1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



441 



other breadth in a direction /row you. Again, bring 

 the needle towards you, as in the first stitch, and 

 then pass it from you, as in the second ; and soon ; 

 thus making a sort of lacing together of the two 

 edges, which results in an elastic, yet strong and 

 flat seam. If the selvage is loose, or stretched, in 

 any place, or if by making the proper joinings of 

 the figure much fullness of one side is occasioned, 

 draw in the outer thread of the edge by an over- 

 cast stitch. The breadths of velvet, tapestry, or 

 any tufted carpet should be sewed in close over- 

 stitch and the seam pressed with a warm flat-iron. 



Linings, whether of paper or cloth, add to the 

 durability of a carpet. But if between them and 

 the carpet is placed a layer an inch thick of 

 straw or dried grass (see that no sharp sub- 

 stances, or very stifi" straws are among them, as 

 they would cut and injure the carpet,) then the 

 dust will sift down among the straw, which would 

 have remained on cloth or paper to chafe and wear 

 the web of the carpet. A layer of cotton batting, 

 or an old quilt, beneath the straw, gives elasticity 

 to the carpet after the straw has become settled. 

 For stair carpets the batting and straw are excel- 

 lent. A good bocking is quite expensive, but it 

 often saves more than its cost for the covering of 

 the middle of a nice carpet ; and may in emer- 

 gency, with a good lining of straw and cotton, 

 serve as a carpet. 



Common iron tacks answer very well for fasten- 

 ing down woolen carpets. They are more easily 

 taken out, and with less danger of tearing the car- 

 pet, if they are shielded by bits of leather through 

 which their points are passed. This, children can 

 do, — culling the leather of old shoes into pieces a 

 quarter of an inch square for the purpose. 



Putting down a carpet is really too hard work 

 for a woman ; but, as there are times when some 

 women feel obliged to do it, here are a few hints 

 towards facilitating the job : It is important that 

 the carpet lies straight; and thut it is tacked 

 straight, without strain or loop in auy part. If it 

 is scant of length, or strains, stretch it by push- 

 ing it gradually a yard, or more; then tack it 

 lightly there, and go again over the same in the 

 same way, two or three times. You will gain a 

 little each time, which you will pass on by remov- 

 ing the tacks ; and so proceed till you hive the 

 desired quantity at the end of each scanty breadth. 

 A carpet-stretcher is of great service for this work. 

 Very few have this, but a strong wooden rake fills 

 its place pretty well, — or a wooden mopstick. If 

 neither of these is accessible, it must be done by 

 actual pushing, while crawling on the hands and 

 knees — which many women do, — much to the dis- 

 grace of every whittling Yankee who has not made 

 a carpet-stretcher. 



Nothing prettier in the carpet line was ever made 

 than the striped yarn carpets which the industri- 

 ous housewife of olden times, — after she had 

 pulled, carded, spun and woven wool enough to 

 furnish clothing for her family, — used to weave 

 from the spinning of the tag-locks. Proud, indeed, 



was she to set up her dye-pot and to try her skill 

 in copying both in colors and weaving the most 

 brilliant of Wilton stripes ; and their harmonious 

 tintings of green and drab, lighted up with scarlet 

 and yellow, seemed alvrays to fill the apartments 

 that they bedecked with verdure and sunshine. 

 Then there were her knitted carpets for stairs and 

 narrow entries, — made (on long wooden needles,) 

 of this same yarn, either in heel or garter stitch, 

 as the fancy took her; striped either perpendicu- 

 larly or horozontally, according to the proportion 

 and variety of her colors. These were strong and 

 beautiful. 



But some sagacious woman found out that a 

 web of coarse hempen threads, or twine, filled 

 with a woof of yarn, made a much stronger and 

 nearly as beautiful a fabric as that of yarn for both 

 warp and woof. And not long after another sav- 

 ing mind (I think she must have been related to 

 the renowned wife of John Gilpin) concluded to 

 use her carpet yarn for other purposes, and substi- 

 tuted for it — what she had hitherto considered of no 

 value — the narrow trimmings and clipings made 

 in cutting garments. These, woven into the warp 

 of twine, made a very pretty as well as serviceable 

 carpet. She took out no patent for her invention, 

 and even to this day, her work has copies in many 

 a thrifty household. It is very desirable as a win- 

 ter covering for a kitchen floor. Those who still 

 retain the old-fashioned looms that once occupied 

 one end of every farmer's keepirg-room would do 

 well to set the shuttle flying through a fabric of 

 this kind. 



The most common of home-made carpets is what 

 is usually called a strip or rag carpet. Material 

 for this may be found in any family where there 

 are men and boys— pieces of thick woolen cloth 

 that are left after cutting and mending their cloth- 

 ing, and the best portion of such garments when 

 so worn out that they cannot be put to a belter use. 

 Selvage — listing of broadcloth, doeskin, and such 

 sort of goods — is excellent for this purpo- e ; and it 

 is good economy to buy this of the tailors — as well 

 as the pieces which they make in cutting men's 

 garments, if you haven't material enough of your 

 own. Both these pieces and the listing should be 

 cut into strips a quarter of an inch or a little less 

 in width. These strips, being of various lengths, 

 must be sewed together by lapping ends so that 

 they form a double square the size of the width 

 of the strip and stitching neatly all around the lap- 

 ping ; thus making a piece several yards in length, 

 which should be rolled into a ball. A great many 

 of these balls should be on hand before beginning 

 to plan the carpet. The different shades of blue, 

 drab, gray, &c., should be sewed separately. Also 

 the bright-hued flannel and delaine (in a dearth of 

 these, gay tinted lining cambrics,) which are need- 

 ed to relieve the more sombre hues of heavier 

 cloths ; but only plain, solid colors can be used. 

 As these goods are thinner than the rest of the 

 materials they must be ut twice the proper width, 

 and used double. So, after joining their strips, 



