Evening star., 1905-10-28
THOUGHTS OF YULETIDE.
Some Really Novel Suggestions in
Making Pretty Gifts.
Written FOR The Star.

Written FOR The Star.
A favored peep inside workshops where
preparations are now in progress for the
great Yuletide sales, reveals endless charm
ing conceits in natural coored linen and
crash. Fascinating in the extreme are some
of these novel gifts which are being evolved
from this inexpensive material, and to the
girl who makes her presents by hand they
offer many hints.
So practical and simple that one wonders
it has not been thought of before is a linen
coat hanger. Wadding sprinked with
sachet powder and covered with cheese
cloth completely conceaIs the ordinary
nickel rack, the handle of which is tightly
wound with linen tape. To finish this a
piece of linen the length of the rack and
little over two inches wider than the broad
est part Of the nickel loop is buttonhoed
all the way around the edge with mercer
lied linen. The stamping for this button
holed edge could be accomplished by a girl
herself with the aid of the end of a spool
of thread and a pencil marking off the
semicircles.
Just inside the buttonholing at intervals
of two inches. two Sits form a narrow strip
almost an inch in length Buttonholing
also finishes these Sits A small hole at
the center of the linen allows 1t to be Slip
ped around the curve of the handle and
down over the wadded shoulder rack Tape
Is then employed to lace through the Sits
of the linen and underneath the rack, thus
securing the buttonholed cover tightly
about the rack. Heavy linen in white
rather than in its natural color may be
utilized for this same purpose, and with
the lacings OF wash ribbon the entire cover
can be removed occasionally and laun-
dered.
Applied effects so popular In the world of
fashion are also being used on these crash
ana linen novelties. For instance a lamp
tln cfr
shows a huge poppy applied with button
hole stitch, one blossom on each side This
flower could be easily cut from scarlet
Hnen, using a poppy from some old colored
print as pattern. The edges of the shade
are finished with red gimp, and the whole
thing Is thrown over a circular asbestos
shade, falling in pretty ripples as It nears
the edge and fitting tightly around the col
lar.
On sofa pillows and table covers Of crash
shamrocks In green linen are app1iuued
Narrow braid in self-tone sometimes edges
these leaf patterns, and is held in place by
french knots of silk dotting 1t the entire
length. Other effective sofa pillows show
the Irish insignia already stamped on the
crash or linen, with perhaps a pretty face
at the heart of each leaf. These are in
tended to be finished with short and long
silk floss. 80
Smaller gifts of natural co!ored linen are
charmlng1y decorated with little Japanese
hgureS IN h2nd painting. A linen cover for
paying card case has the Jack of hearts
painted on the upper cover. Laundry rec
oEds concealed in this way have Chinese
CHARACTERS on the outside. and one square
pidcque nolding tiny hooks for watch KEYS
etc, displays black silhouette of an ample
Tree, with youngster caught by the seat
or the trousers. If a girl does NOT nossess
lhe Ii. taient OF painting she can purchase
sltnilar covers OF linen, prettily slammed
Tor embroidering, and ready to fastnn over
note book or memoranda WV