HOME DECORATIONS. 
Useful Work for Nimble Fingers. 
Pretty head rests for hanging over the backs of easy 
chairs, are made in the shape of small bolsters; the ends, 
instead of being square, however, ave drawn up like a 
bag, and finished with a silk pompon aud a bow 
of satin ribbon. The most beautiful are made of 
crimson plush with designs of raised plush flowers. 
The embroidery, of course, must be done before mak¬ 
ing up the cushion. The design is of wild Roses, 
leaves and buds, the leaves to be worked with silk 
Arasene. but it will be necessary to shade them, closely 
foUowiug whatever pattern is to be copied, as but one 
shade is contained in each skein of Arasene. The calyx 
of the bud or flower is also executed in the same man¬ 
ner. Working the foliage with Arasene produces the 
effect of plush on plush aud gives a very rich appear¬ 
ance. The silk Arasene is seven cents a skein, not over 
two or two and a half yards in each skein: the plush 
flowers may be purchased already prepared for use. 
with the stamens also worked in them, at twenty-five 
cents each, or the single petals shaped of shaded 
plush, to be 
arranged in the 
form of the 
flower, for ten 
cents a piece. It 
is very much 
easier to buy the 
flowers ready 
made, as they 
are then simply 
applied to the 
plush by care¬ 
fully stitching 
them through 
the edge of the 
petals with silk 
to match the 
shade of the flowers. 
Rose buds are particularly pretty in 
this kind of work, for the full puff of plush indicating the 
unfolding of the Rose leaves held together with the mossy 
green calyx, is very beautiful and natural. This work 
is also suitable for mantel lambrequins, table covers, 
chair cushions, foot rests and many other useful and 
ornamental articles: and as the price of plush is so ex¬ 
ceedingly reasonable, the expense of this work will be 
very little, if any, more than in using other material, and 
there is nothing which produces so rich and beautiful 
an effect. Another pretty piece of work is a sewing 
apron of ecru pongee. It is cut as an ordinary 
gored apron at the top, but long enough to allow a pocket 
about a quarter of a yard deep to be turned up across 
the bottom of the apron. The corners, which will pro¬ 
ject at each side of the top of the pocket if the apron is 
gored, must be cut to fit the sides. The top of the 
pocket is to be bound with satin ribbons, also the sides 
to keep the work from falling through. Bows of satin 
ribbon are placed at each side of the pot ket, and a de¬ 
sign of flowers embroidered across the top just below 
the binding, with_colored etching silk. In the lower 
corner on one side are the thimble, scissors and a spool' 
of cotton worked in outline, and on the opposite side a 
motto is worked in fancy letters, such as: “A stitch in 
time saves nine.” Long ribbon strings are used to tie 
it round the waist. These aprons will bo found exceed¬ 
ingly useful for crochet work or fancy work of any kind. 
Should aprons not be fancied, very pretty working bolts 
or chatelaines cau be made equally as convenient as the 
aprons. A belt is made of gay colored satin ribbon or 
of sombre hue, if it should be preferred, two inches 
wide and of a length to lit round the waist, lined with 
some stiff material to keep from wrinkling, and a hook 
and eye with which to fasten it at the side. From this 
hang the long satin ribbons to match the color of the 
belt, and they should come just below the knee. To 
one is attached a pincushion of any shape that may be 
pleasing, to the other a small pointed case for holding 
the scissors, and a bag in shape like the stocking-bag 
described in the April number of the Cabinet, which 
also contains the needle book. The interior of the bag 
is for holding the work. Where the ribbons are sewed 
to the belt a full bow of ribbon is placed. Another and 
simpler method 
is to arrange 
the ribbons as. 
a chatelaine. In 
this case the 
belt is omitted, 
the ends of tlie- 
ribbons are 
sewed together- 
at the top, and 
and a small bow 
of ribbon to fin-, 
ish. Beneath 
the bow a safety 
pin is securely 
fastened, and 
Head Rest. by this means 
the chatelaine can be worn at the side. They- are ex¬ 
tremely pretty and convenient little articles. 
M. E. Whittemore. 
For very handsome bed-rooms the newest fashion is 
to have the spread and bolster-cover to match the furn:-- 
ture-covering; satin brocade or raw silk. Large pil¬ 
lows are not entirely abandoned, but the choice seems 
to be small pillows merely to be used at night, being 
laid aside during the day, the bed adorned with a lace 
spread over some daintily-shaded under-cover, and the 
round bolster to match, gathering its case at each end 
where a bow of ribbon is placed, corresponding in color 
with the materials used underneath the lace spread. 
To furnish a parlor the Art Interchange advises “a 
Brussels carpet showing an all-over design in olives, 
garnets and touches of dull blue, with black appearingas 
a fillet groundwork; that is, it should, although being the 
ground, appear as omitting all the figures of the design.. 
Large spaces of black show dust, but outlines of black 
all through a carpet give a velvety, rich effect. ‘ Mad- 
