XXEASY LACE STITCHES, FAGOTTING, SINGLE MESH, DOUBLE MESH, SPIDERS, FAN, MALTESE CROSS, TWISTED AND BUTTONHOLED BARS, PICOTS FOR SIMPLE EDGES

Fig. 179. The twist-stitch

A dainty all-over effect suitable for yokes or corners of handkerchiefs, cloths, etc., is made by drawing the threads out so that the material left forms squares. Pull a quarter inch of threads then leave a half inch of material. Repeat in this manner until the space is covered. Cross the lines, forming squares of the material (Figure 180).

The double hemstitching, sheaf-stitch, fishbone, or twist stitch can be worked on the drawn threads. You will note that you will have at each corner of the solid squares an open quarter-inch square. They will require an extra stitch such as the spider described in the lace stitches or the loop stitch described in the Hardanger chapter.

Sometimes it is hard pulling the threads of linen. If the threads are soaped they come out very easily. Do not wet the soap but just rub it dry on the material.

Some of the finest examples of hand embroidery or drawn work are found in the convents. Perhaps you are under the impression that drawn work must be done right with the hem, but that is not so. I want to describe a beautiful handkerchief to you that I once saw in a convent. It was made of the sheerest handkerchief linen and one thread only had been pulled for the hemstitching. A quarter of an inch above the hem another thread was drawn, but this time, instead of letting it extend to the hem, a thread was cut one quarter of an inch from the hem at the beginning and ending. Six threads were drawn like this at eighth of an inch spaces. The four sides were treated in like manner.

Fig. 180. The threads pulled to form squares

Fig. 181. Cat-stitch over the tape

Fig. 182. Five rows of tape cat-stitched

Where the threads intersected at the corner, the squares were hemstitched all around, two stitches being allowed to each side of the square. Thestitches were taken through to the centre of each square. Beyond where the lines intersected the six long lines were treated quite differently. A piece of fine braid not more than an eighth of an inch wide was taken on the space between the first two rows of drawn threads. A regular cat-stitch was worked over this. First a stitch was taken on the drawn threads above the braid, then, one below it (Figure 181). When the braid was entirely covered with stitches on the first row, a second piece of tape or braid was placed over the space between the second and third rows of drawn threads. This time instead of catching the thread of both rows, the stitches are taken into those of the previous row on one side of the tape and into the third row of drawn threads on the other side of the tape. Five rows of tape complete the band between the stitches. Of course all this work is on the wrong side of the handkerchief. On the right side, a totally different effect is produced. At first glance you would think that there are five rowsof tiny tucks with hemstitching on each side, until you look again closely and see that it is padded hemstitching (Figure 182).

Fig. 183. A handkerchief for an ambitious little girl

A section of a drawn work handkerchief for some ambitious little girl to own is shown in the illustration on this page (Figure 183). It is like a cobweb.A piece of handkerchief linen twelve inches square is selected. Starting from the outer edge of the four sides an eighth of an inch wide space is left, then the threads drawn for an eighth of an inch. Repeat this seventeen times. At the corners the space and drawn threads form squares.

Now the rest of the space should be divided up in like manner, so starting from one corner of the solid square in the centre, draw the threads for an eighth of an inch, then leave a space the same length and then draw again. Continue in this manner on the four sides of the centre square. Pull out all the cut threads and you find that you have a deep border of little squares. Buttonhole around the four sides of the centre square with tiny stitches, thus keeping the linen from fraying.

To get the pointed edge as shown in the handkerchief, buttonhole over the line of horizontal threads and four of the vertical. The little filling stitch I am going to suggest to you is so simple that really after you have buttonholed the handkerchief your task is almost completed.

Start in the first point under the solid square and work diagonally across the open space. Pass your thread around the centre of the little square also on the diagonal. Continue across till you reachthe buttonholed edge around the linen square in the centre.

Skip the next point and work the same stitch in every other point. This stitch and in fact all the rest of the handkerchief should be carried out in No. 200 sewing cotton.

In between the worked points make another stitch which is very similar to the one just described.

It is started from the edge and a stitch is taken on the diagonal across four of the squares and half way across the solid squares at the corner of each group.

