Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25
TO PUT UNDER ORNAMENTS.
Some Pretty Little Mats Pound In the
saores-Effectivc Table COvers-Chi0a
for Amateur DecoratOrs-Linen for
Wedding Presents.
Written for The EVENING STAR.

| Tor using them time is wasted in hunting
the shops where they are for sale. Sometimes
| 1t seems if the one thing We are seeking is
unattainable and again while looking for some
thing entirely different we are suddenly con-
fronted by the very thing we had given up
| looking for in despair of ever finding it. This
was brought to nv mind the other day by see
| Ing something have never seen for sale be-
| fore, and that is mats to put under ornaments,
| which were really in good taste, and at reasoii-
able prices. A piece of bronze or porcelain if
| set on polished surface will always deface it
with scratches and. unless a covered table or
mante(. should always be provided with q mat
| as safeguard. People have made their
own for the most part, and 1t is quite task TO
| make all that may be needed for house. Some
| tawdry ones at prices too high TOR their looks
| have appeared now and then, but 1t is only
| lately that | have seen anything good in that
line. The ones l refer to are OF different sizes,
| the smallest being some six inches square and
| the largest twelve or fifteen square possibly
| They are made of silky veiours in lovely
coiors-cream, ecru and all the gold shades, as
well rs PINK, blue, sage aud olive--are lined
! with canton flannel and are finished on the
! straight edges with q braid gimp stitched
/ on Ill which Is "a thrend OF tinsel. They are
SO pretty i'll shades and SO unobtrusive In style
| that they must be admired. They are i'm
| ported and the smallest size is IS cents and
L
| PRETTY IMPORTED TABLE COVERS
| are also seen with satin centers of pale colors
| embroidered in chain stitch, ana with a plush
| border edged with tassel fringe. These are
| from Italy and in the soft colors are quite at
! tractiye. Prettier to my mind are some east
| cru looking table covers. though / think they
| come from France. One is charming with
| white ground OF u thin cotton substance, with
| q design OF yellow silk woven in. and silk
| of IN G,,is ~
! The almost transparent ground makes this
quite ethereal looking Ill the way OF a table
| drapery. Another small is of white
| Japanese cotton crepe. on which is stamped in
! gold little border around the edge. while the
| center is powdered with a star and crescent
| design III gold. This spread Is lined and on
| the edge Is Il gold fringe an inch wide. Some
| what similar III style is long narrow cover.
| which would suit an upright piano. or could be
| laid "a scarf wherever such long one woul Id
| be suitable. This is of beautiful soft yellow
| cotton crepe. with gold border stamped on
| and Hover in gold at set spaces over the ecu
| ter. 1t is also edged with gold fringe and
| lined with canton flannel the same color as the
outside.
EXCELLENT COVER FOR SOFA PILLOWS.
Canton flannel by the way is an excellent
| cover for sofa pillows under silk. When down
| pillows are bought in the white covers they
need an additional cover under the silk,
! or the down will come through. and canton
| flannel the fuzzy side out, makes the silk
softer and more pleasant than anthinS else can
CHINA FOR DECORATION.
Among other new things in the shops is a
| prettier assortment of white china for decora-
| ton than amateurs have been able to find
| heretofore. shapes that bought in other cities
six months ago make their appearance here
now for the first time. Lovely odd shaped
| plates for waters or bon bons have a slightly
| raised design upon them. which aids some
| times in the decoration. In this same style are
| little odd pitchers of which hOusekeeper can
| never have too many. Small trays with and
| without handles are in greater variety than
| ever before, and make such pretty trif1ng gifts
| when decorated. Little dishes OF several sizes
| have irregular edges. and may be used in the
| three gradations for bon bons. almonds and
salt. These last may also be made useful on
the toilet table, or manicure tray, for rosalIne
| and nail powder. Pretty tea and after dinne r
| coffee cups are always with us, and are in
demand as ever. The tiny desk canGlesticks
| are new. too. and decorate charmingly. Pretty
| little affairs the small tubs for mustard and
| catsup with little china spoon, all to be In
| Dresden style. with plenty OF gold in delicate
tracerIes, but these l have not seen here as yet
| SUITABLE WEDDING PRESENTS.
just now when there seems such an epidemic
Of weddings, suggestion may be in order as
| to wedding presents. While SO many brides
are overloaded with duplicates and even more
| of the same article there can never be q sur
| plus Of household linen, and az most young
people begin II house OF their own something in
| that line Will be always acceptable. A set of
| hemstitched towels has been proposed as gift
and a good one they would make. IL one
| wishes to give some of her own handiwork she
| can buy fine, handsome huckabtc towels by
| the yard and hemstitch the ends herself Each
| towel should be one and quarter yards when
i fintnl ,nd and hx,vr, l.
| double hemstitch is the prettiest and IN ost du-
! rable and for this more threads can be drawn
| II one wishes to add initials the towels will be
/ much handsomer, but only work them in white,
either with embroidery cotton, linen or silk.
1 ii IN cotton Use satin stitch for the letters
| Linen may be used in this way or for Russian
I cross stitch, which is rather the newest way Of
marking. Silk hloselle may be used for out
| lining satin or cross stitch and would look
| rather nicer than either of the other threads
| This making towels is very pretty work and a
| set of them folded and tied with ribbons would
| be ever pretty gift. To add washcloths
he,nstitched all around with a half-inch hem
would mako tho present complete.
| CASE FOR SILVER.
| As pieces Of silver are often given to brides
| by the dozen without cases, and as they can be
kept better when not in a case. will mention
a receptacle which may be new to some of my
| readers anyway, 1t was to me when re-
| Cently QearU OF IL. lhk0 lOr INSTANCE dozen
| forks. and for them make q case az follows:
Out of chamos skin cut a strip az long as will
| hold the forks side by side, and wide enough
| to allow two inches of the chamois at top and
| bottom Of the forks. First bind this strip ell
| round with white ribbon by machine. the satin
| edged gros grain being the prettIest. Then
along the middle Of the strip lay the ribbon,
piEning it in spaces wide enough to slip in
| each fork, the slack being gotten by laying a
| finger under the ribbon between the pins
| When this is properly spaced, stitch the divi-
| sions Oh the machine Enough ribbon to tie in
| bow and ends should be sewed at one end of the
| ribbon, and when the forks arc slipped in their
| places roll the case up and tie one would a
| needle book. l heard of one bride who had
. dozens OF spoons and forks arranged in this
| way, and while they looked very pretty among
| her other gifts, the chamois being the best
possible thing to keep unused silver in, she had
| no further provision to make for them.
TABLE DECORATIONS.
| Chrysanthemums are once more giving us
their annual beauty to use for decoration Of
| our homes, and nothing can be more effective
| than these flowers in all their variety. For
| table adornment they are prime favorites, tn Q
| yellow ones taking the lead perhaps. A large
| hat mass Of them In the center, Of several
| shades, with ball of the same suspended from
| the chandelier above is q fashion that some
people favor. The growing plants are very
| satisfactory in . room, Is they look we'll for
some time and are truly decorative in form and
| coloring
A pretty novelty for table is to have sew
| eral yards Of soft silk .bunched and beloved"
over the center OF the table, caught here and