ends should always be kept for small pieces of materials.
Any piece two inches square may be used for flowers or fruits. Such a
bag of pieces will prove a veritable gold mine to use in making flowers
and fruit trimmings. Each year brings out novelties in trimmings, but
hand-made flowers are always worn more or less on hats, gowns, suits,
and muffs. They are especially beautiful on evening gowns. A generous
number of the best examples are given here with illustrations.

To prepare the petals of any flower is not difficult, but to arrange
them is another matter. Study the face of any blossom which you are
making and try to make it look as natural as possible. Pinning the
petals in place before sewing them is of great value, otherwise they are
apt to slip back on the stem as they are being sewed.

[Illustration: A. AMERICAN BEAUTY ROSE WITH DETAIL. B. RIBBON ROSE. C.
CHERRIES WITH DETAIL. D. ORCHIDS WITH LILIES OF THE VALLEY. E. RAISINS.
F. WIRED ROSE WITH DETAIL. G. POINSETTIA.]

AMERICAN BEAUTY ROSE--

This rose may be made of silk or satin; it may have as many petals as
desired. Each petal is cut from a piece of folded material like the
diagram (1). It is highly important that the folded edge be on a _true_
bias. Begin the rose by cutting three petals like the illustration, with
the bias edge one and one-half inches long. Run a gathering thread
one-eighth of an inch from the curved edge, leaving a thread one inch
long so that the petal may be adjusted as it is pinned in place. Make a
loop one inch long on the end of a piece of wire six inches long. Cover
this loop with a small circle of the material like the rose. It is
sometimes found to be advantageous to fill this circle with cotton to
make a soft center for the rose.

For an ordinary-sized rose there should be eighteen petals. The first
three are already described as having a one and one-half-inch bias. The
next larger in size should have a two-inch bias and be correspondingly
wider; the next five should have a two and one-half-inch bias, and the
next five a three-inch bias. The three small petals should be arranged
around the covered loop of wire and pinned in place before sewing. Sew
securely. Each row, as it is arranged according to size, should be
pinned in place and scrutinized carefully to see that it is placed
effectively. Each row should be placed a little higher than the
preceding one. See that the face of the flower looks as nearly like a
real rose