at the centre of the boat make another paper lighter eleven inches high. Do not bend the end, but paste the bottom lapped edges together and run the mast through a common wooden spool (Fig. 598). Glue the spool tight on the bottom of the boat, a trifle forward of the centre, and your ship is ready for the sails, as you can see from the picture.

of very light-weight writing-paper, the top edge straight, side edges slanting, and bottom edge curved inward. Make the greatest height of the foresail for the bow four inches, the width three and one-half inches. With the scissors point, punch two small holes in this foresail, one in the middle at the top and one in the middle at the bottom. Enlarge the holes slightly by inserting the point of a lead pencil and twisting the pencil gently around (Fig. 599). Remember that all holes for the masts to run through must be made rather small, to prevent the sails from sliding too far down the masts. Bend the top and bottom of the sails together to curve the paper, that the sails may appear to be in a good stiff breeze when fastened on the masts. Slide the foresail you have just made on the foremast; it will stay in place without glue. Make

like Fig. 600, for the mainmast, one and three-fourths inches long and one and one-half inches wide. Cut two holes at one side as shown in the diagram, divide the remaining space into four squares and paint the two diagonal squares, Q and Q, red.

three and one-fourth inches long and three and three-fourths inches wide (Fig. 601). For the

Crow’s-Nest

saw or cut off the top of an ordinary wooden spool and paint red downward points around the top edge, a pointed band around the centre, and two straight, narrow bands at the lower edge (Fig. 602).

(Fig. 603) must be four and one-half inches long and five inches wide. Paint a red cross on it as shown in the diagram. Slide the mainsail well down on the mainmast; over it place the spool top “crow’s-nest”; next run on the main-topsail and slip the flag on the tip-top.

for the mizzenmast at the stern of the boat must be five inches high and five inches wide (Fig. 604). Paint the paper pennant (Fig. 605) blue, and bend it into several waves. Slide the jigger sail in place on the mizzenmast and top it with the blue pennant. Your finished vessel should resemble closely the illustration. If you want to

of heavy stiff writing-paper or very light-weight cardboard, like the pattern (Fig. 606), which measures from the top of the head to the lowest edge of the stand, four and three-fourths inches. Without the stand the figure measures four inches. Carefully cut out Columbus, mark his features, hair, and clothing in black ink. Cut his cloak (Fig. 607) of red tissue paper, bend at dotted lines across the shoulders, and fold back the open front as in Fig. 608. Make the red tissue paper cap (Fig. 609), and fold lengthwise across centre (Fig. 610); then put both cloak and hat on Columbus, that he may be ready to start on his journey (Fig. 611). Cut out a number of sailors (Fig. 612) to go on the boat with Columbus, and a lot of Indians (Fig. 613) for Columbus to find when he lands on the shores of America, at the other end of the bathtub.

for the Indians of paper cut in half circles. Bend back narrow, pie-shaped pieces along the two straight edges of each half circle, make the pie-shaped pieces reach midway up toward the centre; then bend the half circles into tent-like forms, pin the two top edges of each one together, and you will have wigwams, with the doorway flaps bent back. Cut off the top peak of each, wigwam and stand some heavy long broom straws in the opening to represent poles used in real wigwams (Fig. 614).

Fig. 615 shows

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

of Spain, seated on their pasteboard throne, ready to receive Columbus.

Queen Isabella gave three ships to Columbus, but the Santa Maria was the largest vessel, and the one which carried Columbus. The two smaller boats were named the Pinta and the Nina. You can make these smaller ships or use any little boats you happen to have; they are not very important.

CHAPTER XXXIV
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE STARS

Never could an earthly bear have such a tail as you see in Fig. 616. However, the Great Bear is very different from the ordinary bear, and needs the big, bushy tail for three bright stars. Four more equally bright stars are on the creature’s side. Trace the big bear on cardboard, and be sure to get the stars in the right places. Cut out the pasteboard bear, and with a large, coarse pin or needle pierce a hole in the centre of each star; then hold the bear up to the light, as the little girl holds the lion in Fig. 617. Look through the bear and you will see seven tiny, twinkling stars forming a dipper. Pretend you have stretched a string from star to star, and what you will see will resemble Fig. 618. Look again and if the dipper is not distinct, make the holes in the centres of the stars larger.

Ursa Minor is turned in an opposite direction and position from the Great Bear, and the pose makes it easy for us to find the Pole star, because when we once trace out the stars of the Great Bear in the real sky we will see that the two outermost stars of the four which form its bowl, point to the Pole star. We can pretend that we have tied a string on the star in the outside top end of the Big Dipper (Figs. 616 and 618 A), and that we are stretching that string out from the Dipper star in a direct line; then we can tie the string on the Pole star in the end of the Little Bear’s tail, as shown in Figs. 618 and 620, where the dotted line represents a string.

Trace on cardboard and cut out Ursa Minor, punch holes through the stars and hold the little fellow up to the light, head down. The Little Bear, too, is visible shining not far from the Big Bear during the same months.

