Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-03-04
"COME-D

The Ingenious Manner In which Out
Grown Garments May be Utilized.
Very familiar is this word to the
younger members of the family, and
Tor that very reason neither welcome
nor edifying Quite too frequently does
1t suggest to them visions of garments
no longer in their prestine state of
purity. But old garments toiH accumu-
late with startling rapidity, and many
dollars can be saved when these can be
made to serve the same purpose as new
ones.
Economy should and often must be
practised, but it becomes extremely
painful when carried to such an extent
that the meanness of it enters into the
children's souls. Grown-up ones can
solace themselves with the hope of bet
ter things in the near future, and for
the present, knowing it to be the only
feasible course, they seek ways and
means TO make the old things look pre-
sentable at least. But the children, al
ways peculiarly sensitive to what their
companions say about them, are only
too apt to feel the discomfort of the
''come-downs, and they naturally
smart under sense of injustice when
they behold the few new garments that
can be purchased every season devoted
TO their elders
Calicoes, ginghams and lawns can be
purchased at low rates, and so few
yards are required of each that there
need scarcely ever be difficulty in pro-
viding each child with, at the least, two
new dresses every summer.
The ''come-downs," mostly woolens,
can then be utilized for winter service;
firstly, the children are more reconciled
TO them, because at least one or two
dresses have but recently been newly
purchased for their own special use;
secondly, because of the warmth their
materials lend TO the wearer; and lastly
because at that season the child's outer
wraps conceal discrepancies in the at
tire when on the street, and while
within-doors the neat little apron gen.
erously hides unavoidable shabby spots.
The box of remnants often serves the
home dress-maker right faithfully; as
an example of this note the following:
An old merino dress-brown, blue,
slate-color, green, or of any other
shade-lies before you. It's basque
is hopelessly beyoud repair, the skirt is
so badly worn at the foot that the last
chance of redeeming 1t is utterly gone;
yet the stuff is good and comparatively
free from rents or spots, besides, it is
wide enough to allow of the cutting out
of these few blemishes. Still, all told,
there is not enough to make dress out
of for nine-year-old Mary, and it is al
most too dark for her younger sister
The skirt comes out of the lower part
Of the original skirt of course; but this
narrow upper part will provide neither
sleeves nor the necessary waist length,
and camps are by no means admissible
for winter school dresses.
But this upper piece is WIDE enough
to yield wide sleeves reaching to the ell
bow. Deep cuffs are, Of course, obtain
able, often yoke, and the long, mar
row strip necessary to be joined to it,
a la Mother Hubbard. All very true;
but, for all that, it is a very somber
dress. Turn now to the remnants, and
exhume a haf-yard or so of bright
plaid, or red, blue, green. or old-gold
material. Cut this into strips an inch
wide; turn under the edges, and herring
bone them TO the yoke, cuffs and collar,
either vertically, bias or in any other
style that fancy indicates; these simu-
late the very fashionable ribbon trim
mings now so frequently worn. Or
else the bright goods can serve for
yoke cuffs, and collar. and be trimmed
in the same manner with stripes of the
dress material.
Very presentable school coats can be
contrived from old Newmarkets, and
the spring cloaks that the little girls
have outgrowu can often be turned into
extremely serviceable Balmoral skirts.
A very pretty frock, and quite equal
to new, can be made up without cost of
any thing but time, by utilizing two
out-grown dresses, the colors of which
harmonic.
The material of one yields the
sleeves, the Jokes, deep VS., or blouse
effect whichever seems most desira-
ble), together with the broad insertion
necessary to lengthen the skirt of the
other; the sleeves, waist. and possibly
the sash of the latter yield, in turn, the
front and back pieces needed to COM
plete the Jokes or VS., or the plain
back and jacket fronts for the blouse,
together with the requisite collar and
cuffs
Narrow gilt or silk cord, or plain
cording covered with the material, adds
finish to the garment, and prevents the
''patchiness" that visible seams newt
ably suggest. Bazaar.