Braid Work.—The application of this kind of work is well known, and is so general, that no particular cases need be pointed out.
Applique.—This is very elegant, as employed for table covers, sofas, chairs, &c.; indeed it always looks pretty, and to whatever it is applied it has a pleasing effect.
Star Patterns, are proper for sofa cushions, bottle stands, or any piece of work that is small.
Medallion Pattern.—Where the work is coarse, or large, these may be introduced with good effect; but especial attention must be paid to a proper combination of colors and shades.
CHAPTER XI.
FANCY NEEDLEWORK.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Instructions in Grounding.—Care must be taken in grounding to make the effect of contrast very conspicuous. Thus, if you ground in dark colors, your pattern should be worked in shades of a light and lively tint; for those in which dark shades predominate, a light ground is indispensible. The canvas for white grounding should be white; and if for dark grounding, a striped fabric is employed. The stripes will sometimes appear through the wool. To prevent this it will be necessary to rub over the surface with a little Indian ink water previous to commencing working, but care must be taken not to let the mixture run into the edges of the work, and it must be quite dry before you commence grounding. A camel’s hair brush is best for this purpose. In working in cross stitch, it is best to do so on the slant, working from right to left across the canvas, and then back again. This is preferable to crossing each stitch as you proceed, and gives an improved appearance to the work.
If you work in tent stitch, work straight, or your performance will be uneven when taken out of the frame. In all cases begin to go round from the centre, and work outwards, taking care to fasten off as you finish with each needleful, which should not be too long, as the wool is liable to get rough and soiled. It is also necessary to have them irregular as to length, to prevent the fastenings coming together which they will be apt to do if this suggestion is not attended to. For working in tent stitch with single wool, the canvas must not have more than fourteen threads to an inch; for cross stitch you must have a canvas not coarser than twenty-two threads to an inch; for the former, you will for every two and a half square inches require a skein of wool; in the latter case a skein will cover two inches. Following this calculation, you can easily ascertain the quantity of wool required for any piece of work; and it is advisable to purchase all your wool at the same time, otherwise you will have much trouble in matching the shades. An attention to these instructions will soon make you a proficient in the grounding department of the art.