Drawn Rugs — Take an oblong piece of burlaps and fasten it to the
frame and draw a line all round the outside as near the edge as you
desire to work ; then draw a straight line from the middle of each side
to the middle of each end, forming a diamond in the center, and quarter
diamonds at each corner. Outline the outside of rug and center piece
with three times round ; suitable colors would be one scarlet between
two of black, or some shade of yellow between dark blue or maroon ;
after that draw in different colors in stripes round each piece according
to taste, having the center and corners correspond exactly, or the cor-
ners all alike. When the center is filled up except a small diamond,
have that some bright, pretty color, and, if shaded, all the better ; the
324 RUSTIC WORK.
corner pieces should correspond also. If attention is paid to contrast-
ing colors, the result is very fine, even if some are rather dull. Another
is called " hit or miss." The border is generally shaded or drawn in, in
stripes all round the rug, and the center is filled in with odds and ends
of every color drawn in straight across one after another, without much
regard to the arrangement, though it is best to have the brightest
colors, like scarlet, pretty evenly distributed. Any pieces will do, that
when drawn in will make a stripe two inches long ; but do not have a
stripe of one color more than six inches long in one place. This will
work in many beautiful, bright bits that are good for nothing else. If
sheared it will look more like velvet, but is pretty enough without.
Rag Carpets — When the rags are cut and wound, reel them, putting
fifty threads around the reel in a skein. For yard wide carpets allow
two skeins to the yard. If the rags are very fine allow a little more,
say two or three threads in each skein. The rule for twenty-five yards,
is one pound of cotton rags for one thread on each side of the stripe.
Two pounds will make two threads on each side, and four threads
require four pounds. Weigh the rags previous to coloring them, and
then stripe according to weight, Observe the same rule for the plain
stripe — if you want thirty threads you will need fifteen pounds. Wind
your own stripes. Five ounces of warp and a trifle over one pound and
a half of rags to the yard is the rule for a good firm rag carpet.
RUSTIC WORK.
FOR HOME DECORATION.
The lichens that cover the fallen limbs of treees, old dilapidated
fences and the boulders scattered here and there through the woods,
have a beauty peculiarly their own. Wooden brackets to which their
lavender and gray ruffies are glued, adorn a room, serve many useful
purposes, and are especially desirable to hold a pot of growing vines
that will droop gracefully over and about them. The bracket may be
made of half a barrel head (as it will be covered with the lichens) and
sections of the hoops will do nicely for supports. Made in this way
they are good enough for a veranda and will cost nothing except the
trouble in making.
The boughs of some old trees are so crooked and curved as to resem-
ble the antlers of deer, and when covered with lichens and draped with
long gray moss are fine ornaments for an entrance hall or library.
These are usually ancient hemlocks or juniper, and are found in damp
localities. Many pretty things may be made of these mossy boughs
Page 287
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
Drawn Rugs — Take an oblong piece of burlaps and fasten it to the frame and draw a line all round the outside as near the edge as you desire to work ; then draw a straight line from the middle of each side to the middle of each end, forming a diamond in the center, and quarter diamonds at each corner. Outline the outside of rug and center piece with three times round ; suitable colors would be one scarlet between two of black, or some shade of yellow between dark blue or maroon ; after that draw in different colors in stripes round each piece according to taste, having the center and corners correspond exactly, or the corners all alike. When the center is filled up except a small diamond, have that some bright, pretty color, and, if shaded, all the better ; the
corner pieces should correspond also. If attention is paid to contrasting colors, the result is very fine, even if some are rather dull. Another is called " hit or miss." The border is generally shaded or drawn in, in stripes all round the rug, and the center is filled in with odds and ends of every color drawn in straight across one after another, without much regard to the arrangement, though it is best to have the brightest colors, like scarlet, pretty evenly distributed. Any pieces will do, that when drawn in will make a stripe two inches long ; but do not have a stripe of one color more than six inches long in one place. This will work in many beautiful, bright bits that are good for nothing else. If sheared it will look more like velvet, but is pretty enough without.
Rag Carpets — When the rags are cut and wound, reel them, putting fifty threads around the reel in a skein. For yard wide carpets allow two skeins to the yard. If the rags are very fine allow a little more, say two or three threads in each skein. The rule for twenty-five yards, is one pound of cotton rags for one thread on each side of the stripe. Two pounds will make two threads on each side, and four threads require four pounds. Weigh the rags previous to coloring them, and then stripe according to weight, Observe the same rule for the plain stripe — if you want thirty threads you will need fifteen pounds. Wind your own stripes. Five ounces of warp and a trifle over one pound and a half of rags to the yard is the rule for a good firm rag carpet.
FOR HOME DECORATION.
The lichens that cover the fallen limbs of treees, old dilapidated fences and the boulders scattered here and there through the woods, have a beauty peculiarly their own. Wooden brackets to which their lavender and gray ruffies are glued, adorn a room, serve many useful purposes, and are especially desirable to hold a pot of growing vines that will droop gracefully over and about them. The bracket may be made of half a barrel head (as it will be covered with the lichens) and sections of the hoops will do nicely for supports. Made in this way they are good enough for a veranda and will cost nothing except the trouble in making.
The boughs of some old trees are so crooked and curved as to resemble the antlers of deer, and when covered with lichens and draped with long gray moss are fine ornaments for an entrance hall or library. These are usually ancient hemlocks or juniper, and are found in damp localities. Many pretty things may be made of these mossy boughs