Fig. 3.
Take a very stiff square of damask, and fold it exactly in half. Open and fold in half the reverse way. The centre is now ascertained. Fold all the corners very exactly to the centre. Iron them down; turn over, and again turn the corners to the centre. Turn the serviette over again and take each corner from the centre, and fold it back at the half. Then crease it from A to B ([fig. 1]), open the crease, and fold it again from C to D. Take it in the hand and bring the crease A to C, and C to B, and so all round. This will enable you to make it stand. Hold the apex between the fingers of one hand and square out the four sides. This makes it resemble [fig. 2], and completes it. A few flowers should be arranged in the compartments. For variety the corners may be left upright, like [fig. 3]. By reversing it, as shown in [fig. 4], a different design is obtained.
Fig. 4.
THE IMPERIAL CROWN.
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
The [Imperial Crown] requires very stiff damask—an exact square is best,—and either a very small serviette, or a very large one folded in four, to reduce it to a quarter its size. Lay it flat on the table: fold the end, [A, B, over to the dotted line in the centre, C D]. Do the same the other side, bringing [E F to C D]. Then place the end, A B, in three folds, as for a fan, the whole length of the damask, and crease them down, making the folds exactly use the piece between A B, and the fold at g, h. Then fold the end, E F, to match. Then bring the folded ends, A B, to the centre, j, crossing the folded part of one over the other where they meet. The serviette will now look like [fig. 2]. Turn the fold, E F, to the back and fold down. Next bring the corner E, by the dotted line K J, completely across, like [fig. 3]; the end N is to be level with the end E. The end N is then to be crossed over to match, and the end of the band inserted in the folds of the other, so as to hold firmly together. Put the hand inside and shape it. When set over the dinner roll it will stand firm. It should be a full-sized roll. The front of the hat should face the guest. If the carte de menu is not too large, it may be placed in the plaited fold at N, before crossing the ends over.