Having reached the buttonholing next the linen you turn your work and repeat the stitch over the same square. The stitches now form the figure 8.

The design of drawn work in the centre of the square is simple as well as being particularly pleasing. Draw the threads for a half-inch space, one quarter of an inch above the buttonholing. This must be done on the four sides of the square. The corners must be buttonholed before beginning the drawn work. Start the first thread for the drawn work in the centre of one of the buttonholed corners. Work the sheaf stitch all the way across. Now start a second thread, knotting the first sheaf in three, the next in two; so on to the end. Thesestitches are taken quite close to the linen. Both sides of the sheaf stitch are treated the same.

The daisy in the corner completes the pattern. The daisy is made on the foundation of cross-stitches caused by the sheaf stitch. A Maltese cross is made thus forming twelve stitches catching all these together in the centre. Now weave a thread around in a circle, one eighth of an inch from the centre. To form the petals of the daisy start a thread from one of the threads that connect with the buttonholing and catch on the woven circle as you would if you were doing fagotting.

Wherever threads are drawn so that they intersect at right angles, as in the case of this handkerchief, a space is left vacant which is very unsightly if not filled in with some figure. Here it was with the daisy which is extremely easy but in the majority of cases it is with the Maltese cross.

The wide strip of drawn work shows a pretty pattern for linen scarfs. It is nothing but right that every girl should take an interest in her bedroom. She may not be fortunate enough to have one entirely by herself but that does not excuse her from trying to make it as attractive as possible. The key-note to beauty and elegance is simplicity. Better have a dainty bureau scarf hand made anda few necessary toilet articles than a bureau beribboned and with a lace scarf, crowded with old visiting cards, dance orders, and dainty nothings that only catch the dust and give one a bewildered feeling when one looks at them. The scarf should be worth displaying if it is hand work, for remember what is worth doing is worth doing well.

The butterfly pattern of drawn work (Figure 184) is simple and pretty enough to please the most exacting and as has been said before is most appropriate for bureau scarfs. The material of the scarf may be linen, lawn, or scrim. It is quite unnecessary that the drawn work extend around the whole scarf—three sides, one long and the two short, being quite sufficient.

Fig. 184. The butterfly pattern in drawn work

Draw the threads out for an inch, then hemstitch the cloth on both sides of the space; be sure to take up the group of threads already hemstitched when working on the second side. Fasten thethread in the direct centre of one end of the drawn work and catch eight groups of threads to form the sheaf stitch. An eighth of an inch above the centre thread start another thread. Divide the sheaf in thirds and knot each section of the first sheaf. Pass the thread to the second sheaf and repeat the same thing, this time under the centre instead of above it. Alternate sheaves are divided above the centre line and the remaining sheaves under.

A third thread is started beginning an eighth of an inch below the centre and the other side of the sheaf is divided in three.

A fourth thread is started one eighth of an inch from the solid material. This time the sheaf is divided in four, in groups of two. First the top of one sheaf is woven like this, then the bottom of the next. Continue in this manner till the end of the strip is reached.

The fifth thread knots the groups on the side of each sheaf that was omitted by the fourth thread.

You will notice now that the four threads cross each other in the centre of the space between each sheaf. Knot the threads in the centre and weave across the lower four threads until you have made as large a fan as the space will allow. The remainingthreads are divided in two, three on each side, and two other fans are woven on them.

In the next space the fan of four is reversed and is made in the opposite direction to the first group. This pattern is commonly termed the butterfly pattern.

Drawn work should be worked on frames, though it is not necessary to use the large square one of the Mexicans. The nicest kind of frame and one easy to handle is the oval form, which comes in different sizes. They are particularly convenient to hold a long, narrow piece, which can be worked to better advantage than on the round rings.

Every once in awhile one sees specimens of a new kind of drawn work. There is the Mexican of which we have had a few of the simplest stitches, there is the Hardanger or Swedish drawn work, which is described in another chapter, the Porto Rico drawn work which is very intricate and also very trying to the eyes, but after all none compares in simplicity to the Bulgarian drawn work. It is so substantial that often after the material of the article on which the work is done has worn out, the drawn work is as good as new and can be transferred to another piece of material.

