| There was wool stitching with colorful wools | | | | particular) than in the finished material. A |
| from famous paintings and on Biblical | | | | brief mention is made of some of the many |
| subjects in the nineteenth. And there were | | | | varieties, but only the barest outline is |
| beadworks as well which is an allied to | | | | attempted; the names of the many patterns and |
| embroidery and very popular in the | | | | the stitches employed would alone fill a |
| seventeenth century during the reign of Queen | | | | book. |
| Victoria. And lace was one the subject of | | | | |
| interest in the earlier days. | | | | Hand-made lace is divided into two distinct |
| | | | types: that made with the needle, known as |
| In the nineteenth century there was a fashion | | | | needlepoint; and that made with bobbins on a |
| for working brilliantly colored pictures in | | | | cushion, known as pillow. Basically, |
| wool; many were after famous paintings, but | | | | needlepoint lace is made from one single |
| the greater numbers were of Biblical | | | | continuous thread, and pillow lace from a |
| subjects. They are known as Berlin woodwork, | | | | number. In the latter, each thread is wound |
| for both patterns and materials were prepared | | | | conveniently on a bobbin made of wood or |
| and exported from Prussia. They were sewn | | | | bone, often the subject of 'folk' decoration, |
| with thick wool and in big stitches; many | | | | and many are hung at one end with a bunch of |
| were of large size and must have taken a | | | | colored glass beads. |
| considerable time to finish. | | | | |
| | | | In the sixteenth century lace making was a |
| Beadwork is allied to embroidery, and was | | | | flourishing art, pattern books began to |
| used on its own as well as in conjunction | | | | appear, and both Venice and Flanders were |
| with work in wool and silk. It was widely | | | | early seats of activity. Stimulus was |
| popular in the seventeenth century, and | | | | provided by fashion decreeing that lace |
| revived during the reign of Queen Victoria | | | | should be worn by both sexes, and |
| when it was used often for making banners for | | | | contemporary paintings prove its popularity. |
| fire screens and panels for covering | | | | |
| footstools. | | | | The most renowned needlepoint laces were made |
| | | | at Alencon and Argentan, and at Brussels. It |
| In other parts of Europe styles similar to | | | | is stated that the net forming the background |
| those of England were followed, but with | | | | in some of the finer Alencon pieces was |
| local variations in both designs and | | | | composed of hexagons with sides one-tenth of |
| materials. Similarly, in America the | | | | an inch long, these sides being 'overcast |
| inhabitants followed the styles that they, or | | | | with some nine or ten buttonhole stitches'. |
| their forbears, had followed before they | | | | |
| reached that land. Much of the work is | | | | Pillow lace was made also in Venice and |
| indistinguishable from European, but samplers | | | | Flanders, and in other countries. In England, |
| exist with names of individuals and cities | | | | imports from Europe threatened the native |
| that make their identification certain. | | | | industry, and prohibition of foreign work was |
| | | | followed by the immigration of some of the |
| Chinese embroiderers favored silk, which they | | | | workers themselves. English pillow lace was |
| had in the first place introduced into the | | | | produced in several places, Honiton in |
| West, of which the production was pursued | | | | Devonshire being the most famous. Other |
| with zeal. Fine embroidery was used on robes, | | | | centres of lesser importance were: |
| in many instances on both sides of the fabric | | | | Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, |
| with the thread-ends care- fully concealed. | | | | Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and |
| It was used also with great effect in the | | | | Suffolk. Lace was made also in Ireland, |
| form of pictures. The Japanese did similar | | | | principally in the nineteenth century. |
| work. | | | | |
| | | | More than the lace there was more interest |
| Lace | | | | shown on the materials use in its making. The |
| | | | two types of lace such needlepoint and pillow |
| Lace was once studied eagerly and | | | | are made with the same types of threads but |
| extensively, but today only comparatively few | | | | one with hands and the other bobbin made of |
| collectors take notice of it. There is | | | | wood or bone. This lace ahs traveled a long |
| probably more interest shown in the equipment | | | | way in making decorative works of our clothes |
| used in its making (pillow-lace bobbins, in | | | | and other dress materials, etc. |