The word _Bar_ is applied to the various st.i.tches used to connect the various parts of point lace work, and the beauty of the work depends greatly upon the cla.s.s of bar and its suitability to the lace st.i.tches used. The simplest bar is--

No. 461.--THE SORRENTO BAR.--It is worked from right to left, a straight thread being carried across and fastened with a st.i.tch. The return row consists of a simple twist under and over the straight thread; three of these bars are usually placed close together at equal distances between each group. The thread is sewn over the braid in pa.s.sing from one spot to another.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 461.--Sorrento Bars.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 462.--Sorrento Bars.]

Sorrento bars are also applied as shown in ill.u.s.tration No. 462.

No. 463.--D ALENCON BARS are worked upon point de Bruxelles edging, and are only applied to the inner part of a pattern, never being used as groundwork bars. The thread is merely pa.s.sed three times over and under the point de Bruxelles st.i.tches, the length of these bars being regulated by the s.p.a.ce to be filled; when the third bar is completed a tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tch is used to fasten off the bar, the thread is pa.s.sed through the next point de Bruxelles st.i.tch, and a second bar begun.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 463.--D'Alencon Bars.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 464.--Venetian Bar.]

No. 464.--THE VENETIAN BAR is so simple that it hardly needs description. It is worked over two straight threads in reverse b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch. No. 465 shows the Venetian bar applied as the "veining" of leaf, and worked upon Sorrento bars.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 465.--Venetian Bar.]

No. 466.--VENETIAN BARS are worked so as to form squares, triangles, &c., in b.u.t.ton-hole st.i.tch upon a straight thread. The arrow in the ill.u.s.tration points to the direction for working the next.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 466.--- Plain Venetian Bars.]

No. 467.--BARS OF POINT D'ANGLETERRE.--These bars may be worked singly or to fill up a s.p.a.ce, as in ill.u.s.tration. Work rosettes as in point d'Angleterre, page 461; when each rosette is finished twist the thread up the foundation thread to the top, fasten with one st.i.tch, then pa.s.s it under the parallel line running through the centre and over into the opposite braid; repeat on each side of each rosette, inserting the threads as in ill.u.s.tration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 467.--Bars of Point d'Angleterre.]

No. 468.--POINT DE VENISE BARS (EDGED).--Begin at the right hand and stretch a line of thread to the left side of the braid, fastening it with one tight st.i.tch of point de Bruxelles. Upon this line work a succession of tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tches. In every third st.i.tch work one point de Venise st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 468.--Point de Venise Bars (Edged).]

No. 469.--We now come to the most important feature of BARS--the _dot, picot_, or _purl_, for by all these names it is known. This dot is worked in various ways upon different lace bars. Dotted point de Venise bars are worked as follow:--

[Ill.u.s.tration: 469.--Dotted Point de Venise Bars.]

Stretch the thread from right to left, on this work five tight st.i.tches of point de Bruxelles, then insert a pin in this last st.i.tch to hold it open and loose, pa.s.s the needle under the loose st.i.tch and over the thread, as clearly shown in ill.u.s.tration No. 469, and in this loop work three tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tches. Then work five more st.i.tches, and repeat to end of row.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 470.--Picot or Dot on Sorrento Bar.]

No. 470 shows a dot or picot upon a Sorrento bar worked between rows of point de Bruxelles, three twisted st.i.tches being worked into the loop left by the twisted thread; this forms a picot resembling satin st.i.tch in appearance.

Nos. 471 and 472.--RALEIGH BARS are worked over a foundation or network of coa.r.s.e thread, twisted in places so as to more easily fall into the desired form.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 471.--Raleigh Bars.]

[Ill.u.s.tration 472.--Network for Working Raleigh Bars.]

By following the numbering from No. 1 to 21, in No. 472, a square place may be easily filled, and portions of this arrangement applied to form groundwork of any shape desired. Upon this groundwork tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tches are worked, and the dot worked upon these in one of the following ways:--

DOT or PICOT.--1st Mode: Five tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tches, one loose point de Bruxelles; pa.s.s the needle under the loop and over the thread, as shown in point de Venise bars No. 469, draw up, leaving a small open loop as in tatting. Work five tight point de Bruxelles and repeat. 2nd Mode: Proceed as above, but instead of continuing the tight st.i.tches work two or three tight st.i.tches in the loop thus formed, and repeat. 3rd Mode: Work four tight point de Bruxelles st.i.tches, one loose, through which pa.s.s the needle point, wind the thread three or four times round the point, as shown in ill.u.s.tration No. 473, press the thumb tightly on this, and draw the needle and thread through the twists. This is a quick mode of making the picot, and imitates most closely the real Spanish lace.

Ill.u.s.tration No. 473 also shows how this st.i.tch may be applied as a _regular_ groundwork, but the beauty of old point groundwork bars is the variety of form.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 473.--Third mode of making Picots or Dots.]

EDGES AND PURL FINISH.

The correct edging of lace is a most important part of this art, and care should be taken to work a proper edge for each kind of lace.

Sorrento edging should be worked upon Limoges lace. Spanish lace requires a full rich edge, as shown in No. 478, &c. The simplest edge is point de Bruxelles, which is worked somewhat like the st.i.tch No. 433, and is secured by a knot worked in the braid. Many lace-workers omit this knot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 474.--Point de Bruxelles Edging.]

No. 475.--SORRENTO EDGING is worked with one short and one long st.i.tch alternately.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 475.--Sorrento Edging.]

No. 476.--POINT DE VENISE is worked precisely like that st.i.tch (see page 456), three and even four st.i.tches being worked in the loop.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 476.--Point de Venise Edging.]

No. 477.--POINT D'ANGLETERRE EDGING is worked in point de Bruxelles, the thread being again drawn through the braid before proceeding to the next st.i.tch. This edging is strong and useful.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 477.--Point d'Angleterre Edging.]

No. 478.--POINT D'ESPAGNE EDGING.--This st.i.tch is easily worked. Insert the point of the needle through the braid and wind the thread round it 20 times, draw the needle through these windings and draw the picot tight, sew over the braid the s.p.a.ce of 3 st.i.tches, and repeat.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 478.--Point d'Espagne Edging.]

No. 479.--ANTWERP EDGE.--This edge is only a variety of point d'Angleterre edging, and differs only in the mode of making the knot; the thread is pa.s.sed over, under, and through the loop formed by the point de Bruxelles lace.