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Show ' MADE . IN AN IRISH CONVENT MAGNIFICENT SET OF VESTMENTS VEST-MENTS FOR A CHURCH. Exquisite Embroideries Tliat Are Irish In Design Visit to Workrooms Work-rooms of the Nuns of Dalkey. (From the Cathoiie Standard and Times of Philadelphia.) Within a few days there will arrive in tin's city from Loretto Convent, Dalkey, Dal-key, Ireland, a set of vestments which, in point of beauty and workmanship. Mill equal, if not excel, anything of a similar nature to be found in. this section sec-tion of the country. The vestments are property of the Church of Our l;ady of Merer, Broad street and Susquehanna Sus-quehanna avenue, and will be used for the first time in the celebration of solemn sol-emn high mass on the day of the dedication dedi-cation of that mugn'ificent edifice. Kev. Gerald P. exilian, rector of Our L,ady of Mercy Church, visited Ire land m the summer of 1897, and was impressed by the exquisite beauty of embroidery and needlework executed by the nuns of the Loretto convent. On the eve of his return to America he left an ordfr for a complete set of vestments. vest-ments. He placed no restriction on the nuns in the matter of price, h.is only stipulation being that the completed vestments should represent a value of ; at least 51.000. The work has been in progress ever since, and is now finished. THE VESTMENTS DESCRIBED. Some weeks ago, when the finishing touches were being- applied, a representative represen-tative of the Irish Dailv ndenende-nt of Dublin visited the work rooms of the convent in Dalkey. Writing to his journal he says: "I had long wished to pay a visit to Loretto Convent and its work rooms, and this desire was-quickened into execution exe-cution by hearing of magnificent vestments vest-ments which had just been completed there and would be sent in a few days to America, in the convent grounds, but at a little distance from the convent con-vent itself, stands the house in which the- work rooms are fitted up. Cheerful Cheer-ful and airy rooms they are', with that beautiful expanse of blue sea before the i windows refreshing 'the es'es of the workers as they look up from the work on which they are intent. There they sat, an array of bright-faced girls, the greater number engaged on the fine lingerie lin-gerie which- is the other specialty of the convent, for the vestments were nearly completed, with the exceDtion of two or three nieces. . The order Just executed came from a priest in Philadelphia, who, lately revisiting re-visiting the mother country, was struck by the Loretto embroideries. He was building a chapel in Philadelphia, and resolved that the robes worn for mass on the day of consecration, should be worked on Irish material and in Irish designs by Irish girls. With this view-he view-he left. an order for the complete set, that which I was fortunate enough to see before it was dispatched to its destination. j-moioo I'KOM.THE BOOK OF KELLS. "The material used was Irish poplin, manufactured especially bv Mr. Elliot. Weaver's Square.-Dublin, it was white and of mcist beautiful texture and gloss, and Sister Jane Frances spoke warmly of the extreme care and pains taken by j Mr. Elliott in the execution of the order, or-der, which was--placed with him in, January and executed by the end cf February. ' "The designs are ajl-from the 'Book of Kells,' and were drawn for the purpose pur-pose by Miss Jacobs of the Metropolitan, Metropoli-tan, School of Art. The leading features in these designs are circular 'panels en-Closing en-Closing varieties .of--trumpet pattern, etc., and connected by interlaced strap work so-called This pattern, as can be seen, was used largely in decorations decora-tions of the 'Book of Kells' in the eighth century, and of the 'Tara Brooch' of the tenth century, as well as in other fine historical examples of Irish artistic work. The crosses used on the stoles and maniples are adaptations adapta-tions from the cross of Cong. This fine 1 cross may be seen in the museum, Kil-' dare street. It isdescribed as a processional pro-cessional cross, and was made for Tur-logh Tur-logh O'Connor, king of Ireland, in 1123. It is made of oak, plated with gilt bronze. - -v. PUREST GOLD USED IN EMBROIDERY. EMBROID-ERY. "The finest and purest gold is used in this embroidery, which is laid with the greatest accuracy and evenness on the traced pattern and stitched down with gold-colored silk. Some of the patterns were close and complicated, and others larger and less involved, but one and all they require the utmost care in execution. Even the preliminary process, pro-cess, that of lacing the peplin on to a wooden frame, requires rot only care, but patience and a firm hand as well. A strong linen foundation at the back of the poplin helps it to support the heavy gold embroidery, and the lacing to the frame must be done with the greatest evenness. One completed piece was still in its frame ready to be taken out; at two others which approached completion the work was going on; but the embroidery was quite finished on several beautiful pieces--daLman-tiques, stoles, copes, chalice veil, etc. Two hundred pounds was the price of I '"".y.iiv.j cci, iviiiv.il aeemea. nu more than a fair equivalent for work so costly and involving such an, amount of skilled and patient labor." In add'ition to the description given by the Irish Daily Independent's correspondent, cor-respondent, it is inter-sting to note that the clasp for the cope will be a :-eDro-duction of the handle of the celebrated "Ardagh" chalice now in the royal Irish