THE WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12401, 14 October 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WOMAN'S WORLD.

CHENILLE EMBROIDERY.

Ik the days of our great-grandmothers chenille work was the most usual form of fancy-work; in fact, the education of a voting lady was incomplete unless she bad mastered the art of- embroidering with chenille; it is now coming into fashion again, and indeed well merits its restoration to favour, as it is not expensive, and is mosteffective. The chenille can be used with a proper needle for the purpose, as a working thread, but in most cases it is better to catch it clown with couching in finer silk. For inexpensive presents it is invaluable— mats, sachets, blotters, and other odds and ends can be picked up most cheaply at the after-season's sales, and- with the aid of chenille can be transformed into most im-portant-looking fancy-work. A canvas handkerchief sachet would be pretty, worked in different shades of rose-coloured chenille, having a border of Oriental satin to match. Transfer a bold conventional design on to

the canvas and commence work. Pass the ends of the chenille through to the wrong side, and do not strain it too tightly down, as its velvety surface looks at its best when raised. One of the most beautiful forms of this work was shown me by a girl who had embroidered some sash ends with it.

It was an oyster-white satin sash to be worn with a pale blue evening dress, and the embroidery was carried out in three shades of ribbon and chenille. The design was a true-lover's, knot, such as the one. here illustrated, the knot itself being done with actual ribbon applique, and bordered with a dark shade of chenille. The conventionalised flowers were executed in the two paler shades, arid from them fell showers of silver sequins. The effect was quite lovely, and transformed what would otherwise have been a somewhat ordinary dress into an exceedingly striking creation. Felt is also very much in request as a background for this embroidery, for blotters, tea-cosies, and the like. It looks quite as wel' upon this humble material as in its richer modes of expression, although, of course, it is not quite so delicate and soft looking.

LEATHER WORK. The tools necessary for leather work are a very sharp pail* of scissors, a stiletto, a thimble, and a knitting needle these with dainty fingers will transform an ordinary piece of leather to any varieties of flower or leaf. Nature supplies us with the most perfect patterns for leather work, as for all other designing, and where a particularly pretty leaf or graceful spray is met with, it is ta. good plan to cut an exact pattern from it in paper putting in all the veinings and marks with pencil. The best leather for this purpose is known as- basil leather, choosing a very soft skin, as free from flaws as possible. You will also require some pieces of a very thin kind of leather called skiver, a drawing-board, a bowl of cold water, some glue, and wire. All these preparations being made, place the pattern flatly on the smooth side of the leather, and, holding it firmly in position, trace the outline lightly with the stiletto. Cut out the leaf or flower with the scissors, which must be very sharp or the edges are likely to be rather jagged; place it in the water til) it is thoroughly wet. Take it out, dry it slightly, and lay it on the board, keeping the smooth side upwards. The veins are then to be carefully marked with the knitting needle, and any curves must also be done while the leather is damp, allowing to dry and stiffen in position. When doing, trails of ivy or bramble, it is better to cut them all in- one piece; this necessitates very careful modelling; but the effect is generally more satisfactory than it done in detachments. All tendrils are made of thin strips of skiver, twisted when wet round the knitting needle, then dried at

the fire, and when pushed off you have a pretty, tightlv-eurled tendril, Flowers are generally made in separate parts, threaded on to the. stalk, and fastened with glue. The illustration shows a most delightful blotter, decorated with a spray of dahlias in leather. The leaves are made according to the above directions, the flowers being made of ten pieces of leather of graduated sizes, cut in the shape shown in the small diagram, threaded on to a stalk, a calyx being added at the back; the stalks being narrow, wet strips of leather rolled between the finger ard thumb till fairly stiff.

The body ofthe blotter is made by a thin piece of bevelled wood over which a piece of the leather has been stretched when wet, and then glued. When mounting the work secure each leaf and flower in position with, pins, until the grouping is entirely satisfactory, when tliey should be carefully glued. When the piece of work is quite complete it must be given a coating of size, as this improves the look of the leather, at the same time causing it to get thoroughly stiff in the required position.

SHOULD MEN GIVE UP BACHELOR HABITS WHEN THEY MAURY? It is sometimes rather a wrench for a man to part from all his bachelor habits. He has grown so devoted to his latchkey, liis slippers, his indiscriminate smoking, his lax ways, that it is somewhat of a trial to give them up, and he shows an inclination to devote himself to them still, even after the bachelorhood that was their - only excuse lias gone. But this is distinctly unfair to the wife. Most of those habits were only formed because of the absence of women's society, and are neither agreeable nor pleasing to womanhood. Ho should make a point of giving up, or keeping within reasonable bounds, after marriage anything that offends Lis wife's taste or sense of the fitness of things. Slippers may be all very well if she does not object to them in the privacy of the domestic hearth; if she does they should go. He should confine his smoking to reasonable quarters of the house, not smoke all over the place, regardless of her curtains or her feelings. He should remember that what was all very well in solitary moments, such as bringing a book or a paper to table, and putting on his boofcs by his sitting-room fire, is quite another thing now there is a wife to be considered, and ho will give up such habits, however clear to the heart they may be.

He will find, after all, that the sacrifice is not so severe as he expected, and tho chances are that he may even discover he is more comfortable and happy under the new dispensation of things than the old. He would not like his wife to bring into the household careless, untidy ways. Why, then, should he wish to indulge himself in what he would condemn in her?