"rare Italian cutworke" in "The Praise of
the Needle." This poem may perhaps be of interest to some; it was
prefixed to a book of embroidery patterns of cut work named "The
Needle's Excellency." It ran through twelve editions, the first of which
was printed in 1621, and sold at "the signe of the Marigold in Paules
Churchyard." Copies may be seen in the British Museum Library; in the
Bodleian, Oxford, in the Ryland's Library, Manchester, and occasionally
elsewhere. Fig. 120 shows a pattern taken from this book.

There are several distinct varieties of cut work, for instance, that
known as renaissance embroidery, which is usually composed of an
arabesque design from which the background is cut away, leaving the
pattern in the linen; the cut edges are outlined and protected by an
overcast stitch. The pattern has to be specially planned with the idea
of holding strongly together, but, if necessary, buttonholed bars can be
added to form strengthening ties in any weak part.

Another kind of cut work is that known as _broderie anglaise_, and
sometimes as Madeira work, over which our grandmothers spent much time,
perhaps without adequate result. The pattern is followed out by round
holes pierced in the linen with a stiletto and then overcast round the
edges. At the present day the work is done mostly by machinery, though
hand work also is procurable.

[Illustration: Fig. 120.]

Perhaps the prettiest kind of cut work is that in which various-shaped
spaces are cut out of the linen, and these filled in, in part, with
some design built up with stitches. There are various methods of
refilling the spaces cut out, one of the simplest is a diapering formed
by some lace stitch, such as an open buttonhole. As a rule, the
decoration of the open spaces is based upon bars of thread that are
either composed of warp or woof threads left, instead of being cut away,
or else upon fresh threads thrown across in various directions. The
pattern is planned on and about these strengthening ties, and where
necessary receiving support from them. An ingenious worker will soon
devise ways of refilling the spaces by all kinds of interesting
patterns, which can be geometrical or floral, or any kinds of objects
that can be attractively represented in conventional fashion, such as
figures, birds, insects, ships in full sail, or anything else. It must,
however, be remembered that the various forms filling the spaces are for
use in the way of strength as