thus three inches deep, and the top four inches. You will require two pieces of card-board of this shape and size, which must be covered on both sides with pink silk. Tack them together round the edges." "These pieces are for the backs. Are the fronts of the pockets made of card-board, too?"

"No; you will use the stiff muslin for them. They must be in the half circle form, 3 inches deep, but 5 inches wide at the top. They must also be covered with silk on both sides. Now cut out two pieces of black net, rather larger than the backs, and two more (also allowing for turnings in) for the fronts. Do you remark anything peculiar in the net?"

"It is like the imitation netting you brought from Paris, mamma; is it not? The holes are perfect diamonds, and much larger than in any of our English net." "Yes, it is part of that I brought with me. Being so open, it is easy to slip the straw through it. Take the end of the straw, pass it under two threads and over three, in one line. Cut it off close to the edge of the net. Run in as many lines as you can in the same direction, but with intervals of four holes, five threads between them. Cross them with others in the same way, both straws passing under the same hole when they cross. All the four pieces of net must be worked in the same way, and then tacked on, to cover the silk on one side. Now sew the fronts to the backs. The ribbon trimming must now be prepared. It is to be quilled in the centre, in the way called box quilling; that is, one plait must be to the right, and the next to the left. Do enough for the top of each pocket separately, and put it on, then a length to go completely round. Finish each pocket with a knot of ribbon at the point, and a small loop to pin it to the bed." "Do you know, Mamma, I was inclined to think you had not matched the sarsnet and ribbon well; the sarsnet looked so much the darker. Now they correspond perfectly. How is that?"

"You forget that the sarsnet is covered with net, which softens the depth of the tint considerably. Had the covering been muslin, it must have been still deeper, to correspond with the uncovered ribbon. It is for want of the consideration of these small points that there is so frequently a

DICE PATTERN FOR SLIPPERS.

white. You can mark on your canvas the outline of the slippers with a soft pen and ink; then work from the drawing I have made, beginning at the toe. You may use any number of colours, only let them be well chosen, and falling in stripes. Do not put green and blue, or any other two colours which do not blend well, close together. You may try the effect with shades in the following order: violet, orange, green, crimson, blue. That part which is quite white in the drawing is done in white wool, and there are two spotted squares which are to be black. Then the upper side of each die is in the darker shade of whatever colour may be used, and the under light. Fill it up with black. If you work on Penelope canvas you will find it much easier."

Well, Mamma, these slippers will occupy all my spare time until my next holiday. Will you think of something pretty for my cousins before that time ?"

"I will do my best, my dear; and we will see whether we cannot find some present suitable for each. You know one is very fond of work, and the other of writing."

Only

"Yes; and she writes verses. think of that, Mamma! Real verses! They call her the little poet."

"Well, my love, it is a glorious name, and, perhaps, may help us in our selection for her. But now it is really time for you to put away your work for this evening."

A GOSSIP ON CHILDREN'S DRESS. In resuming our notice of children's dress (see page 83, Vol. V.), we give a pattern for the point-lace stomacher of an infant's dress, and also a broderie cap-crown for the wear of one of these miniature specimens of humanity; and we trust that our lady friends will be glad of these designs, since so many are now quite au fait at both styles of needlework.

The stomacher, which necessarily we give on a reduced scale, should be enlarged to the usual dimensions for a frock of the 2nd size. The pattern is one which can be very readily enlarged; and as the two halves correspond, one only need be done on tracing paper, before transferring it to the coloured paper on which it is to be worked. The only materials required are Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Point Lace Cottons. All the flowers, leaves, and stems, are filled in foundation stitch, and are represented by being perfectly white in the engraving. The grounding, except at the top and round the extreme edges, is in Raleigh bars. At the top there is a small section filled in with English Lace, and Brussels Lace makes the outer border,

All the outlines are done with No. 12 Mecklenburgh, Brussels and English lace with No. 90 Boar's Head, English bars and Kuitian bars with No. 120 Mecklenburgh, foundation stitch in No. 70 Boar's Head, Raleigh bars in No. 140 Mecklenburgh, and Mecklin wheels in No. 90 Boar's Head. All these different threads forms part of the set of point lace cottons of Messrs W. Evans and Co.

The cap-crown is given of the full dimensions, and the design must be traced from the engraving on fine French cambric, in the usual manner for muslin work. All the black parts of the engraving are cut out; or, if round, formed by piercing holes with a stiletto. The whole pattern is simply traced and sewed over, with a thread held in, except the border, which is worked in very fine button-hole stitch. Evans's royal embroidery cotton, No. 70, should be used for this purpose.

