Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-18

There is so much interest manifested by Birmingham women in the art of em- l broidery and decoration-an art almost as ancient as the world itself-it is appro- priate to give some extracts from the latest article on Embroidery" written by Mrs. Candace Wheeler for Harper's Bazaar. Mrs. Wheeler is writing a se- ries of papers upon this subject, and as she is perhaps the highest authority we have in the matter what she says is. al= ways instructive and readable. MlsA Wheeler wrtes.p @ % D %aa s
 Early Americana ierewel work was de- rived directly from England eand the practice of it seems to have been for the
 most part confined to the New England states. the embroidery of the middle and southern states being ,of quite a differ ent origin and character. Our Puritan foremothers brought with them not only the traditions of embroidery, but prac- tlcal knowledge which they were success ful In fitting to the rough and meager conditions of their lives. -f
 Tn truth, 1t was hardy and healthy
 art. well suited to simple. households, and we find many survivals of 1t in the shape of embroidered bed-hangings and bedspreads in such New England fami- lies as reverence all that pertains to the | lives of their founders. Among these surVlvals we sometimes find aprons, snort gowns, bureau covers and other small pieces embroidered upon dimity, or Tar more often upon homespun linen: but many of these, alas. have melted away in the current of household use. ana their rags have been transmitted l into thready ghosts haunting the medi- cine chest or the rag. bag, until at last they became mere lint and dust, and so were resolved into their original ele- ments. Bed-hangings had less of daily wear and friction than smaller articles. ana generally continued healthy exist ence until they ceased to be thing of custom and fashion, and when this time came they were, in thrifty and conserva- tive families, folded away with other treasures of household stuffs in the bot | tom of the linen chest. whence they occa- slonally emerge to tell their tales of ear | Her days and compare Themselves with the mixed specimens of needle work art which have succeeded them, but which cannot properly be called their descend ants sr4- 'The story, as we get it from orr | grandmothers. Is that bed-hangings and | other large pieces were usually made of | unbleached llnen and when that was the case, and the original constitution of the web was unimpaired. by bleaching. the | life of the good homespun might have been ensured for at least 100 years of wear. or course our prudent foremothers need not hesitates to invest their snare hours upon foundation of such strength ana durability, and they did not These suits of bed curtains fwere not by any
 means an uncommon possession have seen scores of1them brought together in collections of colonial relics and prob ably there are many more which do not often see the light. even in such collec- tions
 Many of them are embroidered in two shades of indigo blue, color which was easily available in every household the aye pot or indigo being as indispensa ble
 part or the domestic equipment as the | spinning wheel or the Ioom ir~ ~ | "l have often wondered Why the meth | cd of embroidery known as the Italian | or spanish laid-w work should not be more l generally practiced. Cotton losses could
 be used instead of silk in places where silk embroidery would be inappropriate, | as in cottage or country houses, and the | fact of it's being the result of domestic | labor would remove that element of cost | which is inevitable with the professional embroiderer. Dyed cotton flosses used in | this way can be made very effective, and heavy unbleached muslin is a good and very durable ground for their use
 | There is also an eastern method of | stitchery which would be very available | for domestic use. It is done with rath- | CT cheap quality of spun silk. and the re- suit somewhat resembles laid-work al- | though 1t is in reality species of darn l ing, the design or pattern being a series | of blocks decoratively arranged, and the | long stitches of the alarming so arranged | as to make regular lines of division in the l blocks This method, while very effec- 1 tive, is also very rapid, the soft coarse thread filling considerable space upon the | cloth, and the long surface and short un- | der stitches being accomplished almost | as quickly as basting. Nearly the same process can be used, without regard to the 1 regularity of the stitches, in any large "all-over" pattern, if the stitches are ta- ken in horizontal lines, instead of follow ing the growth of the plant as is usual in 1 Kensington embroidery This horizontal darning makes a good effect done in l white cottons upon medium blue ground, or in light blue cottons upon dark blue, like the blue Beg of Indian manufacture. Cotton embroideries of this sort are perfect adjuncts to the taste l full furnishings of modern country houses, or to those blue and white rooms l in city homes which give the clear, clean effect of blue and white china. It is | small wonder that the art of embroidery lasts from century to century, surviving 1 in all countries and ffourishing in all races for. aside from the pleasure of it's | creation, few things give so great sense | of refinement and domesticity in house | as the presence of an occasional and l competent piece of embroidery
 Mrs. s. p. Mcqueen of Eutaw is visit | ing her son. Mr. J. w. Mcqueen. on Sev- enteenth street, between Tenth and Elev- enth avenues. South Highlands. Mrs. Mcqueen has friends all over Alabama, but in no city will she find a greater number than just here in Birmingham. ss0 sf--frf
 The ladies of the Southside Baptist church will give at an early date Ben Hur' entertainment at Seals hall. when readings from General Wallace's famous book will accompany exceedingly fine stereopticon views of thrilling incidents narrated in this novel.
 The Thursday Evening Euchre club will have an extra meeting this (Tues- day) evening at & o'clock, when the mem- bers will be the guests of MT and Mrs. James Weatherly. at their home. corner Twentieth street and Tenth avenue, South Highlands
 Mir. Joseph Wilkins of Selma spent Sunday in Birmingham with his sister Mrs. g. P. Fowlkes, en route to his new home in Nashville, Tenn. MT. Wilkins resided in Birmingham for a short time several wears ago and he formed white