New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-05
ARTISTIC EMBROIDERIES.
SOME OF THE DESIGNS USED AT PRATT
INSTITUTE.

MANY BEAUTIFUL AND INTRICATE PIECES OF
NEEpLEwoRK SEEN AT THE EXHIBITION.
The school OF embroidery at the Pratt Institute
has a style of It's own. One OF It's pecularities -
that almost ali the designs used original. either
drawn by the teacher by the pupils themselves.
the course including instruction In the principles OK
design and ir the OF water colors Anotner
popularity is the almost exclusive use or conVeh-
t.onal designs The of low tones OF color ana
the employment Of many different coors In the
same design are also characteristic One never sees
a cheap piece of embroidery at the Pratt FINE
stitches set with great accuracy, may be used -
in the beautiful marking done on household linen:
but the outlines always simple and the designs
free from needless detail.
In the exhibition held last week were many beau
tiful pieces OF work done in the school during the
last year. Almost all were large pieces-cushions,
covers or hangings. The array OF useless tribes OF
needlework often seen was conspicuous by NJ
absence.
Among a number OF pillows one worked o.
fine material light sage in color. The design OF
palm leaves arranged to cover the entire pil'
low was worked in low tones OF blue gray. OLD PINK
and bronze In such a way that much Of the ground
was visible between the different stitches. The 81"
feet was much like an India shawl Another on
yellow old rose ground had queer Oriental-ookng
birds arranged In corner. Jewels were used for
eyes, and the feathers were worked In SOFT reds
and greens. The colors soft yet bright. were
used in a flight Of butterflies a sage-green fur
niture brocade. There, too, jewels were made 70
indicate the dark spots the wings. A cover OF
onve-green satin sheeting was decorated with
broad border OF arabesques. Part Of the design
was cut from ream-colored brocade and applied to
with heavy silk cord and the Enclosed space filled
with various stitches done in white SILK indeeo'
outlines with different stitches Linen tea cloths
had the entire border done in this way, the linen
being cut away beneath the lace stitches.
Among other large pieces was a bedspread OF cot:
material, with trailing knots OF blue riooon ana
orchids embroidered in salmon pnks and pale yel.
lows The work done with heavy silk and In
had three long necked and legged birds flying across
IT, the general fleet Of their pumase being copper
large bird, with tail and wings spread and head
curled under wing. background OF waving
Wings and tail were a mass OF briIllant coloI me
arrangement OF the stitches indicating perfectly tne
texture Of the feather In some elaborate hangings
a large part of the design was cut from fabrics
woven with metallic threads. giving striking
In the work on linen for centre-pleces and doiies
delicate effects were produced by the use OF
a single thread Of pale tinted flo-foss. Many colors
would be employed in one piece Of work-blue, olive
corn color Lavender and pink
tea cloth Of the familiar sunburst and ribbon de-
sign had each sunburst worked soiidly IN quarters
I'm pink, violet. blue ana green \ denned centre
was outlined and filed with latticework In yell
low. Floral outlines were IN many cases WIN
rows of darning. close together, but showing
some OF the groundwork the stitches following the
veins OF the petal Lines OF long outline stitches
were used i'm the way. Orchid forms treated
in this way especially popular. In some CEN
tre-pieces orchids arranged in such way that
the interaced stems formed solid edge TO the cir
Gle or oval They then worked solidly and the
linen cut away from behind them. Another favorite
edge was succession Of interlaced circles sur
rounding circle of linen. Inside the points OF In
tersecton they were simply outlined. Outside they
were wldened 10 crescent. which was worked
sOlidly.
for embroidery Much elaborate work was done on
furniture brocade in dull tnts. heavy gray linen;
almost as coarse as Russian crash. was ground
FOR complex designs In many bright colors, ana
tableco yer was embroidered on the reverse side OF
tan-coiored ticking. Much OF the work the larger
pieces was done IN tussah silk. lustreess thread
made from raw silk and dyed in beautifully soft