Rugs and Carpets. — The parlor should have a light-weight
rug upon the centre of the floor, or several mats. The mats
could be made of remnants of carpets finished at the ends
with fringe. Ingrain carpet would be best to use, as the
other kinds are too heavy to handle easily, and too expen-
sive. There is a kind of hemp carpet that is very durable
and only costs about 35 cts. a yard, which would make
either a good rug or mats.
The children could make rag mats by braiding strips of
cloth collected from their friends, or the friends of the
school. It should be torn into strips as class work, and
the strips sewed together at home and wound into balls.
The lesson in braiding could be given in the school and the
work finished if necessary in their homes. The braids
could then be sewed round a centrepiece as a part of their
school work. Eed and black strips make a pretty rug.
A drawn mat is not hard to make, and when properly
snipped is very pretty. Simple designs can be bought
which can be used as a lesson in colors.
Settees. — A settee could be very easily made by fastening
together securely at their ends two cracker, or other long
TO TURN A SCHOOLROOM INTO A WORKSHOP 397
boxes ; and making a wooden cover for the top fastened
on with either hinges, or pieces of leather about one inch
wide and three inches long. If leather is used, there should
be two strips for each hinge. They should be fastened on
the box so that one end of the strip comes under the lid and
the other end outside of the box. The second piece should
be nailed close to the first only reversed as to the position of
the ends. One end should be fastened on the outside of the
lid and the other end inside of the box. This will prevent
the lid from slipping out of position. The inside of the box
and lid should be lined with a dark-colored cambric to match
the ground color of the outside covering. Cut a long strip
of the lining about 1^ inches deeper than the box and long
enough to allow some fulness at the corners ; sew this
around a piece of cambric just big enough to fit the bottom ;
place this in the box and tack the edge around the outside
of the box. Line the lid with a straight piece, bringing the
edges over the outside. If unfigured goods is used for the
outside of the box, it can be drawn over the sides and ends
in plaits or folds and fastened. Or if figured, it shoidd be
put on either as a plaited rutfle or plain. The top can be
stuffed, or a long flat mattress like a cushion be made for it,
having a narrow ruffle to fall over the edge. Plain square
and rather flat cushions might be placed against the wall to
form a back.
Chair. — A chair can be made by screwing or nailing two
upright pieces of wood on the opposite ends of a square box
placed bottom up unless it has a cover. The pieces must be
placed to slant at a slight angle from the corners of the box
and connected at their upper ends by a wide piece of board.
The uprights and back can be sandpapered, oiled, and var-
nished, the seat stuffed, and the whole bottom of the chair, or
box, covered with cretonne. The rufile round the chair could
be fastened with brass-headed tacks. A very good descrip-
398 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
tion of tliis furniture can be found in tlie June number of
the Ladies' Home Journal for 1898.
Page 191
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Rugs and Carpets. — The parlor should have a light-weight rug upon the centre of the floor, or several mats. The mats could be made of remnants of carpets finished at the ends with fringe. Ingrain carpet would be best to use, as the other kinds are too heavy to handle easily, and too expensive. There is a kind of hemp carpet that is very durable and only costs about 35 cts. a yard, which would make either a good rug or mats.
The children could make rag mats by braiding strips of cloth collected from their friends, or the friends of the school. It should be torn into strips as class work, and the strips sewed together at home and wound into balls. The lesson in braiding could be given in the school and the work finished if necessary in their homes. The braids could then be sewed round a centrepiece as a part of their school work. Eed and black strips make a pretty rug.
A drawn mat is not hard to make, and when properly snipped is very pretty. Simple designs can be bought which can be used as a lesson in colors.
Settees. — A settee could be very easily made by fastening together securely at their ends two cracker or other long
boxes ; and making a wooden cover for the top fastened on with either hinges, or pieces of leather about one inch wide and three inches long. If leather is used, there should be two strips for each hinge. They should be fastened on the box so that one end of the strip comes under the lid and the other end outside of the box. The second piece should be nailed close to the first only reversed as to the position of the ends. One end should be fastened on the outside of the lid and the other end inside of the box. This will prevent the lid from slipping out of position. The inside of the box and lid should be lined with a dark-colored cambric to match the ground color of the outside covering. Cut a long strip of the lining about 1^ inches deeper than the box and long enough to allow some fulness at the corners ; sew this around a piece of cambric just big enough to fit the bottom ; place this in the box and tack the edge around the outside of the box. Line the lid with a straight piece, bringing the edges over the outside. If unfigured goods is used for the outside of the box, it can be drawn over the sides and ends in plaits or folds and fastened. Or if figured, it should be put on either as a plaited ruffle or plain. The top can be stuffed, or a long flat mattress like a cushion be made for it, having a narrow ruffle to fall over the edge. Plain square and rather flat cushions might be placed against the wall to form a back.
Chair. — A chair can be made by screwing or nailing two upright pieces of wood on the opposite ends of a square box placed bottom up unless it has a cover. The pieces must be placed to slant at a slight angle from the corners of the box and connected at their upper ends by a wide piece of board. The uprights and back can be sandpapered, oiled, and varnished, the seat stuffed, and the whole bottom of the chair, or box, covered with cretonne. The rufile round the chair could be fastened with brass-headed tacks. A very good description of this furniture can be found in the June number of the Ladies' Home Journal for 1898.