Brussels lace

BRUSSELS LACE.

The accompanying diagram gives another variety of open English lace. The straight bars are formed of single threads, while the diagonal ones are twisted; and at every cross a tight button-hole stitch is worked, to keep the threads together. Observe, that in working bars, a tight stitch should always be taken on the braid, at the beginning and end of every one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A diagram gives a specimen of a modification of the Little Venetian Lace. The first stitch is taken as usual, but is followed by three others, worked as closely as possible. A space equal to that of four stitches is left between every four. In the second row, the four stitches are worked on the loop. The engraving also shows how the stitches are adapted to the different spaces in a pattern.

FOUNDATION STITCH (No. 23). This is ordinary button-hole stitch, worked over a thread, and as closely as possible. The thread is taken across the space, from right to left, to form a bar, which is then covered with close Brussels, worked from left to right. Each stitch of a row is worked between two of the previous rows.

ESCALIER STITCH (No. 24). Work nine button hole stitches as close to each other as possible. Miss the space of two, and repeat. In the second row, work one after each of the first seven, miss the space of the last two, work two on the loop, and seven more on the next nine, miss the last two of the nine; repeat in every successive row, passing over the last two of nine stitches, and doing two on the vacant space.

CADIZ LACE (No. 25). Do six close Brussels stitches. Miss the space of two, do two more, and again miss the space of two, repeat from the six stitches.

2nd row: Do two over the loop of every space, and miss all the stitches, whether six or two. Repeat these two rows alternately, to form the lace.

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

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

3rd: A row of Sorento edging, the long stitch coming over the four stitches of the last row, and both the button-holes being worked on the loop, so that the short stitches come over the short of the first row. These two rows, worked alternately, make the lace.

FAN LACE (No. 27), 1st row: Six close Brussels, miss the space of six. Repeat.

2nd: Six stitches over every six, miss the same space.

3rd: Six close Brussels on every loop, missing the space between.

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

5th: Six close over the six on the long loop, miss the other six. Repeat these last three rows as often as may be required to fill up the space.