Point de Sorrento.—In this (Fig. 53) there is a pleasing variety of the same stitch. It also has a special name among laceworkers—point de Sorrento, although only varying slightly in the arrangement of the loops from point de Bruxelles. It is used principally for the filling of open spaces and is comparatively quickly worked. Good results, too, can be had by filling in large spaces with woollen threads of the twisted type. In the first row the stitches are taken rather closely together but equally distributed in the second row; one stitch is worked into the last loop of the first row; one loop is missed; one stitch into each of the two following loops, and so on across the space. The pattern starts on the left side and is worked to and fro, the third row, therefore, starts from the left again with one stitch into the smaller loop and three into the wider loop.
Fig. 54. Fig. 54a.
Fig. 54 is rather a favourite pattern, but the making of the small wheels or roses is just a little tedious. The foundation is a row of looped button-hole stitches, similar to Fig. 52, worked into a circle of braid or a row of not too closely worked button-holed material as described on p. 138. If the circle is small, another row added to this and drawn up by overcasting the inner circle will often be sufficient. The little wheels take up quite a large space themselves, but where such elaborate stitching is wanted they look very effective.
Method:—After the row of open loops has been made, overcast a single stitch into each loop and draw up the thread to tighten the circle; the first row of open button-holing should be nicely spaced to leave room for the forming of the little wheels. The little wheel-like forms are woven in and out of the connecting stitches as is clearly shown in Fig. 54A. Another method of filling in a circle is as follows:—Make a row of open button-holing as Fig. 52, spaced widely, so that there may be eight or ten loops in the round. This done, draw them up by overcasting one stitch into each loop; then carry the thread back to the edge of the braid at the starting point of the first button-hole loop—this is necessary to complete the first loop, the last half of which, so far, has only got one strand. Add two more threads to this half-loop by carrying the needle to the centre and back again; this acts as a strengthening or padding thread to the half-loop, which has now to be button-holed from the outer edge to the inner circle. Each loop is worked in the same way, always adding the padding threads and starting the button-holing from the braid, and from there working towards the centre. When each loop has been worked, button-hole round the inner circle with the heading towards the outer ring; slip the thread up through the first bar and finish off neatly.
Fig. 55.
Fig. 55 gives a simple method of filling in a square opening with a circular form. It is not so complicated as one might suppose. Start at the lower left-hand corner and lay the threads for the square; then the first diagonal line is stretched across to the top right-hand corner; overcast it back—in the method shown in the diagram—as far as the centre only. From this point—the centre—each thread is laid in succession to the edge—vertical, diagonal, horizontal, each one in turn—and overcast back to the centre; when the circle is complete, overcast the second part of the first diagonal back to the edge. The loose button-hole loops are then worked, two into each side of the side and the thread, passing round the first incomplete loop, is interlaced round the inner circle to strengthen and tighten it (compare Fig. 55). Now complete the first button-hole loop; make the final outside circle and finish off the thread. If the filling looks rather thin when finished it may be solidified by working a row of close button-holing round the inner circle.
This stitch is an interesting one and rather less used than the common point de Bruxelles, on account of the initial difficulty of keeping it quite regular; a little practice very quickly gives facility to a careful worker.
