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.

Fashionable veiling for hats in the early 20th century

 

Veiling for hats was fashionable in the early 20th century according to the February 1918 issue of The lace and embroidery review, an American magazine for lace buyers. Reporting on the items that were selling well in department stores, the magazine notes that veiling material was selling better than ready made veils, suggesting that women were buying netting by the yard and making up their own veils. The advertisements in the magazine suggest that there were two main styles of veiling, either a fairly long veil with a border design or shorter veils with embellishment across the face. The model in the main image above wears a hat with a deep, loose veil of hexagonal mesh with chenille dots in various sizes. The model in the image below shows the alternative style with a short hexagonal veil closely fitted around her face, embellished with a floral, scrolling design.

The article records that filet or square mesh was becoming popular but hexagon, diamond and fancy weaves were still selling well. It suggests that filet is better as a ground for angular designs, such as butterflies and leaves, while floral patterns are more effective on hexagonal meshes. It notes that all-over scrolls and chenille dots are fashionable, which is borne out by the illustrations. However, although velvet circles along the border of a veil are also popular, they do not wear well, because instead of being worked in chain stitch into the net they are cut out and stuck on to the veil and can come loose and fall off. I assumed all these veils and nets would be black but the article reports that purple, taupe and reddish brown shades were also selling well.

Netted lace

Netting has been practised for centuries and was used by early people to make fishing and bird nets and can also be used to make hammocks and lawn tennis nets. However the type of knot used for lace netting, seen in the image above, is slightly different and less bulky than that used for these utilitarian articles. Netting was a popular pastime in the early nineteenth century and in her novel of 1847, Charlotte Bronte describes Jane Eyre sitting in a corner netting a purse while she observes Mr Rochester and his guest in the drawing room after dinner. My 1882 Dictionary of Needlework gives several instructions for making a variety of netted purses for ladies and gentlemen as well as doilies (like the one below), antimacassars and a variety of other items.

Netting is made from a continuous thread wound on a netting needle and the knotted loops are made, starting from a foundation loop attached to a cushion, round a stick to ensure all the loops in the row are the same size. Skill is required to keep the work even as the knots are hard to undo once they are made! The basic net structure can be varied to make different patterns including star netting, looped netting or fringes, and it can also be embellished with beads. Once the net has been made it can be embroidered in the same way as drawn thread work or be used as the basis for filet lace. What seems like a simple technique can actually be made in many decorative forms and shapes.