Almost any kind of fabric can be used as either applique or foundation; velvet and plush are suitable for applique, but make poor groundwork, owing to the long nap; both materials in dark rich colors are handsome when used as a border on portières or table-covers. To applique a pattern of velvet or plush cut the design very exact and cover the wrong side with a slight coating of gum, being careful to have the gum thin on the edges so that it will not spread on the groundwork; then lay the velvet on the place it is to occupy, and after pressing it down very gently and lightly with your hand, allow it to dry; this accomplished, the edges of the pattern may be hemmed down neatly on the foundation. If a further finish is desired, outline the design by sewing all around the edge a small gold or silken cord. =Portières.= We give an original applique design for a portière in Fig. 311, representing Day. The foundation is of soft dark-blue momie-cloth, the sun a round piece of bright yellow or orange satin, and the rays are of gold or heavy yellow silk thread merely run in stitches of various lengths; the cloud is of light blue crape or crazy cloth, and the bird is one of those which come prepared expressly for applique by the Japanese, and can be purchased at almost any Japanese or fancy store; if possible a lark should be selected in preference to other birds. The border is a band of old gold velvet. Our other design (Fig. 312) represents Night; the foundation and band are the same as those for the “Day” portière; the star is of white silk, the moon of very pale Nile green silk, and the cloud of dark pearl gray crape or crazy cloth, much darker than the blue momie-cloth. [Illustration: Fig. 311.—Portière. Day.] [Illustration: Fig. 312.—Portière. Night.] The applique work must be done very carefully. First cut out the designs, next turn in the raw edges evenly and smoothly, and with a very fine thread and needle baste the edges down; then baste the designs carefully on the foundations, and, with a fine needle and sewing-silk matching in color the piece to be appliqued, hem each one down neatly, making the stitches almost invisible. The band of velvet can be sewed on the bottom edge of the momie-cloth, then turned up like a hem and hemmed down. =Lace.= Very beautiful lace is made by cutting out the heavy patterns which are still perfect, from old and worn laces and embroideries, and transferring the designs to new fine wash-net. After first basting them on, hem them down to the netting with a fine needle and thread; in this way the embroideries last as long again and look as well as when new. =Ribbon Embroideries.= We can give a clearer idea of this work by means of an example, and we will take the common white daisy as an illustration.