, 1875-02-13

chairs and sofas. \ square of double
width reps, with fourinch band oI
/ black velvet ribbon sewed round II al
| four inches from the edge, makes :
simple and tasteful cover. Otherwise
cut piece exactly fitting the table top
with allowance for seam: 10 this sew d
strip four inches wide 10 lit round III,
/ edge Of the table. and finish oil wit!
/ heavy wOrSted or chenille fringe. Thi,
style Is not so graceful as the other, but
| Is good for Il change.
Oriental covers can be made bV who
| ever has a chain-Stitch Sewing-machinc
/ Three culOTS of cloth are needed-SCar
I let, black N either sage green OF Vcr,
/ pale blue Cut a center piece from tn,
/ green or the Blue about two feet in di
ameter, Scallop the edge in shallow seal
/ lonS; round this lay SIX inches deep OF
/ black (Which may he Joined As often "a,
convenient 10 save the cloth; IN,
| edge next the blue must be cut 10 iii
into its SCallOps; the other edge. which
comes next the scarlet, Is also ScallOped
! in like manner. Black comes outside of
all; It's inside edge Is sCallopcd into the
outside edge of the scarlet and it Is cut
straight on the outside. Lap the edges
and stitch them lightly by hand Then
| trace on the cloth with a piece of chalk
number of arabeSqueS, diamonds,
circles, etc, and on the center medallion
copy some of the Chinese characters that
you find on tea-CheSts. The tracingS
must be drawn on the wrong side of the
cover, since the chdin-stitching Is 10 show
On the right side. The stitching is loose
ly done in white, yellow, scarlet and
blue silks or any colors YOU may happen
10 have. Odds and ends of spools are
just the thing, for no one line need be OF
the same color throughout. Small sofa
cushions and piano and stool covers can
be made in the same way. The table
covers cost in London about SO.
Don't tail to have plenty of books
ABOUT the room; not drawing room
books elegant and uninteresting, but
books you are reading Gf they are lit
tie loose in the back all the BETTER. nov
els, brochures, or whatever they may
be. Scatter them over the tables, and
leave one or two on the sofa. Let there
be two or three hanging bOok-shelves on
the walls, filled with your literary
friends, old or new. You can. ebOniZe
them to match your tables. Get the
carpenter TO make you 4 few common
little brackets of white wood, and ebOn-
izc them. too Put graceful and mex
penSiye vases on them, filled with
bunches of leaves or grasses. In buyi z
ornaments be careful To select what Is
beautiful rather than what is costly
th. charm
inc; they are little trouble, and will
always furnish your vases with fresh
blossoms. Have layer Of charcoal at
the bottom, and fill up with sand and
loan. Never water the plants unless the
surface of the earth round them is dry;
then put it on abundantly. \ good ma
nure to be used two or three times a
week is made of quarter Of an ounce OF
sulphate of ammonia dissolved in one
gallon of water. Let the flowers be well
aired whenever the weather IS mia
enough. You can get an ebOnIZcd
wooden stand fitted with 4 lining to lift
out. Place an oil-cloth mat underneath
the stand to save yOrr carpet. They are
used in the drawing g-rooms Of the finest
houses in England, 50 you need not be
anxious about their appearance
Fit a wooden shelf to your maniel-
piece, making it as wide as you like, and
cover it with reps or cotton velvet TO
match the furniture. Edge 1t with a
valnnce cut out in squares or Scallops,
and trimmed 10 harmonic with the table
covers. Nothing makes a room more
cheerful than does an open fire, winch,
however. Is seldom seen in American
homes. But our ireless CRATES should
be filled with ferns and ivy, which Will
grow there readily, and transform the
harsh iron den into pretty rustic grotto;
Finally. don't plaster your chairs and
sofas against the walls as if they were
incapable of standing alone; disperse
them about the room, near the tables,
fireplace or flower stand; make them
look as if they took an interest in one an
other and occasionally had a soclable
chat together. You may add 10 their
comfortable aspect by judicious sprlnk-
ling of low, lazy hassocks, not more than
C,nI inches high at mOst.--Urs- JultdH
Hawthorne, IN Hnper's Bdzdr.