Evening star., 1925-04-21

The vogue of black and white in
interior decorations is responsible for
an interesting development in applied
needlew ork. Etching embroidery is
unique. The name is descriptive. The
finest embroidery cotton or silk is
employed to bring out the beauty of
fine lines, so delicate and exquisite
that they seem actually to be etched
in black on the white of tablecloths.
napkins, buffet cloths, scarfs, center
pieces. luncheon sets, etc. 1t is chiefly
In connection with table napery that
this etching embroidery is seen,
though the work can be employed
FOR various other purposes. such, for
example. as embroidering bureau,
dresser or vanity sets, sofa cushions.
handkerchiefs, etc. 1t may even be
employed to make quaint pictures to
frame for the walls of chambers.
In etching embroidery the fabric is
white, the medium fine black thread.
1t is especially felicitous in napery
because it carries out the hitherto
partially developed fashion for black
and white in table accessories, as
seen in the black and crystal candle
sticks ard console sets, the black and
white French china dinner sets, the
black glass dessert plates, etc. The
French always introduce some note
of black to accent their color scheme
and in table decorations it gives
striking effects, bringing out the
beauty of luscious fruits, gay flowers
and tempting viands But etching
embroidery is more than a foil. 1t
has a charm of its own as well as
setting off other things to advantage.
1t lends itself admirably to table
damask as well as plain linen, bu
in true American fashion we adapt
the Partisan idea to suit our own
fancies-that is, if we wish to have
a yellow luncheon set we may US,
one of the exquisite yellow toneu
fadeless linens and put the etching
stitches in black, carrying out the
traceries of the design.
Color Schemes.
There must be but one color of en-
broidery silk used in a design, how
ever. No colors can be introduced
except that of the fabric and the
one shade used in the embroidery
Here again we may digress from the
French conception of black and
white and. use dark brown similar
! to the brown ink often used in genu-
inc etchings. We are privileged to
d:gress even further and use any one
dark shade that fits in with our
color scheme for a room, or for a
preferred tone of fabric. For in
stance, we may wish a natural-toned
linen runner and doilies for the din
ing table. While nothing could be
more appropriate than black en-
broidery on this, the home-maker may
prefer to have the scheme accent
some tone in her luncheon set, such
as green or blue. Then the me-
dunn may be in the color desired, but
1t must be very dark. The whole
idea of the etching embroidery is
ruined if the tone is not black, brown
or some extremely deep tone
Outline Embroidery.
1t has been nearly half a century
since the vogue of outline embroid-
cry started. 1t must have lasted for
years. There are few households
where the women of the past gener-
alton We're fond of fancy work that
do not boast of one or two pieces of
this embroidery. The chosen color
for the work apparently was red cot
ton. Stitches are fine in these pieces,
but the medium not particularly so.
The fabrics were variable, some
coarse and poor, others excellent,
sometimes even being of silk.
A Later Development.
While it is a far cry from these
red outline embroidered articles of
the past generation to the mar
velously dainty traceries of stitches
in the modern etching embroidery,
the identical stitch is employed. SO
delicate is the latter work that it
is scarcely possible to believe the
lines are done with needle and thread.
1t is when you feel the fabric and
the pattern that you are convinced
of stitches. They tell the tale, just
as engraving is distinguished from
printing by the feel"
Description OF Stitch.
The stitch is simple back-h hand.
The imperative thing to remember
is that the thread must always be
kept on the same side of the needle.
If but one stitch varies from the
regularity it will make a blemish in
the embroidery. Each stitch must be
taken on the line from right to left
or vice versa. The result will be a
succession of fine even stitches, all
going the same way in unbrok ken
sequence. Bring the needle up at
the beginning of a line, take d short
stitch, preferably from left to right,
on the line, bringing the thread up
nearly where the stitch began, and
continue this throughout the pat
tern. Nothing could be simpler, and
the effect is charming.
An original design is given today
that can be adapted in various ways
though 1t has been designed with