Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-08-07
Something About Lace.

IT has been wondered at by persons un-
acquainted with the possibilities of mech
anism that machine-made lace should be
so inferior to that made by hand. 1t is
not only true that it is, but that, for vari-
Gus reasons, it must always continue in.
ferior. In ace-making it is essential that
the ends of the thread be loose. Now, I'm.
til machine has been devised which will
pick up these loose ends as Devonshire
lace-makcr or a Belgian nun does, it is
useless to expect from the automatic ma
chine the softness and elasticity, the even
ness Of thread, or grace Of pattern which
comes from intelligent fingers. do not
desire to snub the machine made gimps
and fringes that give style to English
and American ladies' dresses, which the
traveller misses so much as he proceeds
through Europe toward the East ; but they
are not lace.
There are but four real classes of lace,
although the specialties of different coun-
tries are innumerable. Point, pillow,
drawn, and applique are the generic kinds
of lace proper and the name of each, to a
woman's understanding, designates how it
is made. Point lace, indeed, meaning
made by the needles point, is untrue to
its name, since it is partly pillow twisted,
but pillow lace, drawn lace, and applique
lace are what their names indicate.
OF drawn lace and applique lace no de-
scripUon is needed. OF pillow lace the
usual method of work is thus Upon
the pillow, which is nearly g,obular, a
piece of stiff parchment is stretched, hav-
ing a number of holes forming the pat
tern. Through these holes pins are stuck,
nd flraaIc ,.ypt,nI hnhhtnc xIyn
ven around the pins and twisted in com.
plete ways around each other. These
threads now form the skeleton. The
meshes are bound together. At every two
or three turns of the thread it is twisted
around its own cord, and then again
around its neighbours cord. The figure of
the meshes depends upon the number OF
turns made before the twist is changed
from one cord to another. 1t is most
tedious process. Attention cannot be di-
verted. Thought must be upon the work.
Memory is severely taxed. The mistake
of a single twist becomes fatal to the
whole piece
There are certain peculiar conditions
necessary to the production of perfect
lace. These are, first, the quality of the
thread second, the abundance of female
labor; and third, the Roman Catholic re-
ligion. Belgium, better than all other
European countries, possesses the three
Her thread has not, and never had a rival
her peasant girls, red checked pictures OF
perfect health, are proverbially industri
Gus; and her upper and lower classes are
Catholic devotees. In the vestrIes of the
old churches of Flemish land there is a
wealth Of lace upon saccrdOtal vestments
that is beyond estimate. 1t has been col.
lecting ever since Isabella's DAYS, was
wrought as labor Of love by nuns and
other holy ladies, and appears upon the
gorgeous apparel of ecclesiastical digni-
tarics on great days Of the Church. But
in all the world there is no such collec-
ton Of every description of lace as at the
Vatican. From France and England,
from Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Italy,
point d. Espagne and point Alencon, Val
enciennes and Honiton, Brussels, Genoese,
Argentan, and one knows not what, have
been coming as gifts to the Church these
500 years. There are twelve large rooms
used exclusively as wardrobes for laces in
the Papal Palace.
Though great deal of old lace has
come down in families and in ecclesiasti.
cal establishments, and though lace, as an
heirloom is guarded as watchfully as dia-
monds, no doubt much has been lost. Ii
has been the fashion at times, in different
parts of the world, to bury the dead of dis
inguished families in their lace. This
was particularly the case at Corfu. To
this day there are to be found in shops
these specimens Of antique lace of elegant
workmanship, conspicuous for darkness
of color and sepulchral smell.
Honiton lace, made only in Devonshire,
England, has never been favOrite in the
United States. Two handkerchiefs con.
tributed by an American gentleman visit
ing in London, to the New York Sanitary
Fair in 1868, could scarcely be disposed
of at cost About the middle Of the last
century this lace was made In such per-
lection that it rivaled Brussels. But the
lace. makcrs introduced set Of hideous
patterns tout Of their own heads" they
said, patterns of boars' heads and peacock
tails; of kettles and frying-pans; OF
churches and castles. Leaves and flowers,
graceful compositions of the old school,
were abandoned, and the end was an utter
depression of the trade. TO revive the
best days of Honiton again, Queen Victo.
ria ordered her wedding lace, composed
Of sprigs to be made in Devonshirc, and
paid for it 81 600 The bridal dress OF
each Of her married daughters has been
made also OF Honiton point, the patterns
being the national flowers. This encour
agement, together with the new business
Of restoring old lace, has once again sci
Dcvonshire industry on its legs.
OF the value Of old laces it is impossi
BILE to speak with accuracy. The bed fur
niturc, made of point dAlencOn for the
Empress Marie Louise, cost Napoleon l
200, 900 francs. The fiousce which Eu
genie wore at her wedding, which had
taken thirty-six women eighteen months
TO complete, cost $4,000 francs The En-
peror gave her dress also, for which he
paid 10000 francs. In the Exhibition OF
1857 was dress Of this lace, which it had
taken forty women seven years to com
plete, and which was valued at $1,000
francs. There is a Brussels lace stole
worn only by the Archbishop in the Ma
lines Cathedral, that is said to be thu
largest and finest specimen in the world
1t cost the labor of seventy-three nuns
fourteen years. "What may be the wortf
Of that stOle." asked lady who had beer
admiring its marvellous beauty. III
money, madame, do you mesny" asked
the verger, in reply. eyes, monsieur
1.-THE Church, madame" said the verger
0rnckops the valup IF the gifts il receives