Another variety is made by using for a pincushion a flat, wickerwork basket, filled with shreds of wool, hair, or carpet ravelings, and FIG. 1.-BORDER (CROSS-STITCH EMBROIDERY). covered with a piece of embroidered or painted satin. The oblong and square mats to be used with this cushion may be of painted or embroidered satin of the same shade, trimmed with antique lace. Or, the antique lace squares purchasable at any fancy-goods store can be used, lined with any tint that harmonizes or contrasts prettily with the prevailing color in the room, and bordered with antique lace. An exquisite set for a bridal gift has a pincushion covered with white satin, on which is painted a spray of orange blossoms and myrtleleaves. The oblong and square mats are of the same material, bordered with ruches of narrow white satin ribbon and edged with lace, which may be as costly as the weaver's purse will admit. To make the mats, cut stout card-board foundations of the shape and size desired, cover the outside with the satin, and the inner surface with silk, and finish with the ruches and lace. Chenille may be used with good effect in place of the ruches, if it can be obtained the same shade of white as the satin. A pretty addition to this set is a pair of glass perfume bottles, covered with white satin, painted to match the pincushion and mats. Apple-green satin sets, with a design of snowdrops, and pale-blue ones with wild-roses, or a cluster of poppies and wheat, are very beautiful. Decalcomanie pictures or Kensington art-work can be substituted for the hand-painting. always keep a handkerchief-case and glove-box on the bureau. Numerous are the fabrics employed in their manufacture, from Russian leather, plush, velvet, and Japanese lacquer-work, to quilted and painted satin, cardboard bound with colored ribbons, etc. An extremely pretty style is shown in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 2). Two squares of satin of the size desired are lined with silk of the same or a contrasting color, and interlined with a sheet of thin wool wadding, over which perfumed powder is strewn. The lower square is quilted in diamonds about one inch square, and the upper one overlaid with a cover of embroidered net, a pattern (Fig. 3) for which is given. This net may be white, darned according to the pattern with white linen floss, or black, darned with gold, blue, or crimson. After laying the cover over the satin, edge with cord of the colors of the outside and lining, and ornament the centre with a rosette of silk or satin ribbon. The glovecase is made in the same manner, but the shape is of course oblong, instead of square. A very handsome combination of colors, where the other tints in the room will permit their use, is black satin lined with gold color, overlaid with black lace darned with gold-colored filoselle, and edged with black and gold cord. Black satin, lined with white or rose-color, and FIG. 2.-HANDKERCHIEF-CASE. overlaid with white, is also a pleasing combination, and very beautiful. A more simple but pretty set is composed of Many persons, besides a pincushion and mats, silver card-board with open-work stripes, each 216 stripe being embroidered with colored wool. For the handkerchief case, cut a square of card-board for the bottom, and another of the same size for the top. Divide the halves. After embroidering the three pieces, line each with silk the same shade as the wool, and bind with narrow ribbon. Next fasten the two pieces to the square below with small bows of ribbon, three on each side, thus form A Another variety is made in the same manner, using quilted satin in place of the card-board, and finishing with a ruche of satin ribbon. very handsome set of this kind, intended for a bridal gift, seen by the writer, was of white satin, quilted in diamonds about three-quarters of an inch square, and finished with ruches and bows of white satin ribbon. Wax beads were sewed at FIG. 3.-EMBROIDERY ON TULLE (DESIGN FOR COVER OF HANDKERCHIEF-CASE). ing lids. each corner of every diamond formed by the quilting, the effect produced being extremely chaste and beautiful. Handkerchief-cases naturally suggest handkerchiefs, and there are doubtless numerous readers of the MONTHLY who will appreciate the exquisite one illustrated in this article (Fig. 4). The pattern (Fig. 5) of the border is so clearly shown that description would be superfluous. Any one even slightly acquainted with this kind of work will have no difficulty in following it. Another article, to be found in almost every apartment of homes where household decoration is studied, is the tablecover, made in every style, from the most simple to the most elaborate, and of a great variety of mate FIG. 4.