Sorrento bars

SORRENTO BARS (No. 8). These are bars which occur most frequently in Italian lace. They are simply twisted threads, so closely entwined that they only appear as one. They also are frequently radiated, and crossed; the effect produced will be seen in the accompanying diagram.

DOTTED VENETIAN BARS (No. 9). A bar of threads is made, as for a common Venetian bar. Do on it six stitches, and instead of drawing the seventh tight, hold the top by sticking a needle through it and the paper, about the tenth of an inch, and work on the threads of the loop three button-hole stitches. Do six more on the bar, and repeat.

VENETIAN EDGING, VENETIAN BARS, EDGED VENETIAN BARS, SORRENTO BARS.

RALEIGH BARS (No. 10). Make a bar of threads, as for Venetian bars, and work on it about eight stitches. At the ninth, instead of bringing up the needle through the loop to form another button-hole, slip it under the bar, and bring it up on the right-hand side, leaving a loop of thread about two inches long, which you will hold down with your thumb, to keep it in its place. Now twist your needle six times under the right hand thread of this loop; draw it up, when it will make a knot, and slip the needle through it, above the bar, to continue the process. It may be observed that when this bar forms a part of the foundation of a piece of point, only two of these dots are generally seen on it, and they are placed near each other, almost in the centre of the bar.

POINT D'ALENÇON (No. 11). This is only common herring-bone stitch, with the needle twisted once or oftener under the thread of each stitch, according as the space to be filled is narrow or wide.

SPANISH POINT (No. 12). This is the raised stitch which gives the peculiarly rich appearance to all the Spanish lace. A certain thickness of soft cotton is tacked down on the lace, in the form desired, and this is covered closely with button-hole stitch, edged with Raleigh dots, or with small loops. It is to be noticed that this is not attached to the lace by the button-hole stitches, but only by the thread which tacks down the soft cotton, so that it can be picked off without injury. The button-hole stitches must be worked very smoothly, and quite close together.

ROSETTE (No. 13). This is exactly like a spider's web, worked on three, four, or more threads, according to the shape of the space intended to be filled. Begin by making a Sorrento bar across the space, from one point to the opposite; then a second one, slipping the needle under the first in going, and over it in twisting back; then do a third, or fourth, if necessary; but when you have twisted back to the centre of the last, make the rosette, leaving the half bar single. The rosette is done by passing the needle under two threads, then continuing to slip it under two, the first of which is always the last of the previous two, until you have made the spot a sufficient size, when you finish the last bar, by twisting down to the braid, and fastening off. The size of the space must be the guide for that of the rosette; but from six to ten times round a centre is an average.