Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31
AMERICAN LACE MAKING.
The Inventor of the Popular Batten-
burg Lnce and Her Work.

The china fad is almost a thing of the
past, and the woman of fashion has turned
her attention to lace. The glass cabinets
that used TO appear in the drawing room
and contained fine china, bearing every
evidence that the fair owner was well
versed in the mysteries of pottery, We're
some time ago relegated to the dining room
and their corners in the drawing room are
now occupied by similar cabinets the
shelves of which contain priceless laces. If
you would be cultured you must know lace
Miss Sara Hadley, who is an acknowl-
edged authority on lace in this country, and
for more than twelve years has designed
the lace decorations for drawing rooms,
said to a New York Tribune reporter:
The lacemaking fad has been growing
for about ten years steadily. Ladies are
now affecting it for pickup work. in the
place of embroidery, and the future of real
lace as one of our American industries is
slowly. compared with others. When once
lacemaking does take hold it will never
let CO. because its destinations are beyond
anything that can be inspired by any other
kind of handwork There are at present
only about fifty good lacemakers in the
United States. Does not that fact make It's
own prohhecy regarding the future, when
tell youNthat the orders have from New
York women alone cannot be hlled under
year?"
the Royal Battenberg lace, now popular
for dinner and lunch table decoration, and
carried out in designs for every possible
interior decoration where lace Is permlss-
ible. a luncheon cloth consisting of an
1S-inch lace design in grapes and grape
leaves, all the work of her own hands or
under her direction, that took prize at
the worlds fair was in the Royal Batten-
berg lace.
at is something of regret to me" add
ed Miss Hadley, that / did not give the
lace an American name, but the nrst great
piece was completed at the time OF the
marriage of the Princess of Battenberg,
and a foreign name always possesses an
added charm for Americans. so / adopted
that title for ambitious more than for pa
triotic reasons, fear. have always been
sorry about it. / think could have had
no idea how popular 1t would l' become. Ia La
work. for all Nthe most delicate patterns
are reproduced in this in u bold and sub
stantial fashion.
Il have Just completed an order for ta-
BILE linen for Mrs. Rockefeller. The cloth
was twenty-five feet long. and the lace
about the edge was Royal Battenberg,
broidered into the edge of the linen CEN
ter and reached to the edge of the pol
ished table only. Formerly we made the
lace to hang over the edge of the table,
lying in the lap of the guests and was
not desirable. Now We make the center of
such fine linen that it may be placed over
a delicate colored satin and the latter show
through. The plates of the dinner service
are placed on the lace edge of the cloth.
I'VE have Just taken am order from
lady belonging to the four hundred. for a
lunchcloth accommodating twenty-fOur
plates for a carved oval table. The cary
ing adorns the ouIer edge of the table.
extending back twelve inches. The lace of
the linen cloth will reach to the inner edge
of the carving only. and will carry out the
exact designs of that carving, which con-
sists of dragons and birds This order is
to be filled in Flemish lace. When com
pleted it will be the most beautiful thing
in its line in this country"