If you’re looking for a nice little rabbit hole to fall down for the weekend, here are some needlework bits that I’ve come across lately on Antique Pattern Library.
Just a little plug for APL here: they’re doing a fundraising drive to help support this free resource. It is an awesome online resource for anyone interested in the needle arts. But like any website, it costs to keep it going. So while you’re exploring all the treasures on Antique Pattern Library, please take a second or two to consider assisting if you can!
Here’s a quick highlight of a few publications on Antique Pattern Library that I’ve come across lately. I hope you enjoy them!
I recently came across this 8-page copy of La Broderie Illustrée from October 1899. The topic is embroidery on tulle netting. It’s in French, but if you don’t read French, that’s ok – the illustrations are nice!
There are a few interesting monograms / cyphers (what’s the difference? you can read about that here) scattered throughout. Unfortunately, there’s no full alphabet of the large focal initials – they’re very pretty!
Keeping with the lacy theme and embroidery on net of a sort, here’s a publication on filet embroidery by a Madame Hardouin, with some very clear illustrations on starting threads for filet work and on following the sometimes-intricate weaving paths.
Filet lace is “woven” lace worked on a square net ground. It can be quite beautiful, and it can be further enhanced with all kinds of other techniques that help soften the “gridded” look. Filet guipure is a combination of woven netting stitching and decorative needle lace.
In the photo above, you can see an example of this type of filet lace, from this publication Il Punto Filet by Adele Della Porta.
This 36-page publication is in Italian, but even if you don’t read Italian, the illustrations are worth exploring!
I hope you enjoy these links and that they provide a springboard for further exploration on Antique Pattern Library!
Have a glorious weekend!
I love the weekend rabbit hole, Mary! The older resources are far superior to newer books published today. Checking out your recommendations makes the out-of-print jungle a little more manageable!