Nature in Handcraft 37 



form or a triangular form. In fact one flower used as inspiration might be 

 developed into hundreds of different design motifs through this method of 

 emphasizing an outstanding point and using geometric forms for variety. 



A design must fit the area into which it is to be placed. 



It is a generally accepted principle in decoration that an ornament should 

 harmonize with the form and structure of the object which it adorns, should 

 be in complete subordination to it, should never stifle or conceal it. In other 

 words, Structural Design, or the form of the object, comes before Applied 

 Design, or the ornamentation of an object. There are generally rather 

 obvious spots for applied design; as, a box top and sides; the cover of a 

 book, or the handle of a spoon. We would apply the design to the portion 

 of the object where it would best enrich the object. Again, simplicity is the 

 keynote of good design. An unadorned object is better than an over-rated 

 one. As soon as we limit ourselves to a definite area we should realize that 

 the size and shape of this area is an essential part of our design. The same 

 motif may be worked into any number of forms but the design must not 

 appear forced into the area. 



Since we are planning a design that is to be applied to some concrete 

 object, we must consider another problem which might be called Limita- 

 tions of Material. There are for instance certain things we can or cannot 

 do with a chip carving knife, and limitations in the use of wood as a craft 

 medium. There is therefore a definite technique in chip carving that should 

 be considered in making the design. The triangular cuts characteristic of 

 this craft would be shown as part of the design. 



The same rule applies to textile printing. In printing with linoleum we 



