Evening star., 1926-04-02


used as a decoration on wearing ap
parei and housefurn!shings for Spring
nd Summer. Almost every woman
can crochet and embroider to some
extent, 50 that it will be easy to work
new combinations and designs to or
nament underwear. table and house
hold linens and children's clothes. By
means of simple embroidery stitches
and double crochet work there are
unlimited possibilities for decoration.
\ wide variety of crochet cottens
and sizes of cottons may be used, de.
pending upon the garment or article
YOU wish to trim and the nature of
The trimming. You can use hard
twist, soft-twist pearl and even yarns
that are not too heavy. and you may
combine Cottons of more than one
Gind. No, 20 hard-tiwst crochet cot
ton is suitable fer most table linens.
With this cotton use No. Ii steel
hook
IF YOU wish TO make straight
strip Of crochet for a pocket top on
- Child's dress. for instance, or
lengths OF braid or binding. If will
ne necessary to break the thread at
he end of each row and to start
again at the beginning Of the prevl-
Gus row. but ii YOU are making bands
dresses, YOU can work in rounds
without breaking your thread. and
f you are using more than one color
for croCheting YOU can change the
color at the beginning of the new
round without breaking the thread.
French Knots and Eyelets.
French knots combined with eye
let work make . charming combina-
ton Of needlewor5 used on house
hold linens and baby clothes. \
bedroom set worked IN French knots
and eyelets is unusual and lovely
The way to make successful
French krot is to use a heavy thread
and TO carry it around the needle
lust once. When YOU wrap a
thread around needle several times
YOU make coil. not q knot You
should twist your needle around
your thread as YOU hold ii against
the fabric, instead Of holding the
needle away from the linen and
winding the thread around it.
When making eyelets. place running
stitches around the edges not less
than three times. to hold the edges
firm and prevent their stretching.
If you do not punch the eyelets with
= stiletto, YOU can cut out the holes
by clipping away in an outline that
conforms to the shape of eyelet you
wish, but do not slash. Leave
enough of the fabric to turn under
with the needle as you work. Pro
fessional embroiderers find it more
satisfactory to work eyelets to the
eft than to the right, as there is
less strain upon the cut edges and
more shapely eyelets are the result.
If you are In the habit of working
10 the right. you will find the other
way easy after little practice.
Cross, Feather. Chain Stitching.
Pretty clothes for small girls are
hard to buy, but easy TO make. by
applying cross stit ching on good
materials cut on simple lines. This
simple decoration converts simple
little garments into smart juvenile
modes. The cross stitch is a simple,
practical stitch, not only used as an
ornamental stitch but also for mark
ing household linens, decorating
cushion covers, table covers and cur
tains. Practice first on checked
material, such as gingham, turning
down a hem Of even depth and
fastening il in place with the cross
stitches. The stitch is formed by
Two diagonal cross stitches. Begin
hv fastening the thread on the under
side of the material at the lower
right-hand corner of the square ana
draw the needle through to the right
side, inserting it at the upper ie1t-
nand corner. This forms one-halt
Of the stitch. The next half Is
crossed in the opposite direction by
bringing the needle up at the upper
rirht-hand corner. Then insert the
needle at the lower left-hand corner
and bring II out at the lower right
land corner of the succeeding check
n the bingham. This brings the
thread out O. couple of threads Tor
lard of the last stitch, for the new
stitch.
Simple designs applied to children's
plav dresses are frequently worked
in this stitch in gay cofors. Nheh
marking linens with initials, paste
a square of coarse scrim over the
linen 10 indicate squares, as 1t may
easily be pulled away from unoer tne
sfitches after the lettering is finished.
The double-cross stitch makes a
handsome decoration. If worked IN
me color, proceed as for the single
ross. only when the second stltch mas
aeen taken, instead of going Forward
20 backward to the center or the lower
inc Take A stitch over the center OF
he cross, inserting the needle IN the
center of the upper line, bringing IL OUT
m khe center of the r1ght-hand SIDE
md inserting IL at the center OF tne
oft hand side. lastly bringing 1t up in
he lower right hand corner or the
next square. making four stitches. Cir
los or sections from old embroidery
,nedalIions may he cut out and ap-
aIied 10 material with this stitch.
Tho feather stitch and the coral
fitch. although distinctly ornamental
titches, in many cases may be maze
% serve useful purposes as Wen, as IN
holding a hem in place, Tor instance.
The names Of these stitches are taken
rom their resemblance to the delicate
,ihere Of a. feather and the sprays of
roral. The shape of the feather stitch
Js more spreading than the coral
stitch. which is straighter up and
DOWN. although the method OF making
The stitches Is the same. 1t is only IN
forr, that they differ. On childrenS S
sheer linen dresses q fine linen floss
should be used with as line a neeole
as possible.
Embroidery silk and cotton are also
used, the heavy cotton floss being SUIT
able for rather heavy wash materials.
70 elaborate a design further, French
knots are often placed between the
stitches of the design. This gives a
very pretty and more solid look to the
embroidery. 1t is well to practice
;hese stitches on canvas, using tap
estry needle and wool thread. The
method of the work and the variations
Of the stitch may by this means be
more thoroughly understood, at the
same time training the eye to exact
ness and precision of work, so neces-
sary in all kinds of fine sewing and
embroidery. Feather stitching may
he applied to children's dresses be-
tween rows of tucks or 1t may be
worked in circles or a serpentine line.
or in two overlapping circles. All
books on ngodlework give illustrations
showing the exact method of working
these stitches.
The chain stitch is a simple form