422 THE MODERN IRISH LACE INDUSTRY. 



It may be of some interest to describe briefly the method of making lace. 



In needle-point lace the pattern is carefully drawn 



T f rf upon a piece of glazed calico, parchment, or paper ; 



Jjace-maKing. ^^^ former is commonly used in the present day. 



This is laid upon a piece of calico and the pattern is 



carefully outlined or " traced," as it is termed by the worker with a thread ; 



this thread is the framework or skeleton on which the lace is made. When 



the work is completed, the lace is released from the calico by cutting with a 



sharp knife between the two pieces. In large pieces of work considerable 



skill is required in so cutting up the patterns into different pieces, to be 



made by different workers, that they can be easily joined together in such 



a manner as not to exhibit the line of junction. In some of the meshed 



hexagonal grounds of modern French lace this is done in a truly surprising 



manner, not the least appearance of a joining being visible. 



In pillow lace the pattern is drawn (preferably) on a piece of parchment. 

 It is then pricked over by an expert, and placed upon the cushion ; in each 

 of the holes a fine pin is inserted, and upon the pins the threads are plaited 

 and twisted by means of the hands ; the various methods of twisting and 

 the arrangement of the holes resulting in the varieties of grounds and 

 finings. Children commence to learn pillow lace-making in Belgium at the 

 age of five years. 



In the year 1883 the Cork Exhibition was held, and I had the honour of 

 a seat on the Executive Committee of that under- 



Improvement in taking. As part of my duty, I went to South Ken- 

 Design, sington to ask for a loan collection from the Museum. 

 In conversation with General, now Sir John Donnelly, 

 K.C.B., he mentioned the fact that Mr. Alan S. Cole intended paying a 

 Aasit to Limerick in the summer of that year, and delivering two lectures on 

 lace-making, and suggested that it might be an advantage if Cork had the 

 -opportunity of hearing these lectures also. I promised to bring the matter 

 before the Committee on my return. On doing so, they heartily agreed 

 with the suggestion, and Mr. Cole was invited to deliver two lectures on 

 lace-making in the Exhibition building. Lace, embroidery, plain and fancy 

 needlework formed an important section of the Exhibition, and almost all 

 the convents in the South of Ireland were exhibitors. I proposed to Mr 

 Cole that we should have a walk through the Lace Section of the Exhibi- 

 tion. We noticed the excellence of the work, so far as the use of the needle 

 was concerned, and found it combined with poverty of design and very bad 

 drawing. The result of our conversation was that an effort should be made 

 to improve the character of the design and the quality of the drawing ; and 

 as a commencement it was decided that a letter should be sent to the con- 

 vents which had exhibited, asking them whether they would be willing to 

 £rant an interview to Mr. Cole and myself in order that we might have a 

 talk about the necessity which existed for such an improvement, and if they 

 thought well of it, that some arrangement might be made by which the 

 ■convents should form classes for instruction in drawing and design. 



In the early spring of 1884 visits were made to several convents which 

 liad replied favourably, and in conjunction with Mr. Cole I submitted a 

 scheme to the Department by which I might commence a course of instruc- 

 tion to these convent classes. It was to be a system of peripatetic teaching, 

 if I may so call it. I was well aware that in many, if not all the convents, 

 there were ladies who had received a certain amount of art education, which 



