Reticella

(Lat. reticulus, a little net). This was the first known needle-made lace, produced in all lace-making countries under different names. (See Greek Lace.) It was made in several ways: the first consisted in arranging a network of threads on a small frame, cro ing and interlacing them in various complicated patterns. Beneath this network was gummed a piece of fine cloth, open like canvas, called quintain (from the town in Britt any where it was made). Then with a needle the network was sewn to the quintain by edging round those parts of the pattern which were to remain thick, then cutting away the superfluous cloth: hence the name of cutwork in England. A more simple mode was to make the pattern detached without any linen; the threads radiating at equal distances from one common centre served as a framework to others, which were united to them in geometric forms worked over with button-hole stitch (or point noué ). The engraving shows a fine specimen of reticella from Venice, 1493. (See also Milan Reticella.)