Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes

A few words in relation to era/dialect have been retained e.g. tho,
possest, stopt, dropt, slipt, distrest.

The frontispiece spelling of the Queen of Belgium is Elisabeth,
as shown in the photo with her signature. Throughout the main
text however, it has been spelt Queen Elizabeth. These spellings
have been left as printed.

In the Appendix, where there are two or more illustrations per page,
the words (Top), (Middle), (Bottom) have been used, to indicate the
link with the text and illustration.

p.292: changed 4 to _d_

Printer errors have silently been corrected.

BOBBINS OF BELGIUM

BOBBINS OF BELGIUM

A BOOK OF BELGIAN LACE, LACE-WORKERS,
LACE-SCHOOLS AND
LACE-VILLAGES

BY

CHARLOTTE KELLOGG
_Of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, and Author of
“Women of Belgium”_

FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY
NEW YORK AND LONDON
1920

COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY
[Printed in the United States of America]
Published in February, 1920

Copyright Under the Articles of the Copyright Convention
of the Pan-American Republics and the
United States, August 11, 1910.

DEDICATION

To the women of the Brussels war-time lace committee—Madame Allard, the Vicomtesse de Beughem, Madame Kefer-Mali, and the Comtesse Elizabeth d’Oultremont, with admiration and gratitude.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
Preface 15
Introduction 25
I. Turnhout 49
II. Courtrai 79
III. Thourout-Thielt-Wynghene 97
IV. Grammont 127
V. Bruges 143
VI. Kerxken 169
VII. Erembodeghem 189
VIII. Opbrakel 201
IX. Liedekerke 215
X. Herzele 231
XI. Ghent 247
XII. Zele 265
XIII. Appendix 275
Index 307

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

H.M. QUEEN ELIZABETH OF BELGIUM, _Frontispiece_

FIFTEENTH CENTURY PORTRAIT 32
Showing heavy brocade as yet unrelieved
by linen or lace trimming.

PORTRAIT OF CHARLES IX (1570) 33
Linen collar showing picot edge made with
the needle.

PORTRAIT TOWARDS END OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY 40
Showing collar ornamented with bobbin-made
cluny.

ANNE OF AUSTRIA BY VAN DYCK 41
About 1635, cluny lace made with bobbins.

ABBÉ BERRALY SCHOOL, TURNHOUT 56
General view.

NINE-YEAR CHILDREN MAKING POINT DE PARIS 57

POINT DE PARIS CLASS 64
On dark days lamps are lighted behind bottles
filled with water, the rays passing
through, fall in spotlights on the cushions.

WINDING BOBBINS FOR THE CHILDREN 65

POINT DE LILLE, OR POINT D’HOLLANDE 72
Mesh showing “Esprits” or dots characteristic
of this bobbin lace.

END OF A POINT DE PARIS SCARF ABOUT 2½ YARDS
LONG ON WHICH COLETTE WORKED ONE YEAR 73

IN THE ABBÉ BERRALY SCHOOL, COLETTE, 16-YEARS
OLD, WORKS WITH 1,000 BOBBINS 73

BELGIAN LACE MESHES (Plate I) 80
After Pierre Verhagen in “La Dentelle
Belge.”

BELGIAN LACE MESHES (Plate II) 81
After Pierre Verhagen in “La Dentelle
Belge.”

BOBBIN LACES 88
Malines, Point de Paris, Valenciennes.

CUSHION COVER REPRESENTING BELGIUM’S GRATITUDE
TO AMERICA FOR BREAD 89
Point de Paris lace combined with linen.
The lower right-hand centerpiece shows the
rose design, emblem of Queen Elizabeth.

BOBBIN LACES 104
Torchon, Cluny, Old Flemish, Binche.

TABLE CLOTH SHOWING ARMS OF THE ALLIES 105
Cut linen with squares of Venise surrounded
by filet and cluny; Venise made
with the needle; cluny with bobbins.

A “MARIE ANTOINETTE” IN CHANTILLY LACE 128
Made with bobbins, near Grammont.

CUSHION COVER 129
Center Venise, borders Valenciennes, lace
executed by 12 workers in one month,
embroidery and mounting by four women
in two months; design by M. de Rudder.

TEA CLOTH 129
Point de Paris, cock design.

