McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-11-29
Christmas Gifts---Suggestions.

American Agricultural.
Christmas is coming! with its de-
mand for pretty fancy articles suitable
for Christmas gifts; and a few sugges-
| tions as TO new styles of art needle
work may be acceptable to those hav-
ing number of friends to provide for.
A nice present for q housekee per is
set of half dozen doylies or small
fruit napkins. The latest fashion is to
| turn down one corner of the linen
squares and work upon it an orange,
banana, or other fruit, varying the de-
sign on each. Embroidered aprons
are now very fashionable for home
wear, and may be made of satin, linen,
pongee, or muslin, and decorated with
suggests. A very tasteful apron for a
young lady is one of pure white pongee
worked with dainty knots of violets,
the waistband and strings being of deli
cate lavender ribbon. We have seen
them of ecru, tied with scarlet, the
front decorated with comical looking
honey-bees, and the motto, in outline
stitch, "How doth the little busy bee
improve each shining hour!" These
are for evening aprons.
A new feature of art needlework Is
using small worsted or plush balls,
which are sold by the dozen. These ale
fattened on one side, and sewed on in
groups of three, a shadow being work
ed beneath each, and when mixed with
artistically shaded leaves, are very eff
fectiye. One thing always to be re-
membered in embroidery, as well as in
painting, is to decide at first on which
side of your bunch or spray the light
shall fell, and work accordingly, the
shades gradually melting into each
other, from the deepest to those which
are almost white.
It is said the old-fashioned cross
stitch on canvass is to be revived; and
people are bringing out the old screens
and pictures worked by their grand
mothers, and having them remOunted
and reframed. Patchwork, too, is
quite in vogue, but in q more artistic
form than the past generation ever
dreamed of. Beautiful sofa pillows are
made of curious shaped patches of silk,
satin or velvet, each bearing some dainty
bit of neutrality-suspicious. and fans of
different shapes and styles. Az exGuis-
tie tidy may be made of piece of
cloth ten inches square, on which is
sewed patchwork of plush in the form
of "a widespread fan. The corners of
the bick are of black velvet, and from
the top, trailing over the fan, is a
spray of moss rcsebuds, in Louis XVI
style, or ribbon embroidery. The edge
is neatly finished with suitable lace.
An effective, though simple table
scarf, is of dark-green felt, half yard
wide, pinked on the edge, and orna-
mented with strip of silk patchwork,
about quarter of q yard deep on each
end. Below falls q fringe of the felt,
made by slashing it into narrow strips,
two or three inches up. A willow-work
basket makes a very pretty present,
when the handle is tied with bow of
ribbon, enlivened on one end by a
graceful spray in gold-thread COUGHING
which Is very easily done
a new material for working on, is
chamois, which is nice for portfolios,
blotting- books, cigar and shaving-paper
cases, aad other little conveniences suit
able for gentlemen. These are usually
ornamented with conventional designs.
outlined with gilt tlnsel and colored
braid, and filled in with pink, yellow,
and blue silk or crewels in long stitches.
For those not caring to take the time
or trouble to embroider, there come
beautiful machine worked flowers.
birds, heads of animals, and aesthetic fig
ures, which can be easily ana quickly
applied to any article, and they will look
3 exceedingly well.