Beadwork

“ Wonderful designs in beads or shell disks appear on coats, jackets, and carrying bags, while at neck, waist, shoulder, and at the bottom of sleeves and trousers are other figures in fine embroidery or applique. Strands of beads and seeds exhibiting a great variety of designs surround the necks of both men and women, while rings, armlets, leglets, and anklets of beads, plaited material or metal, are common. Combs are covered with pitch and inlaid with beads, or patterns are incised in the wood and filled with lime. Ear plugs exhibit beautiful delicate patterns inlaid with brass or silver. ”

“ Ladies may now, however, confidently commence, with our patterns before them, to reproduce Antique laces; for care and patience, with a knowledge of Point Lace stitches, are alone required to perfect the beautiful work, which, as shown in existing specimens of exquisite Old Lace, constitute the chief glory of women's refined industry in past centuries.
INSTRUCTIONS in TATTING, in EMBROIDERY, in CROCHET, in KNITTING and NETTING, in BERLIN WOOL WORK, in POINT LACE, and GUIPURE D'ART are prefixed to the pages devoted to these separate branches of needlework. ”

“ In working the following Embroidery Patterns it will be found advisable to trace the design clearly upon tracing-paper with a sharp-pointed lead pencil. The pattern thus traced must be perforated with a fine needle in a succession of tiny holes, at the rate of about twenty to the inch. Those ladies who possess a sewing-machine will find no difficulty in accomplishing this. Several thicknesses of paper can be perforated at the same time, if required, by any ordinary machine. ”

“ Beads come in all sizes from the tiny ones that are no bigger than a top of a pin to the large ones the size of a marble. Sometimes you can get odd-shaped beads, flat on one side and curved on the other. A string that is pretty enough to wear on state occasions can be made of heart-shaped and round beads.
The regular bead needle is very fine and long. [279] It is better when stringing a single strand to double the thread. Use linen thread No. 100 or 150. Thread the needle with a piece of thread eight inches longer than double the length of the necklace. ”

“ Three-rowed open-work.
Open-work insertion with rings (fig. 87) .—Bind the edges on both sides, with straight, two-sided, stitches. Take, for this, Coton à broder D.M.C, No. 30, (embroidery cotton) , using it double. Draw out, from twenty-four to thirty threads. Wind your thread six or seven times round the middle of each cluster of nine threads, and then make darning-stitches, above and below, to a length of 3 m/m. When you have completed two clusters, join them together, by four interlocked stitches; wind your thread three times round the single thread, and sew it over with close stitches. ”

“ You work with five needles, on each of four of which you cast on two stitches, eight in whole, knit one plain round. Then, first row, raise, knit one, raise, knit one, and put on one bead at every knitted loop. Second row, you knit a plain round. Third row, raise, knit two plain, raise, two plain; the raising is at the beginning and middle of each needle; and you thus proceed, until you have fifty beads on a needle, for a bag, and eighteen for a purse. ”

“ Catch the thread with the beads also in the knot. Make two pink strings this length and two yellow. Then make four strings, two pink and two yellow, that are not more than an inch and a half long. Fasten off the threads securely and the bag is complete.
Three bunches of pink beads and two bunches of yellow will make two purses as have just been described. The beads vary in price from six cents a bunch to twenty-five cents. Sometimes the more [290] expensive kind have only half the number of beads that the cheaper bunches have. Do not get too small a bead or the work will become very tedious. ”

“ By adding to this store of beads the contents of two belts, one of which was nine inches in breadth, and so long that when placed upon the shoulders it reached to the ankles, we conclude that the greatest collection ever taken from a prehistoric mound could not compare for a moment with the treasure of this one historic chieftain.
A great deal of art is shown in the stringing and mounting of beads. The simplest form is a single strand, a twisted string of vegetable fiber, a strip of buckskin, or a bit of sinew being passed through the perforations. ”

