Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-09
Written for TEE EVENING STAR.
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Pretty Effects that May be Produced in
Linen and China.

Pretty Effects that May be Produced in
Linen and China.
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOB DECORATION WITH
ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SIX o'cIocK
TEA-CHARMs IN VARIETY OF ooLoR-How
TABLES NAY BE MADE ATTRACTIVE.
Already the time is fast approaching when
social duties will be the predominant ones with
many ladies in our city where entertainments,
both formal and informal, crowd the days and
nights Of Washington season There is an
attractiveness about small gatherings for
luncheon or tea that makes them most popular.
The newest thing-the six o'clock tea-will I'M
doubtedly be favorite form Of entertain
ment, especially for hostesses with small
houses, as all the rooms can be thus made
available and a number of small tables are
made effective more easily than one large one
oftentimes. The first thing to be considered
as q table decoration for such an occasion for
instance is the cloth. Large, fine damask nap
klns will answer the purpose, OF course, but
cloth Of linen with drawn work or embroidery in
silk or both combined will make a much prettier
appearance. If any hostess has several such
tea cloths, six o'clock tea will surely find favor
in her eyes. The size Of these convenient
articles may vary of course to suit special
tables in household, but a size of general
suitability is one yard square. which will fit
various SIN ell tables. A fine white linen is the
best material on which to expend ones labor.
As to decoration an almost infinite choice is
opcn-though the medium should always be
silk-the wash floselle, or flofoss, being the
| est for this purpose. charming set of cloths
for, say, six tables might be made of different
colors. yellow, pink. green, blue, white, and
heliotrope. For the yellow table the cloth
could be embroidered in oranges, solid fruit of
yellow silk with a few white blossoms scattered
about and dark green leaves, or small flowers,
conventionaliZed and powdered over the cloth,
all in one tone of golden Yellow silk would be
very pretty. For the center yellow jar filled
with yellow roses on a small mat Of yellow
plush would be lovely climax, while dishes as
yellow as it might be possible to gather to-
gether would complete this golden effect. Ger
tainly the small sugar bowl and cream pitcher
for each table could follow the color scheme,
even if the dishes sometimes failed to keep it
perfect.
ROSE CoLoRED EFFECTS.
The pink cloth might be worked with
border and center piece of a scroll design, the
old pinks in all their lovely shades being
chosen. And some darned work and lace
stitches introduced wherever they would add
to the beauty of the pattern. low cut-gass
bowl of pink roses and one or two small dishes
filled with pink bonbons as well as pink sugar
bowl and creamer, would make this a rose
coiored table indeed.
The green table would not seem very green,
compared, that is. with the arsenic or apple
green tones of aniline dyes, but a soft reed green
with some sage shades mingled, in which the
tilo-fosses are especially attractive. The design
for this coloring could be leaves only-several
in bunch, tied with bow and ends of rib
bon-this to be worked in solid stemsttch to
give the ribbon effect. These little bouquets
could be arranged, one in each corner and in
the middle with four in a square between, the
10 hnf,, -
A small maiden hair fern growing or vase filled
with it would be pretty as a center piece here
with green decoration as far possible on the
china.
Forget-me-nots always seem the prettiest
decorations for blue embroidery and small
wreaths or sprays OF them scattered irregularly
over the cloth is pretty an arrangement as
any. Several small, low dishes filled with the
fresh forget-me-nots would be the floral orna-
mentation. aud OF course blue in the dishes of
various shades. The sugar bowl and cream
pitcher Of silver might be made the entire at
traction here, repOsing on a mat of turquoise
blue silk, carelessly caught up in loose folds
and Fuckers.
The white table would be very charming with
the cloth embroidered in an all-over pat
tern in white silk, large flowers forming part of
the design, as they are especially effective in
white. These could be connected with tendrils
and curvlng lines in graceful way, SO as to
nearly cover the cloth. The china for this
table would be the Powered Dresden to give
the prettiest combination, but a harlequin
effect could be obtained by using any gay,
hlghly-colored pieces one might happen to pos
sess. Red, white, pink and yellow carnations
would be the appropriate flowers.
THE HELIorRoPE TABLE.
The heliotrope table could perhaps be made
the prettiest of all, both because the color is
more unhackneyed and because it is so refined
looking always. A clematis might suggest the
decoration, Its large star-shaped flower being
very snowy in embroidery: or if finer design
is preferred, the lilac could give the form to be
followed. This latter would be very pretty if
tied with ribbon ends in punches and scattered
rather scantily over the cloth. The shades of
heiotrope are beautiful in the wash silks and
number could be used in such design. This
would be the table to show off the gold and
white china now so fashionable again, either
the modern, with its delicate fligree borders,
or the heirloOms, with the gold put on in more
solid masses, and still bright and lovely after
years Of use. The center mat would be very
pretty OF plush Of a medium shade of hello
trope, with some arabesque embroidery of gold
thread, with, Of course, heliotrope as the flower
to fill the bowl upon it. Little bon-bon Dishes
with candied violets would add to the general
effect, and the finger bowl doyleys to corre-
spond in color would give the finishing touch.
SIMPLE OUTFIT.
OF course such an array, while very pretty, is
dt tne Same time expensive ana Tea could be
given with much simpler outfit. The linen
square cloths that come already hemstitched
are not expensive and a slight decoration will
make pretty showing. once it is on the table.
Some little design in each corner or scattered
far apart will not take a great deal of time in
the working and add much to the attractive
ness OF the tea cloth. While all the colors in
wash silks durable the white is always in
favor, both for its dainty appearance, its good
laundering qualities and its capacity for COM
bination with any and every color in china or
flowers. Still less expensive is q yard of yard
wide linen, fringed for two inches all around
and then decorated as above, and il these six
o'clock teas prevail, they bid fair to, such a
cloth would make q charming Christmas gift to
any housekeeper. When q number Of small
tables may be required at an entertainment
there need be no fears of such cloth coming
amiss even if it follows as gift several other
similar articles.
THE CHANGING FASHIONS.
The low five o'clock tea tables are said to be
going out Of style, not from any lack of at
Effectiveness in appearance, for they are re-
markably pretty. but because they are too
small and low for convenience. Where tea is
served every day to whomsoever may happen to
drop in, these answer the purpose perfectly, but
on q reception day or at .'tea," so-called, they
are quite inadequate to the large demand for
the beverage. Tea, as an afternoon necessity,
is comparatively new to Americans but the
habit may grow until we, too, like Queen Vic
toria, shall crave our tea as we take our after
noon drive The little faahions of tho too To hlo