Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
Some Christmas Gifts That Are
Worthy of Mention.
INGENUITY AND TASTE SHOWN
Several Styles of Homemade Photograph
Frames Described-The Bow-Knot Decora-
ton Very Prevalent - Ornaments for
Little Girls Bed Room-Chlna Painting.
Written for The Evening Star.

| come from change of occupation after all. The
winter holidays bring too many engagements
foriany one to be very quiet. but the relief that
comes from surcease of shopping is q blessing
of itself. Every year Christmas presents wax
handsomer and more numerous, and the va
| riety of handmade articles which are given
| then is tribute to industry and good taste all
| over the land. The beautiful things that fill
| the shops every one knows, and money can
compass them all, but the individual thought
Of love that finds expression in some unique
| and specially appropriate form cannot be
bought, and these are the gifts that may be
suggestive and suitable in connection with one
| subject and title. There are many helps to
home work that one may buy nowadays that
facilitate labor and save time, and all may
avail themselves of some such benefit now
and again in their arrangements different
pretty forms in glass and pasteboard for
foundations can be got ready cut and with
| these to begin with, the rest is comparatively
easy for making many pretty things. Perhaps
photograph frames were given this year as e <
| tensively as any one thing, when small gift
was in order, and certainly pretty variety OF
them has come under my immediate notice.
| HANDMADE PHOTOGRAPH FRAMES.
Leaving out the silver ones. of which so many
were given, and, as we'll, the small oval gilded
ones with bow knot atop, 1 will only speak Of
the handmade ones. all probably Of home
manufacture, and for which foundations may
be bought in various shapes. About the pretti-
est is frame of white linen in heart shape and
with an opening large enough for CABINET
| picture. On this Is embroidered In two shades
of heliotrope silk two or three violets, held to-
gether by bow Of ribbon which twists and
| curves gracefully from top to bottom OF the
| frame. where few more flowers are knotted
| together by it. The working of the ribbon Is
ingenious for it is very effective and so easily
| done, being in button-hole stitch, crosswise
| each stitch making the width of the ribbon,
| and as they are not set too near together 1t
| looks light and suggestive, not so heavy and
| precise as a more close working would be-.
| standard at the back is held by white ribbon
| to the frame, which is sewed overland instead
| of being glued together, as most OF them are, a
| space being left at the bottom wide enough to
| slip in the picture.
| A WHITE LINEN SQUARE FRAME.
Another white linen frame is square, also for
a cabinet picture, the margin being rather
! wide. In each upper corner is a bow knot,
| with one end waving down the side, the other
making a continuous ribbon over the top.
| This design is worked solidly in two tones of
| orange yellow flofloss, the many turns Of the
| ribbon giving good effect of light and shade.
| All such frames nre lightly padded and may be
|
which is easily arranged by gluing. The
double and treble frames are rather super
seeded by single ones with standard backs, and
the reason is probably that better angle for
| the picture is gotten in this way, for in the
double ones q straight up and down position is
| the only one possible and gives the photo
graphs a tipped forward look that Is not
| pleasant
Another odd and dainty little frame is made
of crepe paper, which is 80 much used in fanci-
\ fl Tl.,- 4 i
cred with white crepe paper, with bow-knot
decoration made by taking tiny strip of the
paper in blue, bowling 1t up lightly. catching it
to the frame by glue. by twisting and turning
it and gluing at each turn giving very light
and ribbon-like effect. On one side and on the
back two or three small pink flowers, like
spring wild flowers, but also made Of paper, are
thrust through knot of the ribbon, and over
all. ribbon and frame alike, brush charged
with gold has been lightly passed here and
| there. following the upright crepe folds of the
paper and giving the finishing touch to this
| unique little frame.
Tho rage for photograph frames is not con-
| fined to this country. and from abroad come
| accounts of them made OF old brocade. edged
| with gold gimp and in pale shades of French
leather, with silver corners or heur de lis of
| gold in the corner and on silver frames are
even coronets of diamonds. These extravagant
| models follow altar Off maybe. but with Sat
isfaction in the dainty, tasteful results Of our
''This is emphatically bow knot year, some
| one remarked the other day. after surveying
| the collected Christmas gifts of several house
| holds, on so many articles did that decoration
appear. In embroidery. combined with flow
ers. il is the favorite design of the moment,
and some pretty examples of it are shown forth
! III the holiday offerings of 1891. center piece
| for a luncheon table, or which would be just as
pretty for a spread for some dainty white en-
ameled table, is square Of fine white linen,
\ e ~
border with bow knots in the corners, all
| worked soidly in one shade of silvory blue
silk. The inner square is powdered with small
flowers worked in Dresden coloring, and it is q
| charming specimen OF this favori:e style.
ALIrTLE GIRLS BED ROOM
For li:;le girls bed room, which is fur
| nished in white and pink, and where the man.
| tel has festoons and bow-knot decoration in re-
| lief, an embroidered set of linen was made for
| present. including a Icing scarf for the chif-
fonier. a cover just fitting the top of the small
dressing table and a chair back for the little
| pink-covered easy chair. The scarf for the
chiffonier has the ends deeply fringed, and
| above that band of drawn work. From this
| Until tie top Of the chiffoner is reached the
space is filed by the embroidery. A bow-knot
pattern is used here, bow being in the middle
| and each end OF the band reaching across, the
ribbons connecting them. These are all worked
| in double row Of outlining, two shades OF old
| pink flotioss being used and a double thread
| taken. Above the ribbons a space il filled BY
| small pink nations powdered irregularly
| and worked in solid stemstitch The dressing
| table has hemstltched cover. with the same
| design arranged to suit its shape for a horde,
| and the pinks inside. The little tidy has only
the ribbon part of the pattern and rosette OF
narrow pink ribbon like the silks fastens it tc
| the chair.
| Another linen set for a bureau which was in
| Santa Claus budget this year has yellow for it.
coloring and is a handsome example Of needle
| work. A hem is on the four sides of the Ions
scarf, with u band Of drawn work inside. the
| corners being very elaborate. Several groups
| of flowers and leaves are scattered over the
surface inside this border, which are coloret
| with tapestry dyes in tones of yellow. will
| brownish shades i'll the leaves. The shapes are
all worked in long and short stitch, with silk
to correspond with the paints. The cover fol
| the pin cushion consists OF two round pieces o.
linen. both scallOped with yellow and an eye
let worked in each scallop. On the piece FOL
the top is q group Of the flowers with a leaf OF
two added. The foundation cushion is to b.
round and covered with yellow satin. Their
the two pieces are to be put on top and bottom
and laced together with yellow cord.
NOVELTIES IN DoILIEs.
As usual doilies were given and received, ant
some novelties in their adornment are seen. 4
pretty little one for cake plate or any simila
use has \ center Of linen cambria and O lace
work border, made Of honiton lace braid but