de Dillmont - Masterpieces of Irish Crochet Lace : Techniques, Patterns, Instructions

MASTERPIECES OF

IRISH

CROCHET

LACE

Techniques, Patterns and Instructions

Edited by

Thrse de Dillmont

Dover Publications, Inc.

New York

Stitch Conversion Chart

Copyright 1986 by Dover Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved

This Dover edition, first published in 1986, is an abridged republication of Irish Crochet Lace, originally published in the D.M.C. Library by Th[rse] de Dillmont, Mulhouse (Alsace, France; n.d.). The original introduction, the chapter Imitations of Irish Crochet Lace, one additional text page, one photographic plate and three pages of patterns have been omitted. A new introduction has been written for this edition.

Library of Congresss Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Masterpieces of Irish crochet lace.

(Dover needlework series)

Originally published: Irish crochet lace, Mulhouse, France: D.M.C. Library, ca. 1990.

1. Irish crochet lace. I. Dillmont, Thrse de, 18461890. II. Title. III. Series.

TT805.175 1986 746.22 862031

e-ISBN 13: 978-0-486-11177-3

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
25079212
www.doverpublications.com

Contents

Introduction

The delicate three-dimensional flowers, leaves and sprays that characterize Irish crochet are considered by many to be the finest example of the crocheter's art. This beautiful craft was originally developed in mid-nineteenth century Ireland as a method of imitating expensive Venetian point laces. Within a few years it was being taught in almost every convent in the country and by the 1880's there were at least 12,000 women in Cork and its surrounding area alone engaged in making crochet lace. In the early twentieth century, competition from machine-made laces began to drive Irish crochet lace from the market, but it never completely disappeared and in recent years has begun to enjoy a comeback.

Masterpieces of Irish Crochet Lace was originally published (as Irish Crochet Lace) in the early 1900's when Irish crochet was enjoying its greatest popularity. Intended as a practical and complete guide to the making of Irish crochet lace, it offers instructions and detailed photographs of 30 different motifs, 12 grounds and various footings and borders. The book's publisher, Thrse de Dillmont, was one of the best-known needlework experts of the time and her Encyclopedia of Needlework is still considered a classic.

In Irish crochet, separate motifs are worked, often over a foundation or filling cord, then joined to one another with an openwork ground. Each Irish crochet piece uses three different sizes of threada thick thread (Nos. 16) for the foundation, a medium thread (Nos. 30100) for the motifs themselves and a fine thread (Nos. 60200) for the ground. Both cotton and linen threads were used, usually in white. Today the range of thread sizes available is much more limited than it was when the book was first published, and most of the threads called for in the instructions are no longer being made. D.M.C., one of the largest distributors of threads for needlework, makes cotton threads suitable for crochet in sizes up to 100, with No. 70 being the finest thread commonly found in the stores. Because of the renewed interest in lace and lace making, it is now possible to order cotton threads as fine as No. 180 and linen threads as fine as No. 140 from distributors that specialize in lace-making supplies; however, these threads are still difficult to find. The trend today, partially because of the lack of availability of finer threads and partially because modern crocheters find the fine threads difficult to work with, is to use thicker threads, such as No. 5 pearl cotton for the foundation, No. 30 crochet cotton for the motifs and No. 70 for the ground.

The actual-size patterns included in the back of this book were originally printed on fabric. After the individual motifs were completed, they were basted in place on the pattern, then joined, following the dotted lines indicating the direction in which to work the openwork ground. To use these patterns in the traditional way, you must make motifs that are the same size as those in the original. To do this, you will need to use the size thread called for in the instructions, or as close a substitute as possible. You can use the patterns as is, or, to make them last longer, trace them onto unbleached muslin or other lightweight fabric. If you wish to enlarge the motifs, you can either enlarge the pattern to the size desired or baste the motifs to a plain piece of fabric, using the pattern merely as a guide to placement.

Before attempting to make an entire piece of lace, practice making the various motifs, working as tightly and evenly as you can. If you have trouble understanding the instructions (and they do sound unfamiliar to our ears), study the picture carefully. In many cases you can see the stitches clearly enough to understand how the motif is worked. Irish crochet is not for beginners, but it is well worth the effort it requires.

The terminology used in this book is not the terminology that is familiar to American crocheters today. A conversion chart for stitches is given on opposite page.

Mary Carolyn Waldrep

Needlework Editor

Dover Publications, Inc.

Fig. 1

Collar and Cuffs in Irish, crochet lace.

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.

Fig. 2. How to crochet over a single cord foundation.

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.

Fig. 3. How to crochet a second row of plain stitches over a cord foundation folded back.

Fig. 4. First petal finished and second petal in course of making.

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.