1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



443 



ness. A round strand, almost a roll, is better than 

 a flat one for mats ; and a braid of three or four 

 the pretties-t. Two or three colors together make a 

 handsome mottled braid, which when alternated 

 ■with plain braids have a lively appearance. An 

 oval is the most convenient shape, and the easiest 

 to form. If you have no carpeting for the centre, 

 for a mat that shall be a yard at its greatest 

 lengtft, and three-quarters at its greatest width, 

 make a braid six or eight inches long and finish 

 both ends neatly. Then make a braid more than 

 twice as long as this, sew the strands neatly to- 

 gether at the beginning, and pin the last end. 



Braids, whether for a mat or carpet should be 

 laid upon a talile to be sewed— they will be more 

 likely to atsain a flat and even shape there; and, 

 in fa-.t, they are too heavy to manage in the lap. 

 So you will lay the short braid upon a table and 

 sew the other around it, with just such thread and 

 wax, aad the same sort of stitch, as for a braided 

 carpet. If this braid is more than sufflcient to go 

 ground, cut off the surplus. Meet both ends and 

 join them on the back of the braid so neatly 

 that the seam will not be observed. Sew around 

 and join every row in the same manner. If you 

 please, you can make a quantity of braid before 

 beginning to sew, but each row that is added to the 

 mat must be united by its ends so that the mat is a 

 succession of unbroken rings. (Some persons 

 make these mats of one long braid, so that when 

 diflFerent colors are introduced the mat looks 

 crooked and broken, and the closing off seems un- 

 finished.) Two or three rows of points cut from 

 thick woolen pieces make a pretty border ; but the 

 mats are handsome enough without, if their two or 

 three outer rings are of dark braid. 



There is no piece of work that so betrays a per- 

 son's habits as one of these mats. She who is ac- 

 customed to do things carefully will make them of 

 smooth, even, tight braids that will last in constant 

 use a dozen years ; while a careless and untidy 

 person will be satisfied with irregular, rough and 

 loose work that scarcely pays for the time spent 

 upon it. To make these mats lie perfectly flat, 

 place them beneath heavy chests, or under the 

 feather-bed or mattress in beds that are occupied, 

 and let them remain there a week or ten days be- 

 fore using them. 



Crocheted mats, made either of very coarse 

 yarn or of narrow strips of woolen cloth, are quite 

 pretty and durable. If of cloth, fold and press it, 

 and make each stripe around complete in itself. 

 Rugs and mats imitating cheneille are made of 

 very small pieces«nd parings of all sorts of cloth 

 — that which is cut crosswise is best. The edges 

 are picked, or ravelled, and the pieces are then 

 gathered on a strong thread — and drawn so closely 

 together that nothing but the fringed edges are 

 seen, — into long bunches, which are sewed in over- 

 stitch to a thick cloth. Similar to these are mats 

 made of squares, or rounds an inch in diameter, 

 that are folded in quarters and each piece sewed 



by its centre to a thick cloth. Sail-cloth is good 

 for these, and also for the cheneille mats. The 

 design should be simple : a star of various shades 

 upon a plain ground bordered with scrolls; or the 

 centre of one color only, surrounded by block- 

 work, or the Greek border near the edge, gives a 

 handsome mat. 



Carpets and rugs of looped work are often very 

 beautiful, and are the strongest of rag carpets. 

 The foundation of these is tow-cloth, between the 

 threads of which narrow strips of all kinds of 

 cloth are drawn. Sometimes by being attached to 

 a needle and thread; but, much easier, by being 

 hooked through by an iron instrument made like 

 a very large crotchet needle. If these are not 

 found at the hardware stores, any blacksmith can 

 easily make one. The tow cloth should be quite 

 stiff. A carpet must be made in breadths, which, 

 when finished, sew together like those of a tapes- 

 try carpet. Extend these breadths in a frame — a 

 quilting frame answers very well — and as the work 

 proceeds roll it up, as in making a strip carpet. 

 Almost any lady can draw designs by baring the 

 articles before her to copy. 



After the cloth is extended, having decided upon 

 the pattern— groups of flowers, with a great deal of 

 foliage are the easiest to make, and are also the 

 most effective — take measures for ascertaining the 

 centre of the width ; and here you will commence 

 the centre of the design. It is less monotonous to 

 alternate large and smaller designs, and so atten- 

 tion must be paid to the relative space each re- 

 quires. A carpenter's pencil, a piece of red chalk, 

 or a bit of charcoal is needed to draw with. It is 

 necessary to trace first a circle, or an oval, that 

 will include the space occupied by the design — to 

 be obliterated when the drawing is finished. For 

 this lay upon the cloth a cover — a tin pan, or some- 

 thing of the kind — and mark lightly around it. 

 Then take two ar three roses with their buds, and 

 the same of lilies, with a few of the rose leaves 

 and other larger leaves — such as grape or maple 

 leaves. Arrange them tastefully in a broad dish, 

 containing water to keep them fresh, upon a table 

 just beside you ; and then lay, one by one, draw- 

 ing its outlines as it lies, just such flowers, buds, 

 and leaves, upon the cloth, within the cu'cle just 

 traced. After the outlines are marked it is easy to 

 draw the edges of the petals, and the veins of the 

 leaves, by looking at the flowers in the dish. The 

 group should not be crowded, but the leaves may 

 hide pwrt of some of the flowers in a natural man- 

 ner, and the buds, which contribute largely to the 

 beauty of the pattern, be allowed due promi- 

 nence. 



Generally, the flowers wrought in carpets are 

 too large to be handsome — the natural size is by 

 far the prettiest. If you want gaudy figures copy 

 peonies and tulips ; but roses, lilies, asters, daisies, 

 dahlias, always look well, and show good taste. 

 It is imprudent to attempt to copy any smaller 

 flowers than these, as in drawing in the plain color 



