Variety, Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace, Book No. 1

According to Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions, Carmela Testa & Company was a small company that published 7 Variety books.  Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace is the first book in that series.  This book, published in 1921, deals with Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace.  It has a couple of pages concerning how to net and how to make square-mesh netting and several pages of patterns that can be embroidered onto the netting.  There are two sites where the digitized copies can be found:  here and here.

1. Filet Designs - illustrations (pages 8-24)
2. Netting - with illustrations (page 25)
3. Filet Lace (page 27)

The other books in the series can be found at Amazon or Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions.  As far as I can tell, Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace is the only one available to download.

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Several years ago I wanted to try some new stitches, but I didn't want to add them to a doily and deal with increases and decreases in addition to learning a new stitch.  That was when I decided to make some scarves.  I was introduced to net scarves by David Keller back in 2004.  He even gave me the instructions for his Blizzard Busters and allowed me to put the instructions online.

This week my son has added posts and I added photos of those scarves.  Some of the scarves are very short - I only wanted to use a single skein of yarn; some are more than six feet.  Some are wide and some are narrow.  All of them keep necks warm.  Yes, even with all the holes, net scarves keep necks warm!

The Priscilla Netting Book

In 1914 The Priscilla Publishing Company added The Priscilla Netting Book to their list of craft publications.  It was edited by Belle Robinson.  There are several locations where this book may be found on-line;  The Hathi Trust Digital Library, The Open Library, On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics, and Internet Archive, to name four.  While much of the information is related to lacis or net embroidery, both on square-mesh as well as diamond-mesh, some patterns and stitches are not.  Most of the patterns and stitches include illustrations.

1. Netting (page 3)
2. Equipment - with illustration (page 3)
3. To Work Netting - with illustration (page 4)
4. Figures 6 and 9 - To make circular netting - with illustration (page 5)
5. Figure 10 - To make a circular netting by increases - with illustration (page 6)
6. Lace - with illustration on page 10, 37 - fig 85 (page 10, item 601)
7. Centerpiece - with illustration (page 11, item 602)
8. Doily - with illustration (page 11, item 603)
9. Doily - with illustration (page 12, item 604)
10. Netted Cape Collar - with illustration (page 14, item 608)
11. Netted Round Yoke - with illustration (page 15, item 609)
12. Centerpiece of Square and Circular Netting - with illustration (page 19, item 613)
13. Centerpiece - with illustration (page 20, item 615)
14. Netted Centerpiece - with illustration (page 25, item 620)
15. Netted and Embroidered Doily - with illustration (page 26, item 621)
16. Netted and Embroidered Doily - with illustration (page 26, item 622)
17. Wide Netted Edging - with illustration (page 27)
18. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 27)
19. Doily - with illustration (page 28, item 623)
20. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 624)
21. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 625)
22. Doily - with illustration (page 30, item 627)
23. Netted Bow - with illustration (page 32, item 626)
24. Centrepiece in Gros Filet - with illustrations (page 32, item 628)
25. Doily - with illustration (page 33, item 629)
26. Doily - with illustration (page 34, item 630)
27. Netted Scallop - with illustration on page 32 (page 37, item 631)
28. Insertion - figure 64 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
29. Insertion - figure 65 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
30. Insertion - figure 66 - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
31. Insertion - figure 67  - with illustration on page 32 (page 48)
32. Edging - figure 68 - with illustration on page 33 (page 48)
33. Netted Scallop - with illustration on page 33 (page 48, item 632)

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Last week I mentioned that I had five more ornament ball covers to photograph.  By the time the week was over and I had finished the netting and photography, there were a few more than five.  My son made quick work of posting them online, and there are now 31 unique net ornament ball covers for you to look at.

Tatting and Netting by Butterick Publishing Company

In 1895,  Butterick Publishing Company added a lace-making book to their list of publications.  Tatting and Netting, as its title indicates, covers the topics of tatting and netting.  The first half of the book is devoted to tatting; the last half, to netting.  Rather than describing the netting information included in this book, I've listed the descriptive headings used in the book:

