232 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
The baskets are convenient to hang beside the dressing- 
table as receptacles for scraps, or for holding articles 
of usefulness. M. E. Whittemore. 
Plush-Framed Clock. 
Small round gilt clocks are made into handsome 
mantle ornaments when set in a plush panel and placed 
on a brass easel. 
A board three-quarters of an inch thick, with beveled 
edge, should have an opening made in the centre just 
large enough to admit the clock. A piece of blue or 
crimson plush is cut to fit the board, and embroidered 
with arrasene and silk in some appropriate design ar¬ 
ranged partially around the opening or a branch thrown 
carelessly across; the board is then neatly covered with 
the decorated plush; the lining on the back when blind 
stitched on will finish the edges. Place the clock in 
the opening made for it, and if carefully fitted, it will 
need no other fastening. 
At Mrs. Farnham’s art store on Fourteenth Street, two 
clocks were shown framed in this way: one with a 
dial not more than two and one-half inches in diameter 
was set in a crimson panel, about eight inches wide by 
ten long. A spray with small blue blossoms worked in 
ribbon embroidery decorated it. The price was $6.50. 
The other, an octagon amber clock, between four and 
five inches in diameter, was placed in a dark-blue plush 
panel, upon which a branch with pale pink Rose-buds 
was worked. The buds were formed of two shades of 
satin ribbon folded in shape and caught down with arra¬ 
sene; the stems and leaves of arrasene and silk. This 
panel completed was valued at $14.50, but the clocks in 
each case could be purchased separately, the first named 
for $1.50, and the amber one for $5.50. They keep good 
time, and the dials are large enough for the figures to be 
distinctly seen at quite a distance, so, that aside from 
their desirability as ornaments, they are prized for their 
usefulness. M. L. T. 
Painting on Velvet. 
In painting upon velvet the Art Amateur advises 
“ the use of gouache and liquid dye colors, diluted with 
water, or dry colors in powder mixed with the “me¬ 
dium ” used in gilding tapestry, in preference to oil- 
color in tubes. The latter, except where used with rare 
skill, arrests the eye too abruptly, and by producing 
crude-looking excrescences, prevents rather than in¬ 
creases the quiet enjoyment of the rich folds and softly- 
blending color which are the great charm of these 
materials. White or pale-tinted velvets are best fitted 
to receive hand-painting, for upon these great variety 
and depth of color can be reached without sacrifice of 
smooth surface. The process is not difficult: Stretch 
your velvet—the closer and shorter its pile the better— 
tightly within a frame, allowing the painter access to 
the back as well as to the front surface whenever the 
subject in hand is destined to hang in folds. Upon the 
front surface make a transfer of outline from the design 
to be painted, by means of talc powder rubbed through 
a pricked tracing. It is well to rub away, with a piece 
of pumice stone ground flat, all particles of the tracing 
paper that have been displaced during the process of 
pricking. Repeat the transfer of the outline upon the 
back of your framed velvet, with the difference that 
this time finely-powdered charcoal is used in lieu of talc 
powder. Mark well upon [the back all strong bits of 
color, or deep shadows, taking care to surround these, 
so far as practicable, with complementary colors. All 
the colors should be well-soaked through to the front, 
without wetting the pile. Effects thus produced tell 
well upon velvets intended to hang in folds, such as 
dresses and portieres. Commence coloring the front 
side by mapping in, at first faintly, the bright colors 
nearest to high lights; then the shadows, the blending 
of these separate colors being often sufficient to produce 
middle tones. Use for this purpose flat hog-hair¬ 
brushes, pointed sables for outlining, and the flat round 
scrubbers used in tapestry-painting. Let the brushes be 
handled “with” rather than “against ” the pile, re-en¬ 
forcing the tints from time to time rather than wetting 
the velvet hopelessly by arriving too quickly at the 
depth of tone required. The “ scrubbers ” are used with 
a circular movement of the hand, from the wrist. If 
due care is taken in applying the color, any portion of 
the pile unavoidably flattened can be raised by steam¬ 
ing. Allow the natural tint of the velvet to serve as 
often as possible for high lights. It is wise to sacrifice 
some few effects of light and brilliancy, if by so doing 
one can retain to the end the peculiar downy, un¬ 
broken surface to be desired in all velvet painting. 
When points of bright light or patches of pure white 
are absolutely required, use the following mixture: To 
four parts of whiting add one of gum arabic in powder. 
Grind and mix well, diluting with water. It is better 
to cover spaces to be whitened by repeated light feath¬ 
ery touches of a brush held sideways, than to coat the 
velvet at once with a thick mass of color. When dry, 
the high lights modeled in white may be tinted in dye 
color, or water color, or for greater speed and con¬ 
venience the finest dry powder colors used in oil paint¬ 
ing may be diluted with the “ medium ” used for gilding 
tapestry, and used in manner described above for white. 
These colors have not the disadvantage of leaving the 
dark, greasy-looking rims which too often exude from 
oil colors misapplied to velvet painting. On dark 
grounds the parts required light should be prepared 
with white, and when perfectly dry tinted in dye 
color.” 
Knitted Edging. 
Cast on twenty-three stitches. 
First row. Knit across plain. 
Second row. Knit three stitches plain; put thread 
forward and knit two together or narrow; put thread 
forward and knit two together, and knit the rest plain. 
Third row. Knit the first stitch and put the thread 
forward and wind around the needle three times; repeat 
this for sixteen stitches; knit the next stitch and put 
the thread forward and seam or purl the next (which is 
the loop). Knit the next and purl the next, and knit the 
last three plain. 
Fourth row. Knit the first three plain, put thread 
forward and narrow; put thread forward and narrow 
again. Clip off and drop the three loops; slip off stitch 
and keep on the right hand needle; do so till you have 
the sixteen stitches on the right-hand needle (which are 
like long loops); then take them off on to your left-hand 
needle; slip the fifth stitch over the other four, and 
knit it from the back; the sixth, seventh and eighth 
