Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Some Timely Practical Suggestions
For Odd Interior Decorations.
A NEAT AND CHEAP PoRTIERE
1t Can BE Easily Made and will Prove Very
Effective - Combination Work Bag and
Approximations Glove and Handkerchief
Boxes-A New Form in China.
Written for The Evening Star.

4 suits q condition that answers to the shit
or miss" stripe of rag carpet. No connected
thought or action seems feasible for the time
being, but straps may be often made just as
effective if properly combined, for so the
whole beauty ca Of the rag fabric depends
largely on the proper admixture of the odds
and ends-the shit or miss" These serve the
better to bring into relief the more deliberately
planned parts of the work, while acting as a
respite from the fatigue of carrying out N[e
more set forms of the design of the whole large
work. So this week will give a perhaps d.
| verse collection Of facts or fancies, instead Of
| following more connected plan.
And speaking of rag carpets reminds me that
| such an article can still be bought and in small
| rugs or made into square rugs OF good size,
| with fringe sewed across the ends, it has been
used with good effect as summer rugs for coun-
| try houses and sea-shore cottages. With Judi
clous blending of colors in the arrangement Of
stripes or in the entire 'hit miss style this
| is by no means to be sneered at for use, as /
| have said.
| AN IDEA FOR A PoRTIERE.
An idea for portiere has just occurred to
me and will mention it merely as an idea, but
as have heard every fine work of art was in
the making brave experiment" so this. car
ried out. may be worthy of the trial. coarse
serge or other goods of similar texture should
be the foundation and the tone may be light or
dark according to individual fancy. II light
color is desired. possibly some of the mex
pensfve and loosely woven chcviot might be
taken which are SO much in use this spring for
gowns
| SERGE WITH TAssEL FRINGE.
| For an example, however, we will take serge
of gray green, and for the ornamentation a
tassel fringe must be used. The fringe may be
| either wool or cotton, but must be of the style
which has graduated lengths OF cord, to which
| the tassels are attached, the cord varying from
half an inch to two inches and the tassels being
short, fluffy ones which add about an inch more
| to the depth. The fringe is to be cut into short
lengths, say four inches and then to be applied
to the curtain in up-and-i down rows. giving the
effect of stripes. There must be regularity
and regard for distance or The right effect will
be lost. For the sage-green curtain a fringe
having pink of dull cast. ecru and green,
with little yellow, if possible,
would be a good combination for the tassels,
| this to be cut in short lengths, as said. Then
| beginning with the upper right hand corner
some five inches from the edge and three inches
| from the top. This should be sewed down to
| the curtain, the gimp heading to the fringe
being set on the curtain perpendicularly, SO
| the tassels fall one another. as they do
| when edging the sides of curtain. Directly
under this bit of fringe another should be
sewed in the same way. leaving a space between
them of eight inches, should say at random,
as this is merely a thought vet.
| HOW TO PLACE SECOND STRIPE.
In this way go on until the bottom of the
portiere is reached; then begin another such
stripe at suitable distance from the first,
with the bits of fringe coming where the spaces
did in the first stripe. The distance apart
would have to be determined by experiment,
though good way would be to hang the por-
there and then put the stripes of fringe where
the folds OF the curtain would bring them on
the outside. The sewing down of the pieces of
fringe could be by first basting with cotton
and then loosely buttonholing with heavy
wool or flax floss, or using any snowy stitch
In preference to this. The stitches
could be covered by coarse stitches
in the same wool or fax. or the
fringe might be applied to that side by taking
the stitches lightly 80 they would not be APP
parent the right side. The effect is intended
to be as oriental as possible and does not seem
| to imply much labor. Ii one likes valance
may be turned over after the stripes are COM
pleted and fringe added on the lower edge.
The selvedge may be left on the sides of the
portere, or 1t may be trimmed with gimp
like the heading of the fringe, the bottom to be
| hemmed, of course.
COMBINED WORK BAG AND APRON.
have lately seen a work bag and apron
| combined which was the best adapted to its
purpose of any ever happened to find, and as
it was a novelty to me it may be 70 othecs like
wise. yard and half of India silk composes
this combination affair in the instance speak
OF. This has a black ground with blue bachelor
buttons and leaves scattered over it. the design
and colorlng being very pretty. A. one end of
the silk it is doubled over for two-and-a-half
inches and hemmed. and three quarters of an
inch above the hem black ribbon is run in |
which Is left with long ends to tie around the
waist on this the silk can be pushed up so as to
make rutfled top to the apron or it can be |
drawn out so that the silk lies Hat and straight |
The other end OF the silk is turned up for half |
| n ard IN ivhf sid Ia nd al zoo. h.
the sides, making a bag of that depth |
deep hem and shirr are put on the top of this |
bag quite regardless OF the apron top compris- |
ing the third half yard of the silk, that is a |
double ruite and casing are taken up in the silk
and ribbons are run ill which draw it up into d |
big bag, and which are tied together SO as to |
form loops to hang it on the arm for work. The |
apron top tucks right in likewise leaving Just |
bag In effect but when the bag is opened, the |
top pulled out and the fullness pushed on to |
the ribbon an apron with big pocket turned up |
Oh the right side appears, which is very convent
ent, and when one is through working the work |
Is put into the deep pocket, the apron top is |
turned over and IL tucked, ribbon and all, into |
the same pocket, and the ribbons to the pocket |
drawn up when nothing but plain and COM
modious bag appears.
HOW TO HANG SMALL PICTURES.
novel way Of hanging small pictures on the |
wall is to have the lower right-hard corner of !
the upper picture overlap the upper left-hand
corner of the next lower, and SO on for as many
as one wishes to hang together. Three, however,
look better than more with this arrangement |
This way could be reversed, OF course and the |
slant could be toward the left and downward as |
well as to the right; the space and adjoining |
objects are to be considered naturally.
NEW FORM IN CHINA.
A new form in china is ready for amateur |
decorators and that is little china jar and |
plate, in shape much like a cracker jar, but |
which is intended to inclose the glass of Jelly |
pot of jam, when. for instance. it is intended
may be- for the lunch of only one person, and SO |
only a small quantity will be eaten at time II |
turned out into a dish whatever may be left is |
soon dried and spoiled and it cannot be very
outer jar has been devised, which makes a
pretty appearance on a lunch table or tray. 1t
| ID also a boon to china decorators, who are al
ways looking for novelties on which to show
their display, their handiwork and like, when
civ gifts to have