1. Method of Making a Hammock or a Tennis-net - with illustrations (page 77)
2. Square Netting - with illustrations (page 81)
3. Oblong Netting - with illustration (page 81)
4. Square in Meshes of Two Sizes - with illustration (page 82)
5. Square of Netting Begun at the Middle - with illustrations (page 82)
6. Strips of Straight Netting - with illustrations (page 82)
7. Straight Netting with a Pointed Edge - with illustration (page 82)
8. Angular Edge for Handkerchief Borders, Etc.  - with illustrations (page 83)
9. Wire Frame for Embroidering Netting  - with illustrations (page 84)
10. Circular Netting of Long and Short Loops   - with illustration (page 85)
11. Circular Netting Formed by Increases or Widenings - with illustration (page 85)
12. Loose Loops in Clusters  - with illustrations (page 85)
13. Swiss Diamond Netting  - with illustration (page 86)
14. Diamond Netting  - with illustration (page 87)
15. Square Diamond Netting  - with illustrations (page 87)
16. Diagonal Netting with Crossed Loops  - with illustration (page 87)
17. Rose Netting in Stripes  - with illustrations (page 88)
18. Diamond Pattern  - with illustrations (page 88)
19. Diagonal Netting   - with illustration (page 89)
20. Star-Netting - with illustration (page 89)
21. Round Netting  - with illustrations (page 90)
22. Open Twisted Netting  - with illustrations (page 90)
23. Bunch Netting  - with illustration (page 91)
24. Grecian Netting   - with illustration (page 91)
25. Looped Netting  - with illustration (page 92)
26. Loose-Loop Pattern  - with illustration (page 92)
27. Design in Long and Crossed Loops (page 92)
28. Oriel Netting  - with illustration (page 93)
29. Fancy Netting  - with illustration (page 93)
30. Stripe Netting - with illustration (page 93)
31. Honeycomb Netting  - with illustration (page 93)
32. Leaf Netting   - with illustration (page 94)
33. Spike Netting   - with illustrations (page 94)
34. Spider Netting   - with illustrations (page 95)
35. Double Leaf Netting  - with illustrations (page 95)
36. Beaded Netting (page 95)
37. Mosaic Netting  - with illustration (page 96)
38. Stripe for Shawls, etc - with illustration (page 96)
39. Stitches and Designs for Darning Netting (page 97)
40. Netted Scollop - with illustration (page 107)
41. Netted Lace  - with illustration (page 107)
42. Pointed Edging - with illustration (page 108)
43. Trimming, with Thick Loops and Fan Edge - with illustration (page 108)
44. Netted Insertion - with illustration (page 108)
45. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 109)
46. Netted Fringe  - with illustration (page 109)
47. Netted Trimming - with illustration (page 109)
48. Netted Scollop - with illustration (page 110)
49. Pointed, Net Edging - with illustration (page 110)
50. Netted Lace - with illustration (page 111)
51. Netted Insertion - with illustration (page 111)
52. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 111)
53. Netted Border, with Fringe - with illustration (page 112)
54. Edging in Double Fan or Sheaf Design - with illustration (page 112)
55. Netted Fringe - with illustration (page 112)
56. Border in Rose and Sheaf Pattern  - with illustration (page 113)
57. Tassel Fringe - with illustration (page 113)
58. Netted Scollop for Borders - with illustration (page 113)
59. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 114)
60. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 115)
61. Netted Pointed Lace - with illustration (page 115)
62. Netted Border, with Fringe - with illustration (page 116)
63. Netted Lace - with illustration (page 116)
64. Netted Edging - with illustration (page 116)
65. Netted Guipure Insertion (pages 114, 115, 117, 118, 154)  - with illustrations
66. Netted Guipure Lace (pages 110, 111, 114, 115, 117, 118) - with illustrations
67. Bureau Toilet-Set - with illustration (page 119)
68. Cracker Doily - with illustration (page 119)
69. Finger-Bowl, Doily, with Netted Border - with illustration (page 120)
70. Doily, with Nbetted Border and Embroidered Center - with illustration (page 121)
71. Netted Tumbler Doily - with illustration (page 121)
72. Platter Doily, with Netted Border - with illustrations (page 122)
73. Table-Mat or Center-piece with Netted, Fluted Edge - with illustration (page 123)
74. Netted Mat - with illustrations (page 124)
75. Netted Wheel, for Decorating Scarfs (page 124)
76. Netted Mat  - with illustrations (page 125)
77. Platter Doily, with Netted Border - with illustrations (page 125)
78. Netted Finger-Bowl Doily - with illustrations (page 127)
79. Netted Mat  - with illustrations (page 127)
80. Plate Doily, with Netted Border - with illustrations (page 128)
81. Plate Doily, with Netted Border - with illustrations (page 129)
82. Plate Doileys, with Netted Borders - with illustrations (page 130)
83. Round Doily - with illustrations (page 131)
84. Netted Doileys - square with rose netting edging - with illustrations (pages 131, 132)
85. Rond Center-piece for table (page 132)
86. Netted Tumbler Doily - with illustration (page 133)
87. Netted Doileys - square with different edgings  - with illustrations (page 133)
88. Doileys with Netted Borders - with illustrations (page 134)
89. Netted Doily - with illustrations (page 135)
90. Netted Doily - with illustrations (page 135)
91. Carving Cloth with Netted Border  - with illustrations (page 135)
92. Netted Doily - with illustration (page 135)
93. Netted Doily, with Linen Center - with illustration (page 136)
94. Netted Doily - with illustration (page 136)
95. Finger-Bowl Doily - with illustration (page 137)
96. Square Center-Piece for Table - with illustration (page 137)
97. Netted Square - with illustrations  (pages 137-142)
98. Netted Scarf or Throw - with illustrations (page 143)
99. Infant's Netted Cap - with illustrations (page 144)
100. Work-bag, with Netted Cover - with illustrations (page 144)
101. Corner of a Netted Shawl - with illustrations (page 145)
102. Netted Mouchoir or Photograph Case - with illustrations (page 146)
103. Netted Border for Handkerchief - with illustrations (page 146)
104. Letter Box - with illustrations (page 147)
105. Directions for Netting a Seine  (page 147)
106. Netted Shawl - with illustration (page 148)
107. Netted Book Cover - with illustrations (page 148)
108. Netted Tab - with illustration (page 149)
109. Netted Lappet for Caps, etc - with illustration (page 149)
110. Directions for Half of Netted Collar - with illustration (page 150)
111. Netted Cover for Bon-Bon Dish - with illustration (page 151)
112. Directions for Making Netted Curtains (page 151)
113. Netted Tie - with illustration (page 152)
114. Netted Scollop for Scarfs - with illustration (page 152)
115. Bag for Holding Tennis Balls (page 152)
116. Netted Neckerchief - with illustration (page 153)
117. Netted Seine - with illustration (page 153)
118. Plum Basket - with illustration (page 153)
119. Netted Silk Purse (page 153)

