Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-05-25
LACES.
A Chapter on Those Delicate Fabrics which Beau.
tify Woman's AppareI---The Different Kinds of
laees

| A Chapter on Those Delicate Fabrics which Beau.
tify Woman's AppareI---The Different Kinds of
Laces.
''i IFrom the Christian Union.l
Of all the products of human labor
there is none more beautiful than lace.
Made by women for women, it is essen
TALLY feminine in character, and is real
ly the poetry of industry as it is of
dress. Its manner of production is
peculiar. There are communities in
various parts OF Europe composed al
most entirely of lace-makers. Honiton,
In the west of England, is such a one.
The women are educated in this in
dustry from earliest childhood, some go
ing to schools in Italy and elsewhere,
and at great expense, learning the
highest branches of the art. In such
a community there will be some one who
is a teacher and held in especially high
repute. Business houses or persons de-
string their work done send their orders
to her. She makes, or has made her de-
signs, then, knowing the, skill and
capacity of the various workers, appor-
tions it in detail to them, and perfect
indeed must be the work which passes
thO OIL oOlllJ VI hC1 Oycs WuOu jill Uu0
parts are finished she combines them to
her design, and so hundreds of women
may contribute to piece of work which
is still in conception the work of one.
There are three kinds OF laces: first.
that which is made in the hand entirely
with bobbins, of which Point d'Angle-
terre is the highest type; second, the
cushion lace, which is made upon cush-
ions with pins and bobbins; and, last,
that which is made by the use of bead
ings and detached pieces already manu-
featured, which form nucleus for the
lace work. To this class belongs much
of the lace making which has of late
been SO popular with our lady amateurs,
and which artists in lace approve "be-
cause it awakens an interest" There
are other laces, like Breton, which are
worked by hand onfooting. Languedoc
is OF this class, being machine made ex-
cept the beading on the edge and the
tracery around the design, which was
done by hand. It is easily recognized
by it's ecru tint and the outlining [ have
mentioned. Cluny is the old Maltese
under new name; it is cushion lace,
all OF linen, and unequaled for substan-
tlal use. There is an attempt to replace
it with new lace called Medici, which is
the same in prices, but closer and not as
| light in effect. Russian lace is also a
cushion lace, and exceedingly rich for
trimming. 1t is used principally for
| children's garments and collars, but il
! also beautiful on ladies sacques, morn
ing wrappers, etc. 1t is made ia Swift
zerland, instead of Russia, as the name
would indicate. Antique lace belongs
to this class of heavy laces, but is used
only for upholstery. Valenciennes, the
favorite of past generation. is very lit
| tie worn, and Breton seems to fill the
| place it once occupied. Honiton, al
though no longer known by that name,
is in high favor as the Duchesse, which
is, in fact, really French Honiton. In
deed, many of the new laces are only
combinations of the old, and, as in
architecture, they cannot do much more
than produce the three old types, Doric,
Ionic and Corinthian, so Point, Honiton
and Thread seem the foundation of all
lace-making, and modern laces are varia-
tions upon these styles, with new names
to cover their composite character.
AS prices vary with width and quality
of lace it is difficult to state them ac-
curately; but Torchon, Breton, Langue-
doc, Cluny, Russian, MechIin, Valenci-
ennes, Thread, Duchesse and Point as
cend aboutin the order mentioned, Point
d'Angleterre being the most costly. Of
these, Breton, for ordinary uses, is in
greatest demand. One reason for it's
popularity, no doubt, is that it is just
what it pretends to be, hence in good
taste. If one can spend little more,
Mechlin is in three grades limitation,
half real, and real-with prices graded
to suit them. For elegant toilets the
Duchesse is most worn, and is very bril-
liant in effect over dark surface. There
is a higher gradeof this, known as Ouch
esse point, which is one of the compos-
ties alluded to above, and is exquisite
for full dress. Large colla1ettes of this
and of the plain Duchesse, with vest
fronts, may be bought for twenty five
dollars, and necklaces of the same, with
lace pendants in front, for two and a
half or three dollars; and when one
thinks of the labor and skill expended
upon these works of art one wonders
that they can be purchased for so little.
There was time when good taste rig
orously demanded good lace or none; but
now. SO beautiful are the limitations, or
machine-made, that it is no longer avio-
lation OF taste Or the rules of good dress
ing to wear them. Placed side by side
with the real, they are less ethereal and
perfect, nor will they endureas well; but
for ordinary uses they are quite lovely
enough, and enter very largely into beau
tiful toilettes to-day. The Spanish lace
which is SO much worn for trimmings,
fchus, etc, is altogether imitation, and
yet perfectly en- regle; and so also the
French and italian limitations of black
thread. OF course they will not last,
but are good enough for the purpose of
ephmereral fashion such !. as the, the fchu
other art products. Money spent In the
real is permanent Investment, and hap
Ply are they who can afford it; but they
who cannot may wear the imitation just
| as they NAV adOrn their houses with