Bulgarian drawn work instead of weakening thematerial as Mexican work usually does strengthens it considerably.

The work is done in spaces varying from a half inch to three inches in width. It can be done on linen, huck or lawn backgrounds, though sometimes scrim is used. Personally I do not think it pays to work elaborate patterns on scrim as the background is not substantial enough.

We will take for example the first towel end shown in this work.

Fig. 185. A towel in Bulgarian drawn work

Draw threads out of an inch and a half space. It is not necessary that the cloth should be hemstitched, though till you are quite familiar with the work it may be easier for counting. The hem is then turned over and hemstitched. Make the double hemstitch on the other side as described in the first part of this chapter.

I have found that though there are many threads that may be used for weaving there is nothing quiteas satisfactory as Electro in its finest number. Start from the extreme lower left hand corner. Weave back and forth over three of the groups with a blunt pointed crewel needle for one quarter of the distance from the hem. Now omitting the first group weave across three. You will see that you dropped the first group and took up the fourth. Weave to the middle of the space. Now drop the second group and weave across to the fifth group until you are three quarters across the space. Now drop the third group and weave across to the sixth. Weave until the space is filled. Without breaking your thread weave the seventh, eighth and ninth, then the eighth, ninth and tenth, next the ninth, tenth and eleventh, then the tenth, eleventh and twelfth. Weaving the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth brings you back again to the hem.

The woven threads will look somewhat like an arch of blocks. Between the arch there are six groups of threads. Let us weave that in pyramid effect. Start at the hem and weave across the six for a little more than a quarter of an inch. Then dropping the first and last groups of threads of the proposed pyramid weave over four threads for another quarter of an inch. Again dropping the first and last threads of the four you were weaving,work across two. Fasten your thread by bringing it through the woven stitches into the hem. A new thread is started in like manner. You are now ready to start another arch, close to one just made.

A little more elaborate design is shown in the second towel end, a detail of which is also given (Figures186and187.)

Fig. 186. Detail of Fig. 187

After the threads have been prepared as has been just described for the first towel start from the lower left hand side and weave across the threads eight times. The weaving is very simple. First you take two groups with needle pointing to the left and then you take the one group that you didn'ttake up the first time. You work back and forth as it were.

Now drop the first thread and weave across to the fourth group as in the first towel. Each set of three groups will only have eight lines however. Continue in this manner till you are one space from the solid material, then weave across four instead of three. Start to weave down on the right side over the three groups under the block of four. Now continue weaving over groups of three until the hem is almost reached then weave the last block over four (See detail ofFigure 187).

On each side of these blocks weave a row working over two groups.

Fig. 187. A more elaborate design in Bulgarian drawn work

The groups of thread within the woven rows are woven into a triangle.

Bulgarian drawn work is used on pillow cases, handkerchiefs, towels, dresses, scarfs, or small square cloths.

Sometimes coloured threads are used and the result is very effective. Use cottons and if they are coloured boil them in salt and water before working with them.

Oneof our best authorities on lace has said that there are over one hundred different stitches used in lace. Now there are various kinds of laces; there are crochetted, bobbin, as well as needle point laces. It is about two branches of needlework laces—Renaissance and point—that we will talk about in this chapter.

Fig. 187A. Fagotting and feather-stitching on a cap

Renaissance lace is made by basting a flat braid on a given pattern and filling the spaces between with simple lace stitches. Point lace is made of very fine plain braid with much finer thread and more elaborate stitches.

The basting of the braid is extremely important. Sometimes only a single line is given to indicate where the braid will be, while again a double line is shown. The braid must not be wider than the double lines. It may be basted so that the sideheld toward you will be the right side of the lace orvice versa. Start from one corner of the design, turn over one end of the braid an eighth of an inch. For coarse work one row of basting stitches through the centre of the braid is sufficient but for fine work baste along both edges of the braid.

In basting around a loop the inner edge of the braid will have to be gathered. This may be done in two ways: the first by pulling a thread or by running a thread on the edge. At a sharp point the braid will have to be turned.

The preferred method of working the lace is to have the right side facing you. In starting to braid turn up one eighth inch of braid and start from a point so that the end may be covered later.