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Many years ago, when I was trying to discover uses for netting other than doilies, I saw some satin ornament balls that were covered in crochet.  Each ball was beautiful.  I decided to try the same thing with netting.  

This week, as I looked at the balls I had not given away as Christmas gifts, I realized that I needed better pictures.  In taking the photos, I noticed that not all the patterns I had created were represented.  So I've been netting the missing ball covers, while my son has been posting the ones I photographed.  

I still need to make one more and then photograph them; he still has more to post, but while we're doing what we need to do, you can look at the ornaments that are posted. 

A Text-book of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting Out: with Methods of Teaching by Elizabeth Rosevear

A Text-book of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting Out: with Methods of Teaching by Elizabeth Rosevear was published in 1893.    She includes a brief history of netting, the tools used to make netting, how to tie the knot, and how to make square-mesh, diamond-mesh, round netting (what I call spiral netting), and the twisted stitch.  With only four pages devoted to netting, there is no room for patterns.

1. Netting (page 439)
2. Implements (page 440)
3. Method (page 440)
4. Square Netting (page 441)
5. Oblong Netting for Window Curtains (page 442)
6. Round Netting (page 442)
7. Twisted Stitch in Netting (page 442)

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Several months ago my oldest daughter asked me to make three handkerchiefs edged in netting, one each for herself and her two daughters.

It took me a while, but I finally found some gorgeous white handkerchief linen.  I traveled to a fabric-filled shop, Delectable Mountain Cloth, in Brattleboro, Vermont.  

I didn't realize I might want my camera, so I left it home.  However, I found a wonderful blog post about the shop that included many photos.








I cut out several of the handkerchiefs that very day, put them in a bag, and there they sat.

I knew I wanted to hemstitch the edges, but I was scared to try.














This week I took one of the scraps from that lovely linen and jumped in.


There were only three of us at the library knitting group this week.  I almost finished hemstitching the sample while there.

It's a good thing I started with a sample and that I have several more samples.  It's going to take some time to learn how to make the corners look neat.

The Young Lady's Book by Mrs. Henry Mackarness

The Young Lady's Book was published in 1888.  Written by Mrs. Henry Mackarness, this book contains 4 pages with information on netting.  She includes a brief history of netting and a description of how to make it. I found her directions clear, but that may just be because I know how to net.  Here is a list of the netting she put into the book:

1. Netting (page 183)
2. Honeycomb Netting Purse (page 184)
3. Spotted Netting for Purses (page 184)
4. Diamond Netting for Curtains with Scalloped Border (page 185)
5. Round Netted Couvrette (page 186)

And what is a Couvrette?  I'm not sure.  I can't find it in a dictionary.  There is a website that indicates it means doily.  There is another website that gives several books where the word is used, but no definition.

One of these days, when I have extra time, I would like to make the Round Netted Couvrette.  Maybe then I'll know what it is, or at least what one looks like.

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This week I finished Crystalline.  This is one of the doilies that I've wanted to remake so I can see the entire doily instead of just a rectangular section.  

I called this one Star Fire.

I called this one Spider Web (small).

While working with my son to post photos of many of the projects I have completed over the years, I realized that I did not have a good photo of the netting used with some of the potpourri jars I had made, photographed, and given away.   In fact, I had not even named the netting.  I quickly made these from my computerized directions.  

While making Spider Web (small), I wondered what would happen if I put more stitches into the increase portion of the edge.  The result:  Spider Web (large).

Besides adding the net bowl and cup covers to my website, my son also added net coaster inserts and more net bookmarks.