Cultivate, we beseech of you, habits of neatness in early youth. Dresses should never be put away dirty, or with spots that can be removed, or thrown down in a heap. Benzine or chloroform will remove nearly all kinds of spots, but it must be quickly rubbed dry, or it will leave a spot. Wax spots from candles can be removed from any material by placing over the spot some brown or blotting paper, and place over it an iron sufficiently hot to melt the grease; change the paper until all the grease is thus absorbed.
Our young readers may be assured that the little care bestowed on keeping their garments neat, clean, and whole, will give to their appearance that air of freshness which in itself is a charm, and will prove the truest economy. Moreover, the power of using the needle skilfully will give good manipulation for other and more artistic employments, and can never be aught but a blessing to the American girl.
13.—EMBROIDERY IN SPANGLES AND CANNETILLE.
Bullion, which is a large gold wire, of which officers’ epaulets are made, frisure, a smaller bullion, clanquant, which is a flat gold ribbon, are all classed under the denomination of cannetille. Leaf-shaped spangles are called laine.
Stretch the velvet, cloth, or silk which you intend to embroider in a frame, and tack over it your pattern, which must be nicely drawn on silver paper. Suppose your pattern is a wreath of grape-vine leaves and grapes; you must put bullion on for the centre stem. This is done by running a needle and thread through the tube, and fastening it with an occasional (strongly sewn) stitch or two. Take the smaller bullion, or frisure, for the outlines of the leaves and tendrils, fastening it on in the same manner as the large bullion; vein the leaves with fine gold thread.
Make your grapes of large spangles, and purple or green glass beads, thus: Pass your needle through the velvet from underneath, take a spangle on it, then take a purple bead; pass your needle again through the spangle and back through the velvet. Then begin another grape in the same way, and fasten carefully off when your silk is used up. A wreath of grapes and holly (the holly berries red beads) round the edge of a table cover would look very nice. The cover should be of dark cloth, and edged with gold cord all around.
14.—EMBROIDERY IN LAMÉ OF VELVET AND GOLD.
Fix your material in a frame. Tack over it your pattern drawn on silver paper, or sketch it lightly on the surface of the cloth or silk.
Work your stems and tendrils in frisure, your berries or little flowers in spangles.
You can purchase stamped velvet leaves, which you must fasten with strong gum to your velvet or silk, and then keep them firm by veining them with gold thread.