BPictorim 3B£onie 
In reply to Mrs. F. W. S.’s request for directions 
for coloring or painting grasses : I have tried coloring, 
but do not like it, as it soon fades and is so brittle and 
at the same time stiff and ungraceful. 
I begin gathering the grasses as soon as mature, 
.which is at different seasons. In June, blue grass, 
wheat, oats, and other grain and grasses, are in right 
condition, and then all along until frost. As I gather 
the grasses and grain I have an old pan, pail, or box 
of sand in a dark place, and stick the steins—a few in 
a place—in an upright position in the sand. In this 
way they do not dry too fast, retain their color better, 
are more pliable and graceful than when dried any 
other way. I leave them until I want the room to 
place more; I then remove them to vases or some 
place, keeping their heads up. When ready for 
painting I procure five cents’ worth each of chrome 
green, Paris green, Chinese or California vennillion, 
yellow ochre. Mix equal parts linseed oil and turpen¬ 
tine, say one gill each, in wide-mouth vessel. I then 
make a little sieve of two thicknesses of tarletan 
sewed on a piece of wire bent in a circular form, a 
little loose or bagging in the middle. Take one or 
two pieces of grass, lay the tops or parts to be painted 
on an old plate or piece of tin. Gently brush with 
the oil and turpentine with a clean paint or varnish 
brush. Be careful not to get too much on, hut 
touch it all. Then with the little sieve, sift on the 
the desired color. Lay it on a paper for the dusting 
the color on, so as to catch all the dry paint and 
prevent waste, as it can he sifted on the next piece 
until used up. Have the sand ready again to stick 
the painted grasses in until dry, being careful not to 
let the different colors touch till dry; then arrange to 
suit the taste, mixing in a good deal of crystallized 
grasses and grain, and if you do not think them beau¬ 
tiful write and let me know. They are as pliable as 
when in their natural state, and retain their color for j 
years. I sent to Vick and bought fifty cents’ worth of 
Everlastings and Immortelles and Feather Grass, and 
made several bouquets which I sold for five dollars a 
pair—would sell for more in large cities. 
CRYSTALLIZING. 
My recipe for crystallizing is : One pound of alum 
to. one gallon of water; very clear water should he 
used. When cool place the grasses in and leave for 
two or three hours. If fine crystals are desired, move 
the grasses every little while, turning them over. 
Then hang in a shady place to dry. 
C. N. Eveleigh. 
A QUILTING PARTY. 
“ What shall I make for the fair V’ some lover of 
fancy-work may ask, in great perplexity. 
Tired of making pin-cushions, needle-books, tidies, 
lamp-mats, and all other articles with which the tables 
at fairs are generally stocked, a desire may perhaps he 
felt to make something new and different. For the 
benefit of such a person I will describe a miniature 
quilting party that I made once, after a description of 
one had been given me. As I was not in a city where 
I could buy the material used for the one I wished to 
copy, “necessity was the mother of invention,” in this 
case, as it often is in others. 
For a foundation of the whole I used a piece of stiff 
pasteboard eighteen inches square; and making a cov¬ 
ering uf dark brown stuff', for one side, and cambric 
for the other, sewed up like a pillow-case, I put in the 
pasteboard and sewed up the end. 
Next, having bought nine toy chairs, with wooden 
frames, 1 fastened the legs of all to the foundation, in 
the places desired, by putting-strong short dressing- 
pins up through the pasteboard into the legs, making 
them quite firm. Four of the chairs were for the 
quilting frame to rest on, and the others were for the 
quilters. The frame was made of smooth, slender, 
pine sticks, fastened securely at the corners, and on 
this frame was sewed the little quilt, the blocks of 
colored print, and white muslin only an inch square, 
and the whole quilt a foot square. 
As 1 could not find jointed dolls the right size in our 
village, 1 made all the six quilters with walnut heads 
and muslin bodies. A strip of muslin three inches 
wide, made into a roll the size of my thumb, served 
for each body; this allowed a sitting posture, without 
bending the body. A white lace cap, fitting closely 
around each head, with the ends of the lace gathered 
up, was fasieued to the body. Of course there were 
features marked with ink on every face, and it was 
quite amusing to see the difference of expression on 
these sharp-nosed faces ! Over the tight lace cap was 
a more dressy one with ruffles and ribbon bows. Their 
dresses were quite plain and just suited to old ladies 
with caps. One had on a brown dress, a long black 
silk apron that came nearly to the bottom of her dress, 
and a white kerchief. A black silk bag, with a white 
handkerchief just visible at the opening, hung on the 
chair near this one, who, with the help of another op¬ 
posite, was standing up to mark the quilt with a string. 
Their hands were all sewed to the quilt, one hand 
of each quilter underneath and the other on top. Two 
of the old ladies had their heads so close together they 
seemed to be gossipping as quilters are apt to do. On 
the quilt were two or three very small spools of thread 
(Nos. 180 or 200), a small piece of wax, and some 
scissors an inch long. 
