EMBROIDERY.—DESIGN FOR SCREEN.
(See Plate in front of Book.)
Materials.—Drab or black satin, three shades of crimson, two of brown, three of green, three shades of amber, and two of blue embroidery silk or chenille.
Frame the satin, and draw the pattern with a white crayon; work, in embroidery stitch, the flowers with the shades of crimson, the leaves with the greens, the stems with the browns, and the birds with the shades of blue, amber, and green, blending the colors as may be suggested by the taste and judgment of the worker. The above design is well adapted for a cheval-screen, but in drawing the pattern, it will be necessary to considerably magnify the whole. The easiest method of drawing a design on satin for embroidery is to make use of a pounced pattern. This is prepared in the following manner: Trace the outline of the pattern on thin paper, then neatly pierce it with a steel point. Fix the pattern thus prepared firmly on the material, rub the pounce over the paper so as to penetrate the perforated outline; afterwards trace it over with a white crayon. Finely-ground pumice forms the best kind of pounce. Embroidery in chenille, though rather expensive, if neatly worked, is extremely rich and elegant in appearance; it is well adapted for screens, provided when made up the work is protected by glass from the dust. In working on satin, a long-eyed needle is preferable. Chenille à broder is used for embroidery; and much unnecessary waste may be avoided if the needle is brought up close to the preceding stitch.
