Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/794

 NEEDLEWORK 766 REPAIRING TORN EMEROIBERY If Scientifically Treated, Embroidery can be Mended in a Way "Which Baffles Detection- Necessary Outfit Required — Exact Instructions -The W/hen taken as a fine handicraft, mend- ing requires quite as much skill as the more obvious and attractive occupa- tion of making, and though this fact is not -ig. I. A (&88cd tear in a piece of embroidery edging, such as here shown, can be mended so that the damage is invisible always readily recognised, it is well worth consideration. Repairing can be brought to such a high standard of perfection that it will actually make good the damage done. Then not only _ ..- ^_ ...,^ „™^ will the mend be | •• * scarcely distin- guishable, but it will often outhve the wear of the article in which it is introduced. Of course, there
 * s such a thing

IS an unwise put- t i n g of "new
 * loth into old gar-

ments," which should be avoided and which would only be waste of time. Unfortun- ately that which is already nearly worn out rarely suffers from accidents. A rash movement or a false step on the stairs will result in the breaking of a Sevres china Fig. 2. Place a square of material that matches the torn fabric underneath and well outside the damaged area. Tack in position by an inner and outer line of tacking. Do not draw or pucker the work. vase, or a rent in a dainty muslin frock. The common everyday articles have a way of escaping danger and remaining unharmed. However, it is surprising what, with patience and time, skilful fingers can do, even in the case of a bad destruction of material, which, if not properly treated, would ruin the value of the object in question. It may be supposed, by way of example, that a bad tear has been made in a piece of embroidery edging. Instead of any attempt to darn up a hole, the most effective method of proceeding is 'to put in a fresh piece of material, which will entirely do away with the damaged section. On this may be copied the exact pattern of the embroidery. This mode of mending well repays the extra time it involves, for the embroidery to ali appearances will be as good as new again, and it will wear just as long as the material which was unharmed. (See Fig. i.) The first point of which it is necessary to take note is whether the embroidery is done on linen, cotton, or muslin, and also its exact texture and consistency. This must be matched as closely as possible in the piece with which it is intended to patch. Then some cotton, thread, or silk, as the case may be, should be secured for carrying out the pattern so that it will correspond ex- actly with that which is shown on the original embroidery. Besides these materials, will be required a reel of 100 cotton and a very fine needle ; an ordinary needle will be wanted for tacking, and a crewel needle for the embroidery cotton. If the e m- broidery has been stretched or the pattern displaced by the tear, it should be care- fully pressed with a warm iron before any attempt is Then a square of material which is to form the patch should be tacked in place well on the outside of the area of the tear, and so that — in a case like this, where a point of embroidery has to be made up — it will come about a quarter of an inch below the edge. (See Fig. 2.) A thread may be drawn, and" to