New-York tribune., 1912-03-11
~ News Of |ntgrgSt 81
" to ,W9mgn ~
Beauty and Utility
from Rags and Tags

join the ends Of Il, leaving out the width OF
a rag at the beginning. start TO cut at the
place thus left out and so round and round
until the pieced strip is all In rags. Wind
II up, but keep sewing together, cutting and
winding up until you tire or your rag sup
ply is exhausted. It is easy In this way
to get beautiful clouded effects, either for
grounds or stripes.
Old white stuffs. such as bed linen, should
be torn in neat strips the warp way OF the
goods making the strips as long as poss-
ble-also as even Lap and stitch these long
strips as IL makes a much smoother and
firmer woof than If you tore almost to the
end, then turned and tore the other way.
White soils so easily It is better to dye the
cloth before tearing into rags. Dyeing can
be done afterward, but is more troublesome,
as the balls must be reeled into hanks be-
fore going into the dye pot. Country folk
can find in woods and along roadsides
things suitable for such dyeing-red oak
bark, for example the tender inner part
set with alum gives "a sort of fawn brown,
and set with copperas gives an approach TO
olive green. Sumach berries not fully ripe
|, color a very dark. blacksh brown, peach
yellow and the inner bark Of hickory a
deeper and somewhat greenish yellow
Swamp maple bark dyes very dark slate
purple and MULLEN stalks and leaves duli
yellow, most artistic If you get II JUST
right. Set all these dyes with either alum
or copperas. taking care 10 dissolve what
ever you use in boiling water before putting
II into the pot.
Silk rags should not be woven into floor
coverings, as they wear out quickly. But for
hangings, cushions, couch covers and so on
they are most desirable, especially II sewed
together. hit or miss, and beaten thickly into
bright warp. red green, blue or yellow.
The woof should let only glints Of warp
show through Thin silks for such uses
will so much further If cut rather narrow,
then basted with long stitches double over
still narrower strips Of lawn, swiss muslin
or even tarletan or net Old window cur
tains and mosquito bars thus find a useful
end
With plenty Of silk rags and no weaver
handy you can try your skill at pleatlng or
crocheting your rags. The crochet needle
must be Of bone, big. strong and smooth.
Make foundation chain as though the rags
were thread and work in single stitch, let
ting the stitches run crosswise or up and
down as you choose. This for hangings.
covers and so on Mats had better be
crocheted round, widening 10 keep the work
fiat.
Pleat In ordinary three-pleat. contrasting
colors in your strands. even though II means
breaking them pretty often. Lapping Is
easy in a pleat. When you have done
great heap of the pleat begin sewing 1t to-
ge:her, either in round shape or rug
breadths, turning back neatly AT each edge.
Use a coarse. large-eyed needle and strong
fax thread. II you have a lot
OF old flannel dye It In three shades OF the
same color and use a strand OF each shade
throughout your pleat. Properly sewn to-
gether, this gives a uniquely beautiful rug
or hanging. BY such dyeing It is possible
TO match a rug TO the room which Is TO re-
raiva it