Braiding

“ Cluny pattern
Group A.—Cluny laces demand great ingenuity in execution. The most simple are made entirely by braiding in such a way as to produce an effect of interlacing (sketch y.) . The braids are formed of four threads; when the interlacing is more important they become more complicated. At times the braids group themselves to form the flat surface or toile which later will resolve again into braids. ”

“ Braiding makes a very effective trimming and the work goes quickly so that even when deep bandings are in fashion one can have a handsome costume with a comparatively small amount of work and expense. All the newest and smartest transfer designs for braiding will be found in NEEDLE-ART while the DELINEATOR and BUTTERICK FASHIONS show the correct use of braid trimmings whenever they are in style. ”

“ The braiding is done in the same way as that described for the leash, beginning with the upper right strand. (Fig. 16.)
When only one foot of lacing is left, form the loop of the lanyard by folding the braid back as in figure 41. Cross the two lower strands behind the main braid (Fig. 42) , and finish with the square or spiral braid and the lock knot as described for the leash. If you wish the square braid to slip along the lanyard, braid it loosely.
The alternative pattern shown is made by arranging the strands at the start as in figure 43.
Fig. 40
Fig. ”

“ Another cross-stitch design
A very simple thing to do is to braid a dress for yourself. Now that all the large pattern houses are carrying transfer patterns you can get a design [107] for braiding very cheap. A little girl I know braided a dress for herself and one for her mother last summer. She used light blue chambray and braided it with white. There are several kinds of braid, but the easiest to use is soutache, whether it is cotton or silk. It is a flat braid and varies in width from one to three eighths of an inch. ”

“ These are not so often used in tailoring, still we do occasionally see garments braided without any apparent design—a sort of higgledy-piggledy arrangement, but in the midst of this disorder, these must be order introduced, if it is to become ornament: thus the outline of the braiding must be clearly defined, either by a border limiting its outline. In nature we frequently find a fine disorder which produces a beautiful effect, but the charm which nature throws over her works by careless foliage of trees, the dasies in the field, the stars in the heavens, cannot be reproduced in costume. ”

“ Two rows of braiding, commencing at the lower edge of the tunic behind, should bend inwards towards the waist; but instead of diverging thence to the shoulder points, as in a military coat, should pass over the shoulders, about midway between them and the neck, and thence be continued with a turn (ornamental or plain) to the front of the tunic on both sides, and reaching down to its lower extremity. There should be no braiding round the bottom edges of the jacket. ”

“ Braid this over a round stick, the size you want the braid for use, varying the number of strands according to the size of the stick; then slip the braid from the stick on to the mold you wish to use, tying the braid so it will fit the mold exactly, and then boil in water five minutes, and take it out and put it in an oven, as hot as it will bear without burning, until it is quite dry. Then it is ready for use.
[122]
The hair to be used in braiding should be combed perfectly straight, and tied with a string at the roots, to prevent wasting. ”

“ Braid around ten times.
Then commence at A, take Nos. 1 and 2, lift across table to B and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and No. 2 between Nos. 1 and 2, and bring back Nos. 1 and 2 from B to A, and lay No. 1 outside of No. 4, and No. 2 outside of No. 1 at A; then change the same at C, B and D; then commence again at A and braid ten rounds, so on braiding alternately ten rounds by the directions of each pattern until the braid is finished.
[50]
Take sixteen strands eighty hairs in a strand, and place on table like pattern. ”

“ After the braid has been made it can be sewed together for a mat. In joining a strand insert the new piece so that it extends a little beyond the braid. If a long braid is desired it is best to have the strands of different lengths so that the joinings will not be all in one place (Figure 225) .
When braiding or weaving with rags cut the strips about three quarters of an inch wide. Old rags can be used for this, cutting out the weak parts. Cheap cotton fabrics when new make excellent mats.
Weaving on frames is very interesting and not such a difficult task as you imagine. ”

“ Regimental Officers—Rank will be shown by braiding on the sleeves with drab braid and by distinction badges on the sleeves, as shown on the accompanying illustration.
It will be seen that there is a slash six inches long at the forearm sean, and seven inches long at the points 21⁄2 inches wide at the bottom, and 3 inches at the top. This is edged with fancy drab braid. Distinction marks according to tank are put in the slash. Round the cuffs are rows of braid, together with narrow Russia braid, also of drab. ”

“ After tying the lengths of twine together, separate the longest part into three divisions of four strands each (Fig. 271) . Braid these strands together in one braid, beginning close to the string tied around the bunch; continue braiding firmly and tightly for the distance of two and a half or three inches (Fig. 272) , then untie and remove the string from around the bunch (Fig. 273) ; bring the two ends of the braid together, and joining all the loose strands into three bunches of eight strands each, braid all into one braid (Fig. 274) . ”

“ Sometimes a contrasting color is used for the small stitches, as black mercerized embroidery cotton to catch down a light blue heavier cotton. This combination would be effective on a linen dress.
Fig. (7) The position of the needle in couching
Braiding: Flat black silk, military braid is used on woolens. Stitch the braid on as shown in Fig. 8. Soutache braid is often stitched on in a plaid design at the lower edge of a skirt. (See Fig. 9.) ”

“ It is enough for women to protect [113] their locks, and bind up their hair simply along the neck with a plain hair-pin, nourishing chaste locks with simple care to true beauty. For meretricious plaiting of the hair, and putting it up in tresses, contribute to make them look ugly, cutting the hair and plucking off it those treacherous braidings; on account of which they do not touch their head, being afraid of disordering their hair. Sleep, too, comes on, not without fear lest they pull down without knowing the shape of the braid. ”

