The preparation of the pattern, in most kinds of needlework, is a most important matter and one requiring the greatest care, but in the case of needle-made lace and pillow lace the processes are different.
The paper on which the design is traced must first be backed or lined with unglazed black paper (made specially for this purpose). Prick holes all along the lines of the pattern, at exactly the same distance from each other, remove the tracing and tack the black paper upon rather coarse linen.
This done, you take from three to five lengths of the thread of which the lace is to be made, lay them down together upon the lines marked by the prickings and secure them at each hole by a stitch made over the threads.
Fig. [822], with the others of the same series in their natural size, show the proper distance that should be left between the prickings, and the laying down of the threads begun; whilst in fig. [823], we have the threads laid down throughout, even for the little eyelet holes, which are to be open-worked afterwards.
When all this preliminary work is finished, the pattern is ready for the lace stitches that are to form the filling in, between the raised outlines. In order to keep your work perfectly clean and preserve it from unnecessary contact with your fingers, cover all those parts of the pattern you are not immediately engaged on, with a piece of blue paper with a hole, about the size of a pea, cut in it. This you move along as you go, working only at the part of the pattern which is visible through the hole, keeping all the rest carefully covered up and sewing paper over each part as soon as it is finished; this should not be removed until you are ready to join all the separate parts together with bars or latticed ground and work the button-hole edges.