THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
191 
store for from five to ten cents a dozen, and which if you 
once purchase, you will wonder how you ever kept house 
without), and hang it up. Make the one for the forks in 
the same way, only shorter. 
The case for the table-cloth could be made cf cotton 
flannel, cretonne or colored linen—the latter I prefer, 
and bind it with plain or fancy braid. Make it a little 
wider than the folded table-cloth, and about twice the 
depth. The top can be straight or pointed. It is better 
to cut it out of heavy pasteboard first, and cover both 
sides ; then cover a second piece the same width and a 
couple of inches deeper than the table-cloth; cover 
another piece the same width, and from two to three 
inches deep, to sew into the bottom; also pieces for the 
sides. Overhand them together and bind. Then make 
two pockets above to put the napkins in, and sew on 
rings by which to hang it. M. W. W. 
Etching on Glass. 
T HE Art Ainateur gives the following directions for 
etching on glass : “ The glass vessel to be etched 
should be thick but of fine quality. Cover the surface 
with a thin coat of hot melted bitumen, dipping the glass 
once or twice into a bowl containing the fluid. Scratch 
the design upon the film with a sharp steel point and pour 
hydrofluoric acid over the whole surface of the work. Let 
the acid do its work for two or three hours under ex¬ 
posure to the sun, and then stop out with Brunswick 
black the acid from the parts of the etching intended to 
be fine, delicate strokes. After another hour under the 
influence of the acid, stop out in the same way the por¬ 
tions of the etching intended to be of moderate intensity. 
For the lines intended to be the deepest, let the hydro¬ 
fluoric acid work an hour or two more. You may then 
wash the glass clean, and you will find beneath the bitu¬ 
men film your etching in all its varying degrees of deli¬ 
cacy or strength. 
To paint windows in imitation of stained glass : First 
draw the design on paper, then paint it and affix it to the 
outside of the pane with a little gum. Then paint the in¬ 
side over the design with varnish colors. In this way the 
same design may be used as often as desired, and the 
most brilliant hues may be obtained, as the colors are 
transparent and cannot be distinguished from stained 
glass. Use a separate brush for every color, and never 
use for any other until it has been well washed with oil 
of turpentine. The coloring must not be too thick. 
If the glass is in the window-sash, keep the windows 
shut, as no dust must get on the work .—Decorator and 
Furnisher. 
NEW YORK FASHIONS. 
I N skirts, one of the newest designs is the housemaid 
skirt, which is very full, and plain from the waist 
down. The bottom is turned up in a hem four or even 
five inches deep, and above this hem a group of five or 
six tucks one or two inches in depth, as a finishing touch, 
is added in wash fabrics. The skirt is gathered to the 
band in the back, laid in deep pleats on the sides, and 
with only enough fullness in front to make it set well. 
In costly materials the tucks are omitted and the skirt 
opens in front over a petticoat of embroidery or embossed 
velvet, in the style of our grandmother’s dresses. The 
corsage is often pointed, having the skirt sewed to it, but 
as it is very difficult to make a skirt in this style hang 
well, it is oftener put to a belt or yoke separately. When 
pointed, which is best for stout ladies, the outside belt or 
sash is omitted, but for those who are slender, a sash is 
universally worn. 
A pretty, comfortable, lawn-tennis dress is composed 
of a kilt-pleated skirt, made rather short, three or even 
four inches from the ground, a blouse waist, and a Hussar 
jacket. The colors usually combined are black and 
orange, blue and white, dark green or brown and car¬ 
dinal ; the skirt should be of the dark material, with a 
band about four inches wide of the light or bright color, 
six inches above the hem ; the blouse of the bright goods 
and the jacket of dark. A Hussar jacket is fastened with 
only one button directly at the neck, falling straight with¬ 
out darts, just to the waist, all around, with the back tight- 
fitting. Usually, a Tam o’ Shanter cap, crocheted, of 
wool, to match the bright trimming, is worn with these 
costumes, or else a cap of the same cloth, as may be 
preferred. 
Many of the exquisite lawns for sale this season have 
delicate grounds, which will not stand soap or water ; the 
figures are mostly roses or pinks, on a pink, light blue, or 
lavender ground, and it is a dainty style to trim these 
perishable fabrics with a light quality of black lace— 
usually French lace. And another freak of fashion is to 
have velvet collar, vest and cuffs for satteens, fine ging¬ 
hams, and fine striped seersuckers, thus giving an inex¬ 
pensive and cool cotton or linen dress, the style of a 
more expensive wool or silk. 
Canvas, mohair and bison cloths are generally used for 
traveling, though mohair is the favorite, as it does not 
easily wrinkle, and sheds the dust as readily as the old- 
fashioned alpaca, which I am pleased to say is fast com¬ 
ing into favor again. The plainer a traveling dress is 
made, the better, and wool goods of light weight is gen¬ 
erally chosen for warm weather. Canvas cloth is new 
and expensive, because it is so thin that it necessitates a 
silk waist and skirt lining. 
For more dressy costumes Louisine is generally chosen, 
instead of summer silk, because it wears better; and al¬ 
though it is a little more expensive, yet it is a trifle 
wider. 
As with all other fabrics this summer velvet is the 
choice for trimmings, and panels, revers, vest, cuffs and 
collar are made of it. Meluzina. 
