218 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
Design for Pen-Wiper. 
mond-shaped cluster of shells which form each point of 
the trimming have a very pretty effect, and the pattern is 
a very simple one to work, as it requires no counting after 
the first point has been made, as you can see at a glance 
just where the stitches should be placed. 
Mary L. Thayer. 
Book Pen-Wiper. 
A PEN-WIPER in the form of an artist’s book is the 
neatest little article we have seen in some time. 
It is formed of pasteboard, silk and chamois. To make 
one like the design cut a piece of thin cardboard twelve 
inches long and three and a half inches wide ; cover it 
neatly on both sides with dark-blue silk. Cut four 
pieces of chamois skin, five inches long and three inches 
wide. Fold together the piece you have covered with 
the blue silk, and punch several holes in the back of it; 
overhand them around as closely as possible with blue 
silk; punch holes in the chamois to correspond with 
those in the cover, and run a narrow ribbon through the 
back and tie in a bow on the outside, fastening in this 
way the chamois leaves. Paint some little design on the 
cover with the words, “ Strokes from the pen of -- 
the one to whom you are going to give it. E. S. W. 
Decorative Hotes. 
L ITTLE casks, sixteen inches in height, and about 
seven inches in diameter, are put to a novel use by 
making them answer the purpose of scrap-baskets. They 
are very ornamental when prettily decorated, and have 
the advantage of being heavy enough to keep in an up¬ 
right position, as they are not easily tipped over. The 
ends of the cask, as far as the hoops extend, are neatly 
gilded, and a band of embroidered plush or velvet (pea¬ 
cock-blue in color) is used to fill the space between. As 
there are usually seven or eight hoops on each end of the 
cask, the space for the embroidered band will not be more 
than five inches in width. Peacock-blue satin is used for 
the lining. It is fulled in with small 
plaits, and tacked on its wrong side to 
the top of the cask, and then turned 
in. The lower edge of the lining should 
be gathered as closely as possible to 
form a bag-shaped bottom. 
A very pretty splasher can be made 
of the Japanese reed splashers, which 
can be obtained for twelve or fifteen 
cents apiece. One side of them usually 
has a bright flower rudely painted on 
it, but this will answer for the back, 
and your own design can be painted 
on the plain side. Water scenes are 
most appropriate, and nothing is prettier 
than pond-lilies as they naturally grow. 
Shades of blue form the sky, which 
seems to meet the water where the 
pond-lilies are floating with their full¬ 
blown blossoms and half-opened buds. The splasher is 
kept in place by brass rings at the corners, which are 
slipped on tiny hooks screwed in the wall. 
A convenient twine-holder can be crocheted bag-shape 
from old-gold knitting silk. Make a chain of eight stitches ; 
join it and in each stitch make two double crochet 
stitches. In the next row make two double crochet 
stitches between each one in the preceding row, and con¬ 
tinue in this way until you have a circular piece a little 
larger in circumference than your twine ball; then cro¬ 
chet without increasing the number of stitches, until the 
piece is large enough when drawn together to enclose the 
