l.

DOILIES AND TABLE DRESSING

The pretty present-day fashion of using individual plate doilies on a
polished table at breakfast and luncheon is also labor-saving. The plate
doilies, either square, oval, or round, and of plain damask or smooth,
closely woven, rather heavy linen, are hemstitched or finished with a
padded scallop worked with white cotton. The round doily is most used,
and offers a delightful field to the worker in over-and-over embroidery
for the display of her skill. Linen lace combinations are also used, but
they are rather for dress-up than for daily use. The plate doilies
should be at least 9 inches wide, with smaller corresponding ones on
which to set the glass of water or the hot cup, and an extra one or two
for small dishes for relishes and the like that may be kept on the table,
etc. They can he bought for 25 cents a piece and upward, but the average
housekeeper enjoys making her own, taking them for "pick-up" work. Small
fringed napkins are also used in the same way, and for tray covers, but
fringe soon grows to look "dog-eared," and mats in the laundering. Still
another dressing for the bare table is the long hemstitched linen strip,
12 inches wide, which runs the length of the table, hanging over the end,
and is crossed at the middle by a second strip extending over the sides,
two strips thus seating four people. When six are to be seated the
cross-piece is moved to one side and a third corresponding strip placed
about 18 inches from it.

The list of table linen is incomplete without a damask carving cloth to
match each tablecloth, which it protects from spatterings from the
platter. This also may be fashioned of plain linen, should be about
three-quarters of a yard wide and a yard long, and either hemstitched or
scalloped--embroidered, too, if one cares to put that much energy into
work which will show so little. And then there must be some doilies to
overlay the Canton-flannel-covered asbestos mats for use under hot dishes.

CENTERPIECES

Styles in centerpieces are fleeting; just now all-white holds sway, and
of a surety there is nothing daintier. Although pretty centers can be
purchased all the way up from $1, here again the mistress's industrious
fingers come into play, for there is a certain unbuyable satisfaction in
working a little of one's very self into the table adornment, and really
handsome centerpieces are quite expensive. They run in sizes from 12 to
45 i