The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-11-10
NUMBER 20.
Gossip About House Decoration,


A new and very handsome style OF
art needle-work is coming into vogue.
The raised designs upon Indian scarfs
and Persian wraps are cut out and APP
pliqued on to plush or velvet to serve as
screens, portiercs, etc. The effect is
really beautiful. the designs themselves
are so fanciful and form most graceful
combinations, looking even better upon
the deep tones of the plush or velvet
backgrounds than they do ON the light
Eastern fabrics.
1t is no longer fashion to light up
large rooms with central chandeliers; on
the contrary, light is now provided
from the corners OF the room by means
of upright pillars with extending
branches, from which gas-lights CLEAN
brilliantly. The electric light has not
yet made much Roadway in private
houses.
Economy prevails to such an extent in
Swiss households that the outside leaves
of cabbages and the shells of peas are
never thrown away. The former are
chopped up and stewed until tender,
then eaten with vinegar, while the latter
are used for soup. After many hours
boiling they are rubbed through sieve
into weak stock, and with the addition
of chopped onions and little mint
make dish which is much approved by
the thrifty house-keeper.
Painting upon mirrors is brought to
great perfection by lady artists, and is
much used now in decoration. In the
London residence of the artist Bough-
ton beautiful Gala lily seems to spring
from the frame across the glass. It
was ingeniously painted there by the
artist himself to conceal flaw in the
glass.
Tho patchwork upon which our
grandmothers exercised so much in
genuity is the subject of revival, or,
we ought rather to say, of new de-
parture. This novel patchwork is made
by cutting foundation squares of mus
on them odds and ends of silk or rib
bon, plush or velvet, in any way the
maker pleases, basting them in position
aud then joining them together with
feather stitch in gold-colored fileselle.-
The squares when completed are join
ed tngathar in the same way, and
the result is harmonious confusion
of colOrs which has quite an Eastern eff
feet.
Tides those misnamed articles of
drawing-room adOrnment, are TO be
abolished; in their stead small squares
of lace or muslin, or even of darker ma
terIal, are fitted into the backs of chairs
and securely fastened in position.
A very strange material has been
pressed into service for chair coverings,
being nothing less than the saddle bags
used by travellers in crossing the great
desert. The rough wooden material
which forms the outside covers the front
Of the chair, while that which is the lin
ing of the saddlc-bag provides material
for the back Of the furniture. In ap-
pearance they arevery quaint and hand
some.
Alligator skin, which has for some
time been used for book-bindings and
slippers, is now the fashion for ladies'
reticules and handbags. 1t is handsome
in appearance, but as it takes very few
colOrs, there is no possibility of muci
decoration or the exercise of taste il
trimming, etc. But, if not particularly
Ustgo iuuuC III LiiiS iTC
extremely durable, and will last until
their owners are tired of them.
Fashions in every department of in
dustry change SO rapidly now that even
in carpets. what is the thing one season
is old-fashioned before the next comes
round. Formerly, design, if it was
fasnionably received, has run in the fac
tories for eight or nino years, whereas
now new one is substituted for It in
almost as many weeks.
A Japanese lambrequin is great sue
cess. 1t is made of the fancy squares
sold in Japanese stores, which are cut
into sharp acknowledged pieces, one
point in each being attached to CORE
spending point in another, while in the
interstices between small stars of color
ed cloths are inserted and caught to the
two upper and lower points. Each Of
the lower points is finished of with q
colored tassel, and the effect is very good
indeed.