This is an important fact, and inattention to it will result in very serious defects. We often wonder why a piece of work which has for its foundation color black, looks rusty or dingy, when we may have taken great pains to select a rich, perfect black. The reason is, that if the design is worked in blue, orange is reflected on the black; if in red, a greenish hue is given; and in yellow, a purplish hue is the result. This difficulty is obviated by selecting for the ground work a dark shade of the same color as the pattern; and when this is almost invisible, its color becomes neutralized by the tints thrown upon it, and it gives the effect of black. When the pattern is variegated in color, this difficulty will not occur."
Great care must be used in working designs containing different colored flowers, to choose such as will harmonize with each other. The greens of the leaves also must be selected with regard to both the background and the colors used for the flowers. Thus, yellow and blue flowers should have the leaves worked in russets and brown-greens.
In shading, as has been intimated, no attempt should be made to give a rounded or realistic representation of the flower used in the design, but merely an indication of the varied shades of color, as in the rose for instance, which often varies from a deep pink to so delicate a tint that it is almost white. Great care must be taken to have whatever shading is employed, worked so that in no place can the point where one shade begins and another ends be perceived. In this matter everything depends on the skill and taste of the worker.
It is well in beginning such work to undertake only small pieces, such as chair backs, table scarfs, etc., so that discouragement may be avoided, and failures may not be so disastrous. But to a skilful and persevering worker it is well worth while to put the time and pains into one large piece of work, which is often frittered away on a vast number of smaller undertakings. The work is so durable, in fact improves so with age, the colors becoming mellow with time, that an enthusiastic work-woman may well feel she is working for posterity, as she bends over her portière, screen or curtain.
For convenience sake borders are often worked in strips, and afterwards applied to the foundation. In this case a number of fancy stitches are often employed, not only to conceal the line of junction, but also to emphasize the design or to bring into harmony the two colors of the strip and the real foundation. Several of these stitches are described later on, and many more can be found by carefully noticing borders on embroideries, china, or any other decorative work. Herringbone and coral stitch are both used for this purpose. Mrs. Glaister says concerning these stitches:
"A great deal of the finished effect of all decorative needle-work depends on the apparently unimportant lines and borders with which the patterns are bounded and kept together—often they have to be put in after the work is otherwise finished; a thick line and a thin one, a little zigzag or herringbone between two lines, a row of dots or sloping stitches beside a line, will often make a marvellous difference to the finish and completeness of a pattern which without them gave a vague dissatisfaction. These lines sometimes serve to give a balance of color that was wanting without them. Speaking very generally, middle tints of the ornament will serve for the color, but if, as happens sometimes, the color of flowers is felt to be a little strong in the general effect, a few stitches of their color in the bordering lines between or beside, say the green of the leaves, may greatly improve matters. Lay some threads of the worsted or silk you may be using on the cloth beside the pattern, and you will readily judge the effect."
As I have said at the beginning of this chapter, very many more stitches might be enumerated, but they would add nothing to the practical value of these directions and might serve to embarass. Every worker in decorative needle-work is at liberty to adapt and modify her stitches to suit herself, studying only the result she is aiming to produce. As a rule, borders are the most desirable decoration for table covers, as the folds into which they fall are apt to break or conceal entirely a corner piece, while a group of flowers is apt to be disagreeably obtrusive if worked in the middle of each side. Generally a square table cover is preferable, but I have seen very pretty covers fitted to round tables. One of these was of sage green felt, on which were embroidered at equal distances,
Fig. 14a.
on the round piece fitting the top of the table, sprays of simple wild-flowers in small vases. The vases were cut from black velvet and applied to the cloth, the outline and ornamental lines being worked in gold colored silk. Almost any book on antiquities will give a good model for such vases. The border of the cover was worked in a running floral pattern on a straight piece of cloth, and sewn on to the top. It is well to line this straight piece with a lightly quilted piece of thin muslin, having a light piece of wire attached to the lower edge. Finish with a fringe containing the colors used in the work,
Fig. 14a illustrates a waste-paper basket trimmed with a lambrequin or drapery of felt, satin or plush, worked with a floral design. The lambrequin is finished with a border crocheted in wool, from one of the patterns given in the chapter on crochet, and with tassels.
Fig. 14b.
Another style of basket, which will be found useful for holding newspapers and magazines, is shown in Fig. 14b. The sides are covered with a puffing of silk or satin, and decorated with a panel of either of these materials, on which a floral design is worked or painted. An expeditious way is to paint the design in flat tints, (that is without shading) in water colors, and to edge the outlines with silk in cording stitch.
Reference has been made to appliqué work. As its name implies, the decoration is produced by cutting the design or its main features out in one material, and then fastening it on to a ground work. The edges are then concealed by chain, button-hole, couching, or some other fancy stitch. Sometimes it is advisable to back the appliqué design before fastening on the ground-work, in order to insure its being perfectly flat and unwrinkled. In this case the material used for the ground should be tightly and evenly strained, and the design having been traced on the backing material (which should be of unbleached linen evenly stretched), the cut-out pieces to be used in the work are pasted on this linen ground, care being taken that the stuff goes in the same direction in both the pieces for the design and in the backing. The following paste is used for appliqué work, and also for pasting the backs of some pieces of embroidery designed for screens, etc.
Embroidery Paste.
"Three and a half spoonfuls of flour, and as much powdered resin as will lie on a half penny. Mix thoroughly with half a pint of water. Pat in one teaspoon essence of cloves, stirring till it boils. Boil for five minutes."—Lady Marian Alford's Manual of Embroidery.
A new way of making up a sofa pillow is shown in Fig. 14c, the covering of which is of plush, lined with satin, cut about fourteen inches longer than the pillow, and confined at either end by a cord and tassel. The decoration consists of sprays, worked on linen in filled-in embroidery, and applied to the plush. These sprays can be bought ready worked.
When appliqué designs are cut from plain colored material, such as felt or satin, they may be much improved by working them in crewels or silks, veining the leaves, shading a little, etc.
Fig. 14c.
Fig. 14d illustrates a brush or broom holder or small catch-all, ornamented with a spray of appliqué work, and finished off with gimp, wool, balls and tassels. The way to make these balls is given on under Crochet.
A quickly executed and effective
