Chapter V: Part II: Household Economies and Fancy Finishes (1)

The Nursery Casement Curtain.

A very delightful little casement curtain is shown on page 95. This would be eminently suitable for the Animal and Bird Nursery, and will appeal to a child; and these little muslin curtains with filet crochet tops are so very effective both from inside and outside the window.

As will be seen, the crochet presents no difficulty, but it must be done evenly to look well. A diagram is given for working the strip, from which the open and solid meshes can be counted.

The heading on the curtain shown is worked in Ardern’s No. 36 cotton. This measures 15½ inches wide by 3 inches deep. To make this a little longer or deeper, a coarser cotton could be used, though, of course, much depends on the individual worker as to the size it actually works out. But filet crochet is best done as closely as possible.

Two of these little curtains would be wide enough for some windows, but it will be quite easy to repeat the design, or part of it, if required. Double crochet is worked along the top and bottom of the curtain strip to give a nice firm edge.

If quite a narrow curtain strip is preferred, the insertion showing the two ducks and the rabbit repeated, would be good. Or this insertion could be used at the bottom of a little curtain, providing there is little or no fulness in the curtain. If used at the bottom of a full curtain, the design would, of course, be completely lost.

This narrower insertion would also look very pretty to trim a white cloth for the tray or table, and it could either be let in round the sides of the cloth, or a strip would look well let in across each corner.

The cock and duck insertion is one that would be very effective where a strip is wanted to hang lengthwise down the sides of a curtain, or for any other purpose where a lengthwise strip is required. A separate diagram is not included for this, as this is merely a different arrangement of the birds, and the illustration is sufficiently large for the number of meshes between each pattern to be counted.

The Advantage of Coloured Knitting Cottons.

Many people do not care for all-white quilts and bedspreads, considering them cold-looking, even though they undoubtedly give a look of freshness to a bed, when they are first put on.

And there can be no doubt but what there is a need for colour in our furnishings no less than in our dress, in our dull climate. White bedspreads look charmingly cool and refreshing on a hot, sunny July day—but alas, so few of our days, even in July, are hot and sunny; and there are all the other months of the year to be provided for.

Hence the vogue of the coloured bedspread, with its splashes of pink, or blue, or heliotrope flowers and green leaves on a white ground.

Now that knitting has returned to us, and will undoubtedly stay, we find a revival of the knitted quilt of our grandmother’s day. But once more the objection is raised that the all-white quilt, while undoubtedly handsome, looks chilly, and shows every slightest mark.

Few people know what pretty effects can be obtained from white knitting combined with colour. Strutt’s “Milford” Knitting Cotton comes in several dozen very pretty shades, all guaranteed to wash well.

[Sidenote: A Leaf Cluster Pattern.]

The counterpane here illustrated is in pale blue and white, and is quite a feature in a pale blue bedroom.

Other colours you can obtain are various pinks, greens, pale cream, with the intervening tones right up to full orange, heliotrope, salmon, half-a-dozen different blues, from palest forget-me-not to navy blue, crimson, fawn, and various tints of brown.

But, undoubtedly, for bedspread purposes, there is nothing like the pinks or the blues.

It is best to use patterns that are worked in separate diamonds or squares, and joined later on. This saves a tanglement of various balls, as is inevitable if several colours are all going at once on a large piece of work. When the work is in squares, each alternate square can be in colour; when the work is in diamonds, that begins with one stitch and increase each row till the widest point, and then decrease to the opposite point. Half the diamond is worked in white, and when the widest point is reached the cotton is broken off and the coloured ball joined on, the remaining half being worked in colour.

The pattern here illustrated is the old fashioned leaf-cluster so often seen in ancient knitted counterpanes.

The bedspread is worked in small diamonds, which are joined together by over-sewing.

Use Strutt’s “Milford” Knitting Cotton No. 8, in white and in pale blue (or any other colour required), and a pair of No. 14 steel needles.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit a plain stitch; P = purl; O = over, that is, bring the thread forward and pass it over the right hand needle, in order to make an

extra stitch; N = narrow, that is, knit two stitches together.

With the white cotton, cast on one stitch.

_1st Row._—K 3 stitches into the one stitch cast on.

_2nd Row._—O, K, O, K, O, K.

_3rd Row._—O, K, P 3, K 2.

_4th Row._—O, K 3, O, K, O, K 3.

_5th Row._—O, K 2, P 5, K 3.

_6th Row._—O, K 5, O, K, O, K 5.

_7th Row._—O, K 3, P 7, K 4.

_8th Row._—O, K 7, O, K, O, K 7.

_9th Row._—O, K 4, P 9, K 5.

_10th Row._—O, K 9, O, K, O, K 9.

_11th Row._—O, K 5, P 11, K 6.

_12th Row._—O, K 11, O, K, O, K 11.

_13th Row._—O, K 6, P 13, K 7.

_14th Row._—O, K 7, cast off one (_i.e._, slip a stitch on to the right hand needle without knitting it, knit the next stitch, draw the slipped stitch over the knit one), K 9, N, K 7.

