Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-02-05
Decorative Needleworl<.

For years past, ladies fancy work, n
1t was called, seemed to run IN one
groove, In which neither taste in color,
art IL designing, nor originality was
shown. Says the Home N1gasiuc.
Berlin woodwork was the popular fancy,
with its Indifferent patterns, crude col
oring, and almost total absence of artis-
tic merit. Sometimes colored glass or
metal beads were introduced to make
what was already ugly, still more hide
Gus, and to crown all, the only part of
the work which might have furnished
scope for taste or skill came from Ger
many already worked, or was executed
at the fancy stores. while the ladies
who purchased the designs, confined
their efforts to simply working in the
ground in long uninteresting stripes,
or set figures, afterwards pointing to
the completed cushion, or chair back,
as a specimen of their skill or industry.
Fortunately, these specimens of decora-
tive y needlework, are seldom to be
seen at the present day, although cross
stitch, which is one of the most ancient
forms of embroidery, is again coming
to the front; not, however, in the mar
tlstlc and unmeaning form of the Ber-
lin woodwork, but as really effective
| embroidery, by the judicious direction
of the stitches, and the harmonious
blending of the colors.
SO too, the manufacture of material
has become greatly improved, better
crewels can be had, and as for the silks,
iosses and arrasenes, they are all that
could be desired. There are, it is true,
many inferior kinds offered for sale,
/ dyed with aniline, fugitive dyes, which
4 not only viii not wash or clean, but
I N I1r-0 a
! coloring matter to everything thai
! comes near 1t, so as sometimes to alter
/ the very shade of the ground on whicl
1t is worked, as well as the surrounding
! colOrs.
Within the past few years many i'm
! provements have been made in the
manufacture and dying of silks and Other
/ material, which have almost revolution.
| lied 1t. The richest, and at the same
time the most delicate of colors have
been produced, and are rendered abso-
lutely fast in color, vegetable colors be-
ing used in place of the aniline colors.
which 1t is absolutely impossible to
render fast. In addition to this, purer
silks are used instead of the inferior
kinds once offered for sale.
The revival of interest in needlework
has been so complete that 1t has reached
all classes, and has become one of the
acknowledged industries for women, in
which the advantages of refined edu-
cation and the more delicate manipula-
ton of fingers unaccustOmed to rough
labor are obviously great. art needle
work, as II has come to be called, al
though We rather deprecate the term.
has become tho fashion, and takes pre-
cedence in one form or another of almost
all other forms of needlework. This Is
a hopeful sign, but it should he remem-
bered that fashion ought to have moth
ing to do with It's popularity, indeed it
should be treated as an art, and not as
fancy, IN order TO give 1t its right
standing in the world.
SO instead of looking at many of the
branches of needlework as novelties or
the popular craze, We should remember
that embroidery is one of the most an
cIent decorative arts, and many of these
novelties" are but revivals of the old
time needlework, the beautiful en-
broideries of former days, that very few
remember or have IN fact ever seen.
Perhaps some of our readers are the
proud possessors Of some of these herr
looms hidden away in some old fash
lOned chest, rarely seeing the light Of
day, for of course in our old families
some rare specimens may occasionally
be foundl
The drawn work and lace work lust
now so popular is but the revival of
one of these old-tashioned arts, and
very beautiful one 1t is too. 1t appears
now under various names, such a
Roman and Spanish embroidery,
Richelieu work, etc. There are com
binations of many of these similar
styles, which are most bcwildering and
charming. as for instance combina-
ton of Roman embroidery and drawn
work with many of the lace stitches
used in point applique, or in Irish
point. Drawn work is a good founda-
tion for much of this pretty needle
NNlrk