The braids vary from one cent to fifteen cents per yard.

Fig. 188. Fagotting

Fig. 189. Single Brussels stitch

A simple stitch in lace that greatly resembles the Turkish stitch in embroidery is fagotting. It is a stitch that is often used by dressmakers to connect bias bands together for yokes and sleeves. For this as well as other lace stitches the beginning of the thread should be fastened so as to be unobserved by the average eye. If the braid is neatly over-casted the end will be quite secure. Starting from the extreme left of the section to be fagotted take a stitch through the braid on the opposite side ofthe opening, letting the thread fall to the right. The stitches are taken from side to side. This stitch is best suited to long narrow spaces (Figure 188).

The foundation stitch of lace is the single mesh or net stitch. It is a stitch that may be used in almost any shape opening. It is a good thing when working a piece of lace to pick out one stitch for filling in the background; then the design proper can be as fancy as desired.

Fig. 190. A handkerchief in simple lace stitches

The mesh or net stitch is good for a filling stitch. A blunt pointed needle is the best for working lace as you are not so apt to stick yourself. Make a row of open buttonholing, not however through the background. The second row is worked slightly below the first row. Each stitch is taken into a loop of the upper row. If the spaces decrease in size drop one stitch from each end for as many rows asnecessary. To finish the stitches overcast them to the braid. To many lace makers this stitch is known as single Brussels (Figure 189).

Double Brussels or the knot is worked like the single only that there is a second stitch taken in the same position as the first. The last must be short and drawn tightly (Figure 191).

Fig. 191. Double Brussels stitch

Another pretty filling-in stitch is the spider. It can be as large as desired allowing the space it is to be used in to determine the size. A thread is spanned across the space and the braid whipped for a short distance, say a quarter of an inch. The space is spanned again so that the threads cross. Pick up all the threads on the needle through the centre and make a little stitch to bind them. Now begin to weave over one leg or strand and under another, so on till a good-sized body is formed to the spider. In weaving be careful not to skip one of these little legs (Figure 192).

Another way to work a spider, to make it a little stronger is to whip each leg as it is spanned.

A third and more elaborate spider is one made with the foundation thread as described for the first spider and then instead of weaving straight around make a stitch back over one leg and forward under two until the body is the desired size. This is called the spider in its web (Figure 193).

Fig. 192. The simple spider

It is easier to weave on an uneven number of threads, and the number of these should depend on the space. A large space requires a large spider with lots of legs.

Fig. 193. The woven spider

A fan (Figure 194) is made by spanning three or five threads so that they come to a common centre on one side and on the other they are arranged in ray effect. The weaving is started from the base under one thread and over the other on the first row ifthere are only three. The second row is like the first, only the threads skipped in the first row are taken up. Alternate rows agree.

Fig. 194. The fan

A Maltese cross looks like four fans caught together. The threads are crossed lengthwise and crosswise and the stitches taken to gather the threads in the centre. The weaving is the same as the fans. In weaving the fans or crosses do not work much more than half way up (Figure 195). A twisted bar is nothing more than a thread overcasted (see illustration,Figure 124).

Fig. 195. A Maltese cross

A buttonholed bar is made by laying two or three threads and buttonholing over them (Figure 196).

In this age of machine work there are all sorts of braids that may be procured for lace work. Little edges thatwere impossible to buy are now made by machinery.

A little edging makes a dainty finish to a straight braid and also enhances the beauty of the fancy braids.

To make a simple edging, work a row of picots on the edge of the braid which forms the edge of the design.

Dainty yokes, collars, baby caps, and tie ends can be made of a few yards of braid and two or three different kinds of stitches.

Another decoration I would like to tell you a little about is Limerick darning. It is often used with fine lace work on a background of fine net.

The lace thread is used for the darning. The most common of the stitches is the plain darning taken up over one hole and under the next of the net. The next row is worked close to the first.

Fig. 196. A buttonholed bar

Darning on net is a decoration that is often used by itself. Smart little turn-over collars and cuffs are most attractive darned in heavy white floss or colour if preferred. Pin cushion covers and otherdainty articles that every girl loves to have in her bedroom may be darned to good effect.

