THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET 
301 
or very fine white flannel an inch narrower, and two 
inches shorter than the silk. Button-hole all round the 
edges of these leaves with sewing-silk the color of the 
pockets, and place these leaves on the under side of the 
spool bag. Divide exactly in the middle, and gather 
with strong thread or sewing-silk. The pockets are 
thus on the outside of the bag, the needle-book within. 
Sew a ribbon loop to the part which is gathered, and 
finish with bow and ends. The bags are very pretty and 
useful, and will prove an ornament to any work-basket. 
M. E. Whittemore. 
Ebonizing. 
How to make woods, such as cherry, mahogany, etc., 
look like ebony, is often desirable, and a correspondent 
of the Hub gives the following directions: 
AUTUMN 
Repped woolen goods are more largely imported than 
cloths for autumn and early winter. Prune, helio¬ 
trope and golden brown seem to be the favorite shades, 
and the goods are either in solid colors, small figures or 
stripes. Combinations of wool and velvet will be used, 
and for this purpose a novelty has been introduced 
called “wool-velvet,” in which raised figures of uncut 
wool-loops are woven in contrast with the plainly- 
ribbed or twilled surface. Silk velvet is also used, 
but must be either plain or in very small figures 
and dots, as large figures are reserved for outside 
wraps exclusively. 
While woolen stuffs have the preference for street 
costumes, dressy toilettes will be of either plain or un¬ 
cut velvet. 
In suggestions for making autumn dresses, the 
Bazaar says: 
“The tendency is toward straigliter draperies for 
winter costumes—a natural result of the use of thick 
cloths and stiffer fabrics. Wide pleats form the back of 
many skirts, hanging unbroken their entire length from 
belt to foot, and forming all the back there is to the 
dress, or rather all that is visible, for a narrow founda¬ 
tion skirt remains necessary for supporting the heavy 
pleated outside skirt. These back pleats may be set on 
the edge of the basque, and given a princesse effect, or 
else they are attached to a belt and passed under a 
shorter basque. Draperies for the front may be either 
very short or very long, but are not stylish it of medium 
length. The lower part of the front and side breadths 
may be laid in very wide side pleats that are bordered 
with braid or Astrakhan, or with balls or stripes woven 
To imitate ebony, first wet the wood with a solution 
of logwood and copperas, boiled together, and put on 
hot. For this purpose two ounces of logwood chips, 
with one and one-half ounces of copperas, to a quart of 
water, will be required. 
When the work has become dry, wet the surface 
again with a mixture of vinegar and steel filings. This 
mixture may be made by dissolving two ounces of steel 
filings in one-half pint of vinegar. 
When the work has become dry again, sandpaper 
down until quite smooth. Then oil and fill in with 
powdered drop-black mixed in the filler. 
Work to be ebonized should be smooth and free from 
holes, etc. The work may receive a light coat of 
quick-drying varnish, and then be rubbed with finely 
pulverized pumice-stone and linseed-oil until very 
smooth. 
FASHIONS. 
in the cloth, or else they may be of box-pleats with 
velvet or braid lengthwise stripes laid in the hollow 
that separates the pleats, or, again, they may have one 
or two side stripes or panels, or there may be three 
broad stripes of applied ornament nearly covering the 
front and side gores. 
Round waists will be worn again with or without a 
belt, and there will also be many corsages that are 
round in the back—that is, cut-off at the waist line— 
while the front may be pointed or be a regular basque, 
or else lengthened into a polonaise. To make dresses 
sufficiently bouffant, bustles will remain rather large, 
and there will also be the old-time bow drapery which 
has been used this summer, of a width of material tied 
in two broad loops and two ends, fastened to the back 
of a round corsage. Single-breasted fronts will be used 
with vests, but there is also a tendency toward diagonal 
lapped and double-breasted corsages. Flat vests will be 
more suitable than full-puffed vests for thick fabrics, 
and, in many cases, the vest will be made entirely of 
trimming. When another material is used for com¬ 
binations, velvet will be chosen not only for silks and 
satins, but also for wool goods. Plain velvet waists 
will be worn again with silk, wool, or satin skirts, and 
when figured stuffs are used with plain goods of the 
same kind, the figures will form the entire corsage and 
the border at the foot, while the skirt and its draperies 
will be of the plain fabric. It is said the fullness at 
the top of sleeves is to be discarded. At present there 
are no very decided changes promised, and the econo¬ 
mist will be glad to know that dresses of last winter 
can be used with very slight alteration.” 
HOUSEKEEPING. 
Beef Tea. 
Remove all the fat from a pound of round steak. 
Either have the butcher chop it, or lay it on a board and 
with a sharp knife scrape or cut it into small pieces; 
then put it into a glass fruit jar, put on the cover and 
set into a kettle of cold water. A piece of old muslin 