-HANDKERCHIEF, WITH NET-WORK. inches. Pass ribbon an inch and a half wide in and out through the threads, always remembering to leave the same width of ribbon below the threads as is laid above them, and finish with a dainty bow at each of the four corners, where a square opening will remain after the threads are drawn. Another comparatively inexpensive but very pretty cover is made of a square of felt, blue, oldgold, or dull red, as bests suits the room in which it is to be placed. On this square, about two and a half inches from the edge, are laid four strips of felt contrasting in color, fastened to the cloth by rows of feather-stitching. Pink both sides of the strips, and use one row of feather-stitching on each side. In each of the four corners place an appliqué figure,-a bird, butterfly, Japanese figure, or spray of flowers,-and finish with a silk acorn, ball, or tassel. rials, both costly and inexpensive. A very pretty One of the prettiest table-covers of this style is a square of dark wine-colored felt, bordered with FIG. 5.-NETTED BORDER FOR HANDKERCHIEF. Another finish is to fringe, the linen to the depth of four inches, then leave a space an inch wide, and draw out threads for the space of two strips of light-blue or old-gold, feather-stitched with black, or if an Oriental effect is desired, closely covered with rows of feather-stitching, 218 EMBROIDERY FOR HOME DECORATION. Each corner is orna- long and two and a half FIG. 6.-BORDER OF DRAWN-WORK FOR TABLE-COVER. inch at the top, slash it evenly from end to end, effect is very pretty, the Another variety, much stitches of the pattern are Still more costly covers are line with gold thread, or of sateen with a border of plush, ornamented with a garland of flowers in Kensington art-work, and edged with a rich fringe or antique lace. A very beautiful material for embroidery is pongee silk. Extremely soft and pliable, it hangs in graceful folds, yet is sufficiently firm not to "pucker" easily in working. It can readily be fringed, and the color of the fabric forms an exSuncellent background, and harmonizes with almost any tint employed in furnishing a room. flowers, cat-tails, daisies, and blue corn-flowers all look admirable embroidered upon it. An exquisite table-cover recently shown the writer was composed of nothing more elegant, by way of foundation, than ordinary bed-ticking, in rather wide stripes of blue and white. The blue stripes were covered with black velvet ribbon, fastened by fancy stitches of gold thread, the white stripes nearly concealed by an embroidery. of various fancy stitches made with bright-hued silks,-a different stitch and different shade of silk being used for each stripe,-and the whole bound with black piece-velvet an inch and a half wide, feather-stitched on the edge nearest the cover with gold-colored silk. The effect was very Oriental, and very beautiful. The cover was a yard long and three-quarters of a yard wide. If any of the readers of the MONTHLY have time and FIG. 7.-BORDER FOR TABLE-COVER. patience to follow these directions, we can assure them that the result will not be disappointing. Another elaborate and elegant cover-which also requires time and patience-is illustrated in the accompanying cut (Fig. 9). It is a yard and a quarter square, made of ecru congress canvas, and bordered with lace three inches wide,-ecru antique lace is the prettiest for the purpose, and trimmed with cross-stitch embroidery, drawnwork, and plush. For the outer border of drawn-work, use the pattern given for the table-cover of butcher's linen; for the broad border of embroidery, the designs for the border and corner of the scarlet wool canvas table-cover, and for the narrower inner border, the pattern given in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 10). Having made the drawn work border, and embroidered the wider pattern, sew a band of crimson, maroon, or blue plush on the cover, and finish with the narrower border inside. If preferred, the band of plush can be fastened on with fancy stitches of bright-hued silk, but in the writer's opinion it is handsomer without this addition. and sew them firmly around the edges of both square boards, and also down the four legs of the table. In putting them on the legs, leave a space about half the length of the tassel, between each two tassels. Black canton flannel, trimmed with black tassels, whose tops are wound with gold color, makes a very handsome table, as does also light-blue, with tassels wound with white or black, in rooms where these colors harmonize with the FIG. 8.-DESIGN FOR CORNER OF TABLE-COVER. From table-covers to tables is a very short step, and some varieties of the latter can easily be made at home, with the aid of an ordinary carpenter. An extremely pretty one consists of two square boards-a foot square is an excellent size-and four straight legs. Cover the four legs, as well as the two boards, with old gold-colored canton flannel, fasten the second board below the first, about half-way down the table; then with old gold-colored split zephyr wool make numerous little tassels, each about an inch and a half long, rest of the furniture. Such tables are also frequently covered with the same material as the coverings of the chairs and sofas, in which case the tassels are omitted, and the two square boards are bordered with woolen ball fringe, matching the tints of the covering. Another dainty table, specially adapted for a chamber, is the old-fashioned "hour glass," now in high favor again. The frame-work, of pine or some other soft, light wood, can readily be manufactured by the veriest amateur. The top and |