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304 HISTORY OF LACE. to whom a petition had been sent on behalf of the distressed lace- makers, gave the order for a dress to be made of Honiton sprigs^ sewn on machine net, and commanded that the flowers should all be copied from nature. The order was executed by Mrs. Davey, of Honiton ; the skirt was encircled with a wreath of elegantly designed sprigs, the initial of each flower forming the name of her majesty. 21 The example of the amiable queen found few followers ; and when, in the progress of time, the wedding lace was required for her present majesty, it was with difficulty the necessary number of workers could be obtained to make it. The work was executed in the small fishing hamlet of Beer, 22 and its environs. The dress cost 1000/. ; it was composed entirely of Honiton sprigs, connected on the pillow by a variety of open-work stitches. The bridal dresses of their royal highnesses the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess of Wales, were all of Honiton lace, the patterns consisted of the national flowers, the latter with prince’s feathers, intermixed with ferns, and introduced with the most happy effect. The application of Honiton sprigs upon bobbin-net has been of late years almost entirely superseded by the modern guipure (Coloured Plate XVI.). The sprigs, when made, are tacked upon a piece of blue paper, and then united either on the pillow by “ out works ” or “ purlings,” or else joined with the needle by various stitches—lacet point, reseau, cutwork, and button-liole stitch (the most effective of all); purling is made by the yard. The Honiton guipure has an original character almost unique. The large pieces surpass in richness and perfection the point duchesse of Belgium. The reliefs are embroidered with the greatest delicacy, and the beauty of the workmanship is exquisite ; and whereas the guipure applications of Belgium require to be whitened with lead, the Honiton workers give up their lace in all its original brilliancy and whiteness. 23 The fault in the Honiton lace has been its crowded and spiritless designs. The author’s brother took much pains, during a residence at Sidmouth, to procure for the lace-makers new patterns of flowers, 21 Amaranth. Daphne. Eglantine. ilLAC. Auricula. Ivy. Dahlia. IV.LAN'I'INE. 22 Tlie workers of Beer, Axraouth, anil Branscombe, have always been considered the best in the trade. 23 “ Exposition Universelle de 1867; Rapport du Jury International, ‘ Den- telles,’ par Felix Aubry.”