One of the most simple forms of lace work is Connemara lace. It gets its name from the Irish county of that name.

The materials required are Brussels net of any size desired, lace braid of a width to correspond with the net, heavy lace rings, a ball of Renaissance thread No. 60 or linen spool thread No. 25, as well as a spool of coloured cotton.

Connemara lace is used extensively for curtains, bed spreads and in fact, on any large piece, when the effect is desired and yet not much work. A good design for Connemara lace is shown inFigure 197.

Fig. 197. A good design for Connemara lace

The net can be white, ecru, or black.

Draw a simple yet bold design on a piece of stiff paper or better still a piece of pink or blue paper muslin.

The rings can be bought all ready for applying, for a couple of cents per dozen but they can alsobe made at home. Take a pencil and wind around one end of a thread about as many times as you would judge from the illustration of the button or ring half worked (Figure 198). Slip the threads from the pencil and carefully and closely go over them with buttonhole stitches till all the loose threads are completely covered.

Fig. 198 Button half worked

Baste your net over the design, then baste the braid along the design. With a fine thread secure the braid on the extreme edge to the net only with fine running stitches. Sew one side of the braid entirely around the design then sew the other side down.

The rings are buttonholed to the net.

If a very elaborate piece is wanted, lace stitches may be inserted in spaces that are bound on all sides with braid. The stitches, however, should be of the simplest, such as the twisted bar or spider.

Honiton braid which is an egg-shaped braid is much more beautiful than the plain Renaissance braid employed in Connemara.

The dearest of baby caps, handkerchief tie ends, and other dainty little articles on which a fine decoration is desired can be made from fine net and Honiton braid. Each section of braid can be cutand made to form petals for a flower or to represent a leaf. Honiton is of course more expensive than Renaissance braid but a yard of Honiton goes a good way.

There is a thread that can be bought by the yard, called picot or purling thread. It has a loop at short intervals each side of it. The needle can be threaded with it and can be used for stems, tendrils, or other parts of a design where a fine single line is desired.

The centre of a flower in Honiton appliqué may be in worked various ways. A small ring or button may be used or spiders may be woven in the centre. Again the single Brussels or mesh stitch is worked in a little circle in the centre. Use a very small ring, if you decide on rings for centre, as a large ring spoils the effect of a flower. Any child can make designs for Honiton appliqué.

The background for Honiton is the fine Brussels net. Sometimes a double thickness of net is basted over the pattern and the Honiton sewed on or appliquéd to the net. The double thickness of net gives a moire effect. Each section of the braid is sewed to the net only. Sometimes two widths of braid are used, one size for the flowers and another for the leaves.

The braids at most art shops can be had in black, cream, or white. If, however, you are not fortunate enough to get cream, the white can be dyed at home to be as light or deep as you desire. I use cold tea diluted in water for a light cream, and coffee for the deeper cream. Put the lace to soak in the tea or coffee for a couple of hours. Rinse in cold water and let dry. If it is not a deep enough shade put more tea or coffee in the water and soak the lace again. Another way to dye lace, chiffon or any delicate fabric is to get a tube of oil paint the colour you desire and dilute it in gasolene. Of course the gasolene makes the paint light, so test the solution by dipping a small piece of cloth in and see if it is the right shade. A quart of gasolene is sufficient unless the article is very large.

I know a girl who dipped her white hat all trimmed with flowers and tulle that was quite soiled into a mixture of gray paint and gasolene and the result was a pretty dove gray that everybody thought was new.

Teneriffe or Brazilian point lace is such a simple form of lace making that I am going to stop and tell you a few words about it before we proceed to the next chapter.

Little forms which look like a large spool withpins stuck in them can be bought in many art shops, but you can easily make a foundation yourself for Teneriffe lace.

Draw a circle two inches in diameter on a stiff piece of cardboard. Sometimes the circle is drawn on white muslin and fastened securely to an embroidery hoop or frame. Divide the circle into halves, then quarters, then eighths and each eighth divide into six equal parts. Make a dot at each division. Thread a needle with a piece of coarse thread. Insert the needle one quarter inch beyond the circle and bring it up on a dot. Continue in this manner all around the circle. Fasten securely.

