Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/131

 the other. If in rounds this will leave little spaces between which must be worked with a tiny star or dot in silk. Now work button hole stitch round each piece with coloured silk. If tastefully arranged a beautiful cloth can be made, and either only a deep border worked or the whole cloth can be covered. If you have no scraps of silk by you, a good plan is to buy a half or a quarter of a yard of several ribbons, and in that way you can have the same quality of ribbon. I did a very pretty cloth all the border in half circles to a depth of about six inches. Fringe can be added or tassels if desired.

A Good Fringe.—A very handsome fringe can be made of brass curtain rings covered with floss worsted or silk in single crochet. If covered in contrasting colours they are more effective. Sew them together to form points or diamonds, and from the apex of each point as well as from between every two points, hang a silk tassel of the same or contrasting colours. This can be made a very handsome fringe.

Lady's Crochet Bodice.—Take a paper pattern of any bodice you wish. Work the two fronts separately and the back separately also. Make a chain the length of middle of front and then work backwards and forwards increasing one or two stitches at the end of each row at the neck to make it meet the pattern. When you get to the top of the shoulder decrease each row to form the shoulder slope. Work to fit the pattern as well as you can. The two fronts are worked the same. Then the back, which can be done in either one or two pieces. When ready, sew the parts together with an ordinary wool needle and then crochet an edging round the neck and sleeves.

Fancy Baskets and Boxes.—I may mention that nearly all the items given under this heading are purely original. I have sent some of them to different journals and papers, but not many, and most of them I have improved upon after once thought out. These baskets and boxes were suggested to me through watching the aboriginals of Wide Bay making their "dilly bags." They often use some sticky or stiff liquid with which to moisten and stiffen the string or wool while working. But my plan is better, as the bags seldom lose their shape, while the black gin's dilly bags become very limp when old. Macramè twine is the best to use on account of its better quality and strength but any will do. I used coarse crochet cotton at first and very successfully too. Any odd pieces of twine knotted together will do as well as any. With a bone or coarse steel crochet hook, crochet a bag. Here is a simple pattern. Make a round or circle of 12 chain and work into it in the ordinary way increasing every row till a flat mat is made of the size desired. And a jar will be a good size and you can measure it by standing the jar on the mat or bottom of the bag. Then work on again drawing it in slightly to begin the sides of the bag. Work in double stitch and only increasing at long intervals till the sides are made or as high as the jar you are moulding it with or blocking it. A Chinese jar is a very good shape but perhaps it is best to try a straight one first. Now make a thin solution of either glue or gum-arabic and stiffen the crochet bag with it by dipping it in and wringing it out. When nearly dry, not before, pull it out carefully with the hand and block it on the jar again, or any suitable thing you have. A common tin dipper is very useful for the purpose. When quite dry and stiff paint with gold paint or any coloured enamel you wish. If you use coloured crochet cotton, or two contrasting colours, you can varnish it instead of enamelling, and the effect is very good. For a work bag a silk lining can be put in, and then it will be best made of crochet cotton (the coarsest). I once made a very effective set of covers for flower pots for the table decorations. I worked them very open and with macramemacramé [sic] twine, stiffened them, blocking upon a flower pot, and then used green enamel with gold paint