The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-11-30
HOME TOPICS.
Instructions How to Make Over Old
Clothes.
A Plea for Open Fireplaoes An Old
Fashion to be Revived. ~
How 70 Make Home Beautiful Hints
for the Housewife.
HOME DREssmAxrNo.

The great resource this autumn for
re-trimming and freshening up dresses
of former season is velvet. Velvet
has been used very freely through tho
summer for trimming dresses Of all
tissues. even cotton ones; and will be
still more SO employed for autumn cos
tunes. Wooden dresses that have been
cleaned, however good they may be,
always require rc-trimming. This
year they are to be trimmed with dark
colored velvet. A deep collar, cuffs,
and facings 90 q great way toward
making cleaned or dyed dress look
new again. Then there are bands of
velvet to be put on around the edge of
founces or draperies, and deep velvet
vandykcs to ornament the skirt that
would look too plain or scant
Before making up new autumn or
winter dresses let US, then, see what
we can make out of those we already
possess. The fashion Of dresses Is not
so greatly altered that we cannot en-
ploy those of last year without looking
old-fashioned. The dress having been
entirely unpicked, and dyed or cleaned,
requires to be made up completely. If
the skirt was plated, we must plat it
again; but we can trim it with three or
I've strips Of not very wide velvet,
which will make it look quite modern.
The velvet must be sown on plain over
the material before this is plated, SO
- 70 bo plated with IL, for this is
characteristic trait of present fashions.
Tho tournure or drapery at the back Of
the dress next claims our attention. Il
should'be arranged, IL possible, in sag
ging puffs, and be full, but narrow. II
the material is limp il will be well to
line il with pretty stiff muslin to keep
it up. This back drapery really re-
quircs no trimming, but we can add
bow Of velvet here and there--prctty
star-shaped bows, composed of many
loops, and called here ctoiles do mer.
There are . number Of different ways
Of looping up the front draperies of the
dress; there is the tablier, paniers,
shawl-points, diagonal scarf, full droop-
ing puff, etc., etc. Whatever shape
these draperics take they should be
trimmed with strips of velvet to match
the skirt. Paniers should not be too
full, but plated plain, and slanted of
to the back, losing themselves under
the tOurnurc. A tablier should be short
and plated on the cross.
As for the bodice, IL is TO be rcmem-
bered that basques are now worn short
er than last year. IL is easy to cut
them shorter, curving them in well over
the hips; then edge them with velvet
and add collar. cuffs, and
buttons Of the same. II the front of
the bodice is little worn, as is often
the case, n velvet plastron is a great
resource. 1t should be made narrow.
at the. waist. then enlarged
again to the edge Of the basque. A
row of small ball-shaped buttons plac-
ed on each edge Of the plastron will
look very nice. When the sleeves are
worn one can generally manage, in
skirts covered with plaits or drapcries,
to take some OF the material under
these for making fresh ones, replacing
il by any fabric Of the same color.
Should the bodice be altogether too
much worn, or have become too small,
you have still the resource OF making
one Of velvet, or of velveteen or cloth
when the dress is not worth one of vel
vet. II should be made quite plain,
with rather deep basque, and needs no
trimming.
Jacket bodiccs, separate from the
dress, will be very fashionable this au-
tumn, and most useful; ON the other
hand, when it Is the skirt of a dress
which hast most suffered Gas il often
the case in travelling or country cos
tumes), the bodice and panicrs, tunic
and pOlonaise, can be worn over vel
vetcen skirt; they can be trimmed with
velvet to match. Plastrons and vests
offer vast resources for frcshening up
dresses.
II velvet is considered too expensive,
plain cashmere or merino can be used
for figured wooden dresses; checked or
striped ones for plain costumes. II
the material should be cut
1t will look very well for
trimming young girls dresses of plain
wooden material. Belts. will be worn,
even with basque bodices, and fastened
at the side with cockade bow or a
metal or pearl buckle.
THE OPEN PRESIDE.