_15th Row._—O, K 7, P 11, K 8.

_16th Row._—O, K 8, cast off 1, K 7, N, K 8.

_17th Row._—O, K 8, P 9, K 9.

_18th Row._—O, K 9, cast off 1, K 5, N, K 9.

_19th Row._—O, K 9, P 7, K 10.

_20th Row._—O, K 10, cast off 1, K 3, N, K 10.

_21st Row._—O, K 10, P 5, K 11.

_22nd Row._—O, K 11, cast off 1, K, N, K 11.

_23rd Row._—O, K 11, P 3, K 12.

_24th Row._—O, K 12, knit 3 stitches together, K 12.

_25th Row._—O, K to end of row.

_26th_, _27th_, _28th_ and _29th Rows_.—Like 25th Row. Break off white cotton at end of 29th Row, and join on the blue cotton.

_30th Row._—Knit the whole row; end with the last 2 stitches knit together.

_31st Row._—Purl, ending with the last 2 stitches purled together.

_32nd Row._—Like 30th.

_33rd_ and _34th Rows_.—Like 31st.

_35th Row._—Like 30th.

_36th Row._—Like 31st.

_37th Row._—Like 30th.

Repeat from 30th Row twice over, making 3 times in all. Then continue working the purl and plain knitting for alternate rows till you have only one stitch left. Break off the blue cotton and cast off.

In joining the diamonds, use white cotton when uniting the white portions, and blue cotton for the blue portions.

See the article on page 61.]

The Cynthia Knitted Stripe.

Suitable for a Toilet Runner.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit a plain stitch; P = purl; O = over, that is, bring the thread forward to the front of the work, and pass it round over the right hand needle, in order to make an extra stitch; N = narrow, that is, knit two stitches together; S = slip a stitch.

Use Strutt’s Knitting Cotton, No. 8, 3 threads, and a pair of No. 12 steel needles.

Cast on 91 stitches for a runner, about 12 inches wide, or 118 for a runner 16 inches wide. If something wider than this is needed, cast on multiples of 27, with an extra 10 stitches.

Notice that after the first piece of plain knitting, each alternate row is like the 19th.

Knit 18 rows plain.

_19th Row, and each alternate row._—* S 1, K 9, P 17. Repeat from * till only 10 stitches remain on needle. Knit these 10 plain.

_20th Row._—* S 1, K 10, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 4. Repeat from *, K 10.

_21st Row._—Like 19th.

_22nd Row._—* S 1, K 11, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 3. Repeat from *, K 10.

_24th Row._—S 1, K 12, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 2. Repeat from *, K 10.

_26th Row._—* S 1, K 13, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 1. Repeat from *, K 10.

_28th Row._—* S 1, K 14, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N. Repeat from *, K 10.

_30th Row._—* S 1, K 15, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, K 1. Repeat from *, K 10.

[Sidenote: The Cynthia Knitted Stripe.]

_32nd Row._—* S 1, K 10, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N. Repeat from *, K 10.

_34th Row._—* S 1, K 11, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 5. Repeat from *, K 10.

_36th Row._—Like 20th.

_38th Row._—Like 22nd.

_40th Row._—Like 24th.

_42nd Row._—Like 26th.

_44th Row._—Like 28th.

_45th Row._—Like 19th.

Then knit 19 rows plain knitting. Go back and repeat from the 19th row.

The Economy Quilt.

Bedclothes become an expensive item when there are several beds for young people to be made up, as well as those for their elders. Yet warmth is essential, if their health is to be maintained.

In the winter, there usually comes a night of sudden cold, so raw and so intense, that it seems next to impossible to put too much on the beds. Every spare blanket is turned out, and every eider-down, and still there is not enough! Next morning someone is sure to say they never got warm all night!

Of course, eider-downs are ideal. They are warm without being heavy. But real eider-downs are expensive. Here is a substitute that was popular in our grandmothers’ day. It is simply a quilt formed of small bags, sewn together like patchwork, each bag containing a certain amount of snippets and clippings. Very simple, isn’t it? And yet these quilts, that cost practically nothing, are invaluable in the cold weather. Put one of these over the outside of the bed, and the sleeper keeps as snug and warm as though under a couple of down quilts.

One great advantage of this quilt is the ease with which it can be made. A child can always run up a little bag; a child can also cut up snippets, if it is old enough to be allowed to use a scissors. Mother can run round a few bags with her sewing machine, just before putting it away after doing needlework. In this way the bags accumulate in a surprising manner; and joining them together, a few at a time, either by hand or with the machine, is not laborious or brain-wearing work.

The Method I Always Adopt.

For some years now, I have made it a rule always to have one of these quilts on hand. If I do not need it myself, when it is finished, I always know someone who can put it to good use. Any woman who has an elastic family and a non-elastic purse, is glad of one for a gift.

I save every scrap of material that would otherwise be wasted. If it is not new, I have it washed and _thoroughly_ dried. All this waste goes into a bag that I keep hanging up in a cupboard in my bedroom. I never allow a large amount to accumulate, lest moth should get at it. I have seldom more than a couple of handfuls at one time waiting to be dealt with.

