May, 19 21 
39 
The nth Century marked 
the peak of Point de 
Venise production both in 
quality of design and exe¬ 
cution 
{Above) The feature 
of rose point, as in 
this cape, is bars 
placed to form a 
hexagonal net ground 
place entirely to needlework. 
From Reticella laces was de¬ 
veloped the Punto in Aria 
(which may be translated 
broadly as “lace worked in air’’ 
or “stitched in air”). This was 
the first of the Points de Venise. 
In Punto in Aria we find the 
flower scrolls, animal designs and the like exe¬ 
cuted in tiny stitches of the very finest thread. 
The foundation threads of the design were 
entirely buttonholed over, after which the de¬ 
sign was completed by filling in between these 
outlining threads. Purled loops or guipure bars 
served to connect the various parts of the de¬ 
sign that were worked up separately from the 
original buttonholed thread base. 
Making Venetian Point 
\enetian point, as has already been 
remarked, was made en¬ 
tirely with the needle. The 
design was first carefully 
drawn upon parchment, so 
tinted as to form a dark 
background against which 
white threads would show 
up clearly to the lace- 
maker. Several very fine 
threads twisted together, or 
else a single coarser thread, 
were sewn around the 
whole pattern, following ex¬ 
actly the lines of the design. 
This outlining thread was 
applied with exceeding 
care, but with the fewest 
stitches required. These 
fastening stitches had later 
to be cut away. 
The second step in the 
process consisted of closing 
in the figures of the design 
with various stitchery, and 
the ground was then devel¬ 
oped into a fine net with 
tulle-stitch like Burano 
(Right) 
enlargec 
tion of 
of Gros 
The old lace shows that 
indefinable touch and indi¬ 
viduality which can be 
given only by skilled and 
careful hand work 
(Left) A very beau¬ 
tiful example of nth 
Century Venetian 
Point is found in this 
chalice veil 
(Below) A 
nth Century 
Point de Ven¬ 
ise flounce 
Point or with purled guipure 
like Point de Venise. 
The third step consisted in 
buttonholing over the founda¬ 
tion stitches which were first 
applied to outline the design. 
This was accomplished some¬ 
what elaborately in order to 
produce the relief effects desired. After this 
was completed the holding threads were cut 
and the lace section removed from the parch¬ 
ment working ground. Of course, a number 
of these sections was required to complete a 
strip of lace and these had to be joined together 
in proper fashion. Especially skillful needle- 
workers finally received the strips of lace and 
added the finishing stitches to them. These 
last lace-workers undoubtedly added the 
definitive artistic touch to the production. 
Generally some six different needlewomen 
were occupied with the making of a piece of 
lace, each lace-worker be¬ 
ing highly skilled in her 
particular stitch—one to do 
the thread outlining, one to 
do the buttonholing, one to 
do the brides, one the picots, 
one the ground net, and one 
to do the final stitchery. 
The highly developed skill 
of these workers produced 
marvelous results, laces of 
indescribable beauty, of 
microscopic construction. 
Different Effects 
It is interesting to note 
that in so extraordinarily 
delicate an art as that of 
lace-making, the laces pro¬ 
duced in different localities 
by the same methods from 
the same patterns exhibit 
quite remarkable differ¬ 
ences in effect. The threads 
seem sensitive to their 
(Continued on page 88) 
