306 
Dandelion 
actual work. Of course, 
the final effect will depend, 
to a large extent, upon the 
suitability of the design to 
the particular purpose for 
which it is employed. This 
is a matter which should 
receive a good deal of at- 
tention in order to avoid 
incongruity in the applica- 
tion of the design. Indeed, 
there are few handicrafts 
in which it is possible to 
exercise so much origin- 
ality as in the matter of 
nature designing. 
Within the limits of the 
present article it is only 
possible briefly to indicate 
the purposes which the 
nature patterns may be 
made to serve. In all 
branches of artistic handi- 
craft the direct nature de- 
signs are very successfully 
used. Possibly they are 
more adapted to articles of 
needlework than anything 
else. The great variety of 
silks and shadings which 
are at one’s disposal give 
plenty of scope for repro- 
ducing the copy to the best 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Fern frond pattern 
August, 1909 
Euphorbia 
possible advantage, 
whereas in doing poker 
work or wood-carving it is, 
perhaps, more difficult to 
follow the finer details of 
the design. Nevertheless, 
some very striking work 
may be done in these di- 
rections. In needlework, 
however, a wide range of 
effects can be obtained by 
the help of a number of 
different stitches, and the 
accomplished neecdle- 
woman will soon be able to 
decide exactly the way of 
working which will most 
faithfully give the impres- 
sion of the nature design 
that is being carried out. 
It is certainly less easy 
to copy directly living 
plants and leaves than to 
work from an_ ordinary 
drawn-out pattern. One 
reason for this is that 
more detail must be given, 
and yet it has to be in- 
serted in such a way that 
it will be quite lost in the 
finished effect when the 
design is completed, and 
the whole process ended. 
Rosette of houseleek 
Cactus pattern 
—S 
Star pattern from weed 
