WOMAN'S REALM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 3 February 1899, Page 6

WOMAN'S REALM.

►■ —- ATTING has quite an old world sound about it, but like most old thing's, if you ouly give them time they turn up again, like Alad in's lamp, as fresh and new as ever, and now that there is such a demand for strong, white lace work to edge table cloths, sideboard cloths, and such decorative pieces of household linen, tatting is coming very much to the fore. I give here two of the newest designs, more open and less elaborate than the older work, but infinitely better, from an artistic point of view, and more effective. The border could of course, be used for any purpose, while the insertion turning the corner would be exceedingly pretty to further ornament a sideboard or tray cloth. The method of execution is minutely and carefully indicated. There should therefore be no difficulty in carrying them out. A very pretty insertion of tatting find crochet may be. worked with one shuttle. It is necessary that the tatting thread be about two sizes coarser than the crochet thread. Begin by tatting two lengths of halfrings, leaving a length of thread between each half ring, exactly equal to the diameter of the ring—thai is, the same, length of thread that holds the half-circle in, place. When Ihe required length of the insertion has been mad,'» in half-rings twice, join them together with the finer thread in crochet. Work six double crochet over each length of thread between the half-rings at the base of the scallops. Second row, "> chain. 1 double, crochet in the fourth d.c of the first row; repeat. When working on the second length to connect the two, make two cli, then work a single into the third eh of the 5 eh on the opposite side. 2 eh, 1 d. c. into fourth d. c. of the first row: repeat, until the two sides are joined their entire length. Tn tatting the half-rings there should be four short picots and three long—tha.t is, nearly double the lengih of the short ones, with one double stitch between each pieot. Into the first short pieot work 1 d.c, 8 eh., x. 1 treble in the second short pieot, 7 oh., 1 treble in the third short pieot, 8 eh., 1 d.c. into the fourth short pieot, then 1 d.c. into the first picot of the next scallop, 3 eh., 1 single into tho fourth eh. of the previous 8 eh., 4 eh.; repeat from x. For the last row 3 d.c. into each of the last ?, of the 4 remaining of the S eh., x. Now make a picot with 5 eh above the treble in previous row, 4 d. c. in the next, 4 eh., 1 picot of 5 eh.. 1 single into the same eh. as the 4th d. c, 3

TWO NEW TATTING DESIGNS.

d. c. into the next, 3 eh., 1 picot, ?> d. c. into the next, ?, eh., and then 3 d. c. on the next scallop, thus missing the last and first, eh. of the 2 chains of 8; repeat from x. This insertion, as well as the following one, would be effective as a dress trimming, worked in coloured silks or in black. The Victoria knitting silk does very nicely for tatting. Border for square centrepiece. For the border for square centrepiece, with one thread make 8 d. s., 1 p., 8 d. s., draw up, make S d. s., 1 p., 8 d. s., draw up; make four of these loops tie. Join small squares as shown. Around squares two threads are used. Slip the thread through p. on the outside Of one of the squares, make 8 d. s., 1 p., 2 d. s., 1 p., 2 d. s., 1 p., 2 d.s., 1 p., 2 d. s., fasten thread in the next p.; repeat till you reach the end.

And talking of linen, there is nothing more suitable for its ornamentation than Mountmellick embroidery, and if it is raised relief effect is owing to darning backwards and forwards underneath, instead of cottoii wool, it will wash and wear to the end. Sprays of maiden hair are perhaps the easiest design which a beginner can attempt. Each leaflet of the spray is composed of about a dozen button-hole stitches, placed so that the straight edges set along the top of

the leaves, but the stitches are varied slightly in length, so as to form an indented edge peculiar to this fern. Blackberry is another favourite flower which, conventionalised into design, is easily rendered in Mountmellick. The flower, it will be noticed in the accompanying- sketch, is worked in satin stitch raised over a thick padding; the .way in which this padding- is arranged is shown in the one petal prepared for. being- covered with the satin stitch, which is, however, not already worked. The buds a.re also worked in satin stitch, but the leaves are covered with Indian filling, but great care must be paid by the worker to the irregular edges, and she must see that every alternating stitch projects A little further than the others, in order to obtain this effect. The fruit consists of French knots, packed quite closely together, and the Calex is formed by four daisy or pieot stitches, in which'the loops are held down by so small a sttch that it is not in evidence, Prickly-braid stitch is effect-