Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-12-18
MAKING APRONS FOR CHRIST
MAS PRESENTS.

MAS PRESENTS.
And why aPronsY Does not every girl
know about them already? To be sure;
but the question came up one day among
six or eight devotedly intimate school
girls about what they were going to make
for Christmas presents. especially for
their mothers, and their grandmothers,
and their sisters, and their a0nts, who
always liked best ''some OF your own
work, my DEAR"
Then spoke up the leader: Lets take
q new departurel Let's make aprons.
Aprons for all the women and girl kind,
efevery age and persuasion, from grand
mamma to the baby. from esthetic Emily
to Bridget FlannigaD: cook, chamber
maid, nurse. They like somethlng We
have made with our own hands Oh! l
say, theD. aprons let it be!'
sometimes, often in the history of the
world, great genius makes discovery
10 that everybody wonders the thing had
not been found out before. So with our
girls. There we're congratulations, cons
saltations, plannings aud plottings, II
ransacking of bureau drawers, closets
and trunks; sudden development of
the economic spirit, the bringing to light
of trimmings, bundles of pieces and trea-
sures cid and new; the making of small
purchases in the shape of linen, percaie,
gingham, cheese cloth, scrim, muslin,
remnants of silk, embroidery silks and
cottons, braids, edgings, ribbons; an ex
animation of fashion plates. a quitting of
patterns. and taking measures; all in a
mysterious way, and then secret sessions
of sewing at one another's houses.
If you have never given your mind to
the subject. you would have been aston
ished at the variety talked about, at the
pretty results, and what is important
where money is not plentiful, ,at the small
expense.
The CHEAPEST apron was one for Brid-
get, the laundress; a clothespin apron,
made of three quarters of a yard of bed
ticking, sewed into belt at one end, the
other hemmed, and turned up nine in
ches on the outside and stitched down
on the outer edges, making bag. This
Bridget could tie around her waist, and
then put her clothespius in-and there
they were, ready "Indade, better way,
Miss Grace" she said, "than havin' 'em
in basket on your arm, and havin' to
hold one in your mouth. And how did
1 ever get along that way. anyway, be
fore?" So that was a success; and to
Bridget joy and convenience forever
at the cost of twelve cents, including
tape for strings.
The most luxurious one was Of blue
silk and lace, for the estbetic Emily-a
tea apron, just the width of the silk and
$ coming down to the kuees; cut goring,
with a pinked ruchibg around it, and
outside Of the ruching trimming Of
dainty white lace; pnffed pockets trims
med with lace, and yards OF blue ribbon
TO tie it with. 1t was, s,distractinely pret-
ty, and looked dressy and dainty enough
for princess. Il
This was exceptionally expensive,
though the silk was only half dollar a
yard, and it only took yard and half.
Another fine effect was produced by
means of part of u breadth OF worn-out
black satin gown of graDdmother's and n
few needlefuls of gold colored embTOid+
ery silk which were used to decorate it
here and there with a shining yellow
daisy, wrought by long stitches thrown
upon the outside.
Those who could get remnants OF silk
or satin made exquisite aprons, no Two
alike, one TRAINED with a ruchirg of
the same, Coe burdered with French lace
at twenty-five cents yard, one with jet
beads and bugles set In handsome pat
tern; and one of the girls tJak sJn.s odds
and ends of trimmings " WnIcb iief mother
had said she vas tired Of seeing about
the house, and did visa tbey could he
put TO some use, and with d renuant Of
black silk made an apron with "tlat
fringe" across the bottom and that vel
vet Iibbon;" and "those rUsettes" on the
pockets; aud that cord and tasseis' to
tie it with, and surprised her mother
with an apron she WAS so delighted with
that she wore il every afternoon and
showed il to everybody who came in as
"the Christmas present nay daughter
made me-"
You know that many nice. motherly |
old ladies', grandmOthers and aunts,
never think they are dressed ready to
sit down TO their sewing or knitting un-
less they have on some kind of all after
noon apron. If they do seem q little old
fashioned in this, let me tell you that old
fashions have come around again, and
any way, a Pretty fashion this always is
Be. sure any OF them will be pleased
with neatly made white one, or black
silk.
For "tea aprons" for young girls what
pretty things there sre! You can make
the Roman scarf apron" 10y setting
bright stripes of different colors on
white linen ground; and there is no limit
to what can be done with linen, or null,
or Victoria lawn, with all your fancy
can suggest In the way Of frills and tncks,
and cunning little pockets set OF by
bows OF ribbon. il not an apron-a lit
tie dress up. or fancy, or work apron
inst In keeping with dainty girl ways
aud girls home lifeY The very look
OF Il Ia home.ish. You think of pleasant
interiors; 0fthe winter liresde. OF needle
York and content; of the household, In
strad Of society.
The most elegant sewing apron our
girls made was OF coarse white linen
Turned up across the bottom where sprays
pf barberries embroidered with silk made
q vivid scarlet pattern and other sprays
decorated the small triangular pockets.
One cheaper, more useful aud also very (,
pretty was Of brown linen and scarlet
braid. 80 cheap that any one could afford :
I and easily made. The materials three
ourths of yard of brown linen ard four
ticks Of common dress braid. costing In
III not more than thirty five cents. The
prom need not be cut more than twenty
nches long. and about the same ACROSS
he bottom, where II Is rounded. gOred 3
way fifteen et the top, where IL Is bel