ss dissolved in spirits of wine and brushed over the thread
or braid, which should be hung over something to dry, and not touched
with the hand.

2. Spirits of wine and mastic varnish mixed very thin and put on in
the same way with a brush.

[Decoration]

[Decoration]

CHAPTER II.

TEXTILE FABRICS USED AS GROUNDS FOR EMBROIDERY.

LINENS.

There are many varieties of unglazed, half-bleached linens, from that
thirty-six and forty inches wide, used for chair-back covers, to that
ninety inches wide, used for large table-covers, curtains, &c. There
are also endless varieties of fancy linens, both of hand and
power-loom weaving, for summer dresses, for bed furniture, chair-back
covers, table-cloths, &c.

* * * * *

_Flax_ is the unbleached brown linen, often used for chair-back
covers.

* * * * *

_Twill_ is a thick linen suitable for coverings for furniture.

* * * * *

_Kirriemuir Twill_ is a fine twilled linen made at Kirriemuir, and is
good for tennis aprons, dresses, curtains, &c.

* * * * *

_Sailcloth_ is a stout linen, of yellow colour, and is only suitable
for screen panels.

* * * * *

_Oatcake Linen_, so called from its resemblance to Scotch oatcake, has
been popular for screen panels or washstand backs. It is very coarse
and rough.

* * * * *

_Oatmeal Linen_ is finer and of a greyer tone. It is also used for
screens, and for smaller articles.

* * * * *

_Smock Linen_ is a strong even green cloth. It makes an excellent
ground for working screens, and is also used for tennis aprons.

* * * * *

_Crash._--Properly speaking, the name "_crash_" is only applied to the
coarse Russian home-spun linen, which has been such a favourite from
the beauty of its tone of colour. It is, however, erroneously applied
to all linens used for embroidery, whether woven by hand-loom or
machinery; and this confusion of names frequently leads to mistakes.
Crash is almost always very coarse, is never more than eighteen inches
wide, and cannot be mistaken for a machine-made fabric. It is woven by
the Russian peasants in their own homes, in lengths varying from five
to ten yards, and, therefore, though sent over in large bales, it is
very difficult to find