ENGLISH CHURCH NEEDLEWORK.
English Church Niedlework. By Maud R. Hall. (Grant Richards. 108. 6d.)—There is a great ' deal of technical knowledge in this book", and Miss Hall's advice as to materials and stitches is excel- lent. She recommends the designer to study old work and, where possible, to follow it; but the illustrations that she gives do not Carry out this idea. The pattern on an altar cloth should be simple enough to tell from a distance, and rich enough to hold its own in the general decorative scheme 'of the church. But this high ideal is seldom achieved ; neither are the examples of banners given really satisfactory, though great skill and patience must have been lavished on the work. This is a pity when one thinks what a really beautiful thing a banner might be. The linen designs are much more suitable. Their fineness of outline and stitches are appropriate, for the work is intended to be looked
at near and judged on its own merits, and not as part of the _ scheme of decoration. '
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