r construction
in impossible landscapes, where the limpid stream meandered down
fairy-like hills into a shining lake, which held dolphins under the
water and water-fowl above it. The illustration depicts such a specimen,
and shows one of these tiny pictures worked in no less than ten
different stitches of lacework, in addition to the usual petit point.
The number of these stitches is legion. In the reign of Charles I., John
Taylor, the water-poet, wrote in 1640:

"For tent worke, raised worke, first worke, laid worke, net worke,
Most curious purl, or rare Italian cut worke,
Fire, ferne stitch, finny stitch, new stitch, chain stitch,
Brave bred stitch, fisher stitch, Irish stitch, and Queen stitch,
The Spanish stitch, Rosemary stitch, and mowle stitch,
The smarting whip stitch, back stitch, and cross stitch;
All these are good, and this we must allow,
And they are everywhere in practice now."

[Illustration: VERY EARLY "PETIT POINT" PICTURE.

(_Author's Collection._)]

These are not _all_ the stitches in vogue during the first era of
needlework pictures. A single glance at one of the early specimens,
though it may not _charm_, fills one with amazement at the amount of
toil, ingenuity, patience, and downright _love_ for the work the ancient
needlewoman must have possessed. Not only pictures, however, were
made in petit point. Many dainty little accessories of the toilet gave
scope to the delicate fancy and nimble fingers of the ladies who had
found solace from the cessation of their labours for the priesthood in
making dainty little handbags and other pretty articles, each a marvel
of minute handicraft. One bag in my possession measures only four inches
square, and is worked on fine canvas, about forty threads to the square
inch, the design being the favourite Tudor rose, each petal worked in
lace stitch, and raised from the centre which is made of knots worked
with golden hair, flat green leaves exquisitely shaded, and a charming
bit of the worker's skill in the shape of a pea's pod, open and raised,
showing the tiny little peas in a row. An exquisitely worked butterfly
with raised wings in lace stitch is on the other side. The grounding of
the whole is run with flat gold thread, making a "cloth of gold" ground,
strings made of similarly worked canvas, with gold thread and silk
tassels complete a bag fit for the Princess Golden Locks of our fairy
tales. This little bag cost the writer