Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-15
TIMELY HINTS FOR
WOMEN READERS

The pastimes of dancing and fancy nee
dlework are very much on the DECLINE at
the summer resorts. This is probably due
both to the increased love of outdoor
sports and to the fact that Older women
are not content to sit on verandas nova
days. engaged in fancy work. but are
anxious to share the exercise of the
younger ones. After days of vigorous
boating. fishing or mountain climbing
girls and raeH find themselves much too
tired to enjoy dancing. while needleworkj
is scarcely an occupation for the even
ing.
l am told by the art storekeepers that
only about one-third the amount OF fancy
needlework is sold to be taken on the an
nual vacation as formerly. while dress
makers say that many more smart tailor
ed gowns in linens and wash fabrics are
packed into the trunks going away than
are pretty. frocks appropriate for dane
ing.
Still. so long as there are girls there
will be a certain amount of dancing
going on, and. as not all elderly women
are of the more or less athletic type,
there will be fashions in fancy needle
work.
Changes, too are evident each year in
regard to the kind of decorative work
preferred. AS a rule the more simple de-
signs on washable material are chosen,
and this year the fancy for making linen
mats for receiving the asbestos mats
seems to prevail.
A set of such covers neatly worked on
good linen will last a lifetime, and.
though there Is little variety in the work.
still the number of pieces in different
sizes prevents 1t from becoming tedious.
1t is very nice to see each piece complet-
ed. and encouraging to begin another.
To make the covers two pieces of linen
must be cut the shape of the asbestos
mat and extending two inches beyond its
edge. These two pieces are very neatly
basted together all around the edges and
then stamped for scalloping. This can be
done by using the end of a spool of
cotton. tracing with a lead pencil. The
scallops are padded by running threads
Of the embroidery cotton around them
when they are ready for buttonholing.
An eyelet is pierced in each scallop
through both thicknesseS of linen with
stiletto (Which makes the truer hole) or
small embroidery scissors. The working
is simple overland sewing stitch
The next process is to cut slit on the
bestos mat. The opening is made length
wise and is neatly hemmed, no closing
OF any kind being required.
A set OF mats and covers of this kind
keeper at Christmas or to a bride just.
making her nest.
The asbestos mats alone may be bought
at 10 cents each for round shapes five
inches in diameter. up to a platter size
in an oval shape measuring Okla inches
at AZ cents each.
Another piece of work, suitable for va
cation, also favored this season. is MAX
ing set of tea napkins by hand. They
measure fifteen inches square when COM
pleted and are finished on their edges
with a scalloping or hemstitching as pre-
ferred In trying linen "a plain German
linen is asked for) the fiftyfour inch
width, when the hemstitching is used
and the forty-five inch for the scalloped
edge. will prove the most economical
way. The width across will cut just
three nakins. The only decoration above
the border chosen is a monogram or a
simple motif embroidered in one corner
Cross-stitch embroidery is revived to
quite large extent this season. and is
used as decoration both on household
linen and gowns.
/ saw a banding recently that was to
form the trimming of a cool looking
coarse gray linen crash. The colors were
dull red. old blue and black. worked In
cross-sttch on the gray linen, the edges
finished with a row of very dark red
soutache braid placed inside of a row of
black but quite close together.
1t was very tasteful trimming used
as belt. cuffs. the top of a blouse waist
cut In Dutch neck and the closing down
the left side. 1t might have been q little
more striking. yet in good taste for gen.
eral wear, had the background been a
dark cream. neither ecru nor yellow but
just the mellow shade Of old linen.
The very fine delicate embroideries in
colored silks are seldom seen now in the
hands OF amateurs. At the best this work
is trying to the eyes and the fragile ma
terials used render 1t unfit for general
vacation work. Tiny doilies are some
times attempted and so are the tops of
small pincushions. but the larger center
pieces and tea cloths that represented
weeks of tedious labor on the veranda
are now conspicuous by their absence.
A fad among the women in the lake
districts consists of fashioning brown
leather. heads, etc. into bags, dolls, small
cushions. ETC.. as is done by the Indians.
The work develops originality or in
genuity and as small mementos, the re-
suits may be taken to friends at home
At those places where the Indian bas-
kets are made. sometimes girls club to-
gether and take lessons for an hour or
so a day. They buy the material and
each pays the teacher small sum for in
struction as to its manipulation, and the