The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-23
WOMAN AND HOME.
MYSTERY OF THE ACCORDION SKIRT
CLEARED UP AT LAST.

Sensible Remarks on Dress-Dignity OF
ACKNOWLEDGMENT as Farmers-Trafn
the Girls Hands-Patents for Babies.
How to Wash Laces.
1t has been the good fortune of report
er to find solution for what has hitherto
been popularity regarded as a first class
mystery-namely, the process of making
that manner of garment so beautiful to the
eye snd so dear to the fashionable feminine
heart, the wonderful accordion skirt"
The method whereby the SO called ac-
Gordon plat is made has been kept relig-
iously a secret ever since the introduction
of the novelty. You can procure skirt
so prepared from any dressmaker, dry
goods shop or sewing machine place; but
the work is not done on the premises.
To begin with, there is good sized iron
box without a cover, with parallel wires
stretched across it in two layers, one layer
of wires below the other. The stuff to be
plated is first wet and then passed through
the wires in and out, over an upper wire,
under lower one, then over the next up
per wire, under the next lower one, and so
on until as much Of the material is taken
up as all the wires will accommodate
These ups and downs of the cloth form
the lines of the pleits, and behind the last
of the plaits is a square iron bar running
parallel to the wires, which, being screwed
up with powerful screw, folds up all the
wires compactly together like book, press
ing the plaits into the smallest possible
compass. 1t only remains now to dry the
material in that shape and for this pUr-
pose the iron box is taken out OF the oven
with perforated top and permitted to
bake there, the moisture that evapOrates
from the stuff going of as steam. When
sufficient time has elapsed to allow for q
thorough drying of the cloth, the iron box
is taken out Of the oven, the screw is I'M
done, and the cloth is withdrawn beauti-
fully plated accordion fsshion and ready
to be made up. One Baltimore man pro-
duces several hundred yards of accordion
plating daily, and, inasmuch as the con-
sumner pays fifty cents a yard for the work,
there must be reasonable profit in it. No
wonder it is thought worth while to keep
the method a secret.
However, it is likely that this monopoly
will be wiped out before long by the plac-
ing on the market Of q very simple contriv-
ance recently invented, which any woman
can afford to buy and viii have skill enough
to use. 1t Will cost less than 81 to manu-
facturs will be sold for s., and viii do to
perfection not only the according plating
but knife plating, the machine consisting
of little more than two long strips of
brass adjustable to a table and wooden
roller. Each plat, after being folded by
the machine, is ironed separately with a
hand iron, and the stuff comes. out all
ready to be put on to the belt, supposing
that it is intended for an accordion skirt.
But, of course, many other things besides
skirts are made accordion fashion nova
days, such as capes, clolks lamp shades,
etc. 1t will be cheering news to the ladies
that the fifty cents yard rate is not likely
to be maintained very long. 1t will not be
a great while before every woman who
makes her own dresses will perform the
accordion process as a matter Of course
upon the material she buys.-Wa shington
Star