A supplement to The queen-like closet, or, A little of everything presented to all ingenious ladies, and gentlewomen / by Hannah Woolley ...

To embroider Petty-coats, Bodices, or Belts.

When your Pattern is drawn▪ form it about with black Gimp, or other, which you do fancy best, and fill the Leaves and under-parts of the Flowers with Saxen-stich, some dark and some lighter: then for the upper-parts, and seeds of Flowers, let them be done with high-work, as Purple-stich, and such like, and let your stalks be all alike with a great Gimp twisted▪ your Flowers may be of all manner of Shadows as you fancy; and if you shadow them well, they will look very naturally. Thus you may go fine, and with less cost than if you bought good Lace.

It is more commendable a great deal to wear ones own Work, than to be made fine vvith the Art of others; and though one may be envied for it, yet none can have so just a quarrel against them, because it is their Ingenuity; and besides it argues that Person not to be idle, but rather a good House-wife. Any fool may be made fine with Cost, but give me those who can be neat and nobly habited with but a reasonable charge. The World is grown very fine of late years, but it is with so much charge (together with so ill a phansie some have in choosing things) that they look more like Stage-players than fit to come into any Church, or Civil places: Some will plead Ignorance, not knowing how to do these things, but that's a bare Excuse; for if they know not already, they may learn: In a Weeks time I dare undertake to teach any Ingenious Per∣son to Embroider any of these things; therefore if any of you have a desire to Learn, I shall be willing to wait on you at your Houses, and to teach you and your Servants; and for my Work, what I shall do, and for Teaching of you, I shall expect four shillings the day, and, I

hope, you vvill judge it reasonable: for you may imagine, that the mean while I am with you, I am wholly sequestred from all profits and benefits which might happen. Likewise if any Gen∣tlewoman would learn to Preserve, if she please to give me forty shillings in hand, she shall have the liberty to come so oft as she pleases, and bring her mate∣rials with her; and at any time if there be any new thing to be learned, at any time, for seven years, I will direct her, or give her a Receipt, if at distance.

I think it will not be amiss if I give you some direction what stitches to put into a Bed which is wrought only with one Colour, therefore observe this fol∣lowing:

Form it all with a double Back-stitch, and on the one side of the Stalks work a broad Gold-stitch, and bring it off by degrees with powdering, first pretty big stitches, and so smaller and smaller; work the veins of the leaves with Bread-stitch, Chain-stitch, open Chain-stitch, and any other that you can think on, or devise; then sprig them thick with several Fan∣cies, and let the folds of your Leaves be the thinnest work, and be sure you put a shadow under every fold.

If your leaves be great, let them be the fuller of Work, or else you had as good do nothing; for how will the Ground shew if the work be too thin.

I saw a very fine Bed once wrought in this manner following:

The Ground was an Ash-colour Pa∣ragon, and drawn all over vvith Clouds, some of one sort, some of another, and wrought to resemble the Clouds of Night; some very dark, some lighter, and here and there between were Stars, made vvith oyes, vvhich you must be sure to have them good, or else they vvill change; else they vvill hold as long as your other vvork will last.

I have often been desired to give some directions for Work in Print, and truly I have so done as plain as I can: I hear∣tily wish I could infuse all that I can do, into those vvho are desirous to learn; it vvould do them good, and me no harm; for I am still, and shall be all my life∣time improving my self: and still as I do purchase new things, I shall impart them to you.

I shall now give you something of Cookery, and such as hath not yet been Printed.