Fig. 199. The first step in Brazilian point lace

Now thread a needle with a long thread of No. 80 linen thread. Let it be extra length. Pass the needle under each loop from side to side until each little stitch has a thread passing through it. (Figure 199). Knot the threads in the centre and weave four or five rows, over and under the strands close to the centre. Skip a quarter inchthen carry a thread around and knot each thread as you pass it. Count the threads and divide the number by six; on this number weave a little pyramid. Repeat the little pyramid five times, each time letting it be woven on the same number of threads as the first. Take a thread and catch every two threads above the centre figure. An eighth of an inch above this work another row, this time dividing the two threads previously caught and taking one of them and one of the next row together. An eighth of an inch above the row make another row, catching the same threads as were taken in the first row from the central figure (Figure 200).

Fig. 200. A motif in Brazilian lace

Sometimes a pin cushion is used to make Brazilian lace. The pins are stuck in and the threads wound over them.

Brazilian or Teneriffe lace can be used for borders on handkerchiefs or other fine articles, while again they may be used as medallions on waists or other thin clothes. The material from under them is cut out so that a lacy effect may be produced.

Other patterns may be readily made. Remember that the stitches are very similar to those used in the corners of drawn work borders.

Basketryis so easily done and at such a small cost that almost any one, even a very little child, can master it without very much difficulty. With very few tools some beautiful gifts and other useful articles may be made.

In this chapter it is my intention to tell little children just how to make some pretty things with materials that they can obtain from nature's storehouse and otherwise.

In making baskets a great deal of rattan is used. I suppose that some of my little readers will wonder what rattan is. Well, I will tell you. It is a kind of grass or leaf which grows in forests of foreign countries, twining about the tress, hanging from branch to branch sometimes hundreds of feet in length but hardly ever over an inch thick. The people over there in those countries send this material to us so that we can make many pretty things. For little boys and girls living in the country there are materials which they can get from the fieldsand river banks that may be substituted for rattan.

For instance the water willow when peeled proves a very good material. Reed, which is a sort of grass that grows on the banks of rivers, may also be used after it is dried and peeled. Raffia is another material which is commonly used for this work. It is a sort of soft substance generally pale yellow and can be bought by the pound at any large store.

Dried grass is sometimes substituted for raffia and the results are often just as pretty as those obtained by the original material.

Grass twine is used. It is something like rope, and rope is often substituted for it. Raffia is generally used to cover it in making baskets.

A few tools will be necessary for our work such as a strong pair of shears, a tape measure or ruler, a vessel for water, and some very coarse, blunt-edged needles.

Simple baskets of rattan are very interesting to make and I will tell you how to make a small round basket without a cover.

For this basket you will need four fourteen-inch pieces of rattan or spokes as we are going to call them, one eight-inch piece and two or three longer pieces for weavers.

Before starting the work, the rattan should be soaked in water until it becomes soft enough to bend easily. Then two of the pieces are placed side by side in a vertical position and the other two in a horizontal position crossing the vertical pieces at the centre. Between the two horizontal pieces and to the right of the centre the half spoke is placed.

Fig. 201. Weaving the bottom

These are held in position by the left hand, while the right hand does the work.

One end of the long piece called the weaver is placed at the centre, back of the horizontal spokes, with the end toward the right. The first finger of the right hand presses the weaver across the verticalspokes, under the horizontal on the left, over the vertical, and behind the horizontal again. Repeat twice so as to fasten well.

Separate the spokes evenly, and it is now ready for the weaving (Figure 201).

If there is any of the winding piece left, it may be used as a weaver.

The weaving is done by pressing the weaver under one spoke and over the other until the bottom of the basket is about two and one half inches across.

Soak it in water for a few minutes and then bend the spokes upward to form the sides of the basket.

In order to make the weaving of the sides of the basket easier, rest the work on the knee, holding the spokes with the left hand and press the weaver under and over the spokes with the first finger of the right hand. If the weaver comes to an end join a new piece by crossing them behind a spoke about an inch from the end of each.

When the sides of the basket have been woven, leaving about an inch and a half of the spokes extending, it is ready for the border.

