Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Some Suggestions for Work to While
Away summer Hours.

Away summer Hours.
MARvKLs THAT NAY Be wnouaHI WITH LINEN
AND GOLD NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. roR GKr-
TISa GOOD MATERIALS AT Low PRIcKs-A
PRETTY oENTERPIKcR
~ THE warm weather encourages de-
Mv tached efforts, - IL were, in employ
ASvment, leaving larger undertakings
& {untii cooler season, 90 the description
and suggestions for such employment
may partake of the same nature. I viii
therefore mention in . desultory way the pretty
odds and ends Of art work which have lately
come under my notice.
ONLY a BIT OF LINEN.
piece Of twiled linen. oblong in shape and
suitable for either small table cover or to lie on
the dining table between meals, il made quite
effective in the following manner: A very slight
pattern is drawn Cor stamped) on either long
side. The one saw has q number of tulip
shaped flowers connected with long curving
lines, suggesting tendrils. in places, but no
leaves; The middle oval petal Of the nowers
il worked with aheavy outline Of twisted white
embroidery silk and filed in with lace stitch
The petal each side of this-curved like q
tulips in heavy long and-short stitch. All
the long lines of the stems and tendrils are in
outlines. On one side Of this outline Of stems
n
strand Of the coarse Japanese gold thread which
Is warranted to wash. This is more closely
twisted than the ordinary and Is higher priced
put Is most snowy in appearance. As the
twilled linen would give rather coarse effect
IN hemstitching, single thread is drawn all
around a. guide for putting on the gold
thread. After this is done q hem is made as
wide az this drawn thread after which the gold
thread Is couched on finish to the hem.
and prettier than hemstitching on this mate
| fnrfhar nhop 1xaa Sc
put nat all around the spread which is very
pretty.
NEITHER EXPENSIVE NOR ELABORATE.
While this gives the impression of being
quite an elaborate piece of work it is really
the opposite and not expensive either. In the
hrst place it was bought stamped ON the
counter where a quantity Of such things had
oeen put at a much reduced price. 1t was per-
fectly fresh and well worth buying. Next, the
pattern was so .sprawling" that it was very
quickly worked in the silk, taking not more
than three hours maybe. The gold thread.
which was what gave it its rather elegant air was
also quickly put on and could not have taken
more than two skeins, at 10 cents a skein. The
lace was the greatest expense, as it took 2lS
yards, but such effective laces can be bought
from 70 to 80 cents yard, that again could not
amount to very large sum. The silk at
cents skein may have cost 20 cents in all, and
with the first cost of the linen not more than
~ cents very effective result was gotten for a
comparatively small sum.
In winter mat for the center Of the I'M
covered dining table is handsome of plush or
SATIN sheetlng or any heavy fabric OF rich
colorIng, but in summer mat like the one
have described looks infinitely daintier and
with its capacity for being laundered will give
satisfaction for a long time.
BUYING MATERIALs.
have referred to the sales Of stamped work
honun Re- lao
sortment Of this nature an experienced worker
is able to secure good materials for about half
the regular price. If one buys much Of such
work, it il we'll worth ones while to spend
little time and money in securing the good
things one sees at this time of year.
BY having little stock on hand to choose from
one gets variety of employment to suit different
moods-for one enjoys a fresh piece of work
like a fresh gown in hot weather. Sometimes
the work Is lowered in price on account of its
being soiled and shop-worn but if worked in
linen flowers or wash silks the pattern alone
may be worked; then have the thing washed
just as it will have to be in course OF time any
way. After being gotten clean put on the
finishing touches, such az the gold thread hem
stitching or fringing the edge. and with a final
pressing on flannel it will look just like a new
piece OF work-one that has never been washed
that is. Ii washed before the pattern is worked
the stamping is sometimes washed ont, though
often 1t will bear washing also.
KINDS OF GOLD THREAD,
There are three kinds Of the wash GOLD
thread shown at the art stores. One is
twisted cord in looks, rather heavier than the
Japanese and more brilliant looking. This is
very handsome, being couched on as an outline
to embroidery. Its cost is fifteen cents for a
skein OF five yards. The ne xt in size is the one
l referred to above, more closely twisted than
the Japanese and rather duller in appearance
Eain nd
just how much it contains. The third is like
the finest japanese thread and is used as silk
would be. that is threaded into the needle and
drawn through the material. regular out
line stitch Ii worked with this, very effective
and easily enough DONE but the needle cuts
through the gold thread short lengths must be
taken. 1t is we'll also to tie the ends of the
thread in the needle, as is done with children's
threads in their early efforts at needlewor
This thread is ten cents a skein of several yards
PRETTY CENTERPIEcE
have just seen pretty centerpiece for the
dinner table of white linen, very fine and
square in shape. A large flower and leaf in
each corner is worked with white Ito floss and
the finest gold thread outlines it all. The veins
OF the leaves are also put in with the gold and
French knots of it are very effective in the
middle Of the flowers. A fringe with a hem
stitching separated from it by a cross stitching
in the white silk makes a graceful finish TO a
ruius piece VI WOrk.
ODDS AND ENDS.
The same lady who gave me the hints as to
buying the stamped work when the price was
being 80 much reduced says she often gets un-
stamped material in the same way. Remnants
of expensive goods are always TO be found and
little ingenuity can turn them TO good ac-
count. She showed me a strip of satin sheet
ing she had just bought for a trife as an in
stance. 1t is old rose in color, a quarter of a
yard wide and yard and q quarter long. On
this she intends drawing with a colored crayon
a design herself and then working it in pink
rope silk with considerable gold thread about
it When finished it will be ready as a frieze
for book case curtain, or it can be cut into
and with an insertion of pink plush or gold
galoon the two short strips would make lovely
square sofa pillow. Another way to use it for
sofa pillow would be to put puff of pink In
dia silk down the center the insertion with
a wide double silk ruffie all around the edge.
by thus getting good materials at odd times
one will often time on a rainy day or
otherwise inconvenient season by having a
stock on hand from which TO draw, without 60
ing out for the purpose.
Another pretty piece of summer work was
shown me by another friend. This was a small
table cover of fine white linen, with a wide
hemstltched hem. In each corner but ar
ranged so that the diagonal ones correspondent
was q sunfiower of small size, with u few leaves
all worked i'll cream white silk The large
center of the flower was worked in French knots,
giving the sunfiower effect very closely The
stems-some OF them-strayed over onto the
hem, and while there was nothing especially
Inlo a. H. H..