“ After completing the loops at the ends, many craftsmen prefer to make several more ordinary stitches before starting the squares.
Six-Strand Leash Materials required: 6 strands of standard gimp. 31⁄2 yds. each 1 strand of core braid, 1 yd. ”

“ The girls very frequently use the braids to make circular or other shaped mats. They also braid rags and make rugs of them. Hay, grass, clover stems, or varied colored strings are braided and from these are made necklaces, watch chains, bracelets, or rings; corn husks and silks are braided and used for doll's hair. The boys use the braided cord, grass, straw, leather, or willow bark, for harness, whips, fish nets, swings, to make bows or as belts for machines. Boys have a greater interest in saving string and when they find a cord of any kind it usually finds its way into their pockets. ”

“ Embroidery stitches can be made use of for couching down other threads; a bunch of threads may be laid upon the material, and an open chain, buttonhole, or feather stitch worked over in order to fix it in place.
Fig. 89.
Braid work is quickly and easily executed; it needs only a suitable pattern and a pretty braid for couching down to be most successful. There are a few points to be observed about the technique—the cut edge of a braid is awkward to manage, for it must, with a special needle, be taken through to the back of the material and there made secure and flat ”

“ French braid, whether made of linen or of cotton, is laid on the pattern with stitches taken across it, from one edge to the other. This mode of putting on braid prevents it from stretching, as, from the nature of the plait, it would otherwise do. In forming angles, each edge should be sewn down to the paper, and then the braid turned over. Circles are made by laying the braid on the design, and forming it into the proper shape with the fingers, before tacking it down. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Braid is always a favourite style of ornamentation with the high-class ladies' tailor; and, when nicely done and the braid of good quality, it needs nothing else to stamp the garment as a high-class production. Braid is generally arranged on symmetrical designs, that is, the one side is an exact repetition of the other, only in reverse. When the ladies' tailor has to braid a skirt, he either has to get a ready prepared design that can be transferred to the material with a hot iron, or has to design one himself, which, if he has any idea of drawing, is a very easy operation. ”

“ TO PLACE THE BRAID.--No. 442 shows the design traced upon paper or tracing cloth, and lightly tacked to a foundation of leather or toile cirée. Run on a straight line of braid for the lower edge, with fine stitches, working as shown from left to right. Take another piece of braid, or the other end of the same piece, and begin to lay the braid by "running" stitches in its centre, keeping it as smooth and even as possible. The outer edge presents no difficulty, but the inner edge will not lie evenly without being drawn in by a needle and thread, as follows:--Thread a No. ”

“ The outlines of any design in Point Lace are made in braid of various sorts, in thread, or sometimes in linen. The braid used is either French linen or cotton braid, or that now known as Italian braid. French braid is a simple plait, more or less wide; Italian braid is, in fact, a pillow lace insertion, somewhat resembling a tape, but with edges like those seen in all other pillow lace. It enters very much into the composition of Venetian and other valuable Italian lace, whence the name Italian braid has been given to it. ”

“ She was silent. She had not looked at me while she spoke.
"May I lift your braid?" I asked her. "What a lovely braid—how very beautiful it is!"
"My friend has kissed it," she said, and pushed back my hand.
"Forgive me," I said then, and my heart pounded more and more. "May I not look at your ring—it shines so golden and is also so very beautiful. I should like to look at it and admire it for your sake." ”

“ Select any article you may wish to make, and by referring to the patterns, you can easily find the style and directions whereby to braid it. We might have given twice the number of patterns, or even more, but any person can, after a little experience, readily invent new and different styles of braids, and by so doing, each can satisfy their own peculiar taste. ”

“ After you have the small braids all completed and prepared, as required in the explanation, sew them together at one end, so they all lie smooth and flat, then divide them off in twos, using each two as one strand, and plait them together; commence at the right side, take one strand at a time, and lift over one and under two till you get to the center, then commence on the left side and braid the same way, and so on till finished. Then sew the ends well, trim them, and put on a little shellac to fasten them in the clasps. ”

“ She walks painfully along to her place and holds her work at a disadvantage in the poor little cramped left hand, but she likes to be there with the others.
Most of the heads are covered with little tight braids, on some heads standing at every angle, on some laid smoothly down, one braid tied to another. A few have their curly hair cropped close, and here is a little girl with a bushy mass overshadowing her lively face. She takes but a stitch or two until she goes up to the front and holds her work out for her teacher's inspection. ”

“ For the middle of d'oyley, join the braid neatly with a needle and cotton to the piece of braid the first circle was begun with. Count the points of braid in No. 107, and arrange them as shown in the cut. The straight inner lines of braid lying together are sewn to the two middle points of the braid, which connect the circles. The inner lines are worked with two chain, one double into the two points lying together. Repeat nine times more; this finishes the straight centre lines.
The chain-stitches in the centre of each division can be easily worked from the design. ”

“ A twisted bar is nothing more than a thread overcasted (see illustration, Figure 124) .
Fig. 195. A Maltese cross
A buttonholed bar is made by laying two or three threads and buttonholing over them (Figure 196) .
In this age of machine work there are all sorts of braids that may be procured for lace work. Little edges that [234] were impossible to buy are now made by machinery.
A little edging makes a dainty finish to a straight braid and also enhances the beauty of the fancy braids.
To make a simple edging, work a row of picots on the edge of the braid which forms the edge of the design. ”