ork, in
which more is made of the stuff than of the stitching. In it the craft
of the needleworker is not carried to its limit; but, on the other
hand, it makes great demands upon design. You cannot begin by just
throwing about sprays of natural flowers. It calls peremptorily for
treatment--by which test the decorative artist stands or falls.
Effective it must be; coarse it may be; vulgar it should not be; trivial
it can hardly be; mere prettiness is beyond its scope; but it lends
itself to dignity of design and nobility of treatment. Of course, it is
not popular.

A usual form of applique is in satin upon velvet. Velvet on satin (B,
Illustration 62) is comparatively rare; but it may be very beautiful,
though there is a danger that it may look like weaving.

Silk upon silk (figured damask) is shown in Illustration 63, designed to
be seen from a nearer point of view, and less pronounced in pattern
accordingly. The strap work, applied in ribbon, is broken by cross
stitches in couples, which take away from the severity of the lines. The
grape bunches are onlaid, each in one piece of silk, the forms of the
separate grapes expressed by couching. The French knots in the centre of
the grapes add greatly to the richness of the surface. The leaves are in
one piece. It would have been possible to use two or three, joining them
at the veins.

[Illustration: 63. APPLIQUE--SILK ON SILK DAMASK.]

The application of leather to velvet, as in Illustration 94, allows
modification in the way of execution, and of design adapted to it.
Leather does not fray, and needs, therefore, no sewing over at the edge,
but only sewing down, which may be done, as in this case, well within
the edge of the material, giving the effect of a double outline. The
Chinese do small work in linen, making similar use of the stitching
within the outline, but turning the cut edge of the stuff under; it
would not do to leave it raw. On a bolder scale, but in precisely the
same manner, is embroidered the wonderful tent of Francois Ier., taken
at the battle of Pavia, and now in the Armoury at Madrid--obviously Arab
work. Something of the kind was done also in Morocco, which points to
leather work as the possible origin of this method.

Another ingenious Chinese notion is to sew down little five-petalled
flowers (turned under at the edges) with long stamen stitches radiating
from a central eye of knots.

INLAY, MOSAIC, CUT-WORK.

A step beyond the proce