Saturday, December 1, 2012

Parlour Recreations for Ladies


When I went to the shelf where I keep my netting books I picked Parlour Recreations for Ladies at random. This book does not have an author or compiler listed.  It was published in London in 1848 by Wm. S. Orr and Co.   Parlour Recreations for Ladies has a wide range of netting instructions including several stitches and directions for adding beads to netting.  It contains a variety of patterns for net purses, shawls, and mittens as well as unique items like a netted toilet cover, sofa guard, mat, curtains, and  vase stand.


  1. Remarks on Netting (page 77)
  2. Bead Stitch (page 77)
  3. Patterns for purses (page 78)
  4. Another Pretty Pattern (page 78)
  5. Stitch adapted for Curtain (page 78)
  6. Netted Toilet Cover (page 79)
  7. Sofa Guard (page 79)
  8. Puff Netting (page 79)
  9. Netted Bag in Shaded Silk (page 79)
  10. Best Method of Closing a Purse (page 80)
  11. Honeycomb Netting (page 80)
  12. Mitten (page 85)
  13. Another Pattern, Suitable for a Purse or Mitten (page 85)
  14. A Pattern Suited for Mittens (page 85)
  15. Netted Bag (page 86)
  16. Strong Netting for Purses (page 87)
  17. Netted Sovereign Purse - Albert Blue Twist and Good Beads (page 87)
  18. Splendid Purse Netted (page 87)
  19. Lady's Netted Plain Purse (page 88)
  20. Seam Purse, with Beads (page 88)
  21. Netted Purse in Squares, Beads in the Center of Each Square (page 89)
  22. Netted Mat (page 91)
  23. Netted Shawl (page 92)
  24. Netted Vase Stand (page 94)
  25. Netted Shawl in Stripes (page 94)

Today someone asked me about a pattern for a net laundry bag.  When I went looking for my instructions I realized that I had not yet displayed that particular feature of netting.  Eventually I found three patterns (written so I would be the only person to understand what was meant).  



Here are old pictures for two of the bags.  The one on the left is supported from the door by a plastic circular hoop.

The one on the right is supported from the door by a system of double bars.

Either one would work with the top fastened around the top of a plastic laundry hamper or just tossed on the floor in a corner.












Now I'm off to a local hardware store for cord to make them again to be sure my directions are correct.  I know that they are all three done in circular netting.  I hope before I have these patterns ready, my Circular Netting Class will be available for people to learn how to net rounds instead of rows.

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