thy home then, gentle jane, this thy green solitude; and here at evening from the gleaming pane, thine eye oft watched the dappled deer (while the soft sun was in its wane) browsing beside the brooklet clear; the brook runs still, the sun sets now, the deer yet browseth--where art thou?' "instead of skill in drawing she cultivated the art of painting with the needle, and at zurich is still to be seen, together with the original ms. of her latin letters to the reformer bullinger, a toilet beautifully ornamented by her own hands, which had been presented by her to her learned correspondent." in the court of catherine de medicis mary queen of scots was habituated to the daily practice of needlework, and thus fostered her natural taste for the art which she had acquired in the convent--supposed to have been st. germaine-en-laye, where she was placed during the early part of her residence in france. she left this convent with the utmost regret, revisited it whenever she was permitted, and gladly employed her needle in embroidering an altarpiece for its church. this predilection for needlework never forsook her, but proved a beguilement and a solace during the weary years of her subsequent imprisonment, especially after she was separated from the female friends who at first accompanied her. during a part of her confinement, while she was still on comparatively friendly terms with elizabeth, she transmitted several elegant pieces of her own needlework to this princess. she wrought a canopy, which was placed in the presence-chamber at whitehall, consisting of an empalement of the arms of france and scotland, embroidered under an imperial crown. it does not appear at what period of her life she worked it. during the early part of her confinement she was asked how, in unfavourable weather, she passed the time within. she said that all that day she wrought with her needle, and that the diversity of the colours made the work seem less tedious; and she continued so long at it till very pain made her to give over. "upon this occasion she entered into a pretty disputable comparison between carving, painting, and working with the needle; affirming painting, in her own opinion, for the most commendable quality. no doubt it was during her confinement in england that she worked the bed still preserved at chatsworth." the following notices from her own letters, though trifling, are interesting memorials of this melancholy part of her life:-- "july , .--i pray you send me some pigeons, red partridges, and barbary fowls. i mean to try to rear them in this country, or keep them in cages: it is an amusement for a prisoner, and i do so with all the little birds i can obtain. "july , .--always bear in mind that my will in all things be strictly followed; and send me, if it be possible, some one with my accounts. he must bring me patterns of dresses and samples of cloths, gold and silver, stuffs and silks, the most costly and new now worn at court. order for me at poissy a couple of coifs, with gold and silver crowns, such as they have made for me before. remind breton of his promise to send me from italy the newest kind of head-dress, veils, and ribands, wrought with gold and silver, and i will repay him. "september .--deliver to my uncle the cardinal the two cushions of my work which i send herewith. should he be gone to lyons, he will doubtless send me a couple of beautiful little dogs; and you likewise may procure a couple for me; for, except in reading and working, i take pleasure solely in all the little animals i can obtain. you must send them hither very comfortably put up in baskets. "february , .--i send the king of france some poodle-dogs (barbets), but can only answer for the beauty of the dogs, as i am not allowed either to hunt or to ride."[ ] it is said that one of the articles which in its preparation beguiled her, perchance, of some melancholy thoughts, was a waistcoat which, having richly and beautifully embroidered, she sent to her son; and that this selfish prince was heartless enough to reject the offering because his mother (still surely queen of scotland in his eyes) addressed it to him as prince. the poet so often quoted wrote the subjoined sonnet in queen elizabeth's praise, whose skill with her needle was remarkable. she was especially an adept in the embroidering with gold and silver, and practised it much in the early part of her life, though perhaps few specimens of her notability now exist:-- "when this great queene, whose memory shall not by any terme of time be overcast; for when the world and all therein shall rot, yet shall her glorious fame for ever last. when she a maid had many troubles past, from jayle to jayle by maries angry spleene: and woodstocke, and the tower in prison fast, and after all was england's peerelesse queene. yet howsoever sorrow came or went, she made the needle her companion still, and in that exercise her time she spent, as many living yet doe know her skill. thus shee was still, a captive, or else crown'd, a needlewoman royall and renown'd." of mary ii., the wife of the prince of orange, bishop fowler writes thus:--"what an enemy she was to idleness! even in ladies, those who had the honour to serve her are living instances. it is well known how great a part of the day they were employed at their needles and several ingenuities; the queen herself, when more important business would give her leave, working with them. and, that their minds might be well employed at the same time, it was her custom to order one to read to them, while they were at work, either divinity or some profitable history." and burnet thus:--"when her eyes were endangered by reading too much, she found out the amusement of work; and in all those hours that were not given to better employment she wrought with her own hands, and that sometimes with so constant a diligence as if she had been to earn her bread by it. it was a new thing, and looked like a sight, to see a queen working so many hours a day." her taste and industry in embroidery are testified by chairs yet remaining at hampton court. the beautiful and unfortunate marie antoinette, lively as was her disposition, and fond as she was of gaiety, did not find either the duties or gaieties of a court inconsistent with the labours of the needle. she was extremely fond of needlework, and during her happiest and gayest years was daily to be found at her embroidery-frame. her approach to this was a signal that other ladies might equally amuse themselves with their various occupations of embroidery, of knitting, or of _untwisting_--the profitable occupation of that day; and which was so fashionable, such a "rage," that the ladies of the court hardly stirred anywhere without two little workbags each--one filled with gold fringes, laces, tassels, or any _golden_ trumpery they could pick up, the other to contain the gold they unravelled, which they sold to jews. it is said to be a fact that duchesses--nay, princesses--have been known to go about from jew to jew in order to obtain the highest price for their gold. dolls and all sorts of toys were made and covered with gold brocades; and the gentlemen never failed rendering themselves agreeable to their fair acquaintance by presenting them with these toys! every one knows that the court costume of the french noblemen at that period was most expensive; this absurd custom rendered it doubly, trebly so; and was carried to such an excess, that frequently the moment a gentleman appeared in a new coat the ladies crowded round him and soon divested it of all its gold ornaments. the following is an instance:--"the duke de coigny one night appeared in a new and most expensive coat: suddenly a lady in the company remarked that its gold bindings would be excellent for untwisting. in an instant he was surrounded--all the scissors in the room were at work; in short, in a few moments the coat was stripped of its laces, its galoons, its tassels, its fringes; and the poor duke, notwithstanding his vexation, was forced by _politeness_ to laugh and praise the dexterity of the fair hands that robbed him." but what a solace did that passion for needlework, which the queen indulged in herself and encouraged in others, become to her during her fearful captivity. this unhappy princess was born on the day of the lisbon earthquake, which seemed to stamp a fatal mark on the era of her birth; and many circumstances occurred during her life which have since been considered as portentous. "'tis certain that the soul hath oft foretaste of matters which beyond its ken are placed." one circumstance, simple in itself and easily explained, is recorded by madame campan as having impressed marie with shuddering anticipations of evil:-- "one evening, about the latter end of may, she was sitting in the middle of her room, relating several remarkable occurrences of the day. four wax candles were placed upon her toilet; the first went out of itself--i relighted it; shortly afterwards the second, and then the third, went out also: upon which the queen, squeezing my hand with an emotion of terror, said to me, 'misfortune has power to make us superstitious; if the fourth taper go out like the first, nothing can prevent my looking upon it as a fatal omen!'--the fourth taper went out." at an earlier period goëthe seems, with somewhat of a poet's inspiration, to have read a melancholy fate for her. when young he was completing his studies at strasburg. in an isle in the middle of the rhine a pavilion had been erected, intended to receive marie antoinette and her suite, on her way to the french court. "i was admitted into it," says goëthe, in his memoirs: "on my entrance i was struck with the subject depicted in the tapestry with which the principal pavilion was hung, in which were seen jason, creusa, and medea; that is to say, a representation of the most fatal union commemorated in history. on the left of the throne the bride, surrounded by friends and distracted attendants, was struggling with a dreadful death; jason, on the other side, was starting back, struck with horror at the sight of his murdered children; and the fury was soaring into the air in her chariot drawn by dragons. superstition apart, this strange coincidence was really striking. the husband, the bride, and the children, were victims in both cases: the fatal omen seemed accomplished in every point." the following notices of her imprisonment would but be spoiled by any alteration of language. we shall perceive that one of her greatest troubles in prison, before her separation from the king and the dauphin, was the being deprived of her sewing implements. "during the early part of louis xvi.'s imprisonment, and while the treatment of him and his family was still human, his majesty employed himself in educating his son; while the queen, on her part, educated her daughter. then they passed some time in needlework, knitting, or tapestry-work. "at this time the royal family were in great want of clothes, insomuch that the princesses were employed in mending them every day; and madame elizabeth was often obliged to wait till the king was gone to bed, in order to have his to repair. the linen they brought to the tower had been lent them by friends, some by the countess of sutherland, who found means to convey linen and other things for the use of the dauphin. the queen wished to write a letter to the countess expressive of her thanks, and to return some of these articles, but her majesty was debarred from pen and ink; and the clothes she returned were stolen by her jailors, and never found their way to their right owner. "after many applications a little new linen was obtained; but the sempstress having marked it with crowns, the municipal officers insisted on the princesses picking the marks _out_, and they were forced to obey. "_dec. ._--an officer, at the head of a deputation from the commune, came to the king and read a decree, ordering that the persons in confinement should be deprived of all scissors, razors, knives--instruments usually taken from criminals; and that the strictest search should be made for the same, as well on their persons as in their apartments. the king took out of his pocket a knife and a small morocco pocket-book, from which he gave the pen-knife and scissors. the officer searched every corner of the apartments, and carried off the razors, the curling-irons, the powder-scraper, instruments for the teeth, and many articles of gold and silver. they took away from the princesses their knitting-needles and all the little articles they used for their embroidery. the unhappy queen and princesses were the more sensible of the loss of the little instruments taken from them, as they were in consequence forced to give up all the feminine handiworks which till then had served to beguile prison hours. at this time the king's coat became ragged, and as the princess elizabeth, his sister, was mending it, as she had no scissors, the king observed that she had to bite off the thread with her teeth--'what a reverse!' said the king, looking tenderly upon her; 'you were in want of nothing at your pretty house at montreuil.' 'ah, brother!' she replied, 'can i feel a regret of any kind while i share your misfortunes?'" the empress josephine is said to have played and sung with exquisite feeling: her dancing is said to have been perfect. she exercised her pencil, and--though such be not now antiquated for an _élégante_--her needle and embroidery-frame, with beautiful address. towards the close of her eventful career, when, after her divorce from bonaparte, she kept a sort of domestic court at navarre or malmaison, she and her ladies worked daily at tapestry or embroidery--one reading aloud whilst the others were thus occupied; and the hangings of the saloon at malmaison were entirely her own work. they must have been elegant; the material was white silk, the embroidery roses, in which at intervals were entwined her own initials. an interesting circumstance is related of a conversation between one of those ministering spirits a _soeur de la charité_ and josephine, in a time of peculiar excitement and trouble. at the conclusion of it, the _soeur_, having discovered with whom she was conversing, added, "since i am addressing the mother of the afflicted, i no longer fear my being indiscreet in any demand i may make for suffering humanity. we are in great want of lint; if your majesty would condescend"----"i promise you shall have some; we will make it ourselves." from that moment the evenings were employed at malmaison in making lint, and the empress yielded to none in activity at this work. few of my readers will have accompanied me to this point without anticipating the name with which these slight notices of royal needlewomen must conclude--a name which all know, and which, knowing, all reverence as that of a dignified princess, a noble and admirable matron--adelaide, our dowager queen. it was hers to reform the morals of a court which, to our shame, had become licentious; it was hers to render its charmed circle as pure and virtuous as the domestic hearth of the most scrupulous british matron; it was hers to combine with the chilling etiquette of regal state the winning virtues of private life, and to weave a wreath of domestic virtues, social charities, and beguiling though simple occupations, round the stately majesty of england's throne. the days are past when it would be either pleasurable or profitable for the queen of the british empire to spend her days, like matilda or katharine, "in poring over the interminable mazes of tapestry;" but it is well known that queen adelaide, and, in consequence of her majesty's example, those around her, habitually occupied their leisure moments in ornamental needlework; and there have been, of late years, few bazaars throughout the kingdom, for really beneficent purposes, which have not been enriched by the contributions of the queen dowager--contributions ever gladly purchased at a high price, not for their intrinsic worth, but because they had been wrought by a hand which every englishwoman had learnt to respect and love. footnotes: [ ] this sacred standard was taken by the saxons in devonshire, in a fortunate onset, in which they slew one of the sea-kings with eight hundred of his followers. so superstitious a reverence was attached to this ensign that its loss is said to have broken the spirit of even these ruthless plunderers. it was woven by the sisters of inguar and ubba, who divined by it. if the raven (which was worked on it) moved briskly in the wind, it was a sign of victory, but if it drooped and hung heavily, it was supposed to prognosticate discomfiture. [ ] von raumer's contributions. chapter xxv. on modern needlework. "our country everywhere is fild with ladies, and with gentlewomen, skild in this rare art." taylor. "for here the needle plies its busy task, the pattern grows, the well-depicted flower wrought patiently into the snowy lawn, unfolds its bosom; buds, and leaves, and sprigs, and curling tendrils gracefully dispos'd, follow the nimble fingers of the fair; a wreath that cannot fade." cowper. "the great variety of needleworks which the ingenious women of other countries, as well as of our own, have invented, will furnish us with constant and amusing employment; and though our labours may not equal a mineron's or an aylesbury's, yet, if they unbend the mind, by fixing its attention on the progress of any elegant or imitative art, they answer the purpose of domestic amusement; and, when the higher duties of our station do not call forth our exertions, we may feel the satisfaction of knowing that we are, at least, innocently employed."--mrs. griffiths. the triumph of modern art in needlework is probably within our own shores, achieved by our own countrywoman,--miss linwood. "miss linwood's exhibition" used to be one of the lions of london, and fully deserves to be so now. to women it must always be an interesting sight; and the "nobler gender" cannot but consider it as a curious one, and not unworthy even of their notice as an achievement of art. many of these pictures are most beautiful; and it is not without great difficulty that you can assure yourself that they are _bonâ fide_ needlework. full demonstration, however, is given you by the facility of close approach to some of the pieces. perhaps the most beautiful of the whole collection--a collection consisting of nearly a hundred pieces of all sizes--is the picture of miss linwood herself, copied from a painting by russell, taken in about her nineteenth year. she must have been a beautiful creature; and as to this copy being done with a needle and worsted,--nobody would suppose such a thing. it is a perfect painting. in the catalogue which accompanies these works she refers to her own portrait with the somewhat touching expression, (from shakspeare,) "have i lived thus long----" this lady is now in her eighty-fifth year. her life has been devoted to the pursuit of which she has given so many beautiful testimonies. she had wrought two or three pieces before she reached her twentieth year; and her last piece, "the judgment of cain," which occupied her ten years, was finished in her seventy-fifth year; since when, the failure of her eyesight has put an end to her labours. the pieces are worked not on canvas, nor, we are told, on linen, but on some peculiar fabric made purposely for her. her worsteds have all been dyed under her own superintendence, and it is said the only relief she has ever had in the manual labour was in having an assistant to thread her needles. some of the pieces after gainsborough are admirable; but perhaps miss linwood will consider her greatest triumph to be in her copy of carlo dolci's "salvator mundi," for which she has been offered, and has refused, three thousand guineas. the style of modern embroidery, now so fashionable, from the berlin patterns, dates from the commencement of the present century. about the year - , a print-seller in berlin, named philipson, published the first coloured design, on checked paper, for needlework. in , madame wittich, who, being a very accomplished embroideress, perceived the great extension of which this branch of trade was capable, induced her husband, a book and print-seller of berlin, to engage in it with spirit. from that period the trade has gone on rapidly increasing, though within the last six years the progression has been infinitely more rapid than it had previously been, owing to the number of new publishers who have engaged in the trade. by leading houses up to the commencement of the year , there have been no less than fourteen thousand copper-plate designs published. in the scale of consumption, and, consequently, by a fair inference in the quantity of needlework done, germany stands first; then russia, england, france, america, sweden, denmark, holland, &c., the three first names on the list being by far the largest consumers. it is difficult to state with precision the number of persons employed to _colour_ these plates, but a principal manufacturer estimates them as upwards of twelve hundred, chiefly women. at first these patterns were chiefly copied in silk, then in beads, and lastly in dyed wools; the latter more especially, since the germans have themselves succeeded in producing those beautiful "zephyr" yarns known in this country as the "berlin wools." these yarns, however, are only dyed in berlin, being manufactured at gotha. it is not many years since the germans drew all their fine woollen yarns from this country: now they are the _exporters_, and probably will so remain, whatever be the _quality_ of the wool produced in england, until the art of _dyeing_ be as well understood and as scientifically practised. of the fourteen thousand berlin patterns which have been published, scarcely one-half are moderately good; and all the best which they have produced latterly are copied from english and french prints. contemplating the improvement that will probably ere long take place in these patterns, needlework may be said to be yet in its infancy. the improvement, however, must not be confined to the berlin designers: the taste of the consumer, the public taste must also advance before needlework shall assume that approximation to art which is so desirable, and not perhaps now, with modern facilities, difficult of attainment. hitherto the chief anxiety seems to have been to produce a glare of colour rather than that subdued but beautiful effect which makes of every piece issuing from the gobelins a perfect picture, wrought by different means, it is true, but with the very same materials. the berlin publishers cannot be made to understand this; for, when they have a good design to copy from, they mar all by the introduction of some adventitious frippery, as in the "bolton abbey," where the repose and beautiful effect of the picture is destroyed by the introduction of a bright sky, and straggling bushes of lively green, just where the artist had thought it necessary to depict the stillness of the inner court of the monastery, with its solemn grey walls, as a relief to the figures in the foreground. many ladies of rank in germany add to their pin-money by executing needlework for the warehouses. france consumes comparatively but few berlin patterns. the french ladies persevere in the practice of working on drawings previously traced on the canvas: the consequence is that, notwithstanding their general skill and assiduity, good work is often wasted on that which cannot produce an artist-like effect. they are, however, by far the best embroideresses in chenille,--silk and gold. by embroidery we mean that which is done on a solid ground, as silk or cloth. the tapestry or canvas-work is now thoroughly understood in this country; and by the help of the berlin patterns more _good_ things are produced here as articles of furniture than in france. the present mode of furnishing houses is favourable to needlework. at a time when fashion enacted that all the sofas and chairs of an apartment should match, the completely furnishing it with needlework (as so many in france have been) was the constant occupation of a whole family--mother, daughters, cousins, and servants--for years, and must indeed have been completely wearisome; but a cushion, a screen, or an odd chair, is soon accomplished, and at once takes its place among the many odd-shaped articles of furniture which are now found in a fashionable saloon. francfort-on-the-maine is much busying itself just now with needlework. the commenced works imported from this city are made up partly from berlin patterns, and partly from fanciful combinations; but although generally speaking _well worked_, they are too complicated to be easy of execution, and very few indeed of those brought to this country are ever _finished_ by the purchaser. the history of the progress of the modern tapestry-needlework in this country is brief. until the year , the berlin patterns were known to very few persons, and used by fewer persons still. they had for some time been imported by ackermann and some others, but in very small numbers indeed. in the year , they, for the first time, fell under the notice of mr. wilks, regent-street, (to whose kindness i am indebted for the valuable information on the berlin patterns given above,) and he immediately purchased all the good designs he could procure, and also made large purchases both of patterns and working materials direct from berlin, and thus laid the foundation of the trade in england. he also imported from paris a large selection of their best examples in tapestry, and also an assortment of silks of those exquisite tints which, as yet, france only can produce; and by inducing french artists, educated for this peculiar branch of design, to accompany him to england, he succeeded in establishing in england this elegant art. this fashionable tapestry-work, certainly the most useful kind of ornamental needlework, seems quite to have usurped the place of the various other embroideries which have from time to time engrossed the leisure moments of the fair. it may be called mechanical, and so in a degree it certainly is; but there is infinitely more scope for fancy, taste, and even genius here, than in any other of the large family of "satin sketches" and embroideries. yes, there is certainly room in worsted work for genius to exert itself--the genius of a painter--in the selection, arrangement, and combination of colours, of light and shade, &c.; we do not mean in glaring arabesques, but in the landscape and the portrait. there is an instance given by pennant,[ ] where the skill and taste of the needlewoman imparted a grace to her picture which was wanting in the original. "in one of the apartments of the palace (lambeth) is a performance that does great honour to the ingenious wife of a modern dignitary--a copy in needlework of a madonna and child, after a most capital performance of the spanish murillo. there is most admirable grace in the original, which was sold last winter at the price of guineas. it made me lament that this excellent master had wasted so much time on beggars and ragged boys. beautiful as it is, the copy came improved out of the hand of our skilful countrywoman: a judicious change of colour of part of the drapery has had a most happy effect, and given new excellence to the admired original." whilst recording the triumphs of modern needlework, we must not omit to mention a school for the education of the daughters of clergy and decayed tradesmen, in which the art of silk-embroidery was particularly cultivated. this school was under the especial patronage of queen charlotte; and a bed of lilac satin, which was there embroidered for her, is now exhibited at hampton court, and is really magnificent. could we now take a more extended view of modern needlework, how wide the range to which we might refer,--from the jewelled and golden-wrought slippers of the east to the grass-embroidered mocassins of the west; from the gorgeous and glittering raiment of the courtly persian, the voluptuous turk, or the luxurious indian, to the simple, unattractive, yet exquisitely wrought garment made by the californian from the entrails of the whale: a range wide as the antipodes asunder in every point except one! that is--the equal though very differently displayed skill, ingenuity, and industry of the needlewoman in almost every corner of the hearth from the burning equator to the freezing pole. this we must now pass. finally,--feeling as we do that though ornamental needlework may be a charming occupation for those ladies whose happy lot relieves them from the necessity of "darning hose" and "mending nightcaps," yet that a proficiency in plain sewing is the very life and being of the comfort and respectability of the poor man's wife,--we cannot close this book without one earnest remark on the systems of teaching needlework now in use in the central, national, and other schools for the instruction of the poor. there, now, the art is reduced to regular rule, taught by regular system; and there are books of instruction in cutting, in shaping, in measuring,--one for the (late) model school in dublin, and another, somewhat similar, for that in the sanctuary, westminster, which would be a most valuable acquisition to the work table of many a needle-loving and industrious lady of the most respectable middle classes of society. any of our readers who have been accustomed, as we have, to see the domestic hearths and homes of those who, brought up from infancy in factories, have married young, borne large families, and perhaps descended to the grave without ever having learned how to make a petticoat for themselves, or even a cap for their children,--any who know the reality of this picture, and have seen the misery consequent on it, will join us cordially in expressing the earnest and heartfelt hope that the extension of mental tuition amongst the lower classes may not supersede, in the smallest iota, that instruction and practice in sewing which next, the very next, to the knowledge of their catechism, is of vital importance to the future well-doing of girls in the lower stations of life.[ ] * * * * * and now my task is finished; and to you, my kind readers, who have had the courtesy to accompany me thus far, i would fain offer a few words of thanks, of farewell, and, if need be, of apology. this is, i believe, the first history of needlework ever published. i have met with no other; i have heard of no other; and i have experienced no trifling difficulties in obtaining material for this. i have spared no labour, no exertions, no research. i have toiled through many hundreds of volumes for the chance of finding even a line adaptable to my purpose: sometimes i have met with this trifling success, oftener not. i do not mention these circumstances with any view to exaggerate my own exertions, but merely to convince those ladies, who having read the book, may feel dissatisfied with the amount of information contained therein, that really no superabundance of material exists. the subject has in all ages been deemed too trifling to obtain more than a passing notice from the historical pen. to myself, my exertions have brought their own "exceeding rich reward;" for if perchance they were at times productive of fatigue, they yet have winged the flight of many lonely hours which might otherwise have induced weariness or even despondency in their lagging transit. to you, my countrywomen, i offer the book, not as what it _might_ be, but as the best which, under all circumstances, i could now produce. the triumphant general is oftentimes deeply indebted for success to the humble but industrious pioneer; and those who may hereafter pursue this subject with loftier aims, with more abundant leisure and greater facilities of research, may not disdain to tread the path which i have indicated. i offer to you my book in the hope that it will cause amusement to some, gratification perhaps of a higher order to others, and offence--as i trust and believe--to none. footnotes: [ ] some account of london.-- . [ ] it cannot be too generally known that within late years schools have been attached to the factories, where, for a fixed and certain proportion of their time, girls are instructed in sewing and reading. the end. london: printed by w. clowes and sons, stamford street. transcriber's note archaic and variable spelling is preserved as printed. minor punctuation errors have been repaired. hyphenation and use of accents have been made consistent in the main text where there was a prevalence of one form over another. however, inconsistencies are preserved as printed where material originates from different authors. the title page contains the word 'needle-work.' the author's text, and a repeat of the title, uses 'needlework'. this has been preserved as printed. the following items were found: page viii--the page number for the chapter titled "the needle" was omitted from the table of contents. reference to the text shows it to be page , and this has been added in the appropriate place. page --there is some obscured text at the end of the page. given the context and the amount of space, it seems reasonable to assume that the missing words are 'he is' and these have been added in this etext. page , third footnote--mentions the word alner, but doesn't define it. "an illustrated dictionary of words used in art and archaeology" by j. w. mollett defines it as: "aulmonière. the norman name for the pouch, bag, or purse appended to the girdle of noble persons, and derived from the same root as 'alms' and 'almoner'. it was more or less ornamented and hung from long laces of silk or gold; it was sometimes called alner." the transcriber has added 'pouch, bag or purse' as a definition. page --there is an obscured word in the line, "with steven f-ll- stoute". comparison with other sources of the same verse show the word to be fulle, which has been used in this etext. page --the footnote marker in the text was missing. the transcriber has checked the referenced text, and inserted a marker in what appears to be the correct place. page --the speaker of the line "her neele" was obscured. it appears that the speaker should be tib, and this has been inserted. the following amendments have been made: page --certain amended to certains and meurissent amended to mûrissent--"... et comme on voit à certains arbres des fruits qui ne mûrissent jamais; ..." page --footsep amended to footstep--"each accidental passer hushed his footstep ..." page --le amended to la--"suivant la différence des états, elles apprennent à lire, ..." page --elle amended to elles--"... mais elles insistent beaucoup plus sur la nécessité ..." page --supurb amended to superb--"... seated on a superb throne, and crowned with the papal tiara." page , footnote--lvo. amended to vol.--"archæologia, vol. xix." page --manngement amended to management--"... for on her wise and prudent management depended not merely the comfort, ..." page --macheloires amended to machoires--"... car si tant ne fait que j'aye la barbe & les dents machoires sans aucune tromperie ne mensonge, ..." page --sixteeenth amended to sixteenth--"in the sixteenth century[ ] a sort of hanging was introduced, ..." page --repeated 'to' deleted--"so she went to bed, and in the morning she was found stone dead." page --renowed amended to renowned--"help me, shades of renowned slaughterers, whilst i record his achievements!" page --frence amended to french--"at durham place were the citie of ladies (a french allegorical romance); ..." page --britions amended to britons--"... and, as supposed, of the ancient britons." page --eylet-holes amended to eyelet-holes--"... full of small eyelet-holes, as thickly as they could be put, ..." page --his amended to hir--"hir hat suld be of fair having ..." page --meurs amended to moeurs--"... nous n'aurions que le mépris qu'on a pour les gens sans moeurs, ..." page --magnificience amended to magnificence--"... lasting for thrift; and rich for magnificence." page --marshelling amended to marshalling--"... using more time in dressing than cæsar took in marshalling his army, ..." page --permittez amended to permettez--"permettez que je vous fasse l'observation, ..." page --bouyant amended to buoyant--"... so much was it elevated then by buoyant good humour ..." page --wtth amended to with--"... mingled with mule drivers, lacqueys, and peasants, ..." page --chandellier amended to chandelier--"... de brodeur, de tapissier, de chandelier, d'emballeur; ..." page --finalment amended to finalmente--"... et finalmente far tutte quelle gentillezze et lodevili opere, ..." page --repeated 'of' deleted--"it is dedicated to the queen of france, ..." page --damoiselles amended to damoyselles--"aux dames et damoyselles." page --baccus amended to bacchus--"ce bacchus representant l'autonne." page --delli amended to delle--"corona delle nobili et virtuose donne, ..." page --mayzette amended to mazzette--"e molto delle quali mostre possono servire ancora per opere a mazzette." page --logg amended to long--"so long as hemp of flax, or sheep shall bear ..." page , footnote--al amended to ad--"... e per far disegni ad altrui o dar gl'indirizzo ..." page , footnote--della dita amended to delle dita--"... degli narici, della bocca, delle dita corrispondono a' primi moti d'ogni passione; ..." page , footnote--del amended to dal--"... e ciò ch'è più, essi variano in cento modi senza uscir mai dal naturale, ..." page , footnote--ridusce amended to ridusse--"... tutte comprese con la divinità del suo ingegno, tutto ridusse più bello." page --privat eapartments amended to private apartments--"these are preserved in one of the private apartments of the vatican palace." page --closely amended to closely--"... the spanish armada up the channel, closely followed by the english, ..." page --morte amended to mort--"prise dans la tente de charles le téméraire, lors de la mort de ce prince, ..." page --intérressant amended to intéressant--"... plus intéressant pour les arts, et plus digne d'être reproduit par la gravure." page --destinée amended to destiné--"robert fut destiné de bonne heure aux fonctions du sacerdoce." page --jusque-là converts amended to jusqu'à-là couverts--"... il planta la croix du sauveur dans les lieux jusqu'à-là couverts de forêts et de bruyères incultes, ..." page --émaillées amended to émaillés, and ruisselantes amended to ruisselants--"... les colonnettes sont émaillés, ruisselants de milliers de pierres fines et de perles, ..." page --libaries amended to libraries--"... and the principal public libraries in england." page --illuminaitng amended to illuminating--"when the art of illuminating still more failed, ..." page --scarely amended to scarcely--"... scarcely one-half are moderately good; ..." note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h.zip) chats on old lace and needlework by mrs. lowes * * * * * books for collectors _with frontispieces and many illustrations large crown vo, cloth._ chats on english china. by arthur hayden. chats on old furniture. by arthur hayden. chats on old prints. (how to collect and value old engravings.) by arthur hayden. chats on costume. by g. woolliscroft rhead. chats on old lace and needlework. by e. l. lowes. chats on oriental china. by j. f. blacker. chats on old miniatures. by j. j. foster, f.s.a. chats on english earthenware. by arthur hayden. chats on autographs. by a. m. broadley. chats on pewter. by h. j. l. j. massé, m.a. chats on postage stamps. by fred. j. melville. chats on old jewellery and trinkets. by maciver percival. chats on cottage and farmhouse furniture. by arthur hayden. chats on old coins. by fred. w. burgess chats on old copper and brass. by fred. w. burgess. chats on household curios. by fred. w. burgess. chats on old silver. by arthur hayden. chats on japanese prints. by arthur davison ficke. chats on military curios. by stanley c. johnson. chats on old clocks and watches. by arthur hayden. chats on royal copenhagen porcelain. by arthur hayden. london: t. fisher unwin, ltd. new york: f. a. stokes company * * * * * [illustration: mary sidney, countess of pembroke.] mary sidney, countess of pembroke. born about . died . buried at salisbury cathedral. painted probably by marc gheeraedts. "underneath this sable hearse lies the subject of all verse. sidney's sister, pembroke's mother. death! ere thou hast slain another fair and learn'd and good as she, time shall throw a dart at thee!" chats on old lace and needlework by mrs. lowes with illustrations london t. fisher unwin, ltd. adelphi terrace first impression second impression third impression [all rights reserved.] preface this little book has been compiled to emphasise and accentuate the distinct awakening of english women and needlecraft artists to the beauty of the ancient laces and embroideries which we own in the magnificent historic collections in our great public museums. we are fortunate in possessing in the victoria and albert museum monumental specimens of both lace and needlework. among the sumptuous lace collection there are most perfect specimens of the art of lace-making, and priceless pieces of historic embroidery made when england was first and foremost in the world in the production of ecclesiastical embroidery. the lace collection particularly, without compare, is illustrative of all that is best in this delightful art, being specially rich in magnificent pieces that can never be again obtained. these have mostly been given, or left as legacies, to the museum by collectors and enthusiasts who have made this fascinating hobby the quest of their lives. in addition to the collection formed by the generosity of the donors, the authorities have exercised a very catholic judgment in selecting the choicest and most illustrative examples of the lace-maker's craft. in the section devoted to embroideries, more particularly english (as it is with our own country's needlework i propose to deal), nothing more glorious in the nation's art records can be found than the masterpieces of embroidery worked by the great ladies, the abbesses and nuns of the mediæval period. in almost every other branch of art england has been equalled, if not excelled, by continental craftsmen; but in this one instance, up to the reformation, english work was sought after far and wide, and as _opus anglicum_ formed part of church furnishing and priestly vestments in every great cathedral in italy, spain, and france. it cannot be too soon realised that, as with old furniture, porcelain, and silver, much of the finest embroideries of england, and a vast quantity of the ancient laces of italy, france, and belgium are being slowly but surely carried off to the new world. american dollars are doing much to rob not only the old country of the fairest flowers of her garden, but the continent of their finest and best examples of the genius of the past. the vanderbilts and the astors, among others, possess immense fortunes in lace, whilst that omnivorous collector mr. j. pierpont morgan gives fabulous sums for any fine old relic of embroidery. many pieces of both classes of needlecraft have found a permanent home in the metropolitan museum of new york, and are lost for ever to the english student. it is, therefore, a pleasant duty to add my little quota of information to the study of these fascinating and exquisite branches of fine art which so specially appeal to all women by their dainty grace and delightful handicraft. i hope i may arouse some little enthusiasm in my countrywomen in the study of the past glories of both subjects, and in the possibility of once again becoming first and foremost in the latter branch. i beg to acknowledge the pleasure and help i have received from the perusal of the late mrs. bury palliser's exhaustive "history of lace," and lady alford's "history of needlework," and dr. rock's invaluable books on "ecclesiastical embroidery." emily leigh lowes. hillcrest, brixton hill, s.w. bibliography lace. the history of lace. vol. mrs. bury palliser. sampson, marston & low. . £ s. dentelles and guipures. vol. e. lefebure. grevil. . ancient needlepoint and pillow lace. alan sumnerly cole. london. . the queen lace book. london. . of lace. alan sumnerly cole. . point and pillow lace. a. m. sharp. george newnes & co. s. d. venice and burano. ancient and modern lace. m. jesuram. venice. . the history of handmade lace. mrs. jackson. upcott gill & son. . s. seven centuries of lace. mrs. hungerford-pollen. st vol. issued . needlework. textile fabrics. dr. daniel rock. south kensington handbook series. . s. needlework as art. lady marion alford. london. . £ s. english embroidery. a.f. kendrick. george newnes & co. s. d. art in needlework. day & buckle. batsford. s. d. contents page preface bibliography old lace chapter i. a brief history of lace ii. the art of lace-making iii. the laces of italy iv. the laces of genoa and milan v. the laces of france: needlepoint vi. the laces of france: pillow vii. the laces of flanders viii. modern brussels and mechlin ix. other continental laces x. a short history of lace in england xi. english laces xii. scotch and irish lace xiii. how to identify lace xiv. sale prices needlework chapter page i. old english embroidery ii. the great period iii. ecclesiastical embroideries and vestments iv. tudor embroideries v. early needlework pictures and accessories vi. stuart caskets and mirror vii. embroidered books and "black work" viii. stuart pictures ix. samplers x. the william and mary embroideries xi. pictorial needlework of the eighteenth century xii. needlework pictures of the nineteenth century xiii. embroidery in costume xiv. sale prices xv. conclusion index--old lace needlework list of illustrations mary sidney, countess of pembroke _frontispiece_ old lace page egyptian cut and drawn work old italian "cutworke" early english samplers original patterns by vinciola original designs of reticella edgings by vinciola chart of needlepoint rÉseaux chart of pillow rÉseaux venetian rose point venetian rose point collar examples of flat venetian point marie de medicis wearing venetian point collar example of gros point de venice louis xiii. wearing genoese collar lace genoese collar lace milanese lace old italian and french laces and cut and drawn work "point de france" point d'alenÇon "point de france" and d'argentella point d'argentan and point d'argentella valenciennes "lille" empress eugenie wearing blonde lace point d'angleterre point d'angleterre lappet brussels lace brussels lappet comtesse d'artois wearing brussels lace marie antoinette mechlin lappet marie antoinette wearing mechlin lace "duchesse" lace queen elizabeth wearing venetian point ruff and cuffs edmund spenser: collar trimmed with reticella reticella falling collar collar of gros point old buckingham and early devonshire laces old honiton lace modern honiton lace limerick "fillings" carrick-ma-cross lace reticella with genoa borders point d'angleterre italian ecclesiastical lace brussels lappet "point de gaze" needlework egyptian embroidery bayeux tapestry king harold from bayeux tapestry fragment from the "jesse" cope the "syon" cope the steeple aston altar frontal the "nevil" altar frontal diagram showing use of vestments set of ecclesiastical vestments early "petit point" picture early "petit point" picture stuart glove stuart mirror frame stuart book cover queen elizabeth's pocket-book "black work" cap embroidery portrait of king charles i. stump-work picture "petit point" picture worked on satin a seventeenth century "sampler" early english "sampler" jacobean hangings enlargement of spray from hangings queen anne picture early georgian picture "the last supper" eighteenth century silk embroidered picture black silk and hair picture a "gainsborough" picture i a brief history of lace [illustration: egyptian cut and drawn work. found in a tomb in thebes.] [illustration: old italian "cutworke." (_author's collection._)] chats on old lace i a brief history of lace early vestiges in egypt--lace found in st. cuthbert's tomb ( a.d.)--drawn thread and cutworks--venetian lace--flanders lace--french laces--english lace. in every other art or craft we can search the history of ages and find some vestiges or beginnings among the earlier civilisations. possibly owing to the exquisite fragility of lace, there is a complete absence of data earlier than that of egypt. the astonishing perfection in art handicrafts of all descriptions which we find in china many hundreds of years before the christian era shows no vestiges of a manufacture of lace; but, in the tombs of ancient egypt, garments have been discovered with the edges frayed and twisted into what we may call a primitive lace, and in some of the coptic embroideries threads have been drawn out at intervals and replaced with those of coloured wools, making an uncouth but striking design. netting must have been understood, as many of the mummies found at thebes and elsewhere are discovered wearing a net to hold or bind the hair; and also, a fine network, interspersed with beads, is often discovered laid over the breast, sometimes having delightful little blue porcelain deities strung amongst their meshes. these early vestiges, however, are in no way representative of the later exquisite fabrics which we now know and recognise as lace. far nearer to them, as an art, are the early gold and silver laces of simple design found amongst the tombs of mycenæ and etruria, and those of a later date--_i.e._, the laces of gold used to decorate the vestments of the clergy, and the simple but sumptuous gowns of the middle ages. along with the stole and maniple of st. cuthbert, which are now at durham cathedral, was found a piece of detached gold lace, which must have formed a separate trimming. st. cuthbert died in a.d., and was buried at lindisfarne, his body being afterwards transferred to durham to save it from the desecration of the danes who were ravaging the land. over the body was a cloth, or sheet, which was worked in cutworks and fringes, showing that even at so early a date initial efforts at lace-making had been attempted. [illustration: early english samplers, showing cut and drawn work. (_s.k.m. collection._)] as far as we can gather, the earliest endeavour at lace-making originated with the drawing of threads in linen fabrics, then dividing the existing threads into strands, and working over them, in various fanciful designs, either with a buttonhole stitch or simply a wrapping stitch. exactly this method is used at the present day, and is known as hem-stitching and fine-drawing. a later development suggested, apparently, cutting away of some of the threads, their place being supplied with others placed angularly or in circles. many delightful examples of the work are to be seen in our old english samplers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and even so recently as thirty years ago specimens of this primitive and early lace-making were to be seen in the quaint "smock-frock" of the english farm labourer, a garment which, though discarded by the wearer in favour of the shoddy products of the wakefield looms, is now deemed worthy of a place in the collector's museum. it required little effort of fancy and skill, by the simple process of evolution and survival of the fittest, to expand this plan of cutting away threads and replacing them with others to doing away _entirely_ with existing and attached threads, and supplying the whole with a pattern of threads laid down on some geometric fashion on a backing of parchment, _working over_ and _connecting_ the patterns together, and afterwards liberating the entire work from the parchment, thereby making what was known at the time as "punto in aria," or working with the needle-point in the air, literally "_out of nothing_." strange as this may appear, this was the origin, in the fifteenth century, of the whole wonderful fabric which afterwards became known as "point lace," which altered and even revolutionised dress, made life itself beautiful, and supplied the women of europe with a livelihood gained in an easy, artistic, and delightful manner. it also, however, led to ruinous expenditure in every country, at times requiring special edicts to restrain its extravagance, and even the revival of the old sumptuary laws to repress it. the earliest known lace, and by far the most popular with all classes, was "reticella," which was the first kind evolved on the "punto in aria" principle. until the discovery of an easy and simple way of decorating the linen ruffs and cuffs of the period these had been quite plain, as many contemporary portraits show. afterwards the fashion of trimming garments of all descriptions with the pointed wiry edges of venice became a mania, and led to imitation in almost every country of europe. the convents turned out an immense quantity, thereby adding enormously to the incomes of their establishments. it is assumed that it is to the nuns of italy we owe the succeeding elaboration of reticella, "needlepoint," the long, placid hours spent in the quiet convent gardens, lending themselves to the refinement and delicacy which this exquisite fabric made necessary. however this may be, it is certain that in a few years the rise and development of needlepoint lace-making was little short of phenomenal, and every convent was busy making it and teaching their poorer lay sisters the art. some of the wonderful old point of this period is absolutely finer than the naked eye can see, a powerful magnifying glass being necessary to discern how the marvellous "toile" or "gimpe" is made. [illustration: original patterns designed by vinciola. seventeenth century.] a little later, but still contemporary with the introduction of venetian lace, a pillow lace was being made in flanders, the origin of which is not as yet discovered. it is possible that the fine flax thread grown and manufactured there may, at the time of weaving, have suggested a looser and more ornamental material, but that remains a matter of conjecture. there must, however, have been an interchange of examples, as about this time pillow-made lace appeared in italy, and led to the making of the milanese and genoese varieties, and needlepoint motifs appeared amongst the woven network of flanders. lace, under the name of "lacis," had been known in france from the time of catherine de medici, who patronised the manufacturers and used it lavishly. about she induced federico di vinciolo, a lace-maker and designer of venice, to settle in france, and there the making of venetian lace was attempted. a mere slavish imitation of the venetian school resulted, and it was not until the age of the _grande monarque_, louis xiv., that french lace rivalled that of venice. colbert, the great french minister, becoming alarmed at the enormous sums spent on italian lace, determined to put a check to its importation; and, by forbidding its use, establishing lace schools near alençon, and bribing italian workers to come over as organisers and teachers, started the manufacture of lace on an extensive scale, the beautiful fabrics known as point d'alençon, point d'argentan, and point d'argentella being the result. it is frequently said that the last-named lace came from genoa or milan, but most of the present-day authorities agree that this is one of the many fairy tales with which the passing of time has adorned the history of lace. the persecution of the protestants when the huguenots fled to england, bringing with them their arts of silk-weaving and lace-making, led to the introduction of english lace. devonshire apparently received a contingent of laceworkers quite distinct from those who settled in buckinghamshire and bedfordshire, and from the first stages showed far finer methods and designs. with the exception of "old honiton," england cannot boast of anything very fine, and even this is merely a meaningless meandering of woven tape-like design for the greater part. the lace of buckinghamshire ranks, perhaps, lowest in the scale of lace products, its only merit being its extreme durability. the laces of ireland are of comparatively recent growth, and though in many instances exquisitely fine, do not as yet show much originality. [illustration: original patterns designed by vinciola.] ii the art of lace-making [illustration: needlepoint rÉseaux. no. .--brussels. no. .--alençon. no. .--argentan. no. .--argentella.] ii the art of lace-making needlepoint--pillow laces--charts of various réseaux--technical terms. lace-making naturally falls into two classes--the needlepoint and pillow varieties. in some laces, more especially of the belgian class, there is a _mixed_ lace, the "toile" or pattern, being worked with the needle, and the ground, or "réseau," made round it on the pillow and _vice versâ_. to the first-named class we must assign the needlepoint laces of italy and the exquisite handmade laces of france. to the latter order belong the early macramé lace, called "punto a groppo"; the genoese and milanese laces of italy; mechlin and brussels of belgium; valenciennes, lille, and chantilly of france; and the english laces of honiton, buckinghamshire, and bedfordshire. pillow lace may be easily distinguished from point lace, as in the former the ground, or réseau, is made of plaited threads. that of point lace is composed of threads made by the use of the buttonhole stitch only, or, in the case of alençon point, the mesh is worked in a special manner. the later laces, _i.e._, those made during the last hundred years, have frequently a ground of machine lace, and thus, strictly speaking, are not lace at all, but only embroideries or appliqués. the machine-made ground can be distinguished by sense of touch alone. if we take a piece of hand-made net between the finger and thumb and slightly roll it, it will gather in a soft little roll, with the touch almost of floss silk. the machine-made net is hard, stiff, and wiry, and remains perceptibly so in this test. also, the mesh of machine-made lace is as regular as though made with a fine machine fret-saw, that of hand-made lace being of varying sizes, and often following the pattern of the lace design. the accompanying diagram illustrates the various grounds, and will prove an infallible guide in distinguishing the points of difference between point and pillow lace. various special and technical terms are used in describing the method of making lace. without burdening the reader too much, a few special terms must be explained. _brides_ (literally "bridges").--these are the connections between the various parts of a lace design, both in needle-point and bobbin lace. in the former, they are made entirely of a strand or two of thread thrown across, and then buttonholed over, sometimes with tiny loops on the edges, and in venetian lace often having minute stars worked upon them. [illustration: pillow rÉseaux. no. .--valenciennes. no. .--brussels. no. .--lille. no. .--mechlin.] _beading._--a tiny looped edge used to finish woven or pillow-made lace. _bobbins._--one of the essential parts of a pillow worker's outfit. these are small, elongated bobbins made of ivory, bone, or wood, on which is wound the lace-maker's thread. sometimes they have been made very ornamental with carving and other decorations, and frequently have "gingles," or a bunch of coloured beads attached to one end. the terms "bobbin lace" and "bone lace" are derived from these and are synonymous with "pillow lace." _cordonnet._--in most _point_ laces the design is outlined with a raised _cord_ either worked over closely with buttonhole stitches, or made separately and then stitched down. the cordonnet is one of the characteristic features of the raised venetian points and the french laces of alençon or argentan. _couronnes._--these are decorations of the cordonnet especially noticeable in the raised venetian laces, in which sometimes the lace is raised and worked upon no less than four separate times. _dentelé._--lace designed in scallop-form, chiefly used for border laces. _fillings._--this word most easily explains the ordinary terms of "modes" and "à jours." the inner parts of the pattern in needlepoint and pillow lace are filled in with various ornamental stitches, showing an amazing variety of design. by these fillings various laces may often be distinguished, as each factory had its favourite "modes." _grounds._--there are two varieties of grounds, one made with brides, and the other either with needlepoint or pillow network. other names for these are "réseaux" and "fonds." the method of making needlepoint or woven ground often decides the date and class of the lace. _guipure._--literally a _tape lace_. the name however is applied to all pillow laces having a tape-like design on them. _picots._--the little loops used to ornament a plain bride or tie. [illustration: venetian rose point. (_s.k.m. collection._)] iii the laces of italy [illustration: venetian rose point. seventeenth century. (_author's collection._)] iii the laces of italy _the venetian laces_ venetian lace--"rose point"--"point de neige"--"gros point"--"punto tagliato a foliami"--the south kensington collection. needlepoint lace is made with needle and thread and principally in buttonhole stitches. a traced parchment pattern is procured, the outline made with a solitary thread stitched down to the parchment at frequent intervals. the thread is then worked over with fine buttonhole stitches; the modes or fillings have a fine network of threads stretched across, afterwards being buttonholed into a variety of designs. the edges are then again worked upon with loops or picots, and in "rose point" tiny stars or roses are worked on suitable parts of the design, sometimes the "roses" or "stars" being three in numbers, one poised upon the other. this is known as "point de neige" the whole surface of the lace being literally sprinkled with tiny stars somewhat representing a fine snowfall. the design is then connected with fine "brides," these in their turn being dotted and purled with stars and loops. most of this exquisite lace requires a powerful magnifying-glass to discern the intricacy of the work. the finest lace of this variety was produced in the sixteenth century, the designs being bold, handsome, and purely renaissance in type. that of the louis quatorze period shows the personal influence of his reign, frequently having tiny figures worked in the design. a collar in my possession has the indian worshipping the sun (the king's glory was said to rival that of the sun) repeated in each scallop. this was a favourite design in the magnificent "point de france" which was made during the long reign of louis, under the management of colbert. it is absolutely certain that the laces known as venetian point originated in italy. pattern books still exist showing how the early reticella developed into this magnificent lace. in the national library at the south kensington museum, may be seen the very patterns designed by vinciolo, vicellio, and isabella parasole. these publications actually came from venice, and being reproduced in france, germany, belgium, and england, quickly aroused immense enthusiasm, and lace-making spread far and wide, at first all other laces being mere imitations of the venetian. [illustration: coralline point (venetian).] [illustration: point plat de venise (flat venetian). (_author's collection._)] [illustration: marie de medicis wearing the medicis collar to display venetian laces.] the chief varieties of the venetian laces are known as rose point, point de neige, gros point de venise (often erroneously attributed to spain and called spanish point), and point plat de venise. a much rarer variety is "venetian point à réseau," which is the flat point worked round with a needlepoint ground or mesh, the network following no proper order but being simply worked round the pattern and following its curves. the chief characteristics of venetian lace are the buttonhole cordonnet, fine or thick according to the style of lace; the wonderful diversities of the fillings worked in buttonhole stitches; the elaborate decoration of the cordonnet; and the starry effects of the brides or ties. in the flat venetian point there is no cordonnet. these italian laces were admired and purchased by all the european countries, and the cities of venice and florence made enormous fortunes. the fashions of the day led to their extensive use, marie de medicis introducing the medici collar trimmed with venetian points specially to display them. at a little later period the collar became more falling and the heavier "gros point" was used. men and women alike wore lace-trimmed garments to an excessive degree, the collar and cuff trimmings being composed of wide venetian lace and the silken scarf worn across the body being edged with narrower and finer lace. the principal designs for the venetian lace of all periods were scrolls of flowers conventionalised in the renaissance taste of the time. the generic name for all laces of the finest period is "punto tagliato a foliami." the laces of this time are now almost priceless. they are genuine works of art, worked slowly and patiently under the clear light of the italian skies by women who were naturally artistic and beauty loving, and who, while working the shining needle and fairy thread in and out of the intricacies of the design sang the pretty "lace songs" which may be heard at the burano lace school even now, although or years old. many specimens of this exquisite lace are to be found in the south kensington museum, where the flounce given by mrs. bolckow at once explains the whole scheme of venetian lace-making. such lace is not to be purchased now except at great price. the piece illustrated, see page , was only - / yards in length, and was sold for £ by one of our leading lacemen. barely yards of venetian lace, only inches wide and _in rags_, was sold at debenham & storr's in august, , for £ ; and even the smallest collar or a pair of cuffs runs well into £ . even in the days of its manufacture this lace commanded high prices. in the inventory of queen elizabeth's gowns we find such entries as-- "to yard double italian cut-worke, / yd. wide. / . " yds. broad needlework lace of italy, with purls. /- per yd." james ii. paid £ for a cravat. [illustration: very fine example of "gros point de venise."] iv the laces of genoa and milan [illustration: louis xiii. of france, showing vandyke lace collar and narrower lace on scarf.] iv the laces of genoa and milan argentella wrongly called italian--genoese--mixed laces--milanese--macramé. these are mostly pillow laces, but fine point laces were also manufactured in these towns. in the first-named town it is said that the lace called "argentella" was made, but this is extremely doubtful, most authorities arguing that it was certainly a french lace made at the best period. a very representative lace of genoa is known as collar lace, very widely used for the falling collars of the vandyke period. it was an exceedingly beautiful and decorative lace, and almost indestructible. specimens of this lace can even now easily be secured at a fair price. the laces known as "pillow guipure" are somewhat open to question, the authorities at south kensington museum agreeing to differ, and labelling most of the specimens "italian or flemish." the finer pieces of this type of lace may safely be described as "flemish," as the flax-thread grown and made in flanders was much finer than that grown in the southern countries. much of the genoa lace was worked in what we term "mixed lace," the design being woven on the pillow, and the ground and fillings worked in with the needle either in a network or by brides and picots. a much inferior kind is made with a woven braid or tape, the turns of the pattern being made in twisted or puckered braid, much after the style of the handmade point lace made in england some thirty years ago. this lace was known as "mezzo punto," though the french were discourteous enough to term it "point de canaille," as undoubtedly it was an imitation of the finer laces made in a loose, poor style. the lace of milan is unquestionably the most beautiful of the pillow laces of italy. while resembling the plaited lace of genoa, there is more individuality about it. much of this fine lace was worked for church vestments and altar cloths. various heraldic devices are frequently introduced, surrounded with elegant scroll designs, the whole being filled up with woven réseau, the lines of which are by no means regular, but are made to fill in the interstices. yet another italian lace is known as _punto a groppo, or macramé_. no doubt this was the earliest form of woven lace, and, indeed, it may claim an origin as early as the first garments worn by mankind. in the earliest remains of antiquity a _fringe_ often decorates the edges of garments, curtains, and floor-covering, and seems to be a natural and fitting finish to what would otherwise be a hard, straight line. in the various assyrian and egyptian monuments this is noted again and again. [illustration: genoese lace. sixteenth or seventeenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] some of the sixteenth-century pieces which we possess show simply an elaboration of the knotted fringe, while much of the later work is exceptionally fine. the work is so well known, owing to its revival during the last thirty years in a coarse form, that it needs little description. its use, even at its best period, was confined to household use, for which purpose it seems particularly adapted. [illustration: milanese lace. (_author's collection._)] v the laces of france [illustration: "cut-worke."] [illustration: lacis.] [illustration: old italian and french cut and drawn work and "lacis." (_author's collection._)] v the laces of france _the needlepoint laces of france_ catherine de medici's collection of "lacis"--establishment of lace-making by colbert--"point de france"--"point d'alençon"--"point d'argentan"--modern reproduction of these at burano, italy. france in the sixteenth century, as always, led the van of fashion. lace appears to have been extensively used long before its apotheosis at the court of louis le grand, otherwise louis xiv. catherine de medici patronised the manufacture of "_lacis_," which was merely darned netting, more or less fine. at this time "lacis" and "cut-worke" were practically all that was known or used. bed-hangings, curtains, and furniture-coverings were covered with alternate squares of lacis and cutwork. afterwards the reticella laces of italy were imported and had an immense vogue, but it was not until the artistically glorious time of louis xiv. that an attempt was made to encourage a manufacture of french laces. colbert, the astute minister of louis xiv., became alarmed at the immense sums of money which went out of the country to purchase the laces of venice, and, by means of bribing the best workers of the venetian schools, he induced them to settle at l'onray, near alençon. in he had so far succeeded that lace rivalling that of venice was being produced. the venetians became alarmed in their turn (as, indeed, they had need to be) and issued an edict, ordering the lace-workers to return forthwith, or, failing this, the nearest relative would be imprisoned for life, and steps would be taken to have the truant lace-worker _killed_. if, however, he or she returned, complete forgiveness would be extended, and work found them _for life_ at handsome remuneration. history does not tell us the result of this decree, but it evidently failed to destroy the lace manufacture of france. at first the lace manufactured at alençon received the name of "point de france," and was absolutely indistinguishable from that of venice. its magnificence of design, indeed, may be said to have exceeded anything before attempted. the introduction of tiny figures was attributable to the overwhelming personality of louis xiv., and was symbolical of his magnificent sway and far-reaching influence. in the illustration, page , an especially fine specimen of the lace, madame de montespan is seen seated under the crown, two small indians are on either side; a tree bearing flags and trophies completes this tribute to the genius of the lace-makers and the splendour of the court. [illustration: "point de france." (_the property of lady kenmare._)] [illustration: point d'alenÇon. (_author's collection._)] the name "point de france" is given to all lace made from its commencement by colbert's direction until about , when the lace-workers, perhaps forgetting the traditions of the venetian school, developed a style of their own and the work became more distinctly french, being more delicate, finer in substance, the patterns clearer and more defined. the importation also of the finer flax thread from flanders brought the more exquisite pillow lace of brussels to the notice of the french lace-workers. the french, as a nation, have always been foremost in seizing upon new ideas and adapting them to their own artistic requirements. in this instance the result was admirable, and it gave to the world, not the finest lace, as it was impossible to surpass the earliest venetian point laces, but certainly the next lace in order of merit, "point d'alençon." the chief characteristic of the lace is the fine, clear ground, the stiff cordonnet outlining the pattern, and the exquisite patterns in the "jours" or fillings. the cordonnet of alençon is the only one which has horsehair for its foundation. a strand of hair is carefully stitched down to the edges and is buttonholed over with the finest thread, and is said, although giving the lace quite a character of its own, to have been the cause of much of its destruction, as, in washing, the hair contracts and curls. it will be noticed also that the ground is worked in strips, _shortways of the lace of less than an inch in length_, afterwards being stitched together in what is known as "fine joining." so elaborate was the original point d'alençon that no less than eighteen workers were engaged on one single piece. later the number was reduced to twelve, when the patterns became less ornate. although the factory of alençon existed well into the early nineteenth century, the style of lace gradually deteriorated, until it is now non-existent! the lace made during the long reign of louis xiv. is considered by far the finest and best, showing both grandeur of style and pattern and exquisite workmanship. under louis xv. the lace was equally well made, but the patterns followed the rococo designs which were now introduced into all other decorative work, while in the reign of the ill-fated louis xvi. it went completely out of fashion, marie antoinette affecting a much simpler style of lace. the revolution finally caused the complete overthrow of alençon lace, as of all fine art work in france. an attempt was made by napoleon i. to revive it, but its glories had passed, and the hands of the workers had lost their cunning, the result being known as the worst type of lace, stiff and ugly in design and coarse of execution. "_point d'argentan._" this lace is practically the same as alençon with a variation of ground, which, to the uninitiated, appears coarse. a magnifying glass, however, will speedily dispel this illusion. the ground in itself is a marvellous piece of work, each of the sides of the mesh being covered with ten buttonhole stitches. very frequently a mixed lace of alençon and argentan is found, the result being very fine. [illustration: "point de france." (_author's collection._)] [illustration: point d'argentella.] _point d'argentella._ about this lace most authorities dispute, some stoutly advocating its claims to be french lace entirely and others averring that it was made _in imitation_ of the point d'alençon by the genoese. be this as it may, the lace known as point d'argentella is exceptionally fine even amongst other fine laces, and is noted most specially for the fine "jours" which form an essential part of the pattern, every effort apparently being made to give extra scope for their employment. the specimen illustrated shows some of these "jours" having the characteristic mayflower, lozenge, and dotted patterns. much modern lace of this type is now made at burano, italy, where the coarse italian lace formerly made there has been entirely superseded. it strongly imitates alençon and argentan lace, but is without the raised cord which is so typical of these, having the pattern outlined with flat buttonhole stitches only. by many connoisseurs this is considered the finest lace of this age, being far superior to modern brussels. it is entirely handmade, which cannot be, unfortunately, averred for brussels, as the fine machine-made net, woven from the exquisitely fine thread manufactured in flanders and belgium, serves as the ground for all brussels lace made at the present time, except when special orders like royal trousseaux are in hand. the lace-makers of burano, it may be added, imitate the finest venetian rose point, point de gaze, alençon, ever produced, the prices comparing very favourably with the old work, though still very costly. [illustration: point d'argentan with point d'alenÇon border. (_s.k.m. collection._)] [illustration: argentella lace, showing the "partridge-eye" ground. (_s.k.m. collection._)] vi the pillow laces of france [illustration: early valenciennes. (_s.k.m. collection._)] [illustration: old valenciennes. (_author's collection._)] vi the pillow laces of france valenciennes, "vraie" and "fausse"--lille--chantilly-- blonde--caen and brittany. _valenciennes._ valenciennes was formerly part of flanders, being in the province of hainault. it became a french town in by treaty. being a flemish town, the lace made there was purely pillow lace, and in fineness of thread and beauty of design it rivalled in its early stages some of the fine old flemish laces, which are more like ornamental cambric than anything else. there are two kinds of valenciennes lace, known as "vraie" and "fausse." these names are very misleading, as they merely denote the laces made in the town itself, or in the outskirts. early valenciennes can only be distinguished from flemish laces of the same age by the difference in the _ground_. by reference to the little chart of lace stitches the distinction will easily be seen, the valenciennes being much closer and thicker in the plait, and having four threads on each side of its diamond-shaped mesh. conventional scrolls and flowers were used as designs for the toile, the ground and the pattern being made at the same time. this lace is said to have been worked, like that of brussels, in dark, damp cellars, the moist atmosphere being necessary to prevent the tiny thread breaking. the lace-workers became nearly blind, and quite useless, long before they reached thirty years of age. so expensive was the fabric that a pair of ruffles for a gentleman's coat would sell for , livres. madame du barri made extravagant use of this lovely lace. in her wardrobe accounts are mentioned, in , head-dress, throatlets, fichus, and ruffles, "all plissé de vraie valenciennes." the amount of lace used for a head-dress alone is said to have cost , livres. the "vraie valenciennes" was practically indestructible, earning the nickname of the "eternal valenciennes" from its durability. the well-to-do bourgeoise used to invest her savings in real lace, treasuring and wearing it on all best occasions for a lifetime. the lace-makers of the town itself were so satisfied with their own lace that they proudly boasted that if a length commenced in the town of valenciennes were taken and completed _by the same worker, and with the same thread_, outside their own damp atmosphere, the exact point of difference would be shown in the piece. [illustration: "old lille." (_author's collection._)] the earliest valenciennes laces show a closer design than that made later, which, by the way, many connoisseurs much prefer. the latter type is of clearer ground and more open design. the flowers do not follow the large scroll-like pattern of flanders, but suggest the detached sprays and festoons of alençon and argentan. in both types there is no cord outlining either pattern or edge. all is flat as a piece of fine lawn. _lille._ by no means a _favourite_ lace at any time, lille ranks next in merit as a hand-made lace. the mesh is clearer and larger than most french or belgian laces, being made by the simple twisting of two threads on four sides. the patterns are simple, and are outlined with a loose flax thread of silky appearance. the straight edges which characterise old lille lace certainly did not lend elegance to it. a large manufacture in black lace was commenced, and the black silk mantles of the eighteenth century were lavishly trimmed with it. it is entirely out of favour at this day, however, only the finest white variety being sought after. lace is still manufactured at lille, but the patterns of mechlin are copied, although the tiny square dots, one of the distinguishing points of old lille, are still used. _chantilly._ the white laces of chantilly much resemble lille, having the same fine, clear ground and a thick, silky-looking thread outlining the pattern. a little lace school was established by the duchesse de rohan early in the seventeenth century, and for quite a hundred years white laces were made, and became popular. marie antoinette used this pretty lace as well as valenciennes extensively to trim her favourite lawn dresses and fichus when she and the ladies of her court retired to the petit trianon to play at being shepherdesses. about the middle of the eighteenth century chantilly began to produce black silk lace of very fine quality. this is practically the only black lace for which there is any market. a chantilly fan or a chantilly shawl will always find purchasers. the exquisite fineness of its ground, the elegance of its floral festoons and bouquets, make it a desirable possession. with the revolution the manufacture of real old black chantilly ceased, and was only revived with the empire, when, in addition to copying the old designs, the manufacture of the famous _blonde_ laces was commenced. _french blonde lace._ at first these filmy silk laces were made in the natural colour floss silk imported from china, hence its name "blonde." some of the finest specimens are in this colour. afterwards, when the art of bleaching the silk was discovered, it was made in a peculiarly silvery colour, the loosely woven silk being worked in patterns on what appears a ground of gossamer. black blonde was afterwards manufactured, the lace being very different to that of nineteenth-century manufacture, the mesh being large and open. this was a favourite lace with the spaniards for mantillas, and much prosperity resulted to the little town of chantilly. as with all other laces, the introduction of machinery killed the industry as an art, and the only blonde laces now made are by machine, and are quite inartistic and inelegant. hand-made chantilly in black silk is still manufactured, but it has only a limited output. [illustration: "the empress eugenie" wearing blonde lace. (_from a baxter print._)] _other french laces._ lace has been made in many smaller towns in france, but in no instance has it been of sufficient artistic merit to have made a name. caen manufactured blonde lace in imitation of chantilly. in normandy the peasant women and girls in the eighteenth century were specially diligent, and made praiseworthy imitations of mechlin, flemish guipure laces, and brussels, and also introduced the working of gold and silver thread and even beads, which was much used in churches. some really exquisite blonde lace made in this manner was produced at caen, fine pearls were used in the place of beads, and this lace became extremely popular in england. the empress eugénie was particularly fond of it, and in most of the portraits of her at the zenith of her beauty she is seen wearing decorated blonde lace. it is said that this lace so soon soiled and spoiled in the making that only women having specially dry hands could be employed, and that during the summer months the lace was worked in the open air, and in the winter in rooms specially built over cow-houses, so that the animals' breath might just sufficiently warm the workers in this smokeless atmosphere. other towns engaged in lace-making were havre, dieppe (the latter town making a lace resembling valenciennes), bayeux, which carried on an extensive trade with the southern islands; mexico and spain taking an inferior and heavy blonde lace for mantillas. in bretagne so dear is lace to the heart of the french peasant woman that every garment is trimmed with lace, often of her own making; and along with the provision of a little "dot" for her daughter she makes pieces of lace for her wedding dress. a curious custom is noted, that the peasant woman often wears this treasured garment only twice, once for her wedding and lastly for her funeral! vii the laces of flanders [illustration: point d'angleterre. period louis xiv. (_author's collection._)] vii the laces of flanders early flemish--brussels lace--point d'angleterre--cost of real flanders flax thread--popularity of brussels lace--point gaze. whether italy or flanders first invented both needlepoint and pillow laces will ever remain a moot point. both countries claim priority, and both appear to have equal right. italian needlepoint without doubt evolved itself from the old greek or reticella laces, that in turn being a development of "cutworke" and drawn thread work. flanders produces her paintings by early artists in which the portraits are adorned with lace as early as the fourteenth century. an altar-piece by quentin matys, dated , shows a girl making pillow lace, and later, in , an old engraving shows another girl busy with her pillow and bobbins. an early flemish poet thus rhapsodises over his countrywomen's handiworks: "of many arts, one surpasses all; the threads woven by the strange power of the hand-- threads, which the dropping of the spider would in vain attempt to imitate, and which pallas herself would confess she had never known." whether flanders imitated the italian laces or not, it is unquestioned that every other lace-making country imitated _her_. germany, sweden, france, russia, and england have, one after the other, adopted her method to such an extent that, following the tactics of venice in , she also issued an edict threatening punishment to all who would entice her workers away. so alike are the early laces of flanders that it is impossible to distinguish what is known as flemish point, brussels point, and point d'angleterre. the last-named lace is peculiar, inasmuch as it has a french appellation, is named "english," and yet is purely brussels in character. two stories gather round this lace, which accounts for its name. one is that the english government in the time of charles ii., seeing so much money go out of the country, forbade the importation of brussels lace. the english lace merchants, not to be done out of their immense profits, smuggled it over in large quantities, and produced it as having been made in devonshire, and sold it under the name of english point. another legend is that when colbert, in the reign of louis xiv., determined to encourage lace-making in his own country, made prohibitive the importation of any other lace than france's own manufacture, the french court, which had already become enamoured of brussels lace, therefore had it smuggled into england and thence to france, as _english laces_ were at that time too insignificant to come under colbert's ban. [illustration: point d'angleterre. period of louis xiv. (_author's collection._)] whichever tale we choose to believe is of little consequence. it is sufficient to say that fine point d'angleterre is simply brussels of the best period when the glorious renaissance was at its height. it is absolutely indistinguishable from brussels of the same period. the specimen lappet, illustrated, shows the "figure" motif which appears in "point de france" and the old "venetian point," and which at once dates its manufacture. practically the term flanders or flemish lace can be applied to all the laces made in flanders and belgium of the earliest periods. it is peculiarly fine; the specimen shown is as fine as gossamer, showing a total absence of cordonnet, of course, and not even having the loose thread which marks the stems and leaves of brussels and angleterre. the flax of flanders was at the time of the great lace industry known and imported to all the towns engaged in making it. italy could procure nothing so fine and eminently suitable to the delicate work she made her own as this fine thread, grown in flanders, and spun in dark, damp rooms, where only a single ray of light was allowed to enter. the thread was so fine, it is said, that it was imperceptible to the naked eye and was manipulated by touch only. the cost of this thread was £ a pound, and one pound could be made into lace worth £ ! real flanders lace thread even now, spun with the help of machinery, costs £ , and is nothing like so durable as the old threads. when we consider that lace to be known as "old lace" must be two hundred or three hundred years old, we can understand the strength of this fairy thread, which was like a spider's web in filminess and yet durable enough to last centuries of wear, and remain as a lasting memorial of its beauty. brussels the early flemish laces cannot be traced to any particular town, but brussels early obtained a reputation for the production of the soft, elegant laces which are variously known as "real old brussels," "point d'angleterre," "point d'aiguille," and "point de gaze." almost every woman, although knowing little about lace as an art, knows and easily recognises "brussels." it has ever been the most popular lace, partly because its price has never been actually prohibitive, although always costly. choice pieces of old brussels, with real ground, rank among the laces of france and venice as pieces of price, but the later period, especially the kind known as brussels applique, is within everybody's reach, even if only as a border for a best handkerchief. [illustration: "old brussels" (hand-made ground). (_author's collection._)] [illustration: brussels lappet, made in imitation of alenÇon and argentan.] lace made at brussels at all periods has one characteristic that places it at once and makes identification easy at a glance. the threads of the toilé--that is, the pattern--follows the _curves_, instead of, as in other flanders laces, being straight _up_ and _down_ and _across_, each thread being exactly at right angles to the other; brussels lace also has a distinctive edge to its pattern. it has no cordonnet, but a little set of looped stitches worked along the edge of the design, afterwards whipped over to keep the edge in place. this is most clearly seen in every specimen, and, in conjunction with the curved toilé, at once settles the vexed question of the origin of point d'angleterre. the mesh or ground is, again, quite different to other laces. it has three varieties of ground-- . one, mostly used in point d'angleterre, being of fine "brides" with four or five picots, but this ground is also seen in venetian and french laces. . a hand-made ground made of looped buttonhole stitches, which is the finest and most gossamer-like of all; and . a woven ground made on the pillow with plaited thread, very like mechlin, but under the magnifying glass having two longer sides to its hexagonal mesh, and therefore being more open and clear. the hand, or rather needlepoint, ground was three times more expensive than the woven, as it was stronger and more lasting. the special value of the "vrai reseau" in our own day is that it can be imperceptibly repaired, the broken stitches replaced, whereas in the woven ground the point of junction must show. the needle-made net is so fine that one piece in my possession, though measuring / yard by inches can easily, in its widest part, be gathered and passed through a finger ring. at the present day this net is not made, and even the fine woven ground is not used except for royal wedding orders or for exhibition purposes. a magnificent piece belonging to messrs. haywards, of new bond street (which cannot be photographed, unfortunately, as it is between two sheets of glass, and might fall to pieces if taken out), was made for george iv., and not delivered, owing no doubt to the usual depleted state of that monarch's exchequer. messrs. haywards (whose courtesy is as boundless as their reputation) are always pleased to show this and their other splendid specimen collections to those interested in old lace. perhaps no lace is so diversified in style as brussels. at first it was purely flemish, and almost indistinguishable from it. then the venetian influence crept in, and elaboration of pattern and the renaissance scrolls and flower work showed itself. at the louis quatorze period the introduction of the "fairy people," seen at its finest and best in point de france, marks a time of special beauty. afterwards the influence of alençon was shown (though it never rivalled the exquisite lace of this factory), and from that time to the present day these designs have remained for use in its best work. some of the choicest specimens of old brussels are shown in the now discarded "lappets," which when a lace head-piece and lappets were part of every gentlewoman's costume, were actually regulated by sumptuary laws as to length. the longer the lappets the higher the rank. [illustration: brussels lappet. eighteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] the great napoleon, while reviving the lace-making of alençon, specially admired fine old brussels, and at the birth of his only son, the little "king of rome," ordered a christening garment covered with the napoleonic "n's," crowns and cherubs. this was sold in at christie's for £ . at the same sale a court train realised £ . in the "creevy papers, - ," mention is made of lord charles somerset complaining of not having slept all night, "not having had a minute's peace through sleeping in 'cambrik sheets,' the brussels lace with which the pillows were trimmed tickling his face"! this occurred at wynyards, the seat of the earl of londonderry. queen anne followed the extravagant fashion of wearing the costliest laces which william iii. and queen mary carried to such an excess. in she paid £ for yards of fine brussels edging, and two years later the account for brussels and mechlin laces amounted to £ , . in the succeeding reign the ladies of george i.'s period wore lappets and flounces, caps, tuckers, aprons, stomachers, and handkerchiefs, all made of brussels. in the time of george ii. lace was even more worn, but english lace began to rival brussels, not in quality, but as a substitute. george iii. and his wife, queen charlotte, were economists of the first order, and personal decoration was rigidly tabooed; hence the almost total extinction of lace as an article of apparel, while in george iv.'s time dress had evolved itself into shimmery silks and lawns, lace being merely a trimming, and the enormous head-dress decorated more frequently with a band of ribbon. an exquisite portrait of louis philippe's queen, marie amelia, by the early victorian painter winterhalter (whose paintings are again by the revival of fashion coming into favour) shows this fine old _grande dame_ in black velvet dress covered with three graduated flounces of brussels lace, cap and lappets and "tucker" of the same lace, lace fan, and, sad to relate, a scarf of english machine-made net, worked with english run embroidery! although good queen adelaide had a pretty fancy for lace, she wore little of it, and it was left to queen victoria to revive the glory of wearing brussels to any extent; and she, alas! was sufficiently patriotic to encourage home-made products by wearing almost exclusively honiton, which i personally am not good englishwoman enough to admire except at its latest stage (just the past few years), when lace-making, as almost every other art work in this country, is emerging from what, from an artistic point of view, has been one long slough of despond. [illustration: comtesse d'artois, wife of one of louis xiv.'s grandsons, wearing fine brussels lace.] viii the modern brussels laces and mechlin [illustration: an old print of "marie antoinette," showing the simplicity of adornment she affected. "mechlin" lace.] viii the modern brussels laces and mechlin modern brussels, point gaze--ghent--duchesse point--mechlin (the queen of laces). magnificent laces are still made at brussels, but almost wholly on a machine-made ground, the workers and merchants apparently finding the old hand-made ground unprofitable. the machine-made ground is cheap, and often of mixed flax and cotton instead of being of purely flanders flax thread, as in the old days. both quality and colour suffer from this admixture, the lace washing badly and wearing worse. the most common lace is the point applique, in which the sprays, groups, and borders on the design are made separately by hand on the pillow, and are afterwards applied by tiny stitchings to the machine-made net. some qualities are better than others. in the better class the sprays are appliqued to the net, which is then cut away and the interstices of the design filled in with hand-made modes and brides, making a very pretty and showy lace. the best lace made in brussels now is _point gaze_, in which the finest modern lace is produced. its chief characteristics are its superb designs, repeating many of the fine renaissance patterns, its clear ground, and its use of shading in leaves and flowers, which, while it adds much to the sumptuous effect, is possibly too naturalistic. this lace is a mixture of hand and machine lace, the ground being of the best machine net, the flowers and sprays frequently needle made, the various fillings being composed of a variety of designs, and the shading often being produced in the needle-darning as in modern ghent and limerick. point de gaze is costly, but it has the reputation of appearing "worth its money" to which few other laces of the present day can aspire. other lace-making towns in belgium and flanders are-- _ghent_, which produces a fine machine-made net, worked and embroidered in exact imitation of the earliest limerick lace. so _real_ is this imitation that a fine flounce of yds. in. wide was sold at a london auction-room a few months ago, as "real old limerick," for £ ! ghent executes vast quantities of hand-made imitations of valenciennes, a good and durable lace, but much more expensive than the machine-made varieties which flood the shops as "real val." [illustration: mechlin lappet. eighteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] perhaps the only other lace worth mentioning in smaller and later varieties is that known as "duchesse point" or "bruges," which while being a showy, decorative, and cheap lace, is anything but satisfactory either in design, manufacture, or wear. it is largely composed of cotton, is heavy and cumbrous in design, and after washing becomes thick and clumsy. it is pillow-made, the flowers being made on the cushion and afterwards united by coarse and few brides. almost equal in favour with old brussels lace was mechlin, which was aptly termed "the queen of laces." old mechlin was wondrously fine, and transparent. it is often spoken of as "point de malines" which, of course, is entirely wrong, as it is not point at all--being made entirely, all at one time, or in one piece, on the pillow. much of the lace known under the general name of flemish point is really malines or mechlin, the only difference being the fine silvery thread which runs all through the designs of real mechlin. the earliest date of the manufacture of mechlin is unknown, but in , it is recorded, that the people of malines busied themselves with making a white lace known as mechlin. it became a fashionable lace in england in , queen mary using it considerably and queen anne buying it largely, in one instance purchasing yards of it for £ . it has always remained a favourite lace with english royalties, queen charlotte almost exclusively using it. the other day i discovered in a bric-à-brac shop about twenty yards of it, old and discoloured, it is true, which came directly from queen caroline, the ill-used wife of george iv. in the earlier mechlin, although pillow-made, the introduction of the "brides with picots," and also the may-flower patterns of brussels, helped to make it more decorative. the ground or réseau was very similar to brussels hand-made, but the hexagonal mesh is shorter, as reference to the diagram of réseaux will show. the exquisite "lightness" of mechlin, so specially adapted to "quillings" and "pleatings," accounted for its popularity. it was specially suitable to the lawns and muslins of the eighteenth century, but little of this lace is left owing, no doubt, to its great favour except the ubiquitous "lappets," for which it was no doubt "the queen of lace." the immediate cause of its extinction was the introduction of blonde laces, and later its final overthrow came from its being the easiest lace to reproduce by machinery. [illustration: marie antoinette, queen of louis xvi., showing how mechlin lace was used. from an old fashion plate.] ix other continental laces ix other continental laces spanish lace; gold and silver laces of spain--german laces--russian laces--maltese silk and thread laces. outside the great lace-making countries of italy, france, and flanders, little lace was ever made, and that little of less consequence. _spanish lace._ much of the old lace known as "spanish point" is not spanish at all, but the best of italian rose point on a large scale, being the variety known as gros point. it was not extensively used for dress purposes, as contemporary portraits show, but spain being such an ultra-romanist country, vast quantities of it were imported into spain for church use. when spain fell on unhappy days, in , and the religious houses were dissolved, this lace was eagerly bought by connoisseurs and collectors and became known as spanish point. it is not unlikely that the italian lace was copied by the nuns of the spanish convents; indeed, at south kensington museum there is a set of church altar lace which is admittedly spanish work and is a distinct but far off imitation of italian point. spain made gold and silver laces of fine quality and gorgeous design. blonde laces in both cream and black are almost indigenous to the soil, and a particular kind of black blonde, embroidered with colours, specially appealed to the colour-loving people. _german laces._ perhaps at the present day more lace is made in germany than at any other period. an enormous manufacture of good machine-made lace is exported yearly, the variety known as saxony being both popular and cheap. germany has no national lace, the clever _hausfraus_ caring more to decorate their table and bed-linen than their persons, and using the substantial and practical embroideries of the cross-stitch patterns more than the elegant frailties of lace trimming. lacis network darned into patterns has always been popular here, as also in denmark, sweden, and norway. [illustration: duchesse lace. modern.] _russia._ the russian laces need little more than a passing note. as in germany, lacis and cutworke form the only hand-made lace known, the people contenting themselves with these varieties and using coloured threads to further decorate them. their laces may be called merely russian embroideries. peter the great did much to found a lace school, but only gold laces were made, of a barbaric character. recently an attempt has been made to imitate the venetian laces, with very fair results, but the character is very stiff and mechanical, going back to the primitive forms of reticella rather than the elegancies of italian point. the only other continental lace requiring note is _maltese_, a lace made entirely with bobbins and on a pillow. this lace is of ancient make, being known as early as the old greek laces, which it strongly resembles. its very popularity has killed its use as a fine lace, and at the present day it is copied as a cheap useful lace in france, england, ireland, and even india. the old maltese lace was made of the finest flax thread, afterwards a silk variety, which is well known, being made in cream. black lace was also manufactured, and at the time of the popularity of black lace as a dress trimming it was much used. at the present day the lace is not of the old quality, cotton being frequently mixed with the flax threads. there is no demand for it, and it is about the most unsaleable lace of the day. x a short history of lace in england [illustration: queen elizabeth: ruff of venetian point. (_national portrait gallery._)] x a short history of lace in england early samplers--lace worn by queen elizabeth; by the early stuarts--extravagant use of lace in time of charles ii.--william and mary's lace bill. even at the risk of being considered utterly unpatriotic, i cannot give much more than faint praise to the lace-making of england up to the present date, when notable efforts are at last being made to raise the poor imitation of the continental schools to something more in accordance with artistic conception of what a great national art might become. as in all countries, lace-making apparently commenced in its early english stages by drawn-thread and cutwork. in many of the charming old sixteenth-century english samplers just as exquisite cut-work, and its natural successor reticella, or "punto in aria" is shown, as in the finest examples of the venetian schools. unfortunately, however, english fine lace-making came to a sudden and inexplicable end, although we know that any quantity of fine venetian, exquisite brussels, or flemish laces, and the wonderful point de france were being imported into the country and lavishly used. as early as the reign of edward iv. lace was mentioned as being prohibited for importation amongst other items of feminine luxury, such as "ribans, fringes of silk and cotton," but it is considered that the word "laces" here means only the twisted threads that go to make up a lace or tie, commonly ending in tags or points. it must be allowed, however, that laces, or more probably "gimps" of gold and silver threads were used for trimming both lay and ecclesiastical garments, and in henry vii.'s reign we find that importation of venetian lace was permitted, but this is generally admitted still to refer to gold and silver lace, more probably coming from genoa. it was not really until the time of bluff king hal that lace became an article of fashion, when during the life of the last of his unfortunate queens he permits "the importation of all manner of gold and silver fringes, or _otherwise_, with all new 'gentillesses' of what facyion or value, for the pleasure of our dearest wyeff the queen." henry himself also began to indulge in all these little elegances of fashion, and wore his sleeves embroidered with cutwork, and handkerchiefs edged with gold and silver, treating himself liberally to "coverpanes" and "shaving-cloths" trimmed with gold lace. [illustration: edmund spenser: collar trimmed with reticella. early period.] little mention of white work was made in the inventories of henry viii. or his queens, but cardinal wolsey seems to have had more than his share of cutwork embroideries, judging from contemporary portraits. in queen mary's reign white work began to be more frequently spoken of, and in it is stated that lady jane seymour presented the queen with "a smock of fair white work, flanders making." it was not until queen elizabeth's time that lace became freely mentioned; then suddenly we are introduced to an endless variety of lace and trimmings, both of gold and silver, pearl and embroideries, and various white work! in some of the old chronicles mention was made of drawn work, cut-work, crown lace, bone lace for ruffs, spanish chain, parchment, hollow, and diamond lace. many of these terms cannot be understood. the enormous ruffs worn by queen elizabeth were introduced into england in the time of her sister mary. portraits both of philip of spain and queen mary show ruffs, but not edged with lace. queen elizabeth's, on the contrary, are both edged with lace and, in some instances, covered with it. on her poor old effigy at westminster abbey, where her waxen image is dressed in her actual garments, the only lace that appears is on the enormous ruff, three-quarters of a yard wide, covered with a fine lace of the loose network kind. the rest of her garments are trimmed with gold and silver lace and _passementerie_. in the succeeding reign lace of a geometric design shows itself on the ruffs of the richest people. pictures in the national portrait gallery show many exquisite examples of the beautiful reticella of venice, which must have been very costly to the purchaser, as twenty-five yards or more of this fine lace were required to edge a ruff. it was in the reign of james i. and his consort, anne of denmark, that flanders lace and the expensive point laces of italy first became widely popular. then, as now, they were costly--to such an extent that many gentlemen sold an estate to buy laces for their adornment. it was during this reign that we first learn of a lace being made in england, as queen anne of denmark on her journey south purchased lace at _winchester_ and _basing_, but history mentions not what kind of lace it was. apparently only a simple kind of edging was used, made on a pillow. the enormous ruffs went out of fashion with the death of james i. charles i., in all his portraits, wears the falling collar edged with vandyke lace. it was during this reign that venetian lace reached its apotheosis in england. the dress of the day has never been surpassed, though it became much more elaborate and ostentatious in the time of charles ii. and william and mary. falling collars were specially adapted to the display of the handsome laces of venice. the cuffs of the sleeves were likewise trimmed with the same; scarves were worn across the breast, trimmed with the narrower reticella. [illustration: seventeenth century falling collar trimmed with fine reticella. (_s.k.m. collection._)] during the commonwealth the laces of venice suffered a temporary eclipse, and the plainer laces of flanders were freely used. cromwell himself, it is said, did not disdain the use of it. his effigy at westminster was dressed in a fine holland lace-trimmed shirt, with bands and cuffs of the same. this effigy, by the way, was destroyed at the restoration. charles ii., who during his exile in france had become imbued with the extravagant taste of the french court, gave vast orders for "points of venice and flanders," on the plea of providing english lace-workers with better patterns and ideas. the falling collar certainly went out of fashion, but lace was liberally used on other parts of the dress. lace frills of costly point edged the knee-breeches, lace cravats were worn and deep falling cuffs. charles ii., in the last year of his reign, spent £ for a new cravat for his brother's birthday. during james ii.'s reign extravagance in lace purchases are still mentioned, but it surely reached its culmination in the joint reign of william and mary, when enormous sums were spent by both king and queen. in one year queen mary's lace bill amounted to £ , . new methods of using lace were fashioned. a huge head-dress called the "fontange," with upright standing ends of venetian point, double hanging ruffles falling from elbow sleeves, lace-trimmed aprons, lace tuckers, characterised the feminine dress of the day, while the "steinkirk" cravat and falling cuffs of william iii.'s day ran up accounts not much less than that of his queen. in his bill was £ , , and in it amounted to £ , ! the effigies of william and mary in the abbey, wear the very finest venetian point laces. none of the other figures wear such costly lace, nor in such profusion. [illustration: collar in gros point de venise. louis xiv. period. (_s.k.m. collection._)] xi english laces xi english laces queen anne and mechlin--establishment of lace-making in bedfordshire and buckinghamshire--buckingham lace--wiltshire lace--devonshire lace--modern honiton revival. it was in queen anne's time that the earliest really good lace manufactured in england appeared. driven from france by the edict of louis xiv., the refugees found a home in england, and encouraged by queen anne's fondness for laces other than venetian, they made and taught the english lace-workers, among whom they settled, the art of real lace-making, which up to this time had apparently been only half understood. numerous lace schools now sprang up, the counties of bedfordshire, buckinghamshire, and northampton specially becoming known. valenciennes and mechlin were the varieties of laces principally copied; a very pretty lace, very reminiscent of mechlin, being the "baby lace," which received its name from being so much used to trim babies' caps. although very much like valenciennes and mechlin, the laces were much coarser both in thread and design than their prototypes. bedfordshire and northamptonshire did not long retain the art of lace-making, but buckingham lace remained a staple manufacture, and is much esteemed even to-day, many connoisseurs considering it far better as a lace than the somewhat clumsy laces of devonshire. the specimen shown is a piece of old buckingham lace closely copying the réseau and sprigs of lille which most lace-lovers consider it excels. the net of buckinghamshire is an exact copy of the lille mesh, being made of two threads twisted in a diamond pattern, the sprays being worked on the pillow at the same time. the patterns of the old buckingham lace are not very varied, the best known being what is called "spider lace," a coarse kind of open mesh being worked in the pattern. the principal town engaged in the eighteenth century was newport pagnel, which was cited as being most noted for making bobbin lace. old brussels designs were used, and some quaint lace of early flemish design, was made. the early english run lace, which was even so late as fifty years ago very popular, was mostly made here. aylesbury, buckingham, and high wycombe also made lace, and in the last-named old town cottage lace-making may be seen to this day. very quaint are the old lace bobbins that may be purchased in the "antique" shops of these lace-making towns. the lace-workers apparently indulged many a pretty fancy in shaping them in a diversity of ways, very few bobbins being alike. some were made of bone, really prettily turned, with dotted and pierced patterns on them. others were silver-studded, and again others were banded in silver. the wooden ones were always decorated, if possible, each one differently from the others, so that the worker might distinguish each thread without looking at it. nearly every bobbin was ended with a bunch of coloured beads strung on wire, and a collection of these bobbins, with their "gingles," often yields up a pretty and quaint necklace. one in my possession has a quaint bead made of "ancient roman glass," worth at least ten shillings. one wonders how this bit of roman magnificence had strayed into an english cottage home! [illustration: "old buckingham." (_author's collection._)] [illustration: early devonshire lace. (_author's collection._)] buckinghamshire is the only one of the midland counties which has produced _wide_ lace; the adjoining counties confined themselves to edgings at most some inches wide. a flounce in my collection measures inches, and is of very elegant design, and of fine quality. in wiltshire lace appears to have been made at an early date in the eighteenth century, but little lace is left to show its quality. a curious piece is said to belong to an old family in dorset, who vouch for the lace having belonged to queen charlotte, the wife of george iii. like many other traditional "antiques," this is undoubtedly a fairy story, as it claims to have been made in commemoration of the defeat of the spanish armada, _at contemporary times_. it is exceedingly handsome, showing one of philip's ships, very suggestively surrounded by big sea fish and apparently resting on the rocky bottom of the ocean. in the next panel tilbury fort is portrayed, and another ship, one of england's glory, proudly rules the waves. the design is undoubtedly english, and most probably it was made in commemoration of the historic event--but the lace is point d'argentan, and was most likely manufactured specially for queen charlotte. lyme regis at one time rivalled honiton, the laces of both towns being equally prized. queen charlotte wore a "head and lappets" made here when she first came to england, and afterwards she ordered a splendid lace dress to be made. when, however, queen victoria, in her wish to encourage the english makers, sent an order for her marriage lace, not sufficient workers were found to produce it. devonshire lace. as early as the lace-makers of devonshire were known. the influx of refugees from flanders in the midlands and southern counties undoubtedly established lace-making in both parts of the kingdom. many of the honiton lace-workers married these refugees, and to this day the people are of mixed descent. quaint names of flemish extraction appear over the shop doors. in the early days both men, women, and children seem to have pursued the art of lace-making, boys learning and working at it until the age of sixteen, when they were either apprenticed to some trade or went to sea. [illustration: old honiton (needlepoint ground).] [illustration: old honiton. (_author's collection._)] most of the old devonshire laces bear distinct likeness to the fine flemish lace, only the clumsiness of the design or the coarse workmanship differentiating them. it has, however, one special feature which gave it the name "trolly lace," as, unlike the perfectly flat lace of flanders, it has a coarse thread or "trolly" outlining its patterns, and being made of english thread, it was coarse and not very durable. _honiton_ has always easily ranked first amongst our british laces, although by many not considered equal to fine bucks. like the midland lace, it has been always made with flanders thread, and therefore has maintained its popularity because of its _wear_ and its _colour_. the early honiton workers copied "brussels" lace, but because of their inability to produce an artistic design it has never been anything but a _poor_ copy. even when the brussels influence was most direct the flowers and sprays were placed inartistically, while the scroll copies of the early flemish schools can only be termed the imitative handiwork of a child. the most prized specimens of old honiton are those with hand-made ground, made of flanders flax. very little of this real ground honiton lace is left. queen victoria did much to make honiton lace _the_ lace of the land; but although a regular trade has been established, and much good work accomplished, honiton of the past will never be regarded on the same plane as the laces of venice, france, and brussels. even in its best variety it lacks the exquisite filmy touch of brussels, the dainty grace of alençon, and the magnificence of point de france and venetian point. the honiton laces made since the introduction of machine-made net is especially poor. flower sprigs and sprays are made separately on the pillow, and afterwards applied to the machine-made ground. these are, as a rule, flowers and foliage treated naturalistically, and are heavy and close in design. these are often very sparingly applied over a wide expanse of net in order to make as much lace with as little trouble as possible. this is very different to the work of the old honiton lace-worker, who made every inch of it herself--first the sprays and scrolls, then worked the ground round it, and received, it is said, from the middleman (who purchased it for the town market) as many shillings as would cover the lace offered for sale. we are glad to say, however, that very praiseworthy efforts are being made to introduce better methods and more artistic designs in the many lace schools which are being formed in various parts of devon. mrs. fowler, of honiton, one of the oldest lace-makers in this centre, making exquisite lace, the technique leaving nothing to be desired, and also showing praiseworthy effort in shaking off the trammels of the traditional designs. [illustration: modern honiton, made by mrs. fowler.] xii scotch and irish laces xii scotch and irish laces hamilton lace--mary queen of scots--modern lace-making in ireland--limerick lace--carrick-ma-cross--irish crotchet--convent laces. scotch lace can hardly be said to exist. at one time a coarse kind of network lace called "hamilton lace" was made, and considerable money was obtained by it, but it never had a fashion, and deservedly so. since the introduction of machinery, however, there has been considerable trade, and a tambour lace is made for flounces, scarfs, &c. the more artistic class of work made by scotswomen is that of embroidering fine muslin, and some really exquisite work is made by the common people in their homes. much mention is often made of mary queen of scots and her embroideries and laces. it must be remembered that she married firstly the dauphin of france, and while at the french court imbibed the taste for elegant apparel and costly lace trimmings. there is no record that she ever wore lace of her own country's manufacture, and, although english writers often quote the lace made by her fair hands, really the needlework made by queen mary at fotheringay was embroidery. _irish laces._ the early lace of ireland was the usual cut and drawn work, and it was not until the earlier part of the nineteenth century that lace-making actually became a craft. in the eighteenth century many brave attempts were made to commence lace schools, and the best work was done in the convents, where really fine work was executed by the nuns, the patterns having been sent from italy. it was not until that the manufacture of limerick lace was first instituted. this really is not lace at all, as it is merely chain-stitch worked in patterns on machine-made net. this pretty so-called lace was first made at limerick by an oxford man, who established a school there, taking with him twenty-four girls as teachers. it quickly became very popular, in the early "fifties" every woman of either high or low degree possessing herself of at least a lace collar or fichu of limerick lace. in more than , workers were employed, but decidedly the best lace of the manufacture belongs to the time prior to this date. the quality of the net ground has also deteriorated, or perhaps the best net has not been purchased. [illustration: limerick "fillings."] very dainty little sprays and flowers are produced in the fine chain or tambour stitch, the hearts of the flowers or the centres of the scallops being worked over in an endless variety of extra stitches, as will be seen in the illustration. another variety of lace is carrick-ma-cross, which was contemporary with limerick. this is merely embroidery again, but has more claim to the title of lace, as the tiny little flowers and scrolls are connected with brides made of buttonhole stitch ornamented with picots. this is really a very handsome lace, its only drawback being that it will not _wash_. the fine lawn of which it is made is buttonholed round and then cut away. this, in cleaning or washing, _contracts_ and leaves the buttonhole edging, and in a few cleanings it is a mass of unmendable rags. slightly more serviceable is another variety of carrick-ma-cross, on which the lawn is appliquéd to a machine-made net, the pattern outlined with buttonhole stitches, and the surplus lawn cut away, leaving the network as a grounding, various pretty stitchings filling up the necessary spaces. yet another kind of lace is made, and is really the only real lace that ireland can claim. this is the irish crotchet, which in its finer varieties is a close imitation of venetian point, but made with fine thread and with a crotchet needle. some of the best is really worth purchasing, but it is costly, realising as much as five guineas per yard. a very delicate "tatting" also comes from the emerald isle, and in comparing english and irish laces one is inevitably struck with the reflection that there is more "artistry" in the production of irish laces and embroidery than in england with all her advantages. the temperamental differences of the two races are distinctly shown in this, perhaps more than any other art. much really notable work is now being executed in the irish lace schools. at youghal, co. monaghan, an exact replica of old venetian point is being worked. various fine specimens from the school occupy a place at south kensington museum, and the lace industry of ireland may be said to be in a healthy condition. [illustration: carrick-ma-cross lace. (_author's collection._)] xiii how to identify lace [illustration: the centre strip is old "reticella," with genoa borders. (_author's collection._)] xiii how to identify lace style--historical data--réseaux. the great difficulty in attempting to identify any specimen of lace is that from time to time each country experimented in the manners and styles of other lace-making nations. the early reticella workers copied what is known as the "greek laces," which were found in the islands of the grecian archipelago. specimens of these laces found in the excavations of the last thirty years show practically no difference in method and style. france copied the venetian laces, and at one period it is impossible to say whether a given specimen was made at alençon or venice. italy, in turn, imitated the flemish laces--to such an extent that even the authorities at south kensington museum, with all their leisure and opportunities for study and the magnificent specimens at hand for identification, admit that certain laces are either "italian or flemish." valenciennes was once a flemish town, and though now french, preserves the flemish character of lace, some specimens of mechlin being so like valenciennes as to baffle certainty. later, brussels borrowed the hand-made grounds of france and venice, and still later england copied brussels, the guipures of flanders, and the ground and style of lille! all this makes the initial stages of the study of lace almost a hopeless quest. the various expensive volumes on lace, although splendidly written and gorgeously illustrated, leave the student with little more than an interesting and historical knowledge on which to base the actual study of lace. here i may refer my readers to the one and only public collection of lace, i believe, in england--that of the south kensington museum, where specimens of lace from all countries and of all periods are shown, and where many magnificent bequests, that of mrs. bolckow especially, make the actual study of lace a possibility. it is to be hoped that the governing body of the museum will, in its own good time, make this a pleasure instead of a pain. the specimens, the _most important to the student_, are placed in a low, dark corridor. not a glimmer of light can be obtained on some of the cases, which also are upright, and placed so closely together that on attempting to see the topmost specimen on one side the unfortunate student literally bangs her head into the glass of the next one. a gentle complaint at the directors' office concerning the difficulty brought forth the astonishing information that there was no room at their disposal, but that in good time better light might be found. as these cases have been in identically the same place for the past fifteen years, one hopes that the "good time" may come before one becomes a "spectacled pantaloon" with no desire to see the wonders of that palace of art. [illustration: point d'angleterre. style louis xv. eighteenth century (_s.k.m. collection._)] this little protest is made in the hope that the "lords of the committee" may possibly have their attention drawn to what amongst the lace-lovers and students in this country is a "standing grievance." it is almost impossible, even from the best of photographic illustrations, to learn all the intricacies of identification. the photographs clearly show style, but it needs specimens of the actual lace to show method of working. from the illustrations in this book, specially selected from the south kensington collection, and from specimens in my own collection, every variety of style may be easily understood, as they have been particularly selected to show each point of difference. commencing with the earliest form of lacework--_i.e._, "cutworke"--nothing will better show this than the "sampler" specimen, which, half way down, shows two rows entirely typical of this kind of early lace-making--for such it is. a little lower, examples of drawn threadwork are seen, while the upper portion illustrates satin stitch patterns, which more properly belong to embroidery. the ancient collar from the south kensington collection, page , shows some of the finest developments of cutwork, when the foundation of linen was entirely dispensed with. the work is exceedingly fine, the threads being no coarser, indeed in many cases less so, than the fine linen it adorns. this is known as reticella, or "punto in aria." the last name is applicable to all the laces of venice which succeeded reticella, and means lace literally made out of nothing or without any building foundation. the specimen is still of the same class, but where before the design was simple geometric square and pointed as in all the early lace, it now takes on the lovely flowing scroll of the renaissance that marks the latter half of the seventeenth century. the same grand styles may be noted all through the great period of italian needlepoint lace. it will be seen in a lesser degree in the guipure laces of milan and genoa, but here the cramping influence of the flemish school shows itself distinctly. [illustration: italian ecclesiastical lace.] [illustration: flemish or genoese ecclesiastical lace. (_s.k.m. collection._)] the same bold lines may be noted in the early needlepoint lace of france, which had not then become sufficiently sure of her capacity to develop a style of her own, and all show the renaissance spirit. afterwards when the superb point de france was at its height of manufacture along with grand outline and exquisite handicraft, the influence of the mighty monarch louis xiv. asserted itself and although the lace itself commands unbounded admiration, fantastic little notions, symbolical and naturalistic, showed itself--as an illustration page : little figures representing "the indian," "canopied crown over a sealed lady," trees growing all manner of bizarre fruit and flowers, all symbolical of louis the magnificent's unbounded power and sway. in the south kensington museum there is a still finer specimen, which has not yet been photographed, i believe--a magnificent flounce, about eighteen inches wide (really two boot top pieces joined), of what is known as pseudo-oriental character, which shows amongst the usual exquisite scrolling no less than seven different figures on each piece--viz., an indian, a violinist in dress of louis xiv. period, a lady riding on a bird, two other ladies, one with a pet dog and the other a parrot, a lady violinist, and another lady seated before a toilet-table. these little figures are not more than three-quarters of an inch high, but are worked with such minuteness that even the tiny features are shown. this fantastic adoption of the human figure was copied in italy and flanders. the finest specimens of point d'angleterre (brussels) show the same designs; and it may broadly be stated that all lace with figures is of the louis xiv. period, and over two hundred years old. succeeding this period came the dainty elegance of the french laces, when the workers of alençon and argentan had developed a purely french style. note the point d'alençon, illustration page , where the characteristics of the period are fully shown. the illustration shows a mixed lace, which only recently has been acknowledged by the south kensington people as point d'argentan. along with the typical argentan ground of the upper portion is the fine alençon mesh and varied jours of the border. this also is louis xiv. style. the lappet shown next is exceedingly instructive, as till quite lately the people who professed to understand lace agreed to call this genoese, although it was quite unlike anything else made there. this lappet was so labelled at south kensington, but now is admittedly argentella (or little argentan). it is remarkably like alençon, being of the same period, the only points of difference being that the design is not outlined with a raised cordonnet (though in different places of the design a raised and purled cordonnet is often stitched on it) and the special ground (partridge eye) which is agreed to denote "argentella" lace--page . it is sometimes called the may-flower ground, but this is somewhat misleading as that design occurs in other laces. the only other great style is that of flanders, which at its earliest period had received no influence from the renaissance that had seized the southern countries of europe and was still in the grip of mediæval art. it was not until italian influence permeated france that flemish lace perceptibly altered in character. these are to all intents and purposes the three great styles of lace. england had no style: she copied flemish, brussels, and mechlin laces. ireland, on the contrary, copied italian in her irish crotchet and carrick-ma-cross (in style only, but not workmanship), and adapted lille and mechlin and brussels and buckingham in her limerick lace. the student must next make herself familiar with the methods pursued by the old lace-workers, and here the difficulty commences. all lace is either needlepoint, pillow-made, or machine-made. _needlepoint_ explains itself. every thread of it is made with a needle on a parchment pattern, and only two stitches are used, buttonhole and a double-loop which is really a buttonhole stitch. [illustration: brussels lappet. nineteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] this can be clearly understood by referring to charts nos. i. and ii., where the _two brussels grounds_ are shown. the needlepoint ground, no. i., is formed by a buttonhole stitch, which loops over again before taking the next. the pillow-made ground, no. ii., shows the threads plaited or twisted together to form a hexagonal or a diamond-shaped network. this is all the difference between needle-made and pillow-made lace, and in itself helps to identify in many instances its country and period when it was produced. all the early italian laces were needlepoint, and all the early french laces were the same. all the flemish laces (including brussels) were pillow-made, and mixed laces in any of these countries are of later make. italy adapted the flemish pillow-lace, and produced genoese and milanese guipures, in addition to the coarse imitation of reticella which she now made by plaiting threads on the pillow. brussels adopted the needle-made motifs and grounds of italy, and produced perhaps her finest lace, weaving her beautiful designs and outlines on the pillow, and afterwards filling the spaces with needle-made jours and brides, as in point d'angleterre. a study of chart ii. will show the different style of grounds or réseaux of both needlepoint and pillow-made lace, the buttonhole grounds being either of "brides" with or without picots, or buttonhole loops, as in brussels, and alençon (with a straight thread whipping across to strengthen the ground), loops buttonholed over all as in argentan, or made of tiny worked hexagons with separate buttonholed threads around them as in argentella. the pillow-made grounds are made of two plaited or twisted threads, except in the case of valenciennes, when it is made of four threads throughout (hence its durability). in brussels, it will be noted, the threads are twisted twice to commence the mesh. these meet two other threads, and are plaited four times, dividing into two again, and performing the same twist, the whole making a hexagon rather longer than round. mechlin has precisely the same ground, only that the threads are plaited _twice_ instead of four times, as in brussels, making the hexagon roundish instead of long. the ground of lille lace is of exactly the same shape as valenciennes, but is composed of two threads twisted loosely twice each side of the diamond, and that of valenciennes being made of four threads plaited. with the aid of these little charts, a remembrance of the various styles and a few actual specimens of lace, and _a powerful magnifying glass_, it is not beyond the power of any reader of this little book to become expert in the identification of old lace. [illustration: real "point de gaze" (needle-made ground). (_author's collection._)] xiv sale prices xiv sale prices lace is such an article of luxury, and, as a rule, only belonging to the wealthiest class, that it seldom or ever comes into the open market. in two collections were dispersed at christie's--those of mrs. massey-mainwaring and mrs. lewis hill. the most costly laces are the venetian points, some of the fine rose points being priceless. it is so fragile that little of it remains, and the smallest piece is eagerly snapped up by collectors. in at christie's lace sold for the following prices-- £ a -inch length of -ins. deep point de venise a -yards length of rose point, inches deep the same year-- £ yards of point d'argentan, inches deep inches point d'alençon, inches deep - / yards point d'alençon, inches deep in , march , _massey-mainwaring sale_ at christie's-- sold for £ s. d. - / yards venetian gros point, inches deep yards length of reticella, - / inches deep short lengths pieces of point d'alençon yards narrow point d'argentan pairs point d'argentan lappets yards narrow mechlin in odd lengths april th, the _lewis-hill sale_ at christie's:-- sold for £ s. d. yards venetian point, - / inches deep " " " - / " " yards spanish point, - / inches deep an old brussels scarf in two pieces yards brussels applique a point gaze parasol-cover a brussels flounce yards honiton flounce, inches deep another similar yards honiton lace in three pieces an old lace coverlet another ditto a lace altar-frontal with the exception of the honiton flounces, which sold beyond their market value, all the above pieces were bought by london lace dealers! the famous collection of the late mrs. hailstone was sold in . this lady had for many years been known as a lace collector, and the sale of her effects was eagerly anticipated. the result was extremely interesting to the collectors, as mrs. hailstone had collected specimen lengths of almost every known lace. no huge prices obtained, but the sale may be regarded as representative, and the prices quoted as being open-market value. £ s. d. a set of bed-hangings, forming six curtains, made of italian lace and linen a large portière curtain of italian lacis-work a point d'alençon fichu " " " cravat end, a pair of sleeves, one odd piece a pair of argentan lappets and six yards lace a panel fine raised venetian point, inches wide, inches long a berthe, point de venise, yard inches, inches deep a point de venise berthe a yard inches x inches panel venetian lace two specimen pieces, - / inches, all of point de venise à réseau a buckinghamshire collar, sleeves, and pieces a specimen of old honiton, baby's cap, bodice, and handkerchief an old honiton baby's robe, said to have belonged to princess charlotte seven volumes of lace specimens of old and modern lace in december, , probably the most valuable collection ever placed upon the market was dispersed at messrs. christie's. the late sir william abdy bt., had for many years devoted his time and money to the collection of valuable lace, such as now can only be seen in the great national collections. the prices obtained are significant of the huge sums which must be paid to obtain wearable pieces of valuable lace such as skirt lengths, - or -yard lengths of deep flouncings, shawls, coverlets, aprons, &c. £ s. d. a fine point d'alençon skirt, - / yards, inches deep a fine point d'alençon scarf, yards inches × inches deep a point d'argentan berthe, - / inches deep a point d'argentan flounce, yards inches × - / inches deep a point d'argentan flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a point d'argentan flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a point d'argentan flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a point d'argentan flounce, yards inches long × - / inches deep an italian gold and thread lace flounce, yards long, inches deep a length of italian rose point, yards inches long, inches deep an old italian rose point flounce, yards inches long, - / inches deep an old italian rose point square, inches × inches an old italian rose point flounce, yards inches long, - / inches deep an old italian rose point panel, inches × inches a point de venise lappet à réseau, inches long, - / inches wide point de venise trimming, yards long × inches deep a piece of flat venetian insertion, yards × - / inches deep a rose point flounce, yards long × inches deep a rose point flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a rose point flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a rose point flounce, yards inches long × inches deep a rose point flounce, yards inches long × inches deep, and a pair of sleeves en suite a rose point flounce, yards inches long × - / inches deep a raised point de venise square, yard inches long × yard inches wide an old brussels apron, inches wide, inches deep a specimen piece of early valenciennes, yards long × inches deep the following prices have been given by the south kensington authorities for specimens shown:-- £ s. d. a venetian point altar-frontal, × feet a venetian chasuble, stole, maniple, and chalice veil a yards × / yard venetian flounce a gros point collar a brussels lappet a drawn-thread jacket linen cutwork tunic [illustration: egyptian embroidery. found in a tomb at thebes.] chats on needlework i old english embroidery needlework pioneer art--neolithic remains--earliest known english specimens--bayeux tapestry. while the subject of lace-making has been treated as almost cosmopolitan, that of embroidery, in this volume, must be regarded as purely national! i purposely refrain from introducing the embroideries of other countries, other than mentioning the ancient civilisations which shared the initial attempts to decorate garments, hangings, &c. (of which we really know very little), and shall confine myself to the needlework of this country, more especially as it is the one art and craft of which england may be unfeignedly proud. it is assumed that needlecraft was the pioneer art of the whole world, that the early attempts to decorate textiles by embroideries of coloured silks, and the elaborate use of gold and silver threadwork, first suggested painting, sculpture, and goldsmith's work. certainly early egyptian paintings imitated embroideries, and we have good ground for supposing that stained glass was a direct copy of the old ecclesiastical figures or ancient church vestments. the neolithic remains found in britain show that at a very early period the art of making linen-cloth was understood. fragments of cloth, both of linen and wool, have been discovered in a british barrow in yorkshire, and early bone needles found at different parts of the country are plentiful in our museums. there is no doubt that we owe much of our civilisation to the visit of the phoenicians, those strange people, who appear to have carried all the arts and crafts of ancient babylon and assyria to the wonder isles of the greek archipelago, to egypt, to southern spain, and to cornwall and devonshire. these people, dwelling on the maritime border of palestine, were the great traders of their age, and while coming to this country (then in a state of wildest barbarism) for tin left in exchange a knowledge of the arts and appliances of civilisation hitherto not understood. the roman invasion ( b.c.) brought not only knowledge of craftsmanship but also christianity. st. augustine, to whom the conversion of the britains is credited, carried with him a banner embroidered with the image of christ. after the romans had left the country, and it had become invaded by the celts and the danes, and had again been taken possession of by the saxons, a period of not only rest but advancement arrived, and we see early in the seventh century the country prosperous and settled. aldhelm, bishop of sherborne, wrote a poem in which he speaks of the tapestry-weaving and the embroidery which the women of england occupied their lives. [illustration: a length of the famous bayeux tapestry.] the earliest specimen of embroidery known to have been executed in england is that of the stole and maniple of st. cuthbert, which is now treasured at durham cathedral. these were worked by aelfled, the queen of edward the elder, alfred the great's son. she worked them for bishop fridhestan in a.d. her son athelstan, after her death, visited the shrine of st. cuthbert, at chester-le-street, and in an inventory of the rich gifts which he left there, there is recorded "one stole with a maniple," amongst other articles. these very embroideries were removed from the actual body of st. cuthbert in . they are described by an eyewitness as being "of woven gold, with spaces left vacant for needlework embroideries." exquisitely embroidered figures are in niches or clouds. the whole effect is described as being that of a fine illuminated ms. of the ninth century, and indescribably beautiful. another great prelate, st. dunstan, archbishop of canterbury, designed embroideries for the execution of pious ladies of his diocese ( a.d.). emma, queen of ethelred the unready, and afterwards of canute, designed and embroidered many church vestments and altar-cloths, and editha, wife of edward the confessor, embroidered the king's coronation mantle. the great and monumental bayeux tapestry--which is miscalled, as it is _embroidery_--was the work of queen matilda, who, like penelope, wove the mighty deeds of her husband and king in an immense embroidery. this piece of needlecraft comes upon us as a shock, rather than an admiration, after the exquisite embroideries worked by and for the church. it is interesting, however, as a valuable historic "document," showing the manners and customs of the time. the canvas is feet long and inches wide, and shows events of english history from the accession of edward the confessor to the defeat of harold, at hastings. it is extremely crude; no attempt is made at shading, the figures being worked in flat stitch in coloured wools, on linen canvas. certainly it is one of the quaintest and most primitive attempts of working pictures by needlecraft. the evidence of the costumes, the armour, &c., are supposed to tell us that this tapestry was worked many years after the conquest, but it can be traced by documentary evidence as having been seen in bayeux cathedral as far back as . in the time of napoleon i. it was removed from the cathedral and was actually used as a covering for a transport waggon. finally, however, it was exhibited in the musée napoleon, in , and was afterwards returned to bayeux. in it was restored and relined, and is now in the hôtel de ville at bayeux! [illustration: king harold. (_from the bayeux tapestry._)] ii the great period of embroidery ii the great period of embroidery "opus anglicanum"--the worcester fragments--st. benedict--legend of pope innocent--the "jesse" cope--the "syon" cope. the great period of english embroidery is supposed to have been from the twelfth to the thirteenth century. very little remains to show this, except a few fragments of vestments from the tombs of the bishops dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and other data obtained from various foreign inventories of later date referring to the use of "opus anglicanum." some portion of the worcester fragments may be seen in the south kensington museum, and can only be described as being so perfect in workmanship, colour, and style as even at this day to be more like a magnificent piece of goldsmith's work than that of needlecraft. the background is apparently one mass of thread of fine gold worked in and out of a silken mesh, the embroidery appearing just as clear and neat in manipulation as an illumination. the coloured photographs, which may be seen in the same room, of the stole and maniple of st. cuthbert are of precisely the same work. judging from these, and the embroidered orphrey which the authorities bought from the hockon collection for £ s. d. and which is only feet inches long, there is no doubt that this was, _par excellence_, the finest period. the work can only be described as being like an old italian painting on a golden ground. we see precisely such design and colouring in ancient paintings for altars as in the old italian triptychs. this style was carried out as literally as possible. even the defects, if so they may be called, are there, and a slight topheaviness of the figures serves but to accentuate the likeness. there is a legend that during the times of the danish incursions st. benedict travelled backwards and forwards through france and italy, and brought with him during his _seven_ journeys artificers in _glass_ and _stone_, besides costly books and copies of the scriptures. the chief end and aim of monastic life, both of monk and nun, in those early days was to embroider, paint, and illuminate their sacred books, vestments, and edifices with what was to them a newly-inspired faith. dr. rock, in his "church of our fathers," says that from the twelfth century to the time of henry viii. that only the best materials that could be found in our country or that of other lands were employed, and that the art that was used on them was the best that could be learnt or given. the original fabrics often came from byzantium or were of saracenic origin. [illustration: from the "jesse" cope (_south kensington museum_). english, early fourteenth century.] the story of pope innocent iii., who, seeing certain vestments and orphreys, and being informed that they were english, said, "surely england must be a garden of delight!" must be quoted to show how english work was appreciated in those early days. the choicest example in this country of this glorious period of english embroidery is the famous syon cope, which is supposed to rank as the most magnificent garment belonging to the church. it may be regarded as a typical example of real english work, the "opus anglicanum" or "anglicum," which, although used for other purposes, such as altar-cloths and altar-frontals, found apparently its fullest scope in these large semicircular mantles. amongst the many copes treasured at south kensington there are none, amidst all their splendour, as fine as this, although the fragment of the "jesse" cope runs it very closely. there are many copes of this period in different parts of the continent--the daroca cope at madrid, one at ascagni, another at bologna, at st. bertrand-de-comminges, at "st. john lateran" at rome, at pienza and toleda, and a fragment of one with the famous altar-frontal at steeple aston. these are all assumed to be of "opus anglicanum," and they may be described as being technically perfect, the stitches being of fine small tambour stitch, beautifully even, and the draperies exquisitely shaded. the illustration showing the syon cope requires some little explanation. it is wrought on linen, embroidered all over with gold and silver thread and coloured silk. it is feet inches long, feet inches wide. the whole of the cope except the border is covered with interlacing quatrefoils outlined in gold. the ground of these quatrefoils is covered with red silk and the spaces between them with green silk. each quatrefoil is filled with scenes from the life of christ, the virgin, and figures of st. michael and of the apostles. on the green spaces are worked figures of six-winged angels standing on whorls. the chief place on the quatrefoils is given to the crucifixion, where the body of the saviour is worked in silver and cloth of gold. the virgin, arrayed in green tunic and golden mantle, is on one side and st. john, in gold, on the other. above the quatrefoil is another representing the redeemer seated on a cushioned throne with the virgin, and below another representing st. michael overcoming satan. other quatrefoils show "christ appearing to st. mary magdalen," "the burial of the virgin," "the coronation of the virgin," "the death of the virgin with the apostles surrounding her," "the incredulity of st. thomas," "st. simon," "st. bartholomew," "st. peter," "st. paul," "st. thomas," "st. andrew," and "st. james." portions of four other apostles may be seen, but at some period the cope has been cut down. in its original state the cope showed the twelve apostles. the lower portion has been cut away and reshaped, and round this is an edging apparently made out of a stole and maniple which point to a later date, as they are worked chiefly in cross-stitch. on the orphrey are emblazoned the arms of warwick, castile and leon, ferrars, geneville everard, the badge of the knights templars, clifford, spencer, lindsay, le botelier, sheldon, monteney of essex, champernoun, everard, tyddeswall grandeson, fitz alan, hampden, percy, clanvowe, ribbesford, bygod, roger de mortimer, grove, b. bassingburn, and many others not recognisable. these coats of arms, it is suggested, belonged to the noble dames who worked the border. the angels which fill the intervening spaces are of the six-winged varieties, each standing on whorls or wheels. [illustration: the "syon" cope. (_s.k.m. collection._)] the cope is worked in a fine tambour or chain stitch principally. all the faces, bodies, and draperies are composed of this. a specially noticeable point is that the faces are worked spirally, beginning in the centre of the cheek and being worked round and round, conforming with the muscles of the face. the garments are worked according to the hang of the drapery, very fine effects being obtained. after the work has been completed a hot iron something like a little iron rod with a bulbous end has been pressed into the cheeks, under the throat, and in different parts of the nude body. occasionally, but seldom, the same device may be seen in the drapery. all the work is exquisitely fine and perfectly even. the groundwork of the quatrefoils is of gold-laid or "couch" work, as is also that of the armorial bearings. the name "syon" is somewhat misleading, as the cope was not made here, but came into the hands of the bridgettine nuns in , when henry v. founded the convent of "syon" at isleworth. its origin and date will ever be a matter of conjecture, but dr. rock infers that coventry may have been the place of its origin. taking coventry as a centre with a small radius, several of the great feudal houses the arms of which are on the border of the cope may be found, and dr. rock further supposes that eleanor, widow of edward the first, may have become a sister of the fraternity unknown, as her arms, castile and leon, are on it. "the whole must have taken long in working, and the probability is that it was embroidered by nuns of some convent which stood on or near coventry." however this may be, it is certain that this splendid piece of english work came into the hands, by some means, of the nuns of syon, and after remaining with them at isleworth till elizabeth's time, it was carried by them through flanders, france, and portugal. they remained at the latter place till the same persecution which dispersed the famous spanish point lace over the length and breadth of the continent, and about eighty years ago it was brought back to england, and was given by the remaining members of the order to the earl of shrewsbury. after further vicissitudes of a varied character it was bought by the south kensington museum for £ , and now sheds the glory of its golden threads in a dark transept unnoticed except by the student. iii ecclesiastical embroideries and vestments [illustration: half of the steeple aston altar frontal. english, fourteenth century.] iii ecclesiastical embroideries and vestments the pierpont morgan purchase--the steeple aston altar-frontal--the "nevil" altar-frontal at s. k. m.--city palls--diagram of vestments. other copes of the same period are in the madrid museum, two copes at bologna, and the "ascoli" cope recently purchased by mr. j. pierpont morgan and generously returned by him. some cushions from catworth church, huntingdon, now at the south kensington museum, were probably cut from copes, and bought by permission of the bishop of ely for £ . a long band of red velvet at south kensington museum embroidered with gold and silver and coloured silk has evidently been made from the "apparels" of an alb. it is in two pieces, each piece depicting five scenes divided by broad arches. the first five are from the life of the virgin, and are: "the angel appearing to anna," "the meeting of anna and joachim," "birth of the virgin," "presentation of the virgin," "education of the virgin." in the second piece are: "the annunciation," "the salutation," "the nativity," "the angel appearing to the shepherds," and the "journey of the magi." another piece of similar work is the altar-frontal of steeple aston, which was originally a cope, and the cope now at stonyhurst college, originally belonging to westminster cathedral. it is made of one seamless piece of gold tissue. during this great period of english embroidery certain characteristics along with its superb workmanship must be noticed. the earlier the work the finer the modelling of the figures. in the figures of the st. cuthbert and the worcester fragments the proportions of the figures are exquisite; at a later date, while the work is just as excellent, the figures become unnatural, the heads being unduly large, the eyes staring, and the perspective entirely out of drawing. until the fourteenth century this comes so gradually as to be scarcely noted; but after and through the fifteenth century this becomes so marked as to be almost grotesque, and only the genuine religious fervour with which these poor remnants have been worked prevents many of them being ridiculous. the faces gradually show less careful drawing and working, and the figures become squat and topheavy. the emblems of the saints are often omitted. [illustration: the "nevil" altar frontal. (_s.k.m. collection._)] this decline in the embroiderer's art is specially noticeable in an extraordinary panel to be seen at south kensington museum, where an altar-frontal of stamped crimson velvet is appliqued in groups of figures in gold, silver, and silks. in the middle is the crucifixion, with the virgin and st. john standing on a strip covered with flowers. on the left is ralph nevil, fourth earl of westmoreland, , kneeling, and behind him his seven sons. on the right is lady catherine stafford, his wife, also kneeling, and behind her kneel her thirteen daughters. the frontal cost the museum £ and is well worth it as an historical document. other important embroideries of the period to be found in england are at cirencester cathedral, ely cathedral, salisbury and carlisle cathedrals, chipping norton and little dean in gloucestershire, east langdon in kent, buckland and stourton in worcester, littleworth in leicestershire, lynn in norfolk, and the parish church at warrington. many of the palls belonging to the great city companies belong to this date. the saddlers' company's pall is of crimson velvet embroidered with angels surrounding "i.h.s.," and arms of the company. the fishmongers' pall, made at the end of the fifteenth century, has at one end the figure of st. peter (the patron saint of fishermen) enthroned, and angels on either side, and at the other end st. peter receiving the keys from our lord. the vintners' pall is made of italian velvet and cloth of gold and embroidered with st. martin of tours. religious influence characterised the embroideries of england practically from the ninth to the sixteenth centuries. practically all needlework prior to is entirely ecclesiastical, and from its limited range in choice of subjects barely does justice to the fine work this period produced. dr. rock says that "few persons of the present day have the faintest idea of the labour, the money, the time, often bestowed on old embroideries which had been designed by the hands of men and women each in their own craft the best and ablest of the day." we do not know the length of time these ancient vestments occupied in the making, but twenty-six years is stated to be the period of making the vestments for the church of san giovanni, in florence. this is all worked in close stitches similar to our english work. _ancient church vestments._ the names of the ecclesiastical vestments are somewhat puzzling to those of us who do not belong to the romish church, or even to the english high church. the vestments described are, we believe, in use in the romish churches now as in the early times when church embroidery was the pleasure and the labour of all classes of english women. the accompanying diagram will better illustrate the use of these vestments than a page of writing. [illustration: ecclesiastical vestments. . amice. . orphreys. . chasuble. . sleeves of alb. and . apparel of alb. . maniple. . stole. . alb. _from "a guide to ecclesiastical law," by kind permission of mr. henry miller._] * * * * * the alb is often trimmed handsomely with lace, the apparels are stitched on to the front. the stoles ought to have three crosses embroidered on it and be yards long. over this comes the chasuble, which is the last garment the priest puts on before celebrating mass. the cope is a huge semi-circular ft. wide cape. the maniple is a strip of embroidery ft. in. long worn over the left wrist of the priest. [illustration: ecclesiastical vestments. english, fifteenth or early sixteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] iv tudor embroidery iv tudor embroidery the influences of the reformation--queen catherine of aragon's needlecraft--the gorgeous clothes of henry viii.--field of the cloth of gold--queen elizabeth's embroideries. after the reformation and the wholesale destruction of the cathedrals, monasteries, and churches, the gentle dames of england found their occupation gone. the priestly vestments, the sumptuous altar-cloths, and gorgeous hangings were now needless. those which had been the glory of their owners, and the pictorial representations of biblical life to the uneducated masses of people, had been ruthlessly torn down and destroyed for the sake of the gold to be found on them. as in the time immediately preceding the french revolution, costly embroideries were unpicked, and the amount of gold and silver obtained from them became a source of income and profit to their destroyers. apart from her household, women had no other interests in those days, unless we accept such anomalies as lady jane grey, who was a marvel of learning and wisdom. all their long leisure hours had been spent, not in improving their minds, but in beautifying the churches with specimens of their skill. catherine of aragon, one of the unfortunate queens of henry viii., was a notable needlewoman, and spent much of her short, unhappy time as queen of england in embroidery. the lace-making of northampton is said to have been commenced by her during her period of retirement after her divorce. the "spanish stitch," which was known and used in embroidery of that period, was introduced by her from her own country, and many examples of her skill in embroidery are to be seen in the british museum and the various homes belonging to our old nobility. during the reign of henry viii. dress became very sumptuous, as the contemporary pictures of the times show. indeed, all the fervour and feeling which ladies had worked in religious vestments now seemed to find refuge in the over-elaboration of personal wear. very little lace was used, and that of only a primitive description, so that effect was produced by embroidery in gold and silver threads and the use of pearls and precious stones. the dress of the nobles in the time of henry viii. was especially gorgeous, the coats being thickly padded and quilted with gold bullion thread, costly jewels afterwards being sewn in the lozenges. it is related that after his successful divorce king henry gave a banquet to celebrate his marriage to anne boleyn, and wore a coat covered with the jewelled letters "h," and in the height of his satisfaction allowed the ladies to cut or tear away the jewels as souvenirs of his triumph over wolsey and catherine. it is said that he was left in his underwear, so great was the competition for these favours! robes made of gold tissue, then called cloth of gold, were used, and in henry's meeting with francis i. the english and french armies vied with each other as to which should present a greater magnificence. the name "the field of the cloth of gold" remains as a guarantee of its splendour. under the more austere and religious rule of queen mary we might suppose that ecclesiastical embroidery would have somewhat regained a foothold. but the landmarks had been entirely swept away, and we have little to record of the reign, except that mary herself was a clever needlewoman and worked much of her heartache, at the neglect of her spanish husband, into her needlework. her jealousy of her sister elizabeth caused the latter to spend her life away from the pomps and ceremonies of the court, and she has left many records of her handiwork, some well authenticated, as, for example, the two exquisite book-covers in the british museum. queen elizabeth cannot, however, be said to have been in any way a patroness of the art of needlecraft. her talent seems rather to have been devoted to affairs of state--and her wardrobe! on her death, at seventy years of age, she left over one thousand dresses, most of which must have been a cruel weight, so overburdened were they with stiff bullion and trimmed with large pearls and jewels. her dresses were literally diapered with gold and silver "gimps" inset with heavier stones, but little real embroidery is shown. mary queen of scots, on the contrary, was a born needlewoman. during her married life in france she learned the gentle arts of embroidery and lace-making, accomplishments which, as in many humbler women's lives, have served their owners in good stead in times of loneliness and trouble. the duke of devonshire possesses specimens of queen mary's skill, worked during the long, dreary days of her imprisonment at fotheringay. it is said that queen elizabeth was not above helping herself to the wardrobe and laces that the unfortunate queen of scotland brought with her from france. much embroidery must have been worked for the adornment of the house after the reformation, but beyond an occasional old inventory nothing is left to show it. after the reformation greater luxury in living obtained, and instead of the clean or rush-strewn floors some kind of floor-covering was used. furniture became much more ornamental, and the use of hangings for domestic purposes was common. not a thread of these hand-worked hangings remain, but we have the immense and immediate use of tapestry, which first became a manufacture of england in the reign of henry viii. it is easy to conceive that english women would readily seize upon the idea supplied in tapestry and adapt its designs to that of embroidery. it is certain that hangings for the old four-post beds were embroidered, as in the inventory of wolsey's great palace at hampton court there is mention of bed-hangings of english embroidery. nothing of this remains, so that its style is simply conjectural; and we can only suppose these hangings to have been replicas of the magnificent velvet and satin hangings, covered with laid or couched gold and silver threads, such as catherine of aragon would bring with her from spain. this also would account for their absolute disappearance. the value of the gold and silver in embroidery has always been a fertile source of wealth to the destroyer of ancient fabrics, while many embroideries worked only in silks have escaped this vandalism. v early needlework pictures and accessories [illustration: early "petit point" picture. late sixteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] v early needlework pictures and accessories "petit point"--old list of stitches--stuart bags--gloves--shoes--caps. towards the end of james i.'s reign it is supposed that the earliest needlework pictures appeared. they were obviously literal copies of the tapestries which had now become of general use in the homes of the wealthy, being worked in what is known as "petit point," or "little stitch." this stitch was worked on canvas of very close quality, with fine silk thread, one stitch only being taken over the junction of the warp and the weft of the canvas instead of the "cross stitch" of later days. very few of these specimens are left of an early date. a panel, measuring inches by inches, in perfect condition, and dated , was sold at christie's rooms this year for £ . the purchaser, mr. stoner, of king street, sold it next day at a very considerable profit. at this period the workers of these pictures did not draw upon biblical subjects for their inspiration (with great advantage to the picture, it may be stated). the subjects were either fanciful adaptations from real life, with the little people dressed in contemporary costume, or dainty little mythological subjects, such as the "judgment of paris," "corydon wooing phyllis," with most absurd little castles of tudor construction in impossible landscapes, where the limpid stream meandered down fairy-like hills into a shining lake, which held dolphins under the water and water-fowl above it. the illustration depicts such a specimen, and shows one of these tiny pictures worked in no less than ten different stitches of lacework, in addition to the usual petit point. the number of these stitches is legion. in the reign of charles i., john taylor, the water-poet, wrote in : "for tent worke, raised worke, first worke, laid worke, net worke, most curious purl, or rare italian cut worke, fire, ferne stitch, finny stitch, new stitch, chain stitch, brave bred stitch, fisher stitch, irish stitch, and queen stitch, the spanish stitch, rosemary stitch, and mowle stitch, the smarting whip stitch, back stitch, and cross stitch; all these are good, and this we must allow, and they are everywhere in practice now." [illustration: very early "petit point" picture. (_author's collection._)] these are not _all_ the stitches in vogue during the first era of needlework pictures. a single glance at one of the early specimens, though it may not _charm_, fills one with amazement at the amount of toil, ingenuity, patience, and downright _love_ for the work the ancient needlewoman must have possessed. not only pictures, however, were made in petit point. many dainty little accessories of the toilet gave scope to the delicate fancy and nimble fingers of the ladies who had found solace from the cessation of their labours for the priesthood in making dainty little handbags and other pretty articles, each a marvel of minute handicraft. one bag in my possession measures only four inches square, and is worked on fine canvas, about forty threads to the square inch, the design being the favourite tudor rose, each petal worked in lace stitch, and raised from the centre which is made of knots worked with golden hair, flat green leaves exquisitely shaded, and a charming bit of the worker's skill in the shape of a pea's pod, open and raised, showing the tiny little peas in a row. an exquisitely worked butterfly with raised wings in lace stitch is on the other side. the grounding of the whole is run with flat gold thread, making a "cloth of gold" ground, strings made of similarly worked canvas, with gold thread and silk tassels complete a bag fit for the princess golden locks of our fairy tales. this little bag cost the writer guineas, and was cheap at the price. the south kensington museum have several specimens, and although many are very exquisite, there is not one quite so perfect in design nor in such condition. other little trifles made in similar style are the embroidered gauntlets of the buff leather glove worn at the time. these have become rarer than any other embroideries, as they were not merely for ornament but for actual wear. four or five of these gauntlet gloves are in the south kensington collection, but are of a later date than the "petit point" period. the use of gloves in england was not very general, we may infer, in the earlier ages of embroidery. there are certain evidences, however, showing that the glove was part of the priestly outfit, remains of gloves having been found on the bones of thomas à becket when they were transferred from the crypt of canterbury cathedral to the special shrine prepared for them; and a crimson leather pair, bearing the sacred monogram in embroidered gold, are preserved in the new college, oxford, belonging to the founder, william of wykeham, who opened the college in . it was not until the fourteenth century that the wearing of gloves became general, and practically nothing remains to show what manner of hand-covering was worn until the tudor period. henry viii. was exceptionally lavish and extravagant in the use of handsomely embroidered gloves, and few of his portraits show him without a sumptuous glove in one hand. he had gloves for all functions--like a modern fashionable woman. a pair of hawking gloves belonging to him are in the ashmolean museum, oxford, and in south kensington is one of a pair presented by henry to his friend and councillor sir anthony denny. it is of buff, thin leather, with a white satin gauntlet, embroidered with blue and red silk in applique work, decorated with seed-pearls and spangles, and trimmed with gold lace. the tudor rose, the crown, and the lion are worked amidst a splendour of gold and pearls. [illustration: a stuart glove. (_s.k.m. collection._)] queen elizabeth must have inherited her love for gorgeous apparel along with her strong personality and masterful spirit, as her expenditure for gloves alone was proverbial. the favourite offering to her was a pair of gloves, but she was not above accepting shoes, handkerchiefs, laces, and even gowns from her faithful and admiring subjects. on her visit to oxford in she was presented by the chancellor of the university with a pair of perfumed gloves, embroidered with gold and set with jewels, which cost the university sixty shillings, an immense sum in those days. other historic gloves are in the various museums of the country, seldom or never coming into the open market. in the braikenridge collection sold at christie's in february of this year i was able to secure one for £ s. d., immediately afterwards being offered double the price for it. the gloves belonging to charles i. and queen henrietta maria were very ornamental, and it is said that even oliver cromwell, with all his austerity, was not proof against the fascination of the decorated glove. with charles ii. the embroidered gloves seem to have vanished along with the stumpwork pictures, of which more anon. dainty shoes were embroidered in those old times. these, being articles of wear, like the gloves, are very rare. the same fine petit point work is seen on them; seed-pearls and in-run gold threads adorn them, and frequently the tudor rose, in raised work, forms the shoe knot. two pairs in lady wolseley's collection, sold in , fetched six guineas, and nine and a half guineas. tiny pocket-books were covered with this pretty work, and charming covers almost as fresh as when they were worked are occasionally unearthed, made to hold the old-fashioned housekeeping and cooking books. one wonders oftentime how many, and yet, alas! how few, specimens of this old petit point work have been preserved. it is only during recent years that the "cult of the antique" has been fashionable, and is also becoming a source of income and profit to the many who indulge in its quest. only members of learned antiquarian societies or born reliquaries troubled themselves to acquire ancient articles of historic interest because they were _old_, and served to form the sequence in the fairy tales of time. anything "old" was ruthlessly destroyed, as being either past wear, shabby, or old-fashioned, and countless treasures, both in ecclesiastical and secular art, have at all periods been recklessly destroyed for the sake of their intrinsic value in gold or jewels. in the early days of my life i was allowed to pick out the corals and seed-pearls from an old stuart needle picture "for a doll's necklace!" the picture itself probably going into the "rag-bag" of the mid-victorian good housekeeper. vi stuart caskets and mirrors vi stuart caskets and mirrors secret drawers and hidden receptacles--high prices in the salerooms. among the many treasures of this exquisite period of needlecraft are the well-known stuart caskets. very interesting and valuable are these charming boxes, many of them being in a fine state of preservation, owing to their having been enclosed in either a wooden or leathern box specially made to contain them. these queer little boxes are frequently made in the shape of noah's ark. the lid being raised, a fitted mirror is disclosed. the mirror slides out, and a secret recess may be discovered to hold letters. the front falls down, disclosing any number of tiny drawers, each drawer being silk-lined and the front of it embroidered. here, again, we may look for secret drawers. very seldom does the drawer run to the width of the cabinet, but by removing every drawer and carefully searching for springs or slides many a tiny recess is disclosed, where costly jewels, and perhaps a love-gage, has reposed safely from the sight of unworthy eyes. every square inch of these caskets is covered with embroidery, sometimes in canvas, worked with the usual scriptural or mythological design, and in others with white satin, exquisitely embroidered with figures and floral subjects. those in best preservation have been covered with mica, which has preserved both the colour and the fabric. the fittings are generally of silver. on the few occasions when these boxes or caskets come into the market high prices are realised. messrs. christie last year obtained £ for a good specimen. i have never seen one sold under £ , and as much as £ has been given. another pretty fancy was to cover small trays, presumably for the work or dressing table, with embroidery. not many of these remain, the wear of removing them from place to place having been too much for their staying powers. one in my possession is a small hexagonal tray with raised sides, embroidered in coloured silks in floral design, on what was once white satin. it is by no means a thing of beauty now, but as a specimen it is interesting, and "a poor thing, but mine own," which covers a multitude of shortcomings in these old relics, fortunately. [illustration: "stuart" mirror frame. (_lady wolseley's collection._)] far more frequently met with, though quite prohibitive in price, are the stuart embroidered mirrors, which easily command £ to £ in the salerooms. they are generally set in a frame of oak, leaving five or six inches (which would otherwise be covered with carving or veneer) for the embroidery. the mirror itself is comparatively small, being only a secondary consideration, and often little remains of it for its original purpose, as the glass is blurred and the silvering gone. many of these mirrors have _bevelled_ glass, which, of course, is wrong. the mirror shown in the illustration is one recently belonging to viscountess wolseley and sold by her, among other stuart needlework specimens, at messrs. puttick & simpson's in . this mirror sold for £ . the figures represent charles i. and queen henrietta maria, one on either side of the mirror. the figure at the top of the frame is difficult to understand; whether she is an angel or a mere court lady must be left to conjecture. the rolling clouds and the blazing sun are above her head, and a peacock, with tail displayed, is on one side and a happy-looking stag on the other. two royal residences adorn the topmost panels on either side, with all their bravery of flying flags and smoking chimneys, and the lion and the leopard occupy the lower panels. the latter animal identifies the king and queen, who might otherwise be charles ii. and his consort, as after charles i.'s time the leopard gave place to the unicorn for some unexplained reason. other typical little stuart animals and birds fill in the extra panels, such as the spotted dog who chases a little hare who is never caught, and the gaily-coloured parroquet and kingfisher, which no respectable stuart picture would be without. the caterpillar, the ladybird, and the snail are all _en evidence_; and below is a real pond, covered with talc, and containing fish and ducks, the banks being made of tiny branching coral beads and tufted silk and bullion work. about this time, when venetian lace came into fashionable use as an adjunct to the exquisite stuart dress, tiny coloured beads were imported from venice. the embroiderers at once seized upon them as a new and possibly more lasting means of showing their pretty fancies in design. many delightful specimens of these beadwork pictures are preserved, the colours, of course, being as fresh as yesterday. the ground was always of white satin, now faded and discoloured with age, and often torn with the heaviness of the beadwork design. they are scarcely so charming as the all needlework pictures, but still are delightful and covetable articles. the exigencies of the beadwork, however, lends a certain stiffness and ungainliness to the figures. vii embroidered books and "black work" [illustration: "stuart" book cover. (_british museum._)] vii embroidered books and "black work" style and symbolism--specimen in british museum and bodleian libraries--"black work" among the many dainty examples of tudor and stuart needlework are to be found the exquisitely embroidered book-covers which date from queen elizabeth's girlhood until the time of charles ii. they were always of diminutive size, and many stitches diversify their covering; oftentimes they were liberally embroidered with seed-pearls, and in these instances most frequently this fashion has been their salvation. a book somehow always seems to be a more sacred thing than a picture, and the costly little volumes which remain to show this dainty handicraft have apparently always been used either for church or private devotional purposes. the designs of the book-covers almost always follow certain styles. these are either heraldic, scriptural, symbolical, floral, or arabesque. the first-named variety usually belonged to royalty or one of the many noble houses whose ladies busied themselves with fair needlework. the shield, containing the coat of arms of the family, occupied the centre of the book-cover, being formed in raised gold and silver guipure or cord, and on the reverse the worker's initials frequently appear, with a pretty border in gold and silver, to outline the edges. the scriptural book-covers are always worked on canvas in fine petit point stitches. one in south kensington museum is larger than most of these volumes, and has on one side solomon in all his glory and on the reverse jacob and his ladder and king david. these canvas-covered books appear to have suffered most from the wear and tear of time, and very few remain. the symbolical covers are few, and mostly uninteresting. they are worked as a rule on silk and satin in loose satin stitches, which have suffered much from friction. the sacred monogram is often the centre of the device. a favourite design was adorning the back of the books with portraits of the martyred king charles i., queen henrietta maria, and the popular duke of buckingham. [illustration: pocket-book of satin, embroidered with coloured silks and silver-gilt thread. said to have been the property of queen elizabeth. (_in countess brownlow's collection._)] the stitches used were generally chain-stitch, split-stitch, petit point, and lace-stitch; and the patterns were most frequently outlined with a gimp made of flattened spiral wire, or _purl_, which was a fine copper wire covered with coloured silks and cut in lengths for use. very often, also, small silver spangles were employed, either stitched down with a piece of purl or a seed-pearl. frequently the covers were of velvet with the designs appliquéd down to it, and _laid_ or _couch_ work outlined the designs. sometimes flat pieces of metal were cut to shape and stitched down, as in one instance where the corners of the books were trimmed with the rays of the sun cut in gold, and stitched over with a gold thread. many of the charming little bags of which mention has already been made are supposed to have been worked to hold the prayer book and book of psalms, without which no devout lady deemed herself fully equipped. the most famous book is queen elizabeth's book in the british museum. the cover is of choice green velvet, the flat of the back has five roses embroidered in lace, raised stitches and gold and pearl. the royal arms are on either side of the book in a lozenge of red silk and pearls. the whole design, apart from this, is worked in red and white roses and scrolls of gold and silk. this gorgeous little cover contains "the mirrour of glasse of the synneful soul," written by elizabeth herself, and of it she writes that she "translated it out of french ryme into english prose, joyning the sentences together as well as the capacities of my symple witte and small lerning could extende themselves." it is dedicated "to our most noble and virtuous queen katherine [katherine parr] from assherige, the last day of the year of our lord god, ." in the bodleian library there is another treasured little book, again worked by queen elizabeth. it is only inches by inches, and has the same design on both sides. in this the ground is what is known as "tapestry stitch," worked in thick, pale-blue silk, and the design is of interlacing gold and silver threads with a tudor rose in each corner. "k. p." is marked on the cover, and shows that this also was worked for queen katherine parr. yet another little book is in the british museum. it contains a prayer composed by queen katherine parr, and is written on vellum by queen elizabeth. the cover illustrated is a typical example of the class of embroidered works of the period. later the covers showed less intricate work, and finally developed into mere velvet covers embroidered with silver or gold. [illustration: stuart embroidered cap. (_s.k.m. collection._)] black work. a curious phase of old english embroidery is the well-known "black work," which is said to have been introduced by catherine of aragon into england, and was also known as "spanish work." the work itself was a marvel of neatness, precision, and elegant design, but the result cannot be said to have been commensurate with the labour of its production. most frequently the design was of scroll-work, worked with a fine black silk back-stitching or chain-stitch. round and round the stitches go, following each other closely. bunches of grapes are frequently worked solidly, and even the popular peascod is worked in outline stitch, and often the petit point period lace stitches are copied, and roses and birds worked separately and after stitched to the design. there are many examples of this famous "spanish" work in the south kensington museum. quilts, hangings, coats, caps, jackets, smocks are all to be seen, some with a couched thread of gold and silver following the lines of the scrolls. this is said to be the spanish stitch referred to in the old list of stitches, and very likely may be so, as the style and manner are certainly not english; and we know that catherine of aragon brought wonders of spanish stitchery with her, and she herself was devoted to the use of the needle. the story of how when called before cardinal wolsey and campeggio, to answer to king henry's accusations, she had a skein of embroidery silk round her neck is well known. the black silk outline stitchery or linen lasted well through the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. very little of it is seen outside the museums, as, not being strikingly beautiful or attractive, it has been destroyed. another phase of the same stitchery was working cotton and linen garments, hangings, and quilts in a kind of quilted pattern with yellow silk. anything more unlike the quilting of fifty years ago cannot be imagined. the finest materials were used, the padding being placed bit by bit in its place--not in the wholesale fashion of later years, when a sheet or two of wadding was placed between the sheets of cotton or linen, and a coarse back-stitching outlined in great scrawling patterns held the whole together. the old "quilting" work was made in tiny panels, illustrating shields and other heraldic devices, and had a surface as fine as carved ivory. when, as in the case of one sample at south kensington, the quilt is additionally embroidered with beautiful fine floss silk flowers, the effect is very lovely. viii stuart pictures viii stuart pictures "petit point"--"stump work"--royalistic symbols. though these pictures bear the name of stuart, many of them are undoubtedly tudor. the earliest (if the evidence of costume is of any value) must have been worked in elizabeth's time, but as the authenticated specimens date only from the reign of james i. they are known as stuart. the only pictures worked in the early days of this art were worked in petit-point, the tiny stitch which imitated tapestry, and very quaint are the specimens left to us. the favourite themes were entirely pagan. gods and goddesses disported themselves among leafy trees. cupid lightly shot his arrows, the woods were inhabited by an unknown flora and fauna which seem all its own. the very dogs seem to be a different species, having more likeness to the china dogs of the spotted or liver and white variety which the staffordshire potters made at the beginning of our own century. innumerable little castles were perched in perfectly inaccessible positions on towering crags, and the laws of perspective were generally conspicuous by their absence. the sun in those days was a very visible body, and apparently delightful to work, no stuart picture being without one; the rolling clouds oftentimes are confused with the convoluted body of the caterpillar, little difference being made in the design. the birds were of very brilliant plumage, and the world was evidently a very gay and sportive place when these fair ladies spent their leisure over this embroidery! these early pictures seldom show the religious feeling that afterwards slowly worked its way through the stuart days (though, perhaps, disguised under royalistic symbolism), until in the reign of queen anne it became more or less a fashion, in pictorial needle-craft. it burst out afresh in the early nineteenth century and became an absolute obsession of the early victorian berlin-wool workers with most disastrous results to both design and work. until the end of charles i.'s reign needlework pictures must have been scarce, as we find one enumerated in the inventory of his "closet of rarities." it is possible that the many pictures which represent charles i. were worked by loyalist ladies, _after his execution_ and _during the commonwealth_. in many of these pictures his own hair is said to have been used, thereby becoming relics of him who was known as "the martyred king." on a very finely worked portrait of charles i., at south kensington museum, king charles's hair is worked amongst the silken threads. [illustration: king charles i., worked in fine silk embroidery. (_s.k.m. collection._)] throughout this time, no matter what the subjects, most of which were notably striking scenes from scripture history, such as "esther and king ahasuerus," "solomon and the queen of sheba," "the judgment of solomon" (a very favourite subject), and other scenes of old testament history, all the kings were charles i. and all the queens henrietta maria. one and all wore early stuart costumes. even pharaoh's daughter wore the handsome dress of the day, with point lace falling collar and real pearls round her neck. it is a fashion to jeer at this anachronism; but may it not perhaps be that we take these pictures too literally, and deny the workers their feelings of passionate devotion to the lost cause. doubtless they worked their loyalty to their beloved monarch into these pretty and pleasing fancies, just as it is said that the fashion of "finger-bowls" was introduced later so that the loyal gentlemen of the day might drink to the king "_over the water_." i see no cause to deny intelligence to these dear dead women, who were capable of exquisite needlecraft and fine design, and whose devotion was shown in many instances by giving up jewels, houses, and lands for the king! the fashion of "stump" or stamp work appears to have been derived from italy. italian needlework of this time abounds with it, and, it must be admitted, of a superior design, and style to that which was known here as "stump" work. until the eighteenth century english work was more or less archaic in every branch. personally, i see no more absurdity in the queer doll-like figures than in contemporary wood-carving. it was a period of tentative effort, and was, of course, beneath criticism. english art has ever been an effort until its one bright burst of genius in the eighteenth century, while the continental nations appear to have breathed artistic perception with life itself. the prototype of our stump work pictures, the italian raised work, are gracious, graceful figures perfectly proportioned, and set in lovely elegant arabesques, with no exaggeration of style or period. some specimens of this work must have been brought from italy, through france, and the english workers quickly adopted and adapted them to their own heavier intelligence. some of the little figures are certainly very grotesque. frequently the tiny little hands are larger than the heads, but the _stitchery_ is exquisite. no time seems to have been too long to have been spent in perfecting the petals of a rose, the loose wing of a butterfly, or to make a realistic curtain in fine point lace stitches to hang from the king's canopy. some of the king's dresses are said to have been made of tiny treasured pieces of his garments. there is no doubt that much devoted sentiment was worked into these little figures, and these touches of nature add a pathetic interest to them. [illustration: superb example of stuart picture. (_s.k.m. collection._)] in the illustration of "king solomon receiving the queen of sheba" from the south kensington collection solomon is obviously king charles i., while the queen of sheba is equally recognisable as queen henrietta maria. the picture is perhaps the finest in the kensington collection, the colours being fresh and the work intact. the little faces are worked over a padding of soft frayed silk or wool, the features being drawn in fine back-stitch. natural hair is worked on the king's and queen's heads, and the crowns are real gold thread set with pearls. the canopy is worked _solidly_ in silk and gold thread, and from it hang loose curtains in old brocade, worked over and over with gold and silken thread. the king's mantle and that of the lord chamberlain are worked in point lace stitches, afterwards applied to the bodies and hanging loosely. the queen's dress is brocade, worked over with gold and silver, while strings of real pearls decorate the necks and wrists of the ladies, and real white lace of the venetian variety trims the neck and sleeves of these fairy people. the stuart castle we see perched up among the trees and touching the sun's beams is more like an english farmhouse than whitehall. yet either this or windsor castle is always supposed to be represented. the british lion and the leopard, again, make the identity of these little people more certain. the quaint little trees bear most disproportionate fruits, the acorn and pears being about the same size, but all beautifully worked in point-lace stitches over wooden moulds. the hound and the hare, the butterfly and the grub, and the strange birds make up one of the most typical stuart pictures. the next illustration shows another development of picture-making. here the grounding is of white satin, as in the previous illustration, but the figures are worked on canvas separately, in fine petit-point stitch, afterwards being cut away and placed on the white satin ground with a few silk stitches and the whole outlined with a fine black silk cord. the subject is "the finding of moses," and is as full of anachronisms as the last, only that here again pharaoh's daughter is worked in memory of queen henrietta maria, and the tiny boy in the corner is charles ii., and moses the infant duke of york. the four-winged cherubs are the guardian angels who are watching over the lost fortunes of the stuart family, and the rose of england and the lilies of france which form the border are emblematical of the royal lineage of their lost king's family. the hound and hare still chase each other gaily round the border, and in the picture the hare is seen emerging, like the stuarts, from exile and obscurity. sufficient has perhaps been said to cause those who possibly may have misunderstood these pictures to give them another glance, and allow imagination to carry them back to the times of the exiled royal family and their brave adherents, whose women allowed not their memories to slumber nor their labours to flag. these pictures must have been made during the commonwealth and the reign of charles ii. in no case, to my knowledge, has king charles ii. been depicted in stitchery, nor yet catherine of braganza. james ii. is equally ignored, and with him their mission seemed to have been accomplished. possibly the people had had by this time sufficient of the stuarts, and the memory of king charles the martyr had waxed dim. certain it is that with james ii. stuart needlework pictures suddenly ceased. [illustration: stuart picture, showing the finding of moses. (_s.k.m. collection._)] _stump work symbols._ the symbolism of the various animals, birds, insects, and flowers which are, apparently without rhyme or reason, placed in one great disarray in the stuart pictures is said to have been heraldic and symbolic. the sunbeam coming from a cloud, the white falchion, and the chained hart are heraldic devices belonging to edward iii. the buck and the strawberry, which are so often seen, belong to the frazer clan of scotland, and may have been worked by ladies who were kith and kin of this clan. the unicorn was the device of james i. and the siren or mermaid of lady frazer, who is said to have worked her own golden hair in the heart of a tudor rose on a book cover for james i. the hart was also a device of richard ii. and the "broom pod" of the plantagenets. the caterpillar and butterfly were specially badges of charles i., while the oak-tree and acorn were invariably worked into every picture in memory of charles ii.'s escape in an oak tree. ix samplers ix samplers real art work--specimens in south kensington museum--high price now obtained. a "sampler" is an example or a sample of the worker's skill and cleverness in design and stitching. when they first appeared, as far as we know about the middle of the seventeenth century, they were merely a collection of embroidery, lace, cut and drawn work stitches, and had little affinity to the samplers of a later date, which seemed especially ordained to show various patterns of cross stitches, the alphabet, and the numerals. the early samplers were real works of art; they were frequently over a yard long, not more than a quarter of a yard wide, and were adorned with as many as thirty different patterns of lace and cut and drawn work. this extreme narrowness was to enable the sampler to be rolled on a little ivory stick, like the japanese _kakemonas_. the foundation of all the early samplers was a coarse linen, and to this fact we owe the preservation of many of them. those made two hundred years later, on a coarse, loose canvas, even now show signs of decay, while these ancient ones on linen are as perfect as when made, only being gently mellowed by time to the colour of old ivory. the earliest sampler known is dated , and was worked by elizabeth hinde. it is only inches by - / inches, and is entirely lacework, and apparently has been intended for part of a sampler. the worker perhaps changed her mind and considered rightfully that she had accomplished her _chef d'oeuvre_, or as so often explains these unfinished specimens, the reaper gathered the flower, and only this dainty piece of stitching was left to perpetuate the memory of elizabeth hinde. the sampler in question is just one row of cut and drawn work and another of fine venetian lacework, worked in "punto in aria." a lady in court dress holds a rose to shield herself from cupid, a dear little fellow with wings, who is shooting his dart at her heart. perhaps poor elizabeth hinde died of it and this is her "swan song." [illustration: a seventeenth-century "sampler" (english), showing cut and drawn work. (_s.k.m. collection._)] the earliest samplers appeared to have been worked only on white cotton or silk. a favourite design, apart from the lacework samplers, was the "damask pattern" sampler, a specimen of which may be noted, commencing with the fifth row, on the sampler illustrated. sometimes the sampler was entirely composed of it, and although ineffective, remains as a marvel of skill. it was worked entirely in flat satin stitch and eyelet holes, known as the "bird's eye" pattern. in the illustration four rows of cutwork will be noted, followed by five rows of drawn threadwork, and above are patterns worked in floral and geometric designs in coloured silks. the alphabet and the date complete this monument of skill, which may be seen in the south kensington museum. the succeeding illustration shows a more ambitious attempt, and is considered one of the finest specimens known. it was worked by elizabeth mackett, . it is on white linen with ten rows of floral patterns worked with coloured silks in cross, stem, and satin stitches, with some portions worked separately and applied. five rows of white satin stitch, two rows of alphabet letters in coloured silks, and four rows of exquisite punto in aria lace patterns are followed by the alphabet again in white stitches and the maker's name and date. the sampler is in superb preservation, the colours are particularly rich and well chosen. this sampler is also from the south kensington collection. often the worker's name is followed by a verse or rhyme having a delightfully prosaic tendency. one can imagine the poor girls, in the early days we are writing of, writhing under the infliction of having slowly and painstakingly to work the solemn injunction-- "when this you see remember me and keep me in your mind, and be not like a weathercock that turns at every wind. when i am dead and laid in grave, and all my bones are rotten, by this you may remember me when i should be forgotten." and we can appreciate how little maggie tulliver ("the mill on the floss") must have girded at the philosophy she was compelled to work into her sampler-- "look well to what you take in hand, for learning is better than house or land; when land is gone and money is spent then learning is most excellent." with the eighteenth century the beauty of the samplers distinctly declined. they became squarer, and were bordered with a running pattern, and the whole canvas became more or less pictorial. inevitably the end of this art came. ugly realistic bowpots with stumpy trees decorated the picture in regular order. the alphabet still appeared, and moral reflection seemed to be the aim of the worker rather than to make the sampler show beauty of stitchery. quaint little maps of england are often seen, surrounded with floral borders, but it remained to the early nineteenth century to show how the sampler became reduced to absurdity. one of the quaintest and most amusing samplers at south kensington is a -inch by -inch example in woollen canvas and embroidered with coloured silk. at the lower end is a soldier, a tiny realistic house, a dovecot, any number of flowering plants, a stag and other animals. above is a band of worked embroidery enclosing the words, "this is my dear father." the remaining spaces are filled in with angels blowing trumpets, double-headed eagle, peacocks and other birds, and baskets of fruit. in spite of its absurdity, this little piece is far more pleasant than the tombstone inscriptions which abound, and is, after all, delightfully suggestive of home and affection. [illustration: early english "sampler," showing embroidery in coloured silk. (_s.k.m. collection._)] [illustration: early english "sampler," showing bird's-eye embroidery and cut and drawn work. (_s.k.m. collection._)] another quaint piece at south kensington is a sampler worked by poor harriet taylor, _aged seven!_ at the top are four flying angels, two in clouds flanking a crown beneath the letters "g. r." in the middle stands a flower-wreathed arch, with columns holding vases of flowering plants; above are the words, "the temple of fancy," and within an enclosed space the following homily: "not land but learning makes a man complete not birth but breeding makes him truly great not wealth but wisdom does adorn the state virtue not honor makes him fortunate learning, breeding, wisdom get these three then wealth and honor will attend on thee." then follows a house called "the queen's palace," standing in an enclosed flower-garden. this masterpiece of moral philosophy from the hands of a child of seven years is dated . an exaggerated conception of the value of old samplers is very widely spread. only the seventeenth-century samplers are really of consequence, and these fetch fancy prices. in the sale-rooms a long narrow sampler of lace stitches and drawn-thread work would bring as much as a handsome piece of lace. they are practically unattainable, and in this case the law of supply and demand does not obtain. it is beyond the needlewomen of the present day to imitate these old samplers. life is too short, and demands upon time are so many and varied, that a lifetime of work would result in making only one. therefore, the fortunate owners of these seventeenth-century samplers may cherish their possessions, and those less lucky possess their souls in patience, and hoard their golden guineas in the hope of securing one. twenty years ago a few pounds would have been ample to secure a fine specimen, but £ will now secure only a short fragment. during the last three years i have not seen a good sampler at any london curio or lace shop, and none appear in the sale-rooms. the eighteenth-century samplers are comparatively common, the map variety especially so, and can be purchased for a pound or so, but these are not desirable to the collector. x the william and mary embroideries [illustration: jacobean wall-hanging worked in coloured crewels on linen ground. (_s.k.m. collection._)] x the william and mary embroideries queen mary "a born needlewoman"--the hampton court embroideries--revival of petit point--jacobean hangings. one of the most convincing facts in arguments that there _is_ a revival in the gentle art of needlecraft is that it has become the fashion to drape our windows, cover our furniture, and panel our walls with printed copies of the old jacobean needlework. many people, knowing nothing whatever about the history of needlework, wonder where the designs for the printed linens which line the windows of messrs. liberty, goodall and burnett's colossal frontages in regent street have been found. in time amazement gives way to admiration for these quaint blues and greens, roses and pale yellows, worked in great scrolls with exotic flowers and still more exotic birds, and the funny little hillocks with delightful little pagoda-like cottages nestling amongst them, and many and various little animals which seem to keep perpetual holiday under the everlasting blooms. the designs are taken bodily from the historical hangings of the later seventeenth century. after the abdication and flight of james ii. to st. germains, his daughter mary came over with her dutch husband, william the stadtholder--or, rather, william came over and brought his wife, the daughter of the late king, for william had no intention of assuming the style and life of prince consort, but came well to the front, and kept there. it was not "victoria _and albert_" in those days, but william and mary, who ruled england, and ruled it well. william iii. must have been a man of strong personality, and he managed to quell all the rebellions of his reign, and during the time he ruled over us the country settled down to a peaceful state that has remained to the present time. queen mary had quite sufficient employment in settling herself and her household, and generally managing the domestic matters pertaining to the new kingdom she had come into. she apparently had a very free hand in rebuilding hampton court, which she particularly made her home, absolutely pulling the interior down, and rebuilding and redecorating it according to her own taste, which was not that of the stuart persuasion with its gorgeous magnificence, but the more homely and solid dutch. very little of the original hampton court _interior_, built and furnished by cardinal wolsey, exists. just here and there we find delightfully dark little dens with the original linen-fold panellings and ceilings that are a ravishment to look upon; but mostly the rooms are high, plain-panelled, and with the quaint ingle-nook fireplaces, with shelves above, upon which mary placed her lovely "blue and white" porcelain which had been brought to her by the dutch merchants who at that time were the great traders of the sea. [illustration: enlargement of "jacobean" spray. (_s.k.m. collection._)] queen mary ought to be regarded as the patron saint of english needlewomen. she was happiest when employed furnishing every bed-covering, every chair and stool, and supplying the hangings for her favourite home. it is said that she spent her days over her embroidery frame, knowing full well that affairs of state were in the capable hands of her husband. there are few relics left of her handiwork outside hampton court. she left no dainty little book-covers, bags, or boxes, as her ideas were fixed on larger pieces of embroidery. had she lived in the berlin-wool picture days, she would have filled every nook and cranny with these atrocities, as many humbler devotees to the needle have done to our own knowledge. needlework can become a _passion_, and certainly queen mary must have possessed it. after the complete collapse of the stuart stump pictures, when every vestige of loyalty seems to have been swept away with the hated james ii., the ancient petit point pictures came back into fashion. very clever work was put into them, but, alas! their scope was purely to depict religious scenes of the rigorous kind. no dainty fairy-like little people now ruled in pictured story, but actual representations of bible history. the illustration of "the baptism of the ethiopian eunuch by st. philip" is a fair sample of the needlework picture of this time. the picture is a strange mixture of the early stuart petit point, the jacobean wall-hanging, and the newly revived religious spirit. the duck-pond, the swans and the water-plants might have been copied bodily from james i.'s time. the paroquet and the flying bird, and the immense leaves and blossoms, are direct from the wall-hangings, while the figures only too surely foretell the coming dark days of needlecraft, when a scripture picture and a coarsely worked sampler were part of every girl's liberal education. the work in this picture is extremely good, and it is excruciatingly funny without intending to be so. the pretty little equipage with its diminutive ponies surely was never intended to carry either st. philip or the eunuch! the open book, with hebraic inscription, is very delightful. it brings to mind the tables of the law rather than the light reading that the charming little cinderella coach should carry. these pictures are not common, and we scarcely know whether to be thankful for them or not. unlike the early petit point, they were worked in _worsteds_, whereas the early pictures were wrought in silk. the moth has a natural affinity for wool, as we all know, and his tribe has cleared off many hundreds of examples. why so many of the old jacobean hangings remain is that they were worked for _use_, and not ornament, and even after they ceased to be fashionable ornaments for sitting and bed rooms, they were either relegated to the servants' quarters, or given to dependants, who used them constantly, shaking and keeping them in repair, as the eighteenth-century housewives liked to keep their homes swept and garnished. [illustration: needlework picture of queen anne period. (_s.k.m. collection._)] it is strange to see these old jacobean hangings (perhaps the drapery of the now tabooed four-post bedstead), which might some thirty years ago have been carried off for the asking, sell at christie's for £ , as happened in the dispersal of the massey-mainwaring sale last year. even a panel of no use except to frame as a picture, say feet by feet, will fetch £ and a full-sized bed-cover can only be bought for over £ . the reason is not far to seek. the colouring and the drawing of this fine old crewel-work are exquisite (even though the design savours of the grotesque), and time has dealt very leniently with the dyes. i endeavoured to match some of these old worsteds a little time ago, and though able to find the colours, could not get the tone. after much tribulation i was advised to hang the skeins of worsted on the trees in the garden and _forget all about them_, and certainly wind and weather have softened the somewhat garish worsteds to the soft, _fade_ colours of the old work. the same class of embroidery was executed during the reign of queen anne, though she herself did little of it. costly silks and brocades and venetian laces were the dress of the day, and no little dainty accessories appear to have been made. xi pictorial needlework of the eighteenth century [illustration: a fine "painted face" silk-embroidered picture. (_author's collection._)] xi pictorial needlework of the eighteenth century the "painted faces" period--method of production--revival of scriptural "motifs"--modern fakes--black silk and hair copies of engravings. an immense number of pictures must have been worked during the eighteenth century. almost, we might say, no english home is without an example. much of the work is intensely bad, and only that time has tenderly softened the colours, and the old-time dresses add an element of quaintness to the pictures, can they be tolerated. works of art they are not, and, indeed, were never intended to occupy the place their owners now proudly claim for them. just here and there a picture of the painted face type is a masterpiece of stitchery, as in the example illustrated, where every thread has been worked by an _artiste_. looking at this little gem across a room, the effect is that of a charming old colour print, so tenderly are the lines of shading depicted. this is the only picture of this class that i have seen for years as an absolutely perfect specimen of the eighteenth-century silk pictures, though doubtless many exist. the discrepancy which is usually found is that, although the design and outline is perfect, the faces and hands exquisitely painted, the needlework part of the picture has been executed in a foolish, inartistic manner, and no method of light and shade has been observed. some little time ago i published an article in one of the popular monthly magazines illustrating this same picture, and was afterwards inundated with letters from correspondents from far and near sending their pictures for valuation and--admiration! not one of these pictures was good, though there were varying degrees of _badness_. but in no instance was the painted face crudely drawn or badly coloured. the explanation is that just as the modern needlewoman goes to a needlework depôt and obtains pieces of embroidery already commenced and the design of the whole drawn ready for completion, so these old needle pictures were sold ready for embroidering, the outline of the trees sketched in fine sepia lines, the distant landscape already painted, the faces and hands of the figures charmingly coloured, in many instances by first-class artists. when we remember that the eighteenth century was _par excellence_ the great period of english portrait painting and colour printing, we can understand that possibly really fine artists were willing to paint these exquisite faces on fine silk and satin, just as good artists of the present day often paint "pot-boilers" while waiting for fame. [illustration: embroidered silk picture of "the last supper." eighteenth century. (_s.k.m. collection._)] angelica kauffmann's style was often copied. is it too much to believe that some of these charming faces may have been from her hands? we know that she painted furniture and china, therefore why not the faces of the needlework pictures so nearly akin to her own work? the eighteenth-century costume was particularly adapted to this pretty work. we cannot imagine the voluminous robes of queen mary or queen anne in needle-stitchery, but the soft, silky lawns of the georgian periods, the high-waisted bodices, the _bouffant_ fichus and the flowing head-dresses, all were specially easy and graceful to work. many of the pretty children sir joshua loved to paint were copied. "innocence" made a charming picture, and several of the less rustic morland pictures were copied. we would imagine that when the beginnings of the picture were so glorious the needlewoman would have made some endeavour to work up to it. but, alas! it was not so. though often the stitching is neat and small, not an idea of shading seems to have entered the worker's mind, and whole spaces, nay, a complete garment, are often worked solid in one tone of colour! on the whole there is far more artistic sense and feeling in the stump pictures it is the fashion to deride. not always were dainty pastoral and domestic scenes worked. very ghastly creations are still existent of scriptural subjects. coarsely worked in wool, instead of silk, or in a mixture of both. the painting is still good, but the work and the subjects are execrable! "abraham about to sacrifice isaac," on the pile of faggots already laid, and isaac bound on it, with a very woolly lamb standing ready as a substitute, was a favourite subject. "abraham dismissing hagar and ishmael," with a malignant-looking sarah in the distance, vies with the former in popularity. "the woman of samaria," and "the entombment," are another pair of unpleasant pictures which we are often called upon to admire. the best of these pictures were worked in fine floss silk, not quite like the floss silk of to-day, as it had more twist and body in it, with just a little fine chenille, and very tiny bits of silver thread to heighten the effect. the worst were worked in _crewel_ wools of crude colours. fortunately, the moth has a special predilection for these pictures, and they are slowly being eaten out of existence, in spite of being cherished as heirlooms and works of art. another pretty style which we seldom meet with was some part of the picture covered with the almost obsolete "ærophane," a kind of chiffon or crape which was much in request even up to fifty years ago. a certain part of the draperies was worked on the silk ground, without any attempt at finish. this was covered with ærophane, and outlined so as to attach it to the figure. this again was worked upon with very happy effects, very fine darning stitches making the requisite depth of shading. the illustration shows the use of this, but this cannot be said to be a very good specimen. [illustration: "painted face" silk-embroidered picture. eighteenth century. (_author's collection._)] these painted face, silk-worked pictures are the only needlework examples the collector _need to beware of_, as they are being reproduced by the score. the method of working in the poorer specimens is very simple, and it pays the "faker" to sell for £ or £ what takes, perhaps, only half a day to produce. when a well-executed picture is produced it is worth money, but so far i have seen none, except at the royal school of needlework, where the copying of old pictures of the period is exceedingly well done, and not intended to deceive. the prices, however, are almost prohibitive, as no modern needlework picture is worth from £ to £ . they are, after all, only copies, and in no sense of the word works of art. during the eighteenth century, also, a fashion set in of adorning engravings with pieces of cloth, silk, and tinsel. at best it was a stupid fancy, and was responsible for the destruction of many fine old mezzotints and coloured prints. the hands, face, and background of an engraving were cut out, and pasted on a sheet of cardboard, pieces of some favourite brocaded gown, perhaps, were attached to the neck and shoulders, tiny lace tuckers were inserted, and gorgeous jewellery was simulated by wretched bits of tinsel trimming. the realism of the stuart stump picture was never so atrocious as this baleful invention, which was as meretricious as a waxwork show. not so popular, but far better, were the pictures worked on white silk with black silk and hair. there were no artistic aspirations about these--they were copies in black and white of the engravings of the day, just as a pen-and-ink or pencil copy might be made. very dainty stitchery was put in them, the stronger parts of the lines being in fine black silk, the finer and more distant being worked in human hair of various shades from black to brown. occasionally golden and even white hair is used, and the effect is often that of a faded engraving. the silk ground on which these little pictures were worked is, however, often cracked with age, and many pretty specimens are ruined. the illustration shows an example of the type of picture, and depicts "charlotte weeping over the tomb of werther." [illustration: black silk and hair picture. imitation of engraving. eighteenth century. (_author's collection._)] xii needlework pictures of the nineteenth century xii needlework pictures of the nineteenth century entire decline of needlework as an art--miss linwood's invention!--the berlin-wool pictures--lack of efficient instruction--waste of magnificent opportunity at south kensington museum. it were kindest to ignore th century needlework, but in a book treating of english embroidery something must be said to bridge over the time when needlecraft as an art was _dead_. during the earlier part of the century taste was bad, during the middle it was beyond criticism, and from then to the time of the "greenery-yallery" æsthetic revival all and everything made by woman's fingers ought to be buried, burnt, or otherwise destroyed. indeed, if that drastic process could be carried out from the time good queen adelaide reigned to the early "eighties" we might not, now and ever, have to bow our heads in utter abjection. the originator and moving spirit of this bad period was miss linwood, who conceived the idea of copying oil paintings in woolwork. she died in . would that she had never been born! when we think of the many years which english women have spent over those wickedly hideous berlin-wool pictures, working their bad drawing and vilely crude colours into those awful canvases, and imagining that they were earning undying fame as notable women for all the succeeding ages, death was too good for miss linwood. the usual boiling oil would have been a fitter end! miss linwood made a great _furore_ at the time of her invention, and held an exhibition in the rooms now occupied by messrs. puttick & simpson, leicester square. can we not imagine the shade of the great sir joshua reynolds, whose home and studio these rooms had been, revisiting the glimpses of the moon, and while wandering up and down that famous old staircase forsaking his home for ever after one horrified glance at miss linwood's invention? not only miss linwood, but mrs. delany and miss knowles made themselves famous for berlin-wool pictures. the kindest thing to say is that the specimens which are supposed to have been worked by their own hands are considerably better than those of the half-dozen generations of their followers. during the middle and succeeding twenty years of the nineteenth century the notable housewife of every class amused herself, at the expense of her mind, by working cross-stitch pictures with crudely coloured wools (royal blue and rose-pink, magenta, emerald-green, and deep crimson were supposed to represent the actual colours of nature), on very coarse canvas. landseer's paintings were favourite studies, "bolton abbey in the olden times" lending itself to a choice range of violent colours and striking incidents. nothing was too sacred for the berlin-wool worker to lay hands upon. "the crucifixion," "the nativity," "the flight into egypt," "the holy family" were not only supposed to show the skill of the worker, but also the proper frame of mind the embroideress possessed. pleasing little horrors such as the "head of the saviour in his agony," and that of the virgin with all her tortured mother love in her eyes were considered fit ornaments for drawing-room, which by the way were also adorned with wool and cotton crochet antimacassars, waxwork flowers under glass, and often astonishingly good specimens of fine chelsea, worcester, and oriental china. never was the questions of how "having eyes and yet seeing not" more fully exemplified. the nation abounded in paintings, prints, fine needlework, and the product of our greatest period of porcelain manufacture. fine examples were at hand everywhere. exquisite prints belonging to our only good period, the eighteenth century, were common; yet rather than try their skill in copying these, the needlewomen, who possessed undoubted skill, enthusiasm, and infinite patience, preferred to copy realistic paintings of the landseer school and the highly coloured prints of the baxter and le blond period. unfortunately, the craze is by no means buried. within the last twelve months i was invited to see the "works" of a wonderful needlewoman in a little middlesex village. the local clergyman and doctor were sufficiently benighted even in these days of universal culture to admire her work, and her fame had spread. room after room was filled with by -feet canvases; every drawer in the house was crammed with the result of this clever woman's work--for clever she undoubtedly was. after exhausting all the known subjects of landseer and his school, she had struck out a line for herself, and had copied the _graphic_ and _illustrated london news_ supplements of the stirring scenes from the south african war, such as "the siege of ladysmith," "the death of the prince imperial" in all its gruesome local colouring, were worked on gigantic canvases. her great _chef d'oeuvre_ was, however, the memorial statue of queen victoria, copied from the _graphic_ supplement _in tones of black, white, and grey_, a most clever piece of work; but--well, she was happy and more than delighted with my perfectly honest remark that i had _never seen anything like it_! ah! if only this dear woman and the many others who are wasting their time and eyesight over fashions which perish could only be reached and aroused by the influence of the lovely old english stitchery of our great period! if only the purblind authorities and custodians of our national collections could awaken to the infinite possibilities which they hold, once again "opus anglicum" might rule the world, and the labour of even one woman's life might be of lasting value. it is useless to refer to the many schools of embroidery there are in different parts of the country, where fine work is being done on the best lines. these schools, from the royal school of needlework downwards, are "closed corners," and no attempt is made to reach the great public. the royal school of needlework is maintained by no subsidy as it ought to be, but by the many ladies of position and taste who liberally support it, both for the instruction and employment of "ladies of reduced circumstances," and for _the disposal of its work at very high prices_. other schools in town are simply private adventure institutions, run at a considerable profit to the principals. the superb collection at south kensington might as well be buried in the crypt of westminster cathedral for all the value it is to the general public. there is not the slightest attempt to allow these unique pieces of "opus anglicum" to point a moral or adorn a tale. the magnificent copes and vestments, of which there are some score, are merely tabulated, paragraphed, and photographed, and there is an end of them. during my constant visits to these treasures of english art i have not once discovered another interested visitor amongst these beautiful vestments; and the officials, when interviewed, though perfectly courteous, apparently resent inquiries; and woe betide the unfortunate inquirers who _might_ have found the required information from the tiny little printed card hidden either too low or too high in the dark recesses of the corridors, and so spared these _savants_ the trouble of an interview! why a continuous course of lectures on this and every kindred art subject is not made compulsory at the victoria and albert museum is one of the burning questions of the hour among the cultured collectors of the day. the custodians are supposed to be men of special insight in the branches over which they preside, yet for all the advantage to the public they might as well be waxwork dummies. what we want as a nation is "culture while we wait," and writ so large that those who run may read, and until this consummation is attained we shall ever remain in the slough of despond, and art for art's sake will continue dead. xiii embroidery in "costume" xiii embroidery in "costume" early greek garments--biblical references to embroidery--ecclesiastical garments--eighteenth-century dresses, coats, and waistcoats--muslin embroideries. the subject of costume has been most admirably treated in another volume of this series, but a reference must be made to it as affecting our topic, english embroidery, as costume has played no little part in its history. from the earliest ages embroidery has been used to decorate garments. the ancient greeks embroidered the hems of their graceful draperies in the well-known greek fret and other designs so invariably seen on the old greek vases. the legend that minerva herself taught the greeks the art of embroidery illustrates how deeply the art was understood; and the pretty story told by an old botanist of how the foxglove came by its name and its curious bell-like flowers is worth repeating. in the old greek days, when gods and goddesses were regarded as having the attributes of humanity in addition to those of deities, juno was one day amusing herself with making tapestry, and, after the manner of the people, put a thimble on her finger. jupiter, "playing the rogue with her," took her thimble and threw it away, and down it dropped to the earth. the goddess was very wroth, and in order to pacify her jupiter turned the thimble into a flower, which now is known as digitalis, or finger-stole. this little fairy tale can scarcely be taken as proof conclusive of the existence of either needle tapestry or thimble use, but its telling may amuse the reader. in all ancient histories we find continuous references to the embroidered garment worn by its people. it was well recognised that no material was sufficiently beautiful not to be further embellished with rich embroideries. in the psalms we find that "pharaoh's daughter shall be brought to the king in a raiment of needlework," and that "her clothing is of wrought gold." phrygia was above all the country most noted for embroideries of gold, and for many years the name "phrygian embroidery" was sufficient to describe any highly decorated specimen. it is said that the name of the vestment or trimming, the "orphry" is derived from the word "auri-phrygium," meaning "gold of phrygian embroidery." the phrygians are credited with having taught the egyptians the art, while the hebrews, while sojourning in the land of egypt, learned the art from their captors, and carried it with them all through their journeys to the promised land, and their final settlement in palestine. the mention of gold and purple embroideries, both as garments and hangings, is conspicuous throughout all bible history. the egyptian and greek arts are in almost all respects concurrent. the phoenicians carried examples of each country's work from one to another. after the conquest of greece the romans absorbed her art, and developed it in their own special style. they in turn carried their arts and crafts to gaul and britain, and by degrees needlecraft permeated the whole of europe. dealing with the embroidered costumes of our own country, the ancient records, illuminated missals, and other contemporary data show that very sumptuous were both the ecclesiastical and lay garments. heavy gold embroideries were worked on the hems of skirts and mantles. the kings' coronation robes and mantles were beautiful specimens of handicraft, often after a king's death being given to the churches for vestments. from anglo-saxon to norman times extensive use was made of the work of the needle for clothing, but after the conquest till quite late in the tudor period little has been found to throw light upon the use of embroidery for the lay dress of the time. all woman's taste and energy seem to have been devoted to make monumental embroideries for church use. it was, indeed, not until the gorgeous period of henry viii. that embroidery, as distinct from garment-making, appeared; and then everything became an object worthy of decoration. much fine stitchery was put into the fine white undergarments of that time, and the overdresses of both men and women became stiff with gold thread and jewels. much use was made of slashing and quilting, the point of junction being dotted with pearls and precious stones. noble ladies wore dresses heavily and richly embroidered with gold, and the train was so weighty that train-bearers were pressed into service. in the old paintings the horses belonging to kings and nobles wear trappings of heavily embroidered gold. even the hounds who are frequently represented with their masters have collars massively decorated with gold bullion. the skirts of the ladies of this time were thickly encrusted with jewels, folds of silk being crossed in a kind of lattice-work, each crossing being fixed with a pearl or jewel, and a similar precious stone being inserted in the square formed by the trellis. the long stomachers were one gleaming mass of jewelled embroidery, the tiny caps or headdresses being likewise heavily studded with gems. during the reign of charles i. a much daintier style of dress appeared. velvet and silken suits were worn by the men, handsomely but appropriately trimmed with the fine "punto in aria" or reticella laces of venice; and in this and the three succeeding reigns dress was of sumptuous velvets, satins, and heavy silks, unembroidered, but trimmed, and in charles ii.'s time _loaded_ with costly laces. it will be noted that whenever lace is in the ascendant, embroidery suffers, as is quite natural. lace itself is sufficient adornment for fine raiment. [illustration: _photo by e. gray, bayswater._ mrs. tickell and her sister, mrs. sheridan, by gainsborough, showing how lace was superseded by filmy muslins. (_dulwich gallery._)] as the use of the fine venetian and flemish and french laces declined, and tuckers and frillings of mechlin, valenciennes, and point d'angleterre appeared, the use of embroidery asserted itself, and the pretty satins and daintily coloured silks of william and mary, queen anne, and more specially the earlier georges, began to be embroidered in a specially delicate fashion. fine floss silk was used in soft colourings, and whole surfaces were covered with tiny embroidered sprays of natural-coloured flowers. really exquisite stitchery was put into the graceful honeysuckle, the pansy, carnation, and rose clusters which decorated the dresses. the bodices, sacques, and skirts of the early eighteenth-century ladies were embroidered with real artistic taste and feeling. some of the old dresses kept at south kensington show the exquisite specimens of this class of needlework; while the coats and waistcoats of the sterner sex are not a whit behind the feminine garments in beauty. the long waistcoats were most frequently made of cream, pale blue, or white silk or satin, delightfully embroidered with tiny sprays of blossoms, and fastened with fine old paste buttons; while the coat, frequently of brocade, was heavily embroidered down the front with three or four inches of solid embroidery of foliage and flowers, oftentimes mixed with gold and silver threads. the tiny cravat of mechlin, cuff ruffles, knee breeches, silken hose, and buckled shoes, along with the powdered hair, complete a costume that has never been equalled, either before or afterwards, in beauty, grace, and elegance. during the william iv. and the long victorian period, with the exception of a very fine embroidery on muslin, in the earlier part of it, nothing but fine stitchery for the use of underwear was made, if we except the hundreds and thousands of yards of cut and buttonholed linen which seemed to have been the solace and delight of our grandmothers when they allowed themselves to be torn away from their beloved berlin-wool work. to sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam appears to have been the amusement of the properly constituted women of the early and mid-nineteenth century. xiv sale prices xiv sale prices ancient embroideries so seldom come into the salerooms that it is rarely an opportunity occurs for obtaining market prices, therefore lady wolseley's sale on july , , must be accepted as a standard. immense prices are asked at the antique shops, the dealers apparently basing their prices on this sale by auction and _doubling_ them. i have visited every shop in the trade in search of prices for this book before procuring the auctioneer's catalogue, and was aghast at the terrific sums asked for oftentimes indifferent specimens in comparison to what was paid in the auction-room. during the past year anything from £ s. to £ has been paid at christie's for specimens of varying degrees of perfection of work and condition. the latter state is even of greater importance than the first, as no matter how good the work originally, if discoloured and frayed, prices go down and down. nearly all the finest specimens of the stump-work period are marred by the tarnishing of the gold and silver threads. instead of these being a glory and a great enhancement to the embroidery, they prove a great disfigurement, and thereby cause a considerable reduction in value. the earlier petit point pictures, having little or no bullion in their execution (and when cared for and not exposed to too much sunlight), have kept their condition very well, and now are quite the favourite kind for collection. it speaks much for the quality of the silks used and the dyes of nearly three hundred years ago that the fugitive greens and blues and delicate roses in these little works of art, as in the superb tapestries of the same date, should be as fine as when made, whereas to-day's colours are as fleeting as the glories of the rainbow. * * * * * the following are the principal prices in lady wolseley's sale: £ s. d. a small bag, red and gold brocade a small bag or purse a fine bead book-cover same, trimmed with silver lace (harris) a pair of embroidered shoes (harris) a small pocket-book, silk embroidery on silver ground a pair of stuart shoes a stumpwork picture, a most curious globe, showing europe, asia, africa, and america, (s. g. fenton) a double book of psalms, embroidered binding with tudor rose a petit point picture, - / × - / a small picture, partly sketched and partly worked a stuart stump picture, × - / a stuart stump picture, king under canopy, - / × a stuart bullion picture, vase, in tortoiseshell frame, × same, with herodias's daughter and john the baptist a portrait of henry, prince of wales, in flat-stitch on rose satin another on satin, "bathsheba," spangled, × another on satin, birds on gold and silver, × (harris) a bead picture, × a stump and bead picture, × a small book-cover, × a stuart stump picture, figures and silver fountain, tortoiseshell frame, × a stump picture, lady with coral necklace, × a stump picture, lady under arch with a black swan, × (stoner) a stump picture, king charles as ahasuerus with haman and mordecai, and pearl-embroidered carpet, × a stump picture, lady under a canopy, large pearls, × , (stoner) a stuart petit point picture, abraham and hagar a stuart petit point picture, "judgment of paris," × a stuart petit point picture, king solomon and queen of sheba a beadwork picture, lady and gentleman, lion and unicorn, × an embroidered picture, "peter denying christ," × (s. g. fenton) a petit point picture, lake with boats and figures, × (harris) a large stump picture, with horse and rider and figures of four seasons a stumpwork picture, four figures, castle and birds and flowers (s. g. fenton) a picture sketched on white satin, not worked a stuart picture on canvas a fine stuart jewel-casket, numerous secret drawers, covered in needlework (s. g. fenton) a stuart box, covered with bullion-work (s. g. fenton) a stuart box, with embroidery and pearls (spero) a stuart box, coloured bullion, × an embroidered box, with portrait on lid (s. g. fenton) a stuart mirror, covered with stump embroidery, representing charles i. and his queen (illustrated), (rosthron) another mirror, with painted and embroidered figures (harris) a charles i. mirror in old lace and gold frame, with borders in embroidery, with portrait, castle, and floral decoration yds. inches long, inches deep, cornice in petit point, christie's, july, (harris) 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 stitchery in ordinary work to slide into the limbo of forgotten things. what woman now knows what it is to "back-stitch" 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 stitching? 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 classes 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 institution, 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. finis index index old lace. (_for needlework see page _) a adelaide, queen, age of lace, , alençon lace, , , , argentan lace, , , argentella lace, , , anne, queen, appliqué, aylesbury, b baby lace, barri, madame du, beading, beads on bobbins, bed furnishing, bedfordshire lace, , belgian lace, black lace, blonde lace, bone lace, bobbins, , bolckow, mrs., brides, , brussels lace, , , , , , brussels appliqué, brussels vrai reseau, buckinghamshire lace, , , , , burano, , buttonhole stitch, c caen lace, carrick-ma-cross, catherine de medici, chantilly lace, , charles i., charles ii., , , charlotte, queen, christie's sale-room, , colbert, , , , collar lace, collar, medici, commonwealth, cordonnet, , , convents, coptic embroideries, couronnes, cravat, creevy papers, cromwell, crotchet, cut worke, , cuthbert, st., d danish lace, darned netting, debenham & storr's sale-room, , dentelé, devonshire lace, , dorsetshire lace, drawn work, duchesse lace, durham cathedral, e ecclesiastical lace, edgings, edward iv., egyptian netting, elizabeth, queen of england, , embroidered net, english laces, empress eugénie, f falling collar, fausse valenciennes, fillings, , "figure" motifs, flanders lace, , flat point (point plat), flax thread, , florence, flemish point, fond, fontange, fowler, mrs., of honiton, france, point de, french revolution, g genoese lace, george i., george ii., george iii., george iv., german laces, ghent laces, gingles, gold and silver laces, greek laces, , groppo, punto a, gros, point de venise, grounds, guipure, , gold lace, h hamilton lace, "hayward's," henry vii., henry viii., high wycombe, history of lace, honiton, , , honiton appliqué, huguenots, i identification of lace, irish lace, , , , italian lace, j james i., james ii., jours, , k kenmare, lady, king of rome, l "lacis," , lappets, lawn, lewis hill, mrs., lille, , limerick, , l'onray, louis xiv., , , , louis xv., lyme regis, m machine-made ground, macramé, , malines, maltese, mantillas, marie antoinette, , , massey-mainwaring, mrs., marie de medici, marie stuart, mary, queen, mary ii., , mechlin, , medici collar, mezzo punto, milanese lace, , mixed lace, , , modern point lace, montespan, madame de, n napoleon i., , national library, s.k.m., needlepoint lace, , , network, ancient, newport pagnell, normandy lace, norway, northamptonshire lace, nuns, o oeil de perdrix, , origin of lace, p palliser, mrs. bury, parchment, parasole, pearls, peter the great, picots, pillow lace, , point lace, , point à réseau, point d'aiguille (brussels), point d'alençon, point d'angleterre, , , point appliqué, point de france, , , point de gaze, , point de venise, point de venise gros, , , point de neige, , point plat, punto in aria, , punto a groppo, , punto tagliato a foliami, q quillings, quentin matys, queen anne, queen mary ii., , , queen charlotte, , queen of laces, queen victoria, , r raised stars, rose point, , renaissance, , , reseau, , reticella, , , , , , revolution, french, rococo, royal trousseaux, ruffles, russian lace, s st. cuthbert, sale prices, samplers, , saxony lace, scotch lace, silk lace, smocks, spanish point, steinkirk, sumptuary law, south kensington museum, t tambour lace, tape lace, tatting, thread, toilé, trolly lace, v valenciennes lace, , vandyke, , venice, vicellio, venetian lace, victoria, queen, , vinciolo, , vraie valenciennes, , w westminster effigies, , , william and mary, , "wynyards," william iii., wiltshire lace, willis's rooms, y youghal laces, needlework a athelstan, alb, aldhelm, bishop of sherborne, aelfled, queen of edward the elder, angelica kauffmann, art, the pioneer, ascagni cope, ascoli cope, b bags, stuart, bayeux tapestry, beads, venetian, berlin wool pictures, bishop fridhestan, black work, bologna cope, book-covers, bridgettine nuns, c catworth cushions, catherine of aragon, , , caskets, chain stitch, charles i., , charles ii., , chasubles, christie's sale-rooms, , , , city palls, church vestments, coventry, copes, crewel work, d daroca cope at madrid, dr. rock, e earl of shrewsbury, editha, queen of edward the confessor, egyptian embroidery, emma, queen of ethelred the unready, elizabeth's wardrobe, elizabeth's book at british museum, elizabeth's book at the bodleian library, elizabeth hinde's sampler, elizabeth mackett's sampler, f field of the cloth of gold, g georgian costumes, georgian pictures, gimps, gloves, , greek garments, h hampton court, , hair and silk pictures, henrietta maria, queen, henry viii., höchon collection, i isleworth, italian raised work, j james i., jacobean hangings, "jesse" cope, john taylor's needlework rhyme, l lady jane grey, "laid," or couch work, linwood, miss, m maniple, mary queen of scots, mary ii. embroidery, minerva, mirror frames, n needlework pictures, , , neolithic remains, "nevil" altar-frontal, o opus anglicum, or anglicanum, , p "painted face" picture, , petit point, , phoenicians, phrygian embroidery, pierpont morgan, pocket books, pope innocent iii., q quilting, r reformation, roman invasion, royal school of needlework, rock's "church of our fathers," s samplers, st. augustine, st. benedict, st. cuthbert, st. dunstan, steeple aston altar-frontal, stoles, stump work, stump work symbols, "syon" cope, subjects of needle pictures, t tambour stitch, tudor embroideries, trays, w wonderful needlewoman, a, wolsey, cardinal, , wolseley's, lady, collection, , , worcester fragments, _printed in great britain by_ unwin brothers, limited, the gresham press, woking and london * * * * * transcriber's note: obvious punctuation errors have been corrected. inconsistent hyphenation in the original has been preserved, e.g. cutwork, cut-work; hand-made, handmade; lace-workers, laceworkers; may-flower, mayflower; needle-craft, needlecraft; needle-point, needlepoint; salerooms, sale-rooms; semi-circular, semicircular. inconsistent use of accents has been preserved, e.g. applique, appliqué; réseau, reseau; toile, toilé. in the index, pierpoint was corrected to pierpont to match the body of the text. the main body of the text refers to the "hockon collection", which is referred to in the index as the "höchon collection". it is unclear which of these is correct so they have been preserved as they appear in the original. page : 'survival of the fitting' changed to 'survival of the fittest'. page : 'accompanying diagrams' changed to 'accompanying diagram'. page : 'little loop' changed to 'little loops'. page : '"duchesse point" of "bruges,"' changed to '"duchesse point" or "bruges,"'. page : 'of same period' changed to 'of the same period'. page : 'other two' changed to 'two other'. page : 'and rose of england' changed to 'and the rose of england'. page : 'and butterfly was' changed to 'and butterfly were'. page : 'a long narrow samplers' changed to 'a long narrow sampler'. page : 'punto à groppo' changed to 'punto a groppo'. file is gratefully uploaded to the pg collection in honor of distributed proofreaders having posted over , ebooks. encyclopedia of needlework by thÉrÈse de dillmont [illustration] _english edition_ * * * * * all rights reserved _to be had:_ _of th. de dillmont, dornach, alsace, and at all booksellers, and embroidery shops._ * * * * * price, english bound with gilt edges: english edition sh. .-- french edition fr. . german edition mk. .-- preface. the absolute want of any comprehensive book on needlework--such an one as contains both verbal and pictorial descriptions of everything included under the name of needlework--has led me to put into the serviceable form of an encyclopedia, all the knowledge and experience, which years of unceasing study and practice have enabled me to accumulate on the subject, with the hope that diligent female workers of all ages, may be able, by its means to instruct themselves in every branch of plain and fancy needlework. all the patterns given, even the most insignificant, were worked afresh for the purpose, and thus, not merely faithful representations, but also lucid and intelligible explanations of the same, are secured. in order that my readers may have something besides the dull theory, the work is enlivened by a number of useful patterns, some new, some derived from the artistic productions of such countries and epochs as have become famous by special excellence in the domain of needlework. though, at first sight, the reproduction of many of these patterns may seem to present insuperable difficulties, they will, after a careful study of the text, and exact attention to the directions given, prove easy to carry out. many of these interesting designs are drawn from private collections, whose owners, with great kindness, placed their treasures at my disposal, to copy and borrow from at discretion, for which i desire to take the present opportunity, of tendering them my warmest thanks. the choice of colours and material--a difficult matter to many--my readers will find rendered comparatively easy to them by the notes affixed to the illustrations; and i may point out, that most of the patterns were worked with d.m.c cottons, which enjoy the well-earned reputation of being, the very best of their kind, in the market of the world. experience has convinced me that, in many instances, these cottons may with advantage take the place of wool, linen thread, and even silk. if this work meet with indulgent judges, and prove really useful, i shall find ample reward in that fact for the trouble and difficulties that have unavoidably attended its completion. [illustration: stripe showing running, stitching, button-holing, and herring-boning.] plain sewing. many, on opening the encyclopedia of needlework will be disposed to exclaim as they read the heading of this first section: what is the use of describing all the old well-known stitches, when machines have so nearly superseded the slower process of hand-sewing? to this our reply is that, of all kinds of needlework, plain sewing needs to be most thoroughly learned, as being the foundation of all. those who are able to employ others to work for them, should at least know how to distinguish good work from bad, and those who are in less fortunate circumstances, have to be taught how to work for themselves. position of the body and hands.--before describing different kinds of stitches, a word should be said as to the position of the body and hands when at work. long experience has convinced me that no kind of needlework necessitates a stooping or cramped attitude. to obviate which, see that your chair and table suit each other in height, and that you so hold your work as hardly to need to bend your head at all. the practice of fastening the work to the knee, besides being ungraceful, is injurious to the health. needles.--these should be of the best quality. to test a needle, try to break it; if it resist, and then break clean in two, the steel is good; if it bend without breaking, or break without any resistance, it is bad. never use a bent needle, it makes ugly and irregular stitches, and see that the eye, whether round or egg-shaped, be well-drilled, that it may not fray or cut the thread. long or half-long needles are the best for white work, long ones for dress-making, and longer ones still, with long eyes, for darning. a stock of each, from no to , is advised. the needle should always be a little thicker than the thread, to make an easy passage for it through the stuff. to keep needles from rusting, strew a little stone alum in the packets, and workers whose hands are apt to get damp, should have a small box of it handy, to powder their fingers with. blackened needles can be made quite bright again by drawing them through an emery cushion. scissors.--scissors are a very important accessory of the work-table, and two varieties are indispensable; a pair of large ones for cutting-out, with one point blunt and the other sharp, the latter to be always held downwards; and a pair of smaller ones with two sharp points. the handles should be large and round; if at all tight, they tire and disfigure the hand. thimble.--steel thimbles are the best; bone are very liable to break, and silver ones are not deeply enough pitted, to hold the needle. a thimble should be light, with a rounded top and flat rim. the thread.--except for tacking, your thread should never be more than from to c/m. long.[ ] if the thread is in skeins, it does not matter which end you begin with, but if you use reeled cotton, thread your needle with the end that points to the reel, when you cut it; as the other end will split, and unravel, when twisted from left to right, which is generally done, to facilitate the process of threading. the cotton should always be cut, as it is weakened by breaking. knotting the thread into the needle (fig. ).--when the thread becomes inconveniently short, and you do not want take a fresh one, it may be knotted into the needle, thus: bring it round the forefinger close to the needle, cross it on the inside next to the finger, hold the crossed threads fast, with the thumb draw the needle out through the loop thus formed, and tighten the loop round both ends. [illustration: fig. . knotting the thread into the needle.] materials.--for tacking, use coton à coudre d.m.c qualité supérieure (black and gold stamp) nos. to .[a] for hand-sewing, fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to ,[a] and fil à dentelle d.m.c, balls or reels, nos. to [a] will be found most useful. for machine-work: câblé fils pour machines d.m.c, nos. to ,[a] black and white, or white and blue stamp. these can also be used for hand-work. both these and the lace-thread (fil à dentelle) on reels, are superfine in quality. the medium sizes are the most useful; but the only suitable ones for very fine and delicate fabrics are the fil à dentelle d.m.c, and fil d'alsace, and the latter only is manufactured in the higher numbers. all these threads are to be had, wound in balls, or on reels, the buyer may make his own choice; balls are apt to get tangled, but the cotton preserves its roundness better than when it is wound on reels. linen is generally sewn with linen-thread, but fil à dentelle and the fil d'alsace are very good substitutes. position of the hands (fig. ).--the stuff, fastened to a cushion, must be held with the left hand, which should neither rest on the table, nor on the cushion, the needle must be held between the thumb and forefinger, of the right hand, and the middle finger, armed with the thimble, pushes the needle far enough through the stuff, for the other fingers to take hold of it and draw it out; the thread then comes to lie between the fourth and fifth fingers in the form of a loop, which must be tightened gradually to avoid its knotting. [illustration: fig. . position of the hands.] position of the hands without cushion (fig. ).--when the work cannot be fastened to a cushion it should be held between the forefinger and the thumb, and left hanging down, over the other fingers. if it need to be more firmly held, draw it between the fourth and fifth fingers, which will prevent it from getting puckered or dragged. [illustration: fig. . position of the hands without cushion.] stitches.--plain-sewing comprises varieties of stitches, ( ) running, ( ) back-stitching, ( ) hemming and ( ) top or over-sewing. ( ) running-stitch (fig. ).--this is the simplest and easiest of all. pass the needle in and out of the material, at regular intervals, in a horizontal direction, taking up three or four threads at a time. if the stuff allow, several stitches may be taken on the needle at once, before the thread is drawn out. running-stitch is used for plain seams, for joining light materials, for making gathers and for hems. [illustration: fig. . running-stitch.] ( ) back-stitch (fig. ).--insert the needle, and draw it out six threads further on, carry your thread back, from left to right, and insert the needle three threads back from the point at which it was last drawn out, and bring it out six threads beyond. stitching and back-stitching are better and more quickly done by machine than by hand. [illustration: fig. . back-stitch.] stitching (fig. ).--the production of a row of back-stitches, that exactly meet one another, constitutes what is called stitching. only one stitch can be made at a time, and the needle must be put in, exactly at the point where it was drawn out to form the preceding back-stitch, and brought out as many threads further on as were covered by the last back-stitch. the beauty of stitching depends on the uniform length of the stitches, and the straightness of the line formed, to ensure which it is necessary to count the threads for each stitch, and to draw a thread to mark the line. if you have to stitch in a slanting line across the stuff, or the stuff be such as to render the drawing of a thread impossible, a coloured tacking thread should be run in first, to as a guide. [illustration: fig. . stitching.] stitched hem (fig. ).--make a double turning, as for a hem, draw a thread two or three threads above the edge of the first turning, and do your stitching through all three layers of stuff; the right side will be that on which you form your stitches. [illustration: fig. . stitched hem.] ( ) hemming-stitch (fig. ).--to make a good hem, your stuff must be cut in the line of the thread. highly dressed stuffs, such as linen and calico; should be rubbed in the hand, to soften them, before the hem is laid. your first turning should not be more than m/m. wide; turn down the whole length of your hem, and then make the second turning of the same width, so that the raw edge is enclosed between two layers of stuff. [illustration: fig. . hemming-stitch.] narrow hems do not need to be tacked, but wide ones, where the first turning should only be just wide enough to prevent the edge from fraying, ought always to be. in hemming you insert the needle and thread directed in a slanting position towards you, just below the edge of the hem, and push it out two threads above, and so on to the end, setting the stitches, two or three threads apart, in a continuous straight line. to ensure the hem being straight, a thread may be drawn to mark the line for the second turning, but it is not a good plan, especially in shirt-making, as the edge of the stuff, too apt in any case, to cut and fray, is, thereby, still further weakened. hems in woollen materials, which will not take a bend, can only be laid and tacked, bit by bit. in making, what are called rolled hems, the needle must be slipped in, so as only to pierce the first turning, in order that the stitches may not be visible on the outside. flat seam (fig. ).--lay your two edges, whether straight or slanting, exactly even, tack them together with stitches c/m. long, distant to c/m. from the edge, and then back-stitch them by machine or by hand, following the tacking-thread. cut off half the inner edge, turn the outer one in, as for a hem and sew it down with hemming-stitches. [illustration: fig. . flat seam.] smooth the seam underneath with the forefinger as you go, to make it lie quite flat. beginners should flatten down the seam with their thimbles, or with the handle of the scissors, before they begin to hem, as the outer and wider edge is very apt to get pushed up and bulge over, in the sewing, which hides the stitches. rounded seam.--back-stitch your two edges together, as above directed, then cut off the inner edge to a width of four threads, and roll the outer one in, with the left thumb, till the raw edge is quite hidden, hemming as you roll. this kind of seam, on the wrong side, looks like a fine cord, laid on, and is used in making the finer qualities of underclothing. fastening threads off, and on (fig. ).--knots should be avoided in white work. to fasten on, in hemming, turn the needle backwards with the point up, take one stitch, and stroke and work the end of the thread in, underneath the turning. to fasten on, in back-stitching or running, make one stitch with the new thread, then take both ends and lay them down together to the left, and work over them, so that they wind in, and out of the next few stitches. [illustration: fig. . fastening threads off and on.] ( ) top or over-sewing stitch (fig. ).--this stitch is used for joining selvedges together. to keep the two pieces even, it is better, either to tack or pin them together first. insert the needle, from right to left, under the first thread of the selvedge, and through both edges, and sew from right to left, setting your stitches not more than three threads apart. the thread must not be drawn too tightly, so that when the seam is finished and flattened with the thimble, the selvedges may lie, side by side. [illustration: fig. . top or over-sewing stitch.] another kind of sewing-stitch (fig. )--for dress-seams and patching; sew left to right, tacking or pinning the edges together first, and holding them tightly with the thumb and finger, to keep perfectly even. [illustration: fig . another kind of sewing-stitch.] antique or old-german seam (figs. and ).--tack or pin the selvedges together as above, then, pointing your needle upwards from below, insert it, two threads from the selvedge, first on the wrong side, then on the right, first through one selvedge, then through the other, setting the stitches two threads apart. in this manner, the thread crosses itself, between the two selvedges, and a perfectly flat seam is produced. seams of this kind occur in old embroidered linen articles, where the stuff was too narrow to allow for any other. a similar stitch, fig. , only slanting, instead of quite straight, as in fig. , is used in making sheets. [illustration: fig. . antique or old-german seam.] [illustration: fig. . antique or old german seam.] french double seam (fig. ).--for joining such stuffs as fray, use the so-called french-seam. [illustration: fig . french double-seam.] run your two pieces of stuff together, the wrong sides touching, and the edges perfectly even, then turn them round just at the seam, so that the right sides come together inside, and the two raw edges are enclosed between, and run them together again. see that no threads are visible on the outside. this seam is used chiefly in dress-making, for joining slight materials together which cannot be kept from fraying by any other means. hemmed double seam (figs. and ).--turn in the two raw edges, and lay them one upon the other, so that the one next the forefinger, lies slightly higher than the one next the thumb. insert the needle, not upwards from below but first into the upper edge, and then, slightly slanting, into the lower one. this seam is used in dress-making, for fastening down linings. fig. shows another kind of double seam, where the two edges are laid together, turned in twice, and hemmed in the ordinary manner, with the sole difference, that the needle has to pass through a sixfold layer of stuff. [illustration: fig. . hemmed double-seam.] [illustration: fig. . open hemmed double-seam.] gathering (fig. ).--gathers are made with running-stitches of perfectly equal length; take up and leave three or four threads, alternately, and instead of holding the stuff fast with your thumb, push it on to the needle as you go, and draw up your thread after every four or five stitches. [illustration: fig. . gathering.] stroking gathers (fig. ).