[Illustration]
[Illustration: ON VELVET.]
In the imitation of pearl, nothing has yet presented itself so favorable
to the writer as the beautiful and new method of preparing fish scales
for embroidery. You may take the scales from a large size fish, the
larger the scales the easier they are to handle. Lay them in salt water
for a few hours, until quite well cleansed, after which wipe them clean,
and place them between two sheets of writing paper, and lay a weight on
them, allowing it to remain a whole day, until they are dry and hard,
when they are ready for further use. Now draw the pattern of any favored
leaf, or whatever you wish on the scale, with pencil, and cut it out
with small scissors. If you are conversant with the form of leaves, you
can save time by cutting out the leaf without first drawing the
outlines. Draw in the veins of the leaves next with a needle. Stretch
your dark velvet tightly to an embroidery frame, place the pattern which
you wish to copy before you, and imitate it by sewing the leaves, one at
a time, on the velvet with fine gold thread, and the leaf stalks and
tendrils embroidered with the same. Wet the thread before using, to
render it flexible.