INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PREPARATION OF HOUSE LINEN.
Bed-room Linen.—This includes quilts, blankets, sheets, pillow covers, towels, table covers, and pincushion covers.
Quilts.—These are of various sizes and qualities, in accordance with the purposes to which they are to be applied. They are generally made of the outside material and the lining, (wadding or flannel being laid between,) and stitched in diamonds or other devices. The stitches must pass through the whole, and the edges of the quilt are to be secured by a binding proper for the purpose. They are best done in a frame.
Blankets.—These are bought ready prepared for use. It is sometimes advisable to work over the edges at the end, which should be done with scarlet worsted in a very wide kind of button-hole stitch.
Sheets.—These are made of fine linen, coarse linen, and calico. Linen sheets are in general to be preferred. The seam up the middle must be sewed as neat as possible, and the ends may either be hemmed or seamed: the latter is the preferable method. Sheets, and all bed-room linen, should be marked and numbered. To add the date of the year is also an advantage.
Pillow Covers.—These are made of fine or coarse linen, and sometimes of calico. The material should be of such a width as to correspond with the length of the pillow. One yard and three nails, doubled and seamed up, is the proper size. One end is seamed up, and the other hemmed with a broad hem, and furnished with strings or buttons, as is deemed most convenient. We think the preferable way of making pillow covers is to procure a material of a sufficient width when doubled, to admit the pillow. The selvages are then sewn together, and the ends seamed and hemmed, as before directed. Bolster covers are made in nearly the same manner, only a round patch is let into one end, and a tape slot is run into the other.
Towels.—Towels are made of a diaper or huckaback, of a quality adapted to the uses to which they are applicable. They should be one yard long, and about ten or twelve nails wide. The best are bought single, and are fringed at the ends. Others are neatly hemmed, and sometimes have a tape loop attached to them, by which they can be suspended against a wall.
Dressing Table Covers.—These may be made of any material that is proper for the purpose. Fine diaper generally, but sometimes dimity and muslin are employed, or the table is covered with a kind of Marseilles quilting which is prepared expressly for the purpose. Sometimes the covers are merely hemmed round, but they look much neater if fringed, or bordered with a moderately full frill. Sometimes a worked border is set on. All depends upon taste and fancy. A neat and genteel appearance in accordance with the furniture of the apartment, should be especially regarded.
Pincushion Covers.—A large pincushion, having two covers belonging to it, should belong to each toilet table. The covers are merely a bag into which the cushion is slipped. They may be either worked or plain, and should have small tassels at each corner, and a frill or fringe all round.
Table Linen.—This department of plain needlework comprises table cloths, dinner napkins, and large and small tray napkins.