--when you have run in your gathering thread, draw it up tight, and make it fast round the finger of your left hand, and then stroke down the gathers with a strong needle, so that they lie evenly side by side, pushing each gather, in stroking it, under your left thumb, whilst you support the stuff at the back with your other fingers. [illustration: fig. . stroking gathers.] running in a second gathering thread (fig. ).--this is to fix the gathers after they have been stroked, and should be run in or c/m. below the first thread, according to the kind of stuff, and the purpose it is intended for: take up five or six gathers at a time, and draw your two threads perfectly even, that the gathers may be straight to the line of the thread. [illustration: fig. . running in a second gathering-thread.] sewing on gathers (fig. ).--to distribute the fulness equally, divide the gathered portion of material, and the band, or plain piece, on to which it is to be sewn, into equal parts, and pin the two together at corresponding distances, the gathered portion under the plain, and hem each gather to the band or plain piece, sloping the needle to make the thread slant, and slipping it through the upper threads only of the gathers. [illustration: fig. . sewing on gathers.] whipping (fig. ).--whipping is another form of gathering, used for fine materials. with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, roll the edge over towards you, into a very tight thin roll, insert the needle on the inside of the roll next the thumb, and bring it out on the outside next the forefinger, at very regular distances, and draw up the thread slightly, from time to time, to form the gathers. [illustration: fig . whipping.] ornamental hem (fig. ). for an ornamental hem, make a turning, or c/m. deep, and run in a thread, with small running-stitches up and down, as shown in fig. . by slightly drawing the thread, the straight edge will be made to look as if it were scalloped. [illustration: fig. . ornamental hem.] sewing on cord (fig. ).--for sewing on cord, use strong thread, either fil d'alsace d.m.c, fil à dentelle d.m.c or câblé fils d.m.c no. , , or .[a] be careful not to stretch the cord, but to hold it in, as you sew it, as it invariably shrinks more than the stuff in the first washing. fasten it with hemming stitches to the edge of the turning, taking care that it does not get twisted. [illustration: fig. . sewing on cord.] sewing on flaps (fig. ).--these should be back-stitched on to the right side of the article they are to be affixed to, quite close to the edge, then folded over in half, and hemmed down on the wrong side. like the cord, the flap must, in the process, be held in very firmly with the left hand. though the back-stitching could be more quickly done by machine, hand-work is here preferable, as the holding in cannot be done by machine. [illustration: fig. . sewing on flaps.] sewing on tape-loops (figs. and ).--these, in the case of the coarser articles of household linen, are generally fastened to the corners. lay the ends of your piece of tape, which should be from to c/m. long, side by side, turn in and hem them down, on three sides: the loop should be so folded as to form a three-cornered point, shewn in the illustration. join the two edges of the tape together in the middle with a few cross-stitches, and stitch the edge of the hem of the article to the loop, on the right side. [illustration: fig. . sewing on tape-loops to the corner.] [illustration: fig. . sewing on tape-loops in the middle of the article.] fig. shows how to sew on a loop in the middle of an article, the two ends separately, one on one side, the other on the other. strings and loops for fine under-linen (fig. ).--sew these on, likewise, on the wrong side of the article, hemming down the ends, and fastening them on the right side, with two rows of stitching crossing each other, and a third row along the edge. [illustration: fig. . strings and loops on fine under-linen.] button-holes in linen (fig. ).--cut your hole perfectly straight, and of exactly, the diameter of the button, having previously marked out the place for it, with two rows of running-stitches, two or three threads apart. put in your needle at the back of the slit, and take up about three threads, bring the working thread round, from right to left under the point of the needle, and draw the needle out through the loop, so that the little knot comes at the edge of the slit, and so on to the end, working from the lower left-hand corner to the right. then make a bar of button-hole stitching across each end, the knotted edge towards the slit. [illustration: fig. . button-holes in linen.] button holes in dress materials (fig. ).--mark out and cut them as above described; if however, the material be liable to fray, wet the slit as soon as you have cut it, with liquid gum, and lay a strand of strong thread along the edge to make your stitches over; one end of dress button-holes must be round, the stitches diverging like rays from the centre, and when you have worked the second side, thread the needle with the loose strand, and pull it slightly, to straighten the edges; then fasten off, and close the button-hole with a straight bar of stitches across the other end, as in fig. . [illustration: fig. . button-holes in dress-materials.] sewing on buttons (figs. and ).--to sew linen, or webbed buttons on to underclothing, fasten in your thread with a stitch or two, at the place where the button is to be; bring the needle out through the middle of the button, and make eight stitches, diverging from the centre like a star, and if you like, encircle them by a row of stitching, as in fig. . this done, bring the needle out between the stuff and the button, and twist the cotton six or seven times round it, then push the needle through to the wrong side, and fasten off. [illustration: fig. . sewing on linen buttons.] [illustration: fig. . sewing on webbed buttons.] binding slits (figs. , , , ).--nothing is more apt to tear than a slit whether it be hemmed or merely bound. to prevent this, make a semicircle of button-hole stitches at the bottom of the slit, and above that, to connect the two sides, a bridge of several threads, covered with button-hole stitches. [illustration: fig. . binding slits with hem.] [illustration: fig. . binding slits with piece on cross.] [illustration: fig. . binding slits with broad band.] [illustration: fig. . strengthening slits with gusset.] in fig. , we show a hemmed slit, and in figs. and , are two slits backed the one with a narrow, the other, with a broad piece of the material, cut on the cross. in under-linen, it often so happens that two selvedges meet at the slit, which renders binding unnecessary; in that case take a small square of stuff, turn in the raw edges, top-sew it into the slit on two sides, turn in the other two, fold over on the bias, and hem them down over the top-sewing, as shewn in fig. . such little squares of material, inserted into a slit or seam, to prevent its tearing, are called gussets. sewing on piping (fig. ). piping is a border, consisting of a cord or bobbin, folded into a stripe of material, cut on the cross, and affixed to the edge of an article to give it more strength and finish. it is a good substitute for a hem or binding on a bias edge, which by means of the cord, can be held in, and prevented from stretching. cut your stripes diagonally, across the web of the stuff, and very even; run them together, lay the cord or bobbin along the stripe, on the wrong side, m/m. from the edge, fold the edge over, and tack the cord lightly in. then lay it on the raw edge of the article, with the cord towards you, and with all the raw edges turned away from you. back-stitch the piping to the edge, keeping close to the cord. then turn the article round, fold in the raw outside edge over the others, and hem it down like an ordinary hem. [illustration: fig. . sewing on piping.] fixing whale-bones (fig. ).--before slipping the whale-bone into its case or fold of stuff, pierce holes in it, top and bottom, with a red hot stiletto. through these holes, make your stitches, diverging like rays or crossing each other as shown in fig. . [illustration: fig . fixing whale-bones.] herring-boning (fig. ).--this stitch is chiefly used for seams in flannel, and for overcasting dress-seams, and takes the place of hemming, for fastening down the raw edges of a seam that has been run or stitched, without turning them in. herring-boning is done from left to right, and forms two rows of stitches. insert the needle from right to left, and make a stitch first above, and then below the edge, the threads crossing each other diagonally, as shewn in fig. . [illustration: fig. . herring-boning] footnotes: [ ] our readers should be provided with a french metre, with the english yard marked on the back for purposes of comparison. [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. [illustration: specimens of pattern darns.] mending. the mending of wearing-apparel and house-linen, though often an ungrateful task, is yet a very necessary one, to which every female hand ought to be carefully trained. how best to disguise and repair the wear and tear of use or accident is quite as valuable an art, as that of making new things. under the head of mending, we include the strengthening and replacing of the worn and broken threads of a fabric, and fitting in of new stuff in the place of that which is torn or damaged. the former is called darning, the latter, patching. darning.--when only a few of the warp or woof threads are torn or missing, a darn will repair the mischief, provided the surrounding parts be sound. when the damage is more extensive, the piece must be cut out. in some cases the warp of the stuff itself can be used for darning, otherwise thread as much like the stuff as possible should be chosen. materials suitable for mending.--coton à repriser d.m.c is used for most kinds of darning. it can be had in different sizes, from nos. to , white and unbleached, and in all the colours of the d.m.c colour-card in nos. , and . it is but very slightly twisted and can be split or used double, if necessary, according to the material. for all the coarser articles of house-linen, unbleached cotton is the best, and for the finer white fabrics, coton surfin d.m.c nos. , and [a]. this cotton, which is not the least twisted, and is to be had both white and unbleached, can be used, by subdividing it, for darning the finest cambric. varieties of darning.--these are four, ( ) linen darning, ( ) damask darning, ( ) satin or twill darning, and ( ) invisible darning, called also, fine-drawing. ( ) linen darning (figs. and ).--all darns should be made on the wrong side of the stuff, excepting fig. , which it is sometimes better to make on the right side. the longitudinal running, to form the warp, must be made first. the thread must not be drawn tightly in running your stitches backwards and forwards, and be careful to leave loops at each turning, to allow for the shrinking of the thread in the washing, without its pulling the darn together. [illustration: fig. . linen darning. drawing in the warp threads.] [illustration: fig. . linen darning. drawing in the woof threads.] run your needle in, about one c/m. above the damaged part, take up one or two threads of the stuff and miss the same number, working straight to a thread; on reaching the hole, carry your cotton straight across it, take up alternate threads beyond, and proceed as before. continue the rows backwards and forwards, taking up in each row, the threads left in the preceding one. turn the work round and do the same for the woof; alternately taking up and leaving the warp threads, where the cotton crosses the hole. the threads must lie so alone both ways, that the darn, when completed, replaces the original web. the threads are only drawn so far apart in the illustrations, for the sake of clearness. when the material to be darned does not admit of a fleecy thread, such as coton à repriser d.m.c, one that as nearly as possible matches the material, should be chosen from the d.m.c cottons.[a] diagonal linen darning (fig. ).--darns are sometimes begun from the corner, so as to form a diagonal web, but they are then much more visible than when they are worked straight to a thread, and therefore not advisable. [illustration: fig. . diagonal linen darning.] ( ) satin or twill darning (fig. ).--by twill darning, the damaged web of any twilled or diagonal material can be restored. it would be impossible to enumerate all the varieties of twilled stuffs, but the illustrations and accompanying directions will enable the worker to imitate them all. [illustration: fig. . satin or twill darning.] begin, as in ordinary darning by running in the warp threads, then take up one thread, and miss three. in every succeeding row, advance one thread in the same direction. or, miss one thread of the stuff and take up two, and as before, advance, one thread in the same direction, every succeeding row. the order in which threads should be missed and taken up, must depend on the web which the darn is intended to imitate. when the original is a coloured stuff, it is advisable to make a specimen darn first, on a larger scale, so that you may be more sure of obtaining a correct copy of the original web. ( ) damask darning (figs. , , , , , ).--a damask darn is begun in the same way as all other darns are; the pattern is formed by the cross-runnings and will vary with the number of warp threads taken up and missed, in each successive running. the woven design which you are to copy with your needle must therefore be carefully examined first. figs. and show the wrong and right sides of a damask darn, in process of being made. [illustration: fig. . damask darning. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . damask darning. right side.] fig. represents a completed one. in the case of coloured webs, a light shade of cotton is generally used for the warp, one that matches the stuff, for the shot or woof. [illustration: fig. . damask darning. covered ground.] figs. and , illustrate two specimens of darning, formerly done in the convents, from which it will be seen, that the warp and the woof were first drawn in with rather fine thread and the pattern then worked into this foundation with coarser, or else, coloured thread. when this kind of darn is in two colours, take, for the darker shade, coton à broder d.m.c, or coton à repriser d.m.c, which are both of them to be had in all the bright and faded shades, to match alike both old and new linen. [illustration: fig. . damask darning on needle-made ground.] [illustration: fig. . damask darning on needle-made ground.] fig. , which is executed in two colours, and is likewise copied from an old work on darning, shows you the manner in which a dice-pattern is to be reproduced. [illustration: fig. . damask darning with coloured thread.] ( ) darning, lost in the ground (fig. ).--a kind of darn used for repairing rents, the edges of which fit exactly into one another. neither the torn threads of the material nor the rough edges must be cut off; the torn part is to be tacked upon a piece of oil-cloth, wrong side uppermost, and the edges, drawn together by a thread, run in backwards, and forwards, across them. the stitches must be set as closely together as possible, and regularly inverted, as in every other darn. a much finer thread relatively than that of which the material is composed should, in all cases be used for darning. in this instance also, for the sake of greater distinctness, the size of the thread has been magnified in the illustration. coton surfin d.m.c, will be found the best for darning both calico and linen. [illustration: fig. . darning lost in the ground.] fine drawing (fig. ).--the art of making invisible darns in cloth, though such a useful one, is all but unknown. it is a tedious process and one which, though easy enough to understand, requires great care in the execution. [illustration: fig. . fine drawing.] use as fine a needle as possible and thread it with hair, instead of silk, or any other kind of fibre. red and white hair is the strongest, and stronger than the ravellings of the stuff. of course the hair has first to be carefully cleansed from grease. pare the edges of the rent, on the right sides, quite clean and even, with a razor, so that both rent and stitches may be lost in the hairy surface of the cloth. scissors do not cut so closely, and are liable moreover, to disturb the nap, and render the darn more visible. when this is done, fit the edges exactly together, and overcast them. then thread a needle with a hair by the root, and slip it in, or m/m. from the one edge and back again pointed towards you, through the other, so that, neither needle nor hair, are visible on either side. the stitches should be set slightly slanting and must be quite lost in the thickness of the cloth. the needle must always be put in, exactly at the place where it came out, and the hair not be too tightly drawn. when the darn is finished, lay the article on a bare table, or ironing-board, cover it with a damp cloth, and iron it. the sharpest eye will fail to detect a rent, when carefully darned in this manner. patching.--as we have already said, when the defective part is past darning, it must be cut out, and a new piece of stuff inserted in its place. if the garment be no longer new, it should be patched with a slighter material than that of which it was originally made. the patch should be of the same shape, and cut the same way of the stuff, as the piece it is to replace, it should also be, just so much larger, as to allow for the turnings in, and can either be top-sewn, or else, run and felled in. back-stitching and felling in a patch (fig. ).--tack in the new piece, so that its edges over-lap the edges of the hole. the back-stitching must be done on the article itself, as this renders it easier to do the corners neatly. the hem is turned down on to the patch. make a little snip at the corners with your scissors to prevent puckering. the back-stitching should form a right angle at each corner. [illustration: fig. . back-stitching and felling in a patch.] top-sewing in a patch (fig. ).--to do this, the edges of the hole and of the patch, must first be turned in, and either overcast or hemmed, to prevent their fraying, after which, sew the two edges together. the raw edges may also be turned in with herring-boning as in fig. , putting the needle, only through one layer of stuff. [illustration: fig. . top-sewing in a patch.] drawing in a patch (fig. ).--take a square piece of the original stuff, or c/m. larger each way, than the hole it is to fill, draw out threads on all the four sides, till the piece exactly matches the hole, and tack it into its place. thread a very fine needle with the two ends of a thread of silk or fil d'alsace d.m.c no. , run it in at the corner of the stuff, and draw it out, leaving a loop behind. into this loop, slip the first of the threads, which as it were, form a fringe to the patch, and tighten the loop round it, and so on with each thread, alternately taking up and leaving threads in the stuff, as in ordinary darning. [illustration: fig. . drawing in a patch.] to put a patch into a thin material, in this manner, you must darn in the threads, a good long way, into the material, in order that the double layer of threads may be less visible. 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. [illustration: stripe of cut open-work on white linen.] single and cut open-work. the above heading comprises every sort of needle-work, to which the drawing out of threads is a preliminary. by sewing over the single threads that remain, and drawing them together in different ways, an infinite variety of patterns can be produced. many pretty combinations also, can be made of open-work, cross-stitch, and other kinds of embroidery. materials suitable for open-work.--for all the coarser stuffs, such as holbein-linen, java and linen-canvas and the like, now in such favour for the imitation of old needlework, it will be best to use: fil à pointer d.m.c, no. [a] and cordonnet fils d.m.c, nos. to ,[a] and for the finer stuffs, such as antique-linen and linen-gauze; cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to ,[a] fil d'alsace d.m.c, nos. to , and fil à dentelle d.m.c, nos. to . coloured patterns can also be executed in open-work, with coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , and coton à repriser d.m.c, nos. to [a]. the two different kinds of open-work.--the one is called, single open-work, the italian punto tirato, in which the first step is to draw out one layer of threads; the other, cut open-work, the italian punto tagliato, for which, both the warp, and the woof threads, have to be drawn out. single open-work (punto tirato).--this, in its simplest form, is the ornamental latticed hem, in common use where something rather more decorative than an ordinary hem (fig. ) is required, and consists in drawing out one layer of threads, either the warp or the woof. single hem-stitch (fig. ).--draw out, according to the coarseness of the stuff, two or four threads, below the edge of the turning, and tack your hem down to the line thus drawn. fasten your thread in to the left, and work your hem from right to left, taking up three or four cross-threads at a time, and inserting your needle, immediately above, into the folded hem, three or four threads from the edge, and then drawing it out. [illustration: fig. . single hem-stitch.] the same stitch is used for preventing the fringes, that serve as a finish to so many articles of house-linen, from ravelling. second hem-stitch (fig. ).--prepare your hem as for fig. , and work from left to right; with this difference, that after drawing two or three cross-threads together, from right to left, you skip the same number of perpendicular threads you took up below, and insert your needle downwards from above, bringing it out at the bottom edge of the hem. [illustration: fig. . second hem-stitch.] these stitches, which can be used for the right side also, form a kind of little tress, along the edge of the hem. ladder stitch hem (fig. ). complete the hem, as already directed in fig. , then draw out three or five threads more, turn the work round, and repeat the process, taking up the same clusters of threads which you took up in the first row of stitches, thus forming little perpendicular bars. [illustration: fig. . ladder stitch hem.] double hem-stitch (fig. ). begin as in fig. , forming your clusters of an even number of threads; and then, in making your second row of stitches, draw half the threads of one cluster, and half of the next together, thereby making them slant, first one way and then the other. [illustration: fig. . double hem-stitch.] antique hem-stitch (figs , , and ). in the old, elaborate, linen needlework, we often meet two kinds of hem-stitching seldom found in modern books on needle-work. figs. to are magnified representations of the same. at the necessary depth for forming a narrow hem, a thread is drawn, in the case of very fine textures where the edge is rolled, not laid; then fasten in the working thread at the left, and work the stitches from left to right. passing your needle, from right to left, under three or four threads, draw the thread round the cluster and carry your needle on, through as many threads of the upper layer of stuff, as you took up below, so that the stitch may always emerge from the middle of the cluster. [illustration: fig. . antique hem-stitch. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . antique hem-stitch. right side.] antique hem-stitch (figs. and ).--these show, the right and wrong sides of the hem; here the rolled hem is prepared as above, but the stitches are worked from right to left, and the thread is carried round the little roll, so that, as shown in fig. , it is visible on both sides of the hem. the needle does not enter the stuff, but is carried back at once, from the outside, and put in again between two clusters of threads. [illustration: fig. .--antique hem-stitch. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. .--antique hem-stitch. right side.] slanting hem-stitch (figs. and ).--bring out your needle and thread, two or three threads above the edge of the turning, between the first and second of the three cross-threads that compose the cluster, and then slip it under the cluster, from right to left. the loop must lie in front of the needle. when you have drawn up the stitch, put the needle in, one thread further on, and take up two threads. fig. shows the stitch on the right side. [illustration: fig. . slanting hem-stitch. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . slanting hem-stitch. right side.] double-rowed ornamental seam (figs. , , ).--begin with any one of the hems already described, then counting as many threads downwards, as are clustered together in the first row, draw out a second thread, and cluster the perpendicular threads in this second line together, as shown in figs. and . on the right side the stitch is straight (fig. ). coloured cottons should be used for all the above patterns of hem-stitch, when they are to be introduced into coloured embroideries. [illustration: fig. . double-rowed ornamental seam. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . double-rowed ornamental seam. wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . double-rowed ornamental seam. right side.] single three-rowed open-work (fig. ).--this, and the following patterns, are suitable for the headings of hems, and for connecting stripes of embroidery, and are also often used instead of lace, and lace insertion. fig. will be found specially useful, in cases where the object is, to produce a good deal of effect, at the cost of as little labour as possible. make six rows of hem-stitching, as in fig. ; the first and sixth rows to serve as a finish, above and below. [illustration: fig. . single three-rowed open-work.] the second and third, after drawing out six threads, the third and fourth after drawing out eight. the clusters must all consist of an even number of threads. the upper and the lower band of open-work is to be copied from fig. , the centre one, from fig. . divide the threads of the perpendicular clusters in two; insert the needle, from left to right, underneath half the second cluster, turn the needle's eye, by a second movement, from left to right, and take up the second part of the first cluster, drawing it under, and at the same time, in front of the first half of the second cluster. be careful not to draw your thread too tightly. open-work with two threads drawn through (fig. ).--one such wide lane of open-work, between two finishing rows of stitches, may have two threads drawn through it. [illustration: fig. . open-work with two threads drawn through.] open-work with three threads drawn through (fig. ). overcast both edges with single stitches; draw the clusters together in the middle, as in fig. ; then above and below the middle thread, draw in first one thread and then a second, straight above it, securing the latter with back-stitches to enclose the clusters between two threads. [illustration: fig. . open-work with three threads drawn through.] clustered open-work (fig. ).--draw out from sixteen to eighteen threads, between two hem-stitched edges. fasten your thread in, m/m. above the seam-edge, and wind it three times round every two clusters, passing the needle, the third time, under the two first rounds, to fasten the thread. the thread, thus drawn through, must be left rather slack. a second row of stitches, similar to the first, and at the same distance from the bottom edge, completes this pattern. to give it greater strength, you may if you like, work back over the first thread, with a second, taking care to pass it under the knot, which was formed by the first. [illustration: fig. . clustered open-work.] double-rowed cluster-open-work (fig. ).--a very good effect can be obtained by making the above stitch in such a manner, as to form groups of three clusters each, between hem-stitched bands of the stuff. [illustration: fig. . double-rowed cluster-open-work.] turkish cluster open-work (fig. ).--after portioning off, and sewing up the clusters on one side, draw out twelve or fourteen threads, and make your connecting-stitch and hem, all in one, as follows: bring out the thread before the cluster, and pass it round it, then from right to left, over three horizontal and under four perpendicular threads, again from left to right, over the four threads just passed over, and out at the second cluster; laying it over this, you bring it out behind the first cluster, wind it round the middle of them both, and pass it through, between the over-casting stitches back to the hem; encircle the second cluster with a loop-stitch, and carry your thread again over three horizontal and four perpendicular threads, and upwards, slanting underneath the stuff, out in front of the next cluster. [illustration: fig. . turkish cluster open-work.] open-work with darning stitch (fig. ).--draw out from eight to twelve threads, according to the quality of the stuff. insert your needle and thread between two clusters, and pass it, as if you were darning, backwards and forwards over them, until they are encased half way down with stitches. in so doing, work with the eye of the needle forward, and the point towards your thimble. to pass to the next cluster, take one stitch back, under the one just darned, and bring your thread underneath the threads of the stuff, to the second cluster. [illustration: fig. . open-work with darning stitch.] open-work in three colours (fig. ).--this pattern which is to be done in the same way as fig. , requires the drawing out of, at least, eighteen threads. every cross-line of three clusters is to be worked in one colour. the colours may all be different, or you may if you prefer, take shades of the same colour. [illustration: fig. . open-work in three colours. colours: bleu-indigo , , , brun-caroubier , , , or rouge-géranium , , .[a]] open-work insertion (figs. and ).--for both these, the edges are to be overcast, and the darning stitches packed sufficiently closely together, for the threads of the stuff to be entirely covered. fig. requires the drawing out of eighteen threads, fig. , of thirty. both admit of several colours being used. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] open-work insertion (fig. ).--after drawing out sixteen or eighteen threads, bind both sides with stitches made over four horizontal and four perpendicular threads, as follows; make one back-stitch over four disengaged threads, then bring up your thread from right to left, over four horizontal and under four perpendicular threads, back over the four last threads, and draw it out beside the next cluster. the clusters, as they now stand, are bound together in the middle, three by three, with darning-stitches. the thread must be fastened in and cut off, after each group is finished. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] open-work insertion (fig. ).--first bind the two edges with stitches, in the ordinary way. at the last stitch introduce the thread slanting, according to the dotted line, pass it under four horizontal and three perpendicular threads of the stuff and draw it out; then over three threads from right to left, and back under the same, from left to right, and out again; over four horizontal threads, and, under and again over, three perpendicular ones; for the next stitch, you again follow the dotted slanting line. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] then make the darning stitch over nine threads, or three clusters. at half their length, you leave out three threads, first on the right, then on the left, whilst in the other half, you, in a similar manner, take in three; so that you have two darned and two undarned clusters, standing opposite each other. finally, you overcast the single clusters, and connect every two with a lock-stitch, as shown in the accompanying illustration. open-work insertion (fig. ).--draw out twenty threads, overcast both edges with stitches, made over three threads. then, make slanting stitches, proceeding out from these, over three, six and nine threads respectively, all three terminating in a perpendicular line, one below the other. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] for the open-work, twist the thread five times, quite tightly round and round one cluster, bring it to the edge, between the second and third clusters, and connect these by means of six darning-stitches to and fro: join the first and second clusters in the same way by twelve stitches, and finish, by twisting the thread five times round the remaining length of the first cluster. the second half of the open-work figure is carried out in a similar manner over the third and fourth clusters. open-work insertion in four colours (fig. ).--draw out, from twenty-five to thirty threads. the outside figures are executed over six clusters, of three threads each, in a dark and light shade alternately of the same colour. each of the middle figures combines three clusters of the two figures above it, and may be executed, either in a different colour altogether, or in a lighter shade of the one employed in the top row. the little star in the centre should be worked in dark red, or black. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion in four colours. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-turc , bleu-indigo , , noir grand teint .[a]] open-work insertions (figs. , , ).--for each of these draw out forty threads. fig. worked in white, and rouge-grenat clair , comprises fourteen clusters, of four threads each. begin at the top of the big pyramid, so that the threads which you run in, can be more closely crowded together. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] in fig. , the two rows of short clusters are worked in gris-tilleul moyen, and, gris-tilleul clair, and ;[a] the pyramid of steps, in brun-chamois moyen, ;[a] the three inner clusters in brim-chamois très clair, . one figure consists of fourteen clusters, of three threads each. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] fig. also is to be worked in three colours; the light squares in unbleached cotton, the middle figure in bleu-indigo très clair, , the large squares on either side in brun-cuir clair . each figure contains eighteen clusters, of three threads each. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] open-work insertion with spiders (fig. ).--the edges are to be herring-boned, as described in fig. . in the middle, the so-called spiders are made, over every group of four clusters. the thread that runs out from the spider, passes over two clusters and under one, and then three or four times, over and under the clusters, as in darning, and so back, under the spider, at the place at which it was drawn in, and then on, to the next four strands of thread. [illustration: fig . open-work insertion with spiders.] three-rowed open-work (fig. ).--draw out five threads for the narrow stripe, and from fourteen to sixteen for the wide one. each cluster should consist of four threads. the narrow bands between, are to be herring-boned on either side. the dotted line shows the course of the thread, on the wrong side. then unite each separate cluster in the middle, with a back-stitch, as shown in the illustration, and finally, join every group of four clusters together, with three stitches, and make a spider in the middle of the open-work, at the point where the threads intersect each other. [illustration: fig . three-rowed open-work.] open-work insertion with rings (fig. ).--bind the edges on both sides, with straight, two-sided, stitches. take, for this, coton à broder d.m.c, no. , (embroidery cotton), using it double. draw out, from twenty-four to thirty threads. wind your thread six or seven times round the middle of each cluster of nine threads, and then make darning-stitches, above and below, to a length of m/m. when you have completed two clusters, join them together, by four interlocked stitches; wind your thread three times round the single thread, and sew it over with close stitches. [illustration: fig . open-work insertion with rings.] open-work insertion with spiders (fig. ).--draw out twenty-four threads. ornament the two edges with half-spiders. you begin these over two threads, and go on taking in others, to the number of eight. the whole spider in the middle, is made as above described. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion with spiders.] open-work insertion (figs. and ).--the beauty of this otherwise simple pattern, lies in the peculiar knot, with which the edges of the stuff are ornamented. [illustration: fig. . open-work insertion.] carry the working thread, as shown in fig. , from right to left, (see the description of the right side) over and under four threads; then bring the needle back, under the thread which lies slanting, form a loop with the forefinger of the left hand, slip it on to the needle, and draw it up close to the first stitch; pull the needle through the knot, and proceed to the next stitch. the illustration explains how the open-work in the middle should be carried out. [illustration: fig. . explanation of the stitch for fig. .] open-work with winding stitch (fig. ).--for this pattern, which is a very laborious one to work, draw out twenty-eight threads. bind the edges with two-sided stitches, over two, three, four and five threads, respectively. for the middle figures, you must reckon four threads for the clusters, round which the working thread is tightly twisted, eight for the darned clusters, ornamented with picots (see fig. ), and sixteen for the rectangular rosettes, in two colours. make a loose spider over the threads, as a background for the rosette. work the picots in a different colour from the cluster, and the rosettes, likewise, in two colours. the connecting loops between the figures should be made as you go along, the thread being always carried back into the loop just made. [illustration: fig. . open-work with winding stitch.] cutting out threads at the corners (figs. , , , ). if you want to carry a latticed-hem or a simple open-work pattern, round a corner, you must cut and loosen the threads, on both sides, about one c/m. from the edge of the hem, as seen in fig. . the loose threads can be pushed into the turning, and the edge button-holed, as in fig. . if however, on the other hand, the stitching be continued without interruption, as indicated in the upper part of fig. , the loose threads must be brought to the wrong side, and as represented in the lower part of fig. , fastened down with a few stitches. [illustration: fig. . the cutting and loosening of the threads at the corners.] [illustration: fig. . the over casting of the disengaged edge at the corner, the threads being turned in within the hem.] [illustration: fig. . bordering the disengaged edge with hem-stitching, the threads being turned over] [illustration: fig. . filling in the corner with a spider, and continuation of the lattice-work thence.] cut open-work (punto tagliato).--for cut open-work, threads have to be drawn out both ways, the number of course to depend on the pattern. threads, left between others that have been cut out, serve as a foundation on which a great variety of stitches can be worked. stuffs, equally coarse in the warp and woof, should be chosen for all cut open-work, for then the empty spaces that remain, where threads have been drawn out both ways, will be perfectly square. drawing out threads both ways (fig. ).--the same number of threads must be drawn out each way; most patterns require the same number of threads to be left as are drawn out. in fig. , three threads have been drawn out and three left. [illustration: fig. . drawing out threads both ways, without regard to the edges.] cutting out threads (fig. ).--we often meet with cut open-work patterns, set in another kind of embroidery. in such cases, the threads that are to be cut out, must be cut a few millimetres within the edge, and then drawn out, so that there may be a frame of the stuff left intact outside. [illustration: fig. . cutting out threads, in the middle of the stuff.] button-holing the raw edges (fig. ).--in very fine linen textures, the threads can simply be cut out, but in the case of coarser stuffs, and when a pattern ends in steps as in figs. , , , the raw edges must be button-holed as in fig. , or . [illustration: fig. . button-holing the raw edges of cut open-work.] overcasting the raw edges (fig. ).--cording the raw edges, is even better than button-holing them. count the number of threads carefully that have to be cut out, run in a thread to mark the pattern, and then only, cut the threads through, at least two threads within the line. [illustration: fig. . overcasting the raw edges of cut open-work.] overcasting the trellised ground (fig. ).--if you only have a small surface to embroider, you can draw out all the threads at once. but in the case of a large piece of work it is better to begin by removing the threads in one direction only, and completing all the little bars, one way first; after which you draw out the threads the other way and embroider those you leave. in this way you will secure greater equality and finish in your work. [illustration: fig. .--overcasting the trellised ground.] ground for square, fig. (figs. and ).--finish the first row of bars along the edge completely, to begin with. in the second row, overcast the bar, down to half its length, then carry your thread over two empty spaces, see the letter _a_, come back to the bar, overcasting the thread which you threw across first, and passing the needle under the bars of the stuff. in the second rows that intersect the first, marked by letter _b_, the threads meet in the middle of the empty space. in fig. , finish the bars, overcast both ways first, and then fill in the ground with interlaced threads, worked row by row, throwing the thread from one square to the other as you go, and doubling it, as you return. for the bars, see the chapters on net embroidery, and irish lace. [illustration: fig. . lattice-ground for square in fig. , showing the course of the stitches.] [illustration: fig. . lattice-ground for square in fig. .] lattice-ground and damask stitch for square, fig. (fig. ).--our illustration shows a third kind of openwork ground with one corner in damask stitch, of the square represented in fig. . the little bars which intersect each square crossways, are made in two divisions, by carrying the thread to the opposite bar and back. in the same way, the second thread is carried over the first. the damask stitches are described in the next chapter, in figs. and . [illustration: fig. . lattice-ground with a portion of square, fig. .] lattice-ground and damask stitches for square, fig. (fig. ).--damask, or gobelin stitches, are given in figs. , , . the ground of this part of the square (fig. ) is adorned with narrow bars, worked in darning stitch. from the centre of one bar, proceed three bars made on three foundation-threads, and a fourth made on two, on account of the passage to the next bar. [illustration: fig. . lattice-ground and damask stitch for square, fig. .] quarter of the square in single and cut open-work, and damask-stitch (fig. ).--original size c/m. square. this handsome square is worked in unbleached cotton on a white ground; it may also be worked in colours. a very good effect is produced by using chiné d'or d.m.c[a] red, blue, or green for the gobelin stitch, and a uniform pale tint for the cut open-work. figs. , , , illustrate in detail, one quarter of the square, which is represented here one third of the original size. the centre piece (fig. ) is bordered by four stripes, two long and two short; the former containing two lozenge-shaped open-work figures separated and finished off by damask stitches; the latter, only one such figure. for the insertion in single open-work, that recurs three times, you will find a variety of designs in figs. , , , , , . [illustration: fig. .--quarter of the square in single and cut open-work, and damask stitch. original size c/m. square. materials suitable for holbein linen: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , and coton à repriser d.m.c no. .[a] for antique linen: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. or , or cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , , or , and coton à repriser d.m.c no. or, in place of the latter, coton à broder surfin d.m.c no. .[a]] drawing in the pattern (fig. ).--darning in the threads, as you do into a net foundation is a slower process and one that requires greater skill than drawing them in. the illustration shows the proper order and direction of stitches for fig. . in this case likewise, the little bars must be finished, before the actual pattern is filled in. [illustration: fig. . drawing in the pattern. (explanation of fig. )] darning in the threads (fig. )--in old needle-work we often find the pattern reserved, that is, left blank and outlined by the grounding. as it is difficult, especially in executing minute, and delicate figures, to withdraw the threads partially, without injuring the linen foundation, they are withdrawn throughout, and new ones drawn in, to form the pattern. to explain this more clearly, the original threads of the material are represented in a lighter shade than the new ones that are drawn in; the course of the stitches is indicated in a darker shade. [illustration: fig . darning in the threads. (explanation of fig. ).] broad insertion in cut open-work, with the pattern drawn in (fig. ).--this insertion, suitable according to the foundation it is worked on, for the decoration either of curtains, table-covers, bed-linen or underclothing, is made as shown in fig. . if intended for the decoration of any article made of white linen, we recommend unbleached materials for the lattice-work, and bleached for the pattern, to bring it out in strong relief. [illustration: fig. . broad insertion in cut open-work, with pattern drawn in.] insertion in cut open-work, with pattern darned in (fig. ).--this insertion can be introduced into any kind of linen material, and used for ornamenting towels, aprons, bed-linen and table-linen. when it is used to connect bands of cross-stitch embroidery, the open-work should be of the same colour as the embroidery, and the pattern worked in white or unbleached cotton, to correspond with the foundation. in fig. , the pattern is half as large again as in the original. [illustration: fig. . insertion in cut open-work, with pattern darned in. materials--for holbein linen: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , or for the bars.--coton à tricoter d.m.c no. or coton à repriser d.m.c no. or for darning or drawing in the pattern. for finer linens: fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to for the bars and coton à repriser d.m.c no. for darning or drawing in the pattern.] cut open-work pattern (figs. and ).--this pattern, more of the nature of lace than any of the former, is well adapted for trimming, not only household articles but also church furniture, altar-cloths and the like, which are required to wash, as it can be worked in any width. fig. , a magnified representation of the work in process of execution, shows alternately, ten threads withdrawn each way and six left, with open spaces between. the arcs are worked over three carefully laid threads, carried across from the middle of one bar to the middle of the bar at right angles to it, the wheels on the other hand are begun and finished at the same corner. overcast the cut edges, and hem-stitch the outside layer of stuff (figs. and ). [illustration: fig. . cut open-work pattern. fig. in process of execution.] [illustration: fig. . cut open-work pattern. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] greek cut open-work pattern (fig. ).--after the foregoing explanations, no difficulty will be found in copying the beautiful greek cut open-work pattern, illustrated in fig. . here, we have in the original, threads drawn out in the middle, both ways, from one straight bar to another, (these bars being darned) with open spaces between; and in the lower and narrower division, threads drawn out each way. the cut edges, from bar to bar, are hem-stitched on both sides, leaving four threads of the stuff between. the long bars, in the second figure, are button holed on both sides, those with the picots, on one side only. [illustration: fig. . greek cut open-work pattern. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] 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. [illustration: net stripe, in imitation of brussels lace.] net and damask stitches. many net embroidery patterns and damask stitches consist of a combination of ordinary running and darning, others of chain, stem and cross stitch. net embroidery.--all these kinds of stitches can be worked on the coarse greek net, as it is called, as well as on the finest quality of real brussels net. stripes of net, finished off with button-hole edging, and ornamented with one or other of the following patterns, make very pretty washing laces and the like; net laid upon irish point and converted by needlework into a lace ground, makes an excellent substitute for a hand-made ground, which demands much labour and time. materials suitable for net embroidery.--the choice of material must be determined by the quality of the net and the effect to be produced. for a coarse make of net and a very marked pattern, the lowest numbers of d.m.c cottons, or the narrowest braids, such as soutache d.m.c nos. , , should be used; if the net be fine and the pattern a delicate one, then the higher numbers of the following are preferable: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder surfin d.m.c nos. , , . the latter must be adjusted to the required size before being used, that is to say as many strands of it removed, as is necessary in order to reduce it to the proper thickness. tracing with running stitches (fig. ).--have your pattern traced on linen or paper; tack the net upon it, and copy it carefully on the net with running stitches. as in darning, the stitches must run first above and then beneath, alternating in each succeeding row. at the turn of the lines, the stitches cross each other, as shown in the illustration. [illustration: fig. . tracing with running stitches.] net pattern (fig. ).--here too the pattern is traced with running stitches, which are run in on both sides of each row of meshes. the thread is carried first to the right, and then to the left, under every alternate bar of the net and out again. between the first and second rows, one thread of the foundation must be left uncovered. in the next row, the thread is carried back again, so that it encircles each mesh. in the third row, the thread passes under the same bar of net as in the second, the threads touching each other. the fourth row is a repetition of the first. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--this consists of two rows of stitches. in the first, the single stitches run diagonally from left to right, over and under a mesh; in the second row the triple stitches, also carried diagonally across a mesh, lie from right to left. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--begin with a double row, as in fig. ; this is followed by a row of cross-stitch, touching the others, for which the thread has to be carried, first under one of the straight bars of the mesh and then diagonally, across it. a second, similar row of stitches backwards, completes the crosses. this can be further varied by the introduction of a row of triple stitches, after the double row, as in fig. , and the repetition of the two first only. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] these rows can also be worked in two colours, or in white thread and washing gold. net pattern (fig. ).--begin at the top, carrying the thread, first under and then over two bars and a mesh, and then underneath as before. in the second as in the first row, the threads must be drawn in, so that threads always meet in one mesh, and two run parallel to each other through the same mesh. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--this pattern, which resembles fig. in the execution, is thickened by triple stitches. above, where in the preceding row three threads were laid, the thread should be single. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] very pretty varieties are to be obtained by the introduction of several colours. take white, for instance, for the first row, and different shades of the same colour for the second, third, fourth and fifth rows; such as, bleu-lapis , , , , , ([a]) or rouge-cardinal , , , , , ([a]) or rouge-géranium, brun-caroubier or any other colour that is absolutely fast. net pattern (fig. ).--after one row of cross-stitch, such as was described in fig. , add a second, carrying the thread under the bar that lies between the first stitches, so that the two rows only cover three threads of the net. the close bands of cross-stitch must be divided from each other by one row of net bars. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--draw the thread twice backwards and forwards, as in darning, through one row of meshes. in the next, make four stitches over one mesh and two bars. after the fourth stitch, the thread is carried forward under two bars to the next group. the meshes filled in thus are divided from each other by two double rows of darning stitches. here you may introduce a variety in the colour, using either white and unbleached, or unbleached and pale blue, or some other combination of the kind. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--make three diagonal stitches over three bars and two meshes, then returning to the mesh out of which the first stitches come, make three more in the opposite direction. in the second row, the stitches meet in the same mesh as those of the first. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--carry the thread upwards from below, over a bar of the net, then pass it horizontally under another bar and carrying it downwards, pass it under a diagonal bar and cover the other three. in the second row, your loops must be turned the opposite way. when the whole foundation is finished, run a thread over the whole surface and overcast it. a good effect is produced by using white and unbleached cottons, in alternate rows. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--this pattern consists of one row of overcasting, one of stitches like those described in fig. , and one of cross-stitch, as in fig. , running diagonally across the stuff. besides the cottons already mentioned, washing gold thread (or fin d.m.c pour la broderie), may be used for the overcasting. dead gold introduced into simple needlework of this kind enlivens it extremely. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--three kinds of stitches are required for this pattern. in the first row the stitch lies crossed underneath the net; in the second, stitches are made over one mesh, the first and the last of which are carried across three meshes. in the third row, button-hole stitches are carried from right to left over two diagonal bars, in such a manner that the thread is drawn through the mesh facing the loops, and the next stitch comes out under the loop of the preceding one. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--fill in every other diagonal row of meshes with chain stitch, inserting the needle into the same mesh it came out of, so that the thread lies in front of the needle, in a loop. the rows of chain stitch may be made with two or three rows of meshes between them. even the diagonal lines by themselves, make a very pretty foundation for other stitches. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--the first row worked from left to right, consists of three loop stitches upwards and three downwards, each over one bar. in the second row, divided from the first by one row of stitches, the inner loops must be turned towards each other; in the third, the outer ones. any of the stitches, already described, can be introduced into this pattern to enliven it. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net insertions (figs. and ).--these two, as well as the subsequent patterns, are most of them worked in darning stitch and simple overcasting. the scallops in fig. are formed of darning stitches, over , , and mesh, respectively. in the intervening space, which is five meshes wide, the stitch shown in fig. , may be introduced. [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] in repeating the pattern, the stitches forming the scallops, must be made to run in the opposite direction. instead of the thread, simply drawn through the middle, little stars like those described in fig. , have a very pretty effect. in fig. , the thread is first carried round one mesh and then on to the next scallop. in the second scallop, which turns the opposite way, the thread is carried once more round the last mesh after the pyramid is completed, and then on, to the next figure. [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] net pattern (fig. ).--this checked pattern is also worked in darning stitch. carry the thread, as in fig. , through every second row of meshes. when the bottom rows are all finished, the upper ones are worked across them in the same way. here the stitches may, if preferred, be distributed more sparingly. but if they are set wider apart, the spaces between should be filled up in some way. little dots, made of coton à repriser d.m.c, will answer the purpose best. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net insertions (figs. , , ).--these three patterns are specially suitable, for insertions, neck-tie lappets and the like, in the place of crochet, pillow, and other kinds of lace. both design and stitch are clearly enough represented in the subjoined figure for further explanation to be unnecessary. all three should be worked with rather coarse cotton, and soutache d.m.c[a] (braid) drawn in, produces an excellent effect. [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] net pattern (fig. ).--these delicate little figures can be worked into a close pattern, or can be strewn singly over the surface. the closer you set the stitches, the more clear and distinct the stars will be. the thread must be drawn in to the centre mesh from without, so as to be invisible if possible, and then back again to the outside when the stitches are finished. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--these flowerets have a very pretty effect, set either singly, or in double or triple rows, and are very useful for filling up gaps or supplementing rows. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net pattern (fig. ).--these star-shaped figures, their longest stitch covering three straight bars and two meshes, the shortest, three diagonal bars and two meshes, may like the above flowerets, be ranged closely together in rows, so that four stitches, two horizontal and two vertical ones, meet in one mesh. cotton of two colours should be used, in order that the figures may be distinct from each other: white and unbleached are the best, in cases where bright colours would be unsuitable. [illustration: fig. . net pattern.] net insertion (fig. ).--these diamonds make a very pretty grounding either set separately, or in a continuous pattern. the design is slight, nevertheless, when it is worked in coarse cotton, the effect is exceedingly handsome, especially if the inside, in addition to the star here given, be enriched with ordinary darning-stitches, worked in fine gold thread, as we have already mentioned. [illustration: fig. . net insertion.] net tracery with border (fig. ).--in order to bring out the pattern and the colours, use instead of cotton, soutache d.m.c, or lacets surfins d.m.c. both are to be had in all the colours, given in the list of colours of the d.m.c threads and cottons. the little border can be used in conjunction with any of the preceding patterns, but care must be taken not to let it get twisted in the working. to prevent this, slip a coarse needle under the last stitch, and draw the braid flat over it. [illustration: fig. . net tracery with braids. materials: soutache d.m.c no. in bleu-indigo and rouge-turc .] broad net lace tracery (fig. ).--the pattern of this pretty lace must first be transferred to stout paper, or oil-cloth. all the leaves and stalks, and the buttonholing round the open centres of the flowers, are worked in a pale green, the two bottom flowers in turkey red, the star-shaped one in blue, the calyx in which the stalks unite, in dark red, and the little bells, in the lightest green. [illustration: fig. . broad net lace tracery. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. , or .--colours: rouge-turc , rouge-cardinal , bleu-indigo , gris-tilleul and vert-pistache .] net darning.--we conclude with some directions for darning net, a valuable art, by means of which many a curious piece of old needlework is preserved. coarse and fine net are all darned in the same way. laying the first thread (fig. ).--tack the net which is to be darned, closely to the defective part, upon either oil-cloth or coloured paper and cut the edges straight to the thread; your thread must be of exactly the same size, as that of which the net is made. it takes three rows of stitches to imitate the net ground; in the first place, as shown in fig. , cross-threads must be laid from side to side, carried as in darning, a little beyond the edges of the hole and so as to surround each mesh with a slanting stitch. [illustration: fig. . net darning. laying the first thread.] laying the second thread (fig. ).--secondly, beginning from one corner, threads are laid diagonally across the first layer. the cross-threads of the foundation are encircled by a stitch, made from right to left, the needle is then carried under the next horizontal bar, and the first layer of threads is overcast with similar stitches. [illustration: fig. . net darning. laying the second thread.] laying the third thread (fig. ).--thirdly, threads are carried across the second and first layers. they must start, far enough from the edge, for the second layer of threads to be overcast at the same time, so that there may be no loose threads left on the wrong side. in this third journey, every diagonal thread of the foundation is to be encircled with a stitch, taken upwards from below, the cut edges being strengthened in the same way. then, to form the little cross in the fabric, the thread must be conducted by means of a second stitch, under the single horizontal thread, outwards, to the next-diagonal thread. [illustration: fig. . net darning. laying the third thread.] in places where the net is worn, it can be strengthened in the same manner, the stitches being made the way of the stuff. damask stitches.--as a rule the pattern is simply outlined with stem and cord stitch, and the inside spaces are left plain. in spite of the time this simple tracing takes to do, the effect is rather poor and scanty. if however, the inside of the leaves and flowers, be filled in with damask stitch, the result is very handsome. not only can the following stitches, which are suitable for any linen coarse or fine, be used for this kind of embroidery, but most of the net and lace patterns too, and these combined with buttonholing and flat stitch produce charming effects. materials suitable for damask stitches.--all the threads and cottons used for net work can also be used for damask stitches, according to the material and the kind of work. we will enumerate them once more: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder surfin d.m.c nos. , , .[a] this kind of embroidery is generally done with a very coarse needle, to press the threads of the stuff closely together and make the light spaces between, which appear in many of the following illustrations. first pattern (fig. ).--carry the needle in a slanting direction over three threads and bring it out, from right to left, under three perpendicular ones, then again slanting, over three threads, from left to right, and out again underneath three horizontal ones, downwards from above. thus the first stitch lies across, from right to left, the second, lengthways. on the wrong side, the stitch forms a regular succession of steps. [illustration: fig . first pattern] second pattern (fig. ).--this is worked exactly in the same manner as fig. , only that the second row of stitches touches the first, so that two threads enter and issue from the same hole. [illustration: fig . second pattern] third pattern (fig. ).--though at first sight, this stitch is very like the holbein or stroke stitch, it is very different in the execution. it is worked in two rows, to and fro; in the first, you make all the vertical stitches side by side in the width of the stuff, drawing your thread very tightly, in the second, coming back, you make the horizontal stitches in a straight line, at right angles to the first stitches. on the wrong side the stitches are crossed; they in thin stuffs, show through, and quite alter the appearance of the right side. [illustration: fig. . third pattern.] fourth, pattern (fig. ).--in the first row, the thread is carried slanting upwards from right to left, over two threads, then downwards under two. coming back, the stitches must be set the opposite way, so that four threads meet in one hole. [illustration: fig. . fourth pattern.] fifth pattern (fig. ).--this is worked like fig. , only that the stitches must cover three threads each way. in the second row, you take up one thread on the right and two on the left, to form your stitches. [illustration: fig. . fifth pattern.] sixth pattern (fig. ).--here, the stitches form a chess-board pattern. you begin with a diagonal stitch over two threads and bring your needle up again into the same line it started from. the second stitch covers three threads, the third six, the fourth eight; the next three decrease, successively in length, in the same proportion. [illustration: fig. . sixth pattern.] seventh pattern (fig. ).--two kinds of cotton have to be used for this pattern, one of them soft and flat, like colon à repriser d.m.c[a] (darning cotton) or coton à tricoter d.m.c (knitting cotton)[a] for the flat stitches, and the other strongly twisted, like cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , , or ,[a] for the cross stitches. [illustration: fig. . seventh pattern.] the five flat stitches cover three threads in width and six in height, and lie from right to left and from left to right. in the second row, which must be two threads distant from the first, the stitches must lie in the contrary direction. in the lozenge-shaped space between, make four cross stitches, over four threads in height and two in width. eighth pattern (figs. and ).--make five stitches over horizontal threads, miss threads and make another stitches. the groups of long stitches above and beneath the first row, encroach over two threads of the first group, so that a space of only four threads remains between two groups. the stitch between these groups is generally known as the rococo stitch. [illustration: fig. . eighth pattern.] bring out your needle between the third and fourth of these threads, and insert it again above, drawing it out afterwards between the second and third horizontal thread, and securing the first stitch with a back stitch. make the three remaining stitches, as explained in fig. . [illustration: fig. . explanation of the rococo stitch in fig. .] ninth pattern (fig. ).--this consists of straight bands of flat stitches, covering three threads each way, with spaces threads wide between, ornamented with a small pattern in stroke stitch, (see chapter on tapestry and linen embroidery). [illustration: fig . ninth pattern.] damask stitch for figs. and (fig. ).--the stitches, here represented on a large scale, form the border to the square in cut open-work in fig. . the long diagonal stitches, on either side, can be made to look fuller and more distinct, by using a soft, coarse cotton. [illustration: fig. . damask stitch for figs. and .] tenth and eleventh patterns (figs. and ).--the former of these is used for filling in the short stripe in fig. , the second for the long inside one. fig. is clear enough to need no explanation; with reference to fig. , it is however as well to point out that the shortest stitch should cover threads and the longest , the rest is easily learnt from the illustration. this is a very suitable design for the decoration of large surfaces and combines well with any running diagonal pattern, when it can be made to form a large star which can be worked as a separate figure. [illustration: fig. . tenth pattern. damask stitch for figs. and .] [illustration: fig. . eleventh pattern. damask stitch for fig. .] twelfth pattern (fig. ).--in cases where this and the following stitches are to be executed on a light, transparent stuff, it is best to use a very strongly twisted thread, such as fil d'alsace d.m.c ([a]) or, fil à dentelle d.m.c ([a]) instead of a softer and looser material. a stiff thread compresses the threads of the stuff better and the open spaces, thus made in it, are rendered more visible. [illustration: fig. . twelfth pattern.] count threads vertically, put in the needle and draw it through from right to left, underneath diagonal threads. for the next stitch, carry it upwards over threads, and back under . the second row is worked back over the first in the same way. leave threads between each row. thirteenth pattern (fig. ).--carry the thread, from right to left over four vertical threads, and under the same number of horizontal ones. the second row of stitches touches the first, so that the thread it is worked with seems to be drawn through under the same threads of the stuff, as the one the first row was worked with. [illustration: fig. . thirteenth pattern.] fourteenth pattern (fig. ).--here, the stitches, contrary to those in fig. , are set vertically. the first stitch covers threads, the second , the third , the fourth , the fifth . the longest stitches of two checks always meet in the same hole. [illustration: fig. . fourteenth pattern.] fifteenth pattern (fig. ).--cover the whole expanse with rows of stitches, such as are described in fig. , with intervals of threads between them. [illustration: fig. . fifteenth pattern.] these rows are intersected by others, to which the thread is passed, from between the sixth and seventh of the threads between the first rows. where the stitches of the two rows meet, the working thread of the second row must be drawn through, under that of the first. sixteenth pattern (fig. ).--between every two rows of cross-stitch, leave an interval of threads, counting those on each side of the rows. over these threads work rows, as shown in fig. , but so, that in the second, the lower stitch of the first row and the upper one of the second, cover the same threads. [illustration: fig. . sixteenth pattern.] seventeenth pattern (fig. ).--this consists of stripes, stitches wide, like those of fig. , with threads between, which are overcast in the ordinary manner. [illustration: fig. . seventeenth pattern.] eighteenth pattern (fig. ).--small squares of stitches, inclined alternately, to the right and left, and so formed, that the longest stitch of one square is crossed by the first short stitch of the next, so that a space only threads wide and long, remains uncovered. the intervening stripes are filled with rows of overcasting stitches, covering threads each way. [illustration: fig. . eighteenth pattern.] nineteenth pattern (fig. ).--the steps formed by this pattern are stitches high, and wide, and each stitch covers threads. [illustration: fig. . nineteenth pattern.] eight threads intervene between each row of steps, which are covered at the bend, by a square of stitches, from the last of which, the thread is carried on at once, to the four single stitches. twentieth pattern (fig. ).--the squares set opposite to each other, with threads between, are edged all round by rows of overcasting. [illustration: fig. . twentieth pattern.] twenty-first pattern (fig. ).--begin by rows of stitches, like those described in fig. , over and threads, with threads between, not counting those covered with cross-stitch. between the two rows of cross-stitch, join threads together by a back-stitch, and carry your thread over the two last of the , to the first of the next cluster. the narrow diagonal stripes are separated by threads, exclusive of those covered by the cross-stitches. these spaces are filled in with squares, threads wide and long, formed by back-stitches crossed on the wrong side. [illustration: fig. . twenty-first pattern.] twenty-second pattern (fig. ).--in the closer stuffs, of a coarse texture, the threads of which do not admit of being drawn together, as you can those, of a loose thin stuff, where, by simply pulling your thread a little tighter you get open spaces, you must begin by cutting out every fourth or fifth thread. after which, you overcast all the rows, first one way, and then the other, with stitches covering threads, each way. on this foundation with strong, loosely-twisted cotton, coton à broder d.m.c or coton à tricoter d.m.c no. , , , or , make long stitches, as indicated in the illustration. [illustration: fig. . twenty-second pattern.] twenty-third pattern (fig. .)--from the point where the thread comes out of the stuff, make stitches, four times over, all coming out of the same hole, over , , and threads, thus forming a star. leave an interval of four threads between the stars, and unite the intervening threads by cross-stitches one way, and whip-stitches, the other. [illustration: fig. . twenty-third pattern.] twenty-fourth pattern (fig. ).--make a succession of diagonal stitches, increasing in length, and advancing one thread at a time, until the seventh stitch covers seven threads, and completes the triangle. then begin a second triangle on the nearest, adjacent thread. [illustration: fig. . twenty-fourth pattern.] twenty-fifth pattern (fig. ).--cover your whole surface with squares of stitches, as in fig. , and fill in the intervening squares with stitches, all radiating from one centre. [illustration: fig. . twenty-fifth pattern.] twenty-sixth pattern (fig. ).--diagonal trellised stripes, made as indicated in fig. , and overcast, form the ground. twelve threads are to be left between the stripes, upon which, work six-cornered, lozenge-shaped groups of stitches, set at right angles to each other, in diagonal rows. [illustration: fig . twenty-sixth pattern.] twenty-seventh pattern (fig. ).--we conclude our chapter with a circular design, which combines a variety of stitches, and introduces our workers to two new patterns, as well as to an advantageous way of hiding the junction of several kinds of stitches by semicircles of button-hole stitching. [illustration: fig. . twenty-seventh pattern.] 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. [illustration: stripe in flat and raised satin stitch, and madeira embroidery.] white embroidery. we have retained the familiar term, white embroidery, for this kind of needlework, for convenience sake, in spite of its inaccuracy, now that coloured materials are quite as much used for it as white. it is executed, either on a backing of oil-cloth, or in an embroidery frame, called «tambour-frame». only skilful workers can dispense with these, for an untrained hand can hardly avoid puckering. if you work without a foundation, the material must be held, quite smoothly over the forefinger, so that the threads lie perfectly straight, otherwise, the pattern is very apt to get pulled out of shape in the working. with your three other fingers you hold the material fast, the thumb resting on the work itself, beyond the outline of the pattern, which must be turned towards the worker. it is always the outside line of a pattern that is drawn in double lines, that should be turned towards the palm of the hand. tracing patterns.--patterns are generally to be had ready traced, but as it is often necessary to repeat, enlarge, or reduce them, descriptions of several modes of doing so, will be found at the end of the concluding chapter. materials.--a loose, soft make of cotton, the looser the better, and very little twisted, is the best material for embroidery. we recommend for white embroidery in general, coton à broder d.m.c nos. to ; for monograms on cambric, coton à broder surfin d.m.c nos. , , ;[a] and for english or madeira embroidery, coton madeira d.m.c nos. , , ;[a] for padding, or raising the embroidery, all the different kinds of coton à repriser d.m.c[a] can be used. outlining and padding.--the outlining of a pattern is a very important preliminary. a want of precision in the ultimate effect is often due, merely to careless outlining. this part of the work should be done with rather a coarser cotton than the embroidery itself. fasten in the thread by a few running stitches, never with a knot, a rule to be observed also in embroidering, except in very rare cases. finish off your thread by drawing it through the tracing stitches, or through some part of the pattern that is already finished. fill in the spaces between the lines with a padding of run threads, run loosely, and so that they lie thickly and solidly in the centre, and shade off on both sides. the fullness, and roundness of embroidery, depends on the firmness of this sub-stratum of threads. the outlining and the padding of the different rounded and pointed scallops, as well as of other figures that occur in white embroidery, are illustrated in figs. , , , , , , , and . blanket, or button-hole stitch (fig. ).--work from left to right; run in a foundation line, hold down the working thread below the run line with the right thumb; insert the needle above and bring it out below the run line but above the working thread; tighten the loop thus formed, without drawing up the stuff, and continue in this manner, setting your stitches closely and regularly, side by side. [illustration: fig. . blanket, or button-hole stitch.] straight stem stitch (fig. ).--work from left to right. the needle must always be inserted above the run thread, and brought out underneath it. in the case of a very delicate pattern, take up only just as much stuff as the run thread covers. [illustration: fig. . straight stem stitch.] sloping stem stitch (fig. ).--work without a run thread; insert the needle from right to left in a slanting direction, under or horizontal threads, and or perpendicular ones; so that each stitch reaches halfway back to the last. [illustration: fig. . sloping stem stitch.] this kind of stem stitch is chiefly used for the fine upstrokes of letters and numbers, and for linen embroidery. back-stitching (fig. ).--back-stitching, that is small, even stitches set closely together, is done from right to left, along a straight line, and is chiefly used for filling in the centres of letters, leaves and flowers. [illustration: fig. . back-stitching.] crossed back-stitch (figs. and ).--used, generally speaking, only for very transparent materials; it forms a close seam of cross-stitch, on the wrong side, and two straight rows of back-stitching on the right. to work, insert the needle as if for an ordinary back-stitch, pass it under the stuff, sloping it a little towards the second outline of the pattern, and draw it out almost in front of the first stitch. after making a back-stitch, pass the needle up again under the stuff and bring it out at the spot where the next stitch is to be. [illustration: fig. . crossed back-stitch. right side.] [illustration: fig. . crossed back-stitch. wrong side.] fig. shows the interlacing of the stitches on the wrong side, and the way in which this stitch, when it is used for filling in centres, can be worked on the right side. simple knot stitch (fig. ). this consists of two back-stitches, side by side, covering the same threads; it is chiefly used for filling in leaves, embroidered on very thin materials, or in conjunction with flat stitch. [illustration: fig. . simple knot stitch.] twisted knot stitch (fig. ). to work hold the working thread down with the thumb close to the spot where you first brought it out, twist it twice round the needle, turn the needle round from left to right, following the direction indicated by the arrow, pass it through the fabric at the place which is marked by a dot, and draw it out at the place where the next stitch is to be. [illustration: fig. . twisted knot stitch.] post stitch (fig. ).--something like knot stitch and much used for patterns, composed of small flowers and leaves, where it often takes the place of raised satin stitch. the illustration represents five leaves finished, and the sixth in process of being worked. [illustration: fig. . post stitch.] to work, bring the needle up from the back and twist the thread round it as many times as the length of the stitch requires, hold the left thumb on the species of curl thus formed, and passing the needle and thread through it, insert it at the end of the leaf where it first came out, and draw it out at the right place for the next stitch. button-hole bars (fig. ).--when a pattern is ornamented with open-work bars, begin by tracing the outside parallel lines. then button-hole the whole lower line and the upper one, till you come to the place where the first bar is to be; then you carry your thread across and bring up the needle from below through one of the loops, as, shown in the figure; lay three threads in this manner, inserting your needle the third time one loop further on. then cover the three threads thickly with button-holing. [illustration: fig. . button-hole bars.] different kinds of scallops (figs. , , ).--the outlining, padding and button-holing of these scallops is executed in the manner already described. be careful to adapt the length of the stitches to the shape and size of the scallops. if they are pointed (figs. , ), the stitches will have to be set very closely together on the inner line, and a little play allowed them on the outer, to come exactly to the point, which should be very sharply defined. [illustration: fig. . round, button-holed scallops.] [illustration: fig. . large, pointed, button-holed scallops.] [illustration: fig. . small, pointed, button-holed scallops.] rose scallops (figs. and ).--these are, large button-holed scallops with indented edges, in the one case, rounded at the top and sharply pointed at the join; in the other, pointed at the top, and joined at the bottom by a straight bar of button-holing. [illustration: fig. . rounded rose scallops.] [illustration: fig. . pointed rose scallops.] eyelet holes (figs. , , ).--outline the eyelet holes very carefully first by running a thread round them, then cut out the enclosed stuff with a sharp pair of finely pointed scissors, and edge the hole with plain overcasting stitches, worked from left to right. [illustration: fig. . overcast eyelet holes.] when you have a long row of eyelet holes to make, outline the upper and lower halves alternately, first on one side and then on the other, using two threads, and then overcast them in the same way. the double crossing of the working threads between the eyelet holes makes them much stronger, than if each hole were finished off separately, and the thread passed underneath from one to the other. [illustration: fig. . button-holed shaded eyelet holes.] [illustration: fig. . shaded eyelet holes half overcast, half button-holed.] the lower halves of shaded eyelet holes, (see figs. and ), are worked with very short stitches, and the upper halves with long ones; they may be edged entirely, either with button-holing or overcasting, or half with one and half with the other. six leaves in raised satin stitch (fig. ).--raised satin stitch is chiefly used for working flowers, leaves, petals, dots, initials and monograms. after tracing the outline of the design, fill in the centres with a padding of long, close stitches for which you can again take coton à repriser d.m.c[a] and then, beginning always at the point of the leaf, see letter a, cover it with flat, perfectly even stitches, worked from right-to-left. b illustrates a leaf, divided through the middle by a line of overcasting; c, one with a corded vein; d, a divided leaf worked in sloping satin stitch; e, a leaf, with a corded vein and framed in sloping satin stitch; f, a leaf worked half in satin stitch, half in back-stitch and straight stem stitch. [illustration: fig. . six leaves in raised satin stitch.] leaves and flowers of all descriptions, can be executed in any of these stitches, and in different combinations of the same. six ways of making dots (fig. ).--dots, when they are well made, are exceedingly effective in white embroidery, particularly if they are worked in a variety of stitches. dot a is worked in raised satin stitch; b, in raised satin stitch, framed in back stitch; c, in raised satin stitch, framed in twisted knot stitch; d is composed of several post stitches of different lengths, set in a frame of stem stitches; e is worked in back-stitch, and f consists of a small eyelet hole, with a corded setting, which forms the centre. [illustration: fig. . six ways of making dots.] venetian embroidery (fig. ).--scallops, worked in very high relief, called venetian embroidery, are an imitation on stuff of venetian lace. real venetian point is entirely needle-made; in the embroidered imitations of it, the stuff takes the place of the needle-made lace foundation. to make it more like the original however, the ground is seldom left plain, but is covered with fancy stitches, such as are represented in the illustration, or with one or other of the damask stitches in figs. to . the button-hole bars may be made with or without picots. a full description of the latter will be found in the chapters on net embroidery, and irish lace. the space to be buttonholed, must be well padded, for thereon depends the roundness of the embroidery. for this purpose take or threads of coton à repriser d.m.c no. ,[a] and fasten them down on to the pattern with loose stitches, laying on extra threads, and cutting them gradually away, according to the width the line is to be. the stuff underneath the bars should only be cut away when the embroidery is quite finished. [illustration: fig. . venetian embroidery.] renaissance embroidery (figs. and ).--this is the term applied, more especially in france, to embroidery patterns, which are worked entirely in button-holing, and connected by button-hole bars without picots, as shewn in the two accompanying figures. the outside edge in fig. , is embellished with picots, described in the chapters just referred to. [illustration: fig. . renaissance embroidery.] [illustration: fig. . renaissance embroidery.] richelieu embroidery (fig. ).--the name given to embroidery of a similar kind to the former, but in which the connecting bars, instead of being left plain as they are in the renaissance embroidery, are ornamented with picots. [illustration: fig. . richelieu embroidery.] madeira work (figs. , , ).--this kind of embroidery, which consists chiefly of eyelet holes, and is distinguished for the excellence of its workmanship used to be known as english, but is now generally called madeira work, from the island where it originated. the scallops in figs. and , are bordered with shaded eyelet holes, worked half in button-hole stitch, half in overcasting; the finely scalloped edge, in fig. , is entirely button-holed. in working eyelet holes, the material must always be turned in, up to the inside line, and completely worked in, underneath the in order that no loose threads may be visible on the wrong side. [illustration: fig. . madeira work.] [illustration: fig. . madeira work. materials: coton madeira d.m.c no. , or . (special cotton for madeira work)[a]] [illustration: fig. . madeira-work. materials: coton madeira d.m.c no. , or . (special cotton for madeira-work).] swiss embroidery frame (fig. ).--letters, monograms, coronets and the like, require extreme care in the working, and can only be really well done in a frame. the round swiss frame, or tambour frame, is the one most commonly used. it consists of two wooden hoops, fitting loosely into each other; the inner one, fastened to a support with a wooden screw let into the lower part of it, with which to fasten the frame to the table. the outside hoop is loose. place the fabric to be embroidered over the smaller hoop, the pattern in the middle, and press the other down over it so that it is tightly stretched and fixed between the two hoops. a leathern strap with holes and a buckle, sometimes takes the place of the second hoop. [illustration: fig. . swiss embroidery frame.] ordinary embroidery frame (fig. ).--tambour frames can only be used for embroidering pocket-handkerchiefs and other small articles; all larger work has to be done in an ordinary frame. sew a piece of strong stuff into the frame, stretch it as tightly and evenly as possible, and cut out a square in the middle to the size of the pattern. then tack your work in underneath, straight to the thread, dividing it out carefully with pins first, to ensure its being set in perfectly evenly. roll or fold up the rest of the stuff over the edges of the frame, and secure it with a few stitches or pins, to keep it out of the way of your hand as you work. [illustration: fig. . ordinary embroidery frame.] alphabets for monograms (figs. to ).--on account of the difficulty of devising a good monogram for marking under-linen, we subjoin two alphabets, by the aid of which our workers will be able to compose their own. the letters are of a good medium size, which can be magnified or reduced according to the worker's own taste. for any such modifications, we would again draw our reader's attention to the directions given in the concluding chapter. the three first plates represent large wide letters, intended to contain or encompass the more elongated ones, represented in the fourth and fifth plates, figs. and . the interlacing of the letters requires to be carefully done, and our workers should study the following specimens, so as to learn the stitches also, which are most suitable for this branch of embroidery. [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. outside letters a to h.] [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. outside letters j to q.] [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. outside letters r to y.] [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. inside letters a to l.] [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. inside letters m to x.] [illustration: fig. . alphabets for monograms. last inside and outside letters.] monogram composed of letters a and d (fig. ).--here, letter a is worked in flat satin stitch, in bleu-indigo , and set in stem stitch, worked in rouge-turc . d as a contrast to a, is embroidered in transverse bars, the left part in pale blue and white, the right in pale blue and dark blue. the little ornaments may be worked according to fancy, either in white, or in one of the given colours. [illustration: fig. . monogram composed of letters a and d drawn from the alphabets of monograms. materials: coton à broder d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu-indigo , rouge-turc and white.[a]] monogram composed of letters v and s (fig. ).--the flat satin stitch in both letters is worked in white; the setting, is in red, in short stem stitch, or if preferred, in knotted back stitch. [illustration: fig. . monogram composed of letters v and s drawn from the alphabets of monograms. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. . colours: white and rouge-cardinal .[a]] monogram composed of letters r and c (fig. ).--these are worked in black and grey, for mourning; the way c is divided, admits of a variety in the stitch; for instance, the back-stitches, in the illustration, may be replaced by very small eyelet holes. [illustration: fig. . monogram composed of letters r and c drawn from the alphabets of monograms. materials: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. . colours: gris-cendre and noir grand teint .] monogram composed of letters g and e (fig. ).--the flat satin stitching and back-stitching in e, and the stem-stitched edges of g are worked in white coton à broder d.m.c; the inside of g in ivory white coton surfin d.m.c. [illustration: fig. . monogram composed of letters g and e drawn from the alphabets of monograms. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. white and coton surfin d.m.c no. , unbleached.] border in gobelin stitch (fig. ).--gobelin embroidery is merely raised satin stitch, worked directly upon the pattern, without any foundation, or padding. the effectiveness of this kind of embroidery, which appears so complicated and is really so easy, and the many ways in which it can be utilised, soon brought it into favour. it can be worked on the article itself, or on stripes, laid on afterwards, with a hem-stitch bordering. the original of fig. was in blue and red; bleu indigo for the grounding, rouge-turc , for the setting in stem-stitch. the herring-boning along the edges of the pattern, top and bottom, is also in red. [illustration: fig. . border in gobelin stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. in two different colours such as: bleu-indigo and rouge-cardinal , rouge-grenat and or, gris-tilleul and rouge-cardinal .[a]] should a different selection of colours be made, it is important to remember that in all cases a sharp contrast is desirable. alphabet and numerals, left blank, and outlined by the grounding, worked in gobelin stitch (figs. to ). [illustration: fig. . alphabet left blank and outlined by the grounding. letters a to n.] [illustration: fig. . alphabet left blank and outlined by the grounding. letters o to z.] [illustration: fig. . letter o, from the alphabet given in figs. and .] [illustration: fig. . numerals left blank and outlined by the grounding.] the border worked in gobelin stitch, illustrated in fig. , suggested to us the idea of an alphabet and numerals, to be executed in a similar style, left blank, that is to say, and outlined by a grounding in gobelin stitch, which are better suited to embroideries of the kind than those generally used. our limited space prevents us from giving all the letters in the diagonal position they are intended to occupy on the article itself. o and w only, are represented in the right position. no difficulty will be found in copying the other letters, in giving them the proper direction. [illustration: fig. . letter w, from the alphabet given in fig. and .] in order to economize room, j and h are represented in one square, but they are easily distinguishable from each other. fig. represents the numerals, executed in the same way. we should like to draw our readers attention to a few other ways in which letters and numerals may be outlined by the back-ground; for example, the solid parts can be worked either in plain or twisted knot stitch (figs. and ); in very fine chain stitch; in old german knot or bead stitch (fig. ), or even in piqué embroidery (fig. ). border outlined by grounding, worked in gobelin and stem stitch (fig. ). the grounding of this pattern is worked on stiff white linen, and entirely in rouge-turc , and the outlining in noir grand teint . the same pattern can equally well be worked on gauzes and other transparent stuffs, but with coton à repriser, instead of coton à broder d.m.c, for the solid parts. two shades of rouge-grenat, one dark and one very light, may be taken instead, or two of jaune-rouille, or of violet-mauve, employing always the lighter shade for the grounding and the darker for the setting. [illustration: fig. . border, outlined by the grounding worked in gobelin and stem stitch. first part.] [illustration: fig. . second part. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. .--colours: rouge-turc and noir grand teint .[a]] be careful, in the grounding, not to make the red stitches near the edge, longer than they are represented in the illustration and to set the black stem stitches as close as possible to the grounding. the pattern, which could only be reproduced in the original size, had to be divided in two, to fit the page. in copying it, join the a and b of the first part to the a and b of the second; the same in fig. , each time the pattern is repeated, the flowers are to droop from the + as seen from the position of the buds in the first part, at the beginning of the drawing. flower garland in different kinds of stitches (figs. and ).--most of the stitches, described at the beginning of this chapter, will be found in this graceful garland, in the execution of which a considerable variety of colours can be introduced. the rose-buds may be worked in two shades of vert-pistache and of rouge-grenat, in the stitches described in figs. , , a; the forget-me-nots, in two or even three shades of bleu-indigo, in raised satin stitch and knotted stitch; the slender green leaves in vert-de-gris, or gris-tilleul, the stamens in jaune-citron, and the stalks of the roses in brun-acajou. [illustration: fig. . flower-garland in different kinds of stitches. first part.] [illustration: fig. . second part. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. . colours: rouge-grenat and , bleu-indigo and , vert-pistache and , vert-de-gris and , brun-acajou , jaune-citron .] [illustration: fig. . showing the working of the outside stitches in fig. .] the border that completes this charming pattern, consists of four rows of button holing, worked in four colours. the first row in our illustration is worked in pale pink, followed by three shades of green, the palest of which is used for the second row of stitches. when these rows are worked upon a satine or cambric foundation, it is advisable to begin by making a small drawing, in which the height of the stitches and the distance between them is accurately marked out, then prick the pattern through and pounce it upon the material beneath. when they are worked on a material, the threads of which can be counted no such precaution is necessary. insertion in gobelin and stem stitch (fig. ).--owing to the shortness of the stitches, this pattern is easier to work than the foregoing ones. the little flowers are embroidered alternately in dark and light red; the setting varies to correspond, the light red flower being set in dark red, and vice versa. the interior of the leaves is in light green and the setting, as well as the connecting bars, in dark green. [illustration: fig. . insertion in gobelin and stem stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. --colours: rouge-cardinal and rouge-géranium with gris-tilleul and , or bleu-indigo and with vert-mousse and , or violet-mauve and with jaune-rouille .[a]] stripes of embroidery with lace insertion between (fig. ).--we conclude this chapter, by showing how stripes of embroidery can be used alone, or in conjunction, either with bands of open-work, or lace, crochet, or net insertion. such combinations are useful for ornamenting aprons, table-cloths, curtains etc., every description in short of household linen and of children's garments. one great advantage, moreover, which stripes of this kind, have over larger pieces of embroidery is that they require neither frame nor pillow, nor wearisome counting of stitches, but can be worked in the hand, at all times and places. [illustration: fig. . stripes of embroidery with insertion between.] 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. [illustration: stripe of gold embroidery in gold thread, purl, and flattened gold wire.] flat stitch and gold embroidery. the terms, flat stitch and gold embroidery, suggest as a rule, needle-work upon rich materials, such as velvet, brocade, plush and the like. nevertheless, a great deal of beautiful embroidery is to be met with, in silk and gold thread upon quite common stuffs; persian and moorish embroidery for instance, both remarkable for their delicacy and minuteness, and executed upon ordinary linen, or cotton fabrics. as a fact, the material is quite a secondary matter; almost any will do equally well as a foundation, for the stitches described in these pages. flat stitch, and some of the other stitches used in gold embroidery, can be worked with any kind of thread, but best of all with the d.m.c cottons. flat stitch embroidery.--decorative designs, and conventional flowers, are the most suitable for flat stitch embroidery; a faithful representation of natural flowers should not be attempted, unless it be so well executed, as to produce the effect of a painting and thus possess real artistic merit. encroaching flat stitch (fig. ).--small delicate flowers, leaves, and arabesques, should in preference, be worked either in straight flat stitch (figs. and ) or in encroaching flat stitch. the stitches should all be of equal length, the length to be determined by the quality of the thread; a fine thread necessitating short, and a coarse one, long stitches. the stitches should run, one into the other, as shown in the illustration. they are worked in rows, those of the second row encroaching on those of the first, and fitting into one another. [illustration: fig. . encroaching satin stitch.] work your flowers and leaves from the point, never from the calyx or stalk. if they are to be shaded, begin by choosing the right shade for the outside edge, varying the depth according to the light in which the object is supposed to be placed. the stitches should always follow the direction of the drawing. oriental stitch (figs. , , ).--the three following stitches, which we have grouped under one heading, are known also, under the name of renaissance or arabic stitches. we have used the term oriental, because they are to be met with in almost all oriental needlework and probably derive their origin from asia, whose inhabitants have, at all times, been renowned for the beauty of their embroideries. [illustration: fig. . oriental stitch.] [illustration: fig. . oriental stitch.] these kind of stitches are only suitable for large, bold designs. draw in the vertical threads first; in working with a soft, silky material, to economise thread, and prevent the embroidery from becoming too heavy, you can begin your second stitch close to where the first ended. [illustration: fig. . oriental stitch.] but if the thread be one that is liable to twist, take it back underneath the stuff and begin your next stitch in a line with the first, so that all the stitches of the first layer, which form the grounding, are carried from the top to the bottom. the same directions apply to figs. , and . when you have laid your vertical threads, stretch threads horizontally across, and fasten them down with isolated stitches, set six vertical threads apart. the position of these fastening stitches on the transverse threads must alternate in each row, as indicated in fig. . for fig. , make a similar grounding to the one above described, laying the horizontal threads a little closer together, and making the fastening stitches over two threads. in fig. , the second threads are carried diagonally across the foundation-threads, and the fastening stitches are given a similar direction. for these stitches, use either one material only, a fleecy thread like coton à repriser d.m.c for instance, or else two, such as coton à repriser d.m.c for the grounding, and a material with a strong twist like cordonnet fils d.m.c or fil à pointer d.m.c for the stem stitch. plaited stitch (fig. ).--when the vertical stitches are laid, a kind of plait is formed in the following way. pass the thread three times, alternately under and over three foundation threads. to do this very accurately, you must take the thread back, underneath, to its starting-point; and consequently, always make your stitch from right to left. [illustration: fig. . plaited stitch.] if you have chosen a washing material, and d.m.c cottons to work with, use one colour of cotton for the foundation, and chiné d'or d.m.c no. , for the plaited stitch. mosaic stitch (fig. ).--in old embroideries we often find this stitch, employed as a substitute for plush or other costly stuffs, appliquéd on to the foundation. it is executed in the same manner as the four preceding stitches, but can only be done in thick twist, such as cordonnet fils d.m.c or ganse turque d.m.c. [illustration: fig. . mosaic stitch.] each stitch should be made separately, and must pass underneath the foundation, so that the threads which form the pattern are not flat, as they are in the preceding examples, but slightly rounded. border in persian stitch (fig. ).--this stitch, of persian origin, resembles the one represented in fig. . instead of bringing the needle out, however, as indicated in fig. , take it back as you see in the illustration, to the space between the outlines of the drawing, and behind the thread that forms the next stitch. before filling in the pattern, outline it with short stem stitches, or a fine cord, laid on, and secured with invisible stitches. [illustration: fig. . border in persian stitch. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , , or . colours: noir grand teint , vert-mousse and , rouge-cardinal , jaune-vieil-or , violet-mauve and .] this graceful design which can be utilised in various ways is formed of leaves of lobes, worked alternately in dark and light green; of flowers of petals, worked in red and the centres in yellow, and of small leaves in violet. the setting, throughout, is worked either in black or in dark brown. stripe worked in flat stitch (fig. ).--this pattern, simple as it is, will be found both useful and effective for the trimming of all kinds of articles of dress. the bottom edge should be finished off with rounded scallops or toothed vandykes worked in button-hole stitch. the flowers in flat stitch, are worked alternately, in rouge-géranium and , and the leaves alternately, in vert-de-gris and ; the centres of the flowers are worked in knot stitch, in jaune-rouille . [illustration: fig. . stripe worked in flat stitch. materials--according to the stuff: fil à dentelle d.m.c, cordonnet fils d.m.c or coton à repriser d.m.c[a] colours--for the flowers: rouge-géranium and .--for the knot stitch: jaune-rouille .--for the foliage: vert-de-gris and .[a]] bouquet in straight and encroaching flat stitch (fig. ). as we have already observed, it is by no means easy to arrange the colours in an embroidery of this kind, so as to obtain a really artistic effect. whether the design be a conventional one or not, the great point is to put in the lights and shadows at the right place. if you want to make a faithful copy of a natural flower, take the flower itself, or a coloured botanical drawing of it, and if possible, a good black and white drawing of the same, match the colours in or shades, by the flower itself, keeping them all rather paler in tone, and take the black and white drawing as a guide for the lights and shadows. the colours for the leaves and petals, which should always be worked from the outside, should be chosen with a view to their blending well together. the stamens and the centres of the flowers should be left to the last, but the veins and ribs of the leaves, should always be put in before the grounding. [illustration: fig. . bouquet in straight and encroaching flat stitch. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c no. . colours--for the forget-me-nots: bleu-indigo , and .--for the other flowers: jaune-rouille and , violet-mauve , and , vert-pistache .--for the foliage: vert-de-gris , vert-mousse , , and .--for the stalks: brun-havane and .[a]] for embroideries of this kind, suitable materials must be selected; the more delicate and minute the design, and the more varied the colouring, the softer and finer should be the quality of the material employed. specially to be recommended, as adapted to every form of stitch and as being each of them capable of being subdivided, are filoselle, marseille, open chinese silk and coton à repriser d.m.c.[a]. flowers embroidered in the chinese manner (fig. ).--all chinese embroidery displays undoubted originality and wonderful skill and judgment in the choice of material and colour. it excels particularly, in the representation of figures, flowers, and animals, but differs from european work in this, that instead of using flat stitch and making the colours blend together as we do, the chinese put them, side by side, without intermediate tones, or they sometimes work the whole pattern in knot stitch. the little knots, formed by this stitch are generally set in gold thread. [illustration: fig. . flowers embroidered in the chinese manner.] often too, instead of combining a number of colours, as we do, the chinese fill in the whole leaf with long stitches and upon this foundation, draw the veins in a different stitch and colour. even the flowers, they embroider in the same way, in very fine thread, filling in the whole ground first, with stitches set very closely together and marking in the seed vessels afterwards, by very diminutive knots, wide apart. chinese encroaching flat stitch (fig. ).--another easy kind of embroidery, common in china, is done in encroaching flat stitch. the branch represented in our drawing, taken from a large design, is executed in three shades of yellow, resembling those of the jaune-rouille series on the d.m.c colour card.[a] [illustration: fig. . chinese encroaching flat stitch. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or chiné d'or d.m.c. colours--for the cotton: jaune-rouille , , .--for chiné d'or: red and gold, blue and gold, green and gold.[a]] the stitches of the different rows encroach upon one another, as the working detail shows, and the three shades alternate in regular succession. flowers, butterflies and birds are represented in chinese embroidery, executed in this manner. it is a style, that is adapted to stuffs of all kinds, washing materials as well as others, and can be worked in the hand and with any of the d.m.c threads and cottons.[a] raised embroidery (figs. and ).--raised embroidery worked in colours, must be stuffed or padded first, like the white embroidery in fig. . if you outline your design with a cord, secure it on the right side with invisible stitches, untwisting the cord slightly as you insert your needle and thread, that the stitch may be hidden between the strands. use coton à repriser d.m.c no. , for the padding. these cottons are to be had in all the colours, indicated in the d.m.c colour card, and are the most suitable for the kind of work. [illustration: fig. . raised embroidery. preparatory work.] [illustration: fig. . raised embroidery. work completed.] use coton à broder d.m.c for the transverse stitches and over the smooth surface which is thus formed, work close lines of satin stitch in silk or cotton; the effect produced, will bear more resemblance to appliqué work than to embroidery. the centres of the flowers are filled in with knot stitches, which are either set directly on the stuff or on an embroidered ground. embroidery in the turkish style (figs. and ).--this again is a style of embroidery different from any we are accustomed to. the solid raised parts are first padded with common coarse cotton and then worked over with gold, silver, or silk thread. contrary to what is noticeable in the real turkish embroidery, the preparatory work here is very carefully done, with several threads of coton à repriser d.m.c used as one. a rope of five threads is laid down, and carried from right to left and from left to right, across the width of the pattern. after laying it across to the right, as explained in fig. , bring the needle out a little beyond the space occupied by the threads, insert it behind them and passing it under the stuff, draw it out at the spot indicated by the arrow. the stitch that secures the threads, should be sufficiently long to give them a little play, so that they may lie perfectly parallel, side by side, over the whole width of the pattern. this kind of work can be done on wollen or cotton materials, and generally speaking, with d.m.c cottons, and gold thread shot with colour (chiné d'or d.m.c.) very pretty effects can be obtained, by a combination of three shades of rouge-cardinal , and , with chiné d'or gold and dark blue or with chiné d'or, gold and light blue.[a] this kind of embroidery may be regarded as the transition from satin stitch to gold embroidery. [illustration: fig. . embroidery in the turkish style. preparatory work.] [illustration: fig. . embroidery in the turkish style. work completed.] gold embroidery.--up to the present time, dating from the end of the eighteenth century, gold embroidery has been almost exclusively confined to those who made it a profession; amateurs have seldom attempted what, it was commonly supposed, required an apprenticeship of nine years to attain any proficiency in. but now, when it is the fashion to decorate every kind of fancy article, whether of leather, plush, or velvet, with monograms and ingenious devices of all descriptions, the art of gold embroidery has revived and is being taken up and practised with success, even by those to whom needlework is nothing more than an agreeable recreation. we trust that the following directions and illustrations will enable our readers to dispense with the five years training, which even now, experts in the art consider necessary. implements and materials.--the first and needful requisites for gold embroidery, are a strong frame, a spindle, two pressers, one flat and the other convex, a curved knife, a pricker or stiletto, and a tray, to contain the materials. embroidery frame (fig. ).--the frame, represented here, is only suitable for small pieces of embroidery, for larger ones, which have to be done piece by piece, round bars on which to roll up the stuff, are desirable, as sharp wooden edges are so apt to mark the stuff. [illustration: fig. . embroidery frame for gold embroidery.] every gold embroidery, on whatever material it may be executed, requires a stout foundation, which has to be sewn into the frame, in doing which, hold the webbing loosely, almost in folds, and stretch the stuff very tightly. sew on a stout cord to the edges of the foundation, which are nearest the stretchers, setting the stitches, or c/m. apart. then put the frame together and stretch the material laterally to its fullest extent, by passing a piece of twine, in and out through the cord at the edge and over the stretchers. draw up the bracing until the foundation is strained evenly and tightly. upon this firm foundation lay the stuff which you are going to embroider, and hem or herring-bone it down, taking care to keep it perfectly even with the thread of the foundation and, if possible, more tightly stretched to prevent it from being wrinkled or puckered when you come to take it off the backing. for directions how to transfer the pattern to your stuff, and prepare the paste with which the embroidery has to be stiffened before it is taken out of the frame, see the concluding chapter in the book. the spindle (fig. ).--the spindle to wind the gold thread upon, should be c/m. long and made of hard wood. cover the round stalk and part of the prongs with a double thread of coton à broder d.m.c no. , or pale yellow cordonnet d.m.c no. , and terminate this covering with a loop, to which you fasten the gold thread that you wind round the stalk. [illustration: fig. . the spindle.] the pressers (figs. and ).--these, so called 'pressers', are small rectangular boards with a handle in the middle. the convex one, fig. , should be c/m. long by broad; the other, fig. , which is quite flat, should be c/m. by . [illustration: fig. . convex presser, for pressing the stuff on the wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . flat presser for laying on the pattern.] having cut out your pattern in cartridge paper, lay it down, on the wrong side, upon a board thinly spread with embroidery paste. let it get thoroughly impregnated with the paste and then transfer it carefully to its proper place on the stuff; press it closely down with the large presser, and with the little convex one rub the stuff firmly, from beneath, to make it adhere closely to the pasted pattern; small, pointed leaves and flowers will be found to need sewing down besides, as you will observe in fig. , where each point is secured by stitches. the embroidery should not be begun until the paste is perfectly dry, and the pattern adheres firmly to the stuff. the knife (fig. ).--most gold embroideries require a foundation of stout cartridge paper, and, in the case of very delicate designs, the paper should further be covered with kid, pasted upon it. [illustration: fig. . the knife. reduced scale.] transfer the design on to the paper or kid, in the manner described in the concluding chapter, and cut it out with the knife. you can only make very short incisions with this tool, which should be kept extremely sharp and held, in cutting, with the point outwards, and the rounded part towards you, as shown in the drawing. tray to contain the materials (fig. ).--cut out as many divisions in a thin board, or sheet of stout cardboard, as you will require materials for your embroidery; these include not only gold thread of all kinds, but likewise beads and spangles of all sorts and sizes as well as bright and dead gold and silver purl, or bullion, as it is also called. for the pieces of purl alone, which should be cut ready to hand, you should have several divisions, in order that the different lengths may be kept separate. [illustration: fig. . tray to contain the materials.] use of the spindle (fig. ).--gold embroidery thread should be wound double upon the spindle. it is laid backwards and forwards and secured with two stitches at each turn, as described in fig. . small holes where the stitches are to come, have first to be pierced in the material with the pricker, from the right side, for the needle to pass through. in soft stuffs, this is unnecessary, but in brocaded materials, and in plush and leather, where every prick shows and would often spoil the whole effect, it is indispensable. [illustration: fig. . use of the spindle] gold thread which is stiff and difficult to work with, can be rendered soft and pliable by putting it into the oven, or any other warm place, for a short time. embroidery with gold purl (fig. ).--embroidery is the easiest kind of gold embroidery; you have only to thread the little pieces of purl, cut into the required lengths beforehand, like beads on your needle, and fasten them down upon the foundation like the beads in bead-work. smooth and crimped gold purl, or silver and gold purl used together, look exceedingly well, particularly where the pattern requires effects of light and shade to be reproduced. [illustration: fig. . embroidery with gold purl.] embroidery in diamond stitch (fig. ).--the diamond stitch is a charming novelty in gold embroidery. short lengths of purl, not more than ½ m/m. long, are threaded on the needle, and the needle is put in and drawn out at the same hole. these stitches which resemble knot stitches, form so many little glittering knots, turned alternately to the right and left, and look like seed-diamonds in appearance, more especially, when they are made in silver purl. the shorter the pieces are, and the more closely you set the knots together, the handsomer and richer the effect will be. [illustration: fig. . diamond stitch.] chinese gold embroidery (figs. and ).--we recommend the imitation of chinese gold embroidery to our readers as an easy and grateful recreation. it consists simply in laying down a gold thread, on a delicately outlined pattern and securing it by stitches. it can be done on any material, washing or other, the costliest as well as the most ordinary. [illustration: fig. . chinese gold embroidery. first part.] [illustration: fig. . second part] [illustration: fig. . chinese gold embroidery. first part.] [illustration: fig. . second part.] for a washing material use, or fin d.m.c pour la broderie, no. , or ,[a] which, as it washes perfectly, is well adapted for the embroidery of wearing apparel, and household linen. plain gold thread and gold thread with a thread of coloured silk twisted round it, are very effective used together. thus in fig. , the trees, foliage and flowers, are worked in plain gold, the grasses, in gold shot with green, the butterflies in gold with red, the two birds in gold with dark blue, and gold with light blue. two threads of gold should be laid down side by side and secured by small catching stitches, set at regular intervals from one another, and worked in fil d'alsace d.m.c no. ,[a] of the same colour. where the design requires it, you may separate the gold threads, and work with one alone. the second specimen of chinese embroidery, fig. , resembles the first, as far as materials and execution are concerned, but the design is different. the grotesque animals, flowers and shells it represents, can be worked separately, or connected together so as to form a running pattern. stripe worked in various stitches (fig. ).--all the designs described thus far, are worked in the same way, but the stripe now presented to our readers introduces them to several kinds of gold thread, and a variety of stitches. the small, turned-back petals of the flowers are worked in plain gold thread, and outlined with crimped; the rest of the petals are worked in darning stitch, with plain gold thread. the latticed leaves are edged with picots, worked with bright purl. the other parts of the design are all worked with a double gold thread, the stalks in dead gold, the leaves in crimped. the gold thread is secured by overcasting stitches in gold-coloured thread, jaune d'or , but it looks very well if you use black or red thread for fastening the crimped gold and dark or light green for the leaves and tendrils. [illustration: fig. . stripe worked in various stitches.] gold embroidery on a foundation of cords (fig. ).--in the old ecclesiastical embroideries, especially those representing the figures of saints, we often find thick whip cords used as a foundation, instead of cardboard, for the good reason that the stiff cardboard does not give such soft and rounded contours as a cord foundation, which will readily take every bend and turn that you give to it. in the following illustrations, we have adhered strictly to the originals, as far as the manner of working the surface is concerned, but have substituted for the cord, which in their case has been used for the foundation, cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , which is better for padding than the grey whip cord, as it can be had in white or yellow, according to whether it is intended to serve as a foundation to silver or gold work. [illustration: fig. . embroidery in flattened gold wire and purl.] lay down as many cords as are necessary to give the design the requisite thickness, in many cases up to or m/m. in height, taking care to lay them closely and solidly in the centre, and graduate them down at the sides and ends. when you have finished the foundation, edge it with a thick gold cord, such as cordonnet d'or d.m.c no. and then only begin the actual embroidery, all the directions just given, applying merely to the preparatory work. only four of the many stitches that are already in use and might be devised are described here. for the pattern, represented in fig. , flattened gold or silver wire is necessary, which should be cut into pieces, long enough to be turned in at the ends so as to form a little loop through which the thread that fastens them down is passed. over each length of gold or silver wire small lengths of purl are laid at regular intervals, close enough just to leave room for the next stitch, the pieces of one row, alternating in position with those of the preceding one. plaited stitch in gold purl on a cord foundation (fig. ). --distribute the stitches as in the previous figure, substituting purl, for the flattened gold wire, and covering the purl with short lengths of gold thread of the same kind. all these stitches may be worked in gold and silver thread, mixed or in the one, or the other alone. [illustration: fig. . plaited stitch in gold purl on a cord foundation.] scale stitch worked in gold thread and purl on a cord foundation (fig. ).--begin by covering the whole padded surface with gold or silver thread, then sew on short lengths of purl, long enough to cover six or eight threads, or m/m. apart, as shown in the engraving. these stitches in dead gold purl are then surrounded by shining or crimped purl. [illustration: fig. . scale stitch in gold thread and purl on a cord foundation.] you bring out the working thread to the left of the purl stitch, which you take on your needle, put the needle in on the other side, draw it out above the little stroke, and secure the crimped purl with an invisible stitch. conventional flower worked on a cord foundation (fig. ).--the half finished flower, represented here, was copied from a handsome piece of ecclesiastical embroidery enriched with ornament of this kind. the three foregoing stitches and a fourth, are employed in its composition. the finished portions on the left hand side, are executed in silver and gold purl, whilst the egg-shaped heart of the flower is formed of transverse threads, carried over the first padding, and secured by a stitch between the two cords. in the subsequent row, the catching stitch is set between the cords, over which the first gold threads were carried. [illustration: fig. . conventional flower worked on a cord foundation. materials.--for padding: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .--for sewing on the gold thread and purl: soie de coton d.m.c no. or , fil à dentelle d.m.c on reels nos. to .[a]] the heavier the design is, the thicker your padding should be, and cords a good deal thicker than those which are represented in the drawing should be used, as the more light and shade you can introduce into embroidery of this kind, the greater will be its beauty and value. 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. [illustration: insertion in cross stitch, alike on both sides, the pattern left blank.] tapestry and linen embroidery. tapestry is one of the oldest kinds of needlework and one which has always been popular every where. there are two distinct sorts of canvas in use for tapestry, called respectively, 'plain (single thread) canvas', and 'penelope (double thread) canvas'. the latter is generally preferred, because it is easier to count the stitches upon it, but both make an equally good foundation for the embroidery, as the following examples will show. besides canvas, other fabrics bearing a close resemblance to it, are often used, especially java linen, the close texture of which renders grounding unnecessary. cloth, velvet or plush can also be overlaid with canvas, the threads of which are pulled away after the pattern is finished. for work of this kind, we however prefer a material with less dressing, such as a twisted tammy, or colbert linen, because the pulling out of the harsh rough threads of the canvas is very apt to injure the material beneath. stitches, worked upon two stuffs, must be drawn very tight, or they will look loose and untidy when the auxiliary fabric is taken away. tapestry can be done either in a frame, or in the hand; in the latter case, the ends of the piece of canvas should be weighted with stones or lead, to prevent its puckering. the stitches, which ought completely to hide the canvas, should all lean one way and the underneath ones always from left to right, as the letters in writing. marking out the embroidery ground (fig. ).--before beginning a piece of canvas work and tacking on the auxiliary fabric, count how many stitches it will contain, and mark them out in tens, with a coloured thread, as shown in fig. , along two sides at least, in the length and breadth. having ascertained the number of stitches both ways, divide them in two, and starting each time from the middle stitch, trace two lines, one horizontal, the other vertical, right across the canvas. the point of intersection will be the centre. this sort of ground-plan will be found most useful, and should not be pulled out until, at least, half the work be finished. if moreover, you have corners to work, or a pattern to reverse, in the angle of a piece of embroidery, trace a diagonal line besides, from the corner to the centre. [illustration: fig. . marking out the embroidery ground.] materials suitable for tapestry.--hitherto, wool and silk, were the materials chiefly used for canvas work; a very thick wool for carpets, as being warmer and more durable. silk is too delicate a fibre to resist much wear and tear, and cannot therefore be recommended for articles that are intended for constant use, and wool, though stronger, is subject to the destructive agency of moths; whereas cotton, which is cheaper than both, and quite as brilliant, is free from all these disadvantages and is extremely easy to clean. for most kinds of tapestry we can therefore with perfect confidence, recommend the use of coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , and even coton à repriser d.m.c no. .[a] cross stitch (fig. ).--cross stitch is the foundation of every other stitch, and the one in most common use. it is also called marking-stitch, being used for marking linen. it is worked in two lines. in the first, the thread is carried diagonally from left to right across a square of threads, and then, downwards, underneath the two horizontal threads; in the second, the stitches are carried from the right-hand lower corner of the square to the upper left-hand corner, so that the four points of the two stitches form a perfect square. [illustration: fig. . cross stitch.] half cross stitch (fig. ).--if the cotton is too coarse, or the canvas too fine, to make the double stitch, carry the thread back along the whole line and make the half-stitches across it, from left to right; the same in the case of a piece of work, which you buy with a part of the pattern ready-worked. [illustration: fig. . half cross stitch.] gobelin stitch on plain canvas (fig. ).--this is worked over two horizontal threads and one perpendicular. in a frame, you can work the second row, from right to left, otherwise, you must turn the work round, and bring out your needle behind the last-made stitch. [illustration: fig. . gobelin stitch.] gobelin stitch on penelope canvas (fig. ).--for the same stitch on penelope canvas, you need rather a coarse needle, which will make its way easily between the threads of the canvas. [illustration: fig. . gobelin stitch on penelope canvas.] reps stitch (fig. ).--contrary to gobelin stitch, this stitch which is an imitation of reps, is worked in vertical lines, over two vertical threads and one horizontal one. [illustration: fig. . reps stitch.] tent stitch (fig. ).--this stitch is simply the first half of a cross or marking stitch, worked over a single thread each way. the illustration shows the working of a row, from right to left, the thread being carried forward, underneath the vertical threads. tent stitch is used for the most part, in conjunction with cross stitch, for the more delicate lines and the shaded parts of flowers and figures. [illustration: fig. . tent stitch.] wide gobelin stitch (fig. ).--this stitch covers two vertical and two horizontal threads, and advances one thread at a time. [illustration: fig. . wide gobelin stitch.] broad cross stitch (fig. ).--worked over two vertical and four horizontal threads, and very useful for filling in large surfaces as it can be done twice as quickly as the ordinary cross stitch. it may be varied by turning the crosses first one way and then the other. [illustration: fig. . broad cross stitch.] double stitch (fig. ).--begin with a simple cross stitch over every alternate intersection of the threads then make a second row of stitches between those of the first, but in this case, over two and six threads, so that they extend beyond the first each way. in the subsequent rows, a square stitch should be opposed to a long one and a long stitch to a square one. [illustration: fig. . double stitch.] rice stitch (fig. ).--fill in the whole ground first, with large cross stitches, over four threads each way, then upon these, make the so-called rice stitches. these cross the four points of the large cross stitches, and meet in the space between, where they form another cross. the large cross stitches should be worked in rather coarse cotton, the rice stitches in one of a finer quality. [illustration: fig. . rice stitch.] double stitch, set two ways (fig. ).--this consists of diagonal and upright cross stitches, alternately. work from left to right, and carry the thread over four vertical threads and downwards, under two horizontal ones, then diagonally upwards, over four threads and downwards under two, then again over four vertical threads, and so on. coming back, you cross the first threads, and pass the working thread each time in a straight line, underneath the two threads of the canvas. the stitches of the third and fourth rows are set, as the illustration shows, the opposite way to those of the two first, the thread being laid the contrary way. gold thread is generally used for this second set of stitches; or fin d.m.c pour la broderie, or chiné d'or d.m.c will be found to be the most suitable for the purpose.[a] [illustration: fig. . double stitch set two ways.] plait stitch (fig. ).--it requires great attention to work this stitch, to and fro; the easier way is to carry the thread back each time, to the starting point. [illustration: fig. . plait stitch.] carry the thread from left to right, over two horizontal threads, and downwards under four perpendicular ones, then under two threads, from right to left, as the figure indicates. stem stitch (fig. ).--here, the stitches are worked in separate rows, over four threads each way. the working thread passes first under the two middle threads, from right to left, and then under the two upper ones. [illustration: fig. . stem stitch.] leaf stitch (fig. ).--carry the thread diagonally over two double threads each way, and back under one double thread, to the row whence the stitch started. make rows of back-stitches in a different colour between the rows of long ones. [illustration: fig. . leaf stitch.] fish-bone stitch (fig. ).--the difference between this and the preceding stitch is, that the working thread after passing over three perpendicular and three horizontal threads, is secured by a back-stitch over the last intersection of the canvas threads. these back-stitches lean to the right or left, according to the direction of the long stitches. [illustration: fig. . fish-bone stitch.] diagonal web stitch (fig. ).--stretch diagonal threads across the whole surface you are going to embroider, and secure them with rows of overcasting stitches, set, if you are working on penelope canvas, between the double threads of the canvas. in the next rows the stitches must be set the opposite way, which produces the effect of diagonal or twilled cloth. [illustration: fig. . diagonal web stitch.] cashmere stitch (fig. ).--to imitate this texture in needlework first make one stitch over one crossing of the canvas threads, and then two stitches over two crossings. [illustration: fig. . cashmere stitch.] florentine stitch (fig. ).--florentine stitch is worked in slanting lines, the thread being carried, diagonally first over one and then over two double threads of the canvas. [illustration: fig. . florentine stitch.] mosaic stitch (fig. ).--the first row consists of one short and one long stitch, alternately; the second, of short stitches only, set between the long stitches of the first row; the third row is a repetition of the first, and so on. [illustration: fig. . mosaic stitch.] knotted stitch (fig. ).--carry the working thread over two threads in width and six in height, bring the needle back, four threads lower down, in front of the double threads, and insert it behind the preceding stitch, and over the middle threads, and then carry it down to the line of the stitches. in the subsequent rows, the stitches extend over four threads and encroach on two of the previous row, so that the stitches of the second row lie between those of the first. [illustration: fig. . knotted stitch.] star, or smyrna stitch (fig. ).--- make a plain cross stitch over four threads, each way, and then over that, another cross stitch, standing upright. the same stitch can be made over six or seven threads; if you work over more than four threads, it follows that you increase the number of stitches accordingly. [illustration: fig. . star, or smyrna stitch.] rococo stitch (figs. , , ).--after fastening in your thread, lay it over four single or two double threads, as the case may be, and carry the needle through to the left, under one double thread; then, as fig. shows, bring it back over the first stitch, put it in by the side of it, and bring it out below, under half the horizontal threads covered by the first stitch. then make a stitch to the right, similar to the one just made to the left. [illustration: fig. . rococo stitch. first stitches on the wrong side.] when you have finished one stitch, carry the needle under one thread, in an oblique line, to the next stitch, see fig. . the whole pattern is worked in diagonal lines. [illustration: fig. . rococo stitch. stitches on the right side.] [illustration: fig. . rococo stitch. completed.] parisian stitch (fig. ).--this stitch, though it is generally worked on silk canvas, can also be worked on the different cotton and linen materials already referred to more than once in this encyclopedia. it makes a very good grounding in cases where the material is not intended to be completely hidden. it consists of a long stitch over three threads, and a short stitch over one thread, alternately. [illustration: fig. . parisian stitch.] greek stitch (fig. ).--this differs from the ordinary cross stitch, in the oblique inclination given to the threads, and the manner in which it is begun. instead of taking up the two threads that follow the first stitch, you bring your needle back from right to left, under the vertical threads of the first stitch, carry it downwards, and then from right to left, to a distance of four threads beyond the first stitch. the next stitch is made like the first. the rows may be joined together, either by the short or the long stitches, but you must follow one rule throughout. this stitch is much used in slavonic countries, for the adornment of linen garments, and there we have observed that the short stitches are generally made to encounter the long ones. a coarse material that covers the ground well, such as, coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , is the best one to use for this stitch. [illustration: fig. . greek stitch.] scotch stitch (fig. ).--squares, composed of slanting stitches, made over one, three, five, three threads respectively, and then again over one thread, and separated from each other by rows of gobelin stitches, constitute what is ordinarily known by the name of scotch stitch. [illustration: fig. . scotch stitch.] moorish stitch (fig. ).--for this stitch, instead of surrounding squares of stitches, made in the way we have just described, with gobelin stitch, the squares are made to touch, rising like steps one above the other, and bordered only at the sides by gobelin stitch. [illustration: fig. . moorish stitch.] oriental stitch (fig. ).--here, you make four diagonal stitches over one, two, three and four double threads respectively; which four stitches form so many triangles, one above the other. the empty spaces between are filled up with gobelin stitches covering two threads. [illustration: fig. . oriental stitch.] shell stitch (fig. ).--carry your thread upwards over six horizontal threads, then from right to left, under one vertical thread and downwards over six horizontal ones. when you have made four vertical stitches in this way, bring the needle out behind the third double thread, counted lengthways, and between the third and fourth, counted across, and fasten the four long stitches together with a back-stitch, to the middle thread of the canvas. draw a thread of a different colour twice through these back-stitches, so as to form small knots like shells, and then fill in the ground between the rows of long stitches, with back-stitches. [illustration: fig. . shell stitch.] jacquard stitch (fig. ).--if you have a large plain surface to cover, you should choose a stitch that forms a pattern in itself. jacquard stitch and others which we shall describe later on, will be found to produce the effect of brocaded stuff. to work jacquard stitch, make six stitches underneath one another, over two double threads, and six by the side of one another, from left to right, over two double threads. the second row consists of the same number of stitches, similarly worked downwards and to the side, but over one double thread only. [illustration: fig. . jacquard stitch.] byzantine stitch (fig. ).--here, you make the same number of stitches as in the preceding figure but with this difference, that the two rows of stitches are made either over two, or four threads. [illustration: fig. . byzantine stitch.] milanese stitch (fig. ).--in the first row, the back-stitch is made alternately, first over four diagonal crosses and then over one; in the second row, over three and two; in the third, over two and three, in the fourth, over one and four. the last long stitches should come under the last short ones and the short ones, in the middle of the last long ones. [illustration: fig. . milanese stitch.] plush stitch (fig. ).--this stitch, also called astrachan stitch, by means of which a very good imitation of an oriental rug can be produced, consists of loops, each secured by a cross stitch; the best way to ensure these loops being even and regular is to make them over a narrow wooden ruler, or a piece of whalebone. the effect can be varied by cutting the loops, which gives the surface the appearance of velvet. [illustration: fig. . plush stitch.] the illustration represents the middle loops only, as cut, for the cut and the uncut stitch can both be introduced into the same piece of embroidery. for example, the borders in figs. , and , are worked in open or cut plush stitch, whilst in the centres, the stitch is left uncut. two stitches of a similar kind, called smyrna and malta stitch, suitable for making rugs or carpets, are described in the last chapter but one in the book. chain stitch (fig. ).--generally speaking, this stitch is only used for the adornment of under-linen or small articles of fancy-work but it can also be employed in copying cross stitch patterns. in old collections we often meet with very interesting pieces of needlework, which were used for hangings or screens, where the figure-subjects, are executed in chain stitch. patterns in many colours, gain immensely by being worked in this stitch, the colours blend together better than in any other, and even the shape of the stitch contributes to soften the contrasts of colour. chain stitch cannot, like other stitches, be worked to and fro, nor can all the stitches of one row be finished first, as is generally possible in cross stitch work, each row must be begun separately, and always from the same side, and a different needle should be used for each colour, as the material has often to be changed. [illustration: fig. . chain stitch.] the stitch is worked as follows; after fastening in your thread, insert the needle at the same hole it came out of, and bring it out two threads lower down. keep the loop, formed by the working thread, under the point of the needle. the thread should not be drawn up tightly but left to form a rather loose, round loop. for the next stitches, insert the needle close to the thread that issues from the last loop. pattern for borders or grounding (fig. ).--this simple but most effective design, copied from one of the most beautiful of oriental carpets, can be executed in, either cross stitch, plush stitch, or chain stitch. to make a wider border still, the diagonal lines that divide the figures shaped like an s, have only to be prolonged, and the figures repeated. the colours have been chosen with the view of reproducing as nearly as possible the subdued and faded tones, which time has imparted to the original. [illustration: fig. . pattern for borders or groundings. materials: coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c no. . explanation of the signs prefixed to the colours: ([symbol]) rouge-cardinal , ([symbol]) rouge-cornouille , ([symbol]) bleu-indigo , and ([symbol]) bleu-indigo , ([symbol]) gris-cendre , ([symbol]) bronze doré and ([symbol]) vert-mousse .[a]] pattern for grounding (fig. ).--diagonal lines, intersected by balls, serve here as a setting for quaintly shaped flowers and leaves. the outlines are all worked in cross stitch, and the solid parts, in either tent stitch or gobelin stitch. [illustration: fig. . pattern for grounding. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or coton à broder d.m.c no. .[a] explanation of the signs prefixed to the colours: ([symbol]) noir grand teint , ([symbol]) jaune d'ocre , ([symbol]) violet-mauve , ([symbol]) rouge-géranium , ([symbol]) rouge-aurore , ([symbol]) bleu-indigo , ([symbol]) bleu pâle , ([symbol]) rouge-cornouille , ([symbol]) vert-de-gris , ([symbol]) vert-de-gris , ([symbol]) grounding.[a]] part of a design, suitable for carpets (figs. and ). our space will not admit of our reproducing more than a quarter of this design. colours of the softest shades should be selected for it. a black line divides the pattern into four quarters. the upper quarter on the right, and the lower one, on the left, should be worked in blue, and the upper one on the left, copied from fig. . [illustration: fig. . part of a design suitable for carpets. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c no. . explanation of the signs prefixed to the colours: ([symbol]) noir grand teint , rouge-grenat , ([symbol]) rouge-cornouille , ([symbol]) bleu-indigo and ([symbol]) bleu-indigo , ([symbol]) vert métallique , ([symbol]) gris-noisette .] the narrow border, in red, blue and green, is to be repeated after the broad band, which is represented in fig. , has been added to the grounding. a very good effect is obtained, if in the broad border, fig. , you vary the background of the different subjects. [illustration: fig. . outer border of the design for carpets fig. . materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c no. .[a] explanation of the signs prefixed to the colours: ([symbol]) noir grand teint , ([symbol]) rouge-grenat , ([symbol]) bleu-indigo , ([symbol]) vert métallique , ([symbol]) jaune-vieil-or , ([symbol]) gris-noisette , ([symbol]) rouge-cornouille .[a]] linen embroidery.--the stitches used in linen embroidery are very similar to those used in canvas work. the ordinary cross stitch, as represented in fig. , is the one most commonly used, but it is not so effective as the two-sided stitches, which in the beautiful old needlework of the th, th and th centuries, have always excited our wonder and admiration. stuffs suitable for linen embroidery.--most embroidery of this kind, and more especially the italian, is done on very fine linen. such fine work however, requires more time and patience than people, in these days, are as a rule disposed to bestow on work intended merely for pleasure and recreation. to meet the requirements of the day, therefore, in addition to the finer kinds of linen, a great variety of textures, are now manufactured, the threads of which, being thick and round, can be easily counted. the cross stitches that are worked on cuba, ceylon or batavia linen, are large and coarse, those on linen-canvas, russian linen, twisted tammy, and rhodes linen, small and fine. linen fabrics are either white, unbleached or cream-coloured. all three are used for embroidery, but the coloured cottons show up best on the cream ground; on the white, they look hard and crude, and on the unbleached, dull and faded. materials suitable for linen embroidery--as most linen embroidery is executed on articles that are subjected to frequent washing, the d.m.c cottons, which are to be had in every shade and colour, are the best for the purpose. for coarse stuffs, coarse cotton should be used, such as knitting cotton, coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. , , , and ,[a] which will be found a very good substitute for wool; or six-cord crochet cotton (cordonnet fils d.m.c) nos. , , , and ,[a] which gives quite as full and brilliant a stitch, as silk-twist. finer cottons should be used for the finer stuffs, such as embroidery cotton (coton à broder d.m.c) nos. to ,[a] and lace thread (fil à dentelle d.m.c) nos. to .[a] in many cases, even darning cotton (coton à repriser d.m.c) can be used, as like algerian silk, it can be split or taken double, to suit the stuff. plain cross stitch on auxiliary canvas (fig. ).--plain cross stitch, commonly called marking stitch, has already been described in fig. . but it may be well to observe, that when an auxiliary material is used, it should be most carefully tacked upon the stuff following the thread of the same, and a sufficient margin left to allow of the drawing out of the canvas threads, when the work is finished. [illustration: fig. . plain cross stitch on auxiliary canvas.] two-sided cross stitch, worked in four rows of stitches (figs. , , ).--straight lines of cross stitch, alike on both sides, can be worked in two journeys to and fro. working from left to right, begin by fastening in your thread, never with a knot, but by two or three little running stitches, which are hidden afterwards by your first cross stitch. directing your needle to the right, pass it diagonally over a double cross of the warp and woof of the canvas, and so on to the end of the line. having reached the last stitch, draw out your thread in the middle of it, make an auxiliary diagonal stitch downwards to the right, bring the needle up in the middle of the last stitch, take it thence, upwards to the left, across two threads, and begin the return journey, from right to left, crossing and thus completing the first row of stitches. in the auxiliary stitch with which you begin the backward journey, the thread lies double on both sides. fig. shows how to pass down to the next row. [illustration: fig. . first half of the first journey and auxiliary stitch for returning.] [illustration: fig. . one journey and first half of the second finished, and auxiliary stitch leading to the second return.] [illustration: fig. . the two journeys to and fro, completing one row of cross stitch, both sides alike.] two-sided marking stitch (figs. and ). the above mode of working two-sided cross stitch cannot be applied to letters, or patterns in broken lines, which both consist chiefly of isolated stitches. figs. and explain the course of the stitches in embroidery of this kind. the working detail a, fig. , indicates the spot for the thread to enter the stuff, and the position of the needle for the first and second stitches; b, the first two stitches completed, with an auxiliary stitch to the right, the thread drawn out on the right, and the position of the needle for the fifth stitch that completes the cross; g shows the completion of the stitch begun at b and the position of the needle for a second stitch to the right; d, one cross stitch completed and another begun, immediately beneath a. in fig. , e shows how to work stitches to the left; f, an auxiliary stitch to reach an isolated cross stitch on the right, g, auxiliary stitches between two isolated cross stitches, and h, a second and last auxiliary stitch to complete the cross. it requires both practice and care to do this two-sided marking stitch, so as not to disfigure the stuff by superfluous stitches. [illustration: a b c d fig. . two-sided marking stitch. different positions of the needle.] [illustration: e f g h fig. . two-sided marking stitch. different positions of the needle.] cross stitch forming a square at the back (figs. and ).--many of the alphabets we so admire in old samplers are worked in cross stitch, that forms a square at the back. each stitch has to be finished off before another is begun; if you carefully examine figs. and , which show severally the right and the wrong sides of the stitch, you will find no difficulty in mastering it. letter a, fig. , shows the entrance of the thread, the position of the needle for half the cross stitch on the right side, and the second side of the square at the back, as shown in fig. , a. letter b, fig. , shows the cross stitch finished, and the position of the needle for the third side of the square on the wrong side, indicated by the same letter in fig. . c, in both figures, indicates a stitch which is double on the right side, and on the wrong side forms the fourth side of the square, whilst letter d, explains how to continue the stitches. [illustration: a b c d fig. . right side of the cross stitch, forming a square at the back.] [illustration: e f g h fig. . square stitch forming the back of the cross stitch.] two-sided italian stitch (figs. , , , ).--two-sided italian stitch consists of cross stitches, alike on both sides, divided from each other by horizontal and vertical stitches. the upper and lower stitches should all slope one way, as in plain cross stitch. italian stitch is worked in one journey, to and fro. fig. shows how to fasten in the thread, and place the needle for the first stitch, from right to left; fig. , the position of the needle from left to right, to form the cross at the back, and the vertical stitch to the left, on the right side; fig. , the position of the needle, for a two-sided horizontal stitch at the bottom of the cross, where upon you proceed as in fig. . fig. explains the return of the thread, which completes the double crosses and the lines between. the horizontal lines, not made on the first journey, are added on the way back. in conclusion, pass the needle back, horizontally, from left to right, to make the final stitch over the cross, and then make the stitch between, as shown in fig. . on a thin stuff, this stitch produces an extremely pretty effect, resembling lattice-work, provided the thread be tightly drawn in the working. [illustration: fig. . two-sided italian stitch. introduction of the thread and position of the needle for the first stitch.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided italian stitch. position of the needle for the nd and rd stitches.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided italian stitch. position of the needle for the th and th stitches.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided italian stitch. return journey, which completes the cross stitch.] montenegrin cross stitch (figs. , , ).--the slavonic tribes of the southern districts of e. europe, especially the montenegrins, have a great partiality for this stitch, which has been rarely noticed, hitherto, in books on needlework. the right side shows cross stitches with a double thread underneath, and divided by vertical stitches; the wrong side, regular cross stitches, also divided by vertical stitches. coarse cotton should be used for this stitch; it produces a richer effect and not only covers the stuff better, but also the underneath stitch which in the slavonic work, is entirely hidden by the cross stitches. begin, as letter a indicates, with a long, slanting stitch, across and threads, then, bringing your needle back from right to left, under four threads, draw it out, carry it over the first long stitch, and insert it again from left to right, under the first four threads of the canvas. these four stitches finished, proceed to the fifth and sixth, which as b shows, cross the first four, then repeat the first stitch. the threads that form the stitches on the wrong side, should always be opposed to each other, that is, one cross should lean to the right, the other to the left, as shown in fig. . this variation in the inclination of the stitches, which is regarded as a fault in plain cross stitch, is indispensable here, and produces a charming effect on the wrong side. [illustration: a b fig. . montenegrin cross stitch. st, nd, rd, th and th stitch and transversal stitch] [illustration: a b fig. . montenegrin cross stitch. position of the stitches on the wrong side.] [illustration: fig. . montenegrin cross stitch. a row of stitches finished.] plaited algerian stitch (fig. ).--the distinguishing feature of this stitch is, that it only advances one thread at a time. it should be begun on an uneven number of threads, and like the montenegrin stitch, should be worked with coarse cotton. the rows may touch, either at the top or at the bottom of the stitch, so long as you keep to one plan throughout. [illustration: fig. . plaited algerian stitch.] two-sided spanish plaited stitch (figs. and ).--this stitch has the advantage of being, not only very effective, but also very quickly executed. it is worked in two rows, forwards and backwards. all cross stitch patterns can be worked in spanish stitch. the gaps, which are occasioned by the long stitches, have to be filled in with short ones. in itself, the stitch consists of slanting stitches, three threads a part, alike on both sides, and advances three threads at a time, as shown in figs. and . [illustration: fig. . two-sided plaited spanish stitch.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided plaited spanish stitch.] two-sided line stitch (figs. and ).--square stitch, holbein stitch, line, or stroke stitch, as it is sometimes called, and setting stitch, are all worked on one principle. though all these two-sided stitches are related to each other, and by no means difficult of execution, those new to the work will find a little practice necessary, to make the stitches follow in their proper order. fig. explains how the needle has to pass, alternately, step by step, over and under the threads of the stuff, and fig. , how the threads, left blank the first time, are covered on the way back. the great difficulty is how to place your first row of stitches so as to ensure an unbroken course back. it is as well before setting out, to ascertain clearly the most direct course back, so that you may not come to a stand-still, or be obliged to make unnecessary stitches on the wrong side. if you have to pass obliquely across the stuff, as in patterns figs. , , , , and , proceed in the same way as though you were covering the straight threads of a fabric. [illustration: fig. . two-sided line stitch. forward row.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided line stitch. backward row.] two-sided insertion (figs. , , , , , , ).--we conclude this series of stitches with a description of a pretty, two-sided insertion, suitable for joining stripes of work of different widths together. in pieces of old needlework, we often find handsome, coloured patterns, joined together by a piece of lace or some quite different kind of work. the insertion represented in fig. , is a very good substitute for either. fig. explains the first stitch and the course of the second, from left to right, under vertical and horizontal threads; the rd stitch to the left, over vertical threads, and the beginning of the th stitch. fig. shows the th stitch completed, and the direction the th and th stitches have to take; fig. , the th completed, and the position of the needle for the th and th; fig. , the th lower, horizontal stitch, over vertical threads, the th backward stitch, and the position of the needle for the th and last stitch. fig. represents a whole series of stitches, and fig. , the back of the work, which though quite a different pattern, will combine very well with any two-sided embroidery. [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. first detail.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. second detail.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. third detail.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. fourth detail.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. fifth detail.] these insertions can be worked on any stuff, but the stitches, must be done, both ways, on a number of threads, divisible by . thus, the first stitch may cover , , or threads, but never , , or . [transcriber's note: , here, appears to be an error in the original.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion. row of stitches finished.] [illustration: fig. . two-sided insertion, showing the back of fig. .] gothic borders in gobelin and cross stitch (figs. and ).--we are indebted for both these pretty patterns, which are quite gothic in their character, to a visit we paid to the national museum at munich, where we discovered them amongst a heap of other old valuables, lying un-heeded in a remote corner. their simple graceful outlines render them peculiarly suitable for the decoration of table-cloths, counterpanes, curtains, etc. all embroideries of this kind should be finished off with a deep fringe, made in the stuff itself, or knotted on to it or may be trimmed with a heavy thread lace, of a wide width, corresponding with the work in character. the design may be worked either in one shade, as in fig. , or in two, as in fig. , where all the outside stitches are worked in the darker shade of the given colours. [illustration: fig. . gothic border in cross stitch. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-turc , or two shades of bleu-indigo, and , or two shades of rouge-grenat, and or two shades of brun-acajou, and .[a]] [illustration: fig. . gothic border in cross stitch. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu-indigo and , or rouge-cardinal and rouge-géranium , or gris-tilleul and .[a]] powdering and border. albanian subjects (figs. and ).--the arrangement of colours for these charming patterns, of albanian origin, should be as follows; the dark-coloured crosses, red, the lighter ones, alternately blue and green, the lightest, yellow. [illustration: fig. . powdering. albanian subject. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or coton à repriser d.m.c no. , or .[a] colours: rouge-cardinal , bleu-indigo , vert métallique , jaune-orange , gris-brun .[a]] in fig. , most of the stitches in every other diagonal row, are worked in red, the others in green or blue; in the intermediate rows the flowers are worked alternately, in green and red, or blue and red, and throughout, the centre of each figure should consist of stitches in yellow. [illustration: fig. . albanian subject. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-cardinal , bleu-indigo , jaune-orange , vert métallique , gris-brun .[a]] in fig. , which serves as a border to the above, only the stalks of the conventional pinks, which, with the cross in their middle, form a square, are in brown. these squares are separated from the bottom border by an insertion, in gobelin stitch, worked over threads, in red, blue, green and yellow, from to stitches of each. this band is edged on both sides with a row of stem stitches, worked in yellow over threads. the holbein stitches that border the band, can be made in whichever colour the worker prefers, or else in red and gold thread. borders in stroke stitch (figs. , , ).--these three patterns will give our readers an opportunity of perfecting themselves in two-sided, square stitch (see figs. and ), also called stroke, or line stitch, according as it is worked, in oblique, or straight rows. [illustration: fig. . border in stroke stitch. materials: coton à marquer d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-turc or bleu-indigo .[a]] [illustration: fig. . border in stroke stitch. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c no. .[a] colours: vert-pistache , or vert-mousse .[a]] [illustration: fig. . insertion in stroke stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-turc , or rouge-grenat , or bleu-indigo .[a]] we again recommend our readers, to begin by ascertaining the course the stitches should take, in order to avoid all unnecessary stitches and be sure of finding their way back according to the prescribed rule. corners in stroke stitch (figs. and ).--these pretty little patterns are suitable for the decoration of ladies' and children's collars, fine pocket-handkerchiefs and finger napkins, and can be worked in one or two colours, as preferred. if two colours be used, the darker should be taken for the interior, the lighter for the narrow outside edge. [illustration: fig. . & fig. . corners in line stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c nos to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: bleu-indigo, or rouge-cardinal, or brun-caroubier, or violet-lie-de-vin.[a]] stripe in stroke stitch (fig. ).--this is copied from a piece of italian work, though from a resemblance in the different subjects to the rose, thistle and shamrock, if might have been supposed to be of english origin. the original work was executed in a most brilliant purple red which time has toned down to the colour of jaune-rouille , or brun-cuir , one or other of which we recommend, as being the only colours with which any thing approaching the refined distinguished look of the old embroidery, can be given to the new. [illustration: fig. . stripe in stroke stitch. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c no. , or .[a] colours: jaune-rouille , or jaune-vieil-or .[a]] grounding in diagonal lines (fig. ).--this pattern can be worked, in any of the previous stitches, or in back-stitch. it is only suitable for large surfaces, on account of the diagonal lines, and should be worked, all in one colour. it can be varied by adding sprays to the upper sides of the slanting stalks, like those on the lower sides, turned either the same way, or upwards. skilled workers will readily contrive the middles for themselves, by combining the different subjects and putting them together in various positions, either diagonally or at right angles to each other, with the help of the penelope mirror.[ ] [illustration: fig. . grounding in diagonal lines. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or coton à broder d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu-indigo , or rouge-cardinal .] powdering in cross, stroke and star stitch (fig. ).--this charming combination of cross, stroke and star stitches, can be made use of wherever embroidery is available as a means of decoration. the cross stitches, in which the solid parts of the pattern are worked, should be in one colour only, the stroke and star stitches, in chiné d'or d.m.c.[a] [illustration: fig. . powdering in cross, stroke and star stitch. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c no. and chiné d'or d.m.c.[a] colours--for the cotton: rouge-grenat .--for the chiné: bleu-indigo and gold.[a]] border in greek stitch (fig. ).--all the darker lines here, should be worked in black, colour , the leaves in the form of steps, alternately in light and dark red up to the stalks, the line of demarcation being indicated by the different direction of the stitches, so that two light leaves, and two dark leaves, should always face each other. [illustration: fig. . border in greek stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to . colours: rouge-géranium and , jaune-rouille , bleu de france , bleu pâle , noir-vert , or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. and chiné d'or d.m.c no. .] in the original, the cross bars that unite the leaves, are in yellow, whilst the detached figures that separate them, are worked, those that come between the light red leaves, in pale blue, and those between the dark red ones, in gold thread. the exterior part of the figure is filled in with the different colours, indicated above; with the exception of the small squares in gobelin stitch, which should all be worked in plain gold, or chiné d'or d.m.c, green and gold. the ss in the narrow outside border, should be worked in two shades of blue; the outside stitches in colour and the solid parts in colour . the little figures with the transverse bars that unite the ss, should be set in black, and filled in, alternately, in light and dark red, and in yellow. grounding (fig. ).--this grounding was copied from a beautiful old cushion-cover and will be found particularly useful in the confection of small embroidered articles, because the pattern will always form a centre point in itself. a light, brilliant red, such as either of the two colours indicated beneath the figure, will best reproduce the tone of the original. [illustration: fig. . grounding. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or coton à broder d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-cardinal , or rouge-cornouille .[a]] in making the little stars that connect the different squares, the mode we recommended for working stroke stitch should be adopted, that is, beginning, by bringing the needle out in the middle, making stitches, and at the eighth, carrying the needle back under the first, to the spot whence you started. the stitches will then be alike on both sides. wallachian border (fig. ).--a piece of wallachian needlework, executed on rough linen, and uncommon, both in colour and design, suggested the charming embroidery, here represented. in place of the somewhat violent colours, which indicate an undeveloped taste, we have substituted softer and more refined ones. all the stroke stitches of the middle stripe and of the two border stripes, top and bottom, as well as the darker portions of the small dice, subdivided into eight, in the bottom border, and of the small diagonal squares in the top border, worked in gobelin stitch, are in red, colour . the setting of upright stroke stitches round the large centre figures, as well as the straight lines that divide these same figures into four, are worked in yellow, colour . [illustration: fig. . wallachian border. gobelin stitch, stroke stitch and spanish half-stitch. materials.--for rhodes linen no. : cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , and or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. .--for other stuffs: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c no. , or and or fin d.m.c.[a] colours: rouge-cardinal , rouge-géranium , vert-pistache and jaune-vieil-or .[a]] the squares and the half-squares are worked in colour , green , and gold thread; colour is indicated in the illustration by the darkest shade, green , by the medium shade, and the gold thread by the lightest shade. the stitches in the right bottom quarter and top left one, incline upwards from left to right, in the two other quarters they incline the contrary way. the spanish half-stitch as shown in fig. , can only be done over and threads and worked one way, not to and fro. the general effect is very much heightened by the introduction of one or two rows of stitches, worked in gold thread, into the straight lines on either side of the stripes; all the light parts of the design moreover, should be worked in gold thread. borders in several shades of one colour (figs. and ). in some beautifully embroidered chinese hangings, that latterly came under our notice, the principal subject was the figure of a mandarin, in a very richly decorated dress. the pretty pattern, given in fig. , was copied from the collar and cuffs of this dress. we should advise working it in several shades of pink or red, or in a single one of the colours indicated above. [illustration: fig. . border in several shades of one colour. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos.. to or coton à repriser no. , or . colours: three shades of either bleu-indigo, rouge-grenat, or violet-mauve etc. etc.] [illustration: fig. . border in several shades of one colour.] the border of these hangings furnished us with pattern , which will be found to look best, worked in three very distinct shades of blue. the grotesque heads of animals, and the flowers and branches which break the running pattern, and are a chinese speciality, distinguish this design from the more conventional patterns of the present day. we recommend these two pretty patterns, to our readers notice, as likewise adaptable by transposition, to centres, or by repetition, to broad stripes. with very little trouble they can be converted, into a variety of subjects, such as it is often difficult to find ready made, and exactly suited to the purpose in hand. border in greek stitch with a footing, composed of branches (fig. ).--this design can be worked in greek, slavonic, montenegrin, or plaited algerian stitch. our illustration worked in greek stitch, shows how one stitch encroaches upon another, and how the thread is carried from one isolated stitch, to another. [illustration: fig. . border in greek stitch with a footing, composed of branches.] it will be found to be an improvement if the stitches are so made as to follow the direction of the lines. the central subject may be repeated two or three times, according to the width of border required. the edging is the same throughout. the use of the 'penelope mirror' for repeating patterns is described in the concluding chapter of the book. table-cover in gobelin and stroke stitch (figs. , , , ).--this tasteful little table-cover provides excellent practice in working two sided, square stitch. the square represented in fig. , forms the middle of the cloth. the gobelin stitches, set very closely, unite and form a star in the centre of the principal subject. they begin in the corners, in red and continue in green, violet and blue, successively; the little branches in stroke stitch, on each side of the gobelin stitches, correspond with them in colour, and the small figures, that form the border of the square, may be worked, indiscriminately, in any of the colours used for the gobelin stitches of the centre. four branches run inwards from the corners of the square, and four more advance to meet, and pass them, from the inner angles of the wide border. four figures, copied from the outside border, fig. , and worked in yellow, and the little star, fig. , besides the little subjects, borrowed from the outside border, fig. , are strewn lightly over the foundation, interspersed between the branches. in fig. , nevertheless, which represents the whole table-cover, the edge is formed of the small subjects contained in the wide border and not of the little stars. the gobelin stitches in the centre of fig. , are in dark green, the star stitches and the stroke stitches on the outside in red. the wide border consists of stars, every other row of which, is worked in red; the intermediate rows, successively, in blue, green, and yellow. the corners are composed of four detached stars, framed by a row of stroke stitches, one red and one blue, alternately. this line skirts both sides of the border, and forms the base to the quaint figures, that terminate the design and which can be worked in all the colours used for the inside. [illustration: fig. . small detached subject of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . outer border of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . middle of fig. .] the original of our illustration, which is on fine rhodes linen, in coton à broder d.m.c no. , is only a small table-cover; for a larger one, if you wish strictly to adhere to the pattern, java or ceylon linen will be the best material to select, with coton à tricoter d.m.c no. , for the stroke stitches and coton à repriser no. for the gobelin stitches. [illustration: fig. . table-cover in gobelin and stroke stitch. materials.--according to the stuff: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton à broder d.m.c nos. to , coton à repriser d.m.c nos. , , , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: rouge-cornouille , vert-pistache , violet-lie-de-vin , jaune-rouille , bleu-indigo .[a]] 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. [illustration: insertion--plain stitches and overs] knitting. knitting is one of the earliest forms of needlework, and one, which has been carried to the highest perfection. it would be difficult to invent new stitches or patterns and, we shall therefore confine ourselves to describing the stitches in general use, and reproducing those of the old patterns we consider the most useful, that our readers may make their own selection. in former days, knitting served mainly for the manufacture of stockings, and even now, in spite of machines, handknit stockings, and numberless other useful and ornamental articles, such as shawls, counterpanes, cradle-coverings, gloves, laces etc. are in great request. besides its practical use, knitting is an easy and pleasant pastime that can be taken up at odd minutes and even carried on, whilst talking, or reading. knitting consists of loops, or stitches, as they are generally called, formed by means of a thread and two needles. in round knitting, four, or five needles are necessary for the better handling of the work. through the loops formed in knitting, being connected together in unbroken continuity, a very elastic fabric is produced, which is specially suitable for making warm, and closely-fitting wearing-apparel. materials.--threads with a slight twist, such as coton à tricoter d.m.c, are the best. with regard to the thickness of the needles, whether they be of steel, wood, or bone, your choice must be determined by the quality of the thread used. the accompanying table is intended to help inexperienced knitters to match their needles and thread, we advisedly say, help, as it is impossible exactly to determine the numbers that will correspond, because every hand knits differently, and a loose knitter has to use finer needles than a tight knitter. other materials are enumerated here, besides, what is properly speaking, called knitting-cotton, as for caps, lace edgings, insertions and so forth, finer kinds of thread and threads with a stronger twist which show up the pattern better, should be used. [illustration: table of the approximate relation of the d.m.c threads and cottons to the numbers of the knitting needles[a].] position of the hands in knitting (fig. .)--lay the thread over the fifth finger of the right hand, and twist it round it, then carry it over the forefinger, which should be kept close to the work, the work being held between the third finger and the thumb. the left hand remains more or less inactive, having merely, by a slight movement of the forefinger to pass the loops, in succession, on to the needle in the right hand, which forms the stitches. this position of the hands, which is the one usually adopted in england and france, is the one represented in our illustration. the germans on the contrary, lay the thread over the left hand, and can move the hands much more quickly, in consequence. there are some ways of casting on, which can only be done in the german fashion. to prevent the irregularity in stitches, the needles should never be allowed to protrude more than or ½ c/m, from the work. all exaggerated movement of the arms, which renders knitting a very tiring occupation, should be avoided. [illustration: fig. . position of the hands in knitting.] casting on.--casting, or, setting on, as it is sometimes called, is the formation of the first row of stitches which are to constitute the foundation of the work. there are four methods of casting on: ( ) crossed casting on, done in four different ways; ( ) knitting on; ( ) slipping on, also done in two ways; ( ) casting on with picots. ( ) crossed casting on with a single thread (fig. ). lay the thread over your fingers as though you were beginning a chain of plain stitches, fig. , leaving a long end, sufficient to make the number of stitches required, lying within the palm of the hand. put the needle in from below, into the loop on the thumb, and pass it from right to left under that part of the thread which lies between the forefinger and the thumb. then bring the thread through the loop on the thumb, draw the thumb out, and lay the loop on the needle. in making the next stitches, lay the thread over the thumb, so that the end lies outside. put in the needle under the front thread and complete the stitch as before. this method of casting on is generally done over two needles, one of them being drawn out before the knitting-off is begun, to ensure a loose edge. [illustration: fig. . crossed casting on with a single thread.] crossed casting on with a threefold thread.--this method is similar to the last, only that the thread is taken threefold and is drawn by the needle through the loop, which is formed at the bend of the thread. then you pass the single thread over the left hand, and the triple one over the thumb, as shown in fig. , and make the same stitches, as above. the threefold thread makes a broad chain at the bottom of the loops. double crossed casting on (fig. ).--this can be done either with a single or a threefold thread. in our drawing it is done with the latter. the first stitch is made as we have already described, only that you have to keep the loop on your thumb, put the needle into it a second time, lay hold of the thread behind, cast on a second stitch, and then only, withdraw your thumb. in this manner two loops are made at once, close together. [illustration: fig. . double crossed casting on.] crossed casting on, forming a chain (fig. .)--begin by making one such stitch, as we have described in fig. ; for the second and following stitches, bring the end of the thread to the inside of the palm of the hand, so that it lies between the thumb and the forefinger. [illustration: fig. . crossed casting on, forming a chain.] ( ) knitting on stitches (fig. ).--begin with a plain crossed stitch; then take the thread and the needle in the left hand, a second needle in the right, and catch it into the stitch on the left needle, lay the thread under the right needle and draw it through in a loop, through the loop on the left needle. then transfer it as a fresh stitch to the left needle; catch the needle into this second stitch, and draw the thread through it, to form the third, and so on. this method of casting on is used for articles, that are to have a double edge, (see figs, , ), because stitches, made in this way, are easier to pick up than the tighter ones; but it should not be used, where it will form the actual edge, as the loops are always too open. [illustration: fig. . knitting on stitches.] ( ) casting on with slip loops (fig. ).--begin by casting on one loop in the ordinary way, next, lay the thread, as in german knitting, over the left hand, twisting it once only round the forefinger, then put the needle in, upwards from below, under the thread that lies on the outside of the forefinger; draw out the finger from the loop, put the loop on the needle to the right, take the thread on the forefinger again, and so on. [illustration: fig. . casting on with slip loops.] casting on with double slip loops (fig. ).--begin by casting on a stitch in the ordinary way, then lay the thread over the forefinger, the reverse way, so that it crosses between, not outside the hand and the body of the knitter. pass the needle upwards from below, under the inside thread, and slip this thread as a loop on to the needle. continue to cast on, inserting the needle under the front and back threads alternately. this method is specially suitable for open patterns, where you have to increase several times, in succession. [illustration: fig. . casting on with double slip loops.] ( ) casting on with picots (fig. ).--cast on two stitches in the ordinary way and turn the work. lay the thread over the needle, put the needle into the first stitch, from right to left, and slip it on to the right needle, knit off the second stitch plain, and draw the slipped one over it. [illustration: fig. . casting on with picots.] cast on as many stitches as you want in this manner and then pick up the picots thus formed, with an auxiliary needle, and knit them off like ordinary stitches. this method of casting on may be varied thus in the following manner: having cast on the stitches as in fig. , throw the thread over the needle and knit two stitches together. plain stitch (fig. ).--this is the easiest stitch and the first which a knitter has to learn. it is executed as follows: put the right-hand needle in, upwards from below, under the front part of the first stitch on the left-hand needle, lay the thread from right to left under the needle, draw it through the loop, and drop the loop off the left needle. [illustration: fig. . plain stitch.] plain knitting is employed wherever a perfectly smooth, even surface is required. it looks quite differently on the wrong side from what it does on the right where it presents the appearance of vertical rows of plaiting. back, or seam-stitch (fig. ).--you may intentionally knit the wrong side of plain knitting. this is called purling and is done, in the following way: lay the thread over the left needle, and put the right one, downwards from above, behind the thread, into the loop on the left needle, lay the thread upwards from below, over the right needle, draw it through the loop, and drop the loop off the left needle. this stitch is used in knitting patterns, and for marking horizontal lines in smooth surfaces, such as the seam of a stocking, for instance. [illustration: fig. . back or seam-stitch.] plain stitch taken from behind (fig. ).--put the needle in from right to left, under the back part of the stitch; leave the thread behind the needle, then pass it from right to left over the needle and draw it through the stitch. [illustration: fig. . plain stitch taken from behind.] back, or seam-stitch taken from behind (fig. ).--put the needle into the second part of the stitch, upwards from below, and knit it as a back or seam-stitch. [illustration: fig. . back or seam-stitch taken from behind.] in plain stitch, taken from behind, the two threads of the loop are crossed, instead of lying side by side, as they do in plain knitting. back-stitch taken from behind, is only used for certain open-work patterns. overs (fig. ).--these form holes in plain knitting, and are used for open-work patterns and for increasing. [illustration: fig. . overs.] to make an over, lay the thread over the needle, and in the next row, knit this loop like any other stitch. each over adds one to the existing number of stitches. in cases, therefore, where the number is to remain the same, you have to make as many intakes as overs. overs can only be used in conjunction with other stitches. knot stitch (fig. ).--this forms a raised spot in plain knitting and is executed as follows: knit , and leave it on the left-hand needle; put the stitch you have made with the right needle back on the left, and knit it off. make or similar stitches, all issuing from the same stitch on the left needle, so that you have or loops on the right needle; then drop the stitch off the left needle, and pull the first loops over the last one. [illustration: fig. . knot stitch.] cable or chain stitch.--chain stitches are used for strengthening and equalizing the edges of articles that are made in stripes. they can be made in two ways; either, you knit off all the stitches on one needle, turn the work, put the needle into the first stitch, as if you were going to knit it from the back, and take it off the left needle without knitting it, the thread to lie behind the needle; or, you knit off all the stitches on one needle, turn the work, and knit off the first stitch. the names of the stitches.--out of the stitches that have been already described, other stitches are formed, which, as they are frequently alluded to in knitting directions, we shall here enumerate, explaining all the terms, usually employed in such directions. over, or increase.--explained in fig. . throwing the thread once over the right needle. double over, or two increases.--throwing the thread twice over the needle. plain intake.--knitting two stitches together plain. this is done when the intake is to lie from left to right. purled intake.--purling two stitches together. this is done to make the stitches, that are knitted together, visible; or in the case of a piece of work composed of stripes, on the wrong side, when the intake is to lean to the right, on the right side. plain decrease, taken from behind.--knitting off two stitches together, plain from behind. this is done when the intake is to lie to the left. purled decrease, taken from behind.--purling two stitches together, from behind. this is done when, in articles composed of stripes, the decrease has to be made on the wrong side, and is to lie to the left on the right side. pulling over.--slipping a stitch from the left needle to the right without knitting it, knitting the next plain, and pulling the slipped stitch over the knitted one. in this manner two or three stitches can be pulled over the knitted one. casting off.--to prevent the stitches from unravelling they are finished off in the following manner. knit off two plain, pull the first over the second and drop it, so that only one remains on the needle. knit the next stitch, and pull the one behind over it, and so on. this chain of stitches, must neither be too tight, nor too loose, but just as elastic as the rest of the work. materials for stockings.--stockings can be made of silk, wool or cotton, entirely according to fancy, but for coloured stockings, we cannot too highly recommend the d.m.c knitting cottons, as more durable, in all respects, than either silk or wool. they are manufactured in different shades, whereas, wool and silk are only to be had in a very limited assortment of colours. for hand-knit stockings, nos. , , [a] are the best, for machine-knit, nos. and . stocking knitting.--a stocking consists of five parts: ( ) the top, ( ) the knee, ( ) the leg, ( ) the heel, ( ) the foot. ( ). the top may be either ribbed, or knitted in an openwork stitch of same kind or with a double-toothed edge, fig. . ( ) and ( ). the knee, and the leg down to the heel, are generally plain knitted; it is only children's stockings that are fancy knitted. ( ). the heel, is worked as straight knitting backwards and forwards; by knitting first one row plain and then turning back and knitting it purl. it is shaped to the foot by the intakes at the top. ( ). the foot is knitted plain, with intakes from the heel onwards, to get rid of the superfluous stitches. then knit a plain piece, without a seam-stitch, till you begin to decrease for the toe, which can be worked in several different ways. to ensure the right proportions between the several parts of a stocking, the following directions should be attended to. an ornamental top must never be taken into account, in measuring the length of the leg. when the top part is finished, you make the seam, at the beginning of the first needle of the round, of one, or two purled stitches, or sometimes, a narrow pattern of purled stitches. this marks the middle of the stocking. for ordinary-sized stockings, knit plain from the top-band, till the knitted piece, forms a square. for stockings that are to cover the knee, knit half as much again, that is one and a half times the width of the stocking. this brings you to the calf of the leg. pull the third stitch after the seam, over the second, and knit together the two last but one before the seam. there should be rounds between each of the first or intakes, and after that , until this part is one and a half times the width of the knee in length, and a quarter narrower. for the ankle, knit a plain piece, half the width of the knee in length, without intakes. for the heel, count the stitches on the four needles, exclusive of the seam, and put two stitches more than the quarter of the whole number on to the needles, to the right and left of the seam. for a heel to fit well, it should be as long as it is wide. in order that they should wear better, the heel and the toe are often knitted with double thread. coton à feutrer d.m.c[a] is made expressly for that purpose, and should be wound round the thread of which the whole stocking is made. for the instep, the part between the heel and toe, you must go on decreasing from the heel, until you have stitches less on each needle, than you had at the ankle. then knit the plain part of the foot, which should be as wide as the ankle, after which proceed to decrease for the toe, which should be a quarter the length of the whole foot. in spite of this careful subdivision, it is always well to count the stitches, to ensure perfect regularity. the number of stitches cast on, at the outset, for the same-sized stockings, must depend upon the size of the wool or cotton; we can only give the numbers approximately. our calculation is based on the use of needles; the given number has therefore to be cast on four times. ______________________________________________________________________________ coton à tricoter d.m.c number of stitches to number of stitches to be cast on one needle for be cast on one needle numbers to be used stocking ordinary-sized for stockings that are to reach above the knee ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ scalloped edge (figs. and ).--this is the simplest and strongest edge you can have for a stocking, and is called the cat's-teeth edge. [illustration: fig. . scalloped stocking edge. edge open.] [illustration: fig. . scalloped stocking edge. edge folded together.] having cast on the stitches, knit to rounds plain, according to the size of the cotton, then one round of alternate intakes and overs. knit as many plain rounds as before, and with a sixth needle take up as many of the cast on stitches, as you have stitches on one of the upper needles. turn this needle inwards, and place it against the outside needle and knit off both needles together. see that you knit the corresponding stitches off together, otherwise the scallops that form the edge will be crooked. common heel (fig. ).--this is the simplest form of heel, and can be knitted either with or without an outside seam. divide the stitches into four, and put two more on each of the heel needles than on the others, then make, according to the size of the cotton, from to seams; knit off all the stitches on the right needle and a third of those on the left. supposing that you have stitches, knit off , then slip , knit , and pull the slipped stitch over, knit plain, turn the work, slip the first, and purl the next stitches of the second needle; purl the th and th together, purl , turn the work to the right side, and slip the first stitch on to the right needle. by means of these successive intakes after the stitches, the knitting forms a plait on both sides of the heel. [illustration: fig. . common heel.] in all heels that are made after this pattern, the intakes must begin on the right side and the last one must be made on the wrong, so that once the heel is finished and the work turned, you can go on knitting plain. when you have finished the stitches of the two heel needles up to the outside seams, take up the stitches on the sides of the heel with a spare needle and knit them on to the left heel needle, then knit the stitches reserved for the instep, take up the stitches on the right side of the heel again and knit them on to the fourth needle. in the next round, knit all the stitches of the first needle plain, excepting the last; knit the first and second of these together and the two last plain. knit the two first stitches of the fourth needle plain, slip the third, knit the fourth and pull the slipped stitch over. heel in steps (fig. ).--after dividing the stitches, make from to seams. then knit as many stitches of the first needle as you have seams at the side; turn the work, and begin the needle with the seam you made first. knit off as many stitches from the second needle as from the first. make the same number of seams, as for the first part of the heel. when the seams are finished, take up the chain stitches, on both sides, make a decrease by knitting the last stitch of the small part and the first of the large, together; knit two; turn the work; slip the first stitch, knit to the second side, and decrease as in the first part. [illustration: fig. . heel in steps.] when you have decreased all the stitches up to the last, take up the slipped stitches of the first part, and begin the intakes for the instep in the ordinary way. there is not more work in this pattern of heel than in any other; it fits closely and consequently wears well. plain heel (figs. and ).--those who are not fond of purling will appreciate this and the following pattern for a plain heel. [illustration: fig. . plain heel.] [illustration: fig. . heel knitted on the right side.] knit off the stitches of the first needle after the seam; then on to two spare needles, cast on, more stitches than you had on one needle after dividing the stitches; put the stitches of the third and fourth needles together and knit the first round plain. nd round--knit together the st and nd, and the th and th of the first auxiliary needle; and the th and th and nd and st of the second. rd round--plain. th round--knit together the st and nd and the th and th of the first needle. th round--plain. th round--knit together the st and nd and the th and th of the first auxiliary needle; and the th and th and the last but one and the last, of the second. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th rounds all plain. th round--knit together the st and nd, and the rd and th of the first auxiliary needle, and the th and rd, and the last stitch but one and the last, of the second. th round--after the two last intakes, purl together the th and rd stitches before the end of the st and rd needle, and the rd and th at the beginning of the nd and th needles. th, th, and th rounds--decrease, the same as in the th round. st round--knit plain, at the beginning of the st and rd needles; knit the next together; knit together the th and rd, before the end of the nd and th needles; knit the last stitches plain; go on decreasing in this way until the purled stitches meet. after the plain round over the intakes, add four plain rounds, divide the stitches that remain for the sole, on two needles and cast off on the wrong side. now take up the auxiliary stitches, and in the first plain rounds, knit together the last and the first of the st and nd needles, and the last and the first of the rd and th. with the rest of the extra stitches make purled intakes, knitting two plain rounds after each round with an intake. for the other kind of plain heel also (fig. ), auxiliary stitches are required. supposing that you have stitches on each needle, you must cast on stitches on to each auxiliary needle; knit together the th and rd stitches at the end of the st and rd needles, and the rd and th of the nd and rd needles, so that you may have plain stitches between both intakes. go on decreasing, knitting plain rounds after each round with an intake, until you have stitches left on each needle. then knit together the first and last stitches of each needle, one plain round over it, and finish with a chain on the wrong side of the heel. then take up the auxiliary stitches and knit the instep. italian stocking (fig. ).--the heel, sole and toe of a stocking always wear out before the instep. the italians and greeks economise time and material and facilitate the renewal of those parts that wear out, by knitting the upper part of the foot in two pieces. after knitting the heel in on or other of the above ways, work the foot as straight knitting with the two upper needles only, until you have the necessary length. then knit the underneath part separately, in the same way. you must keep a chain along all edges and a narrow seam of one or two stitches. in the sole, which you make after finishing the upper part, you intakes must come directly after and before the seam. when you have got the same number of rounds in each piece, join them together and begin the toe. [illustration: fig. . italian stocking.] sew up the slits left open on either side, with a needle and thread taking care to fit the corresponding stitches together. in this manner, when one part wears out, you have only to unpick these side-seams and re-sole or re-heel the stocking as the case may be. toe (fig. ).--to begin as before, with the simplest and most ordinary way of making this part of the stocking, divide the stitches equally on to the needles; knit together the th and rd stitches before the end of the st and rd needles, knit the last and first stitches of the nd and th needles plain, and make an intake by slipping the rd stitch, knitting the th, and pulling the slipped stitch over. begin by knitting plain rounds after each of the first rounds with an intake, and afterwards only one. when you have only stitches left on each needle, collect them on two, and knit them together, two and two, on the wrong side of the stocking. [illustration: fig. . toe.] toe (fig. ).--here, before beginning to decrease, divide the stitches by , , or . supposing that they have been divided by , knit plain; knit the th and th together, plain, knit two together, and so on, the whole way round. then knit as many plain rounds as there are plain stitches between intakes. in the next rounds with intakes, you will have one stitch less between each intake, in the second therefore, there should be plain stitches between each intake, and you knit plain rounds; and so on to the th round, when stitches will remain, followed by plain rounds; when there are only stitches left on the needles, turn them in to the wrong side of the stocking, and finish off with a chain. [illustration: fig. . toe.] toe (fig. ).--begin the intakes with the two first stitches of each needle, by the slip and pull over process, knit one plain round after each round with an intake. in the following rounds, make the intake in the nd round with the rd and th stitches, in the rd, with the th and th stitches, in the th, with the th and th stitches, so that when finished the intakes form a kind of spiral. finish off in the ordinary way. [illustration: fig. . toe.] toe (fig. ).--we will describe one other kind of toe, quite as shapely and easy to make as the others. [illustration: fig. . toe.] st round--purl the first stitches on each needle together. nd and rd, th and th, th and th, th and th, th and th, th and th rounds--plain. th round-- plain, intake with the nd and rd stitches, and with the last on each needle. th round--knit the first plain, make intake with the rd and th stitches, and with the last. in each of the next rounds with intakes, knit plain stitch more. when the two seams meet, pull the last stitch on each needle over the first of the next; knit the stitches between the intakes plain. continue to decrease in this manner until the last stitches are reached. mending knitting.--knitted articles are repaired by reconstructing the web with a needle and thread. when the stitches are not actually broken, they can be strengthened by new ones made over them, by means of a needle and thread. materials for darning stockings.--the thread used for darning a stocking should be a little finer than that of which it is made. coton à repriser d.m.c[a] is the best, for as it consists of several strands it can be subdivided as occasion requires. strengthening the stitches (figs. and ).--this can be done in two ways. in fig. , the thread is brought out between two horizontal bars, passed upwards over a perpendicular bar, put in by the side of the same and brought out between the next horizontal bars. work the second row of stitches backwards; take up two threads on the left, pass downwards to the right, over one thread, take up the thread you passed over, and so on. [illustration: fig. . strengthening the loops. first way.] [illustration: fig. . strengthening the loops. second way.] the other way, fig. , is, when you have brought out your needle, to carry it over one thread to the right and upwards over two, take up the next two threads on the left, pass downwards over two horizontal threads, and over one thread to the right, and put in the needle where it first came out; then working from right to left, take up two threads, pass over one to the right, and downwards over two horizontal ones, and so on. in the next row, hold your work, the finished part uppermost, carry the needle downwards over one horizontal thread, bring it out between two threads that lie separately and take it downwards again over two horizontal threads, pick up two threads, working from right to left, pass upwards over two threads and over one to the right, take up two to the left, and so on. repairing plain knitting (fig. ).--when a broken piece of stocking web requires to be replaced by new, draw the new and the old pieces together with a needle and thread, using the same thread the stocking is made of. [illustration: fig. . repairing plain knitting.] for this purpose, you must clear the loops, by ravelling them out top and bottom, and slip them on to knitting needles. the loops that are to be connected must lie exactly opposite to each other. enter your threaded needle upwards from below through the first disengaged upper loop, and slip it off the knitting needle, then enter the needle, downwards from above through the first lower loop, and upwards from below through the next, and draw out just enough thread to make the new loop the same size as the old ones. then enter the needle, downwards from above, through the same upper loop you took up before, taking up also the one next to it, and passing your needle through it from underneath; draw out the thread to form the new loop and descend again to the next, and so on. repairing purled knitting (fig. ).--to repair ribbed surfaces consisting of alternate rows of plain and purl, proceed as follows: hold the article so that the row of purled stitches is exactly opposite the upper part. enter your needle upwards from below, through the first loop of the upper part; join the two lower loops together as in fig. ; carry the needle upwards again, and enter it upwards from below through the first loop of the upper part and downwards from above, through the loop next it. join the lower loops again, as in plain knitting. [illustration: fig. . repairing purled knitting.] disengaging the loops for darning (fig. ).--where the threads are broken, new loops have to be made, and the broken ones ravelled out and cut, so that the horizontal loops may stand out clear and distinct. cut the threads on the vertical sides so that the loops form an edge and the hole is square, clear two or four loops in the corners of the hole, fold them in and fasten them off at the back by a stitch or two. the darns we are next going to describe should be made upon a ball to prevent drawing the threads too tightly. [illustration: fig. . disengaging the loops for darning.] darning on threads stretched horizontally (figs. and ).--carry a horizontal thread across on the wrong side, in the place of each broken thread, securing it in the sound part of the stocking, about two threads from the edge of the hole. when you have made this foundation, put the needle in on the right side near the stitch that is nearest to the sound part on the left, fig. . [illustration: fig. . darning on threads stretched horizontally. position of the horizontal threads.] [illustration: fig. . darning on threads stretched horizontally. how to cover the horizontal threads.] then descending, pick up the nearest horizontal thread from below, so that the working thread lies to the right of the needle, and cover all the horizontal threads you have laid in this manner. when you have taken up the last thread, pass the needle downwards from above, through the nearest loop, and bring it back through the one at which you entered it. to make, in reascending, the second half of the loop, you must lay your thread to the right of the needle, fig. . when you have reached the last thread, enter the needle at the loop, opposite the one it came out of. darning on threads stretched obliquely across (figs. and ).--as the illustration shows, you have to pick up all the cleared loops, besides two or three on either side of the empty space. the number and length of the threads which you carry across, must correspond with those of the threads you have to replace. [illustration: fig. . darning on threads stretched obliquely across. position of the threads.] [illustration: fig. . darning on threads stretched obliquely across. how to cover the oblique threads.] fasten in, from the right side, a rather finer thread than the one the original web is made of, and make a few stitches over the existing ones, in the row you are about to complete. enter the needle upwards from below, through the first disengaged loop, pass it under two threads issuing from one loop, and then bring it back again into the same loop between the two slanting threads, drawing it out again upwards from below, through the next loop, and so on. the new loop must be just equal to the old ones in size. make in the same manner as at the beginning, two or three stitches at the end of the row, within the edge of the hole. work back in a similar way, with this difference only, that you turn your work round. piquÉ pattern (fig. ).--the following patterns are suitable for making counterpanes, petticoats, vests and other articles of clothing. select a suitable number of coton à tricoter d.m.c. cast on a number of stitches divisible by , and begin by rows of plain stitches and purled, taken from behind. [illustration: fig. . piquÉ pattern. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to .] th row--purl from behind the rd of the plain, and knit plain more and so on. piquÉ pattern (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches divisible by . [illustration: fig. . piquÉ pattern. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or coton pour crochet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a]] st and nd row--* purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit ; repeat from *. rd and th row--* knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl ; repeat from *. repeat the whole from the st row. piquÉ pattern (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches divisible by . [illustration: fig. . piquÉ pattern. materials: the same as for fig. .] the first rows--knit , purl . th and th row--knit over the purled, purl over the knitted of the th row. th and th rows--the same as the first rows. th and th row--the same as the th and th row. th to the rd--the same as the first rows. stripes for counterpanes (fig. ).--this pattern is to be worked in stripes, of two colours; we may here take occasion to mention that in choosing two colours, one dark and one light, for a piece of work, the dark cotton should always be one or two numbers finer than the light, because the dark dyes thicken the cotton more than the light ones do. the blue, red and dark brown dyes sink into the cotton more and cause it to swell, whereas the lighter dyes do not affect its thickness. [illustration: fig. . stripes for counterpanes. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c no. , , or . colours: rouge-turc and gris-tilleul .[a]] hence it comes, that for the stripes, here described, we were obliged to take no. of the red cotton and no. of the green, in order that the same number of stitches should make the same length of stripe. cast on stitches: st needle--slip , knit , over, knit , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , over, knit , chain stitch. nd needle--wrong side: slip , purl , purl together, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , purl , knit , purl from behind, knit from behind, knit together, purl , chain stitch. rd needle--right side: slip , knit , over, knit , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , over, knit , chain stitch. th needle--wrong side: slip , purl , purl together, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , purl , knit , purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl together, purl , chain stitch. th needle--on the right side: slip , knit , over, knit , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , over, knit , chain stitch. th needle--on the wrong side: slip , purl , purl together, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit , purl , knit , purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl from behind, knit from behind, purl together, purl , chain stitch. th needle like the th, th needle like the th, th needle like the rd, th needle like the nd, th needle like the st. five plain stitches form a zig-zag in the middle of the stripe. join the stripes with crochet stitches; of which several kinds are described in the next chapter. knitted square (fig. ).--cast on stitches on to each of the needles. repeat always times after the asterisk. [illustration: fig. . knitted square. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c no. or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .] st row--over, knit , over, knit *. nd row--knit , over, knit , over, knit *. rd row--knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross stitches (that is, first knit off the second stitch plain and then the first), knit , over, knit , over, knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. st row--knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit , purl , knit *. nd row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , over, knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. rd row--knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit *. th row--knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit , cross , knit , purl , knit *. th round--knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , over, knit , over, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit *. finish the square with several rows of purl and a chain. plain patent knitting, or brioche pattern (fig. ).--this easy and extremely elastic stitch is used for all sorts of articles of clothing, and is worked in two rows. [illustration: fig. . plain patent knitting, or brioche pattern.] cast on a number of stitches that divides by , with extra for the edge. st row--slip , knit , * over, put the needle into the next stitch, as if to purl it, slip the stitch from the left needle to the right, knit , repeat from *, and finish with plain. nd row--begin with chain, knit , knit the slipped stitch and the over together, over, slip the single stitch that remains, from the left needle to the right. when the knitting is round, you purl and knit the intake alternately. double patent knitting (fig. ).--begin on the wrong side. [illustration: fig. . double patent knitting.] st row--like the st row of fig. . nd row--knit all the stitches, pass the over by putting the needle into it from right to left. rd row--like the second row of fig. . now, it is only the second and third row that should alternate. patent knitting has a charming effect, done in two colours, by working them alternately backwards and forwards. plaited stitch (fig. ).--this kind of stitch is worked in stripes, which, for scarves, counterpanes, etc., are generally joined together with stripes of plain knitting. for counterpanes, the lower numbers of d.m.c cottons are most suitable, for smaller articles the higher numbers. plaited stitch is formed by crossing the stitches, that is, by knitting the second stitch on the left needle to begin with, and then the first stitch. [illustration: fig. . plaited stitch. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .] if you cross two or more stitches in a few successive rows without slipping them, the stitches will be seen by degrees, to form a plait, as shown in fig. . st row--purl , cast on stitches on to an auxiliary needle, and leave it hanging on the inside of the work; knit and then knit the stitches on the extra needle, purl . then follow rows, in which you purl all the purled stitches and knit all the plain ones. after which rows you repeat from the beginning. turkish stitch (fig. ).-- st row--slip , knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, and so on to the last stitches, which you knit plain. [illustration: fig. . turkish stitch.] nd row--slip the st, knit the nd and the rd plain, the latter having been formed by the last over on the st needle; over, intake with the stitch and the over, over, intake and so on. turkish stitch with beads (fig. ).--string the beads on the thread before you begin to knit. when you only use one kind of bead, thread a needle with your knitting cotton and run it through the thread on which the beads are strung. when you use several kinds, you must count and thread them on in the required order. beaded knitting is little in request now, excepting for tobacco pouches and purses; for which you should use cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. , in any colour, and small beads. [illustration: fig. . turkish stitch with beads.] for close beaded knitting, plain stitch is the best. run the beads down singly at each stitch. the beads will fall on the reverse side of the work so that in knitting with beads, remember that the reverse side will be the right side. to work fig. , which represents the same stitch as fig. , you run down or sometimes beads before knitting each stitch. knitting pattern with two kinds of cotton (fig. ).--a variety of pretty things, such as open-work stockings, shawls, curtains etc. can be made in this pattern, worked with two sizes of thread. to give it its full effect it ought to be knitted with coarse needles, nos. , , or . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern with two kinds of cotton. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , and cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or , écru.[a]] cast on a number of stitches that divides by . take the coarse thread to begin with. st and nd row--purl. rd row--purl , overs, purl . th row--with the fine thread: over, knit together, slip the next stitch of the previous row, drop the double over, slip the next stitch, over, knit together. th row--over, knit together, over, knit together, and so on. th row--like the last. see that the slipped stitches, in the coarse thread, always come on the right side of the work. th row--with the coarse thread: purl , purl the slipped stitches of the rd row together, then repeat from the st row. see that in the rd row the overs come between the stitches formed by the stitches that were formed by the st over, and the stitches of the th row, that were knitted together. knitting pattern with two kinds of thread (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches that divides by . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern with two kinds of thread. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to and cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or .] st row--with coarse thread: purl. nd row--plain. rd row--with fine thread: over, intake, knit . th row--plain. th row--knit , over, intake, knit . th row--plain. th row--knit , over, intake. th row--plain. th and th row--with the coarse thread: purl. th row--plain. th row--with the fine thread: over, knit together. th row--plain. th row--purl. then repeat from the st row. knitting pattern with dropped stitches (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches that divides by . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern with dropped stitches. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to .] st row--over, slip , knit , overs, knit , overs, knit . nd row--knit , slip the next, drop the overs, knit , turn the work, purl , turn the work, knit , drop the overs, slip the next stitch. rd row--over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, drop the first of the stitches, knit first the stitch that follows the second double over, then the others plain, and lastly, take up the dropped stitch and knit it plain on the right side of the work. th row--knit plain. th row--over, slip , over, knit . th row--knit plain, and repeat from the st row. knitting pattern (fig. ).--this pattern may be worked with any one of the d.m.c cottons recommended for fig. , but in the case of anything that is not wearing apparel, fil à pointer d.m.c will be found more suitable. cast on a number of stitches that divides by . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern.] st row--over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit . each row marked by an even number is to be knitted plain throughout. rd row--knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit . th row--knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, knit together. th row--knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit . th row--knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit . th row--knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit . th row--knit , over, knit together, over, purl together, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit . repeat from the beginning. knitting pattern (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches that divides by . st row-- overs, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together. nd row-- overs, slip the first over on to the right needle, knit the second over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together. rd row-- overs, slip the overs of the two first rows on to the right needle, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together. th row--drop the overs of the first rows and knit double stitches, that is, knit stitch on the over, slip it on to the left needle and knit it again. these stitches finished, make overs, and slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over. repeat from the beginning. each time you repeat the th row, make double stitches on overs, that is, on threads. [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c, or fil à pointer d.m.c] knitting pattern (fig. ).--this pattern is suitable for children's braces. for coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to , which is the best for the purpose, you will require fine bone needles. cast on a number of stitches that divides by . st row--over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit . nd row--knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit . rd row--knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over. th row--slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over. th row--knit together, over, knit . th row--knit , knit together, over, knit . th row--knit together, over, knit . th row--knit , knit together, over. repeat from the beginning. [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to .] knitting pattern (fig. ).--the patterns shown in figs. and , are more particularly useful for comforters, shawls, hoods and the like. the needles, which may be either of bone or steel must match the cotton in size; steel needles are the best for any thing finer than no. , of d.m.c coton à tricoter. [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern.] cast on a number of stitches that divides by . st row--over, slip stitch on to the right needle, knit the next stitches, and draw the first stitch over them. nd row and th row--knit plain. rd row--like the first, but note, that the stitch that was the third in the first row, will be the first here. repeat from the beginning. knitting pattern (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches that divides by . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern.] st row--over, knit the first together, draw the rd stitch through the stitch formed by the intake and knit it off plain, then knit the stitch that was pulled over it. nd and th row--knit plain. rd row--like the first; the third stitch here is the same that was drawn through the third stitch in the first row. knitting pattern (fig. ).--cast on a number of stitches that divides by . [illustration: fig. . knitting pattern.] st row--over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit together, purl , knit . nd row--knit , purl , knit . rd row--over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit together, purl , knit . th row--knit , purl , knit . th row--over, knit , over, knit , purl , knit together, purl , knit . th row--knit , purl , knit . th row--over, knit , over, knit , knit together, knit . th row--knit , purl , knit . repeat from the beginning but in the reverse order, that is, purling the knitted stitches and knitting the purled. knitted lace (fig. ).--knitted lace looks best, made of a smooth, silky thread which shows up the pattern better than any other material. as a knitted edging makes a very pretty finish to almost any kind of knitted article, we give a selection of some of the easiest and most effective patterns that we consider suitable for the purpose. [illustration: fig. . knitted lace. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] cast on stitches. st needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, knit , overs, knit . nd needle--knit , purl , knit , over, knit together, chain. rd needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, knit . th needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, chain. repeat from the first needle. knitted lace (fig. ).--cast on stitches. st needle--knit together, overs, knit together, overs, knit , over, knit together, chain. nd needle-- chain, knit , knit together, knit , purl , knit , purl , knit . rd needle--knit together, overs, knit together, overs, knit , over, knit together, chain. th needle-- chain, knit , knit together, knit , purl , knit , purl , knit . th needle--knit together, overs, knit together, overs, knit , over, knit together, chain. th needle-- chain, knit , knit together, knit , purl , knit , purl , knit . th needle--knit , over, knit together, chain. th needle-- chain, knit , knit together, knit . th needle-- chain, overs, knit together, overs, knit , over, knit together, chain. repeat from the second needle. knitted lace (fig. ).--cast on stitches. [illustration: fig. . knitted lace. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a]] st needle-- chain, purl , purl together, over, knit , chain. nd needle-- chain, knit , over, knit , knit from behind, chain. rd needle-- chain, purl , over, purl together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, chain. th needle-- chain, purl , over, purl together, over, purl together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, chain. th needle-- chain, purl , over, purl together, over, purl together, over, purl together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, knit , over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, chain. th needle-- chain, purl , over, purl together, over, purl together, over, purl together, over, purl together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, knit , knit from behind, chain. repeat from the first needle. [illustration: fig. . knitted lace. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] knitted lace (fig. ).--cast on stitches. [illustration: fig. . knitted lace. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] st needle-- chain, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , chain. the nd, th, th, th, th, th, th, and th needle, purled. rd needle-- chain, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, chain. th needle-- chain, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, chain. th needle-- chain, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , chain. th needle-- chain, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , chain. repeat from the first needle. rose for knitting (fig. ).--repeat all the directions, ending with the sign *, times. cast on stitches, on to needles, two on each; close the ring. nd round-- times: over, knit . the rd, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, st, rd, and th round, knit plain. th round--over, knit , over, knit from behind *. th round--over, knit , over, knit from behind *. th round--over, knit , over, knit from behind *. th round--over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit *. th round--over, knit together, over, knit *. th round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. th round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. th round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. th round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. nd round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. th round--over, knit from behind, over, knit *. th round--over, knit , over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit *. [illustration: fig. . rose for knitting. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls, no. or , fil à dentelle d.m.c no. , or .[a]] th round--knit , purl , knit *. th round--over, knit , over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit *. th round--knit , purl , knit *. th round--over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit *. st round--knit , purl , knit *. nd round--over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit *. rd round--knit , purl , knit . th round--over, knit , over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit *. th round--knit , purl , knit . th round--over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over *. th round--knit , purl , knit . th round--over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over *. th, st and rd round--knit plain. th round--over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, knit . nd round--knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit *. th round--knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit *. finish with three purled rounds. knitted edging (fig. ).--cast on stitches. st needle, make a chain of stitches, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , purl , knit , knit together, knit from behind, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. [illustration: fig. . knitted edging. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a]] nd needle-- chain, knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . rd needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit together, over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, purl , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit , knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , purl , knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit together, over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, purl , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit from behind, purl , knit , from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit together, purl , knit from behind, over knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--like the th. th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , purl , knit , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . th needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit , knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit together, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, purl , knit together, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--like the th. st needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, purl , slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. nd needle--slip ; knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . rd needle--slip stitches over for a chain, over, knit from behind, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitch over, knit together, over, knit , over, knit together, purl , knit from behind, over, knit , over, slip , knit , pull slipped stitches over, over, knit , over, knit from behind, purl , knit from behind, over, knit together, knit , chain. th needle--slip , knit , purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, knit , purl from behind, purl , purl from behind, purl . repeat from the first needle. 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. [illustration: crochet lace.--close leaves and bars with picots] crochet work. crochet work, so called from the hook, french _croche_ or _croc_, with which it is done, is not only one of the easiest but in comparison with the cost and labour, one of the most effective kinds of fancy-work. it is also one of the most useful, as it can be applied to the domestic requirements of every-day life, to wearing apparel, house-linen and upholstery; and we are sure that the patterns contained in this chapter, which have in addition to their other merits that of novelty, will meet with a favorable reception. hooks, or needles, as they are generally called, made of wood, bone or tortoise-shell are used for all the heavier kinds of crochet work in thick wool or cotton, and steel ones for the finer kinds. the tunisian crochet is done with a long straight hook, which is made all in one piece. the points should be well polished inside and not too sharp, the backs slightly curved, and the handles, whether of bone, steel or wood, so light as not to tire the hand. those represented here, we consider the best, as regards shape. as it is most essential that the needle should be suited to the cotton in size, we subjoin a comparative table of the numbers of the d.m.c threads and cottons and of the different needles. [illustration: fig. . crochet needle with wooden handle.] [illustration: fig. . crochet needle with steel handle.] [illustration: fig. . english crochet needle with wooden handle.] table of the approximate relation of the d.m.c threads and cottons to the numbers of the crochet needles. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ numbers of the | | | | | | | | | crochet needles | | | | | | | | | -------------------+--------+--------+-----+------+------+-----+-----+-------| numbers of the | | | | | | | | | cottons | no. | no. | no. | no. | no. | no. | no. | no. | -------------------+--------+--------+-----+------+------+-----+-----+-------+ coton pour crochet | --- | | - | - | - | - | --- | --- | coton à tricoter | | | - | - | - | - | | --- | fil à pointer | | | - | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | cordonnet fils | - ½ | - ½ | - | - | - | - | - | - | fil d'alsace | --- | --- | --- | --- | | - | - | - | fil à dentelle | --- | --- | --- | --- | | - | - | - | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ explanation of the signs *.--in crochet, as in knitting, you frequently have to repeat the same series of stitches. such repetitions will be indicated, by the signs *, **, ***, etc., as the case may be. crochet stitches.--in point of fact, there is only one, because all crochet work consists of loops made by means of the hook or needle, and connected together by being drawn the one through the other. crochet work may however, be divided into two kinds, german crochet, and victoria or tunisian crochet; the latter is known also under the name of _tricot-crochet._ in german crochet there are eight different kinds of stitches: ( ) chain stitch, ( ) single stitch, ( ) plain stitch, ( ) treble stitch, ( ) knot stitch, ( ) bullion stitch, ( ) cluster or scale stitch, ( ) double stitch. the rows are worked, according to the kind of stitch, either to and fro, or all from one end. in the former case, the work has to be turned at the end of each row, and the subsequent row begun with , or chain stitches to prevent the contraction of the outside edge. when the rows are all worked one way, the thread must be fastened on afresh each time, which is done by putting the needle into the first chain stitch of the preceding row, drawing the thread through it so as to form a loop, and making one or more chain stitches according to the height required. at the end of each row, cut the thread and draw the end through the last loop; in this manner all crochet work is finished off. some crochet workers make a few extra chain stitches with the ends of the thread at the beginning and end of each row, or fasten them off with a few stitches on the wrong side. they can also, when the occasion requires, be formed into a fringe or tassels as a finish to the work. position of the hands and explanation of ( ) chain stitch (fig. ).--take the thread in the left hand between the finger and thumb, hold the needle between the thumb and first finger of the right hand, letting it rest on the second finger, in the same manner in which you hold your pen, and put it into the loop, which you hold between the finger and thumb of the left hand. take up the thread, lying on your finger, with the needle and make your first stitch as you do in knitting, tightening the loop just enough to leave an easy passage through it for the needle. the end of the thread must be held by the thumb and forefinger. the next stitches are made by taking up the thread with the needle and drawing it through the loop. the throwing of the thread round the needle by a jerk of the wrist is called an 'over'. [illustration: fig. . position of the hands and explanation of chain stitch.] ( ) single stitch (fig. ).--put the needle in from the right side of the work, into the uppermost loop of the preceding row, take up the thread on the needle and draw it through both loops. [illustration: fig. . single stitch.] ( ) plain stitch (fig. ).--put the needle through, as in fig. , from the right side to the wrong, under the upper side, either of a chain, or of a stitch of the preceding row, draw the thread through it in a loop, turn the thread round the needle and draw it through both loops on the needle. by making the rows of plain stitches follow each other in different ways, a great variety of stitches can be produced, as the illustrations and written instructions here given will show. [illustration: fig. . plain stitch.] rose stitch (fig. ).--this consists of rows of plain stitches, worked backwards and forwards. insert the needle from the right side, under both the horizontal loops of the preceding row. [illustration: fig. . rose stitch.] russian stitch (fig. ).--this is worked like the foregoing, only that all the rows have to be begun from the same end, and the thread has to be cut off at the end of each row. [illustration: fig . russian stitch.] ribbed stitch (fig. ).--worked backwards and forwards, the hook being passed through the back part only of the stitches of the preceding row. [illustration: fig . ribbed stitch.] chain stitch.--worked like fig. , but on one side only. piquÉ stitch.--this stitch also is only worked on one side. put the needle in under one of the vertical threads of a stitch and complete the plain stitch. this is a stitch that looks very well on the wrong side; the bars of the loop lie quite close together, which makes it particularly suitable for unlined articles of clothing. it requires a large-sized needle to do this stitch well, especially if the material be a heavy one. slanting stitch (fig. ).--worked entirely on the right side. take up the back thread of a stitch in the preceding row, take hold of the crochet thread without turning it round the needle and draw it through in a loop, and then finish the stitch like a plain stitch. [illustration: fig. . slanting stitch.] crossed stitch.--the name which is given to the preceding stitch when both the threads of the stitches in the row before, are taken up together, instead of the back one only. russian crossed stitch (fig. ).--to work this stitch which runs in slanting lines, put the needle in between the vertical threads of the stitches and underneath the two horizontal ones. [illustration: fig . russian crossed stitch.] counterpane stitch (fig. ).--counterpanes can be made in a less close stitch than those just described. [illustration: fig. . counterpane stitch.] to produce a soft and elastic fabric turn the thread round the needle and insert it under both the horizontal threads of a loop, take up the thread without turning it round the needle, draw it through in a loop, make an over, and draw the thread through all the three loops, that you have on the needle. knotted stitch (fig. ).--this stitch likewise is composed of plain stitches, which, however differ in a slight degree from those we have described hitherto. [illustration: fig. . knotted stitch.] make an over, put the needle through the two horizontal threads of the stitch below, make another over and draw it back through the two loops and the first over, make another over, and draw the thread through the last two loops. loop stitch (fig. ).--worked as follows: when you have put the needle into the loop of a stitch below, carry the thread, downwards from above, round a stripe of cardboard or a flat wooden ruler, then finish the stitch in the usual way. these long loops, each about c/m. in length, can also be made over the forefinger and held fast by the thumb as you work, but it is more difficult to make them regular in this way. each row of long stitches is followed by a row of plain stitches. the side, where the long loops lie, becomes the right side. if you wish this stitch to be very thick and handsome, wind the thread three times round the ruler, or finger, and secure it with a plain stitch; in this case, you should make one plain stitch between every two clusters. a loose, fleecy thread is generally used for this stitch, and for washing articles more especially, we recommend coton à repriser d.m.c. [illustration: fig. . loop stitch.] plain stitches for a chain (fig. ).--begin with two chain stitches, put the needle in between the two threads of the first chain stitch, turn the thread round the needle and draw it through in a loop, turn it round again and draw it through the two loops; then, put the needle into the left part of the stitch that was just made, turn the thread round the needle, draw it through the two loops and so on, to the end. [illustration: fig. . plain stitches for a chain.] a chain of this kind makes a very good substitute for _mignardise_ when that can not be got of the right size and colour for the required purpose. ( ) trebles.--trebles are little columns, or bars made of loops or stitches. they can be worked, like all other crochet, either to and fro, or all one way. there are different kinds of trebles; half or short trebles, trebles, double trebles, called also 'long stitch', and quadruple and quintuple trebles, called 'extra long stitch', connected trebles and crossed trebles. half trebles (fig. ).--turn the cotton round the needle from behind, put the needle in between the trebles of the preceding row, or into one edge of a chain stitch; make an over, bring the needle forward again with the thread, make another over and draw the needle through all three loops. [illustration: fig. . half trebles] trebles (figs. and ).--begin, as for the half treble, by turning the thread round the needle, and putting it in under one edge of the stitch beneath, then take up the thread on the needle and bring it through two of the loops, take it up again, and draw it through the two remaining loops. [illustration: fig. . trebles made directly above one another.] [illustration: fig. . trebles set between those of the preceding row.] in fig. , we have trebles made in the same manner as fig. , only that instead of putting the needle under one edge of the stitch beneath, you put it under both, and between the trebles of the last row. [illustration: fig. . double trebles or 'long stitch'.] double trebles or 'long stitch' (fig. ).--turn the thread twice round the needle, put it into a stitch of the work and bring the thread through in a loop, then take up the thread on the needle and bring it through two of the loops, three times in succession. [illustration: fig. . triple and quadruple trebles or 'extra long stitch'.] triple and quadruple trebles or 'extra long stitch' (fig. ).--for a triple treble, twist the cotton three times round the needle, for a quadruple one, four times, then form the treble in the usual way by bringing the needle through two of the loops at a time. to make a series of trebles, of gradually increasing length, bring the needle, at every other treble, through the last three loops, so that before making a triple treble you will have to make columns, respectively, treble, ½ treble, trebles and ½ trebles long. columns like these, of different lengths, are often required in crochet work, for leaves and scalloped edgings. connected trebles (fig. ).--trebles, connected together, can be worked to and fro, and take the place of plain stitches. begin with a chain, then make a treble of the required height, form as many loops as you made overs for the treble, take up the upper thread of the stitch nearest the treble, turn the thread round the needle, bring it back to the right side and draw the needle through the trebles, two at a time. [illustration: fig. . connected trebles.] crossed trebles (figs. and ).--trebles of this sort produce an open stitch, which is often used for the footing of lace, or for an insertion. make a foundation of chain, or other stitches, and proceed as follows: chain, miss stitches of the row beneath, make treble in the third stitch, chain, over, put the needle in between the loops of the connected trebles and finish with a treble. then make a double over, put the needle into the next loop of the preceding row, make another over, draw the needle through the loops, make another over and join the two next loops. this leaves loops on the needle. make an over, put the needle into the third stitch of the row beneath, make an over, and bring the needle back to the right side. [illustration: fig . crossed trebles.] [illustration: fig. . crossed trebles, set between those of the preceding row.] join the loops on the needle together, and , make chain, over, put the needle into the upper parts of the connected trebles and finish with a treble, and so on. these trebles also can be lengthened if necessary, but in that case, the width of the crossed treble must correspond with the height. generally speaking you make the trebles over the same number of stitches as you made overs on the needle, which should always be an even number. trebles for a chain.--a quicker way of making a wide footing for a crochet lace is to make the trebles in the following manner. make chain stitches, overs, put the needle into the first of the chain, over, draw the thread through the stitch *, over, draw the thread through the next loops and repeat twice from * = ** overs, put the needle into the left bottom part of the treble, close the treble as before and repeat from **. ( ) knot stitch (fig. ).--this stitch which is composed of several loops forming a tuft, can only be worked from one side, consequently all one way. it looks best in a coarse material to show the interlacing of the threads. enter the needle through the two loops of the stitches of the bottom row, turn the thread round the needle, but away from you towards the back; bring it forward to the right side, put the needle again through one of the bottom stitches, make another over like the first and draw the needle through all the bars at once. [illustration: fig. . knot stitch.] ( ) bullion stitch (figs. and ).--for bullion stitch, select a needle, a little thicker towards the handle, and finer than you would use for any other crochet stitch. [illustration: fig. . bullion stitch.] [illustration: fig. . bullion stitch.] begin by making a chain of very loose stitches, then wind the thread several times, very evenly, round the needle. insert the needle into a loop of the chain, make a single over, and draw it with the last over upon it, through all the other overs. trebles in bullion stitch, fig. , are worked in just the same manner, only that you have to turn the thread, at least or times round the needle and draw it through all the overs at once. to facilitate the passage of the needle, keep the overs in their place with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. bullion stitch can only be worked with wool or a very fleecy thread, such as coton à repriser d.m.c,[a] but trebles in bullion stitch can be worked in any of the d.m.c threads and cottons. ( ) cluster stitch (fig. ).--generally used as an insertion between rows of plain crochet. [illustration: fig. . cluster stitch.] put the needle under one stitch of the preceding row, make an over, draw the thread through in a loop, make another over, put the needle in again under the same stitch, bring it back, make a third over, and pass a third time under the same stitch; bring the needle back, make a fourth over and pass the needle through all the loops that are upon it. then, after making a chain stitch, begin the same stitch over again, placing it in the second stitch of the lower row. cluster stitch may also be finished off by retaining the two last loops on the needle, making an over, and ending with a plain stitch. ( ) double stitch (fig. ).--a rather coarse thread, such as coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to [a] is better for this stitch than a loose fleecy thread which is apt to render it indistinct. take up a loop right and left of a stitch of the preceding row, so that counting the loop of the last stitch, you have loops on the needle, make an over and draw it through the loops. then take up a loop again by the side of the one you made on the left, and which now lies on the right. take loops in the next stitch, make an over and draw it through all the loops. [illustration: fig. . double stitch.] raised stitch (fig. ).--all the stitches that come under this heading require a foundation of a few plain rows for the raised trebles. in fig. , you will observe that the fourth stitch in the fourth row is a double treble, connected with a loop of the fourth stitch of the first row. [illustration: fig. . raised stitch.] miss the stitch of the preceding row, which is hidden under the treble, make plain stitches, double treble, and so on. having finished this row, turn the work and make a plain row. in the next row begin with plain stitches, then make double treble between the stitches that are between the first trebles, plain stitches, double trebles and so on. in the th row of plain stitches, the trebles must be placed in the same order as in the th. raised stitch with crossed trebles (fig. ).--begin, as in fig. , by rows of plain stitches. the th row begins with plain stitches followed by: * double treble joined to the upper part of the st stitch of the st row; keep the last loops of this treble on the needle; make a double over for the next treble, pass the needle through the fourth stitch of the first row, make an over, turn the thread round the needle, bring it back, finish the treble all but the last loops, which you crochet together. miss the stitch behind the treble, make plain stitches and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . raised stitch, with crossed trebles.] then turn the work, make one plain row, and turn the work back to the right side. the second row of trebles begins with a plain stitch. the way in which the trebles are to be crossed is shewn in the illustration. raised stitch with dots (fig. ).--after making plain rows, begin the th with plain stitches, and proceed as follows: * trebles into the th plain stitch of the preceding row, leaving the last loop of each treble on the needle, so that altogether you have loops upon it; then you turn the thread once round the needle and draw it through the loops; miss the stitch that is underneath the dot, make plain stitches and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . raised stitch with dots.] then make rows of plain stitches; in the th row, the st dot is made in the th stitch, so that the dots stand out in relief. raised dots with trebles (fig. ).--turn the work after making rows of plain stitches, make stitches more in the th stitch of the st row, * trebles, drop the last stitch of the th treble, put the needle into the stitch between the last plain stitch and the st treble, take the dropped loop of the last treble and draw it through the one on the needle; miss the stitch under the dot, make plain stitches and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . raised dots with trebles.] raised dots in slanting lines (fig. ).--on the rows of stitches that have been previously prepared, make, for the th stitch of the th row, a cluster stitch, as in fig. , with quadruple over and then plain stitches, cluster stitch and so on. the next row is plain; in the second you have to make plain stitch more, and fasten the cluster stitches into the loops to the left of the second of the covered rows. in this way you have to make each raised stitch, one stitch, in advance and to the left of the last, so that they run in slanting lines over the surface. [illustration: fig. . raised dots in slanting lines.] close shell stitch (fig. ).--this pretty stitch which can only be worked in rows, all one way, is more especially suitable for children's jackets and petticoats; it is easy, and has the merit of being quickly done. on a foundation of chain, or other stitches, make: chain, trebles on the th stitch, * chain, trebles on the th stitch of the last row and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . close shell stitch.] nd row--** trebles on the chain stitch of the last row which connects bars, plain stitch on the th of the trebles of the first row and repeat from **. picots.--the edges of most crochet work are ornamented with picots, or small points of different shapes, called severally close picots, chain picots and lace picots. close picots may be subdivided into, large and small, pointed, and rounded, picots with rounded leaves and picots with pointed leaves. small rounded picots.--these may either be made separately and then sewn on, or made at once, on to a crochet border. in the first case, begin with chain, then coming back, make plain stitch on the second and on the first chain stitch. in the second case make: chain, take the needle out of the stitch and put it in from the right side, under both edges of the last stitch, take up the dropped stitch, bring it to the right side, * chain; then returning: plain stitch on each chain, draw the needle out, put it in from the right side into the second stitch of the row beneath, take up the loop, bring it back to the right side, and repeat from *. large rounded picots.-- chain, miss , treble on the nd and treble on the st chain stitch. when you want to attach these picots at once to an existing piece of work, drop the last loop and bring it back again with the needle from the wrong side to the right and miss stitches, instead of one, as in the case of the small picots. pointed picots.--cast on chain, then returning, and missing the th stitch: single stitch, plain stitch, half treble, treble, double treble. picots with rounded leaves.--* chain, and trebles on the first stitch, and single on the same stitch on which the trebles were, **, or chain and repeat from * to **. when these picots serve as a finish to a straight edge, make single stitches in the preceding row instead of chain. picots with pointed leaves.-- chain, on the first chain stitch: double trebles, of which you retain the two last loops on the hook, over, draw the thread through the loops, chain, single on the stitch on which the trebles are. chain picots.--for the small chain picots, make: chain and plain stitch on the first of these stitches. for the large ones: chain and treble on the first stitch. picots in bullion stitch (figs. and ).-- chain, treble in bullion stitch drawn up into a ring, and joined to the th chain stitch. [illustration: fig. . drooping picots.] drooping picots (fig. ).-- chain, drop the loop, put the needle into the first of the chain, take up the dropped loop, and draw it through the stitch. [illustration: fig. . empty lace picots, worked in crochet.] [illustration: fig. . lace picots attached to a row of stitches made before hand.] lace picots (figs. and ).--fig. represents picots formed of chain stitches, as follows: chain, put the needle into the first, over, bring the thread back to the front, chain: * put the needle into the two loops, and at the same time, into the second loop and the first chain, draw the thread through in a loop, make chain and repeat from *. in order to make the picots more even and regular, it is advisable to form them over a coarse knitting needle or mesh. fig. represents picots attached by plain stitches to the edge of a finished piece of work; this is done as follows: plain stitch, draw out the loop to the proper length for a picot, and slip it on a mesh: put the needle into the horizontal parts of the last stitches, turn the thread round the needle, draw it through in a loop, and make plain stitch on the next stitch and so on. [illustration: fig. . open-work crochet made after a tapestry pattern.] [illustration: fig. . plain crochet made after a tapestry pattern.] method for copying tapestry patterns in crochet work (figs. and ).--printed cross stitch and embroidery patterns can very well be copied in crochet work especially when they are in two colours only, or rather, are drawn in one colour, on a plain ground. the way in which such patterns are copied in crochet is by means of chain stitches and trebles, which, rising one above the other in rows, form little squares. for each square marked on the pattern, you must count, in the grounding, treble and chain stitches; in the solid parts, trebles. the squares formed by the chain stitches should always begin and end with a treble. when, therefore, a solid square comes between empty or foundation squares, count trebles for the solid square, because the last treble of the last empty square touches the third treble of the solid one. thus for solid squares, side by side, count trebles, and for squares, . embroidery patterns worked in several colours can be reproduced in crochet either by trebles and rows worked one way only, cutting off the thread at the end of each row, or by plain stitches, worked in rows to and fro. when only three colours are used, pass two threads under the stitches; when more than two, leave those which are not in use, at the back of the work and only bring them to the front as they are wanted. the thread, you lay aside, takes at the back the place of the one in use. of course, the threads not in use can only can be disposed of in this way when the work has a wrong side, otherwise they must be passed underneath the stitches. the colours should alternate in the order the pattern prescribes; moreover, the last stitch before you take another colour cannot be finished with the same thread, you must pass the new thread through the last loop and draw it up with that. [illustration: fig. . crochet with soutache or lacet (braid).] [illustration: fig. . crochet with soutache or lacet (braid). materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to or cordonnet fil d.m.c nos. to . soutache d.m.c no. or or lacets superfins d.m.c nos. to . colours: the cotton, white or écru. the soutache or lacet: rouge-cardinal , or rouge-grenat , or bleu-indigo .[a]] crochet with soutache or lacet (braid) (figs. and ).--these are two patterns of crochet, worked with the ordinary crochet cottons and with soutache or lacet d.m.c, a material which has not been used for crochet work before. both patterns are worked entirely with trebles; in fig. , the red braid passes over and under trebles; in fig. , it is brought, it will be observed, from the wrong side to the right after every trebles, and passed between them, in such a manner as to form a slanting stitch between the rows of stitches. crochet square (fig. ).--begin with chain stitches, and work single on the st chain, to make a round. work, chain and plain on the next chain, plain on each of the next chain, plain on the stitch on which the two first plain are worked. slip the next stitch, that is, put the needle in between the horizontal bars of the st plain stitch of the previous row, and draw the thread out without making a stitch. then make chain and plain on the slipped stitch. after which, you make plain on the second of the plain that form the corner, and plain on all the other stitches of the last row. the beginning and end of each row, are worked as described above. fig. represents a square, worked in consecutive rows. in making a crochet square, the rows may end in the middle of a side. [illustration: fig. . crochet square.] when you use a stitch that has to be worked to and fro, you turn your work at the end of every row and work back along the stitches you have just made. [illustration: fig. . crochet hexagon.] crochet hexagon (fig. ).--make a foundation chain of stitches, join the round; plain on the chain; finish the row as indicated for the previous figure == turn the work == * plain, plain on the second plain of the last row; repeat times from *. finish the row with single == turn the work == plain, plain on the second of the first plain; plain and so on. these hexagons can be made of any size. coloured star worked into a light ground (fig. ).--begin with chain, join the ring = plain on each of the chain; then for the foundation, plain with the dark thread, and with the light on each of the plain. in each subsequent row, make one dark stitch more, increasing regularly, that is, making stitches on the last light stitch that comes before the dark ones. proceed in this manner until you have or dark stitches, in all and then begin to decrease in every row by one, until there is at last only one dark stitch remaining. these stars are used in the making of purses, cap-crowns and mats for lamps, etc. [illustration: fig. . coloured star worked into a light ground.] tunisian crochet.--tunisian crochet is also called crochet-knitting because, you have to cast on all the first row of stitches, as in knitting. materials--every kind of cotton, as well as wool and silk, can be used for tunisian crochet: the stitches look equally well in all these materials, but for things that require frequent washing or cleaning, a good washing material should be selected, such as coton à tricoter d.m.c and cordonnet fils d.m.c[a], both strong and suitable in all ways. as we have already said, tunisian crochet requires to be done with a long straight needle, with a knob at one end and it can only be worked on the right side. [illustration: fig. . plain tunisian crochet.] plain tunisian crochet (fig. ).--after making a foundation chain of the required length, begin the first, or loop row as it is called. put the needle into the nd chain stitch, draw a loop through and so on, until you have taken up all the chain stitches on the needle. after having made the last stitch of the loop row, make chain stitch and then pass to the second row that completes the stitch. turn the thread round the needle, draw it through two loops, turn the thread round again, and again draw it through two loops, and so on to the end. [illustration: fig. . straight plaited tunisian stitch.] straight plaited tunisian stitch (fig. ).--worked thus: miss the first loop in the st row, take up the second, and come back to the first, so that the loops are crossed. work the second row in the same manner as the second row of the preceding figure. [illustration: fig. . slanting plaited tunisian stitch.] diagonal plaited tunisian stitch (fig. ).--worked like the preceding, taking up first the second loop and then the first: the second row also, in the same way as before. in the third row, take up the first stitch, and draw the third through the second, so as to produce diagonal lines across the surface of the work. open tunisian stitch.--this is an easy kind of tunisian crochet. the first row is worked as in fig. . in the row of plain stitches, you alternately join and , or and loops of the preceding row together, and replace them by as many chain stitches. decreasing and increasing in tunisian crochet (fig. ). our illustration shows how to decrease on both sides and by that means form scallops. [illustration: fig. . decreasing in tunisian crochet.] you miss a stitch alternately on the right and left. on the right you crochet the first two stitches together, and at the end of the row, the last two, and so on, to the end. you increase in the same order, first on the right and then on the left. hairpin crochet (figs. , , ).--so called because it is worked on a kind of large steel hairpin or fork with two or more prongs. wooden and nickel varieties of this implement, which are patented by mme besson, of paris, are also used. very pretty laces, fringes, gimp headings and the like can be made in this kind of crochet work. it is often used in combination with ordinary crochet and plain and scalloped braids and gimps, or as a heading for fringes made of tufts and pendant balls. there are a great many stitches which can be worked in hairpin-crochet. we shall only describe those here that will best teach our readers how the work is done. materials.--for washing laces, cordonnet fils d.m.c is the best; for furniture fringes, the lower numbers of coton à tricoter d.m.c, and for producing the appearance of filoselle, the lower numbers of coton à repriser d.m.c are to be taken. [illustration: fig. . steel hairpin for crochet.] [illustration: fig. . wooden fork for crochet.] [illustration: fig. . fork with several prongs for crochet.] stitches.--begin by a chain stitch, made with an ordinary crochet needle, take the needle out of the loop, and insert the left prong of the fork upwards from below, holding the fork between the thumb and finger of the left hand. the thread should always be in front. then put the thread over the right prong and the needle into the loop on the left prong, take up the thread, draw it through the loop, put the thread over the needle and draw it through the loop that is on the needle, twist the loop round the left prong, turn the needle round to the right (the thread will now be wound round the right prong); put the needle into the loop on the left prong, throw the thread over the needle, draw it through, tighten the loops and so on. these stitches may be doubled, or you may make several trebles on each loop, or arrange the plain stitches in different ways. [illustration: fig. . hairpin insertion. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , white or écru.[a]] hairpin insertion (fig. ).