Huntsville gazette., 1894-09-15
OUR COUNTRY HOUSES.
How Some of Them May Be Tastefully and
Simply Arranged.

How Some of Them May Be Tastefully and
Simply Arranged.
Americans care more for country life
now than they used to, and many peo-
pie who are far from wealthy manage
to own simple but comfortable cottages
by mountainside and sea-cottages
which contain so little of value that
the owner feels no hesitation in leav-
ing them locked up, but unguarded,
during the winter. The deft fingers OF
the feminine members of the family
often make these summer dwellings
pretty at very small expense. The ques.
ton of pictures is always an interesting
one, for no room can be quite bright
and cheerful without something of the
kind. If the family purse does not al
low good water-colors, etchings and
autotypes, much may be done with the
often excellent fac-similes of fine paint
ings published by fine art magazines.
OF course these would not be worth
framing expensively-they are, as a
rule, not published for that purpose:
but the daughters of the house can
make very easily and quickly some
pirate enough.
The most tasteful ones are those
fashioned of rich stuffs-velours, soft
silks, etc.-in colors harmonizing with
the picture, and pieces of such goods
may often be found among an uphol-
sterer's remnants at prices far below
the original cost. The picture must
first be mounted on a piece of card
board, but the frame should be cut
three or four inches in width) from
heavy bookboard the lighter qualities
being almost sure to warp and spoil
the effect.
Lay the frame on piece of the goods
which is about one inch larger all
around. Cut the opening in the cen
ter, allowing here also an extra inch,
and slash the goods a trife at each
corner to make it fit properly. Place
a layer of cotton batting on the frame
before putting on the velour, as this
gives richness, especially to thin
material like silk, which is great inn
provcment.
Glue is used exclusively by most peo-
pie in making these frames, but it
is often easier to secure the cloth
with thread, stretching it back
and forth, closely and securely,
The covered frame, however, must
be pasted to the mounted picture,
and as little glue as possible
should be used, as too much moist
ure will cause the heaviest boards
to warp. Put under weight until
perfectly dry. A delicate water-color
in grays and greens is framed in white
silk, which is covered with an all-over
tinsel embroidery. This is very pretty,
and although the frame was made
| nearly two years ago, it is apparently
as fresh as at first, while the picture
has gained rather than lost in charm
during that time, which proves it to be
really good. An olive velour frame
incloses view of the sea, and a cluster
of La France roses is very effective in
a frame of old pink.
Delicate brass ornaments or wreaths,
bowknots. etc, are sold for the pur-
pose of ornamenting covered frames
and are easily secured in place with
slender brass beads.
In these days of amateur photog-
raphy, really fine photographs of in
teresting places may be had for the
| asking. Wooden frames are not diff
cult to make, and few.lessons in car
pentry and. little practice would give
anyone with taste for the work su fl
cient skill to make an ordinary frame.
But to do this one must have proper
tools. Although one young woman
known to the writer has made an en-
tire bookcase with no other aids than
a hammer and a saw, the work could
have been done far easier if she had
had access to workbench fitted out
with wise and plane and tools that
were sharp and in good condition.--N
Y. Tribune.