CHAPTER XI
FRINGES AND TASSELS—HAND-MADE BRAIDS—
KNOTS AND PICOTS
“And bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments.”
Fringes are used to form an ornamental border for various articles; they seem to be the most natural finish to many of the loosely-woven textures. They can be knotted in different ways into simple or elaborate patterns, or they can be enriched with groups and bands of coloured threads or beads. The most simple are those produced by the unravelling of the horizontal or weft threads. In planning out a piece of work to be finished off with a fringe, allow 6 or 7 inches for it—or whatever depth is wanted; finish it after the rest of the work has been completed, as the frayed edges are apt to get soiled and untidy if unravelled before.
Fig. 34.
To prepare a Fringe.—Withdraw a few threads at the head of the space and work a row of single hemstitching, or overcast it with large stitches. There is only a single ply of material, but this stitching, while giving firmness, adds a decorative value and prevents the loosening of the weft threads. Fig. 34 explains the method of hemstitching; if the strands or warp threads look rather poor and thin, additional weight may be given to the whole by darning in either some of the weft threads, which have been removed, or by adding various coloured ones.
Fig. 35.
Fig. 35 shows one way of adding threads. These are fixed into place most easily by means of a crochet hook.