Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1901 — LATEST FANCY WORK. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LATEST FANCY WORK.

TWO STYLES THAT ARE EFFECTIVE AND EASILY EXECUTED. Applique on Linen Charmingly Car* rled Out In Contraatlng Colors—Re* vival of an Improved Form of Old Fashioned Wool Work on Canvas. Interest In the gentle art of the needle has of late reawakened with surprising vigor, and the innate feminine desire for the expression of artistic feeling In decorative stltchery asserts Itself in a marked degree. Fancy work to fulfill the demands of the average worker of today must be good In coloring and design; but. In addition to this, it is desirable that it should be

susceptible to quick and easy execution, while affording scope for originality and the exercise of individual taste. Very satisfactory in popular work of this kind is a charming linen applique. The method of execution is perfectly simple. Two pieces of linen of contrasting colors are laid one above another and securely tacked together, the design being traced on the uppermost piece, upon which It Is workd out. The stitches are of course carried through both. The working may be slight or elaborate, according to the taste or In* clination of the worker. The outline is carried out in firm, close buttonhole stitch, the filling as fancy dictates. When completed, the uppermost layer of linen is cut away all round the design, leaving the lower layer as a background. In this part of the work great care is of course necessary, as it is easy to cut the under fabric by inadvertence. Only the sharpest pointed scissors should be used, as the outline must be clearly and cleanly cut Otherwise there is little or no difficulty in the execution of this exceedingly artistic and pleasing work. An excellent suggestion well suited for adaptation to linen applique Is a cushion of leaf green applique upon Ivory. The cushion Is backed and frilled with green and forms a charming scheme of color.

Sometimes applique is arranged as an all over design, as in a teacloth covered with trailing convolvulus. At others it forms a border. This Is the ease in some charming table centers In pale blue, pink or green linen, with a conventional applique border. In spareroom sets, consisting of toilet cover and mats worked with a design of white on a background harmonizing

with the coloring of the room, the work appears In a novel and delightful guise. Handkerchief, glove aud nightdress sachets are suitable subjects for this style of work, among the designs specially worthy of mention being one of daffodils applied to a ground of sky blue aud another, quaintly conventional, with a scroll pattern in gold linen outlined in black on a cream background. Many workers have once more given In their allegiance to wool and canvas of a much subdued and mellowed order as compared with the wool work of days gone by and capable of exceedingly harmonious and pleasing effects. A novel development of this revival Is a variety of canvas work which hails from Paris and Is but mildly reminiscent of the Inartistic reign of glaringly dyed Berlin wool which has causeu the name of wool work to be regarded with disfavor. The example given Is worked in Bquares, having In the center of each a kind of- fleur-de-lis carried out In shades of greens and browns on a cream colored ground. The squares are separated by a fancy border outlined In dark brown, with touches of red and blue.

CUSHION IN APPLIQUE.

WOOL WORK ON CANVAS.