Page:Embroidery and Fancy Work.djvu/31

Rh green, with yellow berries, the background being darned in a darker green. In another, the outlining was done in old gold, and the darning in shades running from a dull red to pink.

A remarkably pretty and simple border can be worked on fine burlaps in red. Sprays of the sassafras form the design, which is outlined in a dark red, with a background darned in a brighter shade of the same color. This scarf was finished with a knotted fringe, while above the border was an inch wide strip of drawn work. The same idea would be very pretty for a heading for curtains. The modern darned work is principally used as a background in straight, horizontal stitches, but these may be varied according to the inclination or taste of the worker. It is sometimes used to represent a diapered ground; thus, it may be worked in an open diamond pattern. Again, it may be worked in rows of circles of either varying or uniform size, or in a succession of wave-like lines. Instead of the darning stitches, some fancy stitches may be used for filling in a background. Water, clouds, etc., are generally rendered by darning stitches.

Fig. 6 is a curtain of Queen Anne's time done in outline with a darned background. A very handsome quilt may be worked from the same design on huckaback towelling. The easiest way to manage it is to work a square for the centre and join side pieces all around. The darning stitches have a very fine effect run under the threads of the towelling.

Fig. 7 gives another suggestion for work of this kind, showing a different way of filling the background. As shown in the illustration, a pleasing variety may be introduced by filling in the background in one part of the work, and the design in another. Very gorgeous effects are produced by using gold thread in darning designs on huckaback.