Beeton's Book of Needlework — Text and Context

Produced by Julie Barkley and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

DESCRIPTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS,

SIX HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS,

PILLOW LACE, AND LACE STITCHES.

_Every Pattern and Stitch Described and Engraved with the utmost Accuracy, and the Exact Quantity of Material requisite for each Pattern stated._

_Beeton's Book of Needlework_ was originally published in Great Britain in 1870 by Ward, Lock and Tyler.

This facsimile edition published in Great

59 Grosvenor Street London W 1

Printed in Czechoslovakia 50617

SAMUEL BUTLER'S PREFACE

The Art of Needlework dates from the earliest record of the world's history, and has, also, from time immemorial been the support, comfort, or employment of women of every rank and age. Day by day, it increases its votaries, who enlarge and develop its various branches, so that any addition and assistance in teaching or learning Needlework will be welcomed by the Daughters of England, "wise of heart," who work diligently with their hands.

The recent introduction of Point Lace has brought a finer, and, apparently, more difficult class of fancy work into general favour. 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. The whole work is interspersed with coloured and other Patterns in Point Lace, Guipure d'Art, Tatting, Embroidery, and Designs for Monograms and Initials for marking handkerchiefs and table-linen. The quantity of materials required for each class of work is also given with every pattern.

The idea of combining a series of minute and exact instructions in fancy needlework with useful patterns was conceived some years ago by one whose life was devoted to the inculcation of the practical duties of woman's life, and to assisting her sex in their daily work of HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT and REFINEMENT.

Her great wish was that her BOOK OF NEEDLEWORK should be as valuable in its way to her Countrywomen as her work upon Household Management was useful in showing the best mode of providing for the diurnal wants of families. Other hands have brought to a conclusion her original plans. The best attainable workers have contributed to this volume. Only those who knew the extent of the late Mrs. Beeton's design, will miss, in the pages now before them, "the touch of a vanished hand."

_Paternoster Row,_ 1870.

EMBROIDERY INSTRUCTIONS

KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS

KNITTING AND NETTING PATTERNS

ALPHABETS FOR MONOGRAMS AND INITIALS

MONOGRAMS AND INITIALS

POINT LACE INSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS AND PATTERNS IN GUIPURE D'ART

BERLIN WORK INSTRUCTIONS

The needlework called Tatting in England, _Frivolité_ in French, and _Frivolitäten_ in German, is a work which seems, from all accounts, to have been in favour several generations ago. Modern ingenuity has discovered some ways of improving on the original plan of tatting, which was, indeed, rather a primitive sort of business as first practised. To Mrs. Mee, one of our most accomplished _artistes_ in all matters connected with the work-table, belongs, we believe, the introduction of the plan of working from the reel instead of the shuttle. By this alteration the advantage of the shuttle being constantly kept filled with cotton was gained, and the necessity also obviated for frequently joining the thread; and to Mdlle. Riego, equally distinguished in all details appertaining to the employment of the needle, ladies are indebted for an arrangement by which the same thread used in the making of the pattern is used for fastening the work. The old plan only provided for the working of the different portions which constituted the pattern, and then these portions had to be sewn together with a needle and thread. The ingenious workers on the Continent have also given much attention of late to the art of tatting, and our instructions now printed comprise what we consider the best mode of learning and doing this exceedingly interesting and fashionable work.

Tatting differs entirely from crochet, and is composed of stitches forming _knots_. It is intended as an imitation of point lace, and is especially used for trimming under-linen, on account of its strength.

To make the stitches or knots a small instrument is used, called a _shuttle_. This shuttle consists of two oval pieces, flat on one side and convex on the other, and is made of wood or ivory.