Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1916 — BEST USE FOR EMBROIDERY [ARTICLE]

BEST USE FOR EMBROIDERY

Transparent Cotton Materials May Be Trimmed to Advantage When This Method Is Employed Waists and dresses of transparent cotton materials are trimmed with hand embroidery done in mercerized floss in Oriental colors, often outlined with black. This embroidery is quickly done and is very effective if one is careful to make a good selection of the colors to be combined. Small wooden or china beads are frequently combined with these embroideries in this way, carrying out further the Oriental idea of embellishment. An easy way to pad embroidery is to take a spool of darning cotton and fasten one end to the work and let the spool run at will in making scallops on children’s dresses and other fancy work, such as simple doilies, centerpieces or scarf covers. The work just flies as one holds the darning cotton down and buttonholes over it all at one time.

Bone or ivory rings used for fancy work may be dyed with common dye that is used for cottoh goods, following directions carefully. White rings may be dyed any shade desired, and also buttons. When embroidering the turn-over part of flower leaves, especially when the turnover is large, after the padding is done, keep a needleful of the thread with which the work is done and mark the stitch direction all the way across. This helps to keep the stitches straight, The woman who uses stiff canvas for cross-stitching will find that her fingers will be less harmed if, upon finishing her stitching, she dampens the canvas and presses the material on the wrong side with a hot iron until dry. She can then remove the threads with greater ease,'for they will have lost their stiffness.