darning.

[Illustration: PLATE 13]

Op. Va

PLATE 14

A group of fillings in which darning plays an important part, the
backgrounds of two of the leaves were carried out in indigo, the
veinings were worked in solid rows of outline stitch in brown shading to
a lighter bronze green, the central vein in the upper leaf was in
chain-stitch in dark blue and the outline of leaf was carried out in two
rows of chain stitching in darkest indigo. The shamrock leaf has a
darned contour of double threads, the filling was in stem stitch, solid,
with bars of a darker colour worked across it. The little band at the
bottom of the group was a mixture of satin, chain, stem and French
knots.

[Illustration: PLATE 14]

Op. VI

The following sketch was done from bed hangings, the property of the
Earl of Powis, at Powis Castle.

PLATE 15

The design is a bold one of big leaves worked on the usual thick white
hand-made linen. Undoubtedly the wools used were green at the time of
working, but have now changed to beautiful shades of blue to indigo.
Each leaf throughout the work has a thick contour in rope stitch of the
four shades of the wool used, and the stem is most effective, done in
squares of Cretan stitch in the same four shades.

[Illustration: PLATE 15]

Op. VII

PLATE 16

This bold leaf is mainly carried out in block shading, but the colours
are unusual. Indigo for the outside edge, soft brown the central block,
and light green for the inner; in the second leaf the green is employed
only for the line of veining; the two leaves or sections on the
right-hand side are treated as follows--The upper one has outlines of
brown, between which blocks of "buttonhole" in indigo are worked, the
intervening spaces being simply decorated by a loop stitch in green
wool. The sprays are in satin stitch, which is one of the best for small
sprays to be worked solid.

[Illustration: PLATE 16]

PLATE 17

A very handsome leaf, in the working of which many stitches are
employed.

The curved scroll at the top is carried out in block shading in blue to
pale green; the curved section on the right is marked out in squares
filled alternately with satin stitches, with a simple French knot in
each square, and by a square trellis secured in the centre by a cross
stitch; the scroll below this is outlined in crewel stitch, and filled
with laid work or strands of wool thrown across from edge to edge and
couched by b