Page:Embroidery and Fancy Work.djvu/75

Rh taken in the process. Linen, satin sheeting, velvet, velveteen, and plush, all offer a good surface for these colors. Care should be taken to select velvet, velveteen or plush, that has a short nap, as the colors wet the pile and cause it to lie flat. The work is very much more beautiful on velvet and similar surfaces, but lately an invention has been patented by means of which a plush-like surface is given to a design on any material, whether of wood, stone, paper, metal, or textile fabrics. The effect is that of plush appliqué. The process is said to be a very simple one, and the material used—"plushette"—is comparatively inexpensive.

In beginning work, select a simple design, choosing one in which the forms are large and distinct. A good crewel design of large flowers or leaves is an excellent one for a beginner. Transfer it as for embroidery, drawing in veins, and stalks, but no lines indicating shading. On velvet and similar material it is generally best to have the stamping done at a fancy work store. Fasten your material on a drawing board with thumb tacks. Take a little of the metallic color, either gold or silver, out on the palette, and rub it down with the knife till it is perfectly smooth; then add medium, mixing them thoroughly until you have a perfectly smooth liquid. This is to be used as a stopping, to prevent the opaque colors- from sinking into the material. Rub it well into every petal and leaf, using it freely, so that it will adhere as a flat wash. Use the brightest silver or gold metallic colors over all the parts of the leaf they are used for; work in the various shades of metallic colors in this way, using both silver and gold on the same flower, if contrast is desired, and working over every petal and leaf until a strong, smooth surface of color is obtained, the lightest part being either bright gold or silver, and the deepest shades with the darker metallic colors. On linen the metallic colors need not