Infants' morning caps are, in our opinion, much prettier if made of plain cambric, with the crown only worked, than if the whole cap is embroidered, unless the embroidery be of the very best description, and this is too expensive to be universally attainable. Tac runnings should always be stitched, and the needlework generally of the neatest and finest description. In another number we propose to give some of the fancy stitches used in making babies' frocks, hoods, &c. At present we must conclude by describing an extremely pretty

dress for a little girl of ten or twelve years old, which we recommend for this season.

The skirt was of coloured silk, made very full, but without flounces. A white muslin body, low and with short sleeves, is worn with this. It is perfectly plain, except in front, the stomacher only being made in alternate bands of embroidery, and gathered muslin, from the top to the waist, in the form of a V. A worked edging finishes the top. Over this a white muslin jacket, low round the neck, open to the waist (so as to show the stomacher), and with mandarin sleeves, coming a little below the elbow, is worn. It is trimmed all round with deep rich broderies, and fastened round the waist with a sash to correspond with the dress. This style of dress very useful for wearing out the skirt of a frock, when the body has become too small, or is otherwise unusable. The hair, by the way, is worn in a knot very low at the back of the head. That from the top of the forehead is combed quite back, with a parting at each side. When the hair displays a tendency to grow low on the brow, this mode of wearing it is a certain preventive.

ON WEAVING HAIR ORNAMENTS AND WORKING DEVICES. [FOURTH AND CONCLUDING ARTICLE.] THE weaving of plaits for insertion into rings, lockets, brooches, &c., is a branch of this art perfectly distinct from what we have already described. We have instrueted our readers how to weave various hollow plaits, we must now describe the process of making single, flat plaits, adapted for inclosing in a trinket.

Short hair is available for this purpose; any length not under two inches can be used. The plait may consist of as many strands as taste or skill may dictate, and each strand may contain from six to eighteen hairs.

Instead of the table used for the other plaits, a firm, smooth, square cushion, elevated in the centre and depressed at all four sides, will be required; it should be nearly, or quite, two feet square, and must be placed on a desk or inclined plane. An ordinary sofa cushion, if covered with chintz so as to be smooth, will do.

The hair must be sorted into even

P

lengths, tied, cleansed according to the directions given in page 56, dried, and di

MOURNING DEVICE FOR HAIR-WORK.

vided into strands. A piece of sewing-silk or twist, four inches in length, must then be affixed to one end of each strand, and a similar piece, of double that length, to the other; to this latter one of the light weights, alluded to in page 120, is to be attached, while the short end is to be tied round a pin. When all the strands are ready, stick the pins into the cushion, in an even and close row, about the centre of the upper side, and sufficiently removed from the top to manage that the hair shall lie on the eleIvated centre, while the silk hangs over the upper and lower depressed portions. The strands are now to be plaited in the way in which hair is ordinarily plaited or braided, and evenly, but not too tightly.

When finished, each extremity of the plait will be silk, and the centre, hair, and the hair part must be pulled out so as to show itself well, but not sufficiently to produce interstices in it. The weights are then to be cut off, and the upper ends severed from the pins.

A solution of gum-dragon must previously have been prepared by soaking a piece of this gum, of about the size of a nut, in three parts of a wine-glassful of cold water; the gum will take six or eight hours to dissolve.

A few drops of the gum-water are to be

dropped upon a palette, and the plaited hair laid down on this moistened surface. Then hold it firmly by the shortest silken end, and, with an ivory knife, smooth and flatten it out, moving the knife only in one direction, viz., from the end we have directed to be held, towards the other. This process displays the plait in its full width; should it appear requisite, a drop or two of the gum-water may be dropped on the surface of the hair, and then carefully smoothed off. When it looks smooth, even, and well flattened out, leave it on the palette to dry. When quite dry, raise it carefully with the point of a needle, or the edge of a penknife, and with sharp scissors cut off the silken ends, and shape out the piece required for the ring or brooch.

Strands of any thickness, and of any number that can be woven into a plait, may be used; but the more hairs there are in each strand, the thicker must be the gum-water used for setting or stiffening the whole. These kinds of braids are only adapted for inclosing in some trinket, as they would immediately wear rough, if exposed to any degree of friction.

HAIR DEVICE.

