THIS border has a very elegant effect worked in two different ways, the first as an insertion, between tucks; the second as a flounce, having the points of the hearts set round with a narrow Valenciennes lace. Ladies who have leisure for the work will find that a flounce thus worked and edged, with the lace set on below the pattern, worked as an insertion, produces a dress of very superior style. The borders of the hearts have all a double line sewn over, leaving a division which is filled in alternately with holes and sewn-over vandyke lines. The flowers and sprigs of leaves in the interiors of each are in cut-out embroidery.

Fasten these wires firmly together, and cut at the ends.

Take yellow zephyr, attach an end to the wires at the hole in the card, pass this worsted round each wire once, back, and round the next, till you make the circle. Make eight rows in this way. Fasten on white worsted by slipping it under one of the yellow rounds, and make six circles of white; then fasten on pale pink, make three rows, then three of a deeper pink, then three still deeper, two again of the second shade, and then two of the lightest. Fasten off the zephyr, take the wire, and bend it to form a bow or cup-like flower, like the engraving.

them through the base of the flower, attach them to a wire nine inches long; then finish by twisting green zephyr round this wire to

form the stem.

Blue or violet may be used instead of pink, if preferred, or the bouquet can contain one of each color.

the centre. Then sew the petals, as seen in the picture, to the maroon-colored circle. Cover the stem with green zephyr.

ANEMONE.

The anemone is formed of four pink petals, exactly alike. These are made in the same way as the yellow ones of the pansy-that is, two inches long and two inches wide at the broadest part.

Fasten to a stem nine inches long three large green pistils. Put the four petals round these pistils, fastening them lightly together. Twist green worsted round the stem.

RANUNCULUS.

The ranunculus has seven petals of a bright red. The mould for these should be one inch and a half wide, and the petal formed like those of the pansy.

The heart of the flower is of a deep maroon color. Make a circle of wire, and pass the maroon worsted across it until it is entirely and smoothly covered; then on the edge of this make small bunches of loops of green worsted, and between these place small yellow pistils. Fasten, out of sight, a stem, by putting four wires at regular distances on the circle which forms the heart, and twisting them together in VOL. LXIV.-33

SPONGE-BAG.

(See engraving, page 331.)

Materials.-Crochet cotton, No. 4; a coarse crochethook, a steel netting-needle, and flat mesh three-quarter inch wide.

THIS pretty and useful little article is an improvement as far as ornament is concerned -on some used in Germany and Switzerland for holding the sponge. It is to be suspended on a nail above the washstand. The foundation is round, in crochet, the size of a small or medium-sized plate; and above it is worked a bag or net, in netting, done backwards and forwards so as to leave an opening to put in the sponge. It is gradually decreased, so that a few stitches only are at the top; and these are sewed to a strong band of tape, passed over the nail. A white china plate is slipped in, and rests on the crochet round. It is the most convenient and neatest repository for a sponge.

THE ROUND.-Eight ch, close into a round, and work one sc on each stitch with one chain before it.

2d.-1 sc under ch, 4 ch, * 8 times in the round.

3d.-2 sc under ch of 4, 3 ch, 2 more sc under same * 8 times.

*

4th-3 to under ch of 3, 9 ch, * 8 times. 5th.-*6 sc, 7 ch, miss 6, 8 times; end with 1 slip-stitch on first of 6 sc.

6th.- 7 sc, beginning on the second of 6, and doing two in one for the last, which comes on a chain, 7 ch, * 8 times; end with slipstitch.

7th, 8th, and 9th.-Like 6th, increasing one in the number of the chain in the 7th and 9th, and one in the sc in the 8th, always ending with a slip-stitch, and commencing the round on the 2d of the sc stitches. The pattern being repeated 8 times, there will be an increase of 8 in every round.

10th.-Sc, increasing 8 altogether.

11th. 4 sc under both sides of the stitch, 14 ch, miss 4, dc on 5th, 2 ch, miss 2, dc, 2 ch, miss 2, dc, 2 ch, miss 2, dc, 1 ch, miss 1 (of the 10th round), 4 more sc as before, * 16 times. This makes as many veins or centres of leaves, round which you work in the next round, thus:

12th.- 4 ch, sc under the first, 2 ch, 4 ch, sc under next, and so on all round the veining,

This mat supports the plate. Put a string in the centre, and tie it into a loop, long enough to go over your foot; then work the netted part, doing two stitches under every chain of 3. Work about four inches in honeycomb, going backwards and forwards; then plain netting, decreasing by taking two together every 8th stitch; in the next row but one, every 7th; in the next but one every 6th; and so on, until only about 40 stitches are left, which are either sewed to a piece of broad tape (one-half to each end) or worked on a band of crochet, thus:

Do a row of sc, inserting the hook every time under one stitch of netting, till you have

ALTHOUGH the little article we are giving is called a bonbon basket, yet it is equally suitable for all sorts of dried fruits, sweetmeats, etc. etc., serving also to decorate the table either for the after-dinner dessert, or for the refreshments of the evening party. The mode of making these baskets is as follows:

:

Take a white glazed paper and a colored glazed one-a pretty green, or a bright red, both look well; cut them into strips, exactly double the width intended to be shown, and fold them so that the two edges may just meet at the back of each strip; cut a round in pasteboard the size of a supper plate, lay the folded paper upon it, the colored one way and the white the other, weave them in and out, so as to keep the squares regular, tack round the edge of the pasteboard with a needle and thread, cut off the superfluous parts of the paper, sew a wire all round, slightly raising up and contracting the circle, carry each end of the wire over the top, and fasten so as to form a handle of the wire double; twist white and colored paper round this handle, securing the ends with a little strong gum-water; take strips of the white and strips of the colored paper, fold them down the middle, cut fine, open and curl, and carry these all round the edge of the basket; take a little silver paper, cut it very fine, crimp it, and fasten it on the centre of the handle, to hang down like a fringe or tassel.

LACE SPRIGS FOR SHAWLS, DRESSES, ETC. ETC.

(See engravings, page 395.)

THESE sprigs may be worked either in applique on net and muslin, or they may be worked on net in chain-stitch, the latter way being the most effective, and involving the least amount of work. Chain-stitch on Brussels net is a style of work extremely suitable for lace dresses, which are at all times elegant for evening, or even ball-room dress. A Brussels net shawl, covered over with these sprigs, with a border or full flounce round it, is likewise an article of costume extremely becoming and elegant. These sprigs are also suitable for embroidering on muslin, the flowers being worked in satinstitch, and the leaves sewn round and filled in with point d'or. A net skirt, covered with these sprigs, has a very ornamental appear