FoodNetArchive

The household (of the Detroit free press)

1886

Page 72

Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
A great variety of baskets for the wall are made of willow, straw and silk, and are ornamented with ribbons, flowers, crewel work and dried grasses. Straps of linen, velvet, canvas or satin are embroidered for the wall-basket or paper-holder. These may be appliqued in silks, nar- row velvets on broad bands, or narrow strips of flowered silk. Satin- faced and brocaded ribbons are run through work-baskets and waste- paper baskets which brighten them up wonderfully ; also bows of ribbon are introduced on almost every piece of fancy work. The straps for paper-holders are used on carved backs of wood, and have slits at the top and bottom for the ribbons to slip through and hang down ; there is rubber tape at the back, and as the papers increase the rubber stretches, making the straps longer. Those who cannot feather-stitch can chain- stitch or cross-stitch, as there are many different kinds of stitches in fancy work of this kind. WORK AND SCRAP BASKETS. Work baskets are ornamented with clusters of great acorns in olive, crimson and gold, with sprays of autumn leaves. These acorns are made by covering molds with floss. The standing work baskets can be made much prettier by lining them with satin in bright colors, adding bows wherever good taste demands ; around each basket on the inside put a quilling of narrow ribbon, and on the outside sew a row of heavy ball fringe of bright, velvety colors. A scrap-basket may be interlaced with ribbon or narrow bright flow- ered stripes of cretonne ; or flannel may be cut in lambrequin points, 6 82 FANCY WORK. with applique figures, or feather-stitched with bright colored silks. On each point is a zephyr ball or tassel. The points are very pretty if sim- ply pinked. A bright worked stripe is often put around the top, with or without the lambrequin points. WORK APRON. Cut an apron with side gores round the corners, and cut a pocket six inches deep and twice the width of the apron. Gather this at the bot- tom ; shirr the top with a shirr string, leaving an edge about an inch deep to stand up as a ruffle ; this may be simply hemmed, bound or trimmed with a stripe. The pocket and the bottom and sides to the top of the pocket are sewed in a seam and then turned. The pocket may button on the top with two button and button-holes ; this leaves one large pocket and three divisions ; a smaller one at the top is con- venient for the thimble and thread or handkerchief. When one is knit- ting, darning or patching, these aprons come in very convenient, or when doing fancy work they are handy receptacles for the work and sewing implements. WORK BASKET NOTES. A handsome lambrequin can be made for a smoking table by appliquing pipes, with stems crossed in the corners, and any fancy bor- der, on satin or broadcloth. Aprons are very pretty in linen, holland or crash, worked in a design of poppies and corn-flowers, with crewels. Crash cushions are fashionable. Some have a circular Japanese design in one corner only ; others are made of light green and other delicate shades, with a spray of japonica across them, or hops, or white narcissus.