No. 55.
LOUIS XIV. CURTAIN-LACE.

This is a very popular decoration for curtains and vestibule doors and is made of heavy écru or white net and braid. The design selected is generally a border with a corner piece, and sometimes a center piece. The specimen here given is simply a square of the net decorated as illustrated to convey an idea of this at present fashionable curtain lace. The design is first traced on tracing cloth that is then underlaid with brown paper to hold it stiffly in place. The net is then laid over this and smoothly basted down so that the tracing shows through plainly. Then écru or white Battenburg braid is used to follow the design, and is shaped into the leaves and flowers seen, rings being used for the centers of the blossoms and écru or white cord for the stems. The net is cut from under the rings at the centers of the large roses, and each opening is filled in with point de fillet and English wheels. The effect is very rich and the work is not difficult to do.

When a curtain is thus embroidered or decorated with braid, it is bordered the same as the square illustrated, or upon that principle, with rows and points of Battenburg braid. Ribbon is often used in this way for tidies, bureau scarfs and various other little household decorations, and in this event the flower and foliage tints may be carried out in the design.

[No. 55.]—Louis XIV. Curtain-Lace.

DARNED-NET SCARFS, KERCHIEFS, TIDIES, EDGINGS, INSERTIONS, ETC., ETC., WITH DESIGNS FOR THE SAME AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Bobbin net, or "bobbinet," or "net" as it is now commonly called, was first made by machinery in 1809, and was so called because the threads from which it was made were wound upon bobbins, and twisted into meshes instead of being looped in knitting style as they were previous to the invention of the machine. The latter was invented by John Heathcoat, the son of an English farmer; but to France must be given the credit of introducing the "darned work" by which some of its costliest net laces were first made. From these laces originated the industry of darning net by machinery and by hand, and in all grades from fine silk-blonde and Brussels net to the coarsest wash net, such as is used for curtains and draperies.

In the earlier days the pattern was stamped on the net by means of wooden blocks, and the net was then placed in a frame, and the darner with her left hand under the lace followed the design with her needle and cotton, linen or silk floss held over the work in the right hand. This method may be employed at the present time; or, the design may be drawn on thick paper and the net basted over it; or, if the net is coarse the design may be followed by counting the meshes and inserting the needle and floss accordingly; or the design may be transferred to the net itself by black or colored pencils, or stamping. The darner must decide for herself which method for holding the work she will use. Some of the most expert darners simply hold the net loosely in their hands and copy the design by eye alone. Wash-silk floss, India floss which is of linen but looks like silk, and ordinary darning flosses are all used for this work. Darned net is liked for many purposes, as will be observed by the variety of designs and illustrations given on these pages.

No. 1.
SCARF-END OF DARNED NET.

This illustration pictures a very pretty scarf-end, but presents it only half of its actual width. The scarf is about a yard in length and is darned with linen floss and edged with the finest feather-edge braid. The center portions of the flowers and foliage are cut out after the solid darning is made, and the spaces are then filled in with a fancy mesh done with fine cotton in point de Bruxelles stitch.