58 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
New Embroideries. 
Among, novelties in designs for embroidery is a sofa- 
pillow, at Bently Bros., of deep garnet plush in meal- 
bag shape; its upper side decorated with blossoms and 
leaves of the Lady Washington Geranium. Tlie leaves 
and stems were worked witharrasene, and the blossoms 
formed of plush, appliqued. These can be purchased 
ready for application, and are made from plush colored 
to imitate the natural flowers, so that they have quite a 
life-like appearance. The top of the plush bag, which 
extends above the pillow, is lined with pale pink silk, to 
the depth of eight inches, and then gathered up close to 
the pillow-cushion and fastened by a large bow of the 
same color as the lining. 
A brush-holder in the shape of a guitar is the most 
recent arrangement for keeping these necessaiy articles 
within convenient reach, though what connection there 
can be between a musical instrument and a whisk- 
broom, we can not imagine. The shape of the guitar is 
first made from some thin wood, then covered with dull 
blue plush; the strings are of gold cord held in place at 
each end by brass tacks with conical-shaped heads; an 
embroidered strap across the body of the instrument 
holds the brush in place. 
A new design used upon a dark-red stand cover re¬ 
presents the seasons. It consists of a leafless branch 
worked with crewels shading from a greenish wood 
color to a dark-brown on the outer edge, conveying the 
idea of winter; in the lower part of the branch a circu¬ 
lar piece of ecru satine is fastened to the cover with 
couching stitches of fil oselle of the same shade. A couple 
of pink Rose-buds were worked with fine arrasene in 
the centre of this appliqued piece, which is intended to 
represent spring; while for summer, in the circular piece 
near the top of the branch, the buds had developed into 
full-blown Roses. This overlapped the circle just be¬ 
neath, containing autumn leaves emblematical of fall. 
The effect of the whole was very pleasing. 
A square sofa-pillow of plush has a crackle design 
consisting of angular lines among which blossoms and 
leaves are scattered. This style of ornamentation is a 
popular feature, seen alike upon colored or white mate¬ 
rials, and suggested by the cracklin china or crackle- 
ware, the glaze of which is applied over a checked sur¬ 
face, so that the glaze or enamel will have the effect of 
being cracked. For this pillow the angular lines were 
formed by tinsel-threads, and the Pelargonium leaves 
and blossoms were then interspersed among these 
angles. In contrast to this and more truly artistic, as 
its design was in perfect harmony with nature, is a 
screen panel. Upon dull-blue plush, hexagons, about 
two inches in diameter, were formed by gold-bullion, 
which, by the way, is said never to tarnish. Life-size 
Nasturtiums were trained up this lattice-like work, and 
the blossoms of velvety-crimson, mingled with those of 
yellow, with dark-green leaves, looked as though they 
had just been transferred from the garden. 
Some beautiful pieces of modern embroidery were 
shown at the recent Loan Exhibition, held in this city, 
prominent among them was a series of needle-woven 
tapestries, designed by Miss Dora Wheeler, and wrought 
by the Associated Artists. The flesh-tints were so per¬ 
« 
fectly copied in the figures composing the several de" 
signs, that it was difficult to tell whether they were em¬ 
broideries or paintings, or a combination of the two. 
Jars of Roses were very artistically executed upon a 
pair of silk canvas portieres, the low greenish-colored 
jar on one being filled with yellow and deep-red Roses, 
while in the other were combined white, yellow and 
pink Roses, so fully blown that some of the petals had 
apparently dropped by the side of the jar, on the 
canvas. 
The jar of Chrysanthemums, the illustration for 
which is kindly furnished by the Loan Catalogue, was 
designed for a screen, and was worked upon changeable 
silk of a bronze-blue color. The jar was formed by 
darning-stitches regularly woven in, using light blue at 
the bottom, and shaded to a dark-red on the upper side. 
The blossoms were of dull-reds, pale pinks and yellows, 
and worked with satin stitch; the stems were made 
with chain stitches. 
In outline embroidery, leaves and petals are worked 
much heavier than formerly, which gives more expres¬ 
sion to the designs. It is not necessary to employ a new 
stitch to do this, but rather to take them erect and quite 
close together. A buffet cover of white linen momie- 
cloth, decorated with a Cherry branch, had the edges of 
the leaves worked in this way: the fruit was outlined 
in the ordinary manner, and then filled in with darning- 
stitches. 
Snow-balls which have been so much used for em¬ 
broidery designs, are given a more natural appearance 
this season, by making the blossoms of bits of ribbon. 
A foundation stuffed enough to raise it a full half-inch 
in the centre is first made. Two pieces of very narrow 
gros-grain ribbon three-quarters of an inch in length, 
and notched on the ends, are crossed and fastened in 
the centre with a stitch of yellow silk to this stuffed 
foundation, to represent the blossom petals; these are 
tacked on quite close together, until the foundation is 
entirely covered. Worked in this way, the Snow-ball 
is one of the easiest flowers to form fhat can be used. 
C. 
Cretonne Stand Cover. 
Having recently made a stand cover from squares of 
cretonne joined together, the result proved so satis¬ 
factory that I thought a description of it might interest 
the Cabinet readers. I first purchased a variety of 
quarter yard lengths of the heavy cretonne, such as is 
sold for twenty-five cents a yard, choosing medium 
dark grounds, containing pretty figures in delicate 
colors. From these, squares five inches in diameter 
were cut so that each one would have some bright 
flower or bird in the center. These were arranged to 
contrast prettily, and then firmly sewed together on 
the wrong side, the seamspressed open and feather-stitch 
of yellow silk worked on the right side over all the 
joinings. Black velvet ribbon, two inches wide, edged 
with the feather-stitch, bordered the cover and served 
as heading to the simple fringe made from ravelled 
unbleached Russia crash. The cover was then lined 
with silesia. S.A. J. 
•‘Honor each thing for what it once may be ; 
In bud, the rose; in egg, the eagle see ; 
Bright butterfly behold in ugly worm, 
And trust that man enfolds an angel form. 