LACE MAKERS OF BRUGES 144

BRUGES AND SIMILAR BOBBIN LACES 145

LACE NORMAL SCHOOL, BRUGES. BEGINNER’S
CLASS 152
Symbolic color pattern on left-hand easel;
demonstration bobbins attached to colored
threads at right.

BED COVER IN DUCHESSE OR BRUSSELS LACE 153
Made with bobbins; executed in Flanders by
30 women in three months; design by the
Lace Committee.

ROSALINE, WHICH CLOSELY RESEMBLES BRUGES 160

DETAILS FOR BRUGES LACE 160
Made with bobbins on round cushion.

DOILY SET IN POINT DE PARIS IN THE “ANIMALS
OF THE ALLIES” DESIGN, EXECUTED AT TURNHOUT 161

POINT DE FLANDRES OR FLANDERS LACE 176
Flowers made with bobbins, mesh with needle;
designs by the Lace Committee.

HANDKERCHIEF IN NEEDLE-POINT 177
Made near Alost. Both mesh and flowers
made with needle.

DETAIL SHOWING SEVEN DIFFERENT FILLING-IN
STITCHES 177

VENISE DESIGNS BY THE BRUSSELS LACE COMMITTEE 180

HANDKERCHIEF AND JEWEL BOXES; FLANDERS AND
VENISE OVER SATIN AND VELVET 181

VENISE BANQUET CLOTH PRESENTED BY THE LACE
COMMITTEE TO H.M. QUEEN ELIZABETH ON HER
RETURN FROM EXILE 192–193
Design by M. de Rudder; executed by 30
best Venise-makers in Belgium in six months.

CUSHION COVER IN VENISE 196
Pekinese dog; design by M. Allard.

TABLE CENTER IN FLANDERS WITH CENTER AND
BORDER OF VENISE 197
Design by Lace Committee; executed in West
Flanders by five workers in 15 days.

“THE TOURNEY” BANQUET CLOTH 208
Design reproducing a mediæval painting in
Tournai, executed in Venise lace by 10 workers
in one month, mounting and embroidery
by five workers in one month. Price in
Brussels, 1,000 francs.

“ARMS OF ALLIES” CUSHION COVER IN VENISE,
WITH DETAILS IN FLANDERS 209

NEEDLE-POINT SCARF EXPRESSING GRATITUDE OF
BELGIUM TO HOLLAND. PRESENTED TO H.M.
QUEEN WILHELMINA 216–217
Executed by 30 workers in eight months.

BOBBIN LACES 224
Malines; Application, flowers sewn on tulle;
Duchesse, with Needle-Point insertion.

APPLICATION DETAILS TO BE SEWED ON TULLE 225
Upper flower shows open spaces left by
bobbin worker for needle worker; lower
flower shows both bobbin and needle work
completed.

WEDDING GIFT OF MR. HOOVER TO MRS. PAGE 240
Executed in Venise and Flanders lace by 30
women working three months. American
eagles with outspread wings, protecting the
Belgian Lion enchained in the four corners.

FLANDERS—NEEDLE MESH, BOBBIN FLOWERS 240

VENISE LACE CENTER, BORDER OF VALENCIENNES 241
Lace executed in Flanders by 40 women in
two months; embroidery and mounting in
Brussels by four women in three months.

VALENCIENNES, SQUARE MESH 241

FAN IN NEEDLE-POINT 256
Executed by three women in six weeks.
“Shields of the Allies,” design drawn by
M. Knoff for the Lace Committee.

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY MARRIAGE VEIL IN NEEDLE-POINT,
BELONGING TO THE COMTESSE ELIZABETH
D’OULTREMONT 257
It would take 40 workers about a half year
to copy this veil.

AT WORK ON DETAILS OF A NEEDLE-POINT SCARF
TO BE PRESENTED TO QUEEN ELIZABETH 268

NEEDLE LACE CLASS-ROOM IN THE TRADE UNION
LACE SCHOOL AT ZELE 268

NEEDLE-POINT ILLUSTRATION FOR THE FABLE OF THE
FOX AND THE GRAPES 269

IN THE ZELE LACE SCHOOL. JOINING DETAILS OF
THE NEEDLE-POINT SCARF PRESENTED TO QUEEN
ELIZABETH 269