wo coloured rags were sewn together "hit
or miss" fashion and woven upon a bright cardinal-coloured warp. There
was no attempt at border: it was simply a length of vari-coloured
coarse silk weaving, absolutely precious for colour and quality.

Treated in this way, an old silk gown takes on quite a new value and
becomes invested with absorbing interest. Spots and tarnish disappear
in the metempsychosis, or serve for scattered variation, and if the
weaver chooses to still further embellish it with a monogram or design
in cross stitch embroidery, she has acquired a piece of drapery which
might be a valuable inheritance to her children.

Merino or cashmere which has been worn and washed, and is coupled with
other material of harmonizing colour, like pieces of silk or velvet,
is almost as valuable for the making of portieres and table covers as
if it were silk. Indeed, for the latter purpose it is preferable,
being generally washable.

Cotton hangings made in this way are often very desirable. "Summer
muslins" which have served their time as dresses, and are of beautiful
colour and quite strong enough to go into the loom, can be woven with
a warp of gray linen thread into really beautiful hangings, especially
the strong, plain tints--the blues and greens and reds which have
been so much worn of late years. They have the advantage of being
easily washable, and are particularly suitable for country-house
hangings. Even worn sheets and pillow-cases can be dyed to suit the
furnishing of different rooms, and woven with a silk warp of stronger
colour. They should be torn into strips not more than a third of an
inch wide, so that it may crush into a roll not larger than an
ordinary yarn. This will weave into a light, strong cloth, always
interesting because it differs from anything which can be purchased
through ordinary channels. To reappear in the shape of a beautiful and
valuable rag-weaving is the final resurrection of good textiles, when
they have performed their duty in the world and been worn out in its
service.

These home-woven portieres are better without borders, the whole
surface being plain or simply clouded by mixing two tints of the same
colour together. They can be elaborated by adding a hand-made fringe
of folds of cloth sewn into a lattice and finished with tassels. This
is quite a decorative feature, and particularly suitable to the
weaving.

It can easily be understood that a large share of the beauty of m