BRAIDS.
The braids, cords, rings and buttons illustrated upon the following two pages are all used in modern lace-making. They are all made of pure linen thread, and according to the fancy, the lace including them may be heavy or light. Royal Battenburg lace, as originated, was heavy—in some cases massive; but at present many lighter varieties are made, as will be surmised upon an inspection of the braids for its manufacture which are represented on the pages mentioned. As shown by No. 1, these braids are about a third narrower than their actual width, and the picot edges numbered 16 and 17 are plain tatting made for the purpose, as the picot edges woven for lighter laces are not heavy enough for Battenburg lace. The numbers opposite the specimens are simply for convenience in ordering, if the order is sent the lady mentioned in another part of the book as the Pioneer of Lace-Making in America; but in ordering from other lace-makers or manufacturers of braids, these numbers will be of little use, as every lace-maker or manufacturer has his or her own individual identifications for materials. Almost any of the braids, or those very similar, may be found at large fancy stores, but in buying them at such stores, be careful to get linen braids, as cotton braids do not make pretty lace, neither do they wear or launder well. In ordering these braids from other lace-makers or from fancy stores, it will be necessary to forward the illustration of the kind wanted, as the braids cannot be described with sufficient accuracy to obtain the desired varieties. Some are sold by the yard, some by the dozen yards and others by the piece, according to the position to be occupied in the work.
The point, Honiton and Princess braids are represented full size, and are much daintier in texture than the Battenburg braids. Of this class of braids (see No. 2) are made the plain Honiton and point laces, and the braids for these two laces combined produce the Princess lace—a creation whose beauty fully entitles it to its royal name.
The braids seen at No. 3, page 21, are those which are used in making the new "Ideal Honiton" lace represented in another portion of the book. As illustrated, these braids are three-quarters of their proper widths, the top braid, No. 38, being just one inch wide in the fabric itself. The "Ideal Honiton" is one of the prettiest laces made, and is very appropriate for tidies, doilies, squares and scarfs. It is daintily secured to the finest of lawn in charming designs, and then the lawn is cut out from beneath it. (See doily, page 33).
The cords seen at No. 4 are used in making Battenburg laces, and greatly increase the beauty of the work in addition to forming a distinctive species of lace. After the ordinary Battenburg is worked with quite thick braid, the cord, in any size desired, is used to follow one edge of the design, as will be seen from illustrations upon other following pages.
RINGS AND BUTTONS.
The rings and buttons illustrated, are made throughout of linen thread in layers of button-hole stitches, and are sold by the dozen or gross. Buttons arranged as grapes (see No. 50, page 21), add greatly to the sumptuous effect of a heavy lace, and may be purchased already arranged as illustrated, or they may be arranged by the purchaser of a quantity of them. The latter method is a good plan if spaces are to be filled with clusters which must be of a certain shape.
No. 1.—Braids used in Making Battenburg Lace.