_EMBROIDERED BOOKS AND OTHER ARTICLES._
“And often did she look
On that which in her hand she bore,
In velvet bound and broidered o’er--
Her breviary book.”
MARMION.
When books were regarded as precious treasures, and the purchase of a
single volume involved as much outlay as a rare painting, before the
art of printing became established, the caskets that held such valuable
possessions were deemed worthy of much labor and expense.
Rare old carved ivory, gold and silver plates, and precious stones,
were often used on book-covers; and the most ancient existing specimen
of this gorgeous style of book-making is written in silver and gold
letters on a purple ground. Rich and curious devices were often wrought
with the needle on the velvet, or brocade, which last became more
exclusively the fashionable material for binding.
The new passion for books which was at its height in Queen Elizabeth’s
day made the ornamentation of book-covers a favorite employment of the
high-born dames of England. A book of rhetoric of that time has been
preserved as much for the sake of the outside as for its contents. The
cover is of crimson satin, on which is embroidered a coat-of-arms: a
lion rampant in gold thread on a blue field, with a transverse badge in
scarlet silk, the minor ornaments all wrought in fine gold thread.
A MAROON-VELVET BOOK.
Another old book is bound in rich maroon velvet, with the royal arms,
the garter and motto embroidered in blue; on a ground of crimson, the
_fleur-de-lys_, leopards, and letters of the motto are worked in
gold thread. A coronet, or crown of gold, is inwrought with pearls; at
the corners are roses in red silk and gold; the cover is finished with
a narrow border in burnished gold thread.
[Illustration: Fig. 42.--BORDER FOR COVER OF BIBLE,
PRAYER-BOOK, ETC.]
A QUEEN’S NEEDLEWORK.
A book of prayers copied out by Queen Elizabeth before she ascended
the throne is covered with canvas wrought all over, in a kind of
tent-stitch, with rich crimson silk and silver thread intermixed.
Elizabeth’s own needle worked the ornaments, consisting of the letters
“H. K.,” intertwined in the middle--a smaller “K” above and below--and
roses in the corners--all very much raised, and worked in blue silk and
silver.
PETRARCH’S SONNETS.
An edition of Petrarch’s Sonnets, printed at Venice in 1544, is still
in beautiful preservation. The back is of dark crimson velvet; and on
each side is worked a large royal coat-of-arms in silk and gold highly
raised. The book belonged to Edward VI.
ANOTHER ROYAL BOOK
has a cover of crimson silk with a Prince’s feather worked in gold
thread in the centre. The three feathers are bound together with large
pearls and wreathed with leaves and flowers. Round the edge of the
cover there is a broader wreath; and corner-sprigs in gold thread are
thickly interspersed with spangles and gold leaves.
These elegant volumes,
“In velvet bound and broidered o’er,”
are to be seen in the British Museum; and although the day is past for
adorning book-covers in so showy a fashion, these articles may be more
modestly ornamented with very good effect.
Kid, or leather, makes a very suitable cover for a Bible or
Prayer-Book. Two shades of brown may be used for the border pattern in
Figure 42--the figures in the lighter shade to be worked around with
gold thread, either in chain-stitch or in stalk-stitch. Silk may be
substituted for the gold thread.
A ground of gray kid, with the figures in black edged with gold, would
be equally suitable. On one side of the cover, a small cross to match
the border--and on the other, the owner’s monogram would make an
appropriate finish for either book.
The rich design in Figure 43 is on a foundation of black velvet, to
which white faille is applied around the cross.
The figures of the design being outlined, the lines are run on the
edges with maize-colored silk--going back and forth, and overcasting
them with gold bullion. The passion-flowers, wheat, leaves, and
ornaments of the cross, are worked in satin-stitch with gold thread.
For the stems and vines, gold cord is sewed on with gold-colored silk.
