design as a guide. An industrious man seldom earns more than one thaler, or three shillings, per day; the children, from six to eight silber-groschen, or from sixpence to tenpence English. From the great increase of the trade of late years, and the number of new houses that have sprung up, it is impossible to give (as a statistical fact) any idea of the number of persons employed in their manufacture. Besides the hands engaged in the preparation of these patterns, they have been the means indirectly of affording employment to numerous other persons, by creating a demand for new and various articles in other branches of trade; such as in the preparation and dyeing of wools and silks, the weaving of canvas, &c. whilst others, principally females, are engaged in working the designs.

ONSIDERABLE experience and skill are requisite for the designing of suitable patterns for needlework, and drawing them on the material upon which they are intended to be worked,—— the most essential, as well as one of the most difficult parts of the preparatory process. Any person with moderate talent for drawing, can easily accomplish the operation of tracing; but it requires a combined knowledge both of painting and needlework, to perfectly adapt the design to the purpose intended, as the draughtsman might portray his subject in such a manner, that however beautiful and correct it might be, it would be impossible to imitate or express it in embroidery.

The design being carefully and distinctly drawn on paper, it must be neatly pierced with a steel point into holes the pattern thus prepared must be laid on the cloth, velvet, satin, or whatever may be the material intended to be worked upon, care being taken that both are perfectly flat and even, and that the pattern is placed in the exact position it is intended to occupy, and firmly kept in its place by means of weights, as the slightest shifting of the pattern would entirely destroy the effect: pounce must then be rubbed over it, so as to penetrate equally through the pierced holes. On removing the paper (if the operation has been skilfully performed), the design will be found to be as beautifully and as distinctly marked out as if it were actually printed on the fabric. The design thus produced on the material must be traced over with the proper liquid, using a sable or goat's hair pencil for the purpose, a camel's hair pencil, especially if it be for drawing on cloth, being too flexible.

Drawing liquid is a preparation the best adapted for tracing these designs, as it can be prepared of any colour, and is equally adapted for every description of material that can be worked upon. All mixtures of gum and white lead, or other colours, should be especially avoided, as they produce a rough, uneven surface, and are so easily rubbed off, that they injure the silks used in embroidery; and in braiding, the pattern of one part is frequently worn off while working the other, by the mere rubbing of the fingers.*

When large patterns are required to be drawn, such as for table-cloths, ottomans, and the like, where the same pattern, or

* Drawing liquid is the composition made by pattern drawers to trace their designs; and we conclude that each designer has some different preparation, the excellence of which is best tested by its tenacity, and the clearness of the outline which can be produced with it.

its reverse, is intended to be repeated, it will be found a great saving both of time and trouble, to draw one division of the design only on the paper, with certain corresponding guides or marks, which are also to be pounced, in order that the pattern may be again placed in its exact relative position, to continue or repeat the other portion of the design, which has been previously pounced. This method, if followed with adroitness, will produce a more correct pattern when finished, than if the whole design had been drawn, and pounced at the same time.*

In drawing a design on paper, when the two halves, or four quarters or corners, are intended to correspond, much time is saved, if, instead of repeating the drawing, the paper be folded in two or four portions, taking care that the folded edges be exactly parallel to each other: the pattern being drawn on one division of the paper thus doubled, the holes are to be pierced through the several portions at the same time. On opening the paper, a more correct design will be found to have been produced, than if each portion had been separately drawn and pierced.—This mode, when the design will admit of it, may be advantageously adopted, even where the paper would require to be doubled six or eight times, provided care be taken to keep the several parts exactly folded.

MM. Revol and Regondet obtained a "Brevet d'Invention" for a method of pouncing and tracing patterns, which deserves some notice:" Elle consiste à remplacer la poudre de charbon, la craie, ou la chaux vive dont on se servait autrefois, par une poudre résineuse très fine. On ponce avec cette poudre comme à l'ordinaire, puis on la fixe promptement, en passant

* This process is similar to that employed for block-printing for calicoes, paper hangings, &c. where it is requisite to repeat the same pattern, or to print the different parts of the pattern with various colours.

l'étoffe au-dessus d'un brasier peu ardent, ou bien en promenant un fer chaud à repasser sur cette étoffe recouverte alors d'un papier blanc. Cette dernière méthode, d'un usage plus sûr, a l'avantage de produire un dessin correct sur le papier, en même tems que de fixer ce dessin irrévocablement sur l'étoffe. On conçoit aisément que la chaleur fond la résine, que celle-ci s'attache au tissu, et que par conséquent le dessin est solidement imprimé. Les personnes soigneuses comprendront aussi combien il est important d'éviter de répandre de cette poudre sur l'étoffe ailleurs que dans les endroits que la broderie doit recouvrir. Elles pensent avec raison qu'il en résulterait, par l'action de la chaleur, des taches qui ne s'enlèveraient que comme les taches résineuses ordinaires.” For embroidering in satin-stitch, the pattern, traced in black on paper, may be tacked under the material, when it is sufficiently transparent to admit of its being seen, as in muslins, cambric, This seems the easiest and most delicate way of following the design; but where the material is too thick, the pattern may be drawn upon it with indigo, mixed with a sufficient quantity of gum to prevent its "running" The lighter these lines are drawn the better, as they are the more easily effaced by washing.*

&c.

There is great difficulty in changing the proportions of patterns: those which are much admired when small, frequently lose all their delicacy and taste when enlarged; and on the contrary, bold and elegant designs are quite lost when reduced. This should be pointed out by the designer, who should both consult and direct the taste and judgment of the embroideress.

A table

* The following preparation is frequently used for this purpose. spoonful of spirits of wine, in which are dissolved sugar and gum arabic in equal parts, about as much as would lay upon a sixpence, coloured with indigo. For common purposes, however, a cake of water colour indigo will be found equally useful.