Netted lace

 

Netting is made from a continuous thread wound round a netting needle, which is split at both ends. The stitches are worked from a base thread which is secured to a cushion or sewing vice or indeed any stable surface. The thread is then wound round a mesh stick, which regulates the size of the mesh, and is secured to the row of loops above, as shown in the diagrams below.

Plain netting is used in lace as the basis for embroidery and filet lace but decorative meshes and designs can also be produced to make more complicated patterns as shown in the main image.

These lace edges were made using fine linen thread using a knitting needle as the mesh stick. The instructions are given in Weldons encyclopaedia of needlework; a book written for the home needlewoman probably in the 1930s, although netting had been a popular pastime for women since the nineteenth century. Variations in the net are made by, for example, twisting threads, working several loops into one loop from the previous row, and altering the size of the loops on different rows.

Apart from lace edgings, netting was also used to make a variety of decorative mats and doilies, and in the nineteenth century it had been used to make antimacassars and purses. As well as these decorative items, the encyclopaedia also gives instructions for a child’s fishing net and a hammock, showing that netting is a versatile technique that has been adapted to changes in fashion through the years.