On my chest of drawers I keep a box. In this there is always a pair of sharp scissors. When I have a few moments idle—between the lights when it is too dark to see much else, or when my eyes are too tired to do work requiring close attention—I cut up a few of the scraps from the bag into snippets about an inch square sometimes smaller, never larger. I put these in the box.

[Sidenote: Worked in Sections.]

Then again, whenever I have any bits from dressmaking, or mending, or darning, it has become second nature with me to cut them up there and then into snippets, and put them in the box. In fact, I always have the snippet box on the table beside my work box when I am sewing, and the bits go in as a matter of course as I go along. It keeps me so tidy. Everything comes in useful, even fragments of darning wool, ravellings and basting threads!

I save any scraps of material large enough to make the bags; a useful size is five or six inches by three inches. I run up three sides of these when I have a spare moment; put in a small handful of snippets, and close up the end. These I put in a drawer till I have time to join them together.

I always machine mine together, as it is the quickest way.

Do not fill the bags anything like full, or the quilt will be impossibly heavy. If you fill the bag about a third full, or at most a very loose half-full, that will be quite enough. Each little bag just wants a slight thickness inside, to give the extra warmth, much the same as we sometimes line quilts with a layer of cotton wool between two cotton covers.

The reason we put the clippings in little bags, instead of into one bag, is to keep the stuff evenly distributed over the surface of the bed. Otherwise, every time the sleeper turned over, or disarranged the coverings, there would be the chance of all the clippings slipping over, and collecting themselves on the one side or the other of the bed, or possibly all falling to the foot of the bed.

A quilt made of the bags, not too full, can be shaken and kept thoroughly aired.

Almost any sort of material can be used for the bags, provided it is not too delicate in colour, as one does not want to have a quilt of this sort frequently going to the cleaners. Strong stuffs are best, such as cretonne, serge, stout print, sateen—anything in fact that will stand some wear.

Mix cotton clippings with wool clippings in each bag. Obviously the quilt will not need any lining, as the back will be fairly neat. If you like, you can finish the edge with a cord; but I myself always aim to get the outside bags all of one colour scheme; this in itself makes a certain finish—a kind of border—and I just leave it at that. After all, these quilts are not for ornament so much as stern utility; nevertheless, they can be made to look really pretty, if a little care and taste is expended on the placing of the various colours and designs.

To Finish the Hems of Blankets.

Turn down a hem a little more than ½ an inch, having a ball of wool ready (Andalusian or 3-ply white will do), fasten in the end with a darning needle. Having the working end of wool out at the top of hem, ready for the crochet hook (a coarse steel hook is best), catch up a chain stitch with the hook and * bring the wool across the hook as for doing a stitch, insert the hook at the bottom of hem, catch wool on opposite side, the opposite way to lifting the thread as in crocheting, that is hooking the wool in a downward movement from right to left, draw loop through and up level with the top of line. Take out the hook and make one loop, just drawn up to lie in two straight lines and slip through loop on needle, afterwards doing a chain stitch, and repeat from *. A little practice will soon show that done in this way the stitches are not twisted but lay flat, like the machine finish.

Doing up an Eiderdown.

In the days of our grandmothers, eiderdowns were considered a luxury, things to be taken care of and kept well covered. At the present time, however, they are found on nearly every bed, varying from those made of sateen and chintz to those made of satin and silk.

I suppose it is because “familiarity breeds contempt” that we do not take the care of ours that our grandmothers did of theirs, and that therefore they became so much sooner soiled and worn out. If your eiderdown is getting shabby, why not clean it and re-cover it yourself?

If anybody is not willing to give up a little time and trouble to the success of this venture, let them not so much as contemplate cleaning and re-covering an eiderdown at home, for though quite easy it is a little tiresome, and the only two things really needed outside a few yards of chintz are patience and common sense. To explain: patience will be needed, for an eiderdown takes some time to dry when once wet, and common sense to choose the right day on which to do it.

The first thing to do is to choose a hot day, as the eiderdown must be dried out-of-doors, and the brighter the day the quicker it will dry, added to which the sunshine fluffs up the down better than any fire does.

See the article on page 67.]

After well brushing and shaking the quilt, whip it well with a little cane to loosen the feathers and to get out whatever dust you can. Have ready a bath half full of warm—not hot—water, into which dissolve a small packet of Lux. Be sure before putting the quilt in that the soap is well melted, as otherwise it is apt to stick in lumps to the covering, whatever it may be.

Dip half of the quilt in first and souse it up and down before dipping in the rest. You will be surprised at the amount of dirt that “pours” out. It seems incredible that an eiderdown could be so dirty without showing it plainly.

When the whole quilt is wet, continue to dip it up and down in the water for some time, gently squeezing it between your hands. It does not matter if the colour runs, as the dye will not affect the down, and as you are re-covering it, why, the streaky case will not be seen.

Let it soak in the water for about an hour, occasionally stirring it in the bath, kneading and squeezing it so as to loosen the dirt. When you think it is clean, empty the bath and refill with hotter water, but no soap. Rinse well and continue in fresh waters until the soap is completely rinsed out.

