Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-07-05
REPAIRING CLOTHES.

|
REPAIRING CLOTHES,
Useful suggestions for Economical and
Careful Women.
| 1t is not m easy task for any woman.
more especially where there is large
family. to keep the mending we'll up
all the time. There are SO many things
that the mother Of such a family finds
to do. that it is not to be wondered ut
that some things should be lef: undone.
Where there are children. be they few
or many. there is always plenty Of
mending to be done. and if neglected
for even short while. it is astOnish.
ing how the work will accumulate until
discouraging pile of torn garments
OF all styles and sizes confronts the
mother. The easiest way of overcom.
ing such difficulty, or preventing it,
is to mend the garment rs soon as
possible after it has been torn. but it is
generally a great deal easier to give
advice than it is to follow it. for there
is always some good. sufficient reason
for any mother neglecting the family
mending until it assumes discourage
ing pile.
Where there is sewing machine in
the home. it should be used as much
rs possible for the family mend
ing. Some women never think of
using the machine for any thing but
making new or making over old gar
ments. while others use it to do rs
much of the family mcnding as can be
done conveniently. When there is a
rip or slit in a garment nothing can
mend it az quickly as tue machine.
while for sewing on patch it is excel
lent. First baste the patch on evenly,
then sew with machine. dampcn and
press. and the patched place will look
as nice, if not nicer. than il done by
hand. For boys's and mems clothes it
is much better than hand sewing. ow.
ing to its being stronger. To be sure,
when the material is very worn and
thin the hand sewing is best. as the
machine stitching would be apt to tear
the cloth, but where the fabric is strong
and there is good deal of patching to
be done. the sewing machine will be
found to be great help to the tired
mother while repairing the family
wardrobe.
In making over old clothes it is a
good plan to put an extra piece OF
ho dc 1,of fDn k1,<,
outside of the pants where there is
usually the most wear. such as under
the arms of 4 waist, and at the elbows
and knees of jackets and pants. When
the outside wears it can be easily
darned to the goods on the inside. and
will wear much longer than if simply
lined. This is a good plan to adopt in
regard TO children's clothes, and will
save great deal of unnecessary work
if followed. AS many women who
knit refoot the children's stockings
when the foot is past being darned. . !
good plan is to knit the foot reversed,
that is. knitting the heel where the
instep had previously been. In this
is generally darncd or worn thin by
this time. will come on the inside of |
the leg under the knee, and the stock
ing will be almost as good as when
first knit Quite often 4 stocking is
let go until it has great hole in the
heel that it seems almost impossible |
to bring together If. instead of try
ing to darn this. you take a steel |
crochet-hook and fill the cavity by Gro
cheting around until the hole is filled,
then sewing or crocheting together.
you will have nice-iitting heel, and
if it is done neatly will be far in adj
vance of darning, both in durability
and comfort
When the underf1annels become 50
worn that you cast them off thinking
you have no furthef use for them,
don't use them for nor cloths. Gu
them of at the waist. put the tops o.
the body aside for cleaning cloths, but
the lower parts make into underskirts
for the children by gathering or pleat-
ing the cut ends into binding. These
make nice warm inside skirts, and are
so very easily made that no child
ought to be without them. To be sure.
only very small children can wear
them. but if the fannels are Of good
quality they will be much warmer
than any thing You could buy. for they
fit very closely. When the
sheets become worn in the center, that
is, when they are thin but not broken.
the sheet has been sewn
down the middle rip the seam. and
sew the two selvaged sides together.
In this way the strongest part is put in
The center where there is most wear
md the 0woru places ct the sideA
Sheets treated in this way win Last .
lon9 time.-BostoA Budget