* * * * *
Ancient Guipure was a lace made of thin vellum, covered with gold,
silver, or silk thread, and the word Guipure derives its name from the
silk when thus twisted round vellum being called by that name. In
process of time the use of vellum was discontinued, and a cotton
material replaced it. Guipure lace was called _intelle à cartisane_ in
England in the sixteenth century. Various modern laces are called
Guipure, but the word is misapplied, since Guipure lace is that kind
only where one thread is twisted round another thread or another
substance, as in the ancient Guipure d'Art.
In every design where lace can be introduced, Guipure d'Art will be
found useful. It looks particularly well when mounted upon quilted silk
or satin. The squares, when worked finely, look well as toilet-cushions,
or, if worked in coarser thread, make admirable couvrettes, and as
covers for eider-down silk quilts are very elegant. Guipure squares
should be connected by guipure lace, crochet, or tatting, or they may be
edged with narrow guipure lace and joined at the corners only when
placed over coloured silk or satin; thus arranged, a sofa-cushion
appears in alternate squares of plain and lace-covered silk; a ruche of
ribbon and fall of lace to correspond completes this pretty mounting.
Not one of the least important attractions of Guipure d'Art is the speed
with which it is worked, and the ease with which fresh patterns are
designed by skilful workers.
GUIPURE D'ART is an imitation of the celebrated ancient Guipure Lace,
and is worked in raised and intersected patterns upon a square network
of linen thread, Mecklenburg thread of various sizes being used for this
purpose. The needles employed are blunt, and have large eyes, to admit
the linen thread.
Materials required: One frame of wire covered with silk ribbon; one
square of Mecklenburg thread net (_fillet_), either coarse or fine;
Mecklenburg thread; netting-needles and meshes of various sizes.
The netted foundation, or "_fillet_," upon which this elegant work is
embroidered, can be made by ladies very easily, and at much less cost
than when bought ready made.
The square is worked by netting with coarse No. 2 or fine No.10 thread
over a mesh measuring three-quarters of an inch or more, in rows
backwards and forwards. Begin with 2 stitches, and increase 1 at the end
of every row till you have one more stitch than is required for the
number of holes. Thus, if a square of 26 holes is required, continue to
increase up to 27 stitches, then decrease 1 at the end of every row till
2 stitches only remain. The last 2 stitches are knotted together without
forming a fresh stitch.
The completed foundation is laced upon the frame, taking the lacing
cotton through the double edge formed by the increased and decreased
stitches. If the four corners of the netting are tied at each corner of
the frame before beginning the lacing, that operation is greatly
facilitated. The netting should be laced as tightly as possible, it
being far easier to darn on than when loose.
[Illustration: 503.--Frame for Guipure d'Art.]
Ladies who wish to excel in working guipure d'art should practise each
of the stitches until they attain perfect regularity and quickness in
their execution. Two or three hours devoted to this in the first
instance will not be time wasted, as the most elaborate pattern will be
worked with ease as soon as the stitches are mastered.
The Mecklenburg thread of Messrs. Walter Evans and Co., of Derby, will
be found a better colour than any other, as it closely resembles the
shade of the ancient guipure lace.
It is sold only in spools of 200 yards each, and the numbers run as
follow; No. 2, 4, 6, 8, lo, 12, 16, 20; No. 2 being the coarsest, and
No. 20 the finest.
The principal stitches used in guipure d'art are POINT D'ESPRIT, POINT
DE TOILE, POINT DE FESTON, POINT DE REPRISE, POINT DE BRUXELLES, and
WHEELS and STARS. POINT D'ESPRIT is worked with finer cotton than the
foundation, say No. 10 on a foundation of No. 6. It consists of a
succession of small loops, as will be seen clearly in the illustration.
The learner should begin from the mark * No. 503, and working a row of
loops the length required, turn the frame and work loops on the opposite
half of each square intersecting the first worked loops in the centre of
each intervening bar of netting. A careful examination of Nos. 503 and
506 will explain this more clearly than is possible in words.
