Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-02
Needlework NOyelties

Constance Cary Harrison. in The Art Amateur
Downpillows are adainty ppendage of ady's
bedroom or boudor lounge now very much in
fashion. To carry out their intention of perfect
softness the cover should be made of undressed
silk, or any of the plant satins or Indian silks
now to be had. This cover may be highly en-
broidered in geometrical or conventional patterns
IN SILK. with here and there line of gold intro
duced, and the result will be sofa cushion both
novel and elegant. The edge made be finished
with fine silk cord. carefully avoiding anything
| that will keep the cushion in shape, as it is ex-
pected to yield to every movement of weary
mead or aching back One of these pillows,
which are generally little more than half
yard square. was covered with Indian
silk in a crushed strawberry tint (This fab
rc may be bought now in all the art shades of
yellow, red and blue, at two dollars a yard.
For light draperies 1t is not to be surpassed.)
On the square forming the upper portion of the
pillow were scattered few interlaced discs in
closing small geOmetrical shapes. The outline
OF these designs was followed by the needle in
earning stitches, taken close together, a small
stitch on the wrong side, a longer one upon the
right-with old-gold silk. Some of the discs
We're filled by parallel lines of darning stitches
covering the ground: others had been left with
a few touches of gold, Japanese sky-lines' to
break the uniformity of the ground. By using
flloselles varying in hue from dull blue to deep
red. old gold to brown. silver gray to dark blue
gray, the designs were brought out charminQly.
and with but little work. POngee in the natural
hue does very well for similar experiment in
color, and any of the deeper shades Of yellow in
soft silk are recommended, not only for decora-
tive effect, but because this hue is apt to be
effective in whatever corner Of the room YOU
may elect to dispose of 1t, whether tete-a-tete
with blue couch or on an easy chair of Indian
red. Where the possessor of a down pillow
asplreS to the simplest method of covering it.
without the additional tax of needlework |
would suggest width of one of the soft foulard
Satns now sold for dress purposes I'm all the
principal shops. One Of these satins cream
tinted. and besprinkled with POmpadOur bou-
quets of pale pink and blue, was made to do
duty for this purpose with success. When
present for an invalid is in question or. indeed
in any case where the cushion is habitually used
the best plan is to make movable cover of
linen to over the inner lining of rose colored,
lavender, or blue silk. For this purpose drawn
work IN all its varieties comes into play effect
lively, and the finer the material the more at
tractve the result. Work border upon drawn
threads of the linen, and add few scattered
sprays of flowers, worked in split floselle that
has been previously set in color by dropping the
ss.ein into boiling water Clover, purple and
white is full of fragrant suggestion and of in
vitation to the head inclined toward It, The
cover, when finished. should be edged with lace.
A handbag, to be mounted with old clasps of
Norwegian workmanship in silver. has the bios
SONS of the hydrangea in pinks and puppies so
overlapping each other as to leave no glimpse of
the original ground The flower forms are, after
working, outlined with silver thread caught
down by COUGHING stitches.
A piano front, worked to replace the wooden
fret-work in an upright piano, is a frieze of
dancing figures, some of them holding musical
instruments. The ground is soft gray linen. and
the silk used Is French floss, the spaces filled in
in old brck-sttch This is most successful i'm
itation OF ancient embroidery, and is an immense
Improvement upon most Of the commonplace
antique designs of trailing flowers in crewel
work. IL one is afraid to undertake drawing
figures conventional Italian scroll design NAV
be flled in after the same method. Brick-stitch,
1t will be remembered. is filling stitch vari-
ETY. OF 'laid-wOrk" where the soft floss is crossed
by irregular stitches of silk or gold taken like
the divisions between bricks in wall, and cov-
ering the entire ground.
pretty table-cover recently brought from
Paris is made of Old-gold satin sheeting with a
border in applique of dark blue cloth worked
with gold thread and crimson silk. The shape
of this cover is OblOng rather than square, and
the two ends only are knOtted with fluffy tassels
OF combed-out crewel and silk In all the colors
employed.
Another table-cover, suitable for library use,
is made of gOlden-brOwn cloth, q border and
corner designs heavily worked in dark brown
silk and outlined with gold threads Gold beads
are used to enrich various portions of the de-
sign and the leaves are veined with gold.
new variety of plush work is to adorn deep
red or blue plush borders or covers with appli-
ques OF silk previously worked in silk and gold
upon linen in a hand-frame The appliques are
padded before working in order to give the work
raised effect when transferred to the deep pile
of the plush Gold SPRAYS, feur-de-lis, trefoils
and quatrefOils are worked in the same manner
upon linen and subsequently transferred to
plush.
An effective method Of decorating the dado of
pOrtere in olive serge is to cut strips of dark
blue cloth, and dispose them in the shape of
trellis work across it. Basic them on. and then
cut out large bold flowers and leaves from ma
room and dark green satin sheeting. Group
these upon the trellis like growing vine some
of the flowers and buds passing under the trellis,
others lying upon it. Basic or gum all in place:
then use silks and crewel to button-hOle stitch
the edges down. Work coarse line of brown
crewel for the stem. The trellis may be button
hoed with red or old gold, while the flowers and
leaves look best when worked with shade cor
responding to their hue. Vein the leaves and
point the flowers when all is finished. and occa-
siOnally touch the foliage with deep red. A
snowy variety OF this work was made by using
gold braid for the trellis upon ground of plush
or dark velveteen, and in this case the flowers
were partially embroidered and the foliage ap-
plique
Holiday Making.
Abiding to an article by a superior person in
%ho in 70