FURNISHING. 57 



and ten balls of "hit or miss" colors of the same weight, 

 will make at least fifteen yards of carpeting. After the 

 breadths are sewn together, and the ends hemmed, braid 

 together all the old red flannel and black wqolen rags 

 and sew them around the edge for a border. The result 

 will be quite a neat and stylish floor-covering, of which 

 no housewife need be ashamed, and costing much less 

 time and labor than those dazzling rag-carpets in which 

 "shaded" colors and "feather-stripes" abound. 



Mother's Koom must have a lounge a lounge long 

 enough and wide enough and soft enough for an after- 

 dinner nap, and pretty enough to, be ornamental, as well 

 as of use. Like that in the spare room, the frame can 

 be made at home and covered with any kind of material 

 that will harmonize with the room. Take care to have 

 the frame broad and low. Flowered buff and scarlet 

 furniture calico, such as might be used for the lambre- 

 quins, or plain dark red, will make a pretty cover. Af- 

 ter the frame is covered with stout sacking, securely 

 nailed in place so as not to sag, tack on a valance of the 

 chintz or calico, and make a mattress of the same, filling 

 it with split corn-husks or nice straw, and tying it in 

 large diamonds, using tufts of scarlet yarn for buttons. 

 Around the edge of the mattress place a ruffle or box- 

 plaiting that will fall over the top of the valance. Then 

 make two good, generous cushions of either feathers or 

 oat-straw, cover them with the material, sew a ruffle or 

 plaiting about the edges, and the lounge is complete, ex- 

 cept for a gaily striped afghan, or small, prettily pieced 

 quilt, which should be folded and laid at the foot, as a 

 convenience for covering the shoulders during a nap or 

 when one is resting from fatigue. 



A very comfortable easy chair can be fitted up by mak- 

 ing a soft, thick cushion five feet long and eighteen 

 inches wide, covering it with the lounge material, tying 

 it also with tufts of yarn, and fastening it to the back 