There is

A Fairy Tale

In the sky all of her stars are brilliant, except the one marked K. This is a shy little twinkler and appears rather faint at times; but in the Autumn when you hunt for Cassiopeia, you will be able to see the star K, if your eyes are bright. This lady with uplifted arms is the wife of a king. Trace her and cut her out, punch holes through the centres of the seven stars, then catch hold of the sweeping train of the queen’s dress and hold her up to the light, when the pinholes will look like Fig. 622, reminding one of a chair turned upside down, with its feet toward the queen’s head and its back down toward her feet. You will be delighted with this constellation, for it is very beautiful, and you may find Cassiopeia any night of August, September, October, November, December, January and February, as she is always then visible after dark.

for he is very fine-looking with his starry mane and a star almost in his mouth (Fig. 623). Trace the lion carefully, name him Leo, and cut him out; pierce holes through the stars and hold the figure up to the light. The little girl in Fig. 617 is enjoying her Leo very much. Notice how earnestly she peers through the holes, for she is determined to know the constellation. When you look through the pinholes of Leo, you will find that the constellation resembles a sickle, as in Fig. 624. The lion is in plain sight during February, March, April, May and June, so you have a long time to make friends with him.

(Fig. 625), shining in a brilliant half circle as shown in Fig. 626. The gems of stars in the crown sparkle and shine for us during April, May, June, July, August, September and October.

sons of Jupiter; always sit together up among the stars. The constellation is called Gemini (Fig. 627). When stars are clustered together, we say the group is a constellation. All of the starry people and animals are only different constellations. In this group each boy has a star on his head, a star on one knee and a star on one foot, which makes six stars. Trace the twins on cardboard, cut them out together in one piece and punch a hole through the centre of each star. Hold the constellation up to the light, and the group of wee, sparkling stars seen through the pinholes will resemble Fig. 628. Look for the twins during the months of December, January, February, March, April and May, and remember you must find the group of stars like Fig. 628.

(Fig. 629). He appears in November and remains where we can see him through December, January, February and March. Orion is one of the most brilliant of constellations. The strenuous hunter has but one visible foot, the other being hidden by his pet hare seated in front of it; so we are obliged to make the star, man with one foot. The fairy tale says that he was a giant and the mightiest hunter ever known. There is a star on each of his shoulders and one on his cheek, forming a triangle; then there is another star down on his left foot and one on his right knee. Trace the mighty hunter and cut him out as you did the other constellations. Draw a line from star to star and, after adding the three stars which form Orion’s belt, pierce holes in all, look through them (Fig. 630) and make friends with the harmless, starry giant. Fig. 631 is

In Fig. 632 you will find the constellation of Taurus as it looks when seen through the pinholes in the stars of the Bull, and also as the constellation appears in the sky on a clear night during November, December, January, February and March.

CHAPTER XXXV
STENCIL PAINTING AND HOW TO MAKE THE STENCILS

With the stencil you can decorate a window curtain, portière, table cover, bedspread, bureau scarf, screen or the walls of your room. You may even paint the trimmings for a dress if you like; it has been done.

Stencilling is effective on almost any material: silk, cotton, linen and wool. Swiss and cheese-cloth sash curtains are particularly attractive decorated in this way, and swiss bureau and pin-cushion covers are very dainty. The drawing on page 427 is of a white cheese-cloth short sash curtain stencilled in pink and light apple-green. Both dye and oil paints may be used, but for anything washable

Dyes

are the best, inasmuch as they are supposed to be fast colors. There is an inexpensive dye now on the market that comes in tubes like oil paint and does not require boiling. This is convenient to handle, as it is merely necessary to dissolve it in water. Tapestry dyes may also be used but are much more expensive. Heavy, non-washable material may be stencilled with oil colors. The color is not used as a paint but as a stain and must be entirely dissolved in turpentine to make it flow easily. Our first drawing shows

A Portière

made of heavy unbleached sheeting stencilled in a Persian pattern with dull-red, moss-green, yellow and black. Curtains may also be made of denim, crash, burlap and a number of other materials. The simplest way to

Make Your Stencil

if you have no especial ideas of your own to carry out, will be to select a graceful embroidery pattern or one intended for decorative painting and adapt it to your use. With a little practice this becomes quite easy. The principal things to remember are that a good stencil design should be simple, bold and conventional; the unbroken lines must not be too long nor the spaces to be cut out too narrow, between the cut-out parts there must be space wide enough to hold firmly. It is also necessary to break the lines once in a while with little bridges.

Suppose we take the pattern (Fig. 633). To make it into

A Design for Stencilling

we must cut off connections and separate it into many parts, at the same time keeping the effect of the long curves. Beginning with the flower we will separate the petals and calyx (A, Fig. 633, and A, Fig. 634), and widen the stem (B, Fig. 633, and B, Fig. 634). Instead of continuing the curve we will break it at C and D, with two little bridges. This divides the stem into three parts, and, to give variety and interest to an otherwise monotonous line, we will widen the first and second parts of the stem at the lower ends, curving the wide end inward and rounding the end of the next section to give the idea of its fitting the joint. The suggestion of the various parts fitting together in stencil designing is the means of carrying the eye over necessary bridges or intervening spaces and conveying the impression of continuous lines. The third section of the stem, where it disappears under the flower in Fig. 633, we will bring to a point in Fig. 634 to indicate its vanishing behind the flower. The buds which fill in the curve of this stem in Fig. 633 we will leave out altogether, for they would crowd the design. We will conventionalize the leaves, dispense with the small stems, broaden the main leaf stem, separate it from the flower stem and curve each end, one to fit the base of the end leaf, the other to follow the curve of the flower stem.

