Beeton's Book of Needlework

Materials: Bamboo cane basket; blue satin; cardboard; netting; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co's Mecklenburg thread No. 16.

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.

546 and 547.–Squares in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 12 or 20; and point d'esprit according to the fineness required.

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.

548.–Insertion in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Strip of netting 6 holes wide, and of the required length; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 8 or 12.

This simple insertion consists of double rows of wheels worked at each side of a strip of point d'esprit, an edge of buttonhole stitches being worked between the rows.

550 and 551.–Squares for Antimacassar.

Materials: Square of netting of 12 holes; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co's Mecklenburg thread No. 8.

No. 550 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. 551 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. 518.

552 and 553.–Borders in Guipure d'Art.

Material: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 8 or 16.

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. 553 darn the ground in button-hole stitch, darning stitch, point d'esprit, and point de feston; the pattern No. 552 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.

554 and 555.–Squares in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 20; netted squares of 7 and 8 holes.

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. 554, is a small wheel covered with raised stitches.

556.–Square in Guipure d'Art.

Material: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 12.

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.

557.–Insertion in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Strip of netting of 4 holes in width; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 12.

The ground of this simple pattern is worked in point d'esprit, square wheels are worked in the centre of the strip.

558 to 563.–Different Strips of Insertion, Rosettes and Lace, in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Fine white cotton; Messrs. Waiter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread Nos. 16 and 20.

These strips of insertion, rosettes, and borders are very suitable for ornamenting lingeries, cravats, &c. The ground of insertion, Nos. 558 and 560, 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 11 rounds wide, and worked with button-hole stitch along the edges; the darned patterns can be worked from illustration.

For the rosette, No. 560, cast on 6 stitches over a fine knitting-needle, and join the stitches into a circle; in the 1st round work 2 stitches in every stitch. In the 2nd–5th rounds work 2 stitches in every increased stitch of the preceding round, and in every other stitch 1 stitch. In the 6th round take a steel knitting-needle double the size of the first, and work over it 1 stitch in every stitch of the preceding round. Then work the 7th round over the fine needle as follows:–

Draw always the second stitch of 2 stitches through the first, and work 1 stitch in the stitch which has been drawn through the first, and then 1 stitch through the other stitch. In the 8th round work always 2 stitches in the stitch between the 2 crossed stitches, 1 stitch in all the other stitches. Lastly, darn the rosette, from illustration, with fine glazed cotton.

For the ground of the rosettes, illustrations Nos. 562 and 563, cast on 6 stitches, join the stitches into a circle, and work then in the 1st round 2 stitches in every stitch; in the following 8 rounds 2 stitches in every increased stitch, in all the other stitches 1 stitch. The last (10th) 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 3 button-hole stitches. These two rosettes can be joined together for small couvrettes.

The ground of the border, No. 561, is formed by a strip of straight netting 9 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. 561, in darning stitch, point d'esprit, linen stitch, and ornamented with bars and wheels (See illustration).

564 and 565.–Corner Borders in Guipure d'Art.

Material: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 20 for handkerchief, or No. 8 for couvrettes.

These corner borders are suitable for handkerchiefs, couvrettes, &c., or as strips of insertion for cushions or pillowcases. 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 1 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 1 loop in last double stitch, and cast it off with the next double stitch.

566.–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. 567. Ornament all round with silk cords, and at the corners with bows of satin ribbon.

567.–Guipure Pattern for Jewel Case.

Materials: Netting 25 holes square; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 14.

This cover is worked in point d'esprit, point de toile, point de reprise, and point de feston. Thick dots are introduced occasionally.

568.–Parasol Cover in Guipure d'Art. (See page 580 (#x16_x_16_i38).)

Materials: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 20, and cotton No. 80.

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. 80, over a steel knitting-needle which measures two-fifths of an inch round. Begin the strip in one corner. Cast on 2 stitches, and work in rows backwards and forwards, increasing 1 stitch at the end of every row, till you have 1 stitch more than the stripe is to have holes in width, on our pattern 68 stitches; then work 1 row on the same number of stitches, and then increase alternately 1 stitch at the end of 1 row, and decrease 1 at the end of the next, till the strip is 250 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 1 stitch ever the mesh, but only 1 knot in the stitch of the preceding row, so that the cotton is drawn on tight. When the strip is completed, trace from No. 568 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.

569.–Scent Sachet in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 18; 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.

570.–Square in Guipure d'Art.

Materials: Netted square of 26 stitches; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Mecklenburg thread No. 12.

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.

571 and 572.–Work Case in Guipure d'Art.