Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-08


From the Art Amateur.
A dining-room mantel lambrequin, in a hand
some uptown house, offers some new sugges-
lions, especially in the way of fringe. It is of
olive plush. with disks of gold braid ornament
ing 1t at intervals. narrow band of crimson
plush Ornamented with gold braid borders the
iambrequin. Attached to this is the fringe,
which consists of narrow turned spindles of old
oak highly polished. The tone Of the wood is in
beautiful harmony with the plush. For dining
room curtains nothing Is handsomer than the
different materials In imitation Of old tapestry.
These are lOoped back by heavy cords which are
made Of woods Of the different colors of the
ground, twisted in heavy strands, at least an
inch and a-quarter in diameter, with tassels to
match. These can be easily made at home, and
are good for curtains OF any heavy materials,
being handsomer than any of ready-made cords.
new way for filling in the groundwork Of
canvas embroidery is in squares Of five stitches,
taking the stitches diagonally. and beginning in
the corner with one stitch, then two, then three,
and decreasing In the same way. The effect is
very fine when the work Is done in silk "A stripe,
for example, of light purple and white clematis,
with leaves worked in South Kensington in
crewes and silks. Is filled in in this way with
light reddish-Orange silk. A second strip, whose
design is roses and foliage worked in single
-.
with cream silk.
Five o'clock tea table covers are Of white
mOnie-clOth. The edge has an ornamental
border Of some straight floral design in outline
stitch In several cOlOrs, and in the corners are
Mother Goose designs or other childish figures,
also done In outline stitch in colors. The tints
chosen are usually antique greens, blues, reds,
and yellOws. Around this Is put border in
solid color, feather-stitched on in silks and the
cloth is finished with white fringe. The house
keeper who is well provided with these dainty
little tablecOyerings for special occasions or for
an imprOmptu lunch in parlOr or library, has
gone far toward making hospitality easy and
graceful.
A novelty in broom brush-holders is of blue
velvet, on which Is embroidered a young
chicken. This Is done in cream and brown
arrasene, whose sOftness gives no bad resem-
blance to the f1uffiness of q newly Matched
chicken. If an ivory-handled broom brush is
added, the two make not only handsome pres
ent, but a very pretty ornament.
Ribbon work, owing to the requirements
made on patience as we'll as its demand fer per-
feet needlewOrk, has not made great Roadway
here. large square of white satin recently
shown exhibits ribbon work in its most attrac-
tive form. In this the large outlines of the
design are done in delicate blue chain stitching
and in each alternate enclosure small lots are
worked in pale blue chain stitching. The rest
OF the design consists in delicate sprays of blue
forget me-nOts, trailing arbutus, and other
small flowers. These are all made out Of bits Of
SILK OF the required tint. each petal being per-
fectly shaped and fastened down, while needle
work is used to complete the artistic present
ment. The flowers are consequently all in low
relief, while the foliage is for the most part en-
Droidered. The method furnishes suggestions
to expert needlewOmen, but only to those who
are expert.
wreath of roses and leaves done In silks with
kensington stitch. each rose and leaf being out
lined with gold thread. In using this thread
unmixed with color either the pure gold or the
Japanese thread should be used, as otherwise it
Is likely to tarnish. crimson-velvet mouchoir-
case has design of slender scrolls, with con-
ventiOnalized flowers in cOlored silks, arranged
around the outer edges like the ornaments on
Od-faShiOned books. The scroll-wOrk is in gold
thread, which is put on as COUGHING.
A pretty flower rarely seen in decorative
work, although it Is one of the most suitable
and beautiful, is the one popularity known as
Love in Mist" whose fine bluish-green fla
ments can be so readily and exQuisitely repre-
sented in outline stitch. This is very suitable
Tor bureau-covers On sheer linen or any material
of fine texture.
A scarf table-cover is made of crimson
plush with that mOire face now given to plush
The ornament consists Of acanthus scrolls cut
out OF pale blue and Old-gold plush, applied
with tinsel braid, which is also used in the con-
Meeting designs. The border Is of old-gold
pale blue plush mOsaics, applied with tinsel
braid, and larger mOsaics from which hangs the
fringe.
A new fancy in sofa cushions is to have one
corner lined and turned over, showing under
meath quilted satin of another color.
Pretty wOrk-stand5 for lady's room are
slender black rod frames with a triangular top,
whose base is about eight inches from the apex,
which is cut off, leaving board about four
inches wide with incised ornamentatiOn. The
sides are filled in with embroidery in colors,
and when let down reveal a pouch. serving for
"catch-al, made OF cOlOred satins, and dan-
tily lined.
One of the art-embrOidery establishments
displays fire-screen Of cretOnne transformed
by embroidery. The square is a Vatican de-
sign. with three figures. The dresses of the
ladies are covered with KensngtOn stitch in
silk and the coat Of the powdered gallant is
wrought in crimson arrasene. The various cos
tunes however are not so remarkable as the
faces and hair, which are done in crewels, pre-
serving the lineaments perfectly.
Two remarkable pieces of embroidery have
been sent to this city from Indiana. The mate
rial is heavy white silk gauze, cut in panels for
screen, one large and the other small. The
larger panel is embroidered in the upper part
with branch Of dogwoOd and the white Gle
mats vine carelessly entangled. Grass is inge-
niOusly simulated below, and from it spring a
cluster OF vOets in BLOSSOM sparse, slender
wild plant, and bunch Of struggling yellow
daises. The smaller panel has tangle OF golden
rod and yellow daises. with dropping petals.
and a perfectly defined cobweb above. Tho
drawing is evidently from nature, the color is
admirable and the composition graceful. while
the handiwOrk Is nOticeably fine for so difficult
material. Both pieces are mounted for exhi-
bitiOn on a covered frame. At least An inch
from the gauze is a white paper-muslin back
ground, against which appear the shadows of
the embroidery with beautiful effect.
The lar0o canvas known rup oiroc
an opportunity for the use of some of the stitches
which are seen in Oriental embroidery where
the ineneSs of the material discourages their
use among the less patient people One Of these
Is the long stitch which is made by covering two
spaces of the canvas and alternating the holes in
each line, which gives sort of basket effect
Another is the long stitch covering three spaces
or squares Of the canvas In groups of five or
seven. with the points of intersection crossed by
long stitch with lines of different color on each
side and Of different texture. In one such work
strips Of rug canvas were placed between mar
rover strips of Java canvas The rug canvas
was embroidered in a pattern demanding shaded
grays. pinks. and blues. These two cOlOrs made
alternate pointed designs which were in q man.
ner framed In with the grays and were worked
in the basket pattern described. while the grays
which separated them were in the long stitch
crossed at the point Of its intersection by
thread of gray with gold silk on each side The