We now come to the last, the most delicate, and the most difficult branch of our subject, namely the working devices in hair. No small degree of artistic taste is here requisite to insure success. Landscapes require as fine shading, and as delicate touches, as when drawn with the pencil. Patience, lightness of hand, good eyesight, and some knowledge of the principles of drawing, are the attributes most likely to conduce to success; but practice, judgment, and perseverance will alone produce perfection.

It is very difficult, too, to give verbal instructions for this branch of hair-work, which is eminently artistic, and not mechanical. However, we will endeavour to lay down some fundamental directions, which, we trust, the taste of our readers will enable them to carry into practice, and which will guide them towards achieving skill in the

art.

Hair of any length above an inch and a-half, may be used for devices.

The first article we require for this work is ivory, such as is used by miniature painters; this can be obtained at any ivory

turners; it must be polished, of a good colour, and flat and even, not warped.

Next, a clear solution of gum-dragon, of about the consistence of cream, must be prepared, according to the directions already given.

For implements, a fine-pointed, sharp pair of small scissors, a keen-edged penknife, a palette and ivory knife, one or two fine camel-hair pencils, another with fuller and firmer hair, a hard black-lead pencil, some thread, and a long fine-pointed steel pin, with a small smooth head, are all that will be needed.

There are three preparations of hair used for devices, viz., the curled, the waved, or rippled, and the ribbon hair.

66

Fot the curled preparation, take a small tress, measuring not less than three inches in length; arrange all the hairs evenly at one end, and tie them. Damp it, curl it closely as for a flat-curl," put it in paper, and then set it to press under an iron sufficiently warm to thoroughly dry it without scorching, or rendering it harsh; put it aside for use in a book. This preparation is chiefly used for feathers.

The waved or rippled hair is prepared by plaiting hair not less than two inches in length in fine plaits, damping it, enveloping it in paper, and pressing it as we have just directed. When required for use, the plait must be carefully and patiently picked out with a pin, and the hair will be found to be rippled in the manner required. Or, if a larger wave is needed, the hair may be damped, and wound tightly in and out a fine hair-pin, and dried as before. These preparations are chiefly adapted to trees, or to the touches indicating grass or turf, or the ground.

The ribbon hair is formed by taking a tress, not too thick, and measuring three or more inches, and, having previously arranged all the hairs evenly, tying it at one end. Then a few drops of the gum-water must be let fall on the palette, so as to form a straight line; on this the hair is to be laid down, and held in its place by the "tied end," and then smoothed out with the ivory knife in one direction, namely, from the tied end, towards the opposite extremity, until it assumes the form of a flat ribbon, or united surface of hair, semi-transparent, and without divisions or interstices. Enough of the gum-water should be used fairly to

moisten the hair and unite it, but no more. It must be left on the palette until quite dry, and then carefully raised by means of the "tied end," and the edge of a penknife. If it comes off without splitting, it is fit for use; should it split, it must again be moistened with gum, and smoothed out as before. When not required for immediate use, it should be put into a book, for hair is so susceptible of the action of the atmosphere, that it does not do to expose it to those influences.

From this preparation, leaves, petals of flowers, corns of a wheat-ear, and such like, are cut out, either with the scissors, or by laying the hair on the palette and using the penknife; and when the ribbon is brittle this latter mode is to be preferred. At first it will be best to cut out the requisite portions from patterns previously prepared; but after a while, skill and practice will enable it to be done by the eye.

Besides the preparations of hair which we have thus enumerated, it will always be necessary to have an unprepared tress of hair, tied at both ends, to keep it smooth, as from this the hairs for stems, outlines, shading, tendrils, &c., &c., will have to be drawn as they are required.

The device which it is intended should be worked, must be traced on the ivory with a hard, fine-pointed pencil. We will suppose that it is the one given at the head of this article for a locket. For this the ribbon hair, the rippled hair, and some unprepared hair will be needed; also a piece of ivory, and a thickish solution of gum-dragon. For the tree stem, or trunk, about twenty hairs must be drawn from the tress, and passed between the finger and thumb after they have been moistened with gum-water; the ends must be cut to shape on the ivory with the penknife. The foliage of the tree is composed of the rippled hair.

We will, however, commence with the tomb (page 210). With a fine camel-hair pencil, moistened in gum-water, go over the outlines; then take two or three hairs from the tress, and passing them between a moistened thumb and finger, lay them down on the outlines, cutting off the ends with the point of the penknife, arranging them with the point of the pin, and passing the head of the pin over to smooth and fix them there. With these hairs, outline and shade the tomb. Then, for the group of