--begin by making stripes with the fork, covering each thread with two plain stitches. then join the stripes together by the loops, drawing the left loop over the right one and the right one over the left. when you come to the end of the stripes fasten off the last loops by a few stitches. to strengthen the edges, join two loops together by plain, chain, plain and so on. [illustration: fig. . hairpin lace materials--for the hairpin work: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , white or écru. for the edge. coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to . colours: rouge-cardinal , or jaune-rouille , or brun-marron .[a]] hairpin lace (fig. ).--when, by making two half trebles in each loop, you have got the necessary length of hairpin crochet, join the loops two and two, by means of a coloured thread which makes a good contrast with the thread of which the hairpin crochet is made. work plain stitch joining loops on the right, chain, plain joining the loops on the left; then chain and come back to the right, and so on, until you have taken up all the loops. this forms the zig-zag in the middle. st row--join loops by: plain, chain. nd row--on the chain stitches: plain, half-treble, trebles, picot, made with chain (for the chain picots, see p. ), half-treble, plain. the footing of this lace is made like the one in fig. . [illustration: fig. . hairpin fringe with tassels.] hairpin fringes (figs. , , , ).--fig. is made with a fork composed of one branch and or rulers, round which the thread is wound in succession, so as to form loops of different lengths. you may use for this, either a single very coarse thread, or else several fine ones, used together as one. the heading of the fringe is plain, and heavy tassels are fastened into the loops. the tassels are made as follows: take a thick skein of the same thread the fringe is made of, pass it through the loop, leaving just the length required for the tassel, at one end, thread a needle with the same thread and twist it round the skein, the right distance from the top to form the head of the tassel and then cut the ends even, at the bottom. as the loops are of different lengths, the tassels will hang in steps and the fuller and heavier they are, the handsomer the fringe will be. [illustration: fig. . hairpin fringe with tassels. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: Écru and jaune-rouille , , or gris-tilleul and rouge-cornouille and , or three other shades.[a]] fig. represents another pattern of fringe, the first part of which is made with the same fork as the preceding one. instead however of winding the thread round the several prongs in succession, you pass it alternately round the two first and the fourth, thus making loops of two lengths only. tassels of a length, suited to the purpose the fringe is intended for, depend from these loops and may be varied in the second row by balls made to issue from the middle, or by long meshes, which are made over the whole width of the fork and affixed to the loops. figs. and represent two pretty patterns of fringes made of écru cotton with a strong twist. these are very suitable for washing articles, as the cotton balls wash perfectly. [illustration: fig. . hairpin fringe with one line of balls.] [illustration: fig. . hairpin fringe with two lines of balls, one above the other. materials--for the crochet-work: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to . for the balls: coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to .] the loops in fig. are all of one length and a ball hangs from every third. in the last chapter but one, a minute description is given of the way in which these balls are made. the heading of the loops is formed by a row of chain stitches, varying in number from four to six, according to the size of the cotton. the edge is ornamented with little picots. the fringe, in fig. , consists of three long and three short loops alternately, which causes, the balls that are made to depend from them, to form two parallel lines. if you join the loops of the heading together, three and three, you will have to make enough chain stitches to cover the space that is to be filled. the picots are made with chain stitches, you put the needle back into the fifth stitch after closing the picot, make chain, plain, in the preceding row, picot and so on. fringe made with lacet or braid (fig. ).--this is an easy fringe to make and a very effective trimming for table-cloths, curtains etc., which are embroidered on coarse stuffs. begin with a foundation chain, in coarse écru twist, the light stitch in the middle of the heading of the fringe being also made of the same material. in the next row, you use the twist and the braid together, as follows--with the twist = chain stitch, put the needle into the first stitch of the foundation chain, take up the braid, draw it through, turn the twist round the needle, draw it through the braid and the chain stitch. to make the braid loops longer, they may be made over a wooden ruler. to the two rows of braid stitches, represented in the pattern, you may add as many other rows as you please. on the fringed side make: plain, chain, draw out one very long loop and fasten into it a cluster of lengths of braid from to c/m. long, and draw the loop tightly round it to secure the tassel; plain on the chain stitches. repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . fringe made with lacet or soutache (braid). materials: lacet d.m.c no. or soutache d.m.c no. ½ in red. cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to . fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , écru.[a]] [illustration: fig. . lace made on point lace braid. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , white[a] and point lace braid.] lace made on point lace braid (fig. ).--for the rounds: plain on the braid, chain, then coming back, single on the th chain. in this first round you make: chain, half-treble, trebles *, half-treble, chain, single on the th chain; chain, single on the braid, far enough from the st chain for the rounds not to overlap each other. then chain, single on the th chain, single, half-treble, trebles, join to the first round between the th and th trebles, trebles and repeat from *. for the footing: treble, chain, miss a few threads of the edge of the braid, treble. [illustration: fig. . crochet guipure lace. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to . cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] crochet guipure lace (fig. ).--this charming little lace makes a very good substitute for real guipure. it can be made on a row of trebles, just as well as on point lace braid, or on a mignardise, after you have raised the picots of it by single and chain stitches. plain *, chain, leave an interval equalling in length bars of the point lace braid used in our pattern; in the braid: plain stitches, very close together, chain, single on the th of the chain, chain, single on the d of the chain, chain, plain close to the first of the first plain. st scallop-- plain, chain, join to the th chain; on the th chain: plain; on the th chain: plain. nd scallop--on the chain: plain, chain, join to the th chain = on the chain: plain = on the chain, plain, chain, join to the th chain, plain, chain, join to the th chain, chain, plain on the th chain. rd scallop--like the first, then repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . lace made on point lace braid. materials: the same as for .] lace made on point lace braid (fig. ).--on the braid, work a row of trebles, or chain stitches apart, according to the size of the braid and on this row of trebles, make two other rows as follows: st row-- chain, treble on the treble of the preceding row, chain, treble, on the same stitch to which the first treble is joined, chain, miss trebles, treble on the th treble of the row beneath. nd row-- plain on the rd of the first chain, plain, treble on the rd of the chain stitches between the two trebles of the first row that come close together; chain, treble on the same stitch, chain, treble on the same stitch, chain, treble on the rd of the next chain. [illustration: fig. . crochet lace. materials: lacet superfin d.m.c no. and fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to .[a]] crochet lace (fig. ).-- st row-- plain close together, in the braid; * chain, join to the st plain. on each of the first chain; plain; = on the th chain: plain, then on the other chain stitches: plain. in the braid: plain and repeat from *. nd row--* miss plain of the first row, plain to reach the nd stitch added in the first row, plain on the nd added stitch, plain on the next stitches. repeat from *. for an insertion, drop the thread after the nd of the stitches that are to be made at the point, then put the needle into the stitch of the finished stripe, take up the thread again, draw it through the stitch and proceed to the second side of the scallop. [illustration: fig. . crochet lace with mignardise. materials--according to the mignardise used. fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] crochet lace with mignardise (fig. ).--this and all the patterns that follow, up to fig. , make very useful trimmings for all kinds of underclothing. begin by raising the picots on both sides of the mignardise by: plain stitch and chain. the rows of crochet work between, consist of: treble on chain, chain, miss picots of the mignardise, treble between the rd and th picot. work the edge in two rows. st row-- treble between picots, chain, miss picots, treble. nd row-- treble on chain, chain, treble, chain, trebles, chain, turn back and join to the st of the trebles, chain, join them to the nd treble, trebles on the chain; keep the last loops of the last treble on the needle and join them to those of the next treble. [illustration: fig. . lace with two rows of leaves. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] lace with two rows of leaves (fig. ).--this is one of the pleasantest crochet patterns to work that we know. the leaves are made separately and fastened into a foundation with thread, at least two numbers finer than that of which the leaves are made. leaf with petals: chain, make a ring = plain on the ring = st petal * chain, miss chain, half-treble on the th chain, chain, miss the th chain, treble on the th chain, chain, treble on the th chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, plain on the ring. nd petal: chain, miss chain, half-treble *, chain, miss chain, treble *. repeat times from * to *; add: chain, trebles on the ring. rd petal: chain, miss chain, half-treble *, chain, miss , treble *. repeat times from * to *; add: chain, miss , trebles in the ring. the th petal to be worked like the rd; the th like the st. when the petals are finished, make plain stitches on the ring; then on the chain stitches of the st petal: plain, trebles, trebles on the th stitch; then descending again: trebles, plain and single on the plain stitches of the ring. on the nd petal work: plain, trebles, trebles on the th chain, trebles, plain, single, on the trebles on the ring. rd petal: single, plain, trebles, trebles on the th chain, trebles, plain, a single. the th petal is worked like the nd; the th like the st, to be followed by single on the st of the chain stitches of the ring. for the stalk: chain; miss , plain on the chain; chain, miss , plain on the chain, plain on the chain stitches that are still disengaged, single on the ring and then fasten the thread off with a few stitches. when you have enough leaves, join them together by a row of picots, working from left to right as follows: * take the second petal on the right side of a leaf, put the thread into the th stitch; make plain, picot, plain on the stitch on which the picot was made = in all the leaves, the rd plain before the picot and the first after, meet in the same stitch beneath = plain, picot, plain, chain = on the th stitch of the rd petal: plain, plain more on the next stitches **, picot, plain. repeat times from ** and finish with chain. on the th stitch of the th petal: plain, plain on the next stitches ***, picot, plain. repeat times from ***. on the th stitch of the th petal: plain, and on the next, plain ****. repeat from * to ** round each leaf, then instead of a picot, make chain, join between the st and nd picot, chain, close the picot. from this point the preceding series of stitches takes the place of the picot that immediately follows the sign **; proceed to ****. foundation for the footing of the lace, with a single row of leaves.--when all the leaves are joined together, take the finer number of cotton and fasten your thread to the last stitch of the small stalk; then make: * chain, plain on the th stitch of the th petal; chain, miss , plain on the rd stitch; chain, plain on the rd stitch, chain, plain on the th stitch of the th petal; chain, plain on the rd chain; chain, plain on the th stitch (counting from the bottom) of the th petal of the next leaf; chain, single on the last stitch of the long stalk; chain, join to the rd chain stitch, chain, draw the thread again in coming back through the rd of the second set of chain stitches in the st petal; single; turning back and from left to right: single on the plain stitch between the chain stitches, chain, plain on the nd of the last chain, chain, plain on the stalk, chain, plain on the rd stitch of the stalk; chain, plain on the th stitch of the stalk; chain, plain at the top of the little stalk, then repeat from *. the network in the next rows, which may be of any width, is composed of: chain stitches and, plain on the loop of the last row. for the last row but one of the network, make: chain, plain over each loop, and complete the lace by a row of plain stitches. to make the leaves stand out from the foundation, use two shades of thread, white and écru, white and jaune-rouille , or white and gris-cendre . the following is the way to join two rows of leaves together, that have previously been edged with picots. fasten the thread on to the little stalk, * chain, plain on the th stitch of the leaf, chain, join to the middle picot of the rd petal of the top leaf; chain, plain on the th petal of the bottom row, picot, plain. for the nd petal of the bottom leaf: plain, picot, plain. for the th petal of the next leaf below: plain, chain, single on the long stalk, chain, plain on the nd picot of the st petal of the preceding leaf, chain, single on the nd picot of the th petal of the top leaf, chain, plain on the th single of the stalk, chain, single on the th picot of the rd petal of the top leaf, chain, miss stitch of the stalk, plain on the stalk, chain, plain on the th picot of the top leaf, chain, plain on the little stalk. repeat from *. three and even four rows of leaves may be joined together in this manner and make a very handsome lace, particularly suitable for church linen. insertion with waved braid (fig. ).-- plain stitch at the point of the braid, chain, single on the nd chain. on the next chain stitches: half-treble, treble, double treble, triple treble, plain on the next point of the braid. repeat the same stitches on the second side, only that after the th chain stitch, you draw the thread through the th of the st finished row. little wheels, set between the crochet pyramids, and described in the chapters on filet-guipure and irish lace, complete the insertion. [illustration: fig. . insertion with waved braid. materials.--according to the size of the braid: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a]] crochet lace, made with leaf braid (fig. ).--introduce the thread into one of the leaves of the braid and working from right to left, make for the outer border: * plain, chain, picot in bullion stitch, with twists of the thread, chain, treble near the end of the leaf. leave the last loops of the treble on the needle **. take leaves of the braid, fold them one upon the other: treble near the stalk of these folded leaves, tighten the loops of the trebles; chain ***, picot, chain, plain, chain. repeat times from ***. proceed with picot, chain,--there will be picots round the folded leaves-- treble on the folded leaves and repeat from ** to *, therefore the inverse way, and begin again from *. for the footing of the lace, rows are required. st row--* double treble close to the stalk of the leaf, chain, treble, at the third of the leaf, double treble at the nd third of the leaf, chain, double trebles, one on the right leaf, one on the left, draw the last loops of the trebles up together and repeat from *. nd row--on each of the little loops formed by the chain of the last row: plain, chain, picot in bullion stitch, chain, picot, chain; plain on the next loop and so on. rd row-- plain on the th of the chain, chain, plain and so on. th row-- plain on each loop of the last row. [illustration: fig. . crochet lace made with leaf braid. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] crochet lace made with leaf braid (fig. ).--begin with the outside edge: st row:--at the end of a leaf: treble, chain, picot in bullion stitch, chain, treble = at the beginning of a nd leaf: chain, picot, chain, treble at the end of the leaf = chain, picot, chain, treble on the rd leaf = chain, picot, chain, treble at the end of the rd leaf = chain, treble, chain, treble on the th leaf = double treble joined to the th and st leaf of the next scallop = treble at the end of the st leaf, join and draw the last loops of these trebles together. nd row--over each treble and picot: * plain, chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain = repeat times from *. at the indent and before the last picot: chain, picot, chain = plain before the st picot of the next scallop. rd row-- treble, chain, repeat times. in the indent join the th of the chain stitches right and left together by treble. th row-- single on each loop of chain. inside junction.--begin at the edge of the first leaf, fasten on the thread and make chain and, double treble at the end of the leaf, triple treble, and draw up both together, chain, triple trebles on the leaves to the right and left = chain, triple trebles, one at the end and the other at the beginning of the rd and th leaf = chain, picot in bullion stitch, chain, plain on the last stitch of the first trebles, chain, plain on the last stitch of the last trebles; chain, triple treble at the end of the th leaf. [illustration: fig. . crochet lace made with leaf braid. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle nos. to .[a]] going back to the beginning: chain, single on the chain above the picot = chain, single on the th of the first chain = chain, plain on the loop of the last triple treble, chain, picot in bullion stitch, chain = plain on the stalk between the leaves; chain, picot, chain, triple treble on the leaf, chain, repeat from *. nd row-- chain, treble on the lower loops. distribute the chain stitches equally. rd row-- plain in the braid that forms the footing of the lace, chain, plain on the last chain stitches, chain, plain in the braid, continuing in this manner to join the crochet work and the braid together. irish lace (fig. ).--begin with the semicircles in the middle of the pattern, which arch over two scallops, and cast on chain. then lay a double or threefold thread of cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , over the chain stitches, and make one plain stitch on each; then cut the padding thread short off. [illustration: fig. . irish lace. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c no. or fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to .[a]] on the other side of the chain make plain, * chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, miss ; plain on each of the next stitches **. repeat times from * to **; the th time making only chain. nd and rd row--on the upper side, over a double thread of twist: plain on each stitch of the last row; cut off the padding thread = chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain on the th of the chain stitches after the first picot of the preceding row = chain, picot, chain, plain on the th of the next chain stitches **. repeat times from * to ** and then make: chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain. on the upper side and without a padding thread: plain, picot, * plain, picot, **. repeat times from * to **. continue with: plain, chain, picot, chain, plain on the th of the first chain of the nd row on the inside of the semicircle = chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain on the plain stitch of the previous row = plain on the st of the chain = chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain as before, = chain, picot, chain, picot, plain = chain, picot, chain, plain, return and make on the chain: plain, chain, picot, chain, plain = make more scallops like the previous one = chain, picot, chain, plain = return and make on the chain: plain, chain, picot, chain, plain = make more scallops, and then a rd joined to the scallop that terminates the semicircle on the right by the plain stitches = chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain on the point of the crescent = scallops consisting of: chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain. plain on the scallop that terminates the semicircle on the left, chain, plain on the next scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop = make bars more of the same kind = chain, plain = bars like the previous ones = chain, plain = bars as before = plain, chain, plain on the next scallop = bar consisting of chain, picot, chain, plain over all the scallops of the preceding row ( scallops in all). th row-- chain *, trebles on the chain that follow the plain = turn the work = single on the last treble, chain, treble on the th and on the th of the trebles, chain, treble on the th and on the th of the trebles, chain, treble on the rd and on the nd of the trebles, chain, single on the st of the trebles = turn the work = ** on the chain: plain, half-treble, treble, half-treble, plain = plain between the trebles below = on the chain, plain, half-treble, treble, half-treble, plain *** = plain between the trebles beneath, repeat from *** to **, therefore the reverse way. go on with scallops consisting of chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain = after the nd scallop: chain, picot, chain = trebles on the chain over the plain and finish the little flowers consisting of scallops each, like the first from * to *** and from *** to ** = plain to get back to the scallop = chain, picot, chain, plain, chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain, chain, picot, chain, and make a rd flower of scallops like the others = single to come back to the scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain = more scallops like the previous ones, then make the th flower of scallops, which must come before the plain stitches of the previous row = scallops consisting of: chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain = the last scallop is to be joined to the st scallop of the st flower, under the left point of the semicircle = single along the small scallop, trebles, chain, picot, chain, plain on the point of the scallop = bars like the previous ones to be joined to the next scallops = similar bars between the small scallops = single on the scallop between the flowers and single on the nd set of chain stitches in the scallop that precedes the rd flower = single on the point of the st scallop of the rd flower = continue the little bars along the nd side until past the th flower = after the th flower make bars consisting of chain, picot, chain, plain = chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop **** chain, plain on the next scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop ***** repeat five times from **** to *****. at the nd repetition make bar with picot more, so that you have bars instead of . at the th repetition you decrease by bar, so that you have instead of . plain on the point of the scallop of the flower, chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain, one of which is made on the nd plain of the previous row, and the nd on the bar of chain stitches = plain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain = more similar scallops = then chain, picot, chain, plain on the nd plain of the previous row = join and on the chain make plain = chain, picot, chain, plain. over the st little flower inside the semicircles, make scallop like the previous ones = then chain, picot, chain, plain on the rd point of the first flower = chain, plain on the nd point of the second flower = plain on the scallop and joined to the rd point of the first flower = chain, picot, chain = plain = scallop like the previous ones, plain on the th point of the small flower, chain, picot, chain, plain = plain over the chain = chain, picot, chain, plain. make scallops of: chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain, after the th scallop make chain only, which must come just before the th chain to the left without a picot and above the point of the semicircle. over the chain make a flower like the first with scallops = then scallops, chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain. make one more flower with scallops, scallops like the previous ones = a third flower with scallops, chain, plain, one of them above the point of the row beneath, chain, plain over the next scallop = turn the work and coming back over the row just made, make: plain on the first of the chain, plain on the point of the scallop, chain, picot, chain, plain on the next scallop, carry on the bars over the flowers and scallops, making plain on the scallops of the flower and plain on the other scallops, up to the plain stitches between the flowers underneath the semicircle. after the plain stitch that joins the last bar, turn the work and make scallops consisting of: chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain. cut off the thread and fasten it on above the semicircle and at the plain stitch which precedes the chain without picot and make the second side like the first = having reached the middle, close to the plain, turn the work = make the half round of bars and fasten off at the th scallop of the flower above the semicircle. fasten on at the point under the flowers where the work was turned and on the wrong side, and from right to left, work: scallops consisting of chain, picot, chain, picot, chain, plain = then add: chain, picot, chain, plain above the point of the scallop of the small flower = turn the work: plain over the chain. bars of chain, picot, chain, plain = after the nd bar, chain = come back and join to the picot of the st bar = chain, trebles over the chain and complete the flower as before. after the th scallop of the flower: chain, single, quite close to the trebles, chain, plain on the next bar, chain, picot, join to the nd stitch of the th scallop of the flower, chain, carry on the bars the same distance as on the first side. footing of the lace--on the chain stitches that follow the rd plain stitch and above the last little figure: triple treble, chain, join to the middle plain stitch = miss scallop, treble, chain = miss scallop, double treble, chain, = miss scallop, triple treble, chain, = miss scallop of the figure on the left, double treble, chain = miss scallop, treble, chain = miss scallop, double treble, chain = miss scallop, treble, chain = miss scallop, treble, chain = miss scallop, double treble, chain, triple treble, chain, quadruple treble on the next plain stitch. repeat the whole, reversed, and finish off the footing with a row of plain stitches. edge of the lace.--fasten on, where the semicircles join: double treble on the first chain stitches of the empty scallop, chain, double treble on the next disengaged chain stitches of the half scallop; continue the same on all the chain scallops and distribute the trebles so that there may be in all, times chain stitches. add triple trebles, the last loops of them, connected by a plain stitch; the st triple treble on the last chain stitches of the last scallop, the nd on the plain stitch, that follows the st scallop of the middle figure = chain, treble on the plain stitch of the nd point. repeat the same, reversed. nd row--on the first chain of the last row: plain = on the next chain: plain = on the chain, leave a space: plain, chain, come back and join to the th chain stitch by a single stitch = on the scallop: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = and so on, until you have points altogether. the plain stitches must be distributed as follows: for the nd point: in the th space plain, in the th space plain = for the rd point: in the th space, plain, in the th space, plain = for the th point: in the th space plain, in the th space plain = for the th point: in the th space plain, in the th space plain = for the th point: in the th space plain, in the th space plain = for the th point: in the th space plain = for the th point: in the th space plain = plain in each of the remaining spaces. crochet lace (fig. ).--this is always an effective pattern, in any number of thread. it is not new, however, and is probably already known to many of our readers as a pillow lace. those who are not fond of making pillow lace, will be glad to learn how to reproduce it in crochet, as it makes a pretty trimming, both for wearing apparel and furniture. for furniture, it should be made in unbleached cotton, for articles of dress, in any of the of the finer numbers, referred to above. for the separate squares, cast on chain stitches, and close the ring. st row--* chain, plain on the ring. repeat times from *. nd row-- chain, plain on the first chain: * chain, plain = on the first chain of the st row: chain, plain on the second chain of the st row. repeat times from *. rd row-- plain on the first of the nd row: * chain, plain, chain, plain, chain, plain. repeat times from *. in the th and following rows, go on increasing, as in the rd row, until, on all sides, you have plain stitches between every chain. th row-- plain, chain, plain, * picot made of chain, plain between the st and the nd plain of the last row, chain, plain between the next plain. repeat times from *, and fasten off. crochet the squares together, as you finish them. after the th and last plain stitch, make: chain, drop the loop, put the hook into the rd of the chain stitches that form one corner of the square, draw the dropped loop through, chain, close the picot, finish the square. [illustration: fig. . crochet lace. materials.--for trimming curtains and coarse linen table covers: fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to écru. for articles of dress: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to écru.[a]] for the star that connects the squares-- chain, close the ring; * chain, picot, chain, over, join the picots right and left of the squares that are to be joined together, by treble; chain, picot, chain, drop the loop, put the needle into the first of the first chain stitches, draw the thread through, plain on the ring, chain, treble on the rd picot and treble on the th picot of the square = coming back: plain on each of the chain; plain on the ring, and repeat times from *. for the half-star, that fills the space under the footing of the lace: chain, close the ring = chain, treble on the st picot of the square; chain, picot, chain; draw the thread through the st of the chain = plain, chain, join the rd and th picots of the square by treble bar on each picot = single stitches on the chain, plain on the ring; chain, picot, chain = on the st and last picot of the opposite squares: treble, chain, picot, chain, drop the loop, draw it through the st of the chain stitches = plain, chain, join picots by trebles = single, plain on the ring, chain, picot, chain, treble on the last picot = chain, draw the thread through the st of the chain. the footing is made as follows--* plain on the upper chain stitches of the square; chain up to the ring, plain, chain and repeat from *. a row of plain stitches completes the footing. outer edge--* treble on the st picot, chain, and repeat times from *. on the chain stitches, in the corner, make: treble = chain, treble on the chain and finish the second side of the square like the first. omit the chain stitches, between the st and last trebles of the squares. the next and last row consists of: plain, picot, plain every chain. on the last chain, at the point where scallops join, make plain stitches, without picots. lace with stars (fig. ).--begin with the stars, make a chain of stitches, close the ring, mount it on a mould, wind a soft thread, such as coton à repriser d.m.c no , seven or eight times round it, and make plain stitches upon it, joining the last to the first by a single stitch. then: * chain, and returning, miss the st chain = on the chain: single, plain, half-trebles, trebles, double trebles, double treble and a half, triple trebles; keep the two last loops of the last treble but one, on the needle, and join them, to those of the last treble. repeat times from *. nd row-- plain, on the upper stitch that was missed in the st row; * chain, plain on the next point. repeat times from *. rd row--* plain, chain, miss stitches of the lower row. repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . lace with stars. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to .[a]] th row--all round the last row, on each of the bottom stitches plain; after every stitches, picot. this will give you picots in all, separated from each other by stitches. inner connection--fasten on the thread at the th treble, counting from the ring: single, chain. draw out the thread, from the back, through the th of the chain round the star = chain * join with chain to the th treble, passing the thread through to the back = work on the wrong side: chain, bring the thread back between the th treble to the right side, and repeat times from *. in joining the stars, place them so that picots are turned to the edge, and to the footing. the th and the th picots serve to join the stars. st row-- trebles between the th and the th of the * picots, chain, treble; repeat times from *. after the th treble, make no more chain stitches, but treble immediately between the th and the st picot of the next row. nd row--on the first chain stitches of the last row: plain, half-trebles, trebles, picot, trebles, picot, and so on, until in the semicircle over the picots, you have times chain stitches and picots = on the ninth set of chain: trebles, half trebles, plain. the scallops are joined by smaller ones, formed of: plain, half trebles, trebles, picot, trebles, chain, drop the loop, put the needle into the same treble of the last scallop; draw the loop through and make on the chain: plain, half-treble, trebles, picot, trebles, half-treble, plain; continue the large scallop, as described above. the footing is composed of rings and trebles.--begin with a ring, like those in the middle of the stars, worked as follows: chain, with plain upon them = miss plain stitch of the ring, plain, chain = miss plain, plain, chain = miss plain, plain, chain, single on the th picot of the st star, chain = miss plain, plain, chain, single on the th picot, chain = miss plain, plain, chain, single on the nd picot, chain, finish off. straight edge--worked from right to left = chain * turn the thread times round the needle, join to the plain stitch between the th and th picot, complete the long treble, chain, join treble, consisting of six overs to the st treble; quintuple treble between the th and the th picot; chain, quadruple treble joined to the previous treble = in all, trebles, the st made with overs, the nd with , the rd with , the th with , the th and th with , the th with , the th with , the th with , the th with ; and between every trebles, chain. the long trebles of the ring are taken up with plain and chain between. guipure lace (fig. ).--we advise our readers to work this charming pattern, in unbleached fil à dentelle d.m.c no , because it imitates the appearance of old lace better than any other material. lozenge-shaped figures in the centre-- chain, close the ring. [illustration: fig. . guipure lace. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] st row-- chain, picot, chain, treble on the ring = chain, treble on the ring = chain, picot, chain, treble on the ring = chain on the rd of the first chain. nd row-- chain, * treble on the st treble of the st row = chain, treble on the rd of the next chain = chain, treble on the same stitch as the last treble = chain, ** treble on the nd treble of the st row, chain. repeat from * to **; join the last chain, to the rd of the first chain, by a single stitch. rd row-- chain, plain, plain on the th of the chain of the last row = plain, plain on the rd of the chain, between the trebles, plain, plain on the th of the lower chain = plain, plain on the rd of the chain, plain; finish the row with a single stitch. th row-- chain, treble on each of the next plain; trebles on the th plain; treble on each of the next plain, trebles on the th stitch; trebles on the nd side; and again trebles on the th stitch; trebles on the rd side; trebles on the th stitch, trebles and join to the rd of the chain. th row-- chain, plain, plain on the th stitch beneath, * plain, plain on the th stitch. repeat twice from *. th row-- chain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot = towards the point: plain, picot = on the nd side of the square: plain, picot, and times plain, picot = towards the point: plain, picot. on the rd side as on the nd, only reversed, first plain, and at the point plain; on the th side as on the nd; on the st side must still be added plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain; draw the thread through the loop and fasten off. the oblong squares, that connect the lozenges, take rows of plain stitches. make a chain of = turn the work = plain; add rows of the same number of stitches. on the short side, and at the edge of the square: picot, plain, * chain, miss chain = returning: plain on the th chain = on the next chain: half treble, trebles, half treble, plain on the last chain stitches = on the nd half of the short side: plain, picot = on the long side: plain **, picot, plain ***. repeat the whole twice from * to ***, and then once from * to ** only. the row of bars, that encircles the small leaves, begins with single stitches on the first picot, then add: **** chain, picot, chain, treble on the th chain of the small leaf; on the short side: chain, picot, chain, triple treble on the th chain of the leaf; drop the thread, bring it out from the back, by the side of the picot that forms the corner on the long side of the lozenge = chain, picot, chain, treble on the small leaf = chain, picot, chain, treble on the picot, forming the corner of the oblong square = chain, picot, chain, treble on the leaf on the long side of the square = chain, treble on the same stitch as the st treble is on = chain, treble on the same stitch as the first trebles are on; chain, picot, chain, treble on the picot at the corner. repeat once from ****. upper and lower edge-- chain, sextuple treble on the nd picot of the lozenge = chain, triple treble on the th picot of the lozenge. coming back over the trebles of chain, work in journeys to and fro, plain stitches. after the nd row of plain stitches, quintuple treble on the th treble of the lozenge, and then rows of plain stitches. after the th row, pass at once to the leaves above the lozenge: ***** chain, plain on the picot that forms the point of the lozenge = turn the work to the wrong side = on the chain stitches work: ****** plain, half treble, trebles, half treble, plain = turn the work to the right side = returning and starting from the point of the leaf: chain and plain on each of the lower stitches. for the nd leaf: chain = turn the work and repeat, as for the former leaf, from ***** to ******. this leaf, being finished like the first, with this difference that it ends at the upper point, you pass to the nd little square: chain, sextuple treble on the picot next to the leaves; chain, triple treble on the rd picot, counted from the leaves = chain, sextuple treble on the th picot of the lozenge; keep the last loops of the treble on the needle, sextuple treble on the picot between every chain of the small square with leaves; draw up the last loops together with those already on the needle = chain, triple treble on the picot on the long side of the small square = rows of plain each. with the last stitch of each of these rows, take of the chain stitches between the long trebles. after the rd row: sextuple treble on the first treble on the small leaf of the small middle square = rows of plain stitches to finish the square, and repeat from *****. the upper row is similar to this but should be worked from right to left. scalloped edge.--in the right corner of the st oblong figure of the outside corner: double treble, chain, double treble on the th plain stitch = chain, double treble on the stitch that forms the corner stitch of the square = chain, plain at the extremity of the first long leaf, chain = quadruple treble on the stitch between the leaves = chain, quadruple treble on the same stitch and on the st treble = chain, quadruple treble on the same stitch = chain, plain on the last stitch of the nd long leaf = turn the work: chain, plain on each of the chain stitches, and on each treble, plain stitches in all = turn the work: chain, plain, chain, plain on the nd plain; repeat the last times. take in stitch on each side in every row, turn the work after each row, and at the end of the last fasten off. fasten on at the foot of the scallop, not at the point, and work plain stitches all round it; plain to the upper point, in all. the open-work edge of the scallops consists entirely of double trebles.--after the plain stitches of the edge: chain, treble on the st plain stitch of the small square = turn the work: * chain, treble on the nd of the plain stitches, forming the edge of the scallop **; repeat times from * to ** = *** chain, treble on the next plain stitch = chain, treble on the next plain = repeat times from ***; and then times from * to ** = chain, plain on the th treble of the square; chain, plain on the rd treble. work on, on the right side = **** chain and treble on the preceding treble as far as the th treble; after the th: ***** chain, back to the th, and returning, join to the th treble = on the chain: plain, after the th draw the loop through the upper loop of the th treble = ****** chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, return, and fasten the chain stitches to the last treble but one = plain, picot, plain, picot, plain and join as before ******* = repeat once from ***** to *******, then twice, from ***** to ******, then from **** to *****, as on the first side, only treble less = then treble on the th plain stitch of the small square, chain, treble on the th plain stitch of the square, chain, treble on the th plain stitch, treble on the outside stitch, at the corner of the square, chain, plain on the last stitch of the leaf; chain and so on, as above described. having reached the second scallop, on the nd row of trebles, at the sign ***, work: chain, treble to the left on the scallop just finished, keeping the last loops of the treble on the needle, double treble to the right of the scallop and join it to the nd treble; draw the loops together = chain, treble to the left, quadruple treble to the right = chain, drop the loop, bring it to the right side through the th treble of the right scallop = on these chain stitches: single, plain, half treble, trebles, half treble, plain, single = double treble on the open-work edge, then chain, treble, chain, treble, chain; join to the th treble of the right scallop = working back: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, join to the treble, thrice chain, treble. go back to ***** and repeat twice to *******. the footing of the lace is worked in rows from right to left. st row-- single, * double treble on the th plain stitch of the square = chain, double treble on the nd plain stitch of the square = chain, picot downwards, chain, plain on the stitch at the extremity of the long leaf = chain, picot downwards, chain, quadruple trebles between the two leaves = chain, picot downwards, chain, plain on the last stitch of the nd leaf, chain; repeat from *. nd row-- plain on each stitch of the previous row. rd row--count stitches before and above the trebles on the squares and make: * treble, miss stitch, treble, miss stitch, treble, miss stitch, treble = turn the work: plain on each of the trebles = turn the work, come back and make plain on the first = chain, miss stitches of the nd row, treble on the rd plain, and continue from *. th row-- treble on each of the plain, chain between each treble, chain and so on. th row-- plain stitch on each of the stitches of the th row. crochet reticella lace (fig. ).--this pattern, copied in crochet from an old piece of reticella lace, only looks well, worked in very fine cotton, as indicated in our illustration, namely, in unbleached fil à dentelle d.m.c no . to make it resemble the original more closely, the method adopted in venetian point, of making all the stitches over a padding thread, has, in the case of the outside edge, been followed here. at the end of each row of plain stitches, draw out a sufficiently long loop to lay it back over the stitches just made, and to work the next row of stitches over this double foundation. these loops must be long enough, not to pucker or tighten the scallops. for the inner squares = chain, close the ring. st row-- chain, treble, chain, double treble, chain, treble, chain, double treble, chain, treble, chain, double treble, chain, treble, chain, single stitch on the th of the chain. nd row--* chain, plain on the first chain, plain on the next chain. on these plain stitches, working to and fro, rows of plain stitches, decreasing by in each row; after the last stitch, come back along the side of the little triangle, and make single stitch in every row, plain on the treble of the st row **; repeat times from * to **. [illustration: fig. . crochet reticella lace. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] these small triangles must be worked over single treble and between double trebles. when the th triangle is finished, make directly, starting from the last stitch at the point, and along the side: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain; single stitch on the treble; all the triangles must be edged, in this same manner on both sides; on the stitch that forms the point: plain stitches. rd row--* chain, drop the loop = bring it to the front, through the plain stitch that lies between triangles; returning, make single stitches backwards on the chain. you make stitches like this, backwards, in all the trebles that follow, that is, the loop is dropped after each stitch, and brought forward from the wrong side to the right = chain, join to the th single, counting upwards from below = single on the chain stitches; chain, join to the other trebles; chain, single on the stitch at the point of the triangle **; repeat times from * to **. = the chain stitches for the trebles, must be drawn up very tight. th row-- plain on each of the stitches of the preceding row, plain on the corner stitch. on each side there must be plain stitches, not counting the corner ones. th row = chain, miss stitches of the row beneath, * double treble, chain; repeat times from * = chain, double treble, chain, double treble on the same stitch as the st treble = chain, double treble on the same stitch as the st treble = chain, double treble on the same stitch as the two first trebles = times to the next corner: chain, double treble, double trebles, each of them with chain stitches at the corner; repeat the same on each of the sides. th row-- plain on each of the stitches of the last row, plain on the corner stitch = cut off the thread. join the next squares together at once by the last corner stitch. lower edge--you begin by making the large scallop at the point of the square, and pass the double thread over the rd treble that comes before the trebles at the point of the square and make: plain stitch on each stitch of the square, up to the rd treble on the opposite side; then draw out a long loop which you carry back to the beginning. in the nd row increase by stitches, right and left of the middle stitches, for the rounding of the scallop, and decrease by on each side. make rows in all, and in each row, decrease by stitches and increase by . fasten off after the th row. the two little scallops, right and left of the big one, are worked in rows, over trebles and intervals of chain stitches, taking off stitches in every row. for the small triangle between, worked in rows, you must increase on both sides by stitches. when all the scallops are finished, edge them with plain stitches, picot and plain and work in all the ends of thread from the preceding rows at the same time. for the footing and the small triangles, that fill up the spaces between the squares: chain, miss , rows of plain stitches, worked to and fro, decreasing by in every row. when the triangle is finished, make on one side, single in every row; then, on the remaining chain stitches, a second triangle, like the first, which you then join to the plain stitches, above the th treble; then returning along the side of the triangle, add plain, picot, plain, picot, plain; single on each of the chain stitches. edge the next side of the nd triangle like the first, join the corner stitch to the th treble; edge the two inner sides times with plain stitches and picots. then from right to left on the plain stitches: plain, chain, join them to the middle of the triangles = single on each chain, plain on the square; chain, single on the th of the first chain; single stitch on each of the chain stitches; plain on each stitch of the square, to the point where the squares join, chain, single on the th of the chain, single on each of the chain. on the nd side: plain, chain, single on the th of the chain, single on each of the chain, plain, chain, single on the th of the chain, single on each of the chain, plain on the square; fasten off. fasten on, at the nd of the corner stitches = chain, plain on the corner stitch of the triangle; chain, plain on the next corner stitch, chain, and so on. a row of plain stitches, or trebles, completes the lace. lace with corner, formed by increasing on the outside (fig. ).-- st row--on a row of chain stitches or trebles, work alternately: chain, treble = on the corner: chain, treble, chain, so that the last trebles come on one stitch. nd row-- plain on each stitch of the st row, plain on the nd of the corner trebles. rd row--counting from the nd of the corner stitches, and towards the left, make plain on the rd, nd, st and th plain stitches; chain, miss chain, plain on each of the chain stitches = on the other side of the chain, also plain on each stitch, plain on the th chain, plain on each of the first plain. [illustration: fig. . lace with corner, formed by increasing on the outside. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c no. , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] on the next stitches of the nd row: plain = chain, miss , triple treble on the th of the nd row, chain, triple treble on the same stitch, chain, triple treble on the same stitch, chain, miss , single on the th = turn the work = on each treble of chain: plain; in all; single on the th of the plain = turn the work = miss the th plain, and on the others make: plain, picot, plain = chain, miss the th, plain on the others = on the nd side of the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th of the first plain of this row = on the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th plain of the st leaf, made in this row = on the chain: plain = on those of the remaining chain stitches: plain = along the leaf: plain, picot, plain = on the stitch at the point of the leaf: plain = then down the nd side: plain, picot, plain = over the next of the plain: plain, picot, plain = * chain, miss the th, plain = on the second side of the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th of the last plain of the nd leaf = on the chain: plain. continue on the rd leaf of this row: plain, picot, plain and plain on the stitch at the point of the leaf = on each of the next stitches: plain, then picot, plain = on the stitches: plain, picot, plain **. repeat from * to **, and here follow: plain, picot, plain. on the nd row: *** plain, chain, join them to the th of the last plain of the rd leaf; plain over the chain = on the nd row: plain, chain, miss chain, plain on each chain = on the second side: plain, chain, join them to the th of the last plain = plain on the leaf, plain on the stitch at the point, plain, and repeat from *. on the nd row and for the corner: plain, **** chain, triple treble on the nd of the corner stitches and repeat times from **** = chain, miss of the preceding row, plain on the th = turn the work, on each bar of chain, plain, in all, join the last to the th of the plain = going back over the plain: plain, picot, plain, chain, miss the th, plain on each of the chain = on the nd side of the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th of the plain = over the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th plain of the last leaf, plain = on the remainder of the chain: plain. proceeding along the leaf: plain, picot, plain, plain on the stitch at the point, plain, picot, plain *****. again on the plain, make: plain, picot, plain, chain, miss the th, plain = on the nd side of the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th of the last plain of the last leaf, plain over the chain stitches = on the leaf: plain, picot, plain, plain on the stitch at the point, plain, picot, plain ******. repeat times from ***** to ****** and add plain, picot, plain. continue along the nd row: plain, chain and on these plain = plain, chain, returning, miss the th, plain on the others = on the nd side of the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th of the last plain = on the chain: plain = on the leaf: plain, plain on the stitch at the point of the leaf, plain. th row-- plain on the st leaf of the rd row: * chain, plain on the nd leaf = chain, triple treble on the th of the plain between leaves = chain, plain on the rd leaf = chain, triple treble, chain, plain on the th leaf = chain, plain on the th leaf; chain, plain on the st leaf of the corner scallop. repeat from *, with this difference, that, in the corner scallop you must have triple trebles. th row--on the first chain of the th row: plain, * on the next chain stitches: plain = turn the work, and crochet to and fro, decreasing by stitch in each row, until you have only stitches left = along the leaf: plain and repeat times from * = plain on the next chain, plain on the chain, plain on the chain. the corner scallop has points = the first stitches must be divided as follows: * st point: plain in the first interval = nd point: plain in the nd interval and plain in the rd interval = rd point: plain in the rd interval and plain in the th **. repeat once from ** to *. th row--* plain in the st leaf, chain, crossed quadruple treble, the branches of which are joined by chain; repeat twice from * = plain, chain, plain in the st leaf of the next scallop = chain, crossed quadruple treble, the branches of which are joined by chain and joined to the th stitch of the next points = chain and so on. th row-- plain on the first chain of the th row, plain on the next chain = chain; carry the chain back to the right, and join it on, between the th and th plain = plain on the chain, then chain, take it back, and join to the st plain = plain on the chain = continue on the small scallop: plain, picot, plain = on the other chain: plain = chain, join them again to the th of the plain on the scallop = on the last chain: plain, picot, plain = on the next bars of chain: plain = chain, join them to the th of the last plain = on the chain: plain = chain, join them to the st of the last plain = on the chain: plain, chain, join them to the th plain of the rd finished scallop = over the chain: plain, picot, plain = on the next scallop: plain, picot, plain = in the half finished scallop: plain = chain, take it back and join it to the st of the last plain = on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain to finish the scallop below: plain = on the th row: plain, chain, join them to the first of the last plain of the last scallop = on the chain: plain, picot, plain. the little scallops must be carried on round the corner point, as they were on the rd, th and th trebles of the other points. lace with corner, formed by decreasing on the inside (fig. ).--for the stars-- chain, close the ring; chain, trebles in the ring; close = chain, miss treble of the last row, treble, chain, treble on the upper part of the last treble = alternate times: chain, crossed treble divided by chain, lastly chain, close the ring, fasten off. make stars, and join them together as follows, counting the third from the left, in the engraving, as the first.--when you have joined the st star to the nd by the th and th cross trebles, join the next stars so that when the rd is fastened on, there should be crossed trebles on the inside and outside of the nd star. the rd star will have: crossed treble on the outside, on the inside = the th: crossed trebles inside, outside = the th, the th, and the th: inside, outside = the th: on the inside and outside = the th: inside, outside = the th: outside, inside = the th: outside, inside. for the next scallops, repeat from the nd to the th star. nd row--* over the chain stitches of the rd crossed treble of the th star: treble, chain = over the st chain stitch between the rd and th crossed trebles: treble, chain = over the next chain stitches: double treble, chain = overs, in the next space: double treble and double treble in the st space of the th star; connect the two trebles together, chain, double treble, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, connected treble as before, chain ** plain over the chain stitches of the last crossed treble of the th star. repeat from ** to *, therefore backwards. [illustration: fig. . lace with corners formed by decreasing on the inside. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: white, Écru naturel or any other colour of the shades of the d.m.c colour card.] each of the next trebles comes, either over chain stitches of the crossed treble, or over the chain stitch between the crossed trebles *** chain, treble, chain, double treble, chain, triple connected treble, chain, double treble, chain, treble, chain **** single; repeat, in the reverse order, therefore, from **** to ***. when the outside row is finished, make a similar row on the inside of the stars; at the corner trebles are to be made times over each of the middle stars. rd row-- treble above and below, on each stitch of the second row. th row--consists entirely of crossed trebles = * miss on the upper edge: times treble, and times trebles = on the next trebles of the preceding row: double treble, miss stitches, double treble, miss stitches, double treble = draw up the last loops of the trebles together = repeat the same thing backwards = here follow: crossed trebles separated each by treble of the preceding row **; the th and the th crossed trebles are together in the corner treble of the preceding row. repeat from ** to * = here follows row with treble on every stitch below. the row on the side of the footing is worked as above described = at the corner, and after having made the rd connected treble, * miss times stitches, times stitch, times stitches, times stitches, ** triple trebles connected together above, miss stitches underneath; repeat from ** to *, followed on both sides by a row of trebles. in the corner of the inside row of trebles connect the loops of pairs of trebles, in the centre connect the loops of trebles, and again the loops of pairs of trebles. for the st star of the footing: chain, close the ring; chain in the ring, trebles, close = chain, miss treble, treble, * chain, treble on the stitch of the st treble, miss , treble in the nd stitch, draw the loops of the trebles together **. repeat times from * to **; add chain and close = chain, join them to the th treble of the last row; chain, plain on the first chain stitches between trebles; chain, join them to the th treble; chain, plain on the next chain stitches, chain, join to the treble over the connected triple trebles, chain, plain on the next chain stitches, chain, join them to the th treble, chain, plain on the th treble, cut off the thread. the corner star is made like the one just described, and is joined on, as follows: chain, join them to the th treble on the left of the last row (counting from the triple treble) = chain, plain on the first chain stitches between trebles = chain, miss trebles, join them to the th = chain, plain on the nd set of chain stitches between = chain, miss trebles, join them to the th = chain, plain on the rd of the last chain = chain, join them to the corner stitch, chain, plain on the last chain = towards the right: chain, join to the th treble = chain, plain on the preceding, chain, plain on the rd set of stitches between, chain, miss trebles, join to the th treble = chain, plain on the th set of stitches between, chain, miss stitches and join = chain, plain on the th double treble, fasten off. on the first trebles of the preceding row of the inside edge, counting from the outermost stitches which are to be seen to the right in the illustration, plain, chain, miss trebles, treble = chain, miss trebles, double treble, chain, overs, pass the needle over the double treble, crochet off one over = miss stitches, double treble, crochet off the remaining loops = chain, overs, crochet off loops, double treble over the chain treble of the star, crochet off the remaining loops = chain, overs over the treble made on the chain, crochet off loops = treble on the th set of stitches between, crochet off the remaining loops = chain, treble on the th set of stitches between = chain, treble on the th set of stitches between = chain, overs, treble on the th set of stitches between; crochet off over, double treble on the first chain stitches of the star, crochet off the remaining loops = chain, overs, treble over the nd double treble, double treble, miss trebles of the preceding row, complete the treble = chain, overs, crochet off over, joining it to the last double treble; crochet off the overs = treble on the th treble of the preceding row, crochet off the loops = chain, treble on the th treble = chain, miss stitches = on each of the following trebles: plain = chain, miss trebles, treble, chain, miss trebles, double treble; chain, overs, over the double treble crochet off loop, double treble on the th treble after the plain stitches, crochet off the last overs = chain, overs, over the last double treble crochet off loop, double treble on the th intervening space of the corner star, crochet off the loops = chain, plain on the th double treble of the star = chain, double treble on the th intervening space = chain, overs, over the last double treble crochet off loops, double treble on the rd treble of the preceding row, complete the treble = chain, overs, over the double treble crochet off loops, treble on the th treble, complete the treble = chain, treble on the th treble, chain, miss , plain. one row of trebles to finish with; draw the corner trebles together and add: row of crossed trebles and row of plain trebles, each time drawing the corner loops together into one. st row of the outside border-- plain on every one of the next trebles of the row beneath, chain; turn back, join them to the th plain and so on. nd row-- plain on the th of the plain, trebles on the chain. rd row-- plain on each of the first trebles of the nd row, picot, plain, picot, miss stitch, plain, picot, plain and so on. [illustration: fig. . square with coloured tufts. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours. white and rouge-turc , or écru and bleu-indigo , rouge-géranium and brun-caroubier , bleu d'azur and brun-rouille , vert-bouteille and bleu-prunelle .[a]] square with coloured tufts (fig. ).--the following are different counterpane patterns which should be worked in coarse cotton; our engraving represents a single square, worked in two colours, in raised crochet. by joining a number of such squares together, or colours can be introduced into one covering with very good effect. cast on chain and close the ring. st row-- plain on the st of the chain, chain, plain on the th chain, chain, plain on the th chain, chain, plain on the th chain, chain, plain on the th chain. nd row-- plain on the st plain of the st row * plain on the st of the chain; chain, plain on the th chain. repeat times from *. rd row-- plain on the chain, chain, plain and so on. th and th rows--continue to increase, as in the rd row. th row--after the rd plain, tuft in the contrasting colour (see fig. ). the contrasting colour is to be introduced into the work at the first tuft, and cut off when the last is finished. the ends of the coloured threads must be worked in under the stitches of the next row. the square may be of any size; it is bordered by small picot scallops by means of which the different squares are joined together. [illustration: fig. . stripes for counterpanes. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to and lacets surfins d.m.c no. , or soutache d.m.c no. ½.[a] colours: gris-lin and rouge-bordeaux , gris-tilleul and bleu-faience or brun-caroubier and jaune-rouille etc.[a]] stripes for counterpanes (fig. ).--we recommend the use of soutache d.m.c or lacets superfins d.m.c (braids) for the coloured stitches, in the place of cotton. the dark stitches standing, so to speak, on another ground of stitches the pattern will look brighter, if it be worked in a flat material that will spread out more than cotton does. the stripe, worked in its entire length and always on the right side, must be begun by a chain of stitches of the length the stripe is to be. st row-- plain stitch on each chain stitch. nd row-- plain stitch with white or unbleached cotton, on each second stitch of the preceding row; long plain stitch with the coloured cotton or the braid, in each second loop of the chain stitch. when red and white cotton are used, only one thread must be drawn through the st loop, and the other through the two last loops. rd, th, th, th, th rows--plain stitches of the colour of the grounding = th row--between every coloured stitches white = th row--between every red, white = th row--between every red, white = th row--between every red, white = th row--between the single red stitches, white plain. in the second half of the pattern the red stitches must increase in the same proportion as that in which they decreased before. pattern of a counterpane in tunisian crochet (fig. ). this pattern, on a reduced scale, of a counterpane in tunisian crochet, though it is worked here in several colours, can be done all in one. the numbers of the stitches, as they are here given, refer of course to the pattern represented in our figure; if worked on a larger scale, the number of stitches would have to be increased every way in the proper proportion. for the inner square, which is worked in a light material, make chain stitches, on which you make rows of plaited tunisian crochet, fig. , then fasten off. [illustration: fig. . pattern of a counterpane in tunisian crochet. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: gris-amadou and rouge-cardinal , vert-bouteille and violet-mauve , or bleu-gentiane and gris-Écru .] for the first coloured border, which immediately surrounds the centre square, take a coloured thread and make chain stitches and upon these the common tunisian stitch, fig. . increase to the right in every row by one stitch, to the number of = then put the needle into the first stitch on one side of the square, turn the thread round and draw it through. here you must be careful to observe, in the first instance, that the second part which is now to be joined to the square, should always remain on the left side of the square and secondly, that the thread with which you join the two parts together, should lie to the left and be drawn through, from the wrong side to the right. having now got tunisian stitches on the needle, make double rows, and join the last stitch of each row to a stitch of the square. when these rows are finished, you proceed to decrease on the right till you have only stitches left; and then again to increase as at the beginning of the stripe. at each increase, after each double row you must pass the thread through the corresponding stitch opposite of the same row. when you have again got stitches on the needle, join them as before to the square. work round the sides of the square in this manner and when you come to the last decrease, join the stitches to those of the first increase, and fasten off. the next stripes are to be worked in the same way; they may be made either wider or narrower, plain, or ornamented with a cross stitch pattern which you work upon them. [illustration: fig. . pattern of counterpane worked in stripes. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .[a]] pattern of counterpane worked in stripes (fig. ).--this is intended for a child's coverlet and is worked in pale blue, bleu-indigo , and white; the stripes and the lace border, in white, the setting, partly in white, partly in blue. for the first stripe, make a foundation chain of stitches; then counting back, draw the needle through the th and th chain stitches, drawing up all the three loops together = chain, then put the needle again through chain stitches, draw up the loops together = chain and so on. coming back, make the loop of the first stitch and that of the second on the chain stitches of the preceding row = begin every row with chain, which form picots along the edge of the stripe; when the stripes are finished, take a blue thread and make plain stitch on each picot and chain. this blue row is followed by a white one, worked in cluster stitch, fig. , with chain stitches between every clusters. then follows another blue row of one plain stitch on each chain stitch of the previous row. the second blue row consists entirely of plain stitches worked along the long sides of the stripes, which are joined together afterwards, but not along the short sides until the counterpane is finished; then the stitches should border all the sides. the second stripe, which should be of the same width as the first, is worked in tunisian crochet; for the edge make one row of plain stitches in blue, one of cluster stitches in white, and then again a row of plain in blue. join the stripes together on the wrong side with plain stitches, taking up one loop on the right and one on the left, alternately. when you have joined the stripes, make the outer border, which consists of straight rows and a scalloped lace edging. st row--in blue: chain and plain on each picot, plain, and so on, down the long sides of the stripes = along the short sides, the side of the chain stitches or that of the previous row: plain, chain, miss , plain. nd row--in white or unbleached: cluster stitch, fig. , on each picot formed by the chain stitches of the st row; on the corner picots, you must make cluster stitches. rd, th, th rows--in blue: similar to the first. increase at the corners by making: plain, chain, plain on the same stitch. th row--in white or unbleached: similar to the nd row. th row--in blue: treble on each of the stitches of the previous row. lace edging.--the scallops extend over stitches of the previous row and on that account it is better to make the corners first, to count the stitches both ways so as to distribute the stitches that are left over, between the scallops. corner scallop.--fasten on the thread to the left of the second of the stitches that were added to make the turn, make chain, single on the th treble to the right = single on the next treble = turn the work = * chain, treble on the th chain, repeat times from *, in all therefore trebles = after the th treble: chain, miss treble, single on the next trebles = turn the work = chain, cluster stitch between each treble, in all cluster stitches, then chain, miss trebles, single stitch on the next trebles = turn the work = chain, cluster stitch over the st, nd, rd and th pairs of chain stitches in the preceding row, and cluster stitches and chain over the th, th and th chain stitches; over the other chain stitches again: cluster stitch; then chain, miss trebles, join to the rd treble = fasten off. for the scallops on the right side, divide the stitches between the corner scallops into equal portions. supposing that they are divisible by , count stitches to the right, fasten on the thread at the th; * chain, miss trebles of the row beneath, plain on the rd, single stitch on the next = turn the work = chain, treble on the chain, repeat times from * and finish with chain, single on the nd lower treble, single on the next treble = turn the work = chain and cluster stitch between each treble of the preceding row, cluster stitches between the rd and nd trebles = after the th stitch: chain, miss treble, single on each of the next stitches = repeat times over chain stitches of the previous row: chain, cluster stitch = on the th, th and th chain stitches: cluster and chain; on the last chain the same stitches as on the first = then single over each of the next and repeat from *. the final row consists of open picots, formed of chain stitches and plain, between each cluster stitch; after the last of these stitches and in the indent of the scallops on the straight line, only chain stitches and plain on the rd stitch. [illustration: fig. . pattern in squares for counterpanes. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to . colours: gris-coutil and brun-caroubier or bleu-cendré and rouge-cornouille , vert-mousse and bleu d'azur .[a]] pattern in squares for counterpanes (fig. ).--this pattern may be worked in the same stitch as the previous one, either in tunisian crochet or in any other of the stitches already described. make a foundation chain of stitches on which you work rows to and fro in the dark colour. the th and following rows up to the st are worked in the light colour, then take up the dark colour again. each stripe should be squares long. the nd stripe is begun in the light colour, and the stitches, made at the beginning of each row, are joined to those of the first stripe, as the stitches of the rd are to those of the nd and so on. when you have made sufficient big squares, each consisting of small ones, border them with seven rows of plain stitches, worked to and fro. the squares that form the corners are only to be bordered in this manner on two sides; the squares along the straight edges, on sides, and only those that are intended for the centre of the counterpane, on all sides. the separate parts are then either sewn or crocheted together on the wrong side. the dark squares are ornamented with small stars worked in the light colour, the light ones with scallops in the dark colour. for the small stars-- chain, close the ring; plain on each stitch of the chain; plain in all = after the th stitch: chain, plain on the st plain of the plain stitches. repeat the chain times and fasten off, then sew the star on in the centre of the dark square, taking care to spread out the little points formed of chain stitches at regular distances from each other. the scallops are worked from left to right; fasten the thread on at the point where squares touch, then make a chain of stitches and secure it at the opposite point. on the chain stitches: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = fasten off. repeat the same scallop over the second half of the square; when you come to the nd picot of the first scallop join the two picots. when both scallops are completed, fasten them on to the foundation by a few stitches on the wrong side. the outside border of the counterpane is made separately, and is worked inwards from without and from left to right. st row--begin with the dark colour and make * chain stitches, drop the loop, put the needle into the st of the chain, take up the loop and draw it through the stitch; chain and on the stitches: trebles quite close together. repeat from * and go on repeating the sequence until the lace is long enough to trim the counterpane handsomely. nd row--in the light colour and similar to the st = only that in joining the chain stitches together, you make the single stitch on the chain stitches of the st row. rd row--in the dark colour and similar to the nd. th, th and th rows--in the light colour and from right to left: chain, plain on each loop of chain stitches of the previous row. th row--in the light colour and from left to right: * plain on the treble of the lace, chain, plain on the next loop of chain stitches = these stitches are made on the wrong side of the work = drop the loop, turn the work to the right, plain on the last chain, chain **, and repeat always from * to **. one row of plain made on each chain stitch and a nd row of trebles on the plain stitches completes the lace edging, which is afterwards sewn on to the counterpane. counterpane with fringed border (fig. ).--this pattern requires three colours; we suggest the following as making a very effective combination: rouge-turc , bleu-indigo and white. the stripes, one red, the other blue, may be worked in any stitch. they are edged with plain stitches of different lengths worked in red. * the first stitch passes only under the loops of the stitches; the nd over stitches; the rd over , the th inwards, over . repeat from *. these stitches must be worked parallel to each other along the two edges that are to be joined together. the stripes are fastened together on the wrong side by single or plain stitches. the outside edge consists of rows: st row--in red: row of plain stitches on the right side of the work. nd row--in red, and on the wrong side of the work: plain stitches. rd and th rows--in red, and on the right side of the work: plain stitches. th row--in dark blue and on the right side: treble, chain, miss plain of the row beneath, treble and so on. th row--in white, and similar to the th. th row--in blue, and similar to the th. th row--in red: plain on each stitch of the preceding row. [illustration: fig. . counterpane with fringed border. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to . colours: white, gris-tilleul and rouge-cornouille .[a]] th row--in red and on the wrong side: plain on each stitch of the preceding row. th and th rows--in red: and both on the right side, rows of plain stitches. th row--in white: chain, miss , plain on the th stitch. th row--in dark blue and similar to the th. th row--in white: * plain on the th stitch of the blue row; chain, drop the loop, lay the chain stitches from left to right, put the needle into the rd chain stitch, counting from the beginning, take up the loop and draw it through the rd chain stitch, chain and repeat from *. th row--in white: plain on the picot formed by the chain stitches; chain, plain. into this last row you draw clusters of lengths of red cotton to form the fringe, and knot them together with blue, or if you prefer it, you may finish off the coverlet with a hairpin fringe. counterpane composed of squares and olive shaped figures (fig. ).--there are many who shrink from undertaking a large piece of work because it becomes inconvenient to handle and carry about. the counterpane here represented has the advantage of being made up of a number of quite little pieces, which are worked separately and joined together afterwards. two colours, which can be clearly distinguished from each other in the engraving, should be chosen from among the various combinations suggested; one of them should be very light, say, cream or white for the olive shaped figures and squares, and the other of some soft shade only darker, for the connecting rows and the knotted fringe, described in the chapter on macramé. the olive shaped figures begin with chain stitches, on which you make plain stitches and on the th: plain for the corner. on the second side of the chain: plain and besides on the corner stitch, and so on for rows; in the last row there should be stitches. these rows are to be considered as one only. nd row-- chain, treble on the plain stitch that follows * chain, treble and repeat times from *; chain, trebles with chain between them on the corner stitch, ** chain, treble, repeat times from **. on the last stitch at the corner, again trebles with chain; close the round with single stitch. rd row-- chain, single on the chain stitch that follows the st treble of the last row; chain, double treble between the lower trebles, chain and so on, until you have trebles, counting the two sets of trebles at the corner. th row--here you can change the colour: plain on each of the stitches of the last row; plain at the corners. th row--similar to the th. [illustration: fig. . counterpane composed of squares and olive shaped figures. materials: coton pour crochet d.m.c nos. to , or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to . colours: white and rouge-turc , or Écru and rouge-cerise , gris-coutil and bleu-gentiane .[a]] th row-- plain, cluster of double trebles on the same stitch of the th row as the th stitch of the last row is on; miss plain. continue in this manner along the whole row, taking care that the th and nd cluster come just at the corner. th and th rows--these two last rows should be worked in the same colour as the inside of the figure. be careful always to make the increase at the point; a th row in the dark colour may further be added, to connect the figures, by passing the thread from the wrong side to the right, between the last stitches of two of the points of the figures. the space between these olive shaped figures is filled by a pointed square of chain stitches. in the st and following rows you miss stitches at the point where the figures meet, and continue to decrease in this manner until the space is filled up. the fringe is made in the dark colour, either directly on to the plain crochet, or after a few rows of open-work. squares for chair-backs (fig. ).--this is a design for cut-work, out of an old collection by sibmacher, which we have adapted to crochet. it will be found most effective, worked in any of the given materials; we have worked it with admirable result, both in cordonnet fils d.m.c no. and fil à dentelle d.m.c no. . st row-- chain, close the ring. nd row-- chain, plain on each chain, in all; draw the loop of the last stitch through the st chain. rd row-- chain, treble *, chain, treble, repeat times from *. in all, with the chain, trebles. th row-- plain, over each treble of chain. th row-- chain, plain on the nd of the plain stitches beneath, * chain, treble, over the treble beneath, chain, plain on the nd stitch of the row beneath. repeat times from *, then add chain, plain on the rd of the chain. th row-- chain, plain over the treble of the last row; repeat the same series times. th row-- chain, treble over the treble beneath; treble on each chain stitch, trebles on each plain stitch of the row beneath; in all, trebles, including the chain. th row--* chain, plain between the trebles that were added, therefore between the th and the th = turn the work = make plain on the wrong side = turn the work back to the right side = take up loop of each of the stitches for the tunisian stitch that is made on rows, and decreasing by one stitch in each row, alternately on the right and left = draw up the last loops together and make, descending on the right side: single stitch on each row of the pyramid you have just made, finish with plain on the stitch that follows the chain. repeat times from *. [illustration: fig. . squares for chair-backs. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to in white or écru.[a]] th row--all along the pyramid: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, plain at the point. repeat the same number of stitches on the nd side, and down the sides of all the pyramids = after the th row, fasten off. th row--fasten on the thread at a stitch at the point of a pyramid, * chain, overs, join the loop to the nd picot on the side of the pyramid where you are working, draw the needle back through overs, make overs more, and put the needle into the middle picot opposite and draw the needle twice through loops, thirdly through and each time after that, through loops = chain, double treble, join to the rd over, chain, plain = on the next pyramid chain, septuple treble, join it to the next middle picot = draw the needle thrice through loops, triple treble to join to the middle picot opposite, draw the needle back through the loops, and at the th over, through loops, and each time after that, through loops, chain, quadruple treble, join it to the th over, chain, triple treble, chain, plain on the next pyramid. repeat times from *. th row-- chain, plain on each of the stitches of the previous row and plain on those forming the corner; fasten off. th row-- single on the first plain, chain, treble on the rd plain, chain, treble on the rd plain and so on to the corner and until you have trebles = on the corner stitch: chain and treble more; then proceed as you did on the first side. there should be trebles and times chain between the corner trebles; all four sides should be alike. th row-- plain on each stitch of the last row, not counting the which are to be made at the corner. th row-- single over the preceding stitches *, chain, plain; miss plain of the last row, not counting the increased stitches which must be left empty = after the th stitch turn the work, miss , plain, passing the needle under the loops of the row beneath = turn the work = chain, plain = turn the work = plain = continue to decrease in the same proportion, until you have stitches left and fasten off. in all the intakes miss the last stitch but one, coming back, and the st going, and always begin on the right side with chain. for the second half of these triangular figures which are worked from right to left, fasten on the thread to the th stitch after the increase and make plain = plain should remain between the two triangular figures formed of plain stitches = turn the work = plain, miss the last stitches, plain on the stitch the thread is fastened to = turn the work = miss stitch, plain, overs, put the needle through the th of the stitches between, bring it back twice, each time through loops, make overs more, put the needle through the last stitch of the rd row opposite, bring it back twice through loops, then once through loops and twice through loops = turn the work = plain and so on, until you have made transverse trebles = fasten off, then repeat the same series of rows on the other sides. th row--do not cut off the thread on the th side but work backwards: single over the chain, chain * treble on the stitch whence the chain proceeded, chain, treble on the last plain of the first half of the close parts of the pattern; chain, treble in the middle of the first part of the th transverse treble; chain, treble on the second half of the preceding treble, chain, treble on the st plain of the second half of the close parts; chain, treble on the rd and last upper stitch of the close part; chain, treble on the same stitch as the last treble. then along the edge, trebles, joined by chain, one of which trebles should always be on a row of plain stitches = after the th treble: chain, plain on the th plain of the th row, chain, again trebles connected by chain = after the trebles: chain ** and repeat times from * to **. th row--on every chain stitches: plain. th row-- chain, plain on the th plain of the last row; repeat times = for the th and th scallops only: * chain. the plain stitch that follows the th scallop should come exactly over the corner stitch of the th row = after the th scallop: plain; then scallops with chain, plain on the th stitch of the row beneath. repeat twice from * = after the th scallop smaller scallops, and up to the end of the row, scallops more of chain each. th row--make plain over chain, chain, drop the treble, bring the needle back with the loop through the rd plain = on the chain: plain, picot, plain = on the remaining stitches: plain--on the th scallop of chain, only: plain = on the th scallop of chain, only: plain = then chain, bring them back and join them to the rd plain of the th scallop and finish the picot. when these squares are made use of in any number and have to be joined together, you must join picots and leave the th free. the four empty picots in the centre are connected by a small star. crochet star (fig. ).--this is one of the most graceful and delicate crochet patterns we know. for the purpose of reproduction here, we have had it worked in all the different sizes of d.m.c cotton but it looks best in a fine material; in fil à dentelle no. , it can bear comparison with the finest needle-made lace. st row-- chain, close the ring. nd row-- chain, double treble, * chain, double treble; repeat times from * = after the th treble: chain, single on the th of the chain. rd row-- chain, plain, * picot, plain; repeat times from * = carry the thread to the last stitch through the st plain. th row-- chain, treble on the stitch over the treble beneath, * chain, treble; repeat times from * = after the th treble and the chain: single on the rd of the chain. th row-- chain, treble on each stitch of the row beneath; including the chain, trebles in the whole circumference = after the last treble: single on the chain. th row-- chain, quadruple treble on the nd treble of the last row; chain, quadruple treble on the rd treble and so on, in all trebles including the chain. th row-- chain, plain on chain. th row-- plain on the first chain, * chain, miss , ** single, plain, half treble, trebles, treble ½ long, double trebles, triple treble, treble ½ trebles long, quadruple-treble ***, chain, miss plain of the th row, plain, chain, join them, counting upwards from below, to the th treble of the first pyramid = on chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain; join the last loop of the last plain and the loop of the th chain; chain. repeat from ** to *** = on the middle of the last quadruple treble: double treble towards the bottom, finish the treble, chain, miss , plain ****. repeat times from * to ****. [illustration: fig. . crochet star. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c no. , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] coming back to the st point make along it: single stitches, then chain, join them to the th treble of the th point = over the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain and finish with single to carry the thread to the top of the point. th row-- chain, plain, * chain, plain at the top of the point and repeat times from *. th row-- chain; treble on each stitch of the th row; trebles in all, including the chain. th row--the star is bordered by small and large scallops, surmounted by points similar to those inside. you begin by the small scallop and make on the th row: single, * chain, bring them back and join them to the st of the single; plain, chain, miss trebles, join them to the th; plain on the chain, plain on the first chain = turn the work = chain, treble on the plain stitch between two scallops; chain, plain on the th plain of the st scallop; plain in the th chain, chain, picot, chain, miss , and make on the following ones: single, plain, half treble, trebles, treble ½ treble long, picot, chain, plain on the chain; plain on the chain. to pass to the large scallop make: single, chain, bring them back, plain on the th single, chain, bring them back again to the th = turn the work = on the second set of chain: plain, picot, plain = on the first : plain, then chain, bring them back and join them to the th plain behind the picot of the finished scallop = on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = on the remaining chain below: plain, picot, plain; add single on the trebles and pass to the outer scallop = chain, plain on the rd of the plain of the small upper scallop; chain, plain on the th of the single = turn the work = plain on the last chain stitches, and on the first; single on the rd single = turn the work = plain on each of the preceding plain stitches; join the last to the under row with a single stitch = turn the work = plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain, picot, chain, miss , single, plain, half treble, trebles, treble ½ treble long, double treble, treble ½ trebles long, triple treble, picot, chain and join them to the th plain stitch, counting from the middle. then plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, single on the trebles. repeat times from *. star with little squares (fig. ).--begin with chain stitches, close the ring. st row-- chain, * treble, chain. repeat times from *, to number altogether trebles including the chain; single on the rd chain. nd row-- chain, * triple treble on the st chain stitch, chain. repeat times from * and join to the th chain. [illustration: fig. . star with little squares. materials: the same as for fig. .] rd row-- chain, * double treble on the treble beneath, chain. repeat from * through the row; join to the th chain. th row-- plain on the treble = on the chain: plain, plain on the treble; work times to and fro over these stitches, put the needle through the threads of the last stitch = after the th row: chain, then plain on the next chain. in turning the work and going from the nd to the rd, from the th to the th row, carry the thread behind the chain stitches, so that they may blend with the plain stitches; make in all little squares with spaces between; after the th, square: chain, single on the th row of the first square. th row--on each of the plain of the st square: single = on the th: plain = plain on the chain = plain on the st stitch of the nd square = rows of plain, chain, plain on the th stitch of the next square = then make rows of plain and wind the thread round the chain stitches. th row-- single on every stitch of the last square, plain on the last stitch above the chain = on the chain: plain, plain on the st stitch of the next square below = rows to and fro. th row--after the th square: chain, single on the st plain, * chain, plain on the last plain = on the chain: ** chain, plain, treble ½ treble long, double trebles ½ trebles long ***, triple trebles ****. repeat from *** to **, then proceed from * to ****. th row-- plain over the chain, single on each treble; stop them at the th square and at the rd triple treble. th row-- chain, plain on the th of the plain; chain, plain on the triple treble, and proceed in the same way throughout the whole length of the row. th row--on the first chain stitches: * plain, picot, plain = on the second chain: plain, chain, bring them back to the th of the plain of the first scallop = on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, = on the chain: plain, picot, plain. repeat times from *. crochet collar (fig. ).--we have avoided as far as possible describing articles in this book that are subject to the changes of fashion, the present collar composed of squares, stars, lozenge-shaped figures and a lace edge, is of a shape that will never be out of date. fine and delicate work like this can only be executed in a very fine material, and we recommend unbleached thread as being more effective than white. the soft tone and the gloss of unbleached thread give the work an antique look, unobtainable in a white material. fil à dentelle d.m.c no. is the best for the purpose. [illustration: fig. . crochet collar. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c no. , cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or fil à dentelle d.m.c no. , écru.] begin with the straight-edged figures, and then make the connecting pieces between. the four squares with half stars at both ends of the collar and on the right and left of the centre square, have their four sides all alike, whereas the figures within the scalloped edge are rather narrower on the outer than on the inner side where they join to the foundation. inner squares: st row-- chain, close the ring; chain, * treble on the ring, chain; repeat times from * and fasten the thread to the rd chain stitch. nd row-- chain, plain over chain; plain over each treble. rd row-- chain, * treble on each treble of the st row, chain. repeat times from * = trebles in all, including the first chain stitches. th row--* chain; returning over the chain stitches: plain, half treble, trebles, half treble, plain, join to the st chain stitch = on the chain of the rd row: ** plain, half treble, treble, double trebles, treble, half treble, plain ***. repeat once more from ** to ***, then times from * to *** = along the first leaf to the th stitch: single. th row--starting from the point: * chain, triple treble on the th stitch of the small scallop of the th row: chain, triple treble on the next scallop, chain, plain on the th stitch of the nd leaf. repeat times from *. th row-- chain, * plain on the stitch that forms the point of the leaf; plain on each chain stitch and each treble of the last row = stitches in all, up to the nd treble = turn the work = coming back: chain, double treble on the th plain, chain, double treble, chain, double treble, chain, double treble, chain, double treble, chain, miss plain, join to the th plain = turn the work = make on each chain stitch, plain and on each treble plain and picot over the st, nd, th and th treble; plain **. repeat times from * to **. th row-- chain, plain on the nd of the stitches at the point, * chain, double treble between the two first picots of the semicircle formed in the last row; chain, triple treble on the rd treble of the semicircle, chain, double treble between the rd and th picots of the semicircle, chain, plain on the stitch at the corner. th row-- single on the chain stitches of the th row, chain, plain on the corner stitch, plain on the chain stitches and trebles = turn the work = coming back: chain, double treble on the th plain; on the same stitch add: double trebles with chain; finish with: chain, join them to the th plain = turn the work = on the chain stitches: plain, picot, plain, plain on the treble. repeat this series times = add: plain on the chain stitches of the th row = turn the work = chain, double treble on the st treble of the small semicircle; then again times, chain, and twice double treble on each of the trebles beneath = after the last chain: join to the th plain. the points in this row are made with: * plain on the chain stitches, chain, miss stitch = coming back: single, plain, half treble, treble ½ treble long, double trebles, plain on the chain stitches. the nd point must be placed one half of it, before, and the other half behind the picot; make altogether points = after the th: plain on the chain stitches of the th row = then work backwards, without however turning the work: chain, chain on the stitch at the top of the point and repeat times from * = after the th set of chain stitches: chain; plain on the th plain, bringing the thread forwards from the right side to the wrong = chain; take the thread back to the rd plain from the wrong side to the right = treble on each chain stitch, picot above each point, add trebles and chain, join them to the th treble that comes after the st picot. on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, trebles to the next picot, picot, trebles; plain, join them to the treble nearest the st scallop and so on = make scallops in all; after the th add trebles on the chain stitches = after the nd treble make plain, followed by the stitches at the corner = in the next scallop, you fasten by single, the st picot of the st scallop to the rd picot of the last scallop. when you have finished the four sides of the figure above-described, fasten off your thread. the edging of these squares should be begun on the narrower of the inner sides and at the rd little scallop: * plain on the middle picot of the rd little scallop, chain, double treble on the st picot of the th scallop; chain, triple treble on the nd picot of the same scallop, chain, double treble on the rd picot of the same scallop, chain, plain on the middle picot of the th scallop; chain, treble on the middle picot of the th scallop, chain **, quadruple treble on the middle picot of the th and quadruple treble on the middle picot of the st scallop following and draw the last loops of the trebles up together. repeat once from * to **. carry the trebles all round the figure on the picots just referred to. for the second half of the edging which becomes a little wider: *** chain, treble on the th scallop, chain, quadruple trebles, the last loops of which you join to the middle picots of the th and st scallop; chain, treble in the next scallop; chain, treble in the rd scallop; chain, treble ½ long, chain, treble ½ long, chain; double treble, chain, plain, chain, treble, chain, **** quadruple trebles, the last loops of which are joined together. repeat from **** to ***, that is the reverse way = finally add more whole row of plain and plain stitches at the corners = on the wider side you should have stitches, not counting the increases at the corner. to make the same figure, forming a part of the large outside scallops, repeat the same rows you have in the inner square up to the th row, the first half of which you make exactly the same as before. in the second half of the row of chain there should be chain stitch less in each intervening space than there were in the first half. th row--make the first half of this row like the th row of the inner square = over the nd half, one quarter of which is chain stitches narrower, the little wheels are made like the others with picots. the number of chain stitches and the trebles of the setting are also the same, but instead of points you have to make and over these, small scallops instead of . the setting, towards the top is made exactly in the same manner as the wide part of the upper square, that is, as from the rd scallop of the first semicircle to the th scallop of the nd. from this point, the series of stitches changes, so as to form a rounded edge: * chain, plain on the th scallop; chain, triple trebles joined by the last loops to the th and st scallop; chain, plain on the nd of the scallops; chain, plain on the rd scallop; chain, plain on the th scallop, chain **, triple trebles joined by the last loops in the th and st scallop. repeat once again from ** to * = add row of plain on each stitch of the preceding row; plain on the two top corner stitches. you will thus have figures with a rounded edge on one side. the second kind of square consists of leaves inside and is begun in the same way by chain formed into a ring. st row-- chain, treble, chain, * treble, chain. repeat times from * and join to the rd of the chain. nd row-- chain, plain over chain, plain on each treble. rd row-- chain, * miss stitch = coming back: single, plain, half treble, treble, double treble, triple treble, treble over the treble of the nd row; chain. repeat times from * = after the th point: single along the st. th row--* plain on the stitch you missed at the point, chain, triple treble on the treble of the rd row, chain. repeat times from *. th row-- chain, treble on each stitch of the th row; join to the rd of the chain. th row-- chain, plain on the treble over the triple treble of the th row: chain, plain on the treble above the little point. th row-- plain on the chain = on the rd scallop only: * plain, chain, come back to the second scallop, bring the thread back from the wrong side to the right between the th and th plain stitches, plain on the rd scallop, plain on the next scallop, plain and repeat times from *. when the th scallop is finished, pass to the point of the st scallop by means of single, then add the chain to pass to the th scallop above; when that is finished, fasten off, and fasten on again to one of the scallops. th row--* chain, miss stitch, plain, half treble, treble, treble ½ treble long, double treble, treble ½ trebles long, triple treble, treble ½ trebles long, quadruple treble, treble ½ trebles long, quintuple treble. after passing through the rd loop, make quadruple treble, between the plain scallops; then finish the quintuple treble, chain, plain on the nd scallop and repeat times from *. th row--* plain on the chain; plain on each stitch of the pyramid, plain on the stitch at the point; plain on the chain on the opposite side = turn the work = ** chain, miss plain, treble on the nd stitch = after the th treble, leave out no more stitches between the trebles ***; place the th, th and th trebles on the nd of the increased stitches. repeat on the opposite side from *** to ** and join to the th of the plain stitches = make trebles in all, then one plain over each chain, plain on each treble and picot after every rd plain = after the th and up to the th picot, leave only plain between: picots in all = in conclusion: plain more on the chain and repeat the whole times from *. the little wheel at the top of the square is begun with chain for the ring = plain on the ring, chain, * treble, chain = repeat times from *; trebles in all, including the chain stitches = then on each treble and each chain stitch: plain; after plain: picot; connect the wheel first on the right. the nd picot is to be fastened to the th picot of the large scallop = proceed with: times plain with picot = after the rd plain, fasten the picot to the rd picot of the next large scallop and complete the small wheel. the left wheel is made and inserted in the same manner as the right one. the wheels at the bottom of the square require for the foundation ring: chain, on which you make plain = on these: chain, * treble, chain = repeat times from *; trebles in all, including the chain stitches = plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain, join to the th picot of the nd scallop; chain, finish the picot, plain, picot, plain, chain, join to the th picot of the scallop, chain, complete the picot; plain, picot, plain, chain, join to the nd picot of the rd scallop, chain, close the picot, chain, picot, plain, chain, join to the th picot of the rd scallop; chain, complete the picot, plain, picot and so on, until you have picots round the wheel. repeat the same wheel to the left between the th and th scallop. the edging of this second kind of square is also slightly different; fasten the thread to the th picot of the st scallop before the small wheel, then working from right to left, count: * chain, treble on the nd empty picot of the small wheel; chain, triple treble on the th picot of the wheel = upwards: chain, double treble on the th picot of the wheel; chain, plain on the th picot of the th scallop, chain, plain on the th picot of the scallop, chain **, quadruple treble on the th picot of the th scallop and on the rd picot of the th; draw the last loops of the two trebles up together. repeat once more from ** to *, then: plain on the th picot of the th scallop; *** chain, sextuple treble on the th picot of the th scallop, retain loops of the treble on the needle, make more overs, join the treble to the rd picot of the th scallop; finish the bars, chain, plain in the th picot of the next scallop = chain, double treble on the nd picot of the empty picots of the bottom wheel; chain, quadruple treble on the th picot; chain, double treble on the th picot, chain, plain on the th picot of the th scallop, chain ***, septuple treble, in the th and rd picots of the th and rd scallops ****. for the preceding treble, you pass first through loops only, then make more overs for the other half of the treble, and finish the last loops one by one. repeat from **** to ***. one row of plain stitches completes the square. after having made the square similar to that of the upper one, you have merely to add the large wheels at the top. the setting of chain stitches and trebles is begun at the first scallop between wheels = plain on the th picot of the st scallop; chain, quintuple trebles, of which the last loops only are joined together, on the th and rd picot of the st and nd scallop, = chain, plain on the th picot of the next scallop; * chain, treble on the nd empty picot of the wheel; chain, quadruple treble on the th picot, chain, treble on the th picot; chain, plain on the th picot of the rd scallop; chain, sextuple trebles on the th and nd picot of the rd and th scallop; chain, plain on the th picot of the th scallop; chain, sextuple trebles on the th and nd picot of the th and th scallop; chain, plain on the th picot of the th scallop; chain ** septuple trebles on the th and nd picot of the th and th scallop. repeat from ** to *; and make figures with rounded edges. when all the figures are finished, join them together by trebles of a suitable length. introduce the thread at the corner stitch on the widest side of the nd pointed star and make: plain, chain, miss stitches, plain on the next stitches, chain, miss , plain on the next plain stitches. make loops in this manner, each consisting of chain and plain, then loops of chain and plain = then miss as many stitches of the square at the edge of the collar as were left empty in the second square; plain and draw the loop each time through the last stitches of the opposite square = chain, single on the nd chain stitch of the opposite side; chain, plain on the edge of the first square, chain, single, chain, miss stitches, plain, chain, bring the loop from the wrong side to the right = on the chain stitches: plain, chain, miss , plain. from this point onwards, fasten all the bars of chain stitches to the loops produced by the same stitches in the nd square. thus, the st bar consisting of chain, the nd will consist of chain on which make plain, and then add more chain. nowhere must the two first chain stitches be uncovered. the rd bar must consist of chain, plain and chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th of chain, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, chain = the th and last of chain, plain, chain, fasten off. as the square with the semicircles in it, has more plain stitches in the edge than the one with the eight-pointed star in it, the stitches must be divided so that you miss from time to time, instead of two. when the top figures are finished, join the bottom ones to them, each separately, by a row of plain stitches, made on the wrong side of the work. below the first square with the semicircles, comes the eight-pointed star, below the next eight-pointed star, the square with the semicircles, and so on. a narrow edging forms the outside border, the foundation of which is a row of plain stitches running all along the squares. at the middle of the square you decrease by stitches, and at the point where two squares meet, by . when you reach the left side and the end of the row, make plain on the corner stitch, then: * plain, picot, plain, chain, join them to the first of the first plain (drop the thread at each scallop and bring it forward from the wrong side to the right) = on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = along the square: plain, picot, plain, then chain, join them to the first plain = over the chain: plain, picot, plain, chain, join them in turning back between the th and th of the plain of the st scallop; plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain; on the half-finished scallop: plain, picot, plain ** = on the plain stitches of the edge: plain, picot, plain, chain, come back, join to the st of the plain = on the chain: plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain *** = repeat on the same figure once from * to *** and once from * to **. this makes stitches, the number there ought to be on the wide side of the straight-edged figures. the scallops vary a little on the rounded sides. there, you should have stitches, counting from the corner to the treble that marks the middle at the bottom. the single scallops, between the triple scallops of the border, are also all made over stitches; the first triple scallop is made over stitches, the nd, rd and th triple scallop over stitches. make no single scallop after the th triple one; which is immediately succeeded by the th triple scallop, over stitches. altogether, round each star, there are triple and single scallops. after the th single one, make plain stitches on the chain stitches of the connecting bar. on the plain stitches of the last bar: plain, picot, plain, chain, bring them back and join to the th of the plain = on the chain: plain, chain, draw the loop through the picot in the middle of the last single scallop, chain, close the picot, plain, picot, plain = in the bar: plain, picot, plain, chain, bring them back and fasten them to the st plain = plain, picot, plain, chain, join them to the th plain of the st scallop; plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = in the half-finished scallop: plain, picot, plain = in the bar: plain, picot, plain = chain, bring them back and fasten them to the st plain. plain, picot, plain, chain, join them close to the scallop above = plain, picot, plain, chain, bring them back and join them to the th plain of the nd scallop; plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain = in each of the half-finished scallops: plain, picot, plain = finish with plain, plain on the chain and repeat from * round all the rounded parts. the lozenges that fill the empty spaces between the large figures are made in rows, on a ring formed of chain. st row-- chain, treble on the ring, chain, trebles in all, including the bar of chain stitches. nd row-- plain over chain, plain over each treble. rd row-- chain, treble over the treble beneath, chain, treble; trebles in all. th row--* plain, half treble, treble, double treble, treble ½ trebles long; ** repeat the reverse way to * = plain on the treble, chain, miss stitch, plain, treble, double treble, treble, plain. repeat twice from * to **, followed by: chain, miss , single, plain, half treble, trebles, half treble, plain, single ***. repeat once from * to ***, then again from * to **, and add single all along the scallop. th row-- chain * plain on the top stitch of the small leaf, chain, treble on the middle stitch of the scallop, chain, treble on the next scallop = chain, plain on the leaf, chain, treble on the scallop, chain, treble on the next scallop, chain and repeat once from *. th row-- plain on each stitch of the row before, plain on the points. th row--on each side of the lozenge little scallops on chain, with picots and picot below the scallops and between every plain; the scallops at the points extend over stitches only, so that the picot below is left out. these lozenges are fastened on two sides to the middle picot of the triple scallop; then, starting from the rd scallop of the lozenge you make, chain, join them to the middle picot of the st triple scallop; coming back over the chain: plain, picot, plain and finish the scallop. the next scallop, at the point of the lozenge, is fastened by a picot of chain, to the middle picot of the th scallop underneath the connecting bar. repeat the same on the nd side and make lozenges in all. the lace that finishes off the collar at the neck must be made to stand up, and is begun by a row of trebles on the plain stitches. from the corner as far as the nd treble of the th scallop, make triple trebles, from the th scallop to the th chain stitch after the th scallop, make double trebles, from this point to the nd scallop of the next semicircle, only single trebles, then again double trebles and finish with triple trebles as at the beginning. decrease by or stitches in each square. when this row of trebles is finished, fasten off, and fasten on again on the right and on the base of the st treble which you border with chain, then follow: * plain on the row of trebles, put the needle in under the loops of the trebles = turn the work = chain, double treble, miss plain, double treble on the th stitch, chain, double treble, chain, double treble, chain, miss plain = turn the work = bring the loop to the front; ** plain, picot, plain, plain on the treble; repeat times again from ** and add plain on the trebles = turn the work = chain, double treble over the treble beneath; again times chain stitches and double treble; join the th set of chain to the th plain = bring the thread back to the front: plain on the chain = chain, miss , and make on the others: plain, half treble, trebles, treble ½ treble long, double trebles, plain stitch on the chain. the next point comes above a treble; you make points in all. after the th: plain, then chain, plain on each point between the points and join. join the th set of chain on to the th plain of the first treble = then add: chain, draw the loop from the wrong side to the right through the st plain stitch; trebles, picot, trebles, chain, bring them back over the picot, join it between the th and th trebles; plain, picot, plain, picot, plain, picot, plain. over each point: picot and over the picot scallop, like the one made in the square. on the th point only picot = after the last treble on the last chain: chain; then go on with the plain stitches until you have and repeat from *. in the semicircles that follow you leave out the first and last little scallops, the first and the last scallop must be joined together by the first and the last picot; in the last semicircle, make little scallops, the same as you did in the first. crochet chair-back (fig. ).--the close leaves in plain stitch of the large centre star, the corner figures forming a cross and the diagonal figures, all have to be made separately and sewn on afterwards in their proper place. to join the separate parts neatly together, draw a square the size of the work on a piece of thick paper or waxcloth, divide it into parts by means of straight and diagonal lines, sew the separate pieces of crochet upon it, face downwards, in their proper places and make the trebles on the wrong side of the work. begin by the centre star and make: chain, close the ring. st row-- plain on the chain. nd row-- chain, double treble on the nd plain, chain, treble and so on until you have trebles, including the chain. rd row-- plain on each chain stitch and each treble; plain in all. th row-- plain, picot, altogether picots in the row, then fasten off. [illustration: fig. . crochet chair-back. materials: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. for the close figures and no. for the connecting bars.[a]] the leaves round the ring have petals, large and small; you begin by the large one, and make the small ones afterwards. the petals should be begun from the point and not from the bottom as is generally done-- chain; coming back: single, plain, half trebles, trebles, half trebles, plain stitches, plain on the st chain = on the second side of the chain make the same number of stitches but in the reverse order. small petal on the left-- chain, miss , plain, half trebles, trebles, half trebles, plain, plain on the top. repeat the same series of stitches in the reverse order on the second side = at the th stitch of the large petal and counting upwards from below, draw the thread through the th stitch of the small petal, and do the same through the next stitches = for this purpose drop the loop each time and draw it back through the opposite stitch, from the wrong side to the right. after making the same petal on the right, fasten off; fasten on again at the outer edge and edge the petals with plain on each stitch and plain on the stitch at the point; make leaves with petals each. between the pointed leaves, which are afterwards placed on the diagonal line of the square, come some very long leaves which are rounded towards the top-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the rd of the chain stitches; carry on the trebles until you have, on coming to the last chain, trebles = turn the work and make plain on each stitch of the row = turn the work = plain on every stitch all round = turn the work = * plain, half trebles, trebles, double trebles, join the last loops of the last trebles together; set the th and st double treble on the same stitch = the th treble ½ trebles long; the st a triple treble = on the next plain stitch; treble ½ trebles long and quadruple treble = again on the next stitch: trebles, the first of them ½ trebles long, the nd a quintuple one = on the rd plain: quintuple trebles, chain, plain on the plain stitch of the nd row and next to the last quintuple treble, half treble, treble, double trebles on one stitch, triple trebles on one stitch **, quadruple treble on the next stitches. repeat from ** to *, therefore in the reverse order. to make the large star which is the first of the figures placed on the diagonal line, make: chain, close the ring. st row-- chain,* double treble on the chain, chain. repeat times from *, trebles in all. nd row--over chain: half treble, treble, treble ½ treble long, double treble, treble ½ trebles long **, triple treble. repeat once from ** to * and times from * to **. rd row-- plain on each stitch of the nd row. th row-- plain, picot, plain, * chain, picot, chain, miss = coming back: plain, picot, plain = on the plain stitches of the rd row: plain, picot, plain. repeat from *, with this difference that the trebles that are placed over the half trebles of the nd row must begin with chain. make, altogether, long bars, of them beginning with chain and with ; these bars remain empty; after the th you fasten off. th row--fasten on the thread to the top stitch of a treble, chain, plain. repeat this series times. th and th row-- plain on each stitch of the th row, then plain on each stitch of the th row. th row--over bars and spaces: plain, picot, plain and so on. add nothing further to the rows of plain stitches of the th, th and th picots. for the second star of the corner figure chain, close. st row-- chain, treble, * chain, treble. repeat times from *; trebles in all, including the chain stitches. nd row--* chain, half treble, treble, treble ½ treble long, double treble, triple treble **. repeat from ** to *, and the whole series times. rd row--* chain, plain, picot, plain, chain, picot, chain = coming back, plain on the chain, picot, chain = on the stitches of the nd row: plain, picot, plain, chain, picot, chain, miss , plain = coming back: picot, plain. repeat times from *, fasten off. th row--fasten on at the point of one of the bars and make from one bar to the other: chain, plain on each bar. th row-- plain on each stitch of the last row. th row-- plain on each stitch of the last row and join the last stitches to the that are under the th treble of the st star, taking care to put the trebles one above the other. the rd star also begins with chain formed into a ring. st row-- chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, join them to the th of the chain. nd row-- chain, * half treble, treble, treble, ½ treble long, double treble **. repeat from ** to * and then, times from * to **. rd row-- plain on each stitch of the nd row. th row-- chain, plain, * picot, chain, picot, chain. repeat times from *; after the th picot: chain. th row-- chain, triple treble on the th and on the nd plain stitch between picots, chain, triple treble and so on. altogether, including the chain stitches, trebles and times chain; join to the th chain. th and th row-- plain on each stitch of the previous row; join the last stitches again to the th stitch of the nd star and fasten off. the open work border is made from the st large star, beginning near the th treble at the point where the picots leave off. after fastening on the thread: chain, miss plain, plain on the rd = at the point where the circles meet, miss or stitches on each side and carry the treble over the indent of the scallop. after finishing the picots of chain stitches on the two sides and as far as the rd treble of the large star, fasten off; fasten on again on the right of the large star: chain, plain on the rd chain; put the needle only through the upper loops of the chain stitch; in the indent, connect picots by chain stitch; chain and plain between the next plain stitches. fasten off. the next rows both begin on the right and consist of plain stitches only; in the indent of the rings join stitches of the preceding row together by plain. the leaves over the circles--begin with the middle and largest one-- chain, miss , plain, chain, miss , treble, chain and so on, trebles in all = turn the work = plain on each stitch, passing under only loop of the stitches = on the stitch you missed: plain; on the second side: plain on each stitch = turn the work = do as in the last row = turn the work = do as in the last rows, excepting as regards the last stitches which you leave untouched = turn the work = plain, * chain = turn the work = plain = turn the work = plain on the plain and on all those you missed **. fasten off the thread. on the nd side of the leaf: draw the thread through the th stitch, counting upwards from below and on the side that is not indented, plain and repeat from * to ** = then make: row of plain, putting the needle through both the loops of the lower stitches = at the points of the leaves: plain, in the indents of the leaves miss stitch. first leaf on the right of the large leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the rd chain; trebles in all = turn the work = plain on each stitch, stitches altogether, to the corner stitch; plain on the corner stitch. the nd side is worked like the st. add more rows of plain stitches and increase plain on the stitch at the point = in the rd row leave the last stitches empty = turn the work = plain, chain = turn the work = plain and plain on the stitches that were passed over; fasten off. on the opposite side fasten on the thread on the wrong side at the th stitch counting from the point: plain, chain = turn the work = plain = turn the work = make plain stitches up to the end of the leaf and border it, like the large leaf, with plain stitches = join the first stitches to the corresponding ones in the large leaf = make leaves all alike. nd leaf on the left-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the nd chain; trebles in all = turn the work = plain on each of the preceding stitches, plain on the stitch at the point = turn the work = row of plain stitches = turn the work = row of plain = turn the work = row of plain, excepting on the last stitches = turn the work = plain, chain = more rows to and fro with plain; fasten off, and fasten on again on the nd side at the th stitch counting from below: rows of plain and row to the end of the leaf = then encircle this leaf, like the others with plain stitches, join the last stitches to the last of the large leaf = make leaves all alike. rd leaf on the right-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the rd chain, trebles in all = turn the work = rows of plain worked to and fro; on the stitch at the point: plain = after the th row: trebles, plain, chain, plain, chain, plain, chain, then plain stitches to the end = fasten off. on the second side, fasten on to the th stitch counting downwards from the top: plain = coming back: plain, chain, plain = coming back: plain, chain = then to the end of the leaf, plain on each stitch. rd leaf on the left-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, treble; rows of plain all round, plain on the stitch at the point, and plain on the added stitch. after the th row: plain = turn the work = plain = turn the work = single, plain = coming back: plain = coming back again: plain; after the last plain, single on each plain up to the top = fasten off. on the second side of the leaf: plain = turn the work = plain = turn the work = plain, single on each of the remaining stitches = turn the work = surround the whole leaf with plain stitches; plain on each stitch at the point; join the last stitches to the last of the nd leaf. branch on the right and st leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, treble ½ treble long on the rd chain, chain, treble ½ treble long on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, half treble on the rd chain, chain, miss stitches, plain = on the second side of the chain: * plain on each stitch, plain on the nd of the missed stitches. repeat times from *. after the th row of plain: chain = turn the work = row of plain on both sides and plain stitches on the chain; fasten off the thread. counting back the last stitches, fasten on the thread at the th stitch, make one more row of plain, fasten off. nd leaf of the branch-- chain, miss , plain, chain, half treble on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, half treble on the rd chain, chain, plain on the rd chain, plain on each of the remaining stitches; rows of plain, to and fro, in each of the stitches of the last row. the rows touch, and therefore encircle the leaf. rd leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, chain, treble on the rd chain, plain on each of the remaining stitches, rows of plain, to and fro round the leaf; plain on the stitch at the top of the leaf and on the one at the bottom. when these leaves are finished, join them together on the wrong side so that the end of the nd leaf is parallel with the last treble of the st leaf, and the end of the rd leaf parallel with the st of the last plain stitches of the nd leaf. having sewn these leaves together, carry on the plain stitches with the thread of the rd little leaf over the two others. fasten off the thread, join it on again at the th plain stitch of the rd little leaf, counting the stitches downwards from the top = chain, single on the th chain = on the ring: plain, plain each chain and plain on each stitch of the leaves = then, make more rows of plain and plain on every second stitch of the stitches in the ring. having reached the chain stitches, fasten on the thread, turn the work and continue the other rows. when the rows of plain stitches are finished, draw a thread through the chain stitches and pull them gently together. branch on the left and st leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble on the nd chain, chain, treble ½ treble long, chain, miss , treble, ½ treble long, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , plain on each of the remaining stitches. the remainder the same as for the right leaf. nd leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , plain on each of the remaining stitches. the rest the same as for the right leaf. rd leaf-- chain, miss , plain, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, miss , plain on each of the remaining stitches. the remainder, as well as the little ring, the same as for the right leaf. make altogether leaves for the right side and for the left. calyx of the small flowers.-- chain = turn the work = plain on the first chain, plain on the th chain, plain on the other chain = turn the work = * chain, treble on the st plain, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain, ** trebles on the second of the plain, on the th chain, repeat once from ** to * = turn the work = plain on each of the preceding stitches, single on the added stitch = turn the work = single on the first plain; plain stitches as far as the middle stitch; chain, miss , plain on each chain stitch, plain, single. fasten off. make calices in all. small flowers of three different sizes--make altogether, large, of medium size, and small. for the large flowers-- chain, close the ring, plain on the chain; plain on every stitch of the preceding row and picot after every second plain stitch. join the first and the last picots of large flowers to the calyx, the nd and the rd picots of one large flower to the th and th picots of the other. join the st and th picots of the rd flower to the th picot of the first and to the th of the second flower. for the medium-sized flowers-- chain, close the ring = plain on the ring, then a second row of plain with picot after every second plain stitch. these flowers connect the centre figure with the corner one. for the small flowers-- chain, close the ring = plain on the ring, then a second row of plain stitches with a picot after every second stitch. sew the medium-sized flowers and the small ones to the big ones with overcasting stitches. as regards the bars of chain stitches that complete the pattern they can easily be copied from the illustration. 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. [illustration: tatted insertion.--double knots, single picots and josephine picots.] tatting. on account of a similarity in their construction, a chapter on tatting seems to form a natural sequence to the one on crochet and is in some ways a preparation for that on macramé which succeeds it. the english name of tatting is said to be derived from «tatters» and to denote the frail disconnected character of the fabric. by the italians it was formerly called «occhi», whilst in the east it still bears the name of «makouk», from the shuttle used in making it. in the eighteenth century, when tatting was in great vogue, much larger shuttles than our present ones were used, because of the voluminous materials they had to carry, silk cord being one. shuttles.--the tatting shuttle consists of two oval blades of either bone, ivory, mother of pearl or tortoise-shell, pointed at both ends, and joined together in the middle. a good shuttle contributes materially to the rapid and perfect execution of the work and attention should be paid in its selection to the following particulars: that it be not more than c/m. long and or c/m. wide: that the two ends be close enough to prevent the thread from protruding; this is more especially important in tatting with two shuttles and lastly, that the centre piece that joins the two oval blades together should have a hole bored in it, large enough for the thread to pass through. in filling the shuttle, be careful not to wind on too much thread at once, or the blades will gape open at the ends and the thread get soiled by constant contact with the worker's hands. materials.--a strongly twisted thread such as fil d'alsace d.m.c, fil à dentelle d.m.c, or cordonnet fils d.m.c, is best for tatting. we particularly recommend fil d'alsace, as forming the best shaped knots and picots. a soft material such as coton à tricoter d.m.c, can also be used where it suits the purpose better. [illustration: fig. . first position of the hands.] first position of the hands (fig. ).--the construction of the knots or stitches, appears at first sight to present great difficulties but will be easily mastered by attention to the indications here given. one thing, to be constantly borne in mind is, that when the right hand has passed the shuttle through the loop, it must stop with a sudden jerk and hold the thread tightly extended until the left hand has drawn up the knot. after filling the shuttle, take the end of the thread between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and the shuttle in the right, pass the thread over the third and fourth fingers of the left hand, bring it back towards the thumb and cross the two threads under the fingers, as indicated in fig. . pass the thread that comes from the shuttle round the little finger of the right hand, and give the shuttle the direction shown in the engraving. second and third position of the hands (figs. and ).--make the shuttle pass between the first and third fingers, in the direction indicated by the arrow in fig. , and bring it out behind the loop. [illustration: fig. . second position of the hands.] [illustration: fig. . third position of the hands.] here the first difficulties for beginners arise and until they have sufficiently mastered the movements of both hands not to confuse them, we advise them to pay careful attention to the following instructions. as soon as you have put the shuttle through the loop, place the right hand on the table with the thread tightly extended, leaving the left hand perfectly passive. then, raising the third and fourth fingers of the left hand with the loop upon them, pull up the loop, stretching the thread tightly in so doing by extending the fingers. by this movement a knot is formed, the first part of the «double knot», which is the most common one in tatting. remember that the right hand must be kept perfectly still as long as the left is in motion and that the knot must be formed of the loop thread that is in the left hand. the right hand, or shuttle thread, must always be free to run through the knots; if it were itself formed into knots it would not have the free play, needed for loosening and tightening the loop on the left hand, as required. [illustration: fig. . fourth position of the hands.] fourth position of the hands (fig. ).--the second part of a knot is formed by the following movements: pass the shuttle, as indicated in fig. , from left to right, between the first and third fingers through the extended loop; the right hand seizes the shuttle in front of the empty loop and extends the thread; the left hand pulls up this second part of the knot as it did the first. [illustration: fig. . single or half knots. small josephine picot.] [illustration: fig. . single or half knots. large josephine picot.] single or half knots. josephine picots (figs. and ).--the josephine picot or purl, as it is also called in tatting, consists of a series of single or half knots formed of the first knot only. these picots may be made of or knots, as in fig. , or of or knots, as in fig. . fifth position of the hands (fig. ).--when the second knot forming the double knot has been made, the two hands resume the position shown in fig. . fig. reproduces the same and shows us a few finished knots as well. [illustration: fig. . fifth position of the hands.] [illustration: fig. . position of the hands for making a picot.] position of the hands for making a picot (fig. ).--picots are introduced into tatting patterns as they are into knitting and crochet. they also serve to connect the different parts of a pattern together and render a great many pretty combinations feasible. open and close picot (figs. and ).--these are formed of single knots, leaving a loop on the extended thread, as shown in fig. , and a short length of thread between the knots; finish the second half knot and when you have pulled it up, join it to the preceding knot. in this manner the picot represented in fig. is formed quite naturally. [illustration: fig. . open picot.] [illustration: fig. . close picot.] in every kind of tatting the knot that comes after the picot is independent of the loop. thus if the directions say: knots, picot, knots, picot, knots, etc., you must count the knot that served to form the loop and not make: knots, picot, knots, etc. to join the different rings, ovals, etc., together by means of picots, take up the thread that runs over the left hand with a crochet needle, inserting it into the picot downwards from above, draw the thread through and pull it up like any other knot. [illustration: fig. . tatting with two shuttles.] tatting with two shuttles (fig. ).--two shuttles are used in tatting when the little rings are not to be connected together at the bottom by a thread, when you want to hide the passage of the thread to another group of knots and when threads of several colours are used. when you work with two shuttles, tie the two threads together. pass one thread over the third finger of the left hand, wind it twice round the fourth finger and leave the shuttle hanging down. pass the second shuttle into the right hand and make the same movements with it as you do in working with one shuttle only. detached scallops (fig. ).--make double knots with one shuttle, then tighten the thread so as to draw them together into a half ring; the next knot must touch the last knot of the scallop before it. [illustration: fig. . detached scallops. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos to or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a]] scallops joined together at the top (fig. ). with one shuttle make double, picot, * double, picot, double, close the half ring, double, draw the thread through the picot and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . scallops joined together at the top. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to [a]] scallops with picots (fig. ).--make with one shuttle: double, picot, * double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, close the ring. [illustration: fig. . scallops with picots. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , écru or white.[a]] leave sufficient length of thread before beginning the next ring, for the rings not to overlap each other = make double, draw the left hand thread through the th picot of the preceding ring and repeat from *. tatted insertion (fig. ).--make with one shuttle a ring like the ones in fig. , then leaving a length of, from to m/m. of thread, make a second ring = turn the work = leave the same length of thread again, begin a third ring which you join after the th double, to the th picot of the st ring = turn the work after each ring is made, so that all the upper rings represent the right side of the work and all the lower ones the wrong. [illustration: fig. . tatted insertion. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , écru or white.] [illustration: fig. . tatted insertion. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .] [illustration: fig. . edging of tatting and crochet. materials--for the tatting: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls no. . for the crochet: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .] tatted insertion (fig. ).--to be worked with two shuttles. begin with one thread and one shuttle and make a ring, as in figs. and ; and a second close to it; then pass the thread over the left hand, take the second shuttle in the right hand and make double on the nd thread, after which you again make a ring above and one below with one shuttle only. edging of tatting and crochet (fig. ).--make with one shuttle: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, picot twice as long as the others, double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, long picot, double = close the ring = fasten off the two threads on the wrong side with two or three stitches. after the first knot join the next ring to the preceding one by the long picot, and work the remainder as has been already described. when you have a sufficient number of rings, pick up the picots by crochet trebles with chain stitches between them. on this first row, crochet a second, consisting of: chain, picot, chain, single in the treble of the st row. to finish the bottom part of the work, make plain in the st picot, chain; plain in the nd picot, chain, plain in the rd picot, chain, plain in the st picot of the next ring. one row of single crochet serves as a footing to the edging. [illustration: fig. . tatted edging in three rows. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .] tatted edging in three rows (fig. ).--worked with two shuttles. the first row is worked like fig. , with one shuttle. the second and third are worked with two. fasten the thread of the right hand shuttle into the first picot; then work on this thread the same number of double knots and picots as in the st row and join each half ring to the picot of the row before. in the rd row, insert picots between the double knots of the row above. here the josephine picot may be substituted for the plain picot. [illustration: fig. . tatted edging. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: Écru and bleu-indigo , or jaune d'ocre and rouge-cornouille , gris-tilleul and brun-caroubier .] tatted edging (fig. ).--worked with two shuttles and two colours. after making a string of rings like those in fig. , with fil d'alsace d.m.c no. écru, fasten the blue and unbleached threads of the respective shuttles to the middle picot. holding the light thread in the right hand, and the dark one laid over the left hand, work: double, picot, double = then put the right hand thread separately through the picots of the rings and continue to make: double, picot, double. the next row also is made with two shuttles. hold the light thread in the right hand; with the dark thread, laid across the left hand, make: * double, picot, double, picot, double = turn the work = with the right hand shuttle make: double, put the thread through the little picot formed above the middle picot of the rings, double, close the ring = turn the work = make with two shuttles: double, picot, double, picot, double, put the light thread through the blue picots and repeat from *. the first row of crochet for the footing consists of chain and plain stitches only, the second, of chain stitches and trebles. medallion (fig. ).--take two colours of thread and fill two shuttles with the light colour and two with the dark. make with one shuttle: double and picots, of them short and long; close the ring, break off the thread and fasten off the ends by a stitch or two on the wrong side.--for the next rows take two shuttles. [illustration: fig. . medallion. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to .[a] colours: white and rouge-géranium , or écru and vert-mousse , bleu pâle and jaune d'or .] st row--with the shuttles containing the light colour = fasten the ends on to a short picot and make: * double, short picot, double, long picot, double, long picot, double, long picot, double, short picot, double; pass the right hand thread through one of the short picots of the first ring, repeat the series times from *. when you reach the th half ring, instead of making the second picot, put the left hand thread through the short picot of the first half ring, then complete the last double knots, cut the threads off, pass them through the picot of the ring and fasten them off on the wrong side. nd row--with the shuttles filled with the light colour = fasten the ends on to a long picot, then make: * double, picot, double, pass the right hand thread through the picot of the first row and repeat the series times from *. rd row--with the shuttles filled with the dark colour = fasten the ends on to one of the picots of the last row and make: * double, pass the right hand thread through the picot of the nd row, make a long picot, double and repeat this series all round the medallion, until you have scallops. th row--with the shuttles filled with the dark colour = * double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, pass the right hand thread, from the wrong side, through the picot of the nd row and begin again from *. [illustration: fig. . insertion of tatting and crochet. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu de france and jaune-rouille .] insertion of tatting and crochet (fig. ).--fill two shuttles, one with a light colour, say, bleu de france , the other with a darker, such as jaune-rouille , and two numbers coarser than the thread you intend to use for the crochet. begin with the dark colour and make: * double, picot, double, picot, double, close the ring. with both shuttles, the light colour in the left hand: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, put the right hand thread through the picot of the first circle; then add: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double. with the shuttle, filled with the dark colour: double, pass the thread through the picot of the first ring, make double, picot, double, close the ring. then, leaving a short length of thread between, make: double, put the thread through the picot of the preceding ring, double, picot, double, close the ring **; then repeat from * to **. when you have thus made two equal lengths, join them together with crochet, using a thread two numbers finer than the tatting thread; if the latter for instance was fil d'alsace no. , you would take no. of the same material for the crochet-- plain in the st picot, chain, plain in the middle picot, chain, plain in the rd and st picot = then, over chain: sextuple cluster stitch (fig. ), chain. in the row on the opposite side of the tatting, take out the crochet needle at the rd chain stitch and put it in from beneath into the corresponding stitch of the opposite row; in this manner join the two insertions together so as to complete the pattern. [illustration: fig. . insertion of tatting and crochet. materials--for the tatting: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , or cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , écru or white.[a] for the crochet: the same materials, but two numbers finer.] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] insertion of tatting and crochet (figs. and ).--worked with one shuttle. the tatting thread should be two numbers coarser than the crochet thread. begin with strings of half rings consisting of: short picots and long. leave a length of thread between, equal to the diameter of the ring. when the two strings of half rings are finished, crochet with the fine thread: plain over each length of thread between, and at the base of the scallops. nd row-- chain, plain in the th plain of the st row. in the row that connects the two rows of tatting, put the rd chain stitch into the corresponding stitch of the opposite row. for the outside edge make: plain in the st short picot, chain *, treble in the nd short picot, chain, treble in the rd short picot, chain, plain in the th short picot, plain in the short picot opposite, chain, pass the thread through the th of the chain stitches, chain and repeat from *. for the last row make: plain in each of the last of chain, * picot of chain above the treble, plain in the next chain, picot, single in the same stitch as the plain before the picot, plain, picot, plain, miss the st and the last stitch, then make plain on the next scallop and repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . edging of tatting and crochet. materials--for the tatting: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls no. in two shades of one colour. for the crochet: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls no. in one colour only.] edging of tatting and crochet (fig. ).--worked with two shuttles and in two shades. with the light shade: double, short picot, double, long picot, * double, picot of the ordinary size, double, picot, double, picot, double, long picot, double, short picot, double, close the ring = with shuttles: double, pass the thread through the st picot, make double, long picot, double = with the light shade: double, pass the thread through the th picot of the st ring, make double, picot, double, close the ring = with shuttles: double, picot, double, short picot, double = with one shuttle: double, pass the thread through the empty picot of the small ring, make double, pass the thread through the long picot of the big ring, then repeat from *. to complete the edge, crochet first one row, consisting of: * plain in the st of the picots of the big ring, chain, plain in the nd picot, chain, plain in the rd picot, chain, plain in the th picot, chain, plain in the th picot and repeat from *. nd row-- plain on the rd and th of the first chain stitches = over the nd and rd chain: plain, half treble, trebles, half treble, plain; on the last chain: plain. for the footing make: plain in the long picot, chain, plain in the next picot, chain, double treble in the short picot, leave the last loops of the treble on the needle = trebles in the first lower loop of the double treble, keep the last loops of these trebles on the needle, after the th treble, draw the needle through the trebles. the last row consists of: chain, treble over chain. tatted medallion (fig. ).--worked with two shuttles and two colours. st row--with one shuttle: double and picots, close the ring. nd row--with two shuttles and the dark coloured thread laid across the left hand = knot the threads into one of the picots of the st ring: double, long picot, double, pass the right hand thread through one of the picots of the ring, picot, double and so on. after the th picot fasten off the threads on the wrong side by two or three stitches. [illustration: fig. . tatted medallion. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: gris-tilleul and rouge-cardinal .[a]] rd row--with one shuttle: * double, pass the thread through one of the picots of the nd row, make double, close the ring = leave m/m. of thread = turn the work = double, picot, double, close the ring = leave m/m. of thread again and repeat times from *. th row--with two shuttles; fasten the ends to one of the picots of one of the rings of the rd row: * double, picot, double = with one shuttle: double, pass the thread through the picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, close the ring = close to this: double, pass the thread through the nd picot of the st ring, double, picot, double, close the ring = again, close to the last ring: double, pass the thread through the picot of the nd ring, double, picot, double, close the ring = with shuttles: double, pass the thread through the nd picot of the rd ring, double, fasten the thread to the picot of the ring of the rd row and repeat times from *. th row--with two shuttles and the dark colour across the left hand: double and picots over the lower rings and double and picots over the upper rings. [illustration: fig. . tatted edging. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: gris-tilleul and rouge-grenat .] tatted edging (fig. ).--with two shuttles and with the two colours indicated, or in any other combination of colours. begin with two shuttles, the red thread across the left hand = double, picot, double = with one shuttle: double, picot, double, close the ring = turn the work = make a second ring like the first and close to it = turn the work = with two shuttles: double, picot, double = with one shuttle: double, pass the thread through the picot of the ring opposite, double, close the ring = double, picot, double, close the ring = turn the work to make the next half ring. make rows of half rings connected by rings. in the nd row, you pass the thread from the ring through the picot to which the nd ring was fastened in the st row. for the outside scallops, make with one shuttle: * double, pass the thread through the picot that connects rings, double, close the ring = with two shuttles: double = with one shuttle: double, picot, double, picot, double, pass the thread through the picot of the half ring of the rd row, double; then picots more with double between each, close the ring = with two shuttles: double, long picot, double, short picot, double, short picot, double = with one shuttle: double, pass the thread through the rd picot of the big ring, double, close the ring = with two shuttles: double, picots with double after each picot = with one shuttle: double, pass the thread through the rd picot of the big ring, double, close the ring = with two shuttles: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, pass the right hand thread through the th picot of the big ring = with two shuttles: double, then repeat from *. the footing is worked in crochet and consists of one row of chain stitches and one of trebles. square of tatting (fig. ).--worked with two shuttles and two colours. with the light colour: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, close the ring. st row--with two shuttles, the dark coloured thread across the left hand = fasten the thread to a picot and make: * double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double, pass the right hand thread through the picot of the ring; picot over the connecting thread, then repeat times from *. the last picot over the picot of the small ring is made at the end. nd row--with two shuttles, the light thread over the left hand = fasten the thread to the picot over the light picot: * double, pass the right hand thread through the picot of the st row, long picot over the lower picot, double, pass the thread through the next picot of the st row = in the corner, rather longer picot than the one before, double, pass the right hand thread through a picot, long picot, double, pass the thread through a picot; repeat times from *. to form the last picot, fasten off the thread on the wrong side by two or three stitches. [illustration: fig. . square of tatting. materials: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: jaune-rouille and brun-caroubier .[a]] rd row--with one shuttle and the dark colour: * double, pass the thread through the picot above the picot of the small ring, double, close the ring = leave m/m. of thread, make a second ring like the st = leave m/m. of thread, make double, pass the thread through the long picot, double, close the ring = leave m/m. of thread, make another ring of knots, fasten it to the same picot, the preceding knot is fastened to; then make a ring of double knots and repeat times from *. th row--with one shuttle and the light colour and worked like the rd row, leaving a rather longer length of thread between; then make: instead of double for the corner rings. th row--with one shuttle and the light colour = double, fasten the thread to one of the corner loops and between rings of the th ring: double, close the ring = turn the work = leave a length of thread, double, picot, then times double knots and picot, double, close the ring. make the second ring as close as possible to the first, beginning and finishing the second with double knots = make a rd ring like the st, join it to the nd ring by the th picot = turn the work = make another ring of knots and join it to the same loop of the th row, to which the two other rings are already joined = turn the work = ring above, with picots, like the first one we described, then a ring of double knots below. at the top, detached half rings, placed between connected rings, which form the corners. the top rings are to be joined after the rd double knot, to the th picot of the preceding ring. th row--with two shuttles and the dark colour only = fasten the threads to a picot that serves as a connecting link, take the dark thread over the left hand and make: double, picot, double, picot, double, picot, double = fasten the thread to the connecting picot and carry the half rings all round the square. 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. [illustration: macramÉ stripe--arabic subject.] macramé. macramé is an arabic word, signifying an ornamental fringe or trimming, which has been adopted as the term for a certain kind of hand-work, known also as «knotted fringe» or «mexican lace» and produced by the knotting, interweaving and tying together of threads. we have given the preference to the arabic name because of its less definite meaning, seeing that not only fringe and lace, but trimmings of all kinds, in the shape of bands and stripes and headings, can be worked in macramé. until its revival about ten years ago, when it was regarded by many as a new invention, the art of macramé making had for centuries become almost extinct and save here and there in the convents, was quite unknown. the multitude of uses to which it can be turned as a trimming, the infinite variety it admits of and its great durability and strength, make macramé well worth a study; the difficulties that repel many at first sight are only on the surface and any one who carefully follows the instructions given in the following pages, will soon overcome them and be able without pains to copy the charming designs that accompany them, which remind us of the wooden lattices in the windows of eastern houses, doubtless familiar to many of our readers, under the name of _moucharabieh_. materials.--these may be of almost any kind; silk, gold thread, cord, wool or cotton, can all be employed with good effect. almost any of the d.m.c cottons can be used for macramé; but the ones especially to be recommended are: fil à dentelle d.m.c[a], cordonnet fils d.m.c[a] and coton à broder d.m.c[a] for the finer kinds of work, and for the coarser, fil à pointer d.m.c[a], coton à tricoter d.m.c[a] and ganse turque d.m.c[a]. the twist in all these is so regular as to admit of a high degree of perfection being attained with them: they are moreover very agreeable to the touch, a great recommendation considering how much they have to be handled by the worker. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ cushion.] macramÉ cushion and other accessories (figs. and ).--the only really important requisite for macramé work is the cushion, which should be well stuffed, and weighted with lead (fig. ). it is convenient to have it made to screw on to a table like the swiss tambour frames. there are other kinds of macramé cushions but none, in our opinion, as practical as these because any pattern can be worked upon them and patterns that have a heading or a border of picots can not be worked on any others. the pegs at the ends of the cushion are for fixing and winding the long threads upon, which carry the knots, and which we shall in future call «cords». for making long lengths of macramé fringe, metal clamps, with round-headed pegs attached to them top and bottom, to fasten the cords to, as represented in fig. , will be found far better than a cushion, as any number of threads can be knotted on to them at a time by pushing them more or less closely together on the cord. [illustration: fig. . clamps for macramÉ fringe.] besides the cushion and clamps, you will require, some big glass-headed pins, made expressly for the purpose, a crochet needle for pulling the threads through the stuff when they have to be knotted on to an edge, and a french mètre or yard measure to measure the threads with; to these implements may further be added, scissors and a metal comb and ruler for cutting and straightening the ends of the threads. the length of the threads must depend on their substance and size; that is to say, that a knot will take up more of a coarse stiff thread than of a fine pliable one, on which account, to avoid the necessity of preliminary trials, the right length of thread, for the quality and size of material, is given with each pattern. if, for any reason, our workers should not follow the directions given, they must bear in mind that the thicker and stiffer the material, the more they will have to allow for the knots and vice versa. formation of the knots.--beginners must be careful, in macramé as in tatting, not to move or slacken the cord, or horizontal thread that carries the knots. the knots made by the «knotting-thread», as it will be called in future, consist of loops formed over the cord and then tightened. the knotting-thread and the cord are constantly changing places, as you work, loops having to be made now with the one and now with the other. [illustration: fig. . knotting on the threads.] knotting on the threads (fig. ).--excepting when you work with the threads of a material obtained by unravelling and drawing out the cross threads, you must knot on lengths of thread on to a cord; cut them double the length the fringe is to be and fold them in half, so as to form a loop by means of which you attach them to the cord, in the following manner. put the loop over the cord from the front and bring it back underneath, put the ends down through the loop, detail _a_, and tighten it, detail _b_, as shown in the engraving. [illustration: fig. . knotting on the threads on to a stuff edge and formation of a flat double knot.] knotting on the threads on to a stuff edge and formation of a flat double knot (fig. ).--push your crochet needle through the edge of the stuff from the right to the wrong side and catch hold of the loop, formed by the folding in half of the thread that is to be knotted on; pull it out to the right side, put the ends through, and tighten the loop, detail _a_. detail _b_ shows two double threads, knotted on near to each other in this way, and the first tying together of the two outer threads for the flat knot which is formed as follows: you take the two outer of the four threads hanging down and cross the right hand one under, and the left hand one over the two centre threads. whilst doing this, hold the inner ones tightly stretched out on the rd and th fingers of the left hand, detail _b_. the manner in which the two threads are brought back and tied together again is shown in detail _c_; the drawing up of the threads completes the so-called flat double knot, detail _d_. detail _e_, of the same figure, shows two flat double knots, side by side, and the first step towards the formation of a third, connecting together the two right threads of the one with the two left threads of the other. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads onto a knotted heading.] knotting on threads on to a knotted heading (fig. ).--make flat double knots as in fig. , detail _d_, on a double cord and then knot on your threads on to the loops of the double knots, putting the loop through from the right side, so that it may lie at the back. use double threads so that the work beneath the heading may not be too open. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads on to a picot heading.] knotting on threads on to a picot heading (fig. ).--first, crochet a row of chain stitches, then make flat double knots on the chain, far enough apart for the thread between to form picots on the chain, then a second chain of crochet drawn through the picots on one side, on to which tie triple or quadruple lengths of thread, as shown in the engraving. knotting on threads with round picots (fig. ).--fasten the lengths of thread to the cushion with pins, about half a c/m. apart, fix the cord to one of the pegs at the left end of the cushion, hold it tightly extended in a horizontal line with the right hand. with the left hand knot the threads that are pinned down on to the cord, looping each end twice round it, upwards from below and then drawing it through between the two loops or knots thus formed, pulling each knot to the left as you tighten it round the cord. make the second row of knots in the same way, taking care to lay the second cord as close to the first as possible that the vertical threads may not be visible between. one series of knots forms a bar; there are both horizontal and slanting bars as will be seen later on. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with round picots.] [illustration: fig. . knotting on with a fringe heading.] knotting on threads with a fringe heading (fig. ).--knot the threads on with a picot heading, as explained in the preceding figure, then cut the picots through and unravel and comb out the threads. for this way of knotting on threads, a very strongly twisted material is better than a loose one, as when it is cut and untwisted, it makes a much richer and fuller fringe. knotting on with picots and flat double knots (fig. ).--take two threads, pin them on close together, make a flat double knot, fig. , tying the outer threads over the inner ones, and loop the ends over a cord to make a horizontal bar of knots. knotting on threads with picots and two flat double knots (figs. and ).--pin the two threads on as before and make two flat double knots, one below the other; detail _a_ shows the first knot begun, detail _b_ the two knots completed. fig. shows the picots secured by a horizontal bar of knots beneath them. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with picots and two flat double knots.] [illustration: fig. . & fig. . knotting on threads with picot and two flat double knots.] [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with scallops.] knotting on threads with scallops (fig. ).--the threads for the scallops must be cut much longer than those that are to be knotted on below them. the buttonhole loops must be so made that they turn upwards; and there must be of them, all made with the left hand thread over the right hand thread, detail _a_. then, knot on two double threads underneath the scallop and besides, make knots with the threads that come from the scallops, detail _b_. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with loops.] knotting on threads with loops (fig. ).--pin on two threads folded in half, a little distance apart, detail _a_, and bind them together with a flat double knot. pin on more lengths close to them, the inner threads of which are held by a "collecting knot", as the flat double knot is called when it is made over more than two threads (see also fig. ). the ends of the threads can then be looped over one or two cords, so as to form a single or double bar of knots, as required. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with triple scallops.] knotting on threads with triple scallops (fig. ).--knot on three single threads in succession; first, the middle one, then the second, with the knot right and left and the loop long enough to form the scallop, then the third in the same manner. knotting on threads for ribbed picots (fig. ).--take a double thread and make two slanting bars of knots, see details _a_ and _b_, then secure them, like the preceding scallops by a horizontal bar of knots, see detail _c_. knotting on threads for a gimp heading (fig. ).--this mode of knotting on forms a broad gimp, consisting of vertical bars of knots, made over a single cord. on the one side, that which is afterwards turned downwards, the cord, the ribs are made on, forms loops, held with pins, into which meshes of threads can be knotted when the gimp is finished, for making either a fringe or a grounding. patterns in several colours may likewise be knotted into gimp headings of this kind. [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads with ribbed picots.] [illustration: fig. . knotting on threads for a gimp heading.] flat double knots with half knots (fig. ).--these are double knots followed by a third knot, or more correctly speaking, a half one of the first flat knots. collecting knots (fig. ).--as explained in fig. , these are flat double knots, made over more than two threads. the engraving shows, in the first place on the left, a flat double knot made over two threads, completed, and the first crossing of the thread for the collecting knot; secondly, the second crossing of the threads; thirdly how the collecting knot can, if necessary, be continued over threads, and fourthly, how the collecting knot should be made to finish with a flat double knot. plaited and waved knots (fig. ).--plaited knots are formed by a continuous repetition of the first crossing of the threads for making a flat knot, detail _a_; waved knots by a slight twist given to the plaited knots from left to right, detail _b_. these plaits of waved knots are secured by joining together the threads of opposite meshes, two and two, by a flat double knot. [illustration: fig. . flat double knots with half knots.] [illustration: fig. . collecting knots.] single crossed knots and double crossed knots (figs. and ).--two plain crossings of the threads, detail _a_, to begin with; after which you rapidly reverse the threads, turning the knot to the wrong side, drawing it up tightly at the same time; this forms the first knot, detail _b_. the second knot, fig. , is formed by crossings, detail _a_; reverse the threads rapidly, to form the double crossed knot, detail _b_. for the following knots tie the threads together, as for the flat double knot, detail _c_. looped picot and knotted picots (figs. and ).--looped picots are made along a row of knots by setting the knots, far enough apart for the loop between, to form a picot when the knots are drawn up close together. in fig. , the detail _a_ represents the picot, in its first open stage, detail _b_ the same picot when it is finished. knotted picots, fig. , are formed after one or more flat double knots, by a knot made in the outer thread; to get this knot into the right place, make it on a big pin and draw it up close to the flat knot before you take out the pin. [illustration: fig. . plaited and waved knots.] [illustration: fig. . single crossed knot.] [illustration: fig. . double crossed knot.] these picots are always made on both sides and can be repeated several times along a row of knots. detail _a_ shows the crossing of the threads for the picots, detail _b_ the picots completed and followed by a flat knot. [illustration: fig. . looped picot.] [illustration: fig. . knotted picot.] [illustration: fig. . bead knots.] bead knots (fig. ).--a bead knot is made by turning back the threads after a row of flat double knots. detail _a_ shows three flat double knots finished, detail _b_ the inner threads turned back over the flat double knots, detail _c_ the two knotting threads, brought between the two threads coming from the left to the right, and detail _d_ the bead knot finished and followed by a flat double knot. bars of knots to the right and left (figs. , , , , , , , ).--after knotting on the requisite number of threads on to a double cord, make two buttonhole loops with the right thread round the left one, fig. , then knot each thread twice over the second cord, fig. . these knots must be as close together as possible. this done, begin to make the slanting bars, inclining from left to right, with threads. the first thread on the left, marked in fig. , serves as cord to the threads , , , which are looped in succession over thread . fig. represents threads , and , knotted thread and in the second bar, thread becoming in its turn the cord, and having threads , and knotted over it, whilst it is being held, tightly stretched in the right hand. the knotting should be done with the left hand. in fig. , which represents a bar inclining from right to left, threads , and are knotted over thread ; and in fig. , in the second row, threads , , over thread . here, it has to be the left hand that holds the thread extended from right to left, whilst the right hand does the knotting. [illustration: fig. . buttonhole loop to the right.] [illustration: fig. . fastening the threads to the cord.] [illustration: fig. . bar slanting to the right. the knot open.] [illustration: fig. . bar slanting to the right. thread knotted over thread .] [illustration: fig. . bar slanting to the right. threads , , to be knotted over thread .] fig. explains how the double bars are bound together by an ordinary double knot. [illustration: fig. . bar slanting to the left.] [illustration: fig. . bar slanting to the left.] [illustration: fig. . bars joined together.] single chain (fig. ).--this is made with two single threads, by knotting them alternately over each other, that is, each in turns serving as cord to the other. double chain (fig. ).--the double chain is made in the same manner as the single, only with a double thread. both the double and single chain are generally used in macramé gimps and borders as a means of conducting threads of different colours, from one part of a pattern to another, which could be done in no other way; also, as a continuation to the chinese knot, fig. , as described at the end of this chapter. [illustration: fig. . single chain.] [illustration: fig. . double chain.] ribbed border (fig. ).--here, the same cord runs to and fro; the threads that hang down, form little ribbed bars running right and left. to distinguish from the knotting threads, the thread that runs to and fro it, is represented in a darker colour. macramÉ fringe (figs. , , ).--entire length of the threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. [illustration: fig. . ribbed border.] st row--knot on the threads, as in fig. , and in the following order: double white thread, double red, double blue and so on. nd row--make a horizontal bar of knots, see figs. , and , over a second cord. rd row-- buttonhole knots, fig. , each with threads. th row--like the nd. th row--make slanting bars of double knots right and left, counting threads for each bar, consequently for . the st and th thread serving as the cords for the knots. in the nd series of knots which forms the double slanting bar, make another double knot over the cord with the thread that served as cord in the preceding row. when the slanting bars are finished, bring them as close together as possible, tighten the last thread on the right and make another double knot with the left thread; the position of all the threads is clearly described in fig. . then continue the bars in the opposite direction, so that the nd thread on the left is stretched over the right hand group of threads, and the th thread on the right over the left hand group. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu-indigo , rouge-turc and white, or bleu tendre , rouge-maroquin and vert-fauve .] make rows of double bars and then take always threads of a left hand group and of a right hand one, tie them loosely together in a plain knot, put in, above the knot, a bunch of threads, c/m. long, fig. detail _a_, draw up the knot close to the bars and wind thread of a different colour several times round it, detail _b_, to form the tassel. the other bunches of threads which are hung on between two bars of knots must be tied on the same level with the first, but do not, nevertheless, come into close contact with the bars. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] insertion or fringe (figs. and ).--entire length of the threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m., including the fringe. st row--knot on the threads as in fig. . nd row-- double horizontal bar of knots, as in figs. or , over double cords. rd row--take threads for a group of bars; light and dark ones on each side; the two sets of threads are numbered in fig. , a working detail of fig. , from to . begin by making all the knots over threads and of the left set, so that threads and on the left will be outside and threads and inside the group. make the same knots over the rd and th thread on the right, then repeat the left group again and so on. [illustration: fig. . insertion or fringe. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: bleu-indigo and brun-chamois , or brun-rouille and bleu-gris .] repeat from the beginning, and make double knots over thread on the right, fig. , with threads and on the left, then again knots over thread on the right. when this series of knots is finished, make: double knots over thread (dark-coloured in the engraving) with the left thread and the right threads and ; make on the left: knots over thread with the right thread and the left threads and , and so on. when this pattern is worked for a gimp and not a fringe, the threads are made to end in knots, as explained in fig. . [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. ] gimp made with macramÉ shuttles (figs. , , ).--cut double threads of the length the gimp is to be. in order not to have to add on threads in the middle of the work, or have long ends hanging down, which are very much in the way, we recommend the employment of a new macramé shuttle, a kind of spool, such as are used in the making of pillow lace. these shuttles simplify the work enormously and are made hollow so that they can be mounted and filled on the spindle of any sewing machine. knot on the threads, as in fig. , and make a single bar of knots. then leaving threads on the right and on the left disengaged, make flat double knots with every set of threads between. make a slanting bar of double knots over the th right thread, with the th, th, th, th, th, th and th thread; then make knots with the same threads and with the th over the th thread. make a similar bar on the left, over the st thread, with the nd, rd, th, th, th, th and th thread. [illustration: fig. . gimp made with macramÉ shuttles. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: bleu-indigo and brun-marron .[a]] [illustration: fig. . macramÉ shuttle.] on both sides, and with the outer threads: flat double knots, fig. , detail _d_; more bars on the right and left, but in the opposite direction, and knotting all the threads even to the last one, fig. . take the middle threads and make flat double knots and then turn the bars of knots inwards; the return of the cord is indicated as before in fig. . macramÉ borders (figs. , , , ).--length of the single threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. knot the threads on for both these borders in the ordinary way, followed by a single horizontal bar of knots. for fig. , make a triple slanting bar of knots, with threads, slanting one from right to left and one from left to right; then make a single horizontal bar and add another series of triple bars slanting the opposite way; complete the pattern by a vertical bar, lay another cord and make a horizontal bar upon it on the wrong side of the work and finish by tying the threads together, two and two, as shown in fig. , detail _a_, cut them, detail _b_, and push the knot upwards, detail _c_. [illustration: fig. . slanting bar and the return of the cord. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . macramÉ border.] [illustration: fig. . macramÉ border. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours--for fig. : bleu-lapis or bleu-gentiane --for fig. : rouge-turc or rouge-cerise .[a]] for fig. take threads for a group of knots. make all the bars slanting from right to left first, fig. , then take the th thread, counting from left to right, for the cord, fig. again, and begin the second series of bars of knots, slanting from left to right. fasten off the threads as already explained in fig. . the same pattern can also be used as an insertion: bags for instance, look very well made of alternate stripes of this insertion and stripes made of flat knots. the openwork stripes must be wider than the close ones. [illustration: fig. . working detail of figs. and .] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] macramÉ fringe (figs. and ).--entire length of the threads, including the fringe, for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: brun-cuir and , bleu-indigo ] st row--knot on the threads, as in fig. , in the following order: double blue threads, single dark brown, double light brown, single dark brown; then again double blue, and so on. nd row--divide the threads into groups, so that the brown threads come in the middle with blue ones on either side. begin on the left = cover the th blue thread, which comes nearest to the first brown one, with flat double knots, made over the st, nd and rd brown thread and the light brown one = cover the rd blue thread with the brown threads and the th blue, which served as the cord in the st row of knots = cover the nd blue thread with the brown and the th and rd blue = cover the st blue with the brown and the th, rd and nd blue. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. ] in the working detail, fig. , the dark lines represent the blue threads, the light ones, the brown. when the quadruple bar, slanting from left to right, is finished, make a similar one, from right to left, then connect the st and th thread by a double knot and pass the first blue thread on the left over to the right group. nd row--make similar groups, reversed, so that the brown knots come next to the last blue ones and the blue knots again terminate the groups of bars; the brown threads will be stretched flat between the preceding group and the next. rd and th row--like the first. th row--like the nd. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: Écru, or any light shade mentioned in the d.m.c colour card.[a]] after the th row of groups, take brown threads on either side of the blue knots, and make them into a double chain, fig. , consisting of knots, and make flat double knots with the last threads. lastly, unite all the threads of one group of bars, and make them into a handsome tassel by the addition of other threads. macramÉ fringe (fig. ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. st row--knot on the threads as in fig. , succeeded by a double horizontal bar of knots. nd row--twisted or waved knots with knots, fig. . rd row--double horizontal bar of knots. th row--with threads: double bar, slanting from left to right, and bar, from right to left, joined together by the last threads. th row--with the threads coming from the groups of bars: single chain, fig. , with crossings of the threads, quite close to the point where the groups meet, and single chain with crossings, made with the outside threads. th row--similar groups of bars to those of the th row, but set the reverse way and terminating in a horizontal bar. for the tassels, add a thick bunch of threads to each group of threads that issues from the work. [illustration: fig. . fringe with mosaic border. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: Écru, brun-acajou and rouge-cardinal .] [illustration: fig. . knot open. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . knot shut. working detail of fig. .] fringe with mosaic border (figs. , , ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. st row--knot the threads on, as in fig. , one écru and one brown alternately, succeeded by a single horizontal bar of double knots. nd, rd, th and th row-- rows of knots, such as are seen in fig. , in process of being made, and in fig. , finished, and succeeded by a flat knot. the colours alternate in the knots; in the nd and th row the knot is set in the light colour, in the rd and th, in the dark. th row-- horizontal bar of double knots over a fresh cord. th row--lay down another cord, make another horizontal bar of knots and between every second of the light double knots, loop on red thread; the loop, that fastens it to the cord, taking the place of the knot. th row--lay down a third cord, and make double knots with the red threads between the knots of écru thread. th row--lay down a fourth cord, make a half knot with every red thread. th row--lay down a fifth cord, then make a horizontal bar of double knots, as in the th row; the red threads are taken to the wrong side and passed over. knot the ends of the threads together in clusters of , about m/m. below the last cord of knots. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ ground. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: Écru and bleu-indigo , or vert-perroquet and rouge-Écarlate .[a]] [illustration: fig. . shell bar. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . openwork part of fig. .] macramÉ ground (figs. , , ).--fill the shuttles with the length of thread that you think will be required for the work. st row--knot the threads on, as in fig. , blue and écru alternately, and make a double horizontal bar. nd row--beginning in the middle, make flat double knots with blue threads; with the blue threads on the left, make a quadruple group of bars over the blue threads on the right. these quadruple groups of bars, called «shell bars» are illustrated in detail in fig. . unite the blue threads at the sides by flat double knots. the beginning and continuation of the openwork parts of the pattern are explained in fig. . the threads that issue from the last group of knots are used for making the second shell bar, the two inner bars of which are made in écru cotton, and the two outer in blue. when this striped shell bar is finished, the blue threads are again united for the openwork figure. [illustration: fig. . fringe with foundation worked on the wrong side. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: white, bleu-indigo and or gris-amadou , brun-caroubier , .[a]] fringe with foundation worked on the wrong side (figs. , , , ).--entire length of the threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. knot the threads on, as in fig. and after finishing the horizontal bar, make from left to right, over the st thread, double knot made with the nd and with the rd thread. then, over the nd thread, which has now become the st, make double knots with the rd, st, th and th thread; then, over the rd thread, counting now from right to left, which in the knotting on figured as the th: double knot with the th and nd thread. make the same group from right to left, only at the rd change of thread make double knots instead of , and let the last knots count for the new group of bars, turned the opposite way. [illustration: fig. . opposing bars. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . formation of the knots on the wrong side. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . appearance of the knots on the right side. working detail of fig. .] in the middle of two opposing groups of bars, make a flat double knot with of the right threads and of the left. when the second horizontal bar is finished, turn the work round, and go on working on the wrong side, making plain double knots, as in fig. , turned in one row, all from right to left, and in the next, from left to right. when you have worked such rows of knots, begin to make one knot less on either side of a group, so as to form pointed scallops of knots which you finish off with a plain bar. tassels are then made with the threads that issue from each scallop, and when these are sewn up, turn the work round to the right side, where the knots, made on the wrong side, will present the appearance indicated in fig. . [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c no. , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: Écru, rouge-turc and rouge-grenat or violet-mauve and , and vert-bouteille .[a]] macramÉ fringe (fig. ).--entire length of the threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. knot on double threads, as in figs. and , to count as single in the working directions = * thread of red, colour , of écru, of red, colour , of red, colour , of écru, of red, colour , and repeat from *. st row-- chain knots made with every threads. nd row--a single horizontal bar of knots. rd row--collecting knots, fig. , made with the écru threads over the dark and the light red ones, and flat double knots over the écru threads. th row--collecting knots over écru threads with red and écru threads. th row--collecting knots in the centre of the groups, with the écru threads. th row--similar to the th. th row--similar to the th. then take the red threads on the right and left and twist them, each cluster separately, from left to right between the thumb and forefinger, as you do in making a cord, then unite them together, twisting them from left to right. fasten off the cord by a knot, beneath which the ends of thread form a little tassel. collect all the écru threads together and make them into a heavy tassel with the aid of supplementary threads. [illustration: fig. . border with shell knots. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: vert-mousse and rouge-cornouille , or rouge-framboise and gris-coutil .[a]] border with shell knots (figs. , , , ).--fill the macramé shuttles with the requisite length of thread. knot the threads on, as in fig. , in the following order; double thread of colour , double threads of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour . from left to right and over the st thread: double knot with the nd thread; over the th thread of colour , and from right to left, double knots with the rd, nd and st thread of the same colour = from left to right: double knot with the th thread of colour over the th, and with the rd thread over the nd = from right to left: double knots over the th thread of colour = from left to right: double knot over the th thread, double knot over the th thread, double knot over the st thread = from right to left: double knots over the th thread = from left to right: detached double knots. then, from left to right, and subsequently from right to left = with green threads: double bars slanting over the red threads (see the top of fig. ); unite the red threads in the middle and make a shell knot with them, fig. , consisting of flat knots, fig. ; take threads on the right and on the left, turn them down to the left and right, and then from the wrong side to the right, over the threads that come from the bars and close with a flat knot. on the sides, make double bars and between each bar, single chain knots. [illustration: fig. . large shell knot, open. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . large shell knot, shut. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . openwork part of fig. .] fill the empty spaces under the outside shell knots, with flat double knots; under the middle knot make bars of inter-crossed knots, of which a clear explanation will be found in fig. . to join two borders of the kind together, pass the thread of the second border over the thread on which the bar in the middle of the outer scallop is knotted. fringe with shell knots (fig. ).--entire length of the single threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. [illustration: fig. . fringe with shell knots. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to . colours: Écru and rouge-turc .] the threads must be taken double, counting as one. knot them on, as in fig. . this exceedingly effective pattern is a very simple one to work and can easily be copied from the engraving by following, for the bars, figs. to ; for the collecting knots fig. , for the large shell knots figs. and , and for the chain of flat double knots, fig. detail _a_. the tassels that complete the fringe must depend from the last collecting knot and hang between the triple bars of knots and beneath the collecting knot. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ border or fringe. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .[a] colours: Écru, rouge-turc and bleu-indigo .[a]] macramÉ border or fringe (fig. ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. st row--knot on the threads with double round picots, and one horizontal double bar. the colours should succeed each other as follows: * blue scallops, écru, red, écru, repeat from *. nd row--begin working from right to left: single chain with single threads, fig. , and changes of the threads; after the rd change of the threads, connect the nd chain with the rd, the th with the th. finish off every chains with a flat double knot. make, over the first blue threads; waved plait, fig. detail _b_, = over the th écru thread: bar of double knots, going and returning = over the last red threads: waved knots, and repeat from * = then lay down fresh cords, to make a double horizontal bar of knots. rd row--with the blue threads: large shell knots, fig. , triple bar of double knots to the left and right = between the bars large shell knots = triple bar of double knots to the right and left and finish with large shell knots, as above. with the écru threads: flat double knots, double horizontal bar of knots = over the last écru thread: waved knots with changes of the threads = more double bar of knots = join the cord to the outside thread of the blue triple bar. with the red threads: shell knot, figs. and , over threads; double bar on both sides of the shell knot with the outside threads, single chain, consisting of changes of the threads, made with the outside red threads; join the red thread and the light one that comes from the double bar together, on the left. the light thread is afterwards looped into the blue thread on the right = collecting knots over red threads on the right and left, collecting knot over all the red threads and one, on both sides, over red threads. after joining the threads on both sides, carry on the single chain with changes of the threads = over the first red thread of the left chain, make double horizontal bar with all the disengaged threads = below the bar, flat double knots = single horizontal bar = double knots, each over a single thread = double bar of knots. from this point, continue with the écru threads: row of double knots, double horizontal bar and waved plait; then join: blue threads and écru, and écru and red, together, to make flat double knots; the double knots between remain of one colour. the bottom border is like the top one with the exception of the picots. when this pattern is to be used for an insertion or a gimp, the threads should be fastened off, as indicated in fig. . [illustration: fig. . macramÉ border. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to and chiné d'or d.m.c[a] colours: noir grand teint , gris-tilleul and , brun-cuir and , bleu-indigo or chiné d'or d.m.c, bleu et or.[a]] [illustration: fig. . crossed bar slanting to the left. working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . crossed bar slanting to the right. working detail of fig. .] macramÉ border (figs. , , ).--wind the threads on shuttles and knot them on, as in fig. , in the following order: threads of, either colour or chiné d'or (blue and gold), of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , of colour , or of chiné d'or blue and gold. begin with the open work on either side of the crossed bars, figs. and , with blue threads and by changes of the threads outwards and inwards = the same with light green threads with changes outwards and inwards = then with the dark green threads, with changes outwards and inwards = over the th dark green thread, double knot with the st dark green thread with the th light green one and with the blue. over the next, dark green threads, knot the light green threads and the blue, from right to left, and from left to right, thus forming altogether bars across the first bar = then knot the first threads over the last dark green one = add a crossed bar with changes of the threads outwards and inwards. middle group, left side: double knot with the first light brown thread over the second thread; double knots with the black threads (the only ones that are to be taken double) and light brown threads over the st and nd dark brown ones. in the nd bar, knot the st dark brown thread, and in the rd, the dark brown ones, over the black thread. on the right, a similar group, slanting towards the one on the left. on the left--over the st light brown thread coming from the right, double knot, made with light and dark brown threads, and the black one, all coming from the left. on the right--over the st light brown thread coming from the left, double knot with light and dark brown threads and the black one (used double). on the left--over the light brown thread coming from the right, double knot with one light and dark brown threads and the black one. on the right--over the light brown thread, double knot with dark brown threads and the black one. on the left--the same knots as on the right. on the right--over the dark brown thread knot with brown thread and the black one. on the left--the same knots as on the right. on the right--over the st dark brown thread, knot with a brown thread and the black one. on the left--the same knots over the last thread. on the right--over the last brown thread one knot with the black one. on the left--over the light green threads and the blue ones, double knots with the brown threads and the black one = double knot with the st light brown thread over the nd, double knots over the nd dark brown thread, with light threads and dark brown = double knots with the light and the dark brown threads over the black one; after which you make other bars, taking the last thread turned inwards for the cord. make similar groups, slanting from right to left, then, beginning again on the left, make the knots with the light green threads over the st thread of the same colour running from right to left. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle nos. to . colours: Écru and brun-havane , or gris-tilleul and .] on the right--knot light green threads over the st thread coming from the left and repeat the same group twice, on both sides. the third bar forms, at the same time, the first scallop of a triple crossed bar, which has also to be made on the right. the two crossed bars finish with a triple group of bars; the last bar of which, on the right, consists of only one double knot. there remain to be made, on both sides, crossed bars with three whole scallops inside, one outside, and one half one, top and bottom. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] knot all the other threads over the blue and the light green ones = in the middle, knot the right and the left threads, alternately, till the black threads meet at the point. turn the group of bars, edged with blue and light green, inwards, and finish it off by a crossed bar, with scallops inside. macramÉ fringe (figs. and ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. st row--knot the threads on with picots, fig. , écru and brown. nd row--double and slanting bars made with single threads, succeeded by a double horizontal bar. rd row--begin with the light threads and make bars with double knots between, as in fig. , and finish at the sides with bars made with the brown threads; for the dark brown bars, see also figs. , , , for the crossed bars, fig. . this pattern should always end in such a manner that the light openwork figure form the scallop and be framed with the brown knot. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: brun-cuir and brun-marron , , .[a]] macramÉ fringe (fig. ).--entire length of the threads for no. of coton à tricoter d.m.c: c/m. this pattern is so easy that we refer our readers to figs. and for the working of it, merely remarking, that the bars are made alternately from right to left, and from left to right, and that threads are knotted over the cord that runs from the left and , over the one from the right. this fringe will always be found most effective in appearance if it be made in four shades of one colour, knotted on in succession. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ fringe. materials: the same as for fig. . colours: gris-tilleul and violet-mauve or, bleu cendré and rouge-cornouille , bleu-canard and rouge-maroquin , etc.] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] macramÉ fringe or ground (figs. and ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. this effective pattern is not difficult, save in appearance, so that it is unnecessary to describe it in detail; for the knotting on, see fig. ; for the plain bars, figs. to ; for the collecting knots, fig. . the only difficult point is where the threads cross each other inside the bars and form a check and by carefully following the course of the knots in fig. , that will be easily overcome. fringe or ground with picots (fig. ).--wind the threads on shuttles and do the knotting on, as in fig. , followed by a double horizontal bar. leave a small space between the double bar and the rd bar, which is a single one, in which you cross the threads without knotting them. beginning on the left--over the nd and rd thread: buttonhole knots, picot, button hole knots = over the st, nd and rd thread: double knot with each of the next threads = over the th and th with the th thread: buttonhole knots with picot after the nd knot. with each of the next threads, that is the th, th, th and th: flat double knot followed by: bar of double knots over the th thread as the cord, made with the th, th and th thread = add bar with the th thread as the cord, and the next ones as the knotting threads = add bar with the th thread as the cord, and the next ones as the knotting threads. leave threads free on the right = with the threads on the left: bar over the thread before these threads = leave free again on the right = quintuple bar with the remaining threads. * flat double knot with the th, th and th thread = with the th thread, over the th, th and th thread: buttonhole knots with picot after knots = knot threads over the th thread and from left to right = from left to right, bars with all the threads **. [illustration: fig. . fringe or ground with picots. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: white, écru, or any light shade mentioned in the d.m.c colour card.[a]] over the threads on the left and with the rd thread: buttonhole knots and picot = with the threads from the left: bars consisting of buttonhole knots and picots = a rd bar with double knots = join it to the last bar. leave threads of the bar of buttonhole knots free = with the outer thread make: buttonhole knots and picot over the nd thread and the cord of the bar. repeat from * to ** along the bar, also from right to left. left group--knot the last threads over the th thread and from left to right. right group--make, from right to left, bar consisting of double knots, over the th thread counting from right to left. after these last changes of the threads no difficulty will be found in copying the rest of the pattern. [illustration: fig. . double fringe. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to and coton à broder d.m.c nos. to . colours: white for the cordonnet, rouge-grenat for the coton à broder.] [illustration: fig. . knotted berry for fig. .] [illustration: fig. . large shell knot, open.] [illustration: fig. . large shell knot, shut.] double fringe (figs. , , , ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m., and entire length for no. of coton à broder d.m.c: c/m. knot on, as in fig. , thread of cordonnet, of coton à broder (these are to be taken double) of cordonnet, of coton à broder, and so on. in the second horizontal bar, you only use the red threads of coton à broder for knotting, not the white cordonnet ones. to supply their place, knot on two threads of red coton à broder under the white threads. with the red threads ( count as one) make rows of collecting knots, followed by a single horizontal bar. divide the white threads into twos and make single chains with them, the whole length of the fringe; the thread must be changed times for each chain; then pass the right chain under the left one and join them by a flat double knot. you then, with the threads turned outwards, right and left, make the single chain with changes of the threads and join them together again by a flat knot. the other single chains are made with and changes of the threads and crossed under the double knots. the tassels, which the red threads serve as a foundation to, are begun by: waved plait with two knots, then single chains, again a waved plait and berry composed of knots. this berry is made over the threads that come from the chains, with a long auxiliary thread, knotted as shown in fig. . [illustration: fig. . macramÉ border. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to and or fin d.m.c no. . colour--for the cotton: vert métallique [a]] [illustration: fig. . beaded ground. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to and gold beads.[a]] large shell knots, as described in figs. and may be substituted in the place of the berry, fig. . macramÉ border (fig. ).--fill shuttles, knotted together, that is, and , and knot on green threads, gold and green. the changing of the threads and the course of the knots can be so easily copied from the pattern that a description in detail is not necessary, it is sufficient to observe that all the dark parts in the engraving should be worked in green and the light ones in gold. [illustration: fig. . square of mosaic macramÉ. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. , coton à broder d.m.c no. and or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. [a]. colours: rouge-cardinal , rouge-grenat and , bleu-indigo and , gris-tilleul and [a].] beaded ground (fig. ).--knot on threads for every group of knots, and secure them by a knot and a picot, as shown in the engraving. work the groups of knots, as indicated in fig. , and after each group is finished, thread a gold bead on to every threads. our model is worked in écru thread and gold beads; the latter go very well with any colour and especially with the more subdued shades of green, such as the vert-mousse, vert bouteille and gris-tilleul of the d.m.c colour card. square of mosaic macramÉ (figs. and ).--this little pattern illustrates the way in which tapestry and cross-stitch patterns can be utilised for macramé. all patterns that are drawn on checked paper can be copied in macramé and even in several colours. for every square, you count either one single or one double thread, according to the scale on which the work is to be. in the case of a single thread, you count one double knot per square, in that of a double one, double knots, two in the first and two in the second row. after knotting the threads together, two and two, and pinning them to the cushion, see letter _a_, make single chains with changes of the thread, letters _b_ and _c_, then take a very long cord, letter _d_, and knot on the threads. the cord forms picots along two sides of the square; into which you fasten threads, letters _e_ and _f_, for the single chain formed, on the two other sides by the knotting threads. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] the coloured threads for the flowers are knotted on as the pattern requires it, taking the place for the time being, of those with which the foundation is made, which are left hanging on the wrong side until they are wanted again. the top leaves of the iris shaped flower, are worked in two shades of blue; the bottom ones, in three shades of red, the stalk and the leaves in green, and the little stars, with which the ground is powdered, in real gold thread. when the ground is finished, you make the same openwork border at the sides and along the bottom, as at the top and finish off with very full tassels, hung on over double threads and made of all the colours used in the square, tied up with gold thread, fig. letter _g_. fringe with three rows of tassels (fig. ).--as this kind of fringe is chiefly used for trimming carpets, curtains and furniture, it is best to make it in the coarsest numbers of the materials indicated at the foot of the engraving. [illustration: fig. . fringe with three rows of tassels. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to [a]. colours: bleu-indigo and écru.] the pattern is so simple in its construction that it is sufficient to refer our readers to fig. , for the knotting on of the threads and to fig. , for the waved plait. the little tassels between the knots, are made separately from the rest of the work and fastened on by the thread with which you sew them together at the top. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ ground. materials: ganse turque d.m.c no. and coton à broder d.m.c no. . colours: rouge-cardinal , or rouge-cerise .] macramÉ ground (fig. ).--the work represented in the engraving was made for a purse and copied from a beautiful piece of arabian stuff. ganse turque d.m.c was used for the light background and coton à broder d.m.c for the design. it is very easy to copy this pattern from the illustration by paying scrupulous attention to the number of knots; we do not therefore enter into any detailed description of the same, merely referring the worker to figs. and and the accompanying directions, for the adding on and the taking off of threads. macramÉ square (figs. and ).--length of the single threads of both kinds: c/m. knot upon a ring consisting of one thread: * thread of white cordonnet, of coton à broder colour , of colour , of colour and repeat three times from *. (the embroidery cotton is to be taken double.) begin with the light red thread and make: single chain with changes of the threads, single chain with the dark red thread with changes of the threads. add, or rather thread, supplementary threads in succession on to the white thread, which in fig. , comes in the middle of the group of knots, and over each of these supplementary threads, make double knots with the light red thread and with the dark. [illustration: fig. . macramÉ square. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. and coton à broder d.m.c no. or fil à dentelle d.m.c no. and coton à broder d.m.c no. .[a] colours: white, rouge-grenat and , or gris-lin and rouge-maroquin and .[a]] when all the red threads are knotted over the white ones, make crossed bars with the red threads by themselves, thus producing a point at the bottom of the leaf. then, over the first white thread coming from the right, knot all the white threads on the left of it and in the last place, the cord itself, over the red threads. make the same series of threads on the left. this is succeeded by a second bar of white knots, the last thread of which is left unknotted. make double knots with the white threads and close the square by a double bar. add a supplementary thread to the first bar, so that you may have threads coming from each side of the second bar and over these you knot the red threads, which form a dark setting to the leaves. [illustration: fig. . gradual increase of the threads. working detail of fig. .] when this is done on both sides, make flat double knots with a supplementary knot, taking single threads for each knot, and decreasing the number of knots successively to . at the point of the inside square, knot the white threads over the red ones and turn back the second white thread to serve as a cord to the first of the outside bars. join the first thread on the left and the first on the right, to form a flat knot with them in the middle, the threads of which are then passed over the red threads; the last white threads become the cords for the second outer bar. make a group of bars with the red threads and cross them times, then finish with a handsome tassel and join the white threads together all round the square with tassels. in the case of your wishing to use these squares for making a larger piece of work, through joining several of them together, you can knot the ends of the threads into short double chains, finishing off these again with ring knots, fig. , and loops; through these loops, when you come to join on the next square, the knotting thread is drawn, forming them thus into connecting picots, like those which you make in tatting. fringe with corner (figs. , , ).--macramé fringes are not capable of being drawn up, as knitted, crochet, and netted fringes are, on the inside, so as to turn the corners. consequently, according to the pattern, a greater or less number of supplementary threads have to be knotted in so as to form the corners. [illustration: fig. . fringe with corner. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] colours: white and rouge-cardinal .[a]] the working detail, fig. , shows us how the first supplementary threads, are looped on to the th row of knots. a group of crossed bars requires threads, which answer to groups of little squares, placed between the lozenges. the th supplementary thread is put into the double connecting knot at the corner, fig. , and on this, the bar of knots which runs right and left is subsequently made. (in order to make it clearer, the supplementary threads are represented in the engraving in a darker shade). on the two middle threads, which are a continuation of the connecting knot, supplementary threads have next to be knotted, thread singly, threads and together, threads , , and , all singly. in this manner the supplementary threads , , , and connect the two cords, whilst threads and only, are mounted separately on both sides. [illustration: fig. . addition of the first supplementary threads. working detail of fig. .] the bars, formed by the knots which are made with the supplementary threads, must be drawn tight, like any other double bar. the space left between the cords in the engraving is intentional, to distinguish the supplementary threads from the others. a long, coloured thread is looped on to the topmost thread, between the two bars, and with this, knots are made over all the threads that come from the bars and run inwards. in the middle of the square there must be flat double knots; when these are made, you continue knotting the red thread from the right and left, down to the bottom point of the square, and complete the figure by a single bar of knots, made of the white thread. [illustration: fig. . addition of the second supplementary threads. working detail of fig. .] knotted tassels, hanging from the points of the scallops, and others ornamented with flat double knots made of threads, suspended between the scallops, form the outside finish to this fringe. fringe with pointed scallops and large tassels (figs. , , , , , , ).--entire length of the threads for no. of cordonnet fils d.m.c: c/m. [illustration: fig. . fringe with pointed scallops and large tassels. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] the present pattern, which concludes our chapter on macramé work, is one of the most difficult of all, requiring great accuracy in every particular, but more especially, extremely careful attention to the direction of the cords, that the groups of double knots and the bars may be drawn up very tightly together, so as to make the pattern very distinct and give each figure its proper value. [illustration: fig. . addition of the first supplementary threads. working detail of fig. .] for each repetition of the subject threads are wanted. you begin the half stars, on each side of the lozenges, with the th and th double thread of the first figure and make double knots with threads over a th thread, fig. . over cords on the left and on the right, consequently over threads: buttonhole knots, with the threads and the disengaged threads, flat double knot over each of the threads. this forms a shell knot, on either side of which, make buttonhole knots over threads. [illustration: fig. . addition of the other supplementary threads. working detail of fig. .] for the groups of bars on either side of the shell, take the th, th, th and th double thread on the left, and the rd, th, th and th on the right. these groups are joined by buttonhole knots. knot the threads of the left group over the cord on the right; and over them again the next threads on the right; knot the threads on the left over the th thread on the right; make buttonhole knots with the th thread over the threads at the bottom and on the side. over the threads, that come from the left and right, make quadruple bars; cross the upper threads after the second row of bars, make buttonhole bars with the next thread over the th thread, then finish the rd and th bar of knots. [illustration: fig. . chinese knot and double chain for a ring knot.] to make the olive-shaped group of knots on both sides, take the threads, that come out from the shells, as cords. fig. shows the adding on of the first supplementary thread, fig. , that of more which, knotted on to the first, form with it, the group of bars on the diagonal corner line. the knots, of which the next large shell is composed, are made with more supplementary threads and one thread from the preceding figure. add on more supplementary threads to the disengaged threads, which then serve as cords for the groups of bars, left and right. the th group of bars which forms the corner of the fringe, is made on the threads that come from the large shell, on to which the fourth set of supplementary threads is knotted. [illustration: fig. . ring knot formed of a single chain.] the pattern ends at the bottom with a half star, and a double bar; beneath these, large scallops are added, consisting of half stars, ovals, whole star and ovals. all the threads that come from the groups are then collected at the top of the scallops and overcast with strong thread, so as to form a thick round cord along the edges of the scallops, widening towards the point, as more and more threads are taken in. at the point, these threads are knotted into a big tassel with another bunch of supplementary threads added to them. the other small tassels, represented in fig. , are made separately and then fastened on. the fringe is further ornamented by large knotted tassels, introduced between the scallops, for which, a large knotted berry, fig. , over cords, has first to be made. collect the threads all together, to begin with; then make: rows of knots over threads, over , over , over and over ; then cut the ends of the threads to the same length, and turn them inwards, to fill up the hollow space inside the berry, stuffing it besides, if necessary, with wadding to make it perfectly firm and hard and sewing it together at the ends. to this you attach large and small pendants; the smaller ones are begun with a chinese knot, figs. and , which terminates in a double chain, formed into a ring knot. [illustration: fig. . small pendant of the tassels in fig. .] [illustration: fig. . large pendant of the tassels in fig. .] these ring knots take the place, in macramé, of bead drops, in gimp trimmings; when they are made of a double chain, you cut away threads, when of a single, thread, conceal the ends carefully inside the knot, make a loop with the th or nd thread, fig. , and lastly, fasten off all the ends with two or three invisible stitches. into the loop formed by the th thread, you hang small ring knots, made of a single chain, with a loop, top and bottom, formed of the ends of the thread. fig. represents the small pendant, of which six are required for a tassel; fig. , the large one, of which there should be five. the berry, or head of the tassel, is attached to a crochet, or knotted cord, of which a description will be found in the last chapter but one of this work. 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. [illustration: insertion in embroidered netting.--ornament with various stitches.] netting. netting is a handicraft, so ancient that it would be difficult to trace it to its origin, or determine the date of its invention. there is evidence to show that the making of nets for fishing and game catching was as familiar to the earlier races of mankind as it is to us. practised in the first instance for the wants of life, it by degrees developed into an art, in conjunction with embroidery, to which it was made to serve as a foundation. the netting of every country, almost, has a distinctive character of its own: that of persia is known by its fine silken meshes and rich gold and silver embroidery; that of italy, by the varied size and shape of its meshes and a resemblance in the style of its embroidery to the punto tagliato; whilst the netting of france, known by the name of cluny guipure, consists of a groundwork of fine meshes with stiff close designs embroidered upon it, outlined in coarse glazed thread. netting, which divides itself under two headings, netting proper, or plain netting and net embroidery, has never yet gone out of fashion and places are still to be found where the entire population is engaged in this industry. plain netting and the implements used in netting (figs. , , ).--plain netting consists of loops, secured and rendered independent of one another by knots. for forming and tightening these loops and knots the following implements are necessary; in the first place, a netting needle; these are generally made of steel, split and flattened at both ends, with a hole bored through them below the fork at the one end, in which the thread, fig. , is secured, before it is wound on lengthwise between the forks. they are numbered as to size like knitting needles. there are netting needles likewise of bone, ivory, wood and tortoise-shell for twine and thick materials; these are without hole, fig. . [illustration: fig. . netting needle of steel.] [illustration: fig. . netting needle of ivory.] the thread must be wound on very tightly, and not too much of it at a time, that the needle may slip easily through the loops. the mesh, or spool, fig. , whether of ivory, bone, steel or wood, should be smooth and round and of the same thickness throughout, so that the loops, made upon it, may be all of one size and easily slipped off. [illustration: fig. . mesh or spool of ivory.] for long loops a flat mesh is best, and in all cases, the needle and mesh should be selected with a view, both to the material employed, and the size of loop required. in addition to these two implements, a cushion, weighted with lead will be required, to pin the foundation loop to, on which the first row of netting is worked. materials suitable for netting.--these, of course depend on the purpose of the netting: silk, twine, wool and cotton, can all be used and each possesses its advantages and disadvantages. silk has the finest gloss but when it is strongly twisted it is very apt to knot, and when loosely twisted, does not make firm knots. it is difficult to get linen thread with a smooth uniform twist and moreover it soon frays in the working; wool is too elastic a fibre and is unsuitable for washing purposes, cotton remains therefore, in every respect the most desirable material, being both smooth and uniformly twisted; as qualities, more especially adapted for netting we may mention the following: fil à pointer d.m.c, cordonnet fils d.m.c (crochet cotton), fil à dentelle d.m.c (lace thread), and even coton à tricoter d.m.c[a] (knitting cotton). netting stitches.--the loops are always the same--four-cornered whether they be square or oblong--and connected together, though secured and rendered independent of one another by knots. by different ways of passing the thread over the mesh and connecting the loops together, the following stitches are produced: ° plain loop, ° double loop, ° oblong loop, ° honeycomb loop, ° twisted loop. [illustration: fig. . first position of the hands.] ° plain loop. first position of the hands (fig. ).--every kind of netting requires a foundation loop, from to c/m. long, made either of cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à pointer d.m.c no. [a], which is pinned to the cushion. fasten the working thread to the foundation loop; then take the mesh in the left hand, holding it between the thumb and forefinger, with the other fingers extended beneath. take the needle filled with thread in the right hand and pass the thread downwards over the mesh and over the second, third and fourth fingers, inside, carry it up behind the third finger and lay it to the left under the thumb by which it has to be held fast. [illustration: fig. . second position of the hands.] second and third position of the hands (figs. and ).--carry the thread down behind the second, third, fourth and fifth fingers, and put the needle through the loop on the fingers and behind the mesh, through the foundation loop, thus forming a second loop, which you hold back with the little finger of the left hand. then gradually drawing up the thread that runs from the mesh, let go the loop held down by the thumb; then by degrees let go also, the loop which lies over the second, third and fourth fingers, still holding the last loop fast with the little finger; finally you release this too and pull up the knot thus formed close to the mesh with the right hand. this completes the stitch. the next stitches are made in the same way; whether they are to serve for casting on or for a netted foundation. the mesh is drawn out at the end of each row, the work turned and the mesh held beneath the last row, in readiness for the next, in making which you pass your needle through each loop. these diamond-shaped loops form a diagonal net. [illustration: fig. . third position of the hands.] ° double loop.--to make a double loop put the thread two or three times round the mesh. ° oblong loop.--for oblong loops, the knots must be made a little distance from the mesh. ° honeycomb loop.--make an oblong loop, pass the thread round the fingers, but not over the mesh as in plain netting, put the needle, not into the loop of the previous row, but between the loop, just made. the knot which is made in the same way as in plain netting, must be drawn close up to the mesh; the two threads of the loop should lie side by side on the mesh. the loops in honeycomb netting are six-sided. ° twisted loops.--pass the thread, as in plain netting, over the mesh and fingers, but before letting the thread which is under the thumb go, pass the needle from right to left under the loop you are making and the thread, and only then draw up the knot. although in netting the loops cannot be formed in as many different ways as in knitting or crochet, they admit of a certain variety, as the following explanations will show. patterns produced in netting by using meshes of different widths.--plain netting can be varied by making one row of loops over a large mesh and one over a small one, or several rows over the large and several over the small, alternately, changing the meshes at regular intervals. [illustration: fig. . patterns produced in netting by increasing and decreasing.] patterns produced in netting by increasing and decreasing (fig. ).--patterns of this kind are made by netting the meshes together in regular sequence and taking up as many meshes as you have netted together, or vice versa. you may increase and decrease in the same rows, or at an interval of so many rows. [illustration: fig. . loose loops in clusters.] two sizes of thread should be used for this patterns. to show the relation they should bear to one another, we instance: fil à pointer d.m.c no. with fil à dentelle d.m.c no. [a], or coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. and [a], with coton à tricoter d.m.c no. [a], or coton à repriser d.m.c no. with no. .[a] begin by rows of plain netting with the finer thread over the small mesh, followed by one row with the coarser thread over the large mesh; then, with the coarse thread over the large mesh, one row, in which you net every two loops together and one row, with two loops in every one, so that the number of loops remains the same. these are followed by rows of plain netting with the fine thread on the small mesh. [illustration: fig. . loose loops in clusters. working detail of fig. .] loose loops in clusters (figs. and ).--these clusters of loose loops are made in the following manner: st row--one loop, the knot of which must be a little distance from the mesh; put the thread over the mesh and the needle through the loop where the knot is; repeat this three or four times, making the loops all of the same length. then unite all the loops with one knot, carrying the needle from right to left, round the loops, instead of putting it through the loop of the previous row. nd row--make one loop over each loop of the first row, leaving out the loops that form the cluster. as may be gathered from the drawing, many different patterns can be worked upon the netting in this manner. [illustration: fig. . netting composed of plain, double and oblong loops.] netting composed of plain, double and oblong loops (fig. ).--netting composed of large and small loops is the kind generally used as a groundwork for embroidery. the loops of it are straight; diamond netting will serve the same purpose, but as it is less commonly used we have given the preference to the straight. the whole first row consists of a double and a plain loop alternately; the second, entirely of oblong loops, which are made by passing the thread only once over the mesh, and so, that in netting on the double loop, the knot is brought close to the needle, where as, in netting the plain loop, it hangs free; so that, as shown in fig. , all the loops of the nd row are of the same length. in the rd row, which is like the first, the plain loops should come between the small holes and the double ones between the large holes. [illustration: fig. . circular netting composed of long and short loops.] circular netting composed of long and short loops (fig. ).--make thirty or thirty one loops over a large mesh with a very stout material, such as fil à pointer d.m.c no. , or a double thread of cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , then draw up the thread on which the loops are strung, as tightly as possible, so as to form quite a small ring for the centre, and fasten off. for the next row, also made in coarse thread, fasten the thread on to a long loop and make one loop into each loop of the first row, over a small mesh. use the same mesh for all the subsequent rows, which should be worked in a finer thread, such as cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or . if you want to avoid fastening on the thread afresh for each row, make a loop over the thumb. making loops over the thumb.--put the thread, as for a plain loop over the mesh and fingers, and put the needle through the loop, likewise as for a plain loop, but before tightening the knot, draw the mesh out of the loop just made and make it exactly as long as the loop above. [illustration: fig. . circular netting formed by increases.] circular netting formed by increases (fig. ).--make loops on the foundation loop, close the ring, then go on, making a row with one knot in the first loop and two knots in the second, until the net attains the right circumference; in the subsequent rows, increase by one loop, that is to say, make two knots in each of the previous increases. [illustration: fig. . square of netting. begun.] square of netting (figs. and ).--to make squares of netting with straight loops, begin by making two loops or three knots. make two knots in each of the following rows so that each row is increased by one loop. continue to increase until you have one loop more than the square should number. [illustration: fig. . square of netting. completed.] following this row with the extra stitch, make a row without either increase or intake and begin the intakes in the next row, joining the two last loops of each row together by a knot. finish the two last loops over the thumb. [illustration: fig. . square of netting begun from the middle. begun.] [illustration: fig. . square of netting begun from the middle. completed.] square of netting begun from the middle (figs. and ).--instead of beginning a square from the corner, in the manner just described, it may be begun from the middle. [illustration: fig. . stripe of straight netting edged with empty loops.] cast on the required number of loops, make an intake in each row, by omitting to take up the last loop of a row. in coming back, your first knot will thus be made over the last loop but one of the previous row, fig. . to complete the square, fasten the thread on again, to the end of the thread of the last row, then make a similar to it, and repeat the same rows you made at the beginning (see fig. ). [illustration: fig. . stripe of straight netting.] stripes of straight netting (figs. and ).--these can be begun and finished in two ways. the simplest way, more especially when they are to be embroidered afterwards, is to cast on the necessary number of loops, to decrease on one side by dropping a loop, fig. , or by joining two loops together with a knot, fig. , and to increase on the other side, by making two knots over one loop. great care must be taken not to change the order of the intakes and increases, as any mistake of the kind would break the lines of squares, and interfere with the subsequent embroidery, unless there happened to be more loops in the stripe than stitches in the pattern, in which case the superfluous loops might be cut away when the embroidery is finished. straight netting with a scalloped edge (fig. ).--the second way of making stripes of straight netting is to begin by a square. after making two loops on the foundation loop, make rows with increases, until you have the required number of loops. then make an increase in every row to the left and leave the last loop empty in every row to the right. continuing the increases on the left, you net rows, without increasing or decreasing on the right, whilst in the next , you again leave the outside loop empty. [illustration: fig. . straight netting with a scalloped edge.] square frame of netting (fig. ).--handkerchief, counterpane and chair-back borders can be netted in one piece, leaving an empty square in the centre. after casting on the loops as for an ordinary square of netting, letter _a_, increase them to double the number required for the border. thus, for example, if the border is to consist of squares, you make loops, then leave loops empty on the left and continue to work to the right and decrease to the left, up to the dotted line from _c_ to _c_. after this you begin to decrease on the right and increase on the left, up to the dotted line from _e_ to _e_. [illustration: fig. . square frame of netting.] leaving the right side of the net, you now fasten on the thread at _c_, where the empty loops are, and here you make your increases on the right side and your intakes on the left, till you come to the corner, from whence you decrease on the right and increase on the left, up to letter _g_. stop on the left side and then work from left to right, passing over the row that is marked _e_. the fourth corner, letter _b_, is worked like any other piece of straight netting, with an intake in each row, until there are only two loops left. [illustration: fig. . diagonal netting with crossed loops. original size. materials--for the netting: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a] for the darning stitches: coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , or coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to .[a]] diagonal netting with crossed loops (figs. and ). to work this simple and effective pattern, begin by making a stripe of plain netting, loops in width, for the middle. when it is long enough for your purpose, take up all the loops on one side on a strong thread; fasten the work to the cushion again and work rows, along the other edge in the following manner. st row--long loops, to be made by the thread being passed thrice over the mesh. nd row--here, loops are so made as to cross each other, that is, you begin by putting your netting-needle at first into the rd loop, counting from left to right, then into the st, and lastly into the middle one of the three, so that the right loop leans to the left and the left one to the right. rd row--one plain loop in each of the loops of the previous row. you now, draw out the thread, run in on the other side, and run it in through the loops last made, in order to make rows again, as above described, on the bottom side. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] when this is done, you begin the scallops, composed of knots or loops, or loops and knots = net rows, leaving the outside loops empty, fig. , stop on the left and proceed with: knots or plain loops, or long loops with overs, plain loops = turn the work = plain loops, knots = turn the work = loops with overs, knots = turn the work = plain loops, knots = turn the work = cross or loops, according to the number you crossed in the middle, then carry the working thread to the middle of the long loops, and connect them by knots = pass the needle under the knot of the last long loop, then, on the right side net: plain loops = turn the work = plain loops, knots = turn the work = plain loops, knots = turn the work and continue the rows of plain netting until you have only loops left. to reach the next scallop, pass the netting-needle through each hole of the net and round each thread. finish off the scallops with a row of plain netting, made with a coarser thread than the foundation. [illustration: fig. . netted fringe. materials--for the netting: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .[a] for the fringes: soutache d.m.c no. or lacets superfins d.m.c no. .[a]] these netted edgings are generally made in unbleached cotton, because the patterns afterwards embroidered upon them in coarse, white knitting or darning cotton, show best upon it. the thread for this purpose should be used double, and the pattern worked in darning stitches, made over squares of the netting; the th knot is then encircled by a loop and the thread carried down over squares and a loop again made round the th knot. after making rows of stitches on the netting, cut bars between the rows of white stitches. the row of openwork produced in this way has a very good effect and greatly improves the look of the lace. netted fringe (fig. ).--plain netting, pretty as it is, looks rather poor, unless ornamented with embroidery of some kind. the double netting, illustrated in fig. , will prove a welcome novelty. the footing is worked in crochet, with braid, secured on both sides by chain stitches. into every fourth of these chain stitches, net one loop, missing the between. at the end of the row, turn the work and make the knot in the middle of the chain stitches, so that the loops of netting cross each other. in the second, or rather the third row, the knots are again made first into the front loops, into those of the first row that is; in the fourth row, into those of the second row. when the stripe is sufficiently wide, finish it off with tassels, made of soutache d.m.c no. . instead of tying up the lengths of braid with a thread, twisted round them and fastened off with a stitch, make looped knots round them with an end of the braid, where the neck of the tassel should come. [illustration: fig. . wire frame for embroidered netting.] embroidered netting.--embroidered netting, also known as filet guipure, cluny guipure, and richelieu guipure, is a netted ground, with patterns of one kind or another, worked upon it in a variety of stitches. implements required for embroidered netting.--besides scissors, needles and thread, a light steel frame is the only thing required, and this renders embroidered netting very popular. the needles should be long, and blunt; those called saddlers needles are the best. wire frame for embroidered netting (fig. ).--the frame on which the net is stretched should be made of strong iron wire, that will not bend in the using. in shape, it may be square or oblong, according to whether squares or edgings are to be made upon it, but the sides must be straight, so that the net can be evenly stretched. [illustration: fig. . mounting the netting on the frame.] this wire frame must be covered, first with wadding or tow, as shown in fig. , and then with silk ribbon, which must be wound tightly round it, and more particularly at the corners, very closely, so that it may be quite firm and not twist about when the netting is sewn in. the ends of the ribbon should be secured by two or three stitches. [illustration: fig. . mounting the netting on the frame with an auxiliary tape.] mounting the netting on the frame (fig. ).--when the netting is exactly the size of the inside of the frame, it need only be secured to it with overcasting stitches, set very closely at the corners. mounting the netting on the frame with an auxiliary tape (fig. ).--when the netting, is smaller, the space between it and the frame, must be filled up with strong very evenly woven, linen tape, sewn on all round the netting. the tape must be very tightly held in the sewing, so that it even forms little gathers all round; this will help you to stretch the netting in mounting it without injuring it, and is especially necessary when the netting is not quite evenly made. fig. shows how the tape is sewn on, the fold that has to be made at the corners, and the way to fix the netting into the frame. long stripes or large pieces of work, can be mounted on waxcloth, but we cannot recommend shortening the preparatory work in this manner, as the squares of netting are never so regular as when they are made in a frame. materials for embroidered netting.--thick threads with a strong twist are the best for darned, or embroidered netting, such as cordonnet fils d.m.c[a] (crochet cotton), or fil à dentelle d.m.c[a] (lace thread). there are however certain old kinds of embroidered netting made in soft loose silk, for imitating which it is best to use, coton à repriser d.m.c[a] that being quite the best substitute for the original material. the stitches used for embroidered netting.--these are so multifarious and admit of so many different combinations, that not a few of them seeing that be quite new to our readers, willsome we have never yet come across in any book on the subject that has come under our notice. ordinary darning stitch (fig. ).--the simplest stitch of all for covering a netted ground is the ordinary darning stitch; drawing the thread, that is to say, in and out of the number of squares, prescribed by the pattern, and backwards and forwards as many times as is necessary to fill them up. [illustration: fig. . ordinary darning stitch.] [illustration: fig. . linen stitch. first stitches.] the number of stitches depends, to a certain extent, on the material employed; with coton à broder d.m.c for example, you will have to make more stitches than with one of the coarser numbers of coton à repriser d.m.c. this is the stitch generally used for reproducing a cross stitch pattern on a netted ground and is especially to be recommended for covering large surfaces, curtains, counterpanes and so forth, as it is quickly done and shows up the pattern well. [illustration: fig. . linen stitch. second stitches.] [illustration: fig. . linen stitch. formation of the corners.] linen stitch (figs. and ).--this is the stitch most often met with in the old embroideries, it being the one the solid parts of the leaves and flowers, and the borders are generally worked in. fasten on the thread to a knot of the netting and carry it twice to and fro, over and under the threads of the netting, so that at the end of the row, every second thread passes under and over the thread of the netting, as it is carried upwards again. this constitutes the first layer of threads, the second completes the linen stitch and is made in the same way, only across the first, alternately taking up and missing a thread as is done, in darning. the thread may also be carried both ways over the threads of the squares. in this case you must draw an uneven number of threads through the squares, otherwise the crossing of the threads will be irregular in the last square. linen stitch. formation of the corners (fig. ).--when linen stitch is used for the border of a pattern, and a corner has to be formed, you begin by carrying the threads over a given number of squares. this first layer, especially in the case of long stripes, must be kept very slack, and to ensure the threads being all of the same length, lay a fine mesh or a thick knitting needle at one end and stretch the threads over it. after carrying the second layer across a few squares, take away the mesh or needle. the threads of the first layer become gradually shorter, from the passage of the cross threads in and out between them, and end by being just long enough to prevent the last embroidered squares from being too tightly stretched. on reaching the corner, you cross the threads of the next row, as shown in fig. . the first threads of the second side form the foundation of the corner square; from the second corner square you pass to the third; from the third to the fourth, carrying your thread alternately over and under the threads that were stretched for the first corner. loop stitch (point d'esprit) (figs. and ).--this is a light open stitch, chiefly used for making a less transparent foundation than plain netting. fasten the thread to the middle of one bar of the netting, then make a loose loop to the middle of the top bar of the same square, fig. , by carrying the thread, from left to right, over one vertical and one horizontal bar of the net and inserting the needle downwards from above under the bar and in front of the working thread. for the second row back, also represented in fig. , you draw the needle through, underneath the bar above the loop stitch and make the loop upwards from below; in doing this the working thread must lie to the left, in front of the needle. fig. shows how to join the rows and pass the needle through the stitches of the preceding row. [illustration: fig. . loop stitch. st and nd course of the thread.] [illustration: fig. . loop stitch. several rows completed.] [illustration: fig. . star formed of loose threads laying the underneath threads.] [illustration: fig. . star formed of loose threads. laying the upper threads.] star composed of loose threads (figs. , , ).--this star covers squares of netting. fasten the thread to the middle knot of the squares, then carry it diagonally over squares, three times from left to right under a knot of the foundation and three times from right to left. in this way, the bottom rays of the star are formed. for the stitches that complete the figure, you start from the middle and following the direction of the little arrow in the illustration, you cover the netting with horizontal and vertical threads, carried over squares. when you have laid the vertical threads, slip the needle or times round in a circle, under the diagonal and over the straight threads, but always over the bars of the netting. this completes the star, as it is represented in fig. . care must be taken to make the stitches lie quite flat side by side, and not one on the top of the other. [illustration: fig. . star formed of loose threads. finished.] darning stitch (point de reprise) (figs. and ).--little flowers and leaves are generally executed in this stitch; the first course of the thread is shown in fig. . leaves can be made with one, two or three veins. carry the needle, invariably from the middle, first to the right and then to the left, under the threads of the foundation and push the stitches close together, as they are made, with the point of your needle. this you will be able to do most easily by holding the work so as to make the stitches towards you. [illustration: fig. . leaves worked in darning stitch. begun.] [illustration: fig. . leaves worked in darning stitch. completed.] for a leaf with only one division or vein, like the left leaf in fig. , merely run the needle through the middle of the threads, whereas for a leaf with two or three veins, you must run it, over and under, either one, or two threads (see the right leaf in fig. ). in working leaves of this kind in darning stitch, you must draw your stitches at the top and bottom of the leaf rather tighter than in the middle, so as to give them the proper shape. if you wish to make them very slender at the bottom, you can finish them off with a few overcasting stitches. fig. represents two leaves completed, one with one vein and the other, with two. pointed scallops in darning stitch (fig. ).--the simplest way to work these scallops is to carry a thread, as shown in the illustration, to and fro over the square, from the knot in one corner to the middle of the bar above and downwards to the opposite knot, round which the thread is carried and passed upwards again to the middle. as the scallop must always be begun from the top, you will have, two foundation threads on one side and three on the other. here likewise, you must push the threads as closely together as possible with the needle. [illustration: fig. . pointed scallops in darning stitch.] [illustration: fig. . pointed scallops in buttonhole stitch.] pointed scallops in buttonhole stitch (fig. ).--another quite as pretty and easy way of working pointed scallops on a netted foundation is by making two buttonhole stitches before crossing to the opposite side. as shown in the foregoing illustration, you begin by stretching single or double foundation threads across; then beginning at the point, you make, alternately right and left, buttonhole stitches over the foundation threads, so that the working thread is only carried across to the opposite side after every second stitch. veined pointed scallops (fig. ).--a third way of making pointed scallops is by first stretching a thread to and fro across the middle of the square, after which you slip the needle from left to right under the middle thread, and underneath the left bar from above. then you carry the needle, from right to left, over the foundation thread and under the right bar and so on. the one thread must be drawn tightly round the other, in order that the stitches may form close and evenly shaped veins, like small cords, on the wrong side of the scallop. there must be enough stitches to completely cover the foundation thread that crosses the middle of the square. [illustration: fig. . veined pointed scallops.] [illustration: fig. . pointed scallops in venetian stitch.] pointed scallops in venetian stitch (fig. ).--the prettiest scallops of all are those worked in venetian stitch. you begin, by making from to buttonhole stitches over one bar of the netting, then you work on with the same stitch backwards and forwards, making one stitch less in each row, until you come to the one which forms the point of the scallop and is fastened to the bar above; you carry the working thread back on the wrong side to the lower bar, and then under the buttonhole stitches to the next square of the netting. scallops worked in this manner, can be overcast round the edges in the way described further on, in fig. . wheels embroidered on netting (figs. and ).--to make wheels or spiders, as they are also called, you have first to fasten the thread to the middle knot of four squares, thence you carry it diagonally right and left, fig. , right detail, across the empty squares of netting and the knot, and return to the middle, overcasting your first thread by the way, so as to form a closely twisted cord. this is called cording a thread. having reached the centre, carry the working thread round and round, under and over the corded threads and under the bars of the netting till the wheel covers half the bars. [illustration: fig. . laying the threads for a wheel and beginning of the wheel.] [illustration: fig. . wheels worked in two ways.] fig. shows, on the right, a finished wheel, and on the left, another way in which it can be made, and indicates the course of the thread over and under the lines, as in a darn. these details show also how, when the foundation thread of the wheel starts from a corner, it is left single in the first square until the wheel is finished; then the needle is slipped back along the little spoke, opposite to the single thread, and through the wheel, and the single thread is corded like the others. [illustration: fig. . ribbed wheels.] [illustration: fig. . ribbed squares or lozenges.] ribbed wheels (fig. ).--make the foundation of the wheels as before, over threads. to form the ribs at the back of the wheels, see fig. ; make a back stitch, on the right side, over a bar of the netting, and carry on the needle under one bar, so that the thread that lies outside always crosses bars of the netting. in this case you must make circles of thread enough, to cover the bars completely, not half, as before. the same stitches, as fig. shows, can be made on either side of the embroidery, and so as to form, either a square or a lozenge (see fig. ). [illustration: fig. . wheels set with buttonholing.] wheels set with buttonholing (fig. ).--a very pretty lace-like effect is produced by encircling the wheels in large squares of netting with a double setting of stitches. the left detail of fig. shows how the thread, having been passed under the wheel and twisted once round the single thread, is carried all round the square and forms loops. the arrow shows the way in which the loops are taken up, and the first ring of stitches round the wheel is finished. the second detail of the same figure explains the course the thread, that forms the second ring, has to take through the loops and between the bars; whilst the white line shows the passage of the thread over the second ring. the third detail represents a wheel, completed. [illustration: fig. . star with one-sided buttonhole stitches.] star with one-sided buttonhole stitches (fig. ).--the pattern represented in fig. , is the quickest to work that we know of. two buttonhole stitches made upon the outside bar of a square and a simple crossing of the thread at the bottom, produce elongated triangles which should always be begun from the knot. two triangles stand exactly opposite to each other in one square, and the square that comes in the middle of the four thus filled, is ornamented with a small wheel. [illustration: fig. . rounded corners on netting.] [illustration: fig. . linen stitch set with darning stitch.] [illustration: fig. . linen stitch set with cord stitch.] rounded corners of netting (fig. ).--darning stitches, made over a thread carried diagonally across one square and the adjacent corners of that and two other squares, produce the figure illustrated in fig. . the accompanying detail shows the mode of working. the number of stitches depends on the material you use; there should be no more than can lie quite flat, side by side, on the diagonal thread. linen stitch, set with darning stitch (fig. ).--there are some patterns it would hardly be possible to work on netting unless you could soften the outlines by darning stitches, as shown in the foregoing figure. when employed as a setting to linen stitch, there should be fewer than in fig. ; you may also, instead of interrupting them at every corner, carry them all round a square, (see the right detail of the figure). linen stitch set with cord stitch (fig. ).--many figures are also either corded or edged with twisted thread; both ways are represented in the illustration. in the latter case you can use the same thread as for the linen stitch, or if you wish the setting to be very pronounced, a thicker one. for instance, if the netting be made of cordonnet fils d.m.c no. [a] we recommend fil à pointer d.m.c no. or [a] for the setting. this difference of material is especially noticeable in the old cluny guipure, where the figures worked in linen stitch are edged with a thread like a cord. but if the linen stitch be bound with cord stitch, the same thread must be used for it, as for the foundation. a soft material, like coton à repriser, makes the best padding for the overcasting stitches. [illustration: fig. . flower in dot stitch on a foundation of linen stitch.] flower in dot stitch on a foundation of linen stitch (fig. ).--with the help of this stitch, which is described in the chapter on white embroidery and represented in fig. , a great variety of little supplementary ornaments can be made, on every description of netted ground. [illustration: fig. . bordering in buttonhole stitch.] bordering in buttonhole stitch (fig. ).--scalloped edges in netting should be buttonholed; or padding threads should be run in first, following the bars of the netting, over which the buttonholing is done; the bars of the netting must not be cut away until the edge be finished. cut work in embroidered netting (fig. ).--cut work here means half covering the bars of the netting with button-hole stitches and half cutting them away with scissors. the inner bars are frequently ornamented with a double buttonhole edging and knotted picots, see figs. and in the next chapter. you slightly separate the stitches of the first row of buttonholing so as to be able to introduce the thread of the second row between them. [illustration: fig. . cut work in embroidered netting.] [illustration: fig. . straight loop stitch.] straight loop stitch (fig. ).--in the first row you carry the thread over one bar and slip it through behind a knot; in the second you do the same thing, only that above, your needle will pass under threads, two of them the threads of the loop of the first row and the third a bar of the net. in every square threads cross each other. [illustration: fig. . waved stitch.] waved stitch (fig. ).--this stitch, which forms a close waved ground, is produced by passing the thread in each row of the netting over a square and behind a knot. when the pattern admits of it, as it mostly does, a considerably thicker thread is used for this stitch and for the stitches represented in figs. , , and , than that in which the netting is made. when the netted ground is of fil à dentelle d.m.c no. ,[a] the embroidery upon it may very well be done in cordonnet fils. d.m.c no. [a], or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .[a] intersected loop stitch (fig. ).--begin by covering the whole surface to be embroidered with plain loop stitches, then stretch threads diagonally across the squares of the netting and the loop stitches; one set of threads running over the stitches and under the knots of the netting, the other under the first and second threads of the loop stitches and over the first crossed threads and the knots. the laying and stretching of these threads must, it is hardly necessary to say, be systematically and regularly done. [illustration: fig. . intersected loop stitch.] ground worked in horizontal lines (fig. ).--make half cross stitches over squares of netting, by passing the thread alternately over and under knots, and under squares of the netting. in the second row, cross the threads over those of the first row, as is shown in our engraving. ground worked in stitches placed one above the other (fig. ).--cover a whole row of squares with cross stitches and leave rows of squares empty. when you have a sufficient number of rows of cross stitches, take a long needle and pass it upwards from below, and from right to left, under the two bars of the third upper square; then pass downwards to the first square of the bottom rows and under the bars from right to left, so as again to leave squares between the fresh stitches. the next row of stitches is made in the same manner, so that the stitches are not only set contrary ways but reciprocally cover each other. latticed ground (fig. ).--begin by running the thread, to and fro, under two vertical bars and over three horizontal ones. when the ground is entirely covered, carry your thread from right to left, under the bars over which the first rows of threads are crossed; then take it over the long crosses, that correspond to squares of netting, and pass it in the same line under the bars of the netting. in coming back, the long stitches cross each other over the stitches of the first rows. [illustration: fig. . ground worked in horizontal lines.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked in stitches placed one above the other.] [illustration: fig. . latticed ground.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked in russian stitch.] ground worked in russian stitch (fig. ).--pass the thread from left to right, under a bar of the netting, carry it downwards over squares and pass it again, from left to right, under the bar, then upwards, again over squares of netting and so on. the stitches of the next rows are made in the same manner; you have only to see that the loops formed by the stitches all come on the same line of knots. ground worked in two sizes of thread (fig. ).--herewith begins the series of stitches, referred to at the beginning of the chapter, copied in part from one of the oldest and most curious pieces of embroidered netting we have ever met with. the copies were worked with cordonnet fils d.m.c no. and écru fil à dentelle d.m.c no. [a]; the former being used for the darning and the almond-shaped stitches between; the latter for the buttonhole stitches. wherever two sizes of thread are used for one pattern, all the stitches in the coarse thread should be put in first and those in the fine, last. [illustration: fig. . ground worked in two sizes of thread.] ground with wheels and loop stitch (fig. ).--you begin with the coarse thread and finish all the wheels first, making them each over threads of the netting; then with the fine thread, you make loop stitches between them, in rows, as shown in figs. and . ground worked in darning and loop stitch (fig. ).--the darning stitches are made in the coarse thread, over squares of the netting, in a horizontal direction, with loop stitches, in the fine thread, made between them, over the same number of squares. [illustration: fig. . ground with wheels and loop stitch.] ground worked in two sizes of thread (fig. ).--carry the coarse thread, from right to left, under the first knot of the netting, and then under the next, from left to right. this has to be done twice, to and fro, so that the squares of the netting are edged on both sides with a double layer of threads. when the whole foundation has been thus covered, take the fine thread and make loop stitches in the squares between the other rows of stitches, passing the needle for that purpose over the double stitch. lastly, intersect the loop stitches with straight threads and pass the needle each time through the knot of the netting. [illustration: fig. . ground worked in darning and loop stitch.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked in two sizes of thread.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked with cross stitches in one size of thread.] ground worked with cross stitches in one size of thread (fig. ).--this pattern, very like the foregoing one, consists of diagonal rows of stitches, worked to and fro, with cross stitches made over them. you may also begin with the cross stitches, in the fine thread, and work the triple stitches over them, in the coarse. ground worked with darning and cord stitches (fig. ).--patterns, executed chiefly in darning stitches, in a comparatively coarse thread, present a closer and heavier appearance than those we have been describing. here, every other square of the netting is filled, as closely as possible, with stitches; the empty squares between are intersected diagonally with corded threads. [illustration: fig. . ground worked with darning and cord stitches.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked with squares and wheels.] [illustration: fig. . ground worked with squares and wheels.] ground worked with squares and wheels (figs. , , ).--a ground very often met with in old embroidered netting, consists of diagonal lines of squares, closely filled with darning stitches, alternating with diagonal lines of squares, each with a small wheel in the middle. in fig. , the darning stitches, and the wheels, which are both worked with the same material, cover squares of the netting. larger expanses of netting may also be entirely filled with wheels, fig. . to make a really satisfactory grounding of this kind, you should be careful always to carry your thread over the bars of the netting and under the threads that are stretched diagonally across. ground worked in cross and darning stitch (fig. ).--you begin, as before, by making the close darning stitches, and then proceed to the cross stitches. to give them the right shape, finish all the rows of stitches one way first; in the subsequent rows, that cross the first ones, you introduce the thread between the stitches that were first crossed. [illustration: fig. . ground with large wheels.] ground of geometrical figures (fig. ).