twisted silk, the eye should be
roundish; for flat silk, long; for surface stitching or interlacing, a
blunt "tapestry needle" is best; for carrying cord or gold thread
through the stuff, a "rug needle."

[Sidenote: THIMBLE.]

For a thimble, choose an old one that has been worn quite smooth.

[Sidenote: SCISSORS.]

For scissors, be sure and have a strong, short, sharp and pointed
pair--the surgical instrument, not the fancy article. Nail scissors
would not be amiss but for the roughness of the file on the blades.

[Sidenote: PINS.]

For pins, use always steel ones; and for tacks, those which have been
tinned; or they will leave their mark behind them.

[Sidenote: FRAMES.]

For a frame, get the best you can afford; a cheap one is no economy;
but a stand for it is not always necessary. It should be rather wider
than might seem necessary, as the work should never extend to the full
width of the webbing. A tambour frame is also useful, though you have no
intention of doing tambour work.

[Sidenote: TO STRETCH SILK.]

In stretching silk (not backed with linen) upon a frame, some
preliminary care is necessary. The stuff should first be bordered with
strips of linen or strong tape, and into the two sides of this border
which are to be laced up a stout string should be tacked, to prevent it
from giving when the work is drawn tight.

[Sidenote: FRAMING.]

The way to put embroidery material (thus bordered or not) into a frame
is: first to sew it to the webbing (top and bottom), then to put the
laths or screws into the bars, tightening them evenly, and lastly to
lace it to the sides with fine string and a packing needle.

[Sidenote: TRANSFERRING.]

The ordinary ways of transferring a design to embroidery material are
well known: the outline may be traced down with a point over transfer
paper; it may be pricked upon paper and pounced upon the stuff in chalk
or charcoal, and then traced in with a brush or pen; or it (still the
outline only) may be stencilled. In any case, the outline marked upon
the stuff should be well within what is to be the actual outline of the
embroidery when worked. Another way, more peculiarly adapted to
needlework, is to trace the outline in ink upon fine tarlatan (leno
muslin will do for very coarse work), and, having laid this down upon
the stuff, to go over the lines again with a ruling pen and Indian ink
or colour. On a light stuff it is possible to use, instead of a pen, a
hard penc