Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-30
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Notes ON Household Decoration.
tDaisy Eyebright IN country etntlcman.J
How TO make toilet set Take one
yard of fine, white, dotted Swiss muslin,
such as is used for curtains and dresses,
and cut out n set to match the bureau
the largest mat for the centre, two small
mats for bureau brackets, and a piece a
quarter Of yard square for pin-cush-
ion. Select some single zephyr wool OF
n color to match the color of the room,
and buy enough silk-fnished silesia OF
Turkey-red to line each mat, and to cover
both sides Of the pn-cushion. To make
the latter, cut piece of cotton cloth a
little less than inches square, and run
up the edges on machine, leaving one
side open for or . inches in the middle.
Fill this cushion very full with wheat
bran, carded wool. or horsehair well
picked. The latter is the best, because
1T will not attract mice or moths. Cotton
batting is not good stufiing for cushions,
because pins will not stick into it easily.
| When filed, cover with red, blue Or pink
silesia, and then sew over it the outer
cover of dotted muslin, edged with frill
of the same, button -holed on the edges
with the zephyr wool or edge it with IL
box-plaiting OF lace, headed with box
plated satin ribbon. Finish the edges
OF the mats in the same way that the
cushion is finished.
"splasher" for the wash stand can be
made in the same way, and trimmed with
four bows of satin ribbon, one at each
corner. A chair scarf half yard wide
and three-quarters Of a yard long, will
also be very pretty made OF the same
materials. A still easier way of making
toilet mats, is to take handsome pattern
of cottage curtain lace, with small fig
ure, and cut it into mats and cushion
covers line them with silesia, silk, or
surah, and trim them with lace elgings.
two to four inches wide. The splasher
can be made of the same materials and
all can be easily washed and made over
when soiled, and will last long time.
I Mats can be crocheted of No. 10 knitting
cotton, by commencing with chain Of
FIVE Join 1t together, and crochet circle
i'll double crochet stitch, widening So Ms
to keep it perfectly flat and in a circle.
For the border, work in shell-stitch four
rows Of split zephyrs, and edge it with IA
clover-leaf in chain stitch lst loop,
seven chain stitches 2d loop III same
shell, eleven chain stitches 81 loop of
seven stitches, in same shell ; three loops
i'll each shell. To make these mats square
or oblong, widen by making three stitches
every time around in each corner.
Tides and Curtains of Scrim.
Very simple but pretty tides can be
made of open-work scrim, which is so
much used for drapery curtains. Cut the
! scrim to the required size, and work pat
terms III pointdc Russc-long stitches of
various sizes on the plain scrim, between
the open work stripes, liz single zephyr
or crewels, IN shades of ve-hrown. blues
and reds. Trim the edges with Il button
hole of crewel, and feather stitch on the
Sides or edge them with lace which will
match the unblcachcd shade Of the scrim.
"Wall splnshcrs' made of this scrim.
and lined with colored silesia or silk, ay-
also very easily made, and will wash we'll.
Curtains Of it, borlered with antique lace
to match, are much i'll use at present.
They are inexpensive, costing only 37i
cents per yard, with wide open-worl
stripes, which are quite ornamental fol
chambers and small parlors. 1t is nlsc
used for bcd-sproads, lined with turkey
red or silesia, and edged with antiql,
lace.
Mnntel nnd Bracket Lambreuuin..
There are almost as many fashions fol
making these decorations as there art
materials, and the latter are usually So
lected to match the draperies of the win.
dows and the pOrtieres Of the doors. Vel
vets, plushes, satins, silks, dccoraliv,
felts, monte cloth, Japanese imitation
Grape pictures, Turkey-red towelinC. col
ored Canton flannel and jute bordering.
are all adapted to these purposes. ant
can be made very ornamental Dottct
muslin and Nottingham lace and scrim
lined with Turkey-red or colored silesia
are also much used for chamber, mante
and bracket lambrequius, to match til,
decorations Of bureaus, chair and wash
stands. A plain pine board should frs
be fitted to the mantel-piece and made t,
project over it few inches, and thu!
widen the shelf. If the mante-piece i.
: short, lengthen it at each end few inch
es. Any carpenter CAN fit the board, ant
three curves III the edge will add much tc
J Its appearance. The longest curve mus
be III the centre, with short curve a
each corner.
If you wish to cover the lambrequil
with velvet, velveteen or plush it is bet
ter to buy enough to cover two mantels
If you do not wish two alike, friend ina,
Join you in the purchase, and split the
material in halves. Any kind of decora
tive felt makes an excellent cover. anC
will not catch dust us quickly ms velvet
Whatever material you may select, pull
it very tightly over the board, and nail il
down every two inches with upholsterers
tacks. Then put on an embroidered val
ance, n wide fringe, or piece of tn,
, cloth, or velvet curved in the centre, witt
| long panels at the sides, and trim them
with fringe. Where the edges meet ON
J the shelf, put upholsterers gimp or rib.
) bon velvet and brass headed tacks, ol
edge with velvet ribbon applied Will
stitches of point de RuSse. A cloth lam
brequin may be edged with worstcu
chenille fringe, and silk tassels. Tie
mnntel shelf is usually kept in place by
the bric-a-brac which ornaments 1t, or 4
heavy mirror resting upon it. 1t car
have cleats nailed upon the inner edge,
then be screwed to the wall and kept
firmly in place. Bracket lambrequins
can be made to match the mantel lambro
| quins, and are often cut in three deer
points or scollops, and decorated with EN-,
broidery of daisies, buttercups, dande
lions and scarlet poppies ippHquC
; embroidery is also much used Silk
! figures can be applied with excellent eff
feet to any kind of fabric Tassels are
more used for lambrequins than fringes
or if the material is fringed, many tassel,
of crewels and silk are fastened over til,
fringe ut IL distance of three inches apart
, Where three shelves are in corner