Wring out thoroughly and hang over the edge of the bath to drain. At the end of twenty minutes wring out again, and it is much better if you can get another person to help with it, as it is much too big to do alone. Next, take it out into the garden and hang it on a line, the higher the better, but anywhere where the wind can blow through it.

And here is needed the patience; for it will take two days—probably three days, and possibly a _week_—to dry in the open, for an eiderdown is very thick, and the down being close it is difficult for the air to penetrate. Never let it stay out after the sun is off it, as it quickly absorbs the damp and only delays the process of drying. Frequently turn it while hanging on the line, and shake it well to loosen the feathers.

I generally find that three days is enough to dry my quilts thoroughly, but I always leave them spread out on the grass on a clean sheet for one whole day in the sunshine after the drying to fluff up the feathers. It is wonderful how the heat makes them swell and become light and fluffy.

When all this is finished, take your little cane and whip it all over hard, as though you were beating a carpet. Turn it often as this helps to loosen the down inside.

This completes the cleaning process, which is simple but complete, and then you are ready for the re-covering.

The new cover, needless to say, depends entirely upon individual choice whether it is to be satin, silk, sateen or chintz.

I always use a pretty chintz corresponding to the curtains and hangings of the bedroom the quilt belongs to. One side I cover with this, and the other side I use a self-coloured sateen or casement cloth to tone.

It is impossible for me to give the amount of material necessary, as eiderdowns vary tremendously in size. There are many different widths in what is called a double-bedded quilt, as also in the single-bedded ones. For large-sized ones you will have to have a seam down the centre, as no material is wide enough to cover it completely; but, for a single-width quilt, a forty-inch goods will be wide enough.

[Sidenote: Re-covering the Quilt.]

The last quilt I covered was for a brown room with a china-blue carpet patterned in white, and so I chose a willow-pattern chintz with a reverse side of brown sateen, and it was really one of the most successful I have done.

First of all, machine-stitch the two widths of material together, being careful to match the design on the right side, and carefully press the seam flat. Then spread out on the floor the sateen—also seamed—and, laying the eiderdown upon it, run a tacking thread all round the edge, being careful to stretch the quilt to its fullest, so as not to make the cover too tight. After this run a line of stitching around each and every little eyelet, of which there are many; these hold the cover in position for the next step.

Taking a long thread of a bright-coloured cotton, carefully follow out the design of the quilting, which, in my particular case, was a very elaborate scroll, tacking the stitches right through the quilt to the new piece of material. If the design is very complicated this needs patience; but nowadays eiderdowns are more often quilted in straight lines, with perhaps a diamond centre.

Always tack your pattern on the plain side of the material, as it is so much easier to stitch on the machine later on if there is no pattern to dazzle your eyes.

I would impress on whoever tries this re-covering to be _very_ careful about keeping exactly to the quilting pattern, as on this altogether depends the success of the whole undertaking. It would be most disappointing if, after having finished, you should find that owing to careless tacking the covering was crooked or cramped or drawn. It takes patience and care, but is quite easy and most satisfying.

When you have completed the outlining, lay the quilt on the floor again and tack on the chintz, doing exactly as you did with the sateen, only omitting to outline the quilting, as it is not necessary to have it on both sides.

Next, where the threads outline the eyelets take a stiletto and punch the holes through both sides and button-hole them all round through the double materials. In doing this use silk the colour of the plain-coloured side, as it looks so much nicer than the reverse way.

And now all is ready for the machine. If your quilt is in two colours, thread the machine with the silk matching the sateen and use a bobbin threaded with a shade to match the reverse. Carefully follow out the design which you have outlined, spreading the quilt as wide as possible so as not to get it puckered.

When all the stitching is finished you will be delighted to see that both sides of the quilt are stitched in their own respective colourings.

Take out the tacking threads around the edge, and turning down the edge of the “right side” of the quilt insert a narrow piping cord and sew in by machine. Next turn in the edges of the other side, and hem by hand down to the edge of the cord. This gives a very nice finish as well as a very neat one.

To anybody who desires a frill, though these are not always the prevailing fashion—there being fashions in eiderdowns as in other things—after taking out the tacking thread around the edge of the quilt, insert the frill instead of the cord and stitch firmly by machine. In using a frill be sure to have it made of the two materials the same as the cover, putting the plain to the plain and the fancy to the fancy. Then hem down as with the cord.

A very handsome edge can be made if a thick cord be used similar to those used in upholstery work, but covered tightly with material before sewing to the cover. The pulling tightly of the material covering the cord gives a sort of “cable” effect, and is really very pretty.

When completed I feel sure you will be pleased with the look of your new eiderdown. It costs so little—not more than a few shillings at the outside.

See the article on page 61.]

Patchwork Quilts.

That useful branch of oldtime needlework, the patchwork quilt, has been revived, and this revival is due to the exigency of economy during war-time. The price of all kinds of materials being so very high, and the need for economy so great, have led to many useful devices, in order to maintain a reasonable amount of comfort during these trying times, and not the least of these is the patchwork quilt.

