Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-10
DEVELOPMENT OF LACE.
Stages Known as Embroidery, Cut
work and Drawnwork,

A customs official Of the treasury who
has to do with collecting duties on laces
talked most Interestingly about them to
Star reporter.
"A chronological consideration Of the de-
velopment of the lace and embroidery in
dustries will be instructive" he said.
AT the earliest period, the first departure
from the severe custom of plain goods was
by embroidery done upon the surface. About
the sixteenth century embroidery became
very common. At first it was done on the
surface Of the fabric. The first progress
sion from this plain surface embroidery
was "cutwork." This in its earlier stages
consisted of figures cut out of other fabrics
and appliqued on the plain goods then Of
embroidering by stitches on the plain fabric;
then of cutting out certain portions of the
embroidered fabric, and embroidering by
needle not alone the solid fabric but in
filling in the cut spaces with embroidered
effects This cutwork. with the edges
fashioned with picots appeared in the early
part Of the sixteenth century. 1t marked
the first progression from embroidery upon
the surface. The spaces are cut out and
we'll as others upon the surface. The
points are the primitive ornamentations of
the solid fabric ornamented with picots,
which were subsequently succeeded by
identities" Following this palmer class of
the cutwork embroidery came drawn-threal
embroidery.\ The square spaces are cut
out and the figures embroidered in with lace
stitches; the edges are of drawn threads,
the remaining threads being looped into
figures of hourglasses. This is precisely
the drawnwork effects of today The
square spaces are filled with lace figures
embroidered into them, or, as stated by
Madam Kubasek, filled with punto in aria
lace. Later. larger spaces were drawn
and filled with lace figures. The authori-
ties are full Of illustrations of this early
art. Then followed passementere-long,
lace-lfke strips of embroidery. They were
the extension into long strips of the en-
the cut squares of the solid fabric.
The next step in the progression was
called dentile, which consisted in en-
broidering points or teeth along the edges
of the fabric. This constituted one of the
first step in lace making. further pro-
erosion was original reticella insertion
made on linen groundwork, all cut away
except the threads forming the square
framework, with edges punto in aria and
passementer.e tassels. Early in the seven
teenth century appeared rare neede-point
laces with pointed edges Of punto in aria.
This Is of embroidery stitches, pure and
simple, constructing needle-point lace, there
being no foundation. The spaces were en-
embroidered Then followed tape laces
The tape is borded with buttonhole stitches,
and the Intervening spaces filled with lace
stitches. The patterns are connected with
brides or braided stitches. This is lace
So that 1t appears that lace is embroidery.
When embroidery ceased to be fashioned
upon or to some foundation for the pur-
pose of onamenting that foundation and
was made in the air." itself constituting
the entire article. it became lace. Drawn
both of which in their earliest stages were
effected as and for embroidery or lace
foundations, though sometimes used with
out such In simpler ornamentation.