Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19
HOW MARY FIXED HER ROOM
GOOD IDEAS THAT ANY CLEVER GIRL
CAN WORK OUT.
Homemade Rugs and Couch Covers
Made of SILK, Wool and Cot
ton Scraps.

Written for The Evening Star.
Last week 1 was invited to inspect Mary's
| new room and she gave me some ideas
for the heart of every maid is bound up in
her own especial den.
Mary's rugs particularly pleased me.
Three were plain white, one white with a
dull blue border. and the fifth shaded
blue.
You see. I couldn't afford to buy new
rugs so I gathered all the clean, white
scraps could find, cut them into strips in
the usual way, and got old Becky Martin
to weave them these especial sizes. This
white fringe on the edge is knotted warp.
The blue rug is of wool strips. 1t took
me long while to collect so many shades
of blue, and Becky wove them hit or miss,
as she called it, with bright blue warp
= But the white ones will soil quickly, will
they not?"
What If they do? They can go into he
wash tub every week If necessary. See
,that eane by the bed? Would you believe it
has been washed twice? And it is so pleas
ant to step out of bed on a dainty white
rug!''
What is that divan cover made OFF,
asked.
.Oh, old ribbons and silk pieces. I had
seen silk portieres. and thought a couch
only half inch wide, and woven very
loosely
I lifted it and found it was as light as
eiderdown. She had had it woven with
black warp. On each end was a stripe OF
plain blue a foot wide, then mingled mar
rover one,t and next, an inch wide black
Then yellow and red. The body of it was
hit sor miss" The old weaver had done
her work we'll.
But did you not grow tired of sewing
rags?'
- mo; indeed. I'll tell you how sew them
Say l have piece of goods yard square
L cut 1t into a number of equal strips, and
tapping the end edges, sew them twice on
the machine. Then 1 go round and round
with sharp scissors, cutting spirally, as it
We're. and 1t comes out in one long strip.
1t is lazy girls carpet rags!''
She took me into the hall.
r. do you see that rug? What do you say
it Is made of?'
1 bent to examine a beautiful square of
dull red, woven with a black warp, which
had an expensive look.
That is made of an old chenille portiere.
l cut 1t into long, even strips, sewed them
together on the machine, and the cutting
did not take me long. 1t only cost me 50
cents to have 1t woven, and the warp was
% 1t is a splendid way to use up half
worn chenille curtains or table covers. The
strips are to be cut almost an inch wide
for rugs and narrower for divan covers"
you clever girl tell me about that pretty
pillow 1 see there, of as many colors as
Joseph's coat
well, I'm tired of crazy quilt and log
cabin silk work, and wondered what to do
with my scrap silk. 1 cut silk into pieces
two inches square; fold them once in the
middle-now, that makes a long strip. Then
| bring the two ends down to meet the
folded bottom edge, and this forms a tri-
angle like a cooked hat. / sew a row of
these, points upward, on foundation, and
the next row overlaps 1t, the points alter
mating with those of the first row. The
whole pillow, then, is Of vari-colored silk
points lying fiat. 1t makes pretty pillow
to brighten a corner"
And they're quite as pretty when they
get little ruffled,'' 1 said.
Now, before you so, come and see my
bookcase. l didn't have room in my
shelves for the volumes Of the Century