Cut the spokes to an even length with a slanting cut, so that the points may be easily pushed down between the weaves. Hold the spokes in water for a few minutes and then push one of the spokesdown beside the next spoke at least three quarters of an inch below the edge. Do this with every spoke until the border has been completed. Now our little basket is finished and ready for use.

Sometimes little girls like to have their baskets brightened up. A pretty lining of silk or other material would do this very nicely.

Fig. 202. The basket

Perhaps some children would like to know how to make a basket with a cover. It only requires a little more time but it will prove very interesting.

The material for this basket consists of six sixteen-inch spokes, one spoke nine inches long and three or four weavers.

The bottom of this basket is made in the same way as the one previously described. After this much has been done, wet the spokes and proceed to turn them up and weave the sides ofthe basket. The weaving is done rather loosely until you have used three of the weavers. The last weaver is drawn more tightly so that the basket will assume the shape of an apple with the top cut off. The edge is finished off with a flat border which may be made by soaking the spokes in water until they become quite soft. Each spoke is brought behind the next one to the right of it, and out over the front of the basket. Then the end of each spoke which is lying over the front of the basket is brought up over the next spoke to the right and is pressed down inside of the basket. When it is dry the ends of the spokes may be cut off.

Fig. 203. A mat

The cover is made like the bottom of the basket, only the spokes are bent gradually upward from the centre. The material for this cover consists of six fourteen-inch spokes, one spoke seven or eight inches long and two long pieces for weavers.

When the cover is nearly as large around as thetop of the basket it is finished off with a border like the one described for the top of this basket. The cover has to be fastened to the basket and the easiest way of doing this is by making rings of rattan.

A piece of rattan about twelve inches long is tied into a ring, the ends being twisted in and out of the ring. Three rings are necessary, none of them measuring more than a half or three quarters of an inch across. One ring is attached to the cover on the front between the border and the last row of weaving, the ends being sewed under a spoke. Another ring is attached in the same way at the back of the cover and the third is fastened across a spoke in the front of the basket between the fourth and fifth rows of weaving. The cover is placed on the basket so that the ring at the back will be just over a spoke of the basket. A small piece of weaver is then placed between the third and fourth rows of weaving, below the border and to the left of the spoke mentioned. It is brought through the ring on the cover and drawn just tightly enough to allow the cover to close easily. The ends are crossed and brought through to the inside and sewed down, as the rings were. When this is done the basket is complete.

There are many other pretty articles that can bemade easily, such as a mat for a teapot or lamp and trays for other purposes (Figure No. 203).

A very simple way to make a mat would be to cut four fourteen-inch spokes of rattan, one eight-inch spoke, and two weavers. The mat is started in the same way as the first basket in this chapter. When the end of the first weaver is reached, a second is joined to it. By the time the second weaver has been used, the mat is large enough for a border. The mat has to be bound. The binding may be done by passing the weaver under the last row of weaving just before it reached the next spoke. It then goes behind that spoke, in front of the next and under the last row of weaving. The spokes should then be soaked in water, and when soft take spoke No. 1 and cross No. 2 and push it down beside No. 3 and so on around the mat. A number of these mats may be made and joined together for various purposes. Two mats joined by ribbon make a very pretty whisk-broom holder.

In nearly all this work weaving is the principal thing. By changing the weave we can obtain very interesting and pretty results. The simple over and under weave may be changed by using two weavers and twisting once, twice or three times between the spokes according to the size of the article.

Raffiais so soft and strong that it is very well fitted for the work of children's fingers.

So many different things can be made with raffia that it is just as precious to the little ones as the same amount of gold.

Little baskets made of raffia are dainty and easily made. For example a work basket, a candy basket, or a basket for handkerchiefs, collar buttons, and many things are interesting.

For one of these baskets we need one long piece of rattan, a bunch of raffia and a blunt-pointed needle. Soak the piece of rattan in water until it is soft enough to work with. Wind the end into the smallest possible ring and with the needle full of raffia start in the middle of the ring and sew over and over from left to right until the end is firmly fastened. The next row is brought around at a little distance from the first and the raffia is brought down through the centre, up and once around the coil, thus holding the first coil to the second.

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