The prettiest tapers are called spills, cut in half inch strips, half
length of sheet ; pinch half over a knitting needle, the other half make
into taper ; roll the top around to make a little rosette.
Although decorative painting has had its greatest flight, if we can
do the thing in moderation, more effective things can be done with the
brush, and with less labor, than with the needle. But though you
want to get effects, rather than detail, do not be careless. Breadth
does not mean haphazard work. We will mention a few of the things
which, if not positively new, are not mellow with age :
" Kensington painting is done with a stiff pen, instead of a brush.
Tube paints are used, just as they come in the tubes. To do the paint-
ing, you first stamp the design to be painted, the seams for Kensing-
ton embroidery, using care not to get the lines too heavy.
Holding the pen bottom up, scoop up some paint in the hollow of the
pen ; wipe the back of the pen with a piece of cloth. Now draw your
pen, with back to the material, over the outlines first, then fill in the
design ; shade as your taste dictates. Begin at the edge, and paint
toward the centre. The object in Kensington painting is to make the
painting look like Kensington embroidery. To accomplish this,
scratch the design over with the pen or a needle, remembering to make
the lines run towards the centre, taking care to give it the appearance
of the Kensington stitch.
An ordinary palm-leaf fan can be made very decorative. Paint back-
ground of any color you choose, shading from light to dark ; dash on a
bunch of large flowers ; snowballs on a green background, or dog-
wood on shaded red is nice ; tie with bow and hang up.
Banner thermometer . — A slight foundation of pasteboard constitutes
the background of this banner, which is of dark green plush embroid-
ered in scarlet berries and foliage with filoselle. The thermometer is
then securely glued on, in the position represented, and balls of silk of
the color of the plush are fastened at the lower edge to form a fringe.
Suspending ribbons, fastened to the sides a slight distance from the top
BANNER THERMOMETER.
663
under loops and ends of similar ribbon, meet at the proper distance
and are tied together in a graceful arrangement of loops and ends.
Chenille of silk cord may be substituted for the ribbon, and hand paint-
ing or a fine decalcomanie for the embroidery, though the latter is the
most effective and decorative.
Banner Thermometer.
Almost any house has some corner that the daughter wishes might
be covered. The more ornamental the better. For such places a
curtain of blue demin-burlap or common ticking makes a good back-
ground. These can be hung on an iron rod gilded with brass rings '>
sew on the back and top of the curtain. Great branches of trees with
664 FANCY WORK.
birds on them are effective; sumac boughs with red fruit, chestnut
burrs, palm leaves, squash vines — most anything large ; also large, still
life ; jars filled with branches of apple or peach blossoms ; quickly done
in oil paint.
Fire-boards can be made of matting, painted .in oils.
For a nice bit of color paint a large pottery jar, shade the color and
varnish ; one or two large ornaments are much less tiring in a room
than a quantity of small things.
Page 541
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
The prettiest tapers are called spills, cut in half inch strips, half length of sheet ; pinch half over a knitting needle, the other half make into taper ; roll the top around to make a little rosette.
Although decorative painting has had its greatest flight, if we can do the thing in moderation, more effective things can be done with the brush, and with less labor, than with the needle. But though you want to get effects, rather than detail, do not be careless. Breadth does not mean haphazard work. We will mention a few of the things which, if not positively new, are not mellow with age :
" Kensington painting is done with a stiff pen, instead of a brush. Tube paints are used, just as they come in the tubes. To do the painting, you first stamp the design to be painted, the seams for Kensington embroidery, using care not to get the lines too heavy.
Holding the pen bottom up, scoop up some paint in the hollow of the pen ; wipe the back of the pen with a piece of cloth. Now draw your pen, with back to the material, over the outlines first, then fill in the design ; shade as your taste dictates. Begin at the edge, and paint toward the centre. The object in Kensington painting is to make the painting look like Kensington embroidery. To accomplish this, scratch the design over with the pen or a needle, remembering to make the lines run towards the centre, taking care to give it the appearance of the Kensington stitch.
An ordinary palm-leaf fan can be made very decorative. Paint background of any color you choose, shading from light to dark ; dash on a bunch of large flowers ; snowballs on a green background, or dogwood on shaded red is nice ; tie with bow and hang up.
Banner thermometer . — A slight foundation of pasteboard constitutes the background of this banner, which is of dark green plush embroidered in scarlet berries and foliage with filoselle. The thermometer is then securely glued on, in the position represented, and balls of silk of the color of the plush are fastened at the lower edge to form a fringe. Suspending ribbons, fastened to the sides a slight distance from the top
BANNER THERMOMETER.
under loops and ends of similar ribbon, meet at the proper distance and are tied together in a graceful arrangement of loops and ends. Chenille of silk cord may be substituted for the ribbon, and hand painting or a fine decalcomanie for the embroidery, though the latter is the most effective and decorative.
Banner Thermometer.
Almost any house has some corner that the daughter wishes might be covered. The more ornamental the better. For such places a curtain of blue demin-burlap or common ticking makes a good background. These can be hung on an iron rod gilded with brass rings; sew on the back and top of the curtain. Great branches of trees with
birds on them are effective; sumac boughs with red fruit, chestnut burrs, palm leaves, squash vines — most anything large ; also large, still life ; jars filled with branches of apple or peach blossoms ; quickly done in oil paint.
Fire-boards can be made of matting, painted .in oils.
For a nice bit of color paint a large pottery jar, shade the color and varnish ; one or two large ornaments are much less tiring in a room than a quantity of small things.