For woven silk curtain bands and table spreads, 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 at a dyer's any color you wish. It matters not how small the piece is, they will color it for you at small expense. Then cut them in small 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 catpet-rags. The stripes may be shaded from light to dark with a "hit-or-miss" strip in the centre, 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 hand- some article is desired^ silk woof is the most desirable, embroidery HOUSEHOLD ORNAMENTATION. 235 or knitting silk being used. These bands are used for curtain val- ances, 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 handsotne netted silk fringe. These woven stripes and covers are very handsome, and will well repay one, even if they have to buy ribbons to help fill out the stripes. Ribbons are so cheap now, especially those that are a little out of style, and the wide ones can be cut into many strips. This material when finished is really handsome, falling in heavy, rich folds, and it will wear ad- mirably. Woollen goods woven in the same manner make admirable rugs and foot-mats, coarse and rough garments being utilized for the latter. A useful and pretty gift is a long strip of satin cloth to hang against the wall, with a succession of pockets, all embroidered with birds, butterflies, and daisies. Perfume sachets may be made by taking pieces of bright-colored silk or ribbon, four inches long and two inches wide, sew up two- thirds of the length and put narrow lace on the edge, fill them with cotton sprinkled thickly with perfume powder, trim with bows of narrow satin ribbon and paste a small embossed picture on each one. These are pretty for children. To crystallize grasses and flowers, dissolve six ounces of alum in one quart of water, and boil until dissolved ; then steep the grasses or flowers in the solution while hot. If, by the time the water is cold, the crystals are too large, then add more water. Separate the little branches gently, taking off the superfluous lumps. Fern leaves, oats, flax and the long feathery grasses arc the most beautiful for crystallizing. To press flowers, gather the flov/ers to be pressed when the dew- has quite dried off" from them, and before the sun has become so warm as to wilt them. Put them between newspapers or any other porous papers, and place them under a press. Change them every day to fresh paper until they are dried. All the thin-leaved flowers will be found best to use for this purpose. 236 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

For woven silk curtain bands and table spreads, 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 at a dyer's any color you wish. It matters not how small the piece is, they will color it for you at small expense. Then cut them in small 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" strip in the centre, 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. These woven stripes and covers are very handsome, and will well repay one, even if they have to buy ribbons to help fill out the stripes. Ribbons are so cheap now, especially those that are a little out of style, and the wide ones can be cut into many strips. This material when finished is really handsome, falling in heavy, rich folds, and it will wear admirably. Woollen goods woven in the same manner make admirable rugs and foot-mats, coarse and rough garments being utilized for the latter. A useful and pretty gift is a long strip of satin cloth to hang against the wall, with a succession of pockets, all embroidered with birds, butterflies, and daisies. Perfume sachets may be made by taking pieces of bright-colored silk or ribbon, four inches long and two inches wide, sew up twothirds of the length and put narrow lace on the edge, fill them with cotton sprinkled thickly with perfume powder, trim with bows of narrow satin ribbon and paste a small embossed picture on each one. These are pretty for children. To crystallize grasses and flowers, dissolve six ounces of alum in one quart of water, and boil until dissolved ; then steep the grasses or flowers in the solution while hot. If, by the time the water is cold, the crystals are too large, then add more water. Separate the little branches gently, taking off the superfluous lumps. Fern leaves, oats, flax and the long feathery grasses arc the most beautiful for crystallizing. To press flowers, gather the flowers to be pressed when the dew has quite dried off from them, and before the sun has become so warm as to wilt them. Put them between newspapers or any other porous papers, and place them under a press. Change them every day to fresh paper until they are dried. All the thin-leaved flowers will be found best to use for this purpose. 236 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.

The hearthstone; or, Life at home