Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/555

 531 NEEDLEWORK serve to hold the sides of the basket up in position, which, when not in use, should lie perfectly flat. A Doyley Case Everybody uses the dainty little crochet doyleys for afternoon tea in these days, so a case to hold and keep them flat makes a useful gift. It consists of two circles of stiff cardboard covered with white linen or satin jean, and caught together at the top with two little bows of ribbon, which form hinges, and tied with ribbons at the lower edge. Cut the two cards I2| inches in diameter, and four pieces of white linen rather larger. Across one of these latter write the word " Doyleys " in large letters, and outline them with any quick, effective stitch. A chain-stitch, in which the needle is returned just under instead of into the previous stitch, is a good one to choose. Add any little decorative design. The A MATTRESS PINCUSHION This pincushion is embroidered with silk and filled with lavender work should be done in thick mercerised thread in some pretty pale shade. When it is finished cover the cards with the linen and oversew the edges ; sew each ribbon at the top on to the edges of the case, about half an inch apart, to allow the covers of the case to separate sufficiently to hold the doyleys. A Novel ."Vlattress Pincushion There is a rage for mattress pincushions, but one with an embroidered linen cover, and stuffed with lavender, is quite a novelty. First make your under cushion of crash, about 5 inches square and with a strip at the edges barely an inch wide. Fill this with lavender flowers, which can be bought at the chemist's by the pound, and then mattress it down with coarse thread in the centre and at the four corners. The dainty top cover is made of pretty coloured linen embroidered in a scattered flower design. For this oddments of silk can be used, and each of the flowers can be done in a different colour, and the leaves in green ; or the whole might be done in different shades of china blue or any otli'T folonr. The edges must be very LAVENDER CASE A delightful gift that will cost but little in time or money finely oversewn, and along the upper one an extremely narrow cream silk cord is slip-stitched. If this is wanted as an unscented pin- cushion without the lavender, the under part should be made of eight layers of the ordinary grey felting which is used under carpets. These should be tacked together and then covered and mattressed. A fine flock is sometimes used for stuffing these cushions and should have a little sachet powder scattered among it. A Lavender Case Another very dainty little novelty which can be made quite inexpensively is a lavender case, to be used among the linen or handkerchiefs. The whole, complete, will only cost a few pence. Buy a tiny glove handkerchief as small as you can get. It should have an em- broidered or lace edge, and if it is too large it can have a tuck run in it. Sew a little piece of muslin or linen to match the handkerchief across the lower half, and fold the other half over it to form a flap like that on a nightdress case. On the upper half, or flap, embroider some little sprays of lavender. Use a single thread of brown filoselle for the stalks. This is BAG FOR CROCHET A pretty gift for a busy worker necessary to form a contrast with the green leaves and lavender flowers. Each flower is made of a single chain-stitch, caught down at the tip, forming what is called a bird's-eye or daisy stitch.