New-York tribune., 1890-04-13
SOME FANCY WORK.
ALL KINDS OF CUSHIONS.

they appear everywhere piled on the floor, flung
into corners. hung the backs Of chairs, and
though the length to which some housekeepers carry
the mania may at times evoke smile. it must be
admitted that the pillows pretty as well as COM
Portable for aseloving mortals.
one would think invention had became exhausted
in the various ways Of decorating the fashionable
I" fad but two novelties appeared at Faster
which. being easily made and effective, many a maid
or matron infected by the "cushion craze as the
lords Of creation term it, be glad to add to her
collection.
The first was very simple affair, made OF figured
India silk, the ground pale yellow the designs
nations deepening through various shades into rich
brown The shape was square. the size twenty
inches. The silk cover simply sewed
neatly "Over and over, on the wrong side. a small
opening perhaps thrcequarters Of inch long, being
left at each corner Strips Of the material two inches
wide and yard in length, were folded together,
gathered along the edges and drawn up closely to
form roscttc the gathered portion being slipped
inside the opening left at the OF the cushion
and securely fastened. The effect of the four lttlo
! roscttes which, being forced into small space,
very full. IS extremely pretty.
Another design. which very much admired.
also square but two inches larger than the other
The covering. rich brocadc silk, with creamy ground
strcwn with blue forgctme-nOts and green leaves,
was cut In circular shape. leaving triangular corners
10 be covered with olive velvet. In the Of tho
brOcade fastened rOSette OF forget me not blue
silk, gathered in the those placed in tho
corners Of the cushion previously described, but made
| of a strip OF silk three inches wide before being
doubled and twD yards long II should be caught
down here and there. TO lie more fatty.
Cushions with covers laced putting not
new but specially dainty specimen of this style
was made OF an exquisite shade Of dove gray chamos
leather strewn with painted violes and leaves. Tho
cushion was circular and the chamols cover was cut
.-fs1,
lower cover finished In the same way. made Of
dove gray satin. and the putting between, which
silver cords uniting the covers, was violet satin.
4 pretty style Of the so-called "slumbcr rolls IS
close imitation Of the old fashioned melon' hoods
Oblong strips of either silk satin two inches wdo
and long enough to the cushion and project nne
inches beyond the ends, run together. the strips
being graduated in color from pale to crimson,
pale yellow to brown pale blue TO deep blue, ETC.
The number Of the strips must OF course depend upon
the size Of the pillow Use only one strip Of the
paest and Of the deepest shade Finish the ends
by folding the stripes inside, thus making a rifle
at the ends one-eighth OF yard deep. suspend the
pillow by cord ribbon of either the nghtest
the darkest shade used.
a variety of the ever-useful scrap-basket will
be warmly welcomed by people obliged to live in rooms
so small that every inch of space is valuable. It
will also be great convenience to travellers and
persons intending to spend few weeks in the scantily
furnished rooms of summer hotels Credit must be
given to the brains Of somebody the other side Of the
ocean, for this device is not Yankee noton.'
The foundation is Of the foding lattice work
fower-pot cOvcrs-tlc more subs intial the better
and large bag Of silk. crctonne any strong
material. open the to its full size. and cut
a pasebOard circle to tit the bottom exactly. Cover
10th sides OF the pasteboard with silk or cretonne-
or whatever material has been seleced-and around
this gather bag twice the length Of the height
OF the cover. the top of the bag the width
OF two inches, hem it, and above the hem make two
rows OF stitching half an inch apart, through which
run ribbons in opposite directions to draw up the bag.
LOOPS Of baby" ribbon sewed fatty on the outside Of
the bag just the top of the cover and slipped over
its ends to hold it in place To pack 1t, take
the bag out roll II up over the paseboad bottom and
close the cover. Both will then occupy small
space These baskets can be made very ornamental.
as well as useful, by gliding the lattcework cover
and using pretty shade Of suIah silk or satin for
the bag
Many people spite OF the temptations of beautiful
new varieties of fancy work. not disposed 10
abandon plain old fashioned knitting, and these per-
sons are not found exclusively in the ranks Of the
gaudmothers.
Young girls have discovered that balls of bright wool
form a charming contrast 10 airy summer dresses.
say nothing of the pleasure of winding these balls
while a courteous gallant holds the skein and pretty
slender white fingers sometimes get mysteriousy en-
tangled among biz brown ones while unfastening q
knot smoothing twisted threads
A very handsome couch afghan may be especially
recommended for piazza work. because the stripes.
being short. are less wcghty and warm to hold Q
July or August day.
The size of this afghan is yard and thirteen
inches wide aud one yard and thirty three inches
long. not including tho knotted fringe six inches deep
end
Its novelty consists in the arrangement OF the
stripes which, instead Of running usual the entire
length of the afghan, intersected, two-thrts OF
the way down, by stripes extending the whole
width.
Begin by knittng-in the ordinary knitting stitch
ten stripes five inches wide and thirty five long in tho
following colors Two dark olive two old gold two red
"a medium sladc-one claret brown, Light blue.
one lemon yellow, one light olive.
IN putting them together arrange thus Dark olive,
rcd old gold. claret brown. light blue. lemon yellow.
light olive red old gold, dark olive. Next knit tho
same number OF stripes of the same width and in the
same coors but only twelve inches long. Put them
together in the same way.
When the stripes have been sewed unite them with
band OF black inches long and one yard and
thirty three inches wide knitted in any pretty fancy
stitch the maker chooses-bordering this black band
both sides with strip of bright dark blue two inches
long and the same width the black. This should
also be in fancy knitting, but a different stitch
Finish the other end OF both the long and the short
stripes with second border OF blue, using the same
fancy stitch and add to each blue band Of old Aod
three inches WIDE knitted in the pattern chosen for the
black band.
Complete the border above the long stripes by
crocheting one row of shell" sches-made by work.
ing five double crochet stitches into single space
in the knitting then single crochet stitch half an inch
bcyond-tlen again at distance OF half an inch nvo
more double crochet stitches continuing alternate in
this way till the border Is finished
,rho Of 10 is fad hv
notted fringe, each bunch composed OF four strands
Of wool cut twelve inches long, making eight strands
after it has been slipped through and knotted. The
fringe contains all the coors OF the stripes, section
being the shade and width of the stripe above. Tho
effect Is extremely rich and harmonious Flung
couch whose covering is rife the "worse for weaEs
It serves to lend touch Of brightness to the room