The smallest scraps of cotton, silk, or other material can be utilised and made into coverings, which in many cases may be made very artistic, and durable. In order to carry out the colour scheme of the bedroom for which it is intended, it is necessary to combine only those colours which are found in the other furnishings.

The usual size of a quilt for a double bed is 6 ft. by 5 ft., or if the bed be very large, 6 ft. by 6 ft. The single bed size is 5 ft. by 4 ft. For a child’s cot, 4 ft. by 3 ft. is the average size.

Many of the more artistic kind are made up into bedspread size, which is longer than the quilt, and allows for a fall over each side. The size of a bedspread is usually from 72 to 90 inches, by from 90 to 100 inches.

The pieces of material, which are all of the same kind in each quilt, are cut up into triangles, squares, points, circles, etc., and care must be taken to have the sizes of the different shapes exactly alike. The edges are turned in, then the various pieces topsewn together on the wrong side according to the pattern. It is a good plan to make the quilt in sections, then unite all together.

A quilt of this kind must have a lining, and if wanted to give additional warmth an interlining of some kind. Cotton wadding, strips of old white flannel, or any colour which will not run in the washing, sewn together. Old woollen underwear _thoroughly_ washed and with worn pieces cut away, can be made use of, as well as light colour tweeds, etc., but all pieces must be lightly sewn together with flat seams, then tacked on the lining. See that this lining fits the quilt exactly, turn in the edges of both, tack together, then machine stitch or sew the edges together. Blanket stitch may be worked over the edge with coarse coloured silk, embroidery thread, or No. 5 “Peri-Lusta.”

The quilt is now ready for the “quilting,” without which it would not be complete. This is done on the sewing machine if one be at hand, otherwise hand-sewing with coloured thread, matching or contrasting with the work, is done in running stitch, with here and there a backstitch to make it secure. Use a long sewing needle with “Peri-Lusta” thread, any required colour, No. 8. The lines of sewing can be formed into diamond shape, squares, herringbone shape, zig-zag, or any other form liked.

[Sidenote: About Quilting.]

The following designs are easily made, and will only require scraps of material found lying idle in most households. Old sheets can be made use of for the lining, or perhaps faded casement curtains, which can be washed and bleached, or tinted to match.

Triangles in Three Colours.

This is intended for scraps of silk too small to allow of variety in the shape. They are all cut into triangles, and the colours arranged to form hexagonal shapes. There are only three colours, and of each you will require two triangles to form the hexagonal shape. Place the six triangles with a point of each in the centre, no two of same colour coming together, turn in and topsew the edges of each of two sides together. Make several of this shape before joining together, then topsew all the hexagonals, which will be found to fit into each other. Finish in the manner already directed.

A Variety of the “Star” Shape Design.

The design shown on page 82 is a variety of the “star” shape design, and three colours are used. Each star has a plain six-sided figure in the centre. In the design this centre is green. Then each of these six sides has a triangle in white. The space between the points being filled with pink, the outer edge of which is, of course, twice as long as one side of the centre.

Suitable for Silk Patchwork.

The design at the bottom of page 79 is the very latest design, and is suitable for scraps of silk, the fashionable colours of black and white being combined in the sample. Blue and white, pink and white, green and white, or any other colours can be substituted. The border has an appliqué of roses cut from cretonne. Each motif has its edges turned under, then tacked to the quilt or bedspread when the quilting is finished. The edge is worked over with green “Peri-Lusta” of the same shade as that with which the “quilting” was done, using outline stitch.

To Form a Padded Quilt.

The design at the bottom of page 80 is intended for forming a padded quilt out of small pieces of silk, sateen, or other material. The hexagonal shape is used here, and the lining of contrasting colour is cut to the same size, then five sides of the shape are sewn together, and the little bag so formed is stuffed with vegetable down, then the other side sewn up. One side of this can be silk and the other cotton.

The long narrow strips for the sides are formed of the principal material in strips of the required length, and double the width the band is to be. Sew the edges together, then stuff with the down through one end, sew the corners together, and these must be cut at right angles, so as to give a nice corner. When all the padded pieces are sewn together, a pretty effect is obtained by going over all the seams with black cotton in feather-stitch. Vegetable down is cheap, and about three pounds will be ample for a large size quilt.

Patchwork Appliqué Bedspreads.

Another economical bed-covering is found in the patchwork appliqué. In this bedspread there is no lining required, and cheap cotton material serves for the foundation, or old sheets, casement curtains, bolton sheeting, etc., that have served their purpose can be utilised. They can be tinted any shade desirable and, of course, must contrast with the colours chosen for the appliqué. A deep border turned up on the foundation in the form of a hem is attractive, as seen in the “Fleur-de-lis” design on page 81. Here the foundation is cream sateen, and the appliqué with border cut from similar material, but in a deep shade of pink. The motif is simply outlined with black “Peri-Lusta” in stem stitch, when attaching to the bedspread.

Repairing Table Linen.

Now more than ever is it absolutely necessary to preserve our linen household napery, for the price asked for new linen is enormous, owing to its scarcity, and it is said that in the near future it will be almost impossible to obtain it at any price.

