Mi 
Ladiks who live in the country and raise poultry 
would find it a source of amusement if they would 
save the feathers of liens, roosters, peafowls, etc., 
and form them into feather dusters or flowers for 
■winter bouquets. For the latter, begin by making a 
card box with many divisions ; then with sharp sen¬ 
sors trim away all the superfluous parts, and shape 
the feather into an oval leaf, leaving only a short j 
stem. Prepare a good many in this way, carefully 
cutting away a part of the midrib to render it flexi- 
ble. Have some fine wire cut into short pieces and 
some strands of floss silk, and taking a piece of wire 
attach firmly to one end several stiff fibres or a few 
bits of down ; next take one of the leaves and, bend¬ 
ing it gently outward, fix it close to the tuft by wind¬ 
ing the silk tightly round the wire ; repeat until you 
have six or eight leaves around the stamens, and 
finish your flower by winding the whole stem with 
green or brown floss. Short goose feathers form 
lovely white roses by arranging several rows of 
petals and using yellow centres, while rich green 
leaves are made from the beautiful tail-feathers of 
the rooster and the wing of the common duck. The 
breasts of peafowls give us exquisite blue flowers, 
and the different shades of gray and wood color 
found in the plumage of the common hen will sur¬ 
prise those who have not made a study of the art of. 
feather-flower making. For those who can see no 
beauty in quiet shades there are the “ family dyes,” 
which will color feathers prettily, by first wetting 
well in hot water, then dipping into a. solution of red 
or blue, with the addition of a small bit of alum to 
set the color. 
The plumage of birds of all kinds (and of the wild 
duck in particular) will vary your collection, and 
form objects worthy of admiration and study for all. 
This is simple button-hole stitch worked in lines 
to form a pattern. It is often used in working the 
edges of collars, caps, etc., upon muslin or lace, but 
the handsomest application of it is in embroidery or 
saddler’s silk upon rich material, such as satin, corded 
silk, or even velvet. The pattern should be entirely 
in line, of a graceful and intricate pattern, and work¬ 
ed with perfect uniformity of stitch—gold-colored 
silk upon green, white upon blue, scarlet upon 
black. The pattern should be marked as for embroi¬ 
dery, in very light lines, and great care should be 
taken not to let the marking soil the stuff by rubbing. 
The effect of a Persian pattern may be given by- 
using a variety of colors intermingled, bright con¬ 
trasts being harmonized by neutral tints running be¬ 
tween. This kind of embroidery is rare, and when 
done with taste is very beautiful. 
An Enterprising Woman.—When I visited an 
! old friend twe years before, her great eyesore was a 
I parlor twel’ . by eighteen feet, without plastering, 
which had to serve the double purpose of parlor and 
guest-chamber. 
Her economical husband intended to build in three 
years, and would not expend money to partition or 
plaster it. But Jennie, determined to remedy- it, set 
her brain to work; a good angel came in the shape of 
j a ten-dollar bill as a present from papa. Jennie was 
happy, and with the aid of it and a determined 
' will, she went to work. 
She took some lath, one by- two, and nailed them 
on the floor where she w-anted her partition. She then 
set some up for studding, and fastened them to the 
joist above and to the strip below, tacked cheap 
muslin over it, papered it, and the walls with wall¬ 
paper. She ceiled her rooms above with heavy buff 
paper, (such as architects use for drawing), tacking 
it to the joist with carpet tacks, she then put a bor¬ 
der to make it complete. 
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT SEWING. 
Should you have a rent in a dress to repair, use 
ravellings of the same material; they are easily to be 
obtained from the top of the skirt, if you have no 
pieces; but generally some are left by the dress¬ 
maker, and should be kept for such accidents. 
To remove grease which has come off the sewing- 
machine from new fabrics, before washing them rub 
the spots thoroughly with hard soap, dip in cold wa¬ 
ter, and rub again. If not removed, apply- more soap 
and repeat the operation. 
TO TVT A TTE A LAMBREQUIN FOR A 
SHELF. 
