The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-09

Cut leather work is a most fascinating
minor art, and has the great advantage
OF being open to amateurs as we'll as to
skilled designers.
AS regards the tools there is a very
large choice before the worker, but 1t is
better to start only will those which
are absolutely necessary. Cut leather
work, being as its name implies, a pro-
| cess by which certain outlines are IN
cised upon the material it follows that
the first requisite is a tool which will
mark curves and angles evenly.
| The wheel ~accomplishes his satisfac-
torily. The bent awl should be EN-
ployed to more deeply mark certain
points in the design. and to trace CORN
ers and small curves which the coarser
tool cannot reach. Then there is the
modelling tool, intended to rub and soft
en- down the edges of the cuts made by
the tracing wheel and W
The punch. at one end of which Is a.
mould of a star or other design which
is of great help in making little patterns
over a leather background is held with
the left hand, while with the right hand
grasping the light hammer a sharp tap
is given so that the pattern is transfer
red to the leather.
The next consideration is the ieather.
OF this there are two kinds when are
more frequently used than others. inere
is cowhide and calfskin: the former
thicker. stouter, suited for larger ar
ticles. and requiring greater frinness in
handling than the latter. They should
be worked upon a fiat board, to which
they can be fastened with drawing pins,
sponged over the back before work IS
begun. and then, when dry and pinned
down upon the board, should be again
moistened with clean water over the
face Of 1t. Calfskin requires, if soft, no
such preparations; but if firm. damping
on the under surface only.
Whichever kind Of leather is used will
nrobahlv need a little r-earrangement on
the hoard before any pattern is marked
,,non y &c after being damned il is sure
10 stretch a little The leather should
~ ,araar mon i des;rad for tha finished
49, ~ ,aar,1s noada NJ drivipe
~ - 4ro,, = +. tben 10 cI,t
-
-r,xor has
- e.. maa :, 1ar nina what
- - la 80 urba+
~ ~ 49,. -
s9iS" - - $50
n ~ .,s e
ana pefleeteo' taeh n's p'psi
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eu Gown VIII zig "ii4e-pin = - =
ouelines sone " -
kaltuhs-heeule' " even WEI q
hela 50 thdl ohiy eHe poin1 -
paper.
The pressure exerted should be suffi-
| cient to mark the pattern clearly, bur
rather family upon the leather. When
the paper is taken away, any mistakes
can in this part of the work be corrected
by rubbing out the erring line with q
smooth knife handle. So far the surface
of the leather has not been cut through.
! When the outlines are satisfactory tie
wheel is required.
The wheel is to be held in the right hand
firmly and upright, to be guided and as
sisted by the left hand. The wheel passes
| over all the lines of the design and should
lent through the leather for about half
it's thickness. The wheeling zone, the
bent awl is taken up, and the use of this
IS to cut, as did the wheel. but especially
all those portions of the pattern which
could not be reached by the larger tool.
This may seem a small purpose to serve.
| but such is not the case, as a study OF
the bends and curves of even a simple
pattern will show.
When the lines seem ready for its use,
| the modelling tool is applied to them to
rub or bend down the edges of the cuts.
SO that they have a rounder and more
gradual slope than when, as at first,
\ gashed straightly down into the leather.
There are few patterns in which one or
more punches are not used as a speedy
| and effective way of ornamenting either
| the background of the work, or of certain
details of it which it is desirable Should
| have some such Distinction
Katherine Bell Tippetts writing of "a
| Patriotic Garden party in the July
"Woman's Home Companion" describes
the chief diversion of the afternoon thus:
after the formalities the hostess leo
| the way to the well shaded lawn, where a
liberty pole had been erected with
| Phrygian cap of liberty at its top. In
Vulnerable red, white and blue s~treanlefs
had been fastened under the liberty cap
and stretched in every direction over the
lawn and the ends tied to trees, afpor'
| chairs fables or any convenient objects.