It may not be generally known that linen is liable to the attack of minute insects, which bore through it, just as the moth does through wood, and so weaken it that it soon wears into holes, if precaution is not taken to prevent them. When storing linen, camphor, lavender, cedar wood, etc., are just as necessary for its preservation as they are for woollen goods, and it is said that an apple, hung up till quite dry, then studded all over with cloves, stuck in up to the head, is very potent when attached to the top of the drawer of the chest, or hung on the inside of the door, if the chest be made in this way. All linen should be well aired before putting away. The repairs should be made before sending the linen to the laundry, and if it has been stiffened and glazed, the part requiring mending should be steeped in warm water to take out the starch, and then dried.

When a part becomes threadbare, the best method of repairing is to darn it neatly with fine linen thread, obtained by ravelling a piece of the material. In the case of a table cloth this thread can be got by ripping the hem at one end and unravelling the edge for a few rows. Wind the thread on a reel and keep for the repairing of this cloth, then remake the hem.

Fig. 1 shows the method of doing plain darning, and Fig. 2 shows the twill darning or plain damask stitch.

Insert the part to be darned in the embroidery tambour with the wrong side turned towards you, as all darning must be done on this side of the material. The darning should go well up into the sound part of the surrounding material, and the stitches should be small and even.

[Sidenote: Repairing Table Linen.]

Run in the lengthwise stitches first, taking care to have them a little loose, as they will shrink when washed, and leave a small loop of the thread at each turning, to allow for the taking up of these threads when working across them. Run the stitches according to the thread of the material in perfectly straight lines, taking up only two or three threads and skipping the same number. In alternate rows take up those threads skipped in the preceding rows.

When the weak portion is covered with the lengthwise stitches and about half an inch beyond it at each end, work across in the same way, taking up and leaving alternate stitches, and having the same space between the rows as at first.

[Sidenote: Darning and Patching.]

When there is a hole in the linen, it is necessary to cut away the worn edges and make the sides even, then darn as in the preceding case, but have the threads much closer together, continue each lengthwise thread across the hole and darn down below it, leave the loop at the end when turning. (See Fig. 1). The darn when finished should have the threads so close together as to replace the original piece.

For twilled linen fabric Fig. 2 shows the method of proceeding. Begin by working the darning stitch lengthwise across the hole in the same manner as before, then study the material to see how many threads of the fabric are crossed over to form the twill, and proceed to make the crossing stitches, passing over two or three threads and taking up one or two according to the pattern. In each succeeding row advance one or two threads in the same direction.

Even coloured borders can be very successfully repaired, and a correct copy of the original design be obtained in this way, using thread matching in colour with those of the border.

Fig. 3 shows how to repair a rent in the material, or a gash made by a knife, when the edges fit close together. Place a strip of stiff paper underneath the opening and tack securely all round. Darn across the rent, drawing the edges close together, and picking up the threads in each row which were passed over in the preceding. Leave the small loop at each turning as before.

Patching the Linen.

When the piece to be repaired is too large for darning, it must be cut out and replaced with a patch of the same material and, if possible, the patch should be cut from linen which has been in use about the same length of time as that requiring the mending. If new material must be used, then let it be somewhat thinner in texture than the other, for if the same material in a new piece be used the patch would be very conspicuous.

[Sidenote: Repairing Table Linen.]

Use fine linen thread and a fine sewing needle when patching. Cut the edges of the hole to a thread of the material, taking away the worn parts completely, cut the patch to fit over the hole and about an inch beyond it each way. Turn in the edges of the hole, making a diagonal slit at each corner, to get a perfect angle and flat seam. Turn in the edges of the patch and tack on the wrong side evenly over the hole, turn to the right side and hem the patch to the edge of the hole with neat small stitches, then backstitch on this right side to the outside edge of the patch, keeping the lines straight and the angle at each corner acute. See Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows the inset patch which is less noticeable than the preceding, and suitable for articles which do not have to stand very frequent use and washing. The edges of the hole are arranged as in the preceding, the patch is cut to fit it exactly, with its edges turned in a seam of the same width as that in the hole. Both edges are topsewn together on the wrong side, then the seam opened out and pressed quite flat. If neatly done and the pattern evenly matched, a patch of this kind is scarcely noticeable. The raw edges of the material should be neatly overcast to prevent ravelling.

Darning Damask Table Linen.

When darning damask linen it is quite possible to imitate the design so closely as to render the mending invisible. A close study of the design is necessary to see the number of threads taken up and passed over. In all cases the best thread to use is the ravelling obtained by picking out the threads from the edges of the material.

The illustration page shows the most common damask patterns and the method of darning them. In all cases the lengthwise stitches are worked as in Fig. 2. The pattern is worked by the crossing stitches, taking up and passing over a certain number of threads in each successive row.

The samples are worked with two coloured threads, so that the stitches forming the design can be easily copied.

When doing drawn thread work wind all the pulled threads on a reel, and keep them for mending linen of all kinds, they are the best threads for the purpose.