A BOOK OF ENGRAVINGS
would be very ornamental with an embroidered cover. Crimson or
maroon-colored velveteen, brown kid, or gray canvas, could be
handsomely worked with silk and gold thread. Borderings of catalogues
and circulars might be copied to advantage--some of these being very
rich: black, with gold bars and dots, pink, crimson, or blue.
[Illustration: Fig. 43.--COVER FOR PRAYER-BOOK.]
Heraldic devices, rich monograms, dainty corners, all look well in this
kind of work; and a bordering of gold acorns, or clover leaves, on a
brown or olive ground, is always handsome.
SCRAP-BOOK COVERS
may be made as attractive as the contents, according to the style
of the illustrations. Russia duck is a very good foundation; and if
the contents are of a comic nature, a Chinese or Japanese figure, or
dragon, or either uncanny beast or bird, may be outlined and made very
rich and showy with embroidery in the proper colors mixed with gold
thread or braid.
Pongee, too, may be nicely embroidered; and is very pretty for thin
books tied with a ribbon at the back. In this way, the contents can be
changed at pleasure.
ALBUM COVERS
should be more delicate, and worked on velvet, or silk. Figure 44 makes
a very pretty corner for this purpose; and Figure 45 is very effective
on a small book. The stars might be done in gold thread, the centre in
point-russe with black silk--the diamonds in satin-stitch of a lighter
or darker shade of the same color as the foundation.
[Illustration: Fig. 44.--CORNER OF BORDER IN SATIN STITCH
EMBROIDERY FOR ALBUM COVERS, PORTFOLIOS, ETC.]
Portfolios may be embroidered in the same way; and whether for writing
materials or for engravings, they can be made very ornamental.
LETTER-CASE.
A very rich and handsome letter-case is represented in Figures 46 and
47: Figure 46 showing it when completed, and Figure 47 displaying the
principal part of the embroidery.
[Illustration: Fig. 45.]
The most suitable ground for the rich gold embroidery is velvet-brown
crimson, or blue; but it may be made very handsomely in kid or morocco.
The larger part of the case is eleven inches long, and eight inches
wide; on the upper part of this book, there is a pattern in gold
soutache, and the word LETTERS or LETTRES embroidered in gold bullion;
beneath this, there is a pattern worked with white satin beads, edged
round with fine white chenille--the scroll pattern is embroidered in
gold.
[Illustration: Fig. 46.]
The second part is placed over the lower part of the first, and forms
the pocket which holds the letters. The central flower is formed with
eleven oval beads, edged with white chenille; another white bead is
placed in the centre, and edged with gold. The other flowers are also
composed of white satin beads edged with gold.
GOLD AND SILK EMBROIDERY.
[Illustration: Fig. 47.]
This rich pattern is intended for a cushion, or chair-cover. It is
particularly handsome on a ground of blue velvet, or satin; and the
large flowers, leaves, and stems, are all outlined with gold thread
sewed on with fine yellow silk. The stamens are worked in satinstitch
with yellow silk, and the veins in point-russe with blue silk.
[Illustration: Fig. 48.]
[Illustration: Fig. 49.]
The forget-me-nots are done in satin-stitch with blue silk, and the
centres in knotted-stitch with gold thread. The veins and stems are
done in stalk-stitch, and the sprays and vines in point-russe with blue
silk.
The work is finished on the outer edge with a thick cord of blue silk
and gold thread.
Figure 49 is intended for a cigar-case; but if widened, it would make a
very pretty book or portfolio cover.
The material should be light-brown Russia leather; the wheat-sheaf is
embroidered in satin-stitch with dark-brown silk---the stem and light
outlines in stalk-stitch with gold thread. The bordering is of gold
cord, with a network of dark-brown silk, and stitched with black at all
the crossings and centres.
[Illustration: Fig. 50.
MONOGRAM IN GOLD THREAD.]
This very pretty monogram is worked with gold thread; the leaves and
flowers may be done with silk if preferred.