TIIE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
401 
Useful Novelties. 
A closet seems a necessity in many rooms, yet the 
lack of such a convenience has to be often undergone, 
when a little ingenuity and slight expense will remedy 
the matter and prove a real comfort. 
A corner closet is prettier than one flat against the 
wall; if the corner can be spared for the purpose. Have 
a board cut to fit the corner exactly, and measuring 
from the point outward about two feet. The top may 
be covered with material matching that which is to be 
used for the curtains, or the wood stained in imitation 
of Walnut. On the under side of the board screw 
in double hooks such as are used in wardrobes; 
having two or three rows of them with a space 
between each row. Wooden brackets or supports are 
strongly nailed to the wall, and on these, with the 
screws downward, the shelf is to be securely fastened 
by screwing or nailing. The distance between the floor 
and shelf should be about five and a half or six feet. 
The draperies or curtains are then to be tacked across the 
front of the closet with brass headed nails. Two 
curtains, the division being in the middle, are necessary. 
They may be of double-faced Canton flannel, or any 
other material desired, of whatever color, and as hand¬ 
some or simple as one may wish. The top of the s"helf 
can be ornamented with pretty bric-a-brac, and the effect 
will be wonderfully pleasing. 
If a corner cannot be spared for this purpose, a 
straight shelf will answer as well, but the curtain must 
in this case be carried round the corners, and across the 
ends of the shelf. They prove such a comfort and con¬ 
venience, that one is fully repaid for the trifling expense 
and slight trouble necessary for their construction. 
When working with macrame cord, or with worsted, 
if the latter is not stacked it is often troublesome, as the 
ball is apt to roll away. Therefore little bags for 
holding the ball prove a great convenience. 
Saddlers’ or else knitting silk is the material used, 
and of any shade that may be desired. The bag is cro¬ 
cheted in open-work stitch, drawn together at the bot¬ 
tom and sewed strongly. Then finish with a bow of 
satin ribbon. The top is to be held together with a draw¬ 
ing string of satin ribbon, with a bow of the same at 
the top of the long loops. 
Beneath this bow a small safety-pin should be strongly 
sewed, and the bag is thus fastened to the belt when 
required for use. The ball is placed in the bag with the 
end of the cord coming from the top. It will prove 
very useful, and in other ways than as a work bag, for 
it can be placed alongside a closet door, and when 
the cords are taken from packages, if rolled in a ball 
and put in the bag, whenever a bit of cord or twine are 
required for any purpose it will always be at hand 
without having to search for it. 
A curious little hand screen is made of six sheets of 
pink tissue paper, a sheet of bristol or card board, half 
a yard of pink satin, a yard and a half of quilled pink 
satin ribbon, three quarters of a yard of pink satin rib¬ 
bon not plaited, a spool of pink sewing silk, and a 
bottle of mucilage. For the handle,cut from a small Jap¬ 
anese fan the long bamboo stick which answers nicely 
and is stronger than wood of any kind. From the 
bristol board cut two circular pieces, each six oifseven 
inches in diameter. Smoothly cover one side of each 
piece with the pink satin, and overhand them together, 
the satin side out. Make a slit about two inches deep 
in one end of the bamboo handle, and insert the satin 
circle. Use pins as rivets to fasten the screen and handle 
together; one pin at each end of the slit, passing them 
through from one side to the other, and as the points 
will be too long cut them off with a pair of sharp 
pincers, leaving a small portion of the pin to be turned 
against the handle and hammered down flatly, thus 
holding the screen and handle securely together. In 
the very centre of the circle paint with water colors a 
pretty design of birds or flowers; or instead of painting, 
a bunch of artificial pink Roses, buds and their foliage 
may be fastened. The tissue paper is then to be cut in 
strips about four inches wide, the entire width of the 
sheet, then fringe the strip quite finely, leaving half an 
inch at the top for a heading to be pasted to 
the screen. The fringe is then crimped with the scissors 
or the back of a knife by gathering or pinching it up 
between the fingers and knife, as a ruffle is crimped. 
Each piece is to be done in this way, then unfolded and 
shaken out that the fringe shall not be matted together. 
Coat the plain heading of the fringe with mucilage and 
paste one piece at a time all round the outside edge of 
the satin circle. Then row after row, each one falling 
closely over the other until the satin is covered to the 
small circle which contains the painting or flowers. To 
finish the edge of the last row which is fastened to the 
satin, sew on the quilled satin ribbon; the plain satin 
ribbon is tied in a bow round the handle. In pasting the 
fringe on the screen it must be allowed to fall outward, 
as the feathers on a fan; and each side of the screen 
must be covered in the same manner. They are very 
convenient to use as screens for the face when sitting 
beside the fire, or as a shield for the eyes from lamp¬ 
light. M. E. Whittemore. 
Knitted Shell Stitch. 
This is one of the easiest of fanoy stitches, as it does 
not require close attention, and although almost as 
simple as plain knitting, is yet about as pretty as any of 
the new patterns, many of which are modifications of 
it. It is especially suited to the wrists and backs of mit¬ 
tens, as the seam stitch between each row of shells gives 
just enough elasticity to make it fit nicely. Cast on 
some multiple of eight stitches; for a hand fitted by a 
six and one-lialf kid glove you will need seventy-two 
stitches, if silk or fine Saxony is used. Set up the mit¬ 
ten by first making a loop, and from this knit twenty- 
four stitches on each needle, and knit once around 
plain. 
First row: seam one, then knit one, and throw the 
throw the thread over as if to seam and repeat this 
until you have knit seven stitches, and made one be¬ 
tween each by throwing the thread over; then seam the 
next, knit one, and repeat as former seven stitches. 
Continue the row in this way and you will have every 
eighth a seam of the original number of stitches, and 
between them, seVen stitches knit plainly, alternating 
with six made stitches. 
Second row: Knit plain except seam stitches. You 
have now increased your stitches to thirteen between 
each seam, so for the 
Third row: After seaming, slip and bind one, knit 
plain until you are within two stitches of the next seam, 
narrow these. Repeat this in remainder of this 