* * * * *
[Illustration: 504.--Point d'Esprit.]
POINT DE TOILE, or LINEN STITCH, is plain darning under and over each
thread; this forms a fine close groundwork, and is much used in guipure
d'art. Care should be taken to keep the same number of stitches in each
square, both along and across; the number of threads shown in
illustration No. 504 is 4 only, but 6 and even 8 are used in many netted
foundations in fine patterns.
[Illustration: 505.--Point de Toile.]
* * * * *
POINT DE FESTON is worked by a series of overcast stitches, as seen by
illustration 506, which clearly shows the manner of working. The frame
is turned at each stitch, the stitches are taken across the squares, and
increase in length at the top of the square.
[Illustration: 506.--Point de Feston.]
* * * * *
POINT DE REPRISE, or DARNING, is worked by stretching 2 or 3 threads
over 1, or 2, or more squares. The thread is darned over and under, and
the needle used to arrange the last stitch while passing through to form
the next. This stitch is very easily acquired. It is always worked with
coarser thread than the foundation; No. 2 thread should be employed for
a coarse groundwork. No. 510 shows this stitch used to form stars,
figures, &c.
[Illustration: 507--Point de Reprise.]
[Illustration: 508.--Leaf.]
* * * * *
POINT DE BRUXELLES, as shown on pages 506 and 507, is a kind of loose
button-hole stitch, and is used for forming various patterns and for
filling up squares. It also forms "leaves," when the number of stitches
is decreased each row until the leaf finishes off in a point. Nos. 509
and 510 clearly show this stitch.
[Illustration: 509.--Point de Bruxelles.]
[Illustration: 510.--Point de Bruxelles.]
* * * * *
WHEELS are easy to work, and are begun in the centre. Four threads are
taken across, as shown in design No. 511; the thread is twisted in
bringing it back to the centre, and the wheel formed by passing the
thread under and over the netting and the crossing threads. It is
fastened off on the back of the several wheels.
[Illustration: 511.--Wheel (commenced).]
[Illustration: 512.--Wheel.]
Wheel No. 513 is a square wheel, and is worked in the same manner, with
the addition of point d'esprit loops, through which, and under and over
the cross-twisted threads, 4 or 5 rows of thread are passed.
[Illustration: 513.--Square Wheel.]
[Illustration: 514.--Wheel larger than its real size.]
* * * * *
STARS are of various form, as shown in Nos. 516, 517, 518, 519, and 520.
No. 516 is worked in point de feston (see page 507) round a single
square hole, which is filled in by a small wheel or rosette.
No. 517 is worked in point de feston and point de Bruxelles,
alternately round a centre simply crossed by point d'esprit threads.
[Illustration: 516.--Star.]
No. 518 is more elaborate, and is worked thus:--Begin at the place
marked _a_; twist the linen thread 3 times round the nearest thread,
draw it on to the knot _b_; repeat this 3 times, following the order of
the letters; twist the linen thread also between the threads, as can be
seen from the illustration, and fasten it underneath the knot _a_; for
the wheel fasten on the cotton afresh and work the remaining pattern in
darning stitch (point de reprise).
[Illustration: 517.--Star.]
[Illustration: 518.--Star.]
No. 520 consists of a double cross formed by twisted loops of linen
thread. Copy these loops exactly from illustration 520 One part of the
straight cross lies underneath, then comes the slanting cross, and
lastly, the other part of the straight cross.
[Illustration: 519.--Detail of Star.]
[Illustration: 520.--Star.]
In the centre the loops of linen thread are fastened with two rounds of
stitches. (See illustration 520).
OVERCAST STITCH is worked like embroidery overcast, and forms the stems
of the flowers and leaves of guipure d'art; it is worked over one or two
coarse threads. It is employed in No. 530, and forms the triangles in
the centre of the middle squares.
* * * * *
[Illustration: 521.--Insertion in Guipure d'Art.]