--this pattern, quite different from all the others, consists of simple geometrical lines. fasten the thread to a knot of the netting, then carry it, always diagonally, under other knots and repeat this times, after which, carry it once round the bar of the netting, to fasten it, and back again to the knot which it already encircles, and from thence begin a new square. owing to your having always to bring the thread back to the knot whence the next square is to begin, you will have threads on two of the sides and on the two others. [illustration: fig. . ground worked in cross and darning stitch.] in the second and subsequent rows, the needle has to pass twice under the angles that were first formed, in order that, over the whole surface, all the corners may be equally covered and connected. netted insertion worked in plain darning stitch (fig. ).--the taste for ornamenting not only curtains but bed and table linen also, with lace and insertion of all kinds, to break the monotony of the large white surfaces, is becoming more and more general and the insertion here described will be welcome to such of our readers as have neither time nor patience for work of a more elaborate nature. the way to make straight netting has already been fully described in figs. , , , , and , and darning stitch in fig. . to those who wish to be saved the trouble of making the netting themselves, we can strongly recommend various fabrics, intended to take its place, more especially filet canevas, which is an exact imitation of the finest hand-made netting. the centre part of the pattern in fig. , is worked in rows of horizontal darning stitches, the narrow border in vertical ones. [illustration: fig. . ground of geometrical figures.] [illustration: fig. . netted insertion worked in plain darning stitch. materials--for the netting: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .--for the darning stitch: coton à broder d.m.c no. , or coton à repriser d.m.c nos. to , white or écru.[a]] [illustration: fig. . embroidered ground of netting. materials--for the netting: fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . for the darning stitch: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , or fil à pointer d.m.c no. .--for the loop stitch: fil à dentelle d.m.c or cordonnet fils d.m.c according to the size of the netting thread.] ground of netting embroidered (fig. ).--we have already had occasion, in the foregoing explanations, to point out the advantage of embroidering with two sizes of thread, but it is only in a piece of work of a certain size that it is possible really to judge of the excellent effect produced by the use of two threads of different sizes. the principal lines of the pattern, which are in darning stitch, are worked in a very coarse thread with a strong twist, fil à pointer d.m.c, whilst the loop stitches are in cordonnet fils d.m.c. our model was worked in écru thread but there is nothing to prevent several colours being introduced, for instance écru, black or gris-ficelle for the netted foundation; rouge-cardinal , for the darning stitches, and chiné d'or d.m.c green and gold or blue and gold, for the loop stitches and the threads that are carried across inside. [illustration: fig. . embroidered square of netting. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , white or écru.[a]] embroidered square of netting with two kinds of lace suitable for the border (figs. , , ).--large pieces of embroidered netting are generally made up of squares and stripes, joined together with ribbon and fine linen insertions. it is easier and less cumbrous to make the netting in separate pieces. squares of different patterns can also be combined with crochet and pillow lace, in this case of course the squares have to be arranged with some system. fig. represents a lace edging intended for the square fig. , which shows how even in such a simple pattern as this, several colours may be successfully introduced. fig. is a handsomer and more elaborate pattern for the same kind of purpose. the loop stitches and the linen stitches should be worked in a very light shade; instead of the colour indicated at the foot of the engraving, rouge-géranium , violet-mauve or jaune-rouille may be used; for the netting and the loop stitches you may combine, with the first shade, two shades of brun-caroubier and , with the second, two shades of jaune-vieil or and and with the third, two shades of rouge-cardinal and . [illustration: fig. . lace edging for the square, fig. . materials: the same as for fig. , and or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. . colours--for the netting and the loop stitch: white or écru.--for the darning stitch: brun-caroubier and rouge-grenat .[a]] [illustration: fig. . lace edging. materials: the same as for . colours--for the netting: écru.--for the ground in loop and linen stitch: bleu pâle .--for the bars in darning stitch: gris-tilleul and .[a]] pattern for ground (fig. ).--the peculiar charm of this most unpretending pattern is chiefly due to the variety of material and colour introduced into it. the netted ground is made of dark brown cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , worked over, in the first instance, with loop stitches in a pale grey, which are afterwards connected by darning stitches in coton à repriser gris-tilleul . [illustration: fig. . pattern for ground. materials--for the netting: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to . for the embroidery: coton à repriser d.m.c no. . colours: brun-havane , gris-noisette , jaune-vieil-or , gris-tilleul and rouge-géranium .[a]] the same material in rouge-géranium, is used for the little centre squares and the pink crosses, and isolated darned squares are framed with loose cord stitches in coton à repriser colour jaune-vieil-or . we can also recommend, for the same pattern, the following combination of colours, all to be found on the d.m.c colour card; namely, bleu pâle for the netting; chiné d'or, gold with dark blue for the loop stitches; ganse turque d.m.c no. (turkish gold cord) for the darning stitches, between the loop stitches; coton à broder or cordonnet fils in rouge-cornouille , for the detached darned squares and coton à repriser, in jaune-d'or for the setting of all the different parts of the pattern. [illustration: fig. . embroidery on netting with different-sized loops. materials--for the netting: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. . for the embroidery: coton à broder d.m.c no. , white or écru.[a]] embroidery on netting with different-sized loops (fig. ).--the netting, described and represented in fig. , with plain, oblong and double loops, here forms the ground for the embroidery. [illustration: fig. . square in cut netting.] [illustration: fig. . lace edging in cut netting. materials: fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , in three shades of one colour.] in order to make the isolated loop stitches, the thread which forms the cross in the middle must be carried to the middle of the bar, the loops that form the stitches must be finished and the thread carried back to the knot whence it started. it must then be taken three times backwards and forwards over the foundation thread and the two bars of the netting, when the stitches, into and over squares of the netting, should be made. the last row in the engraving shows the pattern in the successive stages of its development. [illustration: fig. . netting insertion materials--for the netting: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. white or écru.--for the embroidery: ganse turque d.m.c nos. and .] square and edging in cut netting (figs. and ).--few patterns admit of such a successful application of all the stitches hitherto described, as the square and edging presented to our readers in the two subjoined figures. on a netted ground of rather fine thread, we have in the first place, linen stitch, in the border, worked in rather a coarser thread than the ground; then raised wheels, buttonholed bars with picots in the centre, plain wheels very close together, and long ribbed bars worked in darning stitch. the edging, to match the square, is worked in the original in pale shades, in contrast to the square which is executed entirely in écru thread. the squares in the netted footing of the lace are loosely overcast with pale violet-mauve , the same colour is also used for the wheels in the outside edge, each of which fills a square, and for the loop stitches round them; whilst the middle one of the three upper ribbed wheels and the star are worked in dark violet-mauve . the crosses in linen stitch, the three lower ribbed wheels and the long ribbed bars in darning stitch, are in gris-tilleul . netted insertion (fig. ).--this is a copy of a beautiful piece of embroidered netting, to all appearance, several centuries old, and in a state that rendered, even the most delicate handling almost impossible. after several experiments, the best result has been arrived at, and the turkish cord in which the original is made, has now been manufactured for netting purposes, as well as for other kinds of decorative work, already alluded to, and referred to again later on. the first foundation, that is, the actual netting, for a thing of this kind, should be made in white or écru thread, with very small meshes; the pattern itself is embroidered on the netting with ganse turque d.m.c no. ; this material, écru and gold mixed, gives the work a glittering and peculiarly elegant appearance, unobtainable in any other. the execution is extremely easy, it being worked entirely in darning stitch; but the drawing should be copied with great accuracy and the wide braid very carefully sewn on with close stitches round the squares, which are filled in with darning stitches made in ganse turque no. . any netting pattern can be copied in this braid, and the simplest piece of work of the kind is worth mounting on a rich foundation of silk, brocade, velvet or plush. to give a single example, the insertion here described and illustrated, was mounted on slate-blue plush and has been universally admired. 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. [illustration: insertion.--irish lace with raised ornaments.] irish lace. irish lace, also known under the name of renaissance lace, from its having been first made in the sixteenth century, is an imitation of the earliest pillow laces; it ought, properly speaking, to be called french lace, having been invented in france and thence introduced into england and ireland. it is composed of braid or tape, formed into figures, joined together by needlemade, corded or buttonhole bars and fillings of different kinds, or by bars alone. the lace stitches and bars are almost the same as those used in fine venetian point, but they are executed in a coarser material so that this section of our work may be considered as a preparation for the different kinds of lace, to be described in the next chapter. materials (fig. ).--the braids used for making irish lace are an english speciality and manufactured exclusively in england; they are very various in shade, width and thickness, and are to be had white, unbleached, grey and pale yellow, narrow and wide, coarse and fine in texture, with and without holes, open edge and picots, with large medallions and small. fig. represents the kinds most commonly used, in their original size, together with a specimen picot, or purl, as they are called in england, for the outside edge, also to be had ready made, for those who do not care for the trouble of making them themselves. for the stitches and bars by which the braids are joined together, the best material is fil à dentelle d.m.c,[a] (lace thread) a smooth even thread, now made in every colour to match the braids. [illustration: fig. . patterns of the different tapes and braids used for irish lace.] transferring designs for irish lace.--the best way is to trace them on oiled tracing linen with a watery ink, free from greasy matter. this tracing linen, which is of english make, is white, glazed on one side only; the unglazed surface should be turned uppermost, as it takes the ink better. as this tracing linen is quite transparent, the pattern can be transferred to it at once without recourse to any other process. it will be found less trying for the eyes to lay a piece of transparent coloured paper, or stuff, under the pattern whilst you are copying it. the irish lace designs are almost all drawn with double lines, between which the braid is tacked on with small back stitches. we may mention at once that it is advisable to make the stitches longer on the right side than on the other, or at any rate to make them of the same length. tacking down and gathering in the braids (fig. ).--where the lines of the pattern describe a curve or a circle, the outside edge of the braid, as shown in fig. , must be sewn down firmly, so as to form little folds or gathers on the inside edge, which are first tacked down and then gathered in with small overcasting stitches in fine thread, so as to fit exactly to the pattern. [illustration: fig. . tacking down and drawing in the braids.] the stitches, made for the bars and the fillings, must never be drawn so tightly as to drag out the edges of the braids and thus spoil the outlines of the pattern. nor should the stitches be caught into the tracing cloth, but only rest upon it. when the embroidery is finished, turn the work the wrong side up, cut every second or third tacking stitch and pull the threads carefully out, from the wrong side, when the lace will separate itself from the backing without difficulty; it has then to be damped and ironed also on the wrong side. (see the concluding chapter on the different processes for finishing off needlework). it is of no consequence which are made first, the bars or the fillings; we however incline to the former, more especially in the case of buttonhole bars, as they are easier to do than the fillings and once done, there is less risk of puckering or drawing the edges together, in making the fillings. the stitches.--we shall now proceed to describe a series of bars and stitches, which, if carefully studied, will serve as a preparation for making all the finer kinds of laces described in the ensuing chapter. without pretending to have exhausted the infinite variety of lace stitches that exists, we hope to have brought before our readers' notice a sufficiently numerous selection to satisfy all tastes and capacities. with regard to the names, the same stitches are known by so many different ones, that excepting in the case of those universally accepted, we have disregarded them altogether and merely numbered the stitches in their order. [illustration: fig. . plain twisted bar.] plain twisted bar (fig. ).--secure the thread to the braid and throw it across from one braid edge to the other, put the needle in downwards from above, and overcast the first thread, so as to form the two into a cord. if you do not make enough overcasting stitches to tighten the two threads, the bars will be loose and untidy and spoil the general appearance of the work. [illustration: fig. . double twisted bar.] double twisted bar (fig. ).--throw three foundation threads across the space to be filled and overcast them loosely, so that they remain visible between the stitches. plain buttonhole bar (fig. ).--throw three threads across and cover them with buttonhole stitches, made from right to left. in making this and the subsequent bars, we recommend turning the needle round and holding it as it were the reverse way, so that the eye not the point passes first under the threads; strange as it may seem, it is easier in this manner to avoid splitting the threads. the working thread should always issue from the edge of the braid, one or two threads before the foundation threads of the bar, to prevent the bars being of unequal width, or getting twisted at the beginning. buttonhole bars with pinned picots (figs. and ). after covering half, or a third of the bar with buttonhole stitches, pass the thread without making a loop, under the foundation threads, and fasten the loop with a pin, fig. , then slip the needle, horizontally from right to left, under the threads and tighten the knot close to the last buttonhole stitch. [illustration: fig, . plain buttonhole bar.] [illustration: fig. . buttonhole bar with pinned picots.] [illustration: fig. . buttonhole bar with pinned picots.] [illustration: fig. . bar with lace picot.] fig. shows a picot made in the same manner, but with several buttonhole stitches inserted between the loop and the buttonholed bar. bar with lace picot (fig. ).--here the picot is made by bringing the thread out through the loop and beginning the buttonhole stitches, or in number, according to the size of the thread, quite close to the pin, so that they entirely cover the loop. the pin must be stuck in the width of stitches, distant from the bar, and the foundation threads should be completely hidden under the bar. bar with picot made in bullion stitch (fig. ).--put the needle halfway into the last buttonhole stitch, twist the thread ten or twelve times round it from left to right, draw it through and tighten the thread, so that the spiral on the thread form a semicircle, then continue the bar (see also for the bullion stitch figs. and ). bar with buttonhole picot (fig. ).--cover rather more than half the bar with buttonhole stitches, carry the thread three times to the th stitch and back, then buttonhole these threads that are attached to the bar in the same way as the bar itself and finish the bar in the usual way. these buttonhole picots are generally used for edging lace; they may in their turn be adorned with small pinned picots to produce a richer effect. [illustration: fig. . bar with picot made in bullion stitch.] [illustration: fig. . bar with buttonhole picot.] [illustration: fig. . bar with two rows of knots.] bar with two rows of knots (fig. ).--over two foundation threads, make double knots, far enough apart to leave room for the knots of the next row between. these double knots consist, in the first place, of one plain buttonhole stitch and then one reversed, that is, made by bringing the needle out in front of the thread and passing it under the loop; the result being that the thread will lie behind the thread and not before it, as in an ordinary buttonhole stitch. [illustration: fig. . branched bars.] branched bars (fig. ).--where you have a larger surface to cover with bars, you are generally obliged to make them with branches. for this purpose you prepare the threads as for an ordinary bar and cover them halfway with buttonhole stitches; then you carry on the foundation thread to the next bar, buttonhole it also halfway, lay the next foundation thread, and finally buttonhole all the half-covered bars till you reach the dotted line, from whence you lay the last foundation threads. the last bar is worked over or threads, so that the working thread can be taken back to the edge of the braid by means of the last buttonhole stitches. [illustration: fig. . plain russian stitch.] plain russian stitch (fig. ).--stitches of all kinds can be used, as well as bars, for joining braids together that run parallel to each other, and for filling up the spaces between. these stitches, which serve as an insertion, are some of them very elementary, whilst others require great skill and patience to execute. the simplest of all is the russian stitch, which bears a great resemblance to the crossed stitch, shown in fig. , and the crossed back-stitch, fig. . you pass the needle from left to right, under the edge of the braid, then again from right to left under the opposite edge, taking care always to leave the thread in front of the needle. [illustration: fig. . twisted russian stitch.] twisted russian stitch (fig. ).--instead of passing the needle behind the thread, pass it before it and round it, so that the needle always comes out again beneath the thread, which will then be twice twisted. [illustration: fig. . column stitch.] column stitch (fig. ).--at the bottom, the stitch is made like the plain russian stitch, and at the top, like the one in fig. , with the difference that the second thread is passed three times round the first. [illustration: fig. . insertion of single buttonhole stitches.] [illustration: fig. . insertion of plain buttonhole stitches.] insertion of single buttonhole stitches (figs. and ).--make very loose buttonhole stitches along both edges of the braid, all the same size and the same distance apart, and vertically, opposite to each other. when these two rows are finished, pick up each loop with russian stitch, either single, fig. , or twisted, fig. . fig. shows the double russian stitch made in each loop; it may be trebled or quadrupled, according to whether you wish your insertion to be very transparent or not. [illustration: fig. . insertion with bead stitches.] insertion with bead stitches (fig. ).--join the opposite rows of loops together by four stitches. the threads of these stitches must lie quite flat, side by side, and not one on the top of the other. after the fourth stitch, you wind the thread round the bottom loop and then carry it on to the next, whence you repeat the four stitches as above. cluster insertion (fig. ).--over the middle of two finished plain bars and one half-finished one, a short distance apart, you make five buttonhole stitches and overcast the remainder of the third bar. the first bar of the next cluster must be set quite close to the last. insertion with branches (figs. and ).--throw the thread across the middle of the space between two edges of braid, and lengthways, from one end to the other, pass the needle horizontally under four or five threads of the braid, across the insertion; then carry it in a similar manner, first to the left and then to the right, take up the same number of threads of the braid and connect the three loops together by a knot, as is clearly shown in fig. . [illustration: fig. . cluster insertion.] [illustration: fig. . insertion with plain branches.] [illustration: fig. . insertion with branches and wheels.] fig. represents a similar beginning, and a similar interlacing of the threads, but ornamented this time with a wheel, added after the knot has been made over the loops. [illustration: fig. . insertion with leaves worked in darning stitch.] insertion with leaves in darning stitch (fig. ).--fasten on the thread where, according to the illustration, the first leaf in the insertion ought to come, carry it across to the opposite side, draw it through the edge of the braid and bring it back to the point whence it started, lay threads across to both sides, like in figs. and , unite them by a knot, such as described in fig. , lay the thread once more round the middle leaf, and finish the leaf in darning stitch, working downwards from the top, as described in the preceding chapter in figs. and . as may be seen from the second middle leaf, your darning stitches have to be made over five threads, subdivided into two and three. [illustration: fig. . insertion with small wheels.] insertion with small wheels (fig. ).--here, you have to make two rows of russian stitches opposite each other and carry the thread to the point of intersection, then, you make a wheel over five threads and pass the needle under the completed wheel to reach the next point of intersection. half wheels may also be added at the edge of the braid, as in figs. and . [illustration: fig. . insertion with big wheels.] insertion with big wheels (fig. ).--carry the thread horizontally across the middle of the space intended for the insertion, to the opposite side, and then conduct it by means of overcasting stitches into the corner; thence make a loose loop over to the opposite corner, pass the needle under six or eight threads of the braid edge, slip it under the horizontal thread first laid and behind the loop, and finish the stitch on the other side in the edge of the braid. throw the thread again across the empty space and over the first thread, bring your needle back to the middle, make a big wheel over four threads, passing each time under the same threads, then overcast the single thread, come back to the edge of the braid and make the second loop, bringing out the thread at the same place where the other stitches came out. insertion with cones (figs. and ).--over plain but very distended russian stitch, make darning stitches backwards and forwards, beginning at the point and reaching to the middle, so as to form small cone-shaped figures. to reach the point of the next cone you overcast the thread of the russian stitch several times. you may also, as in fig. , double the russian stitch and make the darning stitches in such a manner that the points of the cones touch each other and their bases meet the edge of the braid. the same thing, worked the reverse way, that is, with the points turned outwards to the edge, produces a not less pretty effect. [illustration: fig. . insertion with cones.] [illustration: fig. . insertion with cones.] [illustration: fig. . insertion with embroidered squares.] insertion with embroidered squares (fig. ).--after making rows of loose buttonhole stitches along the braid edges, as in figs. , , , run a thread through the buttonhole stitches; this thread serves as the foundation to the russian stitches by which the two edges are joined together. the empty square space left between the russian stitches is then filled up with buttonhole stitches, like those in fig. , in the foregoing chapter. [illustration: fig. . insertion with half bars.] insertion with half bars (fig. ).--fasten on the thread in one of the corners of the braid and conduct it by means of overcasting stitches to the middle of the insertion, draw it through the edge of the braid on the right and make buttonhole stitches over it, to the middle of the space to be filled, then carry the thread to the left, draw it through the left edge, a little higher up than on the other side, and make the same number of stitches over it as over the first. you can vary this insertion with very good result by making more stitches on one side than on the other, but it should never be more than or stitches wide. [illustration: fig. . plain net stitch. first lace stitch.] plain net stitch. first lace stitch (fig. ).--make rows of buttonhole stitches to and fro, loose enough to form loops into which the stitches of each subsequent row are set. you must be careful to make the same number of stitches in all the spaces that are of the same size, and also, when you begin a row with a whole stitch, to begin the return row with a half, and so on, in regular rotation. the number of stitches should vary with the width of the pattern and the decreasing and increasing should always be done at the edge. the loops must be as many threads of the braid edge long, as they are wide. [illustration: fig. . double net stitch. second lace stitch.] double net stitch. second lace stitch (fig. ).--you leave the same distance between the stitches here as in the preceding figure, but in each of the loops of the first row, you must make two buttonhole stitches close together. it is as well to round the loop a little less than is usually done in net stitch. [illustration: fig. . third lace stitch.] third lace stitch (fig. ).--here, you make three buttonhole stitches close together, joined to the next three by a loop of thread, just long enough to hold the three buttonhole stitches of the subsequent row. [illustration: fig. . fourth lace stitch.] fourth lace stitch (fig. ).--working from left to right, make two buttonhole stitches rather near together, and leave twice as long a loop between them and the next two stitches as between the two first. in the next row, which is worked from right to left, make one stitch in the loop between the two stitches that are close together and three or four in the long loop. [illustration: fig. . fifth lace stitch.] fifth lace stitch (fig. ).--as in fig. , you begin this stitch from left to right, but making three stitches very close together with an intermediate loop as long as the three stitches in one. in the second row, you make one buttonhole stitch in each of the loops between the three stitches and six or eight in the long intermediate loop. [illustration: fig. . sixth lace stitch.] sixth lace stitch (fig. ).--over wide loops, made from left to right in the first row, make in the second, enough buttonhole stitches entirely to cover the thread. in the third row of stitches, put the needle into the small loop between two sets of buttonhole stitches, so that the close stitches shall form vertical lines across the surface they cover. this stitch admits of every sort of modification, such as, for instance, making the third row of stitches on the buttonhole stitches, in the middle of the ones on the small loop; or making one row of close stitches first, and then three open rows; in the former case you should always make an uneven number of buttonhole stitches, so that you have the same number on both sides of the needle, which you must put in between the two threads that form the middle buttonhole stitch. [illustration: fig. . seventh lace stitch.] seventh lace stitch (fig. ).--begin, working from right to left, by making one row of pairs of buttonhole stitches, a very short distance apart; in the second row you make one buttonhole stitch between each of these pairs, and in the third row, two buttonhole stitches in every long loop. here, the stitches must not be crowded together but have a small gap left between them. [illustration: fig. . eighth lace stitch.] eighth lace stitch (fig. ).--this stitch is generally known as the "pea-stitch" on account of the holes occasioned by the different distribution of the stitches. the first row consists of stitches, set rather closely together, and all the same distance apart. in the second row, you make one buttonhole stitch in the last stitch of the first row, then, missing two loops and three buttonhole stitches, you make two stitches in the next loops and so on. in the third row, you make three stitches in the big loop, and one in the loop between the stitches of the second row. [illustration: fig. . ninth lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . tenth lace stitch.] ninth, and tenth lace stitch (figs. and ).--both, the small and the big pointed groups of stitches, begin with a row of close buttonhole stitches. fig. requires three rows; in the second you miss two stitches and make two in the next loops; in the third, only one stitch is introduced between the two loops of the lower row. fig. requires five rows. the stitches of the first must be set as closely together as possible; in the second row you make four stitches and miss two of the first row, in the third row you make three stitches, in the fourth, two and in the fifth, one only. the long loops of the last row must not be too slack so that the first stitches of the next scallop may quite cover them. [illustration: fig. . eleventh lace stitch.] eleventh lace stitch (fig. ).--this stitch is not really more difficult to work than those we have been describing, but requires rather more attention to learn. the first row consists of plain net stitches; in the second, you have three buttonhole stitches in the middle net stitch; in the third, three buttonhole stitches in the whole loops on either side of the three buttonhole stitches of the second row, and one stitch in the half loops that precede and immediately follow them; the fourth row is similar to the second. in the fifth row the close stitches are changed. the three buttonhole stitches are made in the third whole loop, before and after those of the fourth row, so that between two groups of three stitches you have six single buttonhole stitches and seven loops. [illustration: fig. . twelfth lace stitch.] twelfth lace stitch (fig. ).--fasten on your thread, take it by overcasting stitches over the braid edge, half a c/m. from the corner, and make three buttonhole stitches downwards, quite close together. the next loops, over four or six threads of the braid, must be left long enough to be on a level with the first stitch reaching downwards from the edge. in the second row, you cover the long loops with three buttonhole stitches and draw the intervening thread quite tight. the third row is like the first, with the difference, that you put the needle in between the two threads of the buttonhole stitch, instead of through the loops. [illustration: fig. . thirteenth lace stitch.] thirteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--the stitch here represented, as well as the two next ones are looped from left to right and then again from right to left. as it is more unusual to make the loops from left to right than the reverse way, the proper position of the needle and the course of the thread are shown in the illustrations. fig. requires, in the first place, two buttonhole stitches very close together in the edge of the braid, then a third stitch covering the two first stitches and set quite close to them; the connecting thread between these stitches must be tightly stretched so as to lie almost vertically, that the stitches may form straight lines. [illustration: fig. . fourteenth lace stitch.] fourteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--this begins, likewise, with two buttonhole stitches, above which you make two buttonhole stitches instead of one, as in fig. , producing an open ground with vertical bars. [illustration: fig. . fifteenth lace stitch.] fifteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--this resembles the two foregoing stitches and consists of three buttonhole stitches, made over the edge of the braid or the intermediate bars, and joined together afterwards under one transverse stitch. [illustration: fig. . sixteenth lace stitch.] sixteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--you begin this by a row of net stitches worked from right to left, or as the engraving shows, by a row of stitches called «seed stitches». [illustration: fig. . seventeenth lace stitch.] the second row, worked from left to right, consists of short bars, set slanting and shaped like a seed, and made the same way as the picot in fig. . the first stitch is carried through the loop of the row below, the second over both threads and far enough from the loop to leave room for three other stitches. the first of the four buttonhole stitches of the next group must be set quite close to the last. seventeenth lace stitch (fig. ).--here we have the same pattern as the preceding one without the row of net stitches; the engraving shows us at the same time, the proper direction of the needle and thread for the row that is worked from right to left. [illustration: fig. . eighteenth lace stitch.] eighteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--this is the first of a series of lace stitches, often met with in old venetian lace, and which can therefore with perfect right be called, venetian stitches. owing to the manner and order in which the rows of stitches are connected and placed above one another, they form less transparent grounds than those we have hitherto described. in these grounds you begin by making the row of loops, then you throw a thread across on the same level and in coming back, pass the needle through the row of loops under the thread stretched across, and under the stitch of the previous row. [illustration: fig. . nineteenth lace stitch.] nineteenth lace stitch (fig. ).--the close stitch here represented is more common in venetian lace than the loose stitch given in fig. . [illustration: fig. . twentieth lace stitch.] twentieth lace stitch (fig. ).--by missing some loops of the close ground in one row and replacing them by the same number in the next, small gaps are formed, and by a regular and systematic missing and taking up of stitches, in this way, extremely pretty grounds can be produced. [illustration: fig. . twenty-first lace stitch.] twenty-first lace stitch (fig. ).--these close lace stitches, can be varied in all sorts of other ways by embroidering the needle-made grounds. in fig. , you have little tufts in darning stitch, and in a less twisted material than the close stitches of the ground, worked upon the ground. if you use fil à dentelle d.m.c (lace thread) for the ground, you should take either coton à repriser d.m.c (darning cotton), or better still, coton surfin d.m.c[a] for the tufts. the ground can also be ornamented with little rings of buttonholing, stars or flowerets in bullion or some other fancy stitch. [illustration: fig. . twenty-second lace stitch.] twenty-second lace stitch (fig. ).--for the above three stitches and the three that follow, the work has to be held, so that the finished rows are turned to the worker and the needle points to the outside of the hand. in the first row, from left to right, take hold of the thread near the end that is in the braid, lay it from left to right under the point of the needle, and bring it back again to the right, over the same. whilst twisting the thread in this way round the needle with the right hand, you must hold the eye of the needle under the left thumb. when you have laid the thread round draw the needle through the loops; the bars must stand straight and be of uniform length. were they to slant or be at all uneven, we should consider the work badly done. in the row that is worked from left to right, the thread must be twisted round the needle, likewise from left to right. [illustration: fig. . twenty-third lace stitch.] twenty-third lace stitch (fig. ).--this is begun with the same stitches as fig. , worked from right to left. you then take up every loop that comes between the vertical bars with an overcasting stitch, drawing the thread quite out, and tightening it as much as is necessary after each stitch. you cannot take several stitches on the needle at the same time and draw out the thread for them all at once, as this pulls the bars out of their place. [illustration: fig. . twenty-fourth lace stitch] twenty-fourth lace stitch (fig. ).--this is often called the sorrento stitch. every group of three bars of stitches is separated from the next by a long loop, round which the thread is twisted in its backward course. in each of the succeeding rows you place the first bar between the first and second of the preceding row, and the third one in the long loop, so that the pattern advances, as it were in steps. [illustration: fig. . twenty-fifth lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . twenty-sixth lace stitch.] twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth lace stitches (figs. and ).--these two figures show how the relative position of the groups of bars may be varied. both consist of the same stitches as those described in fig. . the thread that connects the groups should be tightly stretched, so that the rows may form straight horizontal lines. [illustration: fig. . twenty-seventh lace stitch.] twenty-seventh lace stitch (fig. ).--begin by making two rows of net stitches, fig. , then two of close ones, fig. , and one row like those of fig. . if you want to lengthen the bars, twist the thread once or twice more round the needle. you can also make one row of bars surmounted by wheels, as shown in fig. , then one more row of bars and continue with close stitches. twenty-eighth lace stitch (fig. ).--between every group of three bars, set close together, leave a space of a corresponding width; then bring the thread back over the bars, as in figs. , and , without going through the loops. in the second row, you make three bars in the empty space, two over the three bars of the first row and again three in the next empty space. the third row is like the first. [illustration: fig. . twenty-eighth lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . twenty-ninth lace stitch.] twenty-ninth lace stitch (fig. ).--this stitch, known as greek net stitch, can be used instead of buttonhole bars for filling in large surfaces. make bars from left to right, a little distance apart as in fig. , leaving the loops between rather slack, so that when they have been twice overcast by the returning thread, they may still be slightly rounded. in the next row, you make the bar in the middle of the loop and lift it up sufficiently with the needle, for the threads to form a hexagon like a net mesh. [illustration: fig. . thirtieth lace stitch.] thirtieth lace stitch (fig. ). after a row of pairs of buttonhole stitches set closely together, with long loops between, as long as the space between the pairs, throw the thread across in a line with the extremities of the loops, fasten it to the edge of the braid and make pairs of buttonhole stitches, as in the first row above it. the loops must be perfectly regular, to facilitate which, guide lines may be traced across the pattern, and pins stuck in as shown in the figure, round which to carry the thread. [illustration: fig. . thirty-first lace stitch.] thirty-first lace stitch (fig. ).--at first sight this stitch looks very much like the preceding one, but it differs entirely from it in the way in which the threads are knotted. you pass the needle under the loop and the laid thread, then stick in the pin at the right distance for making the long loop, bring the thread round behind the pin, make a loop round the point of the needle, as shows in the engraving, and pull up the knot. [illustration: fig. . thirty-second lace stitch.] thirty-second lace stitch (fig. ).--to introduce a greater variety into lace stitches, netting can also be imitated with the needle. you begin with a loop in the corner of a square and work in diagonal lines. the loops are secured by means of the same stitch shown in fig. , and the regularity of the loops ensured, as it is there, by making them round a pin, stuck in at the proper distance. the squares or meshes must be made with the greatest accuracy; that being the case, most of the stitches described in the preceding chapter can be worked upon them, and the smallest spaces can be filled with delicate embroidery. thirty-third lace stitch (fig. ).--this stitch is frequently met with in the oldest irish lace, especially in the kind where the braids are joined together by fillings not bars. at first sight, it looks merely like a close net stitch, the ground and filling all alike, so uniform is it in appearance, but on a closer observation it will be found to be quite a different stitch from any of those we have been describing. the first stitch is made like a plain net stitch, the second consists of a knot that ties up the loop of the first stitch. fillings of this kind must be worked as compactly as possible, so that hardly any spaces are visible between the individual rows. [illustration: fig. . thirty-third lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . thirty-fourth lace stitch.] thirty-fourth lace stitch (fig. ).--to fill in a surface with this stitch, known as the wheel or spider stitch, begin by laying double diagonal threads to and fro, at regular distances apart, so that they lie side by side and are not twisted. when the whole surface is covered with these double threads, throw a second similar series across them, the opposite way. the return thread, in making this second layer, must be conducted under the double threads of the first layer and over the single thread just laid, and wound two or three times round them, thereby forming little wheels or spiders, like those already described in the preceding chapter in figs. and . thirty-fifth lace stitch (fig. ).--begin by making a very regular netted foundation, but without knots, where the two layers of threads intersect each other. then, make a third layer of diagonal threads across the two first layers, so that all meet at the same points of intersection, thus forming six rays divergent from one centre. with the fourth and last thread, which forms the seventh and eighth ray, you make the wheel over seven threads, then slip the needle under it and carry it on to the point for the next wheel. [illustration: fig. . thirty-fifth lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . thirty-sixth lace stitch.] thirty-sixth lace stitch (fig. ).--after covering all the surface to be embroidered, with threads stretched in horizontal lines, you cover them with loops going from one to the other and joining themselves in the subsequent row to the preceding loops. the needle will thus have to pass underneath two threads. then cover this needle-made canvas with cones worked in close darning stitches, as in figs. , and . [illustration: fig. . thirty-seventh lace stitch.] thirty-seventh lace stitch (fig. ).--here, by means of the first threads that you lay, you make an imitation of the penelope canvas used for tapestry work, covering the surface with double threads, a very little distance apart, stretched both ways. the second layer of threads must pass alternately under and over the first, where they cross each other, and the small squares thus left between, must be encircled several times with thread and then buttonholed; the thicker the foundation and the more raised and compact the buttonholing upon it is, the better the effect will be. each of these little buttonholed rings should be begun and finished off independently of the others. thirty-eighth lace stitch (fig. ).--plain net stitch being quicker to do than any other, one is tempted to use it more frequently; but as it is a little monotonous some openwork ornament upon it is a great improvement; such for instance as small buttonholed rings, worked all over the ground at regular intervals. here again, as in the preceding figure the rings must be made independently of each other. [illustration: fig. . thirty-eighth lace stitch.] [illustration: fig. . thirty-ninth lace stitch.] thirty-ninth lace stitch (fig. ).--corded bars, branching out into other bars, worked in overcasting stitches, may also serve as a lace ground. you lay five or six threads, according to the course the bars are to take; you overcast the branches up to the point of their junction with the principal line, thence you throw across the foundation threads for another branch, so that having reached a given point and coming back to finish the threads left uncovered in going, you will often have from six to eight short lengths of thread to overcast. overcasting stitches are always worked from right to left. fortieth lace stitch (fig. ).--of all the different kinds of stitches here given, this, which terminates the series, is perhaps the one requiring the most patience. it was copied from a piece of very old and valuable brabant lace, of which it formed the entire ground. our figure of course represents it on a very magnified scale, the original being worked in the finest imaginable material, over a single foundation thread. in the first row, after the three usual foundation threads are laid, you make the buttonhole stitches to the number of eight or ten, up to the point from which the next branch issues, from the edge of the braid, that is, upwards. then you bring the needle down again and buttonhole the second part of the bar, working from right to left. [illustration: fig. . fortieth lace stitch.] a picot, like the one described in fig. , marks the point where the bars join. more picots of the same kind may be added at discretion. [illustration: fig. . wheel composed of buttonhole bars. making and taking up the loops.] [illustration: fig. . wheel composed of buttonhole bars. the buttonholing begun.] wheel composed of buttonhole bars (figs. , , , ).--as we have already more than once given directions for making wheels, not only in the present chapter, but also in the one on netting, there is no need to enlarge on the kind of stitches to be used here, but we will explain the course of the thread in making wheels, composed of buttonhole bars in a square opening. fig. shows how the first eight loops which form the foundation of the bars are made. [illustration: fig. . wheel composed of buttonhole bars. passing from one bar to the other.] [illustration: fig. . wheel composed of buttonhole bars. bars and ring finished.] in fig. you will see that a thread has been passed through the loops, for the purpose of drawing them in and making a ring in addition to which, two threads added to the loop serve as padding for the buttonhole stitches; the latter should always be begun on the braid side. fig. represents the bar begun in fig. completed, and the passage of the thread to the next bar, and fig. the ring buttonholed after the completion of all the bars. [illustration: fig. . filling in a round space with net stitch.] filling in round spaces (figs. , , ).--the stitches best adapted for filling in round spaces are those that can be drawn in and tightened to the required circumference, or those that admit of the number being reduced, regularly, in each round. in tacking braids on to circular patterns, the inside edges, as we pointed out at the beginning of this chapter, have to be drawn in with overcasting stitches in very fine thread. fig. shows how to fill in a round space with net stitches. it will be observed that the loop which begins the row, has the thread of the loop with which it terminates, wound round it, which thread then passes on to the second series of stitches. in the same manner you pass to the third row after which you pick up all the loops and fasten off the thread by working back to the braid edge over all the rows of loops, following the course indicated by the dotted line. [illustration: fig. . filling in round spaces. first circle of wheels begun.] [illustration: fig. . filling in round spaces. the two circles of wheels finished.] fig. shows how to finish a row of loops with wheels worked upon three threads only. in the first row, you make a wheel over each bar; in the second, you make a bar between every two wheels; in the third, the wheels are only made over every second bar; a fourth row of bars which you pick up with a thread completes the interior of the circle, then you work along the bars with overcasting stitches, fig. , to carry the thread back to the edge of the braid where you fasten it off. needle-made picots (figs. , , ).--the edges and outlines of irish lace are generally bordered with picots, which as we have already said can be bought ready-made (see fig. ). they are not however very strong and we cannot recommend them for lace that any one has taken the pains to make by hand. [illustration: fig. . connected needle-made picots.] [illustration: fig. . isolated needle-made picots.] [illustration: fig. . buttonhole picots with picots in bullion stitch.] in fig. , the way to make picots all joined together is described. you begin, as in fig. , by a knot, over which the thread is twisted as indicated in the engraving. it is needless to repeat that the loops should all be knotted in a line, all be of the same length and all the same distance apart. fig. represents the kind of needle-made picots which most resemble the machine-made ones, and fig. show us the use of little scallops surmounted by picots, made in bullion stitch. one or two rows of lace stitch fig. , or the first rows of figs. , , can also be used in the place of picots. irish lace (fig. ).--english braids or those braids which are indicated at the foot of the engraving must be tacked down on to the pattern and gathered on the inside edge, wherever the lines are curved, as explained in fig. ; in cases however where only lacet superfin d.m.c[a] is used, the needle should be slipped in underneath the outside threads, so that the thread with which you draw in the braid be hidden. the braids are joined together where they meet with a few overcasting stitches, as shown in the illustration. here, we find one of the lace stitches used instead of picots; the first row of fig. always makes a nice border for irish lace. irish lace (fig. ).--this pattern, which is more complicated and takes more time and stitches than the preceding one, can also be executed with one or other of the braids mentioned at the beginning of the chapter; but it looks best made with a close braid. [illustration: fig. . irish lace.] [illustration: fig. . irish lace. materials: lacet surfin d.m.c no. , white or écru and fil d'alsace d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .] the bars, which in the illustration are simply buttonholed may also be ornamented with picots of one kind or another; the interior spaces of the figure on the left can be filled, instead of with corded bars, with one of the lace stitches we have described, either fig. , , or , any one of which is suitable for filling in small spaces like these. in the figure on the right, the ring of braid may be replaced by close buttonhole stitches, made over several foundation threads or over one thick thread, such as fil à pointer d.m.c no. or [a] to make them full and round. you begin the ring on the inside and increase the number of stitches as the circumference increases. [illustration: fig. . irish lace. materials: english braid with open edge.--for the lattice work: fil d'alsace d.m.c in balls nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , white. for the cord: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , écru.[a]] any of the stitches, from fig. to fig. , can be introduced here. irish lace (fig. ).--here we find one of the fillings above alluded to, fig. , used as a ground for the flowers and leaves. for the design itself some of the closer stitches described in this chapter, should be selected. when the actual lace, is finished you sew upon the braid a thin cord, made of écru cordonnet fils d.m.c, as described in the chapter on different kinds of fancy work. cords of this kind can be had ready made, but the hand-made ones are much to be preferred, being far softer and more supple than the machine-made. [illustration: fig. . irish lace. materials--for the cord: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to . for the bars and lace stitches: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. .[a]] irish lace (fig. ).--this lace, more troublesome than the preceding ones to make, is also much more valuable and effective. the ground is composed entirely of bars, like the ones described in fig. , the branches, true to the character of the work are worked in the close stitch represented in fig. , and the flowers in double net stitch, fig. . in working the above fillings, the thread must not, as in lace made with braid, be carried on from one point to the other by overcasting stitches along the braid edges, but should be drawn out horizontally through the cord and back again the same way, giving the needle in so doing a slightly slanting direction. 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. [illustration: venetian lace of the xvi century.] laces of different kinds. in general, to the uninitiated, the word «lace» signifies exclusively the delicate and elaborate fabrics that owe their origin to venice and the netherlands and were thence imported into other countries. but besides venetian, french, english, chantilly, brussels, sedan point, names familiar to every one, there are all kinds of other laces, likewise of great antiquity, and named as the above are, after the country they belong to. as it would be impossible in these pages to give a comprehensive account of them all, we have restricted ourselves to such as seem more especially suited to the amateur, to whom needlework is a mere recreation and pastime. worked like the above-named entirely with the needle, but much less elaborate and minute in character and workmanship, they are quicker and easier to make and we are sure that by the help of the directions that accompany the illustrations, any careful worker will be able to imitate them without difficulty. materials.--it will be observed that we do not bind ourselves in the following directions to one size of cotton, that as in point of fact, one and the same piece of work can be executed in either fine or coarse cotton, we have only indicated the most suitable kind of material to use: as for instance for armenian lace, fil à pointer d.m.c[a] or cordonnet fils d.m.c[a], for smyrna or knotted lace, fil à pointer d.m.c, cordonnet fils d.m.c and fil à dentelle d.m.c[a], for reticella and venetian lace, fil d'alsace d.m.c[a], for brussels lace, the finest numbers of fil à dentelle and for pillow lace, any one of those enumerated, excepting coton à broder surfin. pillow lace and the necessary articles for its manufacture.--pillow lace derives its name from the cushion or pillow on which all bobbin lace is made, which distinguishes it from point lace, so-called because it consists of «points» or stitches made with a needle and thread. various articles are required for the making of pillow lace; in the first place a cushion or pillow, then bobbins and a winder, parchment patterns, pins and a pricker. the lace pillow (figs. , , ).--the pillows used for pillow lace are of different kinds and vary in shape with where the country, and the manner in which the lace is made. [illustration: fig. . the lace pillow.] fig. represents the shape in use in the mountains of bohemia and saxony, where pillow lace has always been one of the chief industries of the inhabitants. any one can make a cushion of this kind themselves with a piece of stuff, c/m. long and wide. the long sides are firmly sewn together and the short ones turned in with a narrow hem through which you run a cord to draw them up. a disc of stout cardboard is put inside the case after you have gathered up the one end; you then stuff the case as full as possible with bran, sawdust or horsehair, lay a second disc of cardboard in at the top and draw up the other end. these pillows are then put into cardboard boxes with rather high sides, or into a kind of basket, weighted at the bottom, to keep it firm and steady. pillows of this most primitive kind have the great advantage of being perfectly easy to make. [illustration: fig. . pillow with movable cylinder for making lace.] [illustration: fig. . position of the bobbins and the work on the cushion fig. .] fig. represents a pillow of a more complicated kind, which can be stood upon the table or mounted on a stand. the cylinder is movable so that you can go on working without interruption. the whole apparatus consists of a board or stand, c/m. long and wide, resting upon two transverse pieces of wood, ½ c/m. high behind and c/m. in front. the board should be covered, first with a very thick flannel or bath coating and then with a fine dark green flannel or cloth. two small supports are fixed on to the outside edge of the stand to hold the cylinder, which consists of two discs that revolve on a rod about c/m. long. this rod should be covered, in the first place with a thick layer of tow and then with flannel or cloth. on the left side of the cylinder is a cog-wheel and a metal spring is attached to the board, by means of which the wheel is prevented from turning the wrong way. fig. shows how the bobbins are placed upon the pillow. in normandy a kind of stuffed box is used instead of a pillow. the board is c/m. higher behind than in front and is deeply grooved to hold the cylinder, which is stuffed and shaped like the one represented in fig. . this cylinder scarcely projects above the stand, a second groove in the back edge receives the lace as it is worked off the cylinder. the pillows used for valenciennes lace are of again a different construction, but as it is not our intention in the present work to describe the finer kinds of lace it appeared superfluous to give any illustration of the pillows on which they are made. [illustration: fig. . the bobbin (jamnig's patent).] the bobbins (fig. ).--a bobbin is a sort of little wooden spool with a handle to it; there are several varieties of them but we have confined ourselves to a representation of the kind considered best for beginners. as a considerable number are wanted for every pattern and they are apt to slip about and get entangled in inexperienced hands, they are now to be had with the handles weighted with lead to steady them and counteract any independent motion of their own. we cannot help again laying great stress on the importance of seeing that the size of the bobbins and the number of the cotton be well assorted to the kind of lace. the winder (fig. ).--every one who means to take the work seriously should provide themselves with a winder, as here represented, which is affixed to a polished wooden stand. this stand has to be firmly screwed to the table and the bobbin is squeezed in between the two little rods fitted into the supports at the left end of the stand; one of these rods serves as the axle to the little wheel, the other can be drawn in and out and fitted to the length of the bobbin. [illustration: fig. . the winder (jamnig's patent).] when the bobbin is fixed in its place, you take the thread in the left hand and wind it round it, turning the wheel with the right hand from right to left in the direction indicated by the arrow. the thread is wound round the handles of the bobbins that are used for making very fine lace, and a wooden shield that is so contrived that you can slip it over the handle prevents the thread from getting soiled. [illustration: fig. . stoppage of the thread at the end of the bobbin.] stoppage of the thread at the end of the bobbin (fig. ).--after cutting off the thread, you make a loop close to the top of the bobbin to prevent it from unwinding too easily. this loop is formed by taking the bobbin in the right hand, the thread between the fourth and fifth fingers of the left hand and laying it away from you round the left thumb; then lifting up the bottom thread with the second finger of the left hand you pass the bobbin upwards from below through the loop on the left hand. machine for crossing the threads (fig. ).--this ingenious little machine is of great assistance in making straight running patterns and irish lace braids, and is particularly useful for russian lace and braid lace of all kinds. it renders the even crossing of the threads in those parts of a pattern that imitate linen in texture comparatively easy. two implements like combs, fitting into one another, and movable, are mounted at two thirds of their length on a steel axle. the long teeth have holes bored through the ends, from the sides to the middle of the points and through these holes the threads from the bobbins are passed. [illustration: fig. . machine for crossing the threads (jamnig's patent).] the short teeth also are pierced with transverse holes, through which a needle with the threads threaded in the long teeth resting upon it, is passed. the points of the short teeth are covered with a hollow metal cylinder, split through from end to end, which can be removed when new threads have to be added. when the threads are all on, a small spring is fixed to the two ends of the axle, which is independent of the machine, and the two ends of the spring are introduced into the hollow of the cylinder. by the pressure you exercise on the teeth in the cylinder, the long teeth change their position, the lower ones rise and the upper ones fall and the threads cross each other, as in a loom. after each movement of the machine, the bobbin that makes the woof must be passed between the crossed threads; the edges are made like those of any other kind of lace. fig. explains how the bobbins are passed between the threads that are held between the teeth of the machine. [illustration: fig. . passage of the bobbins through the machine.] the pattern.--the pattern is one of the most important things in making pillow lace. the outlines must be clear and exact, as upon that in great measure the perfection of the lace depends. the drawing transferred to parchment, paper or cardboard, usually of a yellowish tint, should be lined with a very thin stuff such as muslin to prevent its tearing. [illustration: fig. . pricker and holder.] a stripe of quadrille, or point paper as it is called, should be laid upon the pattern and then holes pricked with a medium-sized needle at every intersection of the lines. all the curved long lines of the pattern must first be traced upon the point paper with ink and then pricked. the pattern should be adapted to the thickness of the thread the lace is to be made of; for a coarse lace large point paper should be used and small, for the finer kinds of lace. the pricking of the pattern beforehand is particularly important in the case of the common torchon lace, where the real beauty of the design consists in its regularity; in the case of fine close patterns the pricking can only be done as you proceed. prickers and holders of the kind represented in fig. or very much resembling it, are to be had at every stationer's shop. [illustration: fig. . position and movements of the hands.] the holes made by the prickers are to receive the pins, stuck in as you go along, round which you form and by which these are kept in their place. the pins must be long, with round heads and of a size suited to the thread. when your pattern is ready fasten it to the pillow or cylinder as the case may be, stretching it as smoothly as possible and being careful in so doing to fit the lines of the pattern together. if it be too long it must be cut to the required length or you may make the cylinder bigger by wrapping several folds of flannel round it. the value of lace depends not only on the work but on the thread it is made of; all the d.m.c cottons[a] can be recommended for lace-making and coloured laces of all kinds are greatly improved by the addition of a little chiné d'or d.m.c or or fin d.m.c pour la broderie.[a] position and movements of the hands (fig. ).--pillow lace is always made with two pairs of bobbins at once and the «stitches» are formed by the different ways of passing, plaiting, crossing and twisting the threads. to begin with the simplest operation, making a plait, hang pairs of bobbins to a pin, take bobbins in each hand and lay the right bobbin of each pair over its left fellow and draw up the threads slightly. then take the bobbins in the nd, rd and th fingers of the right hand and with the same fingers of the left, lay the nd bobbin over the rd with the nd and rd fingers of the left, so that the two middle bobbins are crossed, then take the th bobbin in the nd and rd fingers of the right hand and the bobbin that is now the nd, in the rd and th fingers of the left hand and lay the former over the rd, the latter over the st. this constitutes a «half passing». the plait, fig. , is formed by the repetition of the half passing. two half passings make a whole or «double passing». on the kind of lace you are making, depends how many pairs of bobbins you will have to use. but as one part of the lace is often made before the other, or you have to put on supernumerary bobbins, you fasten up those not in use on one side with pins, as shown in fig. . [illustration: fig. . passing with two pairs of bobbins.] net pattern or ground (figs. and ).--this consists of half passings, worked in rows to and fro; the pins are stuck in at the end of each row. the pattern, fig. , is fastened upon the pillow and pins are stuck in at the top, at regular intervals from each other; hang one pair of bobbins on every pin and lay the second bobbin of each pair over its fellow, so that the threads cross each other. [illustration: fig, . pattern for net passings.] half passing with the st and nd pair = lay the st pair aside = half passing with the nd and rd pair = lay the nd pair aside = half passing with the rd and th pair = lay the rd pair aside = half passing with the th and th pair = lay the th pair aside = half passing with the th and th pair = stick in a pin at point , then work back from right to left = surround the pin with a half passing made with the th and th pair = lay the th pair aside = half passing with the th and th pair = lay the th pair aside = half passing with the th and rd pairs = lay the th pair aside = half passing with the rd and nd pair = lay the rd pair aside = half passing with the nd and st pair = stick in a pin at point and repeat from the beginning. fig. shows the net ground completed; the thread that runs to and fro, to make it more clear, is represented in a darker shade than the others. before proceeding further, it is as well to prepare our readers for the many trials they will have to make, even with the help of the most minute explanations, before they succeed in carrying out the directions; for the whole art of making pillow lace lies in a manual dexterity, only attainable by practice. [illustration: fig. . net ground. completed.] even copying the patterns from description is only possible at first in a qualified sense; the surest way of attaining a satisfactory result is by constantly comparing the drawing and the work in progress and wherever the latter does not correspond with the former, trying at once to rectify the difference. linen or cloth ground.--the pattern used for net passing can also be used for linen passing or ground but pins, instead of , have to be stuck in at the top first. as in net passing, you work first from left to right, running threads to and fro in perfectly horizontal lines, so as to produce a ground resembling linen in its texture. the threads that run to and fro are held at the edge with pins and changed by a half passing, so that the one that was first in going, is first also in returning. [illustration: fig. . pattern for plain hole ground.] [illustration: fig. . plain hole ground.] the use of the machine for crossing the threads is especially to be recommended in working linen ground; by pressing the short branches of the machine, the position of the threads is changed and the bobbin is pushed through; by a second pressure the second bobbin is driven through, the pin is stuck in for the picot or the cord, when the bobbins are taken back again, four movements being thus all that is required. [illustration: fig. . wheel begun in hole ground.] [illustration: fig. . wheel in hole ground completed.] plain hole ground (figs. and ).--hole ground can be worked in various ways; we will begin by describing the plain hole ground, which as a rule forms the ground of all torchon laces. after fixing the pattern, as represented in fig. , upon the pillow, stick in pins, hang pairs of bobbins on to each and throw the nd bobbin of each pair over its fellow = half passing with the nd and rd pairs = put up a pin at point = half passing with the same pair = this encloses the pin = lay the rd pair aside = half passing with the nd and st pair = put up a pin at point = enclose it with the same pairs = half passing with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = enclose it with the same pairs = lay the th pair aside = half passing the th and rd pair = put up the pin at point = enclose the same = lay the th pair aside = work on in the same way over points and = half passing with the th and th pair = put up the pin at point = enclose the same = work on in the same way over points , , , and = half passing with the th and th pair = put up the pin at point = enclose the same = work on over points , , , , , and = half passing with the th and th pair = put up the pin at point = enclose the same and proceed as in the preceding rows, from point to . [illustration: fig. . pattern for rose ground.] [illustration: fig. . rose ground.] hole ground with twisted thread is made in the same way we have just been describing, only that after every half passing enclosing the pin, each pair of bobbins is twisted once. a ground which is worked in this way is stronger than the other. twisted hole ground is seen again in figs. and . wheels in hole ground (figs. and ).--for the wheels, which are often worked on pillow-made grounds, , , pairs of bobbins, sometimes even more are used (see likewise fig. ). in fig. , the wheel is worked with the middle pairs of bobbins. each pair has first to be twisted once = linen passing with the rd and nd pair = lay aside the rd pair = linen passing with the nd and th pair = lay both pairs aside = linen passing with the th and rd pair = lay aside the th pair = linen passing with the rd and nd pair = put up the pin at the next point and between the nd and rd pair = linen passing with the rd and nd pair = lay aside the rd pair = linen passing with the nd and st pair = lay both pairs aside = linen passing with the th and rd pair = lay the th pair aside = linen passing with the rd and nd pair = the last passing completes the wheel, such as it is represented in fig. . twist the pairs of bobbins again as you did before beginning the wheel and then proceed with the plain ground. rose ground (figs. and ).--after preparing the pattern, as in fig. , put up pins at _a_, _b_, _c_, _d_, _e_, _f_, _g_, _h_ and _i_ and hang on pairs of bobbins to the first pin, and one pair to each of the other = half passing with the st and nd pair = twist each pair once = take out the pin at point _a_ and put it up again at the same point between the pairs = enclose the pin with half passing = twist the pair once = lay the st pair aside = half passing with the nd and rd pair = twist the pair again = take out the pin at _b_, put it in again at the same point between the pair = enclose the pin = twist the pairs again = lay the nd pair aside = half passing with the rd and th pair = twist the pair again = take out the needle at _c_ and put it in again at the same point between the pairs = enclose the pin = twist the pair again = half passing with the rd and nd pair = twist the pair again = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = twist the pair again = half passing with the nd and st pair = twist the pair again = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = work point and with the rd and nd pair = half passing with the th and th pair = twist the pairs again = take out the pin at _d_ and put it in again at the same point between the pair = work point _e_ exactly like point _d_ with the th and th pair = work point like point with the th and th pair = work points , and in a slanting direction from right to left = carry out point with the th and th pair = lay both pairs aside = work point with the rd and nd pair = work point _f_ like point _e_ with the th and th pair = work point _g_ like point _f_ with the th and th pair = then work points to with the th and th pair = point with the th and th pair = point with the th and th pair = point with the rd and nd pair = point _h_ like point _g_ with the th and th pair = point _i_ with the th and th pair = points to with the th and th pair = point with the th and th pair = point with the th and th pair = point with the th and th pair = point with the rd and nd pair. proceed in this manner until the whole ground be finished. [illustration: fig. . pattern for fig. ] [illustration: fig. . double or ornamental ground.] double or ornamental ground (figs. and ).--this ground should be worked in a comparatively fine material; we should recommend fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . put up pins at points _a_ and _g_ in the pattern and hang on a pair of bobbins = put up pins likewise at _b_, _c_, _d_, _e_ and _f_ and hang on a pair of bobbins to each = half passing with the nd and rd pair = take out the pin at point _b_ and put it in again between the pair at the same place = enclose the pin with a half passing = half passing with the nd and st pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = half passing with the th and th pair = take out the pin at point _l_ and put it in again between the pairs at the same place = enclose the needle = half passing with the th and rd pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the needle = half passing with the rd and nd pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the needle = half passing with the rd and th pair = half passing with the nd and st pair = put up a needle at point = enclose the needle = work point _d_ like point _c_ with the th and th pair = half passing with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = work over point _e_ like point _d_ with the th and th pair = half passing with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = half passing with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = half passing with the th and th pair = lay the pairs aside = half passing with the th and th pair, by which the threads are made to cross each other in the square = work over point _f_ as over point _e_ with the th and th pair = work over points to as over points to = when the square is finished half passing with the th and th pair = half passings between all the squares. [illustration: fig. . tulle ground.] tulle ground (fig. ).--prepare your pattern for the ground represented here on a magnified scale, by pricking holes at regular distances so as to form diagonal lines intersecting each other, as shown in the engraving, and set more or less closely together, according to the thickness of the thread you use. half passing = put up the pin at the next point, twist both pairs twice, but without enclosing the pin, and pass the inner left thread over the inner left one = twist the two pairs again = cross as before and so on. valenciennes ground (fig. ).--the valenciennes ground is formed of little plaits for which pairs of bobbins are used. these plaits are often used in other kinds of lace as well, as may be seen for instance in figs. , and which are not valenciennes patterns. [illustration: fig. . valenciennes ground.] [illustration: fig. . brussels ground.] according to the size of the squares the plaits are made with either , or half passings, pairs of bobbins being invariably used. the plaits are joined by a half passing, made with the last pair of the left plait and the first of the right = stick the pin into the hole = enclose the pin by a half passing and work the next plait on the left with the two left pairs and the next plait on the right with the two right pairs. brussels ground (fig. ).--for the sake of greater clearness, this ground too has been worked and reproduced here on a magnified scale. it is worked in diagonal lines, as follows: double passing with pairs of bobbins = put up a pin at the next point = enclose the pin with a double passing, twist both pairs each time once and so on. this ground, when it is worked by the hand in very fine thread, takes a long time to do and is therefore often made by machinery. [illustration: fig. . eternelle with two rows of holes.] eternelle with two rows of holes (fig. ).--the so-called «eternelle» laces have no definite pattern; they can be made of any width, in the form of insertions or edgings. for a single row of holes, you want pairs of bobbins; for two rows, ; for three, , adding two pairs of bobbins for every additional row of holes. the upper part of fig. shows how the points are distributed; here pairs of bobbins are used. put up a pin at the topmost point = hang on pairs of bobbins = double passing = take out the pin and put it in again between the two pairs = tighten the pair = hang on pair of bobbins again on the left = double passing with the st pair of the bobbins you hung on first and with the new pair = push the double passing close to the pin = twist the first pair once and then lay it aside = double passing with the nd and rd pair that enclose the pin = hang on pairs of bobbins in the middle = double passing with both pairs = lay the th pair aside = double passing with the th and rd pair = lay the th pair aside = double passing with the nd and st pair = twist the st pair once and lay it aside = double passing with the nd and rd pair that enclose the pin = put up pin at the rd lower point, hang on pairs of bobbins = double passing with these bobbins = lay the th pair aside = * double passing with the th and th pair = lay the th pair aside = double passing with the th and th pair = lay the th pair aside = double passing with the th and rd pair = lay the th pair aside = double passing with the rd and nd pair = put up a pin at the next point = double passing with the nd and st pair = twist the st pair once = double passing with the nd and rd pair, to enclose the pin = lay the first pairs aside = double stitch with the th and th pair = lay the last two pairs aside = double passing with the th and th pair = put up a pin at the next point = enclose the pin with the last pairs = repeat from *. [illustration: fig. . lace with torchon ground and edge in net ground. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. . cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , white or écru.[a]] lace with torchon ground and edge in net ground (fig. ).--worked with pairs of bobbins. put up a pin at * = make net passings, fig. , to point = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin with the two last pairs on the right = net passings to point = put up a pin at point = lay one pair of bobbins aside = net passings to point = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = net passings to point = put up a pin at point = lay one pair of bobbins aside = net passings to point = put up a pin at point = net passings, back to point = put up a pin at point = take up the bobbins on the left again = half passing with the st pair on the left = put up a pin at point = work the torchon ground, at the top of the lace, as in fig. , with the nd and rd pair = half passing with the rd and th pair = put up a pin at point = twist the st and nd pair = double passing with the st and nd pair = put up a pin at point = double passing with the nd and rd pair = lay the nd pair aside = make hole or torchon stitch, fig. , with the rd and th pair = put up a pin at point = work on to point in hole ground = put up a pin at point = cross the st and nd pair on the left = put up a pin at point = enclose the pin = lay pairs of bobbins aside on the left = take up pairs on the right = put up a pin at point = net passings with the pairs on the right = take up, in addition, the th pair on the left = hole ground with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = net passings to point with pairs of bobbins = put up a pin at point = net passings with pairs of bobbins = take up a th pair of bobbins in addition = hole ground with the th and th pair = put up a pin at point = net passings with pairs of bobbins = put up a pin at point = net passings with pairs of bobbins = put up a pin at point and then repeat from the first point * on the left. pillow lace (figs. , , ).--we here give as an example the same pattern of lace worked in two thicknesses of thread; fig. in cordonnet fils d.m.c no. [a], fig. in fil à pointer d.m.c no. [a], which is of course much thicker. as this pattern is especially suitable for trimming household articles, made of unbleached linen, such for instance as table-covers, curtains and hangings of all kinds, we prefer it made in the thicker thread; even then it looks very well as a trimming for articles of dress. it is worked with pairs of bobbins = hang them on one after the other in a row = put up a pin at point = twisted linen passing = work all the pairs to point with linen passing = put up the pin at the last pair = go back through pairs with linen passing = twist pairs once = go back with linen passing through all the pairs to point = twist each pair separately = at point twist the pairs and put up the pin = twist the last pair twice and so on and coming back to point = put up the pin = come back again to point = return to point = put up the pins at the two points. [illustration: fig. . pattern for the pillow lace figs. and .] divide the other pairs into twos = put up a pin between every set of two pairs = linen passing. the ground is all worked alike: twist the pairs twice = linen passing = put up the pins = linen passing to points and = twist the threads in taking them through = make a plait, fig. , for the scallop point = put up a pin at the point marked for the picot = pass the thread of the outside bobbin from right to left, round the pin, to form the picot = continue the plait to the next picot = put up a pin = form the picot = continue the plait to point = connect the plait with the bobbins of points and = make linen passings with pairs = continue the plait = carry the last pair to point = twist the threads = make linen passing = put up a pin and enclose it = go on in this manner to point = make the wheel, as in figs. and , with pairs of bobbins, hanging on new pairs at point = work with twisted linen passing = twist the pairs once and cross with linen passing = take the last pair out from the middle to point , join it to the first pair of the scallop = make all the wheels before continuing the ground = then go back from point to = cross the pairs again = at point twist pairs = twisted linen passings right and left with the bobbins of points and = twisted linen passing = put up the pins and work all the spiders alike. [illustration: fig. . pillow lace. material: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .[a]] pillow lace insertion (figs. and ).--hang on pairs of bobbins. divide the bobbins and put pairs at point = put up a pin = twist once = linen passings = from point to point = twisted linen passings = add one pair of bobbins = put up a pin = add one pair of bobbins = put up a pin = lay one pair of bobbins aside = twist = linen passings = twisted linen passings to point = linen passings = twist the last pairs = go back with linen passing through pairs = join together with the two pairs and the first pair by means of a twisted stitch = put up the pin = lozenge stitch (for lozenge stitch in which the lozenges or close leaves are made, you take or threads; in the execution it resembles the darning stitch represented in figs. and ) to point = twist at point = take pairs from point = plait to point = twist with the bobbins of point = double passing = plait on the right, twist on the left = put up the pin = tie up as described. [illustration: fig. . pillow lace. material: fil à pointer d.m.c no. .[a]] take the second pair at points and = put up the pin = twisted double passings on the right = linen passings = twist the latter = put up the pin = at point lay one pair of bobbins aside = with simple passing go back through linen passings = join the latter and the former with linen passing = put up the pin at point = lozenge stitch with the bobbins of points and to point = connect the same at point = carry on the lozenge stitch to points , and = put up a pin at each number and enclose with a linen passing = with the first pair of bobbins of point , linen passings to the left and twisted linen passings, that is to say, crossing the threads = put up the pin at point . [illustration: fig. . pattern for pillow lace insertion fig. .] [illustration: fig. . pillow lace insertion. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] twist the threads from point to point = make a plait from point to point = then join the two parts together by half passings = put up a pin = twist the threads and make plaits to point = join the threads as at point . on the left and with the first pair of point , linen passings = with the latter twisted passing = put up the pin at point = returning, linen passings to point = linen passings to the left = with the latter pairs double passings and put up the pin. pillow lace (figs. and ).--hang on pairs of bobbins. [illustration: fig. . pattern for pillow lace fig. .] [illustration: fig. . pillow lace. material: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .[a]] these are divided into groups = pairs at point = put up a pin = twisted linen passing = twist both pairs once = put up the pin at point = add on pairs at point = put up the pin = go back through pairs = twist the last pairs = linen passing = put up the pin at point = twist both pairs = linen passings, as seen in the illustration, to the right and left as far as point = at point intervert pairs by a twisted linen passing = make a plait at point = put up a pin in the middle of the same = pass through pairs of bobbins with twisted linen passing = put pair of bobbins aside at point = put up a pin at the first pairs at point = work the leaf in lozenge stitch = put up a pin at point near the first pair = twist both pairs once = linen passing = put up the pin at point = go back in the same manner = work on in the same way to point = put up the pin at point = twisted linen passing to point = tie up the first pair of the scallop with the bobbins of point = bring the last pair back and work as at point = then repeat and proceed in the same way to point = twist the pairs up to point = put up the pin = make one lozenge stitch and join the plait, stitch to point = continue the lozenge stitch to point = join the bobbins of point to those of point by a plait = put up the pin = linen passing = twist the two last pairs once = put up the pin = linen passing = put up the pin at point = twist both pairs once = linen passings = put up the pin at point = linen passings = tie up the bobbins of point with those of point = plait stitch = put up the pin = join to point with lozenge stitch = with the bobbins at point make lozenge stitch to point = put up a pin = twist pairs once = make linen passings = join with linen passing = continue the scallop according to the preceding description, from point to point . at point make a leaf in lozenge stitch = put up the pin = continue from point to point with twisted linen passings = carry the first pair of bobbins of the lozenge to point by means of twisted linen passings = put up a pin in the middle of the pairs = make a plait to point = cross the pairs again as at point , in the beginning. pillow lace (figs. and ).--worked with pairs of bobbins.--these are divided: pairs at point = put up a pin on the left and right = with the last pairs make plaits to point = add pairs = make a double passing as for a plait = put up a pin in the middle of the pairs = plait with pairs of bobbins to point = add pairs of bobbins = make a double passing as for the plait = put up a pin in the middle of the pairs = then go on in the same manner to point = add pairs of bobbins = put up the pin = at point , add pairs of bobbins = make a plait = put up a pin and join to point by a double passing. [illustration: fig. . pattern for pillow lace fig. .] [illustration: fig. . pillow lace. material: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. .[a]] at point , lay the two last pairs to the right = put up a pin = make a plait to point = add pairs of bobbins = double passing = put up a pin = make a plait to point with a pairs of bobbins = add pairs of bobbins = double passing = put up the pin = make a plait to point = add pairs of bobbins = linen passings = put up a pin at the last passing = at point add pairs of bobbins = make a plait = put up a pin = join to point with linen passing = make plaits from point to point = put up a pin = leave the pairs hanging = linen passings with the bobbins of point = put up the pin at point = go back to point with passings = put up the pin = make a plait and tie up the bobbins at point = leave these bobbins hanging down. with the two first pairs at point , make a plait to point = linen passing at point and join to point by a plait = plait stitch = put up a pin = then plait stitch to point and make the same connection as at points and = continue to plait to point = put up the pin at the first pair = linen passings = leave these bobbins hanging down = tie up the plait of point with the st pair of point = make a plait on the left = put up a pin at point = make linen passings on the right and put up the pin at point = make a plait to point = make the same connection as at point and = the same connection also at point = make a plait to point = put up the pin = make a plaited lozenge with one pair = leave pairs hanging at point , left and right = continue to point = leave pairs hanging, left and right = make a plait to point = begin again at point and make a leaf in lozenge stitch to point = make a second leaf from point to point = join the leaves at point = make a plait with the first pair of point to point = put up a pin = enclose it with a double passing and make a plait = tie up the bobbins at point = continue the edge to point = make a leaf in lozenge stitch from point to point = tie up the bobbins at point and make linen passings with the united bobbins to point = with the bobbins of point and point , therefore with pairs, make a square in lozenge stitch = join the leaves at point = from point to point make a plait with the two first pairs of bobbins = put up a pin at point = make a plait with picots to point = lozenge stitch from point to point and point = join to point by a plait = plait to point = work from point to in the same way as from point to point = at point and point the pairs cross each other. pillow lace (figs. and ).--hang on pairs of bobbins. begin at point with a plait, fig. = put up a pin = * hang on pairs at point and put up a pin at the last pair = with the last pair make a plait to point * = hang on a pair of bobbins = linen passing = hang on a pair of bobbins = linen passing = hang on pairs of bobbins = linen passing = linen passings = put up a pin = leaf in lozenge stitch to point = hang on pairs of bobbins = plait stitches = put up a pin = make a leaf to point = hang on pairs of bobbins = plait stitch = put up a pin = repeat in the reverse order to point . [illustration: fig. . pattern for the lace fig. .] [illustration: fig. . pillow lace. material: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. . ([a])] put up a pin at point = hang on a pair of bobbins = linen passing = hang on a pair of bobbins = linen passing = hang on a pair of bobbins = make a plait to point = put up a pin = hang on pairs of bobbins at point = make a plait and tie the threads together with those of point = on the left with pairs, on the right with pairs to point for the edge = put up pins and continue the edge with linen passings to point . return to point and make a plait = put up a pin = divide the bobbins and put one pair on the right, the other on the left = take the bobbins at point and and make plaits to points and = make linen passings with the two pairs to point = put up a pin and make a plait to point . make leaves in lozenge stitch from points and to points and = one leaf from point to point = make another leaf to point and one to point = make the same leaves on the left to points , and = cross the bobbins at point = make leaves from point to points , and . make lozenge stitch with picots, with pairs of bobbins from points and to point = join the bobbins to leaf = carry on the braid to point = join pairs of bobbins to the leaf = leave the pairs at point hanging down = carry on the braid to point . make a leaf at point to point = tie the threads together as at point = carry on the edge to point = put up a pin = make a plait with picots to point = tie up the threads with those of leaf = make a leaf to point = introduce the threads into the edge = put up a pin = tie the threads together. make a plait on the left = leave pairs of bobbins hanging down on the right, pairs for the plait and for the leaf = carry on the edge to point = leave pairs hanging for another leaf = continue the edge to point . make a plait from point to point . begin again on the left at points and and work, as on the right, to point = cross the threads at point = linen passing = distribute the pairs to point = pairs at point = at point = pairs at point = plait to point = join to point = continue the plait and join to points , , = at points , , lozenge stitch with every pairs of bobbins to point = then join the next pairs together = and work on with lozenge stitch to point = work exactly in the same manner at points , , , , , as at points , , , to = at point , all the threads are interwoven, and then divided into sets = continue the leaves to points , and . then repeat in the reverse order from points , , , and . [illustration: fig. . armenian lace. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: Écru and brun-caroubier .[a]] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] armenian lace (figs. and ).--the dresses of the turkish women are often ornamented with flowers and leaves, executed in needlework which take the place of fringe and braid trimmings and are often even employed as adornments for the neck and arms instead of necklets and bracelets in metal work; though, as such, they do not always accord with our western notions of good taste, the armenian work is in itself, both sufficiently interesting and easy of execution, to deserve description here amongst other kinds of needlework that are adaptable to use. it may be imitated with capital effect in strong stiff washing materials, such as those indicated in our illustration, either upon a linen or cotton foundation or upon plush or silk. the thread is first drawn into the edge of the stuff; you then carry it from right to left, determine the length of the squares, and working from left to right make on this first thread as many knots as you have room for. fig. shows the formation of the knot, the manner in which the thread, passing from left to right, forms a loop, and how to pass your needle under the straightly extended thread and through the loop. you leave a space of one or two m/m. between the knots, according to the thickness of the thread you are using. having covered the first thread with knots, you return to the edge for the next row of knots, but passing your needle this time under three threads. the number of knots should be the same in each row, and the four sides of the square should be all equal. when the squares are finished they are edged with picots on the two lower sides, as shown in fig. . thread of two colours was used for fig. , the squares being worked alternately in Écru and brun-caroubier and the picots, all in the latter colour. lace and insertion in knotted stitch (fig. ).--excepting in the case of the returning thread, the same stitches are used for the pretty border and insertion given in fig. , as for the armenian lace. the stitches that form the insertion are attached, on both sides, to an english braid, something of the nature of rhodes linen, which is open-worked before the knotted work upon it is begun. as in the preceding figure, two colours are used alternately, the change from one to the other is distinctly marked in the engraving. the outside edge consists of light scallops, formed by the regular increase and decrease of the stitches. the original piece of work from which our drawing was taken, forms the border of a dark blue plush carpet; the red and écru hues of the lace harmonize exceedingly well with the soft colour of the plush. [illustration: fig. . lace and insertion in knotted stitch. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . colours: Écru and rouge-cardinal .[a]] insertion in knotted stitch (figs. and ).--this kind of work, similarly composed of knotted stitches, can be used instead of crochet insertion or single and cut openwork in linen. it looks exceedingly well as a trimming for bed and table linen and is executed on foundation threads or cords, which connect the different figures together, with closely connected rows of knots between. [illustration: fig. . insertion in knotted stitch. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c no. , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] insertion in knotted stitch (figs. and ).--the mode of making the insertion in knotted stitch, which is represented in the two accompanying engravings, is supposed to be of italian origin, but we have met with quite as perfect specimens of work done in the same way, which were the products of persia and asia minor. we have called it by the same name as the preceding patterns, for even the way in which the stitch is worked is almost the same. through some slight difference however in the interlacing of the threads, shown by the open loops in fig. , the stitches lie closer together and are alike on both sides of the work. [illustration: fig. . insertion in knotted stitch. materials: the same as for fig. .[a]] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] no difficulty will be found in making out the course of the rows; it is best to begin by the two rows of stitches that form the perpendicular bars and make the stitches, that compose the staves between the bars next. for the little picots see fig. . [illustration: fig. . lace in knotted stitch. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .[a]] [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] [illustration: fig. . reticella lace. materials--for the open-work: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to , or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to , white or écru. for the bars: lacets superfins d.m.c nos. to .[a]] lace in knotted stitch (figs. and ).--this charming little lace, which is of italian origin, was taken from a cushion cover, used for church purposes. the stitches, made in the order indicated in the working detail, fig. , are overcast at the last with a fleecy thread, such as coton à repriser d.m.c, of a rather sober colour, such for instance as bleu-indigo , rouge-géranium , or jaune-rouille . you overcast the slanting bars and pass over the stitches that connect the two picots. [illustration: fig. . working detail of fig. .] reticella lace (figs. and ).--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 substituting a braid made upon a pillow, for the bars made with the needle. [illustration: fig. . venetian lace.] [illustration: fig. . venetian lace.] you begin by laying and fastening down the braid by means of very small stitches upon the lines of the pattern, which should be traced upon black paper; you next proceed to make the centre bars, covered with plain buttonhole stitches, on which you mount a row of stitches, like those of fig. ; these are followed by another bar, to make which, you pick up the loop of the stitches of the preceding row and by another row like the second, finished off with picots, like those illustrated in fig. . the bases of the pyramids likewise consist of bars, buttonholed on both sides and edged on the inside with picots. the stitches 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. , in the chapter on irish lace. the inside of the pyramids is worked in the stitch represented in fig. , the picots round them are like the ones in fig. . [illustration: fig. . venetian lace.] [illustration: fig. . venetian lace.] the lace, represented in fig. in its original size, was worked in fil à dentelle d.m.c no. , whilst the second engraving, representing the same subject, shows us how perfectly well it can also be made in heavier and coarser materials, these being in this instance, lacets superfins d.m.c no. and cordonnet fils d.m.c no. . venetian laces (figs. , , , , , , ).--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. [illustration: fig. . venetian lace.] [illustration: fig. . 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). prick 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 coarse 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 prickings and secure them at each hole by a stitch made over the threads. fig. , with the others of the same series in their natural size, show the proper distance that should be left between the prickings, and the laying down of the threads begun; whilst in fig. , we have the threads laid down throughout, even for the little eyelet holes, which are to be openworked afterwards. [illustration: fig. . venetian lace. materials--for the open stitches: fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to . for the outlining and for the padding: coton surfin d.m.c nos. to .[a]] when all this preliminary work is finished, the pattern is ready for the lace stitches 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 buttonhole edges. all the different lace stitches 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 stitches, 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 stitches to serve as fillings see figs. to ) until all the spaces are filled, as represented in figs. and . the stitches should be selected as far as possible, to suit the style of the design. flowers look best worked in an open or lattice stitch, leaves on the other hand in a thick close stitch. when all the insides are done, the edges and outlines have to be closely buttonholed. the old venetian laces are bordered with scallops in high relief, worked over a thick pad of laid threads, as described on p. , fig. , relating to venetian embroidery. [illustration: fig. . venetian lace with net ground. materials--for the open stitches: fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to .--for the outlining: coton surfin d.m.c nos. to .] venetian lace with net ground (fig. ).--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. , the buttonholed outlines should be done last. thus in making the lace, fig. , 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 buttonholing 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 à 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. [illustration: fig. . spray in needle-point. materials--for the open stitches: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. .--for the outlining: coton surfin d.m.c nos. to .[a]] spray in needle-point (fig. ).--needle-point lace, also called brussels lace, requires the same preparatory work as venetian lace; but it seldom contains such a variety of stitches and openwork as the latter. the flowers are generally worked in one of the stitches, represented in figs. and ; the outlines are less thickly buttonholed and the stitches, 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 stitches 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. [illustration: appliquÉ work on satin set with fine cord.] miscellaneous fancy work. as the plan on which this book was constructed rendered a systematic classification 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 illustrations and the accompanying directions are but an application to a practical use of the different kinds of stitches 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. , , , , ).--the knotted cord referred to in the letter press belonging to figs. and 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. , and with the forefinger of the right, pull out a loop long enough for the left forefinger to pass 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. . as you lay the thread round the left forefinger, you must pass 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. . [illustration: fig. . knotted cord. first position of the hands.] [illustration: fig. . knotted cord. second position of the hands.] [illustration: fig. . knotted cord. third position of the hands.] in fig. , representing the fourth position of the hands, you are shown how the forefinger of the right hand lifts up the thread and passes through the loop on the left hand; the end will consequently also pass immediately into the right hand and the left hand will tighten the knot. it is by thus drawing up first a loop on the right and then one on the left that this pretty cord is produced. skilful hands will soon learn to make a cord of the same kind with four threads, as follows: knot the four ends of thread together, make a few knots, using two threads as one, then dropping the loop on your forefinger, put the next one upon it and draw up the knot, passing however the threads over those that you dropped. then drop the loop you have on your finger again and take up the first loops. [illustration: fig. . knotted cord. fourth position of the hands.] for the cord made with double threads, represented in fig. on a magnified scale, use cordonnet fils d.m.c or one of the other materials mentioned at the foot of the illustration. soutache d.m.c will always be found to be very suitable for this purpose. balls for trimmings (figs. , , , , , ).--amongst the crochet patterns are two that are finished off with balls; to make these, begin by cutting a number of rounds of cardboard, two for every ball, with holes in the middle, fig. . [illustration: fig. . knotted cord. materials: fil à pointer d.m.c nos. to , coton à tricoter d.m.c nos. to , cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. to or soutache d.m.c nos. to .[a]] if you have a great many balls to make it is well worth your while providing yourself with a metal die of the proper size, to cut the rounds with. [illustration: fig. . balls for trimmings. circle of cardboard.] [illustration: fig. . balls for trimmings. overcasting the circle of cardboard.] [illustration: fig. . balls for trimmings. cutting the stitches round the edge.] [illustration: fig. . balls for trimmings. putting in the loop.] [illustration: fig. . balls for trimmings. cutting out the cardboard.] [illustration: fig. . ball completed with loop attached.] lay two of these rounds together and cover them closely with stitches, fig. , using for this purpose coton à tricoter d.m.c (knitting cotton) or coton à repriser d.m.c (darning cotton).[a] when the round is entirely covered, put the scissors in between the two circles of cardboard and cut open the stitches all round the outer edge, fig. ; then draw a piece of thread between the two circles and knot it firmly round the stitches that meet in the centre hole, fig. ; leave sufficiently long ends of thread hanging to form a loop by which the ball can afterwards be fastened to the heading of the fringe; when the stitches are knotted together you cut and pull out the cardboard, fig. , and snip the thread with your scissors until it becomes quite fluffy and the ball is perfectly round, as shown in fig. . tambour work (figs. , , , ).--since the introduction of the sewing machine, by means of which this charming kind of embroidery can be so quickly and easily executed, it has somewhat gone out of favour. as however, the fine patterns with a good deal of shading in them, can be far more accurately worked by hand than by machine, tambouring, which is in point of fact merely a form of crochet, has lately been revived. the piece of stuff on which the tambour work is to be done must be mounted on a frame. [illustration: fig. . thimble for tambouring.] [illustration: fig. . tambour needle.] the loops which are made with a small hook, called a tambour needle, form a fine chain stitch and must be regular and even; to facilitate this a sort of thimble, fig. , is worn on the forefinger of the right hand, formed of a small plate of sheet brass, rolled up but not joined, so as to fit any finger; it is open at the top like a tailor's thimble and has a little notch on the side which is placed above the nail, and in which you lay the tambour needle whilst you work. from the thimble being cut slightly slanting at the top, it follows that the inside where the two ends meet is a little shorter than the outside. the thread is drawn through in a loop to the front of the work by means of the hook, whilst it is held at the back in the left hand, and when the needle is put downwards through the stuff, laid round it. the needle in its downward and upward passage, should be kept in the notch in the thimble and the stuff pressed down with the thimble, as the needle is drawn up to the surface of the work, fig. . [illustration: fig. . position of the hands in tambouring.] a little practice is necessary to acquire the right action of the hands, there being always a tendency, the same as in tatting and macramé, to confuse the movements of the two. as soon as you realize that the upward drawing of the needle and the downward pressure of the stuff with the thimble must be simultaneous, you will find that you can work with great rapidity and with admirable results. thread with a very strong twist, which the hook will not split, is the only suitable kind for tambouring. of the d.m.c materials, fil d'alsace[a] and fil à dentelle[a] are the most to be recommended. numbers of patterns, originally intended for other kinds of embroidery can be executed in tambour work; amongst those contained in this encyclopedia, figs. , , , , and are the ones that are best adapted to the purpose. [illustration: fig. . drawing out the thread with the needle.] smyrna stitch worked with a crochet-needle (figs. , , , ).--in the chapter on tapestry, p. we remarked that oriental carpets and mats could be worked in different other ways, to be subsequently alluded to at greater length. [illustration: fig. . smyrna stitch worked with a crochet needle. first detail.] [illustration: fig. . smyrna stitch worked with a crochet needle. second detail.] [illustration: fig. . smyrna stitch worked with a crochet needle. appearance of the knots underneath.] [illustration: fig. . smyrna stitch worked with a crochet needle. appearance of the work when finished.] smyrna stitch requires only a crochet needle and is worked on very coarse canvas or java linen. you take a coarse mesh of cotton, such as nos. , or of colon à tricoter d.m.c (knitting cotton), cut it into lengths of c/m., fold two lengths together in half, stick in the crochet needle from above, under two threads of the canvas, take hold of the loop with the hook, fig. , and draw it in; then push out the hook to seize the ends of the cotton and draw them through the loop which is on the needle, as indicated by the little arrow in fig. . the stitches or tassels should be two or three double threads of the canvas apart. as you finish each row, comb the ends of the tassels out carefully with a fine metal comb. when the whole piece of work is finished shear the entire surface, quite even, with a pair of sharp scissors. fig. shows a square of the work completed, presenting that warm velvety appearance which distinguishes the smyrna carpets. [illustration: fig. . malta stitch. first detail.] [illustration: fig. . malta stitch. second detail.] [illustration: fig. . malta stitch. third detail.] [illustration: fig. . malta stitch. fourth detail.] malta stitch (figs. , , , , ).--this stitch is much used by the maltese; it is the same as the «point tricot» excepting that in the latter, the loops formed by the return of the thread are open and the stitches packed very closely together, whereas in the maltese work there is always one close loop and two open tassels. [illustration: fig. . malta embroidery. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c no. .[a] colours: jaune-vieil-or , vert-mousse , bleu-indigo and rouge-cornouille .[a]] it is worked as follows: take a thick bunch of lengths of coton à repriser d.m.c, pass it under two vertical threads of the stuff, from right to left, fig. , leaving an end, or c/m. long, lying on the surface of the work; put the needle in again under the two threads that are in front of the first stitch and leave the tassel, formed by the first stitch, above the one by which you bring the needle back between the two stitches. the needle must now follow the same course it took for the first stitch and the thread must be drawn out far enough to form a loop as long as the tassel; you then repeat the second stitch, carrying back the working thread however this time above the loop, after which you cut the two open ends the same length as the loop. in the maltese work, three times as many threads have to be left between the tassels as are covered by the stitch. thus if your stitch cover threads of the foundation, you should leave threads between the tassels, and if it cover , you should leave an interval of threads, that the stuff may always be visible between the little tassels or balls. fig. represents a portion of a curtain, embroidered on flemish linen in the colours indicated at the foot of the engraving; these may be arranged according to the taste of the worker. malta embroidery is mostly done on coarse coloured linen fabrics or on single thread canvas. triangular turkish stitch (figs. , , , , ). amongst the many pretty stitches for which turkish embroideries are distinguished, there is one in particular, which though apparently very difficult, is in reality quite the reverse; it resembles line stitch upon straight threads, only that in the east it is generally worked in diagonal lines, each row requiring two journeys to and fro. in the first, fig. , the needle must always be carried, first over, then under two threads in a diagonal line and so on to the end of the row. coming back, you pass the needle under the stuff and the stitch on the right side, and bring it out at the bottom of the stitch; then you make a back stitch over two horizontal and two vertical threads, pass the needle over two straight threads, put it in behind the same, bring it out again near the upper stitch and then insert it near the bottom vertical stitch; after this you carry it to the second stitch lower down and pass it over the same. four threads should meet in every hole which the needle makes. the third and fourth row should be worked in a colour that forms a sharp contrast with the one in which the two first rows are worked and constitute with these one complete row of stitches, fig. . figs. , and show how the same stitch can be worked in straight, instead of in diagonal rows. [illustration: fig. . triangular turkish stitch worked diagonally. first journey completed and second back, begun.] [illustration: fig. . triangular turkish stitch worked diagonally. two journeys to and fro forming the complete row.] the dark shade in fig. shows the first row of stitches, the light, the second, or rather the third and fourth, as four rows of stitches are required to make one complete row of triangular turkish stitch. [illustration: fig. . triangular turkish stitch worked horizontally. first journey.] [illustration: fig. . triangular turkish stitch worked horizontally. first journey back.] pattern worked in triangular turkish stitch and gobelin stitch (fig. ).--the diagonal lines are all worked with chiné gold and blue, and gold and red. the stitch we have just described is most effective in conjunction with other kinds of embroidery, as illustrated in fig. , where it is combined with gobelin stitch. [illustration: fig. . triangular turkish stitch worked horizontally. second journey back.] the running foundation is divided into slanting squares; the diagonal lines are all worked in gold and red. the squares number stitches inside, these are followed by a tenth which is covered by the first stitch of the next square. where two kinds of coloured gold thread are used, one square will be framed on all sides by one kind, say, gold and blue for instance, the next by the other, gold and red. [illustration: fig. . pattern worked in triangular turkish stitch. materials: chiné d'or d.m.c. colours: gold and red, gold and dark blue, gold and light blue, gold and green.] the stalk that divides the two little leaves and has a small lozenge at the top, is begun above the fifth of the stitches; you make stitches, but in such a manner as to end at the top of these with the stitch that runs in a diagonal direction over the threads, turned to the inside of the stalk, so that the last stitch of the first row may form with the first stitch of the second row, a triangle at the top of the stalk, which is surmounted by the aforesaid lozenge. the lozenges in chiné gold and light blue, of which there are three in each of the half squares, besides those that terminate the stalk, consist of stitches, the first, extending over threads, the second over , the third over , the fourth over and the fifth over ; the four next decreasing in a similar manner. the leaves in chiné gold and green, on either side of the stalk, also begin with a stitch over threads of the stuff, followed by , each increasing in length by one thread on the side of the stalk, but all equal on the other, the last extending over threads of the stuff. after these , the subsequent must decrease in the same manner by one thread on the opposite side; then you make more extending over only threads and set the contrary way to the others. the zig-zag border and the small squares of stitches within it are worked entirely in chiné gold and red. [illustration: fig. . turkish embroidery. materials: chiné d'or d.m.c no. and coton à broder d.m.c no. .[a] colours--for the chiné: gold and red, gold and dark blue and gold and green. for the coton à broder: noir grand-teint .[a]] turkish embroidery (fig. ).--the powdering of flowers and also the border are worked like the preceding pattern in two-sided gobelin stitch. embroidery of this kind looks best on algerian linen, which is exactly like the turkish stuff. it is not absolutely necessary to count the threads for the little flowers and stalks, but it is as well to do so for the border, that you may be sure to get the zig-zags perfectly regular. the petals of the flowers are worked alternately in chiné gold and red, and gold and blue, the centre in or fin d.m.c pour la broderie and the leaves and stalks in chiné gold and green. the petals are set with stem stitch in fine black coton à broder and if the embroidery is to be the same on both sides this setting must be repeated at the back. the distribution of colours in the border is left to the taste of the worker, but we should recommend for the zig-zags chiné gold and red, as being the most effective. appliquÉ work (fig. ).--appliqué work means the laying on of pieces of one kind of stuff on to a foundation of a different kind, so as to form a pattern--these pieces of stuff of various shapes and sizes, taking the place of solid needlemade embroidery. appliqué work may be done on linen, silk, velvet, plush and leather. the stuff out of which the pattern is cut has, in most cases, to be backed first with very fine tissue paper. this is done in the following manner with starch paste, which dries quicker than any other. spread the paste on the paper with a brush, carefully removing all the little lumps; it should only be just liquid enough to make the stuff and the paper adhere perfectly together and above all must never penetrate to the right side of the stuff. when the paper has been evenly spread with the paste, lay your stuff upon it and smooth and press it down with a clean cloth, stroking it out carefully in the line of the thread to prevent its becoming in the least dragged or puckered, or any air remaining between it and the paper. you next lay several sheets of paper without a mark or a fold in them, on a perfectly smooth flat board, and upon these, your paper-lined stuff, covered in its turn with several loose sheets of paper, all being kept in their place by another board with several stones or heavy weights laid upon it to act as a press. leave the stuff in the press until it be quite dry. you will find that any kind of fabric, even the slightest, can be rendered available in this manner for appliqué work, not even plush or velvet being in the least injured by the process. you then transfer the whole pattern on to the foundation, whatever it happen to be, but only the detached figures on to the paper-lined stuff, carefully cutting out the latter with a very sharp pair of scissors so as to avoid unravelling the threads along the edges. the foundation, stretched in a frame, as described on page , fig. , is to be placed on a board or table in such a manner that only the stuff rests upon it, whilst the frame projects on all four sides. then cover the cut-out figures with paste on the wrong side and fit them into their proper places upon the foundation. in larger pieces of work especially, this should be done as quickly as possible so that a board with weights upon it, to serve as a press, may be laid over them all at once. the board must not be removed until the paste be dry; then you can begin the needlework, fastening down the appliqué figures and finishing them off round the edges by laying down a fine round, cord, or by flat stitches. [illustration: fig. . appliquÉ work.] you either sew on the cord with invisible stitches, opening it a little at each stitch so as to slip the needle and thread in between the twist, or else with ordinary overcasting stitches. [illustration: fig. . morocco embroidery. materials--according to the stuff: fil à pointer d.m.c, cordonnet fils d.m.c, coton à broder d.m.c or coton à repriser d.m.c[a]. colour: rouge-cardinal [a].] in either case it must be so laid on as completely to hide the cut edges and keep them from fraying. should you wish to frame the appliqué figures with flat embroidery, you must bring your needle out close to the cut edge and enter it, or m/m. within the edge from above. both, cord and flat stitch setting, should be of a subdued shade and if possible, of a colour to match the foundation. morocco embroidery (figs. , , , ).--this work named after the country where it was originated, belongs both to the class of darned and damask embroidery. [illustration: fig. . morocco embroidery. quarter of the subjects of fig. .] in fig. , the stitches are formed by passing over threads and taking up the sixth. coming back you take up the third of the threads first missed and proceed in the same manner over the whole surface of the work, unless the lines of the pattern require you to depart from this rule; as, for instance, in certain parts of fig. , where you will notice stitches, carried over or threads; also in the borders, fig. and , where the stitches are arranged in a rather arbitrary manner, in order to bring out the pattern more clearly. fig. represents the fourth part of one of the subjects that make up the design fig. ; that is, four such, joined together, form one of the squares of fig. . [illustration: fig. . morocco embroidery. small outer border of fig. .] figs. and are patterns of two little borders and an insertion, suitable as a finish to fig. , which can be enlarged to any size by the addition of other squares to those that are represented here. [illustration: fig. . morocco embroidery. border and insertion suitable for fig. .] most of the stuffs, already so frequently alluded to in this work, can be used as a foundation for this kind of embroidery, provided the right working materials to go with it are chosen; coton à tricoter or fil à pointer should only be used for the coarser stuffs, such as rhodes linen no. , or russian linen and the different kinds of tammy cloth, whereas the other kinds of d.m.c threads and cottons and especially the finer numbers, are best adapted for embroidery on fine stuffs, such as rhodes linen no. , and spanish or algerian linen. spanish embroidery (figs. and ).--spanish embroidery consists almost exclusively of buttonhole stitch, fig. , and flat stitch, fig. . [illustration: fig. . square of spanish embroidery. materials: or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. , coton à broder d.m.c nos. and , or fil à dentelle d.m.c no. .[a] colours: bleu-indigo , , and bleu pâle .[a]] the buttonhole stitches, for which the more subdued shade of the colours indicated should always be taken, or else yellow, dark or pale, to match the gold thread, are made over two threads of gold and follow the outlines of the pattern, which should be more or less appropriate to this style of embroidery. one of the gold threads always keeps the inside of the line and follows it throughout in an unbroken course, whilst with the second, the outside one, you form picots, folding the gold thread over from right to left and catching down the loop by a buttonhole stitch, which is introduced into the loop itself and carried over the combined gold threads, as shown in the left corner of fig. , representing one quarter of the whole design, where the position of the needle and the way in which the picot is secured are plainly indicated. for the scallops, a round material with rather a strong twist should be used, such as soie de coton d.m.c no. [a] or fil à dentelle d.m.c nos. to [a], wound on reels. [illustration: fig. . quarter of the pattern for fig. , in the natural size.] where the picots have to fill up empty spaces of a larger size, you can join several together by connecting them each in turn with the first. when you have bordered all the outlines with buttonhole stitches and picots, fill up the spaces enclosed within the lines, which properly speaking form the pattern, with flat stitch embroidery, worked in coton à broder or coton à repriser; after which the whole surface is sewn over with fine little spangles which give the sparkling look that constitutes the peculiar charm of this kind of embroidery. the flowers are covered with a fancy stitch that forms regular little lozenges, and every second row of stitches is hidden under a spangle. with regard to the colours indicated at the foot of fig. , this is how they were distributed in the original, from which our engraving was taken; all the outlines in buttonhole stitch, in bleu pâle ; the tops of the flowers in bleu-indigo ; the bottom parts in bleu-indigo , and all three shades of blue so blended together in the solid parts of the design as to be undistinguishable from each other. it is not absolutely necessary to keep to the colours here indicated; there is no reason whatever why a greater variety should not be introduced, but in every case the more subdued shades should be selected; a pale red, for instance, for the flowers, a green and a brown for the arabesques, will always be found to produce a very pretty and harmonious effect. when all the needlework is finished, you cut away the stuff underneath the network formed by the picots, with a pair of sharp scissors. a word remains to be said with regard to the copying of fig. . our readers will notice that in fig. the flowers and arabesques succeed and grow out of each other; that whilst the four quarters are symmetrical, yet at the same time, the curves in each quarter take a different inclination. you cannot therefore simply repeat the subject four times; when you have copied the one quarter, given in fig. , you must lay this first quarter on again at the cross + on the left side; when the second quarter is finished, you again turn the copy to the left and tack it on at the +; when you come to the fourth quarter the lines of the first quarter must exactly meet those of the last. we beg here to draw attention to the directions, relative to the copying of patterns, given in the subsequent chapter. basket stitch on linen (fig. ).--this stitch has some resemblance with the greek stitch, fig. , and the montenegrin, fig. , only that it is not crossed like the latter. [illustration: fig. . basket stitch on linen.] basket stitch can be worked on all kinds of stuffs, on counted threads or on a wide or narrow tracing, with fine or coarse thread, and more or less closely, according to the taste of the worker. you insert the needle from right, and pass it under, from to threads of the foundation, according to the stuff and the material you are using, then downwards from left to right, and over, from to threads, into the stuff again from right to left; then you push it under the stuff in an upward direction and bring it out on the left in the middle of the space left between the last stitch and the top of the second. the dotted line in the engraving indicates the course of the stitches. [illustration: fig. . old german knotted stitch.] old german knotted stitch (fig. ).--this is a stitch often met with in old church and house linen embroidery. a beautiful design worked in this way is given further on. contrary to most stitches, this is worked upwards; the needle is put in horizontally under the stuff, the thread tightly drawn, then laid from left to right and drawn through underneath the first stitch and a tight knot made. we find the same stitch, worked in a variety of ways, according to the taste and skill of the worker; for instance the knots may be set slanting, as in fig. , or else straight and very close together, as in fig. , where they present the appearance of a close string of beads, or again wide apart, as they are in fig. . all these ways are admissible but care should be taken in each case, to make the stitches perfectly regular; it is the direction which is given to the stitch and the number of threads taken up with the needle that changes the appearance of the stitch. [illustration: fig. . raised stem stitch.] [illustration: fig. . another kind of raised stem stitch.] raised stem stitch (figs. , ).--take a very thick thread, such as fil à pointer d.m.c no. or , or one of the coarser numbers of cordonnet fils d.m.c, lay it as a foundation thread along the line of your pattern and work over it wide stem stitches, as represented in figs. and , either in the same number of thread used for the foundation thread, or a finer, according to the stuff you are embroidering upon. you may overcast the same stitch in the manner indicated in fig. , using a different colour for the second layer of stitches to produce an agreeable variety. border in different kinds of stitches (fig. ).--the straight lines of this border are all worked in old german knotted stitch in écru thread, forming a thick round cord which stands out from the surface in high relief; the flatter outlining of the outside figures is done in basket stitch in soft blue knitting cotton. the little oblong figures within the two inner lines of the border are worked in gobelin stitch, in red embroidery cotton, and the filling of the figures, outlined in basket stitch, in one or other of the irish lace stitches, worked in white lace thread, either so that all the stitches enter the stuff, or form a network over it. the work may be simplified by sewing soutache d.m.c or lacet superfin d.m.c along the straight lines instead of embroidering them in basket stitch. [illustration: fig. . border in different kinds of stitches. materials--for the old german knotted stitch: cordonnet fils d.m.c no. , écru--for the basket stitch: coton à tricoter d.m.c no. , bleu-indigo --for the gobelin stitches: coton à broder d.m.c no. , rouge-turc --for the lace stitches: fil à dentelle d.m.c no. , white.] roumanian stitch (figs. , ).--this consists of stitches that are worked in the width of the stuff, intersected by back-stitches set slightly slanting. though the engraving is so clear as to render it hardly necessary, we subjoin an exact description of the way the stitches run. bring out the needle on the left, or threads beyond the line your embroidery is to follow; with regard to the number of threads you take up, you must be guided by the quality of the stuff and the material you have selected: put the needle in on the right, the same distance in advance of the line as before and bring it out in the middle of the stitch; then passing the needle over the first stitch, put it in again one or two threads in advance of the point where it came out, and draw it out close to where the first stitch began. the border, represented in fig. , is worked in great part in roumanian stitch. [illustration: fig. . roumanian stitch.] the original, still very well preserved, notwithstanding its age, is worked in silk of a brilliant red on a stiff stuff which has been coloured by time and use. willems satin, rhodes linen no. and algerian linen, make very suitable foundations for this kind of embroidery and have that soft tint which is almost indispensable to a satisfactory imitation of old needlework. any one of the shades of red named at the foot of the illustration, will be found to be a good match for the original colours. roumanian stitch is used wherever the lines of the pattern are widest; there where they narrow, in the indentures of the leaves and the twists of the stalks, flat stitch is used instead. by the repetition of the detached subject, this pattern may be made to serve either for a stripe or for a grounding; if you use it for a stripe, the centre flower of the principal subject with the stalks lengthened, will look very well worked as a separate subject between the large bouquets. worked in a double row, base to base, on any stuff and in any material, these large figures form a very handsome border which makes an effective trimming for furniture and curtains. pattern for piquÉ embroidery (fig. ).--the stuff, called piqué, such as it is now manufactured, is simply an imitation of an old kind of needlework, almost unknown in these days, but very popular in the fifteenth and sixteenth century in italy, for making coverlets and more especially curtains and blinds; the latter being highly esteemed, because without intercepting the light altogether, they tempered it agreeably. a similar kind of work was common in bohemia until a recent date for the making of caps. it is done on two layers of stuff, of different kinds, the upper one fine and transparent, the lower, more substantial. the pattern is drawn upon the fine stuff, because on that side the different kinds of stitches are made. [illustration: fig. . border in roumanian stitch. materials: coton à broder d.m.c no. , coton à repriser d.m.c no. , or cordonnet fils d.m.c no. .[a] colours: rouge-cardinal , rouge-grenat , brun-caroubier , rouge maroquin et , or rouge-cerise et .[a]] you then tack the two stuffs together and work all the outlines of the pattern in old german knotted stitch with écru fil à pointer d.m.c no. ; that done, thread a tapestry needle with white cordonnet fils d.m.c no. or , slip it in between the two layers of stuff and secure the end by two or three stitches; then push the twist quite close to the knotted stitch and fasten it in between the two layers of stuff, with small and very regular running stitches, in a fine pliable material, such as fil d'alsace d.m.c on reels. [illustration: fig. . pattern for piquÉ embroidery. materials: cordonnet fils d.m.c nos. and , fil d'alsace d.m.c no. , fil à pointer d.m.c no. and fil à dentelle d.m.c no. .[a]] fill up in this manner all the ground of the pattern, leaving the arabesques and the ornaments plain, or embellishing them with some kind of lace or embroidery stitch. when these stripes are intended for blinds, you can produce pretty transparent effects in them by cutting away the underneath stuff, in places. alphabet in soutache (braid) (figs. , , , , , ).--this alphabet, which is one of the best of its kind, was taken from a work published in venice in , by giovan' antonio tagliente, secretary and calligraphist to the republic. the letters lend themselves, better than any we know, to being executed in soutache d.m.c. [illustration: fig. . letter t of the soutache alphabet. mode of interlacing the soutache.] the sewing on of the braid is done with very small running stitches and the interlacing with a tapestry needle, into which the braid is threaded; both operations are shown in figs. and . the embroidery of the connecting bars, and the small leaves and tendrils that complete the letter are explained in fig. , whilst fig. represents the letter a in its finished state. for sewing on the braid, a fine soft material is the best, such as soie de coton d.m.c[a] and for embroidering the small accessories, coton à broder d.m.c no. [a]. [illustration: fig. . alphabet in soutache. letters a to n.] [illustration: fig. . alphabet in soutache. letters o to z.] for the ears of corn in fig. , use either soutache écru, or jaune-d'ocre no. ; for the marguerites, white soutache no. ½ and for the corn flowers, soutache bleu-indigo no. . nothing could be simpler than the mode of working these flowers. [illustration: fig. . letter m of the alphabet in soutache. mode of sewing on the soutache.] [illustration: fig. . letter w of the alphabet in soutache. mode of placing the bars and embroidering the leaves.] [illustration: fig. . letter a of the alphabet in soutache in its finished state.] flowers executed in soutache and embroidery (fig. ). flowers and sprays, such as here represented, make a charming trimming for summer dresses, sunshades, aprons etc. and can be executed with admirable effect in the d.m.c soutache, now to be had in all the colours of the d.m.c colour card. a very pretty running pattern can be formed out of the spray, fig. , by turning the flowers first to the right and then to the left and making the stalks come out underneath the ears of corn. in order to reverse the position of the flowers thus, you will have to make two tracings of the spray, one negative and one positive. thread a tapestry needle with the soutache and draw it into the stuff, and then pass it through from the right side to the wrong at the bottom of one of the petals of the flowers, secure it on the wrong side by two or three stitches and then bring the working thread, which should be of the same colour as the soutache, out again at the point of the petal, then carry the soutache back to the bottom of the petal and fasten it down, like the gold threads in fig. , by a stitch rather wider than the soutache, fold the soutache over again to the starting point, and secure it by a stitch, and so on. in order to give a different character to the flowers, use soutache of different widths, fold it over more or less closely and lay it down in shorter or longer lengths, as required. the natural irregularity of the petals of a flower can be very faithfully imitated in this manner. fig. shows the way in which, for the ears of corn, the braid is folded back upon itself and fastened down, whilst in the white flowers the two layers of the braid that form each petal are separated at the bottom. the stamens of the marguerites are worked in knot stitch with yellow cotton and those of the cornflowers with dark blue. the other little details are executed in flat and stem stitch in the colours indicated at the foot of the engraving. with the pattern to go by, the distribution of the colours for the different parts can present no possible difficulty. [illustration: fig. . flowers executed in soutache and embroidery. materials: soutache d.m.c nos. to and coton à broder d.m.c no. .[a] colours--for the soutache: white, écru or jaune d'ocre , and bleu-indigo .--for the coton à broder: Écru, jaune-orange , bleu-indigo , gris-tilleul and , vert-pistache , and , rouge-cardinal .[a]] we need only point out that rouge-cardinal is intended for the little knot that connects the stalks of the flowers. chinese subject (fig. ).--this quaint and graceful composition, copied from an interesting piece of chinese embroidery, gives our readers the opportunity of turning the different damask stitches, already described in these pages, to quite a new use. the kind of gauze which forms the foundation of the original work can be replaced either by spanish or rhodes linen no. , by any stuff, in fact, the threads of which can be counted. the drawing has to be transferred to the stuff, and the different parts are filled in with the stitches, clearly indicated in the illustration. [illustration: fig. . chinese subject. materials: coton à repriser d.m.c no. , or fin d.m.c pour la broderie no. and chiné d'or d.m.c[a].] by the introduction of several colours, this pattern is capable of being infinitely varied. thus, in the model before us, the neck and bulb of the flask, the leaves it stands upon and those attached to the flowers in it, are worked in vert-pistache , the handles, the ornament on the bottle, and the triangular figure in the centre are in white; the little flower on the left, the second on the right, the straight staff, the upper wings of the butterfly, as well as the three leaves underneath the triangle are in bleu-indigo ; the first flower on the right of the flask, the knot above the triangle, the lower wings of the butterfly and the middle part of the bottom subject on the right of the engraving are in gris-amadou ; and violet-lie-de-vin and brun-caroubier alternate in the pointed leaves that support the flask; the former colour recurs in the ornaments of the staff, and rouge-cardinal , black and gris-tilleul alternate in the other details of the drawing. for the setting it will be best to take or fin d.m.c pour la broderie or else chiné d'or d.m.c, used either double or single, according to whichever the drawing seems to require. 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. [illustration: ornament after holbein.] practical directions. hitherto we have been chiefly occupied with descriptions and explanations of the different kinds of needlework; to render these complete, it remains for us to give a few practical directions with regard to the copying, adjustment and transposition of the patterns, as well as to the different processes, often so essential to the ultimate success of a piece of needlework. for this success will soon be found not to depend on the stitches only but very largely on the proper adaptation of the design to the space it is intended to fill. then, in the case of new lace, it is necessary to know the amount of dressing it will require to give it the right stiffness and when this dressing has worn off how to renew it; whilst in the case of appliqué work more especially, it is indispensable to know exactly what the ingredients are, of which the paste should be composed and how to make and lay it on in the proper manner. tracing patterns against a window pane.--in order to copy a pattern in this way, the first step is to tack or pin the piece of stuff or paper on which the copy is to be made upon the pattern. in the case of a small pattern, the tacking or pinning may be dispensed with and the two sheets held firmly pressed against the window pane with the left hand, whilst the right hand does the tracing, but even then it is safer to pin or gum the four corners of the two sheets together, in case of interruption, as it is difficult to fit them together again exactly. the tracing may be done with a pencil, or better still, with a brush dipped in indian ink or water-colour paint. the process of tracing is easy enough, so long as the hand does not get tired but as this generally comes to pass very soon it is best, if the pattern be a large and complicated one, to stick the sheets to the pane with strong gum or suspend them on a string, fastened across the pane by pins stuck into the window frame on either side. to take off a pattern by rubbing.--if you want to take a pattern of a piece of embroidery direct from the work itself, lay it, the right side up, flat upon a board or table and cover it with letter or tissue paper. the paper should be of a good medium thickness, if it be too thick it will not take a clear impression of the pattern, and if very thin it is apt to tear. fasten the paper down upon the embroidery with drawing-pins and rub off the pattern with drawing-wax. in default of the right kind of wax, the bowl or handle of a spoon, or a large silver coin will serve the purpose equally well, as will also some powdered graphite or charcoal. the outlines will not of course, in any case, be very clearly defined upon the paper and will have to be gone over and carefully supplemented afterwards with a pencil. taking off the pattern with charcoal or graphite is less injurious to the embroidery than rubbing it off with wax or metal, as the pressure required in the latter case flattens the needle-work very considerably. as soon as you have fixed the lines of the pattern by drawing them over with ink, it is ready for use. to transfer a pattern direct on to the stuff.--patterns cannot be copied by either of the above methods direct on to the stuff and can only be used when the stuff on which the embroidery is to be executed is transparent; in the case of thick close fabrics the drawing must be made on the stuff itself. the following is the simplest way of transferring a pattern on to a transparent stuff; begin by going over all the lines of the drawing with indian ink so as to make them quite thick and distinct, and tacking the paper with large stitches on to the back of the stuff. then, mix some very dark powdered indigo diluted with water, in a glass with a small pinch of sugar and powdered gum arabic, and using this as ink and a fine pen very slightly split, trace the pattern that shines through on the stuff. the tracing must be very slight, for if the embroidery be not done till some time afterwards the lines get so firmly fixed in the stuff that one washing will not obliterate them; the tracing ink moreover makes the work unpleasantly sticky. to copy with oiled paper.--another rather expeditious mode of transferring patterns on to thin and more especially smooth glossy stuffs, is by means of a special kind of tinted paper, called autographic paper, which is impregnated with a coloured oily substance and is to be had at any stationer's shop. this you place between the pattern and the stuff, having previously fastened the stuff, perfectly straight by the line of the thread, to a board, with drawing-pins. when you have fitted the two papers likewise exactly together, you go over all the lines of the pattern with a blunt pencil, or with, what is better still, the point of a bone crochet needle or the edge of a folder. you must be careful not to press so heavily upon the pattern paper as to tear it; by the pressure exercised on the two sheets of paper, the oily substance of the blue paper discharges itself on to the stuff, so that when it is removed all the lines you have traced are imprinted upon the stuff. this blue tracing paper is however only available for the reproduction of patterns on washing stuffs, as satin and all other silky textures are discoloured by it. to pounce patterns upon stuffs.--the modes of copying, hitherto described, cannot be indiscriminately used for all kinds of stuff; for cloth, velvet and plush, for instance, they are not available and pouncing is the only way that answers. the patterns, after having been transferred to straw or parchment paper, have to be pricked through. to do this you lay the paper upon cloth or felt and prick out all the lines of the drawing, making the holes, which should be clear and round, all exactly the same distance apart. the closer and more complicated the pattern is, the finer and closer the holes should be. every line of the outline must be carefully pricked out. if the paper be sufficiently thin, several pouncings can be pricked at the same time, and a symmetrical design can be folded together into four and all pricked at once. the pricked pattern has next to be tacked upon the material, the side from which the pricking was done next to the stuff and the little funnel-shaped holes uppermost. paper and stuff must be firmly fastened down and kept in position by drawing pins, so that neither of them may move during the process, otherwise you will have double lines on the stuff which you will find very confusing afterwards. for the pouncing, use either powdered chalk or charcoal, according to whether the stuff be dark or light in colour. dip the pouncing implement, a thing like a small drum-stick, stuffed and covered with cloth, into the powder and rub it lightly over the whole surface of the pricked pattern, so that the powder penetrates through the pin-holes to the stuff. in default of a proper pouncing implement take a small stripe of cloth, roll it up round a stick and wind a string round, and dip this into the powder. when the powder has penetrated to the stuff, remove the paper and if the pattern is to be repeated, lay it on again further on, taking care to make the lines meet exactly so that the join may not be seen. when you have finished the pouncing and taken off the paper, you proceed to draw or rather paint in the pattern with water-colour paints: ackermann's are the best for the purpose; no others, as far as our experience has proved, adhere so well to even the roughest fabrics or so little affect the brilliancy of the embroidery thread. four paints, blue, black, yellow and white are sufficient for all purposes, whatever the colour of the stuff may be. on a smooth surface the tracing may be done with a pen but a small sable-hair brush is preferable under all circumstances. the rougher and more hairy the surface, the finer the brush ought to be, in order that the colour may sink well in between the fibres. before beginning to paint in the pattern, gently blow away all the superfluous powder from the surface. this process may be objected to as being an old one which has been superseded by new inventions; a resinous powder for instance, by the use of which patterns can be fixed, as soon as they have been pounced, by passing a hot iron over the stuff, a sheet of paper having first been laid upon it to protect it; or else a mixture of gum and powder which can be dissolved on the stuff itself by the steam of spirits-of-wine, and various other processes needless to mention here, as some are only useful in tracing patterns on a large scale, whilst others require a variety of appliances, not as a rule, within the reach of those to whom needle-work is a simple recreation. the preparation of the stuffs and the subdivision of the patterns.--long years of experience and practice have brought us in contact with a good many designers, many of them artists in their way, so long as it was only a question of putting their own compositions on paper but who yet found themselves confronted by real difficulties the moment they were called upon to transfer them to stuff. we shall, as far as possible, point out to our readers the precautions to be taken in tracing patterns and must for that purpose go back to one of the first operations, namely that of pricking. to begin with, the paper on which the pattern is should always be large enough for there to be a clear margin of from to c/m. all round the pattern, so that the pouncing instrument may never come in contact with the stuff beneath. in transferring patterns to stuff, no lines of division should ever be made directly upon it either with lead, chalk or charcoal, as it is hardly ever possible entirely to obliterate them and they often become very confusing afterwards. before beginning the tracing, divide your stuff into four, then decide what the width of the border outside the pattern is to be; it is quite an exceptional thing to carry a pattern right up to the edge. stuffs that will take a bend, such as all linen and cotton textures, can be folded in four, like the paper, the folds ought then to be pinched and pressed down so that the lines may remain clear and distinct until the tracing be finished. after dividing it into four, mark out the diagonal lines; these are absolutely necessary in order to get the corner figures rightly placed. though most of our readers know how to make these lines on paper with a pencil and ruler, few, easy as it is, know how to make them upon stuff. you have only to fold over the corner of your piece of stuff so that the outside thread of the warp or cut edge run parallel with the woof edge which marks the angle of the fold-over. this double folding over divides the ground into parts. to arrange for the outside border or margin, is easy enough if the stuff and the kind of work you are going to do upon it admit of the drawing out of threads, as then a thread drawn out each way serves as a guide for tracing the pattern, straight to the line of the stuff. it is often better however, not to draw out the threads for an open-work border till the pattern be traced. if you do not wish or are not able to draw out threads to mark the pattern and you are working on a stuff of which the threads can be counted, follow the directions given on page , and explained in fig. . you cannot mark cloth, silk stuffs or plush by folding them in the above way, cloth and some kinds of silken textures will not take a bend and others that will would be spoiled by it. all such stuffs should be mounted in a frame, before the pattern be traced and the ground be then divided out in the following way: take a strong thread, make a knot at one end, stick a pin into it and tighten the knot round it; with a pair of compasses, divide one of the sides into two equal parts, stick the pin with the knot round it in at the middle and the same on the opposite side, putting in a second pin by means of which you stretch the thread; carry other threads across in a similar way, in the width of the stuff and from corner to corner and you will have your ground correctly marked out, in such a manner as to leave no marks when, after pouncing in the pattern, you remove the threads. before finishing the pouncing of a pattern, see that it is the right size for the purpose it is intended for. supposing that you are tracing a border with a corner, you should measure the length it will occupy and then by a very light pouncing, you can mark the points from which the pattern will have to be repeated. it may be that a gap will be left in the middle, which, if not too large, can be got rid of without altering the pattern by pushing the whole thing a little further in and so shortening the distance between the two corners. should the gap however be too large for this, you will have to make a supplementary design to fill up the place. the same thing would be necessary in the case of your having to shorten a pattern. to transpose and repeat patterns by means of looking-glasses (fig. ).--we have referred to the necessity that often occurs of adapting patterns to certain given proportions; this can in most cases be done easily enough without the help of a draughtsman, especially in the case of cross stitch embroideries, by means of two unframed looking-glasses (penelope mirrors, as they are called) used in the following manner. if you want to utilize a piece only of a straight border, or after repeating it several times, to form a corner with it, you place the mirror in the first instance across it at right angles, at the place from which the pattern is to be repeated, and then exactly diagonally inwards. to make a square out of a straight pattern, you take two mirrors and so place them that they touch at the point where the diagonal lines meet, as represented in fig. , and you have your square at once. this is all easy enough, but before beginning any large piece of work it is necessary to consider carefully which parts of the drawing will best fill the centre and which are best suited to form the corners, as it is not every part of a straight pattern that is adapted for repetition. a few preliminary trials with the help of the mirrors will better show the importance of these explanations than anything further we can say on the subject. [illustration: fig. . to transpose and repeat a straight pattern by means of looking glasses.] to alter the proportions of a pattern by dividing the ground into squares (figs. and ).--cases will occur where it will be found necessary to subject the pattern to greater modifications still than those we have hitherto been dealing with. you want, for example, to embroider a rather large running ground pattern on a piece of stuff, that is relatively too small for the subject; or a small and rather minute pattern on a large surface on which it is likely to look, either too insignificant, or too crowded and confused and the chances are, if you do not know how to draw, you will either think it necessary to get a draughtsman to help you or you will give up the piece of work altogether, deterred by the difficulties that confront you. you need not do either if you will follow the directions here given. take a sheet of large-sized quadrille paper which if necessary you can prepare for yourself; trace your pattern upon it, or rule the squares direct upon the drawing, as shown in fig. . [illustration: fig. . dividing the ground into squares before copying.] on a second sheet of vegetable paper, rule squares, a fourth, a third or half as small again as those on the first sheet. thus, if the sides of the first squares be m/m. long and you want to reduce your pattern by one fifth, the sides of your new squares should measure only m/m. if, on the contrary, you want to enlarge the pattern by one fifth, make the sides of your squares m/m. long. then you follow, square by square, the lines of the drawing, extending or contracting them, according to whether the pattern is to be enlarged or diminished. to copy a pattern directly from a piece of embroidery and enlarge or diminish it at the same time, proceed as follows: fix the embroidery on a board, stretching it equally in every direction; then measure the length of the drawing, divide the centimetres by the number of units corresponding to whatever the proportions of your copy are to be, and if there be any fractions of centimetres over, subdivide them into millimetres, if necessary, into half millimetres and make your division by whatever measure you have adopted; take a pair of compasses with dry points, open them sufficiently for the opening to correspond to the number and the distance obtained by the division; plant a pin with a thread fastened to it, at the point indicated by the point of the compasses and repeat the last operation all along one side of the embroidery and, if possible a little beyond it, so that it may not be defaced by the marks of the pins. all you now have to do is to pull the threads in perfectly straight lines to the opposite side and carry other threads across them in a similar manner so that the whole surface be divided into squares. [illustration: fig. . pattern reduced by marking out the ground in small squares.] it is needless to say that if you have to trace a pattern from a mounted piece of work you cannot stretch it on a board; with a little invention however some way can always be found of planting the pins so as not to injure the work. [illustration: fig. . pattern in soutache. original size.] [illustration: fig. . pattern in fig. drawn out in the width.] [illustration: fig. . pattern in fig. compressed in the width.] to alter the width of a pattern retaining the original height (figs. , , ).--sometimes it is necessary to lengthen out a pattern without however altering its height. in this case you modify the shape of the square and make long or narrow squares, according to the general shape of the design you wish to reproduce. fig. represents a pattern in soutache d.m.c, marked out in squares; in fig. the squares are lengthened out a third beyond their original size and the pattern is expanded; in fig. , the squares are compressed to a third less than their original size. this method of subdividing patterns greatly facilitates the alterations they have so often to undergo and we are sure that there are few amongst those who have any real aptitude for needlework, who cannot draw enough to be able to copy the contents of a square. to prepare the paste for appliquÉ work.--it may seem strange to devote a separate paragraph to such an apparently simple operation; but in appliqué work it is a most important one, as not only the stuff on which the work is done but all the expensive accessories are liable to be spoilt by paste that has been badly prepared. put some wheaten (not rice) starch into a vessel with a rounded bottom, pour on just enough water to dissolve the starch and stir it with a wooden spoon till it becomes perfectly smooth. in the meantime put about / of a pint of clean water on the fire to boil and when it boils add to it a little powdered pitch or carpenter's glue, in quantity about the size of a pea and pour in the starch, stirring it the whole time. when the mixture has boiled up several times take it off the fire and go on stirring it till it gets cold, otherwise lumps will form in it, which as we specially pointed out in the preceding chapter, must never be allowed to get in between the stuff and the paper. this kind of paste makes no spots and does not injure even the most delicate colours as it contains no acid. in winter it will keep for several days, but in hot weather it very soon begins to ferment and should then on no account be used. gum arabic ought never to be used for appliqué work, as it becomes so hard that it is impossible to get the needle through, whilst the saccharine it contains almost always causes ugly spots to appear in the stuff when it dries. when the work is finished it is a good plan to spread a very thin layer of paste over the entire back of it with a fine brush made of hog's bristles, and not to take it out of the frame until it is perfectly dry. to stiffen new needlework.--in the chapter on irish lace, page , we said that new needlework of that kind had to be ironed; this should be done in the following manner: when the lace has been taken off its foundation, lay it, face downwards, on a piece of fine white flannel; then dip a piece of very stiff new organdie muslin into water, take it out again almost immediately and wring it slightly, so that no drops may fall from it, and then dab the wrong side of the lace all over with this pad of damp muslin and iron it with a hot iron which should be moved slowly forwards so that the moisture which the organdie has imparted to the lace may evaporate slowly. not until you are quite sure that the lace is dry should it be taken off the board. there is no better way than this of giving new lace that almost imperceptible degree of stiffness by which alone it is often to be distinguished from old. water only does not stiffen the thread sufficiently and it is difficult with starch to hit upon exactly the right consistency, whereas the organdie muslin supplies just the needful quantity. embroidered network can be stiffened in the same manner and should be damped in the frame on the wrong side and not taken off until it is quite dry. we even recommend embroidery on linen being treated in the same way but when the linen is very creased, cover it with a damp cloth and iron upon that first, then take the cloth away and iron the embroidery itself so as to dry it completely. to wash ordinary lace.--wind it round a bottle the same width top and bottom and cover it entirely with muslin, fastened to the lace by a few stitches. fill the bottle half full of sand, so that it may not get knocked about too violently when the water boils. immerse the bottle in a saucepan of cold water with a piece of soap the size of a nut in it, and if the lace be very dirty, a small pinch of salt, and let it boil for about an hour pouring off the water as it gets dirty and adding clean. when all the dirt has been boiled out of the lace, which you will know to be the case when the water remains perfectly clear, rinse out the soap before you take the lace off the bottle, by plunging it into cold water. to wash real lace.--the process is the same as the above, but as real lace is so seldom washed and is generally very yellow and fragile, particularly if it has been roughly used, it is rather difficult to clean. if stained or greasy, it should be left to soak for some hours or even days, in good olive oil. this restores to the thread that softness and smoothness which use and bad washing had impaired. after the oil bath it should be washed on a bottle in the manner already described. to stiffen lace.--dip the lace when perfectly dry in thin starch prepared as follows. take as much fine wheaten starch, as you think you will require, divide it into two portions and dissolve both in cold water. boil the one portion and when it has so far cooled as to have ceased to steam, stir the cold starch into it and dilute the whole with cold water to the consistency of thick cream. if the lace is to be slightly coloured, add a few drops of black coffee, or dilute the starch with weak tea or guimauve water; the coffee will give it a dark cream colour, either of the latter a pale greenish hue. dip the lace in the mixture and squeeze it out gently without wringing it to get rid of all the superfluous liquid, then lay it flat on the left hand and beat it for a few minutes with the right to work the starch well in; repeat the whole process twice, then roll the lace in fine linen and leave it there till you are ready to iron or pin it out, as the case may be. to iron lace.--after the lace has lain for an hour or two in the cloth, iron it if it be machine-made and if it be irish guipure or real point lace of any sort, pin it out. before you begin to iron, hold the lace tight in your left hand by the footing and with the right hand pull out all the picots, along the edge of the lace, to an equal length, then lay it out flat upon a board covered with white flannel and iron it with a moderately hot iron, passing the iron backwards and forwards over it until it be quite dry. if creases should come in the ironing where they ought not to be, dab them over lightly with a sponge moistened with water and a few drops of starch and pass the iron over them again. after ironing the whole length of lace, pull it out crossways from left to right, and from right to left and iron it all over once more. this does away with the artificial stiffness and gives it the agreeable softness and pliancy of new lace. to pin out lace.--in order to pin out lace in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, you should provide yourself with a wooden drum, about c/m. high and from to c/m. in diameter, large enough to rest upon the knees. the outside circumference of the wood should be padded and covered with grey or white ticking. the pins must be exactly the size of the picots they are to pin down; you will require extremely fine ones for valenciennes and coarser for other kinds of lace: steel pins are of no use whatever, because of their liability to rust. cover the cylinder with blue paper (less trying for the eyes than any other) and take only just as much lace out of the damp cloth as you are likely to be able to pin out before it gets dry, keeping the remainder covered up. lay the lace upon the drum and pin the footing down first in a straight line, sticking the pins in pretty closely and at regular distances apart; then pin down each picot separately, taking care not to open them if they have kept their original shape and to shut them up by twisting them if they have got untwisted. if you find the pinning out troublesome and cannot get it all done before the lace dries, damp the picots with a sponge as you proceed. lace should never be pinned out when it is dry as the threads of the picots are then very apt to break and torn picots destroy the value of even the choicest lace. raised lace has to be stamped out from the wrong side with a lace awl or kind of pricker of bone made for the purpose. some professional lace-cleaners use this implement even for valenciennes lace but we cannot recommend it, seeing that it is a lace that is by nature perfectly flat. let the length of lace you have pinned out remain on the drum till it be quite dry; if you have several yards to pin out, wind it round and round the cylinder. cover up the lace as you proceed and put each length away as soon as it is ready in a blue paper bag, so as to keep the whole perfectly clean. in conclusion we may remark that the cleaning of lace should only be undertaken when you are fairly sure of not being interrupted, as more especially the pinning requires to be finished off as quickly as possible. to wash coloured cottons and work done with the same.--in order to test the fastness of the dyes, untie the skeins and pour boiling water upon them, leave them to soak for about a quarter of an hour, soap and rub them lightly with the hand from end to end and rinse them out thoroughly in as many changes of cold water as may be found necessary, until the water remain perfectly colourless. squeeze out all the water you can and let them dry quickly without exposing them to the sun. coloured cottons are often washed in vinegar, because it is supposed to affect the colour less than water does. we have come to the conclusion after several trials that this is a delusion, for the good dyes keep their colour without the aid of vinegar and the bad ones wash out in spite of it. the fast colours lose none of their beauty in the process nor does it affect the quality of the cotton; any excess of colouring matter which the fibres of the cotton may have absorbed in the process of dyeing is got rid of by this means. if a piece of work has been done with unwashed cottons and the colours run in the first washing, you have only to rinse it out in several changes of tepid water to restore it to its original freshness and if you want to give it a yellowish tinge, it should be dipped it in weak tea or coffee. materials.--it was stated in the preface that our readers would find the choice of colours and material rendered comparatively easy to them by the notes affixed to the illustrations, but these notes, in spite of all the care bestowed upon them must still have remained very incomplete had it not been for the following tables which we were fortunately enabled to append to our work and which will help every one to choose their own materials without having them actually before them. the strokes that are affixed to each number indicate the exact size of the thread, so that to find out the number you want to buy you have but to lay your pattern thread, stretching it slightly, on the strokes, in succession, till you come to the one that matches it in size. with regard to the colours, the names and shades of which have been classed in the second table with the greatest care, and of which our workers have no less than to choose from ([ ]), all those referred to in connection with our illustrations are quite fast dyes ([ ]), save in a few instances in which we were forced to make an exception in favour of a doubtful colour to secure a harmonious effect. a complete table of colours must of necessity include certain more or less staring shades, which though they may not be to every one's taste cannot on that account be left out. we conclude our work with the well-meant and by no means useless recommendation to our readers, never to begin a piece of work of any considerable size without first making sure that the colours they intend to use are fast and providing themselves with a larger supply of materials than even on a close calculation they think they are likely to require, lest they should find themselves under the disagreeable necessity of having either to leave their work unfinished or finish it with materials that do not match. there is generally a slight difference in tone between cottons that have been bought at different times, and there is also a reasonable likelihood, considering their great variety, of some mistake being made in the number by either buyer or seller in ordering a fresh supply. [illustration: all of the above articles, excepting those marked with an asterisk, are contained in the d.m.c colour card.] [illustration: made in all numbers in écru, white, black and the shades names of the colours, see next page.] |-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alphabetical list of the names and the numbers of the shades | | d.m.c alsace thread, sewing and embroidery cottons, | | contained in the d.m.c colour-card, in any of which shades the | | knitting cotton, soutaches and braids etc. are to be had. | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ | couleurs | très-foncé | foncé | moyen | clair | très-clair | | colours | very dark | dark | medium | light | very light | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ | bleu d'azur | | | | | | | bleu-canard | | | | | | | bleu cendré | | | | | | | bleu de ciel | | | | | | | bleu-fayence | | | | | | | bleu de france | | | | | | | bleu-gentiane | | | | | | | bleu-gris | | | | | | | bleu-indigo | | | | | | | bleu-lapis | | | | | | | bleu-marin | | | | | | | bleu-outremer | | | | | | | bleu pâle | | | | | | | bleu-prunelle | | | | | | | bleu tendre | | | | | | | bleu vert | | | | | | | bleu violacé | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | bronze doré | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | brun-acajou | | | | | | | brun-cachou | | | | | | | brun-cannelle | | | | | | | brun-caroubier | | | | | | | brun-chamois | | | | | | | brun-cuir | | | | | | | brun-feuille-morte | | | | | | | brun-havane | | | | | | | brun-loutre | | | | | | | brun-marron | | | | | | | brun-myrthe | | | | | | | brun-puce | | | | | | | brun-rouille | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | gris-acier | | | | | | | gris-amadou | | | | | | | gris d'argent | | | | | | | gris-bleu | | | | | | | gris-bois | | | | | | | gris-brun | | | | | | | gris-castor | | | | | | | gris-cendre | | | | | | | gris-coutil | | | | | | | gris-deuil | | | | | | | gris-Écru | | | | | | | gris-etoupe | | | | | | | gris de fer | | | | | | | gris-feutre | | | | | | | gris-ficelle | | | | | | | gris-foin | | | | | | | gris-fumée | | | | | | | gris-lin | | | | | | | gris-mastic | | | | | | | gris neutre | | | | | | | gris-noisette | | | | | | | gris-perle | | | | | | | gris de plomb | | | | | | | gris-poussière | | | | | | | gris-souris | | | | | | | gris-tilleul | | | | | | | gris verdâtre | | | | | | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ | couleurs | très-foncé | foncé | moyen | clair | très-clair | | colours | very dark | dark | medium | light | very light | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ | jaune-citron | | | | | | | jaune-crême | | | | | | | jaune-maïs | | | | | | | jaune d'ocre | | | | | | | jaune-orange | | | | | | | jaune-rouille | | | | | | | jaune d'or | | | | | | | jaune-vieil-or | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | lilas gris | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | noir grand-teint | | | | | | | noir-jais | | | | | | | noir vert | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | rose-eglantine | | | | | | | rose tendre | | | | | | | rose vif | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | rouge-aurore | | | | | | | rouge-bordeaux | | | | | | | rouge-cardinal | | | | | | | rouge-cerise | | | | | | | rouge-corinthe | | | | | | | rouge-cornouille | | | | | | | rouge-ecarlate | | | | | | | rouge-framboise | | | | | | | rouge-géranium | | | | | | | rouge-grenat | | | | | | | rouge-groseille | | | | | | | rouge-maroquin | | | | | | | rouge-turc | | | | | | | rouge-vermillon | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | vert-bouteille | | | | | | | vert-bronze | | | | | | | vert-canard | | | | | | | vert-corbeau | | | | | | | vert doré | | | | | | | vert d'eau | | | | | | | vert-de-gris | | | | | | | vert-emeraude | | | | | | | vert-fauve | | | | | | | vert-lierre | | | | | | | vert-madeira | | | | | | | vert-malachite | | | | | | | vert métallique | | | | | | | vert-mousse | | | | | | | vert-myrthe | | | | | | | vert-olive | | | | | | | vert-perroquet | | | | | | | vert-pistache | | | | | | | vert-pré | | | | | | | vert russe | | | | | | | ----- | | | | | | | violet-améthyste | | | | | | | violet-evêque | | | | | | | violet-lie-de-vin | | | | | | | violet-mauve | | | | | | | violet-de-parme | | | | | | | violet-pensée | | | | | | | violet-prune | | | | | | | violet-scabieuse | | | | | | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ | couleurs | très-foncé | foncé | moyen | clair | très-clair | | colours | very dark | dark | medium | light | very light | |--------------------+------------+-------+--------+-------+------------+ to avoid mistakes the public is urgently requested to designate the colours by the number, never by name. the colours whose numbers begin with or are the fastest. * * * * * further information respecting mode of execution, materials and so forth may be had by applying to the firm of th. de dillmont, dornach (alsace). footnotes: [ ] the d.m.c colour-card consists of shades about half of which are fast dyes. see the list of names on pp. and . [ ] by fast (bon-teint) colours are meant those which will bear ordinary and repeated washing. there are only very few which are really fast, or grand-teint, that is to say, which will resist the action of chemical agents, amongst of these, the black, noir , is quite indestructible. table of contents. preface. page plain sewing stitches seams gathering sewing on cord and flaps button-holes sewing on buttons binding slits sewing on piping fixing whale-bones--herring-boning mending linen darning satin or twill darning damask darning fine-drawing patching single and cut open-work hem-stitching open-work patterns cutting out threads at the corners cut open-work patterns for cut open-work net and damask stitches net embroidery net patterns net darning damask stitches white embroidery stitches different kinds of scallops eyelet holes six ways of making dots venetian embroidery patterns and alphabets flat stitch and gold embroidery encroaching satin stitch oriental stitch plaited stitch and mosaic stitch persian stitch straight and encroaching flat stitch patterns chinese embroidery raised embroidery turkish embroidery implements and materials for gold embroidery stitches used in gold embroidery patterns for gold embroidery tapestry and linen embroidery marking out the embroidery ground tapestry stitches tapestry patterns stitches for linen embroidery patterns for linen embroidery knitting position of the hands casting on stitches stocking knitting scalloped edge heels toes mending knitting piqué patterns patent knitting turkish stitch knitting patterns crochet work position of the hands stitches method for copying tapestry patterns in crochet crochet with soutache or lacet crochet square, hexagon and star tunisian crochet hairpin crochet patterns for hairpin crochet crochet lace patterns crochet counterpanes crochet stars crochet collar crochet chair-back tatting position of the hands knots patterns of scallops and medallions macramÉ materials and implements formation of the knots macramé shuttles macramé patterns netting implements and materials stitches patterns produced in netting mounting the netting on the frame stars and wheels grounds and lace embroidery on netting netted insertion irish lace materials tacking down the braids bars of different kinds insertion stitches lace stitches needle-made picots irish lace patterns laces of different kinds pillow lace and the implements for its manufacture «stitches» or passings patterns or grounds armenian lace laces in knotted stitch reticella-lace venetian-lace brussels-lace miscellaneous fancy work knotted cord balls for trimmings tambour work smyrna stitch malta stitch triangular turkish stitch turkish embroidery appliqué-work morocco embroidery spanish embroidery different kinds of linen stitches pattern for linen stitches pattern for roumanian stitch pattern for piqué embroidery embroideries with soutache chinese subject practical directions tracing and drawing the designs the preparation of the stuffs and the subdivision of the patterns to transpose and repeat patterns by means of looking glasses to alter the proportions of a pattern by dividing the ground into squares to prepare the paste for appliqué work to stiffen new needlework to wash ordinary lace to wash real lace to stiffen lace to iron lace to pin out lace to wash coloured cottons and work done with the same materials by the same author album de broderies au point de croix. (album of cross-stitch embroidery) by th. de dillmont plates with designs, and a complete treatise on the embroidery itself. quarto; artistic boards, price _s._ _d._ [illustration: fig. .] _to be had by applying to the author and editor th. de dillmont, dornach, alsace, and at all the leading booksellers and embroidery shops._ [illustration] printed by brustlein & co., mulhouse (alsace) 	transcriber's note: the printed errata have been corrected in the text. a few additional printer's errors have been corrected, details of the corrections can be found at the end of this e-text. * * * * * art in needlework text-books of ornamental design art in needlework a book about embroidery by lewis f. day author of 'windows,' 'alphabets,' 'nature in ornament' and other text-books of ornamental design & mary buckle london: b. t. batsford high holborn bradbury, agnew, & co. ld., printers, london and tonbridge. preface. embroidery may be looked at from more points of view than it would be possible in a book like this to take up seriously. merely to hover round the subject and glance casually at it would serve no useful purpose. it may be as well, therefore, to define our standpoint: we look at the art from its practical side, not, of course, neglecting the artistic, for the practical use of embroidery is to be beautiful. the custom has been, since woman learnt to kill time with the needle, to think of embroidery too much as an idle accomplishment. it is more than that. at the very least it is a handicraft: at the best it is an art. this contention may be to take it rather seriously; but if one esteemed it less it would hardly be worth writing about, and the book, when written, would not be worth the attention of students of embroidery, needleworkers, and designers of needlework to whom it is addressed. it sets forth to show what decorative stitching is, how it is done, and what it can do. it is illustrated by samplers of stitches; by diagrams, to explain the way stitches are done; and by examples of old and modern work, to show the artistic application of the stitches. a feature in the book is the series of samplers designed to show not only what are the available stitches, but the groups into which they naturally gather themselves, as well as the use to which they may be put: and the back of the sampler is given too: the reader has only to turn the page to see the other side of the stitching--which to a needlewoman is often the more helpful. lest that should not be enough, the stitches are described in the text, and a marginal note shows at a glance where the description is given. this should be read needle and thread in hand--or skipped. samplers and other examples of needlework are uniformly on a scale large enough to show the stitch quite plainly. the examples of old work illustrate always, in the first place, some point of workmanship; still they are chosen with some view to their artistic interest. in other respects art is not overlooked; but it is art in harness. design is discussed with reference to stitch and stuff, and stitch and stuff with reference to their use in ornament. it has been endeavoured also to show the effect needlework has had upon pattern, and the ways in which design is affected by the circumstance that it is to be embroidered. the joint authorship of the work needs, perhaps, a word of explanation. this is not just a man's book on a woman's subject. the scheme of it is mine, and i have written it, but with the co-operation throughout of miss mary buckle. our classification of the stitches is the result of many a conference between us. the description of the way the stitches are worked, and so forth, is my rendering of her description, supplemented by practical demonstration with the needle. she has primed me with technical information, and been always at hand to keep me from technical error. with reference to design and art i speak for myself. my thanks are due to the authorities at south kensington for allowing us to handle the treasures of the national collection, and to photograph them for illustration; to mrs. walter crane, miss mabel keighley, and miss c. p. shrewsbury, for permission to reproduce their handiwork; to miss argles, mrs. buxton morrish, colonel green, r.e., and messrs. morris and co., for the loan of work belonging to them; and to miss chart for working the cross-stitch sampler. i must also acknowledge the part my daughter has had in the production of this book: without her constant help it could never have been written. lewis f. day. _january st, ._ contents. chap. page . embroidery and embroidery stitches . canvas stitches . crewel-stitch . chain-stitch . herring-bone-stitch . buttonhole-stitch . feather and oriental stitches . rope and knot stitches . interlacings, surface stitches, and diapers . satin-stitch and its offshoots . darning . laid-work . couching . couched gold . appliquÉ . inlay, mosaic, and cut-work . embroidery in relief . raised gold . quilting . stitch groups . one stitch or many? . outline . shading . figure embroidery . the direction of the stitch . church work . a plea for simplicity . embroidery design . embroidery materials . a word to the worker descriptive list of illustrations. . tapestry--to illustrate work on a warp not on a web. from akhmin in upper egypt. ancient coptic. (in the victoria and albert museum.) . drawn-work on fine linen, embroidered with gold and colour. oriental. (from the collection of mrs. lewis f. day.) . darning and satin-stitch on square mesh--the darning leaf, green, follows the lines of the stuff; outlined with yellow, veined with pink and white; stem, yellow, its foliation pink, outlined with white, and ribbed with blue and white. italian. th century. (v. & a. m.) . cross-stitch upon linen. hungarian. compare illustration . . cross-stitch sampler--a and b, solid; c, line work; d, stroke-stitch--called also holbein-stitch; e, stroke and cross stitches combined. . canvas-stitch in coloured silk upon linen. the band italian, the foliated diaper oriental. (mrs. l. f. d.) . canvas-stitch--design comparatively free, but showing in its outline the influence of the rectangular lines of the weaving. cretan. (mrs. l. f. d.) . canvas-stitch sampler--a, tent-stitch; b, half-cross-stitch; c, cushion-stitch; d, moorish-stitch, so called; e, plait-stitch; f, couching on canvas. . cushion and satin-stitches upon canvas--the satin-stitches follow the lines of the stuff, and form a diaper built upon them. compare illustration . . two varieties of canvas-stitch, the pattern in the bare linen, the background worked--a, plait-stitch, the ornament outlined; b, stitches drawn tightly together so as to pull the threads of the linen apart, giving very much the effect of drawn-work. compare illustration . (mrs. l. f. d.) . crewel-stitch sampler--a and c, crewel-stitch; b and d, outline-stitch; e, back-stitch; f, spots; g and h, stem-stitch; j, crewel and outline-stitches in combination. . back of crewel-stitch sampler. . crewel-work--the stem only worked in crewel-stitch. embroidered in green, blue, and brown wools upon white cotton. old english. (coll. of miss argles.) . crewel-work, in which crewel-stitch hardly occurs. embroidered in coloured wools upon white cotton. old english. (coll. of j. m. knapp, esq.) . crewel-stitch in twisted silk. the scroll in green upon a brownish-purple ground; the smaller leafage upon the scroll in brighter green; the flowers and butterflies in blue and pink. modern. (mrs. l. f. day.) . chain-stitch and knots--part of the same piece of work as illustration . indian. (v. & a. m.) . chain-stitch sampler--a, chain-stitch solid and in line; b, magic stitch; c, church chain; d, cable chain; e, vandyke chain; f, mountmellic chain; g, mountmellic cable--all so called. . back of chain-stitch sampler. . chain and surface stitches--the latter a kind of buttonholing, only occasionally worked _in_to the stuff. part of a lectern cover in white thread upon a thin, greyish white linen stuff. german, th century. (v. & a. m.) . herringbone sampler--a, b, c, varieties of herring-bone; d, a combination of a and c; e, fishbone; f, a close variety of a; g, tapestry stitch, so called. . back of herringbone sampler. . buttonhole sampler--a, b, c, ordinary buttonhole and variations upon it; d, two rows of buttonhole worked slanting one into the other; e, crossed buttonhole; f, tailor's buttonhole; g, ladder (called also cretan) stitch; h, herringbone buttonhole; j, buttonhole diaper. . back of buttonhole sampler. . buttonhole, chain, and knot stitches--chiefly in white floss silk on dark purple satin, with touches of crimson at the points from which the stitches radiate. the rings on the outer ground are not worked, but done in the dyeing of the satin. part of the same piece of work as . modern indian from surat. (v. & a. m.) . feather-stitch sampler--a to g, ordinary feather-stitch and its variations; g g, feather chain. . back of feather-stitch sampler. . oriental-stitch sampler--a to e, oriental-stitch and its varieties; f, oriental-stitch worked into buttonhole; g, not properly a form of oriental-stitch, though bearing some resemblance to it. . back of oriental-stitch sampler. . rope and knot-stitch sampler--a, rope-stitch; b, open rope-stitch; c, what is called german knot-stitch; d, open german knot-stitch; e, old english knot-stitch, so called; f, bullion-stitch; g, french knots. . back of rope and knot-stitch sampler. . a tour-de-force in knots--worked entirely in the one stitch; the drawing lines expressed by voiding. in white and coloured silks upon a very dark blue ground. chinese. (mrs. l. f. d.) . interlacing-stitch sampler--a, interlaced crewel-stitch; b, interlaced back-stitch; c, back-stitch twice interlaced; d, interlaced chain-stitch; e, interlaced darning; f, interlaced herringbone; g, herringbone twice interlaced; h, an interlaced version of c in illustration ; j, interlaced oriental-stitch; k, interlaced feather-stitch. . back of interlacing sampler. . surface-stitch sampler--a, d, g, various surface stitches; b, surface buttonhole; h and c, surface darning; e, japanese darning, as it is called; f, net passing; j, surface buttonhole over bars; k, surface buttonhole over slanting stitches. . lace or surface-stitch and satin-stitch, much of it worn away. in straw-coloured floss upon pale blue silk. part of a dress. french. late th century. (mrs. l. f. d.) . satin-stitch sampler--worked in floss, the stitch in various directions, to give different effects. incidentally it shows various ways of breaking up a surface in satin-stitch. compare with illustration , which shows the effect of the stitch in twisted silk. . back of satin-stitch sampler. . satin-stitch in coarse twisted silk. . satin-stitch in twisted silk--outlines voided. worked in white and occasional red and yellow upon black satin. indian. modern. (v. & a. m.) . satin-stitch and, on the birds' bodies, plumage-stitch--the ends of the stalks worked in french knots; the veins of the leaves in fine white cords laid on to the satin stitch. the outlines voided, and the voiding occasionally worked across with stitches wide enough apart to show the ground between. in white and bright-coloured silk floss upon a black satin ground. chinese. (mrs. l. f. d.) . sampler--showing offshoots from satin and crewel stitches, and incidentally illustrating various ways of shading. a, crewel-stitch; b, plumage-stitch, worked in the hand; c, split-stitch; d, plumage-stitch, worked in the frame. . back of sampler . . darning sampler--except in the background the stitches follow the lines of the drawing, regardless of the weaving of the stuff. the customary outlining of the pattern is here omitted, to show how far it may, or may not, be needful. . darning--designed by william morris. in delicate colours upon a sea-green ground, outlined with black and white. part of the border of a table-cloth, the property of messrs. morris & co. . flat darning--solid and open, following the lines of a square mesh, and stepping in tune with it; the outline voided; all in white thread. old german. (gewerbs museum, munich.) . laid-work sampler, showing various ways (split-stitch and couching) in which the sewing down may be done, and the various directions it may take--vertical, horizontal, following the ornamental forms, or crossing them. . laid-work--the couching crosses the flower forms in straight lines; and in the eye of the flower where the threads cross, the two are sewn down at a single stitch. the spiral stems a sort of laid cord. flower in blue, sewn with blue and outlined with gold; leaves, a bright fresh green stitched with olive. japanese. (v. & a. m.) . laid-work. the sewing down of the leaves crosses them in curved lines which suggest roundness. the stem in gold basket pattern. part of a coverlet. worked upon a cedar-coloured ground chiefly in dark blue and white, the blue couched with white, the white and other colours couched with red. indo-portuguese. th century. (v. & a. m.) . laid-work and some surface-stitch. the stitching which sews down the floss takes the direction of the scroll, &c., and gives drawing. the surface work in the stems is done upon a ladder of stitches across. part of a chalice veil. italian. early th century. (v. & a. m.) . laid-work sampler--the straight lines of laid floss varied in colour to suggest shading. the stalk padded, and the pattern made by the stitching upon it thereby emphasised. . bullion and couched cord--a, the somewhat loose design of the border in bullion shows rather plainly the way it is done. b, the solid discs of spiral cord are unusual, but most characteristic of the method of couching. the stitches sewing down the cord are not apparent. oriental. (mrs. l. f. d.) . sampler of couched silk--the broad central band and the narrow beaded lines are in floss, and show the effect of sewing it more or less tightly down. the two intermediate bands are in cord couched with threads in the direction of its twist, not very easily distinguishable unless by contrast of colour. . couching in looped threads--the effect is not unlike that of chain-stitch or fine knotting. rather over actual size. worked in bright colours upon a pale green crêpe ground. chinese. (mrs. l. f. d.) . reverse couching--showing on the face of it no sign of couching. (after the manner of the syon cope.) . back of reverse couching--showing the parallel lines of couched linen thread which sew down the silk upon the surface (illustration ). the zigzag pattern of the stitching might equally well have taken other lines. . couched gold sampler--a, b, c, d, flat work; e, part flat, part raised; f, g, h, j, basket and other patterns raised over cords. . couching in various diaper patterns, outlined in part with "plate." silver on pale pink silk. (coll. of mrs. t. buxton morrish.) . gold couching in open threads--a, the lines of gold which form a scale pattern on the dragon's body, are wide enough apart to let the red ground grin through. elsewhere the couching, contrary to mediæval practice, follows the shapes, line within line until they are occupied. the floss embroidery, in white and colours, is in surface-satin-stitch. chinese. b, the open lines of gold look somehow richer than if the metal had been worked solid upon the crimson ground. old venetian. (mrs. l. f. d.) . couched outline work; only an occasional detail worked solid; suggests damascening. the border is in gold, the filling in silver, thread on a greyish-green velvet. part of an italian housing or saddlecloth. th century. (v. & a. m.) . appliquÉ--satin upon velvet, outlined with two threads of gold couching. . appliquÉ panel--designed and executed by miss mabel keighley, illustrating a poem by william morris. (the property of the artist.) . a. counter-change pattern, inlay or appliquÉ.--yellow satin and crimson velvet. the outline, which is in gold, falls chiefly upon the yellow, so as not to disturb the exact balance of light and dark, which it is essential to preserve in counter-change. part of a stole. spanish. th century (v. & a. m.) b. appliquÉ, of deep crimson velvet upon white satin, outlined with paler red cord. the outlines, meeting together, form a stem of double cord. italian. th century. (v. & a. m.) . appliquÉ, with couched outline, and stitching upon the appliqué band or ribbon. the dots in the centre of the grapes are french knots. the pattern is in satin of various colours, upon a figured green silk damask, outlined with yellow silk sewn down with yellow. italian. (v. & a. m.) . inlay in coloured cloths, outlined with chain stitch. magic stitch also occurs. a characteristic example of the kind of work done at retsht, in persia. (mrs. l. f. d.) . cut-work in linen--a fret of this kind was often outlined with coloured silk, and the detail within the fretted outline further embroidered in coloured silk. (coll. of mrs. drake.) . sampler of raised work, showing underlays: a, of cloth; b, of twisted cords; c, of parchment; d, of cotton wool; e, first of cotton cord and then of cotton thread; f, of cord; g, of string; h, of sewing. . raised work, showing underlay of linen, and the way it is sewn down--the work is in flax thread, red, yellow, and white, upon a blue linen ground. the stem is dotted with white beads, the ground with gold spangles. part of an altar frontal. german. th century. (v. & a. m.) . raised gold basket patterns, &c., upon white satin. the stalk in flat wire. spanish. th century. (mrs. l. f. d.) . quilt, worked in chain-stitch from the back--which has precisely the effect of back-stitch. yellow silk upon white linen. old english. (v. & a. m.) . raised quilting, in black silk upon pale sea-green satin. part of the border of a prayer cushion. old persian. (mrs. l. f. d.) . diaper of satin-stitch in the making--something between canvas-stitch and satin-stitch. the leafage is in tent-stitch. compare with illustration . (v. & a. m.) . stitches in combination--among them oriental, ladder, buttonhole, chain, crewel, satin, and herringbone stitches, worked in dark blue silk upon unbleached linen. old cretan, so called. (mrs. l. f. d.) . fine needlework upon cambric--the substance of which is apparent upon the upper edge of the work. in the ground-work of the pattern generally the threads are drawn together to form an open net. the stitches occurring in the collar of which this is part are, buttonhole, satin, chain, herringbone, cross, and back stitches. the outline is mostly in fine cross-stitch. nothing could exceed the delicacy of the workmanship, which is in its kind perfect. old english. (coll. of col. green, r.e.) . part of a design by walter crane, cunningly adapted to execution in needlework. shows the direction of the stitch, and the part it can be made to play in expressing form. worked in coloured silks upon linen by mrs. walter crane, whose property the work is. . shading in chain-stitch in silk and chenille upon a satin ground. the shading very deliberately schemed by the designer. in natural colours upon white. french. louis seize. (v. & a. m.) . shading in short stitches; picturesque to the point of a touch of white in the glistening yellow of the dove's eye. chenille, in chain-stitch, is used for the wreath and in the leaves of the flower sprigs. these are in colours, the birds are in silvery greys, all on a white satin ground. french. louis seize. (v. & a. m.) . shading in long-and-short and split stitches, with more regard to expression of form than to neatness of execution. german. th century. (v. & a. m.) . chain-stitch, showing in the figures of the little men what a draughtsman can express in a few stitches. full size. chinese. (mrs. l. f. d.) . figure work--the flesh in straight upright stitches, the drapery laid and couched. english. th century. (v. & a. m.) . consummate figure embroidery--canvas ground entirely covered. flesh in coloured silks, short-stitch; drapery coloured silks over gold, which only gleams through in the lighter parts. architecture closely couched gold. part of an orphrey. florentine. th century. (v. & a. m.) . chinese figures--the flesh in short satin-stitches, the rest in chain-stitch; chiefly in blue and white upon a figured white silk ground. about actual size. (mrs. l. f. d.) . satin-stitch, showing the influence of its direction upon the tone of colour. the pattern is all in one shade of yellow-brown floss upon white linen. the outline steps with the weaving, and so shows connection between satin and canvas stitches. italian, th century. (v. & a. m.) . meaningless direction of stitch--satin and herring-bone stitches. from an altar-cloth. german. th century. (v. & a. m.) . more expressive lines of stitching--to compare with illustration . . satin and plumage stitches chiefly, the bird's crest in french knots, the clouds about him in knotted braid. the direction of the stitch is most artfully chosen, and the precision of the work is faultless. the satin ground is of brilliant orange-red; the crane, white, with black tail feathers, scarlet crest, and yellow beak and legs; the clouds, black and white and blue. japanese. (mrs. l. f. d.) . renaissance church work in gold and silver, partly flat, partly in relief, upon pale blue satin, with touches of pink and crimson silk to give emphasis. spanish. th century. compare the stem with illustration , b. (v. & a. m.) . gothic church work--the flesh, &c., in split-stitch; the vine-leaves green, getting yellower as it nears the crimson silk ground. part of a cope embroidered with a representation of the tree of jesse. english. ca. . (v. & a. m.) . modern church work on linen, in long-and-short stitch. veins padded with embroidery cotton and worked over with two threads of filo-floss, a green and a blue; the rest of the leaves worked in one shade of stout floss. all this applied to velvet with a couching of brown filoselle, and the tendrils added. designed and executed by miss c. p. shrewsbury. (the property of the artist.) . simple stitching on linen, the broader bands in a canvas stitch in yellow, the finer lines in back-stitch in pale grey silk. italian. (mrs. l. f. d.) . simple couched outline work, in purplish silk cord upon linen. part of an altar-cloth. italian. th century. (v. & a. m.) . renaissance ornament--most gracefully designed arabesque. the raised outline (couched) has somewhat the effect of cloisons, the satin-stitch (in colours) of brilliant enamel. it is upon a white satin ground. the foreshortened face in the picture is _painted_ upon satin. italian. ca. . (v. & a. m.) . appliquÉ design, in yellow satin upon crimson velvet--double outline; next the red, white, sewn with pale blue; next the yellow, gold. midrib of the leaf couched silver. spanish, th century. (v. & a. m.) . satin-stitch--except that the heart-shaped features at the base and the lily-shaped flowers, of which only the tips are shown, are outlined with fine white cord. part of a fan, worked by miss buckle, from a design by l. f. d. (the property of the worker.) . leather appliquÉ upon velvet--the stitching well within the edge of the leather. errata. page . diagram belongs to g (stem-stitch) described on page , not c (thick crewel-stitch). page , nd line. for "lower" read "upper." art in needlework. embroidery and stitching. embroidery begins with the needle, and the needle (thorn, fish-bone, or whatever it may have been) came into use so soon as ever savages had the wit to sew skins and things together to keep themselves warm--modesty, we may take it, was an afterthought--and if the stitches made any sort of pattern, as coarse stitching naturally would, that was _embroidery_. the term is often vaguely used to denote all kinds of ornamental needlework, and some with which the needle has nothing to do. that is misleading; though it is true that embroidery does touch, on the one side, _tapestry_, which may be described as a kind of embroidery with the shuttle, and, on the other, _lace_, which is needlework pure and simple, construction "in the air" as the italian name has it. the term is used in common parlance to express any kind of superficial or superfluous ornamentation. a poet is said to embroider the truth. but such metaphorical use of the word hints at the real nature of the work--embellishment, enrichment, _added_. if added, there must first of all be something it is added _to_--the material, that is to say, on which the needlework is done. in weaving (even tapestry weaving) the pattern is got by the inter-threading of warp and weft. in lace, too, it is got out of the threads which make the stuff. in embroidery it is got by threads worked _on_ a fabric first of all woven on the loom, or, it might be, netted. there is inevitably a certain amount of overlapping of the crafts. for instance, take a form of embroidery common in all countries, eastern, hungarian, or nearer home, in which certain of the weft threads of the linen are _drawn out_, and the needlework is executed upon the warp threads thus revealed. this is, strictly speaking, a sort of tapestry with the needle, just as, it was explained, tapestry itself may be described as a sort of embroidery with the shuttle. that will be clearly seen by reference to illustration , which shows a fragment of ancient tapestry found in a coptic tomb in upper egypt. in the lower portion of it the pattern appears light on dark. as a matter of fact, it was wrought in white and red upon a linen warp; but, as it happened, only the white threads were of linen, like the warp, the red were woollen, and in the course of fifteen hundred years or so much of this red wool has perished, leaving the white pattern intact on the warp, the threads of which are laid bare in the upper part of the illustration. [illustration: . tapestry, showing warp.] it is on just such upright lines of warp that all tapestry, properly so called, is worked--whether with the shuttle or with the needle makes no matter--and there is good reason, therefore, for the name of "tapestry stitch" to describe needlework upon the warp threads only of a material (usually linen) from which some of the weft threads have been _withdrawn_. the only difference between true tapestry and drawn work, an example of which is here given, is, that the one is done on a warp that has not before been woven upon, and the other on a warp from which the weft threads have been _drawn_. the distinction, therefore, between tapestry and embroidery is, that, worked on a warp, as in illustration , it is tapestry; worked on a mesh, as in illustration , it is embroidery. [illustration: . drawn work.] with regard, again, to lace. that is itself a web, independent of any groundwork or foundation to support it. but it is possible to work it _over_ a silken or other surface; and there is a kind of embroidery which only floats on the surface of the material without penetrating it. a fragment of last century silk given in illustration shows plainly what is meant. [illustration: . stitching on a square mesh.] embroidery is enrichment by means of the needle. to embroider is to work _on_ something: a groundwork is presupposed. and we usually understand by embroidery, needlework in thread (it may be wool, cotton, linen, silk, gold, no matter what) upon a textile material, no matter what. in short, it is the decoration of a material woven in thread by means still of thread. it is thus _the_ consistent way of ornamenting stuff--most consistent of all when one kind of thread is employed throughout, as in the case of linen upon linen, silk upon silk. the enrichment may, however, rightly be, and oftenest is, perhaps, in a material nobler than the stuff enriched, in silk upon linen, in wool upon cotton, in gold upon velvet. the advisability of working upon a precious stuff in thread _less_ precious is open to question. it does not seem to have been satisfactorily done; but if it were only the background that was worked, and the pattern were so schemed as almost to cover it, so that, in fact, very little of the more beautiful texture was sacrificed, and you had still a sumptuous pattern on a less attractive background--why not? but then it would be because you wanted that less precious texture there. the excuse of economy would scarcely hold good. in the case of a material in itself unsightly, the one course is to cover it entirely with stitching, as did the persian and other untireable people of the east. but not they only. the famous syon cope is so covered. much of the work so done, all-over work that is to say, competes in effect with tapestry or other weaving; and its purpose was similar: it is a sort of amateur way of working your own stuff. but in character it is no more nearly related to the work of the loom than other needlework--it is still work _on_ stuff. for all-over embroidery one chooses, naturally, a coarse canvas ground to work on; but it more often happens that one chooses canvas because one means to cover it, than that one works all over a ground because it is unpresentable. embroidery is merely an affair of stitching; and the first thing needful alike to the worker in it and the designer for it is, a thorough acquaintance with the stitches; not, of course, with every modification of a modification of a stitch which individual ingenuity may have devised--it would need the space of an encyclopædia to chronicle them all--but with the broadly marked varieties of stitch which have been employed to best purpose in ornament. they are derived, naturally, from the stitches first used for quite practical and prosaic purposes--buttonhole stitch, for example, to keep the edges of the stuff from fraying; herring-bone, to strengthen and disguise a seam; darning, to make good a worn surface; and so on. the difficulty of discussing them is greatly increased by the haphazard way in which they are commonly named. a stitch is called greek, spanish, mexican, or what not, according to the country whence came the work in which some one first found it. each names it after his or her individual discovery, or calls it, perhaps, vaguely oriental; and so we have any number of names for the same stitch, names which to different people stand often for quite different stitches. when this confusion is complicated by the invention of a new name for every conceivable combination of thread-strokes, or for each slightest variation upon an old stitch, and even for a stitch worked from left to right instead of from right to left, or for a stitch worked rather longer than usual, the task of reducing them to order seems almost hopeless. nor do the quasi-learned descriptions of old stitches help us much. one reads about _opus_ this and _opus_ that, until one begins to wonder where, amidst all this parade of science, art comes in. but you have not far to go in the study of the authorities to discover that, though they may concur in using certain high-sounding latin terms, they are not of the same mind as to their meaning. in one thing they all agree, foreign writers as well as english, and that is, as to the difficulty of identifying the stitch referred to by ancient writers, themselves probably not acquainted with the _technique_ of stitching, and as likely as not to call it by a wrong name. it is easier, for example, to talk of _opus anglicanum_ than to say precisely what it was, further than that it described work done in england; and for that we have the simple word--english. there is nothing to show that mediæval english work contained stitches not used elsewhere. the stitches probably all come from the east. nomenclature, then, is a snare. why not drop titles, and call stitches by the plainest and least mistakable names? it will be seen, if we reduce them to their native simplicity, that they fall into fairly-marked groups, or families, which can be discussed each under its own head. stitches may be grouped in all manner of arbitrary ways--according to their provenance, according to their effect, according to their use, and so on. the most natural way of grouping them is according to their structure; not with regard to whence they came, or what they do, but according to what they are, the way they are worked. this, at all events, is no arbitrary classification, and this is the plan it is proposed here to adopt. the use of such classification hardly needs pointing out. a survey of the stitches is the necessary preliminary, either to the design or to the execution of needlework. how else suit the design to the stitch, the stitch to the design? in order to do the one the artist must be quite at home among the stitches; in order to do the other the embroidress must have sympathy enough with a design to choose the stitch or stitches which will best render it. an artist who thinks the working out of his sketch none of his business is no practical designer; the worker who thinks design a thing apart from her is only a worker. this is not the moment to urge upon the needlewoman the study of design, but to urge upon the designer the study of stitches. nothing is more impractical than to make a design without realising the labour involved in its execution. any one not in sympathy with stitching may possibly design a beautiful piece of needlework, but no one will get all that is to be got out of the needle without knowing all about it. one must understand the ways in which work can be done in order to determine the way it shall in any particular case be done. certain stitches answer certain purposes, and strictly only those. the designer must know which stitch answers which purpose, or he will in the first place waste the labour of the embroidress, and in the second miss his effect, which is to waste his own pains too. the effective worker (designer or embroiderer) is the one who works with judgment--and you cannot judge unless you know. when it is remembered that the character of needlework, and by rights also the character of its design, depends upon the stitch, there will be no occasion to insist further upon the necessity of a comprehensive survey of the stitches. a stitch may be defined as the thread left on the surface of the cloth or what not, after each ply of the needle. and the simple straightforward stitches of this kind are not so many as one might suppose. they may be reduced indeed to a comparatively few types, as will be seen in the following chapters. canvas stitches. the simplest, as it is most likely the earliest used, stitch-group is what might best be called canvas stitch--of which cross-stitch is perhaps the most familiar type, the class of stitches which come of following, as it is only natural to do, the mesh of a coarse canvas, net, or open web upon which the work is done. a stitch bears always, or should bear, some relation to the material on which it is worked; but canvas or very coarse linen almost compels a stitch based upon the cross lines of its woof, and indeed suggests designs of equally rigid construction. that is so in embroidery no matter where. in ancient byzantine or coptic work, in modern cretan work, and in peasant embroidery all the world over, pattern work on coarse linen has run persistently into angular lines--in which, because of that very angularity, the plain outcome of a way of working, we find artistic character. artistic design is always expressive of its mode of workmanship. work of this kind is not too lightly to be dismissed. there is art in the rendering of form by means of angular outlines, art in the choice of forms which can be expressed by such lines. it is not uncharitable to surmise that one reason why such work (once so universal and now quite out of fashion) is not popular with needlewomen may be, the demand it makes upon the designer's draughtmanship: it is much easier, for example, to draw a stag than to render the creature satisfactorily within jagged lines determined by a linen mesh. [illustration: . cross-stitch.] the piquancy about natural or other forms thus reduced to angularity argues, of course, no affectation of quaintness on the part of the worker, but was the unavoidable outcome of her way of work. there is a pronounced and early limit to art of this rather naïve kind, but that there is art in some of the very simplest and most modest peasant work built up on those lines no artist will deny. the art in it is usually in proportion to its modesty. nothing is more futile than to put it to anything like pictorial purpose. the wonderfully wrought pictures in tent-stitch, for example, bequeathed to us by the th century, are painful object lessons in what not to do. the origin of the term cross-stitch is not far to seek: the stitches worked upon the square mesh do cross. but, falling naturally into the lines of the mesh which governs them, they present not so much the appearance of crosses as of squares, reminding one of the tesseræ employed in mosaic. [sidenote: to work cross stitch.] to explain the process of working cross-stitch would be teaching one's grandmother indeed. it is simply, as its name implies, crossing one stitch by another, following always the lines of the canvas. but the important thing about it is that the stitches must cross always in the same way; and, more than that, they must be worked in the same direction, or the mere fact that the stitches at the _back_ of the work do not run in the same way will disturb the evenness of the surface. what looks like a seam on the sampler opposite is the result of filling up a gap in the ground with stitches necessarily worked in vertical, whereas the ground generally is in horizontal, lines. on the face of the work the stitches cross all in the same way. the common use of cross-stitch and the somewhat geometric kind of pattern to which it lends itself are shown in the sampler, illustration . the broad and simple leafage, worked solid (a) or left in the plain canvas upon a groundwork of solid stitching (b), and the fretted diaper on vertical and horizontal lines (c), show the most straightforward ways of using it. [illustration: . cross-stitch sampler.] the criss-cross of alternating cross-stitches and open canvas framed by the key pattern (c) shows a means of getting something like a tint halfway between solid work and plain ground. the mere work line--or "stroke-stitch," not crossed (d), is a perfectly fair way of getting a delicate effect; but the design has a way of working out rather less happily than it promised. the addition of such stroke-stitches to solid cross-stitch (e) is not at best a very happy device. it strikes one always as a confession of dissatisfaction on the part of the worker with the simple means of her choice. as a device for, as it were, correcting the stepped outline it is at its worst. timid workers are always afraid of the stepped outline which a coarse mesh gives. in that they are wrong. one should employ canvas stitch only where there is no objection to a line which keeps step with the canvas; then there is a positive charm (for frank people at least) in the frank confession of the way the work is done. there are many degrees in the frankness with which this convention has been accepted, according perhaps to the coarseness of the canvas ground, perhaps to the personality of the worker. the animal forms at the top of illustration are uncompromisingly square; the floral devices on the same page, though they fall, as it were inevitably, into square lines, are less rigidly formal. the inevitableness of the square line is apparent in the sprig below ( ). it was evidently meant to be freely drawn, but the influence of the mesh betrays itself; and the design, if it loses something in grace, gains also thereby in character. [illustration: . canvas-stitch.] [illustration: . canvas-stitch.] there is literally no end to the variety of stitches, as they are called, belonging to this group, and their names are a babel of confusion. florentine, parisian, hungarian, spanish, moorish, cashmere, milanese, gobelin, are only a few of them; but they stand, as a rule, rather for stitch arrangements than for stitches. a small selection of them is given in illustration . [sidenote: tent-stitch a.] what is known as tent-stitch (a in the sampler opposite) is a sort of half cross-stitch; its peculiarity is that it covers only one thread of the canvas at a stroke, and is therefore on a more minute scale than stitches which are two or three threads wide, as cross-stitch may, and cushion-stitch must, be. it derives its name from the old word tenture, or tenter (_tendere_, to stretch), the frame on which the embroidress distended her canvas. the word has gone out of use, but we still speak of tenter-hooks. the stitch is serviceable enough in its way, but is discredited by the monstrous abuse of it referred to already. a picture in tent-stitch is even more foolish than a picture in mosaic. it cannot come anywhere near to pictorial effect; the tesseræ will pronounce themselves, and spoil it. [illustration: . canvas-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . cushion and satin stitches.] [sidenote: cross-stitch b.] this kind of half cross-stitch worked on the larger scale of ordinary cross-stitch would look meagre. it is filled out, therefore (b), by horizontal lines of the thread laid across the canvas, and over these the stitch is worked. [sidenote: cushion-stitch c.] cushion-stitch consists of diagonal lines of upright stitches, measuring in the sampler (c) six threads of the canvas, so that after each stitch the needle may be brought out just three threads lower than where it was put in. by working in zigzag instead of diagonal lines, a familiar pattern is produced, more often described as "florentine;" but the stitch is in any case the same. [sidenote: canvas-stitch d.] the stitch at d (sometimes called moorish stitch) is begun by working a row of short vertical stitches, slightly apart, and completed by diagonal stitches joining them. unless the silk employed is full and soft, this may not completely cover the canvas, in which case the diagonal stitches must further be crossed as shown on illustration . if the linen is loosely woven and the thread is tightly drawn in the working, the mesh is pulled apart, giving the effect of an open lattice of the kind shown at b, on illustration , in which the threads of the linen are not drawn out but drawn together. [sidenote: canvas-stitch e.] the way of working the stitch at e is described on page , under the name of "fish-bone." worked on canvas it has somewhat the effect of plaiting, and goes by the name of "plait-stitch." it is worked in horizontal rows alternately from left to right and from right to left. [sidenote: canvas-stitch f.] the stitch at f is a sort of couching (see page ). diagonal lines of thread are first laid from edge to edge of the ground space, and these are sewn down by short overcasting stitches in the cross direction. admirable canvas stitch work has been done upon linen in silk of one colour--red, green, or blue--and it was a common practice to work the background leaving the pattern in the bare stuff. it prevailed in countries lying far apart, though probably not without inter-communication. in fact, the influence of oriental work upon european has been so great that even experts hesitate sometimes to say whether a particular piece of work is turkish or italian. in italian work, at least, it was usual to get over the angularity of silhouette inherent in canvas stitches by working an outline separately. when that is thin, the effect is proportionately feeble. the broader outline (shown at a, illustration ) justifies itself, and in the case of a stitch which falls into horizontal lines, it appears to be necessary. this is plait stitch, known also by the name of spanish stitch--not that it is in any way peculiar to spain. it is allied to herring-bone-stitch, to which a special chapter is devoted. [illustration: . plait and open canvas stitches.] darning is also employed as a canvas stitch. there is beautiful th century italian work (in coloured silks on dark net of the very open square mesh of the period), which is most effective, and in which there is no pretence of disguising the stepped outline; and in the very early days of christian art in egypt and byzantium, linen was darned in little square tufts of wool upstanding on its surface, which look so much like the tesseræ of mosaic that it seems as if they must have been worked in deliberate imitation of it. again, in the th century satin-stitch was worked on fine linen with strict regard to the lines of its web; and the persians, ancient and modern, embroider white silk upon linen, also in satin-stitch, preserving piously the rectangular and diagonal lines given by the material. they have their reward in producing most characteristic needlework. the diapered ground in illustration (page ) is satin-stitch upon coarse linen. the filling-in patterns used to such delicate and dainty purpose in the marvellous work on fine cambric (illustration ) which competes in effect with lace, though it is strictly embroidery, all follow in their design the lines of the fabric, and are worked thread by thread according to its woof: they afford again instances of perfect adaptation of stitch to material and of design to stitch. satin and other stitches were worked by the old italians (illustration ) on square-meshed canvas, frankly on the square lines given by it, for the filling in of ornamental details, though the outline might be much less formal. that is to say, the surface of freely-drawn leaves, &c., instead of being worked solid, was diapered over with more or less open pattern work constructed on the lines of the weaving. a cunning use of the square mesh of canvas has sometimes been made to guide the worker upon other fabrics, such as velvet. this was first faced with net: the design was then worked, over that, on to and into the velvet, and the threads of the canvas were then drawn out. that is a device which may serve on occasion. the design may even be traced upon the net. crewel-stitch. for work in the hand, crewel-stitch is perhaps, on the whole, the easiest and most useful of stitches; whence it comes that people sometimes vaguely call all embroidery crewel work; though, as a matter of fact, the stitch properly so called was never very commonly employed, even when the work was done in "crewel," the double thread of twisted wool from which it takes its name. [illustration: the working of a on crewel-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . crewel-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . crewel-stitch sampler (back).] [sidenote: to work a.] crewel-stitch proper is shown at a on the sampler opposite, where it is used for line work. it is worked as follows:--having made a start in the usual way, keep your thread downwards under your left thumb and below your needle--that is, to the right; then take up with the needle, say / th of an inch of the stuff, and bring it out through the hole made in starting the stitch, taking care not to pierce the thread. this gives the first half stitch. if you proceed in the same way your next stitch will be full length. the test of good workmanship is that at the back it should look like back-stitch (illustration ), described on page . [illustration: the working of b on crewel-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work b.] outline-stitch (b on sampler) differs from crewel-stitch only in that the thread is always kept upwards above the needle, that is to the left. in so doing the thread is apt to untwist itself, and wants constantly re-twisting. the stitch is useful for single lines and for outlining solid work. the muddled effect of much crewel work is due to the confusion of this stitch with crewel-stitch proper. [sidenote: to work c.] thick crewel-stitch (c on sampler) is only a little wider than ordinary crewel-stitch, but gives a heavier line, in higher relief. in effect it resembles rope-stitch, but it is more simply worked. you begin as in ordinary crewel-stitch, but after the first half-stitch you take up / th of an inch of the material in advance of the last stitch, and bring out your needle at the point where the first half-stitch began. you proceed, always putting your needle in / th of an inch in front of, and bringing it out / th of an inch behind, the last stitch, so as to have always / th of an inch of the stuff on your needle. [illustration: the working of g on crewel-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work d.] thick outline-stitch (d on sampler) is like thick crewel-stitch with the exception that, as in ordinary outline-stitch (b), you keep your thread always above the needle to the left. [sidenote: to work e.] in back-stitch (e), instead of first bringing the needle out at the point where the embroidery is to begin, you bring it out / th of an inch in advance of it. then, putting your needle back, you take up this / th together with another / th in advance. for the next stitch you put your needle into the hole made by the last stitch, and so on, taking care not to split the last thread in so doing. [sidenote: to work f.] to work the spots (f) on sampler--having made a back-stitch, bring your needle out through the same hole as before, and make another back-stitch above it, so that you have, in what appears to be one stitch, two thicknesses of thread; then bring your needle out some distance in advance of the last stitch, and proceed as before. the distance between the stitches is determined by the effect you desire to produce. the thread should not be drawn too tight. [illustration: . crewel work and crewel-stitch.] [sidenote: to work g.] you begin stem-stitch (g) with the usual half-stitch. then, holding the thread downwards, instead of proceeding as in crewel-stitch (a) you slant your needle so as to bring it out a thread or two higher up than the half-stitch, but precisely above it. you next put the needle in / th of an inch in advance of the last stitch, and, as before, bring it out again in a slanting direction a thread or two higher. at the back of the work (illustration ) the stitches lie in a slanting direction. [sidenote: to work h.] to work wider stem-stitch (h). after the first two stitches, bring your needle out precisely above and in a line with them, and put it in again / th of an inch in advance of the last stitch, producing a longer stroke, which gives the measure of those following. the slanting stitches at the back (illustration ) are only two-thirds of the length of those on the face. crewel and outline stitches worked (j) side by side give somewhat the effect of a braid. the importance of not confusing them, already referred to, is here apparent. crewel-stitch is worked solid in the heart-shape in the centre of the sampler. on the left side the rows of stitching follow the outline of the heart; on the right they are more upright, merely conforming a little to the shape to be filled. this is the better method. [illustration: . crewel work in various stitches.] [sidenote: to work solid crewel-stitch.] the way to work solid crewel-stitch will be best explained by an instance. suppose a leaf to be worked. you begin by outlining it; if it is a wide leaf, you further work a centre line where the main rib would be, and then work row within row of stitches until the space is filled. if on arriving at the point of your leaf, instead of going round the edge, you work back by the side of the first row of stitching, there results a streakiness of texture, apparent in the stem on illustration . what you get is, in effect, a combination of crewel and outline stitches, as at j, which in the other case only occurs in the centre of the shape where the files of stitches meet. to represent shading in crewel-stitch, to which it is admirably suited (a, illustration ), it is well to work from the darkest shadows to the highest lights. and it is expedient to map out on the stuff the outline of the space to be covered by each shade of thread. there is no difficulty then in working round that shape, as above explained. in solid crewel the stitches should quite cover the ground without pressing too closely one against the other. [illustration: . crewel-stitch in twisted silk.] it does not seem that englishwomen of the th century were ever very faithful to the stitch we know by the name of crewel. old examples of work done entirely in crewel-stitch, as distinguished from what is called crewel work, are seldom if ever to be met with. the stitch occurs in most of the old english embroidery in wool; but it is astonishing, when one comes to examine the quilts and curtains of a couple of hundred years or so ago, how very little of the woolwork on them is in crewel-stitch. the detail on illustration was chosen because it contained more of it than any other equal portion of a handsome and typical english hanging; but it is only in the main stem, and in some of the outlines, that the stitch is used. and that appears to have been the prevailing practice--to use crewel-stitch for stems and outlines, and for little else but the very simplest forms. the filling in of the leafage, the diapering within the leaf shapes, and the smaller and more elaborate details generally were done in long-and-short-stitch, or whatever came handiest. in fact, the thing to be represented, fruit, berry, flower, or what not, seems to have suggested the stitch, which it must be confessed was sometimes only a sort of scramble to get an effect. of course the artist always chooses her stitch, and she is free to alter it as occasion may demand; but a good workwoman (and the embroidress is a needlewoman first and an artist afterwards, perhaps) adopts in every case a method, and departs from it only for very good reason. it looks as if our ancestors had set to work without system or guiding principle at all. no doubt they got a bold and striking effect in their bed-hangings and the like; but there is in their work a lack of that conscious aim which goes to make art. theirs is art of the rather artless sort which is just now so popular. happily it was kept in the way it should go by a strict adherence to traditional pattern, which for the time being seems to have gone completely out of fashion. quite in the traditional manner is illustration . one would fancy at first sight that the work was almost entirely in crewel-stitch. as a matter of fact, there is little which answers to the name, as an examination of the back of the work shows plainly enough. what the stitches are it is not easy to say. the mystery of many a stitch is to be unravelled only by literally picking out the threads, which one is not always at liberty to do, although, in the ardour of research, a keen embroidress will do it--not without remorse in the case of beautiful work, but relentlessly all the same. the only piece of embroidery entirely in crewel-stitch which i could find for illustration ( ) is worked, as it happens, in silk; nor was the worker aware that in so working she was doing anything out of the common. another instance of crewel-stitch is given in the divided skirt, let us call it, of the personage in illustration . beautiful back-stitching occurs in the italian work on illustration , and the stitch is used for sewing down the _appliqué_ in illustration . chain-stitch. [illustration: . chain-stitch and knots.] chain and tambour stitch are in effect practically the same, and present the same rather granular surface. the difference between them is that chain-stitch is done in the hand with an ordinary needle, and tambour-stitch in a frame with a hook sharper at the turning point than an ordinary crochet hook. one takes it rather for granted that work which was presumably done in the hand (a large quilt, for example) is chain-stitch, and that what seems to have been done in a frame is tambour work, though it is possible, but not advisable of course, to work chain-stitch in a frame. chain-stitch is not to be confounded with split-stitch (see page ), which somewhat resembles it. [illustration: . chain-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . chain-stitch sampler (back).] [sidenote: to work a.] to work chain-stitch (a on the sampler, illustration ) bring the needle out, hold the thread down with the left thumb, put the needle in again at the hole through which you brought it out, take up / of an inch of stuff, and draw the thread through: that gives you the first link of the chain. the back of the work ( ) looks like back-stitch. in fact, in the quilted coverlet, illustration (as in much similar work of the period), the outline pattern, which you might take for back-stitching, proves to have been worked from the back in chain-stitch. the same thing occurs in the case of the persian quilt in illustration . [sidenote: to work b.] a playful variation upon chain-stitch (b on the sampler, illustration ) is effected by the use of two threads of different colour. take in your needle a dark and a light thread, say the dark one to the left, and bring them out at the point at which your work begins. hold the dark thread under your thumb, and, keeping the light one to the right, well out of the way, draw both threads through; this makes a dark link; the light thread disappears, and comes out again to the left of the dark one, ready to be held under the thumb while you make a light link. this "magic stitch," as it has been called, is no new invention. it is to be found in persian, indian, and italian renaissance work. an instance of it occurs in illustration . [sidenote: to work c.] a variety of chain-stitch (c on the sampler, illustration ) used often in church work, more solid in appearance, the links not being so open, is rather differently done. begin a little in advance of the starting point of your work, hold the thread under your thumb, put the needle in again at the starting point slightly to the left, bring your needle out about / th of an inch below where it first went in but precisely on the same line, and you have the first link of your chain. [sidenote: to work d.] to work what is known as cable-chain (d on the sampler, illustration ) keep your thread to the right, put in your needle, pointing downwards, a little below the starting point, and bring it out about / th of an inch below where you put it in; then put it through the little stitch just formed, from right to left, hold your thread towards the left under your thumb, put your needle through the stitch now in process of making from right to left, draw up the thread, and the first two links of your chain are made. [sidenote: to work e.] a zigzag chain, of a rather fancy description, goes by the name of vandyke chain (e on the sampler, illustration ). to make it, bring your needle out at a point which is to be the left edge of your work, and make a slanting chain-stitch from left to right; then, putting your needle into that, make another slanting stitch, this time from right to left--and so to and fro to the end. [sidenote: to work f.] the braid-stitch shown at f on the sampler (illustration ) is worked as follows, horizontally from right to left. bring your needle out at a point which is to be the lower edge of your work, throw your thread round to the left, and, keeping it all the time loosely under your thumb, put your needle under the thread and twist it once round to the right. then, at the upper edge of your work, put in the needle and slide the thread towards the right, bring the needle out exactly below where you put it in, carry your thread under the needle towards the left, draw the thread tight, and your first stitch is done. [illustration: the working of f on chain-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work g.] a yet more fanciful variety of braid-stitch (g on the sampler, illustration ) is worked vertically, downwards. having, as before, put your needle under the thread and twisted it once round, put it in at a point which is to be the left edge of your work, and, instead of bringing it out immediately below that point, slant it to the right, bringing it out on that edge of the work, and finish your stitch as in the case of f. these braid-stitches look best worked in stout thread of close texture. in covering a surface with chain-stitch (needlework or tambour) the usual plan is to follow the contour of the design, working chain within chain until the leaf or whatever it may be is filled in. this stitch is rarely worked in lines across the forms, but it has been effectively used in that way, following always the lines of the warp and weft of the stuff. even in that case the successive lines of stitching should be all in one direction--not running backwards and forwards--or it will result in a sort of pattern of braided lines. the reason for the more usual practice of following the outline of the design is obvious. the stitch lends itself to sweeping, even to perfectly spiral, lines--such as occur in greek wave patterns: it was, in fact, made use of in that way by the greeks some four or five centuries b.c. [illustration: the working of g on chain-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . chain and surface stitches.] we owe the tambour frame, they say, to china; but it has been largely used, and abused indeed, in england. tambour work, when once you have the trick of it, is very quickly done--in about one-sixth of the time it would take to do it with the needle. it has the further advantage that it serves equally well for embroidery on a light or on a heavy stuff, and that it is most lasting. the misfortune is that the sewing machine has learnt to do something at once so like it and so mechanically even, as to discredit genuine hand-work, whether tambour work or chain-stitch. for all that, neither is to be despised. if they have often a mechanical appearance that is not all the fault of the stitch: the worker is to blame. indian embroiderers depart sometimes so far from mechanical precision as to shock the admirers of monotonously even work. artistic use of chain stitch is made in many of our illustrations: for outlines in illustrations and ; for surface covering in mr. crane's lion, illustration ; to represent landscape in illustration , where everything except the faces of the little men is in chain-stitch; and again for figure work in illustration . in illustration it occurs in association with a curious surface stitch; in illustration it is used to outline and otherwise supplement inlay. the old italians did not disdain to use it. in fact, wherever artists have employed it, they show that there is nothing inherently inartistic about the stitch. herring-bone stitch. herring-bone is the name by which it is customary to distinguish a variety of stitches somewhat resembling the spine of a fish such as the herring. it would be simpler to describe them as "fish-bone;" but that term has been appropriated to describe a particular variety of it. one would have thought it more convenient to use fish for the generic term, and a particular fish for the specific. however, it saves confusion to use names as far as possible in their accepted sense. it will be seen from the sampler, illustration , that this stitch may be worked open or tolerably close; but in the latter case it loses something of its distinctive character. fine lines may be worked in it, but it appears most suited to the working of broadish bands and other more or less even-sided or, it may be, tapering forms, more feathery in effect than fish-bone-like, such as are shown at e on sampler. ordinary herring-bone is such a familiar stitch that the necessity of describing it is rather a matter of literary consistency than of practical importance. the two simpler forms of herring-bone (it is always worked from left to right, and begun with a half-stitch) marked a and c on the sampler are strikingly different in appearance, and are worked in different ways--as will be seen at once by reference to the back of the sampler (illustration ), where the stitches take in the one case a horizontal and in the other a vertical direction. [sidenote: to work a.] to work a, bring your needle out about the centre of the line to be worked; put it into the lower edge of the line about / th of an inch further on; take up this much of the stuff, and, keeping the thread to the right, above the needle, draw it through. then, with the thread below it, to the right, put your needle into the upper edge of the line / th of an inch further on, and, turning it backwards, take up again / th of an inch of stuff, bringing it out immediately above where it went in on the lower edge. [sidenote: to work b.] what is called "indian herring-bone" (b) is merely stitch a worked in longer and more slanting stitches, so that there is room between them for a second row in another colour, the two colours being, of course, properly interlaced. [sidenote: to work c.] to work c, bring your needle out as for a, and, putting it in at the upper edge of the line to be worked and pointing it downwards, whilst your thread lies to the right, take up ever so small a piece of the stuff. then, slightly in advance of the last stitch, the thread still to the right, your needle now pointing upwards, take another similar stitch from the lower edge. [illustration: . herring-bone sampler.] [illustration: . herring-bone sampler (back).] [sidenote: to work d.] the variety at d is merely a combination of a and c, as may be seen by reference to the back of the sampler (opposite); though the short horizontal stitches there seen meet, instead of being wide apart as in the case of a. [illustration: the working of e on herring-bone sampler.] [sidenote: to work e.] what is known as "fish-bone" is illustrated in the three feathery shapes on the sampler (e), two of which are worked rather open. it is characteristic of this stitch that it has a sort of spine up the centre where the threads cross. suppose the stitch to be worked horizontally. bring your needle out on the under edge of the spine about / th of an inch from the starting point of the work, and put it in on the upper edge of the work at the starting point, bringing it out immediately below that on the lower edge of the work. put it in again on the upper edge of the spine, rather in advance of where it came out on the lower edge of it before, and bring it out on the lower edge of this spine immediately below where it entered. [illustration: the working of f on herring-bone sampler.] [sidenote: to work f.] in close herring-bone (f on the sampler, illustration ) you have always a long stitch from left to right, crossed by a shorter stitch which goes from right to left. having made a half stitch, bring the needle out at the beginning of the line to be worked, at the lower edge, and put it in / th of an inch from the beginning of the upper edge. bring it out again at the beginning of this edge and put it in at the lower edge / th of an inch from the beginning, bringing it out on the same edge / th of an inch from the beginning. put the needle in again on the upper edge / th of an inch in front of the last stitch on that edge, and bring it out again, without splitting the thread, on the same edge as the hole where the last stitch went in. if you wish to cover a surface with herring-bone-stitch, you work it, of course, close, so that each successive stitch touches its foregoer at the point where the needle enters the stuff (f on the sampler, illustration ). it will be seen that at the back ( ) this looks like a double row of back-stitching. worked straight across a wide leaf, as in the lower half of sampler, it is naturally very loose. a better method of working is shown in the side leaves, which are worked in two halves, beginning at the base of a leaf on one side and working down to it on the other. there is here just the suggestion of a mid-rib between the two rows. [illustration: the working of g on herring-bone sampler.] [sidenote: to work g.] the stitch at g on sampler, having the effect of higher relief than ordinary close herring-bone (f), is sometimes misleadingly described as tapestry stitch. it is worked, as the back of the sampler ( ) clearly shows, in quite a different way. you get there parallel rows of double stitches. having made a half-stitch entering the material at the upper edge of the work, bring the needle out on the lower edge of it immediately opposite. then, going back, put it in at the beginning of the upper edge, and bring it out at the beginning of the lower one. thence take a long slanting stitch upwards from left to right, bring the needle out on the lower edge immediately opposite, cross it by a rather shorter stitch from right to left, entering the stuff at the point where the first half-stitch ended, bring this out on the lower edge, opposite, and the stitch is done. the artistic use of herring-bone-stitch is shown in the leaves of the tulip ( ), and a closer variety of it in the pink, or whatever the flower may be, in the hand of the little figure on illustration . buttonhole-stitch. buttonhole is more useful in ornament than one might expect a stitch with such a very utilitarian name to be. it is, as its common use would lead one to suppose, pre-eminently a one-edged stitch, a stitch with which to mark emphatically the outside edge of a form. there is, however, a two-edged variety known as ladder-stitch, shown in the two horn shapes on the sampler, illustration . by the use of two rows back to back, leaf forms may be fairly expressed. in the leaves on the sampler, the edge of the stitch is used to emphasise the mid rib, leaving a serrated edge to the leaves. the character of the stitch would have been better preserved by working the other way about, and marking the edge of the leaves by a clear-cut line, as in the case of the solid leaves in illustration . the stitch may be used for covering a ground or other broad surface, as in the pot shape (j) on the sampler, where the diaper pattern produced by its means explains itself the better for being worked in two shades of colour. the simpler forms of the stitch are the more useful. worked in the form of a wheel, as in the rosettes at the side of the vase shape (a), the ornamental use of the stitch is obvious. [sidenote: to work a.] one need hardly describe buttonhole stitch. the simple form of it (a) is worked by (when you have brought your needle out) keeping the thread under your thumb to the right, whilst you put the needle in again at a higher point slightly to the right, and bring it out immediately below, close to where it came out before. this and other one-edged stitches of the kind are sometimes called "blanket-stitch." the only difference between versions such as b and c on the sampler, and simple buttonhole, is that the stitches vary in length according to the worker's fancy. [sidenote: to work e.] the crossed buttonhole stitch at e is worked by first making a stitch sloping to the right, and then a smaller buttonhole-stitch across this from the left. the border marked d in sampler consists merely of two rows of slanting buttonhole-stitch worked one into the other. needlewomen have wilful ways of making what should be upright stitches slant awkwardly in all manner of ways, with the result that they look as if they had been pulled out of the straight. [illustration: . buttonhole sampler.] [illustration: . buttonhole sampler (back).] [sidenote: to work f.] the border at f, known as "tailor's buttonhole," is worked with the firm edge from you, instead of towards you, as you work ordinary buttonhole. bringing the thread out at the upper edge of the work to the left, and letting it lie on that side, you put your needle in again still on the same edge, and bring it out, immediately below, on the lower one. you then, before drawing the thread quite through, put your needle into the loop from behind, and tighten it upwards. [illustration: the working of h on buttonhole sampler.] [sidenote: to work g.] in order to make your ladder-stitch (g) square at the end, you begin by making a bar of the width the stitch is to be. then, holding the thread under your thumb to the right, you put the needle in at the top of the bar and, slanting it towards the right, bring it out on a level with the other end of the bar somewhat to the right. this makes a triangle. with the point of your needle, pull the slanting thread out at the top, to form a square; insert the needle; slant it again to the right; draw it out as before, and you have your second triangle. [sidenote: to work h.] the difference between the working of the lattice-like band at h, and ladder-stitch g, is that, having completed your first triangle, you make, by buttonholing a stitch, a second triangle pointing the other way, which completes a rectangular shape. [illustration: . buttonhole, chain, and knot stitches.] in the solid work shown at j, you make five buttonhole-stitches, gathering them to a point at the base, then another five, and so on. repeat the process, this time point upwards, and you have the first band of the pot shape. characteristic and most beautiful use is made of buttonhole stitch in the piece of indian work in illustration , where it is outlined with chain stitch, which goes most perfectly with it. cut work, such as that on illustration , is strengthened by outlining it in buttonhole-stitch. ladder-stitch occurs in the cusped shapes framing certain flowers in illustration , embroidered all in blue silk on linen. it is not infrequent in oriental work, and, in fact, goes sometimes by the name of cretan-stitch on that account. feather and oriental stitches. feather-stitch is simply buttonholing in a slanting direction, first to the right side and then to the left, keeping the needle strokes in the centre closer together or farther apart according to the effect to be produced. it owes its name, of course, to the more or less feathery effect resulting from its rather open character. like buttonhole, it may be worked solid, as in the leaf and petal forms on the sampler, illustration , but it is better suited to cover narrow than broad surfaces. the jagged outline which it gives makes it useful in embroidering plumage, but it is not to be confounded with what is called "plumage-stitch," which is not feather-stitch at all, but a version of satin-stitch. the feathery stem (a) on the sampler is simply a buttonholing worked alternately from right to left and left to right. [sidenote: to work b.] the border line at b requires rather more explanation. presume it to be worked vertically. bring your needle out at the left edge of the band; put it in at the right edge immediately opposite, keeping your thread under the needle to the right; bring it out again still on the right edge a little lower down, and then, keeping your thread to the left, put the needle in on the left edge, opposite to where you last brought it out, and bring it out again on the same edge a little lower down. [illustration: . feather-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . feather-stitch sampler (back).] the border at c is merely an elaboration of the above, with three slanting stitches on each edge instead of a single one in the direction of the band. [illustration: the working of g g on feather-stitch sampler.] bands d, e, f, g, are variations of ordinary feather-stitch, requiring no further explanation than the back view of the work ( ) affords. on the face of the sampler it will be noticed that lines have been drawn for the guidance of the worker. these are always four in number, indicating at once, that the stitch is made with four strokes of the needle, and the points at which it is put in and out of the stuff. [sidenote: to work g g.] in working g g, suppose four guiding lines to have been drawn as above--numbered, , , , , from left to right. bring your needle out at the top of line . make a chain-stitch slanting downwards from line to line . put your needle into line about / th of an inch lower down, and, slanting it upwards, bring it out on line level with the point where you last brought it out. make a chain-stitch slanting downwards this time from right to left, and bring your needle out on line . lastly, put your needle into line , / th of an inch below the last stitch, and, slanting it upwards, bring it out on line . feather-stitch is not adapted to covering broad surfaces solidly, but may be used for narrow ones. oriental-stitch is the name given to a close kind of feather-stitch much used in eastern work. the difference at once apparent to the eye between the two is that, whereas for the mid-rib of a band or leaf of feather-stitching ( ) you have cross lines, in oriental-stitch ( ) you have a straight line--longer or shorter as the case may be. oriental-stitch, sometimes called "antique-stitch," is a stitch in three strokes, just as feather-stitch is a stitch in four. it is usually worked horizontally, though shown upright on the sampler, illustration . like feather-stitch (see diagram), it is worked on four guiding lines, faintly visible on the sampler. [sidenote: to work a, b, c.] stitches a, b, and c are worked in precisely the same way. bring your needle out at the top of line . keep the thread under your thumb to the right and put your needle in at the top of line , bringing it out into line on the same level. then put it in again at line , just on the other side of the thread, and bring it out on line ready to begin the next stitch. [illustration: . oriental-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . oriental-stitch sampler (back).] it will be seen that the length of the central part (or mid-rib, as it was called above) makes the whole difference between the three varieties of stitch. in a the three parts are equal: in b the mid-rib is narrow: in c it is broad, as is most plainly seen on the back of the sampler ( ). the difference is only a difference of proportion. [illustration: the working of a, b, c on oriental-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work d.] the sloping stitch at d is worked in the same way as a, b, c, except that instead of straight strokes with the needle you make slanting ones. [sidenote: to work e.] stitch e differs from d in that the side strokes slant both in the same direction. it is worked from right to left instead of from left to right. [sidenote: to work f.] stitch f is a combination of buttonhole and oriental stitches. between two rows of buttonholing (dark on sampler) a single row of oriental-stitch is worked. the stitch employed for the central stalk, g, has really no business on this sampler, except that it has something of the appearance of a continuous oriental-stitch. oriental-stitch is one of the stitches used in illustration . rope and knot stitches. a single sampler is devoted to rope and knotted stitches, more nearly akin than they look, for rope-stitch is all but knotted as it is worked. rope-stitch is so called because of its appearance. it takes a large amount of silk or wool to work it, but the effect is correspondingly rich. it is worked from right to left, and is easier to work in curved lines than in straight. [sidenote: to work a, b.] lines a on the sampler, illustration , represent the ordinary appearance of the stitch; its construction is more apparent in the central stalk b, which is a less usual form of the same stitch, worked wider apart. [illustration: the working of a, b, on rope-stitch sampler.] having brought out your needle at the right end of the work, hold part of the thread towards the left, under the thumb, the rest of it falling to the right; put your needle in above where it came out, slant it towards you, and bring it out again a little in advance of where it came out before, and just below the thread held under your thumb. draw the thread through, and there results a stitch which looks rather like a distorted chain stitch (b). the next step is to make another similar stitch so close to the foregoing one that it overlaps it partly. it is this overlapping which gives the stitch the raised and rope-like appearance seen at a. [illustration: the working of c on rope-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work c.] a knotted line (c in the sampler, illustration ) is produced by what is known as "german knot-stitch," effective only in thick soft silk or wool. begin as in rope stitch, keeping your thread in the same position. then put your needle into the stuff just above the thread stretched under your thumb, and bring it out just below and in a line with where it went in; lastly, keep the needle above the loose end of the thread, draw it through, tightening the thread upwards, and you have the first of your knots: the rest follow at intervals determined by your wants. [sidenote: to work d.] the more open stitch at d is practically the same thing, except that in crossing the running thread you take up more of the stuff on each side of it. [illustration: . rope-stitch and knot-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . rope-stitch and knot-stitch sampler (back).] [sidenote: to work e.] what is known by the name of "old english knot-stitch" (e) is a much more complicated stitch. keeping your thread well out of the way to the right, put your needle in to the left, and take up vertically a piece of the stuff the width of the line to be worked at its widest, and draw the thread through. then, keeping it under the thumb to the left, put your needle, eye first, downwards, through the slanting stitch just made; draw the thread not too tight, and, keeping it as before under the thumb, put your needle, eye first, this time through the upper half only of the slanting stitch, making a kind of buttonhole-stitch round the last, and draw out your thread. these knotted rope stitches, call them what you will, are rather ragged and fussy--not much more than fancy stitches--of no great importance. knots used separately are of much more artistic account. [sidenote: to work f.] bullion or roll-stitch is shown in its simplest form in the petals of the flowers f on the sampler, illustration . to work one such petal, begin by attaching the thread very firmly; bring your needle out at the base of the petal, put it in at the tip, and bring it out once more at the base, only drawing it partly through. with your right hand wind the thread, say seven times, round the projecting point of the needle from left to right. then, holding the coils under your left thumb, your thread to the right, draw your needle and thread through; and, dropping the needle, and catching the thread round your little finger, take hold of the thread with your thumb and first finger and draw the coiled stitch to the right, tightening it gently until quite firm. lastly, put the needle through at the tip of the petal, and the stitch is complete and ready to be fastened off. [illustration: the working of f on knot-stitch sampler.] the leaves of these flowers consist simply of two bullion stitches. the bullion knots at the side of the central stalk are curled by taking up in the first instance only the smallest piece of the stuff. [sidenote: to work g.] to work french knots (g), having brought out your needle at the point where the knot is to be, hold the thread under your thumb, and, letting it lie to the right, put your needle under the stretched part of it. turn the needle so as to twist the thread once round it. that done, put the needle in again about where it came out, draw it through from the back, and bring it out where the next knot is to be. for large knots use two or more threads of silk, and do not twist them more than once. with a single thread you may twist twice, but the result of twisting three or four times is never happy. [illustration: the working of g on knot-stitch sampler.] the use of knots is shown to perfection in illustration . worked there in white silk floss upon a dark purple ground, they are quite pearly in appearance, whether in rows between the border lines, or scattered over the ground. they are most useful in holding the design together, giving it mass, and go admirably with chain-stitching, to which, when close together, they have at first sight some likeness. a single line of knots may almost be mistaken for chain-stitch; but of themselves they do not make a good outline, lacking firmness. a happier use of them is to fringe an outline, as for example in the peacock's tail on page ; but this kind of thing must be used with reticence, or it results in a rather rococo effect. good use is sometimes made of knots to pearl the inner edge of a pattern worked in outline, or to pattern the ornament (instead of the ground) all over. differencing of this kind may be an afterthought--and a happy one--affording as it does a