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OF CARPETS. 
On this subject I write for young housekeepers, and 
those wishing, or needing, to make the most of their 
means. 
I shall say little about Brussels, velvet, etc., as 
those wishing to purchase expensive carpets, will, of 
course,consult their friends who are wise in these matters, 
if they happen to lack sufficient knowledge themselves. 
Brussels has become so cheap and common of late, 
that it may be well to speak of the three kinds oftenest 
found in market. The kind called “ body Brussels,” 
1 believe, stands highest. The imported article is best, 
the colors wearing better than any American kind I 
have known. The figure can be readily traced on the 
wrong side, as the wool in the warp is carried under, 
to form the pattern in weaving. The figures are gen¬ 
erally prettier than in the kinds where the wool is all 
on the upper side, as is the case when printed on the 
warp instead of being colored in the skein. The car¬ 
pets that show no color on the under side have the 
closest pile on the upper side, and are not so likely to 
be injured by moths, as those having the wool next the 
floor, even though it be in small quantities, a fact that 
prevents many from purchasing even the host im¬ 
ported carpets. 
There is still another kind, where the printing of 
the pattern is done after the carpet is woven. Of 
course the dye goes through the carpet, and is seen in 
ugly patches of heavy color on the under side. These 
are undesirable in every way, and should be avoided 
as matter of taste or economy. 
Three-ply carpets have their admirers, but I am not 
one of their number. All that can be said in their 
favor is, you can get prettier figures than in ingrain, 
that is, on one side ; they are generally ugly enough 
on the other to make amends for that. They are 
heavy, and harder to shake than a Brussels, as the 
dust and sand gets in between the three different lay¬ 
ers, and is very hard to beat out, although each layer 
is much thinner than the poorest ingrain. Of this 
fact you may assui'e yourself by lifting one layer in 
any of the plain places, and comparing it with the 
commonest ingrain at hand. Of course, you will be 
told by the salesman that it is so thick (that is, the 
whole together), that it must wear better; but if 
thickness is the only merit, get an ingrain at less than 
half the cost, and make up the difference by putting 
wadding paper underneath. The three-ply may last 
longest, but you have the annoyance of looking at 
rags to obtain this result, for after one lift or ply is 
worn off, the figure spoiled, and the untidy fringed 
edges sticking up, you have yet to wear two thick¬ 
nesses more, before you can expect to get a new one. 
Very dark colors in a carpet show dust and dirt 
badly, besides all dark goods are injured more or less 
in coloring. Three-ply and ingrain carpets should be 
sewed together ball stitch ; Brussels and velvet should 
be sewed back and forth, making a seam like hasting, 
keeping the pile neatly tucked down with the needle 
before taking the stitch; draw the thread strongly, 
but not so as to gather the carpet, and take the stitches 
about the eighth of an inch in length. Carpets 
should not he stitched on the floor tighter than is 
sufficient to keep them from shoving under the broom 
in sweeping. The nails should not be driven down 
closely, or the heads will cut through the bindings, 
and the difficulty of drawing them out will be greatly 
increased. 
In sweeping carpets, the broom should be drawn in 
a mincing manner, making short reaches, and never 
raising it far from the floor. After the dust settles, 
and the furniture has been dusted, a clean mop (kept 
for that use only) should be wrung out of warm wa¬ 
ter in which a little salt has been dissolved and passed 
over the carpet under beds and large pieces of furni¬ 
ture, and will be found a very satisfactory finish when 
putting a room in order. 
Very old and dirty carpets can be made to look 
quite fresh and tidy by beating them thoroughly, 
mending, if necessary, nailing down snugly on the 
clean floor where they are to remain, then with a pail 
of warm suds, and one of clean warm water, with a 
quart of clear solution of chloride of lime added to it, 
wash and rinse them thoroughly as you would a floor, 
changing the waters as they become soiled, and using- 
separate cloths for washing and rinsing. Worn-out 
stockings are nice for this use, as they do not lint 
badly; sew them together until the size is convenient 
to handle. This operation needs to be performed 
thoroughly, especially the rinsing and wiping, and the 
result will he very satisfactory. If a carpet is to be 
washed in the fall, the stove and oilcloths must be ar¬ 
ranged as they are to remain, so that a fire can be 
made to dry it immediately. If the room must he 
used before it is dry, cover the carpet with soiled 
sheets, bedquilts, or something of the sort, thus keep¬ 
ing dust, etc., from the carpet whilst it is wet. 
I do not like straw spread on a floor under carpets; 
it makes an uneven surface, and is a nuisance when 
the carpet is to be taken up for cleaning. I think the 
better way is to make the floor as even as possible, 
by driving down nail heads, and planing off sharp 
edges where it can he done, then laying folds of news¬ 
papers over imperfections, fastening them in then- 
places with a little boiled flour paste, to prevent them 
from wrinkling when the carpet is drawn over them. 