Take a smooth board the exact length and width 
of your shelf, and make a case for it in manner fol¬ 
lowing. Out of a' piece of cloth, of a color to match 
or contrast with the furniture of your room, cut a 
strip eight inches longer and tour inches wider than 
the piece of board. Cut a second piece, the same 
shape and size, out of some kind of lining, and tack 
the two together. Sew one side with over-and-over 
stitches, and decorate the ether side and the ends in 
any- way you like. The one I first made was of 
green cloth, worked around the edge with gold-color¬ 
ed filoselle, and a tiny vine and leaves of the same 
color above. After the edge is finished to your lik¬ 
ing, cut a slit in the lining of your work large 
enough to admit the board, and bind this opening 
with braid. Then slip in the board and lay it flat on 
the shelf, and if you have followed directions you 
will have a smoothly-covered shelf, with a drapery- 
four inches in depth in front and at the ends. 
Imitation Ivory Inlaying.—We clip the follow¬ 
ing from an exchange as a suggestion of beautiful 
work for home decoration, '[’he lines of the pattern 
can be made with a very sharp steel point, and pol¬ 
ished and smoothed with a blunt one of wood. 
“ A quantity- of best plaster of Paris, dried in an 
oven, should be kept in a well-corked bottle. To 
fill lines of any- pattern, mix up a small quantity of 
the plaster of Paris with weak, clear glue ; fill in, and 
smooth over. When dry it may be sand-papered 
down to the level of the surrounding wood. If want¬ 
ed colored, mix with plaster of Paris any of the pow- j 
der colors, such as ultramarine, amber, vermilion, 
or y-ellow ochre. For cheapness, use the various 
colored ochres. The chief secret is to have the pow¬ 
ders, plaster of Paris, etc., quite dry. In polishing 
but little extra care is required. Merely take a brush, j 
dip it in the white polish, if for light goods, and j 
brush tw r o or three coats over the plaster— this fills 
up the pores or grain ; then polish in the usual man¬ 
ner. The finished wood is uot easily distinguished 
from ivory inlaying.” 
We have not seen the work tried, but feel sure that 
it is capable of being used in the finishing of stands, 
table-tops, etc., to great advantage. But of course, 
like all home-work, it is liable to be fll-done for w ant 
of proper tools, but still more for want of exact and 
careful work. The patterns should be well chosen, 
and the lines filed on both sides and cut clean, the 
edges showing no roughness or unevenness in the 1 
width of the line. 
How to Make Tassels.—Very pretty- tassels 
may be made at home by- the following directions, 
and if the work is carefully done they- avoid the ir¬ 
regular, unfinished look that is apt to mark home¬ 
made articles: 
They are expensive adjuncts to purchase and 
are easily soiled, particularly on window-shades, so 
that it is well to know how to replace thefn. Cover 
two large button-moulds, after the usual manner, 
with cloth or silk. Sew on a, thick fringe round t! e 
edge of one; either yarn may be used or ready-made 
fringe. Join the upper button-mould to the lower 
round the edge with a few blind stitches, and sew 
the cord which is to suspend it in the centre of the 
top button. If a more elaborate head is desired, in¬ 
sert a twist-spool, or a larger one, covered with silk 
between the buttons. 
To make very large and heavy- tassels you can 
use very large button-moulds and spool t ; put em¬ 
broidered ribbon or upholsterer’s braid or gimp 
round the spool, join neatly, and substitute cord for 
yarn or worsted fringe. 
Pretty Frames.—A veiy pretty frame for heavy 
vines and bushes is made by driving two stakes into 
tlie ground and nailing barrel-hoops about six inches 
apart. Paint any color preferred. 
Algernon under her window in the cold, white 
moonlight, with a tender expression, sings: 
“’Tis the la-hast rose o-hof summer, 
Le-heft bloo-hooming alo-hone ; 
All its lo-huv-lee companions 
Ah-ha fa-deh-hed and go-hone—” 
Voioo of pa from next window, strained and cracked 
like, as though the old gentleman didn’t have time 
to look for his store teeth: “All right, young man, 
all right; just pin a newspaper over it and save it 
from the frost, and w'e’ll take it in with the rest of 
the plants in the morning.” 
* 