ready means of qualifying the colour or texture of ground, or pattern, or part of either, which may not have worked out quite to the embroiderer's liking. the obvious fitness of knots to represent the stamens of flowers is exemplified in illustration . worked close together, they represent admirably the eyes of composite flowers, as on the sampler; they give, again, valuable variety of texture to the crest of the stork in illustration . the effect of knotting in the mass is shown in illustration , embroidered entirely in knots, contradicting, it might seem, what was said above about its unfitness for outline work. the lines, even the voided ones, are here as sharp as could be; but then, it is not many of us who work, knot by knot, with the marvellous precision of a chinaman. his knotted texture is not, however, always what it seems. he has a way of producing a knotted line by first knotting his thread (it may be done with a netting needle), and then stitching it down on to the surface of the material, which gives a pearled or beaded line not readily distinguishable from knot stitch. [illustration: . a tour de force in knots.] the japanese embroiderer, instead of knotting his own thread, employed very often a crinkled braid. this is shown in the cloud work in illustration . the only true knotting there is in the top-knot of the bird. [illustration: . interlacing-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . interlacing-stitch sampler (back).] interlacings, surface stitches, and diapers. the samplers so far discussed bring us, with the exception of darning, satin-stitch, and some stitches presently to be mentioned, practically to the end of the stitches, deserving to be so called, generally in use. by combining two or more stitches endless complications may be made; and there may be occasions when, for one purpose or another, it may be necessary, as well as amusing, to invent them. in this way stitches are also sometimes worked upon stitches, as shown on the sampler, illustration . you will see, on referring to the back of it ( ), that only the white silk is worked into the stuff: the dark is surface work only. there is no end to such possible interlacings. those on the sampler do not need much explanation; but it may be as well to say that a starts with crewel-stitching; b and c with back-stitching; d with chain-stitching; e with darning or running; f, g, and h with varieties of herring-bone-stitch; j with oriental-stitch; and k with feather-stitch. the interlacing on the surface of these is shown in darker silk. c and g undergo a second course of interlacing. the danger of splitting the first stitches in working the interlacing ones, is avoided by passing the needle eye-first through them. other surface work, sometimes called lace-stitch, is illustrated in the sampler, illustration . there is really no limit to patterns of this kind. some are better worked in a frame, but that is very much a matter of personal practice. [illustration: the working of f on interlacing-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work h, .] in the surface darning at h ( ) long threads are first carried from edge to edge of the square, there only piercing the stuff, and then darned across by other stitches, again only piercing it at the edges. an oblique version of this is given at c ( ). [sidenote: to work b, .] the lace buttonholing at b ( ) is worked as follows:--buttonhole three stitches into the stuff from left to right, not quite close together, and further on three more; then, working from right to left, make three buttonhole stitches into the thread connecting the stitch groups; but do not stitch into the stuff except at the ends of the rows. the last row must, of course, be worked into the stuff again. [illustration: . surface-stitch sampler.] [sidenote: to work f, .] net passing, as at f ( ), is not very differently worked from a or b. it is much more open, and the first row of horizontal stitches is crossed by two opposite rows of oblique stitches, which are made to interlace. [sidenote: to work g, .] the square at g is worked by first making rows of short upright stitches worked into the stuff, and then threading loose stitches through them. [sidenote: to work d, .] the square at d is worked on the open lattice shown; the solid parts are produced by interlacing stitches from side to side, starting at the angle. in the square at e (japanese darning) horizontal lines are first darned, and then zigzag lines are worked between them, much as in g; but, as they penetrate the material, this is scarcely a surface stitch. [sidenote: to work a, .] the horizontal lines at top and bottom of the square at a are back-stitching, the intermediate ones simply long threads carried from one side to the other; they are laced together by lines looped round them. [sidenote: to work l, .] the band at l is begun by making horizontal bar stitches. a row of crewel-stitch and one of outline-stitch, worked on to the bars, and not into the stuff, makes the central chain. [sidenote: to work k, .] the band at k is merely surface buttonholing over a series of slanting stitches. [sidenote: to work j, .] the band at j is buttonhole stitching wide apart, the bars filled in with surface crewel-stitch. [illustration: . lace or surface stitch.] most delicate surface stitching occurs in illustration , the fine net being worked only from edge to edge of the spaces it fills, and not elsewhere entering the stuff; which accounts for most of it being worn away. the flower or scroll-work is _bonâ fide_ embroidery, worked through the stuff. the delicate network of fine stitching, which once covered the whole of the background, is for the most part neither more nor less than a floating gossamer of lacework. one cannot deny that that is embroidery, though it has to be said that _lace-stitches_ are employed in it. stern embroiderers would like to deny it. of course it is frivolous, and in a sense flimsy, but it is also delicate and dainty to a degree. it is suited only to dress, and that of the most exquisite kind. a french marquise of the regency might have worn it, and possibly did wear it, with entire propriety--if the word is not out of keeping with the period. the frailty of this kind of thing is too obvious to need mention, and that, of course, is a strong argument against it. all attempt to give separate names to diapers of this kind, whether worked upon the surface or into the stuff, is futile. they ought not even to be called stitches, being, in fact, neither more nor less than stitch patterns, to which there is no possible limit, unless it be the limit of human invention. every ingenious workwoman will find out patterns of her own more or less. they are very useful for filling in surfaces (pattern or background) which it may be inexpedient to work more solidly. the greater part of such patterns are geometric (illustrations and ), following, that is to say, the mesh of the material, and making no secret of it. on illustration you see very plainly how the rectangular diaperings are built up geometrically on the square lines of the mesh, as was practically inevitable working on such a ground. the relation of stitch to stuff is here obvious. the choice of stitch patterns of this kind is invariably left to the needlewoman. the utmost a designer need do is to indicate on his drawing that a "full," "open," or "intermediate" diaper is to be used. and the alternation of lighter and heavier diapers should be planned, and not left altogether to impulse, though the pattern may be. moreover, there is room for the exercise of considerable taste in the choice of simpler or more elaborate patterns, freer or more geometric. many a time the shape of the space to be filled, as well as its extent, will suggest the appropriate ornament. the diaper design is not, of course, drawn on the stuff, but points of guidance may be indicated through a kind of fine stencil plate. the patterns used for background diapering need not, as a rule, be intrinsically so interesting as those which diaper the design itself, nor are they usually so full. they take more often the form of spot or sprig patterns, not continuous, in which the geometric construction is not so obvious, nor even necessary. in either case the prime object of the stitching is not so much to make ornamental patterns as to give a tint to the stuff without entirely hiding it with work; and the worker chooses a lighter or heavier diaper according to the tint required. if the work is all in white it is texture, instead of tint, that is aimed at. for a background, simple darning more or less open, in stitches not too regular, is often the best solution of the difficulty. the effect of the ground grinning through is delightful. satin-stitch and its offshoots. satin-stitch is _par excellence_ the stitch for fine silkwork. i do not know if the name of "satin-stitch" comes from its being so largely employed upon satin, or from the effect of the work itself, which would certainly justify the title, so smooth and satin-like is its surface. given a material of which the texture is quite smooth and even, showing no mesh, satin-stitch seems the most natural and obvious way of working upon it. in it the embroidress works with short, straight strokes of the needle, just as a pen draughtsman lays side by side the strokes of his pen; but, as she cannot, of course, leave off her stroke as the penman does, she has perforce to bring back the thread on the under side of the stuff, so that, if very carefully done, the work is the same on both sides. satin-stitch, however, need not be, and never was, confined to work upon silk or satin. in fact, it was not only worked upon fine linen, but often followed the lines of its mesh, stepping, as in illustration , to the tune of the stuff. this may be described as satin-stitch in the making--at any rate, it is the elementary form of it, its relation to canvas-stitch being apparent on the face of it. still, beautiful and most accomplished work has been done in it alike by mediæval, renaissance, and oriental needleworkers. [sidenote: to work a, .] to cover a space with regular vertical satin stitches (a on the sampler, illustration ), the best way of proceeding is to begin in the centre of the space and work from left to right. that half done, begin again in the centre and work from right to left. in order to make sure of a crisp and even edge to your forms, always let the needle enter the stuff there, as it is not easy to find the point you want from the back. in working a second row of stitches, proceed as before, only planting your needle between the stitches already done. fasten off with a few tiny surface stitches and cut off the silk on the right side of the stuff: it will be worked over. [sidenote: to work b, .] to cover a space with horizontal satin stitches (b on sampler), begin at the top, and work from left to right. the longer stretches there are not, of course, crossed at one stitch; they take several stitches, dovetailed, as it were, so as not to give lines. the easiest, most satisfactory, and generally most effective way of working flat satin stitch is in oblique or radiating lines (c, d, e), working in those instances, as in the case of a, from the centre, first from left to right and then from right to left. [illustration: . satin-stitch sampler.] [illustration: . satin-stitch sampler (back).] stems, narrow leaflets, and the like, are best worked always in stitches which run diagonally and not straight across the form. in the case of stems or other lines curved and worked obliquely, the stitches must be very much closer on the inner side of the curve than on the outside: occasionally a half-stitch may be necessary to keep the direction of the lines right, in which case the inside end of the half-stitch must be quite covered by the stitch next following. [illustration: . satin-stitch in coarse twisted silk.] satin-stitch is seen at its best when worked in floss. coarse or twisted silk looks coarse in this stitch, as may be seen by comparing the petal d in the sampler, illustration , with the petal in twisted silk here given ( ). marvellously skilful as are the needle-workers of india (illustration ), they get rather broken lines when they work in thick twisted silk. the precision of line a skilled worker can get in floss is wonderful. an oriental will get sweeping lines as clean and firm as if they had been drawn with a pen, and this not merely in the case of an outline, but in voided lines of which each side has to be drawn with the needle. the voided outline, by the way, as on illustrations , , is not only the frankest way of defining form, but seems peculiarly proper to satin-stitch; and it is a test of skill in workmanship: it is so easy to disguise uneven stitching by an outline in some other stitch. the voiding in the wings of the birds in illustration is perfect; and the softening of the voided line, at the start of the wing in one case and the tail in the other, by cross stitching in threads comparatively wide apart, is quite the right thing to do. it would have been more in keeping to void the veins of the lotus leaves than to plant them on in cord. satin-stitch must not be too long, and it is often a serious consideration with the designer how to break up the surfaces to be covered so that only shortish stitches need be used. you might follow the veining of a leaf, for example, and work from vein to vein. but all leaves are not naturally veined in the most accommodating manner. treatment is accordingly necessary, and so we arrive at a convention appropriate to embroidery of this kind. it takes a draughtsman properly to express form by stitch distribution. the chinese convention in the lotus flowers (illustration ) is admirable. [illustration: . satin-stitch in fine twisted silk.] it is the rule of the game to lay satin-stitch very evenly. worked in floss, the mere surface of satin-stitch is beautiful. a further charm lies in the way it lends itself to gradation of colour. beautiful results may be obtained by the use of perfectly flat tints of colour, as in illustration ; but the subtlest as well as the most deliberate gradation of tint may be most perfectly rendered in satin-stitch. [sidenote: to work surface satin-stitch.] surface satin-stitch (not the same on both sides), though it looks very much like ordinary satin-stitch, is worked in another way. the needle, that is to say, after each stitch is brought _immediately_ up again, and the silk is carried back on the upper instead of the under side of the stuff. considerable economy of silk is effected by thus keeping the thread as much as possible on the surface, but the effect is apt to be proportionately poorer. moreover, the work is not so lasting as when it is solid. the satin-stitch on illustration is all surface work. it looks loose, which it is always apt to do, unless it is kept stretched on the frame, on which, of course, satin-stitch is for the most part worked. very effective indian work is done of this kind--loose and flimsy, but serving a distinct artistic purpose. it is to embroidery of more serious kind what scene painting is to mural decoration. [illustration: . chinese satin-stitch.] embroidery is often described as being in "long-and-short-stitch," a term properly descriptive not of a stitch, but of its dimensions. whether you use stitches of equal or of unequal length is a question merely of the adaptation of the stitch to its use in any given instance; there is nothing gained by calling an arrangement of alternating stitches, "long and short," or by calling them "plumage-stitch," or, which is more misleading, "feather-stitch," when they radiate so as to follow the form, say, of a bird's breast. the bodies of the birds in illustrations and are in plumage-stitch so called. this adaptation of stitch to bird or other forms gives the effect of fine feathering perfectly. but why apply the term "satin-stitch" exclusively to parallel lines of stitches all of a length? "long-and-short-stitch," then, is a sort of satin-stitch; only, instead of the stitches being all of equal length, they are worked one _into_ the others or _between_ them, as in the faces in illustrations and . a little further removed from satin-stitch is what is known as "split-stitch," in which the needle is brought up _through_ the foregoing stitch, and splits it. the way of working this stitch is more fully given on page . the worker adapts, as a matter of course, the length of the stitch to the work to be done, directing it also according to the form to be expressed, and so arrives, almost before he is aware of it, by way of satin-stitch, at what is called plumage-stitch. [illustration: . offshoots from satin and crewel stitches.] [illustration: . offshoots from satin and crewel stitches (back).] the distinction between the stitches so far described is plain enough, and an all-round embroidress learns to work them; but workers end in working their own way, modifying the stitch according to the work it is put to do, and produce results which it would be difficult to describe and pedantic to find fault with. even short, however, of such individual treatment, the mere adaptation of the stitch to the lines of the design removes it from the normal. it makes a difference, too, whether it is worked in a frame or in the hand: in the one case you see more likeness to one stitch, in the other to another. the flower at b, for example, and the leaf at d, on the sampler, illustration , are both worked in what is commonly called "plumage," or "embroidery" stitch, though the term "dovetail," sometimes used, seems to describe it better. instance b, however, is worked in the hand, and d in a frame--from which very fact it follows that the worker is naturally disposed to regard b as akin to crewel-stitch and d to satin-stitch, between which two stitches "dovetail" may be regarded as the connecting link. [illustration: the working of b on sampler .] [sidenote: to work b, .] the petals at b are worked in the method illustrated in the diagram overleaf. the first step is to edge the shape with satin-stitches in threes, successively long, shorter, and quite short. this done, starting at the base again, you put your needle in on the upper or right side of the first short stitch, and bring it out through the long stitch (as shown in the diagram). you then make a short stitch by putting your needle downwards through the material, and taking up a small piece of it. you have finally only to draw the needle through, and it is in position to make another long stitch. as the concentric rings of stitching become smaller, you make, of course, shorter stitches, and you need no longer pierce the thread of the long stitch. [sidenote: to work d, .] the working of the scroll at d on the sampler, illustration , needs no detailed explanation. anyone who is acquainted with the way satin-stitch is worked (it has already been sufficiently explained), and has read the above account of the working of b, will understand at once how that is worked in the frame. it will be seen that there is a slight difference in effect between the two, arising from the fact that work done in the hand is necessarily more loosely and not quite so evenly done as that on a frame. [sidenote: to work split-stitch c, .] split-stitch (c on the sampler), again, resembles either crewel-stitch or satin-stitch, according as it is worked in the hand or on a frame. in working in the hand, you take a rather shorter stitch back than in crewel-stitch, piercing with the needle the thread which is to form the next stitch. in working on a frame, you bring your needle always up through the last-made satin-stitch in order to start the next. whichever way it is done, split-stitch is often difficult to distinguish without minute examination from chain-stitch. further reference to its use is made in the chapter on shading. it may be interesting to compare it with crewel-stitch (a on the sampler), which is also a favourite stitch for shading. darning. it is the peculiarity of darning and running that you make several stitches at one passing of the needle. darning and running amount practically to the same thing. darning might be described as consecutive lines of running. the difference is, in the main, a matter of multiplication; but the distinction is sometimes made that in running the stitches may be the same length on the face as on the reverse of the stuff, whereas in darning the thread is mainly on the surface, only dipping for the space of a single thread or so below it. it results from the way of working that you get in darning an interrupted line characteristic of the stitch. what is called "double darning," by which the breaks in the single darning are made good, has in effect no character of darning whatever. darning has a homely sound, but it is useful for more than mending. in embroidery you no longer use it to replace threads worn away, but build up upon the scaffolding of a merely serviceable material what may be a gorgeous design in silk. [illustration: . darning sampler.] darning is worked, of course, in rows backwards and forwards; but if the stitches are long and in the direction of the weft, it is as well not to run the returning row next to the one just done, but to leave space for a second course of darning afterwards between the open rows. the darning of the sampler, illustration , is very simple. the flower is darned in stitches of fairly equal length, taking up one thread of the material, and covering a space of almost a quarter of an inch before taking up the next thread. the outline of a petal is first worked, and successive rows of darning follow the lines of the flower, expressing to some extent its form. much depends upon the direction of the stitch. the texture of the work depends upon the length of the stitches, and on the amount of the stuff showing through. darning is usually supplemented by outlining. the sampler is designed to show how far one can dispense with it. the flower stalk is defined by darning the first row in a darker colour; for the rest, voiding is employed, but it is not easy to void in darning. the background is darned diaper fashion. it gives, that is to say, deliberately diagonal lines. a background irregularly darned should be irregular enough never to run into lines not contemplated by the worker. [illustration: . darning designed by william morris.] in the case of large leaves, veined, the veining should be worked first, the stitches between them radiating outwards to the edge of the leaf. more accomplished work in darning is shown in the border by william morris in illustration , where it appears, however, much flatter than in the coloured silk. it is worked solid, the radiating stitches accommodating themselves to the forms of the leaves and petals, which, in fact, are designed with a view to their execution in this way. they are defined by outline-stitching--light or dark as occasion seemed to require. mention has already been made of darning _à propos_ of canvas-stitch; and there is a sort of natural correspondence between the _mécanique_ of darning in its simplest form and the network of open threads which gives to rectangular darning, like the german work in illustration , character which more than compensates for its angularity in outline. the darning is there quite even in workmanship, but it is, as will be seen, of different degrees of strength--lighter for the surface of the pattern, heavier for the outline. you may qualify the colour of a stuff by lightly darning it with silk of another shade, and very subtle tints may be got by thus, as it were, veiling a coloured ground with silks of various hues. [illustration: . flat darning upon a square mesh.] laid-work. the necessity for something like what is called "laid-work" is best shown by reference to satin-stitch. it was said in reference to it that satin-stitches should not be too long. there is a great deal of eastern work in which surface satin-stitch, or its equivalent, floats so loosely upon the face of the stuff that it can only be described as flimsy. nothing could be more beautiful in its way than certain soudanese embroidery, in which coloured floss in stitches an inch or more long lies glistening on the stuff without any interruption of threads to fasten it down. embroidery of this kind, however, hardly comes within the scope of practical work. long, loose stitches want sewing down. some compromise has to be made between art and beauty. the problem is to make the work strong enough without seriously disturbing its lustrous surface, and the solution of it is "laid-work," at which we arrive thus almost by necessity. [illustration: . laid-work sampler.] it involves no new stitch, but is only another way of using stitches already described. in laid-work, long tresses of silk, as william morris called them, floss by preference, are thrown backwards and forwards across the face of the stuff, only just piercing it at the edges of the forms, and back again. these silken tresses are then caught down and kept, i will not say close to the ground, but in their place upon it, by lines of stitching in the cross direction. laid-work is not, at the best, a very strong or lasting kind of embroidery (it needs to be carefully covered up even as it is worked), but by no other means is the silky beauty of coloured floss so perfectly set forth. it is hardly worth doing in anything but floss. laid-work lends itself also to gradation of colour within certain limits--the limits, that is to say, of the straight parallel lines in which the silk is laid: the direction of these is determined often by the lines of sewing which are to cross them. in any case the direction of the threads is here more than ever important. the sewing down must take lines and may form patterns. the sampler, illustration , wants little or no explanation. it illustrates the various ways of laying. in the leaf the floss is sewn down with split-stitch, which forms the veining. elsewhere it is kept in place by "couching," a process presently to be described. for the outlines, split-stitch and couching are employed. the last row of laid work in the grounding is purposely pulled out of the straight by the couching in order to give a waved edge. the diaper which represents the seeding of the flower is not, properly speaking, laid-work: single threads of white purse silk are there couched down with dark. [illustration: . japanese laid-work.] for the transverse stitching, for which also it is best to use floss, either split-stitch may be used, as in the leaf in the sampler, illustration , or a thread may be laid across and sewn down--couched, as it is called--as in the flower. the closer the cross lines the stronger the work, but the less lustrous the effect. laid floss may be employed to glorify the entire surface of a linen material, as in the sampler or for the pattern only upon a ground worth showing, as in illustrations , , . laid-work will not give anything like modelling, and it is not best suited to figure design except where it is quite flatly treated. an instance of its use in figure work occurs on illustration . it is effective when quite naively and simply used in cross lines which do not appear to take any account of the forms crossed--as, for example, in illustration , where the stitching does not pretend to express more than a flat surface. the floss, however, is there carefully laid at a different angle of inclination in each petal, so as to give variety of colour. the lines of sewing vary according to the lines of the laid floss, but do not cross them at right angles. the important thing is, of course, that they should catch the laid "tresses" at intervals not too far apart. if the lines which sew down the floss have also to express drawing, as in the case of the bird's wings in illustration , the underlying floss must be laid in lines which they will cross. in the case of the leaves in the same piece of work, the floss is laid in the direction in which the leaf grows, and the stitching across, which sews it down, is slightly curved so as to suggest roundness in them. [illustration: . indo-portuguese laid-work.] a more finished piece of work is shown in illustration , where the laid floss crosses the forms, and the sewing down takes very much the place of veining in the flower, and of ribs in the scroll, expressing about as much modelling as can be expressed this way, and more, perhaps, than it is advisable often to attempt. the sewing down asserts itself most, of course, when it is in a colour contrasting with the laid floss, as it does in the leaves in the smaller sampler overleaf. the stitching down makes usually a pattern more or less conspicuous. on this same sampler it does so very deliberately in the case of the broad stalk. the rather sudden variation of the colour shown there in the leaves is harmless enough in bold work, to which the process is best suited. one may be too careful in gradating the tints: timidity in this respect prevails too much among modern needlewomen: an artist in floss should not want her work to look like a gradated wash of colour. the italians of the th and th centuries (see illustration ) were not afraid of rather abrupt transition in the shades of colour they used for laid-work. [illustration: . italian laid-work.] [illustration: . laid sampler.] when laid floss is kept in place by threads themselves sewn down across it, such threads are called "couched," and the work itself may be described as laid and couched. hence arises some confusion between the two methods of work--laying and couching. it saves confusion to make a sharp distinction between the two--using the term "laid" only for stitches (floss) first loosely laid upon the surface of the stuff and then sewn down by cross lines of stitching of whatever kind, and "couched" for the sewing down of cords, &c. (silk or gold), thread by thread or in pairs. laid floss is sewn down _en masse_, couched silk in single or double threads; and accordingly laid answers best for surface covering, couched for outlining, except in the case of gold, which even for surface covering is always couched. couching couching is the sewing down of one thread by another--as in the outline of the flower on the laid sampler, illustration . the stitches with which it is sewn down, thread by thread, or, in the case of gold, two threads at a time, are best worked from right to left; or, in outlining, from outside the forms inwards, and a waxed thread is often used for the purpose. naturally the cord to be sewn down should be held fairly tightly in place to keep the line even. it is usual in couching to sew down the silk or cord with stitches crossing it at right angles, except in the case of a twisted cord, which should be sewn down with stitches in the direction of the twist. couching is best done in a frame; but it may be done in the hand by means of buttonhole-stitch. [illustration: . a. bullion. b. couched cord.] when a surface is covered with couching, as in the seeding of the flower in the sampler, illustration , the sewing down stitches make a pattern--all the plainer there, because the stitching is in a contrasting shade of colour. it is quite permissible to call attention to the stitching if it suits your artistic purpose. to disguise it by sewing _through_ the cord is not a workmanlike practice. a worker should frankly accept a method of work and get character out of it. embroidresses have a clever way of untwisting a cord before each stitch and twisting it again after stitching through it--between the strands, that is to say, in which the stitching is lost. the device is rather too clever. it shows a cord with no visible means of attachment to the ground, which is not desirable, however much desired. there is no advantage in attaching cords to the surface of silk so that they look as if they had been glued on to it. conjuring tricks are highly amusing, but one does not think very highly of conjurers. personally, i would much rather have seen more plainly the way the cord is sewn down in the graceful cross in illustration , a design perfectly adapted to couching, and yet unlike the usual thing. where it is softish silk which is stitched down, it makes a great difference whether it is loosely held and tightly sewn, or the contrary. contrast the short puffy lines nearest the corners in the sampler, illustration , with the longer ones between the broad and narrow bands. the broad band is worked in rows of double filoselle, of various shades, sewn down with single filoselle. in the narrower bands twisted silk is sewn down with stitches in the direction of its twist. this is more plainly seen in the upper of the two bands, where the sloping stitches are lighter in colour than the cord sewn down. [illustration: . couching sampler.] characteristic use is made of rather puffy couching in the ornament of the lady's dress in miss keighley's panel, illustration , where it has very much the richness of embroidery in seed pearls. it was a common practice in germany in the th century to work in solid couching upon cloth, employing a twisted thread and sewing it with stitches in the direction of the twist, so that at first sight one does not recognise it as couching. it looks like rather coarse stitching in the direction of the forms, and expresses shading very well. the cloth ground accounts, perhaps, for the choice of method: the material is not otherwise a pleasant one to embroider upon. a rather earlier german method was to couch in parallel lines of white upon white linen, and so get relief and texture but no modelling, though the drawing was helped by varying the direction of the parallel lines. the entire surface of a linen ground was sometimes covered with couched threads of silk or fine wool--some of it in vertical and horizontal lines, some of it in the direction of the pattern. this, again, was a german practice, as may be seen in the hildesheim cope at south kensington. all-over couching may be used with advantage to renew the ground of embroidery so worn as to be unsightly; and is more lasting than laid-work for the purpose. it is laborious to do, but more satisfactory when done than remounting; and one or the other is a necessity sometimes. the effect of age is, up to a certain point, pleasing: rags are not. [illustration: . couching in looped threads.] couching, however (except with gold), was more commonly used for outlining, and is quite peculiarly suited to give a firm line. a beautiful example of outline work in coloured silk upon white linen is pictured in illustration , in which the lines of delicate renaissance arabesque are perfectly preserved. the rare practice of such work as this, notwithstanding its distinction, is perhaps sufficiently accounted for by its modesty. it is true, it wants well-considered and definitely drawn design, and there is no possible fudging with it. [illustration: . reverse couching.] the value of a couched cord as an outline to stitching (satin-stitch in this instance) is shown in illustration , in which the singularly well-schemed and well-drawn lines of the ornament are given with faultless precision. this is a portion of an altogether admirable frame to an altogether foolish picture in needlework, of which a fragment only is shown. the appropriateness of couched cord to the outlining of inlay or of appliqué is seen in the two examples which form illustration . in the one (a) it defines the clear-cut counterchange pattern; in the other (b), being of a tint intermediate between the ground and the ornament, it softens the contrast between them. an interesting technical point in the design of this last is the way the cord outlining the leaves makes a sufficiently thick stalk, coming together, as it naturally does, double at the ends of the leaves. [illustration: . reverse couching (back).] this occurs again in illustration , where the double threads which form the stalks, though separately stitched down, are couched again at intervals by bands crossing the two--at the springing of the stalks and tendrils, for example, where joins inevitably occur. the cords forming the central stalk are in one case looped. fantastic use has often been made of the looping of couched cord. the spanish embroiderers made most ornamental use of a wee loop at the points of the leaves where the cord must turn; but the device of looping may easily be used to frivolous purpose. a regularly looped line at once suggests lace. a perplexing chinese practice is to couch fine cord in little loops so close together that they touch. a surface filled in after this manner, as in the butterflies on illustration , might pass at first sight for french knots or chain-stitch: it is really another method of all-over couching. a double course of couching forms the outline in illustration , one of filoselle and one of cord, separately sewn; but the tendrils, which are of silver thread, are sewn down both threads at a time with double stitches, very obvious in the illustration. over the couched silver threads which form the main rib of the leaf a pattern is stitched in silk. _a propos_ of couching, mention must be made of a way of working used in the famous syon cope by way of background, and figured overleaf (illustration ). the ground stuff is linen, twofold, and it is worked in silk, which lies nearly all upon the surface. the stitch runs from point to point of the zigzag pattern; there it penetrates the stuff, is carried round a thread of flax laid at the back of the material, and is brought to the surface again through the hole made by the needle in passing down. that is to say, the silken thread only _dips_ through the linen at the points in the pattern, and is there caught down by a thread of flax on the under-surface of the linen. the reverse of the work (illustration ) shows a surface of flax threads couched with silk, for which reason the method may be described as reverse couching. on the face it gives an admirable surface diaper, flat without being mechanical. it is easily worked with a blunt needle; with a sharp one there would be a danger of splitting the stitch. it is a kind of work on which two persons might be employed, one on either side of the stuff. couched gold. in olden days silk does not appear to have been couched in the east. on the other hand, it was the custom to couch gold thread in europe at least as early as the twelfth century; so that the method was probably first used for gold, which, except in the form of thin wire or extraordinarily fine thread, is not quite the thing to stitch with. besides, it was natural to wish to keep the precious metal on the surface, and not waste it at the back of the stuff. a distinguishing feature about gold is that by common consent it is used double and sewn down two threads at a time. this is not merely an economy of work; but, except in the case of thick cords or strips of gold, it has a more satisfactory effect--why it is not easy to say. panels a, b, c, in the sampler, illustration , are couched in double threads, d in single cords. gold couching is there used, as it mostly is, to cover a surface. in doing that, it is usual to sew the threads firmly down at the edges of the forms and cut them very sharply off; but they may equally well be carried backwards and forwards across the face of the stuff. the slight swelling of the gold thread where it turns gives emphasis to the outline; but the turning wants carefully doing, and the gold thread must not be too thick. if you use a large needle (to clear the way for the thread), the turning of the gold may take place on the back instead of on the face of the material, but only in the case of very fine thread. gold threads often want stroking into position. this may be done with what is called a "pierce"; but a good stiletto, or even a very large needle, will answer the purpose. sharply pointed scissors are indispensable. in solid couching the stitches run almost inevitably into pattern; and it is customary, therefore, to start with the assumption that they will, and deliberately to make them into pattern--to work them, that is to say, in vertical, diagonal, or cross lines as at a, in zigzags as at b, or in some more complicated diaper pattern as at c, where the stitching is purposely in pronounced colour, that the pattern may be quite clearly seen; at d it has more its proper value, that the effect of it may be better appreciated. the pattern may, of course, be helped by the colour of the stitching, and there is some art in making the necessary stitches into appropriate pattern. [illustration: . couched gold sampler.] in fact the ornamentist, being an ornamentist, naturally takes advantage of the necessity of stitching, to pattern his metallic surfaces with diaper, using often, as in the scroll in illustration , a diversity of patterns, which gives at once varied texture and fanciful interest to the surface. there is quite an epitome of little diapers in that fragment of needlework; and one can hardly doubt that the embroiderer found it great fun to contrive them. the flat strips of metal emphasising the backs of the curves are sometimes twisted as they are sewn. the other diapers on the sampler, f, g, h, j, , are emphasised by the relief given to them by underlying cords, purposely left bare in parts to show the structure. these underlying cords must be firmly sewn on to the linen ground, and if the stitching follows the direction of the twist in them, the round surface is not so likely to be roughened by it. by rights, the cords should be laid farther apart than in the sampler, where the attempt to force the effect (for purposes of explanation) has not proved very successful. an infinity of basket patterns, as these may be called (basket _stitches_ they are not), may be devised by varying the intervals at which the gold threads are sewn down, and the number of cords they cross at a time. [illustration: . couched silver.] the central panel of the sampler (e) shows a combination of flat and raised gold. the outline of the heart is corded; the centre of it is raised by stitching, first with crewel wool and then with gold-coloured floss across that (it is difficult to prevent _white_ stuffing from showing through gold). this gives only a hint of what may be done in the way of raised ornament upon a flat gold ground, and was done in mediæval work. a single cord may be sewn down to make a pattern in relief, leafage, scrollwork, or what not, which, when the surface is all worked over with gold, has very much the effect of gilt gesso. if, for any reason, heavy work of this kind is to be done on silk or satin, that must first be backed with strong linen. in mediæval and church work generally the double threads are usually laid close together, forming, as in the diapers on sampler, a solid surface of gold; and that was largely done in oriental embroidery too--in chinese, for example, where, however, the threads, instead of being couched in straight lines, follow the outlines of the design, and are worked ring within ring until the space is filled, as in the dragon's face, a, illustration . there is here, as in the working of his body, a certain economy of gold; a small amount of the ground is allowed to show between the lines of double gold thread--not enough to tell as ground, but enough to give a tint of the ground colour to the metal. further, in this more open couching the direction of the lines of couching goes for more than in solid work. the pattern made by the gold thread is here not only ornamental but suggestive of the scaly body of the creature. it will be seen, too, how, in the working of the legs, the relatively compact gold threads are kept well within the outline, by which means anything like harshness of silhouette is avoided. [illustration: . couched gold not quite solid.] that this less solid manner was not confined to the far east is shown by the venetian valance, b, on the lower part of the page, which has very much the appearance of gold lace. a good example of outline (single thread) in gold is given in illustration , part of an italian housing, which reminds one both in effect and in design of damascening, to which it is in some respects equivalent; only, instead of gold and silver wire beaten into black iron or steel, we have gold and silver thread sewn on to dark velvet. the design recalls also the french bookbindings of the period of henri ii., in which the tooled ornament was precisely of this character. the resemblance is none the less that an occasional detail is worked more solidly; but, in the main, this is outline work, and a beautiful example of it. the art in work of that kind is, of course, largely in the design. gold thread work in spiral forms has very much the effect of filagree in gold wire. the next step is where the cords of gold enclose little touches of embroidery in coloured floss, as in illustration . these have the value of so many jewels or bits of bright enamel. in fact, just as outline work in simple gold thread resembles damascening or filagree, so this outlining of little spaces of coloured silk suggests enamel. the cord of the embroiderer answers to the cloisons of the enameller, the surfaces of shining floss to the films of vitreous enamel. [illustration: . couched outline work.] appliqué embroidery is constantly edged with gold or silver thread. an effective, if rather rude, example of this, the thread here again double, is given in illustration . in couching more than one thread at a time there is a difficulty in turning the angles. the threads give, of necessity, only gently rounded forms. to get anything like a sharp point, you must stop short with the inner thread before reaching the extreme turning point, and take it up again on your way back. what applies to two threads, applies of course still more forcibly to three. the colour with which gold thread is sewn is a question of considerable importance. if the stitches are close enough together to make solid work, they give a flush of colour to the gold. advantage is commonly taken of this both in mediæval and oriental work to warm the tint by sewing it down with red. the chinese will even work with a deeper and a paler red to get two coppery shades. white stitching pales the gold, yellow modifies it least, green cools it, and blue makes it greener. the closer the stitches, the deeper the tint, of course. [illustration: . appliquÉ--satin on velvet.] you can get thus various shades of gold out of the same thread, and even gradation from one to another, as may be seen in a great deal of spanish work of the th century, in which the gold ornament is often quite delicately shaded from yellowish gold to ruddy copper on the one hand, and to bronzy green on the other. similar use may be made of vari-coloured silks in couching white or other cord; but gold reflects the colour much better than silk, and gives much more subtle effects. the flemings and italians of the early renaissance went further. they had a way of laying threads of gold and sewing them so closely over with coloured silk that in many parts it quite hid the gold. only in proportion as they wanted to lighten the colour of the draperies in their pictorial embroideries did they space the stitches farther and farther apart, and let the gold gleam through. except in the high lights it did not pronounce itself positively. the effect is not unlike what is seen in paintings of the primitive school, where the high lights of the red and blue draperies are hatched with gold. the practice of the embroiderer may be reminiscent of that, or that may be the origin of the primitive painters' convention. it is more as if the embroiderer wanted to represent a precious tissue, a stuff shot with gold. illustration gives part of a figure worked in this way, relieved against a more golden architectural background rendered by the very same double threads of gold which run through the figures. in the architecture, however, they are couched in stitches which are never so near as to take away from the effect of the gold. the two degrees of obscuring or clouding gold by oversewing are here shown in most instructive contrast. the cords, as usual, are laid in horizontal courses. that was the convenient way of working; but it resulted in a corded look, which has very much the appearance of tapestry; and there is no doubt that resemblance to tapestry was in the end consciously sought. that the method here employed was laborious needs no saying; but it gave most beautiful, if pictorial, results. appliquÉ. embroidery, it has been shown, is much of it on the surface of the stuff, not just needle stitches, but the stitching-on of something--cord, gold thread, or whatever it may be. and instances have been given where the design of such work was not merely in outline, but where certain details were filled in with stitching. yet another practice, and one more strictly in keeping with the onlaying of cord, was to onlay the solid also, applying, that is to say, the surface colour also in the form of pieces of silk cut to shape. patterns of this kind may be conceived as line work developing into leafy terminations, the appliquÉ only an adjunct to couching (illustration ); or they may be thought of as massive work eked out with line: the appliqué, that is to say, the main thing, the couching only supplementary (illustration ). an intermediate kind is where outline and mass--couching and appliqué--play parts of equal importance in the scheme of design (illustration ). couched cord or filoselle is useful in covering the raw edge of the onlay, not so much masking the joints as making them sightly. appliqué must be carefully and exactly done, and is best worked in a frame. it is almost as much a man's work as a woman's. embroidery proper is properly woman's work; but here, as in the case of tailoring, the man comes in. the getting ready for appliqué is not the kind of thing a woman can do best. the finishing may sometimes be done in the hand, and very bold, coarse work may possibly be worked throughout in the hand, and outlined with buttonhole-stitch (chain-stitch is not so appropriate); but when a couched outline is employed it must be done in a frame, and, indeed, work with any pretensions to finish is invariably begun and finished in the frame. [sidenote: to work appliquÉ] to work appliqué you want, in fact, two frames--one on which to mount the material to be embroidered, and another on which to mount the material to be applied. the backing in each case should be of smooth holland. this is stretched on to the frame, and then pasted with stiff starch or what not; the silk or velvet is laid on to it and stroked with a soft rag until it adheres, and is left to dry gently. when dry, the outlines of the complete design are traced upon the one, and those of the details to be applied upon the other. (you may paste, of course, silks of two or three colours upon one backing for this.) the stuff to be applied is then loosened from its frame, the details are cleanly cut out with scissors, or, better still, a knife (in either case sharp), and transferred to their place in the design on the other frame. there they are kept in position by short steel pins planted upright into the stuff until you are sure they fit, and then tacked firmly down, with care that the stitches are such as will be quite covered by the final couching, chain stitch, or whatever is to be your outline. in the case of silk or other delicate material, peculiar care must be taken that the paste is not moist enough to penetrate the stuff; but an experienced worker has no fear of that. a firm outline is a condition of appliqué, and couched cord fulfils it most perfectly. much depends upon a tasteful and tactful choice of colour for it. you fatten your pattern by outlining it with a colour which goes with it (illustration , b). you thin it by one which goes into the ground. very subtle use may be made of a double outline or of a corded line upon couched floss. there is a double outline to the ornament in illustration : the inner one next to the yellow satin appliqué is of gold, the outer one next the crimson velvet ground is of white sewn with pale blue. this gives emphasis to the bold forms of the leafage. the mid-rib there is of silver couching; the minor veinings are stitched in silk, and are rather insignificant. [illustration: . appliquÉ panel by miss keighley.] the less there is of extra stitching on appliqué the better as a rule. it disturbs the breadth, which is so valuable a characteristic of onlay. in no case is much mixing of methods to be desired; but if appliqué is to be supplemented, it had best be with couching, which is not so much stitching as stitched down, itself another form of applied work. appliqué of itself is not, of course, adapted to pictorial work, but that in association with judicious stitching and couching it may be used to admirable decorative purpose in figure design is shown by miss mabel keighley's panel, illustration . what an artist may do depends upon the artist. miss keighley's panel indicates the use that may be made of texture in the stuff onlaid. appliqué is especially appropriate to bold church work, fulfilling perfectly that condition of legibility so desirable in work necessarily seen oftenest from afar. broadly designed, it may be as fine in its way as a piece of mediæval stained glass, and it gives to silk and velvet their true worth. the pattern may be readable as far off as you can distinguish colour. [illustration: . a. counterchange. b. appliquÉ.] appliqué work is thought by some to be an inferior kind of embroidery, which it is not. it is not a lower but another kind of needlework, in which more is made of the stuff than of the stitching. in it the craft of the needleworker is not carried to its limit; but, on the other hand, it makes great demands upon design. you cannot begin by just throwing about sprays of natural flowers. it calls peremptorily for treatment--by which test the decorative artist stands or falls. effective it must be; coarse it may be; vulgar it should not be; trivial it can hardly be; mere prettiness is beyond its scope; but it lends itself to dignity of design and nobility of treatment. of course, it is not popular. a usual form of appliqué is in satin upon velvet. velvet on satin (b, illustration ) is comparatively rare; but it may be very beautiful, though there is a danger that it may look like weaving. silk upon silk (figured damask) is shown in illustration , designed to be seen from a nearer point of view, and less pronounced in pattern accordingly. the strap work, applied in ribbon, is broken by cross stitches in couples, which take away from the severity of the lines. the grape bunches are onlaid, each in one piece of silk, the forms of the separate grapes expressed by couching. the french knots in the centre of the grapes add greatly to the richness of the surface. the leaves are in one piece. it would have been possible to use two or three, joining them at the veins. [illustration: . appliquÉ--silk on silk damask.] the application of leather to velvet, as in illustration , allows modification in the way of execution, and of design adapted to it. leather does not fray, and needs, therefore, no sewing over at the edge, but only sewing down, which may be done, as in this case, well within the edge of the material, giving the effect of a double outline. the chinese do small work in linen, making similar use of the stitching within the outline, but turning the cut edge of the stuff under; it would not do to leave it raw. on a bolder scale, but in precisely the same manner, is embroidered the wonderful tent of françois ier., taken at the battle of pavia, and now in the armoury at madrid--obviously arab work. something of the kind was done also in morocco, which points to leather work as the possible origin of this method. another ingenious chinese notion is to sew down little five-petalled flowers (turned under at the edges) with long stamen stitches radiating from a central eye of knots. inlay, mosaic, cut-work. a step beyond the process of onlaying is inlay, where one material is not laid on to the other, but into it, both being perhaps backed by a common material. the process is, in fact, precisely analogous to that inlay of brass and tortoiseshell which goes by the name of its inventor, boule. the work is difficult, but thorough. it does not recommend itself to those who want to get effect cheaply. the process is suited only to close-textured stuffs, such as cloth, which do not fray. [sidenote: to work inlay.] the materials are not pasted on to linen, as in the case of appliqué. the cloth to be inlaid is placed upon the other, and both are cut through with one action of the knife, so that the parts cannot but fit. the coherent piece of material (the ground, say, of the pattern) is then laid upon a piece of strong linen already in a frame; the vacant spaces in it are filled up by pieces of the other stuff, and all is tacked down in place. that done, the work is taken out of the frame, and the edges sewn together. the backing can then, if necessary, be removed; and in oriental work it generally was. inlay lends itself most invitingly to counterchange in design, as seen in the stole at a, illustration . light and dark, ground and pattern, are there identical. you cannot say either is ground; each forms the ground to the other. and from the mere fact of the counterchanging you gather that it is inlaid, and not onlaid. [sidenote: to work counterchange.] prior to inlaying in materials which are at all likely to fray, you first back them with paper, thin but tough, firmly pasted; then, having tacked the two together, and pinned them with drawing-pins on to a board, you slip between it and the stuff a sheet of glass, and with a very sharp knife (kept sharp by an oilstone at hand) cut out the pattern. what was cut out of one material has only to be fitted into the other, and sewn together as before, and you have two pieces of inlaid work--what is the ground in one forming the pattern in the other, and _vice versâ_. by this ingenious means there is absolutely no waste of stuff. you get, moreover, almost invariably a broad and dignified effect: the process does not lend itself to triviality. it was used by the italians, and more especially by the spaniards of the renaissance, who borrowed the idea, of course, from the arabs. [illustration: . inlay in coloured cloths.] in india they still inlay in cloth most marvellously, not only counterchanging the pattern, but inlaying the inlays with smaller patternwork, thus combining great simplicity of effect with wonderful minuteness of detail. they mask the joins with chain-stitch, the colour of it artfully chosen with regard to the two colours of the cloth it divides or joins. further, they often patch together pieces of this kind of inlay. inlay itself is a sort of patchwork. you cut pieces out of your cloth, and patch it with pieces of another colour, covering the joins perhaps, as on illustration , with chain stitch, which gives it some resemblance to cloisonné enamel, the cloisons being of chain-stitch. where there is no one ground stuff to be patched, but a number of vari-coloured pieces of stuff are sewn together, they form a veritable mosaic, reminding one, in coloured stuffs, of what the mediæval glaziers did in coloured glass. admirable heraldic work was done in germany by this method; and it is still employed for flag making. the stuffs used should be as nearly as possible of one substance. in patchwork of loosely-textured material each separate piece of stuff may be cut large, turned in at the edge, and oversewn on the wrong side. [illustration: . cut-work in linen.] the relation of cut-work to inlay is clear--in fact, the one is the first step towards the other. you have only to stop short of the actual inlaying, and you have cut-work. fill up the parts cut out in illustration with coloured stuff, and it would be inlay. the needlewoman has preferred to sew over the raw edges of the stuff, and give us a perfect piece of fretwork in linen. it is part of the game in cut-work to make the fret coherent, whole in itself. the design should tell its own tale. "ties" of buttonhole-stitch, or what not, are not necessary, provided the designer knows how to plan a fret pattern. their introduction brings the work nearer to lace than embroidery. the sewing-over may be in chain-stitch, satin-stitch (as in illustration ), or in buttonhole-stitch--which last is strongest. as, in the case of appliqué, inlay, and mosaic, an embroidered outline is usually necessary to cover the join, so in the case of cut-work sewing-over is necessary to keep the edges from fraying. it may sometimes be advisable to supplement this outlining by further stitching to express veining, or give other minute details--just as the glassworker, when he could not get detail small enough by means of glazing, had recourse to painting to help him out. but there is danger in calling in auxiliaries. it is best to design with a view to the method of work to be employed, and to keep within its limits. to worry the surface of applied, inlaid, or cut stuff with finnikin stitchery, is practically to confess either the inadequacy of the design or the fidgetiness of the worker. it should need, as a rule, no such enrichment. embroidery in relief. embroidery being work _upon_ a stuff, it is inevitably raised, however imperceptibly, above the surface of it. but there is a charm in the unevenness of surface and texture thus produced; and the aim has consequently often been to make the difference of level between ground-stuff and embroidery more appreciable by underlay or padding of some kind. the abuse of this kind of thing need not blind us to the advantages it offers. there are various ways of raising embroidery, the principal of which are illustrated on the sampler overleaf. [sidenote: to work a ( ).] in sprig a the underlay is of closely-woven cloth, darker in colour than would be advisable except for the purpose of showing what it is: it is as well in the ordinary way to choose a cloth more or less of the colour the embroidery is to be. the cloth is cut with sharp scissors carefully to shape, but a little within the outline, and pasted on to the linen. when perfectly dry, it is worked over with thick corded silk couched in the ordinary way. [sidenote: to work b.] the raised line at b reveals the way the stem in illustration was worked. two cords of smooth string (macramé, for example) are twisted and tacked in place. over this floss is worked in close satin-stitch. [sidenote: to work c.] in sprig c the underlay is of parchment, lightly stitched in place. the use of a double underlay in parts gives additional relief. the embroidery upon this (in slightly twisted silk) is in satin-stitch. [sidenote: to work d.] the leaf shapes at d are padded with cotton wool, cut out as nearly as possible to the shape required, and tacked down with fine cotton. they are then worked over with floss in satin-stitch. the stalks are not padded with cotton wool, but first worked with crewel wool, which, being soft and elastic, forms an excellent ground for working over in floss silk. [sidenote: to work e.] in working a stalk like that at e, you first lay down a double layer of soft, thick cotton, and then work over it with flatter cotton (made expressly for padding) in slanting satin-stitch. three threads of smooth round silk are then attached to one side of the padding and carried diagonally across to the other side, where they are sewn down with strong thread of the same colour close to the underlay, so that the stitches may not show. they are then brought back to the side from which they started, sewn down, and returned again, and so backwards and forwards to the end. the crossing threads make a sort of pattern, and it is a point of good workmanship that they should cross regularly. such pattern is more obvious when threads of three different shades of colour are employed. threads of twisted silk may, of course, be equally well used this way without padding underneath. [illustration: . raised work sampler.] [sidenote: to work f.] in sprig f the underlay is of cardboard, pasted on to the linen. it is worked over with purse silk, to and fro across the forms, and sewn down at the margin with finer silk. this is a method of work often employed when gold thread is used. [sidenote: to work g.] in sprig g the underlay or stuffing is of string, sewn down with stitches always in the direction of the twist. it is worked over with floss in satin-stitch. [sidenote: to work h.] in sprig h the underwork consists of stitching in soft cotton, over which thick silk is embroidered in bullion-stitch. the rule is to work the first stitching in such a direction that the surface work crosses it at right angles. the small leaf is worked over with fine purse silk in satin-stitch, which is used also for the stalk. in the smaller sampler of laid-work, illustration , the broad stem is twice underlaid with crewel, excellent for this soft sort of padding, on account of its elasticity. the leaves have there only one layer of understitching. raised work in white upon white is often used for purposes which make it inevitable that sooner or later the work will be washed. that is a consideration which the embroidress must not leave out of account. in any case, work over stitchery is more durable than over loose padding such as cotton wool. [illustration: . raised work showing underlay.] the th century work reproduced in illustration is in flax thread on linen, and the underlay (laid bare in the topmost flower) is of stiff linen, sewn down, not at the margins as in the case of the parchment on the sampler (illustration ), but by a row of stitching up the centre of each petal. the veins of the leaves in illustration are padded with embroidery cotton and worked over with filo-floss. the leaves themselves are not padded, though the sewing down of the veins upon them, as well as the fact that they are applied on to the velvet ground, gives some appearance of relief. raised gold. our sampler of raised work is done in silk. underlaying is more often used to raise work in gold, to which in most respects it is best suited. the methods shown in the sampler would answer almost equally well for gold, except that working in gold one would not at h ( ) use bullion-stitch, but bullion, first covering the underlay of stitching with smoothly-laid yellow floss. bullion consists of closely coiled wire. it is made by winding fine wire tightly and closely round a core of stouter wire. when this central core of wire is withdrawn, you have a long hollow tube of spirally twisted wire. this the embroidress cuts into short lengths as required, and sews on to the silk--as she would a long bead or bugle. its use is illustrated at a in illustration , where the stems of triple gold cord are tied down at intervals by clasps of bullion, and the leaves, again, are filled in with the same. it was the mediæval fashion to encrust the robes of kings and pontiffs with pearls and precious stones mounted in gold: the early byzantine form of crown was practically a velvet cap, on to which were sewn plaques of gorgeous enamel and mounted stones. when to such work embroidery was added, it was not unnatural that it should vie with the gold setting. as a matter of fact, its design was often only a translation into needlework of the forms proper to the goldsmith. yet more openly in rivalry with goldsmiths' work was some of the embroidery of the renaissance, in which the idea--a most mistaken one, of course--seems to have been to imitate beaten metal. this led inevitably to excessively high relief in gold embroidery. you may see in th century church work the height to which relief can be carried, and the depth to which ecclesiastical taste can sink. the spaniards were, perhaps, the greatest sinners in this respect, seeking, as they did, richness at all cost; but it must be confessed that, in the th century at least, they produced most gorgeous results: there is in the treasury of the cathedral at toledo an altar frontal in gold, silver, and coral, and a yet more beautiful mantle of the virgin in silver and pearls upon a gold ground, which make one loth to dogmatise. [illustration: . raised gold.] the preciousness of gold and silver, points, in the nature of things, to their use for church vestments and the like; and high relief gives, no doubt, value to the metal; but the consideration of its intrinsic value leads quickly to display. the artistic value of gold is not so much that it looks gorgeous as that it glorifies the colour caught, so to speak, in its meshes. admitting that there is reason for relief in gold embroidery--it catches the light as flat gold does not--one feels that the very slightest modelling is usually enough. reference was made (page ) to the effect of gilt gesso obtained in raised gold thread: that really is about the degree of relief it is safe to adopt in gold embroidery, the relief that is readily got by laying on gesso with a brush, not carving or modelling it; and the characteristically blunt forms got by that means repeat themselves when you work with the needle. there is ample relief in the gold embroidery on illustrations and . the first of these shows both flat and raised work: the latter illustrates not only various degrees of relief, but several ways of underlaying. it scarcely needs pointing out that the flatter serrated leaves are worked over parchment or paper, and the puffy parts of the flowers over softer padding. allusion has already been made (page ) to the way the stalk is worked over twisted cords, as on the sampler, illustration . the patterns in which the gold is worked do not tell quite so plainly here as on illustration , where the basket pattern is more pronounced. in the stalk there flat gold wire is used, and again in the broken surface towards the top of the plate. spangles of gold may be used with admirable effect, at the risk, perhaps, of a rather tinselly look; but that has been often most skilfully avoided both in mediæval work and in oriental. in india great and very cunning use is made of spangles, by the parsees in particular, who, by the way, embroider with gold wire. gold foil may be cut to any shape and sewn on to embroidery, but spangles take mainly one of two shapes, best distinguished as disc-like and ring-like. the discs are flat, pierced in the centre, and sewn down usually with two or three radiating stitches (a, illustration , and illustration ). the rings may be attached by a single thread. they can easily be made to overlap like fish scales, and most elaborately embossed pictures have been worked in this way. there is a vestment in the cathedral at granada which is a marvel to see; but not the thing to do, surely. relief is easily overdone, in figure work so easily that one may say safety is to be found only in the most delicate relief. to make figures look round is to make them look stuffed. that stuffy images are to be found in mediæval church work is only too true. in gothic art one finds this quaint, perhaps, but it is perilously near the laughable. the point of the ridiculous is plainly overpassed in english work of the th century, which degenerates at last into mere doll work--the dolls duly stuffed and dressed in most childish fashion, their drapery, in actual folds, projecting. some really admirable needlework was wasted upon this kind of thing, which has absolutely no value, except as an object-lesson in the frivolity of the stuarts and their on-hangers. quilting. a most legitimate use of padding is in the form of quilting, where it serves a useful as well as an ornamental purpose. to quilt is to stitch one cloth upon another with something soft between (or without anything between). our word "counterpane" is derived from "contre-poinct," a corruption of the french word for back-stitch, or "quilting" stitch, as it was called. if you merely stitch two thicknesses of stuff together in a pattern, such as that on illustration , the stuff between the stitches has a tendency to rise: the two layers of stuff do not lie close except where they are held together by the stitching, and a very pleasantly uneven surface results. this effect is enhanced if between the two stuffs there is a layer of something soft. if, now, you keep down the groundwork of your design by comparatively frequent stitches diapering it, you get a pattern in relief, more or less, according to the substance of your padding. another way is to pad the pattern only, as in illustration , where the padding is of soft cord. [illustration: . quilting, done in chain-stitch from the back.] a cunning way of padding is first to stitch the outline of the design, and then from the back to insert the stuffing. you first pierce the stuff with a stiletto, and, having pushed in the cord, cotton, or what not, efface as far as possible the piercing: the stuffing has then not much temptation to escape from its confinement. the persians do most elaborate quilting on fine white linen, which they sew with yellow silk; but the pattern is stuffed with cords of blue cotton, the colour of which just grins through the white sufficiently to cool it, and to distinguish it from the creamy white ground made warmer by the yellow stitching. quilting is most often done in white upon colour, or in one colour upon white. yellow silk on white linen (as in the case of illustration ) was a favourite combination, and is always a delicate one. but there is no reason why a variety of colours should not be used in a counterpane. when you stitch down the ground with coloured silk you give it, of course, colour as well as flatness. [illustration: . raised quilting.] stitch groups. there are all sorts of ways in which stitches might be grouped:--according to the order of time in which historically they came into use; according as they are worked through and through the stuff or lie mostly on its surface; according as they are conveniently worked in the hand or necessitate the use of a frame; and in other ways too many to mention. it is not difficult, for example, to imagine a classification according to which the satin-stitch in illustration would figure as a canvas stitch. in the samplers they are grouped according to their construction, that seeming to us the most practical for purposes of description. they might for other purposes more conveniently be classed some other way. at all events, it is helpful to group them. designer and worker alike will go straighter to the point if once they get clearly into their minds the stitches and their use, and the range of each--what it can do, what it can best do, what it can ill do, what it cannot do at all. anyone, having mastered the stitches and grasped their scope, can group them for herself, say, into stitches suited ( ) to line work, ( ) to all-over work, ( ) to shading, and so on. these she might again subdivide. of line stitches, for example, some are best suited for straight lines, others for curved; some for broad lines, others for narrow; some for even lines, others for unequal; some for outlining, others for veining. and, further, of all-over stitches some give a plain surface, others a patterned one; some do best for flat surfaces, others for modelled; some look best in big patches, some answer only for small spaces. with regard to shading stitches, there are various ways (see the chapter on shading) of giving gradation of colour and of indicating relief or modelling. some stitches, of course, are adapted to various uses, as crewel, chain, and satin stitches--naturally the most in use. workers generally end in adopting certain stitches as their own. that is all right, so long as they do not forget that there are other stitches which might on occasion serve their purpose. anyway, they should begin by knowing what stitches there are. until they know, and know too what each can do, they are hardly in a position to determine which of them will best do what they want. our samplers show the use to which the stitches on them may be put. [illustration: . satin-stitch in the making.] by way of _résumé_, it may be added that for line work, more or less fine, crewel, chain, back and rope stitches, and couched cord are most suitable; crewel for long lines especially, and rope stitch for both curved and straight lines; for a boundary line, buttonhole is most emphatic; for broader lines, herring-bone, feather, and oriental stitches answer better; ladder-stitch has the advantage of a firm edge on both sides of it. satin and chain stitches, couching and laying, and basket work make good bands, but are not peculiarly adapted to that purpose. for covering broad surfaces, crewel, chain, and satin stitches (including, of course, what are called long-and-short and plumage stitches) serve admirably, as does also darning and laid-work; and for gold thread, couching. french knots do best for small surfaces only. the stitches most useful for purposes of shading are mentioned later on. no sort of classification is possible until the number of stitches has been reduced to the necessary few, and all fancy stitches struck out of the list. enquiry should also be made into the title of each stitch to the name by which it is known; and the names themselves should be brought down to a minimum. reduce them to the fewest any needlewoman will allow, and they are still, if not too many, more than are logically required. some of them, too, describe not stitches, but ways of using a stitch. the term long-and-short, it has already been explained (page ), has less to do with a particular stitch than its proportion, and the term plumage-stitch refers more to the direction of the stitch than to the stitch itself. and so with other stitches. it is its oblique direction only which distinguishes stem-stitch from other short stitches of the kind. running, again, amounts to no more than proportioning stitches to the mesh of the stuff, and taking several of them at one passing of the needle; and darning is but rows of running side by side. the term split-stitch describes no new stitch, but a particular treatment to which a crewel or a satin stitch is submitted. the foregoing summaries of stitches are only by way of suggestion, something to set the embroidress thinking for herself. she must choose her own method; but it would help her, i think, to schedule the stitches for herself according to her own ways and wants. the most suitable stitch may not suit every one. individual preference and individual aptitude count for something. it is not a question of what is demonstrably best, but of what best suits you. one stitch, or many? the first thing to be settled with regard to the choice of stitch is whether to employ one stitch throughout, or a variety of stitches. much will depend upon the effect desired. good work has been done in either way; but one may safely say, in the first place, that it is as well not to introduce variety of stitch without good cause--there is safety in simplicity--and in the second, that stitches should be chosen to go together, in order that the work may look all of a piece. when the various stitches are well chosen, it is difficult at a glance to distinguish one from another. a great variety of stitches in one piece of work is worrying, if not bewildering. it is as well not to use too many, to keep in the main to one or two, but not to be afraid of using a third, or a fourth, to do what the stitch or stitches mainly relied upon cannot do. [illustration: . stitches in combination.] it tends also towards simplicity of effect if you use your stitches with some system, not haphazard, and in subordination one to the other; there must be no quarrelling among them for superiority. you should determine, that is to say, at the outset, which stitch shall be employed for filling, which for outline; or which for stalks, which for leaves, and which for flowers. or, supposing you adopt one general stitch throughout, and introduce others, you should know why, and make up your mind to employ your second for emphasis of form, your third for contrast of texture, or for some other quite definite purpose. it is not possible here to point out in detail the system on which the various examples illustrated have been worked; the reader must worry that out for herself. but one may just point out in passing how well the various stitches go together in some few instances. nothing could be more harmonious, for example, than the combination of knot, chain, and buttonhole stitches in illustration ; or of ladder, oriental, herring-bone, and other stitches in illustration . again, in illustration the contrast between satin-stitch in the bird and couched cord for the clouding is most judicious, as is the knotting of the bird's crest. laid floss contrasts, again, admirably with couched gold in illustrations , , , and satin-stitch with couching in illustration , where the gold is reserved mainly for outline, but on occasion serves to emphasise a detail. [illustration: . fine needlework upon linen.] couched gold and surface satin-stitch are used together again in illustration , each for its specific purpose. the harmony between appliqué work and couching or chain-stitch outline has been alluded to already. a danger to be kept in view when working in one stitch only is, lest it should look like a woven textile, as it might if very evenly worked. some kinds of embroidery seem hardly worth doing nowadays, because they suggest the loom. that may be a reason for some complexity of stitch, in which lurks that other danger of losing simplicity and breadth. the lace-like appearance of the needlework upon fine linen in illustration , results chiefly from the extraordinary delicacy with which it is done, but it owes something also to the variety of stitch and of stitch-pattern employed in it. outline. the use of outline in embroidery hardly needs pointing out. it is often the obvious way of defining a pattern, as, for example, where there is only a faint difference in depth of tint between the pattern and its background; in appliqué work it is necessary to mask the joins; and it is by itself a delightful means of diapering a surface with not too obtrusive pattern. allusion to the stitches suitable to outline has been made already (see stitch-groups), as well as to the colour of outlining, _à propos_ of appliqué. it is difficult to overrate the importance of this question of colour in the case of outline; but there are no rules to be laid down, except that a coloured outline is nearly always preferable to a black one. the germans of the th century were given to indulging in black outlines, and you may see in their work how it hardened the effect, whereas a coloured outline may define without harshness. the spaniards, on the other hand, realised the value of colour, and would, for example, outline gold and silver upon a dark green ground in red, with admirable effect. a double outline, for which there is often opportunity in bold work, may be turned to good account. among the successful combinations which come to mind is an appliqué pattern in yellow and white upon dark green, outlined first with gold cord, and then, next the green, with a paler and brighter green. another is a pattern chiefly in yellow upon purple, outlined first with yellow couched with gold, and next the ground with silver. in the case of couched cord or gold, the colour of the stitching counts also. stitches from the edge of a leaf or what not, inwards, alternately long and short, though they form an edge to the leaf, are not properly outlining. this is rather a stopping short of solid work than outlining, though it often goes by that name. the first condition of a good outline stitch is that it should be, as it were, supple, so as to follow the flow of the form. at the same time it should be firm. fancy stitches look fussy; and a spikey outline is worse than none at all. there is absolutely no substantial ground for the theory that outlines should be worked in a stitch not used elsewhere in the work. on the contrary, it is a good rule not to introduce extra stitches into the work unless they give something which the stitches already employed will not give. the simplest way is always safest. an outline affords a ready means of clearing up edges; but it should not be looked upon merely as a device for the disguise of slovenliness. unless the colour scheme should necessitate an outline, an embroidress, sure of her skill, will often prefer not to outline her work, and to get even the drawing lines within the pattern, by voiding. she will leave, that is to say, a line of ground-stuff clear between the petals of her flowers, or what not; which line, by the way, should be narrower than it is meant to appear, as it looks always broader than it is. it is more difficult, it must be owned, thus to work along two sides of a line of ground-stuff than to work a single line of stitching, but it is within the compass of any skilled worker; and skilled workers have delighted in voiding even when their work was on a small scale necessitating fine lines of voiding (illustrations and ). in work on a bold scale there is no difficulty about it; and it would be remarkable that it is so seldom used, were it not that the uncertain worker likes to have a chance of clearing up ragged edges, and that voiding implies a broader and more dignified treatment of design than it is the fashion to affect. shading. one arrives inevitably at gradation of colour in embroidery; the question is how best to get it. but, before mentioning the ways in which it may be got, it seems necessary to protest that shading is not a matter of course. perfectly beautiful work may be done, and ought more often to be done, in merely flat needlework; the gloss of the silk and its varying colour as it catches the light according to the direction of the stitching, are quite enough to prevent a monotonously flat effect. still, embroidery affords such scope for gradation of colour, not, practically, to be got by any process of weaving, that a colourist may well revel in the delights of colour which silks of various dyes allow. and so long as colour is the end in view there is not much danger that a colourist will go wrong. [illustration: . part of a design by walter crane.] the use of shading in embroidery is rather to get gradation of colour than relief of form. as to the stitch to be employed, that is partly a personal matter, partly a question of what is to be done. the stitch must be adapted to the kind of shading, or the shading must be designed to suit the stitch. it makes all the difference in the world, whether your shading is deliberately done, or whether one shade is meant to merge into another. in the best work it is always done with decision. there is nothing vague or casual, for example, about the shading of mr. crane's animals on illustration . everywhere the shading is _drawn_, either in lines or as a sharply defined mass. given a drawing in which the shadows are properly planned and crisply drawn like that, and you may use what stitch you please. [illustration: . shading in chain-stitch.] the more natural way of shading is to let the stitches follow the lines of the drawing, and so make use of them to express form, as with the strokes of the pen or pencil upon paper. thus, in mediæval figurework prior to the th century, the faces were usually done in split stitch, worked concentrically from the middle of the cheek outward, and so suggesting the roundness of the face (illustration ). but just as there is a system of shading according to which the draughtsman makes all his strokes in one direction (slanting usually), so the embroidress may, if she prefer, take her stitches all one way; and in the th and th centuries the fashion was to work flesh in short-satin stitches always in the vertical direction (illustration ). the term "long-and-short-stitch" is frequently used by way of describing the stitch. it does not, as i have said, help us much. the stitches are in the first place only satin-stitches worked not in even rows, as in illustration , but so that there is no line of demarcation between one row and another. and this, in the case of gradated colour, makes the shading softer. the words long-and-short apply strictly only to the outer row of stitches. you begin, that is to say, with alternately long and short stitches. if you work after that with stitches of equal length, they necessarily alternate or dovetail. if the form to be worked necessitates radiation in the stitching, there results a texture something like the feathering of a bird's breast (illustration ), whence the name plumage-stitch, another term describing not so much a stitch as the use of a stitch. no matter what the stitch, one must be able to draw in order to express form: it is rather more difficult to draw with a needle than with a pen, that is all. true, the designer may do that for you, and make such a workmanlike drawing that there is no mistaking it; but it takes a skilled draughtsman to do it. [illustration: . shading in short stitches.] in flattish decorative work, where the drawing is in firm lines, as in illustration , the task of the embroidress is relatively easy--there is not much shading, for example, in the drapery of king abias, and the vine leaves are merely worked with yellower green towards the edges. even where there is strong shading, a draughtsman who knows his business may make shading easy by drawing his shadows with firm outlines. the taste of the artist who designed the roses in illustration is too pictorial to win the heart of any one with a leaning towards severity of design; too much relief is sought; but the way he has got it shows the master workman; he has deliberately laid in _flat_ washes of colour, each with its precise outline, which the worker had only to follow faithfully with flat tambour work. a design like that, given the working drawing, asks little of the worker beyond patient care: of the designer it asks considerable knowledge. a yet more pictorial effect is produced in much the same way, this time in satin stitch, in illustration . the artist has for the most part drawn his shadows with crisp brush strokes, which the worker had no difficulty in following; but there is some rounding of the birds' bodies which a merely mechanical worker could not have got. in fact, there are indications that this is the work more of a painter than of an embroidress, who would have acknowledged by her stitches the feathering of the birds' necks as well as their roundness. [illustration: . shading in long-and-short and split stitches.] you can embroider, of course, without knowing much about drawing; but you cannot go far in the direction of shading (not drawn for you, or only vaguely drawn) without the appreciation of form which comes only of knowing and understanding. there is evidence of such knowledge and understanding in the working of the lion in illustration . that is not a triumph of even stitching; but it is a triumph of drawing with the needle. the short satin and split stitches are not placed with the regularity so dear to the human machine, but they express the design perfectly. the embroiderer of that lion was an artist, perhaps the artist who designed it. "it might be a _man's_ work," was the verdict of an embroidress. at all events it is the work of some one who could draw, and only a draughtsman or draughtswoman could have worked it. this is not said wholly in praise of shading. embroidery ought, for the most part, to do very well without it. the point to insist upon is that, if shading is employed at all, it should mean something, and not be mere fumbling after form. the charm of shading in embroidery is not the roundness of form which you get, but the gradation of colour which it gives. this may be very delicately and subtly got by split-stitch, which renders that stitch so valuable in the rendering of flesh tints. but the blending of colour into colour which is universally admired is not quite so admirable as people think. one may easily employ too many shades of colour, easily merge them too imperceptibly one into the other, getting only unmeaning softness. an artist prefers to see few shades employed, and those chosen with judgment and placed with deliberate intention. if they mean something, there is no harm in letting it be seen where they meet: broad masses give breadth: vagueness generally means ignorance. that is, perhaps, why one dislikes it, and why it is so common. figure embroidery. to an accomplished needlewoman embroidery offers every scope for art, short of the pictorial; and the artist is not only justified in lavishing work upon it, but often bound to do so, more especially when it comes to working with materials in themselves rich and costly. a beautiful material, if you are to better it (and if not why work upon it at all?), must be beautifully worked. costly material is worth precious work; and there should be by rights a preciousness about the needlework employed upon it, preciousness of design and of execution. to put the value into the material is mere vulgarity. it seems to an artist almost to go without saying, that the labour on work claiming to be art should be in excess of the value of the stuff which goes to make it. what we really prize is the hand work and the brain work of the artist; and the more precious the stuff he employs, the more strictly he is bound to make artistic use of it. i do not mean by that _pictorial_ use. you can get, no doubt, with the needle effects more or less pictorial--most often less; but, when got, they are usually at the best rather inferior to the picture of which they are a copy. work done should be better always than the design for it, which was a project only, a promise. the fulfilment should be something more. a design of which the promise is not likely to be fulfilled in the working-out is, for its purpose, ill-designed. to say that you would rather have the drawing from which it was done (and that is what you feel about "needle pictures") is most severely to condemn either the designer or the worker, or perhaps both. only a competent figure painter, for example, can be trusted to render flesh with the needle; her success is in proportion to her skill with the implement, but in any case less than what might be achieved in painting: then why choose the needle? admitting that a painter who by choice or chance takes to the needle may paint with it satisfactorily enough, that does not go to prove the needle a likely tool to paint with. it is anything but that. there was never a greater mistake than to suppose, as some do who should know better, that, to raise embroidery to the rank of art, figure work is necessary. the truth is that only by rare exception does embroidered figure work rise to the rank of art: the rule is that it is degraded, the more surely as it aims at picture. and that is why, for all that has been done in the way of wonderful picture work, say by the italians and the flemings of the early renaissance, the pictorial is not the form of design best suited to embroidery. needlework, like any other decorative craft, demands treatment in the design, and the human figure submits less humbly to the necessary modification than other forms of life. animals, for instance, lend themselves more readily to it, and so do birds; fur and feathers are obviously translatable into stitches. leaves and flowers accommodate themselves perhaps better still; but each is best when it is only the motive, not the model, of design. if only, then, on account of the greater difficulty in treating it, the figure is not the form of design most likely to do credit to the needle, and it is absurd to argue that, figure work being the noblest form of design, therefore the noblest form of embroidery must include it. the embroidress entirely in sympathy with her materials will not want telling that the needle lends itself better to forms less fixed in their proportions than the human figure; the decorator will feel that there is about fine ornament a nobility of its own which stands in need of no pictorial support; the unbiassed critic will admit that figure design of any but the most severely decorative kind is really outside the scope of needle and thread; and that the desire to introduce it arises, not out of craftsmanlikeness, but out of an ambition which does not pay much regard to the conditions proper to needlework. those conditions should be a law to the needlewoman. what though she be a painter too? she is painting now with a needle. it is futile to attempt what could be better done with a brush. she should be content to work the way of the needle. common sense asks that much at least of loyalty to the art she has chosen to adopt. wonderful and almost incredibly pictorial effects have been obtained with the needle; but that does not mean to say it was a wise thing to attempt them. the result may be astonishing and yet not worth the pains. the pains of flesh-painting with the needle (if not the impossibility of it for all practical purposes) is confessed by the habit which arose of actually painting the flesh in water colour upon satin. paint on satin, if you like. there may be occasions when there is no time to stitch, and it is necessary for some ceremonial and more or less theatric purpose to paint what had better have been worked. the more frankly such work acknowledges its temporary and makeshift character the better. scene painting is art, until you are asked to take it for landscape painting. anyway, the mixture of painting and embroidery is not to be endured; and it is a poor-spirited embroidress who will thus confess her weakness and call on painting to help her out. it does not even do that, it fails absolutely to produce the desired effect. the painting quarrels with the stitching, and there is after all no semblance of that unity which is the very essence of picture. [illustration: . chinese chain-stitching.] an instance of painted flesh occurs upon illustration . can any one, in view of the bordering to the picture, doubt that the worker had much better have kept to what she could do, and do perfectly, ornament? an example, on the other hand, of what may be done in the way of expressing action in the fewest and simplest chain stitches (if only you know the form you want to represent and can manage your needle) is given in the wee figures in the landscape above ( ). [illustration: . fifteenth century figure work.] in speaking of the necessary treatment of the human figure (as of other natural form) in needlework, it is not meant to contend that there is one only way of treating it consistently, or that there are no more than two or three ways. there are various ways, some no doubt yet to be devised, but they must be the ways of the needle. the flesh, of course, is the main difficulty. a gothic practice, and not the least happy one, was to show the flesh in the naked linen of the ground, only just working the outlines of the features in black or brown. another way was to work the face in split stitch, as already explained, and over that the markings of the features, the fine lines in short satin-stitches, the broader in split-stitch, as shown in the figure of king abias in illustration . the general treatment of the figure there is of course in the manner of the th century, better suited, from its severe simplicity, for rendering in needlework than later and more pictorial forms of composition. that needlework can, however, in capable hands, go farther than that is shown in illustration , a rather threadbare specimen of th century work, in which the character of the man's face is admirably expressed. it is first worked in short, straight stitches, all of white, and over that the drawing lines are worked in brown. the artist gets her effect in the simplest possible way, and apparently with the greatest ease. [illustration: . sixteenth century italian figure work.] more like painting is the head in illustration , worked in short stitches of various shades, which give something of the colour as well as the modelling of flesh. this is a triumph in its way. it goes about as far as the needle can go, and further than, except under rare conditions, it ought to go. but it may do that and yet be needlework. equally wonderful in their miniature way are the faces of the little people on illustration , about the size of your finger nail. they are worked in solid satin-stitch, and the two layers of silk (back and front) give a substance fairly thick but at the same time yielding, so that when the stitches for the mouth and eyes are sewn tightly over it they sink in, and, as it were, push up the floss between and give relief. the nose is worked in extra satin-stitch over the other, and the slight depression at the end of the stitch gives lines of drawing. this trenches upon modelling, but, on such a minute scale, does not amount to very pronounced departure from the flat. the method employed does not lend itself to larger work. the last word on the question as to what one may do with the needle is, that you may do what you _can_; but it is best to seek by means of it what it can best do, and always to make much of the texture of silk, and of the quality of pure and lustrous colour which it gives--in short, to work _with_ your materials. [illustration: . chinese figures.] the direction of the stitch. the effect of any stitch is vastly varied, according to the use made of it. satin-stitch, it was shown ( ), worked in twisted silk, ceases to have any appearance of satin; and it makes all the difference whether the stitches are long or short, close together or wide apart. more important than all is the direction of the stitch. by that alone you can recognise the artist in needlework. the direction of the stitch deserves consideration from two points of view--that of colour and that of form. first as to colour. it is not sufficiently realised that every alteration in the direction of the stitch means variety of tone, if not of tint. take a feather in your hand, and turn it about, so that now one side of the quill now the other catches the light; or notice the alternate stripes of brighter and greyer green on a fresh-trimmed lawn, where the roller has bent the blades of grass first this way and then that. so it is with the colour of silken stitches. the pattern opposite ( ) looks as if it had been embroidered in two shades of silk; in the work itself it has still more that appearance; but it is all in one shade of brownish gold: the difference which you see is merely the effect of light upon it. the horizontal stitches, as it happens, catch the light; the vertical ones do not. had the light come from a different point, the effect might have been reversed. if there had been diagonal stitches from right to left, they would have given a third tint; and, if there had been others from left to right, they would have given a fourth. [illustration: . influence of stitch-direction upon colour.] suppose a pattern in which the leaves were worked horizontally, the flowers vertically, and the stalks in the direction of their growth, all in one stitch and in one colour, there would be a very appreciable difference in tone between leaves, flowers, and stalks. in gold, the difference would be yet more striking. and that is one reason why gold backgrounds are worked in diapers; not so much for the sake of pattern as to get variety of broken tint. in the famous syon cope the direction of the stitching is frankly independent of the design. that is to say, that, while the pattern radiates naturally from the neck, the stitches do not follow suit, but go all one way--the way of the stuff. this, though rather a brutal solution of the difficulty, saves all afterthought as to what direction the stitches shall take; but it has very much the effect of weaving. the embroiderer of the th century was not afraid of that (aimed at it, perhaps?), and was, apparently, afraid of letting go the leading strings of warp and weft. when stitches follow the direction of the form embroidered, accommodating themselves to it, all manner of subtle change of tone results. you get, not only variety of colour, but more than a suggestion of form. that is the second point to be considered. [illustration: . meaningless direction of stitch.] the direction taken by the stitch always helps to explain the drawing; or, if the needlewoman cannot draw, to show that she cannot--as, for example, in the tulip herewith ( ). a less intelligent management of the stitch it would be hard to find. the needlestrokes, far from helping in the very slightest degree to explain the folding over of the petals, directly contradict the drawing. the flower might almost have been designed to show how not to do it; but it is a piece of old work, quite seriously done, only without knowing. the embroidress is free, of course, to work her stitches in a direction which does not express form at all, so as to give a flat tint, in which is no hint of modelling; but the intention is here quite obviously naturalistic. the rendering below ( ) shows the direction the stitches should have taken. the turn-over of the petals is even there not very clearly expressed, but that is the fault of the drawing (very much on a par with the workmanship), from which it would not have been fair to depart. [illustration: . more expressive lines of stitching.] a more clever fulfilment of the naturalistic intention is to be seen in illustration . the drawing of the doves is in the rather loose manner of the period of marie antoinette; but the treatment of the stitch is clever in its way--the way, as i have said, rather of painting than of embroidery, giving as it does the roundness of the birds' bodies but no hint of actual feathering, such as you find in the bird in illustration . there, every stitch helps to explain the feathering. by a discreet use of what i must persist in calling the same stitch (that is, satin-stitch and the variety of it called plumage-stitch) the embroiderer has rendered with equal perfection the sweep of the broad wing feathers and the fluffy feathering of the breast. it is by means of the direction of the stitch, too, that the drawing of the neck is so perfectly rendered. [illustration: . satin and plumage stitches.] the direction of the stitch is varied to some purpose in the head in illustration , where the flesh is all in straight upright stitches, whilst the hair is stitched in the direction of its growth. the five petals on the satin-stitch sampler (illustration )--to descend from the masterly to the elementary--show something of the difference it makes in what direction the stitch is worked. it matters more, of course, in some stitches than in others; but in most cases the direction of the stitch suggests form, and needs accordingly to be considered. it scarcely needs further pointing out how the direction of the stitch may help to explain the construction of the form, as in the case of leaves, for example, where the veining may be suggested; or of stalks, where the fibre may be indicated. there is no law as to the direction of stitch, except that it should be considered. you may follow the direction of the forms, you may cross them, you may deliberately lay your stitches in the most arbitrary manner; but, whatever you do, you must do it with intelligent purpose. an artist or a workwoman can tell at once whether your stitch was laid just so because you meant it or because you knew no better. having laid your stitches deliberately, it is best to leave them, and not to work over them with other stitching. stitching over stitching was resorted to whenever elaboration was the fashion; but the simpler and more direct method is the best. the way the veins are laid in cord over the satin-stitch in the lotus leaves in illustration is the one fault to be found with an all but perfect piece of work. the stitching over the laid silver mid-rib in illustration is better judged. it may be said, generally speaking, that except where, as in the case of laid-work, the first stitching was done in anticipation of a second, and the work would be incomplete without it, stitching over stitches should be indulged in only with moderation. stitching is sometimes done not merely over stitches, but upon the surface of them, not penetrating the ground-stuff. unless, in such a case, the first stitching is of such compact character as to want no strengthening, it amounts almost to a sin against practicality not to take advantage of the second stitching to make it firmer. church work. it is customary to draw a distinction between church, or ecclesiastical as it is called, and other embroidery; but it is a distinction without much difference. certain kinds of work are doubtless best suited to the dignity of church ceremonial, and to the breadth of architectural decoration; accordingly, certain processes of work have been adopted for church purposes, and are taken as a matter of course--too much as a matter of course. the fact is, work precisely like that employed on vestments and the like (illustration ) was used also for the caparison of horses and other equally profane purposes. [illustration: . renaissance church work.] practical considerations, alike of ceremonial and decoration, make it imperative that church work should be effective: religious sentiment insists that it should be of the best and richest, unsparingly, and even lavishly given; common sense dictates that the loving labour spent upon it should not be lost. and these and other such considerations involve methods of work which, by constant use for church purposes, have come to be classed as ecclesiastical embroidery. but there is no consecrated stitch, no stitch exclusively belonging to the church, none probably invented by it. for embroidery is a primitive art--clothes were stitched before ever churches were furnished; and european methods of embroidery are all derived from oriental work, which found its way westwards at a very early date. phrygia (sometimes credited with the invention of embroidery) passed it on to greece, and greece to italy, the gate of european art. christianity produced new forms of design, but not new ways of work. the methods adopted in the nunneries of the west were those which had already been perfected in the harems of the east. embroidery for the church must naturally take count of the church, both as a building and as a place of worship; but, as apart from all other needlework, there is no such thing as church embroidery; and the branding of one very dull kind of thing with that name is in the interest neither of art nor of the church, but only of business. "ecclesiastical art" is just a trade-term, covering a vast amount of soulless work. there is in the nature of things no reason why art should be reserved for secular purposes, and only manufacture be encouraged by the clergy. the test of fitness for religious service is religious feeling; but that is hardly more likely to be found in the output of the church furnisher (trade patterns overladen with stock symbols), than in the stitching of the devout needlewoman, working for the glory of god, in whose service of old the best work was done. many of the examples of old work given on these pages are from church vestments, altar furniture, and the like; information on that point will be found in the descriptive index of illustrations at the beginning of the book; but they are here discussed from the point of view of workmanship, with as little reference as possible to religious or other use: that is a question apart from art. the distinguishing features of church work should be, in the first place, its devotional spirit, and, in the second, its consummate workmanship. in it, indeed, we might expect to find work beyond the rivalry of trade controlled by conditions of time and money. even then it would be but the more perfect expression of the same art which in its degree ennobled things of civic and domestic use. church embroidery, as usually practised in these days, is not only the most frigid and rigid in design, but the hardest and most mechanical in execution--which last arises in great part from the way it is done. it is not embroidered straight upon the silk or velvet which forms the groundwork of the design, but separately on linen. the pattern thus worked is cut out, and either pasted straight on to the ground-stuff, or, if the linen is at all loose, first mounted on thin paper and then cut out and pasted on to the velvet, where it is kept under pressure until it is dry. in either case the edges have eventually to be worked over. this habit of working on linen or canvas and applying the embroidery ready worked on to the richer stuff, though early used on occasion, does not seem to have been common until a period when manufacture generally usurped the place of art. the work in illustration was done directly on to the silk. in the latter half of the th century there was a regular trade in embroidery ready to sew on, by which means purveyors could turn out in a day or two what would have taken months to embroider. even if it had been the invariable mediæval practice to work sprays or what not upon canvas and apply them bodily to the velvet, that would not make it the more workmanlike or straightforward way of working. if needle stitches are the ostensible means of getting an effect upon a stuff, it seems only right they should be stitched upon that stuff. to work the details apart and then clap them on to it, stands to embroidery very much in the relation of hedge-carpentering to joinery. nor is it usually happy in result. occasionally, as in the case of miss c. p. shrewsbury's vine-leaf pattern (illustration ), it disarms criticism. more often it looks stuck-on. a way of avoiding that look is to add judicious after-stitching on the stuff itself; and this must not be confined to the sewing on or outlining merely, but allowed to wander playfully over the field, so as to draw your eye away from the margin of the applied patch, and lead you to infer that, some of the needlework being obviously done on the velvet, all of it is. but to disguise in this way the line of demarcation, even if you succeed in doing it, is at best the art of prevarication. [illustration: . gothic church work.] no doubt it is difficult to work upon velvet. the stuff is not very sympathetic, and the stitching has a way of sinking into the pile, and being, as it were, drowned in it. but the trailing spirals of split-stitch which play about the applied spots in many a mediæval altar cloth hold their own quite well enough to show that silk can be worked straight on to the velvet. that gold may be equally well worked straight on to velvet may be seen in any indian saddle cloth. heavy work of this kind may be rather man's work than woman's; but that is not the point. the question is, how to get the best results; and the answer is, by working on the stuff. it may be argued that in this way you cannot get very high relief; but the occasions for high relief are, at the best, rare. if you want actual modelling, as in the spanish work referred to in a previous chapter, that must, of course, be worked separately, built up, as it were, upon the canvas and worked over. and there is no reason why it should not, for in no case does it appear to be stitching. in fact, it aims deliberately at the effect of chased and beaten metal. [illustration: . modern church work by miss shrewsbury.] heavy appliqué of any kind affects, of course, not only the thickness but the flexibility of the material thus enriched--an important consideration if it is meant to hang in folds. a plea for simplicity. the simplest patterns are by no means the least beautiful. it is too much the fashion to underrate the artistic value of the less pretentious forms of needlework, and especially of flat ornament, which has, nevertheless, its own very important place in decoration. as for geometric pattern, that is quite beneath consideration--it is so mechanical! mechanical is a word as easily spoken as another; but if needlework is mechanical, that is more often the fault of the needlewoman than of the mechanism she employs. the orientals, who indulged so freely in geometric device, were the least mechanical of workers. it is our rigid way of working it which robs geometric ornament of its charm. the needleworker has less than ever occasion to be afraid of geometric pattern; for it is peculiarly difficult to get in it that appearance of rule-and-compass-work which makes ornament so dull. the one real objection to geometric pattern is that it is nowadays so cheaply and so mechanically got by _weaving_ that, however freely it may be rendered, there is a danger of its suggesting mechanical production, which embroidery emphatically ought not to do. there is a similar objection nowadays to some stitches, such, for example, as chain-stitch and back-stitch, which suggest the sewing-machine. embroidery does not to-day take quite the place it once did. it was used, for example, by the early coptic christians to supplement tapestry. that is to say, what they could not weave they stitched; it was only to get more delicate detail than their tapestry loom would allow, that they had recourse to the needle. needlework was, in fact, an adjunct to weaving. later, in mediæval times, the germans of cologne, for their church vestments and the like, wove what they could, and enriched their woven figures with embroidery. again, a great deal of oriental embroidery, and of peasant work everywhere, is merely the result of circumstances. where money is scarce and time is of no account, it answers a woman's purpose to do for herself with her needle what might in some respects be even better done on the loom. her preference for handwork is not that it has artistic possibilities, but that it costs her less. she would in many cases prefer the more mechanically produced fabric, if she could get it at the same price. we do not find that orientals reject the productions of the power-loom--which they would do if they had the artistic instincts with which we credit them. [illustration: . simple stitching on linen.] it results from our conditions of to-day that there are some kinds of needlework we admire, which yet are not worth our doing, such, for example, as the all-over work, which does not amount to more than simple diaper, and which really is not so much embroidering on a textile as converting it into one of another kind. glorified instances of this kind of work occur in the shawl work of cashmere, and in those beautiful bits of persian stitching which remind one of carpet-work in miniature, if they are not in fact related to carpet-weaving. embroidery was at one time the readiest, and practically the only, means of getting enrichment of certain kinds. to-day we get machine embroidery. as machinery is perfected, and learns to do what formerly could be done only by the needle, hand-workers get pushed aside and fall out of work. their chance is, in keeping always in advance of the machine. there is this hope for them, that the monotony of machine-made things produces in the end a reaction in favour of handwork--provided always it gives us something which manufacture cannot. possibly also there is scope for amateurs and home-artists in that combination of embroidery and hand-weaving with which the power-loom, though it has superseded it, does not enter into competition. [illustration: . simple couching on linen.] it is not so much for geometric ornament as for simple pattern that i here make my plea, for that reticent work of which so much was at one time done in this country--mere back-stitching, for example, or what looks like it, in yellow silk upon white linen; or the modest diaper, archaic, if you like, but inevitably characteristic, in which the naïveté of the sampler seems always to linger; or again, the admirably simple work in illustration . this last does not show so delicately in the photographic reproduction as it should, because, being in grey and yellow on white linen, the relative value of the two shades of colour is lost in the process. in the original the broader yellow bands are much more in tone with the ground, and do not assert themselves so much. such as it is, only an artist could have designed that border-work, and any neat-handed woman could have embroidered it. think again of the delicate work in white on white, too familiar to need illustration, which makes no loud claim to be art, but is content to be beautiful! is that to be a thing altogether of the past now that we have art needlework? art needlework! it has helped put an end to the patience of the modern worker, and to inspire her too often with ambitions quite beyond her powers of fulfilment. what one misses in the work of the present day is that reticent and unpretending stitchery, which, thinking to be no more than a labour of loving patience, is really a work of art, better deserving the title than a flaunting floral quilt which goes by the name of "art needlework"--designed apparently to worry the eye by day and to give bad dreams by night to whoever may have the misfortune to sleep under it. is anyone nowadays modest enough to do work such as the couching in outline in illustration ? yet what distinction there is about it! embroidery design. perfect art results only when designer and worker are entirely in sympathy, when the designer knows quite what the worker can do with her materials, and when the worker not only understands what the designer meant, but feels with him. and it is the test of a practical designer that he not only knows the conditions under which his design is to be carried out, but is ready to submit to them. the distinction here made between designer and embroiderer is not casual, but afore-thought, notwithstanding the division of labour it implies. enthusiasm has a habit of outrunning reason. because in some branches of industry subdivision of labour has been carried to absurd excess, it is the fashion to demand in all branches of it the autograph work of one person, which is no less absurd. to try and link together faculties which nature has for the most part put asunder, is futile. that designer and worker should be one and the same person is an ideal, but one only very occasionally fulfilled. when that happens (illustrations and ) it is well. but the attempt to realise it commonly works out in one of two ways: either a good design is spoilt in the working for want of executive skill on the part of the designer, or good workmanship is spent on poor design, as good, perhaps, as one has any right to expect of a skilled needleworker. the fact is, you can only make out all the world to be designers by reducing design to what all the world can do. and that is not much. there is a point of view from which it does not amount to design at all. the study of design forms part of the education of an embroidress, not so much that she may design what she works, but that she may know in the first place what good design is, and, in the second, be equal to the ever-recurring occasion when a design has to be modified or adapted. if, in thus manipulating design not hers, she should discover a faculty of invention, she will want no telling to exercise it. a designer wants no encouragement to design--she designs. there would be no occasion to insist upon this, were it not for the prevalence at the present moment of the idea that a worker, in whatever art or handicraft, is in artistic duty bound to design whatever she puts hand to do. that is a theory as false as it is unkind; let no embroidress be discouraged by it. let her, unless she is inwardly impelled to invent, remain content to do good needlework. that is her art. her business as an artist is to make beautiful things. co-operation in the making of them is no crime. and what, then, about originality? originality is a gift beyond price. but it is not a thing which even the designer should struggle after. it comes, if it is there. there is a revengeful consolation for the pain we suffer from design about us writhing to be up-to-date, in the thought that its contortions tell what pain it cost to do. the birth of beauty is a less agonising travail; and the thing to seek is beauty, not novelty. whoever planned the lines of the border in illustration , or treated the leafage in illustration , was not trying to be original, but determined to do his best. artists and workers of individuality and character are themselves, without being so much as aware that originality has gone out of them. [illustration: . renaissance ornament.] to assume, then, that every needlewoman is, or can ever be, competent to design what she embroiders, is to make very small account of design. how is it possible to take design seriously and yet think it is to be mastered without years of patient study, which few workwomen can or will devote to it? any cultivated woman may for herself invent (if it is to be called invention) something better worth working than is to be bought ready to work. and that may do for many purposes, so long as it does not claim to be more than it is; but in the case of really important work, to be executed at considerable cost not only of material, but of patient labour, surely it is worth giving serious thought to its design. the scant consideration commonly given to it shows how little the worker is in earnest. or has she thought? and is she persuaded that her artless spray of flowers, or the ironed-off pattern she has bought, is all that art could be? it would be rude to tell her she was wasting silk! how should she know? the only way of knowing is to study, to look at good work, old work by preference; it is worth no one's while to praise that unduly. and if in all that is now so readily accessible she finds nothing to admire, nothing which appeals to her, nothing which inspires her, then her case is hopeless. if, on the other hand, she finds only so much as one style of work sympathetic to her, studies that, lets its spirit sink into her, tries to do something worthy of it, then she is on the right road. measure yourself with the best, not with the common run of work; and if that should put you out of conceit with your own work, no great harm is done; sooner or later you have got to come to a modest opinion of yourself, if ever you are to do even moderate things. [illustration: . leaf treatment in appliquÉ.] but the "best" above referred to does not necessarily mean the most masterly. the best of a simple kind is not calculated to discourage anyone--rather, it looks as if it must be easy to do that; and in trying to do it you learn how much goes to the doing it. good design need not be of any great importance or pretensions. it may be quite simple, if only it is right; if the lines are true, the colour harmonious; if it is adapted to its place, to its use and purpose, to execution not only with the needle but in the particular kind of needlework to be employed. there has of late years been something of a revival of needlework design in schools of art, and some very promising and even most accomplished work has been done; but in many instances, as it seems to me, it is rather design which has been translated into needlework, than design clearly made for execution with the needle. a really appropriate and practical design for embroidery should be schemed not merely with a view to its execution with the needle, but with a view to its execution in a particular stitch or stitches--and possibly by a particular embroidress. to be safe in designing work so minute as that on illustration , one must be sure of the needlewoman who is to execute it. [illustration: . delicate satin-stitch--worked by miss buckle.] my reference to old work must not be taken to imply that design should be in imitation of what has been done, or that it should follow on those lines. design was once upon a time traditional; but the chain of tradition has snapped, and now conscious design must be eclectic--that is to say, one must study old work to see what has been done, and how it has been done, and then do one's own in one's own way. it is at least as foolish to break quite away from what has been done as to tether yourself to it. and in what has been done you will see, not only what is worth doing, but what is not. that, each must judge for herself. for my part, it seems to me the thing best worth doing is ornament. any way, this much is certain (and you have only to go to a museum to prove it), that there is no need for needleworkers, unless their instinct draws them that way, to take to needle painting, to pictures in silk, or even to flower stitching. the limitations of embroidery are not so rigidly marked as the boundaries of many another craft. there is little technical difficulty in representing flowers, for example, very naturally--too naturally for any dignified decorative purpose. embroiderer or embroidery designer will, as a matter of fact, be constantly inspired by flower forms, and silk gives the pure colour of their petals as nearly as may be. but, though the pattern be a veritable flower garden, the embroidress will not forget, to use the happy phrase of william morris, that she is gardening with silks and gold threads. let the needleworker study the work of the needle in preference to that of the brush; let her aim at what stuff and threads will give her, and give more readily than would something else. let her work according to the needle: take that for her guide, not be misled by what some other tool can do better; do what the needle can do best, and be content with that. that is the way to art in needlework, and the surest way. embroidery materials. embroidery is not among the things which have to be done, and must be done, therefore, as best one can do them. it is in the nature of a superfluity: the excuse for it is that it is beautiful. it is not worth doing unless it is done well, and in material worth the work done on it. if you are going to spend the time you must spend to do good work, it is worth while using good stuff, foolish to use anything else. the stuff need not be costly, but it should be the best of its kind; and it should be chosen with reference to the work to be done on it, and _vice versâ_. a mean ground-stuff suggests, if it does not necessitate, its being embroidered all over, ground-work as well as pattern; a worthier one, that it should not be hidden altogether from view; a really beautiful one, that enough of it should be left bare of ornament that its quality may be appreciated. [sidenote: stuffs.] it goes without saying, that for big, bold stitching a proportionately coarse ground-stuff should be used, and for delicate work, one of finer texture; whether it be linen, woollen cloth, or silk, your purpose will determine. linen is a worthy ground-stuff, which may be worked on with flax thread, crewel, or silk, but they should not be mixed. cotton is hardly worth embroidering. of woollen stuffs, good plain cloth is an excellent ground for work in wool or silk, but it is not pleasant to the touch in working. serge, if not too loose, may serve for curtains and the like, but it is not so well worth working upon. felt is beneath contempt. the nobler the material, the more essential it is that it should be of the best. poor satin is not "good enough to work on;" it looks poorer than ever when it is embroidered. satin should be stretched upon the frame the way of the stuff, and it should not be forgotten that it has a right and a wrong way up. if it is backed, the linen should be fine and smooth: on a coarse backing, the satin gets quickly worn away, as you may see in many a piece of old work that has gone ragged. "roman satin" and what is called "_satin de luxe_" (perhaps because it is not so luxurious as it pretends to be) are effective ground-stuffs easy to work upon; but there is an odour of pretence about satin-faced cotton. a corded silk is not good to embroider; the work on it looks hard; but a close twill answers very well. silk damask makes an admirable ground beautifully broken in colour, if only it is simple and broad enough in pattern. generally speaking, you can hardly choose a design too big and flat; but something depends upon the work to be done on it. in any case, the pattern of the damask ought not to assert itself, and if you can't make out its details, so much the better. brocade asserts itself too much to form a good background. there is a practice of embroidering the outlines, or certain details only, of damask and brocade patterns. that is a fair way of further enriching a rich stuff; but it is embroidery merely in the sense that it is literally embroidered: the needlework is only supplementary to weaving. tussah silk of the finer sort is easy to work in the hand. the thinner and looser quality needs to be worked in a frame, and with smooth silk not tightly twisted. [sidenote: thread.] with regard to the thread to work with: the coarser kinds of flax are best waxed before using. the crewel to be preferred is that not too tightly twisted. filoselle is well adapted to couching, and may be laid double ( threads). french floss is smooth, and does well for laid work; for fine work bobbin floss, or what is called "church floss," is better; the slight twist in filo-floss is against it; very thick floss may be used for french knots. for couching gold, a very fine twisted silk does well. purse silk, thick and twisted, lends itself perfectly to basket work. working in coloured silks, one should take advantage of the quality of pure transparent colour which silk takes in the dyeing. the palette of the embroiderer in silk is superlatively rich. [sidenote: gold.] the purest gold is generally made on a foundation of _red_ silk. japanese gold does not tarnish so readily as "passing," which is in some respects superior to it. for stitching through, there is a finer thread, called "tambour." flat gold wire is known by the name of "plate," and various twisted threads by the name of "purl." [sidenote: chenille.] a not very promising substance to embroider with is chenille. it came into use in the latter half of the th century, and was still in fashion in the time of marie antoinette. the use of it is shown in illustration , where the darker touches of the roses are worked in it. chenille seems to have been used instead of smooth silk, much as in certain old-fashioned water-colour paintings gum was used with the paint, or over it, to deepen the shadows. the material is used again in the wreath on illustration . it is worked there in chain-stitch with the tambour needle: it may also be worked in satin-stitch; but the more obvious way of using it is to couch it, cord by cord, with fine silk thread. there is this against chenille, that its texture is not sympathetic to the touch, and that there is a stuffy look about it always. nor does it seem ever quite to belong to the smooth satin ground on which it is worked. [sidenote: ribbon.] [sidenote: shaded silk.] there is less objection to embroidery in ribbon, which also had its day in the th century. it was very much the fashion for court dresses under louis seize--"_broderie de faveur_," as it was called, whence our "lady's favour"--_faveur_ being a narrow ribbon. some beautiful work of its kind was done in ribbon, sometimes _shaded_. shaded silk, by the way, may be used to artistic purpose. there is, for example, in the treasury of seville cathedral a piece of work on velvet, th century, it is said, rather persian in character, in which the forms of certain nondescript animals are at first sight puzzlingly prismatic in colour. they turn out to be roughly worked in short stitches of parti-coloured silk thread. the result is not altogether beautiful, but it is extremely suggestive. [sidenote: ribbon.] the effect of ribbon work is happiest when it is not sewn through the stuff after the manner of satin stitch, but lies on the surface of the satin ground, and is only just caught down at the ends of the loops which go to make leaves and petals. the twist of the ribbon where it turns gives interest to the surface of the embroidery, which is always more or less in relief upon the stuff, easy to crush, and of limited use therefore. [illustration: . leather appliquÉ upon velvet.] an effect of ribbon work, but of a harder kind, was produced by onlaying narrow strips of card or parchment upon a silken ground, twisted about after the fashion of ribbon. these, having been stitched in place, were worked over in satin-stitch. the work has the merit of looking just like what it is. but neither it nor ribbon embroidery is of any very serious account. passing reference has been made to other materials to embroider with than thread. gold wire, for example, and spangles, coral and pearls, which have been used with admirable discretion, as well as to vulgar purpose. jewels also were lavished upon the embroidery of bishops' mitres, gloves and other significant apparel, and in default of real stones, imitations in glass, and eventually beads (or pearls) of glass, in which we have possibly the origin of knots. bead embroidery is at least as old as ancient egypt. even atoms of looking-glass, sewn round with silk, have been used to really beautiful effect (barbaric though it may be) in indian work. the question almost occurs: with what can one not embroider? in madras they produce most brilliant embroidery upon muslin with the cases of beetles' wings. in the mauritius they use fish-scales; in north america, porcupine quills; and everywhere savage tribes use seeds, shells, feathers, and the teeth and claws of animals. to return to more civilised work, there is embroidery in gold and silver wire, allied to the art of the goldsmith, and on leather (illustration ), allied to the art of the saddler. it would be difficult to set any limit to the directions in which embroidery may branch out, impossible to describe them all. happily, it is not necessary. a skilled worker adapts herself to new conditions, and the conditions themselves dictate the necessary modification of the familiar way. a word to the worker. a good workwoman will not encumber herself with too many tools; but she will not shirk the expense of necessary implements, the simplest by preference, and the best that are made. [sidenote: needles.] embroidery needles should have large eyes; the silk is not rubbed in threading them, and they make way for the thread to pass smoothly through the stuff. for working in twisted silk, the eye should be roundish; for flat silk, long; for surface stitching or interlacing, a blunt "tapestry needle" is best; for carrying cord or gold thread through the stuff, a "rug needle." [sidenote: thimble.] for a thimble, choose an old one that has been worn quite smooth. [sidenote: scissors.] for scissors, be sure and have a strong, short, sharp and pointed pair--the surgical instrument, not the fancy article. nail scissors would not be amiss but for the roughness of the file on the blades. [sidenote: pins.] for pins, use always steel ones; and for tacks, those which have been tinned; or they will leave their mark behind them. [sidenote: frames.] for a frame, get the best you can afford; a cheap one is no economy; but a stand for it is not always necessary. it should be rather wider than might seem necessary, as the work should never extend to the full width of the webbing. a tambour frame is also useful, though you have no intention of doing tambour work. [sidenote: to stretch silk.] in stretching silk (not backed with linen) upon a frame, some preliminary care is necessary. the stuff should first be bordered with strips of linen or strong tape, and into the two sides of this border which are to be laced up a stout string should be tacked, to prevent it from giving when the work is drawn tight. [sidenote: framing.] the way to put embroidery material (thus bordered or not) into a frame is: first to sew it to the webbing (top and bottom), then to put the laths or screws into the bars, tightening them evenly, and lastly to lace it to the sides with fine string and a packing needle. [sidenote: transferring.] the ordinary ways of transferring a design to embroidery material are well known: the outline may be traced down with a point over transfer paper; it may be pricked upon paper and pounced upon the stuff in chalk or charcoal, and then traced in with a brush or pen; or it (still the outline only) may be stencilled. in any case, the outline marked upon the stuff should be well within what is to be the actual outline of the embroidery when worked. another way, more peculiarly adapted to needlework, is to trace the outline in ink upon fine tarlatan (leno muslin will do for very coarse work), and, having laid this down upon the stuff, to go over the lines again with a ruling pen and indian ink or colour. on a light stuff it is possible to use, instead of a pen, a hard pencil. on a dark material one must use chinese white, to which it is well to add, not only a little gum (arabic), but a trace of ox-gall, to make it work easily. one gets by this method naturally rather a rotten line upon the ground-stuff, but it is enough for all practical purposes. [sidenote: keeping clean.] delicate work is easily rubbed and soiled in the working. it is only reasonable precaution to protect it by a veil or covering of thin, soft, white glazed lining, tacked round the edges on to the stuff. on this you mark the four lines inclosing the actual embroidery, and, cutting through three of them, you have a flap of lining, which you raise and turn back when you are at work. if the work is very delicate, you may make instead of one flap a succession of little ones; but you see then only a portion of your work at a time, and cannot so well judge its effect. [sidenote: starting and finishing.] in starting work, do not begin by making a knot in your thread; run a few stitches (presently to be worked over) on the right side of the stuff. in finishing, you run them at the back of the stuff; for greater security still, one may end with a buttonhole-stitch. [sidenote: puckering.] there is less danger of puckering the stuff if you hold it over two fingers (at least), keeping it taut and the thread loose. working without a frame, it often comes handiest to hold the stuff askew, and there is a natural inclination to pull it in that direction. this temptation must be resisted, or puckering is sure to result. [sidenote: double thread.] in working with double silk or wool, it is better not to double back a single thread, but to pass two separate threads through the eye of the needle. the four threads (where these are turned back near the eye) make way through the stuff for the double thread, which passes easily; moreover, the thread by this means is not pulled too tight, and the effect is richer. the stitch wants always adaptation to the work it has to do. in working a curved line, for example, say in herring-bone-stitch, one is bound always to take up a larger piece of stuff on its outside than on its inner edge. when a thread runs short, it is better not to go on working with it, but to take another; and in finishing off, remember to run the thread in the direction opposite to that from which you are going to run the new one. in starting the new stitch, you naturally bring your needle out as if it were a continuation of that last made. [sidenote: undoing.] if your work is faulty, cut it out and do it again. unpicking is not so satisfactory: it loosens the stuff to drag the thread back through it, and the thread saved is of no further use. beginners find it hard to undo work once done; but a really good needlewoman never hesitates about it--her one thought is to get the thing right. don't break your thread ever: that pulls it out of condition: cut it always. in working, it is well to keep strictly to the stitch you have chosen, but not to the point of bigotry. one may finish off darning, for example, at the edges with a satin stitch. the thing to avoid is fudging. moreover, stitches should be laid right at once; there should be no boggling and botching, no working-over with stitches to make good--that is not playing fair. [sidenote: smoothing.] when the needlework is done, do not finish it with a flat iron. that finishes it in more senses than one. but suppose it is puckered? in that case, stretch it and damp it. to do this, first tack on to it (as explained on page ) a frame of strong tape. then, on a drawing-board or other even wooden surface, lay a piece of clean calico, and on that, face downwards, the embroidery, and, slightly stretching it, nail it down by the tape with tin-tacks rather close together. if now you lay upon it a damp cloth, the embroidery will absorb the moisture from it, and when that is removed, should dry as flat as it is possible to get it. a rather more daring plan is to damp the back of the stuff with a wet sponge. the work, instead of being nailed on to a board, may just as well be laced to a frame by the tape. in the case of raised embroidery there must be between it and the wood, not a cloth merely, but a layer of wadding. the damping above described may take the form of a thin paste or stiffening, but upon silk or other such material this wants tenderly doing. one last word as to thoroughness in needlework. those who have really not time to do much, should be satisfied with simple work. the desire to make a great show with little work is a snare. ladies make protest always, "there is too much work in that." well, if they are not prepared to work, they may as well give themselves up to their play. there was no labour shirked in the old work illustrated in these pages; and nothing much worth doing was ever done without work, hard work, and plenty of it. should that thought frighten folk away, they may as well be scared off at once. art can do very well without them. index. adaptation of stitch, , , antique stitch, (_see also oriental-stitch_) appliquÉ, , _et seq._, , , arab work, artless art, , attachment of cord, backstitch, , , , , , , , , basket patterns, beads, beginning & finishing, blanket-stitch, braid-stitch, , broad surfaces (covering), brocade, bullion, bullion-stitch, , , , buttonhole-stitch, , _et seq._, , , , , , buttonholing (lace), , byzantine embroidery, , cable-chain, canvas, , canvas stitches, _et seq._ canvas-stitch embroidery, card underlay, , cashmere embroidery, cashmere-stitch, chain-stitch, _et seq._, , , , , , , , , , , chenille, chinese embroidery, , , , , , church work, , , , , _et seq._ classification of stitches, , _et seq._ cloth, , , , colour, , colour gradation, , , colour and outline, , combination of stitches, coptic embroidery, , " tapestry, coral, , cord, " (couched), , , , " (attachment of), cotton, couched cord, , , , " gold, _et seq._, " outline, couching, , , , , _et seq._, " (reverse), counterchange, cretan embroidery, cretan-stitch, (_see also ladder-stitch_) crewel, crewel-stitch, _et seq._, , , , , " (surface), crewel work, , , cross-stitch, , , crossed buttonhole-stitch, cushion-stitch, , cut-work, damask, , damping, , darning, , , , , _et seq._, , " (japanese), " (surface), design, , , _et seq._ " traditional, , design and stitch, , designer and embroiderer, , diapers, , , , , , direction of stitch, , , , , , , _et seq._ double darning, " thread, dovetail-stitch, , (_see also embroidery and plumage stitches_) drawing with the needle, , , , , drawn work, , eastern embroidery. (_see oriental_) effect and stitch, , eighteenth century embroidery, , embroidery and painting, , embroidery-stitch, (_see also plumage-stitch_) english embroidery, , , feather-stitch, _et seq._, , , felt, fifteenth century embroidery, , figure work, , , , _et seq._ filling-in patterns, filo-floss, , filoselle, , , fishbone, , , flax thread, , flemish embroidery, , flesh, , florentine-stitch, , (_see also cushion stitch_) floss, , , , , , form and stitch, , , , , , , framing work, french embroidery, , " floss, " knots, , , , , geometric pattern, german embroidery, , , , , , german knot-stitch, gobelin-stitch, gold, , , " (couched), _et seq._, " (raised), , , gold thread, , " tinted by couching stitches, " wire, , half-cross-stitch, heraldic embroidery, herringbone-stitch, , , _et seq._, , , hildesheim cope (the), hungarian embroidery, " stitch, indian embroidery, , , , , , , , , indian herring-bone, inlay, interlacing stitches, italian embroidery, , , , , italian embroidery (renaissance), , , , , , japanese darning, , " embroidery, " gold, jewels, , knot stitches, _et seq._, lace, , lace stitches, _et seq._ ladder-stitch, , , laid-work, _et seq._, , leather, leather on velvet, length of stitch, , limitations of embroidery, line work, , linen, , " (embroidery on), long-and-short-stitch, , , , , , magic-stitch, material (influence of on stitch), , , , , , , materials, _et seq._ mechanical embroidery, mediÆval work, , , , milanese-stitch, modelling, modest work, , moorish-stitch, , morocco embroidery, needle (tambour), , needle pictures, needles, net passing, old english knot-stitch, opus anglicanum, oriental embroidery, , , , , , , , , " stitch, _et seq._, , , originality, outline, , , , , , , , _et seq._ " (couched), , , " (double), , , " (stepped), , " (voided), , outline embroidery, " stitch, , , , padding, , painting, , parchment, , , parisian-stitch, patchwork, pearls, , , peasant work, , , persian embroidery, , , , , pictorial effect, , , pictures (tent-stitch), , pierce, pins, , plait-stitch, plate, plumage-stitch, , , , , , , preciousness, purl, purse silk, , quilting, _et seq._ raised gold, , , _et seq._ " work, , , _et seq._ relief, _et seq._, , , , , renaissance embroidery, , , , , renewing ground, reverse-couching, ribbon, , ribbon work, roll-stitch, (_see also bullion-stitch_) roman satin, rope-stitch, _et seq._, running, , , satin, " "de luxe", " on velvet, satin-stitch, , _et seq._, , , , , , , , , , , , , satin-stitch (surface), , satin-stitch in the making, scissors, serge, seventeenth century embroidery, , shaded silk, shading, , , _et seq._ silk, , " (tussah), " (twisted), , , " on silk, silks, silver, , , simplicity, , , " (a plea for), _et seq._ sixteenth century embroidery, , , , , , solid chain-stitch, , " crewel-stitch, , soudanese embroidery, spangles, , spanish embroidery, , , , , spanish-stitch, , (_see also plait-stitch_) split-stitch, , , , , , , , spot-stitch, stem-stitch, stems, stepped outline, , stiletto, stitch (definition of), " adaptation, , , " and effect, , " and form, , , , , , , " and stuff, , , , , , , " groups, , _et seq._ " names, , " patterns, , " and design, , stitches, stitching over stitching, stretching work, , string, , , stroke-stitch, stuffs, surface crewel-stitch, " darning, " satin-stitch, , " stitches, syon cope (the), , , tailors' buttonhole, tambour, " frame, " needle, , " stitch, " work, , tapestry, , , , , tapestry-stitch, tendrils, tent-stitch, , thimble, thread, traditional design, , transferring design, turkish embroidery, tussah silk, twisted silk, , , underlay, , , unpicking, vandyke chain, variety of method, , " of stitch, _et seq._ velvet, , venetian embroidery, voiding, , weaving, white on white, , wool. (_see crewel_) woollen stuffs, the end. bradbury, agnew, & co. ld., printers, london and tonbridge. _a list of standard books_ on ornament & decoration, including furniture, wood-carving, metal work, &c., published by _b. t. batsford, , high holborn, london, w.c._ windows.--a book about stained and painted glass. by lewis f. day. containing pages, including full-page plates, and upwards of illustrations in the text, all of old examples. large vo, cloth gilt. price _s._ net. "contains a more complete popular account--technical and historical--of stained and painted glass than has previously appeared in this country."--_the times._ "the book is a masterpiece in its way ... amply illustrated and carefully printed; it will long remain an authority on its subject."--_the art journal._ "all for whom the subject of stained glass possesses an interest and a charm, will peruse these pages with pleasure and profit."--_the morning post._ "mr. day has done a worthy piece of work in more than his usual admirable manner ... the illustrations are all good and some the best black-and-white drawings of stained glass yet produced."--_the studio._ _now published, the most handy, useful, and comprehensive work on the subject._ alphabets, old and new. containing complete alphabets, series of numerals, numerous facsimiles of ancient dates. selected and arranged by lewis f. day. preceded by a short account of the development of the alphabet. with modern examples specially designed by _walter crane_, _patten wilson_, _a. beresford pite_, the author, and others. crown vo, art linen. price _s._ _d._ net. "mr. day's explanation of the growth of form in letters is particularly valuable.... many excellent alphabets are given in illustration of his remarks."--_the studio._ "everyone who employs practical lettering will be grateful for 'alphabets, old and new.' mr. day has written a scholarly and pithy introduction, and contributes some beautiful alphabets of his own design."--_the art journal._ "a practical resumé of all that is to be known on the subject, concisely and clearly stated."--_st. james' gazette._ "it goes without saying that whatever mr. batsford publishes and mr. day has to do with is presented in a good artistic form, complete, and wherever that is possible, graceful."--_the athenæum._ architecture among the poets. by h. heathcote statham. with illustrations. square vo, artistically bound. price _s._ _d._ net. "this little work does for architecture in relation to english poetry what mr. phil robinson has done for the birds and beasts. the poet's appreciation of architecture is a delightful subject with which mr. statham has become infected, not only illustrating his points with quotations and his judgments with his reasons, but the whole with a series of fanciful or suggestive sketches which add considerably to the attractiveness of the book."--_the magazine of art._ the decoration of houses. by edith wharton and ogden codman, architect. pages of text, with full-page photographic plates of views of rooms, doors, ceilings, fireplaces, various pieces of furniture, &c., from the renaissance period. large square vo, cloth gilt, price _s._ _d._ net. this volume, written by an american lady artist, and an architect, describes and illustrates in a very interesting way the decorative treatment of rooms during the renaissance period, and deduces principles for the decoration, furnishing, and arrangements of modern houses. "... has illustrations which are beautiful ... because they illustrate the sound and simple principle of decoration which the authors put forward.... the book is one which should be in the library of every man and woman of means, for its advice is characterised by so much common sense as well as by the best of taste."--_the queen._ the historic styles of ornament. containing , examples from all countries and all periods, exhibited on plates, mostly printed in gold and colours. with historical and descriptive text translated from the german of h. dolmetsch. folio, handsomely bound in cloth, gilt, price £ _s._ net. this work has been designed to serve as a practical guide for the purpose of showing the development of ornament, and the application of colour to it in various countries through the epochs of history. the work illustrates not only flat ornament, but also many decorative objects, such as metal-work, pottery and porcelain, lace, enamel, mosaic, illumination, stained glass, jewellery, bookbinding, &c., showing the application of ornament to industrial art. _just published._ a manual of historic ornament, being an account of the development of architecture and the historic arts, for the use of students and craftsmen. by richard glazier, a.r.i.b.a., headmaster of the manchester school of art. containing plates and illustrations in the text. demy vo, cloth. price _s._ the object of this book is to furnish students with a concise account of historic ornament, in which the rise of each style is noted, and its characteristic features illustrated. it contains upwards of subjects drawn by the author, and includes examples of architectural detail and plastic ornament, pottery, textile fabrics, glass, metal-work, mosaic, painted faïence, &c., &c. of various countries. a manual of practical instruction in the art of brass repoussÉ for amateurs. by gawthorp (art metal worker to h.r.h. the prince of wales). second and enlarged edition. with illustrations, many from photographs of executed designs. crown vo, in wrapper. price _s._ net. old clocks and watches and their makers. by f. j. britten, secretary of the horological institute. being an account of the history of clocks and watches, their mechanism and ornamentation, to which is appended a list of , old makers, with descriptive notes. containing over illustrations, many reproduced from photographs, of choice and curious examples, of clocks and watches of the past in england and abroad, including the finely-ornamented bracket clocks of the xviith century, with their ingenious mechanism, and the tall and elegant cases of the xviiith century, also a selection of portraits of the most renowned masters of the clockmaker's art. pages. demy vo, cloth, gilt. price _s._ net. king renÉ's honeymoon cabinet. a monograph. by _john p. seddon_, architect. illustrated by photographic reproductions of the cabinet, and the panels, painted by the late sir e. burne jones, _dante gabriel rossetti_, and _ford madox brown_. with a chapter on the hereditary earls of anjou, by g. h. birch, f.s.a. large vo, cloth, price _s._ net. this interesting little work has been issued by the author to make known and commemorate some early designs by the celebrated artists. very few copies are printed for sale. _a small remainder, just reduced in price._ animals in ornament. by professor g. sturm. containing large collotype plates, printed in tint, of designs suitable for friezes, panels, borders, wall-papers, carving, and all kinds of surface decoration, &c. large folio in portfolio, price _s._ net (published £ _s._). a new and useful series of clever designs, showing how animal forms may be adapted to decorative purposes with good effect. a history of design in painted glass.--from the earliest times to the end of the seventeenth century. by n. h. j. westlake, f.s.a. containing illustrations with historical text. four volumes, small folio, cloth, price £ _s._, net £ _s._ _very few copies remain for sale of this valuable work._ mr. lewis f. day's text books of ornamental design. some principles of every-day art.--introductory chapters on the arts not fine. forming a prefatory volume to the series of text books. second edition, revised, containing illustrations (third thousand). crown vo, art linen, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "authoritative as coming from a writer whose mastery of the subjects is not to be disputed, and who is generous in imparting the knowledge he acquired with difficulty. mr. day has taken much trouble with the new edition."--_architect._ "a good artist, and a sound thinker, mr. day has produced a book of sterling value."--_magazine of art._ the anatomy of pattern.--containing: i. introductory. ii. pattern dissections. iii. practical pattern planning. iv. the "drop" pattern. v. skeleton plans. vi. appropriate pattern. fourth edition (ninth thousand), revised, with full-page illustrations. crown vo, art linen, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "... there are few men who know the science of their profession better or can teach it as well as mr. lewis day; few also who are more gifted as practical decorators; and in anatomising pattern in the way he has done in this manual--a way beautiful as well as useful--he has performed a service not only to the students of his profession, but also to the public."--_academy._ the planning of ornament.--containing: i. introductory. ii. the use of the border. iii. within the border. iv. some alternatives in design. v. on the filling of the circle and other shapes. vi. order and accident. third edition (fifth thousand), further revised, with full-page illustrations, many of which have been re-drawn. crown vo, art linen, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "contains many apt and well-drawn illustrations; it is a highly comprehensive, compact, and intelligent treatise on a subject which is more difficult to treat than outsiders are likely to think. it is a capital little book, from which no tyro (it is addressed to improvable minds) can avoid gaining a good deal."--_athenæum._ the application of ornament.--containing: i. the rationale of the conventional. ii. what is implied by repetition. iii. where to stop in ornament. iv. style and handicraft. v. the teaching of the tool. vi. some superstitions. third edition (sixth thousand), further revised, with full-page illustrations and woodcuts in the text. crown vo, art linen, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "a most worthy supplement to the former work, and a distinct gain to the art student who has already applied his art knowledge in a practical manner, or who hopes yet to do so."--_science and art._ ornamental design.--comprising the above three books, "anatomy of pattern," "planning of ornament," and "application of ornament," handsomely bound in one volume, cloth gilt, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ _d._ nature in ornament.--with full-page plates and illustrations in the text. third edition (fifth thousand). thick crown vo, in handsome cloth binding, richly gilt, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ contents: i. introductory. ii. ornament in nature. iii. nature in ornament. iv. the simplification of natural forms. v. the elaboration of natural forms. vi. consistency in the modification of nature. vii. parallel renderings. viii. more parallels. ix. tradition in design. x. treatment. xi. animals in ornament. xii. the element of the grotesque. xiii. still life in ornament. xiv. symbolic ornament. "amongst the best of our few good ornamental designers is mr. lewis f. day, who is the author of several books on ornamental art. 'nature in ornament' is the latest of these, and is probably the best. the treatise should be in the hands of every student of ornamental design. it is profusely and admirably illustrated, and well printed."--_magazine of art._ "a book more beautiful for its illustrations, or one more helpful to students of art, can hardly be imagined."--_queen._ a handbook of ornament.--with plates, containing about , illustrations of the elements and application of decoration to objects. by f. s. meyer, professor at the school of applied art, karlsruhe. third english edition, revised by hugh stannus, lecturer on applied art at the royal college of art, south kensington. thick vo, cloth gilt, gilt top, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "a library, a museum, an encyclopædia and an art school in one. to rival it as a book of reference, one must fill a bookcase. the quality of the drawings is unusually high, the choice of examples is singularly good.... the work is practically an epitome of a hundred works on design."--_studio._ "the author's acquaintance with ornament amazes, and his three thousand subjects are gleaned from the finest which the world affords. as a treasury of ornament drawn to scale in all styles, and derived from genuine concrete objects, we have nothing in england which will not appear as poverty-stricken as compared with professor meyer's book."--_architect._ "the book is a mine of wealth even to an ordinary reader, while to the student of art and archæology it is simply indispensable as a reference book. we know of no one work of its kind that approaches it for comprehensiveness and historical accuracy."--_science and art._ a handbook of art smithing.--for the use of practical smiths, designers and others, and in art and technical schools. by f. s. meyer, author of "a handbook of ornament." translated from the second german edition. with an introduction by j. starkie gardner. containing illustrations. demy vo, cloth, price _s._, net _s._ both the artistic and practical branches of the subject are dealt with, and the illustrations give selected examples of ancient and modern ironwork. the volume thus fills the long-existing want of a manual on ornamental ironwork, and it is hoped will prove of value to all interested in the subject. "charmingly produced.... it is really a most excellent manual, crowded with examples of ancient work, for the most part extremely well selected."--_the studio._ "professor meyer's work is a useful historical manual on art smithing, based on a scientific classification of the subject, that will be of service to all smiths, designers, and students of technical and art schools. the illustrations are well drawn and numerous."--_building news._ _published with the sanction of the science and art department._ french wood carvings from the national museums.--a series of examples printed in collotype from photographs specially taken from the carvings direct. edited by eleanor rowe. part i.: late th and early th century examples; part ii.: th century work; part iii.: th and th centuries. the three series complete, each containing large folio plates, with descriptive letterpress. folio, in portfolios, price _s._ each net; or handsomely bound in one volume, £ _s._ net. "students of the art of wood carving will find a mine of inexhaustible treasures in this series of illustrations of french wood carvings.... each plate is a work of art in itself; the distribution of light and shade is admirably managed, and the differences in relief are faithfully indicated, while every detail is reproduced with a clearness that will prove invaluable to the student. sections are given with several of the plates."--_the queen._ "needs only to be seen to be purchased by all interested in the craft, whether archæologically or practically."--_the studio._ hints on wood carving for beginners.--by eleanor rowe. fourth edition, revised and enlarged, illustrated. vo, sewed, price _s._ in paper covers, or bound in cloth, price _s._ _d._ "the most useful and practical small book on wood-carving we know of."--_builder._ "... is a useful little book, full of sound directions and good suggestions."--_magazine of art._ hints on chip carving.--(class teaching and other northern styles.) by eleanor rowe. illustrations. vo, sewed, price _s._ in paper covers, or in cloth, price _s._ _d._ "a capital manual of instruction in a craft that ought to be most popular."--_saturday review._ details of gothic wood carving.--being a series of drawings from original work of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. by franklyn a. crallan. containing large photo-lithographic plates, with introductory and descriptive text. large to, in handsome cloth portfolio, or bound in cloth gilt, price _s._, net _s._ "the examples are carefully drawn to a large size ... well selected and very well executed."--_the builder._ progressive studies and designs for wood-carvers. by miss e. r. plowden. with a preface by miss rowe. consisting of five large folding sheets of illustrations (drawn full size), of a variety of objects suitable for wood carving. with descriptive text. second edition, enlarged. to, in portfolio. price _s._ net. ancient wood and ironwork in cambridge.--by w. b. redfarn, the letterpress by john willis clark. folio lithographed plates drawn to a good scale. cloth gilt, a handsome volume, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ _d._ this work, giving an interesting and useful series of examples, is but little known. very few copies remain. hepplewhite's cabinet-maker and upholsterer's guide; or repository of designs for every article of household furniture in the newest and most approved taste. a complete facsimile reproduction of this rare work, containing nearly charming designs on plates. small folio, bound in speckled cloth, gilt, old style, price £ _s._ net. ( .) _original copies when met with fetch from £ to £ ._ "a beautiful replica, which every admirer of the author and period should possess."--_building news._ chippendale's the gentleman and cabinet-maker's director.--a complete facsimile of the rd and rarest edition, containing plates of designs of chairs, sofas, beds and couches, tables, library book cases, clock cases, stove grates, &c., &c. folio, strongly bound in half-cloth, price £ _s._ net. ( .) sheraton's cabinet-maker and upholsterer's drawing-book.--a complete facsimile reproduction of the scarce third edition. with the rare appendix and accompaniment complete. containing in all pages and plates. to, cloth, price £ _s._ net. examples of old furniture, english and foreign. drawn and described by alfred ernest chancellor. containing photo-lithographic plates exhibiting some examples of elizabethan, stuart, queen anne, georgian and chippendale furniture; and an interesting variety of continental work. with historical and descriptive notes. large to, gilt, price £ _s._, net £ _s._ "in publishing his admirable collection of drawings of old furniture, mr. chancellor secures the gratitude of all admirers of the consummate craftsmanship of the past. his examples are selected from a variety of sources with fine discrimination, all having an expression and individuality of their own--qualities that are so conspicuously lacking in the furniture of our own day. it forms a very acceptable work."--_the morning post._ furniture and decoration in england during the xviiith century.--by j. aldam heaton. two volumes, each of two parts, bound in four, large folio, cloth, price £ net. containing upwards of plates of photographic reproductions from the published designs of r. & j. adam, chippendale, hepplewhite, sheraton, shearer, pergolesi, cipriani, darly, johnson, richardson, and all great english designers and cabinet-makers of the period. this work forms an encyclopædic and almost inexhaustible treasury of reference for all furniture designers, painters, interior decorators, cabinet-makers, &c., since no artist of importance is unrepresented, and a fair selection is in every case given of his work. remains of ecclesiastical wood-work.--a series of examples of stalls, screens, book-boards, roofs, pulpits, &c., containing plates beautifully engraved on copper, from drawings by t. talbot bury, archt. to, half-bound, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ _d._ flat ornament: a pattern book for designers of textiles, embroideries, wall papers, inlays, &c., &c.-- plates, some printed in colours, exhibiting upwards of historical examples of textiles, embroideries, paper hangings, tile pavements, intarsia work, &c. with some designs by dr. fischbach. imperial to boards, cloth back, price £ _s._, net _s._ examples of english mediÆval foliage and coloured decoration.--by jas. k. colling, architect, f.r.i.b.a. taken from buildings of the xiith to the xvth century. containing lithographic plates, and woodcut illustrations, with text. royal to, cloth, gilt top, price _s._, net _s._ (published at £ _s._) plastering--plain and decorative. a practical treatise on the art and craft of plastering and modelling. including full descriptions of the various tools, materials, processes and appliances employed. with over full-page plates, and about smaller illustrations in the text. by william millar. with an introduction, treating of the history of the art, by g. t. robinson, f.s.a. thick to, cloth, containing pages of text, price _s._ net. "this new and in many senses remarkable treatise ... unquestionably contains an immense amount of valuable first-hand information.... 'millar on plastering' may be expected to be the standard authority on the subject for many years to come.... a truly monumental work."--_the builder._ a grammar of japanese ornament and design.--illustrated by plates, many in gold and colours, representing all classes of natural and conventional forms, drawn from the originals, with introductory, descriptive, and analytical text. by t. w. cutler, f.r.i.b.a. imperial to, in elegant cloth binding, price £ _s._, £ _s._ net. decorative wrought ironwork of the th and th centuries.--by d. j. ebbetts. containing large lithographic plates, illustrating english examples of screens, grilles, panels, balustrades, &c. folio, boards, cloth back, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ _a facsimile reproduction of one of the rarest and most remarkable books of designs ever published in england._ a new booke of drawings of ironworke.--invented and desined by john tijou. containing severall sortes of iron worke, as gates, frontispieces, balconies, staircases, pannells, &c., of which the most part hath been wrought at the royall building of hampton court, &c. all for the use of them that worke iron in perfection and with art. (sold by the author in london, .) containing folio plates. with introductory note and descriptions of the plates by j. starkie gardner. folio, bound in boards, old style, price _s._ net. only copies were printed for england, and very few now remain. an original copy is priced at £ by mr. quaritch, the renowned bookseller. japanese encyclopÆdia of design. book i.--containing over , engraved curios, and most ingenious geometric patterns of circles, medallions, &c., comprising conventional details of plants, flowers, leaves, petals, also birds, fans, animals, key patterns, &c., &c. oblong mo, fancy covers, price _s._ net. book ii.--containing over most original and effective designs for diaper ornament, giving the base lines to the design, also artistic miniature picturesque sketches. oblong mo, price _s._ net. these books exhibit the varied charm and originality of conception of japanese ornament, and form an inexhaustible field of design. a delightful series of studies of birds, in most characteristic and life-like attitudes, surrounded with appropriate foliage and flowers.--by the celebrated japanese artist, bairei kono. in three books, vo, each containing pages of highly artistic and decorative illustrations, printed in tints. bound in fancy paper covers, price _s._ net. "in attitude and gesture and expression, these birds, whether perching or soaring, swooping or brooding, are admirable."--_magazine of art._ a new series of bird and flower studies. by watanabe sietei, the acknowledged leading living artist in japan. in books, containing numerous exceedingly artistic sketches in various tints, vo, fancy covers. price _s._ net. artists' sketch books.--a series of five volumes.--vol. i.: birds, flowers, and plants, drawn in a decorative spirit. vol. ii.: sketches of insects, plants, &c., drawn for designers. vol. iii.: drawings of fishes and marine animals. vol. iv.: natural scenery, landscapes, &c. vol. v.: scenes from japanese life, &c. vo, fancy covers. _s._ _d._ net. the architecture of the renaissance in italy.--a general view for the use of students and others. by w. j. anderson, a.r.i.b.a., director of architecture, glasgow school of art. second edition, revised and enlarged. containing full-page plates, mostly reproduced from photographs, and illustrations in text. large vo, cloth gilt, price _s._ _d._ net. "a delightful and scholarly work ... very fully illustrated."--_journal r.i.b.a._ "it is the work of a scholar taking a large view of his subject.... the book affords easy and intelligible reading, and the arrangement of the subject is excellent, though this was a matter of no small difficulty."--_the times._ "should rank amongst the best architectural writings of the day."--_the edinburgh review._ "we know of no book which furnishes such information and such illustrations in so compact and attractive a form. for greater excellence with the object in hand there is not one more perspicuous."--_the building news._ a history of architecture for the student, craftsman and amateur.--being a comparative view of the historical styles from the earliest period. by banister fletcher, f.r.i.b.a., professor of architecture in king's college, london, and b. f. fletcher, a.r.i.b.a. containing pages, with collotype plates, mostly from large photographs, and other illustrations in the text. third edition, revised. cr. vo, cloth gilt, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ "we shall be amazed if it is not immediately recognised and adopted as _par excellence_ the student's manual of the history of architecture."--_the architect._ "the general reader will read the book with not less profit than the student, and will find in it quite as much as he is likely to retain in his memory, and the architectural student in search of any particular fact will readily find it in this most methodical work.... as complete as it well can be."--_the times._ "as a synopsis of architectural dates and styles, professor banister fletcher's work will fill a void in our literature, and become a most useful manual."--_the building news._ the orders of architecture: greek, roman and italian.--edited with notes by r. phenÉ spiers, f.s.a., f.r.i.b.a. third edition, revised and enlarged, containing plates. to, cloth, price _s._ _d._, net _s._ _d._ "a most useful work for architectural students.... mr. spiers has done excellent service in editing this work, and his notes on the plates are very appropriate and useful."--_british architect._ renaissance architecture and ornament in spain.--a series of examples selected from the purest executed between the years - . by andrew n. prentice, a.r.i.b.a. containing beautiful plates, reproduced by photo-lithography and photo process from the author's drawings, of perspective views and geometrical drawings, and details, in stone, wood, and metal. with short descriptive text. folio, handsomely bound in cloth gilt, price £ _s._, net £ _s._ "for the drawing and production of this book one can have no words but praise.... it is a pleasure to have so good a record of such admirable architectural drawing, free, firm and delicate."--_british architect._ b. t. batsford, , high holborn, london. * * * * * transcriber's note: the following printer's errors have been corrected in the text: page xxi: part of a fan "f" of "fan" not printed in original page : the feathery stem (a) on the sampler "the" missing in original page : except that it has something of the appearance "of" missing in original page : in no case does it appear to be stitching "t" of "it" not printed in original page : forms of needlework "froms" printed for "forms" in original transcriber's note obvious typographical errors have been corrected. a list of corrections is found at the end of the text. inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been maintained. a list of inconsistently spelled and hyphenated words is found at the end of the text. the ladies' work-table book; containing clear and practical instructions in plain and fancy needlework, embroidery, knitting, netting, and crochet. with numerous engravings, illustrative of the various stitches in those useful and fashionable employments. new-york: j. winchester, ann-street . introduction. if it be true that "home scenes are rendered happy or miserable in proportion to the good or evil influence exercised over them by woman--as sister, wife, or mother"--it will be admitted as a fact of the utmost importance, that every thing should be done to improve the taste, cultivate the understanding, and elevate the character of those "high priestesses" of our domestic sanctuaries. the page of history informs us, that the progress of any nation in morals, civilization, and refinement, is in proportion to the elevated or degraded position in which woman is placed in society; and the same instructive volume will enable us to perceive, that the fanciful creations of the needle, have exerted a marked influence over the pursuits and destinies of man. to blend the useful, with the ornamental and to exhibit the gushing forth of mind, vitalised by the warm and glowing affections of the heart, is the peculiar honor and sacred destiny of woman. without her influence, life would be arrayed in sables, and the proud lords of creation would be infinitely more miserable and helpless than the beasts that perish. to render then those "terrestrial angels" all that our fondest wishes could desire, or our most vivid imaginations picture, must be, under any circumstances, a pleasing and delightful employment; while for a father or a brother to behold her returning all the care bestowed upon her, by the thousand offices of love, to the performance to which she alone is equal, is doubtless one of the most exalted sources of human felicity. providence has, in a remarkable manner, adapted woman's tastes and propensities to the station she was designed to occupy in the scale of being. tender and affectionate, it is her highest bliss to minister to the wants, the convenience, or the pleasure of those she loves; and hence, her inventive powers have been, in all ages, called into early and active exercise, in the fabrication of those articles calculated to accomplish those desirable ends. amongst these, useful and ornamental needlework, knitting, and netting, occupy a distinguished place, and are capable of being made, not only sources of personal gratification, but of high moral benefit, and the means of developing in surpassing loveliness and grace, some of the highest and noblest feelings of the soul. to become an expert needle-woman should be an object of ambition to every fair one. never is beauty and feminine grace so attractive, as when engaged in the honorable discharge of household duties, and domestic cares. the subjects treated of in this little manual are of vast importance, and to them we are indebted for a large amount of the comforts we enjoy; as, without their aid, we should be reduced to a state of misery and destitution of which it is hardly possible to form an adequate conception. to learn, then, how to fabricate articles of dress and utility for family use, or, in the case of ladies blessed with the means of affluence, for the aid and comfort of the deserving poor, should form one of the most prominent branches of female education. and yet experience must have convinced those who are at all conversant with the general state of society, that this is a branch of study to which nothing like due attention is paid in the usual routine of school instruction. the effects of this neglect are often painfully apparent in after life, when, from a variety of circumstances, such knowledge would be of the highest advantage, and subservient to the noblest ends, either of domestic comfort, or of active and generous benevolence. the records of history inform us of the high antiquity of the art of needlework; and its beautiful mysteries were amongst the earliest developments of female taste and ingenuity. as civilization increased, new wants called forth new exertions; the loom poured forth its multifarious materials, and the needle, with its accompanying implements, gave form and utility to the fabrics submitted to its operations. no one can look upon the needle, without emotion; it is a constant companion throughout the pilgrimage of life. we find it the first instrument of use placed in the hand of budding childhood, and it is found to retain its usefulness and charm, even when trembling in the grasp of fast declining age. the little girl first employs it in the dressing of her doll: then she is taught its still higher use, in making up some necessary articles for a beloved brother, or a revered parent. approaching to womanhood, additional preparations of articles of use, as ornaments of herself and others, call for its daily employment; and with what tender emotions does the glittering steel inspire the bosom, as beneath its magic touch, that which is to deck a lover or adorn a bride, becomes visible in the charming productions of female skill and fond regard. to the adornments of the bridal bed, the numerous preparations for an anxiously-expected little stranger, and the various comforts and conveniences of life, the service of this little instrument is indispensible. often too is it found aiding in the preparation of gifts of friendship, the effects of benevolence, and the works of charity. many of those articles, which minister so essentially to the solace of the afflicted, would be unknown without it; and its friendly aid does not desert us, even in the dark hour of sorrow and affliction. by its aid, we form the last covering which is to enwrap the body of a departed loved one, and prepare those sable habiliments, which custom has adopted as the external signs of mourning. the needle is also capable of becoming an important monitor to the female heart; and we would impress this truth seriously upon their recollection, that as there is "sermons in stones, and good in every thing." so the needle they so often use, is, or may be, a silent but salutary moral teacher. they all know that however good the eye of a needle may be, if it were rusted and pointless, it would be of little use. let them also recollect, that though it may posses the finest point and polish in the world, if destitute of the eye, it would be of no use at all. the lesson we wish them to derive from hence, is this; that as it is the eye which holds the thread, and that it is by the thread alone that the needle becomes useful, so it is the eye of intelligence directed to the attainment of useful ends, that gives all the real value to the point and polish, which is so much admired in the educated female; and that unless the intellectual powers of the mind be engaged in the pursuits of goodness, all other endowments will be useless to their possessor. let them learn also, not to despise such of their companions as, though intelligent and useful, are neither possessed of wit or elegance equal to their own. circumstances may have rendered them, like the needle, rusty and pointless; but the eye of intelligence is there, and they may still be useful. the want of a work containing clear instructions, without unnecessary diffuseness, by which the uninitiated may become their own instructors, has long been sensibly felt; and this want, the following pages are intended to supply. our aim is, not to make young ladies servile copyists, but to lead them to the formation of habits of thought and reflection, which may issue in higher attainments than the knitting of a shawl, or the netting of a purse. indeed, it is only when accomplishments are rendered subservient to the development of moral goodness, that they may become pursuits at all worthy of an accountable being. we were not sent into this world to flutter through life, like the gaudy butterfly, only to be seen and admired. we were designed to be useful to our fellow beings; and to make all our powers and capabilities, in some way or other conducive to the happiness and welfare of our co-journeyers on the path of time. to this end, we wish our fair countrywomen to devote their best attention; and, in its attainment, to exert every energy which they possess. we wish them to make all the knowledge which they may acquire subserve some noble purpose, which will outlive the present hour. but to do this, the well-spring of the purest affections must be opened in the soul; and the elegant productions of taste and genius become vitalized, and animated, by the spirit of love. thus, and thus only, can the occupations of a leisure hour be converted into efficient ministers of good; and such they will assuredly be found, if practised from right motives, and placed in due subordination to the right exercise of more important duties, which we owe to heaven, to our fellow beings, and to ourselves. we are anxious to render elegant amusements conducive to the attainment of moral ends; and to lay that foundation of intellectual superiority, and affectionate regard, for the comfort and happiness of others, which can alone give light and animation, sweetness and blooming freshness, to the interesting scenes of future life. all engagements, which are calculated to elevate, soften, and harmonize the human character, have this tendency; and it is in the assured conviction that the employments here treated of, are, when cultivated in due subordination to higher duties, well adapted to secure these objects, and to promote these domestic ends, that the ladies' work-table book has been prepared, and is now presented to the lovely daughters of our land. the public will be the best judge how far we have succeeded in our effort. small as the work is, it has not been produced without much labor, and considerable exercise of thought; and it is dedicated to our fair countrywomen, in the fervent hope, that it will not be found altogether unworthy of their favorable notice and regard. in concluding these introductory remarks, we wish to say a word or two to the parents and guardians of those, whose excellence of character is so essential to the welfare of our beloved country. we trust by you, our little manual will be cordially approved, and placed, as a memento of affection, in the hands of those you most desire to see models of sincerity, elegance, and accomplishments. this will be well; but we trust the matter will not be allowed to rest there. it is not when good instructors and proper books are provided for the young, that the duties of the parental relationship are performed. no; care must be taken to give efficiency to the means thus called into requisition, by the most assiduous care, devoted attention, and judiciously expressed approval on the part of those who claim the highest regard from the rising generation. the path of education is not always strewed with flowers, nor can it ever be pursued with either pleasure or advantage unless a foundation of practical piety and moral worth be laid, on which the superstructure may securely rest. it has been well remarked "that intellect may be cultivated at school, but that the affections of the heart can only be properly developed amid the scenes of home." our aim in this work has been, while seeking to promote the purposes of genuine education, to raise high the moral sentiments, and cultivate to an eminent degree the best sensibilities of the soul. in this we ask for your cordial and careful co-operation. we know the influence of a judicious mother, and we confidently commend our labor to your favorable regard. contents. chapter i. materials and implements for working chapter ii. plain needlework--explanation of stitches chapter iii. plain needlework--instructions in the preparation of body linen chapter iv. plain needlework--instructions in the preparation of house linen chapter v. plain needlework--miscellaneous instructions chapter vi. fancy needlework--explanation of stitches chapter vii. fancy needlework--explanation of patterns chapter viii. fancy needlework--instructions in embroidery chapter ix. fancy needlework--preparation of frames chapter x. fancy needlework--application of fancy needlework to useful purposes chapter xi. fancy needlework--special instructions chapter xii. knitting--explanation of stitches chapter xiii. knitting--examples in knitting chapter xiv. netting--explanation of stitches chapter xv. netting--examples in netting chapter xvi. crochet--explanation of the principal stitches in crochet work chapter xvii. crochet--examples in crochet chapter xviii. tatting--explanation of stitches chapter xix. concluding remarks the ladies' work-table book. chapter i. materials and implements for working. materials for plain needlework. the subject of this chapter is one to which it is hardly possible to pay too much attention; since, on the judicious selection of materials, depends, to a vast extent, the success of that prudent and well-regulated economy, which is so essential to the welfare and prosperity of every family. on this account, we have thought it right to place before our readers the following observations, which should be carefully attended to, as of the utmost importance. in purchasing goods, be careful to examine the quality; and, if not experienced in such matters, take with you an experienced friend. cheap goods generally prove the dearest in the end. the following rules may assist you in this respect, if under the necessity of relying upon your own judgment. be careful, in purchasing articles, such as linen, calico, &c., for a specific purpose, to have it the proper width. a great deal of waste may be incurred, by inattention to this important direction. calico is often so dressed up, as to make it extremely difficult to ascertain its real quality: hence, it is best to buy it undressed. it should be soft, and free from specks. it is of various widths, and of almost all prices. a good article, at a medium price, will be found cheapest in the end. linen is of various qualities. that which is called suffolk hemp is considered the best. irish linen is also in great repute. but you must be careful to escape imposition; as there are plenty of imitations, which are good for nothing. muslin checks are much used for caps, &c., and are of various qualities. you may form a good judgment of these, by observing the thin places between the checks and the threads; if the former be good, and the latter even, they may generally be relied on. blue checks.--these may be procured either of cotton or linen; but the linen ones, though highest in price, are cheapest in the end: they will wear double the length of time that the cotton ones will. prints.--give a good price, if you wish to secure a good article. some colors, as red, pink, lilac, bright brown, buff, and blue, wear well; green, violet, and some other colors are very liable to fade. the best way is to procure a patch, and wash half of it. this will test the color, and may prevent much disappointment. flannels.--the welsh flannels are generally preferred, as those that are the most durable. lancashire flannels are cheapest, but are far inferior in quality. you may know the one from the other by the color: the flannels of lancashire are of a yellowish hue; those of wales are a kind of bluish gray tint. woollen cloths.--these vary exceedingly, as to quality. the low-priced ones are not worth half the purchase money. good woollen cloth is smooth, and has a good nap. if the sample shown you, be destitute of these qualities, have nothing to do with it, unless you want to be cheated. stuffs.--the quality of these is sometimes very difficult to detect. holding them up to the light is a good plan. you should also be particular as to the dyeing, as that is sometimes very indifferently managed, and the stuff is dashed. black dye is liable to injure the material. low-priced stuffs are rarely good for anything. crape.--this is often damaged in the dying. you should spread it over a white surface before you purchase it, as by that means, the blemishes in the material, if any, will be more likely to appear. silks.--these are, if good, costly; and great care should be exercised in selecting them. they should not be too stiff, as in that case they are liable to crack; and on the other hand, they should not be too thin, as that kind is liable to tear almost as soon as paper. a medium thickness and stiffness is the best. if plain, you must be careful that there are no stains or specks in them; and if figured, it is advisable to have the pattern equally good on both sides. this will enhance the price at first, but you will find it to be good economy afterward. in silks that are to be sold cheap, a kind of camel's hair is frequently introduced. this may be detected by pulling a piece of the suspected silk cross ways, and if camel's hair be mixed with it, it will spring with a kind of whirring sound. this should be attended to. satin.--it is of various qualities and prices. the best is soft and thick. when used for trimmings, it should be cut the cross way, as it then looks better, and has a much richer appearance than when put on straight. these general observations will be of great use, and should be well impressed upon the memory, so as readily to be called into exercise when needed. in making up linen, thread is much preferable to cotton. sewing-silk should be folded up neatly in wash leather, and colored threads and cotton in paper, as the air and light are likely to injure them. buttons, hooks and eyes, and all metal implements, when not in use, should be kept folded up; as exposure to the air not only tarnishes them, but is likely to injure them in a variety of ways. materials for fancy needlework. canvas (coarse) eighteen threads to the inch. work in cross stitch with double wool. this is proper for a foot-stool, sofa-pillow, &c. canvas (very coarse) ten threads to the inch. work in cross stitch, over one thread, with single wool. if used for grounding, work in two threads. this will accelerate the work, and look equally well. silk leaves.--if no grounding is required, work in tent stitch. the pattern should be large in proportion to the fineness of the material. the finer the canvas, the larger the pattern. color.--an attention to shade is of the utmost consequence; as on this, in an eminent degree, depends the perfection of the work. the shades must be so chosen, as to blend into each other, or all harmony of coloring will be destroyed. the canvas must be more distinct in tent stitch than in cross stitch, or rather more strongly contrasted, especially in the dark shades of flowers: without attention to this point, a good resemblance of nature cannot be obtained. wool, (english and german) white, black, and various colors.--two, three, four, five, or six shades of each color, as the nature of the work may require. the same observation applies to silk and cotton, in cases where those materials are used. split wool, for mosaic work. silk. split silk. floss. half twist. deckers. china silk. fine purse silk. cotton, of various kinds. gold twist. silver thread. chenille. beads. thick and transparent gold. bright and burnt steel. silver plated, &c. perforated cards. canvas, called bolting, for bead work. scale of canvases. english canvas. ------------------------------------------- canvas no. cross stitch. tent stitch. ------------------------------------------- - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / silk canvas. ------------------------------------------- canvas no. cross stitch. tent stitch. ------------------------------------------- french canvas. ------------------------------------------- canvas no. cross stitch. tent stitch. ------------------------------------------- - / - / - / - / materials for embroidery. silk, satin, velvet, and cloth. materials for knitting, netting, and crochet. silk.--this material is extensively used in the various productions of which we are about to treat. the kinds usually employed in knitting, netting, and crochet, are purse silk, or twist; coarse and fine netting silk; second sized purse twist; plain silk; china silk; extra fine, and finest netting silk; second sized netting silk; coarse and fine chenille, and crochet silk. these are so well known that it would be a waste of time to describe them in detail. they are of a great variety of colors, and of different qualities; some sorts being much more durable, both in fabric and color, than others. no young lady should trust, at first, to her own judgment in making the selection: but a little attention will soon render her a proficient in the art of choosing the most profitable materials. the china silks of the french surpass all others, of that kind, with which we are acquainted, both as to the nature of tints, and the brilliancy of the various dyes and shades. wool.--this is of various colors and shades; german wool, single, and double; hamburgh wool, fleecy, of three, four, five, six, seven, and eight threads; embroidery fleecy shetland wool; english wool, coarse yarn, for mitts. brief description of wools. german wool is the produce of the merino breed, in its highest state of cultivation, and is the best sheep's wool we possess. the merino fleece is brought to the greatest perfection in saxony, and the adjacent states. it is chiefly manufactured for the purposes of needle-work, &c., at gotha; the dyeing of it is performed at berlin, and in other parts of germany. the wools of germany are, in fineness and softness, much, superior to those of spain. the wool is prepared in various sizes, and for some kinds of work, may be split with great advantage. a large quantity is imported into this country in a raw state, and is dyed and manufactured here. some of this is equal to the wools prepared in germany, as to quality; but the brilliancy of the color will not bear comparison. this remark does not extend to the black german wool, prepared in this country, and which is far superior to that prepared on the continent. much wool, of a very superior quality is annually prepared for the market; and so great is its resemblance to a superior article, that it requires much attention, and an experienced eye, to detect the fraud. english wool, or what is often called embroidery wool, is much harsher than that of germany; yet it is of a very superior kind, and much to be preferred for some kinds of work. the dye of several colors of english lamb's wool is equal to that of the best dyes of germany; especially scarlet and some of the shades of blue, green, and gold color, which for brilliancy and permanency, may justly claim equality with the most finished productions of the continental states. worsted is another description of our native produce, and is extensively used for a great variety of useful purposes, which are familiar to every one. a great portion of the needle-work of the last century was done in a fine kind of worsted, called crewels: and some specimens still remain, which do great credit to the venerable grandames of the present generation. yarn is a coarse kind of worsted, much employed in making garden nets, and for various other purposes. fleecy (english) is manufactured from the leicestershire breed, and is much used in knitting and netting: it is of two qualities; both varying in size, from an eighth to a quarter of an inch in diameter. they are made up of threads, varying from two to twelve, and are both equally good. they are applied to crochet as well as to the other descriptions of work named. german fleecy, thought but little used, is much superior to that of this country. hamburgh wool is an excellent article, but has not hitherto been much in request. great care is necessary, in selecting wool of good quality: but let the young novice give to the subject her best attention; and should she find herself sometimes deceived, still persevere, remembering that "practice makes perfect." cotton, of various sizes, as numbered from one to six, or higher if required. in the choice of this material, much care is needed, not only in the selection of colors and shades, but also to ascertain if the color has been stained with a permanent dye. down.--this is sometimes used for stuffing knitted cushions, muffs, &c., and is too well known to need any description here. gold and silver thread and cord.--the precious metals are now very generally employed in the ornamental parts of all kinds of fancy work. gold and silver threads consists of a thread of silk, round which is spun an exceedingly fine wire of the metal required. for gold, silver or copper gilt wire is employed, as pure gold could not be so easily wrought. these threads can be employed in almost any way which the taste of the fair artist may induce her to devise. besides the thread, gold and silver cord is also in much demand, and looks extremely beautiful, when employed with taste and judgment. this material is a twist, and is composed of different quantities of threads, according to the thickness required. much care is required in working with it, or the beauty of the material will be spoilt. it is much used in crochet, and without due attention, the point of the needle is liable to catch the cord, and to break the wire, which would entirely destroy the beauty of the performance. beads.--these beautiful fabrications of art, are composed of gold, silver, polished steel, and glass. there is also a beautiful sort called garnet beads, with gold points. all these can be procured at any of the establishments for the sale of fancy articles, and are to be employed as the judgment or fancy may direct. the gold beads are used in making all kinds of knitting, netting, and crochet, and look well either by themselves, or when in connection with those of the other materials named. glass beads, may be procured of any variety of color, and when in combination with gold, silver, or steel, form a beautiful relief. necessary implements for fancy needlework. frames. cross stitch needles. sewing needles. meshes, of various sizes--at least three. chenille needles. pair of long sharp-pointed scissors. cartridge paper. tissue paper. a fine piercer. seam piercer. camel's hair brushes. mixture of white lead and gum water, to draw patterns for dark materials. mixture of stone blue and gum water, for light colors. black lead pencils. necessary implements for knitting. needles of various sizes. the nos. referred to are those of the knitting needle gauge. needles pointed at either end, for turkish knitting. ivory, or wooden pins, for knitting a biroche. a knitting sheath, &c., to be fastened on the waist of the knitter, toward the right hand, for the purpose of keeping the needle in a steady and proper position. necessary implements for netting. a pin or mesh, on which to form the loops. a needle called a netting needle, formed into a kind of fork, with two prongs at each end. the ends of the prongs meet and form a blunt point, not fastened like the eye of a common needle, but left open, that the thread or twine may pass between them, and be wound upon the needle. the prongs are brought to a point, in order that the needle may pass through a small loop without interruption. twine to form foundations. a fine long darning needle for bead work. meshes of various, sizes from no. to . flat meshes, and ivory meshes; also of various sizes. the gauge is the same as that for knitting-needles. necessary implements for crochet. [illustration] ivory crochet needles of various sizes. steel crochet needles. rug needles and a pair of long sharp pointed scissors. these implements should be disposed in a regular and orderly manner, as should also the materials for working. order and regularity are matters but too frequently neglected in the gay and buoyant season of youth; and this fault, which is the parent of so much annoyance in after life, is but too generally overlooked by those whose duty it is to correct these incipient seeds of future mischief. no pursuit should be entered into by the young, without having some moral end in view, and this is especially needful to be observed in cases, where at first sight, it might appear a matter of indifference, whether the pursuit was one of utility, or of mere relaxation. we earnestly entreat our young friends, never to forget, that even our amusements may be rendered an acceptable sacrifice to their heavenly father, if they assiduously endeavor to make the habits they form in their seasons of relaxation from graver studies, conduce to the development of the higher faculties of their nature, and subordinate preparations for a more exalted state of being, than any which this transitory scene can of itself present to their contemplation and pursuits. dyer, speaking of tapestry, has beautifully said-- "this bright art did zealous europe learn of pagan lands, while she assayed with rage of holy war to desolate their fields; but old the skill: long were the phrygian's pict'ring looms renown'd; tyre also, wealthy seat of art, excell'd, and elder sidon, in th' historic web." but we would have our fair friends to place before them a high and a definite object. let them seek, like the excellent miss linwood-- "to raise at once our reverence and delight, to elevate the mind and charm the sight, to pour religion through the attentive eye, and waft the soul on wings of extacy; bid mimic art with nature's self to vie, and raise the spirit to its native sky." chapter ii. plain needlework. explanation of stitches. before commencing those directions, which we deem it necessary to place before our readers, in reference to this important portion of the work-table manual, we wish to say a word or two to our fair countrywomen, on the importance of a general and somewhat extensive acquaintance with those arts, on which so much of the comfort of individual and domestic life depends. economy of time, labor, and expenses, is an essential requisite in every family; and will ever claim a due share of attention, from her who is desirous of fulfilling with credit to herself and advantage to others, the allotted duties of her appointed station. to those, who are at the head of the majority of families, an extensive knowledge of the various departments of plain needlework is indispensable. the means placed at their disposal are limited; in many instances, extremely so: and to make the most of these means, generally provided by the continual care and unremitting attention of the father and the husband, is a sacred duty, which cannot be violated without the entailment of consequences which every well regulated mind must be anxious to avoid. the following are the principal stitches used in plain needlework. sewing and felling.--if you have selvages, join them together and sew them firmly. if you have raw edges, turn down one of the edges once, and the other double the breadth, and then turn half of it back again. this is for the fell. the two pieces are pinned face to face, and seamed together; the stitches being in a slanting direction, and just deep enough to hold the separate pieces firmly together. then flatten the seam with the thumb, turn the work over and fell it the same as hemming. the thread is fastened by being worked between the pieces and sewn over. hemmings.--turn down the raw edge as evenly as possible. flatten, and be careful, especially in turning down the corners. hem from right to left; bring the point of the needle from the chest toward the right hand. fasten the thread without a knot, and when you finish, sew several stitches close together, and cut off the thread. german hemming.--turn down both the raw edges once, taking care so to do it, as that both turns may be toward your person; you then lay one below the other, so as that the smooth edge of the nearest does not touch the other, but lies just beneath it. the lower one is then to be hemmed or felled to the piece against which you have laid it, still holding it before you. you are next to open your sleeve, or whatever else you have been employed upon; and laying the upper fold over the lower, fell it down, and the work is done. mantuamaker's hem.--you lay the raw edge of one of your pieces a little below the other; the upper edge is then turned over the other twice, and felled down as strong as possible. running.--take three threads, leave three, and in order that the work may be kept as firm as possible, back-stitch occasionally. if you sew selvages, they must be joined evenly together; but if raw edges, one must be turned down once, and the other laid upon it, but a few threads from the top. it is, in this case, to be felled afterwards. stitching.--the work must be even as possible. turn down a piece to stitch to, draw a thread to stitch upon, twelve or fourteen threads from the edge. being thus prepared, you take two threads back, and so bring, the needle out, from under two before. proceed in this manner, to the end of the row; and in joining a fresh piece of thread, take care to pass the needle between the edges and bring it out where the last stitch was finished. gathering.--you begin by taking the article to be gathered, and dividing it into halves, and then into quarters, putting on pins, to make the divisions. the piece, to which you are intending to gather it, must be gathered about twelve threads from the top, taking three threads on the needle, and leaving four; and so preceding, alternately, until one quarter is gathered. fasten the thread, by twisting it round a pin; stroke the gathers, so that they lie evenly and neatly, with a strong needle or pin. you then proceed as before, until all the gathers are gathered. then take out the pins, and regulate the gathers of each quarter, so as to correspond with those of the piece to which it is to be sewed. the gathers are then to be fastened on, one at a time; and the stitches must be in a slanting direction. the part to be gathered must be cut quite even before commencing, or else it will be impossible to make the gathering look well. double gathering, or puffing.--this is sometimes employed in setting on frills; and when executed properly has a pretty effect. you first gather the top, in the usual way; then, having stroked down the gathers, you gather again under the first gathering, and of such a depth as you wish the puffing to be. you then sew on the first gathering to the gown, frock, &c. you design to trim, at a distance, corresponding with the width of the puffing: and the second gathering sewed to the edge, so as to form a full hem. you may make a double hem, if you please, by gathering three times instead of only twice; and one of the hems may be straight, while the other is drawn to one side a little. this requires much exactness, in the execution; but if properly done, it gives a pleasing variety to the work. whipping.--you cut the edge smooth, and divide into halves and quarters, as for gathering. you then roll the muslin or other material very lightly upon the finger, making use of the left thumb for that purpose. the needle must go in on the outside, and be brought through, on the inside. the whipping-cotton should be as strong and even as possible. in order that the stitches may draw with ease, they must be taken with great care. the roll of the whip should be about ten threads. [illustration] button-hole stitch.--these should be cut by a thread, and their length should be that of the diameter of the button. in working, the button-hole must lie lengthways upon the forefinger; and you begin at the side which is opposite to the thumb, and the furthest from the point of the finger on which it is laid. the needle must go in on the wrong side, and be brought out on the right, five threads down. to make the stitch, the needle is passed through the loop before it is drawn close. in turning the corners, be careful not to do it too near; and in order that a proper thickness may be obtained, it is necessary that the needle should go in between every two threads. making button-holes, requires great care and attention. [illustration] fancy button-hole stitch.--this resembles a very wide button-hole stitch, and is very neat for the fronts of bodies, where it has a very pretty appearance; likewise for the bands and the shoulder bits, and above the broad hems and tucks of frocks. [illustration] chain stitch.--in making this stitch, you are to employ union cord, bobbin, or braid, whichever you think most suitable. make a knot at the end, and draw it through to the right side. while you put in the needle, let the end hang loose, and bring it out below, so as to incline a little towards the left hand. pass your needle over the cord, as you draw it out, and this will form a loop. in drawing out the mesh, you must be careful not to draw the stitch too tight, as that would destroy the effect. you proceed in the same manner to form the next, and each succeeding loop; taking care to put the needle in a little higher, and rather more to the right than in the preceding stitch, so that each loop begins within the lower part of the one going before it, and you thus produce the resemblance of a chain. [illustration] fancy chain stitch.--the only difference between this and the common chain stitch, is that very little of the cord is taken up on the needle at a time, and the stitches are far from each other. its appearance will be varied, according as you put in the needle, to slant little or much. if you should work it perfectly horizontal, it is the same as button-hole stitch. [illustration] herring-boning.--this is generally employed in articles composed of flannel, or other thick material. the edge is to be cut even, and turned down once. you work from left to right, thus: put your needle into the material, and take a stitch of two or three threads, as close as possible, under the raw edge, and bring the needle half way up that part which is turned down, and four or five threads toward the right hand; make another stitch, and bring down the needle; thus proceed until the work is finished. this stitch is something like the back-bone of a fish, and is sometimes used as an ornament for children's robes, and at the top of hems. it looks both neat and elegant, when carefully executed. [illustration] fancy herring-boning.--this is the same as common herring-bone, only it is done in a perpendicular manner, instead of being worked horizontally from left to right; and the thread is brought round behind the needle, so as to finish the work in a more elegant manner. it has an exceeding neat and pleasing look, when it is well executed, and is considered as highly ornamental, in appropriate situations. [illustration] angular stitch.--this stitch resembles button-hole stitch, only it is carried from right to left to form the pattern. it is a neat ornament for cuffs, skirts and capes, and children's pelisses. as much of its beauty depends on its regularity, care should be taken to make the patterns very even and straight, and of an equal width; without due attention to this, the work will be spoiled. [illustration] double herring-boning.--this pattern is a kind of double herring-bone, on each side; it is too intricate to describe minutely. the engraving will give a better idea of this stitch than any description we could give. great care being required to keep the pattern even, it is advisable to run a tacking thread down the middle of it, to serve as a guide. [illustration] horse-shoe stitch.--this is done with thick, loosely-twisted cotton, or bobbin, and is worked from left to right, as shown in the accompanying engraving. it has a very neat and pretty appearance, when worked near the edge of hems, robings, &c. [illustration] fancy bobbin edging.--this is formed by a succession of loops made in the following manner: make a knot at the end, and put the needle through to the right side, just below the hem. bring the bobbin over the hem, and, putting the needle in at the wrong side, bring it through to the right. draw the loop to the size you desire, pass the bobbin through it, and commence the next stitch, proceeding as before. chain stitch, on gathers.--this looks well, if worked in colored worsted, or in cord. two gathers are taken up for each stitch, taking care always to take one of the previous stitches and one new gather on the needle at the same time. [illustration] coral pattern.--this requires great accuracy in the working, and it is advisable for the inexperienced to run lines, in long stitches, to fix the middle and outsides of the pattern. it may be best understood by the engraving, merely observing that the stitch is begun on the left hand, and continued alternately from left to right, always pointing the needle toward the centre. it is very suitable for the waist-bands of children's frocks, the tops of broad hems, &c. [illustration] serpentine stitch.--this is exceedingly pretty, and is much employed for children's dresses. it is worked with the hand, being sewn on to the material when made. take the cord, knot it so as to form a loop at the end; then pass the other end through the loop, toward the front, to form another loop to the right hand; continue passing the bobbin through the loop on one side, then through the loop on the other, directing the cord so as to pass from the side of the work invariably towards the inner, or that part next the work. [illustration] biassing.--in this operation, the first part of the stitch is the same as gathering. you then stitch down; and upon the right side of the gather, you lay a thread a good deal thicker than the one you used for gathering thread. over this thread you sew, taking care to take hold also of the gathering thread. the needle is always to be pointed toward your chest. you may work two or three rows in this way, on the sleeves and shoulders of dresses, &c., which has a handsome effect. you must take great care to bring the needle out between each one of the gathers. [illustration] honey combing.--the material may be velvet, silk, &c.; and the mode of working is as follows: the piece you intend honey-combing, must be creased in regular folds, taking care that they are as even as possible. then make the folds lie closely together, by tacking them with a strong thread, and in long stitches. you then take silk of the right color; stitch together at equal and proper distances the two first folds, and proceed, with each succeeding two, in the same manner, only taking the stitches in the intermediate spaces. thus the stitches of each alternate row will correspond together. draw out the thread, when the work is finished, and on pulling it open, it will form diamonds on the right side. this work is proper for the inside of work-boxes, and is sometimes employed to ornament the tops of beds. it looks well, if carefully executed. a perfect acquaintance with these various stitches, will enable the practical needlewoman to pursue her occupation with ease and pleasure. chapter iii. plain needlework. instructions in the preparation of body linen. in order to secure economy of time, labor, and expense, and also to do everything neatly and in order, the lady who is intending to engage in the domestic employment of preparing linen necessary for personal and family use, should be careful to have all her materials ready, and disposed in the most systematic manner possible, before commencing work. the materials employed in the construction of articles, which come under the denomination of plain needlework, are so various, that a mere list of them would occupy more than half our space; and they are so well known, that no necessity exists for naming them in detail. we shall therefore proceed, at once, to give plain directions, by which any lady may soon become expert in this necessary department of household uses, merely observing, that a neat work-box, well supplied with all the implements required--including knife, scissors (of at least three sizes,) needles and pins in sufficient variety, bodkins, thimbles, thread and cotton, bobbins, marking silks, black lead pencils, india rubber, &c., should be provided, and be furnished with a lock and key, to prevent the contents being thrown into confusion by children, servants, or unauthorized intruders. the lady being thus provided, and having her materials, implements, &c., placed in order upon her work-table, (to the edge of which it is an advantage to have a pincushion affixed, by means of a screw,) may commence her work, and proceed with pleasure to herself, and without annoyance to any visitor, who may favor her with a call. we would recommend, wherever practicable, that the work-table should be made of cedar, and that the windows of the working parlor should open into a garden, well supplied with odoriferous flowers and plants, the perfume of which will materially cheer the spirits of those especially whose circumstances compel them to devote the greatest portion of their time to sedentary occupations. if these advantages cannot be obtained, at least the room should be well ventilated, and furnished with a few cheerful plants, and a well filled scent-jar. the beneficent creator intended all his children, in whatever station of life they might be placed, to share in the common bounties of his providence; and when she, who not for pleasure, but to obtain the means of subsistence, is compelled to seclude herself, for days or weeks together, from the cheering influence of exercise in the open air, it becomes both her duty, and that of those for whom she labors, to secure as much of these advantages, or of the best substitutes for them, as the circumstances of the case will admit. we now proceed to lay down what we hope will be found clear though concise rules, for the preparation of various articles of dress and attire. aprons.--these are made of a variety of materials, and are applied to various uses. the aprons used for common purposes, are made of white, blue, brown, checked, and sometimes of black linen; nankeen, stuff, and print, are also employed. the width is generally one breadth of the material, and the length is regulated by the height of the wearer. dress aprons are, of course, made of finer materials--cambric, muslin, silk, satin, lace, clear and other kinds of muslin, &c., and are generally two breadths in width, one of which is cut in two, so as to throw a seam on each side, and leave an entire breadth for the middle. aprons of all kinds are straight, and either plaited or gathered on to the band or stock at the top. those with only one breadth, are hemmed at the bottom with a broad hem; those with two breadths, must be hemmed at the sides likewise. the band should be from half a nail to a nail broad; its length is to be determined by the waist of the wearer. it should be fastened at the back, with hooks and eyelet holes. to some aprons, pockets are attached, which are either sewed on in front, or at the back, and a slit made in the apron to correspond with them. the slit, or opening of the pocket is to be hemmed neatly, or braided, as may be most desirable. in some kinds of aprons, bibs are introduced, which are useful to cover the upper part of the dress. their size must be determined by the taste of the person who is to wear them. dress aprons.--take two breadths of any material you choose, dividing one of them in the middle. hem all round, with a broad hem, three-fourths of a nail deep. the band is to be one and a-half nails deep in the middle, into which a piece of whalebone is to be inserted, on each side of which work a row or two in chain stitch. the band is scolloped out from the centre on its lower side, five and a-half nails, leaving the extremities of the band one nail broad. to the scolloped portion, the apron is to be fulled on, so as to sit as neat as possible; leaving the space beneath the whalebone plain. confine the folds, by working two rows of chain stitch, just below the curved lines of the band, leaving half an inch between each row. the lower edge of the band is ornamented with a small piping, but is left plain at the top. vandyke apron.--this may be made either of silk or muslin. the edge of the apron is to be turned down, once all round, on the right side, to the depth of three-quarters of a nail; and the vandykes are formed by running from the edge of the apron to near the rough edge of the material, which is afterward to be turned in. when the vandykes are completed, they are to be turned inside out, and made as smooth as possible. a braid, or a row of tent stitch, on the right side, over the stitches, is a pretty finish. in setting on the band, the plaits must be placed opposite each other, so as to meet in the middle. you may line the band with buckram, or stiff muslin, and ornament it with piping if you please. apron for a young person.--clear muslin is the best material. hem round with a hem, three-fourths of a nail deep; lay all round, within the hem, a shawl bordering, not quite so broad as the hem. of course, the latter must be taken off before washing. a morning apron.--this may be made like the last, but instead of the shawl bordering, surround the outer edge of the hem by a deep crimped frill, a nail in breadth. the material most in use, is jacconet or cambric muslin: the frill, of lawn or cambric, which you please. girl's apron.--use any material that is deemed advisable. the bib is to be made to fit the wearer, in front, between the shoulders, and sloping to the waist. the apron is to be gathered, or plaited to the band; and the shoulder straps may be of the same material, or of ribbon. the bib, either plain or ornamented, with tucks or folds, as may be deemed most suitable. bathing gown.--the materials employed are various, flannels, stuff, or calamanca, are the most preferable, giving free ingress to the water. the length must be determined by the height of the wearer, and the width at the bottom should be about fifteen nails. it should be folded as you would a pinafore, and to be sloped three and three-quarters nails for the shoulder. the slits for the arm-holes must be three nails and three-quarters long, and the sleeves are to be set in plain: the length of the latter is not material. it is useful to have a slit of three inches, in front of each. the gown is to have a broad hem at the bottom, and to be gathered into a band at the top, which is to be drawn tight with strings; the sleeves are to be hemmed and sewn round the arm or wrist, in a similar manner. bustles.--these are worn, to make the waist of the gown sit neat upon the person. they are made the width of the material, and eight nails deep. the piece is to be so doubled as to make two flounces; one four nails and a half and the other three and a-half deep. a case, to admit of tapes, is to be made one nail from the top, and the bottom of each flounce is to have a thick cord hemmed into it. when worn, the article is turned inside out. the materials are strong jean, or calico. caps.--these are made of a great variety of patterns, and the materials are as various as the purposes to which the article is applied. muslins of various kinds, lawn, net, lace, and calico, are all in request; and the borders are extremely various. muslin, net, or lace, being those most in common use. the shapes are so multifarious, as to preclude us from giving any specific directions. every lady must choose her own pattern, as best suits the purpose she has in view. the patterns should be cut in paper, and considerable care is requisite, in cutting out, not to waste the material. a little careful practice will soon make this department familiar to the expert votaress of the needle. child's collar.--this is made of double irish linen, and is stitched round and made to fall over the dress. frills are generally attached to them, and give them a pretty finish. they are proper for children, of eight or nine years of age. cravats.--these are of fine muslin, and are made in the shape of a half handkerchief. they are hemmed with a narrow hem, and should be cut from muslin, eighteen nails square. cloaks.--these useful and necessary articles of dress are generally made up by a dress-maker; it is unnecessary therefore to give particular directions concerning them. the materials are silks and stuffs, of almost every variety, including satin, merino cloth, real and imitation shawling plaids, and orleans. the latter is now very generally used. travelling cloaks are made of a stronger material, and are trimmed in a much plainer style than those used in walking dresses. satin cloaks look well with velvet collars, and are also frequently trimmed with the same material. merino, and also silk cloaks, are often trimmed with fur, or velvet, and lined with the same. sometimes they are made perfectly plain. the lining of a silk or satin cloak, should be of the same color, or else a well-chosen contrast; and care should be taken, that the color should be one that is not liable to fade, or to receive damage. an attention to these general remarks, will be found of much advantage to the lady who, in making her purchase is desirous of combining elegance of appearance with durability of wear, and economy of price. frills.--these are used as ornaments, or a finish to various articles of dress. the materials are cambric muslin, lace, net, &c., and the manner in which they are made is various. sometimes they are set on quite plain, that is, hemmed round and plaited up into neat folds, to the width required. at other times, frills are fitted to a band, and the edge that is to be hemmed, is stiffened by rolling it over a bobbin; it is put on as an ornament to a gown, and is tied with strings at the end. crimped frills are worn by young children, and look extremely neat. they are made of lawn or cambric, and sewed on to a band. the other edge is hemmed, and the frill is double the size round the neck. the band should be half a nail in depth, and the frill is to be crimped as evenly as possible. gentlemen's belts.--these are worn by persons who have much and violent exercise, and are extremely useful. they are made of strong jean or other material, and sometimes of leather, and may either be made straight, or a little slant, or peaked. runners of cotton are inserted, to make them more strong, and they must be furnished with long straps of webbing at the ends, sewed on with leather over them. the straps are about three inches in depth. gentlemen's collars.--these are very generally worn, and are shaped in a variety of ways. they are made double, and ornamented with a single or double row of back stitch. they are made to button round the neck, or are set on to a band for that purpose. it is best to cut the pattern in paper, and when a good fit is obtained, cut the cloth by the paper model. gentlemen's fronts.--the material is fine lawn or cambric. sometimes the sides are composed of the former, and the middle of the latter. a false hem is made down the middle, furnished with buttons, as if to open; the neck is hollowed to the depth of a nail, and is plaited or gathered into a stock or band. in order that it may sit neat upon the bosom, two neck gussets are introduced. ladies' drawers.--choose any proper material, and form the article by making two legs, set on to a band to fasten round the waist. set on a plain or worked frill at the bottom. when setting the legs on to the band, place them so as to overlap each other. the band is eleven nails long, and three deep. ladies' flannel waistcoat.--this is, in many cases, an indispensable article of female attire. for an ordinary size, you must take a piece of flannel twelve nails wide, and seven deep, folding it exactly in the middle. at two nails from the front, which is doubled, the arm holes must be cut, leaving two nails for half of the back. the front is to be slightly hollowed. at the bottom, cut a slit of three nails, immediately under the arm holes; insert a gore three nails broad, and the same in length, and terminating in a point. bosom-gores are also to be introduced of a similar shape, and just half the size. they are to be put in just one nail from the shoulder-strap. in making the waistcoat, it is to be herring-boned all round, as are also all the gores and slits. a broad tape, one nail in width, is laid down each side of the front, in which the button holes are made, and buttons set on; the shoulder-straps are of tape, and the waistcoat fastens in front. ladies' night jackets.--the materials are various, including lawn, linen, and calico. the jackets are made of two breadths, and as it is desirable not to have a seam in the shoulder, the two breadths should be cut in one length, and carefully doubled in the middle. the neck is to be slit open, leaving three nails on each side for the shoulders; and a slit is also to be made in front, so as to allow the garment to pass freely over the head of the wearer; the sides are then to be seamed up, leaving proper slits for the arm holes; and the neck and bosom are to be hemmed as neatly as possible. the sleeves are to be made the required length, and gathered into a band at the wrist, after being felled into the arm holes mentioned above. a neat frill round the neck, bosom, and wrists, finishes the whole. night gowns.--these must be made of a size suitable for the wearer. the following are directions for three different sizes. the length of the gown on the skirts is one yard and a half for the first size, one yard and six nails for the second, and one yard and three nails for the third; the width of the material is eighteen, sixteen, and fourteen nails, respectively; and the garment is to have one yard and a half breadth in width. they are to be crossed so as to be at the bottom twenty-one, eighteen, and sixteen, nails: and at the top, fifteen, fourteen, and twelve nails, as the sizes may require. the length of the sleeves is nine, eight, and seven nails, and the width half a breadth; they are to be furnished with gussets, three, two, and two nails square, and with wristbands of the proper width, and of any depth that is deemed desirable. a binder of one nail and a half is put down the selvage of each sleeve, which strengthens it much. the gown is furnished with a collar about three nails deep, and of the length required by the wearer; and, in order that it may fit properly, neck gussets of two, one, and one nail square, are to be introduced. a slit of about six nails is made in front, which is hemmed round, and the space left for the shoulders is three, two and a-half and two nails, respectively. the whole is finished with a neat frill round the collar and wristbands. if economy is an object, cut three gowns together. this will prevent much waste of material; an object, by every head of a family, to be constantly kept in view. neck and pocket handkerchiefs.--these are made of a great variety of materials, as silk, muslin, cambric, lawn, and net. the neck handkerchiefs are generally a half square, and are hemmed all round. it is a good plan to turn up the extreme corners, as it makes it more strong and durable. a tape is set on, which comes 'round the waist, and ties in front. sometimes a broad muslin hem is put on the two straight sides, which looks extremely well. some ladies work a border to their neck handkerchief, which gives to those made of net the appearance of lace. pocket handkerchiefs are neatly hemmed, and sometimes have a worked border. those used by gentlemen are of a larger size than those of ladies. petticoats (flannel).--these are not only useful, but indispensable articles of dress. fine flannel is the best, as it is most durable, and keeps its color best in washing. the length of the petticoat is regulated by the height of the person for whom it is intended; and the width ranges from three breadths to one and a-half. the bottom is hemmed with a broad hem; and the top is gathered, and set on to a strong band of calico, or jean, leaving the front nearly plain. sometimes a button hole is made, about two nails from the ends of the band, to which strings of tape are attached; these are passed through the opposite holes, and the parts thus brought over each other form a kind of bustle, which makes the garment sit more neatly to the figure. a slit of about four nails is left on the back which is hemmed round, or bound with a strong binding. petticoats are worn under the dress for the sake of warmth, and also to make the gown hang more gracefully upon the person. they should have three or three and a-half breadths of the material in the width, and the bottom is made with a broad hem three nails deep, or with tucks or worked muslin. the latter is extremely neat. they are to be set on to a strong band, or stock, and are to have a slit left at the back about four nails in length. the skirt may be gathered full all round, or only at the back and front, leaving the sides plain; sometimes all the fulness is thrown to the back. having shoulder-straps to keep up the petticoat, is a great advantage; but they are unnecessary if a waist, or body with or without sleeves, be set on the band. in this case the body should be made to fit as tight to the person as possible. the band is generally about one nail in breadth. the materials proper for petticoats are dimity, calico, cambric, jacconet muslin, calamanca, stuff, &c. what are called middle, or under petticoats, are made in the same manner. those ladies who pursue the laudable practice of nursing their own infants, and who wear petticoats with bodies to them, have them open in front. pinafore.--this is a useful article of dress, especially in large families. holland is the best material. for an open one, one breadth is sufficient. double the pinafore into four, and cut the arm holes to the required depth in the two side folds, so that half will form the front. the neck is to be hollowed out about a quarter of a nail in the middle, and the pinafore is to be set on to the neck band, which fastens by a button behind. sleeve lappets are attached to the arm holes, being gathered near the edge, and set on before the arm hole is hemmed, so that when the edge is turned down no stitches will appear. the lappet is a second time to be gathered at the edge, and sewed down as fast as possible. then hem the other edge, and conceal the stitches with silk braid that will wash. a small gusset put into the bottom of the slits is an advantage, as it makes it stronger. they are to be fastened round the waist with a band, or with a strap and buckle. the latter is most to be preferred. for a close pinafore, two breadths of holland, or other material, will be required. it is seamed up at the sides, leaving slits for the arm holes, and has a collar and sleeves; as also a band to go round the middle of the wearer. neck gussets may be introduced, but the much neater way is, to double the pinafore into four, and let in a piece at each shoulder, about a nail wide, and two nails in length, gathering each quarter from the arm holes, into the pieces so let in, and felling similar pieces on the inside of the shoulder. the two middle quarters are to be gathered into half the collar, and the back in the same manner. the sleeves are made with gussets like a shirt, and are gathered into the arm holes. a slit is made at the hands, and the bottom is gathered into a wristband about an inch in breadth. pockets.--these are made of any kind of material you please. you take a piece of double, and cut it to the shape required. stitch the two pieces neatly round, a little distance from the edge. then turn it, and let the seam be well flattened, and back stitch with white silk a quarter of an inch from the edge; cut a slit down about four nails, which is to be either hemmed, or have a tape laid round it on the inside. set on the strings, and the pocket is complete. some ladies have pockets attached to the petticoat. in that case, it is only a square of calico, about ten nails long, and eight broad, set on to the inside of the petticoat, as plain as possible. a ribbon scarf.--this is made of broad satin ribbon, and must not be less than two nails and a half wide: its length is two yards and three quarters. the ribbon is to be doubled on the wrong side, and run in a slanting direction so as to cause it to fall gracefully on the neck. the ends are to be embroidered and ornamented with braid, or left plain, as may suit the fancy. the scarf is to be surrounded by an edging of swan's down. this is an elegant article of female attire. plain scarf.--this is generally made of net, the whole breadth, and two yards and a half long. it is hemmed all round with a broad hem so as to admit a ribbon to be run in, which gives it a neat and finished appearance. an indian scarf.--this is an elegant article of dress and can be easily made. the material is a rich cashmere, and three colors are required: that is, black, scarlet, and a mazarine blue. you must have the scarf four nails and a half in width, and one yard and six nails in length: this must be black. then you must have of the other two colors, pieces seven nails long, and the same width as the black, and you are, after finding the exact middle of the black stripe, to slope off one nail and a half toward each side, and then slope one end of the blue and of the scarlet piece, so as to make them accord precisely with the ends of the black previously prepared. you are to cut one nail and a half from the middle to the ends. you are then to split the blue and the scarlet stripes down the middle, and join half of the one to the half of the other, as accurately, as possible. the pieces thus joined together are to be sewed to the black stripe, and the utmost care must be taken to make the points unite properly. you are to sew the pieces fast together, and herring-bone them all round on the right side. you finish by laying a neat silk gimp all round and over all the joinings. it should be of a clear, bright color. the ends are to be fringed with scarlet and blue, to correspond with the two half stripes. this is suitable for a walking dress, or an evening party. a dress shawl.--take a half square of one yard and twelve nails of satin velvet or plush, which you please, and line it with sarcenet either white, or colored; trim the two straight edges with a hem of either silk or satin, from one to one nail and a half in breadth, and cut crossway. or you may trim it with fur, lace, or fringe. cashmere shawl.--you will require for the centre a piece of colored cashmere, one yard six nails square, which is to be hemmed round with a narrow hem. you must then take four stripes all of cashmere, or of a shawl bordering to harmonize or contrast well with the centre, which must be hemmed on both sides, and then sewed on, so as that the stitches may appear as little as possible. the border should be three nails broad, and of course joined point to point at the corners; and it must be so set on as that the two corners shall fall properly over each other. the shawl is finished by a fringe set on all round, and sometimes by a colored gimp laid on over the joinings. a lady's walking shawl.--this may be made of cloth, merino, or silk; and either a whole, or half square, at pleasure. the dimensions are one yard and twelve nails, and the lining is of silk. in order that when the shawl is doubled the hems of both folds may appear at the same time, care must be taken, after laying on the border on two successive sides, to turn the shawl, and then lay on the remainder of the border. the trimmings for these kind of shawls are of great variety. a travelling shawl.--this is easily made, and is very warm and convenient. take a square of wadding, and double it cornerways; cover it with muslin, or silk, and trim it as you please. mourning shawls.--these may be made either of half a square of black silk, entirely covered with crape, which is proper for deep mourning, or you may take half a square of rich and rather dull black silk, and border it with a hem of crape, two nails deep, laid on upon the two straight sides of the shawl. shifts.--these are generally made of fine irish, or calico. they are made either with gores, or crossed. the latter is the neatest method. two breadths are sufficient for a full sized shift, and gores are cut off a given width at the bottom, and extending to a point, in order to widen the garment. in crossing a shift, you first sew the long seams; then you double it in a slanting direction, so as to mark off at the top and bottom ten nails at opposite corners; this done, you join the narrow ends together, and sew the cross seams, leaving a sufficient slit for the arm holes. there are various methods of cutting the back and bosom. some cut out a scollop both before and behind; but in this case, the back is hollowed out one third less than the front. some ladies hollow out the back, but form the bosom with a flap, which may be cut either straight, or in a slanting direction from the shoulders. another method of forming the bosom is by cutting the shoulder-straps separate from the shift, and making the top quite straight; bosom gores are then let in, in front; the top is hemmed both before and behind, and a frill gives a neat finish to the whole. the sleeves may be either set in plain or full, as suits the taste of the wearer. sometimes the sleeve and gusset are all in one piece; at other times they are separate. in all cases, great care should be taken in cutting out, not to waste the material. for this purpose it is always advisable to cut out several at one time. shifts for young children of from five to ten years of age, are generally made with flaps both before and behind. this is decidedly the neatest shape for them. the bottom, in all cases, should be hemmed with a broad hem. shirts.--these are generally made of linen; but calico is also made use of. the degree of fineness must be determined by the occupation and station of the wearer. a long piece of linen will, if cut with care, make several shirts of an ordinary man's size. in cutting, you must take a shirt of the required dimensions, as a pattern; and, by it, measure the length of several bodies, not cutting any but the last. then cut off the other bodies; and from the remainder, cut off the sleeves, binders, gussets, &c., measuring by the pattern. bosom-pieces, falls, collars, &c., must be fitted, and cut by a paper or other pattern, which suits the person for whom the articles are intended. in making up, the bodies should be doubled, so as to leave the front flap one nail shorter than that behind. then, marking off the spaces for the length of the flaps and arm holes, sew up the seams. the bosom-slit is five nails, and three nails is the space left for the shoulders. the space for the neck will be nine nails. one breadth of the cloth makes the sleeves, and the length is from nine to ten nails. the collar, and the wristbands, are made to fit the neck and wrists, and the breadths are so various, that no general rule can be given. you make the binders, or linings, about twelve nails in length, and three in breadth; and the sleeve gussets are three; the neck gusset, two; the flap gussets, one; and the bosom gusset, half a nail square. the work, or stitches, introduced into the collar, wristbands, &c., are to be regulated according to the taste of the maker, or the wearer. gentlemen's night shirts are made in a similar manner, only they are larger. the cloth recommended to be used, is that kind of linen which is called shirting-width. where a smaller size is required, a long strip will cut off from the width, which will be found useful for binders, wristbands, &c. veils.--these are made of net, gauze, or lace, and are plain or worked, as suits the taste of the wearer. white veils are generally of lace: mourning ones are made of black crape. the jet-black is to be preferred, as it wears much better than the kind termed blue-black. colored veils look well with a satin ribbon of the same color, about a nail deep, put on as a hem all round. for white ones, a ribbon of a light color is preferable, as it makes a slight contrast. a crape, or gauze veil, is hemmed round; that at the bottom being something broader than the rest. all veils have strings run in at the top, and riding ones are frequently furnished with a ribbon at the bottom, which enables the wearer to obtain the advantage of a double one, by tying the second string round her bonnet, where she is desirous to screen her eyes from the sun and dust, and at the same time to enjoy the advantage of a cool and refreshing breeze. demi-veils are short veils, fulled all round the bonnet, but most at the ears, which makes them fall more gracefully. it is advisable to take them up a little at the ears, so as not to leave them the full depth: without this precaution, they are liable to appear unsightly and slovenly. chapter iv. plain needlework. instructions in the preparation of house linen. bed-room linen.--this includes quilts, blankets, sheets, pillow covers, towels, table covers, and pincushion covers. quilts.--these are of various sizes and qualities, in accordance with the purposes to which they are to be applied. they are generally made of the outside material and the lining, (wadding or flannel being laid between,) and stitched in diamonds or other devices. the stitches must pass through the whole, and the edges of the quilt are to be secured by a binding proper for the purpose. they are best done in a frame. blankets.--these are bought ready prepared for use. it is sometimes advisable to work over the edges at the end, which should be done with scarlet worsted in a very wide kind of button-hole stitch. sheets.--these are made of fine linen, coarse linen, and calico. linen sheets are in general to be preferred. the seam up the middle must be sewed as neat as possible, and the ends may either be hemmed or seamed: the latter is the preferable method. sheets, and all bed-room linen, should be marked and numbered. to add the date of the year is also an advantage. pillow covers.--these are made of fine or coarse linen, and sometimes of calico. the material should be of such a width as to correspond with the length of the pillow. one yard and three nails, doubled and seamed up, is the proper size. one end is seamed up, and the other hemmed with a broad hem, and furnished with strings or buttons, as is deemed most convenient. we think the preferable way of making pillow covers is to procure a material of a sufficient width when doubled, to admit the pillow. the selvages are then sewn together, and the ends seamed and hemmed, as before directed. bolster covers are made in nearly the same manner, only a round patch is let into one end, and a tape slot is run into the other. towels.--towels are made of a diaper or huckaback, of a quality adapted to the uses to which they are applicable. they should be one yard long, and about ten or twelve nails wide. the best are bought single, and are fringed at the ends. others are neatly hemmed, and sometimes have a tape loop attached to them, by which they can be suspended against a wall. dressing table covers.--these may be made of any material that is proper for the purpose. fine diaper generally, but sometimes dimity and muslin are employed, or the table is covered with a kind of marseilles quilting which is prepared expressly for the purpose. sometimes the covers are merely hemmed round, but they look much neater if fringed, or bordered with a moderately full frill. sometimes a worked border is set on. all depends upon taste and fancy. a neat and genteel appearance in accordance with the furniture of the apartment, should be especially regarded. pincushion covers.--a large pincushion, having two covers belonging to it, should belong to each toilet table. the covers are merely a bag into which the cushion is slipped. they may be either worked or plain, and should have small tassels at each corner, and a frill or fringe all round. table linen.--this department of plain needlework comprises table cloths, dinner napkins, and large and small tray napkins. table cloths.--these may be purchased either singly or cut from the piece. in the latter case, the ends should be hemmed as neatly as possible. dinner napkins.--these are of various materials; if cut from the piece, they must be hemmed at the ends the same as table cloths. large and small tray napkins, and knife-box cloths, are made in the same manner. the hemming of all these should be extremely neat. it is a pretty and light employment for very young ladies; and in this way habits of neatness and usefulness may be formed, which will be found very beneficial in after life. pantry linen.--in this department you will have to prepare pantry cloths, dresser cloths, plate basket cloths, china, glass, and lamp cloths, and aprons. pantry knife-cloths should be of a strong and durable material. the dresser cloths, or covers, look neat and are useful. they are generally made of huckaback of moderate fineness; but some ladies prefer making them of a coarser kind of damask. the plate basket cloth is a kind of bag, which is put into the plate basket to prevent the side from becoming greased or discolored. they are made of linen, which is well fitted to the sides, and a piece the size and shape of the bottom of the basket, is neatly seamed in. the sides are made to hang over the basket, and are drawn round the rim by a tape, run into a slit for that purpose. china cloths, and also glass cloths, are to be made of fine soft linen, or diaper; and the cloths used in cleaning lamps, &c., must be of flannel, linen, or silk. all these articles are to be made in the same manner, that is, hemmed neatly at the ends; or if there be no selvages, or but indifferent ones, all round. nothing looks more slovenly than ragged or unhemmed cloths, which are for domestic use. little girls of the humbler classes might be employed by the more affluent, in making up those articles and a suitable remuneration be given them. they would thus become more sensible of the value of time, and would contract habits of industry, which would be of essential service to them in the more advanced stages of their progress through life. a fair price paid for work done, either by a child or an adult, is far preferable to what is called charity. it at once promotes industry, and encourages a spirit of honest independence, which is far removed from unbecoming pride, as it is from mean and sneaking servility. benevolence is the peculiar glory of woman; and we hope that all our fair readers will ever bear in mind, that real benevolence will seek to enable the objects of its regard to secure their due share of the comforts of life, by the honest employment of those gifts and talents, with which providence may have endowed them. housemaid and kitchen linen.--the next subject to which the attention of the votress of plain needlework ought to be directed, is the preparation of housemaid and kitchen linen. on these subjects, a very few general observations will be all that is necessary. in the housemaid's department, paint cloths, old and soft, and chamber-bottle cloths, fine and soft, are to be provided. to these must be added, dusters, flannels for scouring, and chamber bucket cloths, which last should be of a kind and color different from any thing else. all these must be neatly hemmed and run, or seamed, if necessary. nothing in a well directed family should bear the impress of neglect, or be suffered to assume an untidy appearance. clothes bags of different sizes, should also be provided, of two yards in length, and either one breadth doubled, in which case only one seam will be required; or of two breadths, which makes the bag more suitable for large articles of clothing. these bags are to seamed up neatly at the bottom, and to have strings which will draw, run in at the top. the best material is canvas, or good, strong unbleached linen. in the kitchen department, you will require both table and dresser cloths; which should be made as neat as possible. long towels, of good linen, and of a sufficient length, should be made, to hang on rollers; they are generally a full breadth, so that hemming the sides is unnecessary. they should be two yards long, when doubled, and the ends should be secured strongly and neatly together. if the selvage is bad, the best way is to hem it at once. kitchen dusters, tea cloths, and knife cloths, may be made of any suitable material; but in all cases let the edges be turned down, and neatly sewed or overcast. pudding cloth.--this should be made of coarse linen, neatly hemmed round, furnished with strings of strong tape, and marked. jelly bag.--this is made of a half square, doubled so as to still form a half square. the top must be hemmed, and be furnished with three loops, by which it is to be suspended from the frame when in use. some miscellaneous instructions, which could not otherwise be introduced, are to be found in the concluding chapter. chapter v. plain needlework. miscellaneous instructions. binding.--various kinds of work have binding set on to them in preference to hemming them, or working them in herring-bone stitch. flannel is generally bound; sometimes with a thin tape, made for that purpose, and called "flannel binding." it is also common to bind flannel with sarcenet ribbon. the binding is so put on, as to show but little over the edge on the right side, where it is hemmed down neatly; on the other side, it is run on with small stitches. braiding.--silk braid looks pretty, and is used for a variety of purposes. in putting it on, it is best to sew it with silk drawn out of the braid, as it is a better match, and the stitches will be less perceived. marking.--it is of essential importance that cloths should be marked and numbered. this is often done with ink, but as some persons like to mark with silk, we shall describe the stitch. two threads are to be taken each way of the cloth, and the needle must be passed three ways, in order that the stitch may be complete. the first is aslant from the person, toward the right hand; the second is downward, toward you: and the third is the reverse of the first, that is, aslant from you toward the left hand. the needle is to be brought out at the corner of the stitch, nearest to that you are about to make. the shapes of the letters or figures can be learnt from an inspection of any common sampler. piping.--this is much used in ornamenting children's and other dresses. it is made by inclosing a cord, of the proper thickness, in a stripe of silk, cut the cross-way, and must be put on as evenly as possible. plaiting.--the plaits must be as even as it is possible to place them, one against another. in double plaiting they lie both ways, and meet in the middle. tucks.--these require to be made even. you should have the breadth of the tuck, and also the space between each, notched on a card. they look the best run on with small and regular stitches. you must be careful to take a back-stitch constantly, as you proceed. making buttons.--cover the wire with a piece of calico, or other material of the proper size; turn in the corners neatly, and work round the wire in button-hole stitch; work the centre like a star. some may think that we have been too minute; but we were desirous to omit nothing that could be generally useful; and we have had regard also to those ladies who, having been under no necessity of practising plain needlework in their earlier years, are desirous of preparing articles for their humbler fellow creatures, or by the sale of which, they procure more ample supplies for the funds of charity. we have good reason to believe, that many well-disposed persons would be glad, in this way, to aid the cause of humanity--and to devote a portion of their leisure hours to the augmenting of the resources of benevolence--but they are destitute of the practical experience necessary to enable them to do so. to all such, we hope our little manual will be an acceptable offering, and enable them, by a judicious employment of the means and talents committed to their trust, to realize the truth of the saying of the wise man, "there is that scattereth and yet increaseth." diagram. ___________________________________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----| | | | | | | | | | | | --------------------------------------------------- in order to render the elementary stitches of fancy needle-work as easy of acquirement as possible, we subjoin the following diagram; any lady will thus be able to form the various stitches, by simply taking a piece of canvas, and counting the corresponding number of threads, necessary to form a square like the diagram; she will perceive the lines represent the threads of the canvas, the squares numbered being the holes formed by the intersection of the threads; and following the directions given in the accompanying chapter, she will soon be able to work any patterns here exhibited, and such new ones as her inventive genius may lead her to design. chapter vi. fancy needlework. explanation of stitches. the art of fancy needlework is closely allied to the sister ones of painting and design; and appears to have been well understood amongst the most polished nations of antiquity. we know that the art was practised with considerable success, by the babylonians, egyptians, persians, and arabians, as well as by the greeks and romans. the jews brought the art of needlework with them, out of egypt, as we learn from the directions for building the tabernacle, and preparing the holy garments; and sidon is celebrated for the rich wares of broidered cloths, in which part of her extensive traffic consisted. in more modern times, we find the fair hands of the ladies of europe employed in depicting the events of history, in tapestry, of which the much celebrated bayeux tapestry--supposed to have been wrought by matilda, the beloved wife of william the norman--detailing the various occurrences in the life of harold, from his arrival in normandy, to the fatal battle of hastings, is a standing proof. ladies of high rank employed themselves thus, for various purposes, previous to the reformation; and it is a fact, worthy of especial notice, that in those ages, when it has been required for the adornment of the temples, and the encouragement of honorable valor and has thus become associated with the sanctifying influences of religion and manly virtue, it has flourished most.[ -*] queen adelicia, wife of henry i.; ann, queen of france; catherine, of aragon; lady jane grey; mary queen of scots; and queen elizabeth, all excelled in this delightful art. at the reformation, or soon after that event, needlework began sensibly to decline, and continued to do so, until the commencement of the present century. at that time, a new and elevated development of mind began to appear, which was accompanied by a very visible advancement in every department of arts and sciences. this revival of the fine arts, like the mental and sacred gushing forth of mind, which gave it birth, was often in extremely bad taste; but as the latter becomes more purified and exalted, the former advances in improvement--mind asserts its superiority over matter, and infuses into the useful and ornamental, a living spirit of moral affection and enlightened sentiment. the year gave to the world, the celebrated berlin patterns; but it was not until a lapse of thirty years, that their merits became generally appreciated; but now, such is the perfection attained in the cultivation of the art of needlework, that some of its productions, for delicacy and expression, may almost bear comparison with painting in oil. [illustration] tent stitch.--work the cross way of the canvas, bringing your needle up through the diagram, no. down , one stitch; up down , up down , and so continue to the end. this stitch is proper for grounding, and for groups of flowers; but in the latter case, it will produce the best effect if the flowers are done in tent stitch, and the grounding in tent cross stitch (which is the same as tent stitch, only crossed.) [illustration] cross stitch.--is the same as marking stitch; bring your needle up down , up down , one stitch, up down , up down , and so continue till your work is finished. all the stitches must incline to the right, or the work will appear imperfect and unsightly. [illustration] double cross stitch.