The Portland daily press., 1894-03-26
THE HON {.
Pretty and Useful Bags.

The use of bags has become so general
and many of them are so really artistic
that they are well adapted for gifts.
There never was woman, probably,
who did not take pleasure in pretty bag,
and as many of them may be fashioned
by the fingers of the. giver, an additional
grace and value are added on that &C
count, The rich old brocades with floral
designs on cream ground are much
used for this purpose and an opera bag is
always a popular present. They are
made with round pasteboard bottom
covered with bronze leather or some of
the brocades, and the bag itself, which
is very full and lined with plain silk of
a delicate shade, is gathered and sewed
to this ground. -Four pockets on the in
side serve to hold d minute powder puff,
smelling bottle and bonbonniere, and
also the small fan. which is now consid-
cred indispensable. There should be
room for the opera glasses and anything
else necessary for opera or ball. 1t is
drawn up with cords of silk, with deep
shlrr at the top.
Smaller bags in this same shape are
material, and are useful as work bags
A good proportion OLA strip of nbrocade
thirty-tWo inches long and eight and a
half inches deep when fnished, with
rwo-inch heading. This is gathered and
sewed to round of pasteboard fifteen
inches in circumference, which is cover
ed with the goods of which the bag is
made. Draw up with silk tape or narrow
ribbon.
A knitting bag deep enough to hold
the very long knitting needles Is great
convenience to the knitter and an orna-
ment as we'll, as it hangs on the chair
back. Those sold in the shops are made
of rich brocade, lined with tinted silk,
and are one yard long and quarter of
yard wide.
They are cut down from the top on
one side to the depth of nine inches and
plated slightly into fan shape. The
top Is also edged with gold cord. and
gold fringe is sewed across the bottom.
Other materials which are not 10 costly
may be used with good effeco. as, for
instance, old pink corduroy finished
with silk fringe and cord to match.
A shopping bag for an elderly lady is
handsomest and in best taste if made
OF black satin or moire of superior
quality without any characterization
whatever. .Draw strings of BLACK satin
ribbon about an inch wide complete this
suitably.
The tiny work bag which is really a
set of six bags in one. is a dainty gift
and most useful adjunct to the work
basket, as it holds tapes, spools and the
various furnishings which are apt to get
mixed up in a common receptacle. For
four inches wide and five inches long
when finished. Cover a piece of card
board, he4agonal in shape, each side
measuring 8 IA inches, with the same
silk. After overhauling the bags to-
gether Qeaving an inch or more free at
the top, gather them and sew to the
bottom, a bag on each side of the hexa-
gon.
Draw up each one with Mol ribbon,
and sew two pieces of gros grain ribbon
for handle on opposite sides. tying at
the top in handsome bow. Two and
quarter yards of ribbon an inch and
half wide will be needed for this sStuH
each bag with white tissue paper to
make it stand out until ready for use.
There are many pretty mbinations for
these bags-howered pink china silk
with white ribbons, cadet blue and
white, and a design OF purple violets on
a white ground with violet ribbons for
the handle. In making the little bags
use the figured silk for one side and and
white for the inner, sewing always in
double seam, SO that there shall be no
raw edges.
A laundry bag is such useful thing
that it often takes the form of present.
Two pretty ones are made of turkey red,
one trimmed with dark blue linen. the
other with gay plaid Bingham. Three
yards of the goods are divided into three
equal lengths Cut two of them through
the centre down to depth of sixteen
inches. Face the opening all round with
a three inch strip OF bingham, and stitch
a similar band across the bottom also.
In sewing the bag together insert the
third piece of turkey red for lining
shirr the top over a fit curtain stick,
which is about thirteen inches long and
one inch wide, and suspend with two,
pieces of red braid. This makes two
bags. one on each side of the lining.
Awning cloth is good material for this
use, in which case bind all around with
red braid instead of facing with con-
trasting material N. Y. Tribune.
A Word to the Sleep1ess.
Dr.J.E. Huxley of Maidstone, Eng
land, thinks he has hit upon the natural
remedy for sleeplessness. 1t is, in brief,
to curl under the clothes like kitten,
or put the head under the wing like
hen. He says "This insomnia seems
to he now a universal affection, We live