ll
look loose and untidy when the auxiliary fabric is taken away.

Tapestry can be done either in a frame, or in the hand; in the latter
case, the ends of the piece of canvas should be weighted with stones or
lead, to prevent its puckering.

The stitches, which ought completely to hide the canvas, should all lean
one way and the underneath ones always from left to right, as the
letters in writing.

MARKING OUT THE EMBROIDERY GROUND (fig. 252).--Before beginning a
piece of canvas work and tacking on the auxiliary fabric, count how many
stitches it will contain, and mark them out in tens, with a coloured
thread, as shown in fig. 252, along two sides at least, in the length
and breadth. Having ascertained the number of stitches both ways, divide
them in two, and starting each time from the middle stitch, trace two
lines, one horizontal, the other vertical, right across the canvas. The
point of intersection will be the centre. This sort of ground-plan will
be found most useful, and should not be pulled out until, at least, half
the work be finished. If moreover, you have corners to work, or a
pattern to reverse, in the angle of a piece of embroidery, trace a
diagonal line besides, from the corner to the centre.

[Illustration: FIG. 252. MARKING OUT THE EMBROIDERY GROUND.]

MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR TAPESTRY.--Hitherto, wool and silk, were the
materials chiefly used for canvas work; a very thick wool for carpets,
as being warmer and more durable. Silk is too delicate a fibre to resist
much wear and tear, and cannot therefore be recommended for articles
that are intended for constant use, and wool, though stronger, is
subject to the destructive agency of moths; whereas cotton, which is
cheaper than both, and quite as brilliant, is free from all these
disadvantages and is extremely easy to clean.

For most kinds of tapestry we can therefore with perfect confidence,
recommend the use of Coton a tricoter D.M.C Nos. 6 to 20, Cordonnet 6
fils D.M.C Nos. 3 to 15, and even Coton a repriser D.M.C No. 25.[A]

CROSS STITCH (fig. 253).--Cross stitch is the foundation of every
other stitch, and the one in most common use. It is also called
marking-stitch, being used for marking linen. It is worked in two lines.
In the first, the thread is carried diagonally from left to right across
a square of threads, and then, downwards, underneath the two horizontal
threads; in the second, the stitches are carried from the right-hand
lower corne