--this is a stitch very easy of execution. bring your needle up no. , over four threads, down , up down , up down , up down , up down , up down , one stitch. four, six, or eight threads may be taken in depth, and two in width, according as taste may suggest. this is an admirable stitch for large pieces of work. gold thread introduced between each row is a desirable addition to its attractive beauty. [illustration] straight cross stitch.--this is a new invention, and has a pretty appearance. bring your needle up no. down , up down , one stitch; up down , up down , and so on in like manner, till the work is finished. [illustration] double straight cross stitch.--bring your needle up no. down , up down , up down , up down , one stitch. owing to the number of times the wool is crossed, each stitch has a very bead-like appearance. a piece wholly worked in this, has an admirable effect. [illustration] gobelin stitch.--this truly beautiful stitch is especially calculated for working on canvas traced with flowers, leaves, &c.; and also for working designs, copied from oil paintings. bring your needle up no. down , one stitch, up down , up down , and so on to the end of the row. the stitches may be taken either in height or width, as may best accord with the taste, or with the subject represented. [illustration] basket stitch.--this is the same as irish stitch, but the arrangement is different. work three stitches over two threads; these are called short stitches; and then the long ones are formed by working three over six threads, the centre of which are the two on which the short stitches were worked. thus you must continue the short and long stitches alternately, until you have finished the row. in the next, the long stitches must come under the short ones; and this diversity must be kept up until all the rows are completed. to finish the pattern, you have only to run a loose film of wool under the long stitches on each of the short ones, and the task is done. [illustration] irish stitch.--this is the production of an irish lady of high rank. bring your needle up no. over four threads down , one stitch back two threads, up down , up (observe this is in a line with ) down , up (in a line with ) down , up down , up down , continuing thus over the square. the spaces left between every other stitch must be filled up with half stitches; for instance, up down , up down . it is also sometimes worked covering six and eight threads of the canvas at a time, coming back three or four threads, in the same proportion as the directions given. this stitch is proper for grounding, when the design is worked in tent or cross stitch; and the effect would be heightened by two strongly contrasted shades of the same color. it can be applied to a great variety of devices, diamonds and vandykes for example, and many others which will suggest themselves to the fair votaries of this delightful art. it looks pretty, and is easy of execution. [illustration] feather stitch.--this, as its name implies, has a light and feathery appearance, and will be found proper for any work in which lightness should predominate. you must proceed as in tent stitch, and work over twelve threads or less, but not more; then bring your needle out one thread below, and cross on each side of your straight stitch: you must so continue, taking care to drop a thread in height and keeping the bottom even with the long stitch with which you began. thus proceed until you have ten threads on the cross, which will make a square: of course you must, in the same manner, form all the squares necessary to complete the row. you can vary the pattern considerably by making the edges irregular, which is done by lowering your slant stitches, the first one two, and the next one thread, and so proceeding. this will, in our opinion, improve the appearance of the work. you can introduce as many shades as you please, only taking care that a proper contrast is duly preserved. you finish by stitching up the centre of each row on a single thread. for this purpose, silk or gold thread may be introduced with advantage. it should be remarked, that each row must be worked the contrary way to the one that preceded it, so that the wide and narrow portions may meet and blend with each other. [illustration] point stitch.--to work this stitch, take four threads straight way of the canvas, and bring the needle three steps up, and so proceed until your point is of a sufficient depth. this stitch looks pretty, worked in different and well contrasted shades, and may be applied to many useful and ornamental purposes. [illustration] queen stitch.--work over four threads in height and two in width, crossing from right to left, and back again. finish each row by a stitch across, between them, taking a thread of each, and, of course, working upon two threads. this is a very neat stitch. [illustration] queen's vandyke.--this is supposed to be the invention of princess clementina, one of the daughters, we believe of a king of france. take twelve threads, and reduce two each stitch, until the length and breadth are in conformity. it can be introduced into a variety of work, and looks well. [illustration] single plait stitch.--pass the needle across the canvas through two threads, from right to left; you then cross four threads downward, and pass the needle as before; then cross upward over two threads aslant, and again pass over four threads, always working downward, and passing the needle from right to left, across two threads, until the row is completed as far as you desire. [illustration] double plait stitch.--this stitch is from left to right across four threads aslant downward, and crossed from right to left, the needle passing out at the left, in the middle of the four threads just crossed, and so continue working downward, until you have finished the pattern. velvet stitch.--this is a combination of cross stitch and queen stitch, and is very ornamental when properly done. you work in plain cross stitch three rows, then leave three threads, and again work three rows as before; thus proceed until your canvas is covered, leaving three threads between every triple row of cross stitch. then across the rows work in queen stitch with double wool; but instead of taking two distinct threads for each stitch, you may take one thread of the preceding stitch; this will give an added thickness to your work. it will be advisable to work the wool over slips of card or parchment, as doing so will make it better to cut. if you work it in squares, they should not be larger than seventeen stitches; and to look well, they must each be placed the contrary way to the other. algerine work.--this work much resembles a venetian carpet, but is finer; it looks best done in very small patterns. it is worked over cotton piping cord, the straight way of the corners; the stitches are over three threads. your work as in raised work, putting the colors in as you come to them, and counting three stitches in width, as one stitch when you are working berlin pattern. the paper canvas is no. and the cord no. . it is proper for table mats and other thick kinds of work. to fill up corners.--work in any stitch you prefer and shade in accordance with the subject. in these, and ornamental borders, &c., there is much room for the development of taste and judgment. in all that, you undertake, it will be well for you to recollect, that nothing is lost by taking time to think. however trivial and unimportant our actions may be, they should always be preceded by mature deliberation. a habit of thought once established will remain through life, and protect its possessor from the countless miseries of rash actions, and the agonies of remorse and unavailable repentance. footnotes: [ -*] the presentation of an embroidered scarf was a common mark of approval in the ages of chivalry. chapter vii. fancy needlework. explanation of patterns. [illustration] the beaufort star.--this is a beautiful pattern, and will look well, as a centre, for any moderately-sized piece of work. begin on the width of the canvas, and take twelve threads, reducing at every stitch, one thread for six rows, and thus continue decreasing and increasing alternately, to form squares like diamonds, to the end of the row. the next row is performed in the same manner, only you work on the long way of the canvas. introduce gold or silver thread between where the stitches join, and so finish. [illustration] chess pattern.--work a square in cross stitch, with three stitches, making three of a dark shade and six of white, working as many squares as you require, and leaving spaces equal to those occupied by cross stitch, which you must fill up with irish stitch, working across the canvas. you can employ any color that will harmonize well with the cross stitch; and to complete the pattern, you must work a single stitch across each square, in irish stitch. dice pattern.--this is formed by working rows of eight stitches, in any color you please. you must here have four shades, and work two stitches in each shade. commence a stitch, over ten threads, and drop one each time, until you have taken eight stitches; the intermediate spaces are for the ground, which must contrast with the pattern; and the introduction of a little gold or silver thread, would be an improvement. [illustration] double diamond, in long stitch.--this pattern, when it is worked in two colors strongly contrasted, and the diamonds composed of beads, is exceedingly beautiful. the shades of scarlet and blue, on a white or black ground, produce the most agreeable effect. [illustration] german pattern.--there is a gothic grandeur and sobriety about this pattern which gives to it a noble and grave aspect. it is worked in irish stitch, six threads straight down the second row, falling about four stitches below the first; the third, the same below the second; the fourth and fifth the same number below the third; the next three the same; and then six in the same proportion. you then increase, and so render the arch uniform. the pattern then looks like the head of a gothic column reversed; and the centre should be so disposed as to produce the best effect: those for the first and last row must be of the same tint; and the same rule applies to all the rest. a lady can, of course, choose her own colors; but care must be had to blend the alternate light and dark shades so as to produce a natural harmony. [illustration] irish diamond.--this is beautiful, and is very easy of execution. commence with two threads, and increase to fourteen, working across the canvas, and increasing one thread each way; then decrease to two in the same manner; and so proceed, until the row is completed. begin the next row two threads down the canvas, and place a gold or steel bead in the centre of each diamond. finish with a bordering of gold twist, or mother of pearl. [illustration] lace.--this is a new invention, and is somewhat difficult of execution. the recognized material is a black chantilly silk. it is mostly worked from berlin patterns, and may be done either in cross stitch, or in straight stitch pattern: the edge is finished in cross stitch with wool. you may imitate a pearl border, by taking two threads directly behind the border. it is used for sofa pillows, &c., to which it forms a very pretty termination indeed. heart pattern.--this pattern looks well. pass the wool over ten threads in the centre, then make four additional stitches of ten threads, dropping one each time from the top, and taking one up at the bottom; then take the sixth stitch, dropping a thread at the top as before, but keeping the bottom even with the fifth stitch; your seventh stitch must be in six threads, decreasing two both at the top and bottom; and your last will be on two threads, worked in the same manner: then proceed to form the other half of the pattern. the hearts may be worked in various shades of the same color, and the space between them is to filled up with a diamond, or with an ornament in gold twist, or pearl. [illustration] princess royal.--work this in rows of stitches over four and two threads alternately, leaving one thread between each stitch: begin the next row two threads down, with a stitch over two threads, and proceed as before. work in two strongly contrasted shades, and fill in the vacancies with gold or pearl beads. roman pattern.--the material to be used, in working the pattern, is purse twist; and the grounding may be done in gobelin or tent stitch. the pattern is to be worked in three shades, of the same color; the centre forming a diamond in the lightest shade, then the next, and lastly the darkest to form a broad outline. this kind of work is done quickly, and presents a rich appearance. [illustration] russian pattern.--this is worked in rows across the canvas, in stitches of irregular lengths, and has a pleasing effect. pass the first stitch over sixteen threads, the second over twelve, the third over sixteen, and so proceed to the seventh row, which is the centre. pass the stitch over eighteen threads, and proceed as before for six rows; leave a space of four threads, and commence as at first. form the second row in the same manner, leaving four threads between the longest stitches in each row: the rows may be worked in any number of shades, taking care to preserve uniformity, and the spaces must be filled in with a diamond, worked in the same manner, but reduced in size, and in one color; or it may be worked in gold thread, which would greatly relieve the monotonous appearance of the pattern. it will be best to begin and finish each row with a half diamond. [illustration] victoria pattern.--pass the wool or silk for the centre stitch over six threads, the next over five, and so proceed to the corner, which will be on one thread; the other side must be done in a different shade, but the same color, and the shades of each must be turned alternately the opposite way. the corner stitch should be of some brilliant colored silk, if not of gold thread: the top of one square will be the bottom of another, and you work the three stitches between the corners in black or dark wool. the squares must be filled in with long stitch, working from corner to corner, across the canvas. wave pattern.--these are extremely beautiful, when worked in four or five shades. they are done in irish stitch, and the rows must be worked close together, the wool is passed over six threads, and the rows dropped a few threads below each other, so as to form a wave. the pattern may be varied almost infinitely; the following forms a beautiful specimen: work six rows of any length you choose, dropping one stitch at the top and adding one to the bottom of each row; then proceed upwards, for six rows, and you will obtain a beautiful pointed wave, the seventh row forming the centre; then work nine rows, of which the first, third, fifth seventh, and ninth, must be level with the second row of the pointed wave; and the second, fourth, sixth, and eight, must be on a level with the first and last rows, while the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth, must drop two stitches, so as to produce an irregular edge; then work a pointed wave, as before, and the pattern is complete. [illustration] windsor pattern.--in working this pattern, you must count eight threads down the canvas, and then increase one each way, until you have twelve, so as to form a diamond of six sides. the second row must be begun with twelve threads, so as to join the longest stitch in the former row. when each row is finished, the intersectional diamonds must be filled in; which may be done either in silk or gold thread, and has an extremely neat appearance. suggestions as to patterns. for bottle-stand, or any small piece of work, star patterns are very beautiful. the materials proper for working them, are silk and wool, with gold or any other kind of beads, and gold thread or twist. for foundations, you may use either velvet or silk canvas. small sprigs are pretty, for work that is not too large; chenille is proper for the flowers, and the stalks and leaves look best in silk; a few gold beads add to the effect. for large pieces of work, medallion patterns are much used, and produce a good impression on the eye; the outline is to be traced in brilliant silk, and for the centre employ two shades of the same color, working half in each shade; the medallion should be placed upon a white field, and the whole grounded in a dark color, which harmonizes well with the design of the pattern. bags may be worked in a variety of ways, to suit taste and convenience. the border is often made to resemble black lace, and when properly executed, looks extremely well. the parts filled up, should be worked in black floss or black wool. leaves may be worked with gold twist, or beads may be employed. the grounding should be in fine twisted silk: any color may be used. in other cases, white wool, white silk, silver and glass beads, and several other materials are in requisition; so that here is ample scope for classification and arrangement. a mourning bag looks well done to imitate lace, worked in black floss silk, and ornamented with black glass and silver beads, disposed in a tasteful and ornamental style. sometimes a bag is worked as a shield of four squares; in such a case, two squares should be worked in feather stitch, and the others in any stitch that will form a pleasing contrast: the border should be a simple, but elegant lace pattern. for braces and bracelets, any small border pattern may be adopted. they should be worked in two colors, highly contrasted, for bracelets: gold twist round the edge is a great addition. these suggestions in reference to patterns, might have been greatly extended; but we wish every young lady to draw upon the resources of her own mind, and to think for herself. to one, who is desirous to excel, we have said enough; a little thought will enable her to apply the general principles, here laid down, to any particular case; and, without the employment of the thinking faculty, the most minute instructions, in this or any other art, would fail in producing their intended effects. chapter viii. fancy needlework. instructions in embroidery. embroidery with silk.--the materials used as foundations, are various, embracing silk, satin, cloth, and velvet; and the silk employed in working is purse silk, deckers, half twist, and floss; but floss is most in request. embroidery should always be worked in a frame, as it cannot be done well on the hand, except in very small pieces. the same careful attention to shades, before recommended, is necessary here; for small flowers two or three shades are sufficient; but in roses and others, that are large, five shades are in general required; the darker shades should be worked into the centre of the flower, (and it is often advisable to work them in french knots,)[ -*] and thence proceed with the lighter, until you come to the lightest, which forms the outline. the pattern must be correctly drawn upon the material, and in working leaves you must begin with the points, working in the lighter shades first, and veining with a shade more dark: you may soften the blending, by working each shade up, between the stitches of the preceding shade. three, or at most four shades, are sufficient for the leaves: the introduction of more would injure the effect. chenille embroidery.--is very beautiful for screens, &c., but must not be used for any work that is liable to pressure. choose a needle as large as can be conveniently used, and be careful not to have the lengths of chenille too long, as it is apt to get rough in the working. for flowers, it is necessary that the shades should not be too near. the chenille must pass through the material freely, so as not to draw it. it looks well done in velvet, with occasional introductions of gold and silver thread. raised embroidery.--draw the pattern on the material as before. work the flowers, &c., to the height required, in soft cotton, taking care that the centre is much higher than the edges. a careful study of nature is indispensable to the attainment of excellence in this kind of work. pursue the same method with your colors, as in flat embroidery, only working them much closer. the most striking effect is produced when the flowers or animals are raised, and leaves in flat embroidery. much in this, as in every department of this charming art, must depend upon the taste and judgment--correct or otherwise--of the fair artist. a servile copyist will never attain to excellence. embroidery in wool.--this is proper for any large piece of work. the rules for shading embroidery with silk apply here; only the work must not be quite so thick on the material; care must also be taken to bring the wool through on the right side, as near as possible to where it passes through, in order that none may appear on the wrong side, which would occasion much trouble in drawing it, even when removed from the frame. when finished, and while in the frame, it will be proper to damp the back with a little isinglass water, and press with a warm iron on the wrong side. this kind of work is appropriate for the ornamenting of various articles of dress, on which, when judiciously placed, it has a pleasing effect. patterns.--this is a part of fancy needlework to which too much attention cannot be paid, but it is one much neglected. we want to see native genius developed, and we are convinced that many a fair one could increase our stock of patterns, with new and surprising conceptions, if she could but be induced to make the trial. to draw patterns for embroidery or braid work, get a piece of cartridge paper, and having drawn out the design, trace it off upon tissue paper, or which is better, a tracing paper, properly prepared; after which you will find it easy to pierce it through with a piercer, taking care not to run one hole into another. lay the paper so prepared upon the material which you intend to work, and dust it with a pounce bag, so that the powder may go through the holes; the paper must then be carefully removed, and if the material be dark, take a camel's hair pencil, and paint the marks with a mixture of white lead and gum water; or if you prefer it, you can trace the marks left by the pounce, with a black-lead pencil, but the other methods are preferable. a little practice and perseverance will enable you to became tolerably proficient in this department, and confer upon you the further advantage of aiding you in acquiring those habits of untiring diligence, which are so essential to the attainment of any object. ever recollect, that anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well. footnotes: [ -*] this applies especially to the working of dahlias: begin with the centre knot and work round it as many as are required. chapter ix. fancy needlework. preparation of frames. this is a subject which must be carefully attended to, or much unnecessary trouble will be incurred in consequence. to dress a frame for cross stitch.--the canvas must be hemmed neatly round: then count your threads, and place the centre one exactly in the middle of the frame. the canvas must be drawn as tight as the screws or pegs will permit; and if too long, should be wrapped round the poles with tissue paper, to keep it from dust and the friction of the arms, as that is essential to the beauty of the work. it must in all cases be rolled _under_, or it will occasion much trouble in the working. when placed quite even in the frame, secure by fine twine passed over the stretchers, and through the canvas very closely; both sides must be tightened gradually, or it will draw to one side, and the work will be spoiled. to dress a frame for cloth work.--stretch your cloth in the frame as tight as possible, the right side uppermost. the canvas on which you intend to work, must be of a size to correspond with the pattern, and must be placed exactly in the centre of the cloth, to which it is to be secured as smooth as possible. when the work is finished the canvas must be cut, and the threads drawn out, first one and then the other. it is necessary to be especially careful in working, not to split the threads, as that would prevent them drawing, and would spoil the appearance of the work. in all cases, it is advisable to place the cloth so as that the nap may go downward. in working bouquets of flowers, this rule is indispensable. the patterns for cloth work should be light and open. it looks well for sofas, arm chairs, &c., but is by no means so durable as work done with wool, entirely on canvas. to dress a frame for tent stitch.--prepare the frame, and brace the canvas as for cross stitch, only not quite even, but inclining the contrary way to that in which you slant your stitch. this is necessary, as tent stitch always twists a little. this method will cause the work, when taken out of the frame, to appear tolerably straight. should it after all be crooked, it should be nailed at the edges to a square board, and the work may then be pulled even by the threads so as to become perfectly straight. the back of the work should then be slightly brushed over with isinglass water, taking care not to let the liquid come through to the right side. a sheet of paper must be placed between the work and the board, and when nearly dry, another must be laid upon it, and the whole ironed with a warm iron, not too hot, or the brilliancy of the colors will be destroyed. some persons use flour instead of isinglass, but it is highly improper, and should never be resorted to. instructions for working. armorial bearings.--work the arms and crest in silk, as brilliancy is the thing here principally required. it will be proper that the scroll should be worked in wool. the contrast will have a pleasing effect. applique.--this is a very beautiful kind of work. the material may be either silk, or cloth, or any other fabric which may be preferred. upon this foundation, pieces of satin, velvet, &c., are to be carefully tacked down; the pattern, leaves, flowers, &c., must then be drawn, both on the foundation, and the materials of which they are to be formed; after which, they must be cut out and sewed on in the neatest manner possible. they are then to be braided with their own colors round the edges; you must also braid the tendrils and the veins of leaves; work the centre of leaves in a long stitch, and the kind of silk called purse silk, and after braiding the centre of flowers--if single--work over them with french knots, made by twining the silk twice round the needle, and passing it through the material. this kind of work, as covers for tables chairs, &c., is very elegant, and has a good effect. bead work.--use the canvas called bolting; and work two threads each way on the slant, with china silk, taking especial care that the beads are all turned the same way, that the whole may appear uniform. work the pattern with thick beads and ground with transparent ones. you must, in this kind of work, have as few shades as possible. braid work.--trace the pattern in the material, and proceed with the various shades, from the outline or lightest, to the darkest, till the whole is completed. in this work only two shades are for leaves, and three for flowers; make the points as sharp as possible, and in turning the points, work one stitch up close to the point where you turn the braid, and another immediately afterwards to keep it in its place. vein the leaves in a bouquet with purse silk use gold braid in finishing as taste may direct; and in fastening draw the braid through the material. the best instrument for this purpose is a chenille needle. in braid work and applique, only one stitch must be taken at a time, or else the work will appear puckered. braces.--work in silk canvas three inches broad, in silk or wool, in any pattern you prefer. gem, or set patterns.--for this kind of work, ground in black or dark wool, and work the patterns in silks, as distinct and bright as possible, and with the utmost variety of colors. the beauty of these productions of the needle, depends chiefly upon their brilliant and gem-like appearance. gobelin.--if you work in coarse canvas, adopt the same contrast of shades as you employ in cross stitch; if the material be fine, you must shade as in tent stitch. gentlemen's waistcoats.--to ornament the dress of a father, brother, or husband, must at all times be a pleasing employment for domestic affection. for dress waistcoats, embroider satin, either in the form of a wreath, round the edge of the waistcoat, or in small sprigs; for morning, you may work in any pattern you prefer. patterns of the caledonian clans are now much admired. landscapes.--these may be rendered extremely beautiful, if properly managed. the trees in front should be much lighter than those seen in the back ground, and great care should be taken to prevent the latter having too blue a cast, as this renders them unharmonious, when contrasted with the sky. represent water by shades of a blue grey: the sky should be a serene blue, with much closeness, and mingled with clouds composed of varying tints of a white and a yellow drab. if mountains are seen in the distance, they should be of a grey lavender tint, and some living animal should, in nearly all cases, be introduced. the presence of a cow, sheep, &c., gives life and animation to the view. mosaic work.--if you work with wool, cut it into short lengths, and untwist it. no wool can be procured sufficiently fine for this kind of work. if you work with silk, the finest floss is preferable to any other: split silk would be found extremely inconvenient, and the work would not look so well. care must be taken that the shades are very distinct, or they will appear jumbled and unsightly. it will also be necessary to fasten off at every shade, and not to pass from one flower to another, as in that case the fastenings would become visible on the right side, and thus impair the beauty of the performance. in working a landscape, some recommend placing behind the canvas a painted sky, to avoid the trouble of working one. as a compliance with such advice would tend to foster habits of idleness, and thus weaken the sense of moral propriety which should in all we do be ever present with us, as well as destroy that nice sense of honor and sincerity which flies from every species of deception, we hope the fair votaries of this delightful art will reject the suggestion with the contempt it merits. patterns on canvas.--employ for canvas four or five shades, beginning with the darkest, and softening gradually into a lighter tint, till you come to the lightest, following the distinction of contrast exhibited by the berlin patterns. if you wish to introduce silk into any part, it will be best to work it in last. be careful to avoid taking odd threads, if you work the pattern in cross stitch. perforated card.--the needle must not be too large, or the holes will be liable to get broken. the smaller ones must be worked in silk: the larger patterns may be done in either silk or wool. sometimes the flowers are worked in chenille, and the leaves in silk; this gives to card cases, &c., a beautiful and highly ornamental appearance. rug bordering.--use a wooden mesh, grooved, an inch and a quarter in width; pass the material over the mesh, and work in cross stitch: the material to be used, is what is called slacks, (a kind of worsted,) which must be six or eight times doubled. you must leave three threads between each row, and not more than eight rows are required to complete the border. wire work.--for this work choose shades of a light in preference to a dark color, and work with silk. if you employ both silk and wool, silk must be used for the lighter shades, or the beauty of the work will be impaired. sponge the whole before commencing work. chapter x. fancy needlework. application of fancy needlework to useful purposes. lace.--this imitation is used as an elegant finish for carriage bags, sofa pillows, &c.; and also for ladies' work bags, to which it is both ornamental and becoming. princess royal.--this pattern is especially proper for bags or small stands. point stitch, is well adapted for working covers for hassocks, as well as for bags of a considerable size. basket stitch.--this kind of work is very elegant for flower, fruit, or work baskets; or any other of an ornamental character. german pattern, is well adapted for slippers, as, when worked, it is found to be very durable, and its appearance peculiarly fits it for this application. embroidery, is of almost universal application: that with chenille is much used in the ornamental parts of dress, and is productive of a most pleasing effect. embroidery in wool is also much in use for the same purpose. rug borderings.--these may be considered as articles of domestic economy; and besides the pleasure which arises from seeing the parlor, or the side-board, adorned with the elegant productions of a daughter, or a sister, this kind of work is at all times, when properly executed, superior, considered merely as work, far superior to any similar productions emanating from the loom. gentlemen's waistcoats and braces.--by being able to perform this kind of work, it is at all times in the power of the fair sex to offer an elegant present to a father, husband, or brother, and thus to increase the hallowed pleasures of the domestic circle. this reason is amply sufficient to induce our lovely countrywomen to cultivate this department of fancy needlework. wire work.--this is a lovely material for baskets, and various kinds of ornamental fabrications. working figures.--this delightful application of the needle may be rendered subservient to numerous useful and interesting purposes. by it the sister arts of painting and design may be materially promoted: the scenes of former days may be delineated on the historic canvas, or the portrait of a departed friend may be placed before us, as when blooming in all the living lustre of angelic loveliness. let this portion of the art be especially and assiduously cultivated. armorial bearings.--these are proper for screens, and may be made of a high moral utility, by exciting in the minds of the young, an ardent desire to become acquainted with the events of history, and with the actions and principles of former times. mosaic work, and perforated card.--these are used for note books, ornamental card cases, hand screens, book marks and a variety of other useful purposes. braid work.--the application of this kind of work is well known, and is so general, that no particular cases need be pointed out. applique.--this is very elegant, as employed for table covers, sofas, chairs, &c.; indeed it always looks pretty, and to whatever it is applied it has a pleasing effect. star patterns, are proper for sofa cushions, bottle stands, or any piece of work that is small. medallion pattern.--where the work is coarse, or large, these may be introduced with good effect; but especial attention must be paid to a proper combination of colors and shades. chapter xi. fancy needlework. special instructions. instructions in grounding.--care must be taken in grounding to make the effect of contrast very conspicuous. thus, if you ground in dark colors, your pattern should be worked in shades of a light and lively tint; for those in which dark shades predominate, a light ground is indispensible. the canvas for white grounding should be white; and if for dark grounding, a striped fabric is employed. the stripes will sometimes appear through the wool. to prevent this it will be necessary to rub over the surface with a little indian ink water previous to commencing working, but care must be taken not to let the mixture run into the edges of the work, and it must be quite dry before you commence grounding. a camel's hair brush is best for this purpose. in working in cross stitch, it is best to do so on the slant, working from right to left across the canvas, and then back again. this is preferable to crossing each stitch as you proceed, and gives an improved appearance to the work. if you work in tent stitch, work straight, or your performance will be uneven when taken out of the frame. in all cases begin to go round from the centre, and work outwards, taking care to fasten off as you finish with each needleful, which should not be too long, as the wool is liable to get rough and soiled. it is also necessary to have them irregular as to length, to prevent the fastenings coming together which they will be apt to do if this suggestion is not attended to. for working in tent stitch with single wool, the canvas must not have more than fourteen threads to an inch; for cross stitch you must have a canvas not coarser than twenty-two threads to an inch; for the former, you will for every two and a half square inches require a skein of wool; in the latter case a skein will cover two inches. following this calculation, you can easily ascertain the quantity of wool required for any piece of work; and it is advisable to purchase all your wool at the same time, otherwise you will have much trouble in matching the shades. an attention to these instructions will soon make you a proficient in the grounding department of the art. working figures.--this is at once one of the most difficult, and at the same time one of the most pleasing tasks which the votary of fancy needlework will have to perform; they generally produce the best effect when worked in wool and silk, with a judicious mixture of gold and silver beads. the hair and drapery should be worked in cross stitch; and the face, neck, and hands, in tent stitch; working four of the latter for one of the former. to obtain the proper tints for the face, &c., is no easy task; but it _must_ be carefully attended to, as almost the whole beauty of the work depends upon it. the shades in these parts of the figure must be extremely close; indeed upon shading of the features the perfection of the performance mainly depends. the drapery also demands considerable care: the shades must be very distinct, particularly the lighter ones in the folds of the dress; and the back ground should be subdued as much as possible, that a proper prominence may be given to the figure: this object will be aided considerably by working in the lighter shades in silk: any representation of water or of painted glass, should be worked in the same material. the intention of the fair worker should be to give to her performance as near an approximation to oil painting as possible. raised work.--this should be done with german wool, as it more nearly resembles velvet. for working flowers, you must have two meshes, one-seventh of an inch in width, and the pattern must be worked in gobelin stitch. be careful not to take one mesh out, until you have completed the next row. you work across the flowers; and in order to save an unnecessary waste of time, as well as to facilitate your work, it will be best to thread as many needles as you require shades, taking care not to get the various shades mixed together. this is more needful, as you cannot, as in cross stitch, finish one shade before commencing another. when the pattern is worked, cut straight across each row, with a pair of scissors suitable to the purpose, and shear the flower into its proper form. for working animals or birds, you must have three meshes; the first, one quarter; and the third, one seventh of an inch: the second must be a medium between these two. you will require the largest for the breast, and the upper parts of the wings. cross stitch may be employed in working the beak, or feet, and is indeed preferable. you may work leaves, either in cross stitch or in gobelin stitch, as taste or fancy may direct. you may work either from a drawing on canvas, or from berlin pattern; but the latter is decidedly to be preferred. working berlin patterns.--for these patterns, it will be necessary to work in canvas, of eighteen or ten threads to the inch, according as you may desire the work to be a larger, or of the same size as the pattern: and, it must be borne in mind, that all the patterns are drawn for tent stitch, so that if you work in cross stitch, and wish to have it the same size as the pattern, you must count twenty stitches on the canvas, for ten on the paper. the choice of colors, for these patterns, is a matter of essential importance as the transition from shade to shade, if sudden and abrupt, will entirely destroy the beauty of the design. a natural succession of tints, softly blending into each other, can, alone produce the desired effect. in working flowers, five or six shades will be required: in a rose, or other large flower, six shades are almost indispensible; of these, the darkest should form the perfect centre, then the next (not prominently, though perceptibly) differing from it, and the next four to the lightest tint; the whole, to be so managed, as to give to the flower that fulness, and distinctness, which its position in the design demands. for small flowers, so many shades are rarely necessary. the two darkest shades should be strong, the others soft; this secures sufficiency of contrast, without impairing that harmony of tints, which is so indispensible. you must recollect, that for work done in tent stitch, a greater contrast of shade is required, than for that done in cross stitch. this remark should never be lost sight of. a proper attention to the shading of leaves, is indispensible; the kinds of green required, for this purpose, are bright grass green, for a rose; saxon green, for lilies, convolvolus, peonies, &c.; french green, for iris, marigold, narcissus, &c.; and for poppies, tulips, &c.; a willow green, which has a rather bluer tint than french green is generally; and for leaves which stand up above the flowers, or near them, it is proper to work the tips in a very light green, as reflecting the rays of light: the next shade should be four times darker, or three at the least; the next two; then the fourth shade, two darker than the third; and the fifth, two darker than the fourth: take care that the veins of leaves be distinctly marked, and those which are in the shade should be darker than those upon which the light falls; and if of a color having a bluish tint, a few worked in olive green will have a fine effect. the stalks of roses, &c., should be worked in olive brown or a very dark green. white flowers are often spoilt, by being worked of too dark a shade; if you do not work with silk, you may obtain two distinct shades of white, by using moravian cotton and white wool; these combined with three shades of light stone color--the second two shades darker than the first, and the third darker than the second, in the same proportions--will produce a beautiful white flower, which if properly shaded, by leaves of the proper tints, will have a most beautiful appearance. the lighter parts of all flowers, in berlin patterns, may be worked in silk; and in many cases that is a decided improvement; but it should never be introduced in the leaves; here it would be out of place. we again repeat, beware of servile copying: try to engage your own judgment in this work, and, remember, that to become used to think and to discriminate, is one of the most valuable acquisitions that a young lady can attain. we have now, we trust, placed before the young student of fancy needlework, such plain directions, in all things essential to the art, as cannot fail, if a proper degree of thought and attention is bestowed upon them, to make her a proficient in this delightful employment. with one or two additional remarks, we will conclude this portion of our labors. the young votary of the needle must recollect that, if she allows her fondness for this accomplishment to draw off her attention from the more serious or useful business of life, she will act decidedly wrong and had far better never learn it at all. another thing to be especially guarded against, is, not to devote too much time to this, or any other engagement, at once; the mind and body are both injured, to a serious extent, by dwelling too long on a single object. let it never for a moment be forgotten, relaxation and exercise are indispensible, if you wish to enjoy good health, or an even and pleasant temper. again, take care that you never become so absorbed in the object of your pursuit, as to allow it to interfere with the calls of friendship, benevolence, or duty. the young lady who can forget her moral and domestic duties, in the fascinations of the embroidery frame, gives but little promise of excellence, in the more advanced stages of life. let neatness, and order, characterize all your arrangements. cut your silks and wools into proper lengths, and fold them in paper, writing the color on each, and numbering them according to their shades, , , , &c., beginning with the darkest. dispose all your materials so as to come at them without trouble or inconvenience, and use every possible care to prevent your work from being spoiled in the performance. we advise every young lady to pay particular attention to painting and design; and to render every accomplishment subservient to some high and moral development of the heart, and of the character. chapter xii. knitting. explanation of stitches. before entering upon the immediate subject of this chapter, we wish to make a few remarks; which, we trust, will be acceptable to our fair readers. the art of knitting is supposed to have been invented by the spanish; and would doubtless form, in connection with needlework, an agreeable relaxation, amid the stiff formality and unvarying mechanical movements which made up, for the most part, the lives of the ancient female nobility of that peninsula. the scotch also lay claim to the invention, but we think upon no sufficient authority. knitted silk-hose were first worn in england by henry viii., and we are told that a present of a pair of long knitted silk stockings, of spanish manufacture, was presented to the young prince (edward vi.), by sir thomas gresham, and was graciously received, as a gift of some importance. clumsy and unsightly cloth-hose had been previously worn: and, though we are told by howel, that queen elizabeth was presented with a pair of black _knitted_ silk stockings, by mistress montague, her silk-woman, yet her maids of honor were not allowed to wear an article of dress, which her royal pride deemed only suited to regal magnificence. we believe the first pair of knitted stockings, ever made in england, were the production of one william rider, an apprentice, residing on london bridge; who, having accidentally seen a pair of knitted worsted stockings, while detained on some business, at the house of one of the italian merchants, made a pair of a similar kind, which he presented to the earl of pembroke, . the stocking-frame was the invention of mr. w. lee, m. a., who had been expelled from cambridge, for marrying, in contravention to the statutes of the university. himself and his wife, it seems, were reduced to the necessity of depending upon the skill of the latter, in the art of knitting, for their subsistence; and as necessity is the parent of invention, mr. lee, by carefully watching the motion of the needles, was enabled, in , to invent the stocking-frame; which has been the source of much advantage to others, though there is reason to believe the contrivance was of little service to the original proprietor. since its first introduction, knitting has been applied to a vast variety of purposes, and has been improved to an extent almost beyond belief. it has furnished to the blind, the indigent, and almost destitute irish cottage girl, the means, pleasure and profit at the same time. many ladies, including some in the rank of royalty, have employed their hours of leisure in the fabrication of articles, the produce of which have gone to the funds of charity, and have tendered to the alleviation of at least some of "the numerous ills that flesh is heir to;" and amongst those, the labors of the hon. mrs. wingfield, upon the estates of lord de vesci, in ireland, ought not to be forgotten. to cast on the loops or stitches.--take the material in the right hand, and twist it round the little finger, bring it under the next two, and pass it over the fore finger. then take the end in the left hand, (holding the needle in the right,) wrap it round the little finger, and thence bring it over the thumb, and round the two fore fingers. by this process the young learner will find that she has formed a loop: she must then bring the needle under the lower thread of the material, and above that which is over the fore finger of the right hand under the needle, which must be brought down through the loop, and the thread which is in the left hand, being drawn tight, completes the operation. this process must be repeated as many times as there are stitches cast on. knitting stitch.--the needle must be put through the cast-on stitch, and the material turned over it, which is to be taken up, and the under loop, or stitch, is to be let off. this is called plain stitch, and is to be continued until one round is completed. pearl stitch.--called also seam, ribbed, and turn stitch, is formed by knitting with the material before the needle; and instead of bringing the needle over the upper thread, it is brought under it. to rib, is to knit plain and pearled stitches alternately. three plain, and three pearled, is generally the rule. to cast over.--this means bringing the material round the needle, forward. narrowing.--this is to decrease the number of stitches by knitting two together, so as to form only one loop. raising.--this is to increase the number of stitches, and is effected by knitting one stitch as usual, and then omitting to slip out the left hand needle, and to pass the material forward and form a second stitch, putting the needle under the stitch. care must be taken to put the thread back when the additional stitch is finished. to seam.--knit a pearl stitch every alternate row. a row, means the stitches from one end of the needle to the other; and a round, the whole of the stitches on two, three, or more needles. note, in casting on a stocking, there must always be an odd stitch cast on for the seam. to bring the thread forward, means to pass it between the needles toward the person of the operator. a loop stitch, is made by passing the thread before the needle. in knitting the succeeding loop, it will take its proper place. a slip stitch, is made by passing it from one needle to another without knitting it. to fasten on.--this term refers to fastening the end of the material, when it is necessary to do so during the progress of the work. the best way is to place the two ends contrarywise to each other, and knit a few stitches with both. to cast off.--this is done by knitting two stitches, passing the first over the second, and so proceeding to the last stitch, which is to be made secure by passing thread through it. welts, are rounds of alternate plain and ribbed stitches, done at the top of stockings, and are designed to prevent their twisting or curling up. sometimes knitting is done in rows of plain and pearl stitches, or in a variety of neat and fanciful patterns. scarcely any kind of work is susceptible of so much variety, or can be applied to so many ornamental fabrics or uses in domestic economy. the fair votary of this art must be careful neither to knit too tight or too loose. a medium, which will soon be acquired by care and practice, is the best, and shows the various kinds of work to the best advantage. the young lady should take care to preserve her needles entirely free from rust, and to handle the materials of her work with as delicate a touch as possible. having thus given instructions in the common rudiments of this useful art, we proceed to give plain directions for some of the most beautiful. fancy stitches in knitting. bee's stitch.--in knitting a purse in this stitch, you must cast the loops on three needles, having twenty on each. the two first rows in plain knitting. the third is thus worked. having brought the silk in front, a stitch is to be slipped, and you knit the next, pulling the one you slipped over it; you knit the next, and the succeeding one is pearled; proceed in this manner for one round. the next round you knit plain; the next is to be executed like the third. proceed thus in alternate rounds, and you can introduce two colors, highly contrasted, knitting six or eight rounds of each. berlin wire stitch.--the stitches cast on must be an even number. knit three, four, or five plain rows. then begin the work by taking off the first stitch, knit one stitch, knit off two stitches together, and make a stitch; repeat this process to the end of the row; the next row is to be knitted plain, and so on alternately. this work may be done either with large pins and lamb's wool, if it be intended for shawls, &c., or with fine needles and thread, in which case it forms a beautiful kind of insertion work for frocks, capes, collars, and other articles of dress. if it is intended for insertion work, the number of stitches cast on are eight, and one pattern is formed by each four stitches. common plait.--this is employed for muffatees, coverlets, and various other articles. you cast on the stitches in threes: the number is unlimited. knit one row plain, then proceed as follows. row first, three plain stitches and three pearled. second row the same, taking care to begin where the last is finished, that is, if you ended with plain stitches, you begin with the pearled. proceed in the same way with the third row, and you will have a succession of squares, of inside and outside knitting, alternately. the fourth row is to be begun with the same kind of stitches as completed the first row; continue as before, and the work will be in squares, like those of a chess board. this stitch is extremely pretty. chain stitch.--the number of loops to be cast on is thirteen. knit the first two rows plain, and in beginning the third, knit three plain stitches, and bring the material in front, then pearl seven stitches; the material is then to be turned back, and you knit the other three stitches plain. the next row is plain knitting, and then you proceed as in the third row, and so on alternately, until you have completed sixteen rows. you then knit three stitches plain, and take off the four succeeding ones upon a spare pin. the next three stitches from behind the pin, are to be knitted so as to miss it completely, and the material is to be drawn so tight, as that the pins may be connected together as closely as possible. this done you knit the four stitches of the third pin, which completes the twist. the remaining three stitches are then to be knitted, and a fresh link begun, by knitting three stitches, pearling seven, knitting three, and so proceeding for sixteen rows, when another twist is to be made. crow's-foot stitch.--this stitch may be worked in two ways. if it be for a shawl, begin at the corner, and raise at the beginning and end of each row. in the other method, you cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by three, and you must cast on one additional for the commencement. you knit the first row plain and then proceed according to the following directions: first, knit a stitch. second, make a stitch. third, slip the next. fourth, knit two stitches together. fifth, put the stitch you slipped over the two last knitted; this is to be repeated, with the exception of the first knitted stitch, to the end of the row. the next row is composed entirely of pearled stitches. this stitch is neat and elegant. double knitting.--of this stitch there are three kinds, now in general use. in executing them proceed as follows. having cast on any even number of stitches, knit a few rows in plain knitting; then, for the double stitch, begin the row by knitting a stitch, and pass the material in front, between the knitting pins. then a stitch is to be taken off, being careful to put the needle inside the loop, and to pass the material back again. you then knit another stitch, and so proceed to the end of the row. for the second kind of double knitting, you cast on an even number of stitches, as before, and the first stitch is knitted plain; the material being put twice over the pin. then, as in the first kind, pass the material between the needles; a stitch is to be slipped, and the material passed again behind. this process is repeated in every stitch to the end of the row. in the next row, you reverse the work, knitting the stitches that were before slipped, and slipping the knitted ones. the third kind is very simple, and can be done quicker than the others. it is worked on the wrong side, and when completed must be turned inside out; hence it is necessary to knit plain at the sides or ends. the number of stitches must be even, as in the previous methods. no plain row is needed; but you commence by putting the material in front of the pins, and being careful to keep it constantly in that position. turn the first stitch, take off the second, and so on alternately, till the row is finished. dutch common knitting.--this is the common knitting stitch, performed in a more expeditious manner than that in general practised. the needle filled with stitches, is held in the left hand, and the material also, which is to be wrapped round the little finger once or twice. it passes to the needles over the fore finger. to form the loop on the needle held in the right hand, it is only necessary to put it into the stitch from behind, and knit off by putting the material round the needle. embossed diamond.--you cast on any number of stitches which can be divided by seven. the first row is plain: for the second, pearl one stitch, knit five, and pearl two; thus proceed, alternately, to complete the row: for the third, knit two, pearl three, and knit four, and so proceed. the fourth row you pearl three, knit one, and pearl six, alternately. the fifth row is plain knitting. the next row you pearl two, knit two, pearl five, and so on to the end. next knit two, pearl four and knit three, alternately. next knit six, and pearl one, successively. reverse the next, pearling six, and knitting one. then in the succeeding row, knit five and pearl three, and knit four in succession. next knit three, pearl two, and knit five, alternately. the succeeding row is plain. embossed hexagon stitch.--you can work with any number of stitches you choose, which can be divided by six. the first row is plain, the next pearled throughout; the third row is plain. for the first knit four stitches, and slip two at the end; then pearl a row, taking care to slip the stitches that were slipped before. next knit a row slipping the two stitches as before. the next row is pearled still slipping the two stitches. the succeeding two rows are knitted and pearled like the others, and the two stitches are still to be slipped. the next row is pearled, and you take up all the stitches; then a row is to be knitted plain, and a row pearled, which completes the pattern. in beginning the next pattern, you pearl a row, slipping the fifth and sixth stitches, so that they shall be exactly in the centre of the previously worked pattern; you then proceed as before. elastic rib.--this as its name implies, is the proper stitch for garters, or any kind of an article which is wanted to fit easily yet firmly. you are to set on any number of loops you please, and knit one row plain; the next is pearled, the two next are plain; then one pearled, and so on alternately to the end. fantail stitch.--the application of this stitch is in the preparation of mitts, gloves, &c., and sometimes it is used for purses, in which it looks extremely pretty. the material generally employed is cotton, and you begin by setting on any even number of stitches you require. a loop is made, by throwing the cotton over the pin; you then knit a loop, and make and knit alternately; each of the two last are knitted plain, and you narrow the commencement and conclusion of each row, at the second and third loops, until you have reduced it to the number originally cast on. the usual number of stitches cast on is fourteen. french stitch.--you set on the loops in fours, and must have two over. the first stitch is pearled, then turn the thread back, and knit two stitches together. form a new stitch by bringing the thread in front, and knit a stitch; the thread is again to be brought in front, and the last stitch pearled, which completes the pattern. the next row is begun in a similar manner, the thread is turned back, two stitches are knitted together at the end, the thread is turned, and you knit the last stitch. german knitting.--you cast on twenty-one stitches, and proceed as follows. first row, the material is to be passed forward, one stitch slipped, then knit one, and pass the slipped one over; three stitches are then to be knitted, and two taken as one; again pass the material forward, and knit one stitch. second row, the same, except that when in the first you knitted three stitches, knit one; and when one, you knit three. for the third row, you pass the material as before, and slip one stitch, then two are taken as one, and the slipped one is passed over again; repeat this, except that in taking two stitches together, you knit one, and pass the slipped one over; finish by knitting two stitches. honeycomb stitch.--this is also often used for shawls. it is knitted as follows. you knit the first stitch, and pass the other to make a loop over the needle. two stitches are then knitted together, and you thus continue making the loops, and knitting two stitches together, until you have completed the row. you knit every second row thus; the alternate ones plain. herring-bone bag stitch.--you cast on the stitches by fours, and the material used is silk. knit two plain stitches, and then make a large one, by turning the silk twice over the needle; after which, knit two stitches together, and repeat this, until you have completed the work. imitation net-work stitch.--you set on any number of stitches you please, but you must have no odd ones. the first row is plain knitting. the next row you commence by bringing the wool upon the first pin, and twisting it round it by bringing it over from behind, and putting it behind again. you are then to knit two loops together, and the pin must be put first into the one nearest to you, and the wool is to be twisted round the pin as before. then again, knit two together, and so on to the end. each row is done in the same manner. knit herring-bone stitch.--any number of stitches you please may be cast on, observing to have three for each pattern, and one over at each end. the first row must be plain: then, in beginning the second, take off the first stitch, and knit two together in pearl stitch. next make one, by passing the material before, and knitting one, pearl two stitches together, and make and knit a stitch as before. every row is the same. lace wave stitch.--the number of stitches must be even. the first stitch is to be slipped; then knit one, and make one, by casting the material over the pin. narrow, by knitting two stitches together, and again knit a stitch; then make one, and again narrow; and so on till you complete the row. the next row is done plain. the third row is as follows: two stitches knitted plain; make one stitch, and narrow two in one; then knit one stitch; make and narrow, as before to the end; then knit a row plain. for the fifth row, knit three stitches plain, and thus proceed as in the third row. the sixth row is done plain; and the seventh one commences by knitting four stitches plain, and then proceeding as before. the eighth row is plain; and the ninth is begun by knitting five plain stitches, and proceed as above; then knit two rows plain, and the pattern is complete. this can be continued to any length required. moss stitch.--this is easily done. cast on any even number of loops, and for the first row, the first loop is slipped, the material brought in front; the stitch is pearled, and repeat so to the end. the next row is so worked, that the stitches knit in the proceeding row, must be pearled in this. open hem.--the number of stitches is unlimited, but they must be capable of being divided by four. at the beginning of each row you slip the first stitch, and knit the second. then make a stitch by putting the cotton over the pin; knit two loops together; knit one stitch, make a stitch, and so proceed. you must have very fine pins and sewing cotton. open cross stitch.--this is done in the following manner. two colors are to be employed, and the first row of each is done in pearl stitch. in working the second row of each, the following is the order of procedure: first, knit a stitch: second, make a stitch; third, slip one; fourth, two are to be knitted together, and the one slipped is to be drawn over the knitted ones; thus you proceed to the end of the row. the two next are to be commenced with the other color; and thus you work two rows with each color, successively. the fresh color is always to cross from beneath the last one, or otherwise a hole would be left in the work. in the making of shawls, this stitch is often adopted, and it looks well, but, of course, requires to be bordered with some other pattern. ornamental ladder stitch.--the stitches are to be set on in elevens. commence by knitting two stitches plain, then knit two together, and repeat the same, drawing the first loop over the second; proceed thus to the end. commence the second row by pearling two stitches; pass the material over the pin twice; again pearl two stitches, and so proceed to the end. in the next row, knit two; pass the material round the pin twice, knit two, and so continue. thus you proceed with alternate rows of knitted and pearled stitches, being careful to slip the stitches made by throwing the material round the pin, without knitting them. pine apple stitch.--for a bag you must cast on thirty-six loops on three needles, and proceed thus: first row, knit one plain, raise one by throwing the silk over the pin, knit one plain, then raise, knit two plain, you knit the next two together, drawing the last loop over the first; you will then have six loops. in the second row, knit the first raised loop, then raise, knit the next one plain, then raise, knit plain till you come to the next raising, and omit knitting the two together as in the first row. third row, you knit plain to the raising, and then proceed as in the first row. you knit the fourth as the second; and so proceed alternately, until you have twelve rows. then in the stitches you had previously narrowed, you must raise, and introduce a bead upon each plain loop, with a thread, and again raise. where you had previously raised, you must narrow with the bead you have upon the silk. in this manner proceed raising and narrowing alternately, until you have twelve rows as before. you then reverse, and again work as in the first part of the pattern. plain open stitch.--the stitches set on must be an even number. the two first rows are plain. then commence the third row, by knitting one stitch; pass the material in front, and form a new stitch, by knitting two together. this is to be repeated, until you come to the last stitch, which must be knit. then knit two plain rows and proceed as before. porcupine stitch.--this is proper for a purse, and when properly executed, is extremely pretty. you cast on, upon each of three needles, thirty-six loops, and knit one plain round. for the next, you knit four stitches: and, having brought the silk forward, knit one loop: this will form the middle stitch of the pattern. then, again bringing the silk forward, knit fourteen stitches; after which, slip one, and leaving the under part, knit two together, and draw the stitches, last slipped, over it. then knit four stitches, as at the commencement, and so proceed for six rounds, increasing before and after each middle stitch. you knit till within one of where you decreased. the stitch thus left is to be slipped, and you then knit two together, and draw the slipped loop over it. you are then to knit one plain round, and the next row is also plain, except the loops which are over the middle stitches, where you are to insert a bead, by bringing it through the stitches. you next knit a round plain, and must be careful to keep the beads on the outside of the purse, or rather in the inside while knitting, as this purse is done the wrong side out. you are to knit, until you come within one loop of the bead, which must be slipped, and you knit the next two together. you are then to increase six rounds on each side of the stitch decreased as in the proceeding pattern, which will make that the middle or bead stitch. the material should be done in middle sized purse silk, on needles, no. . rough-cast stitch.--any odd number of stitches may be cast on. each row is begun with a plain stitch, and the others are plain and pearled alternately. this is very suitable for borders, as it is firm and looks neat. wave knitting.--this is proper for a pin-cushion, and looks extremely neat. commence by casting on seventy-nine loops. then proceed as follows. first row, knit four loops plain, pearl one, knit nine plain, and repeat to the end of the row, finishing with four plain loops. commence the second row with three pearled stitches, knit three plain, pearl seven, repeat as before. third row, knit two plain, pearl five, knit five plain, repeat. fourth row, pearl one, knit seven plain, pearl three, repeat. fifth row, pearl nine, knit one plain, pearl nine, and repeat to the end. this finishes the pattern. chapter xiii. knitting. examples in knitting. a biroche.--the stitch is very simple. you bring the wool forward, slip one, and knit two together. this elegant cushion is made up of sixteen narrow rows, and sixteen broad stripes, which decrease gradually toward the centre. it may be made in double german wool, or other material, with no. ivory or wooden pins. cast on ninety stitches, and knit two turns; then in gold color three turns, and again two in black: this forms the narrow stripe. then form the broad stripe thus: knit two stitches, and turn; then knit two of the black, and turn; this must be continued, taking every time two additional stitches of the black, until you are within two stitches of the top, and then turn. you will now find the wool has descended to the wide part of the stripe. you then again commence a narrow stripe, and so go on, until the whole is completed. when the last wide stripe is finished, knit it to the first narrow stripe, and make up the biroche in any manner you please. a baby's cap.--cast on stitches, on three pins; knit twelve rounds, and be sure you pearl every alternate stitch: in the succeeding round you must pearl the stitches which were left plain in the preceding ones. then take in eighty stitches, namely; one at every fourth, which will form a full border; then proceed to knit the cap thus: one row plain, the next open, then three plain, and twenty-four double knitting; again knit three rows plain, one open, repeat the three plain rows, again repeat the double knitting, and the plain and open rows as before; you next proceed to form the hinder part of the cap, by casting on twenty-four stitches at each end of the pins; knit forty-eight rows of double knitting, take in to the size of the crown, and knit three rows plain, one open, and repeat the three plain rows; then fasten off at top, unite the open space at the back, and repeat the plain and open rows as before. you form the crown, by casting on sixteen loops; then increase a loop at each end, for sixteen rows; then knit sixteen, and decrease as you increased, and thus the circle becomes regularly formed. baby's hood.--use no. needles, and double german wool; cast on fifty stitches, and knit eighty rows plain; roll up sixty, to form the front. three inches of the cast off part are to be sewed together, and the rest is to be drawn up for the crown. then cast on fifty stitches to form the foundation of the hood, and knit forty rows plain. line with white silk, and trim with satin ribbon. baby's shoe.--work with two colors, in stripes. you cast on twenty-eight stitches, _in blue_, and knit one row plain; then knit a plain row in white, adding one stitch at the end to form the heel, and turn; then a similar row in blue, to increase and turn, repeat this without increasing, and changing the colors each time, until you have ten stripes. then knit one row in blue, and turn, casting off seventeen stitches. you begin from the heel. the remaining thirteen stitches are knitted with white; turn; knit a row with blue; turn: and so continue, until you have five rows of one color, and four of the other. the thirteen stitches are then to be done in blue, and seventeen to correspond, are to be added; turn: this side is finished like the other, decreasing from the heel. you then sew up the heel and toe, so as to form a shoe. you are then, with four needles, to pick up the stitches round the ankle and fore foot, putting an equal number upon each of the three needles, and knit five rows plain; make a stitch by bringing the wool forward, then slip one; knit the next two, and pass the slip-stitch over them; again bring the wool forward, and repeat the process for one round: knit eighteen rows, five plain, four pearled; repeat and finish, bringing the wool forward, knitting two together; then knit two rows plain, and cast off. you must use no. needles, and double german wool. a beautiful fringe and border.--this can be applied to a variety of useful purposes. it is executed as follows. the number of stitches must be even, and of any depth you deem desirable. begin, by making a stitch, laying the material over the needle; put it through two loops, and knit them as one; repeat to the end of the row; thus continue to knit as many rows as you please, and when the stripe is of sufficient length, fasten off, letting from four to ten stitches fall off the needle to unravel for the fringe. a comforter.--on a moderate sized pin, cast on forty stitches; and in knitting, carry the wool twice round the pin for each stitch. the comforter is to be done in double knitting, and may be finished with a fringe and border at the end. without the fringe, you will require a quarter of a pound of six-thread untwisted lamb's wool; for the fringe a little more will be required. another comforter.--you are to cast on thirty stitches, and knit plain sixty-four ribs, knitting them backwards and forwards; then take twenty-two stitches from the middle of the side, and you will have twenty-one left one each end. form a chest-piece, by knitting as before, twenty-two ribs, and fasten off: you have only to sew up the end, and it is done. zephyr.--this is a light shawl for a baby, and may be made either of a half-handkerchief form, or a square. cast on about loops, and knit in french or honey-comb stitch, which you like; or any other pretty pattern you prefer, as embossed hexagon, &c. you may add a fringe and border, which gives to the zephyr a rich and finished appearance. an over-shoe.--these are useful to wear in the house, or to slip over a satin shoe, when occasion requires. the number of stitches to be cast on is thirty-four. knit a square, plain, which is to be doubled, and sewn up on one side, to the heel; then sew up three inches for the instep, and form the toe by puckering in the end. a knitted muff, in imitation of sable.--you cast on seventy or eighty stitches. knit the first three rows plain; then, for the fourth row, bring the wool forward, and taking two stitches at the back, knit them; repeat to the end: these four must be repeated, until the piece is about half a yard long, taking care that the shading is as correct as possible. you must here use no. needles, and double german wool. the shades required are four, and you begin with the lightest, proceeding to the darkest, and then reversing them. the muff must be stuffed, and lined with silk. a strong knitted purse.--any number of stitches, that can be divided by three, will do. first and third row: the wool is to be brought forward, then slip one, knit two, and pass over them the slip stitch; repeat second and fourth row plain. third and fifth row: knit two, before commencing the pattern; the holes will then fall in a diagonal direction: it will require to be well stretched. barege knitting, for shawls.--in this kind of work, you commence with any number of stitches you require: and, after knitting one row plain, you begin the second, by knitting three stitches; then, bring the wool forward, and knit three together, taking them off at the back; again you bring the wool forward, and knit three, as before. the third row is pearled; and the fourth is the second repeated, only beginning by knitting three stitches together. fifth row, the same as the third; and thus proceed with any number of rows you choose. you may introduce any patterns in flowers, &c., you may desire, by breaking off the ground color, and fastening on that which is designed for the pattern, by means of a slip knot, made at the end of the wool. all flowers, &c., must be done in plain knitting. checked patterns.--any number of stitches may be cast on, that can be divided by six. then knit the first three rows three pearl stitches, and three plain; second three rows, knit three stitches plain, and three pearl. this pattern may be worked for children's socks, bags, mats, (if done in coarse materials,) &c. close stitch, for a waistcoat.--this is to be done in two colors, and cast on any odd number of stitches. first and fifth row, with one color; knit one, and slip one, in succession. second and sixth row, with the same color; knit one, bring the wool forward, and slip one; pass the wool back, knit one, repeat. the third is the first reversed, and the fourth is worked exactly as the second, omitting the first stitch. pine apple purse.--the material is purse twist, and you will require two colors; one skein of green, and one and a half of orange. cast on stitches, and proceed as follows. knit the first row, and turn it, then knit two rows, and again turn. to have ten points you must narrow and widen alternately every seven stitches. proceed in this way with the green twist for fifteen rounds; then with the orange knit one plain row and turn, knit seven rows as before, knit one plain row and turn, then reverse the narrowings, so as to take up the loops at the beginning of every row of points, and make a loop on each side: you are to have eight rows of points. you make no loops in the second row, but having counted when you have finished the points, you seam in the first row of green and reverse the narrowings without taking up the loops, proceed to knit twelve rows; after which, you must narrow until you have but four loops on each pin, then knit the stalks, and narrow off. star, with eight points.--this is proper for the bottom of a bag or purse. in working it, proceed according to the following directions. you work with five needles, on each of four of which you cast on two stitches, eight in whole, knit one plain round. then, first row, raise, knit one, raise, knit one, and put on one bead at every knitted loop. second row, you knit a plain round. third row, raise, knit two plain, raise, two plain; the raising is at the beginning and middle of each needle; and you thus proceed, until you have fifty beads on a needle, for a bag, and eighteen for a purse. to take off the points, proceed as follows: first row, raise one, knit one, raise one, slip one off needle as in knitting, knit one, and draw the one not knitted over it; knit plain, and put on beads until you come to the middle of the needle; thus proceed with each pin, and the star will be completed. knee caps.--you commence with casting on eleven loops, and knitting eight rounds; then begin to raise every alternate round until you have forty-seven loops on the pins, knit eleven rounds plain, and then narrow until you have reduced the loops to eleven. take off. knitting footing.--the material is fine cotton, and you cast eleven stitches. knit one row plain. second row, knit one, make one, knit two together, knit three plain, make one, knit two together knit three plain. third row, is the second row reversed; the fourth is the same as the second; and you thus proceed with each row, alternately, for any length you please. a bag knitted the same way, and put over blue or crimson silk, looks extremely handsome. the material for a bag is fine worsted, and you may cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by eleven, taking care to have one additional stitch for each twenty-two; that is, for four elevens, cast on forty-six. double nightcap.--you will find five needles are required. you must cast on two stitches on each of four needles, and in the first row increase two, and in the second one plain stitch in each. in the third row, the centre stitch on each needle must be seamed, and you must increase on each side of it every other row, until you have attained the width required. you then knit the fourth and every succeeding row plain, until the cap is of a sufficient length, say twenty-four to twenty-eight inches, then decrease the first row, and make the other end to correspond with the one first knitted. dotted knitting, for baby's shoes, &c.--cast on and knit as many rows as you desire, knitting one stitch plain, and the next pearled. begin every other row with a pearled stitch. an odd number of stitches are required, and no. needles. knitted fringe.--this may be made of any material deemed most suitable for the purposes to which it is to be applied. cast on eight stitches. first knit two, then make one by bringing the cotton round the needle, and knitting it when it occurs in the next row; then knit two stitches together, knit one, make one as before, knit two together, knit eight, and so proceed to the end of the row. when you have knitted as many rows as you require, cast off five stitches and leave three, to be unravelled, for the fringe. they may be knitted in two or more colors, taking care to knit them in equal spaces; that is, with an equal number of stitches in each color. gentleman's travelling cap.--you first cast on an even number of stitches, and thus proceed; the first row is plain; then slip off the first stitch in each row, and make one, by bringing the material in front; then slip a stitch the contrary way, knit the next, and so proceed to the end of the row: you commence the next by slipping a stitch as before; then knit two stitches together to the last, which is to be knitted plain: repeat these rows alternately. herring-bone purse.--the number of stitches must be so as to be divided by four. the silk is to be brought forward, then slip one, knit one, and bring the slip stitch over it. knit one, again bring the silk forward, pearl one, and so repeat. this purse should be knitted with second sized netting silk, no. . half handkerchief.--this is extremely pretty, when properly executed. begin with one stitch to form the point, and knit as many rows, increasing one each row as is required to give you seven loops upon the pin. you must increase always at the same end: then commence the pattern. make one stitch, slip one, and knit two stitches together, putting the slipped stitch over the two knitted as one. repeat this until you have got to four stitches from the end; then again make a stitch, and knit the remainder plain. the next row is to be done in pearl stitch, and the succeeding one as the first pattern. every row of pearl stitch must be increased one, and the three last stitches are to be knitted plain. this handkerchief must be one yard and a quarter long on the straight side. when completed, fasten off. habit shirt.--these are worn under a shawl, and are extremely comfortable: they protect the chest from cold. the material most proper for them is floss wool, and they should be knitted with steel pins. you knit the front first, and begin by casting on as many loops as will form the length required. as it is necessary that one end should be a good deal more sloped than the other, you must be careful to increase at the end most sloped, at each end of the row; but at the other, you are only to increase at the end, and not at the beginning: having knitted one of the fronts, knit the other to match it, and then begin the back. commence at the bottom, or narrow part of the waist, and increase at each end of every row, until it is wide enough to reach from one shoulder to the other, and then decrease at both ends of each row for the neck. you then finish the centre stitches, and knit up first on one side and then the other, decreasing each row, until a proper hollow is obtained. you then knit the collar straight, and of any depth you please. make up, by sewing the various parts together, and set on a ribbon to the back, to tie round the waist, and another to secure it at the throat. harlequin quilt, with tucks.--this is done in double knitting stitch, with six threads fleecy. the pieces are six inches square. each square consists of about stitches, and they are to be sewn together with a tuft of wool, black or white, at each corner. the square should be knitted in at least three colors, including white; in a quilt one yard and a half square, there will be pieces, of which should be white. make the tufts as follows: wind four-thread fleecy about times round a grooved wooden mesh, one inch in width: then slip a coarse thread in the groove, and tie the wool quite tight, but taking care that an end is left to it, which can be drawn through and fastened to the quilt. the loops of wool are to be cut through on the other side of the mesh; after which it is to be combed and dressed as neatly as possible. pattern for a light scarf.--cast on the number of stitches required upon no. needles, and any kind of material you choose; three-threads fleecy is generally preferred. knit one plain stitch, then two together, and so on alternately, to the end of the row: each succeeding one is but a repetition of the first: it may be done in stripes, with various colors. plain knitted muffatees.--for these you will require four needles. on three of these cast on an equal number of stitches, according to the size required, and knit each round three pearl and three plain: finish with one plain and two pearl rows. stockings.--cast on first size , second , third , fourth , fifth , sixth . then knit rounds to the commencement of the narrowings, , , , , , and , respectively, according to the sizes given above. the narrowings in the leg are according to the size, , , , , , and . after which you knit , , , , , or rounds to the heel, which is to be formed in the following manner. the stitches are to be divided in half, taking care to have the seam stitch for the middle, and the heel is to be knitted in alternate turns of plain and pearled stitches. the length, of course, varies in proportion to the size, being turns for the first and second, for the third, for the fourth, for the fifth, and for the sixth. the heel is finished by knitting the nine middle stitches in rows, the same as the heel, and taking up one of the others with the last loop of each row, till all is taken off. there will thus be nine stitches when the heel is finished. having got thus far, you proceed to form the foot as follows. you take up sixteen on each side of the heel, in the second row, and taking them up, you make a seam on each side of the instep, knitting another stitch in the loop under the first and last, which prevents holes in the corners, that would otherwise occur. then narrow every second round on the heel sides of the seam until the number of stitches are the same as those in the instep, or what is commonly called the fore foot needle. you will have for the instep , , , , or , as the case may be; and the rounds between the heel and toe narrowings, will be , , , , , and , respectively; and the narrowings for the feet will be , , , , , and , on each side, according to the measurement given. you begin the toe by narrowing double at the seams, leaving only the seam stitch between, and narrowing twice with three, and twice with two rounds left between each narrowing: then narrow twice, leaving but one round between, and then every round until sixteen stitches only are left. finish by putting the two needles having stitches on them together. and when two stitches are done in this manner, cast them off, the first over the last, until the whole is taken off the needles. it should be noted, that the stitches in the heel vary with the size of the stocking, and are as follows: first size , second , third , fourth , fifth , and sixth . some workers take off the heel, in the same manner as the toe is here directed to be finished. open-work stockings.--on each needle cast on stitches with fine cotton, knit the welts and raise one stitch for the seam. when you arrive at the narrowings, narrow every eighth row, and when you have stitches on each needle, cease, and knit until the article is completed; then take half the stitches to form the heel, knit loops, and narrow on each side of the seam for three rows. in forming the heel, narrow every row once the fourth loop from the seam, and then the loops must be taken up, the end one as close as possible. take three stitches from each side of the fore foot needle to the other, and knit a round plain; after which, widen every fifth stitch on both sides of the heel. alternate rows of the heel needles are then to be narrowed until only loops remain on each. the stitches to be narrowed are the fifth and sixth from the ends. knit the feet of a proper length, and then narrow at the ends of the needles every other row, until only ten remain on each; narrow every row until you have only three, which you cast off in the usual manner. the open pattern is produced by knitting every fifth round thus: take two stitches in one, and bring the cotton in front of the needle, that it may form a stitch before taking the succeeding two into one. the more open you desire the work to be, the fewer stitches and the finer needles you will require. a night stocking.--this is easily done: cast on stitches on large needles, and pearl every other stitch, narrowing gradually toward the end. socks.--these are very useful articles, and are easy of execution. in the first size there are stitches, in the second , and in the third ; they have , , or turns to the heel, in which there are , , or stitches, as the size may require. the instep has , , or stitches; and the length of the heel is , , or turns. the length of the foot between the narrowings, is , , and rounds. corner for a shawl.--this, if properly executed, according to the directions, looks extremely handsome. begin by casting on two loops, to form the point; knit them, and proceed as follows. first row, make a loop, knit the two original ones together, make a loop; you will then have three loops upon the pin; knit four additional rows in plain and pearled alternately, increasing a stitch at the beginning and end of each row, and then on the fifth row you will have eleven stitches. in the next row commence the pattern thus. sixth row begin with six plain stitches, pearl one, knit six plain. seventh row plain knitting. eighth row, knit six plain, pearl one, knit two together, pearl one, knit two together, pearl one, knit six plain. ninth row plain. tenth, knit six plain, pass the material in front to make a stitch, knit two together, again make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, knit six plain. eleventh row plain. twelfth, knit six plain, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, knit six plain. thirteenth row plain. fourteenth, knit six plain, pearl three, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, knit two together, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, pearl three, knit six plain. fifteenth row plain. sixteenth, knit six plain, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl five, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, knit six plain. seventeenth row plain. eighteenth, six plain, pearl three, knit two together, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, knit five plain, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, knit two together, pearl three, knit six plain. nineteenth row plain. twentieth, knit six plain, knit two together, pearl three, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl four, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, make a stitch, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl four, make a stitch, knit two together, pearl three, knit two together, knit six plain. the twenty-first row is plain, and you then decrease as you increased, knitting the twenty-second row as the twentieth, and so proceed until you have two loops on the pin. the square is then complete. border for the shawl.--having finished the corner, pick up the twenty-one stitches on one side, and knit one row plain; the second row, knit two plain, three pearled, three plain, again pearl three, then three plain, pearl three, knit four plain. the third row knit plain; the fourth row, pearl one stitch, knit one, pearl one, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three together, knit one, pearl one, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl four, knit four plain. fifth row plain. sixth row knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one, knit two together, make a stitch, pearl three, knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one, knit two together, make a stitch, knit six plain. seventh row plain. eighth row, same as the sixth. ninth plain. tenth as the fourth. eleventh plain. twelfth as the second, repeat the first three rows, and re-commence the pattern. the shawl must be knitted on the same sized pins as the border and corner, and must have as many loops as there are stitches in the length of the border. the border and corner may be done in two colors, which must harmonize well with each other, and form a good contrast to the shawl itself. chapter xiv. netting. explanation of stitches. netting is another employment, to which the attention of the fair has been directed from the remotest times. specimens of egyptian network, performed three thousand years since, are still in existence; and, from that time, the art, in connection with that of spinning flax, was there carried to its highest state of perfection. with these specimens, are preserved some of the needles anciently used in netting. they are to be found in one of the museums at berlin. the egyptian nets were made of flax, and were so fine and delicate, that according to pliny, "they could pass through a small ring, and a single person could carry a sufficient number of them to surround a whole wood. julius lupus, while governor of egypt, had some of these nets, each string of which consisted of one hundred and fifty threads." but even this fineness was far exceeded by the thread of a linen corslet, presented by amasis, king of egypt, to the rhodians, the threads of which, as we learn from the same authority, were each composed of three hundred and sixty-five fibres. herodotus also mentions a corslet of a similar texture. in connection with other elegant female accomplishments, netting has continued to claim the attention of the ladies of europe, in every advanced state of civilization, and, in the present day, is cultivated with considerable success. netting was a favorite employment of the late queen charlotte, during the latter years of her life. [illustration] plain netting.--take the mesh in the left hand, (having previously made a long loop with twine, and fixed it to any convenient support,) between the two first fingers and the thumb. the netting needle must be threaded with the material, and fastened by a knot to the long loop before spoken of, and the mesh must be held up as close as possible to this knot _under_ the twine. the silk is to be held in the right hand between the fore finger and the thumb and must be passed under and around the left hand, so that the material may be formed into a slack loop, passing over all the fingers, except the little one. in this position, the silk must be held between the upper side of the mesh and the left-hand thumb, and the needle must be passed back, round the pin or mesh, allowing the material to form a larger loop, so as to include the little finger. the needle will thus be brought round, in front of the mesh, and must pass under the first loop, between the mesh and the fingers, and thus through the loop called the foundation loop, and thence over that portion of the material which goes backward for the purpose of forming the second loop. the needle must be kept in its position, till the right hand is so brought round as to be able to pull it through, and then the needle being drawn out and held in the right hand, the worker must disengage all the fingers of the left except the last, which is to retain its hold of the second loop, which was formed by passing the material round it. by means of this hold, retained by the little finger, the material is to be drawn to the mesh, and the knot thus formed be drawn tight to the foundation. this process is to be repeated, until a sufficient number of stitches are formed as are necessary, according to the width of the net desired. as the mesh is filled, some of the loops must be suffered to drop off; and when the row is completed, it must be drawn out, and a row of loops will be found suspended from the foundation by their respective knots, and moving freely onwards. the work is then to be turned over, which will cause the ends of the rows to be reversed; and in netting a second row, it will be done as before from left to right. in commencing the second, and all the succeeding rows, the mesh must be so placed as to come up close to the bottom of the preceding row or loops, and the former process with the needle must be repeated. it will be needful, to have a sufficient quantity of material always wound on the needle, or otherwise it will not move freely round, as it is indispensible it should do. bead stitch.--to execute this stitch properly, requires care, but it is very ornamental. beads of all kinds, may be introduced. in order to net with beads, you must procure a long taper darning needle: the stitch is as follows; string a bead upon the thread or silk you net with: this bead is to be brought to the front of the mesh, and held there until the knot is made; at the back of the mesh, bring the needle and thread, passing the point through the bead which is upon the front of the mesh. the needle and thread are then to be drawn through it, by which means the bead will be brought quite up to the knot just made. by working the beads in this manner, they will be kept stationary upon the thread, and so remain in their places, and impart much beauty to the work. [illustration] diamond netting.--this kind of netting is easy of execution, and looks extremely pretty. it is done by making every other stitch a loop stitch, in order to effect which, the silk must be put twice round the mesh, instead of once, as in plain netting. treble diamond netting is similar, only the process is rather more difficult in execution. after netting three rows plain, at the beginning, the first row is to be composed of one loop stitch, and three plain stitches, repeated until the row is finished: then in working the second row, commence with a plain stitch, then follow with a loop, then two plain stitches, and repeat as before. for the third row begin with one or two plain stitches, make a loop, then net a stitch plain, and repeat the two loops and the plain stitch to the end of the row. for the fourth row you net three stitches in plain netting, then make a loop stitch, and repeat as in previous rows. an attention to this arrangement, will soon enable the young student in net-work, to net in as many stitches as may seem desirable. [illustration] diamond netting, of five stitches.--commence with a long loop, then net five loops plain, repeat to the end of the row, finishing with a long loop. second row, begin with a plain loop, make a loose stitch to meet the short loop in the previous row, and withdraw the mesh before commencing the next loop, work four loops plain, and so proceed. third row is commenced as the second: withdraw the mesh as before, and work three plain loops. begin the fourth row with a plain stitch, work a long loop, then a loose stitch; withdraw the mesh, and work two plain stitches; again withdraw the mesh, work a plain stitch, and so proceed to the end. the fifth is begun with two plain stitches; then form a loose stitch, withdraw the mesh, work one plain loop, again withdraw the mesh, and finish with two plain stitches. the sixth row commences with three stitches plain, then make one loose stitch, and finish with two plain ones. for the seventh row, commence as in the last case; make a long loop, and finish with two plain stitches. the eighth row begins with three stitches in plain netting; withdraw the mesh, net one stitch plain, make a loose stitch, again withdraw the mesh, and finish the row with a plain stitch. in doing the ninth row net two stitches plain, withdraw the mesh, net two more plain stitches, make a loose stitch, again withdraw the mesh, and finish with a plain stitch. the tenth row is begun as the last, but instead of the loose stitch, net a plain one, then make the loose stitch, and withdraw the mesh. the mesh proper for this kind of netting is no. , and the silk called second-sized purse twist, is the best adapted for this kind of work. [illustration] dotted netting.--this is easily done. cast on the number of loops you require, and proceed as follows. begin with long loop, in which you next increase two stitches; repeat to the end of the row. none of the rows are at all varied; and you must carefully preserve its uniform appearance, as in that consists its principal beauty. shaded silk netting.--this is beautiful, when the shades blend well together. of course, each row must be worked in one shade, and the next needful must be matched with the utmost care. it is not possible to give minute rules on such a subject: but, in this, as in other things, practice will insure success. [illustration] grecian netting.--this is beautiful, and should be worked with fine silk, and with two meshes, no. and ; one plain row is to be netted with the large mesh, and then in the next row employ the small one. the silk is twisted round the fingers as in plain netting, and the needle must pass through the finger loop into the first stitch, and thence into the second. then let the second be drawn through the first, and the first through the second, finishing the stitch by releasing your fingers and pulling the material tight. the succeeding stitch is a small loop, that appears to cross the stitches twisted together. these three kinds of stitches form the pattern, and are to be repeated until the work is completed. grecian netting may be employed for a variety of purposes, and you can, of course, vary both the material and the meshes as best accords with the design you are intending to accomplish. [illustration] french ground net.--you must have an even number of loops on the foundation, then proceed. first row, plain stitches and long loops, alternately; second row plain; make a loose stitch, and repeat. begin the fourth with a loose stitch, net one plain, repeat to the end; commence the fifth row by netting one plain loop, make a long loop, and the little loop as in the third row; in coming after the last long loop, the little loop must be exchanged for a plain stitch. another kind of honeycomb netting.--use a mesh no. , and set on an even number of stitches. net the first row plain, having the silk round the mesh twice. for the second row you put the silk once round the mesh and net the second loop, having previously half twisted it. then net the first loop plain, net the fourth as the second, again net a stitch plain, and thus proceed with plain and half-twisted stitches, alternately. the third row is the same as the first, and the fourth as the second. these kinds of netting are very pretty for purses, bags, &c., and may be done in different colors if the purse is worked in four or five rows of plain, and the same number of honeycomb netting. [illustration] honeycomb netting.--you are to make an even number of loops, putting the silk twice round a no. mesh, for the second row net with the silk once round the mesh, and put the first stitch through the second at the back, and net it; then the second stitch is pulled through the middle of the first and netted: you do the same with each two of the other stitches, and must be careful not to burst them. for the third row, the silk is put twice round the mesh, and the netting is plain. you proceed thus in alternate rows until the work is done. [illustration] honeycomb netting, with two meshes.--the meshes proper are no. and . cast on an even number of stitches, and net the first row plain, with the no. mesh. with mesh no. net the second row, working the second stitch first and the first second, and so proceed netting the fourth stitch, and then the third, and so on to the end. work the third row with no. as before, and the fourth row as the second, only netting the first loop plain, and then taking, first the third, and then the second, and so on to the end, finishing with a loop in plain netting. the next row is done plain with no. , the next with no. , exactly as the first twisted row. the odd stitch netted plain, only occurs at the commencement of each alternate row of netting done with no. . this kind of netting is proper for a veil. [illustration] leaf netting.--this is pretty when executed properly. you should work with cotton, and no. mesh. five loops are required for each pattern. commence the first row by netting two plain loops for the edge, then net three plain, in the next loop increase four, and repeat this operation to the end of the row; finish with two plain loops. begin the second row as before, and collect all the loops increased in each of the twice four loops formed in the last row, into one; then net four loops plain; repeat this to the end of the row, and net two plain as before. the third row is plain netting. the fourth row has two loops netted plain, then two more plain; you then increase four on each of the next two loops, net one plain, and repeat the operation to the end of the row; finish by netting two stitches plain. fifth row, commence as before, net one plain loop, collect the increased loops as the second row, net three plain, and so repeat; net two plain to finish the row. the next row is netted plain. repeat these rows as often as your work requires it to be done. net with points.--this is done by making a foundation of, say, ninety stitches. net on this foundation with any color you please. net fifty stitches and return back again, proceed as before, only decreasing ten stitches, and so go on, until the required point is gained. two colors are required. [illustration] maltese netting, in spots.--this is neat and elegant: it is done as follows. the first two rows are netted plain: you commence the third row by netting seven stitches; the silk is then to be passed round the mesh, and the needle brought under the knot in the second row, but without netting it; that is between the stitch you last netted and the one you are about to net. a loop is then made, which is not to be netted separately, as that would increase a stitch in the next row; but it is to be taken up with the last of the seven stitches previously netted. if you desire the spots to appear very distinct and prominent, let the silk pass twice round the mesh, and afterwards through the loop, and repeat the operation to the end. you may do this spotting, either as it appears in the pattern, or in almost any form you please. [illustration] plain open netting.--this is pretty, and easy of execution. the operation is performed by netting three rows plain, then a row of loop stitches, then three rows plain, and a row of loops as before. you may net to any length you please. the direction here given is all that is necessary, and if duly attended to will enable any young lady to attain proficiency. [illustration] round netting.--you commence making the loops, as in common netting, by twisting the silk round the fingers, then pass the needle and the silk through the finger-loop, and bring it up on the back side of the mesh, between it and the fore finger; the fingers and loop are still to be kept on them as before; the middle is then to be reversed, and brought down through the first loop, (on the foundation,) and taking a slanting direction over the mesh. having drawn it entirely through, you withdraw your finger from the loop, as in ordinary netting. you every succeeding loop in the same way. chapter xv. netting. examples in netting. a purse, with china silk.--make as many stitches on the foundation as you please. net three rows with plain colors, then five with china silk. repeat. a seam purse, with beads.--you will need four skeins of fine silk, and a mesh, no. . on a foundation of one hundred stitches, net one plain row. then in the next row, net a plain and a bead stitch successively. net the third row plain, and begin the next with a bead stitch. proceed thus till the purse is completed. a netted bag, with ring.--on a foundation of sixty stitches, net the bag to half the length required; then net in a gilt ring, and finish the bag. draw it up with ribbon, and place a gilded or silk tassel at the bottom. you will require coarse netting silk, and a no. mesh. you may use union cord, or gilt twist, if you prefer it. dice pattern purse.--this is done in two colors, highly contrasted. you must have two skeins of second sized silk, and a no. mesh. on a foundation of ninety-eight stitches, net seven with the darkest color. you net seven rows. then introduce the lighter silk, by joining it to the seventh stitch of the first row of the dark color, and net seven rows upon the succeeding seven stitches of the foundation. you must be careful to loop in the last dark stitch on each row: repeat this process until the purse is of the length you require; of course reversing the squares. in cutting off the silk, you must leave sufficient to make a weaver's knot, with which is to be fastened to the succeeding color. honeycomb mittens.--you commence by casting on fifty stitches; the first four rows are to netted plain: after which, you net one row with the silk, twice round the mesh; again net two rows with the silk round the mesh once: you then commence netting rounds, and net rows as before. the first row is to be netted with the silk twice round the mesh, the second is in honey-comb pattern; the third round is executed as the first, and the fourth as the second; for the fifth round you net eleven stitches with the silk, round the mesh, as in the first row, and make two increased stitches in the twelfth loop; in the next row, you are to net five stitches and increase two, netting the whole, as in the first row; net the seventh like the second, and let this be repeated for the four succeeding rounds, a plain and a pattern round alternately; in the next round, which is plain, pass the silk twice round the mesh, and net seven stitches; increase two stitches in the eighth round and net seventeen in plain and pattern, alternate rounds; in the eighteenth increase two, and net five rounds; again increase two, and net five; and on each side again increase two; net three rounds after the last increase, continuing to net till you arrive at the stitch over the last stitch you increased, and net it to the one corresponding to it on the other side of the thumb; if it does not fit as it ought to do, you must decrease, until that object is secured; you are to finish the thumb, by netting a round with the silk, put twice round the mesh, and two rounds in plain netting; the silk is to be fastened to the side of the thumb, in order to finish the hand: and you are to net plain and pattern rounds successively. when the mitten is nearly the length you wish, finish in the same manner you did the thumb, using double silk. netted cuffs.--the materials are german wool and french floss silk, and the work is executed with a mesh, no. , and a small steel one, no. . you commence on a foundation of fifty-four loops; and in order to form the right side, you net one row of wool with the large mesh, and three rows of silk with the small one, alternately, till you have netted twenty four rows. then you form the wrong side, by netting one row of wool with the larger mesh, and two rows of the same material with the small one. you will require nine rows netted with the wide mesh, with two narrow rows between each. then net one wide row with wool, having in each loop three stitches; above this, knit one narrow row of silk, and do the same at the other end. you have only to double the cuffs, turning the plain side inmost, and the rows of wool and silk will form a kind of border and finish to the whole. netted cuff with silk and wool.--on a foundation of ninety-six stitches, and with a no. mesh, net one row plain in floss silk. second row the same. then with an ivory mesh of half an inch in width, net one row in german wool. the fourth row is to be done two stitches in one, with wool, using a small mesh. then for the inside half of the cuff, net fourteen rows with the large and small meshes, successively. these to be done in silk and wool alternately. the next three rows to be netted in dark wool. then with the small mesh net two rows in silk, the same color as at the commencement, alternately, with seven rows of wool, in proper shades, and finish with an edge to correspond with the beginning. netted fringe.--use a mesh no. , and net the required length, dropping off the stitches on the left. net the next row the same. then with a flat mesh, the width of the fringe, placing the grooved edge downward, net one row. these latter loops are to be cut, and either left as they are, or knitted two and two together, as the taste of the worker may dictate. netted opera cap.--work with one mesh, half an inch wide; and another, smaller, of steel; and begin on a foundation of seventy-four stitches. you must procure in double german wool, two colors that contrast well: commence with the darkest shade, and net with the wide mesh one row; the second is to be netted with the narrow one, and so on alternately: the sixth and seventh are both worked with the narrow mesh: then net five more rows with the wide and narrow meshes alternately: this done, you commence with the other color, and net one row, having three stitches on each loop of the row preceding: you now introduce silk of the same color as that of the wool first used, and net one row with the narrow mesh; in that row all the stitches of the last row, netted in wool, must be taken up separately; the foundation is now to be removed, and rows of the lighter colored wool and silk, are to be netted to correspond. net another piece of work in exactly the same manner as the former, and taking one of the pieces, fold it in the middle, and net one row with the narrow mesh in the centre row of knots; in the piece thus doubled, proceed to net a row with the wide mesh, then two with the narrow one, and again one with the wide mesh. the other piece is then to be folded in the same manner, and united to the former one by netting a row, taking up as before the centre row of knots. this makes the front of the cap appear in four pieces. at the back, in the centre row of knots, net a row with the narrow mesh, to keep it on an even fold. you draw up the cap at the end, and put the strings on. this completes it. [illustration] netted scollop edging.--you work this with a flat mesh, and set on as many stitches as you intend to have scollops. the flat mesh should be no. ; and you will also require two round ones, one no. and the other no. . begin the work as follows. net the first row with the flat mesh, and increase eighteen stitches into each of the loops on the foundation. for the second row, use the mesh no. , and net a plain stitch into each loop. then, with the mesh no. , net the third row in long loops, by passing the material twice round the mesh; you are to increase two stitches in the same loop, and so continue to the end of the row. in the fourth row you use the mesh no. and leaving all the increased stitches without netting them, net the long loops plain. the fifth and sixth rows are netted plain with the mesh no. , which finishes the scollop. plain netted gentleman's purse.--of coarse netting silk, you will require five skeins, and a mesh, no. . you must have a foundation of eighty stitches on which to commence, and you net to the length of ten inches. net up the sides and damp it slightly, after which it is put upon a purse stretcher, where it is to be left for a few hours, then take it off and trim it as you please. a lady's purse.--net in the same manner seventy stitches on the foundation, and nine inches in length is sufficient. employ a mesh no. , and fine netting silk. two colors may be used, netting five rows with one, and four with the other. plain netted mittens.--begin on forty-eight stitches as a foundation, and net four rows plain; then form the loops, for the ribbon, with a mesh double the size of that you work with. then five rows more are to be netted plain; and in the next you must join both ends, and net one plain round, taking care in the twelfth stitch to increase. again net round, and increase as before. net the remaining stitches. you must then net sixteen rounds, increasing two stitches, to form the thumb, in the same place as the other increased stitches, every other round. join the thumb stitches, and net seven rounds, which is the length of the thumb, decreasing a stitch or two in every round. with the larger mesh you are to net two stitches in every loop, and then net one round, taking the two together. net two or three rounds with a finer mesh: this finishes the thumb. net as many rounds as are wanted for the hand, and finish as before. run in the ribbon, and edge with lace. you must have a no. mesh, and five skeins of silk. [illustration] a plain scollop.--you must cast on one stitch for each scollop: this is the first row. for the second, use a flat mesh no. , and increase twenty stitches in each loop. net the third with a round mesh no. , netting all the increased loops plain. the two next rows are netted plain, with the same mesh, which finishes the pattern. [illustration] cap border scollop.--you commence with one stitch for each scollop, as in last pattern. for the second row, use the flat mesh no. , and increase in each loop twelve stitches. net the third round with the round mesh no. , and be careful to net the increased stitches plain. the last row is netted plain, with the same mesh as the preceding one. the cotton used in the netting of these scollops, should be about the size of what is called third-sized purse twist. net cravat.--this is netted with german wool, and with a mesh no. . having cast on stitches, in the color you intend first to use, net twenty-three rows in plain netting. then introduce the other color, or white; and again, in the same manner, net twenty-three rows. proceed thus, till you have three stripes of each color: then net the two sides together, and draw up the ends. you may add tassels, if you choose. a net scarf.--this is to be worked with two flat needles, no. and no. , and in that kind of silk called _dockers_. you are to commence, by casting on stitches, and netting four rows with the smaller mesh, and thirty or thirty-two with the larger one. these repeated, six times, completes the scarf. you must add the four narrow rows, which will complete the edge. the scarf is to be drawn up at each end, and have tassels attached. a long purse, in points.--upon your foundation loops, put sixty stitches in one of the colors you intend to use, and return on them. then, in the next row, put on forty stitches, the next forty, and so on to ten, always returning on the number last put on, and leaving the ten unnetted. you then, with another needle, introduce your other color, and put on ten stitches upon the foundation loops, commencing ten loops from the sixty of the first color. when you have reached the last of the sixty, which you will do when you have put on the ten, you must draw the mesh out, and pass the needle with the second color, through the concluding stitch of the first, working back upon the second color the ten stitches last introduced. the rest of the row is increased ten; and you must then decrease, as you did with the first color. one pattern is then complete; and you re-commence and proceed as before. chapter xvi. crochet. stitches in crochet. crochet has been long known, but it has only become a favorite with the fair votaries of the needle, during the last few years. it is very difficult to describe, though easy of execution, and can be applied to a variety of useful and ornamental purposes. it is most frequently adopted in working shawls, table covers, pillows, mats, slippers, carriage mats, and a great variety of other things of elegance and utility. silk, cotton, and wool, are employed, and the work is so easy, that a moderate share of attention to details, will make an expert workman. stitches.--these are called plain single crochet, plain double crochet, plain stitch open crochet, and open crochet, with a variety of stitches. it is not easy to describe the manner of working crochet stitch, though it is easy of execution: perhaps the following will be found tolerably correct. take a skein of wool, and having wound it, make a loop at one end, like the first link in a chain; through this draw another, and so on, until the chain is of the length required. each must be made rather tight as it is drawn through its preceding loop. this forms the foundation, and the young worker may then proceed with the article she intends to make. she must pass the needle through the last loop of the foundation, and catching the silk or other material from behind, draw it through and so proceed with every succeeding loop of the foundation, until the row is completed. having thus formed the first row, she must proceed as before to form a second, and so on from right to left, and from left to right, until she has all the rows required. this is the most effectual way we know of for the learner to pursue and she will find that her work is the same on both sides, producing raised and depressed rows in alternate succession. in working she must not generally work backward and forward, but must finish each row separately. plain crochet.--make only one loop in each stitch. in making common purses in crochet, this is the stitch generally employed. plain double crochet.--keep two loops on the needle before finishing the stitch. this stitch is more generally in use than any of the others described. plain stitch open crochet.--this stitch is done in the following manner. to the last link of the foundation chain, crochet five stitches, which must be again crocheted in the fifth stitch of the chain. this is to be repeated to the foundation. the rest of the rows are to be done in the same way, attaching every fifth stitch to the centre one of each loop in the row preceding. this looks extremely well for purses, and it can be varied by employing two or more colors as taste or fancy may direct. [illustration] open crochet.--this stitch is difficult to describe; an attention to the following rules will, we hope, enable the reader to understand it. first make a chain of the length required for the foundation; then work one stitch plain, and bring the material round the needle, which must be passed through the first loop of the chain, through which bring the material, and you will thus have three stitches on the needle. through the two first of these the material must be drawn, which will leave two; through these the material must be again drawn, and that will leave one, through which you are to make one stitch plain, as at the commencement. you then put the material over the needle, and through the fourth link of the chain, and proceed as before. you will thus have one plain stitch between each two double ones, which will leave an open space. [illustration] double open crochet.--this is a similar stitch, only the single stitch is omitted, and the two long stitches are made together, by passing the needle through the next loop without making a stitch. thus you will have two long stitches and one open stitch in succession. [illustration] treble open crochet.--this is exactly like the last, only making three long stitches, instead of two, before every plain stitch. it looks neat and elegant, and may have beads introduced, which produce a charming effect. the following directions will enable the novice to work with beads with freedom and accuracy. thread the beads on a strong silk, and pass one on to the middle stitch of each of the three long ones. this will, of course, place a bead in the centre of each square. beads of various colors may be introduced, so as to form a diamond. a gold or polished steel one should form the centre of each diamond. double stitch crochet.--to work this you have only to take both meshes of the chain, instead of one, as in common crochet. plain stitch elastic crochet.--work backward and forwards, first taking one mesh of the chain, and then the other. the upper mesh must be taken first. bead stitch.--if you wish to work with beads, you must thread all you intend to use, before you begin to work. then when you wish to insert a bead, no matter what the pattern is you are executing, you have only to pass a bead down to the last stitch you have worked, and to fasten it on by working the stitch as usual; but this will leave it on the wrong side; to prevent which, you must bring the crocheting thread to the front, having it on the fore finger of the left hand: by thus keeping the bead in front, and inserting the needle from the back of the stitch you are about to work, you can draw the thread through the back, and make the finishing loop in the common way: you will then find that the bead is on the right side. edge stitch.--to work this stitch you are to draw a loop through the first stitch on the row, or on the round, if you work in rounds, then draw a second loop through the one last made. thus the edge stitch is formed. it is of importance to attend to the regular working of this stitch, because if it is not done, you will lose in each row a stitch. on a round, it is not necessary to work the edge stitch; but when the work has to be turned to work round the contrary way, the edge stitch is indispensible. a raised stitch.--make this by passing the needle through, both meshes of the chain, and working two stitches instead of one, in the same space or hole. to increase or decrease a stitch.--in the former case, make two stitches in the mesh; and in the latter, take two stitches together as one, or miss one. true stitch.--this means to keep the stitches exactly over each other, when working in different colors, so as to conceal the half stitch. this must be done with care: and the more attention is paid to it, the more beautiful will the work appear. to fasten on or off.--the former is done by laying the two ends of the material contrary wise, and working a few stitches with both. the latter process is performed by drawing the material through the last stitch, which must be fastened at the back. a dividing line.--the most general form is that of working two stitches up and down alternately, between the stripes in the groundings; but it can be varied according to taste. what is called making a stitch, at the beginning and end of a row, means making one stitch of a chain before the first and after the last, which new stitches are to be crocheted in the succeeding row. to carry on a thread in double crochet.--it is a very common thing to work a pattern in crochet, in more than one color; when this is the case, it is necessary that the colors, not required, should be so managed, as not to make loops, or stitches, at the back. to accomplish this, they must be worked in the following manner. let the threads, that are not required, be laid along the fore finger of the left hand; and the crochet needle must be inserted in the usual manner, into the stitch; you are to let it go below the threads you are carrying on, and the thread with which you are working is to be drawn at the back, through the stitch, into which you inserted the needle or hook. make the finishing loop as usual, which you carry over the threads, and pull through the two loops you have upon the needle. thus you will make one stitch, and the process is to be repeated as often as your work requires it. joining the threads.--in order that threads may be united neatly and properly, observe the following directions. do not work up the thread quite to the end, but leave a small portion; then, on the fore finger of the left hand, by the end of the thread you are about to commence working with, the end to be toward the tip of the finger, the ball will of course be toward the arm; work over it for about six stitches, proceeding as you do in carrying over the threads; then by the thread you worked with, but on the same finger, and continue with the thread you have last fastened on, and work over it, in the same manner, for about six stitches. the ends are then to be cut, and you work on as usual, with the thread just joined. this is the best method we know, of making the work appear neat, and, at the same time, of securing the required degree of fineness. to increase a stitch in crochet.--the process by which this is done, is as follows. first, make the stitch as usual, then work it again from the hinder or back part of the stitch. this prevents a hole, which would otherwise occur. to take in a stitch.--to do this, two stitches are taken on the needle at the same time, and you work them off as one. we have given the fullest explanation of the various stitches in crochet, that our limited space will allow; and we hope that the directions are so plain that no one will be at a loss to comprehend their meaning. but we cannot promise any votary of this delightful employment, even tolerable success, unless she will assiduously apply her own mind to the various directions. "no one can become an expert needlewoman, who does not think, and think deeply, too." chapter xvii. crochet. examples in crochet. [illustration] crochet edging, for collars, &c.--ascertain the length you will require, and cast on the necessary number of chain stitches; you must use a steel hook no. . you will find your labor facilitated by sewing a piece of tape at the beginning and the end of the foundation-row of chain stitch. if the tops be an inch wide, it will form a good beginning and termination. the foundation of chain stitch forms the first row; the second is worked thus; the hook is inserted through the first loop of the foundation; (this will be on the tape,) through which, a loop is to be brought in the usual manner; directly above this, a second loop is worked, which forms the beginning. you now leave the tape, and work two chain stitches; after which, you throw a stitch on the needle, by casting the material over it. then, taking the third loop on the foundation, counting from the one last worked, you insert the hook, passing two loops without working them, and catching the thread from behind, pull it through. thus, you will have on the needle three loops; and you must now throw a stitch on the hook, which is, in like manner, to be pulled through the first loop, near the point. by this, you will still have three loops on the hook. again, throw on a stitch as before, which draw through the two first loops on the end of the hook; then throw on another stitch, which must be pulled through the two loops remaining on the hook. you will then have only one loop upon the needle; and thus one stitch is completed. make two chain stitches, as before, and then perform another stitch; and so proceed, as in the former row, but instead of inserting the hook in the third loop, as before, pass it into the first open portion of the work, and work the stitch over the two chain stitches of the second row, as follows. the needle being inserted into the open space, you are to catch the material in from behind, and draw it through, by which you will have three loops on the hook: then throw a loop on as before, and let it be drawn through the first loop, on the point of the hook. another loop is next to be thrown in, and drawn through the two loops nearest the hook, on which you will now have two loops. you thus complete the stitch, as in the previous row, and so proceed to the end. the next row is the same in all respects; and the fifth is to form a vandyke edge: it is worked in the following manner: the needle is inserted into the open space, and work a double tambour stitch round the chain stitches of the fourth row; then seven chain stitches are to be made and fastened to the two chain stitches of the last row, in the same manner as before. thus one scollop or vandyke is completed, and you work all the others in the same way. [illustration] petticoat crochet edging.--work this in the following manner. first row like the last pattern. the second like the second of the last; and finish with the fifth row of the same pattern. persian cotton, no. , is the best material; and you work with a long steel crochet needle, having an ivory screw handle. crochet edging, handkerchiefs.--this is done in three rows, worked as the first, second, third, and fifth rows of crochet edging, for collars. the material is persian thread, no. ; and you work with a fine steel crochet needle, with a screw handle. insertion, or crochet beading.--you work this, if narrow, as first and second rows of the first pattern; if you have it wider, work it as the third row. it may be either worked with no. or no. cotton, and looks neat and handsome. the following remarks on crochet should be carefully attended to. it is necessary to work this kind of work, rather loose than otherwise, as it is liable to cut, if done over tight. the size of the stitch depends, of course, upon that of the needle; and, therefore, care should be taken, to have them gauged. if a needle will go into the slit, opposite no. , but not into no. , then it is a no. needle. sofa pillow.--work in six threads fleecy, and with a good sized crochet needle; work as follows. for the first stripe, commence with two rows of the same color; the three next rows, in different shades, of a color that will contrast well with that of the two first; the sixth row must be of a different color, or it may be white. the next five rows are to correspond, reversing the colors and shades. the second stripe is composed of seven rows: the first, three distinct shades of the same color; the middle one, a contrast; and the other three, the same shades as the first, but reversed as before. the third stripe is the same, but, of course, the colors are different. a white row in the middle of each stripe, is, in our opinion, the best. the fourth stripe is a repetition of the first, omitting the color in the first two rows, the fifth of the second, and the sixth of the third. the last stripe is to correspond _exactly_ with the first. turkish pattern, for a table cover.--use a steel needle, and six threads fleecy. form the dividing line of two shades of the same color, say claret, and have four stripes, namely, white, gold color, blue, and scarlet. then, on the white stripe, work the pattern in two greens, two scarlets, two blues, a brown, and a yellow. on the gold color, in two blues and one claret, white, lilac, and green. on the blue, in two scarlets, two greens, one drab, white, brown, and orange. and on the scarlet, one green, one white, two blues, a claret, and a bright yellow. we have merely given the colors in the above, as a specimen, and to assist the youthful artist in the formation of habits of arrangement. she can, of course, adopt any colors and shades she pleases; and the more she employs her own thought and judgment, the more original will her work appear. a plain crochet bag, in silk.--begin at the top with a chain, of one hundred and fifty stitches. the material to work with, may be any kind of silk that is proper for the purpose, and of any color that may be deemed desirable. on this foundation, a plain row is to be worked, and then a row in two colors, in two stitches of each alternately. the second color is employed to form the ground of the pattern. work one plain row, and then work large stars, in a color to contrast with the plain ground. between the large stars, work small ones, in a different color. one row of plain ground is to be crocheted on each side of the pattern; and before commencing the second stripe, repeat the row of two colors in two stitches of each. the ground of the next stripe is to contrast highly with that of the former one. the larger stars should also be well contrasted; but, all in the same stripe, must be of the same color; all the small stars should be alike. the stripes are to be repeated successively, until the bag is completed. a greek cap, in coarse chenille.--with a chain of six or eight stitches, begin at the top, and having united the ends, work round and round, in rows, until it is eight inches across. you must increase your stitches, in each row, so as to preserve the work flat. work the stitches in open crochet, and between every two rows, it will be best to introduce a few plain lines, in black and gold. this cap is extremely elegant. a crochet neck chain.--commence with fine plain stitches; then put the needle through the back of the second, and make one stitch plain. by twisting the chain, after every stitch, you will find that one stitch appears to cross; that stitch is the one to be next taken, and crocheted. a plain crochet purse.--this purse is made with middle-sized netting silk, and is strong and durable. a chain is to be made of one hundred and forty stitches, of any color you prefer, on which, you are to crochet three rows plain in the same color. then, five rows, in a color making a good contrast. repeat these stripes as many times as are requisite, and crochet up the sides. draw up the ends, and trim the purse. we deem it unnecessary to add more examples in crochet, as without engravings, they would not be understood. this kind of work is capable of being applied to an almost indefinite number of purposes; but in almost all cases, though easy of execution, the patterns are not easy to be described in writing. we have, however, done all that is required, to afford an insight into this kind of needlework; and have shewn that for purses, bags, caps, neck chains, &c., it can be readily brought into requisition. much care and judgment are required in the arrangement of colors, as on this, almost the whole beauty of the work depends. chapter xviii. tatting. explanation of stitches. [illustration] tatting open stitch.--take your tatting needle, and, having threaded it with the appropriate material make a knot at the end. in order to make the loops, put the knot just made on the fore finger of the left hand, and form also a loop round the second, third and fourth fingers, extending them for that purpose. these loops are made by carrying the thread round the back of them, bringing it to the fore finger again, so as to pass over the knot. in this position they must be held tightly down by the pressure of the thumb. you will observe that the thumb and fore finger are never to be moved while you form the scollop, but you are to bring the needle and thread toward you in a straight direction from the fore finger and thumb, between the second and third fingers: the needle is then to be inserted from behind the finger loop, up through the middle, between the thread which is on the needle, and the thread round the fingers. you must be careful to have the thread (on the needle) between you and the needle, after you have drawn it through. from the right hand to the left the needle must be extended as tight as possible, leaving loose the loop which is round the finger as you make the stitch with the loop, and not with that portion of the thread which is next the needle. you are to withdraw the second finger, and allow the loop round the fingers to form round the thread. the fingers are then to be again inserted, and form the stitch with the second finger by drawing it up to its proper place, close to the thumb. this will finish the stitch. for the next, cast the thread over the back part of the hand, instead of bringing it to you as in the former stitch, and let the needle be inserted down through the finger loop, between the first and second fingers; then draw it up through between the two threads over the back part of the fingers, and form the stitch with the second one, as in the previous stitch. you work the third stitch the same as the first, only longer, that it may form a long loop. repeat the second stitch, then the long loop; and thus proceed until you have seven loops: after this, the thread is to be drawn up, so as to form the scollop. [illustration] star tatting.--the material for this kind of work is bobbin, such as is generally used for children's caps. you have only to work six scollops and draw them up close, so as to form a star. when made with precision and regularity, they present a neat appearance. star tatting is well adapted for trimmings to a great many articles of apparel and ornament. [illustration] common tatting edging.--make the loops, and work the first stitch as in the first pattern; then work twenty stitches the same way to form the scollop. when it is finished, you must draw up the thread tight, and then commence another. if it has been properly done, the scollop will draw freely. chapter xix. concluding remarks. in bringing the ladies' work-table book to a close, we cannot persuade ourselves to dismiss the subject, without a word or two to our fair friends, as to the use, necessary to be made, of all the useful or ornamental accomplishments their circumstances and situations may enable them to acquire. we should never, for one moment, suffer the utile to be absent from our thoughts: she who has no definite aim in what she does, can never have any good ground of hope, that, in her progress through life, she can attain to excellence. these remarks apply principally to that large class, who are dependent upon exertion of some kind, for the means of comfort and respectability, in their respective stations. but, as those ladies, whose circumstances render a practical acquaintance with the arts here treated of, a matter of indifference, a knowledge of them is, by no means, unnecessary. in many ways indeed, a lady, blessed with affluence, may render an acquaintance with the details of needlework extensively useful. it is often the case that young persons are engaged in families, whose education has been, from some cause or other, lamentably neglected. in those cases, the lady who feels her obligations, and is actuated by a true christian spirit, will consider herself as standing in the place of a mother to her humble dependents; and, under a deep sense of her high responsibilities, will endeavor to improve, and fit them, by suitable and kindly-imparted instructions, for the proper discharge of the duties of that station, which it may be presumed they will in after days be called upon to fill. in this case, how useful will the kind and careful mistress find a knowledge of that art, which teaches the proper method of making those articles of dress which are so essential to every family who, however humble, are desirous of securing the respect of the wise and the good, by judicious economy, and a neat and respectable appearance. those ladies who are in the habit of devoting a portion of their time to the superintendence of our female charity schools, will also find such knowledge extremely beneficial. to those who are disposed to follow the example of the holy dorcas, in providing garments for the deserving and destitute poor, an acquaintance with _plain needlework_ is indispensible; and indeed, it will, in every walk of life, be found useful to her who is, by the animating love of the lord jesus, disposed "to seek the wretched out, and court the offices of soft humanity." another advantage may also be gained, by a manifestation of the kindly solicitude for the improvement of domestics, here pointed out. in cases where the secular tuition of young persons has been neglected, it will be generally found that their religious and moral training has been equally uncared for. let the christian lady evince a real desire to improve the temporal condition of those beneath her influence, and she will soon find that the best affections of the heart are opened to the reception of instructions of a higher and still more important character. hard indeed must be that heart which can resist the influence of genuine kindness exercised in a friendly christian spirit. we once had the pleasure of seeing a young servant baptized in the faith of christ, while those in whose service she was, and two others, highly respectable persons, answered for her at the font. this beautiful meeting together of the rich and the poor, took place in one of the most splendid parish churches in england, and left on our minds an impression which will never be effaced. in the foregoing pages we have endeavored to lay before the young votary of the needle, such instructions as we hope will be found sufficiently clear to enable her to produce many a delightful specimen of her assiduity, taste, and judgment. we have sought to be concise, without being obscure; and to give plain directions, without making our readers mere imitators, or copyists. one fault which is to be found in all the books on these subjects, which we have seen, we have carefully avoided; that is, the giving a list of the various colours to be employed in the fabrication of each example given. nothing can be more absurd, and mischievous than this. the young work-woman can only exercise her judgment, to any extent, in this department of her labors. the various stitches she must form according to the prescribed rule; because, in most instances, they can be performed in no other manner; but in the choice of materials, and colors, she should have free scope: here judgment, taste, and fancy, should range untrammelled by rules and forms; and yet this is rarely done, because the lady is taught to rely upon her patterns, and scarcely ever to consult her own sense of beauty or propriety. we see the effect of this, in the sameness, and monotonous appearance of almost all kinds of fancy-work: and we have endeavored to do our best, to introduce a more correct taste and principle into this department of the elegant arts, in which females are engaged. we know that much native genius exists among our fair countrywomen; and we wish to see it expand, as freely as the refreshing breeze, that sweeps over our native hills. we have before alluded to the various and interesting uses to which the needle can be applied, and the high moral ends it is so well calculated to promote: and if such be its importance, then it will be readily admitted by all, that he who has made the most improvements, and produced the most finished specimens of this all-important instrument, has conferred a real benefit upon his race. we have a higher end in view, than promoting the acquisition of accomplishments, however elegant or pleasing. we wish to direct the minds of those whom we are thus endeavoring to interest and instruct, to the immortal beauties of moral excellence. these works may be made conducive, in a high degree, to the development of family affection, and the promotion, to a vast extent, of the purposes of genuine charity, benevolence, and friendship. but there is yet a higher kind of use, to which we would apply them. we would have the young lady, who is becoming expert and clever at her needle to reflect, as the beautiful fabric grows beneath her forming hand, that her work, and the power and skill to plan and execute it, is an emanation of the immortal mind; of that mind, whose creative powers are a faint, but legible transcript of the omnipotent wisdom of the deity. this thought gives a permanency to what would, in any other light be only transitory as the summer cloud. it is omnipotent wisdom and power, which has contrived and executed all the beautiful wonders of creation; and that wisdom and power were called into activity by omnipotent love. we wish to impress this sublime truth upon the mind of our young readers, because we wish them to place their heavenly father before them--as their pattern and example--in all that they take in hand; and to remember that, as he formed the universe by wisdom, from love--so all their actions and elegant contrivances should be the result of judgment, guided by affection--that they may thus become like their father, who is in heaven. indeed, it is only when accomplishments are rendered subservient to the development of moral goodness, that they may become pursuits at all worthy of an accountable being. we were not sent into this world to flutter through life, like the gaudy butterfly, only to be seen and admired. we were designed to be useful to our fellow beings; and to make all our powers and capabilities, in some way or other conducive to the happiness and welfare of our co-journeyers on the path of time. to this end, we wish our fair countrywomen to devote their best attention; and, in its attainment, to exert every energy which they possess. we wish them to make all the knowledge which they may acquire subserve some noble purpose; which will outlive the present hour. but to do this, the well-spring of the purest affections must be opened in the soul; and the elegant productions of taste and genius become vitalized, and animated, by the spirit of love. thus, and thus only, can the occupations of a leisure hour be converted into efficient ministers of good; and such they will assuredly be found, if practised from right motives, and placed in due subordination to the right exercise of more important duties. the young votaress of the needle, of drawing, or of music, should ever bear in mind, that the time employed in those pursuits, will be accounted lost or improved, by the impartial judge of all--just in proportion as they have been made to serve the purposes of selfish gratification, or to minister to the development of an elevated moral character--generous and warm affections--and the cultivation of those virtues, which, as essentials of the christian character, shall outlive the ravages of time, and qualify the soul for all the beatitudes of a coming eternity. in all then that the young lady aims to learn, or to accomplish, let her place a high and moral standard before her, and resolve to render every transaction of her life conducive to her preparation for a higher state of being. our various faculties and powers were not given us to be wasted, but to be used to the honor of our creator--the comfort and welfare of those around us--and, as a consequence of our faithful discharge of our several obligations, conducive, in an eminent degree, to our happiness. no mistake can be more fatal, than an idea that, for what we call trifles, we shall have no account to render. what we call trifles, may be, in their consequence, both to ourselves and others, the most important acts of our lives. it is not by great events that our characters are formed; but by the neglect or performance of our duties in that state of life, into which the wisdom of our heavenly father has seen fit to call us. to elevate the sufferings, soothe the sorrows, increase the comforts, and enhance the joys of all around us, should be the highest aim of a laudable ambition--and every endeavor should be most assiduously devoted to the accomplishment of these important ends. it is, in fact, only when we thus employ our various talents and capabilities, that they are really useful, in any other case, they are only ministers to our personal pride, and selfish gratification, instead of becoming links in that golden chain, by which the faithful performance of appointed duties is elevated to the possession of "a crown of righteousness, that fadeth not away." let, then, the youthful female, as she plies her needle, or exercises her judgment or ingenuity, in the choice of colors or materials, or in the invention of new developments of creative genius, ever remember to exercise those powers as a christian--let her cultivate, in her inmost soul, the conviction, that all her skill and power is imparted from on high--and let her be careful to make all she does, a sacrifice, acceptable to her god, by doing all in the spirit, and under the influence of that sacred charity--that boundless benevolence--which ever rejoices, in making its various capabilities subservient to the good of others, and thus gives to the otherwise perishable occurrences of time, an endurance and a continuity, that shall endure for ever. index. algerine work, angular stitch, applique, , apron, girl's, ----, morning, ----, vandyke, ---- for a young person, aprons, ----, dress, armorial bearings, , baby's cap, ---- hood, ---- shoe, barege knitting for shawls, basket stitch, , bathing gown, bead stitch, , bead work, beaufort star, beautiful fringe and border, bed-room linen, bee's stitch, berlin wire stitch, biassing, binding, biroche, a, blankets, border for a shawl, braces, braiding, braid work, , brief description of wools, bustles, button-hole stitch, cap border scollop, caps, cashmere shawl, cast off, to, cast on, to, cast over, to, chain stitch, , ---- ---- on gathers, checked patterns, chenille embroidery, chess pattern, child's collar, cloaks, close stitch for waistcoats, comforter, a, comforter, another, common plait, common tatting edging, coral pattern, corner for a shawl, corners, to fill up, cravats, crochet edging, for collars, ---- ---- for hdkfs., ---- neck chain, cross stitch, crow's-foot stitch, diagram, diamond netting, ---- ---- stitches, dice pattern, ---- ---- purse, dinner napkins, dividing line, a, dotted knitting, baby's shoe, ---- netting, double cross stitch, ---- diamond, long stitch, ---- herring-boning, ---- knitting, ---- nightcap, ---- open crochet, ---- plait stitch, ---- stitch crochet, ---- straight cross stitch, dressing table covers, dress shawl, dutch common knitting, edge stitch, elastic rib, embroidery, ---- in wool, ---- with silk, embossed diamond, ---- hexagon stitch, fancy bobbin edging, ---- button-hole stitch, ---- chain stitch, ---- herring-boning, fantail stitch, fasten on, to, ---- off, to, feather stitch, french ground net, ---- stitch, frills, frame, to dress for cloth work, ----, to dress for cross stitch, ----, to dress for tent stitch, gathering, double, or puffing, ----, gem, or set patterns, gentlemen's belts, ---- braces, ---- collars, ---- fronts, ---- travelling cap, ---- waistcoats, , german knitting, ---- pattern, , gobelin, ---- stitch, grecian netting, greek cap, coarse chenille, habit shirt, half handkerchief, harlequin quilt, with tufts, heart pattern, hemming, ----, german, herring-bone bag stitch, ---- purse, herring-boning, honeycombing, honeycomb mittens, ---- netting, ---- ----, with two meshes, ----, another kind, ---- stitch, horse-shoe stitch, housemaid and kitchen linen, imitation net-work stitch, indian scarf, insertion, crochet beading, instructions in grounding, irish diamond, ---- stitch, jelly bag, joining the threads, knee caps, knit herring-bone stitch, knitted footing, ---- fringe, ---- muff, knitting stitch, lace, , ---- wave stitch, ladies' drawers, ---- flannel waistcoats, ---- night jackets, ---- purses, ---- walking shawls, landscapes, leaf netting, long purse, in points, loop stitch, making buttons, maltese netting in spots, mantuamaker's hem, materials for plain needlework, ---- for embroidery, ---- for fancy needlework, ---- for knitting, netting and crochet, marking, medallion pattern, mosaic work, , moss stitch, mourning shawls, narrowing, necessary implements in crochet, necessary implements in fancy needlework, necessary implements in knitting, necessary implements in netting, neck and pocket handkerchiefs, net cravat, ---- scarf, ---- with points, netted bag, with ring, ---- cuffs, with silk and wool, ---- cuffs, ---- fringe, ---- opera cap, ---- scollop edging, night gowns, ---- stockings, open cross stitch, ---- crochet, ---- hem, ---- work stockings, ornamental ladder stitch, over shoe, pantry linen, pattern for a light scarf, patterns on canvas, pearl stitch, perforated card, , petticoat crochet edging, petticoats, ----, flannel, pillow covers, pinafore, pincushion covers, pine apple purse, ---- ---- stitch, piping, plain crochet, ---- crochet bag, in silk, ---- ---- purse, ---- double crochet, ---- knitted muffatees, ---- ---- gentleman's purse, ---- netted mittens, ---- netting, ---- open netting, ---- ---- stitch, ---- ---- elastic crochet, ---- stitch open crochet, ---- scarf, ---- scollop, plaiting, pockets, point stitch, , porcupine stitch, princess royal, , pudding cloth, purse, with china silk, queen stitch, queen's vandyke, quilts, raised embroidery, ---- stitch, a, ---- work, raising, rib, to, ribbon scarf, roman pattern, round netting, rough cast stitch, row, a, rug bordering, , running, russian pattern, scale of canvases, seam, to, seam purse, with beads, serpentine stitch, sewing and felling, shaded silk netting, sheets, shifts, shirts, single plait stitch, slip stitch, socks, sofa pillow, star pattern, ---- tatting, ---- with eight points, stitches in crochet, stitching, stitch, to take in a, ----, to increase or decrease a, ----, to incr. in crochet, stitches, to cast on the loops or, stockings, straight cross stitch, strong knitted purse, suggestions as to patterns, table cloths, ---- linen, tatting, open stitch, tent stitch, thread, to bring forward a, ----, to carry on a, in double crochet, towels, travelling shawl, treble open crochet, true stitch, tucks, turkish pattern for a table cover, veils, velvet stitch, victoria pattern, wave pattern, ---- knitting, welts, whipping, windsor pattern, wire work, , working berlin pattern, ---- figures, , zephyr, a, the end. transcriber's note the following typographical errors were corrected. iv human felicity changed to human felicity. v fair one changed to fair one. v then, how, to fabricate changed to then, how to fabricate vi form and utilty changed to form and utility ix netting of a purse, changed to netting of a purse. very difficult t changed to very difficult to both sides, this changed to both sides. this materials foe changed to materials for knitting netting, changed to knitting, netting, than others changed to than others. wool.--this changed to wool.--this yarn, for mitts, changed to yarn, for mitts. her to devise changed to her to devise. tissue paper changed to tissue paper. extacy;" changed to extacy; native sky. changed to native sky." principal stiches changed to principal stitches thread with out changed to thread without gathering changed to gathering. are gathered, then changed to are gathered. then appropriate situations changed to appropriate situations. intricate to describle changed to intricate to describe must take grest changed to must take great visiter changed to visitor colico, ore changed to calico, are adies' night jackets. changed to ladies' night jackets. wrong, side changed to wrong side plain scarf changed to plain scarf. another meth d changed to another method into the other, changed to into the other. in the middle changed to in the middle. like a star changed to like a star. painting in oil, changed to painting in oil. cross stitch changed to cross stitch. this is a stich changed to this is a stitch arrangment changed to arrangement same color changed to same color. unavailable repentance changed to unavailable repentance. increas-increasing changed to increasing inprovement changed to improvement is complete changed to is complete. ane xtremly changed to an extremely fn -* the footnote marker was missing on the footnote chenille embroidery changed to chenille embroidery. perseverence changed to perseverance restored to changed to resorted to braided with ther changed to braided with their lavendar changed to lavender chapter x changed to chapter x. considerable size changed to considerable size. assidously changed to assiduously the, first changed to the first forgotton changed to forgotten incovenience changed to inconvenience lee., m. a, changed to lee, m. a., first intoduction changed to first introduction the means changed to the means, pearl stitch changed to pearl stitch. note, in cas tingon changed to note, in casting on other three stiches changed to other three stitches that tbe pins changed to that the pins previous methods changed to previous methods. stitches, you choose changed to stitches you choose taking careto changed to taking care to loops, and kniting changed to loops, and knitting knit three siitches changed to knit three stitches preceeding changed to preceding five rows o changed to five rows of ancle changed to ankle each stitch; the changed to each stitch. the fringe and borber changed to fringe and border knitting three stiches changed to knitting three stitches when it ouccurs changed to when it occurs pattern for a light scarf changed to pattern for a light scarf. generaly changed to generally every other stich changed to every other stitch eleventh row plain changed to eleventh row plain. make a siitch changed to make a stitch knit two togteher changed to knit two together twenty-seeond changed to twenty-second bottom of the preceeding changed to bottom of the preceding for the fouth changed to for the fourth principal beauty changed to principal beauty. the end work changed to the end. work you every is missing a word, probably "work." this change was not made in the text succeding changed to succeeding ninety-eight stiiches changed to ninety-eight stitches net seven stiches changed to net seven stitches double silk changed to double silk. to the whole, changed to to the whole. loop net changed to loop. net can be be varied changed to can be varied each square, changed to each square. back or the changed to back of the loose in each changed to lose in each to increase or decrease a stitch. changed to to increase or decrease a stitch. conceal the the half changed to conceal the half means meaking changed to means making this is done it changed to this is done in same color changed to same color. take you tatting changed to take your tatting of a highe changed to of a higher puposes of selfish changed to purposes of selfish sooth changed to soothe bedroom changed to bed-room ---- on gathers changed to ---- ---- on gathers tatting edging changed to tatting edging, fan-tail changed to fantail travelling cap changed to travelling cap, imitation network changed to imitation net-work the index has been standardized to have a , between the index entry and the page number. the following words had inconsistent spelling and hyphenation. cross-way / crossway honey-comb / honeycomb indispensible / indispensable needle-woman / needlewoman needle-work / needlework net-work / network pin-cushion / pincushion vitalized / vitalised [transcriber's note: bold face type is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic type by _underscores_.] handicraft for girls a tentative course in needlework, basketry, designing, paper and card-board construction, textile fibers and fabrics and home decoration and care designed for use in schools and homes _prepared by_ idabelle mcglauflin _supervisor of the girls' handwork in the denver public schools_ [illustration] published by the manual arts press peoria, illinois copyright idabelle mcglauflin explanatory note. the exercises in this five-year course are based upon an estimated time of one hour per week in the first two years, and one and one-half hours in the last three, the school year consisting of thirty-eight weeks. all materials, with the exception of that used for the full-sized garments and some of the christmas gifts, are supposed to be furnished by the board of education. in many instances the pupils are allowed the privilege of supplying themselves with a better grade of material if they wish. in every case a substitute is given for the full-sized garment if the home cannot furnish the material. all supplies can be purchased by the class collectively or individually, if the board of education so desires. every exercise in handicraft should embody an educational principle, making sure the training of the judgment, the eye, or the memory, and tending to develop skill, patience, accuracy, perseverance, dexterity or artistic appreciation. contents. chapter i.--suggestions to teachers general directions for pupils of sewing classes. drills for beginners. chapter ii--course of instruction first year--third grade. detailed description of exercises. chapter iii.--course of instruction second year--fourth grade. detailed description of exercises. chapter iv.--course of instruction third year--fifth grade. detailed description of exercises. chapter v.--course of instruction fourth year--sixth grade. detailed description of exercises. chapter vi.--course of instruction fifth year--seventh grade. detailed description of exercises. chapter vii.--description of stitches stitches used in plain sewing. ornamental stitches. miscellaneous. chapter viii.--textile fibers and fabrics silk. cotton. flax. wool. chapter ix.--dress and its relation to art chapter x.--paper, cloth and cardboard construction chapter xi.--home furnishing, decoration and care chapter xii.--basketry general directions for making the coil basket. the sewed baskets. chapter i. suggestions to teachers. the teacher's preparation for the lesson consists in doing each exercise before presenting the lesson to the class. it will take some of your time to do so, but it will save hours of time and much worry in the end, and you will thus discover how best to present the difficult points of the lesson. a well finished piece gives to the child a complete mental picture of what she is undertaking, and acts as an inspiration; she will work quicker, easier, and better because of it. this impulse and a clear demonstration of the method of doing, will enable her to work far more independently of the teacher than would otherwise be possible, and will give more satisfactory results. what are designated as "electives" in this book are designed to meet the needs of classes or individuals doing the work a second time or of teachers who find the regular work too difficult. large classes can be handled with less wasted energy by dividing the class into groups that are doing the same work. this saves endless repetition and enables the teacher to give better general supervision. this is the most vulnerable point in class work. a teacher may work laboriously and still waste her own and the children's time by too close an adherence to the individual method of instruction. those children whose turn comes toward the end of the line will have lost much of the value of the lesson. children require constant supervision. it is not teaching to examine the work when finished and order it ripped out. the fault is then with the teacher and not with the child. each successive step should be inspected and corrected before the next one is taken. i would go still farther and have every pupil, even in the advanced grades, submit a sample of her work on every stitch to be used in each exercise. children are always eager to begin a new piece, and if required to practice until the result is satisfactory will very soon do good work. you then have this to refer to and can hold them to their best. there is absolutely no value in poor, careless, puttering work. unless the child has a high ideal and strives to reach it, the time of the lesson is wasted. encourage self-criticism. work should be done to one's own satisfaction whether it is to be seen by others or not. do not allow pupils to take their work home unless it is some required practice work. it is not the object to cover a certain amount of ground, but to inculcate high standards of excellence and some technical skill. they cannot accomplish this by themselves. i would prefer that classes do not complete the entire course rather than have good work sacrificed to quantity. there is a difference between careful, painstaking effort, and the puttering away of valuable time. avoid delay in distributing supplies. be sure that every member of the class understands clearly the object of the lesson. do not encourage waste by a too liberal supply of material. too much stress cannot be laid upon the careful preparation of the cloth to be used. trim all edges neatly before hemming, facing, gathering, etc. _do not allow children to sew without basting._ the time required for careful basting is well spent. it is not expected that the various pupils of the class will advance with the same degree of proficiency. some will require a much longer time on an exercise than others. as it is greatly to the advantage of the class in the end, and saves time and tiresome repetition to give each new exercise or stitch as a class lesson, the average pupils should regulate the time for taking up new work. a teacher of resources will find ways and means of bringing up the work of slow pupils, and profitable 'busy work' for those who work more rapidly. for the former, a little extra time each day--not as a punishment, but as an opportunity to catch up--would be all that is necessary. for the latter, there is a great variety of interesting, useful work. it is a pedagogic truism that every teacher, consciously or unconsciously, imparts to her class her own inclinations. an enthusiastic class indicates an ardent interest on the part of the teacher, and a distaste for work and a lack of zeal on the part of the pupils are equally indicative of the teacher's attitude. bear in mind that an unprepared teacher or a poorly presented lesson can make almost any exercise difficult and distasteful to the class. do not blame pupils for poor work for which you are yourself responsible. suggestions for teachers general directions for pupils of sewing classes. . be sure that the hands are clean. . always sit erect--well back in the seat--with the light coming over the left shoulder, both feet upon the floor, because the body will not become as tired, the hand will not shade the work and it is easier to see the stitches. do not fasten the work to the knee, because a stooping position easily becomes a habit. . place the thimble upon the second finger of the right hand. either the side or end of the thimble can be used. never sew without one. . measure the thread either from shoulder to shoulder or from the end of the finger to the elbow. a long thread becomes soiled and worn before being used up and is more liable to knot. . wind the thread once around the forefinger and break from the spool, because the broken thread twists more easily to a point than when cut. cut the thread from the work when finished to avoid drawing the stitches or breaking at the wrong place. . thread the needle from the end that hangs from the spool. in this way you are working with the twist of the thread and there is less danger of knotting and kinking. . do not wet the thread in the mouth. roll the end of the thread between the thumb and forefinger and place through the eye of the needle. . to tie a knot wind the thread around the forefinger once and a little over, and twist by rubbing the finger down the side of the thumb. with the nail of the second finger bring the knot thus formed to the end of the thread. . hold the unfinished work in the left hand. . do not bite the threads. . trim the selvedge, as it is hard to sew through and draws up when washed. . the knot is always buried except in the basting which is to be removed. drills for beginners. drill . threading the needle with cotton. needle no. ; colored thread. a. prepare the cotton by twisting between thumb and forefinger. b. place the thread in the eye of the needle. c. draw the thread through with the right hand. drill . making the knot. a. hold the needle in the right hand and the end of the thread in the left. b. wind the thread around the forefinger once and a little over, and twist the threads together by rubbing the finger down the side of the thumb. do not accept careless knots. drill . use of the thimble. a. push the needle with the thimble. b. push the needle back with the finger of the left hand. _never allow a pupil to sew without a thimble._ drill . threading the yarn needle. a. prepare the yarn by loosening the end with the needle. b. place the yarn over the point of the needle and draw into a smooth loop. c. draw the needle out and thread into the loop. needles no. will carry thread no. needles no. will carry thread no. needles no. will carry thread no. needles no. will carry thread no. needles no. will carry thread no. needles no. will carry linen thread--luster cotton chapter ii. course of instruction. first year--third grade. equipment. sewing box. pin cushion-- pins. thimble. needles. scissors. thread cards. practice piece--unbleached muslin, " × ". order of exercises. prepare thread cards--cardboard " × ", designed and cut for four kinds of thread. exercise no. --basting design. exercise no. --running design no. . exercise no. --overhanding on practice piece. exercise no. --pot holder--weaving--christmas piece.[ ] exercise no. --running design--no. . exercise no. --overhanding--running designs and together. exercise no. --running design no. .[ ] exercise no. --hemming a towel.[ ] exercise no. --running design no. [ ] exercise no. --overhanding--running designs and together. overhanding nos. and to and .[ ][ ] footnotes: [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [illustration: no. - . children in native costume. suggestive designs in outline for the running stitch.] detailed description of exercises. _teach:_ one inch, one-half inch, one-fourth inch. _practice:_ "drills for beginners," page . exercise no. --basting. _materials:_ unbleached muslin " × " stamped with the three basting stitches, no. , page ; colored thread no. ; needle no. . make pupils perfectly familiar with the _name_ and _use_ of this stitch. see "description of stitches used in plain sewing," page . beginning at the right hand follow the lines of the design with the thread, placing the knots over the dots on the right hand side and fastening over the dots at the left. under each stamped row of stitches put in one, two, three or more rows, depending upon the rapidity with which each individual works. this will help to keep the class uniform. exercise no. --running. _materials:_ stamped running design no. , page . unbleached muslin " × "; colored thread no. ; needle no. . make pupils perfectly familiar with the _name_ and _use_ of this stitch. see "description of stitches used in plain sewing," page . the object of this model is to give the pupils practice in the running stitch. these designs are more interesting than practicing on plain cloth, so if the work is not satisfactory, cut the knot, pull out the thread, and try again. give special attention to the knots and the fastening of the threads and the general neatness of the work. place the knot on the wrong side and follow the lines of the design with the running stitch. exercise no. --overhanding. _materials:_ practice piece; colored thread no. ; needle no. . teach the overhanding stitch on the practice piece. see "description of stitches used in plain sewing," page . change the color of the thread once or twice and teach the joining of the thread. baste two folded edges together and insist upon neat, careful work. exercise no. --pot holder--weaving--christmas piece.[ ] _materials:_ weaving frame; netting needles; candle wicking in two colors; brass rings. [illustration: the woven pot holder made of candle wicking.] teach the principles of cloth weaving and the terms warp, woof and selvedge. the weaving frames are made from one-inch board, " × ". three-fourths of an inch from and parallel to the top and bottom drive a row of nails, having very small heads, one-half inch apart, leaving an inch margin at both sides. tie a slip knot in the end of the wicking and slip it over one of the corner nails. pass the wicking back and forth around the nails first on one side and then the other. this forms the warp. draw the threads fairly tight and tie around the last nail. thread the other color of wicking into the netting needles, weave across the warp threads alternately taking up and passing over them. in alternate rows take up the threads passed over in the preceding row. do not draw the woof threads tight enough to draw the holder in at the sides. slip from the frame and fasten the loose ends by weaving them back into the holder. work a brass ring with the blanket stitch, using a strand of the wicking and sew it to one of the corners. exercise no. --running. _materials:_ running design no. , page , " × "; colored thread no. ; needle no. . follow the lines of the design with the running stitch. exercise no. --overhanding. _materials:_ white thread no. ; needle no. . running designs and are to be overhanded together. turn a quarter-inch fold on the long side of both pieces. baste the folded edges together and overhand. exercise no. --running.[ ] _materials:_ running design no. , page , " × "; colored thread no. ; needle no. . follow the lines of the design with the running stitch. exercise no. --hemming--paper folding for a hem.[ ] _materials:_ paper - / " × ". fold the long way of the paper. first fold of the hem, one-fourth of an inch. turn half an inch hem on one side and an inch hem on the other. have each child cut from a card a gauge for measuring the hems and insist that the hems be turned evenly. teach the hemming stitch on the practice piece with colored thread. trim the edge neatly, fold the hem accurately and baste in place. bad habits, that are hard to correct later, can so easily be formed in making this stitch that i wish to caution teachers in regard to the position of the needle in relation to the hem, the amount of cloth taken on the needle and the tendency toward making the blind stitch or the damask hem instead of the plain hemming stitch. hemming a towel. _materials:_ crash, " woof, " warp; white thread no. ; needle no. ; tape - / inches. turn one-fourth inch fold on each side and across the bottom and baste. turn the second fold one-fourth of an inch on the sides and baste. hem the sides. turn an inch hem at the bottom, baste and hem, giving special attention to the corners where the bottom hem is turned over the side hems. hem the top with a quarter-inch hem if there is no selvedge. sew a loop in the middle of the top on the selvedge edge as follows: turn in one-fourth of an inch at both ends of the tape. place the ends of the tape side by side and down one-fourth of an inch from the edge of the towel. hem around the ends of the tape and back-stitch across the tape just at the edge of the towel. exercise no. --running.[ ] _materials:_ running design no. , page , " × "; colored thread no. ; needle no. . follow the lines of the design with the running stitch. exercise no. --overhanding.[ ][ ] _materials:_ white thread no. ; needle no. . running designs and are to be overhanded together. turn a quarter-inch fold on the long sides of both pieces. baste the folded edges together and overhand. running designs and are to be overhanded to and . turn a quarter-inch fold at the top of one piece and the bottom of the other, baste the folded edges together and overhand. [illustration: doll's quilt--elective.] electives. [ ] running designs no. and may be omitted, (this will also cut out exercise no. ) and selections from the following substituted to fill in the time, pupils furnishing their own materials and teachers planning their own designs: pen wipers. pin disks. needle books. small pin cushions for the sewing box. a wiper for eye-glasses. [ ] the four running designs in exercise no. may be made into a doll's quilt by basting to a lining, turning in and overhanding the edges together and tacking. pupils will furnish their own materials for the lining. [ ] instead of the small towel encourage children to ask their mothers for a dish towel which they can bring from home to hem. some house-keeper of the neighborhood might be glad to have her dish-towels hemmed for her by the class. [ ] instead of the pot holder a child's picture-book may be substituted. see "paper, cloth and cardboard construction," page . chapter iii. course of instruction. second year--fourth grade. equipment. sewing box. pin cushion-- pins. thimble. needles. scissors. thread cards. practice piece--unbleached muslin " × ". order of exercises. prepare thread cards--cardboard " × ", designed and cut for four kinds of thread. exercise no. --seam sampler--seam a--combination stitch. exercise no. --emery balls.[ ] exercise no. --seam sampler--seam b--stitching. exercise no. --bags--christmas piece.[ ] exercise no. --seam sampler--seam c--half-back stitching. exercise no. --doily--blanket stitch--outline stitch.[ ] exercise no. --seam sampler--seam d--french seam. exercise no. --a pair of dolls' pillow cases.[ ] exercise no. --seam sampler--seam e--french fell. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--silk. footnotes: [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . detailed description of exercises. _review:_ one inch, one-half inch, one-fourth inch. _teach:_ one-eighth inch, three-eighths inch, seven-eighths inch. seam sampler. _materials:_ plain percale " warp, " woof; white thread no. ; needle no. . five exercises of the second year sewing will consist of seam work on the seam sampler. _each stitch will be first taught on the practice piece._ make pupils perfectly familiar with the names and uses of the different stitches as they are taught. as the year's work progresses compare the different seams and teach when, where and why these various seams are used in garment making. see "description of seams," page . that the pupils may not lose interest in their sewing the seam work is alternated with miscellaneous exercises. fold the percale with the warp into three equal pieces. cut off one piece. have each pupil label her large piece with her name. collect and put them away until ready for seam b. do not leave them in the boxes or they will be lost, or soiled with too much handling. exercise no. --seam a--combination stitch. see description of "seam sampler" given above. _materials:_ first section of seam sampler. fold with the warp through the center, and cut on the fold. baste these two edges together one-fourth of an inch from the edge. sew with the combination stitch three-eighths of an inch from the edge. exercise no. --emery balls.[ ] _materials:_ unbleached muslin, - / " × - / "; red cashmere - / " × - / " (this amount provides for four); thread, yellow, white and red; emery powder; needles no. and no. ; green luster cotton. to cut the pattern of the strawberry emery ball: draw a circle three inches in radius, and cut on the line. cut a circle from the unbleached muslin for the lining and one a quarter of an inch larger from the cashmere for the outside; cut both into quarters. to make the case: fold the two edges of the muslin together and sew in a seam with the combination stitch, rounding the point to give the strawberry shape. turn in a good seam at the top and gather. fill with the powdered emery and fasten the gathering thread by overhanding over the top. [illustration: the completed seam sampler illustrating exercises nos. , , , , and .] before sewing up the outside put in the stitches, with yellow thread, to represent the seeds of the strawberry as follows: hold the wrong side of the cloth toward you and put in a row of tiny stitches half an inch apart. one-fourth of an inch above these put in another row with the stitches midway between those of the last row, and so continue. if desired these may be omitted and the seeds represented by french knots when the strawberry is finished. seam up the outside, slip it over the case, arranging the seams on opposite sides to avoid the possibility of powder sifting through. overhand the top and cover with the green luster cotton to represent the calyx, leaving a loop for the stem. exercise no. --seam b--stitching. _materials:_ second section of seam sampler. fold with the warp through the center and cut on the fold. baste these two edges together one-fourth of an inch from the edge. stitch three-eighths of an inch from the edge. exercise no. --bags--christmas piece.[ ] the christmas piece will consist of bags of any size, shape or style for which the pupils wish to furnish their own materials. this gives the teacher an opportunity to exercise her own ingenuity and taste and to have some individuality in her work. there is a great variety, from the utility bag made of cheap, pretty material, costing only a few pennies, to the more elaborate ones made of dainty silk or ribbon. a little tact will easily adapt the style of bag to the home into which it is to go, for the purpose for which it is to be used, and the purse of the donor. following are the directions for a simple button-bag: _materials:_ a soft washable fabric, " warp, " woof; thread; needles; narrow tape inches. [illustration: bags to illustrate exercise no. .] crease an inch hem at each end. fold the cloth with the two hems right sides together and baste from the lower edge of the hems to the bottom of the bag. stitch a quarter-inch seam. turn in the ends of the hems even with the sides of the bag and overhand from the top five-eighths of an inch, leaving an opening for the tapes three-eighths of an inch wide at the bottom of the hem. baste and hem the hems, fastening securely at each side of the tape openings, as there is considerable strain when the tapes are drawn. put in a row of running stitches parallel to and five-eighths of an inch from the top of the bag, for the tape opening. with a tape needle draw in the two tapes, sew the ends of each together and draw out of opposite openings so that the place of joining will not show. overcast the seams. exercise no. --half-back stitching. _materials:_ first and second sections of the seam sampler. baste the two sections together one-fourth of an inch from the edge. sew with the half-back stitch three-eighths of an inch from the edge. exercise no. --a doily--blanket stitch and the kensington outline stitch.[ ] _materials:_ imitation butchers' linen " × "; white luster cotton; needle no. . an exercise in paper cutting for the doily design. have pupils provide themselves with ten or twelve pieces of paper eight inches square for practice cutting. fold the first paper three times and cut a convex, concave or compound curve from corner to corner. open and study these curved lines and select the most graceful. cut again making corrections. cut a design in straight lines. cut one composed of both straight and curved lines. do not work haphazard, but criticise, compare and reject. the surface requires little decoration if the doily is pleasing in outline. that which is placed upon it should have some relation to the outline. study the space to be decorated and how it can be divided or ornamented by lines, curved or straight, that may serve as a real decoration, but avoid too elaborate designs. before beginning the doily have a finished pattern. the pattern may be transferred to the cloth by tracing the pattern with a hard pencil, using carbon paper between pattern and cloth, or the pattern may be pinned on and the outline drawn and the design put on freehand. [illustration: original designs for the doily by fourth grade girls.] to work the doily. finish the edge with the blanket stitch. see "blanket stitch," page . work the lines of the design with the kensington outline stitch. exercise no. --french seam. _materials:_ third section of the seam sampler. fold with the warp through the center and cut on the fold. follow the directions for the french seam. exercise no. --a pair of miniature pillow cases.[ ] _materials:_ two pieces bleached muslin - / " warp, - / " woof; white thread no. ; needle no. . in a pillow case the warp threads should run lengthwise of the pillow. crease a quarter-inch fold across one end and on both sides. fold with the warp through the center so that the seam just turned comes on the inside, baste the folded edges together on the right side. overhand on the right side, using no knot, but sewing over the end of the thread. turn a three-quarter inch hem, baste and hem. trim the seam and overcast. exercise no. --french fell. _materials:_ seam sampler. sew section three of the seam sampler to the others with the french fell. follow directions for the french fell. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--silk. under the heading "textile fibers and fabrics," page , will be found subject matter which can be used in correlation with the geography, language and history work. the fourth grade subject is silk. secure if possible the silk cocoon and make a collection of silk fabrics. language papers on the subject can be illustrated with pictures cut from papers and magazines. electives. [ ] a choice may be had between the strawberry and the tomato emery ball. tomato emery ball--_materials:_ unbleached muslin " × "; red cashmere " × "; emery powder; red thread no. ; green luster cotton. to cut the pattern: draw a circle one and one-fourth inches in radius and cut on the line. cut the two pieces for the lining and the two for the outside of the same size. place the right sides of the two pieces of cashmere together between the two pieces of lining. baste all together. sew with the back stitch one-fourth of an inch from the edge, leaving an opening for turning and filling. turn in a seam at the opening, fill with powder and close by overhanding the edges together. flatten as much as possible and make the creases seen in the tomato by tightly drawing the thread of luster cotton from the center around the outside and back to the center, repeating several times. make a little tuft of the luster cotton in the middle at the top. [ ] the order of the doily and the bag may be reversed, using the doily for the christmas piece instead of the bag, or the paper box may be substituted. see "cloth and cardboard construction," page . [ ] simple toilet articles in white, such as a handkerchief case, may be substituted for the doily, teachers planning their own designs. [ ] one pillow-case may be omitted and a pillow for the other case made instead. this may be stuffed with crumpled bits of paper. use unbleached muslin for the pillow. chapter iv. course of instruction. third year--fifth grade. equipment. sewing box. pin cushion-- pins. thimble. needles. scissors. thread cards. practice piece--unbleached muslin " × ". order of exercises. prepare thread cards--cardboard " × " designed and cut for four kinds of thread. exercise no. --patching sampler--hemmed patch. exercise no. --mitered corner. exercise no. --patching sampler--overhand patch. exercise no. --basketry--christmas piece.[ ][ ] exercise no. --napkin--damask hem.[ ] exercise no. --flannel patch. exercise no. --a pair of sleeve protectors. exercise no. --a garment brought from home to be repaired. exercise no. --a pin cushion.[ ] exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--cotton. footnotes: [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . detailed description of exercises. review the divisions of the inch. patching sampler. _materials:_ gingham " warp, " woof; white thread no. ; needle no. . it is desirable that each girl cut the two patches and the two pieces to be patched from the same piece of cloth, that there may be no difficulty in matching the pattern, when patching or when later sewing the two patched pieces together. fold the piece of gingham, eight inches by thirteen inches woof, with the warp into three sections, two of them eight inches warp by five inches woof, and the third eight inches warp by three inches woof. fold the three-inch piece across the warp in the center for the two patches. cut on the creases. pin one patch to one of the large pieces, label with the girl's name and put it away for exercise no. . exercise no. --hemmed patch. _materials:_ first section of patching sampler. the hemmed patch is the strongest and the one most commonly used for repairing garments. the patch will not be noticeable if the pattern is skilfully matched. when matching stripes or plaids always turn on the line where the color changes, never through the middle of a stripe. ten minutes spent on a paper pattern will prevent the mistakes beginners usually make in this exercise. trim the patch and crease a quarter-inch fold on the four sides. place the patch in the center of the large piece (which we will imagine to be worn) and baste around it, matching the pattern carefully. do not allow pupils to go any farther until the patch is basted on exactly right. turn to the right side and cut out the part supposed to be worn by the following successive steps: . measure one-half inch (or as near it as the pattern will permit) from the edge of the patch, using pins for marking the line where it is to be cut. . cut out the center, leaving about one-half inch extending over the patch. . clip the corners diagonally the _exact_ width of the fold to be turned in. _take great care and do not cut in too far_, as this will spoil the patch. . turn in the edge, baste and hem. . hem the patch on the wrong side. [illustration: the mitered corner.] exercise no. --mitered corner. _materials:_ paper. teach the mitered corner on paper only. have it done over and over until every pupil understands how it is done, and can do it alone, rapidly and perfectly. ask pupils to bring paper from home, as almost any kind will do for this practice work. have it made in hems of several widths. see description of "miscellaneous" exercises, page . exercise no. --overhand patch. _materials:_ second section of the patching sampler. the overhand patch is used on very thin material, such as lawn, dimity or organdy, where strength is not required and where the two thicknesses of cloth around the edge of the hemmed patch would be too noticeable. the pattern should be as carefully matched as in the hemmed patch and equal care given to the corners. a paper pattern will assist beginners. fold the large piece of gingham with the four corners together and clip off the point from the center. the following are the successive steps for making the overhand patch: . measure on each side of the center, with the warp, one and one-fourth inches and with the woof three-fourths of an inch. mark with pins. . cut out the oblong at these points (or as near as the pattern permits, observing also the pattern of the patch to be used.) . clip the corners diagonally the _exact_ width of the fold to be turned in. . turn in the fold on the four sides of the hole. . crease the folds on the four sides of the patch so that it will fit exactly into the hole, matching patterns. . beginning near the middle of one side overhand the patch in, matching as you overhand. do not baste. the two patched pieces are to be overhanded together. turn a quarter-inch fold on each with the warp, matching the pattern, baste together and overhand. teach the overcasting on the practice piece and overcast all raw edges on the patching sampler. exercise no. --basketry--christmas piece.[ ][ ] this subject has such limitless possibilities and its success or failure rests so entirely with the teacher that it will be necessary for each teacher to prepare herself to teach it and decide upon the style, size and general character of the design of the baskets to be made by her class, allowing the pupils as far as possible to work out their individual tastes. see chapter on "basketry," page . exercise no. --napkin--damask hem.[ ] _materials:_ damask - / " × - / "; white thread no. ; needle no. . see description of the damask hem, page . trim the napkin square. crease a half-inch hem on the four sides. the corners are to be mitered, and this is more easily done by basting the side hems in place, skipping across the corners when basting. turn out the corners and miter them. hem the corners with the flat hem and the sides with the damask hem. exercise no. --flannel patch. _materials:_ flannel - / " × - / ", patch " × "; sewing silk; needle no. . see description of the herringbone stitch, page . cut from the center of the large piece of flannel a two-inch square. trim the patch square and place it over this hole. baste at both edges. teach the herringbone stitch on the practice piece, and herringbone over the raw edges of the patch. turn one fold three-eighths of an inch wide on the four sides of the large piece, baste and herringbone stitch the raw edge. _keep the raw edges trimmed._ exercise no. --a pair of sleeve protectors. _materials:_ cotton twill - / " × "; tape "; ribbon elastic "; white thread no. ; needle no. . [illustration: a cooking set, consisting of an apron (exercise no. ), sleeve protectors (exercise no. ), and a holder and case (an elective for exercise no. ).] to cut the pattern of a sleeve protector: cut an oblong eight inches by ten and one-half inches. fold through the center the long way. mark the top of the folded edge a, the bottom b, the upper right hand corner c and the lower d. measure down on the folded edge from a four inches and mark e. measure down from c four inches and mark f. measure up from d five inches and mark g. measure on the line b d three and one fourth inches from b and mark h. connect g and h with a straight line. with e as the center and e a as the radius draw a quarter of a circle connecting a and f. cut on the lines h g, and a f. cut the sleeve protectors from the pattern. beginning at the center of the bottom and holding the wrong side of the cloth next to you, baste the edge of the sleeve protector to the line running through the middle of the tape. make a tiny pleat in the tape at each corner so that when doubled over it will round the corners smoothly. join the ends of the tape by folding back both ends and overhanding them together on the wrong side. hem the tape down on the right side. before basting the tape down on the wrong side, fasten the elastic in place on one side of the sleeve protector. the elastic is in two pieces, two inches in length. place the first piece one inch from the bottom and the second piece three inches above the first. baste the tape down on the wrong side and hem, leaving the opening for the other end of the elastic, which is fastened in place after the hemming is done. lay the binding smooth over the elastic and stitch along the edge of the tape, through the elastic, to hold in place. exercise no. --a garment brought from home to be mended. ask every pupil to bring some article from home, in preference a garment, to be mended. there is no home that cannot furnish a garment that needs repairing. this is a practical application of exercises , or , and is a valuable experience for the children. exercise no. --a pin cushion.[ ] _materials:_ these will be furnished by the pupils. pupils and teachers will plan their own designs, adapting them to the material furnished. the cushions may be of any size, shape or kind. do not have the children incur expense, as small pieces of ribbon, silk or bright bits of many kinds of cloth can be made into attractive cushions. hardwood sawdust, sifted, makes an excellent filling. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--cotton. under the heading "textile fibers and fabrics," page , will be found subject matter which can be used in correlation with the geography, language and history work. the fifth grade subject is cotton. many interesting collections can be made that will be instructive for the children. [illustration: pin cushions to illustrate exercise no. .] a. cotton fabrics with their names and uses. b. pictures. c. cotton fiber in the various stages of manufacture. d. maps upon which can be located the countries producing cotton and cities noted for the manufacture of cotton cloth. e. compositions on cotton and allied subjects. electives. [ ] the round holder and case may be substituted for the basketry, or a blank book with paper cover or the folding envelope case may be made instead. see "paper, cloth and cardboard construction," page . [ ] the pin cushion may be substituted for the basketry and the book cover, or the book bag, or the round holder given for exercise no. . [ ] a book cover or a book bag for carrying books may be substituted for the pin cushion. a round holder and case. _materials:_ unbleached muslin, " × "; bleached muslin " × - / "; strap " × - / "; bias binding " × "; wadding. to cut the circular pattern: cut a square of paper eight inches by eight inches and fold it three times. measure three and five-eighth inches from the point on each folded edge and once between these edges. draw a curved line connecting these points and cut on the line. the case is cut from this pattern, a circle having a radius of three and five-eighth inches and the holder from a pattern one-fourth of an inch smaller with a radius of three and three-eighth inches. the holder: cut from the unbleached muslin two circular pieces. turn in one-fourth of an inch around both pieces. place the wadding between them; pin and baste together. overhand the folded edges. quilt the holder in a simple pattern with the running stitch. the case: cut from the bleached muslin two circular pieces. fold one piece with the warp through the center and cut on the fold. turn an eighth of an inch hem on each of the straight edges just cut, and hem. the pupils who work rapidly could design a simple decoration for the front of the case. this could be traced, or drawn with a hard pencil and worked with a coarse, colored thread in any decorative stitch, before making the case. place the half circles on the large circle and baste around the edge. this will leave an opening of about half an inch into which the holder will easily slip. make the strap by which the holder case is hung from the belt, by folding in the edges at the sides and across one end and overhanding together. the raw end of the strap is then fastened at one end of the case-opening, so that it will come under the binding. see description of the bias, page . teach the cutting and joining of bias pieces, first with paper and then with the cloth. in order to give the pupil this valuable experience cut the binding in three pieces and join them together. stitch along the edge of the binding where it folds back against the strap. slip the holder into the case. a book cover. _materials:_ grass linen or holland " woof by " warp; white thread no. ; needles nos. and ; luster cotton. the design: start several weeks before the class is ready to make it, arouse an interest, and study designs for book covers. ask pupils to bring from home books having good designs on the covers. have them tell why they like certain ones and do not favor others. in a word, educate their tastes in this line before expecting them to originate designs. do not attempt anything elaborate. many artistic effects can be obtained by interlacing straight lines and these have the advantage of being easily worked. paper cutting is an excellent medium for experimenting, if a unit is to be repeated or if curves are desired in the outline. for example, fold an oblong, four and one-half by seven inches, through the center both ways, and cut on a slightly curving line from the folded edges to the corner. quite a variety of simple, graceful outlines can be made by slightly varying these curves, which, with a simple unit repeated around the center or in each corner makes an effective design. have the finished pattern before starting the book cover. trace on the cloth by means of the carbon paper. it will be necessary to crease the cover over the book before putting on the design, so that it may be placed just right. to make the book cover: work the design with the outline stitch before sewing up the seams. overcast the raw edges at the top and bottom of the cover and hem with a quarter-inch hem the two ends that fold into the book. the raw-edged hem, finished with the herringbone stitch, could be used in place of the plain hem, if desired. turn in the top and bottom of the cover so that the book will slip in easily. overhand that part which folds into the books to the outside, at top and bottom, thus forming the pockets into which the covers of the book slip. do the overhanding on the wrong side and then turn it to the right side. a book bag. _materials:_ galatea, kaiki or burlap " woof, " warp; two strips for handles " warp by " woof; thread no. ; needle no. . the decoration of the bag should be done before sewing up the ends. very artistic effects can be obtained in the applique. see directions for the design of the book cover, page . cut a three-inch strip from the length of the piece for the end pieces. divide this into two pieces seven and one-half by three inches. find the middle of one end of both end pieces and notch them. fold the large piece with the warp through the center and notch at both ends of the fold. turn in a quarter of an inch around the large piece and baste. turn in a quarter of an inch across the notched end and sides of the end pieces. place the notch at the end of one side piece to one in the large piece, right sides together, and pin in place. overhand on the wrong side the two together across the end and up both sides. put in the other end piece in the same way. trim the end pieces even with the top of the case. turn a three-quarter inch hem at the top. before hemming make the straps for the handles by turning in and overhanding the edges. insert both ends of one strap under the hem of the right side of the bag, two inches from the middle or four inches apart and the other strap on the left side. hem, and fasten the handles to the edge of the hem by backstitching. [ ] a cover for a pin cushion affords a good application for the mitered corner. this can be made any size, square or oblong. ornament with fine feather stitching and the star stitch. chapter v. course of instruction. fourth year--sixth grade. equipment. sewing box. pin cushion-- pins. thimble. needles. scissors. thread cards. practice piece--unbleached muslin " × ". order of exercises. prepare thread cards--cardboard " × "--designed and cut for four kinds of thread. exercise no. --stocking darning. exercise no. --placket sampler--a placket. exercise no. --an apron--christmas piece.[ ] exercise no. --placket sampler--the gusset.[ ] exercise no. --buttonholes. exercise no. --placket sampler--the nightgown opening. exercise no. --hemstitched collar or handkerchief.[ ] exercise no. --placket sampler--bands. exercise no. --an underskirt. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--flax. footnotes: [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . detailed description of exercises. teach the yard measure and its divisions. see note under exercise no. --buttonholes. [illustration: stockinet darning.] exercise no. --stocking darning. _materials:_ stockinet " × "; cardboard " × "; darning cotton; darning needle; a pair of worn stockings. see description of stocking darning, page . pupils will furnish their own cardboard and have it cut and ready for the lesson, also a pair of worn stockings. the cardboard is a substitute for the darning ball. do not stretch the cloth too tightly over the card, nor put in a needless number of stitches at the back to hold it on, five or six being sufficient to hold it temporarily in place. the darning cotton winds from the spool in several strands loosely twisted together. separate and use two, three or more strands, depending upon the texture of the cloth to be darned. take care not to split the threads when weaving across them, and also avoid putting the threads so far apart that holes are left between them. in fact, try to have pupils understand that they are supplying a piece of cloth that has been worn away, and that when finished should match as nearly as possible in color and texture the cloth that is being repaired. stockinet, like stockings, is a knitted, not a woven fabric, and as every stitch is drawn through the one below it, it is very necessary that the loops be caught before they ravel back. prepare the hole for darning by whipping the edge with fine thread, catching up all the severed loops. either a round or an oblong hole may be cut in the stockinet, the round hole being three-fourths of an inch across, and the oblong three-fourths of an inch by one inch. follow the exercise in stockinet darning, in which the principles of darning have been taught, with the darning of a pair of worn stockings that the pupils have brought from home. every child in the class must be given this practical and useful experience. if there is difficulty in securing these stockings, members of the class or the teacher can readily supply the deficiency. exercise no. --placket sampler--a placket. _materials:_ calico " woof, " warp; facings and bands " × "; white thread no. ; needle no. . see description of plackets, page . upon this sampler is taught the placket, the gusset, the nightgown opening and two different methods of putting on bands, and in addition a review of the french seam and the french fell. it is made in sections which are combined later. these lessons are interspersed with other exercises that the pupils may not become tired of this piece. teach the placket and the nightgown opening first on paper. it will save time and trouble in the end. fold the large piece of calico across the warp through the center and cut on the fold. fold one of these pieces with the warp, through the center and cut. the first exercise of the "placket sampler" is done on one of these quarters. as these sections are to be sewed together later each girl must have her own pieces. to avoid the possibility of their being lost or soiled, those not in use should be wrapped in paper, labeled and collected by the teacher and kept until ready for exercise no. . [illustration: placket sampler (front view).] first section of the placket sampler: fold the piece of calico with the warp, through the center and cut an opening on this fold five inches in length. then follow the directions for making placket b. facing eleven inches by two inches. exercise no. --an apron--the christmas piece.[ ][ ] _materials:_ pupils will select and furnish their own materials for an apron. this may be of any style or kind, and will afford an excellent opportunity for carrying out their individual tastes. this may necessitate the teaching of the principles of bands which can be done with the practice piece. see description of bands, page . [illustration: placket sampler (back view).] [illustration: aprons--exercise no. .] exercise no. --placket sampler--the gusset.[ ] second section of the placket sampler. _materials:_ the second quarter of the large piece of calico; a two-inch square of calico for the gusset. fold with the warp through the center, and cut an opening on this fold five inches in length. then follow the directions for making the gusset. sew the two sections together with the french fell. hem the sides with a quarter-inch hem. exercise no. --buttonholes. _materials:_ blue percale " woof by " warp; scraps of calico for practice pieces; white thread no. and no. ; needles no. and no. . remember the old adage _practice makes perfect_. see description of the buttonhole, page . _note:_ scraps and odd pieces of calico can be used for the practice work on buttonholes. as the buttonhole requires a great deal of practice it is well to keep these pieces in the sewing box and work at it at odd times during the progress of the years' work. encourage the girls, too, to practice on the buttonhole for home work. in this way they will gradually acquire the skill which only comes with practice. fold the cloth, wrong side out, with the woof and through the center, and baste the edges together. begin with the blind buttonhole. the buttonhole model is intended to show how much skill has been acquired. fold the percale through the center, with the _woof_, and baste the edges together. make the buttonholes three-fourths of an inch long and one inch apart. exercise no. --placket sampler--the shirt sleeve or nightgown opening. _materials:_ half of the large piece of calico; facing " × ". fold with the warp through the center and cut an opening on this fold five inches in length. then follow the directions for the nightgown opening. hem the side of the narrower part with a quarter-inch hem. exercise no. --a hemstitched collar.[ ][ ] _materials:_ butcher's linen, collar - / " warp by " woof, india linen band - / " warp by - / " woof; practice piece " warp by " woof; white thread no. ; needle no. . measure the neck and decide upon the length of collar and width of hem before trimming. see directions for hemstitching, page . put the collar band on the collar. the collars may be still further ornamented with fine feather stitching, the star stitch or french knots. exercise no. --placket sampler--bands--hemmed and overhanded. see description of bands and gathering, pages and . to avoid soiling the cloth put the bands on before seaming the halves of the placket sampler together. this can be done with the exception of the band on the long side of the nightgown opening, which will have to be done after this side is basted to the other section, cut off and hemmed, and will therefore be the last thing to be done on the sampler. put the hemmed bands on the side having the placket and the gusset, and the overhand bands on the side of the nightgown opening. length of bands: on the first half, short bands cut two inches, one and one-half inches finished; long band cut four inches, three and one-half inches finished; on the last half, bands cut three and three quarters inches, three and one-quarter inches finished. sew the two sections of the sampler together with the french seam. the section having the two openings is a little narrower than the other. baste the two sections together, basting the little pleats at the end of the placket and the nightgown opening, and sew them into the seam. do not cut off the long side until basted nearly across, then cut off and hem the side. finish with the last band. exercise no. --an underskirt. _materials:_ pupils will furnish their own material for an underskirt for themselves. the patterns which their mothers use can be secured from the home, or one pattern used by all the members of the class. these skirts may be made plain or trimmed with tucked ruffles of cloth or with embroidery, depending upon the wishes of the mothers, the skill and taste of the individuals and the material furnished. should there be difficulty in securing material for the garment, a small model on the half-inch scale or one of the electives can be substituted. insist that the work be well done, neatly finished and first class throughout. use sewing machines when available. points to emphasize in the making of a skirt: . cut a correct pattern before beginning the skirt. do not trust to making corrections when cutting out. . baste the straight edge of one gore to the bias edge of another when making a gored skirt. this prevents the sagging which would occur if two bias edges were sewed together. . allow plenty in hem and tucks for letting down when making garments for growing girls. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--flax. under the heading "textile fibers and fabrics," page , will be found subject matter which can be used in correlation with the geography, language and history work. the sixth grade subject is flax. make a collection of the flax products, fabrics, etc. a class set of compositions, each member of the class taking different subdivisions of the subject, would make an interesting collection which could be put together in a simple binding done by members of the class. see "paper and cardboard construction," page . electives. [ ] placket a may be substituted for the gusset, if desired. [ ] a pin cushion cover may be hemstitched in place of the collar. make this a square seven inches by seven inches, or an oblong five inches by nine inches, or any size to fit a particular cushion that can be cut from these pieces, or any size for which the pupils furnish their own material. [illustration: round bottom bag with raffia covering.] [ ] pupils who desire to furnish their own materials for a linen handkerchief may substitute this for the hemstitched collar. [ ] basketry may be substituted for the apron, or a clipping case or a postal-card album may be made instead. see "paper, cloth and cardboard construction," page . the round bottom bag with a fancy raffia covering. make the bag any size desired; a circle of three or four inches in diameter makes a practical one. draw the pattern for the raffia covering on paper, the circle for the bottom being the same size as that of the bottom of the bag. the design for the sides may be in as many sections as desired. the tops of these sections may be shaped to suit one's taste--round, pointed or fancy. when the pattern is completed baste a strand of raffia on the pattern, following the lines of the design. then closely blanket stitch with raffia on both sides of these strands. the spaces may then be filled with fancy lace stitches. chapter vi. course of instruction. fifth year--seventh grade. equipment. sewing box. pin cushion-- pins. thimble. needles. scissors. thread cards. practice piece--unbleached muslin " × ". order of exercises. prepare thread cards--cardboard " × ", designed and cut for four kinds of thread. exercise no. --a trial piece for finishing the bottom of drawers. exercise no. --an underwaist or corset cover. exercise no. --collars, jabots, bows, etc.--christmas piece.[ ] exercise no. --a study of home furnishing, decoration and care.[ ] exercise no. --twist buttonholes. exercise no. --a pair of drawers. exercise no. --cloth darning. exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--wool. footnotes: [ ] see electives, page . [ ] see electives, page . detailed description of exercises. review divisions of the foot and yard measure. exercise no. --a trial piece for finishing the bottom of a pair of drawers. _materials:_ india linen " × ", ruffle " woof, " warp; white thread no. ; needle no. . [illustration: a trial piece, giving practice on the hemmed seam, tucking, and putting a ruffle into a hem-tuck.] hemmed seam: one inch and a quarter from the top crease a fold with the warp. cut on this crease. see description of the hemmed seam, page . putting a ruffle into a hem-tuck and tucking: measure up from the bottom two and one-fourth inches--or twice the width of the hem-tuck plus one-fourth inch for the seam--and crease with the warp, across the piece. stitch, or run by hand an inch tuck, taking care to measure and make perfectly even. measure up three-eighths of an inch from this stitching and crease for another tuck. stitch, or run by hand an eighth of an inch tuck. measure up three-eighths of an inch for another tuck. put in a cluster of three tucks. hem the ruffle with an eighth of an inch hem, gather and stroke the gathers. see description of gathering and sewing a ruffle to a straight edge, page . place the wrong sides of the cloth and ruffle together and baste to the edge extending below the hem-tuck, bringing the seam exactly to the edge of the tuck. baste and stitch the edge of the hem-tuck over the seam of the ruffle. exercise no. --an underwaist or corset cover. _materials:_ pupils may furnish their own materials for an underwaist such as they wear. this may be of any style. patterns can be secured from the mothers. if there is any difficulty in securing supplies from the home, a child's waist on a small scale may be substituted. the small waist. _materials:_ bleached muslin " woof by " warp, bias facings " by "; white thread no. ; needle no. . see the draft for the pattern of the small underwaist, page . patterns: multiply all dimensions by four. each girl can draft her pattern from the teacher's dictation, or one pattern can be drafted before the lesson and the members of the class cut their patterns from this one. insist that the patterns be exact. have the patterns pinned on, and submitted for inspection before the cutting is done, to avoid blunders and waste of material. cut the front double. one inch has been allowed for the hem on the backs. [illustration: draft for pattern of underwaist. _this draft can be used for an underwaist of any size. determine the length of the under arm seam in the garment required and divide this by - / . multiply all dimensions by this quotient. as a small fraction complicates the process and makes very little difference, use the whole number which is nearest the quotient obtained. the slight alterations necessary can be made in the fitting._] [illustration: front of corset cover and back of girl's underwaist.] baste, half-back stitch and fell the seams. turn the hems at the back, baste and hem. see description of the bias, page . put the bias facing on the bottom first, then around the neck, and last around the armholes. teach the joining of the bias facing by having the bottom facing in two pieces and then insist that the ends of the armhole facing be joined in the same way. overhand neatly the ends of the bottom and neck facings. make four quarter-inch buttonholes and sew on the buttons. exercise no. --collars, jabots, bows, etc.--christmas piece.[ ] the styles of dressing the neck vary greatly from season to season. this is also modified by the taste of individuals. pupils may furnish their own material for any kind of collar desired, after thoughtful consideration of the prevailing styles. it is possible to make a great variety of useful and dainty articles at a trifling expense which will be most acceptable christmas gifts. if so intended, lead the pupils to study the appropriateness of their gifts. those pupils who find it difficult to furnish their own material may substitute a collar made from an imitation of linen which will afford the same experience in making, but will not be quite as desirable an article to wear. _materials:_ imitation linen " woof, " warp. this amount will cut either the dutch collar by piecing the band, or the ordinary stiff collar. the patterns for both, or the collars from which patterns can be cut, can be brought from home by some member of the class. be absolutely sure of the size before cutting out the collar, as a quarter of an inch will make a difference in the comfort and fit. it is an excellent plan to have collars of different sizes-- , - / , , - / --in the class, try them on, and mark the buttonholes on the bands from the right sized collars. the "dutch" collar can be made with a plain hem and finished with the fine featherstitching or any of the ornamental stitches, or it can be embroidered in a simple pattern with the eyelet embroidery. this gives an excellent opportunity for an original design, or if so desired a pattern can be transferred by the use of the carbon paper. the stiff collar, if made double, is first sewed up on the wrong side and then turned and stitched along the edge on the right. it is then put into the double band, which has been made in the same way. if so desired the collar can be made of a single embroidered piece with the worked edge, or finished with the hemstitched edge and ornamented with fancy stitches. exercise no. --a study of home furnishing, decoration and care.[ ] the success of this exercise will depend entirely upon the interest and ingenuity of the teacher. see "home furnishing, decoration and care," page . exercise no. --twist buttonholes. _materials:_ french flannel - / " warp by - / " woof; twist; sewing silk; needle no. and no. . see description of the buttonhole, page . pupils will furnish their own twist and flannel for the practice work. it is not necessary that these should match in color. double the flannel through the center the long way, baste along the folded edge and around the piece. overcast the raw edges. begin one-half inch from the top and make the buttonholes three-fourths of an inch long and three-fourths of an inch apart. strand, overcast and finish with the bar. exercise no. --a pair of drawers. _materials:_ pupils may furnish their own materials for a full-sized garment. this may be made in any style. patterns can be secured from the mothers or exchanged among the members of the class, or a pattern may be drafted from the diagram. secure the pattern first and have the girls measure it to determine the amount of material needed. if there is any difficulty in securing supplies from the home, a pair of child's drawers on a smaller scale may be substituted. the directions for making the small drawers will assist in making the full-sized garment. the small drawers. _materials:_ bleached muslin " woof, " warp; ruffling, india linen " woof, - / " warp; white thread no. ; needle no. . [illustration: draft for a pattern of a pair of drawers. _this draft can be used for a pattern of any size. determine the length at the side of the garment required, and divide this by - / and multiply all dimensions by this figure. as a small fraction complicates the process and will make very little difference in this garment, use the whole number which is nearest the quotient obtained. fold a large piece of paper, the fold of which will represent the fold at the side of the drawers. draw the diagram enlarged upon one side of this. the lines for both the front and back are the same, except the two inside lines at the top, which will cut the front a little smaller than the back. it is for this reason that it is drawn on the double paper._] patterns: see the draft for the drawers pattern, page . multiply the dimensions by four. each girl can draft a pattern from the teacher's dictation, or one pattern can be drafted and cut before class time, and the members of the class cut their patterns from this one. a strip of muslin thirty-six inches by eleven inches will cut the drawers by careful management. the lesson in economy and the experience of cutting from a close pattern is a valuable one for the girls, as it is a problem which will confront them many times in life. fold the cloth the short way through the center, and pin the selvedge edges together. allow three and one-half inches from the fold for the placket facings and bands, thus keeping the extra cloth in one large piece. pin the pattern in position, and cut the two lengths, at the same time taking care that the lengthwise fold of the pattern is straight with the warp threads. if the pattern does not allow for hem and tucks, provide the extra length when cutting. the right sides are now together; mark them before separating, and avoid the chance of making both pieces for the same leg, a mistake easily made by more experienced needlewomen. finish the bottom of the drawer legs with one-eighth inch tucks, one-half inch hem-tuck and the ruffle as in exercise no. . one-half inch in front of the side fold cut an opening, with the warp, four inches in length. this may be made in both legs or in the right one only, and may be finished with the gusset, placket a or placket b, keeping in mind that the back buttons over the front. finish all seams with the french seam except where the ends of the ruffle are joined with the hemmed seam. gather the fullness at the top on both sides of the front and the back seams, and draw up to the desired length of band. if two openings have been cut at the sides make the back band one inch longer than the front. place buttons and make buttonholes where desired. exercise no. --cloth darning. _materials:_ albatros " × "; sewing silk; needle no. ; beeswax. see description of cloth darning, page . four holes, cut as follows, are to be darned on this piece of cloth: no. . in the lower left hand corner one inch from the bottom and the side, cut one inch straight with the warp. darn with split sewing silk on the wrong side. no. . in the upper left hand corner, one inch from the top and side, cut one inch with the warp and one inch with the woof. this will serve for a three-cornered tear. darn on the right side with ravelings. spread the stitches at the corner like the sticks of a fan. no. . in the lower right-hand corner, one inch from the bottom and the side cut one inch on the bias. darn with split sewing silk on the wrong side. no. . in the upper right-hand corner, one inch from the top and the side cut one inch across the warp. this will serve for a worn place in the cloth. place the patch under it and baste around the edge. darn with ravelings on the right side. trim the edges of the patch smooth and herringbone stitch with ravelings around it. finish the edge of the piece with the blanket stitch. follow this exercise with the repairing of some article brought from home that will give a practical experience in cloth darning. should there be any difficulty in securing these articles there are plenty of homes that will supply enough for the entire class. _this must be done under the teacher's supervision._ exercise no. --textile fibers and fabrics--wool. under the heading "textile fibers and fabrics," page , will be found subject matter which can be used in correlation with the geography, language and history work. the seventh grade subject is wool. [illustration: a set of underwear. exercises , , , and an elective.] electives. [ ] an exercise in paper and cardboard construction, adapted to the skill of the class, may be substituted for the christmas exercise. see chapter on "paper and cardboard construction," page . [ ] in connection with the study of home furnishing and decoration an exercise in passepartout or the making of lamp shades would be excellent. chapter vii. description of stitches. stitches used in plain sewing. . basting. . blind stitch. . buttonholes. . combination stitch. . darning. . gathering. . half-back stitch. . hemming. . overcasting. . overhanding. . running. . slip stitch. . stitching. ornamental stitches. . bands. . blanket stitch. . chain stitch. . couching. . feather stitch. . french knots. . hemstitching. . herringbone stitch. . kensington outline. . lazy daisy or star stitch. miscellaneous. . bias. . cloth. . eyelets and loops. . joining and fastening threads. . mitered corner. . patterns. . plackets. . putting in sleeves. . seams. a. bound seam. b. flannel seam. c. french fell. d. french seam. e. hemmed seam. . sewing on buttons. . sewing on hooks and eyes. . sewing on lace. . tucking. stitches used in plain sewing. =basting.=--basting is temporary sewing used to hold the cloth in place while putting in permanent stitches. as the basting threads are to be removed, place the knot on the right side. fasten the threads securely by taking two or three backstitches. in removing basting threads clip the threads at short intervals that they may be taken out easily. much of the success of the work depends upon careful basting. the extra time required will be repaid ten-fold. one stitch at a time for beginners, later two or three stitches may be taken. in basting hems, baste not on the edge, but very near it. do not baste on the line where you expect to stitch, but as near it as possible. a. an even basting is used on hems, seams of garments, or wherever two pieces of cloth are to be held firmly together. take up one-fourth of an inch and skip one-fourth. b. uneven basting is used where very careful basting is unnecessary, as in the seams of skirts, or in working on a material that clings together, as a guide for stitching. take up an eighth of an inch and skip three-eighths. when only loose basting is required, as when holding the lining and outside together, a long stitch and two short ones may be used. =blind stitch.=--the blind stitch and slip stitch are used to fasten a hem lightly where it is desired to conceal the stitches. to blind stitch a hem, turn back the edge of the hem to the basting and, holding the cloth along the edge of the finger, catch first cloth and then hem with a single stitch that does not show on either side. a slip stitch is a long stitch on the wrong side and a blind stitch on the hem. it is used on the milliner's fold. =buttonholes.=--a buttonhole is a slit cut and worked to admit a button for fastening purposes. it is much easier for beginners to commence on the blind buttonhole. this is made by working around a line instead of cutting the hole. the stitch, the fan, and the finishing can thus be learned without the care of the raw edge. the directions for making the buttonhole are as follows: [illustration: stitches used on plain sewing. --three styles of basting. --the running stitch. --the gathering. --the backstitch. --the half-back stitch. --the combination stitch. --the overcasting.] a. preparation of the hole. a. _cutting_--with the buttonhole scissors cut the hole one-fourth of an inch from the folded edge and straight with the threads of the cloth. b. _stranding_--the strand consists of carrying the thread along the edge of the buttonhole near enough to be easily covered by the buttonhole stitch, for the purpose of adding strength to the buttonhole. thread two needles, one with fine thread or sewing silk and the other with coarser thread or twist, depending upon the kind of buttonhole to be made. place a knot in the coarse thread or twist, and with the folded edge of the cloth toward the left hand, bring the needle out just below the lower right hand end of the buttonhole, which is the end farthest from the folded edge. at the other end put the needle into the cloth just below the end of the cut and bring it out just above, which will carry the thread along the edge of the buttonhole. repeat the same on the other side bringing the thread out at the point of starting. do not cut this thread, as this is ready to begin the buttonhole stitch after the overcasting. c. _overcasting_--with the fine thread or sewing silk begin at the lower right-hand end. the object of the overcasting is to prevent raveling while working the buttonhole and the fewer stitches which will accomplish this purpose the better. as the overcasting must be covered by the buttonhole stitch do not take over two or three threads deep and just as few stitches on each side as is absolutely necessary to prevent the loosening of the threads. some materials do not require overcasting. b. working the buttonhole. a. _the stitch_--determine how deep a stitch is necessary so that the threads will not pull out, always keeping in mind that _the shorter the stitch the better the buttonhole will look_. this depends upon the kind of material in use. the first stitch begins one thread beyond the end of the slit. holding the buttonhole along the cushion of the left forefinger with the folded edge of the cloth toward the left, place the needle into the slit under the lower edge of the buttonhole and draw the needle half way through. with the needle still pointing toward the chest take up the double thread at the eye of the needle and place it under the point, passing _from right to left_. draw the needle and thread out, and from you, so that the purl or twist comes to the edge of the slit. (this makes a firmer edge than when the thread is carried around the needle from left to right.) each stitch is a repetition of the above. place the stitches about the width of a thread apart, as this will avoid a crowded appearance and makes a firm, hard edge. do not jerk the thread, but draw steadily and tight; otherwise the edge will be rough. avoid stretching the buttonhole; the edges should touch when finished. b. _the fan_--at the end near the folded edge--the round end--spread the stitches like the sticks of a fan, drawing them closer at the top and spreading at the bottom. five stitches will work nicely around the end, the third stitch being straight with the buttonhole. c. method of finishing the buttonhole. a. the simplest manner of finishing is as follows: the buttonhole stitches at this end are at right angles to the slit, and not rounding as at the other end. after finishing the last buttonhole stitch, pass the needle down between the first and second stitch, and bring it out between the last and next to the last stitch. draw the thread tight so as to bring the edges of the buttonhole together. put in several stitches in the same place. pass the needle to the under side and fasten the thread. [illustration: method of buttonholing.] b. _the bar_--the thread being at the top of the last stitch, pass the needle down between the first and second stitch and out at the bottom of the last stitch. put in three threads across the width of the buttonhole, bringing the thread out at the bottom of the last buttonhole stitch. turn the cloth so that the thumb covers the thread and the buttonhole, and work the bar by bringing the needle out each time over the thread, as in the blanket stitch. draw the purl edge toward the buttonhole. do not put in too many stitches, as it makes the loop stand away from the buttonhole. near the middle of the bar take one stitch through the cloth to hold it down. c. _caution_--be sure that the thread is long enough to work the buttonhole, but not over-long, as the thread wears and is more liable to break. use care and not break the thread, but in case this happens, take out the last few stitches, thread the needle on this short end, pass through the last purl, and fasten the thread on the under side. with the new thread fasten without a knot on the wrong side, bring through the last purl at the edge of the buttonhole and continue. on cloth that ravels badly put in two parallel rows of running stitches and then cut the buttonhole between the rows. =combination stitch.=--the combination stitch consists of three little running stitches and a backstitch over the last running stitch. take three running stitches on the needle and pull it through. take up the last running stitch for the first of the next group of three. it is a little stronger than the running stitch. =darning.=--the object in darning is to repair a rent, if possible so that it cannot be perceived. the warp and woof threads that have been worn away are to be rewoven into the cloth. no knots are needed. leave a short end of thread to be clipped when the darn is finished. a. stocking darning. stockings should be darned on the wrong side. a square hole makes a more symmetrical darn than a round one, and should be used wherever there is no widening or narrowing in the knitting, as on the leg of a stocking. a round hole is better for the heel and toe. cut away the part that is badly worn. first put in the warp threads, taking care to take up on the needle all the little loops around the hole and making the darn symmetrical in shape. then put in the woof threads, weaving carefully across the warp over the hole, passing over the threads that were taken up on the preceding row. _give special attention to the edge of the hole, passing first over and then under the edge, that there may be no ridge._ if the hole is large or stretched out of shape, draw up the edges by whipping with fine thread. the darning stitches should extend only as far as the worn part. if the warp threads have strengthened the worn part sufficiently the woof threads may be extended only far enough over the edge to fasten securely. in darning a large hole it is sometimes wise to begin putting in the warp threads at the center first to prevent stretching. do not draw the threads too tight, as they will shrink when washed. b. cloth darning. this may be done with thread, ravelings or hair. in darning with thread darn on the wrong side, with ravelings or hair on the right. darn at right angles to the tear or cut. continue the darning stitches on each side of the tear only far enough to strengthen the worn part, usually a quarter, sometimes an eighth of an inch, is sufficient. continue the darn an eighth of an inch beyond the end of the tear. the repairing shows less if the rows of darning stitches are of unequal length. in darning take up the threads of cloth passed over in the preceding row, slipping the needle over one edge of the tear and under the other going one way and reversing this order going the other way. this makes the edge smooth and does not throw it up in a ridge. if the material to be darned is thin or stretches easily, place the rent over a piece of glazed paper and baste around it before darning. if the cloth is worn and thin, place a piece of cloth under and darn through the two thicknesses. take great care not to stretch the hole or to draw the threads tight enough to pucker. =gathering.=--gathering is an uneven stitch made by passing over twice as much as is taken on the needle. when the thread is drawn up this gives the appearance of fine gathering on the right side and admits of considerable cloth being gathered into a small space. gathering is used in joining a full part to a straight piece, as the skirt to the band, etc. gather with a strong single thread a little longer than than the space to be gathered. _never use a double thread._ if the thread becomes knotted a new thread must be put in from the beginning. hold the cloth, as in the running stitch, with the right side toward you, using the wrist motion. make a large knot in the thread so that it cannot slip through the cloth, and place the knot on the _wrong_ side. at the end of the gathering slip the needle off and make a knot in the thread, that it may not pull out. a. stroking gathers. for stroking or placing gathers use a coarse needle or a pin. draw up the gathering thread just tightly enough so that the pin can be easily inserted between the gathers and fasten by winding over a pin placed at right angles to the last stitch. begin at the left hand, placing the pin in the fold of the first stitch and stroke gently downward, holding the pin obliquely. after each successive stroke press the pleat under the thumb of the left hand. continue the same with every stitch. b. sewing the gathered part to the straight piece. divide both into halves, quarters or eighths, depending upon the length, and pin the points of division together. draw up the gathering thread to the proper length and fasten by winding over a pin. arrange the gathers even before basting. baste just above the gathers, holding the gathered piece next to you. _stitch just below the gathering thread._ c. gauging. gauging or double gathering is done by having a second row of gathering stitches of equal length and directly below those of the first (so that when both threads are drawn up the cloth lies in pleats). in heavy material three or four threads may be put in. gauging is usually used on heavy material or on a folded edge that is to be overhanded to a band. d. gathering by whipping a rolled edge. ruffles of lawn, linen or embroidery are sometimes put upon the edge instead of into a facing or seam, and when so placed it is desirable to avoid the raw edge on the under side. hold the work over the left forefinger and roll the edge toward you between the thumb and forefinger. place the needle under the roll on the right side, passing out at the top of the roll. whip about one inch and draw up the thread. it is necessary to use a strong thread for whipping and gathering the edge of a ruffle. =half-back stitch.=--half-back stitching is similar to the stitching. the long forward stitch on the under side is three times the length of the backstitch on the upper side, and a space the length of the backstitch is left between the stitches. see stitching, page . =hemming.=--a hem is a fold made by twice turning over the edge of a piece of cloth, and then sewing it down. the first fold is most important; if that is turned even there will be little trouble with the second. _trim the edge of the cloth before turning the hem._ it is well to make and use a gauge of the required width. if a wide hem is turned, baste along the second fold or bottom of the hem first, and then at the top. on woolen goods or material that does not crease easily it is necessary to baste the first fold. either bury the knot between the folds of the hem or leave one-half inch of thread and hem over it. a. hemming stitch. hold the hem across the cushion of the left forefinger and point the needle a little to the left across the middle of the thumb. take up a few threads of the cloth and a few threads of the fold and draw the needle through. take care that the stitches are regular, of equal length and of equal distance apart. _do not confuse the hemming stitch with the blind stitch, or the damask hem._ join the threads by leaving a half-inch of the old thread and a half-inch of the new to be tucked under the edge of the hem and be hemmed over. teachers will find the following suggestions helpful in teaching the hemming stitch: put the needle in _almost_ straight with the hem, not at right angles to it. take up as little cloth on the needle as possible; bring the needle directly through the hem, making one stitch of it instead of dividing the stitch as in the blind stitch. crowd the point of the needle under the edge of the hem. do not insert the needle a distance from the hem, trusting to puckering it up. b. damask hem. damask is a heavy fabric woven of heavy threads of one color in which the pattern is brought out by a change in the direction of the threads, and when new is stiff with much dressing. from the very nature of the cloth it is impossible to hem well with the flat hem. the two folds of the hem are turned the desired width and the hem is then turned back flat to the cloth and creased. the edge of the hem and the crease thus formed are overhanded together with fine even stitches. when laundered this irons perfectly smooth and the stitches do not show on the right side. do not confuse this method of hemming with the flat hem, as each has its own use. =overcasting.=--overcasting is done by taking loose stitches over the raw edge of cloth from right to left to keep it from raveling. the depth of the stitch depends upon the material to be overcast, usually an eighth of an inch is sufficient. the stitches should be twice as far apart as they are deep. the needle is inserted from the under side of the cloth and points a little to the left, making a slanting stitch. keep the spaces even and the stitches of equal length. _always trim the edges before overcasting._ do not overcast a selvedge edge. take only one stitch at a time and be careful not to draw the edge of the cloth. =overhanding.=--overhanding is done by sewing closely over two edges of cloth from right to left. the cloth may have a folded or selvedge edge. careful basting is necessary to good overhanding. the needle is placed at a right angle to the seam and should point to the chest. no knot is used; a short end of the thread is left and overhanded under. hold the work horizontally along the edge of the cushion of the left forefinger and the thumb. do not wind the cloth over the end of the finger. the stitches are straight on the under side and slanting on the top. do not draw the threads tight enough to make a hard seam and also avoid a loose stitch that will not hold the edges together when the seam is opened. a deep stitch is not necessary for strength and will not look well on the right side when opened. to join the threads leave a half-inch of the old and a half-inch of the new, lay them along the edge and overhand over them. =running.=--running is done by taking up and slipping over an equal amount of cloth. running is used for seams that do not require great strength, and also for tucking. care should be taken not to draw the thread tight enough to pucker. make a small knot in the thread and conceal it on the wrong side or in the folds of the cloth. hold the work in the left hand between the thumb and cushion of the forefinger; hold the needle in the work between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. use the wrist motion. fasten the thread by passing the needle through to the wrong side and taking two backstitches. =slip stitch.=--see blind stitch, page . =stitching.=--stitching is so called because it resembles machine stitching. it is also known as backstitching. stitching is done by taking a stitch backward on the upper side of the cloth and a long stitch forward on the underside, making the stitches meet on the top as in machine stitching. use a small knot in beginning. hold the work over the cushion of the left forefinger. fasten the threads on the wrong side by taking several backstitches, one over the other, through one thickness of the cloth. to join threads in stitching fasten securely on the wrong side and begin with a small knot, bringing the thread through at the proper place for beginning the new stitch. it is used where strength is required, or on garments too small to go into a machine conveniently. ornamental stitches. =applique.=--this is an ornamentation produced by cutting a design from one kind or color of cloth and placing it upon another. very beautiful effects can be obtained, with perfect harmony of color and the proper combinations of textiles. the edge can be finished with the blanket, couching, kensington or chain stitch. =blanket stitch.=--the blanket stitch, often erroneously called the buttonhole stitch, is used for finishing raw edges. it is worked from _left to right_, and the buttonhole stitch from _right to left_. the depth of the stitch and the space between stitches may be varied and will depend upon its use. if the thread is not fastened and joined carefully the symmetry of the stitches will be broken. a new thread must come up through the loop of the last stitch. a. to finish the edge of flannel or heavy cloth: insert the needle at a point the desired depth of the blanket stitch and take one or two running stitches to the edge of the cloth, which will bring the thread in position for the first stitch. make the first blanket stitch over these running stitches. holding the edge of the cloth toward you insert the needle at the same point as before and bring the needle out over the thread and draw the loop thus made to the edge of the cloth. repeat for successive stitches. for a simple finish for a flannel edge the stitches should not be placed too close together. as far apart as the depth of the stitch is a good rule, unless greater ornamentation is desired, when three, five or seven stitches may radiate from one point. b. for embroidering an edge--straight, scalloped or irregular. [illustration: ornamental stitches. --the chain stitch. --the kensington stitch. --two styles of feather stitching. --the herringbone stitch. --three styles of blanket stitch.] the stitches are the same as in "a" but should be placed close enough together so that the threads touch, making a firm edge. the embroidery should be done before the edge is cut. it can then be finished in various ways. the narrow edge can be turned back and whipped down on the wrong side, or blanket stitched just over the edge with fine cotton thread. on lingerie pieces the edge is not cut until after the first laundering. if desired the edge can be padded before working with the blanket stitch. the padding is done with a soft, coarse thread by working along the edge with either the kensington or chain stitch, or it may be heavily "padded" by filling the space. c. the blanket stitch is also used for working the loop and the buttonhole bar. d. see couching, below. e. see lazy daisy or star stitch, page . =chain stitch.=--the chain stitch is used for outlining a design, marking garments, etc. insert the needle on the line and draw the thread through to the knot. insert again at the same point and take up on the needle cloth for the desired length of stitch and draw the needle out _over_ the thread. in placing the needle for succeeding stitches begin inside the preceding stitch. the half-chain stitch is very effective for stems of flowers, or wherever a fine outline stitch can be used. this is made the same as the chain stitch, except that the needle is inserted just outside and to the right of the loop instead of in the end of the loop. =couching.=--couching is a coarse blanket stitch done over two or three strands of silk, linen or cotton floss. it makes an attractive finish for a hem line and also for finishing the edge in applique. =feather stitch.=--the principal use of the feather stitch being that of ornamentation requires that it shall be evenly and carefully done, or it fails in its purpose. the feather stitch consists of alternating stitches, or groups of stitches, slanting toward a center line. the stitch may be varied greatly by the length of the stitch, the slant of the stitch, and the number of stitches on each side. the tendency is to gradually increase the length of the stitch which must be carefully avoided, as well as a change in the slant. do not make too long a stitch, as there is danger of catching and breaking the thread. the feather stitch can be used very effectively in scroll designs for the ornamentation of sofa pillows, cushion covers, collars, underwear, etc. a. single feather stitching. work toward you, holding the cloth over the left forefinger. with a knot in the thread insert the needle from the under side a short distance to the right or left of the line the feather stitching is to follow (which may be designated the center line) and draw the thread through. place the left thumb over the thread to hold it down, and on the opposite side take up a slanting stitch, the top of which is as far from the center line as the length of the stitch, and the bottom touching the center line. draw the needle out over the thread which will thus form a loop of the thread from the first stitch. on the opposite side take up another slanting stitch the top of which is an equal distance from the center line and even with the bottom of the last stitch. repeat for successive stitches. at the end of a thread fasten by passing the needle down where the thread last came through the cloth, thus holding the loop from the last stitch in place. begin a new thread by passing the needle up through this loop. b. double feather stitching. this consists of alternating groups of two, three or more stitches instead of single stitches. the successive stitches of each group must be placed directly under the first stitch of the group. =french knot.=--bring the needle through from the under side. with the needle in the right hand, take hold of the thread with the left hand about an inch from the cloth and, holding it taut, wind it several times around the point of the needle. return the needle to the same hole through which it came out, and draw it back to the under side. =hemstitching.=--hemstitching is a method of hemming in which a few parallel threads are drawn, the hem turned to the line thus formed, and hemmed down with the same stitch that separates the cross threads in successive clusters. there are several modifications of the hemstitch. the following methods have been selected as being the best for four reasons: ( ) the thread is thrown under the edge of the hem, and consequently wears longer and shows less. ( ) the only part of the thread showing on the right side is the loop around the cross threads. ( ) it is readily taught to children, as it is simple, easy to remember, and can be given as two distinct parts. ( ) it is the natural way to hold the hem. a. _drawing the threads_--measuring from the edge of the cloth, allow twice the width of the desired hem when finished, plus the first fold, and draw several threads, the exact number depending upon the texture of the fabric. draw the first thread the entire length before starting the second, as it is liable to break where the first one did. the first thread being drawn, the second will come more readily. beginners are inclined to draw too many threads. unless both edges are to be hemstitched the opening should be narrow enough so that the threads at the top will not loosen. b. _the hem_--turn the first fold of the hem and baste to the exact line of the opening. careful basting is indispensable to good hemstitching, and especially so at a corner where two hems cross. miter all corners of hems that are more than one-fourth of an inch in width. c. _the stitch_--hold the cloth over the left forefinger as in ordinary hemming. bury the knot by inserting the needle under the edge of the hem and drawing it through. the stitch consists of two distinct parts, ( ) forming the loop around the cross threads, and ( ) catching down to the edge of the hem: ( ) pointing the needle toward you and holding the thread under the left thumb, take up on the needle three or four of the cross threads. draw the needle out over the thread, thus forming the loop, and tight enough to separate the cross threads. ( ) insert the needle under the edge of the _hem_ only and take an ordinary hemming stitch. repeat and for the next stitch. =herringbone stitch.=--the herringbone or catch stitch is a cross stitch used to finish the raw edges of flannel or heavy material. it serves both the purpose of overcasting over a raw edge and that of hemming. it is used on raw edged hems to avoid the ridge formed by the first fold of a hem, on the flannel patch and for finishing the flannel seam, which may be pressed open and both single edges herringbone stitched, or both folded to one side and finished over the double edge. in most cases the open seam looks better. the stitch consists of single, alternating running stitches made first to the right and then to the left, working from you instead of toward you as in ordinary running. the thread being carried across from one stitch to another, gives the appearance of a cross stitch. the stitches on each side must be in straight rows, with the outer row just over the edge of the flannel. the stitch should be no deeper than necessary to prevent pulling out. a good rule for beginners is to make the top of each stitch even with the bottom of the last stitch. _point the needle toward you in making the stitch, but work away from you._ the edge of the flannel must be kept smooth. this being a cross stitch the thread of one part of the stitch is on top and the other underneath. be sure that this is regular, those slanting in the same direction should be always either to the top or to the bottom. =kensington outline stitch.=--this stitch is used to follow the line of a design for ornamentation. to avoid the knot, when starting begin half an inch from the end of the line to be followed, and put in three or four running stitches, bringing the thread out at the proper place for starting. turn the cloth around, holding it over the left forefinger, and work from you. pointing the needle toward you, take a short running stitch directly on the line keeping the thread always on the right side of the needle, except on a line curving sharply to the left when the thread will fall more naturally to the left side. the thread being carried from one stitch to another gives the effect of a long diagonal stitch on the right side and running stitches on the wrong. the length of the stitch will be determined by the size of the thread, and the character of the line to be covered, a curved line requiring a shorter stitch than a straight one. =lazy daisy or star stitch.=--this is a variation of the blanket stitch. insert the needle at the point desired for the center of the flower and draw the thread through. insert again at the same place and take up the desired length of stitch on the needle, drawing the needle out over the thread. pass the needle down through the cloth at the point where it came out, but on the other side of the loop, thus forming a second loop at the end of the petal to hold it in place, and return the needle again to the center of the flower. make as many petals as desired and finish with the french knot in the center of the flower. this stitch also makes a pretty star, using six points and finishing without the french knot. miscellaneous. =bands=.--a band is a straight piece of cloth used to finish garments at the neck, wrist or waist. it may be sewed to a straight, gathered or pleated edge. a band cut with the warp is stronger than one cut with the woof. a. hemmed band. see description of the gathering, page . gather as desired. place the right sides of the cloth and band together and baste just above the gathering thread, taking care that the gathers are arranged perfectly even. stitch just below the gathering thread. turn in a fourth of an inch at the ends and along the other side of the band. fold the band over just covering the gathers, and baste. hem or stitch along the edge, overhanding the ends of the band. b. overhand band. see description of gauging, page . make the band by turning in one-fourth of an inch all around, folding and basting the edges together. overhand the ends of the band. the whipping of the full part to the band will be sufficient to hold the two sides of the band together. turn back the raw edges of the piece to be gathered one-half inch and gather once, twice or three times as desired. pin to the band and overhand, taking a stitch for each pleat of the gathers. fasten all bands very securely. =bias.=--a bias is a diagonal cut. to cut a true bias, fold over the corner of the cloth so that the warp and woof threads are parallel. a choice bias is a true bias, having the twill of the cloth at right angles to the cut. great care should be taken in measuring and cutting bias strips to have them the same width throughout the length. also avoid stretching after cutting. a. to cut a bias facing, bias binding or fold, measure in the desired width on the true bias at a number of points. draw a line, crease in a fold or baste where the facing is to be cut off. b. to put on a bias facing, place the edge of the strip, right sides together, even with the edge of the cloth to be faced, baste and stitch. turn the facing back _exactly_ in the seam and baste along the edge so that the facing will not show on the right side. turn the fold at the top, baste and hem. a bias facing for a curve should be cut narrow enough so that by stretching one edge of the facing it will lie perfectly smooth when finished. c. to join two bias strips--cut the ends to be joined straight with the threads of the cloth and place the right sides together, slipping the top piece past the under piece the width of a seam, but having the top edges even. stitch where the facings cross, open the seam and crease; or, after trimming, a seam may be turned back at the end of each piece and the folded edges overhanded together. =cloth.=--a fabric woven of fibers, either animal or vegetable. the edges of cloth are known as the selvedge, the threads running lengthwise the warp, and those crossing the warp from selvedge to selvedge the woof. the selvedge should be trimmed off, as it is hard to sew through and draws up when wet. =eyelets and loops.=--an eyelet is a small hole made and worked in a garment to receive a cord, stud or loop of a button. punch the hole with a stiletto, pushing the threads apart rather than breaking them. overhand closely from right to left with short even stitches. a large eyelet may be cut out and worked around with the buttonhole stitch. a blind loop is made in place of the eye to receive a hook. put three or four long stitches in the same place beginning at the left, so that the thread will be at the proper place for working the loop with the blanket stitch. =joining and fastening thread.=--when sewing, care should be taken in joining threads. the manner in which it is done depends upon the stitch in use. in hemming, leave a half-inch of the old and a half-inch of the new thread, tuck both under the hem and continue hemming over the threads. the same plan is followed in overhanding. in the blanket stitch, feather stitch, herringbone, chain and buttonhole stitch the new thread must come out through the last stitch. thoughtful attention should be given to the fastening of threads, as careful, painstaking work may soon be rendered useless by the loosening of the thread from the end. after fastening securely clip off all threads that the work may be not only strong, but neat. the usual fastening consists of several backstitches taken in the same place. =mitered corner.=--two hems crossing at right angles may be finished either with the square or the mitered corner. to miter a corner, turn and crease a quarter-inch fold on both sides. turn the second fold of the hem the desired width on both sides and crease. open out the corner and place a dot where the inner creases cross. place a second dot a quarter of an inch from the first toward the corner. through this second point draw a line passing from side to side, across the corner, being careful that the line is an equal distance from the corner on both sides. cut off the corner on this line. fold both hems again on the creases before made and pin the hem on one side in place. make a pin hole as near the exact point where the hems cross as possible, passing through both hems. fold in the bias edge on the hem that is not pinned down, _exactly from the pin hole to the corner_, causing the edges of the two hems to meet at an angle of forty-five degrees. =patterns.=--with the varied, complex and ever-changing styles of fashion, individual pattern drafting (except for a very simple article) is impracticable, usually resulting in commonplace garments and involving useless time and labor. for the trifling sum of ten or fifteen cents reliable, up-to-date patterns can be secured which are cut to established measurements by a fashion expert. a good needlewoman supplies herself with a good pattern and then cuts accurately, bastes carefully, and finishes neatly, and in nearly all cases, results will be satisfactory. =plackets.