_EMBROIDERY IN CHENILLE._
At one time chenille work was all the fashion. Its beautiful, velvety
appearance, and the soft brightness of its colors, made it very
effective; but it was an expensive material, and would only bear the
most delicate usage.
Silk hand-screens were frequently embroidered with chenille; and in
some old-fashioned mansions, such an article of the shape of Figure 62
may be found even now.
[Illustration: Fig. 62.--HAND-SCREEN IN CHENILLE.]
To do a “piece” in chenille was quite a necessary part of a young
lady’s education; and these pieces were treated like Miss Linwood’s
paintings in crewels. They usually represented landscapes; and
handsomely framed, and protected by a glass, were hung in a place of
honor, as a sort of certificate that the worker was entitled to be
pronounced finished.
A performance of this kind that is now cherished as an heirloom, the
work of somebody’s great-grandmother, consumed a hundred dollars’ worth
of chenille. It is a mourning-piece: a tomb and two weeping figures in
the foreground, the country church, and grave-yard. It is very smooth,
beautiful work, and has the effect of a painting.
Chenille is still used in a measure for small, ornamental articles;
and no material represents moss so well. It is suitable both for flat
and raised embroidery; and it may be worked on a variety of materials;
but those with smooth surfaces are best suited to its velvet-like
appearance.
A needle with a round eye is the proper kind for embroidering with
chenille, and this should be large enough not to fray the thread. As it
is an expensive material, it should be used economically; and all waste
at the back of the work should be avoided by bringing the needle close
up to the last stitch and not crossing it on the underside. It is easy
to measure or guess the length of the needleful required for working
each particular part, and to cut it as short as possible, to prevent
the using of the same position again, and also to draw a very small
piece through the eye of the needle.
The necessity of making knots may be avoided by working a small stitch
or two in the part intended to be covered.
In shaded embroidery, the stitches should not be matted too closely
together, as this destroys the velvety appearance of the chenille. It
should be more closely shaded than silk embroidery; at least six shades
should be used in flowers and leaves.
In flat embroidery, the stitches should be regular, but not closer
than to allow the chenille to lie roundly on the surface. It is always
pretty edged or mixed with gold.