Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-27

AMI Hldue IAHSSldn cfdSns lht
same that can be bought in the
shops for a shilling a yard, is
being used as the foundation rex
tile for the most artistic articles
of fancy work this summer. The
Elizabethan bags, particularly. are being
made and worn by young society girls
with whom the pretty fashion has spread
apace
Many art workers would spurn the hand
made Russian crash because of its cheap
ness and in that it is too narrow for most
large pieces, such as table covers. bed
spreads and window draperies. But the
same young woman, Miss Mary Bacon
Jones. an artist, who evolved the crash
embroidery has also invented the most
ingenious method of putting the breadths
together
For porch work there is nothing half
so stunning as these hand, work and
handkerchief bags, resembling as they do
those worn during the Elizabethan pc
riod. They have novelty all their own.
1t is not the material alone that lends the
work its especial value. although the soft
cream gray tones of the Russian crash
form a particularly artistic bae -~3und
for the workmanship put upon it. 1t Is
the com bination of color and the harmon
izing of the details that count for mnch'
OF the design and coloring it might be
said right here that the young woman
who designed the new work gets her de-
signs wherever they are to be found. In
this lies much of her success and origi-
nality
II am just as apt to get my design from
a fine bit of ironwork as | am from
Turkish rug. Some comes from old Eng
lish tombs, some from odd bits of Ori-
entail embroidery and others from wall
paper or silk. None is bought in the
shops. These I adapt to the work in
hand 1t sounds difficult, but really 1t
is most simple. For a girl who has not
studied design let her get some paper,
the sort that is squared off for the use
of architects in drawing perspective ole
vations.
Copy a motif on paper. The Moorish
and Turkish patterns, especially, offer
good material, and one motif will form
the basis for an allover design, a border
or for central figure of some more elab-
orate pattern. However, the greater the
simplicity the more effective will be the
result.
During the last year most of my in
spira tion came from q fine set of Jap
anese prints, the work Of the best Nippon
artists, loaned me by friend These
have been used ad infnitum for the work
of my pupils. 1t may not always be de-
sirable to copy the design or coloring ex
actly, but one can indicate the motif
and give the suggestion just the same.
If a girl has none of these in her own
home she can easily obtain access to
them at the Lenox Library, where there
is q fine collection, or at the high class
art stores of the japanese importing
houses.
"There is something indescribably beau
tiful about the coloring of these prints.
Soft dull greens, yellows and browns
miDgle together delightfully."-. So in this
work it is always well to keep in close
touch with the japanese coloring, then
one cannot get far away from the best
standards. 1t may be that the cOloring
in the article under construction will be
done in a higher key than the original.
This, however, must depend on the room
in which the cushion, table cover or
drapery is to be used.
I.I KEEP this suggestion ever before
my girls. Get your idea where
you can find it and adapt it to your
work. Learn to think in different fabrics.
Unfortuna tely, most girls who study art
to-day think of design solely in respect
to the especial field in which hey are
working. This narrows their horizon
and limits their vision. The perfection
of art is to adapt design to any sort of
work you may want to do. Then you are
bound to be original.
Draw your inspiration from every
thing within your reach. Do not look at
embroidery for your inspiration. Look to