HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 1910 
no colors are better than the blues. Any 
old white cotton materials may be used 
and the only expense one is put to is the 
weaving. One inch is a good width for 
muslin rags, keeping the strips so they 
will twist to a uniformly sized thread. 
The cost of weaving rag rugs per yard 
varies slightly in different sections of the 
country, but it is very little anywhere. 
Always insist on white warp being used 
by the weaver. Various effects may be 
obtained such as twisting strips of blue 
and white or other colors and white to¬ 
gether for the “thread.” Laura Page 
Preserving Insect Screens 
W HEN screens begin to rust, spread 
over the wires as well as the 
frames a good varnish, well thinned with 
turpentine, using as wide a brush as pos¬ 
sible. They will not only be preserved 
for much longer usefulness, but will be 
greatly improved in appearance. Brush 
the wires thoroughly before applying, be¬ 
cause they hold a great deal of dust. 
L. McC. 
A Buff Bathroom 
I T was a pleasant surprise upon going 
into a friend’s bathroom one cold 
winter day, to find, instead of the inevit¬ 
able and chilly blue or green, a cosy room 
in buff and cream. The trim was a warm 
cream, and the tiled paper a delicate buff. 
The floor was covered with brown lino¬ 
leum, over which was spread rag rugs of 
shaded tans and browns with a thread of 
red in borders. The unbleached towels 
had red borders, and curtains of ecru 
scrim with cross-stitch in red hung at the 
windows. With the snowy porcelain, a 
generous mirror, and one or two prints 
in dull black moldings, the effect was most 
attractive. Alice M. Ashton 
Cork for Pillow Filling 
ROM a grocer we obtained a quantity 
of the ground cork in which grapes 
are packed, for a few cents. With it we 
filled pillows for the porch and hammock. 
They are light and comfortable, and are 
not injured by storm. At night these pil¬ 
lows are simply placed in a protected por- 
The walls of this simple Colonial bedroom 
are a dull grayish blue 
tion of the porch, as there is no danger of 
their drawing dampness as so many fill¬ 
ings do. A. M. A. 
A Successfully Furnished 
Bedroom 
r I 'HERE are those of us who deem our- 
-*• selves fortunate if we can—by in¬ 
heritance — lay claim to even a few of the 
beautiful old belongings of our ancestors, 
and add to them via the collector's route; 
but when one comes into possession of 
cherished heirlooms, enough and to spare, 
then arrangement and grouping must nat¬ 
urally become a loving task, made the 
more delightful by romantic speculation, 
and hallowed by the familiar tales of de¬ 
parted possessors. 
Most of the furniture of the room 
herewith depicted, was brought originally 
from the family homestead in an old vil¬ 
lage in New York state, which ceased to 
The solid old four-poster is strung, as of old, 
with ropes to support the mattress 
exist sixty years ago, and its present own¬ 
er is the fifth in direct descent to enjoy 
them. 
To lovers of things Colonial the un¬ 
usual old mahogany four-poster claims 
attention by reason of its simplicity and 
massiveness, and is strung, as in the days 
of its pristine glory, with cord ropes. The 
walls of dull grayish blue, always so 
charming a setting for old mahogany, 
neighbor delightfully with ivory ceilings 
and hangings of cream-colored chintz, pat¬ 
terned with great bouquets in harmonious 
pinks and greens. The old curtain fast¬ 
enings in ormulu and gilt are in a design 
of passion flowers, as are also the cornices, 
and they are in an almost perfect state of 
preservation. 
The charm of this apartment lies chief¬ 
ly in the blending of colors, which can 
only be pictured in the imagination, nor 
do the photographs show the large carved 
bureau with swinging glass-. The goose¬ 
neck rocker is covered in chintz of a pat¬ 
tern to harmonize with the hangings, as 
is also the old davenport, the owner by 
the way, having in her possession the re¬ 
ceipt signed at the time of the original 
purchase. Near the old astral lamp, which 
stands upon a small candle-table, is 
grouped some old Spanish pottery and 
brasses, and noticeable also is the old rare 
173 
Italian puzzle cup, and some interesting 
daguerreotypes. The glass sconce was 
picked up at a junk shop for ten cents and 
is a particularly good one. 
Kate E. Buckham 
What to Do with Storm Sash 
and Blinds 
L IKE many a householder I had al¬ 
ways stored my outside sash and 
also the blinds in the cellar when they 
were not needed outside. But this I have 
found to be objectionable because they 
will soon become covered with dust and 
ashes. Place them in the attic instead. 
It will astonish the average person to find 
out how clean they will keep there. If 
you do not wish to take the blinds down, 
you may tie them back so that they will 
not rattle in the high winter winds. Some 
people think it spoils the appearance of a 
house to take down the blinds when the 
outside sash are put up. If you leave 
them up it makes less labor also, and the 
cost of labor is very high these days. 
Putting the sash in the attic will also save 
money, for it is expensive to have them 
cleaned when they are covered with dirt. 
C. K. F. 
How to Renovate a Gilt Frame 
I T is not a difficult matter to restore to 
their original freshness and beauty 
some of your gilt picture or mirror frames 
that have suffered from the effects of time 
and, particularly, of gases. 
First remove all the dust from the 
frame, using a soft brush, sponging it af¬ 
terwards with a solution of gin weakened 
with water. Remove the moisture with a 
soft silk handkerchief or a very soft dry 
sponge. Hot spirits of wine or turpen¬ 
tine, applied warm, will serve in place of 
the gin, but do not wipe the surplus off, 
as with the gin. The brightened gilding 
may then be shellacked to protect it from 
tarnishing. Or, in place of the shellac, 
rub on a mixture of one part linseed oil 
and two parts turpentine, wiping the 
frame dry. 
Try this treatment on some of the tar¬ 
nished frames around old paintings or on 
antique mirror frames. M. H. M. 
Cream-colored chintz, with pink and green 
bouquets, is used for the hangings and up¬ 
holstery 
