FoodNetArchive

The hearthstone; or, Life at home

1883

Page 155

Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Very pretty moss frames for engravings or photographs may be made of moss that is found on the bark of forest trees. To make these frames, make stiff cardboard foundations and attach the moss with glue, commencing with the lightest shades of moss for the inside edges of the frame, and the darkest for the outer edges. Colored sheeting looks well for a carriage rug, if a large mono- gram is worked in the centre and a spray of flowers in each corner. Brown Holland, bound around with red or dark-blue braid, should be worked in all one color, or chintz flowers may be arranged all around and appliqued on ; or if a design of flowers and leaves are worked upon a wide band of blue, it would look well ; the blue to be stitched to the carriage cloth, adding long stitches on each side of the band ; they should be " spikcy " stitches, which are easily worked and very effective if done in some bright color. Inexpensive and vciy pretty tidies can be made of ticking, bright Germantown yarn and the gay borders of print. Take the print and sew on one strip in the centre of the ticking, and unless the tidy is very large a strip on each side will be sufficient. With the wool, or zephyr, if it is preferred, work in the white stripe, coral or feather stitch. Tie a fringe in the ends, of the same yarn used in working the tidy. The brown figured towelling is also very pretty and durable ; 16 242 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. work the figures with zephyr of all different shades and finish with fi-inge; or, if preferred, ravel out the ends and overcast with the yarn. Now that the whisk-broom has been accommodated with holders of every description, its cousin, the feather-duster, is beginning to emerge from retirement, and occupy a place on the wall in some convenient corner. A case made for it which really serves to convert this useful article into one of ornament, is on the same plan as those modelled for the whisk-broom, except that it is round instead of flat. The lining may be either scarlet or blue satin, and both the top and bottom of the holder are trimmed with fancy fringe, headed by a ruche of satin ribbon, matching the lining in color. A band of satin ribbon crosses diagonally from the top to the bottom, and is caught in the middle under a bow. A cord and tassels fastened at the top serve to suspend the holder. A very pretty way to use ferns is to make a picture to hang in a window. Take two pieces of glass of the same size and as large as you wish the picture to be. Try to select them as clear and free from blemish as possible. Upon one of these arrange some of the finest and prettiest of the pressed ferns. A few tiny shells can be put among them, and bright-hued butterflies, in such a way as to seem poised upon the leaves. Some moss, such as can be found anywhere in the wood, upon stumps or fallen trees, can be placed at the place where the stems come together, and some little red berries stuck in it. When fairly arranged fasten each separate piece to the glass with a drop of gum arabic, which is colorless and does not affect the ferns. Do not use mucilage. When dry and secure, place the other glass over and fasten the edges by a tape gummed on of exactly the width of the two glasses joined.