Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-05-10
WOMAN AND HOME.
MYSTERY OF THE ACCORDION SKIRT
CLEARED UP AT LAST.

Sensible Remarks on Dress-Dignity of
Women Farmers-Train
the Girls Hands-Patents for Babies.
How to Wash Laces.
1t has been the good fortune of report
or to find solution for what has hitherto
been popularity regarded as first class
mystery the process of making
that manner of garment so beautiful to the
eye and 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 secret ever since the introduction
OF the novelty. You can procure skirt
so prepared from any dressmaker, dry
goods shop or sewing machine places but
the work is not done on the premises.
TO begin with, there Is good sized iron
box without 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 a lower one, then over the next up
per wire, under the next lower one, and 80
on until as much of the material is taken
up MS all the wires will accommodate.
These ups and downs Of the cloth form
the lines Of the plaits, 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 a perforated top and permitted to
Eat b.. .tst. hat
from the stuff going off as steam. When
sufficient time has elapsed to allow for
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done, and the cloth is withdrawn beauti-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 fashion and ready
to be made up One Baltimore man pro-
duccs several hundred yards of accordion
plating daily, and, inasmuch as the con-
sumner pays fifty cents a yard for the work,
there must be u reasonable profit in it. No
wonder it is thought worth while to keep
the method secret.
However, 1t is likely that this monopoly
will be wiped out before long by the plac-
ing on thu market of a very simple contriv-
ancs recently invented, which any woman
can afford to buy and will have skill enough
to use. 1t will cost less than 81 to manu-
facture, will be sold for 50, and will 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 table and wooden
roller. Each plat, after being folded by
the machine, is ironed separately with q
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, cloaks, 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
IA great while before every woman who
makes her own dresses will perform the
accordion process as matter of course
upon the material she Washington