Artistic embroidery

There is scarcely an article for which ornament of this kind is used that may not be decorated with silk embroidery, and it is suitable for all materials. Curtains, portières, and table-covers are very handsome done in outline with silk of the same color, but a lighter shade than the ground; and whole sets of furniture have been undertaken by ambitious workers.

A SCREEN OF PEACOCK FEATHERS.

This was embroidered on a foundation of pale peach-blossom silk with split floss, and made up with a plain ebony frame, ornamented here and there with a little dead gold.

It was an exquisite piece of work, both in design and execution; and so wonderfully did the brilliant silks reflect the changeful hues of the bronze-greens and browns, that it was difficult to convince visitors that real feathers were not fastened on. The only pattern used by the embroiderer was one tail-feather dropped by a majestic fowl almost at her feet; and while walking with the trophy in her hand, the design of the screen came to her and was forthwith executed.

It was a good-sized fire-place screen; and as the room was furnished in dark-blue, it showed to great advantage.

A PRETTY BANNER-SCREEN.

This was fastened to the end of the mantel; and the crimson satin foundation was covered with a small diaper pattern in maroon silk. Thick clusters of small daisies without leaves were worked as a bordering in embroidery-stitch; the centres in knot-stitch. In the middle of the screen was a beautifully-designed monogram in gold-colored silk.

ANOTHER BANNER-SCREEN

was attached to a gilt stand. This stood on a table and was intended to shade the eyes from a lamp or candle. The ground was of pale green silk, and it was beautifully embroidered with ivy-leaves of darker shades. In the centre, there was an antique lamp done in gold thread; and the banner was finished with a chenille fringe of green and white. It was lined with white silk.

EMBROIDERED TABLE-TOP.

Figure 41 may be used for a variety of purposes. It makes a very pretty top for a small table; and is worked in stalk-stitch, chain-stitch, point russe, and knotted stitch, with the flowers in pink, claret-color, and yellow, on a pale-blue ground. The sprays and leaves are in shades of olive-green.

The table, which looks best with a pedestal of ebony, or ebonized wood, has a border-fringe of Macramé lace.

WINDOW-CURTAIN BORDER.

A very handsome bordering for window-curtains was lately worked by an artistic needlewoman; figures of dragons in gold-colored embroidery-silk on a ground of maroon rep. The bordering was intended for a soft gray material; and the straight cornice-band was embroidered in the same device.

EMBROIDERED DRESSES.

Silk embroidery is very ornamental for dresses—although for this purpose usually done only in one color. Ordinarily, it would be a formidable piece of work to do it in the style of smaller articles; but ingenuity and rapid execution sometimes go hand in hand. The heroine of a story is represented as threading her needle with one length of crimson silk, and with this scanty material, bringing out a crimson rose on a silk handkerchief almost as quickly as a magician could do it. A few deft stitches—and there it was. It was taken to pieces quite as easily, and no trace of it remained.

But embroidery does not usually go on in this fashion; it is careful work; and she who takes the greatest pains, as a general thing meets with the best success.

Embroidered robes for full dress are decidedly the fashion now; and one of black silk, or lace, embroidered with carnations, is beautiful for a brunette—while the delicate blonde may wreathe herself with blue convolvulus, or deeply-pink wild roses, on a white or cream-colored ground. Every one has her favorite flower; and to wear it embroidered on an evening dress is a graceful way of proclaiming it.

PANELS.

Painted panels and tiles have become almost a mania; but the needle of the embroideress can produce quite as charming results. Painting is more quickly done; but every one cannot paint, while many who cannot do this can embroider exquisitely.

To keep the embroidered panel or tile fresh and bright, it should be protected by glass; and properly treated, it will be quite as satisfactory as painting.

The two panels for the doors of a small hanging-cabinet are very pretty with a ground of cloth-of-gold, gold-colored satin, or silk—a spray of wistaria worked on one—wild roses on the other. Violets and anemones are pretty together; and on anything with four panels may be represented the flowers or birds of the four seasons.

