Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-06
Tea Cloths and Chair BACKS.
BY mrs. JULIAN HAWTHORNE.

Tea Cloths and Chair Backs.
BY ms. JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
Five O'Clock tea Is said to be firmly estab-
hshed among fashionable people in America;
and a ase c sas IS
great boon at afternoon receptions or even at
an ordinary call. for dtspelS the little stiffness
tween people who are unacquainted with each
other and now that the latest custom Is not 10
introduce, any l0o6ener OF tongue is welcome
and one cannot help unbending over cup OF
tea. Besides, the meal, II 1t may be called such.
is by no means to be despised as means OF dis
Playing dainty devices In tea cloths and china.
rne table used Is low S one kept specially for
books, etc, when wanted; this table is velvet
covered and laee-cdged, SD that 1t looks pretty
when not In use The cloth which is thrown
foundation for decoration, varying In beauty
and costliness with the length OF the hostess
purse or her own good taste and dainty work
manship, and usually bears more or less rela-
ton to the color of the china and prevalent
style OF ornament in the ROOM
Soft null or India muslin Is perhaps the
favorite fabric for Them though not, OF course
so economical as stouter material 1t is edged
with lace as costly as may be, sometimes with
the questionable addition OF bows of satin rib
bon at the corners; q large monogram in one
corner is more effective and In better taste. A
pretty heading to the lace is sometimes given
by border Of chenille embroidery, showing
well on the delicate muslin: The chenille is
threaded through large-eyed needle, and used
like wool very little Is needed, two or three
stitches OF shades OF pink and two or three Of
green making lovely rosebud, as the chenille
alternating with plain muslin squares form a
pretty heading TO similar lace, and the muslin
squares may be ernbroide. ed with butterflies In
wool or chenille. We have seen the muslin
edged with silk fringe of mixed colors sur
mounted by border OF painted flowers; again.
the edge OF the muslin is vandykei in points
under, these points sometimes holding an en-
broidered spray OF flowers Another border is
Of embroidered muslin insertion with broad
rgp0m sn ien through Turkish
pattern beng sometimes outlined with gold
thread. Again, the muslin with soft-colored
silk edged with pleated lace, and has colored
is much used, bordered witch Oriental embroid-
cry, and edged with lace embroidered to match.
Thick materials used for this purpose are In
washing silk, foulard, white fianuel, and plain
white or 6cru linen, ali find favor. A new ma
teral called toile Colbert, is like coarse linen
canvas used for straining milk; this comes In all
colors. Crewel embroidery is the favorite orna-
mentation though it varies In style to suit differ
ent tastes being sometimes fully worked, and
at others only outlined In one color. A king
fisher among bulrushes, swallows, grasses and
leaves, or bird lowering over It's nest grouped
in one corner of the cloth; wreaths Of flowers
and leaves forming border, or with tendrils
CONeTluS Ul6 NuOlc ClOIu, OluG CHINA, QUAINT Tea
pots. and cups outlined in blue figures tllustra-
ting nursery rhymes, with accompanying text,
al IN outline-are some of the designs we see.
velvet or satin bands, seven inches deep, en-
Droidered In silks; appliqueS OF Japanese or Bre-
ton figures in cloth and embroidery; bands Of
pale colored satin sheeting, with floral design
in creWels; borders Of Oriental cretonnes or da-
ored filoselle and gold thread edged with Rus
sian lace embroidered to match-are also seen.
as asa are ecru, pale blue or Turkey red toile Col
and plain white linen with border of the old
fashioned drawn-work.
At recent exhibition of artistic needle-work
we noticed two or three specimens which de-
serve mention. One in crash, with the edges
deeply frtnged out, had an embroidered border
OF corn-f1oWers peoples, and wheat in the natu-
raj colors, with similar single flowers sprtnkled
ing as the French call 1t, is very pretty. An
other In Bolton sheeting showed the rich au-
tumnul ttnts of the Virginia creeper round the
center. third was OF grenat satin sheetIng
with delicate border in gold and golden
browns.
What used in former days to be called anti
macasSarS are now known as chair backs and
are no unimpOrtant feature of the fashionable
drawing rooms. Some houses adopt one general
style as suited to their rooms, but others show
kindly feeling to any, be they only ne,o.
The designs and materials are legion, though
linen, crash and other washing materials are
losing favor in smoky London, from the diff
cpy egad II a them Figures
no longer new fashion, bid fair to continue In
favor, because quickly done and snowy. Aquatic
birds and water fowl peeping from among
the branch Of an apple tree, are not in accord
with the rules of high art, but look very pretty.
They might be copied from some of the Japan
csc pictures now SO common, and so be artistic
as WELL
Dark-colored silk Bolton sheeting is a very
favorite material, but expensive. Olive is
worked in yelloWs, ruby in cream, dark blue in
pale blue and olive again in pale blue.
White muslin is also used, painted sometimes
but more often embroidered with chenilles One
design we have seen was of rose buds and leaves
Japanese fashion, another was Of iris and leaves
and another branch Of cherries and leaves; the
lace edg1ng had chenille run through. style
now greatly In vogue is plain muslin box pleated
and edged with pleated lace. These are simple,
can not fall off, and suit any style of decoration.
Sometimes not only chair backs, but so-called
chair aprons, are made: and answer wei to
cover soiled furniture. These aprons are cut to
the shape of the chair seat, with about four
inches to spare for tucktng In; In front they are
CRASH for seven inches The Seat at is then en-
broidered in crewels Chair back made to
match, and small pieces for the arms If needed.
II for an ordinary chair without upholstered
back, they may be fr1nged on all four sides, and
slightly tackled to the seat at the corners, or
fastened around the legs by strings. We have
seen D0lldOlr renovated In this fashion with
dark olive serge, each chair displaying, conven-
ttonally treated, a different plant grown In the
island OF Madeira, where the worker had lived
many years. This might be carried out In our
own native plants, and varied according to the
locality Of the home, southern northern, east
ern and western plants each furnishing one
SerieS-U0ipe7''S Rlzdr.
A Cincinnati Horse Auction.
Cincinnati Saturday Nightl
"Here, gentlemen" said the auctioneer, ais
horse"
BystandeI-Glad you told us it was horse,
or we might have taken it for sheep.
Auctioneer-That wouldn't be SO very strange
if it had your head on. You see before you,
gentlemen, a family horse.
Bystander-He got those punches on his
knees from kneeling down at family prayers
didn't he?
-vo,,1l rouar bava onv b,,nahoS