Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1915 — EMBROIDERY ON LINEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

EMBROIDERY ON LINEN

NEW DARNING STITCH HAS MUCH TO RECOMMEND IT. Extremely Pretty, and Any Woman Who Can Sew May Produce It at Coat of Little Effort and Time. I have seldom seen anything quite so effective, produced at a cost of so little effort and. time, as thq new darning stitch embroidery on linen, writes Helen Howe in the Washington Star. Nor is skill in color combinations necessary; because the work is carried out with white threads

only. Consequently, any woman who can sew may decorate her house linen in this attractive way if she wishes. Table covers, centerpieces, pillow slips, scarfs, dollies, etc., come stamped in colors on white and neu-tral-tinted linens —as natural, gray and sand color —in both floral and conventional designs. One has only to go over the entire printed design with a long and short darning stitch, as shown In detail, and then to outline each flower, leaf or motif of the design with coronation braid. Mercerized thread is used for darning the larger pieces, and silk for the smaller. Printed description conveys but a faint idea of the beauty of the completed work. The colors —at first apparently so strong and crude —take on most delicate tints after the working, while the . white stitches look like frost work. The outline of coronation braid gives the substantial touch required In such dainty work. The embroidery shows most effectively upon the tinted background, but the white linen is very pleasing to the eye and for dinner table use will naturally be preferred. The finish to the various pieces may be a narrow linen or mercerized fringe, or a linen lace in cluny or torchon. One having even a slight knowledge of painting on linen could make her own designs; and in that case she would be independent of the stores and could make articles that do not come ready stamped. For example, a scrap basket, night dress, handkerchief or veil case, a magazine cover, telephone book cover, baby carriage spread or pillow shams. The painting would be so well covered with the stitches that absence of detail in coloring would not be noticed. Buttonhole scalloping makes a very pretty finish to the smaller pieces of darned linen. The cutting out of the scallops always should be done before the embroidery is washed—and for this reason: One never can cut so closely to the scallops that not a thread is left; but as linen shrinks a little the first time it is washed, any threads that have been left disappear Info the buttonholing. If the cutting Is done after the washing the edge may look very neat at the time, but a little fringe soon will appear, and constant clipping will be necessary to keep the edge tidy. I have seen many pieces of work* beautifully done, spoiled because of the Indefinite outline caused by washing before cutting out.

New Embroidery on Linen.