Masterpieces of Irish Crochet Lace: Techniques, Patterns, Instructions
64
Masterpieces of Irish Crochet Lace: Techniques, Patterns, Instructions
64eBook
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Overview
In recent years Irish crochet lace has enjoyed a tremendous revival among needleworkers. Nearly lost in the early twentieth century when machines took over the manufacture of most lace, the craft is now being rediscovered by enthusiasts who recognize it not only as one of the most durable, serviceable, and beautiful forms of lace but also as a type that provides a unique opportunity to be creative.
This inexpensive volume presents authentic motifs and grounds used by the most skilled Irish needleworkers of the late nineteenth century. Collected and edited by one of the best-known experts of the time, Thérèse de Dillmont, it offers patterns, complete instructions, and/or detailed photographs for 30 motifs, 12 intricate grounds, and various traditional footings and borders.
Crocheters can use these versatile motifs of delicate raised flowers, leaves, sprays, and more to transform ordinary bedspreads, doilies, tablecloths, and clothing into works of art to be treasured for years. Make your own unique designs for new curtains, fancy collars, delicate cuffs, and so much more. Each of these motifs can be altered in shape, enlarged, diminished, or combined in new patterns — there's virtually no limit to the results you can produce.
Beginners should practice making individual motifs before attempting an entire piece of lace, and experienced crocheters may want to follow the directions exactly before experimenting to form new motifs. With practice, you can invent your own patterns just by employing these authentic, elemental motifs and their complementary grounds. A new introduction relates the history and technique involved in Irish crochet lace, and a conversion chart translates outdated terms.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486163444 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 02/08/2014 |
| Series: | Dover Crafts: Crochet |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 64 |
| Sales rank: | 725,160 |
| File size: | 15 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
Read an Excerpt
MASTERPIECES OF IRISH CROCHET LACE
Techniques, Patterns and Instructions
By Thérèse de Dillmont
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1986 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-16344-4
CHAPTER 1
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING IRISH CROCHET LACE
The making of Irish lace, — To make Irish lace some skill in crochet work is requisite, as well as some acquaintance with the pattern. The patterns are not worked in consecutive rows, as in ordinary crochet, their execution is more complicated and somewhat resembles that of needle-made lace. You begin by crocheting all the subjects that form the pattern properly speaking; these subjects are worked over a cord foundation, which is laid sometimes in straight lines, sometimes in curved, thus admitting of the composition of the most varied shapes.
When these subjects are finished you tack them on to a tracing done on light "glazed cambric" or linen-paper and then make the network ground which is to connect the different parts of the pattern.
The pattern. — As has just been said the network ground of Irish crochet lace is made over a pattern on which the different subjects have previously been fixed.
This pattern, in "glazed cambric" or linen-paper, should indicate the outlines of the subjects and also, by dotted lines, the direction which the network ground should take.
At the end of this book the patterns for all our plates are given in the dimensions that correspond with the threads used for the original works.
To make these laces in coarser or finer threads than those given, the scale of the patterns must be reduced or enlarged as the case may be.
Directions for doing this are given in the last chapter of our "Encyclopedia of Needlework".
Execution of the crochet figures, — The subjects in plain crochet, which form so to speak the pattern of Irish crochet laces are composed chiefly of figures executed in plain stitch, and sometimes completed by loops of chain stitches and trebles; they are always worked over a cord foundation.
By the different ways of folding and crocheting over the cord foundation you get the different little details of which the subjects are composed.
In this way you may crochet wheels, flowers, leaves, etc., in flat and raised work, which, connected together by stalks and tendrils and well combined form a charming whole.
Before giving detailed directions for producing the different subjects, it is well to explain the various ways of crocheting over the cord foundation.
Figure 2 shews how this may be done with plain stitches.
Figure 3 shews the execution of a second row of plain stitches returning over the first; by tightening the cord foundation of the first row the crochet shape assumes a slight curve.
Figure 4 illustrates one petal of a flower finished, and a second one in course of being made, such as is often met with in the formation of big flowers.
To make a closed tendril you join the loop of thread, — the first row being finished — to the bottom of a stitch in the middle of the first row, thus forming a little eyelet (see fig. 5), then, coming back over the stitches below, you crochet a second row of plain stitches.
The rings and eyelets consisting of a single row of stitches may be made in different ways.
The simplest kind is the one which is formed by crocheting over the cord foundation a row of plain stitches, which, at half their length are turned the wrong side upwards. On these stitches turned round again you make, coming back, the second row of plain stitches (see fig. 6).
Figure 7 shews eyelets with the plain stitches, of which the wrong side is turned upwards. Here the loop of the thread is passed through the first stitch of the eyelet before the second row of plain stitches is begun.
Figure 8 shews how to execute a series of small upright little eyelets which rest at the bottom on a row of plain stitches.
After making some plain stitches over the cord foundation on the stitches beneath, you make a small loop with the cord foundation, into which you crochet the requisite number of plain stitches to form a little ring. For the drooping picots make the requisite number of plain stitches over the cord foundation and then draw it up tight, into a curve, with the plain stitches upon it so that it forms a ring and secure it by a plain stitch on one of the plain stitches beneath, as shewn in figure 9.
The detached rings are generally made over a triple cord foundation. You twist the cord foundation several times round a mesh, the size the ring is to be, and then cover this ring of threads entirely with plain stitches (see fig. 10).
Very often the outside parts of the subjects are ornamented with little plain picots made on the outlines. These picots consist of 4 or 5 chain stitches joined to the top loops of the last plain stitch by 1 single stitch (see fig. 11).
If these picots seem too insignificant an ornament for certain subjects you may substitute instead a row of little scallops. After fastening the cord foundation to one of the stitches of the row beneath, crochet over the cord foundation only: 1 plain, 1 half-treble, 5 trebles, 1 half-treble and 1 plain, then fasten the cord foundation again at equal distance to the row beneath by 1 plain stitch (see fig. 12).
In some of the very handsome laces, we meet with subjects ornamented outside with a raised outline. This raised outline is made as follows. When the subject is finished the cord foundation is fastened to the bottom of the first scallop or leaf, you then crochet over the cord foundation a row of plain stitches, which is only fastened at the corners and indentations to the stitches of the subject beneath (see fig. 13).
The above explanations will enable our readers to copy all the patterns of Irish crochet lace illustrated in the following pages.
As however, the originals of our engravings are not all in one piece, we give, in the case of all the figures made up of several parts, views of the whole completed, and of the different detached parts, one beside the other, in the natural size.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from MASTERPIECES OF IRISH CROCHET LACE by Thérèse de Dillmont. Copyright © 1986 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction,Directions For Making Irish Crochet Lace,
Various subjects in Irish crochet lace,
Groundings for Irish crochet lace,
Footings for Irish crochet lace,
Scalloped borders for Irish crochet lace,
Patterns of Irish crochet lace,
Directions for working the patterns of Plate II,
Directions for working the patterns of Plate III,
Directions for working the patterns of Plate IV,
Directions for working the pattern of Plate V,
Patterns,