“ In fig. 884. the tooth a is a guide to regulate the distance between the bead and the edge. A similar effect is produced of late years in a neater and more expeditious manner by the rollers, figs. 886. 887. Fig. 888. is a section to show the form of the bead. The two wheels a, a, fig. 886., are placed upon axes, two of which are furnished with toothed pinions in their middle; the lower one being turned by the handle, gives motion to the upper. The groove in the upper wheel corresponds with the bead in the lower, so that the slip of metal passed through between them assumes the same figure. ”

“ When fairly satisfied with your progress, commence stitching the skin up from the neck, adding clay where wanted, noticing that, in the position you are now working to, the neck will hang low, and rather fine in front, between the fore limbs, and that the flanks will be tucked up.
Go on sewing up until you are at the point behind the shoulders, including the fore limbs in this; pad the skin at the toes with clay, to replace the flesh previously cut away. ”

“ Two or three fastening off stitches should be worked when each circle, half circle, or rounded curve of a pattern is finished, as the drawing or gathering thread remains in the work, and forms an important, though unseen, part of its structure.
As much of the beauty of point lace depends upon the manner of placing the braid, ladies cannot bestow too much pains upon this part of the work, which is a little troublesome to beginners. Many fancy shops now undertake this braid-placing for ladies, who can have their own pattern braided and commenced or braided alone at trifling expense. ”

“ Much of the architecture, as well as of the drapery of this personage, is loom-wrought, assisted in places by needle-embroidery. The head, the hands, the feet, are all done by the needle; but the head, neck, and beard are worked upon very fine linen by themselves, and afterwards applied, and in such a manner that the long white beard overlaps the tunic. ”

“ Nothing in the way of sewing or stitching, can equal this blind-stabbing, one half of which is done in the dark, the skill being acquired by constant practice, and the extreme delicacy of the touch; from twenty to thirty stitches have been done to the inch in this way, and in prize-work as many as sixty, every stitch being clear, sharply defined, beautifully regular. ”

“ Begin again and work one of the small circles; * 2 double, draw up one bead after each, 1 double, 1 short purl without beads, 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, fasten the silk on the purl of the middle circle, so as to let it come between the 3rd and 4th bead of the 6 beads on that purl; 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, 1 short purl, 2 double, 1 bead after each, 1 double, join the stitches into a circle, draw up 2 beads; work a larger circle without fastening the silk belonging to the smaller one ”

“ The saw, consisting essentially of a thin elongated blade, one ragged or toothed edge, is a scarcely less primitive and an equally useful and familiar application of the principle of the inclined plane—though it requires a moment's reflection to see the manner of application. Each tooth, however minute, is an inclined plane, calculated to slide over the tissue of wood or stone or iron even, yet to tear at the tissue with its point, and, with the power of numbers, ultimately wear it away. ”

“ As soon as textiles are needed for covering and clothing, the means are invented for drawing the cut edges together, and for preventing the fraying where the material is lacerated by the shaping process. Hence the “seam,” the “hem,” and all the forms of stitches that bind and plait. These necessary stitches constitute plain needlework, and are closely followed by decorative stitches, which in gradation cover the space between plain needlework and embroidery. ”

“ In early and medieval times needlework as an adjunct to weaving and outline work by itself was used with a most perfect artistic effect, done in couched metals or silken cord, or in simple chain-stitch or back-stitch, &c.; while, as for appliqué, many gorgeous vestments may still be seen retaining much of their original beauty, worked in satin on velvet, silk upon damask, &c., Botticelli and other great masters not disdaining to draw designs for such work with their own hands. ”

“ Then, using the pattern which has just been made, a new pattern of the creature’s body is made, then a pattern of a leg, a tail, an ear, and these sections are all cut from the cardboard, separately, with scissors or the sharp jack-knife. In cutting out legs and paws, they should be made always a little longer than the original pattern to allow for the joint by which they are fastened to the body. As soon as all the parts of an animal [126] have been cut from the cardboard, they should be laid in place and holes punched with a coarse needle or an awl at the joints. ”

