The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-14


fully of her lack of time, under her
changed circumstances, TO keep up her IN
| teresfs In such masters. Notwithstanding
| the difficulties in her way, Mrs. Harrison
| has persevered in her porcelain painting,
and she will give more paintings away this
| Christmas.
MRS. MARSHAL WILSON'S EMBROIDERED BABY
CARRIAGE BAND
Few Washington hostesses possess a
more marked talent for tasteful fancy work
| than Mrs. Albert A. Wilson, wife of the
ex-marshal of the district, to which fact
| her attractive home on q street gives am
pie testimony. When l called one morn
ing not long since, Mrs. Wilson had just
| completed handsome array of Christmas
presents to send to friends at distance.
One of the latest novelties in the list was a
rattle made of an embroidery hoop, COW
cred with blue ribbon about an inch wide,
satin-edged, wound round and round the
wood until completely hidden, two bands
of the same being stretched face to face
across the center, each piece hung
with six tiny sleigh-bells that
tinkled with every movement. On
one side was fastened a bow and ends.
baby-carriage band made of a strip OF
white gros grain ribbon with picot edge.
Upon this is embroidered rosebuds, daisies
or violets, as fancy may dictate, in colored
silks, narrow piece of white ribbon about
half yard in length being fastened on
either end TO attach it to the carriage, and
the connection hidden by big rosettes of
the same color. Mrs. Wilson also showed
me a lovely teacloth of white linen with
broad insertion set just within two inches
of the edge in the form of a diamond.
There was wide edge of duchess lace,
and on each of the four corners between
the insertion and the hem was worked
L. IL. &l.s v<.yar
and-short stitch. This can be used either
as teacloth or flower DOYLE
for the centre of the mahogany,
with smaller ones for the finger blows.
Mrs. Wilson designed and embroidered
beautiful tea set of doylies for her daugh-
ter's trosseau last spring, which she car
ried away with her upon her departure for
her new home at Fort Leavenworth. These
doylies were greatly admired by all who
saw them They were in the form of large
grape leaves, drawn first upon tine damask
and then embroidered in outline with the
long-and-short stitch, forming heavy
edge, with the veining over the surface.
when this was completed the leaf was cut
out, the work on the edge being finished
in button-hole stitch to prevent fringing.
CHRISTMAS woRK-BAG.
Another simple and pretty arrangement
for work-bag is to take one yard of China
silk, cut off just enough of the length of
the material to cover two double pieces of
circular pasteboard the size of small
tea-plate. Place two and two together
like pocket pin-cushion. having previ-
ously gathered each end of the silk on TO
the wrong side of the board in the form of
long bolster case, sewed together to
within quarter of yard of the center,
which is left open, and after overstitching
the two edges of the cardboard ornament
f,,1l t<,%v< 1f do
on one side finishing off with a stylish bow
of the same. When held together by the
loops, the center falls in soft puff, which
is very effective, and will hold any amount
of worsted work.
A HANDSOME HOMEMADE TABLECLoTH.
TO make handsome cloth for small
round table, Mrs. Wilson took yard of
chamois-skin cut square; fringed the edge
all around by cutting the skin in strips.
Upon the center she first sketched and
then painted clusters of dogwood blossoms
in their natural delicate purple tint, and
cut out the intervening spaces so as to
throw the flowers into bold relief, narrow
band of purple heading the fringe. You
have no idea what a rich effect is thus pro-
duced. She gives me also the following:
ITO make pretty umbrella shade for
| tall lamp, cover the frame with some silky
material, like hne sateen; then cover the
whole by draping yard lengths of white or
light blue China silk, finished with puff
ing at the top and edged with fall of deep
| lace.
IAN effective cover for an upright
piano." she says, "can be formed by one
long strip of white China silk, with broad
border of yellow or crimson plush across
the bottom, and carelessly caught up a
little to one side, and held down by some
ornament or handsome vase"
CHRISTMAS CARDS AT WASHINGTON.
l asked one of the leading book sellers
in the West End whether the sale of
Christmas cards was not decreasing with
each successive season, and was informed
that on the contrary, the demand for small
cards was never so great as now. The
large fringed cards and elaborate designs
at high prices meet with small sale in
comparison with former years, and books
and other illustrated prints seem to have
entirely superseded the more expensive
cards as holiday gifts. Few of the station
ers have as yet displayed their assortment
III this line, as the rush is usually so
great at tIrst for the selection of the fresh
est novelties, that often the stock is ex-
hausted before holiday week, and many
whose means will not permit of an early
choice are thus deprived of chance to in
dulge the fancy.
SOME OTHER NEW IDEAS.
A dainty novelty in the way of Christ
mas gift, which some young girls are max
ing, is white silk cravat crocheted in
crazy stitch with heavy white silk. These
cravats are made in the style of the popu-
lar "four-in-hand," and were in high favor
with the Bar Harbor beaux last summer,
where they were sold for So each. They
are especially suited for summer wear with
white dannel boating suits, being light and
easily washed without ironing, and of late
the fad has started for wearing them
in full dress, upon the occasion of we'd
dIngs and evening entertainments. / am
told that each cravat uses up about three
spools of silk, and the rest is all clear gain
to those who crochet rapidly. There could
be no prettler Christmas present for
young girl to give her nance. and the gift
would have the added attraction of being
her own hnger work. Many dainty sachet
bags are made of point d'sprit in delicate
tints, filled with the fluffy pods of the milk
weed, to pin upon the piano or mantel
cover. The same material is also utilized
for double photograph cases lined with
silk of corresponding color and wadded
with perfumed batting, decked off with
rich bows of satin ribbon. In fact, there
Is no end to the pretty things which our
gay girls ind they can concoct with little
taste and skill.
CHAT WITH MRS. SENATOR STEWART.
Mrs. Stewart, the wife of the rich Ne
vada senator, has just returned from her
home at Carson, New. and is now in her
house on ii street that Senator Stewart
has rented furnished for the winter. |
asked her some questions about Christmas
| She replied:
Il usually give a great many presents,