Free Vintage Lace Pattern:

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The chief stitch in all Point Lace is that known as the common button-hole or overcast stitch. This stitch, worked as closely as possible, or at regular intervals, drawn tightly, or the reverse, forms almost all the stitches, or more properly laces, used. We will begin by describing the simplest of all, which is known as

BRUSSELS EDGE

BRUSSELS EDGE (No. 1). This is a continuous line of button-hole stitches, not drawn tightly, and taken at equal distances of about the fourteenth part of an inch. When worked on braid, care should be taken that the needle is inserted at a little distance from the edge of the braid, which would otherwise be apt to fray.

LITTLE VENETIAN EDGING (No. 2). In working this stitch, do one Brussels, and in the loop of that work a tight stitch.

VENETIAN EDGING (No. 3). Do four stitches instead of one in the loop of the Brussels stitch.

SORRENTO EDGING (No. 4). Do a stitch exactly like little Venetian, the eighth of an inch long, and then one-half that length in the same manner. Continue to work these alternately.

VENETIAN BARS (No. 6). Take the needle across the space to be barred, once, twice, or oftener, according to the thickness of the bar, and then cover these threads quite closely with button-hole stitch.

The veinings of leaves are often worked in Venetian bars, over a ground of Brussels lace. As this is to be done without breaking off a thread, it requires some little management. Begin by making the foundation thread of the vein running from the base of the leaf to the point, taking one, two, or three threads, but always beginning at the point to cover it with button-hole stitch. Do enough to come to the first veinings branching from it; slip the needle across to the braid, in the proper direction, taking a close button-hole stitch to fasten it: cover it with button-hole up to the centre vein; then do the companion one in the same manner, and continue to work each pair as you come to it on the principal veining.

EDGED VENETIAN BARS (No. 5). This is a Venetian bar, like the last, edged with Brussels or Venetian edging. This, with various other bars, frequently forms the groundwork of the guipured lace.

ENGLISH BARS (No. 7). These are frequently worked between two lines of Brussels or Venetian edging to connect them. They are made by passing the needle backwards and forwards through two opposite stitches, always tacking the under side of each, so that the threads be across the space smoothly and evenly. About four times each way will be sufficient. They are usually done across between two stitches, and then one at each edge is missed before the next bar is made. Sometimes these bars are radiated, a single stitch of the edge being missed on one side, and two at the other.

SORRENTO BARS (No. 8). These are bars which occur most frequently in Italian lace. They are simply twisted threads, so closely entwined that they only appear as one. They also are frequently radiated, and crossed; the effect produced will be seen in the accompanying diagram.

DOTTED VENETIAN BARS (No. 9). A bar of threads is made, as for a common Venetian bar. Do on it six stitches, and instead of drawing the seventh tight, hold the top by sticking a needle through it and the paper, about the tenth of an inch, and work on the threads of the loop three button-hole stitches. Do six more on the bar, and repeat.

VENETIAN EDGING, VENETIAN BARS, EDGED VENETIAN BARS, SORRENTO BARS.

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

POINT D'ALENÇON (No. 11). This is only common herring-bone stitch, with the needle twisted once or oftener under the thread of each stitch, according as the space to be filled is narrow or wide.

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

ROSETTE (No. 13). This is exactly like a spider's web, worked on three, four, or more threads, according to the shape of the space intended to be filled. Begin by making a Sorrento bar across the space, from one point to the opposite; then a second one, slipping the needle under the first in going, and over it in twisting back; then do a third, or fourth, if necessary; but when you have twisted back to the centre of the last, make the rosette, leaving the half bar single. The rosette is done by passing the needle under two threads, then continuing to slip it under two, the first of which is always the last of the previous two, until you have made the spot a sufficient size, when you finish the last bar, by twisting down to the braid, and fastening off. The size of the space must be the guide for that of the rosette; but from six to ten times round a centre is an average.

STITCHES.

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

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

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

ENGLISH LACE (No. 17). This is to be worked with the finest thread that is made. Do a number of Sorrento bars (closely twisted threads), at equal distances, in one direction throughout the space: then take one thread under all these, in exactly the opposite direction; take a stitch on the braid to secure it, and twist to the first cross. Pass the needle under the single thread and over the twisted one, till it has gone four times round, when the spot will be sufficiently large. Twist on the single thread to the next cross, and repeat. Do this until the whole space is filled, as seen in the engraving, where the distance between the threads is sufficiently accurately represented. This lace always looks best, however, when the lines are diagonal. English lace is often radiated; that is, the lines are more distant from each other at one edge than at the other, and the spots proportionably larger, presenting the appearance of a fan.

OPEN ENGLISH LACE.

BRABANT EDGING.

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

LYONS POINT.

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.

The diagram in this image 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.

LITTLE VENETIAN LACE.

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

1st: X two close button-hole stitches, miss the space of four, X repeat to the end, without drawing the thread too tightly.

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

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

OPEN ANTWERP LACE (No. 30). For this lace a new stitch is required, called the double Brussels. Instead of a simple button-hole stitch, the needle is twisted once in the loop, so that when drawn up, it has a longer appearance than the ordinary Brussels. The stitches are to be worked quite close to each other.

1st row: X eight close double stitches, miss the space of six, X repeat, without drawing the thread very tightly across the missing space.

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

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

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

OPEN DIAMOND (No. 31). 1st row: Five close Brussels, miss the space of two, X eight close, miss the space of two, X to the end of the row.

2nd: Two close, X miss two, two on the loop, miss two, work along the line after all the remainder of the eight, do two on the loop, and on six of the next eight (thirteen altogether), repeat to the end.

3rd: X miss two, two on the loop, miss two, do two on the loop, miss two, do one on every one of the line of stitches but the last two, X repeat.

4th: Two on the loop, miss two, two on the loop, X miss two, two on the loop, one on every stitch, and two on the next loop (thirteen altogether), miss two, two on a loop, X repeat. The next diamond of holes must be so managed as to fall immediately between two of the first row. By repeating the first line, the place will be indicated. In all these stitches, it is assumed that squares are to be filled in. Where the shape varies from that, extra stitches must be added, at the beginning, or taken away, as the case may be, the worker referring to the engraving for the appearance intended to be produced.

CLOSE DIAMOND (No. 32). The first row is plain button-hole stitch.

2nd row: Five stitches, X leave the space of two, fourteen stitches, X repeat.

3rd: Two stitches, X miss two, do two on the loop, miss two, work on all the rest of the fourteen, except the last two, X repeat. In the fourth row, the holes fall over those of the first. The fifth row is all in close stitches. In the sixth, begin to make fresh lines of diamonds, coming exactly between the last set.

ANTWERP LACE (No. 33). 1st row: X eight close, miss the space of two, X repeat

2nd: X five close over eight close, and two close on the loop, X.

3rd: X two close over five, and five over two, X.

4th: X five close over two, and two over five, X.

5th: X eight close over every five, X repeat.

The above are the principal stitches found in Old Point Lace.