The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
STRIPES in TABLE LINEN.
PATTERNS OF TWENTF YEARS @ IN
T. AGAIN.

-N N~F@A "
Erancc-Table Linen Woven to Order,
Tho latest designs in table linen may be-
known by their stripes. That Is. whom you see
n striped tablccloth you may put II down as a
very rev ono or q very old one. Some of tho
patterns which were used twenty years aga
are making another appearance now. and so.
too. are some tablecloths OF the same date.
1t isn't likely that much OF the table lines
made to-day will survive so long. Unless the
twentieth century goes back to some OF the
ways OF the eighteenth. to the old and careful
bleaching of linen in particular. there will be
no tablecloths which will last for twenty years
and no sheets which will wear thirty years. II
isn't altogether the fault OF the makers that
linen doesn't wear as it once did. Things that
are made in a hurry wear out In a hurry and
there's no help for It.
Once" said n well-known Broadway dealer.
'nino weeks were spont In bleaching linen,
Now you can get it done In nine days. OF
course. there is n difference. There ia the
slow bleach linen from Ireland and Scotland.
which for wearing qualities is the bost in the
world. 1t costs moro than the same grade Of
linen bleached by a quick process. When a
manufactures has to prepare his goods In q
rush lie first gives the linen n strong chlorine
bath. Then he puts it into water, gives IL a
weaker chlorine bath later. and so on. You
can imagine tho effect this has on the thread
when | tell you that the French linens bleached
in this way weigh only two-thirds what the
Irish slow bleach linens weigh. The chemicals
burn up n third of the material. That is what
IL amounts to.
In oldcn times. a man used to dip water
from a trench and scatter It over the linen on
the grass. Here Is a picture of a man engaged
in this work, and you can see the queer old
scoop he uses. 1t is said that they could. with
a sweep OF the arm, send the water in an even
shower over an astonishingly large area. But
people won't wait for that sort OF thing nowal
days. SO the chlorine bath Is having its turn.
Linen in this countryi2 Oh. they.don't make
linens here: nothing but tho cheapest, com1
monest varieties. Everything we handle is inns
ported. Linen, so far as its geographical origin
goes. IS like all Gaul. 1t is divided into three
parts-lrish. French. and German. Amongtha
Irish linens. because they are OF the same STYLE
so far as they 20. are included Scotch linens
And among the German linens are also include
ed the Austrian. haven't much to say about
Austrian linen. though. 1t is a poor imitation
of the French. The German linens differ. acI
cordinG to the locality they come from. Those
that arc made around Dresden are OF excellent
quality. while those that are made In the hilsi
further south are poor.
Tho new designs como from France. In
Ireland they use the same patterns year in and
year out and there is always a steady demand
for them. But in France they are constantly
devising new styles. The French linen is lights
CT in weight. sometimes almost as fine as q
pocket handkerchief. and OF course it doesn't
wear so long as the heavy Irish linen. 1t isn'a
intended to. Here is a beautiful tablecloth
from Franco. 1t has a mixed design, you see,
b1t the stripes occupy, the conspicuous place"
composed of a %festoon design about a foot in
width. a perfectly plain strip Of the same width
centre was oil LONGITUDINAL gtrinpG nf tha rlain
damask about three inches wide. Another de-
sign. which indicates the popularity Of stripes
years ago, is called the thousand-line pattern.
II Is OF damask In stripes Of a quarter Of an
no border at all. Most OF the cloths. however.
haye the double border.
they sell, the round table is stu in favor. Tie
usual size of cloth for a round dinner table Isl
large enough for small luncheon cloths. some
ofthem being three-quarters OF a yard square.
30x3y inches. a dne cloth 81 yards SQUARE
costs from $40 to $50. The same cloth 4 yards
line French cloths s9stAs75 5V Whe9 81 they ine s are oniy
IL 9 yi3trds c saTssF T6 , R 9h1nn PW2P PeLa of Of f aEe, quail
a double border the design in. the napkin;
the part Of the cloth which shows on
meta taG 4So AHA ThP tt is 5o to say. + th S, nu dpnin do does n not.
one which, on the table, should run at the edge
OF the board right under the plates;
When it comes to lace-trimmed linens for
luncheon tables the, prices take Il big Jump. One
round linen cloth, with an inserted six
Vide pf 6ord q S oi The IS same 1S1' iac ace cos asG $50 { 5i'' K
mere centrepiece. trimmed with the same lace; =
costs $3.50, Among centre pieces those trimmed
with Duchess lace are the swellest thing. The
coIored IaGc;s have gone out OF, style; The butt
rage at one time are quite superseded by
white; Point de Venise is very fashionable,
50 often comes it is not the thing. One dealer
Showed n little centrepiece trimmed with
but B2in he es SAID iiSp t could 4 PIE be 9 Sausht t. now now f oges s. s22 4
$500 cloth. trimmed with the same lace. had
marked down to SEQ
ie said. ""0f course some Of it is shown. but,
he latest thing swell. the oldest thing. ] sup
land. The more it can be made to look like AZ
the better. The idea. of course. is to
Do we ever make cloths to order? II you mean.
10 we have q cloth woven from a unique de-
yill tel! you TINT they have, cloths made to order
when they 90 ABROAD think that all they do
many designs. to them, They fancy that they
IRE choosing from designs which are not sold
10th made from the design they choose they,
AYE s2methimg uniGne' But doubt II
which YOU or could order in the same way at
y" OccasionalIy they have their monogram
woven in the cloth. But that is a simple mat
or. Al he manufacturer docs Is TO cut out a.
of the cards Of the original design, in-'
lone. These cards for The weaving were for
merry cut one by one with a great deal OF labor'
nd care. Now n lot Of them are cut at a time.
cry much as ,rcady-made clothing, is cut QUIT
" the east side tailorS in Now York. When a.
is woven in II cloth IL seems to me
hat the proper thing. would DO to have 1t APP
at each corner Of the centre portion Of the
10th. But ! believe it is oftcnest put right In,
he middle. Just where It Is all covered by theA
For luncheon pcople who, have handsome
lahogany tables do not use cloths. but merely
nd dishes. Luncheon napkins are from az
pnn m niVItpnn inches sahara We aal
God mnnyo Of the colored linen cloths for after
Don tea tables, but they are not used for any
hing else. No fringcd NAPKINS are used for
uything They arc obsolete"
The most beautiful linen sets for beds also
from France. One set, consisting OF. an
ppcr sheet and tn halves oftwo pillow cases.
roidered by hand, The use Of nno linen COW
re-. embroldcred in colors. for trimming beds
with their Dresden flowers in pink and
their festoous and bow knots. But their
has gone by. Lace IL now tho garniture.
the ,Cypr"seion may lie used. for trimming
eds. Fine swiss covers with insertion of lace.
rpuadlhe with lace strlpeS. and similar mate.