Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-04
caalsrnAs GIFTS.
Sensible aad Pretty Presents for the Holi.
day Season.

ACAONS ia TIC use VI HcT although
is not actually necessary
now in decoration having been suppressed
ed in great measure by ornamental
needle-work. Handmade gifts. dainty as
banks of dew-laden violets, are already
displayed in the various stores, and
doubtless many women who are too bus
lily engaged to make 'sweet' things will
buy and present them at the proper time
with the tacit understanding that the
giver was the maker.
OF course there are standard gifts. the
majority of which are as ugly as they
are useless. such as the everlasting hand
worked slippers for some ones dear
brother. who puts them under his bed,
where they remain until replaced by an
other pair next Christmas. Handmade
calendars are also bugbears of the sea-
son, although a few sensitive persons
would as cheerfully contemplate the gift
of q miniature tombstone as the uncom-
Portable, albeit necessary, reminder that
thine was, time is, time soon will be no
more"
But aside from conventional offerings
some very unique ones are now peins
devised, and so simple are they that al
most any girl or woman can initiate
them.
The most striking gifts are the ones for
the college boys. who are so much IN eV.
idence of late. They are made in sets or
three, and fairly finish the students
room. Indeed the recipient need not nee
essarily be a student. The gift would be
quite as appropriate for bachelor girl
or bachelor. The first piece is a sofa pill
low, a good large sofa pillow embroidered
in an appropriate design-the college col
ors by all means, if for the college boy.
The next piece is an exact facsimile of
the first cushion. only that it is very wee
and stuffed with sawdust instead of
down; it must be in every respect per-
iect liliputian reproduction of the first.
but must have loops at two corners, so
that it may be either hung upon the wall
or left standing on the chiffOnier at will.
BE sure that few pins are conspicuous
~ stuck into it, or our very dense wise
friends might mistake it's use. as is their
wont to do with the Christmas gifts. es-
pecially from their sisters. The third
piece may be mOuchor case. photo
graph holder, pipe bracket-all or any
one of which would be 'hors de vue,"
only they must be sure to match.
= An old theme made all but new by va
ration is the pin cushion. The very lat
est thing in these pretty and convenient
pieces is made by our intimate friend
who knows the exact measure of our
dresser. 1t extends from one end to the
other at the inside corner of the dressing
table, is bolster shaped that is, round.
long and narrow. and stuffed very full OF
sawdust. Just the bare cushion done in
lining satin. can be ordered at any of the
big stores to be made the length desired
for the trifiing sum of 20 cents. The
cushion itself is merely the foundation
for the fine work. and had better not be
attempted at home, as it is really diff
cult to make quite even. The cushion
must be ruffled around with lace six in
ches wide. over pinked silk ruffie the
same width. Then long narrow strip
of white linen. embroidered in favOrite
colOrs. is laid over the top OF the cushion.
just covering the inner edge of the ruff1e
and caught at the corners with full baby
ribbon rosettes. The strip must not be
sewn on but merely pinned at each cor
ner. SO that it may be easily removed
and Numbered. Nothing could be easier
than to make up one of these pretty con-
ceits. The material for the very finest
kind amounts to $3.50, quite reduction
on the sale price of the ready-made ones,
which is $3.50.
novel. They are of satin brocade, made
in the precise shape of bed mattresses
The corners are either corded or bound
with narrow satin ribbon. They should
be one inch thick. eight inches long and
six wide. Not the least rounding is
shown. the edges being quite abruptly
squared off. The stuffing is of curled
hair such as upholsterers use. They are
neither embroidered nor painted, nor
decked with ribbons. ruffles or lace, but
are ornamented simply with the jewels
that serve to tack them down. Some
even have not the jewels. but made of
Roman stripe silk, and caught down with
tiny round pieces of light or bright glace
taffeta instead of satin ribbon.
Pretty gifts from girls are embroidered
photograph holders. For these stamped
linen is bought The designs which are
silks. Once the embroidery which can
be done in a few hours, is finished the
linen is stretched over a cardboard back
to which wire for standing it is at
tached, then it is snugly fastened all
about the outer edge to a protecting
glass. When this is arranged satin
ribbon may be made to cover the stout
paper binding. if the frame is oblong or
square, or even if it is round. 1t would
be difficult to so finish the heart-shaped
photo frames, and these are really the
most popular ones. The ribbon. although
it IS ornamental, is after all quite dispen-
sable.
Very handsome, though rather eXpen-
sive, are the simple-looking little gold
frames that sometimes incase the hand
embroidered linen photo holders.
The double hearts with space for two
pictures are bewitching for you and
me- but the good-natured, gay. COM
paniOnable girl, who does not believe in
rack made of chains which she has
strung together with ribbons 1t will
hold 1865 pictures-an idol for each day of
the year! The damsel who is more ex-
elusive. and yet allows of variety. makes
up dainty frame that would delight the
average college boy; and leaves spaces
for seven small card photos, which are
TO be filled by the owner according to his
own taste.
neatly wrought inscription trailing
itself over the group and applying to
each space respectively may run:
My Winter Girl. My Summer Girl.
The Girl that I love best of all.
The Fairest Girl. The SWEETEST Girl
The Girl that l love best of all.
And the college widow!
For the friend who is keeping house
nothing could be more acceptable than
some pretty bit of hand-worked table lin
en-. The variety in this line of work is
too unlimited to allow space for even a
general recapitulation. Who does not
know the joyous exclaiming over lunch
cloths, doilies, center pieces, table scarfs
and the monogrammed or initiated nap
kins. These were formerly difficult but
have now been simplfied by the insertion
OF letter (ready made in some kind of
composition that does not spoil by wash
ing.) This is basted on and worked over
with linen thread in plain ribbon stitch.
A child could monogram napkins nova
days.
Jewel boxes appear to be easy to make.
but they are, on the contrary, quite diff
ficult. OF course they can be made of
pasteboard carefully covered, but those