The Portland daily press., 1892-03-29
tn e no ri E.
BUTTON HOLES.

nice garment nothing equals the hailu-
wrought buttonhole. Always use twist
for bingham, sateen and even print, IN
plaid or figured goods, matching the
most conspicuous color. fit is necessary
to use thread, double and wax 1T: then
thread double into the needles eye; little
difficulty from knotting will thus be
experienced. The expense OF twist as
compared with thread is trifling, and,
with the former. much neater and more
durable buttonnole may be made, with
quite an reconomy of time. Letter ID IS
right for average use; cloaking requires
coarser, and the lighter qualities OF SILK
finer
On a bodice, the upper button must be
| as near the lower edge OF collar as 0he
buttonhole can be worked. Buttons nave
now so little space between them that II
| is not necessary always to nave one
placed directly on the waist line. The
lower button should be about its own
width from the edge OF, the bodice.
| Mark these two points by making two
| backstitches with white OF colored thread
according to the hue of the goods; space
| the buttons eighteen is the average
number for bodice of medium lengthy
| by measuring accurately, and mark, as
above described both button and holes
before cutting the latter. On goods very
much inclined to ravel, it is sometlmeS
necessary to backstitch all around the
SPACE intended for each buttonhole before
| cutting 1T.
Possessing no buttonhole scissor or
| other gauge, use a sharp-pointed knife
| cutting on a small block of hard wood,
finish with scissors. If afraid to trust
| the eve to determine size, cut and work
| one. then use as a measure bit OF paper
| lust as long as the cut should be. Ke-
member that ball, or other very thlck
button requires proportionateiy much
| larger hole than o fiat button.
Time is saved by cutting, overcasting
and barring several before beginning to
work; have two needles. one for silk and
one for twist. Use sewing silk for over
! casting, which must be done Immediately
after cutting either will dofor the barring
according to the length ofthread remain
ing in the needle. When, by experience,
the right length of needleful OF twist
| has been determined, measure, and there
after cut all for that S ct OF buttonholes
the same length. To be durable a button
| hole must never be pieced; that is, one
| thread long enough to work all around
| and also to fasten. must be used. Bits OF
| twist. too short to make another button
hole. NAV be utilized in sewing on but
| tons if it is thought TOO much trouble to
measure each needleful
To bar, take one long stitch on the
upper side the length of the buttonhole
about the same distance from the cut
edge as the inside of the overcasting,
working toward the edge of the garment;
] II, +xr-,1 th,,an Dob
| stitches. Work twice around in this way,
crossing without backstitching at the
other end. Begin to work the buttonhole
| at the lower, inner corner, and work
| from right to left. To make perfect work
| both cutting and working must be done
by thread. 1t will be found easier, on a
| bodice, to make the first buttonhole at
the neck, working thence downward; the
reason is, that the garment can be thus
| handled with least trouble from the
| goods wrinkling in the hand.
When turning the outer end of the but
ton hole begin about four stitches from
| the end to slope each stitch outward
stretch the corner trifie while working
| to make an eye for the shank of the but
ton. Many good workers use punch,
| and, ON some goods careful snip with
| scissors before overcasting has happy
| effect.
| When all the margin has been worked
| fasten with two or three stitches taken
! deep and across the inner end; the first
| should be caught into the first button
hole stitch made, and care must be taken
to draw neither tight enough to pucker
the goods.
THE CLEANSING OF LACEs.
Never rub laces. If badly mussed roll
| upon bottle OF round stick, dampen
slightly; when quite dry unroll and tack
the lace with large stitches in folds OF
about six inches. Be sure that the edge
be even. You will now have a sort OF
compress of lace. Drop this into cold
water, in which put a little borax OF am
monia. or both. Soak until the dirt is out
| changing water if 1ieedful. Never rut
the lace, but it may be gently squeezed
now and then, lengthwise. When it is
quite clean place it just as it is in the
| sun to dry, after which layit upon the
palm of the left hand and slap it vigor
ously with the right several times. Now
remove the stitches by cutting; do moi
pull them; refold the lace but in different
creases, and repeat the process, but pal
rather than slap the folds this time.
The result will be excellent; the lace
soft and betraying no signs of its bath
1t should never be ironed unless upor
clothing where it cannot be removed. Il
is well, therefore, to use other than lace
trimmings for cotton garments unless one
chooses torchon, a notable exception.
If other lace is chosen, however, i
should not be much starched, if at all
and the iron should be used not alone
the length, but up and down. In this
way the full effect of the width is KEEP
while by the other wide edge appears
narrower and the pattern distorted
After ironing the laundress should softer
the lace by the gentle use of her thuml
and forefnger, then gather it into little
plaits. pinching them slightly, and, after
shaking it out lightly. the lace edge will
wear its best aspect.
GOING TO BED HUNGRY.
DR.. W. T. Cathell has entered /;
strong protest against the old-fashionet
idea that people should go to bed com
paratively hungry, says the Philadelphi;
Press. He is of opinion that fasting dur
ing the long interval between supper ant