The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-29
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ECONOMICAL HINTS.
Good Use to Which Discard
ed F1annels May Be Put
by Clever Women.
A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MOTHERS
Responsibility of the polka's In
vention Thrown on a Girl-A
Woman Ghieftain-Gulin-
airy Suggestions.
A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MOTHERS

There is. says the 'Philadelphia Press,
an economical and good way to supply
a necessity in almost every home, name
ly, pretty and comfortable flannel under
garments for the cold weather.
There accumulates in all households a
great quality of old flannel undergar-
ments, too much worn in places for
further repairs for the grown people and
too good to throw away. From the best
parts of these little shirts may be cut.
Sew the seams neatly and with a bit
of wash ribbon bind the neck and the
front opening and finish with button
and buttonhole. With coarse white wool
and a coarse needle kit little wristlets,
and if you wish them to be extra nice
a knitted strip can be added to the
bottom of the garments. Sew the wrist
lets to the sleeves, which is held a lit
tie full, and you have a nice little shirt
for a small sized boy or girl with little
expense or trouble. -Four of these. wear
ing them alternately. will last a child
through the winter---
From the wider part of the drawers
where they are least worn very nice
little petticoats can be made. Make a
fiat seam, binding with the wash ribbon,
and also bind stheg lower or hem edge;
knit from soft wool "a deep lace of a close
pattern with which ito finish the bottom,
crotcheting it oasneatly; sew to a stout
body and you have a child's petticoat
that is really softer and warmer than
one made of ordinary flannel. A little
silk where the trimming joins the edge,
that is, a ~crocheting of the trimming
to the shirt with knitted silk, is a great
Improvement.
CAREFUL WASHING NERDED.
r. M ans,rcA ~ 100 ~ d---@1
depends altogether on whether the gar
ments have been properly washed DUR
ing their first use. If they have they
will be soft and nice, though a little
yellow, which does not hurt. A flannel
carmen that has been indifferently
handled is useless long before its owner
has gotten its first wear, and is too ugly
and stiff for any use, even the cutting
up for sick room purposes; but good
things in the first place can be kept
in use until their price, a good one at
the buying, has been well repaid.
A nice way to mend fannels is with
the knitting needle. Take them before
they are too dilapidated, cut the hin
places out and then knit with wool
thread a square just a tri1e larger than
the one cut out; with the same kind
of wool buttonhole the aperture in the
garment closely about the edge and then
crochet the patch in. This fills the
opening neatly and win fun a little when
washed, looking very like the original
garment. The knees of the underwear,
the elbows and across the shoulders,
where the suspenders are apt to give
out just when the garment can least be
given up-too late in the winter to make
the putting on of new mes advisable
and too soon to discard entirely. But the
above will be found a quick as well as
neat and effective way of ~remedyin9
this evil.
THE BEST KIND OF CHARITY.
l know a. dear woman who uses the
worn 1annels of herself and husband
in a gracious way-if one may connect
the word with old clothes. She is child
less and wealthy, and it was she whom
I first saw using fiannels as 1 have de-
scribed. Every bit of underwear that is
flannel she utilized by making neat lit
tie shirts and skirts for the basket of a
mission to which she belonged. Some
she made large, some small, both shirts
and skirts, and many is the poor little
one who has been warmly clad because
of her thoughtful industry.
The giving of money Is a little thing.
especially to those whose hands and
purses are overfull. 1t takes no time or
thought or care, but the charity that can
and does fill the needs of the poor, and
with kind hands supplies them, seems
the best of all.