AMERICAN FASHIONS IN TABLE LINEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978, 8 December 1911, Page 11

AMERICAN FASHIONS IN TABLE LINEN

There is a fashion in household furnishings, as-in everything else,and table linen comes in for its share of tho turn of fortune. For instance, the finest, damask, shining like satin, has largely supplemented tho lace pieces that for a while were exclusively * xjopuiar. liven monograms aro held to detract from the beauty of its design, and are not allowed. Thus one set of centrepieces and tumbler and plate doilies is simply of damask, bordered with hand-embroidered scallops. The all-over tablecloth at luncheon is hopelessly old-fashioned, and polished wood must show somewhere. The patterns of these damasks aro many and novel. Some are of the period of Louis Quinze —riboons and baskets of flowers, stripes and spots and flower' clusters aud single blossoms —all, very dainty and attractive. Of course, this by no means bars out. entirely lace and embroidered sets. They arc hero also, and as beautiful as ever, linen aud lace, linen, 1 lace and embroidery, and lace alone. There is on© set of heavy ecru linen embroidered in black and orange in leaf design-- For napkins to go with this set, daniask'woven in the same design, approximately, is used with a monogram in orange and black. Some of the lace pieces are very elaborate, filet lace, Madeira embroidery, cluny, Japanese raised embroidery and Japanese drawnwork all being shown. Indeed, the prominence of the Japanese work, not only in home-woven * designs but in imitation of the German, English, Irish and French work, is the most striking feature of the now season. Afternoon tea seta follow the luncheon sets closely, those of damask showing violets, rosebuds, and four-leaf clovers as the most- popular designs. As for tea-tablo covers, they are simply exquisite. Many of them are heavily embroidered in colours, in designs so elaborate and colours so delicate that one wonders if they are ever really used. A new breakfast tablecloth is shown in natural colour (pale gray) linen damosfc, in the' same uigh-grado designs shown for tho bleached/ damasks. The touch of colour is not out of place on tho breakfast tablecloth. Dinner tablecloths are shown in open embroidery, through which a coloured silk lining shows. The edges of these tablecloths aro left untrimmed. Linen tablecloths aro also trimmed with insets of cluny aud filet laces. In tho handsomer damasks tho small allover design is very little seen, there being usually a largo ovill, round or square centre, between which and tho edges of the cloth xflaiu spaces and bands of flowers aud scrolls alternate. OLD METHOD OF STENCILLINO IS KEYIVED And now comes a new way of doing stencil work. instead of stencilling tho design, we paint tho background and leave tno design tho colour or tno former background. in saying now, it is not meant that tho work itself is a novelty, for In reality it is simply a revival of a very old art practised in Java* China and Japan, but it haa been brought to this country only recently. ft ia a process of tracing designs on metal, fabrics’, wood, leather or paper, and thou dyeing or painting all other portions of the wood. Whoa tiio colouring is finished the wax ie removed with benzine or by applying to it a heated iron placed over blotting paper or a soft piece of cloth. , Tho design will come out white on a coloured background; but if this white is not pleasing tho wood may bo stained Before using the wax, and then stained again after covering the design with wax Hard wax is molted over an alcohol flame and while soft is rolled into a pencil. When using it the end is melW like sealing was and tho design covered. Tho work is novel and bound to bo popular. The colouring, of course, will vary with tho fabric. Wood can bo stained with photography stains; fabrics can bo dyed and paper eimply brushed with water colour.—Exchange. SUPERFLUOUS HAIR Destroyed by "Emma" (Res-)- A guarantee given, with each case undertaken. Skilled massage, shampooing, manicuring, etc. Mrs ilullea and .Miss Holland, Lambton quay, over "Economic." 'Phone 1017. * CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR WEDDINGS. ORDER, now from Miss Cooper, Floristc. Manuel's street. Bridal Posies aud Shower Bohquefcsin the latest styles, mode of choicest flowers and ferns. Telephone BS2. /HE COLONIAL CARRYING CO LTD., SHIR TO THEIR AGENTS. ALL OVER THE WORLD. SEND YOUR FARC ELS THROUGH US TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, AMERICA THE CONTINENT, ETC., AND AUSTRALIA { MELBOURNE, ON THURSDAYS; SYDNEY. FRIDAYS}. PHONES 634 AND SS6I