The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-04
FASHION TALK.
Some Hints About Household Deco
ration.
How Our Homes May Be Made Beau
tiful.


| Hest forms and strictly dedicated to tho SER
| vice OF utility alone. Home decoration has
| grown out Of q fashion into principle In the
| North. and few houses are soen there which
are not enriched with graceful window and
mantle drRperles, or novel chair, table OF wall
embellishments. which have been manufac-
tured within tho home We can understand
/ how In that sun forsaken land mon and
women are driven to their lirestdes for com
fort. and how naturally they try TO create the
brightness around them which nature has
denied them. But we do not see how, with
everything against them they make their
homes speaking evidences Of thrift, comfort
aud growing taste for beauty of surround
/ ngs, while we, with every suggestion that
can como from earth and sky, are content
with tho Same upholstery of alien hands.
| We 10 not wish to bs understood as stating
or even limiting that Southern women are less
familiar with the use Of the needle or less
adrolt iii It's management than our Northern
nelghbors, but merely that their skill Is en-
ployed for such different service. The sew
/ ing which in Now England would be- given TO
the needy seamstress In the next street Is
here done hy delicate palnRtaking fingers, to
|
the same organism. That work iudiciously
| bestowed would feed somebody's bubbles. and
give baclI generous interest and auiekened
vitality and henthful activity to the woman
who had placed 1t In lifting hands Tho lei
| sure titus secured might make Itself charming
ly felt all over the home, in its higher refine
| ment rs well rs In It's actual eosiness And
That this may DO com nasBed In " household
| where the income Ia very modest and where
every hand has It's allotted share OF labor has
hnan Ip pnstrntpI time and npniu
The highest art In needework was attained
In past nges and WAS the theme that inspired
many an essay and lyric. the elegy on poor
Lady Jane Grey summing up the list Of her
rare accomplishments with the particular
mention of her exquisite embroidery. In
later days q pure and radiant genius has
written:
even touching, In this popularity of needle
work for women, who, be they Of what
earthly rank they may however gifted with
intellect or endowed with artful beauty, have
always some little haudiwork ready TO fill the
| tiny gap OF every vacant moment. The
slender thread OF silk or cotton keeps them
united with the small, familiar. gentle inter
ests or life. the continually operating intlu-
ences OF which do SO much Tor the health OF
the character and carry off what would
otherwise DO dangerous accumulation Of
morbid sensibility. vast denl OF human
sym pathy runs along this electric line,
stretching from the throne to the hard chair
of the humble seamstress. aud keeping high
and low In species OF communion with their
kindred beings
To pass from these "glittering generaities"
to practical particulars, we would like To sug-
gest to some OF our luxury-loving girls that
| the dismal black mantles SO common In most
OF our houses, may be made the Instruments
of u striking exhibition of taste. Lambre-
quns In mummy-cloth, feltng. velveteen or
common annel In appropriate colora. are all
handsome In their several ways, and may be
ont n n
mented In many styles. The last preference
is for straight lambfrqutns over those that
are draped or cut into deep points. They
may be ornamented in imitation of embrod-
cry by vines. leaves. flowers and butterflies.
cut out OF some other contrasting material.
laid on and the edges concealed by "crow-
foot overwhelming in gold or black floss.
LAMBEEQuINs.
I.ambreauins for windows may be made to
match other wall draperies, and the colors
chosen should harmouIza with those of the
carpet. Nude of inexpensive materials, none
of these little elegancles can be called ex-
trayagancies, and yet they lend q grace to
simple homes that may successfully vie with
the more splendid efforts of wealth. wo-
mans delft, busy hand can write It's own
, praise in lovely characters oil over u home
, which It has made charming. Tastes and
pursuits like these become infectious, for wo-
, men Rre naturally observant and prefer
naturally initiative, and soon learn each
others ACCOMPLISHMENTS We believe that
the time will come when women will con-
! strue domestic duty Into something beyond
! the mere performance of some essentially use
fuI and profitable work. ard will appreciate
, the value of aesthetic elements In the home
; upon the minds of Its occupants.
> HOUSE DECORATION.
, A we write. some cheering Instances o
, homemade household decoration come tt
mind, work wrought out In odd half hours BY
! hands that gave all their might and sktll K
Il. 49,. /, n,
days. and only fingered over pretty bits oil
dom estie ornament q moment here and there
= until. after months Of patient continuance,
beauty came out of 1t and helped To brighter
! the common home.
This sort Of dexterity In needle work ha
: with Southern girls usually taken the form
. of personal decoration. With very knowing
fingers they drape difficult skirt with I
pinch hero and lap there, and never know
The misery of uncertainty as to whether thei
2 bows are in the right place. With this sort o
genius that goes by the name Of knack, the.
+. bring resuscitated gowns to the front witt
confidence, and not unfrequently carry off thu
. laurels that would seem to belong to 'brar
= new clos" This Is an exhaustng art, |
. cannot be denied, and one can scarcely won
? der that the spirit thus tried has not pluck t
grapple with any unnecessary labor. But W
: cannot forbear expressing the hope that TIL
conauering talent may extend its laborS Il
! the direction we have alluded to-
i BRIDAL DRESS.
z There Is less hope to be entertained of thos
I who are able to procure better work thai
they can perform, and perhaps 1t is better &c
The money SO spent annually finds It's wa
to empty pockets. A good deal OF this none
! has gone into meritorious mantua-make
. pockets In the last two weeks, provided tn
:, beautiful things sent out by the wearers G
/ the pockets have been duly paid for. One Z
the richest New Years reception dresses see
!. this season was that made for young an
| bnn fi,I costume
deep carnation hrocade, made high and with
n out sleeves, the entire front being formed o
t white satin trimmed with plaitings OF lac'
d Elbow sleeves Of lace, trimmed TO correspon
r with the satin 'front.' were inserted in tn
q arms-eye and worn without any under
! sleeves whatever The costume was priI
L cesse in general outline, with square trail
il shirred to the back, several inches below th
o waist line. The trimming on the train col
d sisted Of anticipating Of plain carnatio
q satin, over which lace was laid plainly,
IS piping of satin dividing it from the narrowe
i lace heading and concealtng the line at whc