Cracks suspected of moths should be covered with 
thick paper well secured at the edges with paste. 
A broom should never be used to remove the dust 
from a floor where a carpet has lain, as it only serves 
to “ whirl the dirt about the room,” but the operator, 
with “skirts well lifted,” and a good mop and pail of 
water, will dispose of the greatest accumulation of 
dust in much less time than would he required to sweep 
and dust, and with much less inconvenience to her¬ 
self and injury to the furniture hv the excessive dust. 
Very comfortable and tidy-looking carpets may be 
made for bedrooms, small halls, etc., out of pieces of 
old carpeting of various colors and patterns. Select 
the best parts around the edges, and cut them in pat¬ 
terns as you would for piecing bedquilts. Turn down 
the edges and baste them, so the stitches will not show 
on the upper side ; then sew them overhand in a 
snug seam. Square blocks a quarter or half yard in 
size will be found convenient; it is best, however, to 
pay some regard to the size of the floor to be filled, 
and cut the blocks accordingly.. Bind with strong 
cloth, which will save the expense of carpet binding, 
and strengthen the edges. Of course, your carpet was 
clean before you cut your patchwork, so the refuse 
pieces are ready for further use. 
Pieces that are large enough to cover your ironing- 
table, may be used for under ironing blaukets, num¬ 
ber of thicknesses to suit the demand, smaller pieces 
for shirt and bosom hoards, smaller still for holders, 
covering them with old stocking tops, that cau easily 
he slipped off and washed when needed. The poor¬ 
est pieces make excellent cushions for chairs. Cut 
five or six thicknesses the shape desired, and cover 
with a patchwork of remnants of broadcloth; tie and 
tuft once in three inches, and they will he found a great 
saving of dresses and chair bottoms. 
Foot-mats, a yard square, more or less, made of 
two or three thicknesses of old carpet, will he found 
very pleasant on the oilcloth under one’s feet bv the 
stove in winter, and if made of one piece and doubled 
together and tacked slightly, can easily be taken 
apart and washed when needed. A mat of this de¬ 
scription by the stove in winter, where the men usually 
sit to thaw the snow, that will defy the scraper, from 
their feet, will save the women work, and the mdn 
mortification, two important items in a well-ordered 
household. Charity L. Mabbett. 
HOOKED RUGS. 
We noticed in the June number of the Cabinet an 
article on rugs. “Pulled rugs ” sounds funny to us, 
“hooked rugs” being the name in this vicinity, where 
there are many of them made. 
Perhaps a few more hints would he useful to any 
one about to make one for the first time. In the 
first place a frame of wood, two or two and a half 
inches by three-fourths, and as long as one would be 
likely to ever want; the end pieces may be a foot and 
a half or so shorter than the sides. Then take thick 
heavy cloth, two inches wide, and double it together 
and tack securely along the edge of the frame, leav¬ 
ing the folded edge just up to, if not a little over, one 
edge of the frame. This is to sew the burlaps on to. 
Then bore holes an inch or two apart, for a foot or so, 
on each end of the frames; bore the holes one-fourth 
inch in diameter, and have a pin to go through the 
pieces so as to hold the frame solidly together. Per¬ 
haps you may have to tie a string around the corners 
in addition. The holes should be bored just so far 
apart, so that the rug may be rolled up as fast as it is 
completed, and rolled up alike at each side until all 
is done. 
The foundation cloth should he burlap, which can 
be had at any furniture store. Cut it the size to suit; 
a good proportion is like the shape of the American 
flag, one-half longer than its width. Then make the 
frame about the size, and sew the cloth in snugly, 
leaving, except where there is a selvedge, a little of 
the cloth to turn under when all is done. Commence 
on the border by all means; then as soon as it is 
hooked as far as you can reach, turn the rug under as 
much as is needed, keeping the rug folded snug and 
smooth. Tie the frame to the top of some chairs, as 
near as you can to the height you wish it, to hook it. 
As for the pattern, it will give one more satisfaction to 
draw it than to buy it already printed. First 
draw a little pattern on paper, and then make a 
dye of logwood ; set. the color with copperas ; then 
take a little marking brush, and with a straight edge 
and rule paint the pattern upon the cloth. 
The hook shoulti he made of iron or wire large 
enough to make a hole through the cloth as it is 
pushed through, so that the cloth can be easily pulled 
up through. Very thick cloth may be cut one-fourth 
inch or a little more in width, aud thin cloth much 
wider and then rolled together ; it should he all wool 
or cotton and wool, and if the colors are dingy it may 
be colored. Draw the loops up half an inch high, all 
of a height, and the nearer together the better the 
rug will he when done. Don’t shear the loops, as the 
rug will uot wear half as long and will not look any 
better, and weakens the rug, as the loops, when cut, 
fall out easily. L. E. L. 
