The Portland daily press., 1884-03-12
WORD TO rmRRorpERERs.

While We are on this subject of embroidery,
want to say a word or two to those ladies
who are adopts, or those who are learning the
mysteries of needlework In its simpler forms
crewel work is perhaps the easiest kidd OF fan
cy work, and yet there is no amusement that
gives us such opportunities for developing and
making practical any artistic tendency that
the worker may possess than embroidery eth
er in crewels or silks. When we'll done, and
proper attention paid to the shading, it may
be made almost as effective as painting. 1t
may be used for so many things; indeed there
is scarcely an ornamental purpose to which 1t
may not be applied. An embroiderer will al
ways be more successful ia her work if she has
a sensitive eye for color and knows something
about drawing. 1t is also an advantage if she
has tasta for flowers, and has cultivated tho
habit of studying them. Ii they are thus con-
versant with Nature and her forms of bloom,
they will iastinctvely avoid those which are
beyond the verge of their art, and take only
those which can be we'll and plessingly rem
dered ia crewel or silk. It is a good practice
to take one flower or leaf at a time, and make
study of it, working it, if necessary, over and
over until it is perfected in every detail. This
is the method which Mrs. Smith employs in
teaching, and it has been followed by very
good results Among the flowers which may
be employed with good effect in embroidery
are violets, pansies, daisies, nasturtiums, wild
roses, cherry, apple and peach blossoms, clover
blooms, corn flowers, forget-me-nots, single
dahlias, golden rod, yellow daisies, wild purple
asters, blackberry vines and fruit, and the Vir-
ginia creeper in the warm autumn colors. 1t
has been said that crewel is more effective
than silk for working on cloth; but il silk Is
used the design should take the form of slen-
der leaves, and should be worked in pietu
rescue shades Of red and brown. For this
work the native Tassare embroidery silk is the
best. 1t is as light as feather, and has no
tendency to draw the material. But for en-
broidery on satin there is no kind OF silk so
pleasant to use as the Florence floselle, from
| which most excellent results are obtained. To
| illustrate how everyday common weeds may be
utilized in designs for embroidery, | will de-
| scribe screen which was shown to me a short
time since by the lady who designed and
worked it. 1t was stalk of mullen, worked
| in silks in the natural shades, in a square of
| French grey fart sheeting" as it is called,
which is heavy material of only half luster,
that comes expressly for embroidery. 1t was
marvellous to see how beautiful the much
! despised MULLEN was when seen with
pretty surroundings. The art silks bring
| out with wonderful fidelity the pale
whitish green of the leaves, and they
preserve the furry texture most remarkably.
The white flowers with gold-colored centres
with which this wayside weed is crowned, was
| finely wrought. think no one who has ever
seen this work will ever again look with con-
| tempt on the mullen. Another pretty effect
in embroidery is made with the milk weed, and
another with the thistle. Art will often lead
| us to love Nature and find out her beauties as
we would never learn them otherwise; and /
| would beg the amateur embroiderers to turn to
| Nature for their models, and to make use Of
| what they find about them that will adapt it.
self to the needle. A swinging spray or the
honeysuckle with its big trumpet shaped scar.
let blossoms will give hint; indeed the mod
els are always at hand from the first bloom OF
| spring violets to the fading of the last autumn
leaf. Do not always turn to city shops and
stamped patterns for your models; get them,
| and the inspiration that comes with them,
| from your own meadows and hillsides.