CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 3

CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

A SUEDE LETTER RACK.

•POKER WORK" DESIGN IN INK.

(Conducted by TINKER BELL.) Dear Girls, — Suede is an extremely useful material, for, whilst being very easy to work, it gives art.cies a certain "shoppy'' and expensive appearance. This week 1 will tell you how to make a suede letter rack. You will need two pieces of suede, one a rather dark brown colour, lOin square, and the other a much lighter brown 10:n long and 6in wide. The smaller piece is arranged on top of the larger piece in order to form a pocket. When you have tried the two pieces to make certain that they fit correctly, cut a scallop in the top part of the smaller

Suitable decorations must now be added. If you are handy with the paint brush you can paint a very simp!: design on each of the pieces of suede, or perhaps you might care to decorate it with a poker work design. A favourite dodge of mine is to use Indian ink and pen a design on the. suede. Mare than ones this type of work has been mistaken for genuine poker work.

If you have used colours you will .lave to wait till the paints have completely dried before you take the next step in the completing of your letter rack. This is the sewing on of the smaller section to the larger. First, the two sheets should be laid together, then little holes about £hj. apart should be punched all round tlie three sides. With a stout needle and some waxed thread, the two parts are sewn together, the needle being threaded through the tiny holes previously punched along the sides of the rack. With some strong paste the letter rack must be mounted on a piece of stiff cardboard lOin square. Two holes are stamped through the top of the rack in order that either a strip of suede or a piece of ribbon can be affixed, and so form an easy means of hanging up the article. A letter rack is a useful thing to hang in the hall, especially when you have friends staying with you, as any letters received can be popped in the rack and collected by your friends their leisure.