It was rather tedious work getting all the materials 
together, from hags, and baskets, and boxes : ironing 
them, cutting them out, and sewing them; but, after 
it was done it afforded much amusement to those who 
saw it. I had the satisfaction of knowing that it sold 
for two dollars at the fair, for which I made it. The 
only expense that I incurred was twenty-seven cents, 
which I paid for the chairs. Abby G. Shaw. 
A PRETTY PICTURE FRAME. 
I was so well pleased with the suggestion of the 
Floral Cabinet, of the uses of autumn leaves, that 
I soon had two stars cut geometrically. The smaller 
one I covered with varnished maple leaves of different 
sizes and colors—very pretty. Another, quite large 
one, was composed of a variety of unvarnished oak 
leaves of various kinds, with a cluster in the centre of 
acorns or the cups. One day, among some broken 
picture frames, I found a long narrow one of some dark 
wood. Not caring for an illuminated text, or worked 
motto, which are so common, and having some pressed 
ferns and two sprays of red sumac leaves, I arranged 
them on white cardboard, so as nearly to fill the frame; 
in the centre a dark red and shaded initial letter 
was- placed, but perhaps one of gilt might be 
preferred. 
My two unpretending rooms have been made quite 
cheerful this dreary winter by various inexpensive de¬ 
vices. I have an anchor and lute of autumn leaves, the 
Cabinet chromos framed, as well as many other pic¬ 
tures, a cross of moss and basket of wax-work, hang¬ 
ing-baskets improvised to suit circumstances. One of 
German Ivy, in an ox-muzzle, has an old funnel in 
the centre containing Zebrina Tradescantia, which is of 
various shades of green, and looks like burnished silver 
—much admired by my friends. Another small piece 
is a cigar-box, covered with moss and fungi, contain¬ 
ing some small vials of water with bits of vines and 
three kinds of Achyrantbus. A lady caller fancies this 
last, and the rustic log, above any of the rest. Her 
coming is like a ray of sunshine, always finding some¬ 
thing to commend, looking over my plants, and taking 
away some cheerful thought, like the busy bee, intent 
only on the sweetest and best, overlooking any dis¬ 
crepancies or failures. We receive so many useful 
hints and directions from the Cabinet that I ventured 
to add my mite to the stock of the floral hand. If 
one has but moderate taste, and some ideas as a basis, 
many home-adornments may be made, both pleasing 
and useful. 
Justin a Palmer. 
How to make Husk Baskets. —Very nice bas¬ 
kets and wall pockets can be made by taking paste¬ 
board and cutting it just the shape you desire your 
basket, and then procure some husks; some prefer 
the outside husk, hut I prefer the inside, it being so 
much whiter and easier to handle. Take the husk 
and cut it into strips three-quarters of an inch broad, 
lengthwise of the husk, then cut in lengths one inch 
and a half long, then double in the centre lengthwise, 
then double them over your finger so as to form a nice 
point in the centre, lapping the ends so as to sew on 
to the pasteboard, putting the open side next to the 
pasteboard, then sew on to the pasteboard ; sen- one 
row around the outer edge of the board, letting each 
one lap so as to hide the stitches in each piece, and 
then fill up the center in the same way, letting each 
row cover the stitches above ; make a handle by tak¬ 
ing a narrow strip of pasteboard and sewing one row 
of husks on each side, then one through the centre, 
hiding the ends of the outside row; a strip like this 
around the bottom of the basket improves it very 
much. If any of the ladies try this and cannot suc¬ 
ceed, I will send them a sample by sending me their 
address. 
Will some lady please tell me what is the matter 
with my Geraniums ? I have some which grow very 
nicely and bud, but never open; some will almost 
open, and then just wilt and drop off, but I cannot 
tell why. M. I. Me. 
My Medley.— 
fashion to make 
-Last summer it became 
quite a 
1 medleys,” as they were called. 
They were made of a number of small pictures pasted 
upon bristol-board, forming one large one which was 
then framed. Turning over my stock of pictures one 
day, preparatory to making one, my husband said, 
laughing, “ You’ve got pictures enough to make a 
medley to cover one side of the house.” “Well,” 
I replied, “I shan’t cover one side of the house, but 
I’ll make a mammoth medley of the east hall.” So I 
commenced operations that day. I had a large supply 
of plates from Godey and Peterson, also In an the 
floral catalogues, and a quantity of wooden!* from 
various sources. I pasted these all ovei the walls 
of the hall, fitting them as well as T could; all places 
which did not join neatly I covered with a flower, cut 
from one of the catalogues and colored. When it was 
all finished and dry I gave it two coats of varnish, 
and now—well, now, I’m proud of it ! 
Mrs. Anabel C. Andrews. 
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