Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-19


sional workers in those trades have
formidable rivals. 1t is great convenience
| when the man Of the house or man of the
house can successfully WELD saw and hammer
FOR ordinary repairs. but when his ability goes
further and he can fashion really pretty and
useful pieces of furniture his feminine coadiu-
tors are indeed to be congratulated. Even
then the situation has its drawbacks,
for there is such thing as business
which inopportunely presents itself,
Just when the impatient possessor
IN prospective most longs for his skill to be
applied in her behalf to some piece of work
then real or manufactured engagement calls
him away, leaving her mourning her loss
When, however, the woman's fingers have the
same ability and strength then she is indeed
| independent and many monuments of her in
genulty and skill are distributed all over this
country in pretty homes, both large and small
Here IN Washington number of such instances
have come to my knowledge and in some cases
the names of these ''skilled artisans"
are-for other reasons than this, how
ever - known throughout the land
The speciality of several OF these amateurs takes
the form of couches or divans. made often with
box-lid seats, which make convenient reposi-
tories for all sorts of accommodations When
there is space at the foot of the bed in a bed
room that is good place to put such couch
In boys or girls room it will be found inval-
liable for the concealment OF the odds and ends
which seem to naturally gravitate toward all
chlldren. In one house in town there is
UNIQUE CORNER COUCH,
designed and executed by the young daughter
of the family. In the library there is an angle
between fire place and the sliding door open
ing into the next ROOM 1t is Just the place for
couch, but the space is too small to allow the
easy lounge that belonged to the room to stand
there except diagonally across. This left an
empty triangle In the corner and took away
from the coy feeling desired. This difficulty
was soon overcome by the dauntless young girl
who, armed with saw, hammer
and nails, soon constructed seat of
boards to fill the corner beyond
the lounge proper. This was Covered with a
mattress, upholstered with the same cover as
the couch, which was pushed up close against
II, and a very large corner divan is the result
which is immensely attractive, piled with pll-
lows, and big enough to accommodate the
whole family at once. Shelves are another ia
vorlte theme for home carpentry. Book
shelves, bric-a-brac shelves, shelves to serve AS
china cabinets-all are made with endless va
rlety as to detail 10 suit individual needs
Some time ago was admiring a corner china
cabinet in the pretty home of one of our lite
rary men and was informed by the ingenious
constructor of it that dry goods box was the
foundation. The lower half projected some
what beyond the upper and contained three
stained or painted, had cleat to hold plates
upright; also hooks underneath one or two
shelves for cups, and filed with pretty china,
which half-drawn curtains disclosed. was some
thing that at once attracted admirlng notice.
One day the charming wife of a naval officer,
with pardonaDle pride, called my attention to
chair which she had most successfully re-
upholstered. She had gotten the proper inn
plements and the tufting and finishing were
equal to professional work. The next time |
however a hal .tal 10 pf To
tell. The day after her task so well accom-
pllshed weIghty friend dropped in for a social
evening. Unfortunately, the pride of its owner
had given this same chair very prominent
position IN the little parlor. Into its inviting
embrace the visitor dropped, only to sink still
lOwer-to the floor, in fact-amid the ruins of
the pretty and attractive seat.
CHINA CABINET.
In the very pretty dining room Of the home
Of a young Washington physician is beautiful
china cabinet of his own workmanship. 1t is
made of oak with antique finish and very elab-
oIate hinges and handles of brass Beveled
plate glass doors display the treasures within,
some very handsome cut glass of the old style
being among them. There is absolutely moth
ing about it which hints of amateur author
ship or homemade effects, but yet it Is as
/ have said the sole work of the aforesaid doc
tor. Where one Is fortunate enough to pos
sess quite quantity of pretty china and glass
anu the ulhlLlS TOOiu Is 100 contracted 10 admit
of much room being taken up by cabinets.
racks for plates or platters are convenient and
ornamental. Some like a high wainscoting
running all around the room with a groove as
the top finish in order TO hold plates, and
dining room which have seen with this effect
is very pretty. without the wainscotng this
can be attempted on small scale by
separate small racks, simpler vet, by
narrow strip of moding-picture rail is good
put IN any appropriate space and capable of
holding few or many plates. Above a serving
table for instance, or III narrow space be-
tween two windows with perhaps a picture
above. Over a Hat sideboard of the old fash
Toned mahogany kindsone would look well, and
also small set of shelves--say two-sItting on
such a sdebOar1 will give considerably more
room. These may be OF pine with mahogany
staln and
WITH PRETTY sCARFs
hanging over the ends. or down in front, as
one chooses. Such scarfs worked on white
or buff linen in a design of solid oranges and
leaves in the natural colors make a brilliant and
beautiful effect adding much to the attractive
ness Of the'sideboard. A crystal bowl flied
with oranges should be permanent accompa-
niment OF such embroidery. young wife il
town displays with pardouable pride COM
modlous and pretty chiHonier which is the
work OF her husband, whose profession is not
that of carpentry. One of our society ladies
has fancy tor wood carving. and some of the
stationary woodwork of her home. as well as
tables, screens &C., bear witness to her skill in
that direction. There is a fascination in WELD
ing sharp tools to some people, but a girl has
small chance OF gratifying such TASTE Once
i'll while born whittier" is seen and it is a
pity if her talents must lie undeveloped. One
girl with such a fancy comes to my mind, who
with but two or three tools, has made MANY
pretty small objects. book racks. boxes, brack-
cts and such like, which plainly show the bent
OF her inclination.
BY the way, brackets are again coming to the
fore as desirable bjects of virtue and blgotry"
as Mrs. Darlington puts it. Some few are found
Ill the shops, OF plain severe outline enamelled
white with a few gill lines for decoration. None
of the open work filigree effects are desired
now; but these, simple in form and ornamental
ton. are very effective in some places. In out
of the way corners in some houses the old-fash-
Toned brackets still find resting place and
some people have recently begun to hunt them
mp, and first finding a unique position for them
drape them with silk or silkoline. so as to con-
ceal them almost wholly and make them useful
in holding few books, a growing plant, or
what not.
HOW TO MAKE AN HoUR-GLAss TABLE
Among the essentially homemade pieces of
furniture have long been the hour glass tables,
which are always pretty accessories in a bed
room, especially where cretonne or chintz is