The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-02
Gbe 3ousfboln.
Christmas Presents.
WHAT CAN BE MADE FROM DENIM

grown increasingly popular, until it is |
now employed in the making of count
less number Of charming and useful ar
ticles. The low price at which it is |
sold place it within the reach ofevery |
one, and for this reason (and many |
others) every one should know of the |
graceful draI cries and pr, tty things
that can be made of it. Denim comes
in but two colors, blue and brown.
With the blue, pure white mot cream
white) is always combined; with the
brown yellow and orange. For sofa
pillows and chair cushions it is favo-
rite choice, since it not only looks well,
but wears well and washes well. One
of the prettiest of sofa pillows is made
of blue denim aud white cord, in this
wise: Cut two pieces half yard
square, and finish the four sides of
each with an inch-wide hem. Work
eyelets in the hens, two inches apart,
with coarse white cotton, the eyelets
of one square corresponding exactly
with those of the other. Make pillow
of denim twenty inches square, filed
plump and firm with hair or feathers,
and lace the squares over it with white
cord tied at each corner in long loops
and tasseleG ends. The nice st cord for
this is macrame Irvine, twis ed twice.
The pillow requires fifteen yards. The
tassels slould be wound over five-inch
square Of card board. If brown pill
low is desired, use gilt cord and tassels
for the lacing, or cord and tassels of
orange silk. Sofa and chair pillows of
cretonne are also made in this way, and
are quite as pretty, though not as SER
viceAble, as those of denim. The out
side squares should be of figured Gre
tonne, and the pillow of plain cloth.
Thus, if the cretonne has a design of
pink roses on white or gray ground,
it is laced with cord over pink pillow
the color of the roses, and has pink and
white tassels. To return 10 denim: A
new and most artistic decoration for a
square blue pillow is network OF single
white cord, knotted in large open
meshes, like fishing net. 1t is half the
size of the pillow and three-cornered
in shape, and arranged on the pillow
so that it divides it diagonally. Invisi-
BILE stitches fasten it along the seams of
two sides. The other two sides are
laced close together with white cord,
so that the plain muslin covering of the
pillow underneath is not seen, and tied
in one long-looped bow at the corner
opposite the center corner of the net
ting. A long, round pillow for the
back of chair is very pretty entirely
covered with network of white, and
especially so when a square cush-
ion with netting is designed for the
seat. The round pillow is made of half
a yard of denim as loug as the width
Of the chair back for which it is
intended. A half-inch hem is sewed
at each end, and the long sides stitched
together in a seam. When the pillow
is stuffed, yard of twisted cord is run
through each hem, drawing them closely
together and fastening the pillow to the
chair wi h long-.ooped bows and ends
finished with tassels. Denim, either
blue or brown, makes beautiful table,
covers. For these there seems to be
one prevailing decoration - wide
braided border and fringe of small
tasse.s. In making, cut the cover
abundantly large, and finish with an
inch wide hem. If it is blue, braid a
wide Gre clan border between four
straight lines Of cord, two above and
two below the border, and sew small
white tassels on the wrong side of the
hem, two inches apart all around
der in orange or gilt cord, and finish
with tassels to match. Denim is like
wise popular fabric for curtains and
portieres. Sometimes it is used plain {;
oftener it is enriched with braiding and
odd designs in applique or outline work
An artistic curtain for a bookcase or
cabinet is of blue denim, with circles
outlined III white flAX-foss. This is a
cipa plo 1nSinn and aaSi1t, 1pnn n
silver dollar, tea-cup and piece of
fnely-pointed chalk. With these make
small circles and large circles, and cir
one within large one, three grouped
in triangle, two large and three small
circles linked in chain, four in a
squarc-until the curtain is covered.
The same idea may be carried out in
squares and triangles. A design of
large half moons and small stars of blue
velvet applqued with white flax floss
makes lovely curtain. Wheels worked
of red brown plush appliqued with deep
orange silk, are pretty designs for brown
curtains. Porteres for doorways are
often braided with wide border at the
top and bottom. Broad bands of blue
anu OlOWu push COlucu Will WulIt VI
yellow are also used with good effect.
The stores are full of beautiful designs
and of rich materials for working them,
which one may choose at will-we have
only tried to tell how some pretty things
of denim may be made, with but little
expense, at home. Lilly Lathbury, in
Christian Union.
FROM OTHER SOURCES.
A CRoCHETED PURSE. - A fancy
and pretty crocheled purse was re-
Gently shown made of pale blue and
olive Belongs crochet silk. The bot
tom of the purse is in short lows of
double crochet, worked backwards and
forwards. With olive silk make chain
of fourteen stitches. First row-One
double crochet in each stitch. Second
row-one double into each of the six
stitches, one single in the next; turn.
Third row-One single in single of last
rnw ono bouhlp in each of siY stitchaS