The stems, long leaves, and large branches are worked as
closely as the petals in herringbone, but tendrils and sprays are more
opened out, and are given the look of single coral stitch as a variety.
When shading a flower select two colours that are distinct in tone but
not jarring in their contrast; thus, cream-white used for the outer
petals can be finished with pale blue, yellow pink, pure orange, or pale
yellow for its centre petals; scarlet red outside petals with black
inner petals, bright blue outside petals with lemon yellow or
terra-cotta red inside petals, and every one of these colours are
allowable when working bunches of flowers scattered over the whole of a
five o'clock tea-cloth or fireplace curtains.
The embroidery is used for table-cloths, mantel borders, and curtain
brackets, knitting bags, handkerchief cases, and as a trimming to
evening dresses. In all cases it requires a silk lining, and should be
worked with a muslin lining beneath it. Embroidering Breton
handkerchiefs is not a new description of fancy work, but it is still in
vogue; and when a lady has had sufficient patience to successfully
accomplish the feat of covering every portion of the handkerchief with
thick filoselle work, there is no doubt that she has produced a piece of
embroidery not only handsome and durable, but that will justly hand her
name down to posterity as a real worker, and not one who takes up the
whim of the hour and throws it on one side as soon as it bores her.
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