The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-22
WILL SOON BE A LOST ART.
City Women Are Forgetting How t.
Sew. Even on Machines.

Sewing is rapidly becoming q lost art
There are reasons for believing that twen-
ty-five years hence sewing machines VIII
be as rare if not as ornamental as the spin
ming wheels are to-day. A sewing chalr,
work basket and ''husSy' were among
AT. Now the demand for these womanly
. belongings Is so slight as to be called in
significant trade by the managers or dry
goods and household furniture firms. Thin
bles of gold and silver used to be consld-
cred staple goods. Now only rev are
sold and nearly all are OF Inexpensive pat
tern and children's sizes
1t is the fault OF the dry-goods merchants
that women have quit sewing. Ready-made
suits, underwear, aprons, sheets ana pillow
cases are offered at such reasonable prices
that 1T does not pay woman TO sew whose
time is worth anything. Temptations are
set forth in every line of goods. For in
stance, beautiful honeycomb quilts are on
sale to-day at 81. The ends are raw, 1t Is
true but all the firm charges for hemming
them is Is cents. The best quality of Mar
settles quilts are already hemmed. The
same is true of linen tablecloths. cheap
napkins come fringed; better goods are
already hemmed; the finest linen made Tor
napkins come in pieces of from one to three
Dozen If the customer wishes, the house
will cut hem and laundry dozen napkins
for 80 cents and deliver them In less than
two DAYS This work is beautifully done
with an absolutely true hem, stitched on
the very edge with fine thread and a
loose tension. Even the dish towelng comes
are unheard of now, although Few years
ago furnishing goods as well as dry-goods
dealers carried them hemmed and raw.
Handkerchiefs for children that sell at so
cents and 81 a dozen are ready for use.
Towels are either fringed or hemStitched
SO are sheets tray cloths, table and bureau
covers. Ready-made pillow cases, bolster
covers and shams are cheaper than the raw
material could be bought Tor at retail, and
more neatly made than the average house
keeper could do them by hand or machine
Formerly objection was raised to these
shop goods on account of the tight chain
stitch which broke and ripped in the laun-
dry: now the very perfection of machine
sewing is put on the cheapest goods. More
than that if an article is Soiled, 1t is laun-
dered by the house. Some firms send out
the fine qualities of bedroom and table
linen hemmed, washed and ironed, and
ready for immediate use. Nice lessons. too
Incidentally may be learned from this prac-
tice Aside from the exquisite stitching
the linen is snow white and sweet smelling
not from sachet powder. but absolute clean
ness and ironed with the finish peculiar to
the French mode.
1t is true that a pretense is made of
teaching sewing in the public schools but
the teachers know as little the pupils
about the art. The average woman IN
European society has needle of some sort
In her hands after and between the cares
of the day; this is Characteristic too OF
the American women who live on farms or
In country towns. In big cities, women
don't sew. They rock and read. Even
darning is at a discount since hosiery
dealers began darninG stockings purchased
at their houses free of charge.