“ As by the present mode of constructing bodies various joints are left exposed to view, where leather unites with wood or two varieties of wood join in the same surface, it becomes necessary to resort to some means of covering them, and this is usually done by beading, as previously described. ”

“ Stitches in needlework correspond to the touches of the pencil or brush in drawing or painting, or to the strokes of the chisel in sculpture. The needle is the one implement of the craft by which endless forms of surface-work are executed. With a thread through its one eye, it blindly follows each effort of its pointed foot, urged by the intelligent or mechanical hand grouping the stitches, which, being long or short, single or mixed, slanting, upright, or crossed, are selected as the best fitted for the design and purpose in hand. ”

“ Some workers take off the heel, in the same manner as the toe is here directed to be finished.
Open-work Stockings.—On each needle cast on 52 stitches with fine cotton, knit the welts and raise one stitch for the seam. When you arrive at the narrowings, narrow every eighth row, and when you have 38 stitches on each needle, cease, and knit [122] until the article is completed; then take half the stitches to form the heel, knit 23 loops, and narrow on each side of the seam for three rows. ”

“ Take the needle on which the stitches are cast in the left hand, and another needle in the right hand--observe the position of the hands [291] (No. 289) . Hold the left-hand needle between the thumb and third finger, leaving the first finger free to move the points of the needles. (The wonderful sense of touch in the first or index finger is so delicate, that an experienced knitter can work without ever looking at her fingers, by the help of this touch only--in fact, knitting becomes a purely mechanical labour, and as such is most useful.) ”

“ Make a chain of 88 stitches white.
Make it round; work 2 rounds plain, and 3 rounds, putting a bead on every stitch, shaded blue; work the star pattern; then 3 rounds in beads with white, 6 rounds plain, and 34 rows backwards and forwards for the opening, working 3 bead stitches at the beginning and end of every other row; make it round, and repeat the pattern. ”

“ Material: Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s embroidery cotton No. 16.
This insertion is worked in raised satin stitch and buttonhole stitch. The outlines must first be traced and the space filled up with chain stitches. To work a leaf, begin at the point, working from right to left, making short stitches, and always inserting the needle close above the outline and drawing it out below. The holes left for the ribbon to pass through are worked in plain button-hole stitch, the dots are worked in raised satin stitch.
[106]
132.--Insertion in Embroidery and Stitching. ”

“ Every young girl should be taught to do the following kinds of stitch, with propriety. Over-stitch, hemming, running, felling, stitching, back-stitch and run, buttonhole-stitch, chain-stitch, whipping, darning, gathering, and cross-stitch.
In doing over-stitch, the edges should always be first fitted, either with pins or basting, to prevent puckering. In turning wide hems, a paper measure should be used, to make them even. Tucks, also, should be regulated by a paper measure. A fell should be turned, before the edges are put together, and the seam should be over-sewed, before felling. ”

“ Fig. 48.—Rubbing of part of the decoration of a Tongan club in the Norwich Museum; one-third natural size.
What are known as “beads” have frequently the same origin; that is, they are reminiscences of fastenings. This is especially evident when the bead is decorated with a [87] twisted design, as occurs in the zonal decoration of a bronze vessel from a Swiss lake-dwelling. (Plate I., Fig. 5.) There is no reason to believe that lashing was actually employed on older forms of Assyrian combs, or prehistoric bone needles or bronze knives, nevertheless the patterns shown in Plate I., Figs. ”

“ Art and design, other than the arrangement of feather ornaments, is, in fact, apparently confined to the very simple designs scratched upon some of their broad abdominal belts, smoking pipes and lime gourds and perhaps occasionally on one or two other things, and to the plaited designs displayed in the manufacture of other abdominal belts and of arm and leg ornaments and plaited forehead ornaments and feather frames, and to the very simple linear patterns in which some of their network is made, and the ground-staining and pattern-colouring of their perineal bands, dancing aprons and ribbons. ”