The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-24
(Continued from last lreek.)

Continued from last lreeE.)
The la~mbrequins / cut from a pat
tern | bought. They were of crimson
rep, bordered with oak leaves of
brown velvet, veined with yellow floss,
and a fringe of crimson and gold. Tie
table-spread was brown, with a heavy
applique border of crimson velvet
leaves on an oak ground. The large
armchair | covered with ecru Turk
ish toweling; a medallion on the
cushion and back, a bouquet made of
crimson leaves and flowers in velvet
and satin, the entwined border of
brown, edged with gol cord. 1t was
perfectly lovely" when finished. A
rug for the floor, of brown, had a me
dallian in the center of toweling, with
an applique bouquet, like the large
chair. The border of brown, with
crImson leaves. a heavy fringe at
the edge. l made Ottomans OF the
starch boxes, to match the rng. The
mantel and ~window-seats had lambre-
quins of the same design, with the adj
dition of tassels. | found an old cabi-
net at the auction-store. This | ebon-
lied by the following recipe: Take a
quarter of a pound of the best size,
with sufficient water to cover; put it
in a stone pot and set over the range
to melt mot boil. Then take three
cents worth of lampblack; a little
blue-black to improve the color. Mix
it up with oil until as thick as paste.
Pour the melted size on this black
paste and mix thoroughly together.
Use while warm, painting it on thick
iy. When quite dry, varnish with
three or four coats of oil-copal yarnish.
While vanishing keep the room at a
temperature of sixty degrees and free
from dust. Uuse a large brush, put
ting on uniformly. Take the finest
pulveriZed pumice-stone. Mix with
water until as thick as cream and
polish the work until as smooth as
glass. Then dry and rub with sweet
oil and tripoli. Dry again with a soft
linen rag, rub with starch-powder,
and polish with a clean linen cloth
until you can see you face. l forgot
to state that, before ebonizing, drew
some simple double lines and center
design, and painted them with Mars
yellow and Chinese white. This
work is well worth trying; it being
quite easy to do and very rich looking.
A closet in one end of the room | CON
verified into a bookcase. The door
door was taken off the hinges; a
valance of pinked brown leather tackled
en- to each shelf with gilt-headed nails
and crimson gimp.
Frank had the parts to a number of
folding chairs turned on a lathc.
These were ebonized, put together,
covered with red, with an embroid~
cred strip down the back and seat
Some of the turned pieces made the
supports for an easel Tor my prettiest
picture. Still others made a standard
for a lovely sceen, which was really
quite simple. n smooth pine board of
the right size was fastened to the
Standard. The center was painted an
oval OF cream color and ornamented
with a large decaleomanic Cupid. The
edges We're then inlaid and ebonized
The hanging of the pictures came
next. Frank bought the mouldings at
so much a foot, and put them together
himself. 1t is much cheaper. Nv
next step was to order the tinman to
make me a number of wedge-shaped
pans. These were filled with earth
and planted with Ivies, both German
and English. These pans | hung by
cords behind the pictures, and twined
the branches over the cords aud
frames. Over the mantel hung my
favorite Beatrice, on one side OF the
window a Swiss Lake, and on the
other an Italian Rustic Scene. in rich
colors. On the opposite walls are a
large Sea-scape and a view of the
Hudson. l had two large Waxen
Hoyas. The pots to these | painted
black, with gilt bands. | cut an oval