WORK COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XXII, 30 May 1896, Page 643

WORK COLUMN.

In a very large room it is not necessary to deal with the doorways in any particular decorative fashion ; in fact, they are better left to their dignified severity, but when one comes to undertake the decoration of a small room the door is so close to us that it is quite oppressive with its hard lines aud suggestions of draughts. lam not exceedingly in favour of much gilding being used, but I must confess that the doorway inside a smoking-room in which gilding was extensively used very much fascinated me the other day. There was an archway of fret-work carved, as nearly all these arches are, under the influence of Moorish design, and consequently lent itself well to particularly gorgeous treatment. This was not gilded with a light gilding, but in a dull tone, somewhat resembing burnished copper. Behind this was arranged a curtain, cross-wise, of rich peacock-green silk, and below it were side curtains in a shade something between vermilion and orange. The ornamentationabove the door wasblack, and against it stood some brilliant-hued specimens of Moorish pottery. The door itself was of unrelieved

black, with a gilded handle. The dado round the room was one of those Moorish papers—zigzags of gold against a red copper background. Up above the paper appeared almost plain, but there was a light pattern running

across it that faintly indicated that there were two shades in the peacock-green of its colouring. The pictures chosen were chiefly of Oriental places, and were framed in flat gilded canvas frames, and the only china in the room was Moorish. Large easy chairs were covered with saddle-bags, and little tables of inlaid mother-o'-pearl stood about ready to receivepipes and coffee cups ; it was altogether ideal as a smoking-room.

JAPANESE REED AND BEAD WORK. I will give you a description this week of a short window blind made in the reed and bead work. This kind of curtain has an immense advantage over the usual window drapery, in that it is permanent ; it needs no constant washing and redraping, and while forming an excellent screen, at the same time admits both the air and light, so important to dwellers in towns. The effect is light and extremely artistic, the cost trifling. Procure from your carpenter two bars of wood threequarters of an inch thick, and the width of the window for which the curtain is designed ; about three feet six inches will be the measurement for an ordinary sash. Pierce holes in one of the bars at regular intervals of three-quarters of an inch ; in the other the holes must occur twice as frequently. Now supply yourself with a good ball of medium stout string ; and work a pretty insertion with half and quarter reeds obtained by cutting the ordinary three-inch reeds with a sharp penknife. Cut lengths of string allowing for each piece to be folded double the length of the finished screen with a few inches over. Thus, for our short blind, measuring three quarters of a yard in depth, the strings must be a yard and three-quarters long. The top bar is the one with the fewest holes in it. Place it in front of you on the table, and, beginning at the left hand side, pass the first string upwards through the first hole of the bar, and downwards through the second hole, drawing it through till both ends of the string are of equal length ; pass the second string up through the second hole and down through the third hole ; pass the third string up through the third hole and down through the fourth hole, and so on, always doubling the strings until the entire length of the bar is threaded. Commence at the left hand side, and thread half a yellow reed on the first string ; take the second and third strings together, and on them thread half a reed ; take the next two strings together, and thread another half reed, and repeat this to the end of the bar.

Second row : Thread a quarter of a black reed on every string. Third row : Thread a quarter of a yellow reed on the first string, then on the second and third together, and so on to the end of the bar. The fourth row the same as the second row ; the fifth row the same as the first ; this finishes the insertion. Place the second bar on the table, and pass all the strings in rotation through the holes pierced in it, one string into each hole.

Now commence the short blind itself with whole reeds. Thread on one yellow reed, then a blue bead, a black reed, an amber bead, a yellow reed and so on repeating from the first. Repeat this until thescreen is sufficiently long, threading both a blue and amber bead to give extra weight at the bottom. Thread eight strings in this manner ; then commence the ninth string with a black reed, then an amber bead a yellow reed, a blue bead, a black reed and repeat. Four strings should be threaded in this manner. Then recommence the eight, in the same rotation as the first and so on to the end of the bar.