When Cloths are frayed at the Laundry.

Table cloths and serviettes are usually sent to the laundry, even when the bulk of the washing is done at home, as it is so difficult for the amateur to get the evenly glazed surface that the professional worker gives the cloths. The result is that tablecloths soon show signs of wear and tear, and invariably “go” first down the edges.

As soon as holes and fraying appear at the sides or ends, cut the strip right off, unless it is quite a small rent and can easily be mended. As a rule, when the edges once start to go, they do the job pretty thoroughly. And the best way is to cut off the weak part, before it tears far into the material, and turn a new hem.

If the cloth is then too narrow to use on the dining table, it can be widened or lengthened, by applying a deep hem, which can be joined with fagotting to the cloth. It will be necessary to tack both the cloth that has been cut and re-hemmed, and the new hem on stiff paper to keep it even as you work the faggoting.

Mending a Sheet.

Nowadays, when economy must be the watchword with most of us, a great saving can be effected in our household by paying attention to the requirements of the contents of the linen chest and remembering the old proverb, “a stitch in time saves nine.”

When a piece of bedroom or table-napery shows signs of wear in any part by becoming thin, patching can be avoided by carefully darning the spot with soft cotton or linen thread, running the stitches well up into the sound portion surrounding the weak. But when, as in the case of sheets, a large portion gets thin all over, patching must be resorted to.

The best way to repair a sheet that has become well worn in the centre is to cut it right up the middle and turn the selvedged edges to the centre. Tack these in a flat seam, overlapping the edges for somewhat less than the quarter of an inch (do not turn in the selvedge edge for there must not be a thick seam), using fine sewing cotton of a soft make, stitch along the extreme edge of the seam at both sides, or use the machine if one be handy; in the latter case do not have the tension tight. If the part now turned to the sides shows any holes or any portion of it be very thin, it is better to cut this portion out and replace by a patch.

The piece for this patch should be lighter than the material of the sheet, but of the same kind, and it is always well to keep pieces of the old sheets which can no longer be used for this purpose.

Cut the patch to the required size by a line in the threads of the material, allowing two or three inches beyond the weak edges in the sheet. Turn in the edges neatly along the three sides of the piece which come in on the sheet, tack the two edges together and spread the patch in place on the sheet, making it perfectly smooth, now tack round the three edges. Hem down this side of the patch.

Turn the other side of the sheet and cut away the portion over the patch, leaving half an inch margin, turn in the edges of the margin, snipping the corners to make an angle, tack the seam, then hem or machine-stitch along the edge. The sheet is now ready for hemming the sides, turn in a half inch hem at each side and sew in place. If the sheet has been hem-stitched at both ends a few stitches of this hemming must be undone at each side of the centre seam and then reworked so as to preserve the pattern and give a neat finish to the work.

Books for Little Girls

Edited by FLORA KLICKMANN

“The Little Girl’s Sewing Book” is unlike any other
needlework book that has ever been published, and is
overflowing with pictures and little poems, just the sort
that a child enjoys. “The Little Girl’s Knitting and Crochet
Book” contains instructions for making many articles—easy,
attractive, and useful—that a small girl will love to knit
or crochet.

A Patchwork Toilet Runner.

The illustration on this page shows a very effective way of using pieces of cretonne to make a toilet runner. Runners are expensive items to buy, but if you have some pretty pieces of material by you, you can make one with very little trouble and expense.

The one shown is composed of 18 pieces of pretty coloured cretonne, each measuring about 2¼ × 8¼ inches. These are joined together to make a long strip, and the whole is finished with a 1¾ inch hem of blue print, which is machined on.

The border can be of any pretty shade that will tone well with the pieces. Or, if they are of a delicate shade, a hem of unbleached calico would make a delightful finish. This washes excellently, and the soft, creamy tint looks exceedingly well with the pale-coloured pieces.

In selecting the pieces of cretonne to be used, it is essential to employ only those that will launder well. Otherwise with the first wash the whole thing will be spoilt through the colours “running.”

This runner when finished measures 44 inches long by 12 inches deep, but a cloth of any size or shape can be made in this way, and with a little thought and trouble really delightful results can be secured at little or no expense.

If you do not happen to have any fancy cretonne by you, there is no reason why plain coloured pieces should not be used. So long as they are carefully and tastefully blended, quite a pretty cloth or runner can be made. Oddments of casement cloth, linen, cotton poplin, print, can all be saved, and a real economy can be effected by this method of using them.

Modern Bead Work.

Beaded motifs as dress trimmings were never more in vogue than at the present time. Beaded bags, hat-bands, belts and ornaments are all expensive articles to purchase, but they are quite easy to make, and the materials cost but a little.

There are two modes of making the hand-made trimmings and bags, and, of course, this kind is worth much more than that made by machinery, as well as being more lasting and artistic.

In beaded crochet a coloured mercerised cotton, fine enough to pass easily through the beads selected, is used with a crochet-hook corresponding in fineness to the thread. The beads are first put on the thread, using a fine sewing needle for the purpose, or waxing the thread end; the beads are then worked into the design with the usual d c.

