The Portland daily press., 1879-02-04
AGRICULTURAL.
Wats and Rurs.

Having seen in one number of your paper
q request for directions in rug or mat max
ing, have thought it might be answered by
telling OF the pretty ones that the country
gentleman's daughters in this vicinity are
making. The materials are Germantown
wool, or any coarse bright colored yarn and
coarse canvas, or burlaps, which can be
bought for a few cents a yard at stores, or of
furniture dealers, who use it as wrapper
for furniture.
One yard in length, by one-half yard in
width, makes rug suitable in size for LAYING
before bureau or table. The border is en-
broidered in cross-sttch with the yarn, after
scroll pattern, or Roman key, or running
vine, as the taste may suggest. In the
centre monogram is worked, or design to
harmonize with the border, and with the
same colored yarn. Before beginning the
work the design may be marked on the bur-
leps with soft pencil, so that there need be
no mistakes in turning corners. Beginners
In such work very often make awkward, tum-
bled-together looking corners, for the reason
that their pattern is not properly planned.
A corner may always be nicely turned in a
pattern by using piece of looking-glass.
Piace the glass perpendicularly across the
middle OF the corner in the pattern: then
begin the other side of the rug by counting
the stitches in the reflection on the glass.
Ut is difficult to make the directions plain for
using the glass, but few experiments with
the glass in hand will readily explain its use.)
The most OF these rugs are embroidered in
red, for as N. N. says in the st. Nicholas, in
giving directions for furnishing, fyou can
hardly get too much scarlet in a room."
But, If that color is lacking in the carpet on
which the rug is to be used, some other color
would be preferable. Dark brown en-
broidery, with few lines of orange inter-
mingled, makes rich looking mat. A fringe
may be made by cutting the burlaps into
strips about twelve or fourteen inches wide
and drawing out the threads on both edges
until the middle is not more than eight
threads wide; then double it through the
middle and sew it around the edge of the rug.
These rugs will wear longer and keep their
place on the carpet better if they are lined.
A piece of old carpet cut the same size, and
neatly fastened by few stitches, answers
well for this purpose.
Another mat, which has done good service
in our sitting-room, which will yet in actual
service outlast the prettier embroidered ones,
is worthy description. We had basketful
OF old white wooden stockings which had
been shrunken and yellowed by repeated
washings until they were useless as stock
ings. At odd times, when no other work
was handy, we ravelled them all, then
coored them slate color, with green tea and
copperas, and also ravelled some toeless red
and black striped stockings belonging to the
children. A piece of coarse cloth was cut in
to an oval form and a beginning made by
taking several threads of the yarn together
and fastening them with needle and strong
thread at the centre of the cloth, then hold
ing the end of the yarn up in short thick
loop stitch was taken as close as possible to
the first one. Then another loop and another
stitch qrOnnd and arOund ho Grct
the whole is covered with close and solid
loops of yarn. A star in the centre of the
red, then background of the slate color and
mixed black, red and grey border made a
very pleasant arrangement of the colors.-
Corr. Country Gentleman