The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-04-07

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narrow or too shcrt-perhaps both.
Take also the preCaution to label and
address your bags of material, and note
their weight
1t would be supe!huous to give re-
cipes for home, made dyeiDg prepara-
tions when there are so many fine, re
liable, and cheap dyes in the market,
accompanied with specific directions as
to their use. Where tannery is con.
venient, white material dipped in the
tan pits kes a fine, clear, lastin5, and
healthy color, which harmonzes with
every other color, and possesses at
present the merit of being exceedingly
fashionable. Unfortunately-because
of their dinginess and capacity ior 40
sorbing dust-black rags are generally
in supeihuous abundance but though
they cannot be dyed into Iightness and
brightness, they can be rendered less
obtrusive by being cut finely, and
sparsely distributed through s'hit Or
miss" stripe. BY the-way, the hit-or
miss stripe seldom receives from the
house keeper the consideration it de-
serves. 1t is generally made the rag
bag of the carpet, receiving nothing
but the refuse of the other balls of
rags when, instead, it ought to be i
mosaic Of dark and brightly varegated
short bits, taStefully combined by the
mothers, not the children's, hands, to
which it is generally relegated All
scraps of scarlet and blue flannel, gay
chintzes, pronounced plaids, and bright
colored checks should be reserved for
it, to lntersperse with short bits OF
black, brown, and gray all should be
short, and as nearly of the same length
as possible. This makes hit-or-m miss
stripe the eye takes pleasure in resting
upon. Alternate stripes, of equal width,
of such a hit-or miss stripe as just
described ard dark tan color make a
good carpet for a hving-room. Old
white material dyed green, and new
white material dyed a light tan color,
woven in alternate stripes of equal
width, make an exceedingly cheerful
and pretty carpet for a bedroom whose
furniture is Of oak, maple, or painted
yellow pine. The 'feathered" stripe,
SO much liked by some, that runs down
the centre and sets off wider stripe,
is made by twisting together the strands
OF two balls of contrasting colors.
When the roll of carpet is sent home
by the weaver there is a tough and
troublesome piece of sewing on hand
for somebody. The strongest of linen
thread, doubled and well waxed, must
be used to sew the breadths together.
Before commencing this work the most
expeditions and satisfactory plan is to
lay the breadths down and match or
| harmonic them according 20 the eXi-
gencies Of your room. This ugly bit
may be covered by the sewing machine,
that ugly breadth by the lounge, and
so on. When you find that no further
combinations or alterations of the
breadths will improve the appearance
OF the carpet, take your needle and
thread and stoutly stitch together the
corresponding stripes of two of the
breadths. You can then sit down on a
low stool and sew away without being
worried as to whether the stripes are
| keeping "matChed." Thus securely
stitched together at short intervals
say a quarter of a yard-the breadths
cannot shift as you are working. 1t
should also be done with each succeed
ing breadth added, as it greatly saves
labor. The stripes are rarely of equal
width, owing to the unevenness of the
strands of rags provided, but it IS won
derfui how smoothly superfuous bits
can be puckered ill, especially if the
breadths nave been previously stitched
together as Just described, and the
puckered bit held toward you while
sewing.
Especially with regard to rag carpet
does a stitch in time save nine. The
warp is the first to-give way under the
wear and tear of grinding heels. Then
the strands Of rags exposed catch upon
everything, and before you are wei
aware of the break, an unsightly hole
Graves to be covered up. This, a
house-keePer says, can be speedily
done with piece of print, laid or
with flour paste. But this is at best
but temporary expedient. the best
way is to take time by the forelock
and look over your carpet occasionally
If you fiud thread of warp frayed Of
broken, thread coarse darning- needle
with warp or soft wrapping-twlne anc
Immediately replace it. If at anothel
oll-trodden place the strands of rag:
have been torn or worn out, replace
them, and darn over with warp. Done
in this way skilfully and with care, i
would be difficult for any one to POM
out the repaired spot.
Cute! he echoed "Well,
don't know as the adjective woulo
have occurred to me in just that CON
nection. Bu* if you mean that they
do their work thoroughly, yet make
no fuss about It; cause no pam o.
weakness; and, in short. are every