Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01
THE FILLET LACES
LARGELY SHOWN FOR CURTAINS
AND BED SPREADS.
The Real Kinds Come Very Expensive,
but There Are Good
limitations.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Fillet lace, beloved of kings and queens
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
spreads and is one of the fads, if not the
real craze, in the seasons upholstery and
furnishing offerings. 1t has esta blished the
window draperies which have almost entire
ly supplanted dead-white effects
Fillet lace has an exceedingly coarse.
square mesh, and the pattern worked upon
it is blocke l out on square lines. suggesting
the Russian cross-stitch so popular for
neckwear during the past year. Few con-
ventional patterns are seen in real filIet
but the human figure, coats-of-arms, SYM
bolical utensils and birds and animals are
worked into the open net with startling vet
quaint effect. Dragons, rampant lions, urns
lamps and torches appear in the simpler de-
signs. but far more desirable are such
studies IN reedle-work as the figure of
woman, putting lid on a squat-shaped
urn Down the side of this pattern like
border, runs the word Temperance" while
below, in another border design, is the date
or which the original pattern was made
1909
1t is a question whether designs of this
character are as pleasing to the eye as the
more modern floral and conventional pat
terms, but the fact remains that filIet is
fashionable.
The lace does not come in solid alIover
eHects. like renaissance. brussels or tam
pour curtains, but is woven only in inser-
tion edging and medallions. The inser-
tlon gives a cross-stitch embroidery effect
Inc edging is generally sharp, triangular
points and is used plain, never friiled The
medaillons vary in size from a couple of
lnches to twelve or fourteen inches and
are always square, obIong or triangular.
never round or oval
Costly Luxuries
The most expensive and. incidentally, the
most popular combination in which fillet
lace appears is with broderie Anglaise on
the sheerest of muslin or nainsook in the
deep cream or natural color. The broderie
Anglaise of itself is an expensive item in
the composition OF the curtain, and a fair
sample of this composite window drapery
costs $500 per window. This particular pat
tern shows nat edge of filIet on band or
broderie Anglaise about five inches wide.
Then comes a ten-inch insertion of flllet
lace. and the body of the curtain shows
numerous medallions of f1llet, surrounded
by broderie Anglaise.
Filiet lace lends itself better to the bonne
femme or ffamand curtains. These are the
plain, straight-hanging curtains used next
TO the window, with a second set of cur
tains. which can be draped or hung behind
them. They give the appearance of being
raised and lowered, like window shades.
hut are never drawn apart. A single cur
tain is used at each window. The famand
curtain is much used for vestibules and
long narrow panes of glass.
Torchon lace is employed in combination
with fliet medallions, and is liked by many
women because It can be gathered on the
edge, while a filiet lace must be sewn on
straight and nat. Many OF the bonnie
femme curtains are finished at the bottom
with deep scaliops of broderie Angiaise.
gathered and draped with tassels Of tor
chon lace.