Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-16
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Some Suggestions Appropriate to
the Festival Season.
FLORAL DECORATIONS.
HOW THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND VINES NAY
BE ARTIsTIcALLY ARRANGED FoR HOME oRNA-
MESTATIoS ~ TASTEFUL coLons FOR RACK
GROUND NEW CHINA MADE IN GERMANY
Written for The Evening Star.

once more the festival season OF Easter has
come to the world; this year it is the resurrec-
ton time Of nature alec and our city is fair in
deed with the blossoming shrubs, the spring
flowers and the tender green which is appear
ing everywhere on tree, vine and grass. So
cially all is full OF life and energy and the brief
spring season, which is a favorite one in WASH
ingtou, holds many attractions IN the near
future. Entertainments given at this time wear
spring-hke an air as may be impaired 20
them in flowers and coloring generally, and
tbs wealth OF blossoms, both cultivated and
those charming ones to be had for the picking
during country drives or TO be found in guam
titles at market row. may ali be so combined
as 20 be most effective. From the japanese
We have learned much to arranging flowers,
Though the art 10 not vet taught regulariy here
as part Of young girls education. but their
grace aud taste nave had a considerable ind1-
ence. and blooming shrubs and branches OF
poisoning trees are made to have as Japan
esGue effects as possible.
JAPANESE EFFECT.
To have these at their best Q wide-mouthed
receptacle is what displays them to the great
est advantage, aud q low globe-shaped bowl or
open jar is apt to be chosen for them. As any
one knows who has tried it. il is n difficult
matter to make branches weighted with bios
SONS stay III such a bowl. though there may
nothing else be SO pretty tor thom if Is is sue
glad to read of a device for overcoming this by
tging little bags Of sand to the lower ends OF
the heaviest branches before putting them in
the water. BY doing this to several and SO
holding them firm the rest may easily be pu:
among these. which will steady all the others.
Peach. cherry and pear blossoms from the
gardens, as well as the beautiful dogwood, are
all most lovely il arranged in large vases and
jars, but must not be crowded together by
smail-mouthed rscsptacles or the prsstiest
h. 81
poses will be lost. BY means Of an order moro
or less large to a florist very beautiful results
in flowers will Of course be obtained; but
charming ones may also follow at this time OF
year. when the whole country about is full OF
supplies, If one has tho taste to make the most
OF the opportunities; for if the pleasure OF
driving mo the country and gathering the
flowers is denied the market is filled with
everything at hand that tho longest search Cor
ourself could find, and for very Little money
much beauty may be bought
FLORAL DECORATIVE HFFrcrs
For some fes.ivity special effort may be
made at home decoration. and rooms be lovely
by floral arrangements which give pleasure in
the doing, as we'll as seeing afterward. On
such an occasion an idea might he carried out
which saw described for a pink entertain
ment that 10 q screen with several FOLDS, which
were hung with pink for this special time, and
from the top OF each panel fringe of
smilaI with other vines overhangng the pink;
the airy effec; OF the green over the pink nai
lovely, and the same thing could be easily car
ried out with other coiors II one wished. As
paragus vine would be even prettier
than smilax, but any vine Of coarser
outdoor growth in It's early spring gresnncss
would DO pretty thus arranged, and almost
every house affords a screen Of some kind to
serve as foundation. On the occasion speak
Of this screen was used to concea! the niusi-
clans but purpose could always be found for
such pretty piece Of decoration. Pale green
batiste. cotton crepe or any soft fabric could
be shirred or draped on screen as a back
ground for the trailing vines. or yellow of
which some exquisite shades come in the III
expensive cotton crepes. or violet, witch also
IL found of a perfect shade in tho same ma
terial. would any OF them be equally pretty
with the vines il suiting better the rest of the
decorations. A large brass bowl filed with
branches Of the yellow shrub, which is SO
beautiful just now-forsythia, l think, is the
name-would be an effective piece OF
yellow decoration, while Dresden pitcher
filled with peach blossoms would DO another
pretty color effect or a delft Jar with tho
cherry blossoms or the various white blossoms
OF bridal wreath, snow bells or any OF the
similar shrubs
NEW CHINA
And speaking of delft is a reminder OF the
new blue and white china"m made in Germany"
as similar designs of delft: the texture how
ever. is quite different. the German ware be-
ing very light and brittle appearing. Table
dishes, dipner sets and such things are the
forms this china takes, which is very attract
i've in shape and colcring. The shade of blue
which is known as delft blue is u favorite with
many people, in textile fabrics MS we'll as
porcelain, but il is not q common one, one
easily to be obtained In fact. Denim some
times comes in that tone, and after several
washings. boilings indeed, assumes it still more.
With cveryroturn'rg spring nevada vs. the useful
aud artistic denim reasserts Itself aud is re-
garded with ever growing favor; not much that
is novel, however, il seen to its uses, or
rather the mode Of decoration which ID suit
able for its heavy texture and the purposes
which 1t best serves. White fsh-nst was much
used last year In connection with 1t aud still
seems to be popular, fine mesh netting in
white and in colors being sold Tor this and
many other purposes.
Macrome lace IL spoken Of as being good for
decoration OF denim and it nigh. look well.
Something striking, rather large designs and
not fine work of any kind is best for use with
denim, as any one can readily see. and cxcellcn:
results may be obtained by combination in
many ways.
RESTORATION OF BLACK.
believe have already mentioned the res
toration to favor OF black paint for furniture
and evon wood work in rooms. When . re-
action of that kind sets in il usually becomes
popular almost at once, and 1t 10 fairly anus
ing to soc already in household art papers
where advice to correspondents 10 given that
black is preferred to white in almost every i'd
stance for furnishing~ rooms. Worry lately it
was white which Yves advised at every turn for
renewing and refurnishing, whether tho work
was to be home production or not, but now it
is jet black carriage gloss which is recon-
mended for painting chairs and se.tees. picture
rail and wood work, in one instance to be COM
6ined with terra Gotta pink walls. White paint
for all those purposes has had long run now
and very likely will after o time look az anti
quated as it used to before its late popularity.
Black when it is the fashion looks we'll, like
almost anything else in that condition, and
probably We shall hear Of it more aud often
for somo timo to come One OF the new things
is a set OF colonial furniture in ebonized
frames. than which nothing could have looked
more out OF place while ago, -
Foresseing the turn OF fashions tide, o
prophetic poet ~ some two years agone made
plea against
The weird and wild ,yed passion,
The for white and gold
"Eow soon on"'s eyes viii weary
And vearn Tor natures hues-
For reds and greens aud yellows-
Well even want the blues
''Ah me- these freaks of fashion,