=--a placket is an opening made in a garment. there are several ways of finishing an opening, but in all cases, except when the gusset is used, the underside should extend some distance under the top to prevent gaping. a. a placket with a continuous binding. this is the placket used on children's drawers, night shirts, under garments, etc. cut the opening the desired length. cut the facing with the warp a little more than twice the length of the opening and twice the desired width when finished, plus one-fourth inch, or more, allowed for seams. the following are the successive steps for making the placket: a. fold the cloth, right sides together, in a line with the opening. b. double the facing across the warp, through the center, wrong sides together. c. slip this between the folds of the cloth so that the fold of the facing will just come to the end of the opening. this will bring the right side of facing to the right side of the cloth. d. baste the facing to the cloth down one side and up the other side of the opening. e. stitch with an eighth of an inch seam, which will render unavoidable a small pleat at the end of the opening the width of the seam. f. crease the facing back over the opening exactly in the seam. g. turn an eighth of an inch fold the length of the facing down the other side. h. fold this over the seam to the stitching, baste, and hem. i. at the top of the opening fold the right-hand facing back and stitch along the edge to hold in place. b. a placket with an extension hem on one side and a flat facing on the other. this is the placket used on dress skirts, petticoats and carefully tailored garments. follow the directions for the successive steps for making placket a through "g," as the two plackets are the same to this point. the left side of the facing will consist of an extension hem the same as in placket a, the only difference in the plackets being the manner of finishing the right side or top facing. h. after turning the fold the length of the facing, place the edge of this fold to the stitching on the other side of the seam, and crease the facing through the center the long way, as in placket a. i. as the right side is to be hemmed down as a facing, it is desirable to cut out one thickness of the cloth, leaving, of course, the quarter-inch inside the long crease, and also at the cross fold, at the end of the opening as the first fold on the facing. j. baste this facing flat to the cloth, and hem. k. stitch once across the _top facing only_, just at the bottom end of the opening. c. a finish for a shirt sleeve or nightgown opening. as this consists of an extra piece which extends over the opening, it is necessary to allow for this in cutting, so that the middle of this piece will come in the center when finished. when cutting this opening in a nightgown, cut to the right of the center one-half the width the facing is to be when finished. the following are the successive steps for making the nightgown opening: a. cut the opening the desired length. cut the facing in two pieces, one a little more than twice the length of the opening, and the other the length of the opening plus the width of the facing, both pieces to be the desired width plus the allowance for seams. (these two pieces will be designated the long and the short facings.) b. place the short facing to the right-hand side of the opening, right sides of cloth together and even at the top. pin in place. c. place the long facing to the back of this same side with the right side of facing to the wrong side of the cloth, thus having the three thicknesses of cloth together. pin in place and baste a quarter of an inch from the edge. stitch an eighth of an inch seam. d. the long facing is a continuous facing, the same as in plackets a and b. baste up the other side and stitch, the seam being on the right side of the cloth. e. crease both facings open in the seams. turn in a fold on the other side of the short facing and turn the end to a square point. f. turn a fold the length of the long facing so that it matches the width of the short piece. g. baste the two facings together and the flat facing to the cloth. h. stitch around the short facing and twice across it at the end of the opening. stitch or hem the under side of the flat facing. d. the gusset. this method of finishing an opening is sometimes used on drawers and night-shirts instead of placket a. the following are the successive steps for making the gusset: a. cut the opening the desired length. b. hem both sides with a very narrow hem running to a point at the end of the opening. c. cut a piece of cloth one and one-half inches square. on this square fold down one corner three-fourths of an inch on the sides and cut it off. turn a fold one-eighth of an inch all around this piece. place the corner which is opposite the diagonal cut to the middle of this cut and crease. d. to sew the gusset in, place the apex of the triangle to the end of the opening and overhand on the wrong side to the crease before made. e. fold over the remaining part to the wrong side, baste and hem. stitch along the fold of the gusset to strengthen it. [illustration: formation of gusset.] =putting in sleeves.=--after trimming the arm hole, measure one inch back from the shoulder seam and mark with a pin. fold the garment at the arm hole with this pin at the top of the fold and place another directly opposite it. call this point a. remove the first pin to avoid confusion. for a sleeve for an adult, measure from the shoulder seam five inches on the front and mark with a pin. call this point b. measure from the shoulder seam three inches on the back and mark with a pin. call this point c. with the sleeve right side out place the under seam of the sleeve at a and pin together at this point. the gathers are to come at the top of the sleeve between b and c. for misses and children the measurements should be decreased proportionately. measure the sleeve on the arm-hole and cut small notches at b and c. gather the sleeve between these notches one-fourth of an inch from the edge, with a strong thread a little longer than the distance to be gathered. put in a second gathering one-eighth of an inch from the first. put in place at points a b and c; draw up the gathering threads to the proper length and fasten by winding around a pin. arrange the gathers between b and c, pushing them a little closer together in front of the shoulder seam. hold the inside of the sleeve next to you and, beginning at b, baste first around the plain part, then the gathered part. stitch inside the basting and bind the seam. =seams.=--a seam is formed by sewing together two pieces of cloth. there are several different methods of joining them. those known as the raw seams may be joined by stitching, half-back stitching, overhanding or the combination stitch. the closed or finished seams are known as the french fell, french seam, hemmed seam, flannel seam and the bound seam. no garment should be finished with a raw seam, which is only properly used when covered with a lining, or as the first step in one of the finished seams. a. french fell. place the two pieces to be joined, right sides together, edges even and baste one-fourth of an inch from the edge. sew with the combination stitch (or machine stitching) three-eighths of an inch from the edge. trim three-sixteenths of an inch from the _under_ side of the seam and crease the _upper_ side of the seam over this. (in hand sewing there is a long stitch on the under side. be sure to trim from this side so that the short stitch comes on the top.) on the right side of the garment crease carefully and baste along the edge of the seam to prevent the fullness which beginners are so liable to have over the french fell on the right side. turn to the wrong side, baste the seam flat to the cloth, and hem. b. french seam. place together the wrong sides of the pieces to be joined, and baste one-fourth of an inch from the edge. with the running stitch sew one-eighth of an inch from the edge. carefully trim off the ravelings, fold the right sides together and crease exactly in the seam, baste and stitch the seam, taking care that no ravelings can be seen and that the seam is perfectly smooth on the right side. c. hemmed seam: this is used for joining thin material, lace, etc. on one piece fold an eighth of an inch seam (or more, if necessary) to the right side of the cloth, and on the other piece fold an eighth of an inch seam to the wrong side. place the right sides of the two pieces together with the raw edge of one piece under and to the folded edge of the other. baste this fold down over the raw edge sewing through the three thicknesses of cloth. fold over in the crease and baste through the four thicknesses. stitch, or hem by hand, along the edge of the seam on both sides of the cloth. d. flannel seam: the flannel seam is used on material so thick that it is necessary to finish over a raw edge, instead of with a seam involving several thicknesses of cloth. place together the right sides of the two pieces to be joined and baste one-eighth of an inch from the edge. stitch one-fourth of an inch from the edge and remove the bastings. trim the seams smooth, open and baste flat to the cloth. herringbone stitch over the raw edge of both sides of the seam. one side of the herringbone stitch should come just over the raw edge of the flannel. the edges must be kept smooth, and unless the flannel ravels easily, the herringbone stitch should be not over one-eighth of an inch deep and close together. this stitch is used also on the flannel patch. e. bound seam: seams may be bound with the two parts of the seam together, or they may be pressed open and bound separately. this may be done with a bias strip, binding ribbon or tape. a. _binding the entire seam_--place together the two right sides of the pieces to be joined and baste one-eighth of an inch from the edge. place the bias binding (three-fourths of an inch wide) with the wrong side of the cloth up and the edge of the binding one-eighth of an inch from the edge of the seam, and baste in place. stitch through the three thicknesses of cloth a quarter of an inch from the edge. turn in one-eighth of an inch on the other side of the binding and hem it down just above the stitching on the other side of the seam. this method of binding is used on the arm-holes of garments or wherever it is not feasible to open the seam and bind separately. b. _the open bound seam_--prepare the seam as above without the bias binding. trim and press the seam open. double the binding ribbon through the center and crease. place the raw edge of the seam to the fold of the ribbon and run along the edge, catching through to the under fold. tape may be used for binding, but must be basted on first and hemmed down. =sewing on buttons.=--there are two important requirements for sewing on buttons--to put in sufficient thread, and to fasten this thread securely that it may not loosen from the end. in sewing flat buttons on coats, jackets, etc., place a small button on the under side and sew through it to avoid having the stitches show on the under side. a. _the loop or shank button_--place the button in position with the loop at right angles to the edge of the cloth. hold the button with the left hand and overhand the loop to the cloth. pass the thread to the under side and fasten. b. _four-hole button_--in sewing on flat buttons insert the needle from the right side and back in order to hide the knot under the button. place the button in position and hold a pin across the button for the purpose of lengthening the stitches. put in five or six stitches diagonally across the button and over the pin. change the position of the pin and repeat. slip the pin out, pass the needle through the cloth only, and wind the thread around the threads between the button and the cloth. pass the needle through the cloth and fasten securely. c. _two-hole button_--place the button so that the stitches will come at right angles to the edge of the cloth, with the pin across the button. proceed as with the four-hole button. =sewing on hooks and eyes.=--in sewing hooks and eyes on a garment it is best, where practicable, to cover the ends with the lining of the garment or with a piece of tape. in sewing them on the edge of a hem or facing turn the edge of the hem back over the ends of the hooks and eyes and hem it down. where they are to be covered they should be strongly overhanded to the garment first. when covering is not feasible place the hook or eye in position and buttonhole around the top, beginning at the right-hand side and inserting the needle under and up through the hole, throwing the thread around the needle as in the buttonhole stitch. the hook should be sewed down at the point before breaking the thread. the worked loop is often used in place of the metal eye. for this purpose cut a stiff pointed piece of cardboard the length of the desired loop and work the loop over this, when the cardboard can be easily slipped out. the loop is worked from left to right with the blanket stitch the same as the bar of the buttonhole. =sewing on lace.=--when sewing lace to an edge always hold the lace next to you. lace may be put on straight or gathered. at the top of most laces will be found a coarse thread woven into the lace for the purpose of gathering. before drawing this up divide the lace and the edge upon which it is to be placed into halves, quarters or eighths, depending upon the length, and pin, with right sides together, at points of division. then draw up the thread, arrange the gathers even, and overhand to the edge with fine even stitches. if the gathering thread is not in the lace, put it in and proceed as above. if the lace is to be put on plain hold it loosely to the edge and overhand. a. sewing lace around a corner: when sewing the lace on plain to round a corner, overhand to a point as far from the corner as the width of the lace. (this point may be designated a, and a point an equal distance from the corner on the other side b.) from a measure on the lace twice its width and pin at the corner. allow the same fullness on the other side and pin at b. continue overhanding from b, leaving the corner until later, when the gathering thread will be put in, gathers arranged and the lace overhanded to the edge. if the lace is wide baste it in place at the corners before overhanding. when sewing gathered lace to an edge, to round a corner proceed as above with this exception: the same fullness must be allowed on the corner that is allowed on the straight edge, in addition to that required to carry the lace around the corner without drawing. for example: if one-half the length of the lace is allowed for fullness on the straight edge, at the corner allow two and one-half times the width of the lace instead of twice its width. b. sewing two ends of lace together: the manner of sewing two ends of lace together will depend upon the kind of lace to be joined, the pattern, strength, etc. the first aim to be considered is to have the joining strong enough so that it will not pull apart. the second is to join it so that it will show as little as possible. several methods are suggested: a. lace made up of units can be easily joined by overhanding these units together. b. if the pattern permits, cut the lace with the pattern, lay one edge over the other and buttonhole over each raw edge with fine thread. c. sew the lace right sides together, in a narrow seam. lay the seam flat and buttonhole over the raw edge and at the same time down to the lace. d. turn a narrow fold on one piece to the right side and on the other piece to the wrong side, slip one under the other and hem down the two edges as in the hemmed seam. =tucking.=--crease the first tuck where desired. for the second tuck measure from the first and allow twice the width of the tuck plus the desired space between. repeat for the successive tucks. putting a ruffle into a hem-tuck. this makes an excellent finish for the bottom of underskirts, petticoats and drawers. measure up from the bottom twice the width of the desired hem plus one-fourth of an inch for the seam and crease for a tuck. stitch the tuck. this will leave the raw edge extending one-fourth of an inch below the edge of the tuck. place the ruffle along this edge, wrong sides together, and baste in a quarter-inch seam. baste the tuck over the seam and stitch along the edge. chapter viii. textile fibers and fabrics. the fibers used in the manufacture of cloth are of two different natures, vegetable and animal. the vegetable fibers may be divided into three distinct classes: . the cotton, having soft, lint-like fibers, one-half to two inches in length, is obtained from the seed-pods, called "bolls." . the fibers from flax, hemp and jute are flexible and of soft texture, ten to one hundred inches in length. . the hard or leaf fibers, including manila, sisal, istle and the new zealand fibers, all having rather stiff woody fibers, one to ten feet long, are obtained from the leaf or the leaf stem. the animal fibers are obtained from the wool bearing animals such as common sheep, angora and cashmere goats and the hair of the camel. the silk fiber is obtained from the cocoon of a caterpillar. silk. silk is the most beautiful of all fabrics. it is made from the fiber produced by the silk-worm which is a species of caterpillar. so perfectly does this little worm do its work that no spinning is required. this fiber, placed under a microscope, looks like a glass thread. it is the light playing along this smooth surface that gives to silk its beautiful luster. silk first came to europe from china where the industry had been cultivated for many centuries. it is said this was begun by a woman, the wife of an emperor, in the year b. c., and the culture of the mulberry, upon the leaves of which the silk-worm feeds and thrives, forty years later. several unsuccessful attempts have been made to introduce the cultivation of the silk industry into the united states. as the business requires a large amount of cheap labor for a short time during the year, it has not as yet been found profitable. machines are of little use, except in reeling the silk. the moth lays its eggs, about five hundred in number, in august or september, and they hatch the following may, just at the time the mulberry comes into leaf. these little caterpillars are hatched and fed in-doors, and they eat like hungry school-boys for a month or more, until they are about three inches long. at this period they sicken and cast their skins, after which they begin eating as eagerly as ever. in about a month, however, the worms stop eating altogether, crawl up on the twigs which are placed on large trays, and begin to spin their cocoons. there are two little openings in the head of the worm, from which comes two thread-like substances resembling glue, from which the silk is made. these stick close together and form a flat thread. the silk-worm by moving its head about, wraps this thread around its body, wrapping from the outside inward, until it has completely inclosed itself in this silken blanket. then it goes to sleep. if left to itself it would in two or three weeks bore its way out of this silky covering and come forth a feeble white moth. but as the cutting of this hole in the cocoon injures the fibers, only just enough for the next year's crop are allowed to come out. the rest are stifled in a hot oven. after the outsides of the cocoons are removed they are placed in hot water which softens the gum that is in the silk so that it can be wound off on reels. the silk fiber is all in one piece, and about one thousand feet long. there is always a portion of the cocoon which is too tangled to be wound, and it is made into what is called spun silk. spun silk is carded like wool. the removal of the natural gum, by boiling in strong soap suds, effects a considerable loss in weight, the cleansing process, however, causing it to take on very beautiful tints. this loss has led to the weighting of silk by mixing cheaper materials with it. an artificial silk is made from the fiber of the ramie plant which grows in china and malay. this is sometimes known as china silk. mercerized cotton has also been treated so as to very successfully imitate silk. cotton. =the plant.=--cotton is one of the most important vegetable fibers, distinguished from all other fibers by the peculiar twist it possesses which makes it especially adapted to spinning. it is cultivated between the twentieth and thirty-fifth parallels north of the equator. this is known as the cotton belt. within this belt lie the cotton districts of the united states, northern mexico, egypt, northern africa, asia and india. although cotton is cultivated mainly for the fiber surrounding the seeds, its by-products, the seeds and stalks, are of great commercial importance, being manufactured into oil-meal, oil cakes, cottolene, etc. there are about fifty species of the cotton plant but only a few are cultivated, the best known and most commonly used being the "american upland," which is now cultivated in many parts of the world. the two varieties grown in the united states are the "sea island" and the "upland." the former is much more valuable because its fiber is longer. it is cultivated on the islands and low-lying coasts of south carolina, georgia and florida. the latter, while not so valuable, furnishes most of the crop and is grown over a wide area. the plant grows from seven to ten feet high. the leaves are sprinkled with small black dots. the hollyhock-like flowers are white and yellow when they first open, but two days later they turn a dull red. surrounding the flowers are three or four cup-shaped green leaves which together are called squares. these remain after the petals have dropped, to serve as a protection to the bolls. cotton thrives best in a rich, deep soil with a hot, steamy atmosphere. it should have plenty of moisture while growing and a dryer period during the ripening and gathering of the crop. the most of the cotton crop is planted by the twentieth of may. six weeks after it begins blossoming the first bolls are ready for picking. this is done by hand, and as the bolls do not all ripen at the same time, it is necessary to go over the field many times, and the picking often lasts until the middle of december. the cotton is gathered into baskets hung from the shoulders of the pickers. =the preparation of the fiber.=--after the cotton is picked it is taken to the gin which separates the fiber from the seed. until the cotton gin was invented in , by a connecticut teacher, then living in georgia, the cultivation of cotton was not profitable, as one person could only clear the seeds from five or six pounds a day. this machine has revolving teeth which drag the cotton between parallel wires, leaving the seeds behind. with this machine a slave could clean about a thousand pounds in a day. this gave a wonderful impetus to the cotton industry, and its cultivation increased enormously. after the seeds are removed the cotton is put up into bales weighing about five hundred pounds each, and is then ready for shipping. when these bales are received at the factory the cotton is so closely matted together that it must be broken up or loosened. this is done in the blending room where it is first run through heavily weighted and spiked rollers which pull the cotton apart. it is then blended or mixed to make it of uniform quality. after this it is taken to the carding room. here the fibers are drawn parallel to one another and bits of leaves and unripe fibers removed, when it is put through the drawing frame, consisting of a pair of rollers. these parallel, untwisted fibers are now called "slivers." from the drawing frame these "slivers" go to the slubbing machines where it is lightly twisted and wound on bobbins. this process is repeated on similar machines each one drawing the thread out and twisting it a little more, until it is finally ready for spinning. =spinning.=--two systems of spinning are in use at the present time, ring spinning and self-acting mule spinning. the former is done mostly by women and children, and produces a hard, round irregular yarn. the latter machines, operated only by men and very strong women, are complicated, but produce an exceedingly soft and fine yarn. the thread used for sewing and for the manufacture of lace is made by twisting several fine threads together. sewing thread is usually composed of from six to nine threads spun separately and then twisted into one. thread is sometimes passed very rapidly through a flame which burns off the fuzz making it very smooth. =weaving.=--three operations are necessary in the manufacture of cloth; first, the separation of the warp threads on the loom, so that the shuttle containing the woof can pass through. second, the movement of the shuttle, back and forth, among the warp threads. third, the beating up the woof. flax. the fibers of flax are spun and woven into a fabric called linen. this is one of the most ancient industries known to man. linen is often mentioned in the bible and the ancient egyptians wrapped their mummies in this fabric. it is said that the finest linen of the present day looks coarse beside that from the egyptian looms in the days of the pharaohs. the hebrew and egyptian priests wore garments made of this fine linen. =the plant.=--flax grows from two to three feet high, and has a blue flower. a field of flax in blossom is very beautiful. while it is grown extensively in many parts of europe, asia and america, the soil and climate of ireland, france and the netherlands are especially adapted to its growth, and it is in these countries that it reaches its greatest perfection. the fiber of the bark is the part of the plant used in the manufacture of cloth. linseed oil is expressed from the seed. =the preparation of the fiber.=--when the plant is ripe it is pulled up by the roots and beaten to loosen the seeds which are then shaken out. next the stems are steeped in soft water and afterward allowed to ferment. they are then dried and passed between fluted rollers which breaks the woody part of the stems which are again beaten to remove this woody part from the fiber. the fiber is then made into bundles and sent to the mill to be spun, where it is first roughly sorted, the longest and best portions being separated from the short raveled ones. these inferior portions are called "tow." the treatment of the flax fiber for spinning is similar to that of the cotton (page ), being drawn and twisted and drawn out again, repeating this process several times. =spinning.=--coarse and heavy yarns are spun dry, but fine yarn must be spun wet. some varieties of velvet and velveteen are made from linen. much of the so-called linen cloth of the present day is mixed with cotton or jute. the principles of weaving are the same as that of the cotton. see page . for many centuries the weaving of linen was conducted as a household industry. the first attempt to manufacture it on a large scale was in england in . it is now one of the national industries. linen is bleached after it is woven. in the olden times it was spread upon the grass, or lawn, and the action of the sun, air and moisture whitened it, and for this reason it was called "lawn," and it is still so designated. in the modern process of bleaching, the linen is first singed by being passed rapidly over hot cylinders which makes the cloth smooth. it is then boiled in lime water, washed and afterwards scoured in a solution of sulphuric acid, exposed to the air for a time and again scoured. lastly, it is boiled in soda-lye water and dried over hot tin rollers. the gloss on linen is made by first mangling, then starching, and finally running it between heavy rollers. linen is chiefly manufactured in france, belgium, germany, england and the united states. france is noted for the finest kinds of lawn and cambric, while ireland excels in the production of table linen. the largest portion of the sheeting and toweling is made in scotland. the linen manufactures of the united states consist principally of toweling and twine. wool. wool is the fleecy covering of sheep. it is distinguished by its waviness and the scaly covering of the fibers. the scales are more pointed and protrude more than those of hair. this gives it a tendency to mat or felt. the waviness of wool is due to the spiral structure of the fibers. next to cotton, wool is the most extensively used of all the textile fibers. the romans developed a breed of sheep having wool of exceeding fineness, and later introduced their sheep into spain. here they were still further improved, and it was not many years until spain led the world in the production of wool. the fine wooled merino sheep originated here. australia and the united states are also great wool-producing countries. =classification.=--there are three classes of wool, classified according to the length, fineness and felting qualities: . the carding or clothing wool. . the combing or worsted wool. . the blanket or carpet wool. wool on different parts of the same animal varies greatly, that on the shoulders being the finest and most even. all unwashed wool contains a fatty or greasy matter called yolk or suint. this keeps the fiber from matting together and also protects the fleece from injury. the yolk must be removed before the wool is manufactured into cloth. when the fleece is cut from the body of the sheep it sticks together so that it can be spread out like the hide of an animal, and each fleece is tied in a separate bundle. a few years ago sheep shearing was done by hand. this was a busy time, especially on large ranches where thousands of sheep were to be sheared and it required a large crew to do the work. it is now accomplished with much less time, labor and expense by machinery. alpaca and mohair are classed as wools, but the former is produced by the alpaca goat and the latter by the angora goat. cashmere wool comes from the cashmere goat, found in thibet, and is very costly, as only the finest parts of the fleece are used. in the far eastern countries beautiful, costly fabrics are made from the long hair of the camel. =preparation.=--when wool comes to the factory in the raw state it must be scoured. this is done by passing it through machines containing strong soap suds, and afterwards rinsing it. after the wool is dry it is mixed or blended. mixing is an operation of great importance and is done to make the wool of uniform quality. portions of wool from different lots, qualities and colors are placed in alternate layers and blended. if it is desired to mix other materials with the wool, such as silk, cotton or shoddy, it is added at this time. the wool is harsh to the touch after it has been scoured, owing to the removal of the yolk. to restore its natural softness it is slightly sprinkled with oil during the process of mixing. =carding and spinning.=--the process of carding produces a thread having fibers projecting loosely from the main thread in little ends which form the nap of the finished cloth. after it is carded it is wound on spools and is ready for the spinning. in spinning the threads are held together by their scales and the waviness of the fiber which prevents them from untwisting. another valuable feature of wool is its elasticity, which makes it soft to the touch and this is retained in the manufactured goods. =woolens.=--there are two classes of woolen textiles, woolens and worsteds, depending upon the character of the fiber used, and the treatment to which it is subjected. the shorter varieties of wool are used in woolens, while the long fibers are combed out and used for the worsteds. in making woolen yarns the wool is simply carded and very loosely spun, but in making worsted thread the wool is combed out and hard twisted. owing to the nap of the woolen goods the weaving is scarcely visible, but in the manufacture of worsteds the weave is evident and a great variety of designs is possible. a variety of effects can also be produced by the character of the finish. among the principal varieties are: . the dress face finish, such as broadcloth and beaver. . the velvet finish. . the scotch or melton finish. . the bare face finish, which has the nap completely sheared off. while the finish may differ, the general treatment of the cloth is practically the same. the first step is called pulling, when the cloth is soaked in hot water and pulled by a pulling machine. it is soaked, pulled and beaten until it is only half its original length and breadth. it is then rinsed and stretched on a frame where it will dry without a wrinkle. at this time the nap is raised by beating the cloth with the spike head of the teasel plant or its substitute. the pile or nap is then trimmed so as to present a uniform surface, when it is wound tightly around a huge drum and immersed in hot water. finally it is pressed in a hydraulic press, during which time steam is forced through it. this is to give solidity and smoothness to the cloth and also to add luster to the finished fabric. chapter ix. dress, and its relation to art. art education should bring to every girl a greater appreciation of beauty and a sufficient knowledge to enable her to beautify her home and to dress herself becomingly. this is the real "applied art" or "applied design" of which we have heard much but seen little. the power and skill necessary to originate an intricate and artistic design, and a technical knowledge of color-blending are worth something to the individual, but the ability to apply this knowledge later to the decoration of her home and to the selection of her own wardrobe is of vastly greater importance. an artist who paints the human figure, draws and erases and draws again, and yet again, that the contour of the form he creates may be right in proportion and graceful in line. he studies his coloring, he compares, rejects and blends for a particular shade or tint that makes for complete harmony. no discordant note of color nor turn of line that detracts from the beauty of the whole is allowed. and there are artistic makers-of-garments who put into the costumes they create the same thought and care that the artist spends upon his canvas, but the prices of both are within the reach of very few. nearly every woman must plan her own wardrobe and choose the furnishings for her home and this is what "art" and "domestic art" in the public schools should train the girl of to-day--the woman of the future--to do. art on paper is the preparation for a journey--packing the suitcase, as it were, necessary but toilsome; the application of art principles to the problems of real life, the delightful excursion, opening the eyes to real beauty and its possibilities. may the children in our schools have something more than the drudgery of preparation. clothing was first designed in the early ages, no doubt, as a covering and protection to the body; it has come, however, to mean something more than this. it is an expression of the character, the nicety of taste--or lack of it--the discrimination and judgment of the individual. in the selection of one's garments there are a number of points which must be taken into consideration, such as health and comfort, cost, fitness, color and style, as well as beauty. and above all, the average woman must pause and consider last season's garments, that are too good to be discarded and must form a part of this year's wardrobe. it is quite disastrous to plunge ahead and buy a blue dress, because blue happens to be stylish, if the hat to be worn with it is a green or brown "left over." while a due regard to the opinions of others demands a certain conformity to the customs of the time and place in which one lives, there is always a latitude allowed which enables one to exercise individual needs, taste and preference. health and comfort should take rank before everything else. a style which interferes with either is an absurdity which anyone of good sense will avoid. neatness should be considered above beauty or style. a soiled collar, hooks, eyes and buttons missing, gloves out at finger ends, shoes dusty and unpolished, braid hanging from the skirt, the waist and skirt separated are all accidents which may befall anyone, but are most deplorable when they become chronic. it has been wisely said that the best dressed woman is she of whose clothing one is unconscious, whose dress is neither conspicuous from extreme style nor too noticeable from a total disregard of the custom of the times. good taste demands that one be not overdressed. street and business suits and young girls' school dresses should be plain, well made and neat, of subdued and becoming color. "costly thy habit as thy purse can buy," wrote shakespeare, and the advice still holds good. economy does not consist, however, of buying cheap, shoddy material. trimming can be dispensed with to the improvement of the average garment, but a dress made of good cloth will out-wear, look better, give greater self-respect, and in the end cost less than several dresses made of cheap stuff, as the cost of making is no more for the one than the other. this is a principle that applies as well to underwear. simple garments, well made of firm fine cambric are much to be preferred to those overtrimmed with cheap lace and sleazy embroidery. some colors and styles are becoming to certain complexions and forms and are quite the reverse to others. a short stout person should avoid plaids, while one overly tall should never select stripes. the lines of the garment are equally important--any method of trimming that gives length, the long lines of the "princess" and the "empire" styles are a boon to the short figure, while the overskirt, the deep flounce, and the bands of trimming running around the skirt, all help to break the long lines for the tall woman. belts that by contrast divide the figure are not good unless one wishes to shorten the height. waists and skirts of the same color usually have more style and give better form. give careful heed to the selection of color, not only to the dress but to the accessories, hat, gloves, collar, belt and shoes, as well. in fact, consider the costume as a whole made up of parts, each one of which must harmonize with every other. before sewing machines were to be found in every home and ready made clothing in the stores styles did not change so rapidly. commercial conditions now make it to the advantage of a great army of people that the styles in dress change often and radically. the manufacturers of cloth, the wholesale merchants with their agents, the retailers and their numerous clerks, wholesale garment-makers and their many employes, pattern-makers, dress-makers, milliners and the manufacturers of all minor articles of clothing are all benefitted by this oft recurring change in style. this condition has come about so gradually that we hardly realize to what extent we are victims of trade-tricks. it is not necessary nor desirable that woman should enslave herself to follow all the vagaries of style. [illustration: child's picture book.] chapter x. paper, cloth and cardboard construction. a child's picture book. _materials:_ pink, blue or yellow paper cambric inches; coarse thread; coarse needle; bright, pretty pictures which the children have cut from papers, magazines, cards, etc.; paste. fold the cloth through the center with the warp and cut on the fold. fold both strips into three equal pieces with the woof, and cut. fold each piece through the center parallel to the selvedge. place two pieces together and pin at the fold, and "pink" through the four thicknesses, around the edges with a "pinking iron." do the same with the other pieces. when finished place them all together and stitch at the fold at follows: . mark three holes on the fold with the needle, one in the middle and one two inches above it, and another two inches below it. . tie a large knot two inches from the end of the thread. . insert the needle at the lowest hole, from the inside, and draw it through leaving two inches of the thread to tie. . pass over the middle hole and down through the upper one, out through the middle hole on one side of the long thread, and back through the same hole on the other side of the thread, and tie the two ends of the thread together. paste a pretty card or large picture on the outside for the cover. page the book with neat figures and write the name of the child for whom the book is designed on the inside of the cover. arrange and paste in the pictures neatly. a box with cover. _materials:_ cardboard for foundation " × "; cover " × "; colored paper for covering; strips of cloth or glue-tape for staying corners; glue. use tooth-picks in applying the glue. [illustration: no. and no. --one-piece boxes. no. .--two-piece box. box and cover alike.] [illustration: group of boxes.] find the center of the card by drawing both diagonals. measure two and one-half inches from the center toward the sides. draw straight lines passing through these points connecting opposite edges, thus forming a five-inch square in the center. cut out the corners on these lines. hold the edge of a ruler firmly to the lines of the square and bend the cardboard. fold the strip of cloth or tape through the center and put the glue on this, using very little, and taking care to keep it back from the edge. cover the corners with the cloth. cut a strip of the colored paper twenty-one inches by two and three-fourth inches. put a very little glue on the outside of the box and cover with the colored paper. turn over the edges and glue them down. follow the same directions for making the cover, measuring two and five-eighth inches from the center of the seven-inch square of cardboard. cover the sides and top with the colored paper, the strip for the sides being twenty-two inches by one and one-half inches, and the top a five-inch square. this box can be made in any size or shape, the same general plan being followed. a blank book with paper cover re-inforced with cloth. _materials:_ strong felt paper " × "; book cloth for back " × - / ", for corners pieces " × - / "; lining paper for covers, sheets - / " × - / "; number of sheets of paper desired for the book - / " × - / "; coarse thread; coarse needle; glue. use tooth-picks in applying the glue. draw a line on the felt paper through the middle the long way and fold on the line. measure on the outside one and one-fourth inches from the corners along both edges, and place points. connect these points with straight lines. place the long edge of the cloth corner to this line, and fold it over the corner and crease. remove and trim it even before gluing on. put the glue always on the cloth and use as little as possible. crease the strip of book-cloth for the back, through the center, but do not glue in place until after the leaves are sewed in. fold the sheets of paper through the center of the book. follow the same directions for sewing the leaves together as given in the description of "a child's picture book," page . finish by gluing the paper lining on the inside of the cover and the strip of book-cloth down the back. [illustration: a blank book.] this book could be made any size or shape, and decorated as desired. a folding envelope case for papers. _materials:_ strong felt paper, or its substitute; (a sheet " × " cut through the center the short way will make two cases. if two harmonious colors be selected, the corners cut from one case can be used to decorate another); book cloth in one-inch strips for binding; glue. use tooth-picks in applying the glue. [illustration: back and front views of a folding envelope case for papers.] on the wrong side, find the center of the paper twenty inches by fifteen inches by drawing both diagonals. measure four and one-fourth inches from the center toward the sides. draw straight lines passing through these points connecting opposite sides, thus forming an eight-and-a-half inch square in the center. cut out the four corners on these lines. fold in the four sides on the lines of the square. a strap, which will fasten the case by slipping through a slit cut in the opposite side, is to be made on one of the long flaps as follows: place a point at the middle on the edge of the flap, and measure an inch along the edge on both sides of this point. measure down two inches from these last points and place dots. connect these dots by straight lines with the top and sides. cut the corners out on these lines. trim the end of the strap to a point beginning one-half inch from the corners and cutting to the center point. it is necessary to trim the edges of the flaps that there may be no difficulty in folding one over another. measure one-half inch from the corners of the flaps and connect this point with the corner of the square, and cut on these lines. fold the half-inch strip of book-cloth through the center; place the glue on the cloth and glue it for a binding around the raw edges of the case. finish the corners of the binding with the square or mitered corner. fold the fastening strap over the opposite side, and place a point at the corners to locate the place where the slit is to be cut. connect these two points by a straight line and draw another parallel to, and three-fourths of an inch from it. cut on these lines with a knife. this slit must be strengthened by the book-cloth. cut a piece two and three-fourths inches by one and one-fourth inches and glue over the strip on the wrong side; clip the edges at the ends of the slit, and bring through to the right side, and glue them down. the piece for the covering of the right side may be cut the exact width of the slit, and the ends cut in some fancy shape. this may be cut from the cloth, or the paper used in the design. the front of the case can be decorated as desired. very beautiful effects can be obtained by cutting out the design from paper that harmonizes in color and gluing it on. this makes a very useful case for holding school papers, and if neatly and carefully done, is an excellent exercise. clipping case. _materials:_ envelopes, - / " × - / "; strips of book-cloth - / " × "; strip of book-cloth " × - / "; pieces of book-cloth " × - / "; heavy felt paper " x "; sheets lining paper - / " x - / "; glue. put the glue on the _cloth_ each time with tooth-picks. [illustration: clipping case.] follow the directions for making the cover of the "blank book with paper cover re-inforced with cloth," page . the envelopes take the place of the sheets of paper and are fastened in place as follows: . on the back and front of the envelopes draw a line parallel to and one-half inch from the bottom. . fold a strip of book-cloth one inch by nine and one-half inches through the center the long way. . glue one-half of this folded strip to the half-inch below the line on the back of one envelope and the other half to the half-inch below the line on the front of another envelope. continue thus until the four envelopes are fastened together. . glue half of a strip of the cloth to the front of the first envelope and the other half to the front of the cover to hold in the desired position. do the same at the back. . glue in the lining papers on the covers. the outside may be decorated as desired. a postal card album. _materials:_ paper for leaves of book; pulp board in three pieces, " × ", " × - / ", " × "; book-cloth in two pieces " × "; lining paper in two pieces - / " × - / "; glue; eyelet punch and eyelets. [illustration: two views of a post card album--closed and open.] to be of value the work in this exercise must be exact, with measurements perfectly accurate. the glue is to be used sparingly and spread upon the cloth and not on the pulp board. draw on the book-cloth an oblong five by eight inches, which will leave a margin of one-half inch. put the glue on the cloth and place the pulp board five by eight inches over the oblong. turn over the edges and finish. glue the lining paper in place. place under weight as soon as finished. the front cover is made the same with the exception of a joint in the pulp board. draw on the second piece of book-cloth an oblong five by eight inches. draw a line one inch from and parallel to one end of the oblong. draw a second line one-fourth of an inch from this. spread the glue on the cloth and place the two pieces of pulp board on the oblong with a quarter-inch space between them, and proceed as before. both covers can be made with the joint if desired. punch with the eyelet tool two holes in each cover three inches apart and one-half inch from the edge, and put in the eyelets. _take care that these holes are directly opposite._ cut the paper for the book into sheets four and one-half by seven and three-fourths inches (or four and one-half by fifteen and one-half inches), and fold. punch the eyelets _exactly even_ with those in the cover. place a postal-card three and one-half by five and one-half inches on the sheets with a half-inch margin at top, bottom and end, and make two points on each of the four sides, one one-half inch from the corner, and the other one inch. connect corresponding points by slant lines and cut with a knife on these lines. the outside cover can be decorated in any way desired. this style of cover can be used for a book of any size or shape. picture framing. select a mount of the proper color for the picture to be used, and passepartout paper to harmonize. cut to the desired size and shape. cut a piece of cardboard to the same size. have a glass cut to the size of the mount, also a mat for the picture, if desired. place the picture in position on the mount, and draw guide lines to aid in pasting the picture in place. put the two rings used for the purpose of hanging the picture, into the cardboard back before putting the parts together. the rings should be placed exactly even, measuring down from the top about one-third of the width of the picture, and in at the sides one inch. clean the glass carefully, and place it over the picture. between the cardboard back and the picture place two or three layers of newspaper. be sure that the back is placed with the rings toward the top. tie all together very tightly with a strong cord, passing the cord only around one way of the picture. cut the passepartout paper the length of the picture and crease it over the edges. moisten the paper and stick it first to the glass and then draw it firmly over the edge and down on the cardboard back. it is necessary _to work rapidly after the paper is moistened_. finish the other edge in the same manner. before removing the cord, tie another around the other way. finish the two ends in the same manner as the sides, with the exception of the corners. cut the passe-partout paper an inch longer than the side to be covered, and do not fasten down quite to the corner. trim for a mitered corner on the glass side and cut a narrow strip the thickness of the glass, and stick it down along the other edge. tie a cord into the rings for hanging. [illustration] a four sided, collapsible candle or lamp shade. _materials:_ cardboard; book-cloth or japanese tissue paper; passe-partout paper. cut a pattern of one section of the shade in the form of a trapezoid having the longer parallel five and seven-eighth inches, the shorter parallel one and three-eighth inches and the altitude four and one-half inches. candle shadeholders are uniform in size being six and one-half inches in circumference. to fit this circular holder, the shade may be rounded out at the top, although it can be used with the straight edge. cut a strip of cardboard five inches wide, and from this cut the four sides of the shade. the decoration of the shade may be varied greatly. the design may be drawn upon the back of the cardboard and cut out the same as a stencil, care being taken that the proper bridges are in place. the book-cloth is then pasted on the back. if the cardboard is intended as a framework only, construct a second trapezoid one-half inch inside the other, and cut on the lines. the possibilities for decoration are limitless. a design may be stenciled, embroidered, or worked with any of the fancy stitches upon any thin material through which the light will shine, and then pasted over the back of the frame-work. fancy silks are also very effective. when the sections are finished, fasten them together with the passe-partout paper. lay them all face downward with the sides to be joined placed as closely together as possible, and stick the moistened paper over adjoining edges. book-cloth or any firm material can be used instead of the passe-partout paper. [illustration] chapter xi. home furnishing, decoration and care. bright, clean, tasteful and well regulated homes will add more to the sum of human happiness than anything else in life. a happy home does not always mean a costly one. the simple, tidy home of the day laborer may have the home-atmosphere that the mansion may lack. a home can be tastefully, even if cheaply, furnished. a thoughtful teacher can impart to her class a love of home and a respect and honor for the labor that keeps that home clean, attractive and wholesome, and instill womanly traits that may add greatly to the happiness of the individuals and the betterment of all with whom they come in contact. a familiarity with the conditions of an ideal home and the aroused interest of the girls who will be the home-makers in a few years will have an influence and value that is limitless. the parents, also, may receive suggestions through their children that will react on the present home conditions. every teacher will invent her own method of reaching her particular class, depending upon their needs and environment, using all necessary tact. an outline is given below which will suggest a few topics and one method of conducting the lessons. there are many kindred subjects, such as good ventilation, plenty of sunlight, good house-keeping, etc., that can be brought into the discussions, but the enthusiasm which is aroused is really the vital point of the lesson. an imaginary home. when furnishing a home take into consideration sanitary conditions, use, convenience, economy and artistic effects. . ask pupils to make clippings of house plans from papers, magazines, etc. study and compare them. . decide upon a plan for a simple house, and have some member of the class draw the floor plans upon the blackboard where it can remain for a time. . several points must be considered in conjunction, that there may may be harmony throughout the house as the rooms open into each other. a. the color scheme and design for each room. some samples of cloth or paper to show the exact colors and combinations of colors decided upon. b. decoration of the walls. c. the floor finish or covering. d. color of shades and curtains that the outside may present a favorable appearance. . divide the class into sections and assign a room to each section to suggest detail in style of furnishing and decorating. a. living room. b. dining room. c. kitchen. d. pantry. e. hall. f. sleeping rooms. g. bath. h. laundry. . avoid over-crowding the rooms with furniture and cluttering with too many pictures and useless and inartistic bric-a-brac, and dust-collectors. . the care of the home: this topic will enable the teacher to give many helpful suggestions. assign sub-divisions of the subject to different members of the class: a. sweeping. b. dusting. c. care of bare floors. d. window washing. e. dish washing. f. care of cupboards. g. care of book-shelves, daily papers, magazines, etc. h. care of sleeping rooms, beds, etc. i. care of bath rooms. chapter xii. basketry. basketry is one of the oldest handicrafts known to man, but it reached its greatest excellence with the tribes of american indians who wove baskets from the grasses, reeds and rushes which they gathered as they wandered from place to place in their nomadic life. these materials were colored with dyes made by cooking the bark of certain trees and the roots and bulbs of plants, a knowledge of which was handed down from mother to daughter. the designs were not meaningless, but represented by symbols their prayers to the deity for rain, success to a war party, or a petition for favorable crops. or it might be they chronicled the victory over a hostile tribe, a maiden's love for a stalwart brave, or a thousand other events of their lives in conventionalized symbolic form. the shape, size and use varied as much as the design. the material used by the indians is not available for us but imported raffia, rattan and rushes form excellent substitutes. raffia, a product of the island of madagascar, is a soft, pliable, yellowish fiber growing next to the bark of a species of palm tree. rattan is the product of a kind of palm which grows in india. it is stripped of leaves and split into round or flat strips of different sizes. a more instructive occupation cannot be found for children than basketry and its allied subjects. it not only is fascinating in itself, but develops patience, judgment, dexterity and skill, and embodies the satisfaction of making a beautiful and useful article. it is not only an educative occupation for school, but for the home as well. baskets are known as the woven baskets made of the round or flat rattan and the sewed baskets made from the raffia and reeds. general directions for making the coil basket. =preparation of materials.=--round reeds are sold in sizes from the very fine number to the coarse number . hemp cord of different sizes may be substituted for the reeds of a flexible basket if desired. [illustration: beginning a basket in any weave. --the reed sharpened to a flat point. --the end of the sharpened reed wound with raffia. --the end of the reed curled into a small "button." --splicing reeds by cutting both to a flat point.] beginning about two inches from one end of the reed, sharpen to a flat point. coil the other end, leaving ten or fifteen inches uncoiled, and tie with raffia two or three times. soak the reeds in water until very pliable, then remove and wipe dry before using. the raffia may be used wet or dry as one prefers. it may be used in coarse strands for the large baskets or split to any size desired for the finer stitches, but should be kept uniform. the basket sewing requires either the sharp or blunt tapestry needle, varying in size between number and number . thread the end of the raffia that has been cut from the tree into the needle, thus working with the fiber, as it is less liable to split. much of the beauty of the basket will depend upon the smoothness and neatness of the work. =beginning the basket.=--baskets may be classified as round or oval. a. the round basket. draw the sharpened end of the pliable reed between the thumb and finger into the smallest possible coil. lay the end of the raffia to the point and along the sharpened end of the reed and hold it in place with the left hand. by a sharp turn in the thread begin winding over the reed and raffia to the point. then shape into the coil by sewing through the center, thus forming the "button" as in the illustration. [illustration: baskets begun in three different weaves. --round basket in the navajo weave. --oval basket in the lazy squaw weave. --round basket in the mariposa weave] b. the oval basket: [illustration: group of baskets showing variety in size, shape and design.] the end of the reed is not sharpened, and must be very soft and pliable, or it cannot be bent together at the desired length, two, three, four, five or more inches from the end, without breaking. it will do no special harm if it splits, however, as it is to be covered with the raffia. lay the end of the raffia to the end of the reed, along the reed and around the bend, and by a sharp turn in the thread wind four or five times over the raffia, covering the bend in the reed. the two reeds may then be caught together by the stitch selected for the basket, or the "navajo" or "figure eight stitch" may be used and the other stitch introduced on the second round. =splicing the reed.=--as the reed naturally coils somewhat take care to splice it so that the coil in the two pieces remains the same, otherwise it would draw apart. sharpen the top side of one reed and the underside of the other to a long flat point and slip one past the other until the two together form the uniform size of the reed. it is sometimes advisable for a novice to wind the spliced reeds with fine thread, but experience will teach one to do the splicing with the sewing of the basket. =splicing the thread.=--when a new thread is needed lay the end of the old thread along the reed and place the new thread over it, and by a sharp turn in the thread, wind once or twice over both, and continue the stitch as before. when the ends are firmly fastened clip them off. =shaping the basket.=--coiled basketry admits of the greatest variety in shape and size, from the simple table mat to the exquisitely beautiful jar and vase forms, while the stitches lend themselves to an endless variety of design ranging from the simplest to the most intricate patterns. it is well to have in mind the shape and design before beginning the basket, as haphazard work is not apt to be satisfactory. baskets can be easily shaped to any desired form, as this depends entirely upon the position of each succeeding reed upon the one below it. =introduction of color.=--all reeds in the coiled basket are wound twice with the raffia. it is important to keep this in mind when putting in designs. the colored raffia is introduced in the same manner that the thread is spliced, by laying it along the reed and sewing over it. when working out designs in color do not cut the thread when changing from one to another, but lay the thread not in use along the reed and sew over it, bringing it out when ready to use it again. as an aid in dividing the space for a design a piece of paper may be cut and folded into the desired number of sections, and these marked on the basket. these spaces are then filled in without regard to the exact number of stitches required to cover the reeds. beginners should make a study of indian baskets and their designs. =finishing the basket.=--cut the end of the reed to a flat point two inches in length, and gradually taper the stitching off so that it shows where it ends as little as possible. the last two rows of the basket might be stitched with colored raffia unless it detracts from the design. [illustration: basket showing the navajo weave.] description of basket stitches. the stitching proceeds along a continuous coil, so that each stitch is passed beneath the stitches of the coil beneath. for convenience in analyzing these stitches the two reeds may be designated as the loose reed and the fastened reed. =the navajo stitch (figure eight).=--hold the commenced coil in the left hand which will cause the work to proceed from the right toward the left. (a) pass the thread between the two reeds _toward_ you, (b) over the loose reed _from_ you, (c) between the two reeds _toward_ you, (d) down between the stitches of the fastened reed _from_ you, and beginning again at (a) pass the thread between the two reeds toward you completing the figure eight. draw the two reeds firmly together. [illustration: basket showing the lazy squaw weave.] this is the stitch used by the indians in making the baskets which they ornamented with feathers, wampum, shells and beads. =the lazy squaw stitch=.--this stitch is made up of two parts, a long and a short stitch. hold the commenced coil in the left hand and work from right to left. (a) wrap the thread toward you _over_ and _around_ the loose reed once, (b) then _over_ the loose reed again, (c) and down _from_ you between the stitches of the fastened reed and back to (a). this completes the long-and-short stitch. the story of the origin of the name "lazy-squaw" stitch is interesting. if the squaw was inclined to slight her work she would wrap the loose reed several times before taking the long and more difficult stitch which bound the two reeds together. she would then receive from her companions the ignominious title of "lazy-squaw." as a modification of this stitch the wrapping of the loose reed is omitted, and the long stitch only is used. this passes each time between the stitches of the coil beneath. [illustration: basket showing the mariposa weave.] =the mariposa stitch (knotted).=--in analyzing this stitch we find that it is made up of three parts. it is the same as the lazy squaw stitch with the addition of the knotted effect obtained by passing the thread around the long stitch. hold the commenced coil in the left hand and work from right to left, (a) wrap the thread toward you over and around the loose reed once, (b) then over the loose reed again, (c) and down _from_ you between the stitches of the fastened reed, thus binding the two reeds together, (d) bring the needle up _between_ the two reeds at the left side of the long stitch, (e) cross over this stitch, going down between the two reeds at the right of the long stitch. bring the thread over the loose reed and begin wrapping again as at (a). =the samoan stitch (lace effect).=--baskets that are to be lined are very pretty made of this stitch. it is also very effective combined with other stitches, or as the finishing coil of a basket. the samoan stitch is a modification of the mariposa stitch, the only difference being in the space between the reeds and the passing of the thread around the long stitch two, three or more times, which gives the lace effect. the reeds _must_ be held firmly, however, and the thread passed around the long stitch times enough to make the basket firm. books on the manual arts =clay work.= by katherine morris lester. this book has been written by a grade teacher and art worker to help teachers in acquiring the technique of clay working, and to give them suggestions concerning the teaching of the several types of clay work suited to pupils in the elementary schools. it covers the study of natural forms, the human figure in relief and the round, animal forms, story illustration, architectural ornament, tiles, hand-built pottery and pottery decoration. the book is richly illustrated with more than fifty half-tone and line cuts showing processes, designs, and the work of children from ten to twelve years of age. price, $ . . =classroom practice in design.= by james parton haney. a concise up-to-date, richly illustrated brochure on the teaching of applied design. price, cents. =the wash method of handling water colour.= by frank forrest frederick. a brief, clear, comprehensive text printed in sepia and illustrated with wash drawings and a water-color painting by the author. price, cents. =simplified mechanical perspective.= by frank forrest frederick. a book of simple problems covering the essentials of mechanical perspective. it is planned for pupils of high school age who have already received some elementary training in mechanical drawing. it is simple, direct and practical. price, cents. =the construction and flying of kites.= by charles m. miller. this contains seven full-page plates of drawings of kites and fifteen figures--over forty kites shown. details of construction given; a kite tournament is described. full of interesting suggestions. price, cents. =coping saw work.= by ben w. johnson. contains working drawings and suggestions for teaching a course of work in thin wood that is full of fun for the children, and affords ample means for training in form study, construction, invention and careful work. has been called "applied mechanics for the fourth grade." price, cents. =selected shop problems.= by george a. seaton. a collection of sixteen problems in woodworking made to meet the needs of busy teachers of manual training. each problem has been put to the test and has proven satisfactory to the teacher who designed it and the pupil who made it. price, cents. =beginning woodwork.= at home and in school. by clinton s. van deusen; illustrated by edwin v. lawrence. a full and clear description in detail of the fundamental processes of elementary benchwork in wood. this description is given through directions for making a few simple, useful articles suitable either for school or home problems. price, $ . . =handwork in wood.= by william noyes. a notable book on woodworking. it is the result of extensive research and long experience in teaching and in training teachers. it is a comprehensive and scholarly treatment of the subject and is the one book of reference which teachers of woodworking feel that they must always have at hand. price, $ . . =essentials of woodworking.= by ira s. griffith, illustrated by edwin v. lawrence. a text book on woodworking tools, materials and processes to supplement the instruction given by the teacher. very fully illustrated. price, $ . . =woodwork for schools on scientific lines.= by james thomas baily and s. pollitt. this is the american edition of an english book containing practical problems, many of which have been designed to correlate mathematics and physical science with manual training. price, cents. =problems in woodworking.= by m. w. murray. a convenient collection of good problems ready to place in the hands of the pupil. price, cents. =problems in furniture making.= by fred d. crawshaw. thirty-two plates of working drawings of simple, artistic furniture, with notes on construction, finish and design. price, $ . . =problems in mechanical drawing.= by charles a. bennett, with drawings made by fred d. crawshaw. the purpose of this book is to furnish teachers of classes beginning mechanical drawing with a large number of simple, practical problems in convenient form for immediate use. price, $ . . =problems in wood-turning.= by fred d. crawshaw. a collection of problems presented in the form of plates excellent in draftsmanship. contains a brief, clear text on the science and art of wood-turning; also a chapter on "form and proportion," which shows how accepted principles of art may be applied in designing objects to be turned in wood. price, cents. =manual training magazine.= edited by charles a. bennett. published bi-monthly. price, $ . a year. * * * * * in addition to the above, we keep in stock the best books on the manual arts issued by other publishers. the manual arts press :: peoria, ill. * * * * * transcriber's notes: obvious punctuation errors repaired. unless an obvious majority appeared, varied hyphenation was retained. page , "stich" changed to "stitch" (with the running stitch) page , "carboard" changed to "cardboard" (cardboard " × ") page , the anchor for footnote was missing from the page. it was added. (christmas piece [ ][ ]) pages and , there once reference but two different notes for the basketry substitute project. to make this easier, the second reference was changed to which necessitated changing the third reference to . page , "kaiki" is a little used but actual variant of "khaki" and was retained. page , anchor missing for footnote . added. (christmas piece.[ ][ ] pages and , same issue as above with double note references. edited as above. page , "button holes" changed to "buttonholes" to match rest of usage (quarter-inch buttonholes and sew) page , "sitch" changed to "stitch" (next to the last stitch) page , "no" changed to "do" (do not confuse this) page , "lop" changed to "loop" (side is the loop) page , "guaging" changed to "gauging" (description of gauging) page , "of" changed to "or" (ten or fifteen cents) page , "especialy" changed to "especially" (makes it especially) page , "weeeks" changed to "weeks" (six weeks after it) page , "pharoahs" changed to "pharaohs" (days of the pharaohs) page , "in" changed to "is" (blossom is very) page , "detacts" changed to "detracts" (line that detracts) page , "indiviual" changed to "individual" (judgment of the individual) page , double word "the" removed. original read (end of the the pliable) page , "baseket" changed to "basket" (in the coiled basket are) distributed proofreaders note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/ / / / / / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/ / / / / / -h.zip) the lady's album of fancy work for consisting of novel, elegant, and useful designs in knitting, netting, crochet, braiding, and embroidery with clear and explicit directions for working the patterns address encouraged by the kind welcome which greeted their former efforts to provide a volume worthy the attention of the ladies of the united kingdom, the publishers of the _lady's album of fancy-work_ have issued a similar production for . solicitous to preserve the favourable consideration so flatteringly accorded, every care has been taken to render the _lady's album of fancy-work_ for as attractive and useful as possible; no expense has been spared in its artistic illustration, letterpress, and embellishment; and it will be found an elegant ornament in the drawing-room as well as a useful ally at the work-table. the patterns and designs are of the most useful and varied character: specimens are given of each style of work recently invented; and no article either of ornament or use at present in fashion is omitted. the exercise of the needle has been from time immemorial a favourite occupation with the females of every country; and the allusions to the subject from cotemporary historians and poets evince that this feminine pursuit was regarded with approval and respect. the invention of embroidery is ascribed to the phrygians; and we also learn from ancient authors, that the sidonians particularly excelled in this beautiful art of decorative needlework; it must have also made considerable progress in the country soon after the norman conquest, from the accounts that are recorded of the robes embroidered in gold and silver, generally worn by persons of rank at that period. the bayeux tapestry also remains to us as a lasting trophy of the skill and industry of queen matilda and the ladies of her court, and is not more interesting as a historical record than as a specimen of the needlework of the mediæval age. the introduction of knitting into this country is comparatively of modern date; so late as the middle of the sixteenth century. the invention of the art is usually ascribed to the spaniards; though the scotch, with some appearance of justice, assert their claims as its originators. like all inventions, knitting has undergone wonderful improvements since it was first simply used for stocking-making: and the value attached to stockings so made may be judged from the fact, that a pair were deemed a fitting present from one sovereign to another. a pair of knitted hose was amongst the gifts received by that lover of finery, queen elizabeth; but no record remains to shew if these were preserved with the three thousand robes which were found after her death in the wardrobe of england's maiden queen. the love for domestic occupations, which is so admirable a trait in the character of our countrywomen, has often been a subject of gratulation; and that female ingenuity and skill may continue to be employed in embellishing the drawing-room, rather than in directing the political intrigues of the _salon_, must be desired by all interested in the preservation of those domestic attributes which give so pleasing a charm to home, and secure the comfort of all around. the taste which her majesty queen victoria evinces for feminine pursuits and occupations has naturally exercised considerable influence in preserving habits of industry amongst her female subjects; and to her majesty's example, and that of the amiable queen dowager, may be ascribed that the labours of the english embroideress are now justly appreciated, and her work esteemed as in no respects inferior to the produce of foreign ingenuity. in expressing their thanks for the patronage extended to the _lady's album of fancy-work_ for , the publishers take leave to state that the present volume contains designs and patterns for various articles in embroidery, braid-work, crochet, knitting, netting, ribbon-work, scagliola, and indian ornamental work; all of which are executed and engraved in a style of unusual superiority. each pattern is accompanied with plain and explicit directions; and it is hoped that their execution will afford many hours of pleasurable employment to the fair and industrious votaress of the needle. contents. explanation of the various terms used in crochet general instructions for embroidery . front for lady's cabinet (embroidery) . cover for cake-basket (netting) . infant's bonnet (crochet) . lace for pocket-handkerchief (crochet) . elizabethan watch-hook (crochet) . music-stool cover (crochet) . cover for album (embroidery) . serviette for cruet-stand (crochet) . screen (embroidery) . a long purse in honeycomb pattern (netting) . german knitting-bag (crochet) . cigar-case (embroidery) . collar au feston (embroidery) . card-case (scagliola work) . claret-jug mat (embroidery) , . corner for handkerchief (embroidery) . cover for easy-chair (crochet) . lady's reticule (crochet) . spectacle-case (scagliola work) . toilet-cushion (crochet) . bonnet-preserver (knitting) . small ottoman (embroidery) . card-basket (crochet) . raised crochet collar (crochet) . a chess-board (scagliola work) . garniture for toilet-basket (crochet) . greek cap (embroidery) . flower-stand (crochet) . cover for tassel of window-blind (crochet) . under-sleeve (crochet) . smoking cap (embroidery in braid) . baby's cap (crochet) . lace for cap (crochet) . apron (embroidery) . limerick lace scarf (tambour) . a knitting-bag (netting) . vase-stand (netting) . watch-pocket (braid) . mitten (crochet) . collar (crochet) . centre of a cover for music-book or portfolio (embroidery) . winter head-dress (crochet) . "baboche," or ornament for candles . chess-board (scagliola work) . d'oyley (crochet) . gauntlet cuff (crochet) . liqueur-stand mat (embroidery) . border for a lace scarf or veil (crochet appliqué) . card-case (crochet) . round collar (crochet) . prince of wales's plume (embroidery) . pattern for window-curtains (netting) . gentleman's braces (embroidery) . toilet-cushion (embroidery) . the helen cap (netting) . screen (indian ornamental work) . heartsease (knitting) . serviette for liqueur-stand (crochet) . a new and elegant work for sofa-pillows, card-baskets, &c. (ribbon work) . lady's silk mitten (crochet) . couvrette for devotional chair (netting) . sachet (embroidery) . pen-wiper (embroidery in braid) . pattern for footstool or cushion (berlin work) . a mat for a flower-vase (crochet) , . lady's slipper (embroidery in braid) explanation of the various terms used in crochet. chain-stitch open crochet.--this consists of five or any uneven number of loops attached by a plain stitch to every third stitch of the foundation, and in the succeeding rows to the centre loop of the chain of previous row. three chain crochet.--work a chain of three loops as in chain-stitch open crochet. double crochet.--work as follows: having made a chain, pass the needle through the first loop on the chain, draw the cotton through the loop, there will now be two loops on the needle, through these draw the cotton. single crochet.--insert the needle in the loops, and draw the cotton through this loop and that on the needle. ribbed crochet.--this is worked in a similar manner to double crochet, only that the under loop of the previous row is taken, and it is done in rows to and fro. long stitch.--twist the cotton round the needle, pass it through the loop, draw the cotton through the first two loops on the needle, then catch the cotton again and draw it through the next two loops; there will be one loop left on the needle. double long stitch.--this resembles long stitch, excepting that the cotton is twisted twice round the needle. treble long stitch.--twist the cotton three times round the needle. single open crochet.--this is a succession of long stitches, with a chain-stitch between each, missing one stitch of the foundation; in the succeeding rows the long stitch is worked between the two long stitches of the preceding rows. double open crochet.--this consists of two long stitches, then two chain-stitches; or it may be varied by making one long stitch, two chain-stitches, missing the same number of stitches in foundation as there are chain-stitches. treble open crochet.--work three long stitches, then three chain, missing three of the foundation. vandyke open crochet.--work three long stitches into one of the foundation, make one chain-stitch, miss three of the foundation; repeat. in the next and following rows the long stitches are worked in the chain-stitch. * * * * * general instructions for embroidery. the various elegant designs for handkerchiefs, jupons, shirts, &c. are worked in raised satin stitch. the material used is french working-cotton; numbers or will be found suitable for most purposes, but this must be regulated by the quality of the cambric. handkerchiefs embroidered in colours continue to be extremely fashionable; the patterns in the _lady's album_ are of the most novel description, and quite suitable for this style of work. the names and initial letters are worked in satin-stitch, sewing over the lines. the lady's album of fancy needlework. * * * * * embroidery. . front for lady's cabinet. _materials--black satin; six shades of crimson, five shades of yellow, three shades of puce, two shades of scarlet, three shades of yellow-greens, three shades of blue-greens, and two shades of brown embroidery silk, or of chenille_. draw the design upon the satin, frame the work, and work in embroidery-stitch. the rose-leaves with the yellow-greens, the leaves of thistles with the blue-greens, the stems with brown, the thistle and bud of thistle with the shades of puce, working the centre of the former with the shades of scarlet. work the rose on the right hand of thistle with the four darkest shades of crimson, and that on the left and the buds with the four lightest shades. work the remaining rose with the yellow shades. work the designs for corners in a similar manner, shading according to the taste of the worker. the above design is adapted for the front or door of a small rosewood or an inlaid ebony cabinet, suitable for a lady's boudoir or dressing-room. it looks well if worked upon white instead of black satin; and if the former is used, it is advisable to have plate-glass as a protection to the needlework. * * * * * [illustration: no. . front for lady's cabinet.] [illustration: no. cover for cake-basket.] * * * * * netting. . cover for cake-basket. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. , darning-cotton no. , meshes nos. and , cornucopia gauge_. with the crochet-thread make a foundation by netting loops on the large mesh, join and net rounds on mesh no. , then on mesh no. net loops in one, missing every alternate loop; net rounds on mesh no. , then on the large mesh net loops in one, missing, as before, every alternate loop; net rounds on the small mesh, net loops in every alternate loop on the large mesh, then net rounds on mesh no. ; (a) net loops, then net back, leaving the last of the loops: continue netting these loops to and fro, decreasing one loop at the end of each row by leaving the last loop, and net until but one loop remains; repeat from (a) all round. this forms the scalloped edge. with the cotton embroider the pattern in darning-stitch, as given in illustration. * * * * * crochet. . infant's bonnet. _materials--drab crochet-thread and a middle-sized hook_. make a chain of stitches; unite and work three rounds in double crochet, increasing in every loop in the first round, in every alternate in the second, and in every third in the third round. _ th round_. l, ch worked in every loop of previous round.-- _ th round_. l worked in l of last round, ch; repeat.-- _ th round_. l in the l, ch; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. double crochet, increasing in every eighth stitch.-- _ th round_. double crochet, increasing as before; repeat from fourth round four times, then work l, ch, miss three times, then three rounds of double crochet without increasing; work these last six rounds three more times. this completes the bonnet. _for the roll_.--make a chain the width required; work three rows in double crochet; three rows l, ch, miss ; after which work alternately three rows of double crochet; three rows l, ch, miss , increasing a stitch at the beginning and end of each row; these six rows may be repeated five more times, or till the size wished for is worked. make up the bonnet on a foundation covered with blue silk, form the roll for the edge with wadding, trim with a small plume of blue feathers, or a rosette of blue ribbon. the above directions are for a bonnet for an infant of five or six months old, but by increasing the number of rounds and rows for the roll a larger size may be worked. * * * * * crochet. . lace for pocket-handkerchief. _material--raworth's crochet-thread no. _. work a chain the required length; d c. into every stitch of this chain.-- _ d row_. d l s, * c s, miss ; d l s into fourth; repeat from *.-- _ d row_. c s, s c into d l s; * c s, miss d l s, s c into second d l s; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. begin on centre of loop of ; * c s, s c round the same loop, close to first stitch; c s, s c round centre of next loop; repeat from *. _ th row_. commence on centre of c s in last row; * c s, s c into top of c s; c s, s c into centre of c s; repeat from *.--_ th row_. d c, l s, d c round every c s in last row.-- _ th row_. commence on centre of l s; * c s, s c into same stitch to form a ring; d c round this seventeen times; c s, miss , scallop, s c into second scallop; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. commence on top stitch of d c, round the ring in last row; * c s, s c into same stitch; c s, d c round centre of next loop of c s; c s, s c into centre stitch of ring; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. begin in small loop at top of ring; c s, l s into same small loop; * c s, s c into fifth of c s in last row; c s, s c into fourth of next loop of c s; c s, l s into top loop; c s, l s into same loop; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. begin in small loop at top of former small loop; * c s, s c into next small loop; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. begin on centre of c s; * c s, t l s into same stitch; c s, s c into last part of t l s; c s, s c into first stitch of the row; c s, s c into centre of next c s *; repeat from * to *.-- _ th row_. c s, d into small loop of c s; repeat.-- _ th row_. c s, s c into centre of c s; repeat.-- _ th row_. c s, s c into centre of c s; repeat.-- _ th row_. * c s, l s round c s; c s, l s round same loop of ; c s, s c into same loop; c s, miss loop of c s, s c round next loop; repeat from *. * * * * * crochet. . elizabethan watch-hook. _materials--half-an-ounce of pink four-thread berlin wool, half-an-ounce of white ditto, four yards of cord, and a pair of pearl watch-hooks_. with pink work in double crochet over the cord a circle of three inches and a half diameter; there should be stitches round the edge, on which work the border, thus:-- _ st row white_. work stitch in open crochet, chain, miss of the foundation; repeat.-- _ d row white_. work two treble long stitches into every space, chain stitch between each.-- _ d row pink_. work open crochet into every space, chain; repeat.-- _ th row pink_. plain crochet, chain, miss , plain; repeat. tack the loops in the centre, and sew on a pearl watch-hook. * * * * * [illustration: no. . infant's bonnet.] [illustration: no. . lace for pocket-handkerchief.] [illustration: no. . elizabethan watch-hook.] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. .] * * * * * crochet . music-stool cover. _materials--shaded green berlin wool, four threads; ivory crochet-hook_. make a round the size of a shilling, and work thirty-two treble-stitches round it.-- _ d round_. treble, chain; repeat.-- _ d round_. single into the middle treble-stitch of the in last round, treble in the loop of chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. single into the third of the treble, chain, single into the seventh of the treble; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble, chain, treble in the chain of five in the last round, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble over the treble, chain, treble in the loop of chain, chain, treble over the second, treble, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble over the first treble-stitches, chain, treble, chain, treble, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble, commencing on the last treble-stitches in the last round, chain, treble, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble over the middle of the treble, chain, treble, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. single into the last chain-stitch in the last round, _(a)_ chain, single into the second of the chain of seven, chain, single into the last but one of the chain; repeat from _(a)_.-- _ th round_. single into the centre stitch of the chain, chain; repeat. _ th round_. treble.-- _ th, th, and th rounds_. single open.-- _ th, th, and th rounds_. the same, only making treble-stitches together, with chain.-- _ th round_. plain treble.-- _ th round_. single, chain into every stitch in the last round.-- _ st round_. treble into the centre of the loop of chain, chain, single into second loop of chain, chain; repeat.-- _ d round_. treble, commencing on the chain-stitch before the treble in last round, chain, single over the single in last round, chain; repeat.-- _ d round_. treble, commencing on the chain-stitch before the treble in last round, chain, single over the single in last round, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. treble, commencing as before, and making a chain-stitch between each treble, chain, single over the single in last round, chain; repeat. * * * * * embroidery . cover for album. _materials--black or crimson satin or velvet, gold thread, and gold-coloured silk braid_. draw the pattern with a white crayon, and work the leaves and the name with the gold thread in embroidery-stitch; sew on the braid on the scroll which encircles the cover. * * * * * crochet. . serviette for cruet-stand. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. , or three shades of rose and one of drab crochet-thread_. if the coloured threads are used, commence with the lightest pink, and make a chain of stitches; work on each side and in the end of this in close double crochet, increasing by making three stitches in the end-stitches.-- _ d round_. long, chain, miss , except at the three end-stitches, when none must be missed.-- _ d round_. long in the long of last round, chain; increase at the ends by working long in the alternate chain-stitches.-- _ th round (with the second shade)_. single, chain, miss ; repeat all round.-- _ th round_. work a stitch of double crochet in each of the chain-stitches, and in the first two of the single of last round, chain, unite to the single in the ring which this forms; work single, chain, long, chain, long, double long, long, chain, long, chain, single, work double in the single; repeat all round.-- _ th round (with the darkest shade)_. single in the centre of the chain-stitches, chain, single in double long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet in every stitch of last round. _for the forget-me-nots_.--with drab make a chain of stitches, unite, and into this ring work long stitches, chain-stitches; repeat four times more. make a chain of stitches for the stem, and fasten off. _for the leaves_.--make a chain of stitches, work double crochet down this chain, pass the thread under the stalk, and draw it through the stitch on the opposite side. work long stitch into each of the next loops; chain-stitches, (_a_) single crochet into the next loop; long stitch into the following loop; double long into the next; treble long into the next; double long, single long, chain; repeat from (_a_) to the treble long, which brings you to the point of leaf. work on the reverse side double long, long, single, (_a_) chain, single, double long, long, single; repeat from (_a_), and finish by working down the stem. forget-me-nots and leaves will be required. cut a paper pattern the size and shape required; tack the centre of serviette to this, the right side to the paper, arrange the leaves and flowers as indicated in illustration; work stems for the flowers in chain-stitch, and to this attach each flower; work between the flowers and the leaves in button-hole stitch, and sew the leaves and flowers to the centre. * * * * * [illustration: no. . music stool cover] [illustration: no. . cover for album.] * * * * * embroidery . screen. _materials--black satin, three shades of green chenille, three shades of brown chenille gold twist, and gold beads_. work the shamrocks with the green chenille, veining the leaves with gold twist; the foliage in the background is also worked with green chenille. the framework of the harp is executed with beads, and the strings with twist. the wolf-hound is worked with brown chenille in embroidery-stitch, as also are the stems of the shamrocks and foliage. * * * * * netting . a long purse in honeycomb pattern. _materials--three skeins of coarse purse silk, either a rich green, dark blue, or cerise, according to fancy; mesh no. _. for the length, you will require a foundation of stitches. _ st row_. net plain.-- _ d row_. net the d stitch, then the st, now net the th, and afterwards the d; continue in this way to the end of the row.-- _ d row_. the first and every alternate stitch of last row will appear to be twisted, into which net stitch; but into d and every other net ; repeat to the end of the row.-- _ th row_. net plain, leaving the extra stitches of last row unnetted; these rows form the pattern, which must be repeated fourteen times more; join one-third of the rows together at each side, net rows round the opening with a no. mesh, draw up the ends, and finish with steel tassels and slides. * * * * * crochet. . german knitting-bag. _materials--green and puce berlin wool (four shades of green and three of puce), three skeins of each shade, and four skeins of black wool. one pair of tassels of corresponding colours, and a quarter of a yard of morocco leather for lining, will also be required_. work in double-stitch crochet, passing the hook through both the upper and under loop of the stitch of the preceding row. with black make a chain nine inches in length. work row; work rows with each shade of green, commencing with the darkest; work rows with black, then work row with each shade of puce, commencing at the darkest. work five stripes with each colour, and in working the last row but one of black work chain, miss , fourteen stitches from each end. these form button-holes. _for the ends_.--with darkest green make a chain of stitches; unite, and work two rounds, increasing in every stitch in the first and every alternate in the second round. work two rounds with each of the other shades, increasing always in the same stitch. work one round with black, one with the lightest puce, then one with black. work a second end in the same manner. _for the handle_.--with black make a chain fourteen inches in length. work one row with the second shade of green, one with the mid shade of puce, then one with the third shade of green, and one again with black. crochet in the ends to the body of the bag. line with leather. sew on the handle, the tassels, and also two buttons on the side opposite to the button-holes. sew gimp round the joining at the ends, or work plain stitches, chain, miss , with black wool.-- _ d row_. stitch of double crochet in every stitch. * * * * * embroidery . cigar-case. _materials--dark crimson velvet, or cachmere and gold twist or embroidery silk; if the latter, three shades of green, three of rose, three of blue, three of yellow, three of violet, and two of brown will be requisite_. draw the pattern on the material with a white crayon, and work in embroidery-stitch with gold twist or the silks, as may be preferred; if the silks are used, work the leaves with the shades of green, the stems with brown, the pansy with the shades of violet and yellow, the buds of the rose with the greens and the rose-colours, and the forget-me-nots with blue, carefully blending the shades as may be suggested by the taste of the worker. finish with a row of gold twist sewed round the edge of the case. * * * * * embroidery . collar au feston. _materials--cambric muslin and french working-cotton no. , or black silk and fine sewing-silk_. having drawn the pattern on the material, work the lines and the edge in button-hole stitch; then cut out the spaces between the lines, leaving only the parts which are worked. * * * * * [illustration: no. . serviette] [illustration: no. . screen.] [illustration no. . long purse in honeycomb pattern.] * * * * * scagliola work . card-case. see directions in page . * * * * * embroidery . claret-jug mat. _materials--white silk or cachmere; three shades of scarlet, three of blue, three of green, and two of yellow chenille; five shades of scarlet berlin wool, two skeins of each shade; and two skeins of white wool_. draw the pattern on the material; work in embroidery-stitch the centre flower with the shades of scarlet, and the stamens of the flower with two shades of yellow. the buds are worked with scarlet, the small flowers with blue, and the leaves with green. work the fringe from the directions for fringe for liqueur-stand, and line with green silk. * * * * * embroidery , . corner for handkerchief. _materials--french cotton no_. . work in raised satin stitch. * * * * * crochet. . cover for easy-chair. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. , and pink and drab crochet-thread of corresponding quality_. with drab make a chain the length required.-- _ st and d rows_. double crochet.-- _ d row_. long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th row_. long, chain, (a) long, chain, miss ; repeat from (a).-- _ th row_. long, chain, (a) long, worked on the last stitch of chain and above the first four long of last row; repeat from (a).-- _ th, th, and th rows_. as _ th row_, but that the number of edge-stitches must decrease in each row.-- _ th row_. long, the first worked above the second long of last row, the remaining above the remaining long, and in the first stitch of chain; repeat.-- _ th, th, and th rows_. as _ th row_, increasing the number of edge-stitches.-- _ th row_. with white, double crochet.-- _ th row_. long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th row_. stitches of double, _(a)_ make a chain of loops, form a circle by working a plain stitch into the ninth loop; chain, plain, worked into the second loop; chain, plain, worked into the third loop; chain, plain, worked into the fifth loop; chain, plain, worked into the sixth loop; chain, plain, worked into the eighth loop; work a stitch of single crochet in each of the remaining chain stitches, then stitches of double crochet in the fifteen following stitches of the th row; repeat from _(a)_ to the end of row. with pink work rows of single open crochet between the flowers already worked with white, attaching the thread to the second stitch of foundation in the _ st row_, and finishing in the third chain in the opposite leaf. in the _ d row_, fasten the thread to the third chain of second leaf, and finish at the opposite leaf.--_ d row_. fasten on at the fifth chain of second leaf, and finish at the opposite leaf.--_ th row_. commence at third chain of third leaf, and finish at opposite leaf. work thus between each of the flowers to the end of row, then work a row of single open crochet. with white work row in double crochet, and a row, long, chain, miss ; repeat. recommence again at d row, and repeat the stripes of drab five times, and of pink three times. procure two tassels of the colours used in the cover for chair, and attach to the sides. * * * * * crochet. . lady's reticule. _materials--drab crochet-thread, two shades of narrow blue satin ribbon, cord and tassels to correspond with the ribbon; a piece of blue and a piece of white silk as a lining_. make a chain of stitches.-- _ st row_. double crochet.-- _ d row_. chain, long.-- _ d row_. long worked in the chain, chain; repeat.-- _ th and two following rows_. long, chain.-- _ th, th, th, th, and th rows_. like the _ d_ and _ d_; repeat from the d row twice, and finish with rows, long, chain, miss . crochet the sides together, work a row of double-long stitches around the top, in which to insert the cord, and finish with a row of double crochet. pass the ribbon through the rows of chain, long, placing the lightest in the centre strip, as will be seen by referring to illustration. make a double lining with the silk; place the white next the reticule, and the blue inside, and finish with cord and tassels. * * * * * [illustration: no. . german knitting bag.] [illustration: no. cigar-case.] [illustration: no. . collar au feston.] [illustration: no. . card-case.] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. .] * * * * * scagliola work . spectacle-case. procure a case made of sycamore wood of proper shape. upon this draw the design with a pencil, trace over the pencil-marks with indian ink and a fine crow-quill; then fill in the ground with indian ink and a camel's-hair brush. after two or three days, varnish with the best picture-varnish. * * * * * crochet. . toilet-cushion. _material--raworth's thread no. _. make a chain of stitches, join and work rounds in double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, long in every alternate stitch.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain crochet.-- _ th round_. two chain crochet-stitches, chain, long in the centre loop of th, chain crochet-stitch.-- _ th round_. three chain crochet-stitches, chain over the long.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, long in every alternate stitch.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. two chain crochet-stitches, long in th stitch.-- _ th round_. four chain crochet-stitches, long over the long.-- _ th round_. three chain crochet-stitches, long.-- _ th round_. two chain crochet, long.-- _ th round_. chain, long.-- _ th round_. four chain crochet-stitches over the long, long in the centre loop of chain.-- _ th round_. five chain crochet-stitches, long over the long.-- _ th round_. three chain crochet, long.-- _ th round_. two chain crochet, long.-- _ th round_. chain, long.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, long, missing two stitches.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, long in centre of th stitch.-- _ st round_. chain, long over the long.-- _ d round_. chain, long.-- _ d round_. chain, long.-- _ th round_. chain, long.-- _ th round_. double crochet. _lace_.--_ st round_. chain, long, missing stitches.-- _ d round_. chain, long in centre of chain, chain, long over the long.-- _ d round_. chain crochet to the centre of chain, chain crochet to the centre of chain, chain, long.-- _ th round_. chain. work this lace round the top of the row of leaves which is to form the side of cushion, commencing at the th round. * * * * * knitting . bonnet-preserver. _materials--raworths thread no. , or fine knitting-cotton; pins no _. cast on _ _ stitches.-- _ st row_. plain.-- _ d row_. knit , (a) thread forward, knit together; repeat from (a).-- _ d row_. pearl.-- _ th row_. cast off stitches at the beginning and end of the row, knit the remaining stitches.-- _ th row_. pearl.-- _ th row_. knit , (a) thread forward, knit , thread forward, knit together; repeat from (a), and finish with knit .-- _ th row_. pearl.-- _ th row_. knit , knit together, (a) thread forward, knit together, knit , knit together, thread forward, knit ; repeat from (a), and finish with knit together, knit .-- _ th row_. pearl.-- _ th row_. knit , (a) thread forward, knit , thread forward, knit together, knit , knit together; repeat from (a), and finish with knit .-- _ th row_. pearl. commence again at th row, beginning each row with knit , and knit until five diamonds are worked; knit two plain rows, then thread forward, knit together, after which a pearl row, and cast off loosely in knitting the two last diamonds, and the remaining rows increase by making a stitch at the beginning and end of each row; join the piece behind, and pass a narrow ribbon through the open loops and down the front, leaving sufficient for strings. * * * * * embroidery . small ottoman. _materials--black satin; four shades of scarlet, four ditto of crimson, four ditto of amber, four ditto of peach, three ditto of stone-colours, three ditto of blue, three ditto of blue greens, three ditto of yellow greens, and one skein of white embroidery silk or of berlin wools_. draw the pattern upon the satin, and work in embroidery stitch. commence the first dahlia with shades of amber; the second with the shades of stone-colour, using white for the lightest; the third with scarlet shades; the fourth with peach shades; the roses with the crimsons; the lilies with the stone-colours, using white for the lightest shade; and the forget-me-nots with the shades of blue. work the rose-leaves with the yellow greens, and the dahlia-leaves with the blue greens; work the stems with brown. the stamens of the yellow dahlia must be worked with green, but in all the others with yellow. * * * * * [illustration: no. claret-jug mat] [illustration: nos . corners for handkerchief] [illustration: no. . cover for easy-chair] * * * * * crochet. . card-basket. _materials--shaded green, shaded amber, shaded geranium-colour, berlin wool; two skeins of blue, two of green, berlin wool, and two yards of wire, will also be required_. with shaded green make a chain of nine stitches; unite and work ten rounds in close double crochet, increasing in every stitch in the first round, in every alternate in the second, and in the same stitch in each of the succeeding rounds.-- _ th round_. work along stitch in each stitch, missing every ninth stitch.-- _ th round_. long, chain, miss .-- _ th round (with amber)_. long worked in the chain of last round, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. close double crochet.-- _ th round (with shaded green)_. long worked in one stitch, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. close double crochet.-- _ th round (with amber)_. long worked above the one chain of th round, chain; repeat.-- _ th and_ _ th rounds_. close double crochet. the last of these rounds is worked over a wire, and a round in close double crochet, with amber, is also worked over a wire in the th round, to form the bottom of basket. wrap four pieces of wire, the height of the basket, with green wool, and attach to the inside at regular distances. prepare a piece of wire, in like manner, for the handle. work the handle as follows: with shaded green make a chain the length required.-- _ d row (with amber)_. close double crochet.-- _ d row (with green)_. close double crochet; sew this to the wire, which must be placed in the under side. prepare the flowers and leaves which ornament the edge of the basket in the following manner: _geranium_.--with geranium-coloured wool make a chain of five stitches, unite, and work a round in double crochet, increasing in every stitch; work a round without increasing, then work single crochet, chain, long, chain, single crochet, in one stitch, miss , and repeat in every alternate stitch. _for the cup of the flower_.--with green make a chain of five stitches, unite, and work single, long, single in every stitch. make the stamens with amber wool, and sew the stamens and flower to the cup. _for geranium-bud_.--with geranium-colour make a chain of three stitches, unite, increase in the second round by working two in each alternate stitch; work rounds without increasing; then work two rounds decreasing in every stitch. with green make a chain of four stitches, unite, and work single, long, single; repeat three times, and draw the bud through this, leaving a piece for the stem, which must be wrapped with green wool. _forget-me-not_.--with blue make a chain of five, unite, and into this ring work single, long, single; repeat four times. _for the cup of the flower_.--with green make a chain of four stitches, work single, long in every loop; make stamens with pieces of amber wool; place the flower within the cup, draw the stamens through, and sew at the end, leaving a piece of wool for the stem, which is wrapped with green. _for the leaves_.--with green make a chain of stitches; work down one side of these for stitches in single crochet; turn to the other side, work single, long, in the first two stitches; (_a_) single, long, in third stitch; double long in the fourth; long, chain, in the fifth stitch; repeat from (_a_) once, and work long, double long, in the ninth and tenth stitches, and in the last stitch work two treble long. work the other side of leaf to correspond. work down the chain to the fifteenth stitch; from this work a chain of stitches, and work a leaf from the directions already given. work a third leaf on the reverse side of stem. seven geraniums and three buds will be required, and fifteen forget-me-nots and seven sprays of leaves will also be needed. arrange the flowers and leaves on the basket as seen in illustration, and sew on the handle. * * * * * [illustration: no. . lady's reticule.] [illustration: no. . spectacle case.] [illustration: no. . toilet cushion.] [illustration: no. . bonnet preserver.] * * * * * crochet . raised crochet collar. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. , and a middle-sized tambour-needle_. cut out in paper the shape of the collar you wish to make, but half an inch larger all round. _edging for the collar_.--make a chain about one-third longer than the outside of your paper pattern, turn and work the first row along the chain in long crochet, making a chain stitch after each long one, and missing the corresponding loop of the chain.-- _ d row_. turn again, keeping the work on the right side; make chain stitches, and along the opposite edge of the long stitches, (_a_), work plain stitches, and in the tenth a chain of stitches; turn, and along the vein just made work stitches in double crochet, and plain stitch in the loop from which the chain springs; repeat from (_a_) throughout the row. break off your cotton, and begin the next row and all the following at the other end.-- _ d row. (b_) work plain stitches, then work round the vein in long stitches, making an additional stitch at the top; repeat from (_b_).-- _ th row. (c_) work plain stitches, then round the leaf in long stitches, making additional stitches in the top loop; repeat from (_c_).-- _ th row. (d_) work plain stitches, then, in double crochet, making round the leaf an additional stitch in the top loop; repeat from _(d)_.-- _ th row. (e)_ work plain stitches, and round the leaf in double crochet, without making a stitch at the top; repeat from _(e)_. to complete your edging, work a row of double crochet on the other edge of the row of long stitches. _flowers for the collar_.-- make a chain of stitches; close it by taking a plain stitch in the first of the chain; work in every loop of this small ring long stitches, with a chain-stitch between each of the long ones. in finishing the round, make a stitch to complete the number of twenty-five loops; then _(a)_ work plain stitches, and in the fifth make a chain of stitches; turn, work stitches in double crochet along the chain, and plain in the loop from which the chain springs; repeat from _(a)_ four times. you have then three veins; work round them as directed for the leaves of the edging; after the second row of double crochet break off your cotton. according to the size of the collar, five or six flowers will be sufficient, if you make also the trifoliums. _trifoliums_.--make a chain of stitches; turn, and work along the chain plain stitches, a vein of stitches; plain, a vein of stitches; more plain stitches, another vein of ; plain stitches, and break off the cotton. begin at the first end, and work the two rows of long stitches exactly as directed for the leaves of the edging; at the end of the two following rows, which are in double crochet, round the leaves, instead of breaking off the cotton, work in double crochet from the third leaflet to the first; thus connecting the work in one single leaf with three divisions. having prepared the required number of flowers and leaves, baste your edging on the paper pattern, so that the whole of the leaves rest on the paper; then work a chain rather loose, to connect the two ends of the collar on the neck side; turn, and work along that chain a row of double crochet. baste this narrow band carefully half an inch from the edge of the paper; then begin a row of double crochet inside the collar, throwing, at even distances, a slanting chain from the edging to the neckband, working back each time along that chain in long or double crochet; repeat the same operation from the neckband to the edging, so as to divide the whole middle of the collar in a certain number of diamonds; baste the diamonds to the paper, place alternately in each a flower or a trifolium, and, with a sewing-needle and fine french embroidery cotton, connect the flowers and leaves to the inside edges of the diamonds in long twisted stitches, rows of button-hole stitches, or any kind of lace-work. after being washed and starched, the collar ought to be pressed on the wrong side with the head of a round nail warmed in the fire. * * * * * page- . scagliola work . a chess-board. this description of drawing is called scagliola work, or a mischia (mixed workmanship); it was first invented by guido tassi, and the art was afterwards improved and perfected by henry hugford, a monk, of vallambrosa. it was first used to counterfeit marbles; and the altar of st. antonio, in the church of st. nicolo, at carpi, is still preserved as a monument of extraordinary skill and beauty. it consists of two columns, representing porphyry, and adorned with a pallium, embroidered as it were with lace; while it is ornamented in the margin with medals bearing beautiful figures. the dicromi, or yellow figures on a black ground, in imitation of the etruscan vases, are now most admired in scagliola work; and as the art is one easy of attainment, we shall describe it. having procured a piece of sycamore of the desired size and shape, you draw upon it with a pencil, first the centre piece, and afterwards the border; you then trace over the pencil marks with indian-ink and a fine crow-quill, and next fill in the ground with indian-ink and a camel's-hair brush. after two or three days, varnish with the best picture-varnish. if sycamore cannot be procured, deal will answer the purpose, covered with good cream-coloured drawing-paper. * * * * * [illustration: no. . small ottoman] [illustration: no. . card basket.] [illustration: no. . collar.] * * * * * crochet. . garniture for toilet-basket. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. ; penelope crochet no. _. make a chain of stitches; work round this, at each side and the ends, long, chain, miss , increasing by missing but stitch at the ends. work rounds thus; then make a round of double crochet. for the sides, work rounds in the same manner, but increasing in every alternate round by making chain-stitches between the long; finish with the following lace: _pattern for lace_.-- _ st round_. long, chain, miss , long, chain, miss , long, chain, miss , long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ d round_. long, the first worked over the last stitch of chain; the others in succeeding stitches, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ d round_. long worked over the centre long stitches, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th and th rounds_. long, chain, the long worked in the centre stitch of chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long worked in the centre stitch of chain, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, the first in the last chain stitch, the succeeding above the first, long, chain, miss , long, chain; repeat.-- _ th, th, and th rounds_. plain, worked in the centre stitch of chain of last round, chain, long, miss , long, chain, miss , long, chain, miss , chain; repeat. line the basket with rose-coloured satin before sewing in the crochet lining; wrap the handle with ribbon of shade to correspond with the satin, and place small rosettes at each side. * * * * * embroidery . greek cap. _materials required will be a quarter of a yard of common bed-ticken, but of a good broad stripe; some fine gold thread, also some silver thread, and various coloured silks_. measure the size round the head, and cut a piece of ticken to the length, and of the depth of seven inches; work on the _black_ stripes in herring-bone; stitch a row of gold and silver cord, alternate; and on the intermediate _white_ stripes work, according to fancy, different coloured silks, also in herring-bone stitch, only rather larger, to fill up the stripe. cut a piece of ticken round, and of about - / inches in diameter; work it in the same manner, and mount it on a circular piece of card; full the headpiece round the small crown, line it with some bright-coloured persian, and trim it with a gilt band, and gilt tassel to match. this cap is so simple a work, that it hardly allows any one to suppose it will look as pretty as it certainly does. * * * * * crochet. . flower-stand. _materials--scarlet and green shaded eight-thread berlin wool; penelope crochet needle no. _. with scarlet make a chain of stitches, join and work a round in double crochet, increasing in every stitch.-- _ d round_. long, chain, miss all round.-- _ th round_. long in the centre stitch of chain, chain; repeat all round.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. long, the centre one above the long in d round, chain; repeat all round.-- _ th round_. long worked in the chain stitches, chain; repeat all round.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. long worked over the chain stitches, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. stitch of solid long stitch in every loop.-- _ th round (with the green wool_). long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. chain of stitches, worked in every third stitch with a plain stitch.-- _ th and three following rounds_. chain of stitches, worked in the centre stitch of chain of previous round.-- _ th round_. chain, plain, taking the centre chain-stitch of every th chain of ; repeat all round, and this completes the mat. * * * * * crochet. . cover for tassel of window-blind. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. _; _penelope crochet no. _. make a chain of stitches, join and work two rounds in single open crochet.-- _ d round_. chain, long; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long worked in the last chain-stitch, and over the long stitches and in the first chain-stitch, chain, long chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long worked as in th round, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long worked as before, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long worked as before, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long worked in the centre stitch of the chain, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long worked in the centre stitch of chain, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain.-- _ th round_. long, chain; repeat all round.-- _ th round_. long, chain, miss ; repeat all round.-- _ st round_. plain, chain, miss ; repeat all round.-- _ d round_. chain, long, miss ; repeat all round. * * * * * [illustration: no. . scagliola work.] [illustration: no. . garniture for toilette-basket.] [illustration: no. . greek cap.] * * * * * crochet. . under-sleeve. _material--raworth's crochet-thread no_. . _band of insertion for the wrist_.-- c s, unite d c round this ring eighteen times, which will cover about three-quarters of the ring. turn the work wrong side up. c s, miss , s c into third stitch; repeat this five times more. turn d c, l s, d c, into every space formed by c s, d c round the remaining part of the ring six times; fasten off, leaving one end about three inches long. turn on the wrong side. begin on the third stitch of third scallop of last flower. c s, s c into fifth stitch of next scallop, forming a loop over the two centre scallops. turn. d c round this loop eighteen times. turn. * c s, miss , s c into third stitch; repeat from * five times more. turn. d c, l s, d c into every space formed by c s; fasten off, leaving one end as in last flower. work fifteen of these flowers, thread a fine needle with the ends left, and make a few stitches on the wrong side to secure them. the band between the two puffings is to be worked exactly the same; but there must be eighteen flowers instead of fifteen. commence the fulness on the band for the wrist on the first scallop, at the edge, c s (working in the end of the thread), s c into the centre of next scallop, * c s, s c into the first scallop of next flower. c s, s c into next scallop; repeat from * to the end of the band. _ d row_. commence on the first loop of c s in last row, * c s, d c round the next loop, c s, d c round the same loop; repeat from * to the end of the row.--_ d row_. commence on first loop of c s in last row, c s, d c into next loop, c s, d c into next loop; repeat to the end of the row.--_ th row_. commence on the same loop of c s, as the last row was begun on c s, d c round the centre of first loop in last row, * c s, d c round the next loop; repeat from * to the end of the row. after the d c stitch round the last loop in this row, make c s, and draw the end of the cotton through. _these c s must be worked at the end of every alternate row, in order to keep the ends of the fulness even_. work four more rows like the two last, making in all six rows, then seven rows, having c s in each loop, every alternate row of which is begun in the same loop as the preceding row, having c s in the first loop. then work six more rows like the former six, having c s in each loop. this will make nineteen rows of loops: fasten off. work a fulness on the upper band of insertion in exactly the same manner, and gather it in at the top next the sleeve in this way: commence on the first loop c s, take the next loop on the needle, and d c round it once, c s, * d c round next loop once, c s; repeat from * to end of row. in the next row, work l s into every stitch of last row. to unite the fulness on the wristband to the upper band of insertion, turn them both on the wrong side, and hold them as if they were to be sewn together, the insertion being at the back. take the first loop, and the centre stitch of the first scallop, on the needle, and work s c to unite them, c s, s c the next loop and centre stitch of the next scallop, o c s, s c the next loop and centre of first scallop in next flounce together, c s, s c next loop and next scallop, o * c s, s c next loop and next scallop, c s; take the next loop on the needle _without_ the scallop, and s c once round it, c s, s c the next loop and next scallop together; repeat from * to end of row, except on the two last flowers, which must be worked as from o to o. _for the edging on the wristband_.--commence on the first scallop of the insertion, * c s, s c into next scallop, c s, s c into next scallop; repeat from * to end of row. _ d row_. c s, l s, into first loop of last row, * c s, l s into same loop, c s, l s into next loop; repeat from * to end of row.-- _ d row_. c s, d c round every loop of last row.-- _ th row_. c s, l s into every loop of last row.-- _ th row_. begin on the first loop of third row, c s, l s into first loop of last row, c s, d c into next loop, * c s, l s into next loop, c s, d c into next loop; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. d c stitches round first loop of c s in last row, c s, * miss the l s, d c four times round the next loop of c s, d c round the next loop, c s; repeat from *.-- _ th row_. begin on first loop of in last row, c s, s c _between_ the two loops of d c each, * c s, s c round the centre of c s in last row, c s, d c round the same loop, c s, s c between the two loops of d c; repeat from * to end of row. this finishes the edging. d c round the ends of the puffings, taking in the ends left on finishing the rows. make a chain of stitches at the ends of the two bands of insertions, and s c into the edge for a small loop. d c round these twenty-four times, and sew a small pearl button on the other ends of the bands. the insertion may have a narrow satin ribbon run through the open holes, finished by a small bow at the upper part of the sleeve. * * * * * [illustration: no. . flower-stand.] [illustration: no. . cover for tassel of window-blind.] [illustration: no. . under-sleeve.] [illustration: no. . smoking cap.] [illustration: no. . baby's cap.] [illustration: no. . border for a baby's cap.] * * * * * embroidery in braid . smoking cap. _materials--claret-coloured velvet, gold braid, and a gold band and tassels_. six pieces of velvet, three nails in length, and the width given in diagram will be required, and these must be sloped to a point. draw the designs upon the velvet with a white crayon, and sew on the braid; arrange the patterns in alternate order; neatly join the pieces of velvet, and edge each joining with braid; line with silk, and finish with band and tassels. * * * * * crochet. . baby's cap. _materials--raworth's threads nos. and , and penelope crochet no. _. with no. make a chain of loops, join and work a round of double crochet.-- _ d round_. open crochet all round.-- _ d round_. double crochet all round.-- _ th round_. chain, long, missing loops of preceding round; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet all round.-- _ th and th rounds_. chain, crochet; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet all round.-- _ th round_. chain, long, missing loops of preceding round; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet all round.-- _ th and th rounds_. -chain crochet, increasing as required, to form the round for crown.-- _ th round_. three -chain crochet, long in centre loop of every fourth -chain crochet-stitch of preceding round; repeat.-- _ th round_. three -chain, chain over the long of preceding round; repeat.-- _ th, th, th, and th rounds_. like the th and th rounds.-- _ th round_. -chain crochet all round.-- _ th round_. -chain crochet-all round.-- _ st round_. double crochet. this completes the crown of the cap; leave one-third to form the neck. the front of the cap must be worked throughout on one side, commencing at the right hand. _front.-- st round_. chain, long, missing loop of preceding round; repeat.-- _ d round_. double crochet.-- _ d round_. -chain crochet.-- _ th round_. three -chain crochet, long in centre loop of every fourth -chain crochet stitch of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain double crochet over the long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, missing loop between each long over the double crochet of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, double crochet over the long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet; repeat. _ th, th, th,_ _ th, and th rows_, like the th, th, th, th, and th rows.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet.-- _ th row_. double crochet, missing every alternate loop of preceding row.-- _ th row_. chain, long, missing loops of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. double crochet.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet; repeat.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, five long in centre loop of every fourth -chain crochet-stitch; repeat.-- _ st row_. -chain crochet, chain over the long of preceding row.-- _ d row_. -chain crochet; repeat.-- _ d, th, th, and th rows_, like the th, th, st, and d rows.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet; repeat.-- _ th row_. double crochet; repeat.-- _ th row_. chain, long, missing loops of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. double crochet; repeat. work the ends of the front and that part of the crown that was left to form the neck, in double crochet, rounding the crown part by missing every second loop; then work chain, long, missing loops of preceding row; then a row of double crochet: this completes the cap. draw with narrow satin ribbon, and trim with the following lace:-- * * * * * . lace for cap. this lace must be worked throughout on one side, commencing at the right-hand side of foundation. make a chain the required length with thread no. ; work row in double crochet.-- _ st row_. thread no. double crochet.-- _ d row_. chain, long in every alternate loop of foundation; repeat.-- _ d row_. double crochet.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, long in centre loop of every fourth -chain crochet-stitch of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet, chain over the five long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet.-- _ th row_. five -chain crochet, long in centre loop of every sixth -chain crochet-stitch of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. five -chain crochet, chain over the long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet.-- _ th row_. -chain crochet.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, long in centre loop of every fourth -chain crochet-stitch of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, double crochet over the long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, missing loops between each long; repeat.-- _ th row_. three -chain crochet, double crochet over the long stitches of preceding row; repeat.-- _ th row_. chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, chain, long, missing loops between each long; repeat.-- _ th row_. double crochet.--_ th row_. -chain crochet. * * * * * [illustration: no. . apron.] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. . scarf.] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. .] * * * * * embroidery . apron. _materials--black satin and four shades of crimson, two ditto of blue, three ditto of green, and white embroidery silk_. draw the design on the satin, and work in embroidery stitch the large flowers with the shades of crimson, commencing each petal with the second shade, then work with the third, and finish with the lightest. commence the centre of the flower with the lightest, then work with the second shade, after which work the two upper divisions with the two next shades in regular order. work the cup of the flower with the middle shade of green, and the piece beneath with the second shade of crimson. work the stems with the lightest green, and the leaves with the other two shades. work the centre part of the small flowers with the darkest crimson, the small petals which encircle this with the next shade of crimson; then work with the darkest blue, after which with the lightest, and finish the edge of the flower with white. work the pockets and the band in a similar manner, and finish with cord and tassels. * * * * * tambour . limerick lace scarf. _materials--brussels net, french working-cotton no. , raworth's sewing-cotton no. , and a fine pearl edge_. work the outline of the pattern and the edge with french cotton in tambour-stitch, and fill in the spaces with the sewing-cotton in the same stitch, or, if preferred, in darning-stitch; work dots in the places indicated in the design, and, after washing the scarf, sew a pearl edge all round. a description of head-dress, for which this scarf is intended, will be found in the london and paris fashions of no. of the _lady's newspaper_. * * * * * netting . a knitting-bag. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread no. ; a reel of pink cotton of the same size, or two pieces of white and two of pink netting-silk; three silk pink and white tassels; two yards and a half of silk bag-cord; half-a-yard of pink sarsnet; three meshes cornucopia gauge of no. , no. , and one no. ; two netting-needles; and a piece of cane used for drawn bonnets_. set on stitches with no. mesh, join the round in pink cotton.--_no_. _mesh_. net rounds of alternate white and pink.--* _no_. _mesh (white cotton). _ plain rounds.--_no. mesh_. take of the preceding row together in pink cotton; plain round, same cotton and mesh.--_no_. _mesh (white cotton_). make stitches in each stitch of the preceding row; round plain, same cotton and mesh.--_no_. _mesh (pink cotton_). net plain rounds; recommence from * twice; finish top of bag by plain rows in white of no. mesh, for the cords to pass through; plain rows in pink of no. mesh; last row, double pink cotton, with no. mesh. take the half-yard of sarsnet, join it up neatly, make runners the width of the cane, the first at three inches from the bottom, the second at two inches from the first, and the third two inches from the second; run a piece of cane ten inches long in the first runner, another piece of sixteen inches and a half long in the second runner, and one of eleven inches and a half long in the third runner; tack each of these bands of cane to the rows of fine netting to form the shape, close up the bottom, and place a tassel; run the cord round the top of bag, and fasten a tassel to each end. * * * * * netting . vase-stand. _materials--shaded green, shaded scarlet, and shaded amber berlin wool; meshes nos. , , and _. with scarlet make a foundation of loops on mesh no. ; join and net round on mesh no. ; fasten on the green; net loops in ; then net rounds more with green, without increasing; fasten on the scarlet; net round on mesh no. , on mesh no. , on mesh no. , and on mesh no. ; fasten on the green; net loops in every loop on mesh no. ; net round with amber on mesh no. ; fasten on the scarlet wool in the fourth round from edge, that is, in the same loops as that in which the row of scarlet, netted on mesh no. , was netted; into this row net row on mesh no. ; net more rows with scarlet on mesh no. ; then with green net loops in each loop on mesh no. ; net row with amber on mesh no ; fasten on the scarlet in the last row of green in the centre of the mat; into this row net row on mesh no. ; then net more rows in the same mesh; net loops in each loop on mesh no. ; row with amber on mesh no. . * * * * * braid . watch-pocket. _materials--pink silk or satin, a piece of white silk braid, white silk fringe, and white satin ribbon_. draw the pattern on the silk with a white crayon, and hem the braid on; trim with the fringe, and rows of satin ribbon. [illustration: no. . knitting-bag.] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. .] [illustration: no. vase-stand.] [illustration: no. watch-pocket.] * * * * * crochet. . mitten. _materials--raworth's crochet-thread nos_. _and_ , _or black crape silk_. the receipt for the back of mitten is here given, the underpart and the thumb being simply french ground-work, finished at the top and bottom like the back, leaving an opening at the side for the thumb. make a chain long enough to go round the wrist in thread no. , and work one plain row. fasten on thread no. , and work one treble and row of french ground of six stitches to each hole.-- _ st fancy row_. holes of french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ d row_. french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ d row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th row_. french ground, long close, french ground.-- _ th, st, and d rows_. french ground.-- _ d row_. plain, long close, plain into each loop. _for the edging_.-- treble, french ground.-- _ st fancy row_. hole of french and long close alternately all round.-- _ d row_. wholes of french ground, long close all round.-- _ d row_. long close, chain, long close, chain all round.-- _ th row_. same as the d.-- _ th row_. long close, chain, chain, chain, chain to be worked into the same loop, chain; repeat all round. the engraving will greatly assist in working out this. _explanation of terms_.--french ground: six chain stitches united to the centre stitch of former row. long close: long stitches, without any chain-stitch between. * * * * * crochet. . collar. _flowers for the border_.--the following is the mode of working this pattern:--make chain. turn. miss , plain, chain, long, chain. continue to work long and chain all round the flower.-- _ d round_. plain under every chain; plain in the stem. fasten off for the leaf. chain. turn. miss ; long stitches in following chain, plain; chain to cross the stem; long, plain in the same chain as last long; long, plain, long to turn the point; plain, long, plain twice; plain in stem. fasten off. the second flower, worked as the first, is united to it by working the eighth plain stitch of the last round of the flowers into a stitch the same distance from the stem of the first flower. to turn the corners of the collar, work a flower without a leaf. continue these flowers the length of the collar. _leaves and flowers for the centre_:-- _first leaf_. chain. turn. insert the needle into the nineteenth chain; plain, chain to cross the stem; long into three following chain; long in chain, long, long in chain; long to turn the points. then down the other side of the leaf the same. plain in the stem; chain to cross the stem.-- _second leaf_. chain, and work as first leaf. when finished, work plain down the stem.-- _third leaf_. chain. turn. miss , plain, long, plain.-- _the flower_. chain. turn. insert the needle in the tenth chain to form a loop; work plain stitches in the loop.-- _ st round_. chain, miss , plain five times.-- _ d round_. plain stitches in every chain.-- _ d round_. chain, miss , plain; repeat. plain in the stem. fasten off for the band. work a chain the length of the collar.-- _ st row_. plain.-- _ d row_. plain, long, double long, long, plain; repeat. _directions for making up the collar_.--after the leaves, flowers, band, and border are worked, cut the shape of the collar in pink or blue paper; gum a piece of holland at the back of the paper, to prevent its tearing; tack the border on the paper pattern, the right side downwards; then sew on the sprigs as in the engraving. sew the edges of the leaves and flowers nicely, to prevent their turning up; then, with a sewing-needle and fine cotton, unite the flowers, leaves, and borders, by passing the needle from one part of a leaf or flower to another four or five times; then pass the needle under the bars formed six or eight times, according to the length of the bar; pass the needle to another part, and continue to connect the work in this manner throughout the collar. * * * * * [illustration: no. . mitten.] [illustration: no. . floral collar.] [illustration: no. . centre of a cover for music book or portfolio.] [illustration: no. . winter head-dress.] [illustration: no. . "baboche," or candle ornament.] * * * * * embroidery . centre of a cover for music-book or portfolio. _materials--black satin or velvet; three shades of green, two ditto of crimson, two ditto of blue, and one skein of olive silk; and one piece of silver twist_. work, in embroidery-stitch, the leaves with the greens, the flowers with the crimson, the stems with the olive, the harp with blue, the cords of harp with the silver twist, and the shamrocks with green. * * * * * crochet. . winter head-dress. _materials--half-an-ounce of shaded scarlet berlin wool, and six skeins of white wool; penelope crochet no. _. with white make a chain measuring inches. work a row in single open crochet. with scarlet work rows, decreasing stitch at the end of each row. work the next row with white, and continue alternately rows scarlet and white, decreasing every row until rows are completed. _for the borders_.--with white work in chains of , missing every alternate stitch at the back, and taking every stitch at the sides; and for the space of stitches in the centre of the cap miss stitches. work a second row of chains of at the sides. work an additional border in the same manner, taking the stitches above the third row of white. pass casings of scarlet ribbon through each of the rows of white wool, place loops of the same between the borders, join the cap behind, and finish with a rosette of ribbon. * * * * * . "baboche," or ornament for candles. the materials required are, a quarter of a yard of bright rose-coloured glazed muslin, a quarter of a yard of white glazed jaconet muslin, two pieces of card of three inches and a half long and one inch broad; join in, and cut out of rose and white jaconet muslin twenty pieces of each colour; fold them, and sew on the card rose, then white, all round, and your baboche will be completed.--(_see_ drawing.) we assure our fair readers they are exceedingly pretty, and certainly not found _difficult_. * * * * * scagliola work . chess-board. see directions in page . * * * * * crochet. . d'oyley. _materials--shaded scarlet and green double berlin wool; raworth's crochet-thread no_. ; _penelope crochet no_. . with green make a chain of stitches, unite the ends; then make chain, single into each loop of the preceding chain.-- _ st round_. chain, single in the centre loop of the chain; repeat four times.-- _ d, d, and th rounds_. treble, chain, miss ; repeat, uniting the ends of each round, and taking the loops at the back of the chain.-- _ th round (crochet-thread_.) treble, chain, miss , treble, chain, treble twice, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round (green wool)_. treble over the in the last row, double, chain, single through the loop in the last round twice, chain, single; repeat.-- _ th round (crochet-thread)_. treble over the in the last round, double, chain, single over the in the last round.-- _ th round (scarlet)_. treble, double, chain, double through the loop, chain, double twice, chain, double; repeat. * * * * * [illustration: no. . chess-board.] [illustration: no. . d'oyley.] [illustration: no. . gauntlet cuff.] * * * * * crochet. . gauntlet cuff. _materials--white and scarlet berlin wool, three shades, and shaded green wool; penelope crochet no_. . with white make a chain of loops, and work from the directions given for collar, page . finish, to correspond with, collar, placing a rosette in the centre of the cuff, and fastening with a hook and eye. * * * * * embroidery . liqueur-stand mat. _materials--white silk or cashmere; three shades of crimson, three ditto of green, two ditto of brown chenille; five shades of scarlet berlin wool, four skeins of each shade; and four skeins of white berlin wool_. draw the pattern on the material, and work in embroidery-stitch; the roses with the shades of crimson; the leaves with green, shading according to taste; and the stems with brown. in working the designs for the corners, it is an improvement to introduce brown leaves occasionally. work a shaded fringe round the edge with the wools on a mesh an inch and a half in width. work the first round with white; the second, the lightest crimson; after which, work one round with each shade to the darkest; cut and comb the fringe, and line the mat with green silk. * * * * * crochet applique . border for a lace scarf or veil. _materials--if for a black veil, fine black crochet-silk; if white, raworth's crochet-thread no_. . the illustration represents the corner of the border. _the rose.-- st row_. c s, l s into eighth stitch, * c s, miss , l s into third; repeat from * to end of chain, except the last three stitches, then c s, s c into last stitch.-- _ d row_. c s, l s over s in last row (this row is worked on the other side of chain, where the two stitches were missed), * c s, l s over next s; repeat from * to end of row. turn. c s, l s round the c s of last row, * c s, l s round the c s of next space; repeat from * to end of row. turn. c s, miss one space, l s into second space, * c s, miss one space, l s into second space; repeat from * to end of row. after the last l s one space is left. c s, l s into this. turn. c s, l s into second space, c s, miss one space, l s into second, c s, l s into next, c s, s c into last space. fasten off. commence again on last s c stitch of first row. l s, d l s into first space towards the top, d l s into next space, l s, d c into third space, l s, d l s into next space, t l s into top space, d l s, l s into next, d c, l s into next, d l s into next, d l s, l s into next space. continue all round thus: d l s into next or corner space, d l s into next and every other space except the end, into which d l s, l s. turn. c s, miss , s c into third, c s, miss , d c into third, * c s, miss , l s into third. continue from * thirteen times, then c s, d c into third stitch, c s, miss , s c into third. turn. d c round every c s all along the last row, c s, s c into middle stitch of the first of three scallops at the top of the rose, c s, s c into second stitch of top scallop, c s, s c into middle of top scallop, c s, s c into last stitch but one of same scallop, c s, s c into middle of next scallop, c s, s c into first of d c stitches round the space of last row * c s, miss , s c into seventh; repeat from * until these chains meet where they were begun; then * l c s, s c into s c stitch on the other side of first chain; repeat from * all round. _wreath of leaves and buds_.--for the wreath under the corner rose: c s, s c down twelve of these, * c s, s c into third s c stitch; repeat from * three times more, which brings it to top stitch; c s, s c into same stitch, * c s, s c into third stitch down the other side; repeat from * three times more; pass the thread under the stalk, d c into first loop of c s, * c, s c round next loop of c s; repeat from * three times, which brings it to top loop; c s, s c into same loop; repeat the c into every loop down the other side; s c, c s for a stalk; c s, d l s into fifth stitch, more d l s into same stitch. turn. d c along the top of these d l s. turn. d c along last d c stitches; c s, s c into d c stitch on the other side. fasten off; this forms the bud. commence again at the last s c of the stalk of leaf, s c along thirteen stitches; repeat the leaf and bud five times more; s c the remaining c s for a stalk. the wreaths under the roses at the sides are only to have five leaves and five buds on each, and require a chain of eighty-two stalks for the stem. tack the flowers on paper wrong side up, as seen in the illustration. tack the buds to the roses, and unite the leaves by a slight band in button-hole stitch. tack the edges of the roses together, and the ends of the stems to the adjoining wreath; then remove the paper, and lay the bordering upon the edge of the scarf or veil, which should be of brussels net. sew the edge of the upper scallops of the rose to the net very firmly, and cut away the superfluous net. * * * * * [illustration: no. . liqueur-stand mat.] [illustration: no. ] [illustration: no. ] [illustration: no. . border for a lace scarf or veil] [illustration: no. . purse.] * * * * * crochet. . card-purse. _materials--one skein of cerise, one of blue fine crochet-silk, one skein of gold twist; one hank of gold beads no. , one ditto of silver; a gilt top and tassel will also be required_. thread the gold beads on the cerise silk, and the silver on the blue, and with the cerise make a chain of stitches, unite; make stitches in each stitch in the st round, in every alternate in the d, and in every third in the d, passing down a bead in every stitch; work thus, increasing in each stitch until there are bead-stitches in the round; now decrease each division of the star, working bead-stitches, plain, increasing in the plain stitch; then decrease bead-stitch in every round till but one remain, increasing always in the same stitch in each round; work plain rounds, still increasing as before; work round with gold twist, without increasing; round with cerise, passing down a bead at every stitch; and round again with twist. commence with blue, and work plain round. there ought now to be stitches in the round; if a greater number should be found, decrease by missing a stitch as may be found necessary. this must be done in the first round worked with blue.--_ d round (with blue)_. plain, beads, plain, bead-stitches; repeat all round.-- _ d round_. plain, beads; repeat.-- _ d round_. plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, _ _ plain, beads, plain, bead; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads, plain, bead, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads, plain, bead; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads, plain, beads.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, bead, plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, bead, plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads; repeat,--_ th round_. plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, beads, plain, beads; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain, decreasing by missing every th stitch. work round with gold, then divide the purse, and work one-half with cerise; work rows, passing down a bead at every stitch, and decreasing a stitch at the beginning and end of each row; work the other half to correspond; sew on to the top, and finish with tassel in the centre of star. * * * * * crochet. . round collar. _materials--white, and three shades of scarlet and shaded green berlin wool;_ _penelope crochet no. _. with white make a chain of stitches; work a row of single open crochet.-- _ d row (lightest scarlet)_. chain, long, miss ; repeat to the end.-- _ d row (second shade of scarlet)_. long worked in the centre long stitch of previous row, chain; repeat.-- _ th row (dark scarlet)_. long worked above the long, and the last and first stitches of the chain, chain; repeat.-- _ th row (green)_. commence in the edge stitch of third row. chain, miss *, long, chain, miss ; repeat from *, and work to the end, which must be finished with chain, plain, worked in the third row.-- _ th row (white)_. commence at the edge-stitch of the third row. chain, * plain worked above the long of previous row, chain: repeat from * to the end, and finish with chain. fasten the white wool to the second stitch of fourth row, chain, plain worked above the long of fourth row; repeat. pass through every second stitch of white row, and place a rosette of ribbon at the end. * * * * * embroidery . prince of wales's plume. _materials--crimson satin and gold twist_. draw the design, and work in embroidery-stitch. this elegant design is suitable for the centre of a book-cover, a watch-pocket, and many other purposes, which the taste of the worker may suggest. * * * * * netting . pattern for window-curtains. _materials--raworths crochet-thread no. , or fine knitting-cotton_. use cotton no. for embroidering the pattern. meshes no. , no. , and a flat mesh three-fourths of an inch in width, will be required for the edge. commence with a foundation of loops on mesh no. , and net till the length required is worked; then net the following edge at the sides and end; net two loops in every loop on the large mesh, making four loops in the corner loops.-- _ d row_. take two loops together, netting two in these.-- _ d row_. take every loop on mesh no. .-- _ th row_. like d row.-- _ th row_. net two loops in every loop on the large mesh.-- _ th and th rows_. like d and th. work the pattern in darning-stitch, as in illustration. * * * * * [illustration: no. . round collar.] [illustration: no. . prince of wales's plume.] [illustration: no. . pattern for window-curtains.] [illustration: no. . gentleman's braces.] * * * * * embroidery . gentleman's braces. _materials--black velvet or white satin ribbon of a very good quality, and five shades of crimson and three of green embroidery silk_. line the ribbon with linen; draw the design, and work in embroidery-stitch, shading, as taste may direct,--the leaves with the greens, and the roses with crimson, using three shades for each rose, and working first only with the lightest shades, then with the darkest only. * * * * * embroidery . toilet-cushion. _materials--white or black satin; three shades of crimson, three shades of yellow, three shades of green, and two shades of olive green embroidery silk; one yard of crimson and one yard of green chenille will also be required_. draw the pattern on the material, and work in embroidery-stitch one rose with the shades of crimson, and the second with the shades of yellow; the leaves with the shades of green, and the stems with olive; work a few stitches with the shades of the roses in the centre of the rose-buds, and work the corner designs with green and olive. in the arrangement of the colours, the taste and judgment of the worker must be exercised, as much depends upon the harmoniously blending of the various shades. * * * * * netting . the helen cap. _materials--scarlet floss silk, or five shades of scarlet berlin wool; meshes nos. and ; cornucopia gauge, and a flat mesh, an inch in width_. the cap is worked in honeycomb netting, and the borders and rosette in plain netting. with the darkest shade make a foundation of stitches on mesh no. , net rows with each shade, increasing a stitch at the end of each row; leave one-half of the cap plain, and net a border in the following manner on the remaining loops and at the ends:--with the darkest shade net loops in every loop on the flat mesh, increasing by making loops in each of the three corner stitches; then on mesh no. , net loop in each, and finish by netting a row with the next shade on the smallest mesh: this must be repeated at each side of the cap. for the second border, net loops on the flat mesh on a foundation of wool, and finish to correspond with the first border. two pieces netted in this manner are required, and they are arranged in festoons at the sides of the cap. pass a cord the size required through the foundation-stitches, join it, and sew on a rosette made in the following manner:--with the darkest shade net loops on mesh no. ; then with the next shade net rows at each side and at the ends; make this into a rosette with long ends, as in illustration. this elegant and becoming head-dress derives its name from the beautiful sister-in-law of the emperor of russia, the grand duchess helen, who introduced this style of coiffure at st. petersburg. * * * * * indian ornamental work . screen. beautiful cabinets, work-boxes, work-tables, fire-screens, &c., may be painted in imitation of ebony inlaid with ivory by the following means:--let your screen be made of an elegant form, but merely of common white wood or deal, prepared as below. _composition for the surface of wood_.--steep one ounce of glue in a pint of cold water all night; throw off the water in the morning. take six ounces of finest white lead in powder, mix it by degrees in a mortar, with about half a pint of cold water, till it is perfectly smooth, then place it, along with the glue, in a clean pan. add half a pint more water; set it on the fire, stirring constantly till it boils. let it boil three minutes; take it off, and pour it into a stone jar, and continue to stir it occasionally till cold. when cold, but before it congeals, take a clean paint-brush, and paint your screen with the composition. when it is quite dry, rub it over with sand-paper, to make it quite smooth; then give it another coat of the white composition, repeating the rubbing with sand-paper as before. repeat this same process five or six times, until you obtain a smooth, equal, white surface. when that is accomplished, dissolve the fourth of an ounce of isinglass in a quarter of a pint of water; when cold, but liquid, give the screen a coat of it with a clean brush, and do not use the sand-paper after it. _to ornament the screen_.--lay a sheet of black tracing-paper on the screen, with the black side downwards; then place a pattern above it, with the right side uppermost; place a weight here and there, to prevent it slipping; then trace over the outline with a rather blunt stiletto. on removing the paper, you will find the outline of the pattern transferred to the surface of the screen. trace over the outline, and shade, in lines, with a fine camel's-hair pencil dipped in newman's lamp-black; fill in with the same. _varnish_.--place four ounces of rectified spirit of wine in a wide-mouthed bottle; add one ounce of gum sandarac, a quarter of an ounce of gum mastic, and a drachm of camphor, all in powder. put a stopper in the bottle, set it near a fire, and shake it occasionally. when all the gums are quite dissolved, add one ounce of oil of turpentine; then strain through muslin into another clean, dry wide-mouthed bottle. let it stand a day or two before using. _mode of varnishing_.--take a large clean new varnish-brush, dip it into the bottle, and then cover over all your screen with it. when perfectly dry, give it another coat, and so on till it has had six coats; let it remain untouched for two days; rub it smooth with sand-paper; then give it two more coats of varnish, and repeat the rubbing, being careful to wait between each coat till the last is dry, and not to rub with sand-paper sooner than two days after varnishing, and never give more than two coats of varnish in a day--one in the morning, another at night. when you think it looks clear and sufficiently thick, give it another coat without using the sand-paper after it; let it stand four days; then rub it all over with pounded rottenstone, and wipe it off with a wet cloth; after which take a little florence oil and hair-powder, and polish with your hand. * * * * * [illustration: no . toilet cushion.] [illustration: no. . the helen cap.] [illustration: no. . screen] [illustration: no. . heartsease] * * * * * knitting . heartsease. _materials--split berlin wool, and knitting-needles no. ; cornucopia gauge_. _violet petals_.--cast on three stitches with a bright shade of violet; knit and pearl in alternate rows, making a stitch at the beginning of every row, until you have fourteen or sixteen stitches; then knit and pearl six rows alternately, without increase, and continue in knitted and pearled rows, decreasing one stitch at the beginning of each row, till six or eight stitches alone remain; these cast off in the plain row, taking the two last as one before you turn the last stitch over. two petals like these are required. _large yellow petal_.--take a bright, though rather deep, shade of yellow wool, split; cast on three stitches, knit and pearl in alternate rows, increasing one stitch before and one after the middle stitch in the plain row, till you have fifteen or seventeen stitches; take a higher shade of yellow, and work six more alternate plain and pearled rows, still increasing in the middle, but decreasing one stitch at the beginning of every row; change your wool for a deep violet, and continue to knit in alternate plain and pearled rows, decreasing one stitch at the beginning of each row, till seven stitches only remain; these cast off, taking the two last as one. _two smaller petals_.--exactly like the large one, but increased only to thirteen stitches. sew a fine wire round each petal with split wool, tie the five petals together with a bit of green. _buds_.--take eight or ten lengths of split wool, yellow and violet, place across a piece of wire, fold the wire, twist the ends, turn down the ends of wool, tie them round the wire, leaving out the length required for the bud (about a quarter of an inch); cover the stem with green wool, split; also the stem of the heartsease. _leaves_.--begin with a shade of green wool, split as for one of the yellow petals, but you have thirteen stitches; cast off three at the beginning of the two following rows, go on increasing again to thirteen; cast off three at each end, and make thus as many scallops as will look well--in general three or four on each side make a very good-sized leaf; after the last scallops, decrease one stitch at the beginning of every row, till the leaf comes to a point. * * * * * crochet. . serviette for liqueur-stand. _materials--raworth's thread no. , and three shades of manlove's pink crochet thread of corresponding size_. with the lightest shade make a chain of stitches; join to form a round. _ st round_. double crochet, increasing in every stitch.-- _ d round_. chain. plain, miss ; repeat.-- _ d round_. chain, plain, taking the centre stitch of chain of previous round; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet, increasing in every fifth stitch.-- _ th round_. chain, plain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, plain above the centre stitch of chain in th round; repeat.-- _ th round (second shade of pink)_. chain, plain, worked in the plain of last round; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet.-- _ th round_. chain, plain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th round_. chain, plain, worked in the centre stitch of chain of last round; repeat.-- _ th round_. double crochet, increasing in every ninth stitch. now divide the work into three parts, commence with the darkest shade, and work as follows:--fasten on the thread three stitches from the centre of one of these divisions; make a chain of stitches, plain, miss .-- _ d row_. commence one stitch from the first stitch in last row, chain, long in every stitch; repeat, finishing by working a stitch in advance.-- _ d row_. commence as in last row, chain, long, miss , and finish as before.-- _ th row_. commence and finish as before, long, chain, miss ; repeat.-- _ th row_. chain, long, miss ; repeat, beginning and finishing as before.-- _ th row_. long, chain, miss ; repeat, commencing and finishing as before. now work the other two divisions in the same manner; after which work long, chain, miss , all round; then work a round in double crochet. this completes the centre. _for the edge_.--with white work long, chain, miss , all round.-- _ d round_. chain, plain, miss ; repeat.-- _ d round_. chain, plain worked in the centre stitch of chain; repeat.-- _ th round_. plain worked in the centre stitch of chain, long worked in the following stitches: plain, chain, plain in the centre stitch of chain, chain; repeat. * * * * * [illustration: no. . serviette for liqueur stand] [illustration: no. . ribbon-work.] [illustration: no. . lady's silk mittens.] [illustration: no. . couvrette for devotional chair.] * * * * * ribbon work . a new and elegant work for sofa pillows, anti-macassars, card-baskets, &c. we will describe how to make an anti-macassar:-- _take penelope canvass, three quarters of a yard long, half a yard wide; a piece of crimson china ribbon; one piece of gold-colour, one of shaded lilac, and a rug-needle_. prepare the canvass by cutting away every alternate threads, and draw them out the whole length of the canvass; next cut away and draw them out with tweezers, every alternate threads, the whole of the width of the canvass. next thread the rug-needle with crimson ribbon, and sew over the first threads of canvass the lengthway of the canvass; when at the end, pass the needle to the next threads and sew them over, taking care to keep the ribbon flat as possible; when at the top, return and cover the next two threads with the same coloured ribbon. this will make stripes. proceed the same with the gold-colour, stripes; then the lilac, stripes; then recommence with the crimson, and continue the same until you have the whole length finished. next commence to sew over the same from side to side, which will form a chequered pattern, and has a rich effect. finish round with a ruche of satin ribbon or fringe, crimson colour. if desired, can be worked with slight silk. * * * * * crochet. . lady's silk mitten. _materials_-- _pieces of fine black crochet silk_; _bundles of no_. _steel beads; penelope crochet no_. . make a chain of stitches; work row in plain-stitch crochet.-- _ d row_. edge-stitches, bead-stitch, plain to the end of row.-- _ d row_. plain.-- _ th row_. same as d row.-- _ th, th, and th rows_. plain.-- _ th row_. plain, bead to the end of row.-- _ th, th, and th rows_. as th row.-- _ th, th, and th rows_. plain.-- _ th row_. plain-stitch, bead-stitch to the end of row.-- _ th row_. plain. this completes the band for the arm, which must be worked on one side, detaching the silk at the end of each row. work rows in chain-stitch open crochet, making loops in each chain, and missing stitches in working the first row, join and work in rounds; work _ _ rounds, then divide the mit in half, and leave a space for the thumb; the silk must be detached at the end of the row. work to the centre of the back of hand, make chain-stitches, pass down a bead in making the next chain-stitches, crochet to the centre stitch of chain of last row; then work stitches, passing down a bead at each stitch, then _ _ chain-stitches; work to the end of row. work rows, increasing the number of bead-stitches by commencing at the preceding chain-stitch; then work rows, decreasing as seen in illustration; the last of these must be worked in rounds instead of rows; work _ _ rounds in chain-stitches of as before, then a round of chain-loops in each chain. work one-half plain for the inner part of the hand, then bead, plain. next round plain. work rows thus on the back of the hand; bead-stitches, plain stitches. next round plain; then bead-stitch, plain as before, and finish with a plain round. now work the thumb as follows:--work a chain of , missing every third stitch; repeat three times, then work rounds, decreasing in each round by passing the loop through the centre stitches of two of the chains; work rounds without decreasing, and finish with rounds of close double crochet, making every alternate stitch of the centre round a bead-stitch. work a loop on the band, and fasten with a button. * * * * * netting . couvrette for devotional chair. _materials--raworth's thread no_. , _knitting-cotton no_. , _shaded amber berlin wool, mesh no_. . commence with a foundation of loops, and net till the proper length is completed. work the pattern in darning-stitch with cotton. net a fringe with shaded wool, making two loops in every loop, using a flat mesh two inches broad. * * * * * [illustration: no. sachet] [illustration: no. . pen-wiper.] [illustration: no. . pattern for footstool.] * * * * * embroidery . sachet. _materials--a quarter of a yard of pale-blue satin, one yard and one-eighth of blue silk fringe, three shades of green, and two shades of olive-green embroidery silk, and a small bundle of pearl beads_. draw the design upon the satin, and work in embroidery-stitch, the leaves with the shades of green, the stems with the shades of olive, and the grapes with the beads. use such perfume as may be preferred, and trim round the edge with the fringe. * * * * * _embroidery in braid_. . pen-wiper. _materials--blue cachmere and gold-coloured braid_. draw the pattern, and sew on the braid; edge with button-hole stitch. * * * * * _berlin work_. . pattern for footstool or cushion. _materials--canvass no. ; scarlet, black, and white berlin wool; fourth shade of blue, fourth ditto of green, fourth ditto of peach berlin wool; amber floss silk, six skeins of each of the wools, and a similar quantity of silk will be required; also a piece of fine piping-cord, and emerald-green velvet ribbon_. cut the canvass into strips inches in width, and the length required; sew lengths of cord upon the canvass, leaving threads between each cord; the cord will cover a space of threads. leave a margin threads from this, and with black work stitches over the th and th cords opposite each other; with blue work stitches on the same cords on the right side, and with green on the left; with peach work stitches on the th and th cords, above the stitches of black; and with scarlet stitches on the th and th cords, underneath the black. there will now be stitches worked. with white work stitches on a line with each of the preceding stitches, and on the cords above the stitches of peach and below the scarlet; with amber silk work stitches in the same manner. this completes the first diamond. the pattern is repeated to the end of row. the spaces between the diamonds are worked as follows: with black work stitches on a line with each stitch of amber; with peach work the stitches between the black on the d and th cords; on the right hand work stitches with blue on the st and d cords, and on the left with green; work the centre stitches with silk. the opposite space is worked in a similar manner, substituting scarlet for peach. for a cushion it will be necessary to work strips of this pattern; and, in making it up, a length of velvet ribbon of a similar width is placed between each division of work. finish with green cord and tassels. * * * * * [illustration: no . a mat for a flower-vase.] [illustration: nos. , . lady's slipper.] * * * * * crochet. . a mat for a flower-vase. _material--raworth's crochet thread no_. . _centre flower_.-- c s, unite, work into this ring c s, l s, * c s, l s; repeat from * eleven times, finish with c s, s c into third stitch of first, c s.-- _ d round_. d c into first space, * c s, d c into next space; repeat from * into every space, finish with c s, s c into first d c of the round.-- _ d round_. d c round every loop of c s in last round. _the eight leaves round this flower_.--commence on one of the stitches at the edge of this flower, c s, s c back (this is for the stripe in the centre of leaf), * c s, miss , d c into fourth; repeat from * five times, which brings it to top stitch of leaf, c s, d c into same stitch, c s, miss , d c into fourth six times down the other side of the stripe, draw out the loop on the needle a little, pass the thread under the leaf, d c round the first loop, c s, d c round the next loop, * c s, d c round the next; repeat from * four times, which brings it to top loop, c s into same top loop, c s into five more loops down the other side, c s, d c into last loop, pass the thread under the leaf, d c three times round the loop next to stripe, five times round next loop, six times round every loop up to the top, d c, l s, d c round the top loop, d c round every chain of six down the other side, d c round chain of , d c round the last loop at bottom of leaf next to the stripe; fasten off. make another leaf in the same manner at the opposite side of the centre flower, and one at an equal distance between these two; another on the other side to correspond, which will make four leaves, then work four more leaves between these , and the eight leaves will be finished. _for the rounds of open work proceed thus:_ commence on the point of one of the leaves, work c s, d c into point of next leaf; repeat this all round, not making the c s too tight.-- _ d round_. d c into every stitch of this round.-- _ d round_. l s, * c s, miss , l s into third stitch; repeat from *.-- _ th round_. d c into every stitch of last round.-- _ th round_. l s, * c s, miss , l s into third stitch; repeat from *.-- _ th round_. d c into every stitch of last round.-- _ th round_. l s, c s, miss , l s into third; repeat from * all round.-- _ th round_. d c into every stitch of last round. work on the inside of the first round of c s a ring, thus: commence on centre, c s _between_ the leaves, c s, unite on foundation-stitch, d c twenty-four times round this ring; repeat these rings between every two leaves, making eight in all. _the leaves on the outside of the open rounds_.-- commence on stitch opposite to the point of one of the large leaves. c s, l s into sixth stitch, * c s, miss , l s into third; repeat three times more from *. s c into foundation-stitch, then d c round first loop; d c, l s, d c round next three loops, d c, l s, d c round top loop; d c, l s, d c round three loops on the other side of leaf; d c round last loop. make another leaf in the same manner, beginning at the same foundation-stitch. fasten off. then two more leaves exactly the same, opposite the points of all the large centre leaves. then two more leaves opposite each of the d c rings inside the open rounds (which will be at an equal distance on each side from the others). there will now be thirty-two small leaves, two and two, the upper point of each leaf to be turned _outwards_, and to be tacked with needle and thread to the point of the next leaf, which it will meet easily. (care must be taken to refer to the engraving for the manner in which the mat is to be finished, as it will greatly assist the explanations.) for the small roses between the leaves, which are made separately: c s, unite, c s, long stitch into ring, * c s, l s; repeat from * seven times. c s, s c into third stitch of first c s. _ d round_. s c round first space, c s, l s, into same space, * c s, miss space, l s into next space; repeat from * all round. finish with c s, s c into third stitch of c s. fasten off sixteen roses for the round. place one of these roses between every pair of the leaves which proceed from the same foundation, and sew it at the edge to the third scallop of the leaves; then commence between the points of the leaves which were sewn together, * c s, d c into centre of edge of small rose, c s, d c between the points of the leaves; repeat from * all round, then d c stitches _round_ every chain. _sprigs between the c s_.-- c s, unite on twelfth. d c round this loop twenty-two times. s c up remaining c s for stalk. fasten off, leaving an end to sew the sprig on the mat. turn wrong side up. commence on fifth stitch from stalk on the _right-hand side_ of the flower, * c s, unite in same stitch. turn again. into this circle work d c stitches *. turn wrong side up. s c up to top of ring formed by c s; repeat from * to * for another ring. turn wrong side. s c down to fifth stitch from stalk. repeat another ring, when the work will be on the right side. bring the cotton to the side of this last ring nearest to stalk. c s, s c into top of last ring. c s, s c into same stitch. c s, s c into foundation close to the lower part of ring. c s, s c into _foundation-ring,_ close to centre ring, at the top. c s, s c into top of ring; c s, s c into same stitch; c s, s c into foundation at bottom of ring; c s, s c into foundation at lower part of next ring; c s, s c into top of ring; c s, s c into same stitch; c s, s c into foundation at the other side of ring. fasten off. sixteen of these sprigs are required, and sixteen more small roses. place one sprig between each of the chains of d c, where they meet at the points of the leaves, and sew them by the thread which was left at the end of the stalk. confine them to the d c by the lower c s. place a small rose between each of these sprigs, fastening them together where they meet. the best way is, to cut out a circle in coloured paper, and (after the crochet work is completed) place the mat wrong side up upon it, and fasten the flowers to it and to each other, as it will then be quite flat and smooth. * * * * * _embroidery in braid_. , . lady's slipper. _materials--black satin or velvet, gold braid, and gold beads_. pencil the design on tissue-paper, trace this over with ink, tack the pattern thus prepared on the right side of the satin or velvet. sew the braid on by the pattern, and when completed tear away the paper. sew on the beads with strong sewing-silk in the spaces indicated in the design. book was produced from images made available by the hathitrust digital library.) the library of work and play carpentry and woodwork by edwin w. foster electricity and its everyday uses by john f. woodhull, ph.d. gardening and farming by ellen eddy shaw home decoration by charles franklin warner, sc.d. housekeeping by elizabeth hale gilman mechanics, indoors and out by fred t. hodgson needlecraft by effie archer archer outdoor sports, and games by claude h. miller, ph.b. outdoor work by mary rogers miller working in metals by charles conrad sleffel [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. the last step is making the buttonholes] needlecraft by effie archer archer _needlework editor of well-known magazines. connected with new york public schools, y. w. c. a., and arts and crafts club_ [illustration: title page] garden city new york doubleday, page & company all rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the scandinavian copyright, , by doubleday, page & company contents chapter page i. what you should have in your work box--sewing on buttons--basting--darning ii. back-stitching--over-casting--creasing a hem and hemming--rolling a hem--french hemming--sewing on tapes and hooks and eyes iii. gathering--sewing on bands--a practical sewing apron--hemmed patches--gussets and tucks iv. a doll's skirt--sewing case--bindings--doll's bed linen--pin case v. making buttonholes--cutting from a pattern--a doll's dress vi. a lesson in stencilling vii. what can be done with one skin--cut leather bags, belts, book covers, etc. viii. tooled leather and tools necessary ix. the simplest stitches in embroidery--chain-stitching, outlining, herring-boning, cross-stitching, soutache, coronation braiding x. smocking--feather-stitching--lazy-daisy stitch xi. couching--shadow-work--turkish stitch--how to stamp designs xii. buttonholing and wallachian embroidery xiii. roman cut-work--fancy buttonholing for borders--bermuda fagotting xiv. satin-stitch and marking xv. eyelets and french knots--bullion stitch, and other fancy stitches xvi. long and short--kensington embroidery--ribbon work for simple flowers xvii. hardanger embroidery for squares, pin cushions, and spreads xviii. appliqué on linen and other materials--hedebo embroidery xix. hemstitching for handkerchiefs and collar and cuff sets--simple drawn work stitches xx. easy lace stitches--fagotting, single mesh, double mesh, spiders, fan, maltese cross, twisted and buttonhole bars, picots for simple edge xxi. simple baskets xxii. raffia baskets and napkin rings xxiii. raffia hats xxiv. knotting for dolls' hammocks, shopping bags and other purposes xxv. simple bead chains on single strings--a homemade loom--woven chains--belts and purses xxvi. braiding and weaving four and six strands--weaving on looms xxvii. simple crocheting--stitchery for edges and shawls xxviii. pattern directions for making doll caps and capes, jackets, and child's bedroom slippers xxix. irish crochet lace xxx. knitting, plain and purling--wash rags--fancy stitches for shawls xxxi. doll's cap, hood, leggings, and jackets xxxii. embroidery suggestions for boarding school girl illustrations the last step is making the buttonholes _frontispiece_ facing page the right way to darn a single motif being used on a stencilled scarf many a happy hour is spent embroidering it is jolly to make a raffia work bag sewed raffia baskets make attractive gifts the fascinating task of making bead chains a cushion top can be woven on a simple hand loom her first knitted shawl needlecraft i what you should have in your work box, sewing on buttons, basting, darning you will find that you are happiest when doing things for those you love; and what greater help can you give than by learning to do things for yourself that now those who love you best do for you? the little everyday things that appear to be so simple, yet take so much of the mother's time should be the things first to learn. there are so many things that one could do if one only knew how, that it seems a shame to waste time. dolly needs new clothes, mother always needs help with her sewing; and then, too, the numerous birthdays and christmases follow so quickly one on top of another, that there is hardly a chance to save up for one before the next is here. many a hard problem for the little mother will be solved in this book. it is lovely to have a little work-box fixed up with thread, needles, and scissors, all of your own, and if you ask mother, i am sure she will give some of her threads to help you start one. if you take a card and shape it like a maltese cross you will have space for four colours of threads. you will need a card for the white alone because you will find you use so much more of it. you must have a little thimble and always use it or your finger will look cramped when working. have you noticed how pretty ladies look when sewing? well, you must do as they do, tap your needle with the thimble to send it through the material (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the way to use your thimble] have you ever wondered and wondered why it is that buttons have the horrid habit of dropping off just when you wanted to dress quickly or take sally ann walking? well, i will whisper the reasons for this: the first is, that the thread might have been worn out from active service; or the thread used might have been weak; or lastly, which is probably the true cause, the button might have been sewn too close to the material and came off the first time it was used. mother may not be around to help you when the accident happens, and would you not feel proud to sew it on for yourself? to sew a button on securely you should make a pin-hole where the button is to be placed. a four-hole white button is the easiest to work on. thread a no. needle with a length of no. white sewing cotton, bring the ends together and make a knot. the right length thread is measured from the tip of the thimble finger to the elbow. when a thread is used double it should be twice the length of this. a neat knot is made by holding the threaded needle in the right hand and by taking the end or ends, as the case may be, between the thumb and first finger of the left hand. keep the thread tightly stretched, wind it around the top of the first finger, then move the finger down the thumb, carrying the thread with it about half an inch. now with the nail of the second finger bring the knot thus formed to the end of the thread. a large ungainly knot is a disfigurement to a piece of sewing. you are now ready to adjust the button; place the knot on the upper or right side so that it will be concealed; after adjusting the button put a pin across the top and sew securely through the holes, crossing the threads. sew not less than three times through each hole. remove the pin. insert the needle from underneath, then bring it out between the button and cloth close to the centre of the button. wind the thread tightly around the neck of the button three or four times. (the neck is the threads between the button and material.) wrapping the threads around protects the stitches and allows room for the buttonhole to lie under the button. take the thread through to the wrong side and take up three stitches, make a short stitch on the material and cut the thread close (figures and ). [illustration: figs. and ] when a three-hole button is used the stitches form a triangle on the top of the button. a shoe-button should be sewed with a no. needle and coarse black thread. the stitches are taken through the shank of the button. fasten off the thread after sewing on two buttons, for if they are all on one continuous string or thread and that breaks, all the buttons are apt to come off. if each button is securely fastened the thread may be passed, however, from one to the other. [illustration: fig. . even basting] [illustration: fig. . uneven basting] now i know you want to do some real sewing; it must not be big or you will get very tired and think sewing is not as pleasant as you fancied. the simplest stitch in sewing is basting. this is used to hold materials together until you are ready to make firmer stitches. in the following illustration the even and uneven basting stitches are shown (figures and ). they must be straight. even basting stitches should be taken about a quarter of an inch apart and in the running stitch which is fine basting about an eighth or a sixteenth of an inch. pretty huck pillows can be made of even and uneven basting or running stitches. a leaf, star or a figure cut out and traced on a piece of muslin will make a nice design for running stitches (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a simple design in running stitch] if you will examine different kinds of materials before they are cut, you will note that the threads run in two directions. the threads running lengthwise must be the stronger, as they have more strain on them. they are called the warp. the warp is set up first before the weaving begins. the threads running crosswise are called the woof. it is the weaker thread and forms the edge or selvage. if you will take a card three inches square and prick a line of dots half an inch from the top and bottom edges and prick a line a quarter of an inch apart you will have a little loom. the dots must be directly under each other. a piece of coloured worsted and a large-eyed crewel needle no. will be required. make a knot at the end of your thread and start from the upper right hand hole on the wrong side. bring your thread up through the hole and down through the lower right-hand dot. the needle must now come up through the next hole at the bottom and the thread be again stretched across the card. when every hole has been filled and you have several rows of straight lines, fasten off the worsted in the back. another shade of wool should be selected so that you can distinguish the warp from the woof. the thread you are now going to use is the woof; commence at the top and go straight across to the left line, up over and down under each thread and so on till the row is completed. in weaving the next row, pick up the threads of the warp that you went over last time. alternate rows agree (figure ). when finished, the little piece can be used as a doll's mat. to darn your stockings is almost as simple a matter as this weaving. instead, however, of starting the thread of the warp on an even line, as on the card, start some higher than the others. the reason for this is that an even line will be apt to make an uncomfortable seam in your stocking. the woof threads are always connected to the stocking. a darning ball should be used under the hole. in darning cashmere or woollen stockings it is best to allow the warp to be very slack as wool shrinks considerably in washing. wool should be used for darning woollen stockings. [illustration: fig. . weaving with worsted] [illustration: fig. a. the first step in darning] [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. the right way to darn] have you ever belonged to a sewing club? if not, try to start one and see how much fun there is in it. the club should meet either on friday or saturday afternoon, after the school work is finished. every girl should bring her stockings to darn and another piece of work, so that when the darning is over she will have something to work on. if there are more than four in the club it is a very hard thing to keep up. three is the ideal number for it. it is better to have a small number--three, for instance. a large club is apt to be distracting, but three or four little girls, with the right helpful spirit, will find such meetings very instructive and entertaining. [illustration: fig. b. the second and last step in darning] ii back-stitching, over-casting, creasing a hem and hemming, rolling a hem, french hemming, sewing on tapes and hooks and eyes [illustration: fig. . the right way to hold your scissors] "stitching is witching," the song book says, and it is true, for after we know that stitch there are a hundred and one things we can do. some people call it back-stitching and we must try to remember that, so that we shall understand of what they are talking. get mother to give you a piece of material to practise on that has a stripe in it. now take your scissors (figure ) and cut out two three-inch squares. baste the two squares together a quarter of an inch from the edge. hold the square over the first finger of the left hand ready for the back-stitching. let the basting run up and down over your finger. start from the top and make a small stitch backward, on the right side of the material, instead of forward as you did in running (figure ). pass the needle under until you have a stitch twice as long on the wrong side as that on the right. take the next stitch backward close to the end of the last one on the right. [illustration: fig. . back-stitching] remember that the stitch you take backward is only half as long as the one you take forward. stitching always looks very different on the wrong side, but on the right side it ought to look like machine stitching. this stitch might be called the lion stitch, because it is so strong. it is used to join two edges together, as for the seams in bean-bags or cushion covers. in places where there will not be much strain we use a quicker stitch, which is called the half-back stitch (figure ). this is very much like the stitching of which i have been telling you. the wrong side will look about the same, but on the right side instead of the stitches touching there will be a space, then a stitch of equal length. [illustration: fig. . the half-back stitch] the next stitch to learn is the combination-stitch, which is made up of both the running and the back-stitch (figure ). it is a stitch that is greatly used for sewing long seams, as on underwear. by this stitch we can cover the distance in about half the time that back-stitching would take. [illustration: fig. . the combination running and back-stitch] whenever you can avoid making a knot, do so, because it spoils the look of your work on the wrong side. you can start your work, if it is a seam, for example, by making two or three stitches on top of each other. follow the thread of the warp or woof of the material as much as possible. after fastening your thread, make two fine running stitches forward and one back. keep the stitches the same length. [illustration: fig. . over-casting] over-casting is used on unfinished or cut edges to keep them from fraying (figure ). the stitches all slant from right to left. take the stitches one eighth of an inch deep and one quarter of an inch apart. [illustration: fig. . over-handing] over-handing is fine over-casting and used to connect two finished edges together (figure ), as when sewing lace on ruffles, or joining selvages. what is the selvage? it is the edge of the warp. the next time mother goes shopping ask her to take you with her. when she tells the salesman she wants so many yards of goods, whether it is for kitchen towels or a dress for herself or for you, notice how the goods is measured. the salesman will measure along one of the finished sides of the goods. these finished edges are called selvages. [illustration: fig. . the seam opened] make the stitches in over-handing as small as possible, keeping the stitches even. sew through both pieces of the material. hold your work between your thumb and first finger. here again it is not necessary to make a knot. let a half-inch of the end of your thread lie on top of the material toward the left side; the over-handing stitches will cover this end. when the over-handing is finished run your thumb-nail along the stitches on the right side. if your stitches are too deep there will be a seam on the wrong side, whereas if the instructions have been followed carefully the material will lie perfectly flat (figure ). now we are ready to help mother hem the new kitchen towels. first see that the edge you are to hem is straight. if it is not, pull out a thread so as to mark a line to cut by. you must take a thread that runs the entire way across the end of the towel. cut carefully along the space out of which the thread came. get a piece of card that has two smooth or straight edges and make a notch one-half inch from the corner (figure ). a half-inch hem is the one commonly used on a towel. [illustration: fig. . a notched card] if mother likes to have her towels with a wider or narrower hem, notch the card the size she wishes. turn the material back one-quarter inch and crease it down with your thumb-nail. a second fold is made the width of the hem. take your measuring card and, placing the end of it on the double edge, see if your hem is exactly the width desired. baste along the first folded edge to hold the material together for hemming (figures and ). hold the edge to be hemmed toward you. do not knot your thread. insert the needle at the extreme right of the hem. pull the needle through, leaving a little end, as in over-handing, to be fastened down with the hemming itself. [illustration: fig. . the first step] [illustration: fig. . the second step] your needle should slant as shown in the diagram (figure ). take a stitch right through all the thicknesses of the material. be sure that it goes through to the other side. the fewer the threads taken on the needle at the same time, the neater the result will be. the stitches should slant from right to left. the stitches must be close together if we want fine hemming. let each stitch be the same size as the other and slant in the same direction. the right side of the hem looks like a row of short dashes. [illustration: fig. . the way the needle should slant] if your needle gets "sticky" when you are sewing, you should pass it through your emery-bag till it is shiny and sharp again. the needle is apt to get that way if your hands perspire. ladies who like to keep their sewing looking fresh and white, as if hands had never touched it, find it a good plan to wash their hands in a little vinegar, or lemon and water. it is very necessary to sit so that the light falls over your left shoulder. a little straight-back chair is another good help in sewing. do you know that many of our english great-grandmothers had very straight backs? when they were little girls they had to sit on a very straight, tall chair, an hour or two every day. a foot-stool was placed under their feet, and their shoulders strapped against the chair. of course they did not sit there idle, but a piece of fine sewing was given them to work. you see they did not have the opportunity to run around and play as you have. their chief recreation was their dancing lesson. [illustration: fig. . a corner basted ready for hemming] the towel finished, the next thing to learn is how to turn a corner and hem it. shall we make a cover for sally ann's bed or a dust-cloth for mother? in either case cut a piece of material eighteen inches square and turn a hem and baste it as you did for the towel. the next side is folded the same as the first. the corner should form a perfect square (figure ). sometimes the material is very thick and the hem wide; in that case it is wise to cut a little oblong piece out of the corner as shown in the illustration (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the material cut from a corner] napkins and table-covers should be sewed with a french hem. make a turn about a sixteenth of an inch deep. the second turn should be about three sixteenths of an inch wide. fold the hem back so that it touches the right side of the material. the hem is connected to the material with tiny over-hand stitches. open the hem, when finished crease with the thumb-nail till it lies perfectly flat. [illustration: fig. . whipping] a pretty new way of finishing a handkerchief is to roll the material for the edge instead of folding it. over-cast or, as we sometimes say, whip it with delicate-coloured cotton, (figure ). the nicest material for handkerchiefs is fine linen, but lawn is cheaper for practice work. hold the wrong side of the material to you. then roll about one eighth of an inch between the thumb and first finger of your left hand. do not roll more than an inch of the hem at a time. take a needle and thread it with a piece of coloured cotton. in this case it is permissible to make a knot. insert the needle at the beginning of the roll. over-cast or whip the rolled edge. the stitches should encircle the roll and not go through it. when the rolled inch is over-casted, roll another inch and repeat in this manner till the whole handkerchief is worked. if you desire, when you have finished one side, you can whip in an opposite direction toward the point at which you started, thus forming a cross with each return stitch (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a pretty finish for handkerchiefs] lace is sewed to raw edges by rolling and whipping the material and connecting the lace at the same time. [illustration: fig. . a rolled hem] [illustration: fig. . one end creased one quarter of an inch] [illustration: fig. . the tape open flat on material] tapes should be on all towels and on all your skirts and dresses that are to hang on nails or pegs. take a piece of fine tape about five inches long. crease one end down one quarter of an inch (figure ). if the tape-loop is to be sewed on a towel find the direct centre of the top edge of the towel. lay the tape with the creased end open flat on the towel (figure ). sew along the creased line with back-stitching. fold the other end of the tape over, baste it down so that it entirely covers the stitches already made and with small hemming stitches connect the tape to the material (figure ). there should be two tape-loops on your dress or separate skirt. there is usually too much weight for only one loop. place a loop in each armhole of the waist or dress. for the skirt, measure the waist-band and place the loops so that the band is divided in thirds. [illustration: fig. . the tape finished] do you know that very few people sew on hooks and eyes properly? yet there is no difficulty in sewing them correctly and they look much nicer. take the eye, connect it to the material with two stitches that make a cross. with the same thread pass the needle to the left-hand loop. insert the needle in the material so that the eye of the needle is within the loop and the point of the needle comes just outside. see that the thread passes from left to right _under_ the point of the needle. draw the needle through and repeat in this manner until the two loops of the eye are firmly connected to the material. sometimes it is necessary to cover the upper part of the eye. in that case cover the metal with fine over-and-over stitches as shown in (figure b). [illustration: fig. a. the eye firmly sewed] [illustration: fig. b. a covered eye] the loop of the hook is sewed on in a very similar manner at the base, while the top of the hook is caught with eight or nine over-and-over-stitches (figure ). these stitches are taken under the hook portion and connect the under side only. measure accurately just where every eye goes and place the hook so that when it meets the eye it will be straight. a sixteenth of an inch out of the way spoils the appearance and is apt to pull the material crooked. another point to remember is that it is not a good plan to place the eyes on the extreme edge. a margin of some size is most necessary to extend beyond the eyes. sometimes it is necessary to sew a piece of material so that it extends one inch beyond the eyes if the eyes are sewed on the extreme edge of the finished garment. this piece is called the fly piece. [illustration: fig. . the hook] iii gathering, sewing on bands, a practical sewing apron, hemmed patches, gussets and tucks though i know you don't like making samples, i am going to ask you to make a little apron for a doll, as a model, before we make a real big one. get a piece of muslin five by nine inches and a no. sewing needle. thread it with a piece of no. cotton. baste an eighth of an inch hem on both of the five-inch sides, and a three-quarter of an inch hem on one of the nine-inch sides. the basting of the three sides being finished we will now start to gather the fourth side. thread a no. needle with no. thread. use a thread a trifle longer than nine inches. make a good-sized knot in the thread so that the end cannot slip through the material. start from the right-hand side of the piece and insert the needle on the under side. let the knot come on top of the narrow hem about one quarter of an inch from the raw edge. the needle is now in position on the right side of the material. take up several stitches on the needle before pulling it through (figure ). the stitches are nothing more than running stitches. when the running has been worked across the nine inches of the material, take the needle out and make a knot in the thread. [illustration: fig. . gathering the apron] put a pin, vertically, close to the last stitch. take up only a few threads of the material on the pin. draw up the running thread so that you have about three and a half inches of gathering. wind the thread that extends beyond the gathering over the top and under the point of the pin a number of times, crossing the thread at the middle of the pin so that it forms an eight (figure ). to allow the gathering to fall evenly, it will be necessary to stroke it. use a no. needle for this purpose. with the right side of the work toward you begin at the left-hand edge. hold the work between the left thumb and forefinger, keeping the thumb below the gathering thread. put the point of the no. needle under the gathering thread, holding it obliquely. press the needle toward the thumb, bringing the little plait under the thumb and drawing the needle downward. pinch the little plait down lightly with your thumb. continue in this way, putting the needle under each stitch (figure ). [illustration: fig. . gathers ready for stroking] let us now put a band and strings on our apron. cut two strips of material ten inches long by two inches wide. these are for the strings. baste an eighth of an inch hem on the two long sides of each strip. make a three-quarter of an inch hem on each string. over-hand the ends of the broad hem. all the hems that are basted on the strings and the material itself should be hemmed with fine stitches. [illustration: fig. . gathering strokes] cut another strip two and a half inches wide by five inches long. this is the band. turn down one eighth of an inch of the material all around the band. crease the band in half, lengthwise, so that the edges, just folded, are inside. find the centre of the gathered material and the centre of the opened band. holding the wrong side of the apron toward you, pin the middle of the apron to the middle of the band. pin the gathered side of the apron to the band, three quarters of an inch from each end of it. wind the gathering thread around the left-hand pin, drawing the thread up to fit the band. with the point of the needle adjust the gathers so that the fullness is evenly distributed along the band. holding the gathers toward you, baste with small stitches a little above the gathering thread. turn up the band and on the right side of the apron hem the band in it, catching up a gather with each stitch. some people prefer to stitch along the basting line instead of hemming (figure ). [illustration: fig. . taking up a gather with every stitch] baste the other side of the band down, and hem as on the right side. insert the strings in the band. hem in the same way as on the band, first the right side and then the left side, and now your little apron is completed (figure ). would you not like to have a sewing apron that you can use as a bag when you are not wearing it? it is such an easy thing to make that after you have one for yourself you will be making them for your friends for christmas. [illustration: fig. . the apron completed] get mother to measure you from the waist to the knees. the material for the apron should be one and a half this measurement. turn one third of the material back. baste the double edges together and sew with fine combination stitches. turn this piece inside out. crease back one eighth of an inch edge of this pocket, as it were. baste a piece of beading over this raw edge right around the back of the apron. be careful not to sew up the pocket. the beading on the back must be the same distance from the bottom as the beading in front; that is, we must keep a straight line. sew on the extreme edges of the beading with fine running stitches, to connect it to the material. now as the ribbon we are to run in the beading must serve as a draw string, as well as for decoration, it will be necessary to put two pieces in. so get a narrow ribbon about one half the width of the openings in the beading. each piece of ribbon must be long enough to go once around the apron and enough of the ends left to tie double bows--one for each side. start one piece of the ribbon at the right-hand side of the apron and the other at the left. the top of the apron or single piece is finished with a piece of beading which is sewed on, as on the pocket. a ribbon long enough to go around your waist and to tie a bow in the back is run through the beading (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the apron] when the apron is not being worn your work can be placed in the large pocket and the single section folded within the pocket. the ribbons are then drawn up tight and "bravo!" you have a work bag fit for a queen (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the work bag] there are so many kinds of rents or holes that may happen to your clothes that it is worth the while to know how to mend the various kinds. there is an old adage that says, "waste makes want," and we would spend a small fortune in clothes if every time a wee hole made its appearance we discarded the garment. if it is a circular hole in a dress or underbody, as often happens, under the arms, we will use the square patch. cut a piece of the same kind of material, three inches square, or larger if necessary. turn a fold of one eighth of an inch on the four edges of this square. crease it lengthwise and crosswise. [illustration: fig. . the patch hemmed to the material] crease the material on which the patch is to be laid lengthwise and crosswise through the tear. pin the small piece or patch on the wrong side of the large piece, or garment, so that the creases run in the same direction. the warp must run the same way in both pieces. one sixteenth of an inch from the edges run a basting thread. hem the four sides on the patch to the material (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the pin in each corner of the patch] on the garment side make a crease half an inch wide, from the hemming, on the four sides. four little squares will be formed in the corners. crease along the diagonal of each square. place a pin one eighth of an inch from each corner, within the patch (figure ). cut the garment from the centre of the tear to the pins. repeat this on each side, cutting along the crease which you made, one half inch from the hemming. turn in one eighth of an inch and baste. hem all around (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the garment side of the patch] in patching material such as checked or striped ginghams, percales, or other materials, the stripes or the checks must match so that the patch is not too apparent (figure ). [illustration: fig. . matching the stripes] have you ever noticed how the slit or placket of a petticoat or side opening of drawers is finished? a piece of material is put in of an odd shape to strengthen the openings. this is called a gusset. suppose that you were making a petticoat. join the skirt up the back from the bottom, but leave eight inches open at the top. this top opening is the placket. but let us take a small piece of material and practise making the back of a skirt. we will put a hem and a few tucks at the bottom of the material first. [illustration: fig. . basting the tuck] make a measuring card of a straight strip with an eighth, three eighths, and three quarters of an inch notches. crease and fold a wide hem (three quarters of an inch), using the measuring card as a guide. over-hand each end of the hem. now baste along the hem. the over-handing must be done before the basting. now hem this wide hem. again, using the cardboard measure, on the right side of the model fold a crease three quarters of an inch above the hem. begin at the right-hand side to crease and baste (figure ). with a fine, even, running stitch, an eighth of an inch below the crease, make the tuck (figure ). measure every few stitches to keep the seam straight. [illustration: fig. . making the tuck] if a second tuck is desired, measure from the tuck instead of the hem. now we are ready for the slit which is in the centre top. on the wrong side start at the top with an eighth of an inch hem, but decrease it to almost nothing right to the bottom (figure ). fold the other side in the same manner. in hemming the two sides, start at the top. [illustration: fig. . the placket hemmed] now let us practise making gussets on a piece of paper. cut a piece of paper three inches square. fold it from corner to corner and cut (figure ). turn the straight or short edges of the paper one eighth of an inch and fold along the two shorter edges (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the triangle] hold the paper with the straight edge down, measure it from the two points one quarter of an inch. now cut a piece of material the size of the paper and fold like model. [illustration: fig. . the short edges folded] cut off the two points one quarter inch from each corner on the thread of the goods (figure ). turn these two straight ends and the bias edge of paper one eighth of an inch (figure ). turn point of paper down one eighth of an inch from bias hem and crease (figure ). [illustration: fig. . with points cut off] now cut the muslin gusset and fold just like the paper one. [illustration: fig. . all sides are now creased.] [illustration: fig. . the point folded over] hold the model or skirt with right side toward you, and turn up point of gusset. holding the wrong side of the skirt toward you, twist left side of gusset to left side of placket and over-hand to creased line, half way up the gusset (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the gusset over-handed half way] over-hand right side. turn bias edge of gusset over to right side, pin, having straight edges parallel to warp and woof threads and then hem (figure ). gather the top of the skirt and put on a band on each side of opening about the same width as the one used on the apron (figure ). [illustration: fig. . gusset hemmed] [illustration: fig. . the gusset model completed] iv a doll's skirt and sewing case, bindings, doll's bed linen and a pin case let us suppose that sally ann measures twelve inches from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet and that you would like to make her a gored skirt like mother's. would you not feel happier if you made the pattern and then cut the skirt yourself? take a piece of paper twelve by nine inches wide, mark every inch on both the long sides of the paper. lay a ruler so that it touches the centre of the space between the first and second dots on the upper edge, and between the second and third dots on the lower edge. this will form the half of the front gore of the skirt. mark it, "half of front." now draw a line from the second dot on the upper edge to the centre of the space between the fourth and fifth dots of the lower edge. connect the sixth dot on the upper and lower edges, mark this section "side gore." connect the eleventh dot on lower and upper edges and mark this section "back." the remaining inch mark "belt." (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the pattern drawn] cut the pattern apart along the lines drawn. take a piece of muslin twenty-four by nine inches. tear off two inches of the muslin on the length for the band and then ten inches for the back of the skirt. fold the remaining piece of muslin with the two short edges together so that the doubled piece measures six inches by nine. place the straight edge of front of skirt pattern on the fold of the material and the edge of the side gore on the other edge. pin the pattern down securely and cut through both thicknesses of the material (figure ). pin the skirt together, placing a straight edge of a gore to a bias. baste a quarter-inch seam along the finished edges of each gore, holding the bias edge toward you. sew the seams up with combination stitches. press open the seams and over-cast each one to keep it from fraying. [illustration: fig. . the back, side gore and front] fold a hem at the bottom of the skirt an inch and a quarter wide. baste the hem so that seam comes to seam. on the front gore there will be a fullness. gather this fullness in with fine running stitches and baste. use a separate thread for the gathering. now hem around the whole skirt. cut the placket two inches down through the centre back. turn a hem on the right side one half inch wide and on the left one eighth inch. sew the hem. lap the wide hem over the narrow at the bottom of the placket and stitch across the wide hem two rows of stitching one eighth of an inch apart. turn in the strip you cut off at first for the band one quarter of an inch on the two short sides and on one of the long sides. [illustration: fig. . the skirt] fold lengthwise, find centre of band and crease; one inch from this, crease again. place and pin band in the same way as for the gusset described in the last chapter, placing the middle crease at the middle of front of skirt. then pin the band also at the creases on either side of centre. gather each side of the skirt that is left. draw in the thread to fit belt. spread the gathers so that most of the fullness is in the back. over-hand the ends and hem second side of the placket. this finishes the skirt (figure ). a basket or box of some sort is very nice to have, as we have said above, for your sewing, but suppose you were going to sew with another friend and you wanted a handy case in which to carry your sewing implements? a cloth case that can be folded or rolled is very much more convenient and may be carried in the large pocket of your apron. one made of denim is inexpensive, wears well, and is highly practicable. one yard will make you a case. cut a piece of green denim sixteen by fifteen inches long. turn up four inches of the material, baste down both sides. baste a four-inch pocket on the left-hand corner of your case. the rest of the case divide in two. this will hold your darning cotton that comes on cards. we have a pretty way of finishing this case, which is not only ornamental but strong, and that is to bind it. get a piece of tape long enough to go around the whole case. crease it lengthwise so that one edge comes slightly below the other. open it and lay it on denim and then neatly back-stitch the right side and hem the wrong. the hemming should be just below the back-stitching, and must not be seen on the right side. allow enough tape at the corners to make a good angle. both sides of the corner must be treated alike. [illustration: fig. . the material caught from side to side] it will be well to have a needle case to match the sewing case. cut a strip of material thirteen inches long by three and a half inches wide. cut this strip in four parts. get a piece of cardboard that is not too thick or of such kind that will break easily, as some of the cheaper grades of brown cardboard are apt to do. cut four pieces, three inches wide by three and a half inches long. thread your needle with a piece of no. cotton and put a big knot at the end. take one of the pieces of denim and a piece of the cardboard. catch the material from side to side with stitches about one quarter of an inch apart (figure ). after sewing these two sides sew the third and fourth in the same manner. cover each piece of the cardboard in this way (figure ). take two of the covered pieces and over-cast them carefully together. [illustration: fig. . the four sides of material caught together] you should have leaves of flannel to stick your needles in. pink the edges of the flannel. pinking is snipping out the edge in little points and can be done with scissors. connect the two pieces of the needle case with two tiny bows, or a heavy thread can be made to answer the purpose. the flannel sheets are tacked through the centre like the pages in a book (figure ). the third or middle compartment between the spool case and darning thread can be used for a miscellaneous pocket to hold the tape-measure, emery-bag, small scissors and other necessary articles. [illustration: fig. . the flannel sheets tacked through the centre] a piece of tape stretched down on the denim with just enough spring for the package of needles to pass through is a handy way to carry them (figure ). it is rather dangerous to travel with a pair of scissors with the points unprotected. in canada and the states that border it the indians sell the little sweet grass protectors. a cork, however, that comes in small bottles such as you get from drug stores will protect the points of the scissors as well as the sweet grass protectors, if not as elegantly. if the scissors are too large to put in the pocket a piece of tape could be stitched down to slip them in lengthwise. the case should be folded in three parts when it is not in use and a piece of tape the same colour as the binding tied around it (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the four sides of material caught together] now that you have your sewing apron and a work box, you will love to be sewing every chance you get. suppose we plan a set of bed things for sally ann. first let us make a mattress. the mattress on your bed is covered, probably, with ticking, but this is too harsh for your fingers to sew, so let us select percale or zephyr, and half-inch tape for the binding; the filling can be cotton, hair, or feathers. if it is impossible to get any of these three, newspapers chipped up very fine will make an excellent padding. many people use newspaper chippings to fill pillows for summer use. [illustration: fig. . the case folded] measure the bedstead and cut two pieces of percale or zephyr exactly the same size. now cut a stripe of the material, one inch wide, long enough to go around the four sides of one of the pieces of the material that you have just cut. [illustration: fig. . the narrow strip to the large strip] baste the long narrow strip around one large piece. lay the wrong side of the strip to the wrong side of the material (figure ). the edges must be even. use the combination stitch of one running stitch and one back-stitch just below the basting. when the strip has been securely sewed to the four sides of the material, join the two ends together on the wrong side. now take your tape, which may be white or the colour of the figure in your material, and bind the edges by first running one side down and then the other (figure ). [illustration: fig. . binding the mattress] the other piece of material is sewed in the same manner--the wrong side of the strip to the wrong side of the material. do not sew, however, around the entire four sides but leave about six inches open through which the filling may be passed. after basting the strip with combination stitching fill with cotton or whatever material you have on hand. do not fill the mattress so that it will be bumpy. put a little stick in and flatten the filling at the top. now sew the opening up and we are ready to quilt the mattress. thread a large needle with two pieces of heavy cotton floss or wool. push your needle through to the other side, letting a short end extend above the mattress. bring your needle back again close to where it came out (figure ). unthread the needle and tie the ends tightly. cut off what is left and repeat again two and a half inches over. it is best to quilt in rows; that is, to start two inches in from the long side and make a row parallel with the tape. the next row is made two and a half inches farther over and the next row of knots should come in between the first row of dots. [illustration: fig. . quilting] this mattress is made just like yours and the pillow is the next article we will make. the pillow should be half the width of your mattress, as we will use two on the bed. take a piece of material twice the length desired for the pillow. use the same kind of material as that used for the mattress. fold the piece in two with the wrong side out. join the two long edges and one of the short sides with the combination stitch (figure ). make the stitches one quarter inch from the edge. now turn the case inside out and fill with cotton. turn in the edges of the open end and over-cast them together (figure ). as i have said before, it will be necessary to make two pillows. [illustration: fig. . the pillowcase] [illustration: fig. . overcasting the open end] the pillowcases can be made of lawn, cambric or muslin. cut the material a little larger both in length and width than the pieces used for the pillow. the seams of the pillowcases will have to be felled. along the one short side and the long side make fine running stitches, one quarter of an inch from the edge. cut the raw edge from one side so that the other is about an eighth of an inch wider. now fold the wider edge over like a hem so that it completely covers the cut edge and hem neatly to the material. the open end has a wide hem of say three quarters of an inch. when the hem is finished turn the case with the work inside. for the sheets cut two pieces of muslin or lawn large enough to cover the mattress and to turn under. the selvage edge of the material should run the length of the sheet. turn in a quarter-inch hem on the two long sides of each sheet and hem. now turn a one-inch hem at the top and bottom of each sheet. this completes the sheet (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the sheet] a blanket is of course very necessary to have and it can be made of a piece of an old blanket or of canton flannel, cashmere, or plain flannel. if a piece of blanket is used, finish the edges with the blanket stitch which is described in chapter twelve of the book. the flannel, cashmere, or canton flannel is finished by turning the edges over a quarter of an inch and herring boning or cat-stitching them to the material (figure ). for cat-stitching see diagram in chapter nine. [illustration: fig. . the blanket] no bed is complete without a counterpane of some sort and this can be made as fancy as you desire. a pretty one is made of strips of insertion joined together by fine over-casting or fagotting. fagotting is explained in chapter twenty. a row of edging will have to be sewed like a ruffle around the two long and one short sides to complete the counterpane. [illustration: fig. . the crow's foot and spider on checked gingham] if a very fancy counterpane is desired get a piece of checked gingham of some light colour. the check should be a quarter of an inch square. with your needle threaded with white or a shade deeper than the darkest check make spiders on the dark squares and crow's feet on the light. directions for making a spider are given in the chapter on "lace stitches." a crow's foot is made by taking one stitch on the diagonal of the square and two on each side of it, the stitches on each side of the first one being a trifle shorter than the previous ones (figure ). a counterpane like this is very attractive and does not require a great deal of time to make. [illustration: fig. . the envelope opened] a dainty little pin case that will make an acceptable little gift for a friend that is going to travel is the envelope pin case. take a piece of material such as linen, cretonne, or silk and another piece of different coloured material for lining and shape one end as shown like the flap of an envelope (figure ). a good size is nine inches long by four inches wide. cut a piece of stiff paper a half inch smaller than the pieces of material. baste the material which will be outside over the paper so that the edges are folded back one quarter on the paper. turn a similar fold on the lining and hem it to the material as shown on the flap of the envelope opened. [illustration: fig. . the envelope case closed] now take two papers of pins and place them in the case so that they look like leaves of a book. be careful to see that the heads of the pins are on top. now catch the pins to the case with several long stitches which are taken below the points of the pins. stitch a ribbon to flap of envelope and one at the bottom. close the case and tie the ribbons and you have a handy pin case (figure ). v making buttonholes, cutting from a pattern, a doll dress to make a good buttonhole is an accomplishment that any girl can be proud of, as it is the hardest thing in sewing. the thread should be almost double in length to that you usually take, as a joining is very clumsy in a buttonhole. a buttonhole is a worked opening in a piece of material or garment through which a button is to be slipped. the friction caused by buttoning and unbuttoning necessitates that the worked edges should be firmly and well sewed. [illustration: fig. . the first step in buttonholing] before we make a real buttonhole, let us see how the stitch is worked. draw a line one inch in length with the straight of the material. take two stitches one inch long over this line. at the extreme right of the stitches insert your needle, threaded with no. cotton. take a stitch about a sixteenth of an inch below the line. while the needle is still in the material--you are working from left to right--(figure ), carry the thread under its point from the left, to the right side of the needle. the enlarged cut showing this stitch is very plain. the needle is then drawn through the material toward the chest and then straight from it. the next stitch and every other stitch must be identical with the first, the difference being that each stitch is then a little farther to the left. every stitch must be the same length. now let us prepare to make the stitch on a fold. fold a band in three equal parts. pass the needle between the folds and bring it out on the edge. hold the end of the thread with the left thumb. carry the needle to the back of the fold and insert the point through the fifth thread of the material from the edge. the double thread at the edge of the needle is brought around the point of the needle from left to right and drawn out. (figure ). a tailor's buttonhole is made slightly different. the needle is placed in the same position as in the ordinary buttonhole. the thread is brought from the top of the stitch and the doubled thread is brought around under the point of the needle from right to left (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the position of the needle in buttonholing] [illustration: fig. . a tailor's buttonhole] the corners of the buttonhole are worked in two ways, either barred or rounded. the round corners are worked in the same buttonhole stitch, only it is twice the depth of the buttonholing along the two edges. five or seven stitches will be sufficient for a corner or the ridge of the buttonholing will be too crowded. the bar or braced end of the buttonhole is a little more difficult. it is necessary to bar a buttonhole for heavy woollen materials such as men's coats, or your own cloak, or outer wraps (figure ). generally the first end of the buttonhole is rounded and the last end barred (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the buttonhole with one end rounded and the other barred] work around the buttonhole end when the last stitch has been made, turn the material so that the work lies across your forefinger. pass the needle over the extreme left of the stitch, (figure ). work four stitches the same length as those of the two sides of the buttonhole, and then insert the needle through the ridge of the first buttonhole stitch. the ridge of the bar faces the buttonhole. this bar should be just the width of the buttonhole. nine stitches are usually sufficient for it. [illustration: fig. . barring the buttonhole] tailors run two or three strands at the base of the buttonhole before working the nine stitches. the stitches are not taken through the material but only over the threads. a buttonhole is fastened off on the wrong side at the base of the stitch. the most important step is to cut the buttonhole straight. the buttonhole should be a trifle longer than the button. it should be cut in the opposite direction to which the strain will be. for instance on the back of the waist the buttonholes should run crosswise, for the movement of the shoulders spreads the buttonhole lengthwise. on the bands around the waist buttonholes are made lengthwise. a sharp pair of scissors or a penknife should be used for cutting the holes. insert the point of the scissors or knife through the centre of the buttonhole. cut one side, then the other, along a thread of the material. the thread is fastened securely on the wrong side of the left-hand corner. use no. sewing cotton for buttonholes, unless on very fine material, when no. should be used. sometimes it is well to over-cast the raw edges before working the buttonhole. a thread should always start at the extreme lower left-hand corner. the backs of yokes should be fastened with loops and fine buttons. to make a loop, span the thread across the edge of the material in a loop large enough to slip the button through. let the last stitch be on the right-hand side. now place the threaded needle under the strands of thread letting the thread fall under the point of the needle. repeat in this manner till the strands are entirely covered. the ridge or purled edge of this stitch will be on the outside of the loop. [illustration: fig. . loops made of threads] hooks are sometimes caught into loops, but they are made directly on the material instead of sewed on the edge. the strands of thread, however, are not as loose as the buttonloops. the diagram (figure ) of the two loops will convey a clear idea of how the threads are spanned and covered. the last step in sewing is cutting from a given pattern. an old garment that fits well, ripped apart makes an excellent pattern and requires very little fitting. press the pieces before using them as a pattern. lay the material so that the selvage runs lengthwise, that is, from head to foot. only one half of the garment is necessary for a pattern, as the material is doubled or folded lengthwise (figure ). the centre front of the skirt or waist is always placed on the fold of the material and either basted or pinned down before cutting. [illustration: fig. . the centre front on fold] collars, cuffs, bands, and sleeves are cut with the selvage running their length. cut any part of a garment such as sleeves, waist, or skirt through two thicknesses of material so that both sides will be exactly alike. this does not refer to the front gore of a skirt. when the material has a right and wrong side the right sides should face each other before cutting the pattern. handkerchiefs or frills should be cut along a thread so that the edges may be perfectly straight. be sure that the material lies perfectly flat under the pattern. pin the centre first to keep it from slipping before pinning the edges. pin the entire garment before cutting anything, so that you can be sure that your material will be sufficient. this also gives you an opportunity to see where to put the smaller pieces and economize with the material. a large pair of scissors should be used in cutting. the blunt-pointed blade is next to the board or table. it is well to practise on paper and plan the pattern before using the pattern on the cloth. bias bands should be cut on the bias of the material. cut a square piece of material and fold it cat-a-corner. cut along the fold and you will get a true bias. bands to finish the necks of undergarments or around armholes should be cut on the bias. in fact, any curved edge that has to be faced should be faced with a bias instead of a straight band. now suppose we make a real dress for sally ann that will be put together and finished just like one of your own dresses. the style we will select will be on the order of a french dress, that is, a long waist and short skirt. the pattern for the waist is in seven parts: they are the front, side front, back, side back, sleeve, collar, and cuff. the skirt is only one piece. three quarters of a yard of material will be sufficient to make a dress for a doll from eighteen to twenty inches in height. in all patterns that are bought only one half is given; sometimes all the seams--which are a very important part of a dress--are given and sometimes they are omitted. any pattern that is published by a reliable firm tells on the envelope whether you should allow for the seams or not. the pattern is usually of tissue paper and each piece has perforations or holes of different shapes. one shape means this side must be placed on the fold of the material, another shape or perforation the same shape only grouped differently, means that the pattern should be placed on a straight thread of the material. still another means "gather here." if there are tucks in the pattern they are usually indicated. where the seams join each other, little notches are made and corresponding notches are placed together and pinned after the pattern is cut. let us suppose the material is forty-five inches wide. place the centre of the skirt on the fold of the material and pin in place. your pattern should be planned and pinned on a flat surface such as a sewing table. place the pins through the tissue pattern and both thicknesses of the material, letting the head and the point of the pin be visible to the eye. do not cut any piece of your pattern until you have planned and pinned every piece, as that is the only way you can economize on your material (figure ). often a pattern cut before each piece is planned comes to grief if an over-supply of material has not been provided. the centre front is also placed on the fold of the material as well as the centre, back and collar. the sleeves are now fitted in, so that the perforations rest on the straight thread of the material. the side front and back and cuffs are also pinned to the material. the pattern now pinned, take a large pair of cutting scissors and holding the blunt part toward the table, cut close to the tissue pattern, or if no seams are allowed, the width stated in directions should be allowed for the seams. [illustration: fig. . the waist pattern pinned to the material] let us make the sleeve first. take one sleeve and holding with the right side join notches together (figure ). baste the sleeves up on the seams one eighth of an inch from the edge. when the basting is finished make a row of fine running stitches. turn the sleeves on the wrong side and baste them before working the combination stitches. the sleeves are now ready to be banded. the band is taken and sewed on the short side. the seaming is taken on the wrong side of the material. a little seam is taken on each of the long sides of the cuff. fold the cuff in half. the turns or folds are opened out and now turn the cuff inside out. run a gathering thread at the lower edge of the main part of the sleeves starting the thread one half inch from each side of the seam. place the cuff around the sleeve so that cuff seam rests on the seam of the sleeve. pin into position. it will probably be necessary to pull or adjust the gathering thread so that the lower part of the sleeve be just the size of the cuff. baste the band on after it has been pinned satisfactorily before working the combination stitch. [illustration: fig. . notches of sleeve put together] turn the sleeve inside out and fold the cuff in the creases. hem the inner side of the cuff to the wrong side of the sleeve. on the upper side of the sleeves run another gathering thread about one inch and a half from the seam (figure ). we have now finished with the sleeve until the waist proper is ready. [illustration: fig. . gathering the top of the sleeve] now take the centre back and side back and baste them together. join the pieces so that the notches correspond. work the combination stitch three eighths of an inch from the edge. the side fronts are joined to the backs under the arm and on the shoulders. the front is then sewed to the right side of the waist only. it will be necessary to face the centre front piece and the left side front. take a bias strip of material not more than three quarters of an inch wide and fold an eighth of an inch on each side of this strip. join the shoulder seams together, one side of the back to the right side of the front and the other side to back. sew with combination stitches, then make a felled seam as explained for the sleeve. baste the turned fold to the right-hand side of the waist by opening out creased side and placing the two right sides together and stitching one eighth of an inch from the edge. turn the bias over to the wrong side of the waist and slip stitch. slip stitching, as i have explained before, is somewhat like hemming; only the stitches are taken back of the folded edge and catch one thread only of the material. the other bias band is basted in like manner to the left-hand side of the waist. [illustration: fig. . the gathers on the upper part of the sleeve] the sleeves are ready to be put in. measure one and one quarter inches from the under arm seam on the waist, which is the short seam near the front of the waist. pin the seam of the sleeve to this point. pin the rest of the sleeve so that the gathers are evenly distributed. pin the right side of the sleeve to the right side of the waist. baste securely. remember that the gathers should be thickest on the upper part of the sleeve (figure ). stitch with fine back-stitching and then overcast. the neck may be bound or may have the collar attached. turn and hem the outer edge of the collar; a ruffle of lace may be added if desired. baste the collar to the waist, and try the waist on sally ann. if it is a satisfactory fit, stitch in place. it is well to cover the raw edges with a little bias fold. hem the fold down on both sides. the long strip is not joined, but a half-inch hem folded on one side and then stitched. the skirt is plaited or kilted, as it is often called. a hem is made on each of the short sides of the strips. now crease the material as if you were going to make a tuck three quarters of an inch deep. a box plait will next have to be planned; again crease your material as if you were going to make a tuck three quarters of an inch deep. these creases must be exactly three quarters of an inch from the double fold of each piece. measure an inch and a half, then turn the material under so that a three-quarter inch piece is under the left side of the waist line. this completes the box plait. the plaits from there on are folded toward the left, while the first two were toward the right. baste each plait down securely. when working on cotton materials that have a lot of dressing, the creases are likely to stay in without basting, but while working on it the edges are apt to get turned up. basting (figure ) is therefore the surer and safer way to keep the plaits in position, while for woollen or soft, sleazy materials it is the only way. when every plait has been basted lengthwise, take another thread and baste them crosswise three or four times. [illustration: fig. . section of plaited skirt showing how it should be basted crosswise] join the waist to the skirt, taking care that the centre of the box-plait is under the direct centre of the front of the waist. a sash will be needed to finish this dress. it can be tacked in place or little straps of ribbon may be stitched at intervals and the ribbon run through the straps (figure no. a). if this dress had been stitched on the machine it would have been better to make tailored seams on the waist; that is, a narrow seam is taken on the wrong side. the material is then turned back so that on one side of the seam it slightly overlaps the other. baste in place and stitch on the edge. tailored seams do not require any extra allowance of material. they should slant toward the right on the right side of the garment and toward the left on the left side. if the seams were stitched to run in one direction the garment would have a very one-sided appearance. [illustration: fig. a. sally ann's new dress] press all the wrinkles caused by handling the dress in sewing. it is best to lay a damp cloth over the material rather than place the iron directly on the material. you will need a small iron for this dress. press each plait down carefully. take out the basting threads before trying on the dress. there are good, bad and indifferent dressmakers, and i know you wish to be one of the former. sew a row of buttons on the left front of the dress and make little buttonholes to correspond on the right side. vi a lesson in stencilling what is stencilling? let us see. stencilling is a branch of painting. have you heard the story of the baltimore belle in the time of the revolution who was most anxious to go to the first big ball that was to be given after the war? the town had been divested of all the beautiful silks and satins that the great ladies were accustomed to wear. our country had stopped importing these costly materials because there was no occasion to use them and no money to pay for them. an invitation had been sent to one of baltimore's fairest daughters who was intending to go with her cousin. what were they to wear? both needed the festive garments. at last, after a careful canvass of the town, the young man managed to borrow a pair of satin breeches and a flowered coat and all the other articles necessary to make a fine dandy of those days, except the silk stockings. the girl succeeded in finding a piece of white lawn of the coarsest kind that was sufficient to make a frock. in no way discouraged this clever young lady, who luckily could paint beautifully, started and painted little sprays of rose buds on the fifteen or twenty yards required for the gown. this made a very dainty and pretty frock. [illustration: fig. . stencilled curtains] poor george, her cousin, was in despair in not being able to borrow or buy a pair of silk stockings, but clever miss betty hit on the plan of painting his legs with a thick coat of white and then decorating them with clocks on each side, so that no one at the dance even suspected that he didn't have on silk stockings. miss betty's dress was voted to be the most charming dress of the evening. ever since i have heard this story i have wished that miss betty had known how to stencil. what a lot of time she would have saved! i am sure you will agree with me when you know how to stencil. have you noticed the flat gay decorations above the moulding in some houses? well those are stencilled. a painter will cut out a design from a thin steel background; he lays this on the wall and paints over the open spaces in the design. it is the only true way in which he can keep his pattern. all free-hand designs are bound to show a difference in outline. stencilling for home decoration is used on curtains (figure ), portières, rugs, couch covers, table covers, lunch sets, pillow tops, (figure ), bags, counterpanes, as well as for dresses, parasols, wraps, scarfs, and in fact almost every conceivable object that allows the use of decoration. you can get a stencil board from any artist supply shop, but the one you can make at home is cheaper even if it is not quite as durable. