breadths above, and two below. The ticking is waxed with white wax, or rubbed with brown soap, and when the feathers are in, the sides are bound with the usual binding, or what is still better, piped thoughout. In making up mill-puff beds, care should be taken to separate dust, and disentangle it well, before putting it into the ticking. For a bolster, two yards are required, and for each pillow, one yard. These should be filled with the softest feathers, and the ticking well stitched. Pillows are sometimes covered with calico covers, which tack or button on underneath the usual pillow cases, mentioned in the article "House Linen," and make them look beautifully white and clean. Every double bed should have three or four pillows, and single ones, either one or two. Bolsters sometimes have also covers to preserve the ticking. Pillows are often stuffed with down, or torn pieces of paper of a quarter of an inch square; this last is said to be particularly soft and cool. BLANKETS. These last are usually the Every bed should have one under blanket, and two or three upper ones. Witney, whilst the under blanket is of an inferior sort; they should be thick and light, with a soft nap or wool upon them. Blankets are generally sold in pairs, or two woven together. These, for beds must be cut, in which case, the edges are sewed over in a very wide kind of button-hole stitch, with red, or other coloured wool, also a kind of circle or star is often worked in the corner with various coloured wool. For cribs, it is better not to divide the blankets but lay them on the crib double, as they come in more usefully as under blankets for beds afterwards, when uncut. The Witney blanket is considered the best. The Rose and the Bath are the other varieties. When not in use, blankets should be folded, and laid under those beds in use, to keep them aired. Some persons lend blankets to the poor, in which case, on their being returned, they should be scoured well and baked in an oven, before they are put by in brown paper bags with pepper sprinkled over them. COVERLETS OR COUNTERPANES. There are various kinds of quilts or counterpanes. Those most known are, 6s. to 25s. The Marseilles, which sell from.......... The Toilet cover, or cradle quilt............ 15s. to 42s. Those used for servants, are of a dark brown, violet, or grey colour. Those used by cottagers, are often of patchwork made by them at school, or in their leisure moments. These quilts are sometimes made of a succession of hexagons or six-sided pieces of print, at others, birds, figures, and other devices are cut out and sewed up with various shaped bits of calico, prints, &c. These quilts are durable when lined, and may be good work for school-children, though they certainly take up a good deal of time in making. All counterpanes not in constant use, should be either put by in drawers, or laid on the bed with the wrong side uppermost. Having now entered upon each article belonging to the beadstead, it only remains for us to make the following observation. It is advisable to cut several small squares of linen, and having wet them with the marking liquid, to mark upon them the list of every article belonging to the bed to which the square of calico is to be attached. These squares should be washed and ironed, and sewed upon the mattress, bed, bolster, pillows, blankets, and coverlet of each bedstead, thus: BLUE ROOM. One straw mattress. One hair ditto. One feather bed. Four pillows, one bolster. One under and three upper blankets. One counterpane. Two watchpockets. By this method, the bed furniture, if mixed, can easily be sorted and counted by the mistress or housemaid. WATCH POCKETS. These are often made of the same material as the bed curtains, or of white muslin, or dimity, or tick ornamented. A few shapes are mentioned hereafter, in the chapter on cases, bags, &c. All these carpets are expensive and durable, the Brussels is that most in use for best apartments, and best stair-cases in the present day, being very durable, and less expensive than most of the others mentioned in the same list. Their price varies from 4s. 6d. to 10s. 6d. per yard. Turkey carpets were formerly in great request for dining-rooms, and were sometimes used as table cloths in libraries, which gave a remarkably rich and handsome, though heavy appearance. The great objection to them is their great weight, which renders it difficult to shake them. These Turkey carpets look well for years, and are made in the piece, measuring sometimes ten or more yards long, and five or more wide. The expense varies according to their size, from £10. to £80. or more. Those carpets generally employed for common sitting-rooms, stair-cases, servants' apartments, &c. are the following: The Kidderminster and damask Venetian are the most desirable of these inferior carpets; the Scotch and common Venetian being used for school-rooms and servants' apartments. These vary much in price, from 2s. to 6s. per yard. They are chiefly and only removed Druggets are very wide, being sometimes two yards, and sometimes four yards. employed to lay over another carpet, to preserve it when the room is in daily use, for company. Sometimes druggets alone are laid, and when of a handsome brown or marone colour, look exceedingly well. They should be very tightly stretched on the floor, so as not to present a wrinkle to view. Carpets are often made in worsted-work upon canvass, and are considered durable, though the time occupied in making them is great. A worked border upon canvass, with the arms or crest, with drugget sewed between, has a very pretty effect for a stair carpet, and might be quickly done. Borders can be purchased in shops for the same purpose. There are various modes of making up rugs, but as this belongs more properly to fancy work, it will not here be mentioned. Rugs may be knit in various ways also, as will be seen in the chapter upon knitting. In making up carpets, observe the following directions, as they are necessary for their appearance and durability. Brussels, when made up, should be turned with the wrong side outwards, with the selvages just touching each other, but not laid one upon the other. The carpet needle is then passed backwards and forwards, always taking up both seams at a time, first pointing the needle from, and next towards the chest. Observe, the alternate stitches are always taken behind, or at the back of the last stitch, so as to work along the seam from right to left in a kind of back-stitch fashion. The seam will be close together and tread down flat. Observe, carefully to cut out the carpet, and sew it up to match the pattern properly and exactly, as the slightest mistake or pucker will ruin the appearance of the whole carpet. There is a kind of thread, called carpet thread, sold for the purpose, of every colour. Kidderminster and other carpets are sewed in the usual mode of sewing seams together, taking care to secure the selvages very firmly together, taking up every thread. Druggets. These are turned down once, and herring-boned at the edges, and sewed up at the seams, as above. All carpets should be bound with the regular carpet binding at the edges, or the carpet simply turned down with the binding laid on. This last plan is the flattest, and answers for that end of the room where the doors are situated, for them to open and shut more easily upon. Expensive carpets should be cut as little as possible, therefore, when a piece is obliged to be cut for the hearth stone, it is better to slit the piece only at the sides, and having caught the edges over to prevent their ravelling, the piece or lip should then be turned in underneath the carpet. By this means, if the carpet is wanted for another room, the lip might be sewed up neatly and form the square again. Carpet rods are very useful things, not only for stair-cases, but for bed-rooms, or sitting-rooms, to fasten and stretch the carpets on the floor with. In this case, the rod should be a little longer than the breadth of the carpet, and a Holland or linen case sewed very firmly underneath the carpet so as just to come to the edge of it, or even strong tape loops would answer as well. Run the rod along them, and let it pass at each end into two or more brass rings or hooks fastened to the floor. Matting is used for halls, passages, and sometimes laid beneath the carpets to preserve them. It should always be neatly bound with red, green, or other coloured leather. Carpets should always be mended with a loose kind of untwisted worsted, called thrums. |