THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
219 
rns ’ curtaining, which comes by the yard and is com¬ 
paratively expensive, makes handsome window drap¬ 
eries ; it comes in conventional figures in old gold and 
amber shades upon black groundwork, also in pale old 
gold with pale dull blues, pinks, green and yellows in 
the figures. A portiere of amber-colored serge for the 
folding-door drapery, with deep border of dull-blue silk 
sheeting embroidered with a pomegranate design in col¬ 
ors corresponding to those in the window draperies; 
mantel decorated with straight valance of dull blue plush 
fringed with chenille tassels in the same color, and lay 
scarf across the top, with ends embroidered and hanging 
over the depth of the valance, which are also trimmed 
with chenille tassels.” 
Ebony furniture upholstered in dull-blue plush would 
go prettily with a room decorated in this manner; or t 1 e 
effect is better to break the monotony of color, by hav¬ 
ing part of the pieces upholstered with raw silk in shades 
of amber and blue. 
Designs for Needlework. 
Needlework becomes an art only when we can ori¬ 
ginate such designs as are suited to our work, and when 
we transfer to the fabric pictures formed in our own 
minds suggested by the beautiful in Nature; if we copy 
her forms and colors, we shall be certain of good effects. 
But how shall this be accomplished, for needlework, 
unlike painting, cannot follow every tint and irregular¬ 
ity of outline, as representations must be made by the 
fewest lines and shades possible. 
Taking for granted that flowers and leaves are the 
most suitable objects for embroidery, we shall find the 
simplest old-fashioned flowers with their few distinct 
petals and well-marked centers best for our purpose, 
leaving for the painter the double blossoms with their 
multitude of folded leaves and intricate shades of color¬ 
ing. 
The Art Amateur, in giving some practical sugges¬ 
tions upon designing, says “that in order to gain any 
proficiency, careful studies from Nature of flowers and 
leaves, buds and seed-vessels in various positions should 
be made, and when a thorough acquaintance with 
natural forms has been gained, designs may be con- 
' structed from these drawings. Such practice will lead 
to a right perception as to what detail must be dispensed 
with and what retained. Some experience also as to 
what is and what is not practicable with the needle 
must also be acquired before a satisfactory design can 
be made. At first we are nearly certain to err by at¬ 
tempting too much. For instance, the crimped petals 
of the Iris, or the jagged edges of the Chinese Pink, 
must be in some measure simplified even in the most 
careful drawing, and thus made more easy to reduce 
again from the drawing to the point of simplicity re¬ 
quired by the needle. In some flowers the crinkled 
edges must be entirely left out, as in the Pansy, where 
it is better to take the general curve and shape of the 
petal than to attempt the little irregularities that are not 
essential to its character. Where they are essential, as 
in the Pink, they ought to be suggested. 
As the object of household decoration is to make our 
rooms pleasant places of rest, a certain breadth and 
repose should be aimed at in our work ; all sense of 
fatigue should be avoided. This must be done by be¬ 
ing careful not to crowd the design with detail, even 
though we may be tempted to do so by our command 
of materials and of the requisite time and patience. 
The flowers composing a design should not overlap 
each other too much, for as there is no shadow, the re 
