nd thus, strictly
speaking, are not lace at all, but only embroideries or appliques. The
machine-made ground can be distinguished by sense of touch alone. If we
take a piece of hand-made net between the finger and thumb and slightly
roll it, it will gather in a soft little roll, with the touch almost of
floss silk. The machine-made net is hard, stiff, and wiry, and remains
perceptibly so in this test. Also, the mesh of machine-made lace is as
regular as though made with a fine machine fret-saw, that of hand-made
lace being of varying sizes, and often following the pattern of the lace
design.

The accompanying diagram illustrates the various grounds, and will
prove an infallible guide in distinguishing the points of difference
between Point and Pillow lace.

Various special and technical terms are used in describing the method of
making lace. Without burdening the reader too much, a few special terms
must be explained.

_Brides_ (literally "bridges").--These are the connections between the
various parts of a lace design, both in Needle-point and Bobbin lace. In
the former, they are made entirely of a strand or two of thread thrown
across, and then buttonholed over, sometimes with tiny loops on the
edges, and in Venetian lace often having minute stars worked upon them.

[Illustration: PILLOW RESEAUX.

No. 1.--Valenciennes.
No. 2.--Brussels.
No. 3.--Lille.
No. 4.--Mechlin.]

_Beading._--A tiny looped edge used to finish woven or Pillow-made lace.

_Bobbins._--One of the essential parts of a Pillow worker's outfit.
These are small, elongated bobbins made of ivory, bone, or wood, on
which is wound the lace-maker's thread. Sometimes they have been made
very ornamental with carving and other decorations, and frequently have
"gingles," or a bunch of coloured beads attached to one end. The terms
"Bobbin lace" and "Bone lace" are derived from these and are synonymous
with "Pillow lace."

_Cordonnet._--In most _Point_ laces the design is outlined with a raised
_cord_ either worked over closely with buttonhole stitches, or made
separately and then stitched down. The Cordonnet is one of the
characteristic features of the raised Venetian points and the French
laces of Alencon or Argentan.

_Couronnes._--These are decorations of the Cordonnet especially
noticeable in the raised Venetian laces, in which sometimes the lace is
raised and worked upon no less than four separate times.

_Dentele._--Lace designed in scallop-fo