Figure Piping by M.C.A. F. Russell — Read

As figure piping lends itself readily to this class of work, there is a wide field for design not only for present day functions, but those of the future as well. These may be piped in a variety of forms, and the groundwork for piping on may be silk, satin, velvet, tinted cardboard, or any other foundation that will take kindly to icing sugar. Taken altogether, this class of decoration depends more on the artistic taste of the piper than most of the other branches, because you have to study the effect of different tints in your background and the unaided effect of the piping itself. In the case of a Christmas or other cake, a few silver leaves, comfits, or gum paste novelties, may with impunity and advantage be added, which, of course, would "soften" down the attention from any possible defect in the piping. But in the work on the menu you have to take great care, as the slightest mistake is not very easily rectified, or, at least, it has a "nasty habit" of leaving a slight stain behind it. But the pupil who makes up his mind to go on a few "trial trips" first could not do better than get a large school slate and mark it out in lines similar to illustration. He could practise his writing in the small space and the figures round the margin. It is almost needless to state that this suggestion for a piped menu is not intended to supersede the printed article-at least, not in the original, as, of course, it would be much too large for the table; but if neatly framed and hung at the end of dining-room, it is not altogether unappropriate for the occasion. Moreover, impressions or reproductions may be made by the half-tone process which would at least recommend itself for a special occasion, if only on the score of novelty, and could then be brought down to a size suitable for use on the table. In this class of work it behoves the piper to make himself pretty well acquainted with most of the prominent points of the British sports and pastimes, with the addition of naval, military, and other scenes; so that if it should be his intention to pipe a menu for a Golf Club dinner, for instance, he could illustrate that menu with such scenes as "Driving from the Tee," "Bunkered," "A Long Putt," and so forth. It is the same with other scenes, and novelties of this kind will invariably take the eye of exponents of a game-be it Golf, Football, or Cricket.

The menus we are now going to treat are military and aquatic, and we will take the "aquatic" first. The reader will see at a glance that this sketch is intended for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The original is on a dark and light blue background, which makes this fact more evident still. The various details of this design were gained by direct observation, for a good many years ago I lived not very far from Putney Bridge, and used to see the crews in training. At that time, however, the idea of turning any of those scenes into a piping design never for a moment occurred to me; but rough pencil sketches were taken all the same, and from the recorded memories thus obtained this aquatic menu was designed.