Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-04
Flowers Of Flannel.

tront OF a prlVaIe iesiueAce on columbia
,rsnue. "A passing reporter saw the
t;sn. and sought an interview with the
A5rson who puts sentiment into old
p1athes. The bell was answered by an
ser,istic-looking lass, who ushered the
asa';be into the studio to await the advent
1.-THE master, who happened to be the
.s;stress of the establishment. Around
,ho apartment there were distributed
. u1oss shades covering specimens of un-
ssaastr,allv misunderstanding fruit and
Internationally bright-colored flowers,
ii wax. On the walls hung several
trames containing what looked like SOM
her-tinted prints of mournful weeping
Slows. monuments, crosses, wreaths,
snd other mortuary emblems, which
vowed. on inspection, to be human hair
Yrouoht into these various cheerful
.hapes. While the reporter was still
Inspecting these works of art and re-
meTmbrance the lady ofthe house entered.
Good morning. You're looking at
.ome of my relics, 1 see. Pretty, aren't
tbey?" Without ascertaining her Wis
; inr:s wishes she began to explain the
various designs and to tell how many
nremiums she had taken at country
fairs.
DO YOU really make flowers of old
o,othesS' 81 asked the curious newspaper
Eyes, indeed; that is part of my bust
ness. In fact, it is the feature that I
wantto make the leading one. LISA
new departure, and there is no limit to
It's possibilities" Before the reporter
mad left he was fain to believe there was
not.
"a great many people don't like hair
work, and some say preserved flowers
have too much of the waxy look of a
corpse. The prettiest natural flowers
are only emblems, after all; but bouquets
made from clothes worn by those we
wish to keep in remembrance are al
most a part of our friends themselves"
The floral artist then proceeded to
move in a most conclusive manner what
could be done by showing what had
been done already, and when all is
known it is as simple as it is ingenious.
Sam'l ofPosen could not make a necktie
out OF a pair of socks with more inge-
puity. Given a sufficient quantity of
old garments and the skill impaired by
the artist at 81 a lesson, the problem Of
how to make flowers is easily solved.
The process is much like that Of making
artificial flowers for ladies' bonnets, the
Inference being that instead of selecting
he colors to suit the design to be
wrought, the design must be made to
Eut the materials at hand. Right here
/, uboro +bo o1y;11 of +ba roopo,11o%o. RI
adapt means to ends of ribbons and
scraps Of cloth comes into play.
Two wreathes, in which the artist
lakes especial pride, were shown to the
reporter to illustrate this point. One
Fas made from the clothing once worn
BY dead grandchild. 1t contained, be-
ides a number of roses fashioned of the
Fhite muslin of the tiny skirts, a num-
Der of odd-shaped leaves made by cut
Ing out the pattern of the embroidery
pon the edge of the same. A daisy
ossom had the white stuff of a baby
boxing cut in strips for petals and a
eNow-covered button for a center.
There we're q~ueer-shaped botanical
becimens evolved from striped and
laid p~ercale, and unnameable blossoms
navy blue and cardinalwool that only
he brain of a grower of flannel flowers
night conceive. The second wreath,
be admiring newspaper man was told,
obtained flowers made of the clothing
Forn by the artists own first infant. In
bis white blossoms predominated, as
as explained by the proud mother, be-
ause ''there is not so much variety IN
IN infants dress as in an older persons.
tut white flowers are so much more ap-
ropriate for a little babe that is all in
ocence and purity, and, besides, they
ever will fade, you know" The skep-.
cal scribe didn't pretended to know.
With pride the mother proceeded to
ont out a pale buff pansy made of the
id of a tiny shoe, and a few little
powdrops Of cotton that had been
tufed into the toe of the shoe to make
short enough for baby's foot. The
EN- Of the whole collection and the one
Fhlch was shown with the most gratifi-
Htlon was a cream-colored lily on the
pner circumference of the wreath,
(hlch the loving parent tri%umphantly
Eplained was a part of the Grape scarf
nat hung On the door-knob when the
Wv olle lay cOlu III ltS caShcI.
Another wreath, more gaudy in color
nd more cosmopolitan in makeup,
some of all the shades of. the rainbow
pa several others besides. 1t was in
self a whole family. history. "A red,
Pd rose' was a part of her married
aughter's last new bonnet, and a deli
Rte white blossom called to mind the
ress she wore when she was made a
le' A wild looking tiger lily was
ace part Of a colored underskirt. The
oSsoms that told the story Of the rest
the female side of the house were in
Pen colors as were not found in all the
Eaght robes worn by Solomon in the
y Of his glory.
but only feminine apparel can be
lalzed for bouquets" objected the re-
Pfter. That's just where you are
tong!. the artist exclaimed. ''Why,
INK Of the colored shirts, flannel,
a~ers, neckties, and stockings. They
insh an unlimited supply for as
;ight bouquets and rosettes as you could
IN: | made a beautiful bunch OF
usles not long ago of bits of a gentle
an 5 kid gloves. Many of the pieces
We me right shade, but a few had to
eolOred to suit. am about TO make