Evening star., 1937-08-26


homes.
This art is just as fascinating as
1t was in those far-off days, when the
lady of the household spent hours
with her handmaidens, setting in
Vulnerable delicate stitches in yards
and yards of fabric. While we cannot
emulate them in making the great
pieces which have become almost
priceless through age and rarity, we
can add much to the appearance and
value Of our surroundings with small
evidences of our skill and patience.
In France today the workshops OF
Gobelin and Beauvais. makers of the
worlds most beautiful tapestries for
generations, are still turning out their
exquisitely faultless pieces.
IT is not surprising that these are
SO perfect in every detail, for a
lifetime of work Is put into the hand
some pieces to complete the design
have been to both the Gobelin and
Beauvais workshops, and 1t is fascinat-
Ing to watch the flying" fingers of
the men and women working across a
large canvas on a frame. At Beau
Vais, I remember so we'll the many
rooms filled with small children start
Ing to work at an age of about 8
years old and up. They look like
school rooms, with each child graded
according to his work. These small
boys and girls bent over their frames
instead of desks, learning the trade
that many will follow for the rest
OF their lives in the small town Of
Beauvais, France. Under the same
roof with these youngsters are their
fathers and mothers, as we'll as grand
parents, in many cases, all working
on various grades and sizes of
tapestries.
This sounds as if the whole town
worked at the shop, but this is not
really so, for only the best artisans
are kept besides, there have to be a
large number of them, as it takes
infinite labor to make one of the large
pieces. saw them working on one
that was called Victory; they had
been at it for something like three
years, and there were many more
years OF work necessary to finish it.
am sure that by now it has been
completed, and probably is hanging
on some wall for all to see, as re-
minder Of the World War.
MAYBE now you can understand
why the real finished article Is
20 expensive, but, in spite Of this, you
shouldn't be discouraged about max
ing your own tapestry, or needlework,
as 1t Is so often called. It Is easy to
learn, and doesn't take years to do q
chair or bench seat, which are about
the largest pieces that any one would
tackle.
These pieces come in various de-
signs to suit any type furniture you
might have. So, when selecting a
piece, don't just buy the one that
you think is pretty" unless it is
going to fit into your home, or be in
keeping with the chair or bench that
you are planning to use it on. I can
think of nothing that would be more
incongruous than lovely Louis "
piece, with its delicate colorings, being
put on a Chippendale chair If you
have Chippendale or French furniture
tell the saleslady and she will show
you beautifully marked pieces that
will be appropriate. Some canvases
have the center done in petit point,
while others have the entire design
done in combination Of the petit and
gros point All that you have to do
Is to fill in the background with the
gros point, which is very simple way
to begin.
OF course, the price of these needle
work pieces depends upon the size
quality and how much work has been
done. I would strongly advise buying
the best that you can afford, for when
you have 1t finished, you will be so
proud Of it that you will want 1t to
last, SO that you can hand it down