Silhouettes in black silk may be worked on all colored grounds for tiles; and ingenuity can accomplish wonders in this way. The whole procession of flowers, from the first snow-drop, or hepatica, of early spring, to the holly and berries of Christmas, may be followed up on tiles; the fans and umbrellas of all nations; and various other suggestions, both practical and amusing.

SMALL CURTAILS OR HANGINGS

For cabinets and book-shelves may be made of various materials, and ornamented with silk embroidery. The patterns should be more delicate and finished, and the materials of finer quality than for large hangings. Arabesques of chain-stitch in gold-colored silk on a dark-blue ground of velveteen, with a pretty border pattern at top and bottom; or a bright-colored bird on a branch, with a butterfly in one corner, for a background; buttercups and daisies on a ground of golden-brown, would all be effective.

A WREATHED PICTURE.

Something new in the way of embroidery is to border a picture in this manner. The frames with painted corners may be imitated with the needle, and the daisies, violets, and other flowers will be found quite as ornamental in embroidery.

But the wreathed picture was a fine engraving of the Mater Dolorosa, small enough to make the process practicable. It was unmounted, and the back carefully pasted on the foundation of light-blue satin. Not a wrinkle was visible after it was thoroughly smoothed with a soft piece of old cambric; and after sewing a piece of narrow, gold-colored silk braid around the edge, a wreath of Annunciation lilies was traced and embroidered on the satin. It was so beautifully done as to look like painting; and with a glass over the whole the illusion was complete. It was put in a gilded Florentine frame.

AN EMBROIDERED ROOM.

It was very pretty to read about in a story, and not impossible to carry out practically. The prevailing colors of the room were pale-blue and carnation; and the curtain-lambrequins of pale-blue were embroidered with sprays of woodbine in its autumn dress of vivid scarlet and crimson. The mantel-hanging was in blocks like tiles, done in the same colors; and the panels of a home-made cabinet were likewise embroidered.

These things, with other accessions, made it a charming room; and if one could walk bodily into just such an apartment, the effect would doubtless be all that it was represented.

A FAN TABLE-COVER.

Outlined palm leaves are very pretty, and fans are no less so. The groundwork of cloth, flannel, or satin (if a small table), has three or five parallel strips of velvet ribbon sewn down on each side with point russe stitches of gold-colored silk, and put far enough apart for fans of all colors to be embroidered between them.

These are worked in long embroidery-stitch; and although less work if merely outlined, they are so very much richer and brighter looking when filled in as to be quite worth the trouble. The ground may be of any color that harmonizes with the rest of the room.

A CHAIR-COVER.

Long embroidered strips that will cover both back and seat of the kind of lounging-chair now so much in use are very pretty worked like the table-cover—the groundwork of the middle strip being of gray satin or velveteen, with the rows of fans separated by garnet-colored velvet ribbon, and a strip of the same colored velveteen on either side of the gray. A fringe where the covering ends at top and bottom gives it the look of being carelessly thrown there.

FIRE-SCREENS.

We have just been shown two exquisite pieces of embroidery intended for fire-screens. One represented flame-colored gladioli on a black satin ground, and was rich beyond expression; the other was worked with cat-tails, reeds, and some unpretending little yellow flowers on a blue ground. The material looked like a Chinese groundwork.

The coloring of both of these needle-paintings was perfect; and as to the stitches, it was difficult to believe that there were any—the shades were blended as if with a brush.

A CHILD’S AFGHAN.

It was made of strips of pink and white cashmere; the pink ones embroidered with daisies, the white ones with pansies, in embroidery-silk—and it was one of the prettiest things of the kind ever seen. It was lined with thin pink silk slightly wadded and quilted, and bordered with a ruching of pink ribbon. The seams were concealed by lines of feather-stitch in garnet-colored silk.

The resources of silk embroidery are inexhaustible; and all sorts of small articles, pin-cushions, brackets, watch-stands, glove-boxes, sachets, etc., will suggest themselves. Fans, too, are beautifully embroidered, and divide admiration with fine painting. Ornamental velvets for neck, wrists, and belt, are a fashionable device—and these are embroidered with single flowers: daisies, violets, etc.