Gold braid

“ The proportions of gold and silver in the gold thread for the woven braid lace or ribbon trade varies, but in all cases the proportion of gold is exceedingly small. An ordinary gold braid wire is drawn from a bar containing 90 parts of silver and 7 of copper, and plated with 3 of gold. ”

“ The trousers were on the top of the parcel, and as I unfolded them and turned them about, showing off their gold braid, I saw the king’s eyes begin to glisten, for finery appeals quite as strongly to the savage as it does to the child. He took the garment in his hands, inspected the gold braid narrowly, and seemed more than half-inclined to insinuate himself into the article there and then ”

“ BRODERIE EN LACET is the term applied to the new kind of embroidery. The outlines are done with silk braid, in the ordinary braiding style, and then the flowers, leaves, &c., are filled in with point lace stitches, usually done in silk the color of the braid. In the design before us, a fine gold thread is laid on the outer edge of the braid, and some of the spots are also worked in this material. ”

“ Mix textures of ribbon and trim to create interesting effects.
LOOP BRAID POSY—TISSUE BOX COVER (page 12) You’ll need:
31⁄3 yds. Wright’s Metallic Loop Braid 9956, gold
2⁄3 yd. Velvet Ribbon 1⁄4′′ wide, avocado
9′′ x 14′′ felt, lt. blue
To make: 1. Centering felt over box, pin to miter corners. Stitch corners, trim seams, press and turn to right side.
2. Glue two 10′′ lengths braid (with headings overlapped) up end and across top 1′′ from outside edge.
3. Cut two 6′′ pieces ribbon and make two figure-8 loops. Overlap at right angles and glue at end of braid on box top. ”

“ 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. ”

“ If the braid is very wide it may seem best when covering a frame to cut and join the ends of the row of braid. It would then be better to make a straight joining in the back.
If a fancy braid is to be pieced, the ends are lapped diagonally and sewed flat. If a fancy joining is part of the design, a simple one is to lap the ends to look as though woven. This may be employed on a crown or brim or both, and it then becomes a part of the design. Also the top of the crown or any part of the hat may have a woven covering of braid, but any such fancy method requires an additional amount of braid. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ When you are ready to begin, make five yards or more of braided raffia as described in the directions for the braided raffia lamp mat, and start the hat in the same way as the mat was begun, except that an oval instead of a round centre is formed. When you have made a large enough top for the crown, bring the coil of braid around, with its upper edge a little above the middle of the row just finished, drawing it quite tight, and in sewing make the [165] stitches run like the twists in the braid—so that they will show as little as possible. ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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.) ”

“ A very soft-looking braid hat may be made by sewing braid over a wire foundation which has been made for the purpose. The braid may be pinned on the brim of wire and sewed, being careful not to attach the braid to the frame; slip the needle over the wire and finish sewing the braid while it is still pinned to the brim, then remove, press slightly, and sew a facing of braid to the under side of the brim if desired. Some kinds of braid may be dampened before pressing, but it is safer to experiment first with a small piece, for some braid is ruined by pressing. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The Nos. 1 and 2 are for braiding chains over—the No. 1 for small chains, and the No. 2 for large sizes. No. 3 is used for braiding tight or open work braids, of from thirty to forty strands. No. 4 is used for the same braids, with from forty to sixty strands in a braid. The mold may be made any length, to accommodate the work.
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The above cuts show the size of forms used for tight or open work braids. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This being assured, arrange a braid or cross-bar of material round the outer part; tack it at the outer edge with bright-coloured wool on to the paper foundation, then adjust the bars and panels, allowing the ends of the braids to slip under the outer braid. Circles or squares of ribbon, velvet, or tinsel, placed in the most important parts and tied to the outer edges with lines of braid or ribbon, which, in turn, might be connected with open stitchery, fork-pin insertion (Fig. 73) , or some small beads, are very pretty. All give scope for individual taste and ingenuity in colour and material. ”

“ 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 ”

“ A treasured brooch or ring, without requiring the resetting of stones or the breaking up of the jewel, may be incorporated into a bracelet as an ornamental clasp. The beautiful round or oval Victorian brooches, the still charming baroque flower pins and rings, lend themselves with exceptional readiness to this use. Such a clasp, as a centerpiece, may grace a many-stranded pearl bracelet, or one of gold chain or gold motifs.
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Bracelet Width
The width of the bracelet should never exceed the width of the special clasp. Too wide a band will dwarf the clasp and destroy its decorative value. ”

“ The other bracelet consists of a flat band, formed of plaited hair of various shades, and the shades so disposed as to intersect each other transversely, forming a kind of chequered pattern. Five medallions are affixed to this band, each opening by a spring in the manner of a watch-case, and within are a name and date, or any inscription appropriate to those whose tresses have formed the memento. For plain bracelets, there is the round elastic band, fastened by a broad gold band or link, to which is attached a single medallion, inclosing hair too short to be braided. ”

“ To make: 1. Cut 12′′ middy braid. Fold in half and roll raw ends around pearl and continue rolling braid on itself to form disk, place pin thru end and pearl to hold. Hand tack securely. Repeat for other motifs.
2. Hand tack circles together in form of cross with braid ends to inside.
3. Cut 11′′ middy braid. Fold in half and glue together. Starting between side disks bury raw ends and glue braid around entire outside curving to fit entire shape. Pull up 1′′ of braid at top to form loop and hand tack. Continue gluing to end. Insert chain into loop. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The women wear rings in their noses and ears, mostly of silver and brass, for those of gold have totally disappeared, or have become, at least, very rare. Several of them, indeed, wear bracelets and rings of silver round their ankles, the latter decorated with small pieces of coral or small bells. The greater part of the bracelets worn are of horn or of ivory, frequently two inches in breadth, and the anklets are mostly of copper, sometimes even as much as one pound in weight. Round their necks and heads the women wind strings of beads of Bohemian glass; the favourite colour is dark blue. ”