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. a single motif being used on a stencilled scarf] in many of the schools, stencilling in its simplest form is taught in the kindergarten. the children are taught to fold a heavy piece of drawing paper lengthwise and draw half a design so that the centre of it is on the fold of the paper. the design is then cut away, leaving the background intact. this method is good for very simple motives. sometimes when we do not wish our design to be so set, we will draw it without creasing the paper. [illustration: fig. . a simple stencilled pillow] the stencil board that you can buy is very hard for little fingers to cut, besides being expensive. to make a stencil pattern, draw a design such as a bunch of violets. let every petal be separated from the other and where the stems should intersect leave a little space between. these little spaces or bridges are what keep the background together. of course, as a usual thing, if you buy a stencil outfit, one pattern or more already cut comes with it. in many of the large shops stencil patterns can be bought separately, but if one has any idea of drawing it is an easy matter to make a pattern. [illustration: fig. . the cut stencil] the design can be traced and cut on a piece of heavy manilla paper: a coat or two of shellac makes the paper stiffer and somewhat waterproof. the advantage of using drawing paper is this, that it may be cut with a pair of scissors, while a stencil board requires a sharp penknife and lots of finger strength to cut the pattern. white shellac is the best to use, as it dries quickly. it can be bought from any paint store. the pattern now cut (figure ), you are ready to do a piece of real stencilling. let us choose the cheapest thing we can get for our first attempt. a piece of cheese cloth for a sash-curtain appeals to me. put in the hem so that the stencil will be sure to be straight. lay a large piece of blotting paper over the board or table on which you are going to work. place the cheese cloth on top of that. try your stencil pattern and measure how many times you can repeat it. it is better to plan a pattern with a small space between each motif so that you will not have half or part of the design left over. stick a pin where the centre of each motif should be. lay the stencil pattern in position and thumbtack it down to the cheese cloth and blotting paper. turpentine and oil are the most satisfactory for stencilling, though there are several patent mixtures sold that are good. the paint can be mixed with the turpentine till it is the consistency of a thick cream or the brush can be dipped into the turpentine and then into the paint. in either case the brush must be wiped quite dry, as the process is more of a rubbing in one than painting. bristle brushes of four different sizes should be in your stencil outfit. they come round and flat, (figure ). the frontispiece shows a child stencilling with the round brush. [illustration: fig. . the brushes] dip the brush into the mixture and be sure you wipe it off on a soft rag before painting in the design. if the brush is too wet the result is a blurred stencil. use a different brush for every colour. when the first motif is stencilled, move the pattern and place it over the next pin. if you want to reverse the pattern, clean it thoroughly with naptha on both sides and let it dry for a couple of minutes before using again. to make a stencilled piece washable it has to be steamed like printed dress goods. this can be accomplished in two ways: that is, by holding it over a steaming kettle, or by laying a wet cloth over the stencilling and pressing with a hot iron. needless to say, a piece stencilled in water colours should not be treated like this. [illustration: fig. . a stencilled bag] water colours or crayons can be used when a piece is not desired to be washed. the latter works in as smoothly as paints. scrim, cheese cloth, linen, crash, burlap, monk's cloth, and arras cloth can be used for curtains or portières. the cost of them varies from seven cents to one dollar a yard. sometimes a small motif is taken and stencilled all over the material. this gives the effect of a printed pattern. five tubes of paint will produce almost any shade under the sun. they should be blue, yellow, red, black, and white. blue and yellow make green; blue and red, purple; lavender, yellow and red make orange. a little black will soften the colours while white lightens the shade. other combinations can be made by mixing three colours together. enough of the paint should be mixed at one time to stencil the entire piece, as it is extremely difficult to mix a new batch of colour that will be the exact shade as the first. ultramarine blue is the shade of the deep sea. crimson lake is a bright red. venetian red is a terra cotta. emerald green is a blue green. sap green is yellow green. ivory or lamp black are the two blacks to be had in oil paints; the former is shiny while the latter is dull. flake white is the term for white in oil paints. of course, you can buy ready mixed in tubes almost any shade you desire, but it is lots more fun to make your own colour combinations, as well as very much cheaper. diamond dyes can be used for stencilling by letting one package of dye serve for one pint. the dyes will have to be boiled in the manner stated in their directions. you will find that stencilling is the most delightful of the home crafts. those who are not fond of needlework will find this a real wholesome pleasure. vii what can be done with one skin; cut leather bags, belts, book covers. etc. there is nothing so handsome for a library table or cushion in a room of dark rich colouring as leather work. these articles are very expensive to buy and are sold in arts and crafts shops or women's exchanges and some of the department stores. you have doubtless seen the dyed whole skin used on a library table, but have you ever seen leather appliqué? that is the design cut out of a leather background and lined, or pieces of leather applied to a background. different kinds of leather may be used for this work. the cheapest and thinnest kind is sheepskin. leather is usually sold by the square foot and one has to buy the entire skin. sheepskin costs about sixteen cents a square foot; some stores charge more for it, while it is possible at a wholesale and retail shop to get it for less. the skins come dyed in all shades. golden brown, dull gray or moss green are the most artistic for general use. many tailors like to trim ladies' suits with leather and for this purpose many beautiful odd shades are dyed. goatskin ranks next to sheepskin and is a trifle dearer. chamois is good for belts or dainty opera bags. it comes in white or cream only. calf is a beautiful substantial skin, as is also russia calf. pebble calf is what its name implies, very rough with a glazed finish. the other side presents an undyed appearance. [illustration: fig. . a well-planned skin] if you get a skin you should not expect to get a sofa cushion as well as a large table mat out of it. a skin carefully cut will give you one large piece and the rest of it can be planned for smaller objects, such as card cases, pen wipers, blotter corners, belts, picture frames, possibly a magazine cover or a bag. the diagram of the skin shows how carefully to cut out and plan every part of it (figure ). let us take the sofa cushion first. a bold conventional design can be used in each corner. one that has each part separate like a stencil design is one that i have in mind. cut each part out carefully so as not to impair the background. a cheaper grade of leather of a tone deeper or lighter can be laid under the design, though velvet is also in excellent taste for this work. broadcloth, satin, and sometimes taffeta are also used. if a shaded effect is wanted a different coloured background can be pasted under each different section of the design. it is a better plan, however, for the amateur to restrict herself to one colour for the background as the finishing of different pieces is no easy problem (figure ). library paste is the best means of making the leather and background adhere, also it does not spot as mucilage does. the majority of leather workers consider that the pasting completes the piece, while others feel that it is necessary to machine stitch along the extreme edge of the cutting. yet again others prefer to work embroidery stitches such as open buttonhole or couching stitches. both of these are explained at length in later chapters. a pen wiper can be made from a piece cut in circular, diamond, or triangular shapes. cut two pieces of chamois leather the same shape. a plain piece of the leather also is needed to back the pen wiper. the chamois pieces serve as leaves on which the pen is wiped. [illustration: fig. . leather appliqué bag] a card punch will be needed to make a hole through the four pieces for the ribbon or cord which holds them together. it is most necessary to plan the design so that it will be appropriate to the object it is to be applied to. the leather should also harmonize with the colour of the room or gown with which it is used or worn. for those who are anxious to learn how to design, books on this subject can be obtained from the public libraries. you should bear in mind, however, that practice makes all things perfect. the different methods of applying the design had better be gone into before we proceed any further. thick manilla paper or artist linen may be used on which to draw the design. the pattern is then thumb-tacked or pinned on a flat wooden surface, on the upper edge only, as it will be necessary to raise the paper off and on during the tracing. an orange stick such as used for manicuring or hard pencil will be needed for the tracing. trace along the pencilled design with a very heavy pressure so that there will be an indented line on the leather. a line once impressed is almost impossible to remove, so great care must be taken to keep the design true. every time you stop tracing there will be a deeper indentation; for that reason in tracing a curved line try to draw a full sweep without stopping. a ruler will be an aid in tracing straight lines. it may be found necessary to dampen the leather so that the tracing will be distinct. in that case dampen the entire piece of leather with a wet cloth. dampening in sections only causes water rings. once the whole leather is dampened, however, it can be redampened in sections without fear of marking. designs for leather may also be applied by means of a perforated pattern and a stamping powder or paste or a transfer pattern may be also used. the leather for cut-work may be cut with sharp scissors and manicuring scissors for round or curved places or two sharp knives of different sizes. a board of soft wood is the best on which to work. [illustration: fig. . a belt of leather of appliqué underlaid] the best kind of paste is one that has been recommended by a successful leather teacher and proves satisfactory to all who have tried it. "bring to a slow boil a half-pound of flour in two quarts of water. add to this mixture when cool, an ounce of nitric acid and a dram of boric acid and a few drops of clove oil." the nitric and boric acid, as well as the clove oil, can be obtained from the drug store. if knives are used to cut out the design, thumbtack the leather before commencing. the paste is applied lightly on the wrong side of the leather, then the lining placed over it. lay the article with the right side up and put it under weights until it dries. any surplus paste that may happen to ooze through can readily be scraped off. a wide range of articles can be made from leather appliqué, whether underlaid or overlaid, such as table covers, bags, belts (figure ), medicine cases, card cases, mirror frames, book or magazine covers, portfolios, memorandum pads, waste baskets, pocket books, bill folders, chair covers, besides numerous other articles. sometimes it will be necessary to have two tracings of the design, one on the leather and one on the other background. leather is often applied to heavy crashes for portières, or pillow tops. a bold conventionalized poppy is an excellent design for portières. paper is often used to line centerpieces or mats. rough tinted cartridge paper can be treated the same as cut leather and the daintiest of candle or lamp shades can be made of them. the design is cut out as in leather and a thin china silk lines the whole. each section of the design may then be coloured the right shade of the silk. for instance, a design of cherries can be painted with orange and red for the cherries and the leaves green, while the paper is of tobacco brown; a narrow gold braid finishes the shade at the top and bottom, while the shade is held together with four tiny gold rivets. viii tooled leather and tools necessary tooled leather is one of the oldest and most beautiful of crafts. instead of weakening the leather it simply makes it more beautiful. a handsome box is made of soft wood or cardboard and covered with tooled or embossed leather and is a possession that a queen might envy. boxes containing tools for leather work can be had for from five to twenty-two dollars for the outfit. twelve tools are in the box. two modelling tools, a steel hammer, two embossing tools, a punch, an embossing ball tool, one cutting or trimming knife, and four chasing and pearling knives (figure ). now i know that there are not many of you who would care to buy an outfit for five dollars, but for home use there is a simple little article that can be substituted and yet you can obtain very satisfactory results. a steel nut pick will work wonders and then, when you feel that you can do very much better work with other tools, invest in a case of them. all leathers are not satisfactory for tooling. the best and most used is russia calf in a heavy quality. one skin is usually the least a dealer will sell. let us suppose we are working on a card case. the design is traced in the manner described in the last chapter, that is, by tracing over the dampened leather. [illustration: fig. . a case of tools] after the design has been traced remove the paper and holding the nut pick firmly in your right hand as you would a pencil, proceed to deepen the lines. the leather must be kept moist or the tool is apt to scratch and break the outer skin. it is a work over which you may become fatigued, but you can just lay it aside till the next day and then proceed again. the deeper the tooled line the handsomer the piece. it will take several hours to tool a card case. another form of decorating leather is with the little geometrical die that was used so much in past winters for decorating the background of etched copper articles (figure ). the little die is placed on the leather with its raised or embossed side downward and one knock from a steel hammer is sufficient to make an imprint on the leather. the entire background is filled out in this manner. hammer with an even pressure otherwise the background will be bumpy. [illustration: fig. . the dies for backgrounds] sometimes you may prefer to have your background pressed or modelled and the design to stand out in relief. in that case take the bowl or thick part of the nut pick or modeller and press the background in flat. if the leather wrinkles when rubbing it change the direction of working. when the work is completed it will be noticed that the modelled part of the leather is darker and quite shiny. designs such as cherries, cat-tails, and most floral forms give a greater opportunity for elaborate working. they can be carried out in relief. this relief is a much more difficult work. in the first place the design is drawn on the finished surface of the leather and then, after another sponging with water, hold the leather up from the table. holding the section to be modelled between the first finger and thumb, work the tool backward and forward under the section. some workers prefer to hold the working side toward them, contending that a greater pressure can be brought to bear on a downward stroke than an upward one. in that case the design is stamped or traced on the wrong side of the leather. the oftener the rubbing is done and the leather is dampened the higher the design will stand forth. the parts to be worked in relief may be done before the background (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a magazine cover] to keep the leather from falling back to its natural shape some workers paste the relief parts. my teacher used a paste that we found quite stiff enough except for large heavy objects. to make this paste an ounce of dextrin is left soaking in water for about sixteen hours. dextrin, by the way, is the only paste which will not stain silk. it is a white powder, and when used as a paste can be dissolved in boiling water till it is the consistency of a thick cream. when used as a modelling wax, however, it requires to be thicker than a cream. after the dextrin is dissolved mix in a pint of scrap leather that has been grated to shreds, and a few drops of turpentine. the scrap leather thickens the paste while water thins it. before applying the paste to the leather the raised side is placed face downward upon the marble. take some of the paste and press it into the hollow places until they are entirely filled. after every space has been filled lay a piece of paper over them and then a cardboard or a piece of board large enough to cover all the design. turn the leather, paper, and board right side up on the working table. while the places are being filled in the design is apt to be pushed a little out of shape. with the finer modelling tool or your nut pick go over the flattened places again. let the work remain on the table for four days without touching it so that it may be thoroughly dried. sometimes you will see a beautiful tinted leather. this is usually done by the means of dyes, or chemicals. for the amateur the former is recommended. the dye is applied to the leather with soft cotton or a sponge. to deepen the shade wet the places desired to be darker two or three times with the dye. to obtain the brightly polished appearance so often seen in a handsome piece of leather rub the piece with your bare palms. a little wax rubbed on your hand greatly aids the work. in all leather work it is necessary to leave a margin about a half inch at least. another paste which may be substituted for the formula given in this chapter is one made of equal parts of sawdust and rye flour with water. the cutting or shaving knife that comes with the outfit is good for cutting the leather. if a deeper indentation is desired than is obtained by tracing the pattern, a slight slit may be made with the shaving knife. of course cutting the leather weakens it and it should only be done on a very heavy piece of skin. the hammer is indispensable for stamping in the little dies. these dies are not usually included in the outfit. the difference between the modelling (figures and ) and embossing tools is that the embossing tools are a greater aid in achieving fine bas-relief work. the embossing ball tool is used to make the deep indentations. [illustration: fig. . a modelling tool] [illustration: fig. . a modelling tool] the punch is to make holes for rivets or through which cords or ribbons may be passed to connect two or more pieces of leather together as on a pad or book. the punch and pearling knives are used in fine carved leather. as one becomes proficient in the art of simple leather work she is tempted to branch out and try more elaborate work. a great many books have been written on this subject which, though perhaps puzzling to a beginner, will be interesting and invaluable if the work is taken up as a serious occupation. the best specimens of this work can be seen at the different arts and crafts exhibitions. ix the simplest stitches in embroidery--chain stitching, outlining, herring-boning, cross-stitching, soutache, coronation braiding it would be hard indeed to say just how many stitches there are in embroidery, as so many are combinations of the others. the ones you will hear about are the simplest ones. some years ago i had a large class in embroidery in a mission school. every seat was taken and many applicants were refused admittance. the supervisor came in one day and said that there was a little girl who was very anxious to join the class and that she knew how to sew. i did not have the heart to refuse her, so in marched little nellie. she was just seven years old and said that she attended sewing school every saturday at her church and that her teacher had taught her _all_ about embroidery. i gave her a little stamped design and told her to chain-stitch it and let me see how well she could do it. about five minutes later i happened to turn around and there was little nellie frantically waving her hand. "teacher, teacher," she said, "that is the only stitch the lady didn't show me." now, as i am most anxious that nothing like that will happen to you, i will start with chain-stitching as the simplest stitch (figure ). it is also one of the oldest stitches in embroidery. every museum that exhibits embroidered articles will have some elaborate designs carried out in fine chain-stitching. if the stitches are worked in filo silk or spool silk the effect is like machine work. [illustration: fig. . chain-stitching, showing how to turn a corner] draw a straight line on a piece of muslin and thread your needle with a piece of red cotton. no knots should be used in embroidery. fasten the thread by taking three fine running stitches and one back stitch to insure firmness at the end of the line. now with the needle in position at the beginning of the line, start by taking a straight stitch on the line. bring the thread under and pull the needle through the material. you have made the first loop. put your needle back into the last hole or as near as possible to it, take another stitch on the line, repeat until you come to the end of the design. take the same length stitch every time or you will not have a good-looking chain. if you will look at the links in your chain bracelet, you will see that every link is the same size as the others. suppose you wanted to chain-stitch a square or a triangle: when you come to the corner do not try to make one continuous line, but carry the needle down through the material at the end of the loop to fasten the link and start the next row at right angles to it. chain-stitching can be put to many uses. it is a pretty stitch to cover a single line in a conventional design. it is also the quickest kind of padding for large designs. when it is used as a padding, the rows are worked close to each other. if the work is to be raised very high, the chain-stitching may be placed in rows one on top of the other. you will, however, hear more about padding in a later chapter. [illustration: fig. . smooth outlining] the next stitch we will talk about is the outlining, (figure ). some people think it is simpler than chain-stitching. it was the first stitch i learned in embroidery, but it is not as pretty as chain-stitching. the first thing i did in fancy work when i was nine years old was a wonderful face cloth with a wild rose on the top, and under it my name and the motto, "_cleanliness is next to godliness_," worked in red cotton. after that i made face cloths for every member of the family. outlining makes one think of plain sewing. there are two kinds of outlining, rough (figure ) and smooth, the difference being in how the thread is thrown. to make the rough outline, fasten the thread as directed in chain-stitching and on the line take a stitch about an eighth of an inch. then work from left to right. let the thread fall under the needle and be sure to keep it this way. a smooth outline is made by throwing the thread over the needle instead of under it; this outline can be used as stems for flowers unless a more elaborate kind is desired. [illustration: fig. . rough outlining] either chain-stitching or outlining is an excellent way to decorate bureau scarfs, pillow tops, or table covers. herring-boning is used for finishing seams on a flannel skirt, or it may be used above hems. the little flannel skirt you intend to make for sally ann this winter should be finished in this way. here is a stitch for which we do not need guide lines, though while you are learning, the lines might be helpful. draw two parallel lines a quarter of an inch apart. take a stitch on the upper line, about an eighth of an inch long. then make one on the lower line, letting the thread fall always to the right. when you have made a row between with the lines, try to work one without lines and see if you can keep the herring-boning straight (figure ). [illustration: fig. . herring-boning or cat-stitching] a plain quilt or cover for the baby can be made very attractive, by working herring-boning around the edge. if the cover is woollen, use worsted or heavy silk for the stitchery, but if it is cotton material, a heavy lustre is recommended. the needle to use depends on the thread. a sewing needle will carry a round cotton thread such as d. m. c., madonna, utopia, royal society, or peri lustre. a crewel needle, which is a needle with a long eye, will be required for silk or worsted. an easy way to thread a no. or no. crewel needle with worsted is to hold the needle in the left hand and double the thread at one end and run the needle through it. hold the thread between the thumb and first finger of the right hand so that the thread is just visible. gently pull the needle out with the left hand and run the doubled thread through the eye. it sounds a great deal harder than it actually is, but it will require very little practice. [illustration: fig. . the first step in cross-stitching] when you went to kindergarten did you have little pierced cards on which you made designs in coloured silks or cottons? well they had these at my school and we made book-marks, needle-books and all sorts of funny little things. if you remember the cross-stitching of the kindergarten days, regular cross-stitching will be a simple matter. the nicest material for this work is java canvas, which is very coarse and stiff. it is ideal for book covers or napkin rings. the holes in the canvas are so large that working on it is almost like play. as java canvas is rather expensive you will find a coarse scrim a good substitute. a lot of boys that i once knew took up this work very enthusiastically, so simple is it. [illustration: fig. . the second step in cross-stitch] do you know that you can make a gingham apron for mother and decorate it with cross-stitching that will last ever so long? get a piece of gingham with squares about an eighth of an inch. cross-stitch it in a shade darker than the gingham or in white or red. the stitches are taken on the diagonal as shown in the diagram (figures and ). if there is a great deal of cross-stitching to be done, the quickest way is to make all the stitches that run in one direction first, and then come back and cross them. perhaps mother has a small piece of cross-stitching that you can use as a model. simple triangles are easy to make. begin the lower row with an uneven number, such as seven, nine, eleven, or thirteen. the next row make two stitches less, dropping one from each end, and so on till you have one at the top. [illustration: fig. . a good hand design in cross-stitching] now suppose that you had a little linen or silk bag on which you would like to have a cross-stitch design, yet this material is not coarse enough for you to use as a guide for the cross-stitching. do not think you cannot do it, for i will show you a way. get a piece of scrim just as coarse as you can find, and baste it over the place you would like to cross-stitch. work the design on it and when the cross-stitching is all finished pull out the scrim thread by thread. sometimes you will have to snip the thread of the scrim if your needle accidentally gets caught in them. (figures , , and .) [illustration: fig. . a cross-stitch design] [illustration: fig. . another cross-stitch design] a very simple thing to do is to braid a dress for yourself. now that all the large pattern houses are carrying transfer patterns you can get a design for braiding very cheap. a little girl i know braided a dress for herself and one for her mother last summer. she used light blue chambray and braided it with white. there are several kinds of braid, but the easiest to use is soutache, whether it is cotton or silk. it is a flat braid and varies in width from one to three eighths of an inch. first stamp your design on the material, or if you have not a transfer pattern you can draw a design on tissue paper, making it as long as required and then baste the paper in right position on your dress. take a stiletto, which is a little tool somewhat like a nail that is used in embroidery for piercing holes, and punch a hole on the line. push one end of your braid through this and fasten the end of it on the wrong side of your material. thread your needle with sewing cotton or silk the colour of the braid and sew it down with little running stitches and an occasional back-stitch to fasten it firmly. when you come to the end of the line or of the braid, carry the end through as at the beginning and fasten. [illustration: fig. a. a fourth design in cross-stitch] coronation braid is beautiful, but oh, so very much harder to sew on than flat braid. there are two ways that coronation braid may be sewed on. the one that i give preference to is stamping the design on the wrong side of the material and holding the braid on the right. a stiletto hole is made on the line and the end of the braid brought through to the back and fastened securely so there will be no likelihood of its slipping. then, holding the braid with the left hand, connect it to the material from the wrong side with fine running stitches. the stamped line on the wrong side will serve as a guide for the stitches. you can feel every time the needle touches the braid. now perhaps many of you are wondering what coronation braid is. it is a braid that looks like fat grains of rice all strung together. there are different sizes of the braid, varying from the quarter inch to the three quarters of an inch size. [illustration: fig. . coronation braid] the second way to sew it on is from the right side with little slip stitches. at the small end it would be wise to take a stitch over the braid to hold it firmly. centre pieces, bureau-scarfs or even towel ends are handsome when decorated with coronation braid, and do you know it is a very easy matter to make designs for yourself, as there is nothing prettier than daisies or wild roses for coronation braid. if the petals are too fine to allow you to use the coronation braid, then you must use one grain for each petal, cutting off the grains as you require them. coronation braid comes in white, delft blue, bright green, or red. the braid is supple enough to turn sharp corners. the daisy, as i have stated before, is one of the principal designs used for coronation braid. braid the flower with one piece of the braid. it is not necessary to cut the braid but at the beginning and the ending of the daisy. the very largest width of coronation braid will be required for the daisy. two grains will be sufficient for a petal. bring the narrow ends to the centre and connect them to the material. in the centre make a cluster of french knots. the effect produced is a daisy embroidered heavily and yet quite different from satin stitch. (figure .) a belt decoration with five or six coronation daisies is very attractive when used on a light summer dress. sometimes the owner prefers to couch the braid down with blue cotton and to work the centre of the daisy in the same colour. [illustration: fig. . a daisy in coronation braid] a row of daisies is improved by working a fagotting stitch which is explained in "simple lace stitches," between the petals. see that the braid is sewed on far enough apart that the lace stitches will not be crowded. coronation braid is also used with crochet stitches for the borders of centre pieces and towels. x smocking, feather-stitching and lazy-daisy stitch smocking is such a fashionable trimming this year that i am sure you will not be contented till sally ann has a smocked dress. why, one cannot take a walk in the park without seeing several little children and some grown-ups, too, wearing smocked dresses. sometimes they are made of fine lawn or pique and then again they are china silk, crêpe de chine, or cashmere. stamped patterns can be had for smocking but they are not at all necessary. nearly every little english girl knows how to smock without buying a pattern and why should not you? the simplest form of smocking is the honeycomb or diamond (figure ). it can be any size you wish. a good size for sally ann's dress is the half-inch diamond smocking. the beauty of the work lies in its regularity. to keep it so, the dots must be spaced evenly. a good way is to have a marking card. take a piece of heavy paper or thin cardboard about six inches long by an inch and a half wide. with a ruler draw a faint line one half inch down parallel with the long edge of the card. draw four other lines below this at quarter-inch intervals. be sure that the space between each two lines is a quarter inch, no more or no less. along the top line measure in one half inch. from this point make dots at quarter-inch intervals all the way across. each line is dotted in like manner, letting each dot come directly under the upper one in straight rows. if mother has a card punch ask her to lend it to you and where the dots are make holes. a stiletto will answer the same purpose as the punch; or an orange stick may be pressed into service. your marking card is now ready. [illustration: fig. . diamond smocking] measure the length you wish to make sally ann's skirt. select a piece of material that will show pencil marks, such as lawn, pique, china silk, or crêpe de chine. it will not be necessary to gore the skirt, as the smocking will form a sort of yoke for the dress. a little frock smocked in blue or red will be nice enough for all occasions. take the material and smooth all the creases out after it is cut the right length. you must allow about the same amount of material for the width of the hem as you do for ordinary skirts. place the smocking card so that the edge of it is on a line with the top edge of the goods. the smocking must be done before the belt is put on. through each of the perforated holes make a dot in lead pencil. after every hole has been dotted, move the card so that there is only one quarter of an inch space before commencing to dot again. in other words, place the card so the dots have the appearance of being one continuous design. thread a no. sewing needle with a piece of red or blue cotton. make a tiny knot at the end. start from the topmost left-hand dot from the under side of the material. draw the first and second dots together. three stitches on the right side will suffice to hold them together. between the second and third dots let the thread span the material on the wrong side without pulling it. the third and fourth dots are drawn together and then the thread spans the space between the fourth and fifth. do you see how we are working? first a dot, then a space, a dot, then a space, until the entire line is finished. the second row is worked exactly the same only instead of starting on the first dot of the second row, start with the second. the third row corresponds with the first and now at last we have formed a diamond. [illustration: fig. . smocking in points] if a little more colour is wanted than just the dot alone, pass a thread along the edge of each diamond under the dots. a suggestion which may prove helpful to you if the material has starch in it is that it is easy to crease each line of dots before starting to smock. if the material is soft the smocking should be stroked or gauged. there is a new term to learn, "gauge." it is the same as stroking in sewing. the english women have all sorts of complicated patterns in smocking, but the one that is most popular is the diamond smocking i have told you about. after you know the principle you can make the smocking as deep as you wish and then try and smock in points. (see figure .) feather-stitching is almost as simple as smocking. it has various other names. perhaps you know it by the name of "brier-stitch." the first and simplest form is the single feather-stitching. a thread as fine as no. sewing cotton or a heavy germantown wool can be used for it. baby blankets or a blanket for yourself are pretty feather-stitched in wool. [illustration: fig. . single feather-stitching] like smocking, patterns can be had for feather-stitching. but the best embroiderers never use them, as their mechanical correctness makes the work too much like machine work. i do recommend, however, a faint line drawn so as to have something on which to guide your line and gauge your stitches. [illustration: fig. . double feather-stitching] let us thread our needle with a piece of coarse blue thread. on a little piece of muslin draw a faint pencil line across it. commence from the upper right-hand side of the line. take a short stitch about three sixteenths of an inch on the right of the line, slanting to the line. let the thread come under the point of the needle in each stitch. the second stitch is taken on the left side of the line the same distance over and the same in slant (figure ). [illustration: fig. . triple feather-stitching] [illustration: fig. . four on each side] double feather-stitching is two stitches to the right, two to the left and so on till the line is finished (figure ). in fact you can make three, four (figures and ), or five stitches or even more if you wish on each side. the prettiest little border can be made of feather-stitching in circles. take a quarter or a fifty-cent piece and draw a faint line around it on the material about one inch from the edge. move the piece till it overlaps the pencilled circle and draw another circle. repeat as many times as necessary to go around the skirt, sleeve, or section you are decorating. a row such as this makes a pretty decoration around the sleeves and neck of a night dress or the ruffles of drawers. marking cotton no. or no. should be used for feather-stitching underwear. infants' dresses, bibs, or petticoats of lawn or any very sheer material of cotton or linen should be worked in fine marking cotton, either nos. , , , or . just a word about threads. there are several different kinds. the most popular and best known are d. m. c., madonna, royal society, and utopia. the numbers run about the same. some teachers recommend one certain kind, but the result obtained from using any of them is almost identical. [illustration: fig. . seaweed-stitch] there is a pretty little stitch that can be made with a foundation of double feather-stitching. we used to call it "seaweed-stitch" when we were youngsters. i remember i made a white cashmere coat for my doll and used the seaweed-stitch along the hem and above the opening, and on the cuffs and collar of the coat. it was embroidered in rose coloured filo silk. a row of double feather-stitching was worked in the usual way. at the end of each stitch a little van dyke point or v was worked. try it yourself and see how dainty it is (figure ). a good way and something new for decoration is the feather-stitchery used like festoons on the hems. the way this is done is to take a compass and make a circle about two and a half inches in diameter. cut it out in heavy paper or thin cardboard. baste the hem in place and then trace one-third of the circle. repeat in like manner till the hem has the appearance of large scallops. along the lines work the single or double feather-stitching in no. marking cotton through the two thicknesses of the material. pull out the basting threads from the hem and then carefully cut away the material within each scallop on the wrong side of the hem. in other words, the upper part of the under hem is cut close to the stitching. cut right down to the feather-stitching. only thin materials are pretty worked like this, as the doubled material gives a milk-white appearance, while the upper or single parts are transparent. a lazy-daisy stitch worked in the centre of each scallop adds further beauty to a feather-stitched hem such as has been just described. the lazy-daisy has been aptly called because it requires a stitch to connect each petal to the material. another name for this lazy-daisy stitch is the "bird's-eye" stitch (figure ). it is used to represent clovers, daisies, or leaves. the stitch is made, if for a daisy, from a common centre. bring your needle up from the centre of the daisy and take a stitch the length of the petal. let the thread come from the left under the point of the needle. pull the needle through the material on the right side. a short stitch at the end of the petal catches it down to the material. the needle is now brought back to the centre and the next petal made in the same manner. any size daisy can be made like this from the quarter to a two-inch size. remember that the larger your daisy is the more petals it should have. as fine thread should be used for the little flowers and the heaviest silk or lustre for the big ones, it is a wise plan to faintly mark in pencil the daisy. one line will be sufficient for each petal. if you do this, you can then be sure that each petal will be the same length as the last. [illustration: fig. . the lazy-daisy stitch] a charming little yoke can be made of groups of fine tucks and rows of the daisies. xi couching, shadow work and turkish stitch how to stamp designs the more one does of fancy work the more fascinating it becomes. every new piece presents an opportunity for new stitches and colours. we have talked a lot in the first chapters of this book as to the different implements necessary for sewing and by now i am sure you have a well-equipped sewing box or basket. now it will be necessary to add considerably to your work box for embroidery. the crewel needle which i mentioned in the ninth chapter is the most important implement. get a pack of assorted nos. from to . they will answer every purpose unless you need a large tapestry needle for couching. the most unfortunate thing about a crewel needle is that the eye has the bad habit of breaking. this is caused from the steel being so fine at the top that vigorous working snaps it off very quickly. a tapestry needle is like a large crewel needle, only it is much stronger and the eye is very large. a stiletto of ivory, bone, or steel should also be in your box. an orange stick can be substituted for a stiletto in case of emergency. a small pair of scissors, too, should be included to cut the ends of silks or pare away the material after buttonholing or making an eyelet. i have kept the most important till the last. that is the embroidery hoop or rings. really you would be surprised to see how many different kinds there are in this world. first there are the black celluloid ones that have their good points, but they do not stretch over the material. then there are the common wooden ones that have sharp edges that catch and fray the silk on every turn. there are some wooden ones that have a felt lining and whose edges are an improvement on the cheaper kind, but they also do not stretch over thick fabrics. the kinds that have a spring and may be adjusted to any size desired have their advantage, but the spring catches the silk also and of course that will never do for fine work. the simplest, best, and cheapest kind is the pair that is made at home. get two pairs of the cheapest rings, even if their edges are rough. one pair should be small enough to set inside of the other. they vary from the smallest to the largest circular kind, each one setting inside of the other. select two pairs that come next in size to each other. the most convenient size and ones that can be used for all kinds of work are the six inch. take the larger hoop of each pair for your work. now cut a piece of canton flannel in half-inch strips, or if mother has the coloured selvage left from a piece of flannelette, get that. the largest hoops should be wound over and over like the hoops they use in schools for fancy drills. the other hoop should be padded before winding it. to pad, lay strips two or three thicknesses deep around the hoop and then wind thickly like the other hoop. hoops like these never leave marks on the material, as often happens with the celluloid or wooden hoops. another point is that the sheerest material, such as chiffon, can be used in them, while if a heavy burlap or crash is embroidered over them a little of the winding strips can be removed for the time being. there are other things you might find handy for your box, but it is no use getting them till you have occasion to use them. now we are ready to make use of some of the things just described. the tapestry needle will be brought into use for our next stitch, which will be couching. it is a beautiful old stitch that is often used as an outline. it can be made as a heavy thick cord, or yet again it need only be the size of a fine string. the expression is often used, "couch a cord on." cord is used instead of threads and lustre on pieces where only the effect is wanted. [illustration: fig. . couching] to couch with a number of silk or lustre threads select a no. tapestry needle. cut the skein of silk so that you will have the longest length of thread possible. thread your needle with all the strands in the skein, if the eye will carry them. make a stiletto hole in the cloth on the line of the design. bring the tapestry needle through to the back (figure ). a crewel needle is threaded with a single strand of silk, the same shade or lighter or darker if you desire. fasten the silk ends down neatly on the back of the material with the single thread and bring it up one quarter of an inch from the hole and span the cluster of silk threads. the threads are caught down in this manner at quarter-inch intervals. when the end of the line is reached, the cluster of threads is again taken through to the back of the material. couching is a stitch that you will hear more about in later chapters. the turkish or ismet stitch is another name for cat-stitching or herring-boning. see figure . the stitch is taken vertically instead of horizontally, as in cat-stitch. turkish stitch gets its name from the embroideries from turkey (figure ). it seems to be the favourite stitch of the turkish ladies. [illustration: fig. . turkish stitch] have you ever noticed how many pieces of turkish embroidery are worked on coarse unbleached muslin or tan linen? the colours are generally bright green, blue, coral pink, chestnut brown, purple and then outlined in black or gold thread. shadow work, is not that a funny name for embroidery? but you can understand why it is called that when you see a piece worked. it gives the appearance of a design under the cloth, as all the stitches are taken from the wrong side of the material. the design is drawn or stamped on the wrong side. lawn is usually selected for the background of shadow work because of its transparency. a heavy cotton such as no. or no. marking cotton or d. fine lustre is necessary. daisies or chrysanthemums are most popular for shadow work on account of the smoothness on their edges. not that it is impossible to work an indented edge, but it is more difficult. [illustration: fig. . the right side of shadow stitch] to work the shadow stitch, place your work over your embroidery hoop with the design side up. start to work a petal from the heart of the flower. do not use a knot. the stitch is like cat-stitching (see figure ). first you take a stitch on one side of the petal, then you pass over to the other side. be sure you take the same length stitch every time. the stems are worked in outline stitch. shadow work from the right side looks like back-stitching (figure ). it is used on aprons, shirtwaists, or bureau scarfs where a good effect is wanted with very little work. there are two ways of working the leaves of daisies or chrysanthemums in shadow work: first, and the best in my opinion, is to start and work from the top of the leaf to where the midrib commences in the design. now work from the midrib to the outer edge on the right side of the leaf. the left-hand side is yet to be filled in. start from the base of the leaf and instead, however, of putting the needle through the material by the midrib catch one thread upon the midrib and then take a stitch on the left-side edge of the leaf, up to where the midrib ends. the other way of working a leaf is to outline the midrib first. then start from the base of the leaf and work across the entire leaf. the former way is the better, because there is not such a wide stretch of thread on the wrong side as in the latter method. batiste, organdy, and lawn are the usual materials used in america for shadow work, but in england, where more substantial materials are generally liked, tea cloths of linen in shadow stitch are often seen. tiger lilies are good for any large piece. the effect of shadow work on linen is as if a padded design was placed on the material. white is the nicest for working shadow stitch on waists, especially as colour is apt to cheapen the effect. remember that a design drawn out in pencil soils the cottons or silks and necessitates the article being washed before it is used. you can buy patterns for embroidery so cheap and in such excellent taste that it pays one in the end to use them instead of drawing on the material. there is the perforated design that can be had from five cents up. it is the oldest and in some ways the most expensive pattern. the perforated paper is laid, with the rough side up, over the material on the ironing table or any other flat surface. an especially prepared powder that embroidery shops sell for stamping designs is the best to use. a pouncet is several layers of felt rolled together, or a piece of wood covered with felt. rub the pouncet in the powder. see that the pattern is weighted down so that it will not slip while you are working on it. rub the powder in with a circular movement. lift the weights from the lower edge of the paper, and gently raising the pattern see that the design is well on before removing the pattern. a hot iron will be necessary now to set the powder. every time you use the iron just clamp it down on the design. wipe it off on an old piece of cloth before you press it again on another section of the design. each time the iron touches the powder, part of it adheres to the iron and the design would be spoiled if the iron was used again before wiping it. after the design has been set, the iron can be used freely over the whole work. there is another method of stamping with a perforated pattern, and that is placing the smooth side of the design face upward and using a blue paste that comes in cake form. the pouncet is dipped in kerosene or naptha and then rubbed on the paste. apply to the paper as directed for the powder. this method requires no iron, but care must be taken not to get the pouncet too wet or the design will run. a third method for stamping is one that requires to be rubbed with the back of a spoon. the fourth and newest method of stamping is by the transfer designs. the patterns are in different colours. place the transfers with the bright or raised surface next to your material and press with a heated iron. some patterns require a very hot iron, while for others a moderately heated iron suffices. you can make a perforated pattern yourself by drawing a design on a piece of paper and using a sewing machine to perforate along the lines. xii buttonholing and wallachian embroidery embroidery buttonholing is a little different from the buttonhole stitch used in sewing. it is a stitch that is most used to finish the edges of centre pieces, scarfs, and, in fact, any article where embroidery is wanted to finish the work. you know that it is possible to use a fancy stitch, such as the turkish stitch described in the last chapter, but in that case the material will have to be turned back and hemmed. the twill or purl of buttonholing, as the little ridge on the edge is called, serves as a resistance for the material from fraying out. the buttonhole stitch is the most popular in embroidery. it is the foundation for many other stitches. feather-stitching is really an open form of this stitch. as a usual thing it is necessary to pad before working buttonholing. it raises the work and makes it much more durable as an edge. the padding can be done in either running-stitch or chain-stitching. let us take for our first example the straight buttonholing. it is the simplest form. cover the space between the lines with coarse, running stitches. let the background be medium weight linen. the padding thread should be no. or no. marking cotton, or two strands of white darning cotton makes an excellent padding. the stitches can be fully one quarter of an inch in length. take up a single thread of the background so that the padding will be all on the top of the material. this keeps the work well raised on the right side and perfectly flat on the wrong side. an extra row or two toward the outer edge of buttonholing raises the edge prettily. chain-stitching is a more rapid way of padding, but should only be used for coarse work. remember that the wider the buttonholing the more padding will be necessary. the padding should be worked over your embroidery hoops, keeping the work as near to your fingers as possible. the actual buttonholing gets a rounder effect if done over the finger, though it is possible, of course, to do it over the hoops. again, no knots in buttonholing. thread your needle with no. marking cotton. make three little running stitches and one back-stitch to insure firmness in the starting. let your thread come up slightly under the lower line of the buttonholing. with your left thumb holding the thread down to the material draw your thread to the right, take a stitch over the padding, bringing the needle out slightly below the lower line. the thread should fall under the point of the needle in each stitch. the next thing we learn in buttonholing is a scallop. the deeper the scallop the more difficult it is to make a good corner and to keep the slant of the stitches right. when you buy a stamped piece of embroidery, select a pattern that has a shallow scallop and one where the points are not too sharp. in working a scallop the stitches should slant vertically in the direct centre, slanting the other stitches toward this point (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a simple scallop] the object in carrying the needle slightly beyond the stamped line is that all the stamping may be well covered. a stitch that is taken directly through the line shows the stamping. the diagrams (figures and ) show how to work a simple scallop and one with a sharp scallop. a good deal has been written about the cutting of scallops, but the safest and wisest is to wash the piece before cutting out the scallops. a pair of small embroidery scissors should be used to cut the material away close to the twill of the buttonholing. if a scallop is cut before it is washed it frays so much that the edge has an untidy look. [illustration: fig. . a sharp scallop] some women work a row of machine stitching close to the lower edge before padding it, as a preventive from fraying, while others insist on cutting the material to allow a hem on the wrong side only. try the first way and see if you are not successful. another point to bear in mind in buttonholing is that the stitches should be taken very close to each other. if a piece of buttonholing is well done it is hard to distinguish one stitch from the other, and yet they must not be made one on top of the other or the buttonholing will be rough. wallachian work gets its name from a little community in pennsylvania. it is a german word and is nothing more than coarse buttonholing. it is especially appropriate on heavy waists, centre pieces, pillow tops or work bags. a finer form of it looks well on sheer waists. the rings or circles are worked from a centre like the spokes in a cart wheel (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a wallachian ring] [illustration: fig. . wallachian stitch] the leaves or petals of a wallachian figure are worked on the slant, and here is the difference from ordinary buttonholing and the distinctive feature of wallachian embroidery. usually the petals have an indented top and a line running through the centre. begin at the lower right-hand section and take a short stitch on the line as for outlining. the next stitch is taken close to this from the midrib to the outer right-hand edge. the stitches need not be quite as close as in buttonholing and no padding is required. continue in the same slant to where the centre line stops. the stitches from this point radiate till they are in a good slant to continue down the left side. note the stitches in the diagram (figure ). some people do not slant their stitches and the result is that the work is not as pretty and loses its chief charm. placing your thimble on a piece of material, make a little circle around it and in the centre make a little dot to practise the wallachian ring on. [illustration: fig. . a whisk broom holder in wallachian stitch] you will find that your thimble or spool is a great help to you also in making scallops. draw a line with the ruler just below where you want your scallop to be. inscribe half a circle with the aid of your thimble or spool on the straight line. just within this half-circle draw another half-circle that will touch the upper line of the scallop. a ten-cent piece or in fact any coin can be used like this. embroidered pieces should be washed by themselves, especially if they are worked in colours. a little girl i was teaching some years ago was very slow in working a centre piece. she finished the piece one day just before her term was over. thinking that she would surprise me, little daisy decided to launder the piece herself. her mother knew nothing about embroidery, so was not able to tell her how to proceed. so daisy washed the piece and having seen how mother bleached the linens, daisy desired to give her piece a sun bath. she spread it out in the sun and when she went for it the colour was half out. poor little daisy was heart-broken. she would not have had this trouble had she observed the following directions: put the piece to launder in warm water and rub it with a pure soap, such as castile. ordinary laundry soaps are too strong of lye to be used. if the piece is very soiled let it soak a long time, several hours. usually washing the piece out in water is sufficient. rub with the hand only. rinse in clean water and lay the piece on a thick cloth or a turkish towel. roll the towel up and leave until the piece is almost dry. lay the embroidery, with the worked side down, over a heavy padded surface. press with a hot iron quickly. if the centre of the piece puckers, dampen it again till you have pressed it out thoroughly. if you fear to put the iron directly on the piece lay a thin white cloth over it and then press. many a really beautiful piece is spoiled in the laundering. xiii roman cut-work, fancy buttonholing for borders, work bags, bermuda fagotting roman cut-work or colbert embroidery is one of the prettiest forms of buttonholing. the right way to work it is to make the stitches so that each one is distinct from the other. some people insist on crowding the stitches as in regular fine buttonholing, which is quite a mistake, as its distinctness lies in dissimilarity to the ordinary buttonholing (figure ). the work is used for centre pieces, corners of lunch napkins, coat sets, as well as on heavy linen dresses. in scotland the little girls make the entire yokes of their night gowns in cut-work as well as the top of their night gown case. these cases are placed on top of the bed pillows during the day and are marvels of fine handwork. this custom is not restricted to scotland, but italian, french, and german women are also proud of their night dress cases. the design for roman cut-work should be bold and not too close together. it should be stamped directly on the material. the american way of working it is to run a line of fine stitches on the outline and then work a row of buttonholing. the stitches are a little less than an eighth of an inch deep. the background spaces between the design are then cut away close to the buttonhole edge. do not neglect to wet and press the linen before cutting the buttonholing. keep the twill of the buttonholing on the outer edge of the design so that the background will be bordered with the twilled edges (figure ). [illustration: fig. . roman cut-work] the european method of roman cut-work is to run the thread first and then cut the material so that there is an eighth of an inch extending beyond the running stitches. this is turned under till the running thread forms the edge and then the buttonholing is worked through both thicknesses of the material. this way prevents the linen from fraying. the design is basted over a piece of coloured paper, letting the basting stitches follow closely the buttonholing. the wide spaces are then filled in with a simple lace stitch such as the twisted bar, woven bar, or spiders. sometimes the spider is used in conjunction with one of the former stitches, and it is an excellent stitch for filling in the corners. marking cotton no. or no. should be used for roman cut-work, as well as the lace stitches. [illustration: fig. . a roman cut-work centre piece] to make the twisted bar, plan the open spaces so that they will be well filled and yet not too crowded. span from one side of the space to the other with the thread, then return and whip the thread or stitch three or four times. the stitches may be connected and have the appearance of a series of points (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the twisted bar] the woven bars are made by working two threads across the space about one eighth of an inch apart. start from one end and weave. take up one thread on the upward and the other thread on the downward pass. continue in this manner till the whole bar is woven. the bars are placed at equal distances apart (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the woven bar] the spider is a little more complicated. it is made on an uneven number of threads, usually seven. they may be double or single. to make the whipped or double-thread spider, span the space with the thread and then whip back to the centre and connect the thread to the buttonholing again at some little distance from the first stitch. whip back to the centre again and take a stitch directly opposite. continue in this manner till there are five, seven, or nine threads around the centre, then proceed to weave under one and over the next thread until a good-sized spider is made. do not make too large a spider, as it detracts from the work. an illustration for the single spider is given in the chapter on lace stitches. [illustration: fig. . blanket stitch] the blanket stitch is a favourite for working the edge of flannel skirts or quilted covers. worsted or coarse silk can be used for it. it is made on the raw or folded edge of the material. two stitches are long and two are short. sometimes they are worked like a pyramid. beginning at the base we increase each stitch till we reach the point and then decrease each stitch in length as we work back to the base on the other side (figure ). the triangular buttonhole is a pretty stitch for a conventional design that has long narrow sections. it may also be used for working a very large simple scallop (figure ). the way we were taught in school was to mark the section to be worked in deep points. the twill of the buttonholing must come on the lines. the stitches are not very close to each other. the stitches are taken on the line across to the next line. begin at the longest opening and make every stitch shorter. when the line is covered, turn the work so that the twill of the buttonholing touches the top of the stitches just made. if this stitch is used on the outer scallop it will be necessary to hem the material, letting the triangular buttonholing form the edge. [illustration: fig. . the triangular buttonholing] then there are fancy forms of buttonholing that are used especially in mount mellick work. the double buttonhole stitch is effective to fill in the large leaves. the stitches are taken in groups of two, then a little space and two more stitches. continue in straight rows. sometimes one will see a leaf worked one half in double buttonholing and the other half in a close stitch. [illustration: fig. . the honeycomb stitch] the honeycomb or mesh is a fancy name for another form of buttonholing. work a row of buttonholing about a quarter of an inch apart. the distance may be changed to suit the design you are working on. in the second and all other rows, the needle is over the buttonhole loop directly above and a short stitch taken a quarter of an inch, or the distance you have decided on, below the loop. in starting each row bring the needle up a quarter of an inch, or more or less as you desire, below the previous row. the distance must be kept even to achieve satisfactory results. it is not necessary to start from one side always. the first row is worked from left to right, the second from right to left and so on, back and forth, till the space is filled (figure ). bermuda fagotting is the name of a stitch that gives the effect of drawn work, when no threads have been drawn. it is used on scroll designs as well as to outline a simple floral pattern. lawn, dimity, china silk, handkerchief linen, or nainsook are the prettiest materials for this stitch, as it demands a fine, transparent background to give the right effect. [illustration: fig. . diagram of stitches] sewing cotton no. or and a special needle are the only requirements for this work. the needles can be bought from any art needlework shop for five cents each. it is like a large-sized carpet needle with a small eye. a carpet needle can be substituted if it is not possible to obtain the regular needle in your locality. tie one end of the thread to the eye of the needle. while practising this stitch it will be necessary to make guide lines. on each side of the design line make a row of dots an eighth of an inch apart. the dots above the line must be directly over the lower dots. note the diagram (figure ) of this stitch. i have numbered the first six dots. take a stitch from one to three and tie the end of the thread under this point. make the stitch a second time from these points, pulling the material between them closely. pass the needle underneath and connect one and two with two stitches. then pass to point four and connect two. three and four are connected in the same manner. it is only necessary to tie the thread when commencing the work or a new thread. the needle is so large that it makes quite a hole in the material and the thread is so fine that the manner of working is not clear to the average eye unless a detailed explanation is given (figure ). [illustration: fig. . an enlarged drawing of bermuda fagotting] when working on a curved line or a corner it will be necessary to make an extra stitch on the outer or longer side only. the scroll lines or stems of a conventional shirtwaist design are more dainty when made in bermuda fagotting. the corners of handkerchiefs or a design on underwear or yokes and collars lend themselves to this style of adornment. xiv satin-stitch and marking the more interested we become in embroidery the more we find how much more there still is to be learned about it. there may be embroiderers who are experts in one branch of the subject and yet who will do very unsatisfactory work in another. for instance, one girl may be very proficient in fancy stitches and yet may not do the simple stitches or vice versa. few american girls excel in the satin-stitch, not because it is hard, but it must be perfectly accurate. the average german, swiss or french child can do better satin-stitch at the age of twelve than the average american woman does. from the time the children in those countries can hold a needle in their hand they are taught to sew and embroider. [illustration: fig. . a letter in satin-stitch] satin-stitch is a stitch that is taken over and over across a space. sometimes it is quite heavily padded and at a first glance gives the appearance of a piece of material heavily raised. fine designs should, however, be slightly padded. there are three ways in which padding may be done. there is the running or uneven darning, the chain, or the filling-stitch. a great deal depends on the smoothness of the padding. the chain-stitch should only be used for coarse work. the padding should not cover the stamped outlines, for they are needed as a guide for the satin-stitch. the padding is usually worked in a heavier thread than the outer stitches. darning cotton that comes in four strands is often used. one or two strands is sufficient. [illustration: fig. a. satin-stitch] the prettiest satin-stitch is taken straight across. the stitches should not be crowded, but should be worked so that when the embroidery is finished the stitches are hard to distinguish one from the other. [illustration: fig. b. satin-stitch dot] the old english letter "e" (figure ) shows a good example of satin-stitch and outlining. the latter was used on the single lines. the entire letter may be carried out in satin-stitch by first running the single lines with uneven darning stitches and then covering these with fine satin-stitches. make the padding stitches as close together as possible, or the satin-stitches will be uneven. the letter "c" (figure ) offers an opportunity of combining two colours. after the satin-stitch has been done, a little back-stitch is worked through the centre of the heavily padded sections. this combination of stitches is pleasing when colour is used, as the satin-stitch is in one colour and the centre stitches in another. a great many of the regular sewing stitches can be used instead of the embroidery ones. for the very fine lines, back-stitching can be used, making the stitches finer than those used in ordinary sewing. [illustration: fig. . satin-stitching and seeding] the letter "a" of figure shows a good combination of satin-stitch and back-stitching. [illustration: fig. . satin-stitch and back-stitching] satin-stitch can be worked straight across or on the slant. most of the modern work is straight, though a great many germans still prefer to slant their stitches. the work should be held toward you and the needle straight. the padding should be worked lengthwise on the design and the satin-stitch in the opposite direction. the chinese do beautiful embroidery, usually in satin-stitch which is not padded and the finest of silks are employed for the work. another way of marking is to make a row of french knots along the outline design. a single line script letter lends itself best to this kind of work. [illustration: fig. . a simple letter in back-stitching] for bath towels an outlined letter is better than a padded one. the letter on a school bag or a heavy turkish towel should be very simple as the wear they get does not warrant the spending of too much time on them. if there is a monogram to be made it is prettier if the initials of the christian name be light and the surname heavy. we learned about outlining in the first chapter of embroidery stitches, but outlining in combination with outer stitches is a little surprise for you. we have the german to thank for most of the good combinations of stitches or letters. after the letter has been outlined in white, we will say, a thread of colour is taken. starting from the upper left-hand side the needle is passed under the first stitch of the outlining, up through the second stitch and down again through the third, till every stitch has been taken up on the needle (figure ). the threaded needle should not pass through the material except at the beginning and end of each line (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a pretty combination stitch] [illustration: fig. . a letter in fancy stitch] another manner in which a letter may be embroidered, especially an old english letter, is to work it solid in white and outline it in colour. the van dyke point is good also where a broad space is to be filled. it is sometimes called the bird's-eye stitch. [illustration: fig. . a simple way to work a letter] start at the top and on the left side of the letter or space it is to fill. insert the needle on the right side and take a stitch to the centre on a slant like a buttonhole stitch. fasten to the material with a little short stitch. bring needle out at the extreme left and repeat directions until the space is filled. each stitch forms a v (note figure ). sometimes you will find a very elaborate letter, the outline of which has been worked in satin-stitch or french stemming. little eyelets or satin-stitch dots are worked between the lines. [illustration: fig. . van dyke stitch] when two or more letters intertwine they are called a monogram. it is not every set of letters that will make good monograms. letters that have a good swing should be selected so that though they intertwine each letter should stand forth clearly. it is permissible to use the surname initial a trifle larger than the christian initial. when monograms are composed of three letters and one of the smaller letters is placed on either side of the larger one the effect is very pleasing. the smaller the letters, the finer the thread should be. no. or marking cotton can be used for letters one half-inch in size. a three-quarter inch letter should be carried out in no. marking cotton. a one-inch letter requires no. cotton, while the two-inch letters take no. and so on. the larger the letter the coarser the cotton. [illustration: fig. . a letter in van dyke stitch] [illustration: fig. a. seeding] the beauty of a monogram is to have something original. perhaps you want to work your bag. take a tea cup and place on the material in the position you desire the monogram. run a faint pencil line around the cup. draw a block letter in the centre so that it touches the upper and lower edges of the circle. your two christian initials are then placed one on each side of the centre letter. try to fit the letters so as to keep the circle perfect. it may be you will not really draw block letters, but so much the better, as the monogram will be more original. if it is impossible to make a complete circle with the letters, embroider the sections of the circle between the letters in stem-stitch. stem-stitch, you will remember, is an outline-stitch covered with the over-and-over or small satin-stitch. a monogram of this sort is especially appropriate for a man's handkerchief. a twenty-five-cent piece, or a fifty-cent piece if it is a very large handkerchief, should be used for the circle. seeding (figure a) may be combined with satin-stitch in working monograms. seeding is nothing more than a series of little back-stitches. a good effect is obtained by working one letter in satin-stitch and the other in seeding. it will be necessary to outline the outer edges of the seeded letter. you have probably noticed the gold emblems and lettering on the sleeves of army officers' regimentals. they are generally worked in bullion, though sometimes gold thread is used. bullion comes in gold and silver and at the first glance looks like the oriental gold or silver threads. the difference is, however, that bullion is tubular, while the threads are usually composed of two or three strands twisted together or over and over a thread of red cotton. the red cotton makes a strong foundation for the gold threads and, by the way, do you know that all silk that comes on spools has a fine thread of cotton running through the centre? the purer the silk the less cotton is used, but the latter is very necessary, as the threads will not stand very much strain if they are all silk. now let us get back to emblems in bullion. it is necessary in bullion work to have a fine cardboard foundation which is called "the cartoon." trace your design on the cardboard and then cut the design out. baste the cartoon to the background, which may be of any material you desire. broadcloths, silks, satins, and velvets are the materials usually selected for the work. thread a fine needle with a piece of silk. fasten the thread on the wrong side of the material and bring the needle up through the right side. let us suppose that you are working the block letter a. start from the apex of the letter. cut a piece of the bullion just the size of a very small bead. slip the needle through the cut piece of bullion and span the point of the letter. continue in this manner till the cardboard is closely covered with the bullion. each piece of bullion is cut to fit the space it is to cover. in working a five pointed star, start and pad each section lengthwise, if it is to be embroidered in silk or cotton. for bullion work the cartoon is always necessary. work each section of the star from the point to the centre. work from left to right, so that each section that is worked is to the left. papier-maché letters can be bought that may be used as a padding. they are very satisfactory for anything that is not to be laundered, but continual washings flatten the papier-maché, while if the padding is made of cotton it lasts as long as the background. handkerchiefs for yourself can be daintily marked in very fine feather-stitching in d. m. c. marking cotton no. . remember to keep the stitches in a pretty slant. there are numerous places that a letter or monogram can be used. a girl i know who is at a boarding school has marked all her bed linen and towels. for each pair of sheets and two pillow cases she uses a different style letter or monogram so that her linen is in sets. cross-stitching is appropriate for bath towels, although face towels are often very attractive worked in this stitch. the question often arises as to which is the right place to put a letter or monogram on a table cloth, napkin, pillow case, or sheet, and though you may not be interested in any of these articles at present, it is well to know these little points when helping to mark the household linens. napkins are usually marked with the letter in the direct centre when folded. of course, like many other things, there are fads for changing the position. one extreme style is to mark the letter in the direct centre of the napkin. this style necessitates folding the napkin in a fancy shape so that the embroidery will be seen at its best advantage. there are two good ways to mark a table cloth. one is to place the lettering midway between one corner of the table and the hem. when the cloth is on the table the letter is below the top. the second and newer way is to have the letter on the top of the table on a line with the plates. if two sets of letters or monograms are used place them at diagonal corners. on sheets the letters should be placed two and a half inches above the hem. the letter is worked so that when the sheet is folded back the base of the letter is toward the foot of the bed. pillow cases or towels are marked in the centre of one side, two inches above the hem. again let me impress upon you not to embroider white washable material in silk, thinking that because silks are more expensive they are better. silks are apt to discolour in laundering. cottons are now manufactured that have a high gloss like silk and yet they never discolour. [illustration: fig. . a handkerchief corner in satin-stitch] another pretty and new way to mark letters on lawn or fine linen handkerchiefs is one that gives the effect of bermuda fagotting and yet it is only hemming with a large needle (figure ). draw the letter in pencil on the handkerchief. thread a large tapestry or chenille needle with a piece of no. linen thread. cotton thread may be used but it is very apt to break. tie one end of the thread to the eye of the needle so that it does not slip out. thread another needle with a strand of no. marking cotton and pass it to the back at the beginning of the letter. unthread the needle, allowing a half inch to extend out of the back. let the no. cotton follow the lines of the letter and take a stitch into the material with the large needle. work from right to left, holding the no. cotton from you. pull the fine thread tight around the stitch you have taken. now pass your needle around the same group of threads of the material, holding the stitch over the heavy cotton. work around the entire outside of the letter, then turn and work the inner line. stitch again through the hole already made, taking up the same group of threads. sometimes this style is called ladder-stitch, as the heavy cotton gives the effect of the side of the ladder and the groups of threads represent the rungs. any design that is uniformly narrow can be carried out in ladder-stitch. [illustration: fig. . a simple letter for towels] xv eyelets and french knots, bullion stitch, and other fancy stitches. the most beautiful of the embroidery stitches is the eyelet, and it is also one of the hardest. a piece of embroidery that is thickly covered with eyelet-work and possibly a little satin-stitch and buttonholing is commonly termed madeira embroidery. one will often see a piece of the madeira embroidery so closely covered that it is almost impossible to put another stitch in between the embroidered spots. about fifty years ago it was a matter of impossibility to buy machine embroidery, and eyelet-work was one of the last things made by machine. it was an easy matter to distinguish the hand-work from the machine-work up to about five years ago. a certain regularity of the stitches and the kind of thread used proclaimed it machine to even the amateur. now-a-days the crafty manufacturers stamp the material to imitate the hand-made embroideries and use a thread of the same quality so that sometimes the professional embroiderers find it hard to distinguish it from the real. if you should ask a boy who has watched his mother working one, what an eyelet is he will probably tell you that it is cutting holes in the material and sewing them up again. to his mind this is a great waste of time. [illustration: fig. . baby's bootees] besides being ornamental, the eyelets often play an important part. they are used to run ribbon through in corset covers, night-gowns and other pieces of underwear, as well as on bags, baby bootees, (figure ), caps and carriage covers. no machine beading can impart the elegance that a well-made eyelet does to a personal garment. eyelets can be either round or oval. for a small round one run a tracing thread on the outline. let each stitch take up but one or two threads of the material. use no. or finer marking cotton for small eyelets. with your stiletto pierce a hole in the outlined edge till it is just the size of the stamped eyelet. now with the same thread sew around the opening with close over-and-over stitches. the stitches should only be the width of the stamped line (figure ). they must be even, else you will have a "pig's-eye." [illustration: fig. . the way to work an eyelet] for the large round eyelet, as well as the oval, in all sizes it will be necessary to cut the material within the outline which has first been traced with the running thread. the cuts should be made lengthwise and crosswise, right to the tracing thread. the cut material is turned under to the wrong side and the eyelet worked as just described. after the embroidery is finished turn the material over and any part of the cut cloth that extends beyond the stitches trim off. your fine embroidery scissors should be used for the cutting. [illustration: fig. . the round eyelet] sometimes you might like to make an eyelet to represent a grape. some embroiderers call it a shaded or padded eyelet. after the eyelet has been traced make another row of tracing or padding below the lower half of the eyelet. start from the centre side of the eyelet and make the second tracing deeper on the lower portion of the eyelet. if any space is left between these two rows of tracings fill in with other rows of uneven darning (figure a). [illustration: fig. a. a padded eyelet] when eyelets are used on the outer edge of a design, they should be buttonholed. [illustration: fig. . a simple centre piece in eyelets] the next stitch to claim our attention is french knots. in france they are known as the english knot. they are used to fill in the centres of flowers. when working a piece of golden rod the natural effect is best produced by using french knots very close to each other. a row worked on each side of a row of feather stitching makes a pretty decoration on babies' dresses, caps or even on yokes of dresses for yourself. [illustration: fig. . an eyelet design for a pillow] a heavy thread is good to practise making the knot. the actual size or kind of thread to use should depend partly on the kind of material and partly upon the other style of work or stitches that you intend combining with it. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. many a happy hour is spent embroidering] to work the knot, fasten the thread securely on the wrong side and bring the needle through to the right side. now hold the thread down with your left thumb. with the right hand put the needle over and under the thread until there are three or four coils of the thread around the point of the needle. now hold these coils down with the left thumb. turn the needle so that its point will go down through the material as close as possible to the place through which it came (figure ). [illustration: fig. . french knots] a pretty idea for making knots for dress trimmings is to thread the needle with two strands of silk, each of a different colour. bullion stitch is an elongated french knot. it is used considerably in mountmellick embroidery, to represent grains of wheat. small leaves and daisies are oftentimes carried out in bullion stitch. to make the stitch we will say that we are working on the conventional daisy. bring the thread up to the base of the petal. insert the needle so that the length of the petal lies on top of it. (see figure .) twine the thread around the needle point until there are as many coils as the length of the petal. the left thumb should hold the coils in place while you are twisting them. the needle is now drawn through the material. it is put through the same hole, or as near as possible to the one from which it came. keep the left thumb holding down the coils until the stitch has been fastened. another way to accomplish bullion stitch, which has the same appearance, but which really is a very much slower method, is to lay a heavy thread the length of the stitch desired and then neatly wind the cotton over it. it requires a heavy cotton to work this successfully. [illustration: fig. . bullion-stitch] an embroidery needle should not be used for either french knots or bullion stitch, as the eye is apt to stick when pulling it through the coils. a large sewing needle should be substituted. [illustration: fig. . an elaborate piece of buttonholing and satin-stitch] any girl can make dainty and original designs for eyelet work if she will invest in compasses. as has been stated before, eyelets vary in size. the size that is most effective for decorating heavy linen or cotton is an eyelet a little less than half an inch in diameter. a larger eyelet is often used, but it requires a good deal of patience and experience to keep it in shape. with the compass hundreds of designs may be used. the most popular as well as being the most attractive is the simple daisy. a circle is drawn to represent the centre. a quarter of an inch over from the centre circle, or less if you wish to, draw six other circles so that they form a ring around the centre dot. a design such as this can be used on a ruffle of a petticoat or between tucks on dresses while for a whole linen piece there is nothing handsomer for a scalloped or hemstitched centre piece, doily, bureau cover and many other articles on which a bold, open effect is appropriate. the wall-of-troy design is a good one for compass work, only it is suggested to faintly rule the design then inscribe the circles so that their centres are on the line. for instance, suppose you want to make a border design about an inch and a half deep. take your rule and keeping on a straight thread of your material draw a two-inch line, then leave a space, then draw another line, so on to the end. an inch and a half above these lines draw another row of lines just over the spaces of the first row. connect the ends of the lines together. plan so that there is a circle at the points or corners of each line. between these dots on the horizontal lines make two more circles, while on the vertical lines make only one. these instructions are for a circle the size described; for a smaller eyelet it will be necessary to add more circles to the lines. a still simpler design is one that is made on a square, that is, with a dot at each corner and one in the direct centre. the dots must be kept the same distance apart. the italian girls will make the most elaborate designs of compass work on strips of firm, heavy muslin for ruffles for underwear. they are not like the american and french girls, who will only wear the sheerest kind of light material. the advantage the italian girl has over her french and american sisters is that when she embroiders a garment it lasts for years, even if it is constantly used, while delicate embroidery is apt to have a very short life on account of the background. to the american girl this is no drawback, as she is always craving for new things. sometimes a thimble, spool, or even a twenty-five cent piece is used instead of the compass when a large eyelet is required. an edge of eyelets is very handsome on a collar and cuff set or handkerchief. they should be placed so that after they are worked they touch each other. the entire eyelet may be carried out in buttonholing or the lower half may be buttonholed and the top worked in the regular way. after the work has been completed dampen the edge and press before cutting out the material from underneath the lower edge of the eyelet. it is possible to work the eyelet without any buttonhole stitches and yet use it for an edge. in that case a little padding is required and the stitches should be close together. a linen hat that has a simple scallop edge and a simple design on the brim and crown is a treasure that usually only the wealthy enjoy. it is nice to know how to embroider, but unless we put to use the things we know our knowledge is like a white elephant on our hands. after a careful study of the diagram of the stitches you desire to make and reading the description as to how to make it, a little child could almost work a hat, but the mounting of a hat is not so simple. yet, what is the use of taking time to embroider one if you do not intend to make it up? eyelet work is particularly dainty on a hat as it gives a lacy effect. the material should be a medium weight linen so as not to be too stiff. at one time butcher's linen was thought to be the only kind to be used, but of later years a softer linen is preferred. lingerie hats have been used for years, probably long before you were born. every year the shape varies a little. one year it is a narrow brim sailor, next year it is a wide brim, then again a high, next a tam-o'-shanter crown. the last four years it has been the mushroom shape. for most faces there is nothing more becoming and girlish than the latter (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a lingerie hat] sometimes the mushroom shape is covered with hand-embroidered ruffles, while again a circular piece having the crown cut out is used. the size of hat varies by what fashion dictates, so it is hard to say just how large your linen should be cut. a twenty-two or twenty-four inch circle makes a neat little shape. after the embroidery has been worked as described in the first part of this chapter, the frame is prepared for mounting it. a wire frame is lighter and more satisfactory than a buckram frame. the first thing to decide is, how are we going to face the hat? tucked ruffling, net, dotted swiss, or fine ruffles of valenciennes lace may be used. most people prefer to cover the entire frame with cheap, fine lawn before facing or covering the hat. this is done by placing the hat on the lawn, the brim touching the material, and cutting a circle a trifle larger than the brim. cut a circle out for the crown and slip the lawn over the frame. if the crown is too large to allow the lawn to be slipped over it a wide bias band of the lawn can be used to cover the brim. the bias strip should be just the depth of the brim. for the crown, cut a circle large enough to cover the top and use a bias band around its sides. tack the muslin to the frame by long basting stitches. it will be necessary to pass under the wire when taking a stitch to keep the material in place. the tucked ruffling can be bought by the yard, trimmed with a row of narrow lace. the entire thing is banded. to adjust a ruffling of this sort place the band around the edge of the crown and tack the ruffle in position at short intervals and at the extreme edge of the brim. net or dotted swiss is pretty shirred or corded or even put on plain. a strip three times the length that it would take to go around the brim plain is cut the depth of the brim. this band is cut on the straight of the goods. a shirring string is run on both sides. the strip is placed in position and pinned taking care to distribute the gathers evenly. the shirring string under the crown is pulled up first and the material over-handed to the frame. the gathering thread on the outer edge of the brim is also adjusted like this, only instead of over-hand stitches, fine running stitches are preferable. then a small heading is made on one side of the strip that is to be shirred. the heading makes a pretty, soft finish at the edge and does not require any great length of time to do. allow three quarters of an inch, or more, in the depth of your ruffle if it is to have a heading. turn one edge of the material to the wrong side. the turn should be a little more than a quarter of an inch deep. the gathering thread is run a quarter of an inch from the folded edge of the material. when the thread is pulled up the heading is formed. if the material is to be corded, baste a narrow round cord like a corset lace inside the material. the cord is placed where it is desired and the material is folded over it as for a tuck. a running thread is worked close to the cord to keep the two pieces of material together. the threads are afterwards drawn up to bring the fulness of the ruffles to fit the outer edge of the hat. three rows of cording are quite sufficient on the edge and the other two rows at equal intervals from the outer brim to the crown. the ruffles of valenciennes lace are adjusted by pulling the drawing string on the edge of the lace, and basting the first row of lace on the extreme edge. the second row just touches the first, and so on, filling as many rows of lace in as required. the embroidered piece is then washed and the brim placed. the edge is tacked at intervals while around the crown the stitches are taken very close together. the tam-o'-shanter crown is pulled in shape by a gathering thread, if it is cut in a circular shape and the gathering is all on the edge. cut the circle large enough to make a pretty tam-o'-shanter. the embroidery decoration may be in the direct centre of the crown. if the design is a small one it can be scattered over the crown to give an all over effect. there are many ways that a lingerie hat may be trimmed and it is hard to say which is the prettiest. a black ribbon band and a bow is simple but severe. white taffeta ribbon may be used the same way if an all white hat is wanted. in fact any shade of ribbon is attractive used like this. the illustration shows a pretty way of trimming a lingerie hat for a girl of about fourteen. a narrow coloured ribbon is used around the crown and a rosette of leaves with rose buds and forget-me-nots is attractively placed on one side. sometimes coloured linen is used for the hat and in that case the embroidery may be worked in the same shade as the linen; or white. the hat is then trimmed with white or black. a coloured hat is not as practicable as a white one, as the former is apt to fade and may not be as becoming as the white. a baby's buttoned hat is made of two circular pieces scalloped out at the edges, one piece being four or five inches smaller than the other. the large one is used for the brim. the head size is cut out of the direct centre and then bound in tape. three inches from the crown opening sew a circular row of buttons, a half inch apart. use a washable linen, lace, or crochet button for this purpose. one inch from the edge of the crown make as many buttonholes as you have buttons. a pair of daintily hemstitched strings that are attached, one on each side of the crown opening, completes this charming little hat. it can be easily unbuttoned and laundered flat. these hats are made of duck, pique or heavy linen. they are the nicest thing you can make for your little sister for the summer when she wants to play in the sun. xvi long and short, kensington embroidery, and ribbon work for simple flowers it is the ambition of every one who starts to embroider to make a piece of flower work and though the floral designs are most fascinating to embroider they are by no means as artistic as the conventional. the way to embroider a piece of flower work and obtain an original colouring is to get a natural flower and place it in a vase in a position that you can clearly see the light and shadow. the best flower to start with is a daisy. note that the petals are not a dead white, but there is a suggestion of green toward the centre of the flower. get mercerized cotton to work with at first until you become accustomed to the stitch. there is no cut and dried rule in regard to the colouring, but the art of shading a piece naturally is a lesson that is very essential for the embroiderer. to many people the term embroidery means flower work and only after a course of instruction they discover for themselves how much more artistic and in keeping with most rooms is a conventional design. flower work, however, is not to be despised as you will learn more about colour combination and kensington stitch in one piece of this style than any kind of embroidery. [illustration: fig. . long and short stitch] all flower work has long and short stitch on the edge of the petals or leaves that do not turn over. daisies do not have turn over leaves as often as a double rose or chrysanthemum. suppose we draw a very large daisy on a piece of white muslin. with your needle threaded with white lustre start from the right-hand side. take one stitch on the line. place your needle back near the same point from which you started. take a short stitch that goes a wee bit outside of the stamped line past the first stitch. the object of going beyond the line, is that the stitch completely covers the stamping. the third stitch is taken at the same slant, only longer. the fourth is a short one and so on, first one short and then one long until the top of the petal is reached. remember, though, these stitches are only on the edge. the left half is worked the same, but the stitches slant a little differently. a good rule to mention right here is, that all stitches should slant to the heart of the flower. in leaves they slant toward the base. the inside of the petal, when the long and short stitches are completed, should be irregular (figure ). the kensington stitch gets its name from an english school of embroidery. it is more like outlining than any other stitch. after the edge of the flower has been worked in long and short stitch, the kensington stitch is used to give the solid effect. the piece must be held all the while in a tight fitting pair of hoops so that it can not sag in the least. if the petal is long, two or three rows of kensington stitch will have to be worked to fill it in. if silk is desired, two strands are used for the edge and one strand for the kensington stitch. the stitches are dovetailed into each other. each row must have an irregular lower edge, else they will look like bricks laid one on top of the other. the stitches should be so worked that it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the kensington stitch] three shades of green are sufficient for the leaves until you are quite expert. in working them embroider on the edge of the lower half of each leaf with the second shade and the upper part with the lightest. work one side first using the second shade under the lightest and the third under the second. work to the midrib only. it is not necessary to work in the veins, but if they are desired they are put in after the leaf has been worked. do not hesitate to cover the stamped veining on the leaf you are working, as the next leaf will be a guide to where to place the veins. they may be in the lightest or deepest shade of green, while sometimes a reddish-brown is substituted. the centre of the daisy may be satin-stitch or a cluster of french knots. if the dot is worked from the centre to left and from the centre to right you are more apt to get a perfect outline than when starting from one side and working to the other. as a usual thing the lightest shade is on the outer edge of most flowers, but there are a few exceptions, like wild roses and some species of pansies in which the deepest shade is on the edge and toward the centre it is lightest. the stems may be worked in satin-stitch or kensington in wood shades or deep greens, whichever give the more realistic effect to the flower. it is a great mistake to use white for the background of flower work. cream or pale gray make a very much softer and more pleasing effect. sometimes a little of the stem brown can be worked into the leaves. have you ever seen a lace spread or centre piece with flowers embroidered on it? you might think that the worker was more than ordinarily clever, but really any one who can embroider flowers can do this. baste a piece of fine lawn on the section you desire to embroider and stamp it with a spray. embroider in the usual way and when the spray is finished neatly cut away any of the lawn that extends beyond the flower without cutting the lace. the result is that the piece has the effect of a natural flower resting upon it. the finer the silk used the more delicate shading can be accomplished. there is another way to represent flowers that is particularly beautiful. it is known as ribbon work or rococo embroidery. the ribbons especially made for this work vary from slightly less than one quarter of an inch to a little more than a half inch in width. the colours do not range in such long lines as the silks. in fact it is rare to find a shop that carries more than ten colours. sometimes the ribbons are shaded. they are soft and do not crease quite as readily as an ordinary ribbon. a no. crewel needle is about the right size for the narrow ribbon, while the half inch ribbons need a no. . [illustration: fig. . ribbon flowers] forget-me-nots, conventionalized small asters, and little roses are suitable for the narrow ribbons. satin, moire, broadcloth, or heavy silk are used for the background and the daintiest of needle cases, jewel cases, handkerchief bags, belts, and other little accessories may be evolved from a small piece of silk and a few yards of ribbon. the design is stamped on the background and all the single lines or stems outlined with filo silk. let us imagine we are working on a spray of forget-me-nots. the needle is threaded with six inches of the narrow green ribbon. slip your needle from the under side of the material drawing all the ribbon through but a quarter of an inch. one stitch is generally sufficient for a leaf, though sometimes the leaves are wider and require two or possibly three stitches. the ribbon serves the same purpose as silk. the one point to remember is that the ribbon should not be twisted. naturally in pulling it through the material several times it becomes so wrinkled that a short piece works to better advantage than a long one. the flower is made in the same way, one stitch for each petal and when completed a french knot is made in the centre of the flower (figure ). the ends caused from starting and finishing off are fastened or caught down with a piece of fine thread on the wrong side. do not pull your stitches. the work is very much prettier when it lies soft and full on the background. it is well to make use of every piece of fancy work you do and yet sometimes a new thing may strike your fancy and you would like to make a small piece. a card case is acceptable to every girl and it is a good plan to make them to match your visiting dresses. take a piece of material five by ten inches long. three inches from one of the short edges stamp a design that will not occupy a space larger than three inches long and two inches deep. the length of the design must run parallel with the short edge of the material. the bottom of the stamping must be five and a half inches from the short edge of the material. [illustration: fig. . a card case] a little spray of lilies of the valley on a green silk background makes a dainty case (figure ). get a piece of stiff tailor's canvas and cut it to measure eight and three quarters inches by four inches wide. a piece of china silk the same size as the satin will be needed for the lining. it is best to select the shade of silk that harmonizes with the outside material. with a green cover a lining lighter or darker is suggested. the latter is preferred as the constant fingering of a light colour is apt to soil it. cut all three pieces so that they are true oblongs; two and a quarter inches from the short edge make a crease. two and a half inches from the first crease or four and three quarters inches from the outer edge make another crease and cut along it, thus separating the stiffening in two. [illustration: fig. . the foundation of the card case] two and a half inches on both sides of the now short edges of the piece that is not creased draw a line from side to side and crease. on the extreme right-hand side measure down one and a half inches from the corner and make a dot; measure up from the lower corner and make another dot. the space between the dots should measure one inch. take a twenty-five cent piece and place on the space between the dots so that the edge of the material is under the direct centre of the quarter. make a semicircular curve on the canvas around the quarter. cut along the pencil lines (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the canvas interlining] the stiffening now ready, baste it to the lining. see that all creases have been smoothed out of the china silk lining before basting. place the two pieces of canvas so that there is an equal margin on all four sides. the cut edges of the canvas must be placed one eighth of an inch apart as shown in the diagram (figure ). on one side is the four and three-quarter inch piece and the other is the four inch. pin or baste the canvas through the centre to keep it in position. with a threaded needle cat-stitch the silk to the canvas, care being taken to see that the stitches do not appear on the silk side. cat or catch-stitching is another name for herring-boning, which is explained in the chapter on feather-stitching. before turning a corner, cut off a small piece of material to prevent the corner from being bulky. treat each corner in like manner: when you come to the little curved part, slash the material so that when it is folded over the canvas it will fit perfectly smooth. fold the canvas and lining along the creases originally made in the canvas. an iron pressed over them will help to make them stay in position. the embroidered piece is then placed over the wrong side of the canvas. a half-inch turn is made on all sides. turn this half inch toward the wrong side of the canvas. sometimes a layer of cotton batting is laid under the embroidery between the canvas and satin. the satin piece is basted to the canvas. the folded edge of the satin and the folded edge of the silk are overcast with tiny stitches. fold back the two sections of the case and over-cast each side (figure ). your card case is now completed. [illustration: fig. . the inside of the card case] a bill folder is made in the same way, only that the ends are not stitched together to form pockets as in the card case. it is always well to know how to make pretty, attractive pieces of needlework that will make acceptable gifts for christmas or a birthday. nearly everybody has a hobby. sometimes it is saving receipts, sometimes keeping newspaper clippings, and then again it may be keeping theatre programmes. it is well to consider what gift is most suitable for the one that is to receive it; to make for the faddist an envelope to keep her clippings will be just the thing. [illustration: fig. . the way to make an envelope] take a piece of brown linen ten and a half inches by nine and a half inches. fold it in half so that it measures five and a quarter inches by nine and a half inches. stamp a spray of daisies or wild roses on one side and mark what the envelope is supposed to hold, such as receipts or clippings. brown linen does not soil as easily as white. embroider the flowers and the lettering, then dampen the linen thoroughly and press on the wrong side. now take two pieces of cardboard that measure eight and a half inches by four and three quarters. cover the cardboard with the linen, use long stitches as described in the needle case, except that two pieces of the cardboard are placed side by side on the brown linen. now take two pieces of brown paper the same size as the cardboard and cover the stitches. paste should be used to make the paper stick to the linen. [illustration: fig. . the envelope] [illustration: fig. . the case completed] make six envelopes by taking six pieces of paper nine by thirteen inches and cut a two and a half inch square from each corner (figure ). one inch over from where the squares are cut make a star. there are eight such points as you note. connect the dot to the corner by a line. cut the paper along the lines. fold the ends in, then fold the bottom flap over these and paste. fold the top flap over without pasting (figure ). now, holding these six envelopes in the case with bottom edges touching the space between the two cardboards, punch three holes through linen, cardboard, and envelopes. take a half a yard of ribbon and run through the holes and tie the ends in a bow on the corner. take another half a yard of ribbon and cut in two. fasten a piece on each side of the cover (figure ). these two pieces are tied in a bow and keep the base of the case closed. xvii hardanger embroidery for squares, pin cushions, and spreads we have to go back to the foreign embroideries to find those that are beautiful and yet substantial enough to last beyond the usual life of a piece of fancy work. there is nothing we have originated in embroidery on this side of the world as rich as hardanger work, and yet it is comparatively little known. the background for this work is a loosely woven material like scrim or basket weave materials such as java canvas or the regular hardanger canvas which is imported. it is lots of fun working hardanger in wool on java canvas as it goes so quickly, and after we have learned the stitches we can work it on as fine a canvas as we desire. the simplest stitch is the block. thread a large tapestry needle with a piece of heavy wool. on your piece of java canvas work a little block. the worsted is on the right side of the canvas, and then taking a stitch over four threads of the canvas bring the needle up on the next opening to the right on the same line as the first. five stitches constitute a block; a space of four threads is then left and the next block started, (figure ). a great deal of hardanger has these blocks running at right angles to each other with no space between the blocks. mistakes cause a great deal of trouble and sometimes it is necessary to rip out quite a lot of stitches before they can be rectified and for that reason you must be very accurate in your counting. [illustration: fig. . the block] [illustration: fig. . the star] the star is another favourite figure in hardanger work (figure ). four stitches are taken over four threads of the material, side by side, then five stitches over eight threads of the material and then four again. this forms one side of the star. the second side is made exactly the same only that at the base of the thirteenth stitch the first stitch of the second side starts forming a right angle. the star has four sides as you will note in the diagram of this stitch. now count and see if there are twelve threads on each of the inner sides of the star. if you find any mistake go over it and straighten it out. there must be twelve threads on each side. cut four from each corner. this will leave four threads directly in the centre of each side. with a piece of embroidery cotton about the weight of a thread of your canvas weave the bars. the weaving is very simple, over one and under the next till the bars are woven. some of these bars have little knots on the outer centre edge of each. they are called picots (pronounced pe-co) and they are made somewhat like a french knot. the bar is woven half way across and laying the needle on the bar the thread is wound around the needle point. hold each twist down with the left thumb (figure ). the needle is drawn through and the result is a little knot on the thread near the stitches. a little stitch is taken into the woven part of the bar and the thread carried over to the other side of the bar and another picot made. [illustration: fig. . the picot] for an ornamental stitch to be used on the material between the stars or blocks make a diagonal stitch like the first stitch in cross stitching (figure ). pin cushion tops are easy to make and the following instructions are given for cushions about four or five inches square. take a square of scrim or hardanger canvas eight inches large. it will be necessary to pull a thread so that the material will be quite straight on the edges. pull out four threads about one and a quarter inches from the edge on each side of the material. turn a quarter-inch fold on one side and crease the material again so as to make a half-inch hem. baste it down so that it just touches the drawn threads. repeat on the four sides. be sure that at the corner the double thickness of drawn threads are exactly over each other. we are now ready to hemstitch the hem. thread the needle with no. sewing cotton. run the thread under the hem and holding the double part of the hem toward you take up four threads of the material. pass the needle again around this group and now into the hem. continue in this manner around the four sides. at the corners it will be necessary to take up both thicknesses of the material. crease the finished square in four. count sixteen threads upon the crease from the hemstitching and with lustre no. c or heavy linen thread "aa" make a little block of four strands of floss over four threads of the material. make a flight of eight blocks each at right angles to the other. now instead of continuing in the same direction turn and work seven more groups down and to the left. turn again to the left and work seven blocks for the third side of the square. six groups to the right of the third row completes the square. [illustration: fig. . a simple ornamental stitch] [illustration: fig. . a good arrangement of picot] now with your fine embroidery scissors cut close to the stitches of the three blocks at each corner. the cut threads are drawn out. four more cuttings will be necessary on each side. they should be made against the stitches only; that is, the threads that are running in the same direction as the stitches should be cut. figure shows where the cuts were made and the threads drawn out. the remaining threads are woven. a mercerized or dull finished marking cotton is used for the weaving. it may be either the plain weaving or may have picots on each side of the bar. another pretty arrangement of picots is to place them on one side of the bars so that they appear in groups of four each facing the other (figure ). sometimes a lace stitch is used such as the spider or simple loop stitch. directions for making a spider will be found in the chapter on lace stitches. the loop stitch is made by taking a stitch in the centre edge of each bar. take a stitch just as if you were buttonholing. buttonholing the edge is preferred by many to hemstitching. a pretty stitch often seen bordering a row of drawn work is made in pyramid form. it can be as deep as desired. first take a stitch over two strands of the material then three, then four, then five and down again to two (figure ). this stitch must be worked of course before any of the threads are drawn. [illustration: fig. . the pyramid stitch] if a little larger and more elaborate square is wanted, take a piece of material nine or ten inches square. make a star, skip four threads and work the open squares described for the smaller pin cushion. on the opposite side of the square, directly across from the first star, skip four threads and make another square. at the other two corners of the square make a star (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the hardanger square pin cushion] the german peasant girls are proud of their aprons with a border of hardanger embroidery. it is a common thing for them to have a border fifteen or eighteen inches deep. often they will make yards and yards of a pattern, say four inches wide, and they will insert it above the hems on sheets and towels and cut out the background material. there is no nation on earth as thrifty as the germans. a german girl i know who is only nineteen years old has her entire bedroom fitted up with hardanger articles that she has made herself. first there is the bedspread and bolster, each most elaborately embroidered with an all-over design. then there is a round pillow (the edge buttonholed) and a square pillow as well as the bureau scarf and pin cushion. if she bought the articles already worked she would have paid hundreds of dollars for the outfit, while the actual cost was only a few dollars. nearly all the best of fancy-work shops sell small pamphlets on hardanger work that are not expensive and after one is familiar with the foundation stitches it is an easy matter to follow the designs they give. xviii appliquÉ on linen and other materials and hedebo embroidery appliqué, or laying one material on another and stitching or embroidering them together is one of the simplest forms of embroidery that even the indians years ago knew how to do. how many of you have not seen on an indian woman queer shapes cut out of leather and ornamented with beads used for a border on her skirt? there are two kinds of appliqué, underlaid and overlaid. most of the work is the latter kind. the underlaid is a little more difficult to do. it will be explained at greater length later in this chapter. appliqué is such easy work that you will almost think it a mistake not to have heard about it before, but after all it is really necessary that we should know the simpler embroidery stitches before we attempt an appliqué piece, so that we can decorate it in the manner to suit ourselves. the european peasants work some of the crudest specimens of appliqué, yet their colour schemes and choice of material are good. for instance, russian crash, which is sold at the towel department of many of our large department stores, from twelve to twenty cents a yard, and which is very narrow, usually about sixteen inches wide, is often employed as the background of their portières. before the russo-japanese war it was possible to get russian crash as wide as forty inches. it is made by the peasants in their homes from the waste ends left from weaving linens. you have no doubt read of how poor russian peasants live in hovels in the same room with the cow, if they are fortunate enough to possess one, and their pigs. necessarily the work they do is not very clean but the artistic qualities of the crash overcomes the fact of the dirt. the better class of peasants will take three strips of crash and connect them together with coarse sewing or lace stitches and then apply circles of broadcloth, or coloured linens on them. other geometrical figures are often applied. i heard of a southern family the other day who are so thrifty that they allow nothing to go to waste, not even the old coats and trousers that have played the double rôle of clothing the father and then have been cut down for johnny. after johnny has had all the wear possible out of them grandma again cuts them, this time in the shape of leaves, and sews them on a large muslin circle, one overlapping the other. this forms a mat for the dining room. i am telling you this story not that you may imitate it, but rather to let you know that after all we have women here that are as clever and thrifty with their needles as the european women. [illustration: fig. . a pillow in hedebo embroidery] for appliqué work the design is cut out and the wrong side covered almost to the edge with a paste made of starch and water. when a complicated piece of appliqué is to be worked, stamp your design on the background. then on the right side of the material to be appliquéd, or on the wrong side of velvet, lay a piece of transfer paper. place the design on them. with a blunt pointed instrument go over the line firmly till you have a tracing of the design. if the lines are not quite clear go over them with a pencil. cut out each piece and paste it to the background. the edges may be machine stitched or satin-stitched or outlined. a cord, also the couching stitch, makes a good finish. very clever representations of animals can be made by appliqué. take a duck, for instance. the breast can be white felt, the head dark green velvet. the wings dark brown and the back and tail a lighter brown broadcloth. the legs and the bill should be canary-coloured taffeta silk. cut each section so that it slightly laps over the other. appliqué underlaid is accomplished by stamping the design on the wrong side of the material and then cutting it out. the background is left intact like a stencil. a piece of material of a different colour is laid under the cut piece of material. the raw or cut edges may be treated in many ways. the material may be turned back and stitched by machine or the edges may be finished with buttonholing stitches, couching, fine satin-stitch or chain stitch. the turning back of the cut edges requires that they be neatly done or the embroidery will not show to its best advantage. hedebo embroidery is in no way connected with appliqué work, but like the latter it is a branch of needlework that few people in america understand. without exception it is the most elaborate form of white work. the stitches give the effect of being very difficult, but this is not so. the work requires a lot of time and careful planning of the stitches for which buttonhole stitch is usually the foundation. [illustration: fig. . an elaborate design in hedebo] [illustration: fig. . part of a hedebo collar] hedebo is worked on a finely woven linen. the design is stamped directly on the material. a thread of d.m.c. no. or spool linen thread outlines the figures. within the design, the linen is cut one eighth of an inch from the running thread. this eighth-inch extension is then turned under the stitches and basted down. a small piece of dark green oilcloth is then laid under the figure to be worked and basting stitches hold the material and oilcloth together. the oilcloth protects the fingers and it is often used by foreigners in making eyelets. a small piece is used and it is moved as many times as necessary. a large piece is too clumsy to hold. on the extreme double edge of the opening of the design fine buttonholing stitches are taken. the stitches are about one thirty-second of an inch apart. a section of a design suitable for a collar is shown here and the stitches will now be explained that have been used on it (figure ). a bar is formed by laying two or three threads so that they span the opening from side to side. over these threads fine buttonholing is worked. the little triangles are worked by making seven or nine stitches into as many of the buttonhole stitches. the second row is worked into the first, one stitch from each end is omitted. continue in this way to the point (figure ). the three large loops that separate the pyramids or triangles from each other in the two outer circles are worked by making two loops that will each take up half the space between the triangles. these loops are whipped two or three times to make them heavier and then they are covered with buttonholing. work the first and half of the second and then make the loop for the third or last and work it also in buttonholing, then finish the second (figure ). the centre of the circle is made by connecting the opposite triangles and loops together. gently distribute the threads from the centre to allow a small opening. put a thread around this opening and neatly buttonhole the threads. the middle figure is made by working a row of open buttonholing then running a drawing thread into the loops and buttoning this band with tiny stitches. the stitches of the middle circle are somewhat simpler than the ones just described. a circle of open stitches is made directly under the buttonhole stitches on the material. divide this circle in eight parts and make a large loop at alternate eighths. a connecting thread at the centre base of each loop connects each opposite pair of loops. the triangles are worked from the centre to the outer edge. [illustration: fig. . triangle in hedebo embroidery] the open triangles are made by working a row of open loops around the three sides. the loops are drawn slightly together with another thread. [illustration: fig. . buttonholed loops] there are many pretty edges that can be used as finishes for work. the linen pieces, however, have to be hemmed first and then the fancy edge put on. an edge of pyramids is attractive. an edge of buttonholed loops with a picot in the centre of each bar as described on hardanger is also good. sometimes the loop or pyramid may need stretching in shape. take a pin in the lower centre and pull the edges out the desired size. in turning curves an extra little loop may have to be worked so as not to crowd the large points. xix hemstitching for handkerchiefs and collar and cuffs sets, also simple drawn-work stitches drawn work is another of the fascinating branches of fancy work and when used in combination with embroidery it greatly enriches the piece. suppose now that you wanted to make a handkerchief and yet did not want to take the time to buttonhole the four edges. well there is nothing more appropriate than hemstitching. the very expensive handkerchiefs only have two threads drawn before hemstitching them but it will be easiest to hemstitch when more threads are pulled. [illustration: fig. . hemstitch] handkerchief linen that can be bought from one dollar up per yard is of course the correct thing to use, but lawn or fine china silk is often substituted. a third of a yard of linen thirty-six inches wide will make three handkerchiefs. a thread will have to be drawn so that the squares will be perfectly straight. a twelve-inch square of linen will make a nice little handkerchief. narrow hems not more than one-quarter inch wide are more generally used at present so we will plan our handkerchief for that. [illustration: fig. . hemstitching, second step] measure up from the edge of one side five eighths of an inch and draw out four threads one at a time. the other three sides must also be treated in like manner. after measuring the first side with the tape measure the other sides are more accurately measured by turning up one corner of the side that has the thread drawn so that it forms a right angle. the upper edge of the angle must just touch the drawn threads. crease firmly along the diagonal as shown in the diagram. now with the piece still folded over pull the first thread of the second side of the handkerchief so that the corner when turned back forms a perfect square (figure ). when the threads of the four sides have been drawn fold back one eighth of an inch, then make a double fold so that the hem is just one-quarter inch wide. baste it down so that the folded edge lies right under the drawn threads. with your needle threaded with a piece of no. sewing cotton, start from one corner. let the end of your threaded needle fall between the two thicknesses of the material. bring the needle through the edge of the hem. work from right to left; pass the needle under four of the upright threads. now pass again under the same group of four threads, but this time carry the needle through the edge. hem directly on a line with the fourth thread of the group (figure ). [illustration: fig. . another way to hemstitch] another way is to hold the material with the hem toward you and work from left to right. pass the needle under four threads letting the thread in the needle fall under the point of the needle. pull the needle through, thus forming a loop and taking a stitch into the hem in the usual way (figure ). if your thread gives out or breaks, start the next thread by working over two or three of the stitches. in hemstitching the corners take up four of the double threads. when hemstitching on coarser material more threads can be drawn and also a greater number of threads can be taken up when working. dainty little collar and cuffs sets can be made by hemstitching the hems: and a quarter of an inch above this work make a row of french knots or feather-stitching. [illustration: fig. . double hemstitching] sometimes when a very open effect is desired it is necessary to double hemstitch the threads. this is very simple. hemstitch in the usual way, then turn the work and take up each group on the other side of the drawn threads (figure ). drawn work is worked to perfection in mexico. there they have large classes for the mountain children who do most elaborate pieces on frames. hemstitching is not always necessary in doing drawn work. many beautiful borders can be made with simple stitches. the sheaf stitch (figure ) is made by pulling the threads for a space of a quarter of an inch or more. decide the width that you desire and then cut the threads perpendicularly. draw the first and last thread to the distance desired, and then cut opposite end to match the first slash. after the threads have been drawn out neatly buttonhole the cut edges with narrow buttonhole stitches. now place your work in your embroidery hoops, or, better still, if it is possible, buy a pair of oval ones that are especially made for drawn work. fasten thread in the centre of one of the buttonholed sides. [illustration: fig. . the sheaf stitch.] the number of threads to take up will depend on the coarseness of the weave of the material. for medium weight linen take up either six or eight threads using a stitch like that shown in the first step of the second method of hemstitching. pass on to the next stitch and when the row is finished fasten in the second buttonholed side. the thread that passes from sheaf to sheaf should lie straight enough so as not to sag between each group or pucker the material. another pretty stitch that reminds one of a fish bone is worked somewhat like feather-stitching. prepare the space as for the sheaf stitch. connect the thread in the same way. take up six threads on the left hand side placing the thread under the point of the needle as it comes through. now on the right hand side divide the group made by the first stitch in half and take the last three threads and the three next to it that are not worked (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a simple stitch in drawn work] a simple stitch is the twist stitch (figure ). prepare the material in the same way as for the last two stitches and securely fasten your needle in the centre of the bar, skip the first three threads. take up the next three on your needle; pass the needle back under the first three. continue like this till the end of the row is reached. [illustration: fig. . the twist-stitch.] a dainty all-over effect suitable for yokes or corners of handkerchiefs, cloths, etc., is made by drawing the threads out so that the material left forms squares. pull a quarter inch of threads then leave a half inch of material. repeat in this manner until the space is covered. cross the lines, forming squares of the material (figure ). the double hemstitching, sheaf-stitch, fishbone, or twist stitch can be worked on the drawn threads. you will note that you will have at each corner of the solid squares an open quarter-inch square. they will require an extra stitch such as the spider described in the lace stitches or the loop stitch described in the hardanger chapter. sometimes it is hard pulling the threads of linen. if the threads are soaped they come out very easily. do not wet the soap but just rub it dry on the material. some of the finest examples of hand embroidery or drawn work are found in the convents. perhaps you are under the impression that drawn work must be done right with the hem, but that is not so. i want to describe a beautiful handkerchief to you that i once saw in a convent. it was made of the sheerest handkerchief linen and one thread only had been pulled for the hemstitching. a quarter of an inch above the hem another thread was drawn, but this time, instead of letting it extend to the hem, a thread was cut one quarter of an inch from the hem at the beginning and ending. six threads were drawn like this at eighth of an inch spaces. the four sides were treated in like manner. [illustration: fig. . the threads pulled to form squares] [illustration: fig. . cat-stitch over the tape] [illustration: fig. . five rows of tape cat-stitched] where the threads intersected at the corner, the squares were hemstitched all around, two stitches being allowed to each side of the square. the stitches were taken through to the centre of each square. beyond where the lines intersected the six long lines were treated quite differently. a piece of fine braid not more than an eighth of an inch wide was taken on the space between the first two rows of drawn threads. a regular cat-stitch was worked over this. first a stitch was taken on the drawn threads above the braid, then, one below it (figure ). when the braid was entirely covered with stitches on the first row, a second piece of tape or braid was placed over the space between the second and third rows of drawn threads. this time instead of catching the thread of both rows, the stitches are taken into those of the previous row on one side of the tape and into the third row of drawn threads on the other side of the tape. five rows of tape complete the band between the stitches. of course all this work is on the wrong side of the handkerchief. on the right side, a totally different effect is produced. at first glance you would think that there are five rows of tiny tucks with hemstitching on each side, until you look again closely and see that it is padded hemstitching (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a handkerchief for an ambitious little girl] a section of a drawn work handkerchief for some ambitious little girl to own is shown in the illustration on this page (figure ). it is like a cobweb. a piece of handkerchief linen twelve inches square is selected. starting from the outer edge of the four sides an eighth of an inch wide space is left, then the threads drawn for an eighth of an inch. repeat this seventeen times. at the corners the space and drawn threads form squares. now the rest of the space should be divided up in like manner, so starting from one corner of the solid square in the centre, draw the threads for an eighth of an inch, then leave a space the same length and then draw again. continue in this manner on the four sides of the centre square. pull out all the cut threads and you find that you have a deep border of little squares. buttonhole around the four sides of the centre square with tiny stitches, thus keeping the linen from fraying. to get the pointed edge as shown in the handkerchief, buttonhole over the line of horizontal threads and four of the vertical. the little filling stitch i am going to suggest to you is so simple that really after you have buttonholed the handkerchief your task is almost completed. start in the first point under the solid square and work diagonally across the open space. pass your thread around the centre of the little square also on the diagonal. continue across till you reach the buttonholed edge around the linen square in the centre. skip the next point and work the same stitch in every other point. this stitch and in fact all the rest of the handkerchief should be carried out in no. sewing cotton. in between the worked points make another stitch which is very similar to the one just described. it is started from the edge and a stitch is taken on the diagonal across four of the squares and half way across the solid squares at the corner of each group. having reached the buttonholing next the linen you turn your work and repeat the stitch over the same square. the stitches now form the figure . the design of drawn work in the centre of the square is simple as well as being particularly pleasing. draw the threads for a half-inch space, one quarter of an inch above the buttonholing. this must be done on the four sides of the square. the corners must be buttonholed before beginning the drawn work. start the first thread for the drawn work in the centre of one of the buttonholed corners. work the sheaf stitch all the way across. now start a second thread, knotting the first sheaf in three, the next in two; so on to the end. these stitches are taken quite close to the linen. both sides of the sheaf stitch are treated the same. the daisy in the corner completes the pattern. the daisy is made on the foundation of cross-stitches caused by the sheaf stitch. a maltese cross is made thus forming twelve stitches catching all these together in the centre. now weave a thread around in a circle, one eighth of an inch from the centre. to form the petals of the daisy start a thread from one of the threads that connect with the buttonholing and catch on the woven circle as you would if you were doing fagotting. wherever threads are drawn so that they intersect at right angles, as in the case of this handkerchief, a space is left vacant which is very unsightly if not filled in with some figure. here it was with the daisy which is extremely easy but in the majority of cases it is with the maltese cross. the wide strip of drawn work shows a pretty pattern for linen scarfs. it is nothing but right that every girl should take an interest in her bedroom. she may not be fortunate enough to have one entirely by herself but that does not excuse her from trying to make it as attractive as possible. the key-note to beauty and elegance is simplicity. better have a dainty bureau scarf hand made and a few necessary toilet articles than a bureau beribboned and with a lace scarf, crowded with old visiting cards, dance orders, and dainty nothings that only catch the dust and give one a bewildered feeling when one looks at them. the scarf should be worth displaying if it is hand work, for remember what is worth doing is worth doing well. the butterfly pattern of drawn work (figure ) is simple and pretty enough to please the most exacting and as has been said before is most appropriate for bureau scarfs. the material of the scarf may be linen, lawn, or scrim. it is quite unnecessary that the drawn work extend around the whole scarf--three sides, one long and the two short, being quite sufficient. [illustration: fig. . the butterfly pattern in drawn work] draw the threads out for an inch, then hemstitch the cloth on both sides of the space; be sure to take up the group of threads already hemstitched when working on the second side. fasten the thread in the direct centre of one end of the drawn work and catch eight groups of threads to form the sheaf stitch. an eighth of an inch above the centre thread start another thread. divide the sheaf in thirds and knot each section of the first sheaf. pass the thread to the second sheaf and repeat the same thing, this time under the centre instead of above it. alternate sheaves are divided above the centre line and the remaining sheaves under. a third thread is started beginning an eighth of an inch below the centre and the other side of the sheaf is divided in three. a fourth thread is started one eighth of an inch from the solid material. this time the sheaf is divided in four, in groups of two. first the top of one sheaf is woven like this, then the bottom of the next. continue in this manner till the end of the strip is reached. the fifth thread knots the groups on the side of each sheaf that was omitted by the fourth thread. you will notice now that the four threads cross each other in the centre of the space between each sheaf. knot the threads in the centre and weave across the lower four threads until you have made as large a fan as the space will allow. the remaining threads are divided in two, three on each side, and two other fans are woven on them. in the next space the fan of four is reversed and is made in the opposite direction to the first group. this pattern is commonly termed the butterfly pattern. drawn work should be worked on frames, though it is not necessary to use the large square one of the mexicans. the nicest kind of frame and one easy to handle is the oval form, which comes in different sizes. they are particularly convenient to hold a long, narrow piece, which can be worked to better advantage than on the round rings. every once in awhile one sees specimens of a new kind of drawn work. there is the mexican of which we have had a few of the simplest stitches, there is the hardanger or swedish drawn work, which is described in another chapter, the porto rico drawn work which is very intricate and also very trying to the eyes, but after all none compares in simplicity to the bulgarian drawn work. it is so substantial that often after the material of the article on which the work is done has worn out, the drawn work is as good as new and can be transferred to another piece of material. bulgarian drawn work instead of weakening the material as mexican work usually does strengthens it considerably. the work is done in spaces varying from a half inch to three inches in width. it can be done on linen, huck or lawn backgrounds, though sometimes scrim is used. personally i do not think it pays to work elaborate patterns on scrim as the background is not substantial enough. we will take for example the first towel end shown in this work. [illustration: fig. . a towel in bulgarian drawn work] draw threads out of an inch and a half space. it is not necessary that the cloth should be hemstitched, though till you are quite familiar with the work it may be easier for counting. the hem is then turned over and hemstitched. make the double hemstitch on the other side as described in the first part of this chapter. i have found that though there are many threads that may be used for weaving there is nothing quite as satisfactory as electro in its finest number. start from the extreme lower left hand corner. weave back and forth over three of the groups with a blunt pointed crewel needle for one quarter of the distance from the hem. now omitting the first group weave across three. you will see that you dropped the first group and took up the fourth. weave to the middle of the space. now drop the second group and weave across to the fifth group until you are three quarters across the space. now drop the third group and weave across to the sixth. weave until the space is filled. without breaking your thread weave the seventh, eighth and ninth, then the eighth, ninth and tenth, next the ninth, tenth and eleventh, then the tenth, eleventh and twelfth. weaving the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth brings you back again to the hem. the woven threads will look somewhat like an arch of blocks. between the arch there are six groups of threads. let us weave that in pyramid effect. start at the hem and weave across the six for a little more than a quarter of an inch. then dropping the first and last groups of threads of the proposed pyramid weave over four threads for another quarter of an inch. again dropping the first and last threads of the four you were weaving, work across two. fasten your thread by bringing it through the woven stitches into the hem. a new thread is started in like manner. you are now ready to start another arch, close to one just made. a little more elaborate design is shown in the second towel end, a detail of which is also given (figures and .) [illustration: fig. . detail of fig. ] after the threads have been prepared as has been just described for the first towel start from the lower left hand side and weave across the threads eight times. the weaving is very simple. first you take two groups with needle pointing to the left and then you take the one group that you didn't take up the first time. you work back and forth as it were. now drop the first thread and weave across to the fourth group as in the first towel. each set of three groups will only have eight lines however. continue in this manner till you are one space from the solid material, then weave across four instead of three. start to weave down on the right side over the three groups under the block of four. now continue weaving over groups of three until the hem is almost reached then weave the last block over four (see detail of figure ). on each side of these blocks weave a row working over two groups. [illustration: fig. . a more elaborate design in bulgarian drawn work] the groups of thread within the woven rows are woven into a triangle. bulgarian drawn work is used on pillow cases, handkerchiefs, towels, dresses, scarfs, or small square cloths. sometimes coloured threads are used and the result is very effective. use cottons and if they are coloured boil them in salt and water before working with them. xx easy lace stitches, fagotting, single mesh, double mesh, spiders, fan, maltese cross, twisted and buttonholed bars, picots for simple edges one of our best authorities on lace has said that there are over one hundred different stitches used in lace. now there are various kinds of laces; there are crochetted, bobbin, as well as needle point laces. it is about two branches of needlework laces--renaissance and point--that we will talk about in this chapter. renaissance lace is made by basting a flat braid on a given pattern and filling the spaces between with simple lace stitches. point lace is made of very fine plain braid with much finer thread and more elaborate stitches. the basting of the braid is extremely important. sometimes only a single line is given to indicate where the braid will be, while again a double line is shown. the braid must not be wider than the double lines. it may be basted so that the side held toward you will be the right side of the lace or _vice versa_. start from one corner of the design, turn over one end of the braid an eighth of an inch. for coarse work one row of basting stitches through the centre of the braid is sufficient but for fine work baste along both edges of the braid. in basting around a loop the inner edge of the braid will have to be gathered. this may be done in two ways: the first by pulling a thread or by running a thread on the edge. at a sharp point the braid will have to be turned. [illustration: fig. a. fagotting and feather-stitching on a cap] the preferred method of working the lace is to have the right side facing you. in starting to braid turn up one eighth inch of braid and start from a point so that the end may be covered later. the braids vary from one cent to fifteen cents per yard. [illustration: fig. . fagotting] [illustration: fig. . single brussels stitch] a simple stitch in lace that greatly resembles the turkish stitch in embroidery is fagotting. it is a stitch that is often used by dressmakers to connect bias bands together for yokes and sleeves. for this as well as other lace stitches the beginning of the thread should be fastened so as to be unobserved by the average eye. if the braid is neatly over-casted the end will be quite secure. starting from the extreme left of the section to be fagotted take a stitch through the braid on the opposite side of the opening, letting the thread fall to the right. the stitches are taken from side to side. this stitch is best suited to long narrow spaces (figure ). the foundation stitch of lace is the single mesh or net stitch. it is a stitch that may be used in almost any shape opening. it is a good thing when working a piece of lace to pick out one stitch for filling in the background; then the design proper can be as fancy as desired. [illustration: fig. . a handkerchief in simple lace stitches] the mesh or net stitch is good for a filling stitch. a blunt pointed needle is the best for working lace as you are not so apt to stick yourself. make a row of open buttonholing, not however through the background. the second row is worked slightly below the first row. each stitch is taken into a loop of the upper row. if the spaces decrease in size drop one stitch from each end for as many rows as necessary. to finish the stitches overcast them to the braid. to many lace makers this stitch is known as single brussels (figure ). double brussels or the knot is worked like the single only that there is a second stitch taken in the same position as the first. the last must be short and drawn tightly (figure ). [illustration: fig. . double brussels stitch] another pretty filling-in stitch is the spider. it can be as large as desired allowing the space it is to be used in to determine the size. a thread is spanned across the space and the braid whipped for a short distance, say a quarter of an inch. the space is spanned again so that the threads cross. pick up all the threads on the needle through the centre and make a little stitch to bind them. now begin to weave over one leg or strand and under another, so on till a good-sized body is formed to the spider. in weaving be careful not to skip one of these little legs (figure ). another way to work a spider, to make it a little stronger is to whip each leg as it is spanned. a third and more elaborate spider is one made with the foundation thread as described for the first spider and then instead of weaving straight around make a stitch back over one leg and forward under two until the body is the desired size. this is called the spider in its web (figure ). [illustration: fig. . the simple spider] it is easier to weave on an uneven number of threads, and the number of these should depend on the space. a large space requires a large spider with lots of legs. [illustration: fig. . the woven spider] a fan (figure ) is made by spanning three or five threads so that they come to a common centre on one side and on the other they are arranged in ray effect. the weaving is started from the base under one thread and over the other on the first row if there are only three. the second row is like the first, only the threads skipped in the first row are taken up. alternate rows agree. [illustration: fig. . the fan] a maltese cross looks like four fans caught together. the threads are crossed lengthwise and crosswise and the stitches taken to gather the threads in the centre. the weaving is the same as the fans. in weaving the fans or crosses do not work much more than half way up (figure ). a twisted bar is nothing more than a thread overcasted (see illustration, figure ). [illustration: fig. . a maltese cross] a buttonholed bar is made by laying two or three threads and buttonholing over them (figure ). in this age of machine work there are all sorts of braids that may be procured for lace work. little edges that were impossible to buy are now made by machinery. a little edging makes a dainty finish to a straight braid and also enhances the beauty of the fancy braids. to make a simple edging, work a row of picots on the edge of the braid which forms the edge of the design. dainty yokes, collars, baby caps, and tie ends can be made of a few yards of braid and two or three different kinds of stitches. another decoration i would like to tell you a little about is limerick darning. it is often used with fine lace work on a background of fine net. the lace thread is used for the darning. the most common of the stitches is the plain darning taken up over one hole and under the next of the net. the next row is worked close to the first. [illustration: fig. . a buttonholed bar] darning on net is a decoration that is often used by itself. smart little turn-over collars and cuffs are most attractive darned in heavy white floss or colour if preferred. pin cushion covers and other dainty articles that every girl loves to have in her bedroom may be darned to good effect. one of the most simple forms of lace work is connemara lace. it gets its name from the irish county of that name. the materials required are brussels net of any size desired, lace braid of a width to correspond with the net, heavy lace rings, a ball of renaissance thread no. or linen spool thread no. , as well as a spool of coloured cotton. connemara lace is used extensively for curtains, bed spreads and in fact, on any large piece, when the effect is desired and yet not much work. a good design for connemara lace is shown in figure . [illustration: fig. . a good design for connemara lace] the net can be white, ecru, or black. draw a simple yet bold design on a piece of stiff paper or better still a piece of pink or blue paper muslin. the rings can be bought all ready for applying, for a couple of cents per dozen but they can also be made at home. take a pencil and wind around one end of a thread about as many times as you would judge from the illustration of the button or ring half worked (figure ). slip the threads from the pencil and carefully and closely go over them with buttonhole stitches till all the loose threads are completely covered. [illustration: fig. button half worked] baste your net over the design, then baste the braid along the design. with a fine thread secure the braid on the extreme edge to the net only with fine running stitches. sew one side of the braid entirely around the design then sew the other side down. the rings are buttonholed to the net. if a very elaborate piece is wanted, lace stitches may be inserted in spaces that are bound on all sides with braid. the stitches, however, should be of the simplest, such as the twisted bar or spider. honiton braid which is an egg-shaped braid is much more beautiful than the plain renaissance braid employed in connemara. the dearest of baby caps, handkerchief tie ends, and other dainty little articles on which a fine decoration is desired can be made from fine net and honiton braid. each section of braid can be cut and made to form petals for a flower or to represent a leaf. honiton is of course more expensive than renaissance braid but a yard of honiton goes a good way. there is a thread that can be bought by the yard, called picot or purling thread. it has a loop at short intervals each side of it. the needle can be threaded with it and can be used for stems, tendrils, or other parts of a design where a fine single line is desired. the centre of a flower in honiton appliqué may be in worked various ways. a small ring or button may be used or spiders may be woven in the centre. again the single brussels or mesh stitch is worked in a little circle in the centre. use a very small ring, if you decide on rings for centre, as a large ring spoils the effect of a flower. any child can make designs for honiton appliqué. the background for honiton is the fine brussels net. sometimes a double thickness of net is basted over the pattern and the honiton sewed on or appliquéd to the net. the double thickness of net gives a moire effect. each section of the braid is sewed to the net only. sometimes two widths of braid are used, one size for the flowers and another for the leaves. the braids at most art shops can be had in black, cream, or white. if, however, you are not fortunate enough to get cream, the white can be dyed at home to be as light or deep as you desire. i use cold tea diluted in water for a light cream, and coffee for the deeper cream. put the lace to soak in the tea or coffee for a couple of hours. rinse in cold water and let dry. if it is not a deep enough shade put more tea or coffee in the water and soak the lace again. another way to dye lace, chiffon or any delicate fabric is to get a tube of oil paint the colour you desire and dilute it in gasolene. of course the gasolene makes the paint light, so test the solution by dipping a small piece of cloth in and see if it is the right shade. a quart of gasolene is sufficient unless the article is very large. i know a girl who dipped her white hat all trimmed with flowers and tulle that was quite soiled into a mixture of gray paint and gasolene and the result was a pretty dove gray that everybody thought was new. teneriffe or brazilian point lace is such a simple form of lace making that i am going to stop and tell you a few words about it before we proceed to the next chapter. little forms which look like a large spool with pins stuck in them can be bought in many art shops, but you can easily make a foundation yourself for teneriffe lace. draw a circle two inches in diameter on a stiff piece of cardboard. sometimes the circle is drawn on white muslin and fastened securely to an embroidery hoop or frame. divide the circle into halves, then quarters, then eighths and each eighth divide into six equal parts. make a dot at each division. thread a needle with a piece of coarse thread. insert the needle one quarter inch beyond the circle and bring it up on a dot. continue in this manner all around the circle. fasten securely. [illustration: fig. . the first step in brazilian point lace] now thread a needle with a long thread of no. linen thread. let it be extra length. pass the needle under each loop from side to side until each little stitch has a thread passing through it. (figure ). knot the threads in the centre and weave four or five rows, over and under the strands close to the centre. skip a quarter inch then carry a thread around and knot each thread as you pass it. count the threads and divide the number by six; on this number weave a little pyramid. repeat the little pyramid five times, each time letting it be woven on the same number of threads as the first. take a thread and catch every two threads above the centre figure. an eighth of an inch above this work another row, this time dividing the two threads previously caught and taking one of them and one of the next row together. an eighth of an inch above the row make another row, catching the same threads as were taken in the first row from the central figure (figure ). [illustration: fig. . a motif in brazilian lace] sometimes a pin cushion is used to make brazilian lace. the pins are stuck in and the threads wound over them. brazilian or teneriffe lace can be used for borders on handkerchiefs or other fine articles, while again they may be used as medallions on waists or other thin clothes. the material from under them is cut out so that a lacy effect may be produced. other patterns may be readily made. remember that the stitches are very similar to those used in the corners of drawn work borders. xxi simple baskets basketry is so easily done and at such a small cost that almost any one, even a very little child, can master it without very much difficulty. with very few tools some beautiful gifts and other useful articles may be made. in this chapter it is my intention to tell little children just how to make some pretty things with materials that they can obtain from nature's storehouse and otherwise. in making baskets a great deal of rattan is used. i suppose that some of my little readers will wonder what rattan is. well, i will tell you. it is a kind of grass or leaf which grows in forests of foreign countries, twining about the tress, hanging from branch to branch sometimes hundreds of feet in length but hardly ever over an inch thick. the people over there in those countries send this material to us so that we can make many pretty things. for little boys and girls living in the country there are materials which they can get from the fields and river banks that may be substituted for rattan. for instance the water willow when peeled proves a very good material. reed, which is a sort of grass that grows on the banks of rivers, may also be used after it is dried and peeled. raffia is another material which is commonly used for this work. it is a sort of soft substance generally pale yellow and can be bought by the pound at any large store. dried grass is sometimes substituted for raffia and the results are often just as pretty as those obtained by the original material. grass twine is used. it is something like rope, and rope is often substituted for it. raffia is generally used to cover it in making baskets. a few tools will be necessary for our work such as a strong pair of shears, a tape measure or ruler, a vessel for water, and some very coarse, blunt-edged needles. simple baskets of rattan are very interesting to make and i will tell you how to make a small round basket without a cover. for this basket you will need four fourteen-inch pieces of rattan or spokes as we are going to call them, one eight-inch piece and two or three longer pieces for weavers. before starting the work, the rattan should be soaked in water until it becomes soft enough to bend easily. then two of the pieces are placed side by side in a vertical position and the other two in a horizontal position crossing the vertical pieces at the centre. between the two horizontal pieces and to the right of the centre the half spoke is placed. [illustration: fig. . weaving the bottom] these are held in position by the left hand, while the right hand does the work. one end of the long piece called the weaver is placed at the centre, back of the horizontal spokes, with the end toward the right. the first finger of the right hand presses the weaver across the vertical spokes, under the horizontal on the left, over the vertical, and behind the horizontal again. repeat twice so as to fasten well. separate the spokes evenly, and it is now ready for the weaving (figure ). if there is any of the winding piece left, it may be used as a weaver. the weaving is done by pressing the weaver under one spoke and over the other until the bottom of the basket is about two and one half inches across. soak it in water for a few minutes and then bend the spokes upward to form the sides of the basket. in order to make the weaving of the sides of the basket easier, rest the work on the knee, holding the spokes with the left hand and press the weaver under and over the spokes with the first finger of the right hand. if the weaver comes to an end join a new piece by crossing them behind a spoke about an inch from the end of each. when the sides of the basket have been woven, leaving about an inch and a half of the spokes extending, it is ready for the border. cut the spokes to an even length with a slanting cut, so that the points may be easily pushed down between the weaves. hold the spokes in water for a few minutes and then push one of the spokes down beside the next spoke at least three quarters of an inch below the edge. do this with every spoke until the border has been completed. now our little basket is finished and ready for use. sometimes little girls like to have their baskets brightened up. a pretty lining of silk or other material would do this very nicely. [illustration: fig. . the basket] perhaps some children would like to know how to make a basket with a cover. it only requires a little more time but it will prove very interesting. the material for this basket consists of six sixteen-inch spokes, one spoke nine inches long and three or four weavers. the bottom of this basket is made in the same way as the one previously described. after this much has been done, wet the spokes and proceed to turn them up and weave the sides of the basket. the weaving is done rather loosely until you have used three of the weavers. the last weaver is drawn more tightly so that the basket will assume the shape of an apple with the top cut off. the edge is finished off with a flat border which may be made by soaking the spokes in water until they become quite soft. each spoke is brought behind the next one to the right of it, and out over the front of the basket. then the end of each spoke which is lying over the front of the basket is brought up over the next spoke to the right and is pressed down inside of the basket. when it is dry the ends of the spokes may be cut off. [illustration: fig. . a mat] the cover is made like the bottom of the basket, only the spokes are bent gradually upward from the centre. the material for this cover consists of six fourteen-inch spokes, one spoke seven or eight inches long and two long pieces for weavers. when the cover is nearly as large around as the top of the basket it is finished off with a border like the one described for the top of this basket. the cover has to be fastened to the basket and the easiest way of doing this is by making rings of rattan. a piece of rattan about twelve inches long is tied into a ring, the ends being twisted in and out of the ring. three rings are necessary, none of them measuring more than a half or three quarters of an inch across. one ring is attached to the cover on the front between the border and the last row of weaving, the ends being sewed under a spoke. another ring is attached in the same way at the back of the cover and the third is fastened across a spoke in the front of the basket between the fourth and fifth rows of weaving. the cover is placed on the basket so that the ring at the back will be just over a spoke of the basket. a small piece of weaver is then placed between the third and fourth rows of weaving, below the border and to the left of the spoke mentioned. it is brought through the ring on the cover and drawn just tightly enough to allow the cover to close easily. the ends are crossed and brought through to the inside and sewed down, as the rings were. when this is done the basket is complete. there are many other pretty articles that can be made easily, such as a mat for a teapot or lamp and trays for other purposes (figure no. ). a very simple way to make a mat would be to cut four fourteen-inch spokes of rattan, one eight-inch spoke, and two weavers. the mat is started in the same way as the first basket in this chapter. when the end of the first weaver is reached, a second is joined to it. by the time the second weaver has been used, the mat is large enough for a border. the mat has to be bound. the binding may be done by passing the weaver under the last row of weaving just before it reached the next spoke. it then goes behind that spoke, in front of the next and under the last row of weaving. the spokes should then be soaked in water, and when soft take spoke no. and cross no. and push it down beside no. and so on around the mat. a number of these mats may be made and joined together for various purposes. two mats joined by ribbon make a very pretty whisk-broom holder. in nearly all this work weaving is the principal thing. by changing the weave we can obtain very interesting and pretty results. the simple over and under weave may be changed by using two weavers and twisting once, twice or three times between the spokes according to the size of the article. xxii raffia baskets and napkin rings raffia is so soft and strong that it is very well fitted for the work of children's fingers. so many different things can be made with raffia that it is just as precious to the little ones as the same amount of gold. little baskets made of raffia are dainty and easily made. for example a work basket, a candy basket, or a basket for handkerchiefs, collar buttons, and many things are interesting. for one of these baskets we need one long piece of rattan, a bunch of raffia and a blunt-pointed needle. soak the piece of rattan in water until it is soft enough to work with. wind the end into the smallest possible ring and with the needle full of raffia start in the middle of the ring and sew over and over from left to right until the end is firmly fastened. the next row is brought around at a little distance from the first and the raffia is brought down through the centre, up and once around the coil, thus holding the first coil to the second. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. it is jolly to make a raffia work bag] wind the raffia around the rattan until the coil has been brought half way around the second time, when it is again sewed through the centre. at quarter distance all the way through the basket these joinings are made and they must be made to the right of the one below and joined to the previous row. the joinings form a pattern. as the basket grows larger the number of joinings increase. new needlefuls of raffia are always started at a joining, the old strand being brought from left to right through the upper part of the joining. the new strands being brought from right to left through two twists of raffia and drawn through so as to leave the short end lying next to the rattan. begin to wind again and soon both ends are covered. when you have made about ten rows, which will form the bottom of the basket, bring the rattan above the last row and proceed as before. each new row is brought above the previous one so as to form the sides of the basket. when the basket is about eight rows high, the ninth row is brought just a little inside of the eighth so as to have something for the cover to rest upon. when about three inches from the point where the rattan was brought up to make the sides of the basket, it should be cut long enough to finish the row and then shaved off to a flat point which is sewed closely to the last row. for this basket we will have to make a cover. the cover is made in the same manner as the bottom of the basket. when you have nine rows complete, a border is made to finish off the cover. the tenth row is sewed to the ninth by a fancy stitch which is made by winding once around the ninth from left to right and once around the tenth from right to left and so on alternately until the row is completed. the end of the rattan is shaved off and sewed to the last row. a pretty lining would beautify this article very much. one of the very simple things which a very small child could easily make is a napkin ring (figure ). cut a piece of cardboard or stiff paper about an inch and a half wide and eight or nine inches long. paste the ends together forming the ring. take two strands of raffia and knot them. place the knot inside the ring holding it with the first two fingers of the left hand. the strand on the right is brought up and across the ring on the top, the end hanging over the left side. the strand on the left is brought around the right strand under again through the ring and out on the right through the loop made by the right strand in turning and crossing the ring. pull both ends. the strand on the left is brought across the ring, the right strand placed over it through the ring and out through the loop on the opposite side. pull both ends. the little knot formed on the edge is called "solomon's knot" and it makes a very desirable edge. [illustration: fig. . the napkin ring] different colours may be used in raffia which brighten the ring very much and make the work more interesting. when the strands of raffia come to an end, a new one is joined by placing the end over the old one about an inch or an inch and a half, and working with them as one. the ends may be cut off after the ring is finished. sometimes a small bunch of raffia about an inch long is tied to the outside of the ring. the ends are frayed out to add to the effect. there is one article which proves to be most delightful and interesting to make (that is, to the girls) a doll's hat (figure ). i think that nearly every little girl knows how to braid raffia and after you have learned how to sew this braid together you can make any size or shape in hats. braid some raffia, say about two or three yards. have several loose strands and a needle and scissors. [illustration: fig. . a doll's braided hat] just as in making large hats we begin with the centre of the crown. a needle is threaded with a fine strand of raffia and the work is begun by winding the end several times with the end of the strand threading the needle. a coil is then started with the edge of the braid up, not the face, and it is sewed through at least two braids at a time, in stitches which run in the direction of the braid. the needle is put in slanting down from right to left and up in the opposite direction. the crown is coiled round and round until it is about two or two and a half inches large. the coil is then brought round with the upper edge just below the centre of the last row. the following rows are sewed in the same way until the crown is completed or high enough to suit you. have care in sewing the braid so as to show as little of the stitches as possible. the brim is made by flattening out the braid and sewing it so that it overlaps the centre of the braid of each preceding row. when the brim is wide enough one or two rows are sewed more tightly than the others and the end of the braid is sewed under the brim very flatly. now the hat is ready to be trimmed. i would like to tell a little about the handles of baskets in this chapter. in most of the baskets already described a cover has been made. some people would rather have a handle to the basket, so let us see if we cannot learn how to make some handles. the twisted handle of rattan is made by using one spoke of rattan of suitable length, and a weaver. a knitting needle or something similar will be necessary for the work. the needle is pushed down beside a spoke of the basket and then drawn out again to make room for the end of the rattan to be pushed in, about three inches below the top of the basket. the other end is inserted in the same way on the opposite side. this makes the foundation handle. the end of the weaver is inserted under the third row of weaving to the left of the spoke and pushed up between the weaving. it is twisted around the foundation about an inch apart. when the opposite side is reached, the weaver is pushed in under the third row of weaving on one side of the handle spoke and brought out on the other side. the weaver is then laid across the first twist and each of the following ones, to the other side where it goes under the third row as on the opposite side. about five or six times across will cover the handle. the weaver is fastened off by bringing it inside the basket across a spoke, in again, and then cut off. the braided handle is made by using six pieces of rattan braiding using two pieces in each strand. while weaving the basket, three pieces are pushed in on each side of a spoke and the weaving is continued over the spokes. the double ring handle is made by twisting rattan into rings and sewing the rings to the weaving of the basket on opposite sides. in sewing baskets or other articles, different kinds of stitches are used. to put a hat together the braids are sewed together with a plain stitch, whereas in putting a basket together a fancy stitch is employed. the indians are famous for the various kinds of fancy stitches, which they have used in making basketry articles. the skip stitch which is used in sewed baskets is made by enclosing two spokes at a time or enclosing one spoke between every two. another useful and decorative stitch which is often used is the split stitch. the spokes are twined with raffia for a certain distance and then are split in two and the right spoke of one is joined to the left spoke of the other and twined with raffia as one. sometimes in making a cover for a hanging jar the spokes radiating from the centre are brought diagonally across each other and joined together by the winding stitch. many of the simple lace stitches described in a preceding chapter prove very useful in basketry work. to make the melon-shaped basket shown in figure a six-inch pair of embroidery hoops will be needed. one hoop is placed inside of the other. the inside hoop is perpendicular while the other one is horizontal. tie the two rings together at the point of intersection. from basket splint one sixteenth of an inch thick, cut six strips which are ten inches in length. they should be one inch and three quarters in the centre and taper to points at both ends. [illustration: fig. . a melon-shaped basket] select raffia in two shades. the natural and brown were used for this basket. with a strand of the brown start to weave at the point of intersection. wind around the four pieces of hoop until a square about one and a half inches is made. repeat on the opposite side of the hoops. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. sewed raffia baskets make attractive gifts] take two of these pieces of prepared basket splints and insert them in the centre of both squares. first one side of the pieces is inserted in the square and then the other end of the ribs is inserted in the other square. the natural colour raffia is now used to weave over the hoops and ribs. the weaving is done over and under and back and forth from side to side until there are a dozen rows of weaving. the other side of the basket is treated in like manner. the other four ribs are inserted two on each side of those previously placed. now begin and weave all the way across. weave several rows of brown then the natural raffia. you will put in more or less of the brown raffia as you desire, only the pattern on each side of the centre must agree. instead of weaving from one side and then across to the other, it is a better plan to weave a little first on one side of the basket and then on the other. in this way you are sure of your pattern. [illustration: fig. . the cover] if the raffia is threaded in a large needle it is easier to weave. another strand or more is wound around the handle. a basket such as this makes an attractive fruit basket and is just the thing to give to sick friends or to use when going berrying. [illustration: fig. . buttonholing the cardboard] [illustration: fig. . a simple basket box] raffia can be used in many ways as you have already seen. a pretty box for jewellery is one that is almost as easy to make as the napkin ring. get a sheet of thin white cardboard. the brown cardboard is a very weak material and easily bends and breaks. cut two circles of cardboard five inches in diameter. use compasses to inscribe the circle, so that it may be perfect. then cut a strip seventeen inches long by two inches wide. from the centre of one of the circles cut a two-inch circle. this piece will be the top of the box. now thread your needle with a strand of the raffia which has been soaked in water and buttonhole in raffia over the cardboard. when the cardboard has been entirely covered with the raffia stitches (figure ) take the other circle of cardboard and cut a half-inch circle from the centre. cover this piece of cardboard like the top. (figure ). the raffia should be wiped before using it; if not the water will spoil the cardboard. the centre opening on the cover will be filled with a spider-in-its-web. make four strands of raffia across the space. we now have eight spokes. take the threaded needle back to the centre and having passed under a spoke go back and pick it up. the idea is to go back over one and forward under two. continue in this manner till the spider is the size you desire. the long strip of cardboard is sewed together and is worked like the napkin ring. with a strand of raffia, cast or bind the bottom of the box to the side. the top is fastened on one side with two strands of raffia which are tied in a bow. the extra ends are cut off. xxiii raffia hats many of our little girls have made any number of dolls' hats by just braiding raffia and sewing the braids together. if you were to make a large hat (by this i mean a hat large enough to wear yourself) by sewing braids of raffia together, it would be entirely too heavy and also would fall into any shape, perhaps not a very desirable one. the only thing to do would be to procure a wire frame and to make the raffia hat on it. in order to do this we will have to braid enough raffia for the whole hat before doing anything else. for this kind of braiding the raffia will have to be soaked in water and then rolled out so that the strands will look like pieces of ribbon about three quarters of an inch wide. you may use a five, seven, or nine strand braid for this hat. take one long strand of raffia and place it horizontally on a flat surface. tie seven long pieces to the horizontal piece as shown in figure . begin with the last strand on the right-hand side and weave it over the next, under the following one, etc., toward the left side letting it hang out to the left. take the next strand on the right and weave it in the same manner as the preceding one. [illustration: fig. . weaving the raffia] when the left-hand side is reached, drop the first left-hand one with the rest and let the new weaver hang out till the next is brought over. the first one, when it reaches the left side, is always turned over the last weaver just brought over before dropping it (the first one) into place with the others. when the first set of strands are used, replace them one at a time by using the new and old together about two inches from the end of each. it will take about eighteen or twenty yards of braiding to cover the frame. when the braiding is ready to sew on the hat, begin with the centre of the crown. when the crown is entirely covered, start with the brim and begin sewing the coils together to the frame at the base of the crown. the under side of the brim may be covered with silk or material of a similar kind, or if you prefer to have it, covered with braid sewed on in the same manner as the outside, beginning at the base of the crown. when the whole hat frame has been covered with the braiding, you may roll it in the front or on the side, or in fact any place to suit yourself. a nice large bow of ribbon placed on the hat in a becoming fashion would make it very attractive, or for those who prefer flowers and ribbon the hat trimmed in this manner would be equally charming. a woven raffia hat made on a wire frame is a very charming and neat creation. it takes time and patience and skill to make the hat, but when it is finished you are doubly repaid for your work and the time spent on it. the crown is woven first and then fitted to the crown of the wire frame. take a small strand of raffia to make a ring of very small dimensions, say about one quarter of an inch in diameter. to this ring, knot eight strands of raffia as shown in figure . eight more strands are tied around each of the eight strands, using the very pretty and effective "solomon's knot." [illustration: fig. . the crown of the hat] this knot is a very simple twist and may be tied either with a double or single strand. the strand which is tied on is laid first under the main double strand and then both ends are crossed over each other. the right one goes first under the end of the left-hand one and over the double middle strand and then again under the loop of the left-hand one. it would be well to practise with strands of raffia other than those used in making the hat so as to become quite familiar with the knot before using it on the hat. counting the eight strands tied to the ring and the sixty-four strands that are solomon-knotted to the original eight we have seventy-two strands in all. they start from a common centre and are brought down and outward through the pattern and are knotted one by one onto the main strands as they cross. if you were to trace any one of the seventy-two strands you will find that it comes to the outside edge of the square through a very simple course. the last or eighth strand, knotted to the main strands, is used to tie up the bunch of strands coming from the sides of the diamond. it falls into place with the other strands and is tied up in turn as the others are. the larger knot tying up the bunch of raffia in the centre of the diamond is the same kind of knot as the smaller ones. it may look slightly different in composition, but that is due to the fact that it is being tied around a larger bulk. after the knots have been all tied at the edges of the diamonds, the ends are woven under and over making a sort of a square design as shown in the illustration. the finishing of the crown is done by taking four strands, two from each of the squares at the centre, and knotting them together with a simple knot. two from each side are knotted together. if you find that the strands do not come out in sets of four, make an extra strand by splitting in two one of the other strands. the brim of the hat is not so tedious to make as the crown and having a larger surface on which to work you will find that the progress is more rapid and requires less time and energy. knot on the outer wire of the frame as many strands of raffia as will fit very closely but easily side by side and then tie them into loops such as were used on the edge of the crown of the hat. this loop is the same as that used in making the shopping bags and hammocks described in the next chapter. you may use your own judgment in designing the brim. the outer edge may be made of the same loops that we have just spoken of. on the next row the strands of raffia are drawn down tightly and tied around the wire with a simple knot. alternate these two designs and you will have a very pretty brim. to finish off the edge on the brim, cut the ends off to about three quarters of an inch in length and sew them in under the wire with a needle threaded with fine raffia. a tapestry needle or a darning needle would do for this purpose. the trimming for this hat could be easily made of raffia. i will leave it to the maker to decide what would be most suitable to the taste. i might suggest such articles as buckles made of raffia or rattan or perhaps quills made of raffia. if you do not care to have the hat trimmed with its own material, velvet ribbon, satin, flowers, quills, etc., would make a desirable trimming. a very bewitching hat of a plain, three-strand braid of raffia can be easily made with very little trouble. the raffia has to be soaked in water until it is soft. unroll each strip and it will probably be about three quarters of an inch wide. in order to make the braid thick enough it will be necessary to use three or four pieces in one strand of the braid. braid about nineteen or twenty yards before beginning to make the hat. choose a wire frame of a low rounded crown and a broad flat brim. if you wish to change the shape of the frame after the braid is sewed on, it will be a very trifling matter. the end at which the braid is begun forms the centre of the crown. it is bent over at about five eighths of an inch from the tip and the long end is coiled around in a second row, the edge of which comes an eighth of an inch under the edge of the centre. it is generally sewed on with a darning needle, threaded with a very fine strand of raffia. use the back-stitch bringing the strand all the way through on the right side and then all the way through underneath. the crown is made entirely by sewing the plaits together, separately from the wire frame, but it will be well to try it on the frame occasionally so that it will securely fit. when about six or seven rows have been sewed together and the crown is four or five inches high, the brim is begun. the coil of braiding is brought around more loosely and flattened out as it is sewed. when six or seven rows have been completed, the brim at the back will be large enough. each succeeding row will have to be cut as it gets near the back and the end fitted in under the previous row until the sides near the back are about nine or ten rows wide and the front twelve rows. it would be well to pull the coil slightly tighter as it draws nearer the outer edge so that the last rows may roll a little. if you care to have the under brim of braided raffia it can be made in the same way, except that it is one row wider at the front and sides, to allow it to roll over the edges of the brim. it is pressed on the wrong side and attached to the under brim of the wire frame, with very small stitches of raffia. the outer edge of the under brim should not be fastened until the crown and the top brim are on the wire frame, as the top brim should come over the edge of the under brim. the crown and the upper brim are now pressed on the inside and put on the frame to which they are caught with a stitch of raffia here and there. the centre of the crown particularly should be firmly attached with stitching to the centre of the wire frame. a row of braiding is brought around to cover where the upper and under brims join inside the rolled brim and is sewed on either edge with small stitches of raffia. [illustration: fig. . a braided hat for yourself] a hat like this would be very pretty trimmed with a satin ribbon or silk bow. a large bow at the side or the back would make it very attractive if the bow is of a contrasting colour. some people prefer leaves and flowers, with a little touch of silk; others quills or feathery materials. in fact it may be trimmed with material of any kind. xxiv knotting for dolls' hammocks, shopping bags, and other purposes knotting of raffia for dolls' hammocks, shopping bags, belts, coverings for hanging jars, and many other things proves to be a very interesting part of the basketry work. little girls could easily make some very pretty belts to be worn with some of their dainty frocks, and i don't know what could be more delightful than a hammock for dolly to sleep in. first let us see how we can make dolly's hammock. we will have to have two small brass rings about three quarters of an inch in diameter, twelve pieces of raffia, and a pair of scissors. place one of the rings on a table or other flat surface and tie each of the twelve pieces of raffia on the ring, leaving an end about an inch long. begin and tie simple knots three inches from the ring and one inch apart, knotting the strands two and two until nine or ten rows have been completed. finish the hammock by fastening the ends three inches from the last row of knots, to the other ring. the hammock is ready for sally ann to have a nap. the next thing to do is to make a shopping bag, to carry all the small bundles when you go down town to buy dolls' clothes. this little bag is made with the same kind of knotting, only the number of strands and the arrangement of them differ (figure ). twenty-two strands of raffia and a pair of scissors are necessary. arrange twenty of the strands in pairs, and tie each pair in the centre. place them on a table with the knots side by side, leaving a little less than ten inches on each side of the knots. begin on one side of the centre knots, and tie one strand from one knot to the next strand from the next knot. they must be an inch from the first knots. tie the same two strands an inch from the centre on the opposite side. in the same way tie the outside strands of this group to form the corners. tie them one inch from the first centre knot. make ten rows of knots an inch apart. when these have been completed, the bag is ready for the handles. separate the strands on one side of the bag from those on the other. divide the group on one side in half. fasten each group one and a half inches beyond the last row of knots. braid the strands about six inches. do the same with each group, making four braids in all. hold the two braids from one end of the bag together so that the loose ends of one braid overlap the other. beginning at the middle point make a binding one and a half inches to the right and a similar one to the left. cover the binding with "solomon's knots." keep the lines of knotting straight. finish the opposite handle in the same way. [illustration: fig. . a shopping bag] some day when you have shopping to do for your mother, take your bag along and see how handy it will be. in the beginning of the chapter i spoke of a belt to wear with a pretty frock. a belt made of a six strand braid proves to be very serviceable to some little girls. you may use plain white raffia or a plain colour but oftentimes two colours add to the attractiveness of the belt. take three long pieces of raffia, that is, if the raffia is very thick; if not, six or twelve pieces using two or four pieces as one strand. hold the strands at the centre in the left hand. put the strand on the extreme right over and under the next two strands. the strand on the extreme left is put under, over and under the other strands. this forms a braid. continue doing this braiding until the belt is long enough to suit you. to finish the ends tie the remaining loose strands close to the braid and cut off the ends. turn the knots under and sew over the ends with the loop-stitch described in a preceding chapter. in working with raffia many times an article will need something to put a finishing touch to it, i would suggest using a fringe or tassel according to the kind of work in question. in my experience they have proved to be just the thing for such purposes. for example, in knotting raffia for a work bag, the ends of the raffia may be left hanging and when cut to an even length provide a very plain finish for the bottom of the bag. fringing or tassels would, i think, add considerably to the appearance of the article. to make fringe on the bottom of such a bag it is necessary to cut the ends an even length after the last knot has been made, and with a pin or needle fray out the ends very finely. the way to make tassels for a finish is to wind a strand of raffia over a cardboard about two or three times, or if the tassel is to be quite thick, wind five or six times. slip it off and bind it several times near the top with the end strand of the bag. sew it fast with a tapestry needle. cut through the centre of the loops. a row of these across the bottom of a bag are very effective. [illustration: fig. . a whisk broom] a very dainty little article for a very small child to make is a little clothes brush or whisk broom. secure a brass ring about one inch in diameter and cover the ring with the loop stitch. fold twelve strands of raffia twice and slip the bunch through the ring bending it in the middle. make a binding one inch below the ring and one inch long; cover the binding with "solomon's knots." fringe the ends well and trim off evenly (figure ). knotting in silks, cotton or linen strands should be mentioned in this chapter. it is a difficult thing to find a piece of fringe that will just match the colour of silk you have but it is an easy matter to make the fringe yourself. the simplest kind is the knot fringe. it can be made of filo, rope, twisted, or heavy floss when used in connection with a silk, satin, or velvet background. for cotton or linen background, cotton floss or fine cord can be used. let us suppose that you wish to make the fringe into a hem. take a cluster of six or eight strands of rope silk, ten inches in length, and draw them through the extreme edge of the hem. if the other kind of silks are used, more strands will be necessary. knot the cluster close to the hem. at a little less than a half inch distance over make another cluster and repeat in this manner across the space on which you want the fringe. now take the first cluster and divide it in half. hold the half nearest the next group in your left hand and divide the second group. taking the half close to first group, knot the strands together one half inch from the hem. continue like this all the way across. do not pucker the material when knotting. a third row of knots is now made below the second. this takes up the first half of the knot previously used and half of the next group. in this way you form a diamond. if a deeper fringe with more knots is desired cut the strands of silk three inches longer. for every inch of fringe allow three inches of strands. xxv simple bead chains on single strings, a home-made loom, woven chains, belts and purses have you ever taken pop corn and made a chain of it for christmas trees, or perhaps you have strung cranberries? maybe it was the first time that you ever held a needle. i remember when we were youngsters living in the south, our nurse used to take us out under trees and we would string "job's tears" for hours. many drug stores sell these seeds on strings for infants to cut their teeth on. the simplest form of bead work is just as easy as stringing pop corn or berries. beads come in all sizes from the tiny ones that are no bigger than a top of a pin to the large ones the size of a marble. sometimes you can get odd-shaped beads, flat on one side and curved on the other. a string that is pretty enough to wear on state occasions can be made of heart-shaped and round beads. the regular bead needle is very fine and long. it is better when stringing a single strand to double the thread. use linen thread no. or . thread the needle with a piece of thread eight inches longer than double the length of the necklace. bring the two ends together and make a knot three and a half inches from the ends of the thread. the thread will be very much stronger if you wax it. now thread seven small round beads then an odd shaped one. repeat in this manner till you have the length of chain desired. cut off the needle and tie the remaining thread in a tight knot close to the beads. ribbons are sometimes used to fasten the chain or necklace together but the little clasps that you can buy for a few cents are neater and do not get soiled as ribbon does. fasten on the clasp with the thread that extends beyond the knots. a sweet little daisy chain can be made on two threads. thread two bead needles with two long threads. bring one end of each thread together and make a knot as described above. fasten the knot to a table with a pin so that one needle is on the right and the other one on the left. thread two white beads on your right hand needle. put your left hand needle down through the white bead so that you have a thread coming from each side of the beads. your needles will have changed position. thread the right hand needle with one yellow bead. pass the left hand needle down through this and again the needles are reversed. thread two more white beads like the first two and do the same thing. now take the right hand needle and thread two more white beads and carry the needle through the first two white beads from right to left. thread two more white beads on the same needle and carry it through the second or top group of white beads from left to right. thread ten green beads on each of the needles and now we are ready to make another daisy (figure ). continue in this manner till the necklace is complete. [illustration: fig. . a daisy chain] another and more elaborate daisy chain is made on one needle. make a knot in the thread and string four green beads. hold this down between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. thread one green bead and pass through the third of the four beads. thread another green bead and pass through the first bead. thread one white bead and pass through the green one on the left. thread another green bead and pass through the green one to the left (figure ). third row--thread a green, pass into a green to the left. now thread a white bead and pass in through the first white bead. [illustration: fig. . a woven daisy chain] fourth row--thread a yellow bead and pass through last white, and a green bead through the green. fifth row--a green bead through the last green, a white through the yellow. sixth row--a white bead through the last white, a green through the last green. seventh row--a white through the last green, a green through the last white of the sixth row. then three white beads on the needle and pass through the first white on the second row. carry the thread through the daisy thus formed till you have it again in same position as it was before you threaded the three beads. eighth row--one green into the last green, one white into the last white. (note that you are now starting another daisy on the left-hand side). ninth row--one yellow into last white, one green into last green. tenth row--one green into last green, one white into yellow. eleventh row--one white into last white, one green into green. twelfth row--one white into last green, one green into white. repeat the directions from the second row. note that though the chain is four beads wide there are only two beads that you work on in each row. if the thread breaks, start the new one, two or three rows back and go through the different beads. the above directions are for a chain that is worked without a loom. now-a-days it is quite possible to buy a little loom for about fifty cents, but you can make one at home that will not cost you a penny. the size of the loom will depend on what you are working but we presume that it is a chain. should you ever make a purse it would pay you to buy a loom. to make the home-made loom get a piece of card and a wooden meat skewer such as butchers use. fasten the skewer down on both ends to the cardboard about two inches from the upper edge. one inch above the skewer in the direct centre make a hole and one inch from the bottom edge of the cardboard make another hole. cut six pieces of no. linen thread, thirty-six inches long. this measurement is sufficient for a chain twenty-seven inches or under. tie one end of each thread to the skewer. now holding the six threads together, carry them down through the bottom hole across the back of the cardboard and tie in a loose knot to the top hole. [illustration: fig. . a home-made loom] thread a bead needle with a thread of no. linen thread that has been well waxed. tie the thread to the extreme right hand thread of the warp. now we are ready to make the chain (figure ). first row--thread the needle with five yellow beads. pass the needle toward the left under the warp threads, letting one bead slip in every space. on the left hand side bring the needle up to the right side and slip it through the five beads. [illustration: fig. . the design for the chain described] second row--thread five blue beads and fasten them in the same way. third row--thread five yellow beads. fourth row--five red beads. fifth row--five red beads. sixth row--two red, one blue and two red. seventh row--one red, three blue, one red. eighth row--five blue. ninth row--one red, three blue, one red. tenth row--two red, one blue, two red. eleventh row--five red. twelfth row--five red. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. the fascinating task of making bead chains] continue in this manner for as many inches as needed (figure ). when you have used up all the warp threads on the upper side of the cardboard roll the finished chain over the skewer and fasten the remaining threads in the lower hole. [illustration: fig. . another design for chains] to make a belt or purse the larger loom will be necessary. designs used for cross stitch are suitable for bead work. [illustration: fig. . a third design for a chain] before i tell you how to make any more bead chains and the other articles that may be made with beads, i want to tell you how to make a dainty purse that is illustrated in this chapter. it is made of gold and rose-coloured glass beads and it belongs to a bright little girl i know who has been using it for the past three years. a spool of heavy buttonhole twist of a colour to correspond to one of the coloured beads is needed (figure ). take eighteen strands of silk, each a yard long. see that the ends are all even. tie a tight knot through the centre of the threads. thread a bead needle with one of the strands of silk. put on two pink beads then three yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, five yellow, one pink, seven yellow, one pink, seven yellow, one pink, seven yellow, one pink, five yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, three yellow, five pink, three yellow, seven pink. this completes the first string. do not allow any beads to drop, which they are very apt to do while you are working on another row. it is suggested that the strand of silk on the left of the beads should be knotted closely to the beads to prevent them from slipping. [illustration: fig. . the bead bag described] unthread your needle and take the next strand; thread two pink, one yellow, then slip your needle through the second yellow bead of the first row, thread one yellow, five pink, one yellow, now slip your needle through the middle yellow bead of the first row or in other words slip your needle through every eighth bead on the first row. the colouring remains the same. i will start the instructions again for the second row which is to be threaded, two pink, one yellow, slip needle through bead on first row, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle through bead, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle through, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle through bead, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle through bead, three yellow, one pink, three yellow, slip needle through, three yellow, one pink, three yellow, now slip needle through bead, three yellow, one pink, three yellow, slip needle, three yellow, one pink, three yellow, slip needle, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle, one yellow, five pink, one yellow, slip needle, one yellow, six pink, slip needle into last bead of first row and knot the two threads close to the bead. be sure that the knot is large enough not to slip through the hole of the bead. thread your needle with the third strand. put on two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle through third bead of first group of five pink of the second row. (for the rest of the row "slip needle" means slip the needle through the fourth bead below the one slipped through on the second row) two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, five yellow, slip needle, seven yellow, slip needle, seven yellow, slip needle, seven yellow, slip needle, five yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, two pink, three yellow, two pink, slip needle, four pink. the fourth row is the same as the second. every other row from the third is also worked like the third. the last row which joins the bag--two pink, slip needle into fourth bead of next to last row, thread three more beads, slip into centre bead of the group of sevens of the first row. the pattern is diamond-shaped as you will note, therefore after threading your needle with three beads of the shade to correspond with the previous row slip your needle in the centre bead of the groups of seven of the preceding row and the first row. work first to the right and then to the left. every two strands of silk must be knotted together to keep the beads from slipping off. braid the threads extending beyond the bead work in groups of three. a large bead or slide will be necessary to make the purse a practical money bag. get two big beads that have openings large enough to pass all the silk threads through. take a knot on the silk thread after the first large bead is in position. this knot should be two inches at least from the beads. the silk threads may now be cut quite close to the knot or they may be cut one inch from the knot to form a tassel. if the little purse was left without any further work it would look quite top heavy and unfinished, for that reason a bead tassel is suggested as shown in the illustration of the bead purse. thread your needle with a long strand of the buttonhole twist. string about two and a half inches of pink beads. before commencing to string the beads fasten the thread in the heavy knot at the bottom of the purse. catch the thread with the beads also in the knot. make two pink strings this length and two yellow. then make four strings, two pink and two yellow, that are not more than an inch and a half long. fasten off the threads securely and the bag is complete. three bunches of pink beads and two bunches of yellow will make two purses as have just been described. the beads vary in price from six cents a bunch to twenty-five cents. sometimes the more expensive kind have only half the number of beads that the cheaper bunches have. do not get too small a bead or the work will become very tedious. the large beads for the slides are more expensive. they cost four cents apiece or more. of course other colour combinations can be made, also other patterns. silver and blue is another pretty combination for a bead purse. now while we are on the topic of beads, i would like to tell you about some sensible portières and cushion tops that i recently saw at an arts and crafts exhibition made of an inexpensive background and beads. monk's cloth was used for one of the portières. monk's cloth is somewhat like burlap but the weave is coarser and more even. a hem was turned on one short side and one of the long sides and the thread drawn out for a space of about two inches. the threads were hemstitched and then a design of beads worked between the groups of threads. to accomplish this the design was well planned out before commencing the work. the number of beads needed to fill out the space can be judged by placing the beads in the opening and testing that for yourself. after the design has been selected make a pencil copy of it. it is better to restrict yourself at first to just two colours. fasten your sewing thread securely to the threads of the material. use carpet thread for the weaving. let us suppose that you have selected a pattern that is seven rows of beads deep and you have chosen tan as the background and red and chalk white beads for the decoration: first row--thread one red bead, six white, one red, six white. as we will only work a section at a time, let us secure the beads. slip your thread under the hemstitching. now let each bead come between two consecutive groups of hemstitching. bring your thread to the right side. be careful not to disturb your beads. now carry the thread through the beads again. the thread should be drawn tight but not so as to pucker the hem. second row--work this by stringing one white, one red, four white, one red, one white, one red, four white, one red. fasten as described in the first row. third row--one red, one white, four red, one white, one red, one white, four red, one white. fasten. fourth row--one red, one white, one red, four white, one red, one white, one red, four white. fasten. fifth row--one red, one white, four red, one white, one red, one white, four red, one white. fasten. sixth row--one white, one red, four white, one red, one white, one red, four white, one red. fasten. seventh and final row--one red, six white, one red, six white. fasten. after this section is worked slip your needle through the beads to the last one on the first row and continue to weave. the beads to use for portières or large pillows are round ones that are three eighths of an inch in diameter. for curtains, table covers or any article where the weight of the large bead is not desirable use a smaller bead that is not more than a quarter-inch in size. scrim curtains with a single row of the smaller beads add a pretty touch of colour to the otherwise plain window. almost any shade can be had in the beads, but the trouble is that they can not be bought at every store. a bead supply house is the one from which to get them. they cost only one-quarter as much as when bought in a department store. ecru scrim with a row of turquoise blue, canary yellow and sage green beads and the simple twist stitch such as described in the chapter on "simple stitches in drawn work," makes a curtain suitable for a simple room. the way to accomplish this work, is to take a stitch on the drawn thread, in the regular way for the twist stitch, then slip a bead on, then take another stitch, then a bead, so on to the end. if a skeleton square of beads is desired on a sofa cushion it is advisable not to draw it out in the same manner as for a curtain. for a two-inch border to be set in four inches from the edge, crease the cushion through the direct centre. measure four inches from the edge and cut the material on the crease for two inches. treat each side like this. draw the threads out on each side of the cut, stop when you get four inches from the edge. of course the material must be in a perfect square and just the size you want for the pillow before you begin any of the work. place the beads as explained for the portière. do not cut the threads you drew out but, threading a needle with two or three at a time, carry them through the beads. in this way there is no necessity for cutting and buttonholing the corners where the border intersects, as in drawn work. loose woven materials such as monk's or arris cloth are extremely hard to buttonhole and even after very careful work they are apt to fray. if a fancy edge is desired for the pillow one made of beads is far more appropriate than anything else. after the pillow is complete and made up, put on the bead edge by catching a bead to the material at a short distance from each other. for a canoe or porch pillow there is nothing more durable than bead pillows of a dark colour worked with gay coloured beads. xxvi braiding and weaving four and six strands weaving on looms braiding or plaiting can be done in any materials and may be used for shopping bags or circular rugs. raffia, corset laces, heavy silk floss or rags can be utilized for the braiding. it is extremely difficult to conceal the ends when three strands are used so for that reason i have selected four strands to commence with. [illustration: fig. . the strands crossed] when working with cords or very long strands of material, knot the four ends together. pin the knot to your knee and proceed to weave. take the extreme left-hand strand and weave under the next strand. at the same time weave the extreme right-hand strand over the next. cross the two strands in the centre. (see figure .) if a knot is not desired at the start the cords may be commenced as shown in the figure . to braid with six strands take the extreme left-hand strand and weave under and over to centre and with the right-hand strand weave over and under to centre and cross the left-hand strand (see figure ). [illustration: fig. . the way to commence braiding without a knot] after the braid has been made it can be sewed together for a mat. in joining a strand insert the new piece so that it extends a little beyond the braid. if a long braid is desired it is best to have the strands of different lengths so that the joinings will not be all in one place (figure ). when braiding or weaving with rags cut the strips about three quarters of an inch wide. old rags can be used for this, cutting out the weak parts. cheap cotton fabrics when new make excellent mats. weaving on frames is very interesting and not such a difficult task as you imagine. there are hand and treadle looms. the following instructions will be for the former. a stretcher such as artists use for painting can be used or four pieces of board twenty-four inches long by four inches wide and one inch thick. take the four pieces to form a frame. [illustration: photograph by eddowes co. a cushion top can be woven on a simple hand loom] buy three half-inch dowels or long round sticks; which may be bought from a hardware shop; and sand-paper till they are quite smooth. screw in four large picture rings two on each side of the frame, one at each end. slip one dowel through the rings at each end and tie to picture ring. [illustration: fig. . braiding with six strands] the warp may be cord which is sold by the pound or a heavy soft twine. a wholesale cord or rope house will be the best from which to buy the warp. a thin board such as you have in your window shades and to which the string is attached makes a good shuttle. cut it so that it is twenty-two inches long and wind the warp on it lengthwise. tie one end of the warp thread to the lower left-hand picture ring. lay the warp threads over the lower dowel, up through the frame and over the upper dowel. remember always to lay the thread outside and over each dowel. the first six threads are placed very close to each other. after that the threads are laid half an inch or a little more than a quarter of an inch apart. the finer the weaving the more warp threads will be needed. the usual allowance is from four to eight threads to an inch. [illustration: fig. . the way to join a braid] two plain boards that are as long as the dowels and three inches wide by a quarter of an inch deep will be required now. slip into one of these boards at each end between the warp threads and bring the boards to the centre and tie together to keep them from slipping. take a piece of cord nine inches longer than a dowel and tie to the throat of the lower left-hand screw. make a knot at first warp string and slip it over dowel. twist the double thread two, three or four times. repeat slipping over dowel and twisting between every two warp strings until you reach the right hand screw. tie the threads to the screw. this is called pairing the threads. repeat the pairing at the other dowel. when the pairing is finished slip the lower dowel out of the rings and tie the dowel again to the screws. to space the warp threads an upholsterer's needle and carpet thread will be needed. if the weaving occupies the full size of the frame, hitch or tie the carpet thread to the lower left-hand screw, while if the warp threads do not extend very far over place an extra screw on the outside of the frame where the warp threads begin. buttonhole stitch over the dowel keeping the lower thread down and the upper thread on top. hold the warp threads apart with finger of the left hand while buttonholing. pull your stitches tight. two or three stitches should be made between each two warp threads. the stitches must be an eighth of an inch apart. now we are ready for the bridge. two feet, as they are called, will be necessary to support the bridge. a carpenter will make them for a small amount. they should be seven inches high by three inches wide at the base (figure ). one foot is placed in the centre of opposite sides of the frame and the third dowel run through the holes. loosen the two boards at the centre and place them close to the dowel. place the bridge over the set of threads nearest you. take a six-inch piece of cord and catch up first warp thread. tie thread to bridge. all knots should be made like a weaver's knot. the loop should not extend lower than two inches below the bridge. [illustration: fig. . the foot] this completes the setting up of the loom. to weave, the material may be cut as stated before or raffia or indian fibre may be used. if the weaving is to be in one colour only, it is well to join the pieces together and wind on a long shuttle. if short pieces are used a hook will be required. it can be made of a strip of wood taken from the hem of window shades. notch one end of it. a selvage will be necessary at the beginning and the end of the weaving and is done in a fine cord. start at left-hand corner and tie the thread to warp. pass the shuttle to right-hand side between the threads. lower the bridge and pass the shuttle back again between the threads to left-hand side. raise the bridge again and repeat as just explained. it will be best to comb down the woof to keep it straight and regular. a regular weavers' comb can be bought, but a coarse hair comb may be substituted. six rows will be sufficient for the selvage. the regular weaving is worked the same only in coarse warp. remember the bridge must be lowered every other time. in weaving a new thread or strand commence a little way back from where the last strand stopped. learn to weave and you get much more artistic effects in rugs than ordinary rug or portière weavers obtain. beautiful cushions and other useful articles can be made by weaving. it is a great mistake to think that all cast off clothing can be woven into handsome rugs or portières. true it is possible to weave them, but it is almost a hopeless task to get artistic effects from old coats or a lot of dark articles. the modern rug weavers get a few yards of cheap muslin in two or three shades and make a rug that can be sold for two or three dollars. silk is not like old woollen materials, it can be utilized to the last thread because it is soft and works to good advantage. two old silk petticoats will make two pillow tops that are artistic as well as useful. one of the most beautiful examples of silk weaving was a cushion i saw made from two old silk petticoats; one was sage green and the other delft blue. the strips were about one inch wide. all the worn parts were cut out. no piece was considered too small to use. every pattern of rug has a name given it by the weaver. the most common pattern is the hit-and-miss. the name aptly describes it. there are never two hit-and-miss patterns that are exactly alike. to look at a collection of hit-and-miss rugs one is reminded of the croton shrub which has no two leaves alike. as children, we used to call them match-me-if-you-can trees. a hit-and-miss pattern is a good one to learn on. do not weave first one green strip then one blue and so on, because you will get a jumble of blue that is neither interesting nor pleasing. decide on which colour you would like for the background, then use most of that shade. i have heard an old weaver say that when she works the hit-and-miss pattern she will carry first one stripe of the background the entire way across and probably start the second row. a little strip of the second colour is then used and then the background again. the good worker never cuts her strips all the same length but strives to get the effect of little slashes of colour against a solid background. a rug made of medium blue and white rags suggests the sea with white caps on it. when an indian weaves a rug, he sits on the floor and weaves, till he has to stand to work. tapestry is woven almost the same as described for rugs; instead of the loom having a bridge that has to be moved by hand to regulate the threads, a treadle is used. the wrong side of weaving is always facing you on the loom and all ends are fastened afterward with a needle and thread. perhaps you would be interested to know how a weaver makes a set design in tapestry. usually an artist designs a piece, say a design for the back of a chair. often the artist is the weaver himself. he will make two sketches in colour one to put under the warp threads and the other to keep in sight. he then starts to weave the design in as many colours as desired, then the background is worked. a piece of hand-made tapestry is a possession that only the very wealthy can buy for it is indeed exceptional to find an ordinary weaver who can make tapestry. to the french is given the honour of being the most clever weavers in the world. as a general thing in france weaving is an inherited trade. you will find, if you ask the weaver what his mother, his father and his grandfathers were, he will tell you--weavers. the hands of the men are almost as small and soft as the women's. i have seen a beautiful screen that represented a pansy field, if you can imagine such a thing worked in over two hundred shades of silk. every conceivable kind of pansy was worked in it. it was made for a man who loved pansies. it took four weavers three months in which to make it, working eight hours each day. too much thought can not be given to the right colour for your rugs or whatever you intend to weave on your simple loom. study to get harmonizing effects rather than contrasting ones. gray is probably the most pleasing of backgrounds and can be combined to advantage with almost any other shade. remember that a dark room needs a cheerful colouring while a bright airy room can stand subdued shades. red excites the nerves. lavender is depressing. blue is a cold colour and should be combined with other colours to be effective. green is restful to the eyes in any shade, while yellow seems to reflect light and for that reason is to be highly recommended for use in a dark room. one of the prettiest rooms i know, which is ordinarily a very dark one, is one that has bright yellow and chestnut brown for its decoration. the minute you enter that room you are impressed with its cheerfulness and warmth. no matter how pretty and beautiful are the hangings and other dainty touches of a room, a rug remains the chief attraction. it is to a room what a vase is to a flower. a rug is not absolutely necessary, but unless it is the right kind your room looks patchy. as in everything else practice makes perfect and as soon as you become accustomed to weaving you will plan regular designs that will make the work more fascinating. if you have a large quantity of undefinable shades of silk or wool or cotton rags i would recommend that you dye them all one shade. one ten-cent package of a dye will colour a couple of pounds of rags. get a dye that is good for all three kinds of material as sometimes a dye that changes the colour of silk may not affect cotton at all. xxvii simple crocheting, stitchery for edges and shawls crocheting abbreviations. . slip stitch (sl st) . chain stitch (ch) (figure no. ) . single crochet (s c) " no. ) . double crochet (d c) " no. ) . treble crochet (tr c) " no. ) . shell (sh) " no. ) . stitches (sts) the beginner in crochet will have very little trouble in learning the work as the stitches used are comparatively few in number although the various combinations in which they may be used are almost unlimited. it is wise to become accustomed to the stitches and especially with the abbreviations, which are used so extensively throughout all crochet work. no doubt the beauty and variety of the patterns one can execute, also the durability of the work are the chief causes for its popularity at the present time. the implement used is a crochet hook which varies in size according with the quality of the thread used. the steel hook with the bone handle is to be preferred. [illustration: fig. . chain stitch] too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the importance of the position of the hands when working, and the firmness of the stitches, as the work is, at once, better and more even when the proper position is maintained. the crochet needle should be held lightly between the first finger and the thumb of the right hand; the hook horizontal and parallel with the first finger of the right hand, that part of the work which is in course of construction being held closely between the thumb and third finger of the left hand. the thread is wound once around the first finger, passes under the second and third fingers of the left hand, and is wound around the small finger. it is now held in position by bending the fourth and small fingers toward the palm of the hand. the foundation stitch of all crocheting is the chain stitch (ch) (see figure ) which is begun by making a slip knot around the needle. draw the thread through this loop, and you have a chain. again draw the thread through this second loop, continue until the chain is of desired length. another stitch is the slip stitch (sl st). insert the hook in the foundation work. draw loop through the work and another through the loop on the needle. single crochet (s c). see figure . [illustration: fig. . single crochet] insert hook in work, make a loop on the hook and draw through, making two loops on the needle. throw thread again over hook. draw thread through both loops. double crochet (d c). see figure . before inserting the hook in the stitch to be worked, put the thread around it. throw thread around hook and draw the thread through the stitch and you will have three loops on hook. throw thread again around hook and draw thread through two loops. throw thread again around hook and draw through the remaining two loops. [illustration: fig. . double crochet] treble crochet (tr c). see figure . [illustration: fig. . treble crochet] put the thread around the hook twice, insert in the work. draw a loop through work, making four loops upon needle. draw the thread or loop through two loops on needle, then again through two loops and the third time through the remaining two loops. shells (sh). see figure . [illustration: fig. . shells] shells are formed by making groups of either single, double or treble stitches worked into the same space or stitch. [illustration: fig. . tiny insertion] edging and insertions are very much in use and are often applied to blouses, collars and cuffs, towels, centre pieces, handkerchiefs, belts and various other articles. _tiny insertion_ (figure ). ch catch into a ring and into one side of ring work s c *ch. catch in next to last s c, s c in new ring. repeat from * for length desired and fasten off. _tiny edging_ (figure ). st row--ch. turn. nd row-- s c in each ch, turn. rd row--ch work d c in first s c made, turn. th row--* over ch work s c work ch of turn. th row-- d c over the d c of preceding row. turn. repeat from * until you have length desired. [illustration: fig. . tiny edging] for the edging made: st row--over each d c on one side and each empty ch on the other work s c. nd row--work d c into first s c then * ch, miss s c and work d c into next. repeat from * along both sides of insertion. _loop edging_ (figure ). work s c over a padding cord, then catch in th stitch made to form a ring. again work s c and catch in the th stitch to form another ring. continue until the edging is the required length. [illustration: fig. . loop edging] for the edge, begin at the first end for the picots and work as follows: make s c into th stitch of first ring, ch , skip s c-- s c in next stitch. repeat for three picots. ch , begin in th stitch of next ring and make picots there and so continue to the end of edging. _loop insertion_ (figure ). ch and catch in a ring into one side of ring work s c, ch , catch in the last s c forming a ring, and into new ring work s c. continue in this way for length desired. then work down the other side of rings d c in each. [illustration: fig. . loop insertion] now work down each side of insertion s c in the centre point of each side of the ring and ch between. in these ch loops work s c each and fasten off. _narrow crochet edging_ (figure ). ch . st row-- d c in th ch from needle, ch , d c in same st. ch , d c in next st, ch , d c in same st. stitches on foundation will stand beyond the row. [illustration: fig. . narrow crochet edging] nd row--ch turn * d c in centre loop of cluster of three, ch repeat from * times. d c in same space, ch - d c in third ch of turning loop. d row--turn ch * d c in centre of loop of clusters, ch repeat twice from * d c in same space * ch - d c in ch loop, repeat from * times ch - s c in end of foundation. th row--turn ch - sl st in fourth ch from needle ch - d c in next space between d c, ch - sl st in fourth ch from needle, ch - d c in next space. repeat from * times. ch - d c in centre loop of ch clusters, repeat from * three times more ch , d c in third ch on turning loop. th row--turn ch , make clusters in centre loop as with other row. repeat from nd row. on each repetition of row the final s c is taken up in the loop of ch of the former scallop. _cone insertion_ (figure ). st row--ch turn d c in ninth ch from needle, ch skip - d c in next, ch skip - d c in last stitch. nd row-- s c in first space, ch in second space work d c-- tr c, ch , tr c, d c, ch , in third space work s c. d row--ch , one sl st over ch--ch , tr c in last s c of preceding row. [illustration: fig. . cone insertion] th row-- s c in first space, s c in same space with sl st, s c in next space. th row--ch , skip s c of preceding row, d c in next stitch. ch , skip - d c in next stitch. ch, skip - d c in final st. repeat from beginning of second row. _crochet insertion with ribbon_ (figure ). [illustration: fig. . insertion with ribbon] make a ch of stitches: d c in st from end of ch, ch, d c in next rd st of ch, ch, d c in next d stitch of ch, ch, d c in th of ch, ch, d c in same st as last d c to join shell, ch, d c in next th st of ch, ch, d c in same stitch as last three, ch, d c in next th of ch, ch, d c in next d of ch, ch, d c in last stitch of ch, ch; turn. work the next and every succeeding row the same. run narrow ribbon under and over ch. in centre. this trimming is very pretty when used on a blouse waist. [illustration: fig. . rainbow shawl] _rainbow shawl_ (figure ). either saxony or floss may be used, about six skeins of white and half a skein of each of the colours used being necessary. _to form main part of shawl._ ch sts of white. st row--turn and work back thus: draw out st on hook about three-fourths of an inch, pass hook under the single thread of wool, draw through st, pass it under wool, work a sl st, ch (in the way you work first st of every row). to make second st* pass hook through second, draw up to three fourths of an inch, catch the wool and make close ch: repeat from * to end of chain. turn and repeat from first row till you have worked rows in the white wool. _to make the rainbow stripe on either end of white._ fasten in the pink wool and work two rows, then in the order named--yellow, orange, light green, dark green, indigo, light blue, violet. finish the end with two or more rows of white. [illustration: fig. . cross stitch] _to make fringe._ *chain , fasten down in next st with a sl st, repeat from * to end of row. finish both edges of scarf with a row of knot stitches. crochet scarf (figure ). material, skeins shetland floss. [illustration: fig. . shawl in cross stitch] directions for cross stitch (see figure ). make a chain the desired length: work tr c in the fourth stitch of ch. now stitch back into the first and second of ch and make a tr c in each. (this forms a cross stitch.) repeat to end of chain. _to make scarf._ ch stitches. work cross stitch on ch; continue working back and forth with cross stitch until scarf measures - / yards in length. finish ends with a fringe. each strand is inches and strands of wool are knotted to each cross stitch to form fringe. xxviii pattern directions for making doll caps and capes, jackets and child's bedroom slippers having become well acquainted with the stitches and patterns described in the previous chapter, you are competent to go on with the more intricate ones described in this chapter. a pretty doll's cap is made of silk. without a silk padded lining the cap will be just the thing for the warmer months. _doll's cap._ begin by winding silk around a lead pencil times: make s c over this. nd row--make s c in every s c on first row. rd row--s c in every s c on nd row. continue widening often enough to keep the work nearly flat (to do this two s c instead of one are worked upon the one of the preceding row). this completes the solid work of the crown. th row--ch , make d c in same stitch, skip d c in next st. continue around entire crown. th row--make a shell of d c in centre of each shell of d c, leaving off within shells of last row. th row--make a ch of st and s c in middle of next shell. ch , s c in middle of next shell. continue around entire crown. th row--* s c on each ch of of previous row. turn s c for entire row around to where the shells of were left. this begins the front of cap. turn and repeat from * more rows. next make a row of shells of st in every th st. th row--make shell of d c in middle of each shell of d c. repeat these groups of rows of s c and rows of shells twice more. th row--a row of ch in middle of each shell, then a row of s c. finish the cap with a row of shells of d c around the entire cap. finish shells with a row of picots made by a ch of caught in every st with a s c. this completes the cap. [illustration: fig. . doll's hug-me-tight] _doll's hug-me-tight_ (figure ). skein of saxony white. skein of shetland floss, blue. - / yards of narrow white ribbon. make a ch of st., take up each ch with a s c. turn s c in slipper stitch (slipper stitch is s c taken up on the back thread of the row below). crochet back and forth in this manner until you have ribs or rows which form the back. then take up s c and crochet back and forth until you have ribs or rows, which forms the one front. then count nine stitches for the neck, taking up the remaining sts for the other front and make ribs or rows for the other front. finish with a border all around of s c taking up the whole stitch, alternating the colours, row blue and white until you have four blue and four white, finish the whole with a blue picot. cut the ribbon into six pieces, sew one piece in each of the outer edges to form the armhole and front as illustrated. this jacket can be made for a child by commencing with ch, ribs for back and ribs for fronts. _jacket_ (figure ). [illustration: fig. . jacket in star stitch] pompadour wool through which a thread of silk runs, was used for making this pretty jacket. three skeins of the wool are required. the body of the sacque is of star stitch (figure ). ch on which work stars, widen with ch. for sleeve make stars, and back, stars. one front stars. for the first rows of front work stars, widen with ch work across sleeve, widen , work across back, widen star every other row; at sleeve widen , across sleeve widen , then stars from the front. after the th row continue as before, only widening star at the four sleeve points for rows. in th row work stars for the sleeve, now drop out the entire sleeve, including the widening points, work across back alone, leave out sleeve as before then stars for the second front; work rows across sacque widening under arms as in centre back. tie wool at point under arm and work rows around sleeve joining each row as made. for border, work rows of knot stitch. [illustration: fig. . star stitch] _slippers in single crochet_ (figure ). one skein of each of two contrasting colours of germantown wool, one pair of soles. for making these slippers in mercerized perle cotton, which is very cool for warmer days, two balls will be required. in making slippers it is very essential for the work to be as tight as possible to prevent it from stretching. [illustration: fig. . slipper in single crochet] the following directions are for slipper size . ch sts. make s c in slipper stitch, described in doll's hug-me-tight (figure ) widen in the centre by making s c in ch. make two rows like last widening in centre, then a row without widening. when the work reaches from the toe to the hollow part of the sole (about ribs) the front is long enough. (alternate two rows one colour and two in the other.) turn and work s c. continue in the slipper stitch until the work will reach around the sole by stretching. join the end to the front by overcasting on the wrong side. beginning at the corner where the end is joined make a row of crazy stitch around to the other side. make more rows of crazy stitch. finish with a row of shells. [illustration: fig. . slipper stitch] directions for crazy stitch--make a ch of sts; then throw the thread once over the needle, take up the third nearest stitch to the needle, and pull it through the loop; throw the thread over again and pull it through the nearest two loops on needle and crochet the remaining two loops off in the same manner. this completes the d c described in chapter . make two more d c in the same loop, skip stitches, fasten with a sl st in next st ch. shells in next st. and continue for length desired. _slippers in star stitch_ (figure ). balls of mercerized crochet cotton. star stitch is made by a ch of the required length. insert hook in nd ch from it, draw wool through, keeping both sts on hook, insert hook in rd ch and draw wool through keeping this st also on the hook, skip the next ch and take up the th and th in same manner, making sts on hook; now drop the strands of wool from which these sts were made, and take up wool of contrasting colour, double end into a loop with short end about one inch in length, draw this through all the sts on hook, being careful not to let this short end slip through, ch to hold sts in place. now with this new strand work a star by drawing it through the eye of star, it being the tightest stitch near the ch on hook keeping both sts on hook as before. draw wool also through long st down the side of star, then through next ch which gives sts on hook, then dropping the strand from which this star was made pick up the wool of st star and loop it through these sts and ch to hold the star in place. this ch should be worked tight so it will draw the sts together and form the star, which should be almost square. in the second row place the contrasting colour over the star underneath, tying in the wool, ch on which take up sts; this gives you sts on hook, the next loops are drawn through the long and short stitches of star underneath, taking up back stitch of the long and both strands of the short or eye of star. [illustration: fig. . a slipper in star stitch] _for the slipper proper._ ch , on which make stars, ch at end then work stars down the other side of ch, taking up the other thread. nd row-- stars, ch, stars. d row--without widening. widen stars every other row until you have rows rows without widening, then widen in the next. there will be rows in all, and stars in this last row, now divide front and work stars on either half for the sides; fit around sole by stretching and sew up the back on the wrong side. the wool or thread should be broken at the end of each row. (crochet should not be worked backward and forward unless directions are given to that effect.) for a frill around the slippers work groups of ch st two more rows of the same. i always sew my slippers onto the soles after being finished, by overcasting with wool of the same shade on the right side, which saves stretching the slippers all out of shape when turning them. _jacket in shell stitch_ (figure ). material: skeins of white germantown and skein of colour for edge. no. bone needle. ch , with extra sts for turning. st row--skip ch and make d c in the next. * skip ch, s c in next, ch , d c in same st with s c and repeat from * ending with a final s c. nd row--turn s c in s c below * d c in same st, s c in next s c below and repeat from * ending with a s c in top of turning ch. rd row--turn ch , d c in s c below * s c in next s c, ch , d c in same st repeat from * to end of row. repeat nd and rd rows times, then repeat the nd row once more. this gives a depth of work sufficient for the back part of sleeves. at the end of the last row fasten off. [illustration: fig. . half of a jacket in shell stitch] the lower part of the back is now to be made. count shells (sh) along from the end of the last row and begin to crochet there, working as with rd row until within sh of each other end of last long row. crochet in pattern upon this row until rows in all have been worked. upon the th row increase sh in the s c from each end by making sh in those st instead of one. work without increasing for rows more, then fasten off. go back to the foundation and upon the other side of it, beginning where the first row ended, crochet sh as in st row. this is the commencement of the left shoulder and front. upon this row work rows more in the usual way. at the end of the last row drop the loop temporarily from the needle, tie in an extra ball of wool at the top of the very beginning of the last row, ch and fasten off. with this ch the extra width for the centre of the front is secured. th row--again take the dropped loop upon the needle and crochet as usual making sh upon the extra ch. the row is now sh wide. work in pattern for rows more, the last row ending at the wrist. fasten off. on the st short row of lower front count sh along from end of last row, begin there, work as usual to the other end, then crochet back and forth until the front is as long as the back, increasing sh on the th row in the s c from the underarm seam. the second front is made exactly like the first. the rd pattern row now is worked up the fronts around the neck, across the lower edge of jacket and sleeves, then finished with a scalloped edge worked as follows: make s c in space preceding st where s c was made on row below, ch , s c on top of st d c below, ch , s c in same space, ch and repeat from beginning around all the edges, fasten off. shape the jacket by crocheting the sleeves and underarm seams together. crochet should be carefully washed and should not be put in the general laundry. make suds of warm water and a little borax. put the article, if of cotton or linen thread in and let it soak for a little while, then squeeze the water out of the article between the hands. rinse in several waters in this manner always using warm water. put the piece in a white bag and hang on the line. this way keeps the piece from stretching out of shape. keep it on the line till the article is perfectly dry. knitted articles should also be treated in like manner when washing for if a knitted piece was pinned on a line to dry the article would be stretched out of shape. xxix irish crochet lace irish crochet lace is one of the most durable of laces and is suitable to be worn for all occasions. it especially recommends itself for pick-up or porch work. it looks well and does not take an endless while to make, as almost every motif is made separately thus giving a variety. and although one may not have more than a few minutes to devote each day to the work, it is surprising how many articles can be completed with little effort and little time. the materials necessary are a steel crochet hook, considerably finer than for ordinary crochet work, as the work must be very firm, even and close. irish crochet thread, numbers to or d. m. c. cotton numbers to inclusive and number for the padding cotton will be needed. all laces look better if pressed before making up, this is especially true of irish crochet. and when slightly soiled it can be washed in soap suds, made from any good laundry soap; rinse thoroughly in several waters, starch slightly and iron on the wrong side on a heavy blanket. these simple directions help to make the lace look like new. in irish crochet the motifs are made separately mostly worked over a padding cotton. [illustration: fig. . doily with crochet edge] then these motifs are basted on a pattern of cambric, or paper muslin which has been cut to the desired shape. a row of chainstitching is worked and basted to the edge of the pattern, then the filling in background is worked, joining the different motifs together with rows of chainstitching and picots or any other background stitch desired. _doily with irish crochet edge_ (figure ). this can also be used for a bread plate. st row--around a inch circle of linen work a row of single crochet. nd row-- chain, miss single crochet and fasten with a single crochet in the th stitch; continue around mat. [illustration: fig. . the design for the belt] rd row--into each group of chains work single crochet, picot, single crochet. th row-- ch fasten in the picot loop. th row-- single crochet, picot, single crochet, picot, single crochet, picot; continue all around. this completes the mat. _belt of irish crochet_ (figure ). this belt is very useful, especially as it is mounted upon a foundation, which is the ordinary cotton waist belting, one inch wide sold at all notion counters for a few cents. the crochet belt is basted upon this belting after being stretched and starched. to make the belt: st row--chain , turn. nd row-- double crochet in th stitch of chain, chain , miss stitches and work double crochet in th stitch of chain, chain , miss , chain and work double crochet in th stitch of chain, chain , skip , chain, double crochet into th stitch of chain, chain , double in th stitch of chain, chain , miss chain, double crochet into rd stitch of chain, chain , miss and work double crochet in th stitch. rd row--chain , double crochet in top of double crochet of preceding row, chain , double crochet in top of double crochet, chain , double crochet in top of double crochet, chain , double crochet in top of double crochet, double crochet over chain of , double crochet in top of double crochet, chain, double crochet in top of double crochet, chain, double crochet in top of double crochet, chain , double crochet in nd stitch of chain of at the end; turn and repeat from nd row for length required. for the edge, work on both sides of the belt into every chain loop single crochet, picot single crochet. _rose tie with lawn facing_ (figure ). this bow has an under facing of lawn with a simple crochet edging of double crochet and chain stitch with picots, worked at even intervals. for the crochet tie: [illustration: fig. . rose tie with lawn facing] st row--work rose the same way as the one in the wheel tie. now crochet around the rose in this manner * chain , single crochet caught in the st double crochet of the rose petal, chain, double crochet in th stitch of petal, chain , double in th stitch of petal, chain; repeat from * five times more. nd row-- chain, single crochet in each previous group of chain, continue around entire rose. rd row-- chain single crochet in each preceding loop of chain. th row--* chain, double crochet in first space, chain, single crochet for next spaces, chain, then double crochet in th space; repeat from * twice more. th row--* chain, single crochet in st double crochet of group, chain, single crochet in th double, chain, single crochet in th double; repeat from * all around. for the next two rows work chain, single crochet in each previous group of chain. finish the edge with a row of chain and picot. work two sections like the one described and fasten together in the centre. sew this upon the lawn facing and the tie is complete. if the tie shows any tendency to cap in the course of construction add an extra chain in the group of chain stitches every now and then. _wheel tie with rose and straps with shamrock_ (figure .) wind padding cotton times around the crochet needle. over this ring work: st row-- double crochet. nd row--chain , miss double crochet, * in the third stitch, work double crochet, chain, miss double crochet repeat from * times. work a spider in the centre of the ring, with a needle and thread. [illustration: fig. . wheel tie with rose and straps with shamrocks] make of these wheels for the tie. join together with filling stitch ( chain and a single crochet). after working chains and a single crochet around the edge of the tie, work single crochet in first space, chain, single crochet in second space, chain * double crochet, chain in third space (catch back into second chain from needle to form a picot chain) repeat from * times more, chain , single crochet in next space, chain , single crochet in second space. continue in this manner all around tie. _for rose in centre of tie._ st row--chain , join in a ring. nd row--chain * double crochet into ring, ch double crochet, chain repeat from * twice more and join. rd row--over first chain work * single crochet, double crochet, single crochet; repeat from * times. th row--work a row of chain loops fastening at back of first row of single crochet (this is what helps to form the rose petals and makes them stand one above the other). th row--over these loops work * single crochet, double crochet, single crochet, repeat from * all around. th row--a row of chain loops. th row--into these loops work single crochet, double crochet, single crochet; this completes the rose. let me mention here that roses can be substituted for the shamrocks worn on the ends of the straps. _for straps._ work single crochet over a padding cord, join in a ring. work single crochet over padding cord, chain, single crochet, single crochet, over padding cord into the chain stitch. continue working single crochet, chain, single crochet over padding cotton and fastening each time in the chain stitch with a single crochet. one strap is inches long and the other is inches long. for the edge of straps work chain, double crochet, in first single crochet of previous row, chain, double crochet in rd stitch, chain count back chains and slip stitch (to form a picot) double crochet in th stitch, chain, double crochet in th stitch, chain, double crochet in th stitch. continue on both sides of straps. _for the shamrocks._ wind padding cotton over the end of crochet hook times. over this ring work single crochet. * over strands of padding cotton work single crochet. twist padding cotton in a downward loop and work single crochet over crossing of padding cotton, continue single crochet over the loop, draw padding cotton to pull loop up close and then work single crochet over padding cotton alone. miss single crochet on ring and work single crochet over padding cotton into next stitches of ring. turn, leave padding cotton, chain, single crochet into top of crossing loop, chain, single crochet into ring just before beginning of arch. turn, over chain work single crochet, double crochet, treble crochet. work treble crochet into single crochet over crossing of loop. continue over next chain, treble, double and single crochet. work single crochet over padding cotton into next single crochet on ring, repeat from * twice more leaving out the single crochet over padding cotton into the ring the last time. turn, work a row of single crochet over padding cotton. between petals take the needle out, insert in stitch half way between the petals, and pull loop through, this will give a better shape to the petals. then continue with single crochet. for stem work single crochet over padding cotton into ring. then single crochet over padding cotton alone, turn and work single crochet over padding cotton into the previous row of single crochet to the ring. to shape the stem to the right pull the padding cotton before working the second row of single crochet. _long jabot_ (figure ). over a padding cotton work single crochet, turn, and work down other side, single crochet over padding cotton into previous row of single crochet (leaving one-half of stem still to be worked). st arm--now twist the padding cotton under the stem, fasten with a slip stitch, over the loose padding cotton work double crochet, turn and work over padding cotton into each double crochet, trebles, fasten with a single crochet in the th single crochet of centre stem. nd arm--turn work over padding cotton, double crochet into double crochet of previous row. now work double crochet over padding cotton alone, turn and work treble crochet over padding cotton into the double crochet of previous row. fasten in th stitch, this completes the second arm. [illustration: fig. . long jabot] now work arms more in the same way, then finish the stem with single crochet over padding cotton into the other single crochet of stem. for the centre work over strand padding cotton double crochet and fasten into the single crochet which connects the arms to the stem, continue all around centre and fasten off. work chain, into these work double crochet with double on each end. continue working until there are rows of doubles. connect the leaf to this with slip stitch, baste on paper and work rows of the filling stitch all around. st row--for the edge, work chain loops into every loop of previous row. nd row--over chain loops work single crochet. rd row-- chain loops caught into every th single crochet. th row--into chain loops work single crochet, picot, single crochet, then into nd or next loop work single crochet, picot, single crochet, into loop work single crochet. chain turn and fasten in the th double crochet over nd loop, turn and over chain work double crochet, picot, double crochet, then into the rd loop finish with the other single crochet; repeat from * all around jabot. _baby irish lace, with rose leaf and grapes_ (figure ). _for roses._ chain . into chain work * double crochet, chain repeat from * for times more. into each group of chain work single crochet, double crochet, single crochet making seven petals to a rose. _for the leaves._ chain , join in a ring. over this ring work single crochet without breaking the thread, chain and form another to the right and a little above the other ring, work single crochet into this one also, again chain and form a ring to the left of the first ring, fill this ring with single crochet. _for grapes._ [illustration: fig. . baby irish-lace edging] chain , join. fill chain with single crochet, continue working around, widening as needed for rows. decrease by missing a stitch occasionally to shape grapes. just before finishing stuff with cotton, make grapes for each cluster and fasten into centre of leaf. baste all motifs on muslin and fill with background stitch. for edge of scallop work groups of chain caught down with a single crochet then * single crochet into first space, single crochet into next space, chain, turn, fasten into single crochet, turn, single crochet over chain, picot, single crochet, single crochet into same space, single crochet into next space, chain, turn, and catch down beside first loop, turn, single crochet over chain, chain turn, catch down in centre of first loop, turn, single crochet, picot, single crochet, into chain, single crochet into next loop, picot, single crochet, single crochet into next space and repeat from * all around edge of lace. _dutch collar_ (figure ). begin the rose with a small thick ring made by winding the padding cotton ten times around the end of the crochet needle. cover this ring with single crochet, cutting off the end of the padding cotton when the ring is three quarters covered. *chain , catch down into the ring; repeat from * more times, dividing the spaces as evenly as possible so the last chain is caught down beside the first one. over the chain loop work * single crochet double crochet, single crochet, repeat from * all around. *chain , catch down at back in the same stitch as that in which the chain loops of the preceding row was caught, repeat from * all around. over chain loop * single crochet, double crochet, double crochet. repeat from * all around. *chain catch down in back same place as before. repeat from * all around. *over chain loops work repeat from * single crochet, doubles, single crochet, this finishes the rose centre. *now begin the first row around the rose * chain picot, (catch back into third stitch) chain , picot, chains, catch down in first petal in outer row, repeat from * times more, spacing these picot loops evenly all around, catching the last one into the centre of the first. *next work one picot loop catching in into centre of loop of row below, then a loop of chains, repeat from * caught into centre of next picot loop. turn and over this loop work single crochet, turn, work double crochet over the single crochet chain, catch down into same stitch as the chain loop was caught. work rows of picot loops, then repeat from * all around finishing the row in the corner of the first double crochet ornament. th row--work a row of plain picot loops. th row--work a row of plain picot loops. th row--another row of plain picot loops. five roses are required for the collar. _for the wheels._ [illustration: fig. . an irish-lace dutch collar] over a padding cotton ring, work single crochet. over a single strand of the padding cotton crochet into every single crochet, a single crochet, work rows the same way only add a picot in every th single crochet in the last row. now begin the first row around the wheel * chain , catch into the last single crochet of the wheel, chain , picot, chain , chain , skip stitches of the wheel and catch down into the rd with a single crochet, repeat from * all around. next work picot loop, catching it into the centre of loop in row below, then a * loop of chain caught into centre of next picot loop. turn, and over this loop work single crochet, turn and work double crochet over the single crochet, chain stitch down into same stitch as the chain loop was caught. work more picot loops, then repeat from * all around finishing the row in the centre of the first ornament. work a row of plain picot loop. another row of plain picot loops. make four wheels for the collar. sew the roses and wheels firmly on the cambric pattern (the size and style having been cut out of the cambric). placing them so as to leave room for a single row of picot loops to be worked between to join them, crochet a chain of chain stitches and baste them upon the edge of the cambric pattern. fill the work out to the desired shape with the picot loops, which should contain the same number of chain stitches as the loops in the roses and wheels, chain, double crochet, chain, work a row all around collar, then begin the border or edge. work around the inner edge and fronts of collar single crochet into each loop, then around the lower edge * single crochet in the first space, single crochet in the second space, single crochet in the third space; chain down at the beginning of second space. over the loops thus formed make single crochet, picot, single crochet, single crochet into same (third) space, single crochet into next space. turn, chain catch down into next to the last loop, turn, single crochet over the loop, chain , turn, and catch down into centre of first loop. turn, single crochet, picot, single crochet over this last loop, single crochet into the next loop, picot, single crochet, repeat from * all around edge. take the collar up from the cambric and press upon the wrong side over a blanket or heavy flannel. xxx knitting, plain and purling, wash rags, and fancy stitches for shawls there are certain terms used in knitting that are peculiar to the work. until these terms are studied and practised, the instructions are as bad as trying to read a foreign language that you know nothing about. knitting is usually done on two needles though there are times when more needles are used, for instance, in knitting stockings. thread, silk or worsted can be used for the work. the latter is best for practising the first stitches or pieces. the first term we learn in knitting is "to cast on stitches" (figure ). select a pair of medium-sized wooden needles. your worsted should be wound into a ball. "casting on" is the foundation for the work. take a knitting needle in each hand between the thumb and first finger. make a loop of the worsted over the left-hand needle near the end. put your right-hand needle through this loop under the left needle. holding the needles in this position, throw the worsted around the point of the right-hand needle and draw the right-hand needle through the first loop. there is now a loop on each needle. slip the last loop made over the left needle. * both needles are in the one loop, the left on top of the right. again throw the worsted over the point of the right-hand needle and draw the needle through with the loop on it. slip this loop over the left-hand needle and repeat from *, till the number of stitches desired are cast on. [illustration: fig. . casting-on] the * indicates from which point the directions are to be repeated. the german method of knitting is to hold the work in the left hand and the worsted over the first finger, under the second and third and then over the little finger. to knit, the right-hand needle is in the first loop from the point of the other needle. * throw the worsted over point of the right-hand needle and draw it through the loop. slip the first stitch off the left needle and insert the right needle into the next stitch and repeat from *, till all the stitches have been transferred to the right-hand needle (figure ). [illustration: fig. . knitting (k)] remember to hold the work in the left hand when starting to knit each needle or row. [illustration: fig. . purling (p)] to purl (figure ). the work is held in the left hand. the worsted is brought in front of the work. the right-hand needle is inserted through the stitch from right to left in front of the left needle. pass the point of the right needle over the worsted and draw the loop through. slip off the stitch on the left needle as in knitting. repeat in this manner until all the stitches are transferred. sometimes it is necessary to get rid of some of the stitches. in that case the needle is slipped through two stitches instead of one and the new stitch formed in the usual way. there are two abbreviations for purling two together. they are p. tog. or p-n. the latter means purl narrow. when knitting, two stitches can also be taken together. the abbreviation for this is n. k. tog. means knit three stitches (sts) together as one stitch. to slip-stitch means to take a stitch from the left-hand to the right-hand needle without knitting it, and its abbreviation is sl. to bind or cast off means to slip the stitches from the needle so that you have a chain edge. slip the first stitch and knit the second. you now have two loops on the right-hand needle. * put the point of the left needle (from left to right) through the first stitch on the other needle. hold the worsted tight. slip the right-hand needle through the loop formed as described above and then slip the loop from the left needle. there is only one loop on the right-hand needle. knit the next stitch and repeat from *. casting off must be done loosely or the work will have a puckered appearance. [illustration: fig. . a little girl's first piece of knitting] it may be that you desire to widen the row of stitches. both widening and decreasing is done at the end of needle or row. knit as usual till there remains but one loop on the left-hand needle. insert the left-hand needle through the loop at the base of the last stitch. bring worsted around the point and make a stitch as usual. the last stitch is knitted in the usual way. after you have practised the stitches with wool, it is well to buy a ball of coarse knitting cotton and a pair of steel needles. the cotton makes excellent wash cloths. cast on stitches then knit or purl the same amount of rows as stitches. to make a fancy cloth knit three rows then purl three rows until you have the fifty rows. the long straight shawls are the most popular at present. a little one for yourself that would be quite pretty is made in pop corn stitch (figure ). it requires five skeins of worsted and a pair of wooden needles. [illustration: photograph by mary g. huntsman. her first knitted shawl] cast on stitches on your needle. st row--k st, then knit two stitches together ( k tog) the rest of the way. you now have stitches on your needle (figure ). nd row--k first stitch, then knit the loop which is formed between the double stitches of the first row. continue in this manner till you have again on the needle the same number you cast on-- . rd row--k plain all the way across. th row--p plain all the way across. th row--k together all the way across to the last stitch, then k that by itself. th row--same as second row. th row--k plain. th row--p plain. continue in this manner till you make a scarf about one yard long. [illustration: fig. . the popcorn stitch] the popcorn pattern affords good practice for the different stitches explained before. if a longer shawl is desired continue in the same manner. to make it broader it will be necessary to cast on more stitches at the beginning. a shawl may be finished in many ways. sometimes a little crochet edge is worked around it, or a chain stitch fringe can be made. the plain fringe is the one most used however. this is made by cutting the wool about ten inches long. take four lengths and slip them through and knot them into the border edge at each end of the shawl. this makes a fringe about five inches deep. [illustration: fig. . the basket stitch] the basket stitch makes a thick shawl (figure .) to make a wide shawl in this stitch skeins of germantown wool will be required. cast on stitches. st row--knit plain. nd row--* k , p , k , p , repeat from * to end of needle. rd row--* k , p , k , p , repeat from * to end of needle. th row--* k , p , k , p repeat from * to end of needle. th row--p the entire row. th row--* p , k , p , k , repeat from * to end of needle. th row--* p , k , p , k repeat from * to end of needle. th row--like th row. th row--p entire row. nine rows form the pattern, repeat from second row until you have a shawl two yards long. xxxi doll's cape, hood, leggings and jackets doll's cape. material-- fold saxony, steel knitting needles no. , steel crochet hook no. . commence with stitch. knit plain, increasing stitch beginning of each needle until there are stitches on needle. increase , knit stitches, bind off stitches, knit stitches. increase stitch beginning of needle, knit to end of row; turn, knit row plain. repeat until there are stitches on needle. now increase stitch at the neck and decrease stitch at end of row, row plain. repeat times more. knit plain without increasing at front and together at end of needle, until stitch is left on needle, fasten off. finish the right side same as left. crochet a row of holes for ribbon, chain, double all around. with blue yarn crochet row, chain, single. _doll's jacket_ (figure ). material-- fold saxony, steel knitting needles no. , steel knitting needles no. , steel crochet hook no. . [illustration: fig. . doll's knitted cape] [illustration: fig. . doll's knitted jacket] cast on steel needles no. , stitches, plain purl for rows, knit stitches; turn. take another needle, knit the stitches for rows with no. needles knit plain for yoke, decreasing stitch at the neck until there are stitches on needle, knit plain until there are ridges, bind off. from the stitches left on needle, knit stitches for rows; bind off. finish left front same as right. sleeves--cast on steel needles no. , stitches. knit plain for ridges. with steel needles no. knit plain, purl for rows. bind off stitches beginning of each needle until stitches are left on needle; bind off. sew up seam and shoulder seams. crochet a row of holes around neck for ribbon, chain, double. with blue yarn crochet one row, chain, single all around. _doll's cap_ (figure ). material-- fold saxony, steel knitting needles no. , steel knitting needles no. , steel crochet hook no. . with blue yarn cast on no. steel needles stitches. knit plain for ridges. with white yarn and no. needles, plain, purl for rows. [illustration: fig. . doll's cap] crown--knit stitches, knit together; turn, knit stitches, knit together. repeat until all side stitches have been worked up and the crown is complete. then pick up stitches on both ends, first on one side; turn, knit them plain, also the crown stitches, then pick up the stitches on that side and knit them. make a row of holes for ribbon, yarn over needle twice, then knit together to end of row. row plain, knitting only of the stitches cast on. with blue yarn crochet row, chain, single. _doll's leggings_ (figure ). material-- fold saxony, steel knitting needles no. , steel crochet hook no. . cast on stitches. plain, purl for rows. decrease beginning and end of needle. knit for five rows. decrease continuously stitch beginning and end of needle every th row, until there are stitches on needle. knit for rows. bind off stitches, knit , take another thread, bind off the remaining stitches. knit the stitches for rows. decrease beginning and end of each needle, until there are stitches on needle. bind off and sew up seam. with blue yarn crochet chain, single around top of legging. [illustration: fig. . a doll's legging] _infant's knitted bootees_ (figure ). material-- skeins white wool, skein pink or blue, pair knitting needles no. . st row--cast on stitches in coloured wool. nd row--knit plain to the end of row. rd row--slip , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to the end of row. th row--slip , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to end of row. th row--slip , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to the end of row. th row--slip , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit , make , knit . [illustration: fig. . infant's knitted bootee] th row--knit plain to end of row. th row--slip , knit , make , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to end of row. th row--slip , knit , make , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to end of row. th row--slip , knit , make , knit , make , knit . th row--knit plain to end of row. you must now have stitches on your needle. knit now plain rows then knit stitches, now knit together. turn your needles and continue this until you have stitches on each side of needle. you must now tie on the white wool then knit plain, then knit together as above, you are beginning now to make the part that forms the little sock. knit together times, turn your needle, knit , pick up the stitch that you will see between the two stitches that you have knitted, two together, next row knit plain. next row purl , then you have four rows complete. commence together again times continue this until you have pattern rows. always remember to take stitches together after you have knitted the stitches. there should be stitches on each side needle. tie on the coloured wool again and knit plain to end. knit row plain then make , knit together to the end of row. then make , pick up the stitch already explained. tie on white wool, knit row plain. begin the pattern again by knitting together. remember you must always begin a row on the right side of the bootee. do rows of the pattern, then rows ribbed. rib is to knit plain rows and purl rows. after knitting rows cast off on the right side and sew the bootee up neatly at the back and run some ribbon in to finish it off. _a warm hood for the baby_ (figure ). this hood requires an ounce and a half of shetland wool and one pair of fine bone needles no. . cast on stitches, knit rows or three ridges plain. second row--knit one * wool over needle twice, knit together, repeat from *. knit more rows plain. cast on stitches at one end and knit back and cast on more at the other. knit on these stitches that are on the needle for more rows. now start a new pattern by knitting for the edge * wool over, slip the next stitch on the right-hand needle, knit the next two, pass the slipped stitches over these two. note the two loops remain on the right-hand needle and the wool cast over. there knit from * to the end of row, knitting last stitch plain, purl back. repeat these rows times. cast off the and stitches at the end. knit on the original stitches for rows. [illustration: fig. . a knitted hood] next row--knit * wool across the needle twice, knit together, repeat from *. knit rows. cast off. your knitting is now finished and somewhat in the shape of a cross. join the x's to the x's on the wrong side. sew right up to the corner. join the dashes to the dashes, the o's to the o's, the diamonds to the diamonds in like manner (figure ). you will have a piece of knitting that looks like a box cover. turn it so the wrong side is in the right position. fold the backs over the other so that the rows of holes correspond. sew along the bottom edge. turn back a little corner from the plain knitting and sew it down. run a ribbon through the holes and tie in a bow in front. [illustration: fig. . diagram of hood] _knitted vest for baby._ materials required, oz. of shetland wool, a pair of bone knitting needles no. and yds. of ribbon. cast on stitches. st row--knit plain. nd row--knit purl all the way across. continue knitting and ribs for inches. to form the armholes work backward and forward on the st stitches for two and three quarter inches. cast off all but stitches for the shoulder strap. work rows on these stitches and cast off. for back--continue from where you divide it for the armhole for stitches leaving for the second front. work two and a quarter inches on the stitches. cast off. make second front the same as first. sew up on shoulders. a pretty little crochet edge around the neck and armhole will complete this comfortable little vest. a simple crochet edge is made by working one double crochet, * chain, double crochet in first chain, miss stitches, double crochet, repeat from * sew the two small pieces of ribbon that have been cut in half to the vest. tie in a bow. the bows hold the little garment together. _pine pattern lace._ cast on stitches and knit across plain. st row--slip , knit together, make , knit together, knit , knit together, make , knit together, knit , make , knit together, make (thread four times round needle) knit together, knit together, make , knit together. nd row--knit plain, but work twice (knit and purl ) in each of these make loops. in the nd row work times (knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl ,) all in the made stitches. rd row--slip , knit together, * make , knit together, knit , knit together, make , knit together; repeat from * once, knit , make , decrease (by working slip , knit together, draw the slipped stitch over), knit , decrease , make , knit together. th row--the same as second row. th row--slip , * knit together, make , knit together, knit , repeat from * three times, knit , make , decrease , knit , decrease , make , knit together. th row--the same as second row. th row--slip , knit together, make , knit together, knit , knit together, make , decrease , make , knit together, knit , knit together, make , knit together, knit , make , knit together, knit together, draw the first two together; stitch over the second thus decreasing again, decrease , make , knit together. th row--the same as second row. th row--slip , knit together, make , knit together, knit , knit together, knit , knit together, make , knit together, knit , make , decrease , make , knit together. th row--knit together, drop the second loop of the "make ," knit , draw the first stitch on the right-hand needle over the knitted one, thus decreasing again; knit , purl , knit , purl , knit , purl , knit . repeat from first row. xxxii embroidery suggestions for boarding school girl a girl who has to make a home of her boarding school should try and make her room and little personal articles as attractive as possible. her room is her citadel where only her bosom friends and cronies meet. one likes to feel when they enter their room that it is a place where everything is hers and every object in sight means something to her. a girl might not like to embroider, yet there are hundreds of things that can be done without any needlework decoration, such as stencilling, cut leather or simple appliqué. it always amused me to hear a girl say, "i don't like to embroider." i always feel like asking her, if we are acquainted, if she knows how to embroider. you will find that in nine cases out of ten she does not. embroidery is like anything else, you have got to know it to like it. it may be you prefer one branch to others. some branches of this work may be tedious to you but when you stop and think what simple things are classed under embroidery you will find that you have a wide field from which to select. it is not my object to go into details in regard to stitchery in this chapter but rather to give you some helpful suggestions in regard to knowing what to make and what colours to use. the stitches to be used are fully described in the previous chapters. the first thing to consider is, are you going to have a bedstead or a couch in your room? make it the latter unless you have a broad window seat that you can heap up with pillows. no room at a boarding school or college is complete without a half a dozen pretty pillows. when the chairs give out you can use the cushions, japanese fashion, on the floor. some girls like to carry their whole room out in cretonne, which is very pretty and dainty if you can afford it. cretonne covers last about a year and then they get faded and dusty, while a linen background embroidered will last for many years. it may need laundering but it will stand any amount of that. if the embroidery fades a little that also is no drawback as it takes the effect of newness from the room. a room ought to look as if people lived in it and enjoyed it and not as if it were an exhibition room in some department store. don't think i am trying to encourage untidiness but let the things be used and enjoyed. when i was about your age for several weeks i spent my spare time embroidering a centre piece for my auntie's dining room table taking care to get just the right colours that would look well with her every day china. it nearly broke my heart when it was finished to have her use it only for state occasions. if my cousins do not use it any more than auntie did it will last for hundreds of years, or be thrown into the rag bag by the next generations if they don't like it. enjoy all the pretty things that you possess if they are appropriate for the use you intend them for. have you ever heard the story of the little dirty boy of the slums who was given a new white tie by his teacher? he had first to wash his hands before he touched it and then he washed himself to wear it and asked his mother for a clean shirt so that everything would go with the tie? do you know that if you have one beautiful thing in your room of which you are very proud you too will see that all the things around it set off its beauty? for the girl who has a window seat in a room and wants to keep her room dainty and bright there is nothing as pretty as the lingerie pillow. it may be made of heavy white linen or lawn as you desire and can be oblong, round or square. the cushion is covered in any colour that you prefer and the white top embroidered with large eyelets, roman cut work, hardanger or drawn work so that the colour will appear through the openings. some of the handsomest imported pillows have motifs of real filet, irish crochet or cluny lace. these motifs are very expensive and not really necessary. the back and front of the linen cover are scalloped on the edges and half an inch above this scalloping a row of large eyelets is worked at intervals. the back and front are laced together with ribbons the same shade as the coloured covering. for a pink and blue room the cushion can be covered with pink and the lingerie slip laced with blue. for a square pillow plan the design on a square and arrange one in each corner and one in the direct centre. these slips will require frequent laundering. the lithographed pillow is a thing to be avoided by a girl of refined taste. you would not hang lithograph posters in your bedroom so why feel that it is all right to buy a lithograph pillow? the chief point to remember in getting little accessories for your room is to keep the colouring as harmonious as possible. avoid getting the popular things of to-day which are apt to be an eyesore to you to-morrow. do not decide quickly to carry out your room in school colours, there will probably be a dozen of the girls who will do this very thing and you will be tired of it before your course is through. a fraternity pillow is to be expected as there are dozens of ways that it may be treated and look quite different from the other girls' pillows. the general way in which a school or fraternity pillow is made is to cut out of felt the letters, figures and any design that is to be placed on it. the background may be broadcloth, ladies' cloth or felt. use one of the school or fraternity colours for the appliqué and the other for the background. one of the handsomest fraternity pillows i ever saw, was one belonging to a hamilton college man. hamilton's colours are buff and bright deep blue. the fraternity's colours were black and gold. a handsome piece of hamilton blue broadcloth was selected for the background. the fraternity pin was reproduced in colour in fine filo silk. the gold silk was a perfect match to the gold in the pin. even the background of the pin, which was black enamel, was represented by very fine kensington stitches. the rope-like edge of the pin was reproduced on the pillow by little rope-like sections heavily padded and worked in gold silk. on the back of the pillow were his initial and his class year below. no beruffled ribbons or gaudy cord detracted from its richness. it was a square cushion and its only finish was a large button in each corner where the end was gathered and tucked in to give a round effect. the school girl of to-day is learning to eliminate the unnecessary trumpery things that cheapen the room and serve as dust gatherers. outside of the pillow, bed or table covers and an occasional bag for fancy work, laundry or gloves there is no ornate display of handwork. even the walls are left bare with the exception of a framed print or a few family photographs. try if possible and see if you can get a plain paper for your wall. more than one really charming room is spoiled by having an atrocious paper on it. it is really impossible to try to be artistic with an ugly wall paper. since stencilling has become so popular, it is not an uncommon thing to have the entire room stencilled. suppose you had planned to have your room in lilac, green and light gray. white can be substituted for the gray but it soils more readily than the latter. the floor should be polished and a couple of small rugs or one larger one be used on the floor. the lilac shade should predominate in the rug. the covers should be of the gray or white with a stencilled design in green and lilac. a pretty way to treat the pillow is to get inexpensive lilac material of a coarse texture. cut a square about fourteen or fifteen inches. cut four strips of white or gray five inches wide by twenty-five inches long. these strips should be finer than the lilac or of a different weave. baste one strip on each side of the lilac square. mitre the strips at the corners. a design is then stencilled on the four strips in lilac and green. the backing of the pillow should be in plain lilac. if preferred a striped lilac and white piece of material can be used for the centre and back. for the girl who is fond of initials or monograms i would suggest that the cover be hemstitched and a wreath selected in different sizes appropriate to the article on which it is to be used. these wreaths can be carried out in colour or the background may be coloured and the wreaths white. inside of the wreath work your monogram or initial. if you desire a dutch room, carry out this scheme in delft blue material and have a dark set of mission furniture. nile green linen with wreaths of conventionalized rosebuds or daisies, worked in shades of pink, or white and yellow, suggests a french room, with a brass bedstead. as i have stated in the chapter on initials, the stem stitch is pretty for working single lines of a design that is carried out in satin-stitch. stem stitch is too slow a method however to embroider school linens, and i would suggest using a substitute that has the effect and yet does not require the time. a row of outlining is made, and then turn the work back in the same manner, this time instead of working through the material, catch the places where the two successive stitches of the first row overlap (figure .) another wrinkle you might be glad to hear of and possibly want to put in practice is how to clean a daintily embroidered piece without washing it, such as a pincushion or pillow top. school is not like home where you can be sure a piece sent to the laundry will have proper attention. another drawback is that all extras have to be well paid for. if the piece is thickly covered with white talcum powder and allowed to stand without disturbing it for forty-eight hours, the embroidery will emerge almost as clean as if it had been laundered. [illustration: fig. . a substitute for stem stitch] now then there are the curtains for your room. you may be fortunate enough to have a room with dainty dotted swiss or dimity curtains that will go very nicely with the things you are planning and then again you may be inflicted with a pair of cheap imitation lace curtains. if you can possibly afford it change them as soon as possible. personally i would rather have no curtains than the wrong ones. dimity, dotted swiss, scrim, plain net or grass linen are materials that are inexpensive as well as artistic. of course you can make them as fancy as you wish. any of the above mentioned materials can be stencilled. rick-rack braid, which is a wavy braid, can be used to edge the net curtains or a connemara lace design is also appropriate. a narrow crochet edge can be used on the edge of the scrim curtains or a narrow border of drawn work can be used. shadow work is effective on dimity or dotted swiss curtains. another pretty stitch very similar to the shadow stitch is the skeleton stitch. instead of the work being on the wrong side it all appears on the right. work a row of very fine running stitches on the right side. fagot stitch from side to side catching the thread into the running stitches. the work is done from the centre of the flower to the tip of the petal. do not end your thread but weave over and under the fagotting stitch to the end of the petal, leaf or space on which you are working. the curtains may be sash lengths or may be the full length of the window but do not make them longer than to reach the sill. [illustration] the country life press garden city, n. y. * * * * * transcriber's notes: italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=. obvious punctuation errors repaired. obvious typos and errors repaired: maderia -> madeira bottonholed -> buttonholed pading -> padding diferent -> different faggotting -> fagotting neccessary -> necessary separarely -> separately woolen -> woollen it is not necessary to to work -> it is not necessary to work about an an inch -> about an inch hyphenation is inconsistent and has been left in that state where there was a balance of with and without spellings e.g. chain-stitching and chainstitching, handwork and hand-work and over-cast and overcast.