If preferred a striped lilac and white piece of material can be used for the centre and back.
For the girl who is fond of initials or monograms I would suggest that the cover be hemstitched and a wreath selected in different sizes appropriate to the article on which it is to be used. These wreaths can be carried out in colour or the background may be coloured and the wreaths white. Inside of the wreath work your monogram or initial. If you desire a Dutch room, carry out this scheme in Delft blue material and have a dark set of Mission furniture.
Nile green linen with wreaths of conventionalized rosebuds or daisies, worked in shades of pink, or white and yellow, suggests a French room, with a brass bedstead. As I have stated in the chapter on initials, the stem stitch is pretty for working single lines of a design that is carried out in satin-stitch.
Stem stitch is too slow a method however to embroider school linens, and I would suggest using a substitute that has the effect and yet does not require the time. A row of outlining is made, and then turn the work back in the same manner, this time instead of working through the material, catch the places where the two successive stitches of the first row overlap ([Figure 269].)
Another wrinkle you might be glad to hear of and possibly want to put in practice is how to clean a daintily embroidered piece without washing it, such as a pincushion or pillow top. School is not like home where you can be sure a piece sent to the laundry will have proper attention. Another drawback is that all extras have to be well paid for. If the piece is thickly covered with white talcum powder and allowed to stand without disturbing it for forty-eight hours, the embroidery will emerge almost as clean as if it had been laundered.
Fig. 269. A substitute for stem stitch
Now then there are the curtains for your room. You may be fortunate enough to have a room with dainty dotted swiss or dimity curtains that will go very nicely with the things you are planning and then again you may be inflicted with a pair of cheap imitation lace curtains. If you can possibly afford it change them as soon as possible. Personally I would rather have no curtains than the wrong ones. Dimity, dotted swiss, scrim, plain net or grass linen are materials that are inexpensive as well as artistic. Of course you can make them as fancy as you wish. Any of the above mentioned materials can be stencilled. Rick-rack braid, which is a wavy braid, can be used to edge the net curtains or a Connemara lace design is also appropriate.