Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-11-06
THE WEEKLY MENplNo.
Some Valuable Hints for Industrious Ho..e-

he WEEKLY MENDiNG.
some valuable Hints for Industrious House
keepers.
No task is so generally discouraging
In housekeeping as basket of stock
lngs to mend, as they are something
that are always wanted and can not be
mended properly in hurry. There
must be deal of patience woven into
tne warp and wool which shall nicely
nh those great, gaping holes in the
heels OF the mems hose, or at the knees
OF the children's stockings. As expen-
slve as hosiery is in these days it is well
worth ones time to do the work of re-
pairing carefully.
1t has been said that ''some women
are born members and lay each patch
SO tenderly and darn SO evenly, that
the humble task becomes in their hands
q work of art We have in mind one
OF that kind whose mending was won
der to those who examined it. She was
an adept at needlework and embroidery,
and when advanced years and invalid
Ism made her close companion to the
armchair and mending basket, she
brought to the humble task all her
sknowiedge of the higher branches of
needlework, until there was positive
beauty in her work. One of her secrets
was that after her work was completed
1t was carefully pressed, and this is
what ought always to be done to stock
1ngs after darning. Even the coarsest
sock is greatly improved by pressing
If one is prepared with good needles
and various colored yarns, mending
stockings ought not to be bugbear.
There are wooden eggs and balls for
slipping inside the stocking, but moth
ing is SO good as the hand, which helps
the needle by stretching and holding in
proper place the worn portions. Begi.
darning and running the yarn one way
across the hole for warp, extending
it half an inch on to the firm material,
and having the threads close together;
now turn the needle or work and weave
the yarn over and under the warp
threads as evenly as if it were cloth,
and the result will be like cloth. The
first threads should be drawn so that
the new piece will be about the size of
the part which was worn away. If
there are thin places run them evenly
back and forth one way only, and it j.
well always to run these thin places 10
save large rent which viii be more
difficult to darn. The popularity of
.darned net and laces will give many
young girl practice which will be of
4. avail at the future family mending
basket, for the same precision in taking
over and under thread will make a neat
looking darn in the big gray socks or
the little red and blue ones.
Keep the mending down, if possible,
by doing it every week, then it will not
be so much of burden, and will be
none too large to be contained in one of
those pretty stocking-bags, which will
make pretty ornament to your room.
They can be made of all materials from
blue satin to dark chintz, but some
thing bright and serviceable, like red
or blue silesia or neat cretonne, is the
best choice, and perhaps the making of
one may be accomplished from the fol-
lowing directions, which have copied
Take yard of blue silesia, two yards
of blue satin ribbon an inch wide, a
small piece of white flannel, some stiff
pasteboard and a spool of blue silk. OF
the pasteboard cut four circular pieces,
each one measuring seven inches
across. Cover these four pieces smooth
" with blue silesia and overland the
edges of the two together with blue
silk, the remaining two to be done in
the same way for the opposite side. |
The puff should be a straight piece
measuring sixty inches long and twelve
inches wide. This is to be gathered
each side to fit round the edge of the
circular pieces, leaving space at the
top of the circular, three inches,
for the opening. The puff is now
to be sewed all round the edges of
each circular piece except the place
left for the opening, thus forming
the bag. Make for the outside of
one of the circles piece of the same
size and shape, and embroider of appli-
que some little design upon it.
Then cut from the flannel several
leaves the same shape, but smaller.
buttonhole stitch or pink the edges and
fasten them to the top of the circle on
the bag, as the leaves in any needle
book are fastened, then sew the en-
broidered cover outside of this at the
top. Where it is fastened place a
bow of ribbon This is for holding the
darning-needles. On the circle, the
opposite side, piece of silesia is
gathered top and bottom to cover a
little more than half the circle for
pocket.
In the casing at the top run an elias
tic, and in this pocket is kept the yarn
for darning. The satin ribbon is used
to draw the puff together at the top,
and the interior is the receptacle for
the stockings. A bag made of olive
silesia, with blue ribbon, or red silesia
with red ribbon, would be serviceable
to hang up for constant use; or, for a
gift, one might be made of satin with
flowers painted or embroidered on the
medallion, or a monogram worked in
gay silks Cottage Hearth.