Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-23
THE no. sEllOAD.
Repairing Clothes.

Repairing Clothes.
1t is not an easy task for any woman,
more especially where these is large
family, to keep the mending we'll up all
the time. There are SO many things
that the mother of such family finds
to do, that it is not to be wondered at
that some things should be left undoue.
Where there are children, be they few
or many, there is always plenty of mend
ing to lie done, and if neglected for even
short while, it is astonishing how the
work will accumulate until discourage
Ing pile of torn garments of all STYLES
and sizes confronts the mother. The
easiest way of overcoming such diff
Guilty, or preventing it, is to mend the
garment as soon as possible after it has
been torn, but it is generally great
deal easier to give advice. than it is to
follow it, for there is always some good,
sufficient reasons for any mother neg
lectlng the family mending until it as
sumes discouraging pile.
Where there is q sewing machine in
the home, it should be used as much as
possible for the family mending. Some
women never think of using the machine
for anything but making new or making
over old garments, while others use It
can be done conveniently. When there
is rip or slit in q garment nothing can
mend it as quickly as the machine,
while for sewing on patch it is excel
lent. First haste the patch on evenly,
then sew with machine, dampen and
press, and the patched place will look
as nice, If not nicer, than if done by
hand. For boys and mems clothes it is
much better than hand sewing, owing
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
q great help to the tired mother while
repairing the family wardrobe.
In making over old clothes it is good
plan to put an extra piece of the goods
between the lining and the outside of
the parts where there is usually the most
wear, such rs under the arms of 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 q good plan to
adopt in regard to children's clothes,
and will save great deal of unneces-
sary 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 in
step had previously been. In this way
the knee of the stocking, which is gem
will come on the inside of the leg under
the knee, and the stocking will be al
most as good as when first knit. Quite Of
ten stocking is let go until it has great
hole in the heel that it seems almost inn
possible to bring together. If, instead
of trying to darn this, you take a steel
crochet-hook and fill the cavity by
crocheting around until the hole is
filled, then sewing or crocheting to-
gether, you will have nice fitting heel,
and if 1t is done neatly will be far in
and comfort.
When the underaannels become SO
worn that you cast them off thinking
you have no further use for them, don't
use them for mop cloths. Cut them off
at the waist put the tops of the body
aside for cleaning cloths but the lower
parts make into understands for the
children by gathering or pleating the
cut ends into binding. These make
nice warm inside skirts, and are so very
easily made that no child ought to be
small children can wear them, but if the
tiannels are of good quality they will be
much warmer than anything you could
buy, for they generally fit very closely.
When the sheets become worn in the
center, that is, when they are thin but
not broken, providing 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 i'll the center where there is most
wear and the worn places at the sides.
Sheets treated in this way will last
long time.
HintS RI Hon .lxaor