Simple gifts for friends can be of silk and satin, and net in large or
small pieces as may be convenient ; caps with the edges worked in col-
ored silks ; ties for the throat ; bracelets and necklets of silk embroi-
dered in small flowers and edged on each side with narrow black or
cream lace ; aprons of silk, satin, or cashmere, with embroidered pock-
ets and border or a spray in one corner ; small blotting-book covers,
with a spray of some delicate flower worked across ; letter-cases, pin-
cushions and small sachets ; hood and cuffs to be put on to any dress at
84: FERNS,
will ; embroidering the back of silk and lace mittens, or long gloves, or
the toes of satin or kid slippers ; cases for music, cases for crewels and
so on.
WOVEN SILK STRIPES AND COVERS.
Collect every scrap of silk, whether new or old, pretty or homely,
about the house. If you have light silk dresses you can have them
colored. Cut them in strips, a quarter of an inch wide — it is a mistake
to cut them too wide, some use them half an inch wide — then sew
them carefully together the same as for carpet rags.
The stripes may be shaded from light to dark with a " hit-or-miss"
stripe in the center, or the whole strip may be " hit-or-miss " and may
be made much handsomer by care being taken in sewing the strips
together. Whether the strips are straight or bias, or cut from a circle,
they can be sewn together and woven just the same.
Weigh the balls and when you have eleven pounds of silk send them
to a weaver. The usual price for weaving is twenty- eight cents per
yard. This will give eight yards of material thirty-five inches wide.
The woof is usually of linen thread and is scarcely visible ; but if the
silk is very nice and a particularly handsome article is desired, silk woof
is the most desirable, embroidery or knitting silk being used. These
bands are used for curtain valances, long curtains, or portieres ; for
mantel valances, chair stripes, table scarfs, etc. Square table covers
can also be worn in this way, the edge finished with a handsome netted
silk fringe.
FERNS.
OUT-DOOR FERNERIES.
There are many plants that succeed best when planted among rocks,
and for their accommodation and to show off their beauties to the
greatest advantage, it is common in many gardens to have what is
called a " rockery." This is made of a collection of stones, in the
rough natural state, laid up without much order, with soil, which should
be concealed as much as possible by the fragments of rocks. This
should be made as natural as possible ; the stones of which it is com-
posed, should not bear the marks of the quarry or any other art. For
a small garden one collection of rocks or stone with a walk around it,
will be sufficient ; but when a person has some fancy, a variety of beds
or collections may be made with winding walks around them, which, if
relieved with some dwarf evergreen shrubs, may be made to show off a
great variety of dwarf plants to the very best advantage. Rockeries
should be conspicuous for natural character. No appearance of art.
and no approach to the regularity or smoothness proper to works of
OUT-DOOR FERNERIES. 85
Page 74
Presented as published in 1886. 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
Simple gifts for friends can be of silk and satin, and net in large or small pieces as may be convenient ; caps with the edges worked in colored silks ; ties for the throat ; bracelets and necklets of silk embroidered in small flowers and edged on each side with narrow black or cream lace ; aprons of silk, satin, or cashmere, with embroidered pockets and border or a spray in one corner ; small blotting-book covers, with a spray of some delicate flower worked across ; letter-cases, pincushions and small sachets ; hood and cuffs to be put on to any dress at
FERNS.
will ; embroidering the back of silk and lace mittens, or long gloves, or the toes of satin or kid slippers ; cases for music, cases for crewels and so on.
WOVEN SILK STRIPES AND COVERS.
Collect every scrap of silk, whether new or old, pretty or homely, about the house. If you have light silk dresses you can have them colored. Cut them in strips, a quarter of an inch wide — it is a mistake to cut them too wide, some use them half an inch wide — then sew them carefully together the same as for carpet rags.
The stripes may be shaded from light to dark with a " hit-or-miss" stripe in the center, or the whole strip may be " hit-or-miss " and may be made much handsomer by care being taken in sewing the strips together. Whether the strips are straight or bias, or cut from a circle, they can be sewn together and woven just the same.
Weigh the balls and when you have eleven pounds of silk send them to a weaver. The usual price for weaving is twenty- eight cents per yard. This will give eight yards of material thirty-five inches wide. The woof is usually of linen thread and is scarcely visible ; but if the silk is very nice and a particularly handsome article is desired, silk woof is the most desirable, embroidery or knitting silk being used. These bands are used for curtain valances, long curtains, or portieres ; for mantel valances, chair stripes, table scarfs, etc. Square table covers can also be worn in this way, the edge finished with a handsome netted silk fringe.
FERNS.
OUT-DOOR FERNERIES.
There are many plants that succeed best when planted among rocks, and for their accommodation and to show off their beauties to the greatest advantage, it is common in many gardens to have what is called a " rockery." This is made of a collection of stones, in the rough natural state, laid up without much order, with soil, which should be concealed as much as possible by the fragments of rocks. This should be made as natural as possible ; the stones of which it is composed, should not bear the marks of the quarry or any other art. For a small garden one collection of rocks or stone with a walk around it, will be sufficient ; but when a person has some fancy, a variety of beds or collections may be made with winding walks around them, which, if relieved with some dwarf evergreen shrubs, may be made to show off a great variety of dwarf plants to the very best advantage. Rockeries should be conspicuous for natural character. No appearance of art. and no approach to the regularity or smoothness proper to works of
OUT-DOOR FERNERIES. 85