The evening world., 1891-04-23
SEWING SCHOOLS.
Nell Nelson Tells HoE Tho Art Of
DfeSsmakins Is Taught.
Absolute Correctness In Details
a. Necessary Adjunct. -.-
Rich and Poor Attend tho Glasses
and Learn to Cut and Fit.


classes where special instruction is given
by professional cutters and modistes.
Nearly every association OF working
women has class In sewing where
the members arc taught the rudl-
ments Of dressmaking for nothing,
usually where an artist is engaged
10 teach system OF cutting
and fitting q tuition Is charged, generally
80 or i5 per cent. less than the school rates.
OF course the advantages OF the school are
superior to those afforded in Christian
Association or workingwomen's club, for
The night scholar takes her lesson after a
hard days work OF eight or ten hours con-
finemcnt; she is rarely enthusiastic,
however anxious TO learn, because of
fatigue, and the best results are
hinderod by the use of artificial
cause OF serious blunders, a pupil waking
up in the morning to find that she has
stitched her black dress with green silk or
made the waist half right and half the
wrong side Of the cloth out.
The dressmaking school is the only one
where the pupil Is admitted without ex-
animation. The applicant pays for term
or years instruction, and during that
time is at liberty to enter any class that
may be in session during the day and to
bring piece of work to the teacher and
receive suggestions for correcting defects.
I ta N1. Ia. II.
to cut and fit dresses to take waist to the
school teacher and get her assistance in
making the collar set right or tho garment
to button without wrinkles.
In a certain school in Broadway, the
most popular in tho city perhaps, from
twenty to thirty pupils can be found in
class any hour In tho day. 1t would amuse
the reader to know the various objects
entertained by the women for the
study. One morning there were
twenty-five In class. Ten came from
out of town to learn the system
for professional service; two were chari-
tably inclined ladies who teach in the indus
trial schools and were desirous of enlarging
their experience five young ladies from
| well-to-do families wanted to learn In order
to be able to do their own sewing, and the
other five were girls from dressmaking
shops, who knew how to sew, but wanted
to master the system of drafting.
| They sat about q long cutting board
watching a pretty blonde girl, who had a
coat basque in hand that she was joining
She was more like the typical college girl
In style and appearance than dressmaker,
tailorcss and teacher. There were the
countless little finishing feminine touches
about her that are so very captivating and
SO chara acteristic of the born coquette.
She was that rarest Of beauties-a nat
ural blonde. Her fluffy yellow hair was
banged In front, knotted In the back and
stuck with gilt pins long lead pencil
jabbed in Ht the top OF her head giving her
a look of serio-comic Importance.
She was dressed in a daintily made blue
flannel dress, with no more Of the tailor
made severity about II than a La Tosca
toilet. a piece OF fresh, white ribbon tied
under her chin took the place of collar
she had lace. edged cambrc handkerchief
in her bolt, bunch OF butter cups In heI
breast; she wore silvor ring on one hand, a
little silver bracelet on the other she talked
in clear but sweet voice her face was
bright and pleasant and her influence was
both pleasing and refining. To the slipshod
slovenly. dressed women in the class who
were watching her she must have been q
revelation.
As she basted the cores together she
talked sosnd sense. all her remarks being
pertinent to the work. Now and then sh,
would digress from tho material and In
dulge in personalities.
She told the class that "the best adver
tiscment dressmaker could have was
, good fitting dress on her own back-no
necessarily costly or elaborate. but modern
stylish or fashionable.
"This would serve as a model often TO
customers OF her own age and type. !
Z would also give the stranger confidence II
. her ability to tit correctly. To say yo,
have not time to dress well Is quite as non
sensical as it would be for baker to sa!
y he ate heavy soggy bread because he hasn'
time to make good bread. You must weA
dress of some sort and It will be Il
your interest TO have 1t trim, pretty ant
modern"
T She also cautioned the pupils against ht
u ting before looking glass. Get your Gus
toner away from 1t until you want he
opinion. Cultivate silence; you will hav
no time for gossip If you do your work as
should be done"
Then she showed them how to join the sid
it bodies to the back without stretching th
II cores how to baste the arm holes and nee
to prevent their enlargement; the impol
Is tance OF beginning ut the waist line 10 bas,
and the nice adherence to the tracing fc
:. accuracy of 1T. "A thirty-second Of a
u inch too much taken OF one seam or adde
to another will throw the swaist out {
balance"
= She advised extreme neatness in finishing
but said It was folly TO bind seams wit
ribbon and feather stitch whalebope casing
with bright silk Turn in tho cloth an
lining, run them with q fne needle an
thread, and you will have done all that