Take a piece of smooth white tissue paper, lay it over the pattern (Fig. 635) and, with a very soft lead pencil, trace the pattern carefully. Fig. 635 is reversed, especially for tracing. Have ready a perfectly smooth piece of heavy Manila wrapping paper seventeen inches long and seven inches wide. With the aid of a ruler draw two straight lines lengthwise across the paper, the first line two and a half inches from the top edge of the paper (E, Fig. 636), the next one and three-eighths inches below the first line (F). One-half of an inch above the first line E draw another line (G), and one-half of an inch below the line F draw another line (H).

Lay the tracing, pencilled side down, on the wrapping paper, with the upper and lower curves of the flower stem just fitting between the lines G and F (Fig. 637). Transfer the tracing to the wrapping paper by going over the lines of the design with your soft pencil; then turn the tracing over and bottom edge up to reverse it and lay it again on the paper, this time with the curves of the flower stem between the lines E and H, and go over the lines of the design again with your soft pencil. Once more reverse the design and bring the curves of the flower stem between the lines G and F. This last section will finish the pattern. In reversing the tracing always allow one-quarter of an inch space between the tips of the two flower petals I and J (Fig. 637), and the leaf K (Fig. 637).

taking great care to keep within the outlines, for a snip beyond will let in color in the wrong place and spoil your stencil. Remember you are not to cut the paper away from the design but cut the design out leaving the surrounding paper intact. This makes the stencil (Fig. 638). When all of the design is cut out place your stencil flat on a board and give it a coat of white shellac, then lift it and move to another place on the board to prevent its sticking. When quite dry turn the stencil over and shellac the other side. Be sure the edges of the cut-out parts are covered with shellac as well as the rest of the paper. The shellac makes the paper waterproof and durable. Do not use the stencil until it is absolutely dry.

Trace Fig. 639 which is the conventionalized flower, and transfer it to the centre of a four-inch square of the wrapping paper, or make the flower smaller if you prefer to have it the size of the one in the border. Cut out the design and shellac the little stencil as you did the larger one (Fig. 640).

The closer the weave of the cloth the easier is the work of stencilling, but the dye penetrates entirely through thin material, and the effect is so attractive I will describe the

Cheese-cloth Curtains

and the process given for stencilling these will answer for any other material.

Select the finest quality of cheese-cloth and cut it the required length. Hem the bottom edge and lay the curtain, right side up, smoothly on a lap-board with the hem at the top. Place your stencil on the curtain so that the design will be about one inch and a half from the hem. Slide a new piece of blotter paper under the curtain to absorb the extra moisture, then tack the stencil down with rather small pins. Drive a pin in the centre of each flower, at the point of each petal and at the point of each leaf, between the petals and between the leaves, also in every bridge and along the edges of the design wherever the paper is inclined to lift (Fig. 641). In short, your endeavor must be to keep the stencil perfectly flat on the cloth so that the dye will not penetrate beyond the openings and blur the outlines.

Buy a tube of olive green dye, one of yellow and one of cardinal red. Squeeze about a teaspoonful of dye into a teacup, add two tablespoonfuls of boiling water, stir until dissolved, then add enough boiling water to give the desired shade. You can test the depth of color by dipping bits of white cloth in the dye. Each dye must be in a separate cup and a little yellow should be added to the green after it is dissolved, but before it is diluted with the extra water. Have ready

Two Stiff Bristle Brushes,

such as are used for oil painting, and a piece of old white muslin. With your stencil in place, take the board on your lap, set the dye on a stand at your side and lay the old muslin folded on the board above your curtain. Dip a brush in the dye and rub it on the muslin to remove some of the moisture, for a brush too wet will cause the dye to spread and spoil the outline of the design.

Beginning at the left hand of your stencil, scrub the cheese-cloth in the openings of the design until it becomes the right shade and the dye sinks entirely through the cloth. The flowers must be pink and the leaves green, but you can make the flowers darker at the centre if you wish by applying more color. Use separate brushes for the green and red dye. Hold the brush firmly and in an upright position.

When you have stencilled the entire design

Pull Out the Pins,

move the stencil farther along on the curtain, tack it down and continue stencilling until the border is finished; then take the small stencil of the single flower (Fig. 640) and stencil the flower at irregular intervals over the curtain. For

The Tassels

which finish the curtains use cheese-cloth colored with the green dye. Cut a strip of cheese-cloth two and a half inches wide, spread it flat on the board and paint it with the dye, using your bristle paint brush for the purpose. When the cloth is dry cut it into pieces four inches long. Dye a number of strands of white linen floss, or use green linen or silk floss for tying the tassels.