The Penn's Grove record., 1882-04-15
Lace aud Lace Making.

In the production of Point de We.
Mise there was no ground or net, the
flowers being connected simply by
threads overcast, or worked on with
pearl loops. "SpaDish point" Wa
made much in the same manner, and
was chiefly used in connection with
sc~clesIastical purposes such as altar
clothes and vestments. Venice point
IL now made principally by the in
mates Of converts, and what is sold in
the English market is generally spuri
Gus and an inferior imitation. Greek
point" and Turkey poiut " are now
but little known. Modern Spanish
LACE" is mostly limited to ma1tillas,
o which it sometimes covers the
whole surface, and sometimes only a
border. The" Alencon lace of france
it owes to Venice, and the imitation
first equslled, and then ty new pro-
cesses and patterns excelled the origi-
nal. The Point d. AleHcon " is now
the only French lace which is made
entirely with til e needle. The designs
are printed from copper plates on col
ored parchment. The late Emperor
Napoleon presented TO the Empress
Eugene a dress of Alencon which cost
G9, 900, and this she afterwards pre-
scented to the Pope TO be used as a
trimming for his rochet or sufpliee.
A %flouDce of the same material was
comprised in this royal lady's we'd
ding trousseau, which cost $500, and
took thirty-six women eighf cen
months to make it. At the Paris Ex-
hibition of 1867, a dress of this Ice,
consisting of two Aounces end trim
mings was exhibited. It's estimated
worth was between 93 900 and "a 600
pounds. 1t WAS a most exquisite pro
duciion. And, there having been no
pressure in regard to time, as In the
case of a marriage trosseau, it took
forty women seven years to complete
it. Alencon is still the most costly OF
ell kinds Of lace, although Brussels is
trying hard to equalit. Irish point"
is the name given to the Irish imitf-
tons of foreign lace. One description
ot it known as Curragh point y has
sprigs made separately of flax threads,
on a ground which is sometimes
worked by the crochet-needle, and
6iled in with stitches by sn ordinary |
needle. This product was at n time
in high favor. About 1865 it employees
many thousand and girls;
but, unfortunately, the demand has of
late much declined At the Queens
drawing-room, in 1864, an Irish lady
wore a train, corsage and pett'coa'
trimmed with Carrickmacrass lace,
and it excited universal admiration.
The number of lace workers b. hand
IN Europe is roughly estimated al 5OO,-
100. OF these there are $50, 900 i'll
France. The Belgian and Flemish
workers number l50, 900. Taose OF
the Midland counties OF England,
amount, as we have already said, to
25 600. or other counties We have no
s atistics.
Nearly eve y kind o lace Is nos
made by machinery, and such excel
lence is attained that it is often diff
cult even for a practieed eye to dis
tinguioA between the two kinds. But
experienced persons say that the mos
finished productions OF the frane
never possess the touch, tire inish' OF
the beauty of the laces made by hand
1t is therefore the fact that, while
machinery has brought lace within
the reach Of a large numner of persons
who were formerly unable to buy it.
the demand for the finer product OF
The pillow and the needle has been
out little, If at all interfered with.