ormer is generally more worth the
doing. Whether the subject is a suitable one for embroidery or not
sometimes depends upon the method chosen for carrying it out; for
instance, anything that has to endure hard wear must be treated in such
a way as to stand it well.

Dress is a fine subject for embroidery; but, for the decoration to be
satisfactory, the art of designing dress must be understood, and the
dress must also be well cut, or the embroidery will be quite wasted upon
it. What is termed "art dress," proverbially bad, well deserves its
reputation. There is a great difference in the quantity of work that may
be put into dress decoration; this may be simply an embroidered vest,
collar, and cuffs, or it may be actually an integral part of the
costume, which as a much bigger and more difficult undertaking is
correspondingly finer in effect when successfully carried out.

Amongst larger objects that well repay the labour of embroidery,
hangings of various kinds, quilts, screens, furniture coverings, altar
frontals, church vestments, may be mentioned; amongst smaller, are bags,
boxes, book-covers, gloves or mittens, bell-pulls, cushions, mirror
frames, all kinds of household linen, infants' robes, and so on, and for
church use such things as alms-bags, book-markers, stoles, pulpit and
lectern frontals. Then a panel may be worked with the deliberate
intention of framing it to hang on a wall. There is no reason why the
painter should have the monopoly of all the available wall space, for
decorative work is undoubtedly in place there; a piece of embroidered
work might well fill a panel over a mantel-piece. There is no need to
discuss what not to do, but, if the attraction to embroider a tea-cosy
is too strong to resist, it should surely be of washable materials.

Embroidery has distinct practical advantages over some other crafts
practised nowadays--no special studio need be devoted to its use, for
most work can be done in any well-lighted room, which indeed will be
rendered more attractive by the presence of an embroidery frame, for
this is in itself a characteristic and dainty piece of furniture. It
need but seldom interfere with one of our pleasant traditions, genial
converse with, and about, our neighbours, for it is a distinctly
sociable occupation. Work of this kind can be put down and taken up at
leisure; the necessary outlay in materials need not be extravagant, and
so on. Many other points might be thought of, bu