In the needle-made variety, which we are illustrating in this issue, each bead is attached to the bead immediately below it, and to the one following it. A very fine sewing needle, with fine linen or glazed cotton thread, is necessary.

The Rose Design.

This beautiful design is suitable as a single motif for dress trimming, or as a repeat for tops of bags, etc.

Delft-blue china beads compose the background for the rose, which is of a deep pink colour, with small green stem.

Use fine linen thread and a very fine sewing needle. Thread 29 of the blue beads (or any other colour selected for the groundwork), run the needle back through the 28th bead (that is, insert the needle through the 28th bead, between the 28th and 29th, and bring it out through the 28th between that and the 27th), thread a bead, bring this bead over the 28th, and run the needle back through the 28th, as you did before, but run it through the 27th also; thread another bead, place it over the 27th, and run the needle back through the 27th and 26th beads; repeat with every 2 beads to the end. Turn.

_3rd Row._—Thread a bead, run the needle back through the last bead in the 2nd row, thread a bead, run the needle back through the last bead again, in the same manner as before, and through the following bead; thread a bead, and continue as in the 2nd row, introducing the rose beads. After working 7 blue (b), there are 5 pink (p), 3 b, 3 p, 10 b.

_4th Row._—9 b, 5 p, 1 b, 6 p, 7 b.

_5th Row._—7 b, 6 p, 1 b, 5 p, 9 b.

_6th Row._—8 b, 2 p, 8 b, 4 p, 6 b.

_7th Row._—6 b, 1 p, 2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 6 p, 2 b, 2 p, 7 b.

[Sidenote: Needle-made Motifs.]

_8th Row._—7 b, 1 p, 1 b, 2 p, 2 b, 5 p, 2 b, 2 p, 6 b.

_9th Row._—7 b, 2 p, 1 b, 2 p, 7 b, 1 p, 1 b, 2 p, 5 b.

_10th Row._—5 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 5 b, 1 p, 1 b, 4 p, 2 b, 3 p, 4 b.

_11th Row._—3 b, 5 p, 1 b, 4 p, 1 b, 2 p, 4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 2 p, 4 b.

_12th Row._—4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 2 p, 1 b, 5 p, 1 b, 6 p, 2 b.

_13th Row._—2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 5 p, 1 b, 2 p, 4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b.

_14th Row._—4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 4 p, 1 b, 2 p, 1 b, 4 p, 2 b, 6 p, 2 b.

_15th Row._—3 b, 6 p, 1 b, 4 p, 3 b, 4 p, 1 b, 1 p, 5 b.

_16th Row._—3 b, 2 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 3 p, 1 b, 3 p, 1 b, 6 p, 3 b.

_17th Row._—4 b, 5 p, 1 b, 1 p, 3 b, 8 p, 1 b, 2 p, 3 b.

_18th Row._—3 b, 3 p, 1 b, 9 p, 2 b, 5 p, 5 b.

_19th Row._—7 b, 2 p, 2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 7 p, 2 b, 2 p, 4 b.

_20th Row._—6 b, 2 p, 1 b, 6 p, 1 b, 3 p, 9 b.

_21st Row._—8 b, 3 p, 3 b, 1 p, 4 b, 4 p, 5 b.

_22nd Row._—4 b, 4 p, 1 b, 4 p, 1 b, 1 p, 1 b, 5 p, 1 b, 1 green (g), 5 b.

_23rd Row._—4 b, 1 g, 2 b, 5 p, 1 b, 2 p, 1 b, 7 p, 5 b.

_24th Row._—5 b, 6 p, 2 b, 3 p, 1 b, 3 p, 3 b, 2 g, 3 b.

_25th Row._—3 b, 1 g, 5 b, 5 p, 4 b, 3 p, 7 b.

_26th Row._—24 b, 1 g, 3 b.

_27th and 28th Rows._—All blue.

The bead at each turning is not included in the number given at the beginning of each row; this is the “turning” bead, and must be used in every row as in the 1st and 2nd rows.

A Needle-made Star Design.

This lovely design can be extended each way. It is made with 2 shades of blue, but any other combination will prove equally attractive if the shades are well chosen.

Light and dark blue were used in the sample, and, of course, the beads are all of the same size and shape.

Thread 4 dark blue (d b), 7 light blue (l b), 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 7 l b, 4 d b. Turn. In this design the “turning” bead is omitted.

_2nd Row._—Thread 1 d b bead, run the needle through the last bead in 1st row at the side next to the 2nd last, draw out the thread, now run it through the 1st bead in this row towards the 2nd bead in 1st row, and put it through that bead; thread another d b and continue on with 2 more d b, then 8 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 8 l b, 4 d b.

_3rd Row._—2 d b, 11 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 11 l b, 2 d b.

_4th Row._—2 d b, 12 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 12 l b, 2 d b.

_5th Row._—10 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 1 d b, 10 l b.

_6th Row._—10 l b, 2 d b, 4 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 2 d b, 10 l b.

_7th Row._—10 l b, 3 d b, 4 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 3 d b, 10 l b.