academy. This chalice was found at the small village of Ardagh, County Limerick. .From its beautiful artistic interlaced decorations it is traceabje to the tenth century. There are on each side of the clasp three bosses in red and blue enamel "and. of different desirns. The interlaced work is verv beautiful and in keeping with the embroidery on the cope. The clasp is of finest gold. AN IRISH INDUSTRY. In patronfzing- Loretto Convent, Dalkey. Dal-key. yFather Co.ghlan has earned the gratitude not only of the nuns, but of all the friends of Irish industries, among which the work cf the institution institu-tion ranks high in importance an amount and class of needlework being done here which is becoming known and famflllS far- hvnn A TVIcV, The Co-oDerative Needlework society started at Dalkey iru October, 1895, has set an example to the women and girls elsewhere in Ireland. It originated in this way: Friends and promoters of industry in-dustry in the country undertook the task of founding a society for providing instruction and if possible orders for work for a number of needlewomen who. with the will and the capacity for high-class work, had no facilities for education and no means of finding employment. em-ployment. The first plan tried that of having a separate class for such needlework in the national schools not being found to answer, Rev. T. A. Finiay suggested obtaining the co-operation of a convent, con-vent, where sxTmany adepts in the most delicate and beautiful needlework are to be found, as well as in the no less important art of imparting- instruction Tq the superior of Loretto' Convent appeal was made, and this lady Generously Gen-erously gave choice of Bray and Dalkey Convent. The choice fell upon Dalkey a? eil?f within mre convenient reach of Dublin. OBJECT OF THE SOCIETY. - Here therefore. Is the registered office of "The Irish Co-operative Embroidery Em-broidery and Needlework Society, Limited, Lim-ited, whose objects, according to rule o. are to develop and improve the general gen-eral needlework and the art of em broidery in. Ireland; to improve the moral and social status of the workers engaged in such occupations by im;fart-ing im;fart-ing to them technical education in all branches of their business and obtaining obtain-ing a market for thedr work and saving sav-ing for them the profits oerived from its sale." A good deal of expense had to be incurred in-curred at the. outset, but influential support was received from the first. The nuns of Loretto Convent gave a site in their grounds for a workroom and a building, which was converted into a very commodious one. and further fur-ther allowed one of their number to become be-come manager and secretary to the so-ciety, so-ciety, shares in which wore taken by its supporters and a co-operative society so-ciety formed. To Lady Aberdeen is due the idea of reviving the ancient gold embroideries of Ireland, work now a specialty of Loretto Lo-retto Convent, and it is to the orders she has placed for execution here that it has first been brought before the public. The department cf ecclesiastical embroidery em-broidery has attained great perfection, the work done for churches at home being be-ing recognized as equal to anything imported im-ported from the workshops of France and Italy. The high mass sets cf vestments, vest-ments, worked in gold cm cloth of silver, sil-ver, have been acknowledged as at least equal in material and artistic workmanship to Italian and French vestments, for which much hignei prices are charged. This work excited great admiration, at the Textile Inhibition Inhi-bition in Dublin in 1897. and. indeed, wherever shown, and it has won prizes at Dublin horse show. Of course, there are other applications besides church work for these embroideries ladies dresses, screens, curtains, cushions, etc. The London Shirt company, Sloane Square, gave their contract for summer blouses for two years to this society. Much of the underlinen for the trousseau trous-seau of Lady Peggy Primrose, who was married to the Earl of Crewe, was executed exe-cuted here; also no less than fourteen dozen, various articles for the trousseau of Princes irie of Mecklenburg. whose late marriage to .Count Jametel was the subject of so much comment. INSTRUCTING THE WORKERS. The girls employed in. the convent workrooms (there are twenty-five now. with room for five or six more) go through a complete course of plain needlework first, and during that time a complete course also of geometrical and freehand drawing, which there are nuns in the convent qualified to give. Until they have passed the Kensington examinations and some of the girls have passed the first-class examinations examina-tions they are placed with those who exhibit a particular aptitude and are also taught designing. The wages of the girls vary, of course, in proportion to the quality of the work done, some beginning at Is. 6d. or 2s. a week, being able in course of time to earn 25s. weekly. The shares are 1 each, paid thus. Five shillings on application and tne remainder in such calls as the committee commit-tee of the society may from- time to time direct, at least fourteen dwys' notice no-tice beinff given at each call. Eight of the workers are members and two of their number are on the committee of management. . The profits arising from the business of the society,- after providing for charges specified, -pay 5 per cent on all paid up share capital, the remainder of profits beingr then divided among the workers v in the society in proportion propor-tion to the wages earned by each. |