The Hope pioneer., 1895-05-24
MENolhe BOYS CLOTHES.
A Method Which Helps In This Prosais

A Method Which Helps In This Prosais
Work.
This is the time OF year when moth.
ers are wondering which will ''go
first" the boys winter clothes or tho
winter. and requires skill born Of cx.
perience to manage without an expen-
diture which, reckoned by value re.
ceived, is extravaganza.
1t pays to mend and to mend neatly,
even in these days of cheap suits; and,
though it may seem a waste of time
and energy to patch and.darn garments
which cost but little, still the aggre.
gate of these small savings, especially
in large family, forms an item Of i'm.
portance.
With trousers eternal vigilance saves
many stitches and many clothes. If
one can only forestall a break. a patch
may be put inside SO that it will hardly
show. With kniclserbcclers, which
are apt to split like the sleeves of the
jacket at the hem, it is easy to take
neat seam if the break has not left
ragged edges. Careful pressing is re.
quired for all cloth darning.
With jackets the points of wear are
the elbows, the edge of the sleeves, and
the front. The elbows may be mended
like the trousers, by slipping a piece
of cloth inside, between the lining and
the cloth, and darning neatly. The
edges may be turned in just far enough
to hold and then sewn together by
blind stitching. On dark cloth it is of
ten possible, especially for the worn
place on the front, to buttonhole stitch
with coarse twist. Should any white
still show, it may be linked OCCASION
ally.
Nearly all lnundries takes orders for
new bands for shirts, and the work is
done so reasonable that it is hardly
! worth ones while to attempt it at
I home. But sometimes only one butt
tonhole of shirt is broken, 1t is then
practicable to set piece inSo the band
and make a new buttonhole without
taking off the entire strip. The only
caution necessary is that in cutting out
the worn part in front it must be taken
far enough back SO that the joint will
not show at the opening of the collar.
The piece cut cut should be ripped off
the bosom and the new muslin scanned
and turned over level with the band,
SO that no stitching will show.
Few mothers know how much may
be done with tape. For the opening at
the back of shirt, for the shoulder
straps of a little girls guimpe, for a
placquet hole, tape is invaluable. For
n shirt, cut piece not quite two inches
long and sew it across the lower part
OF the opening at the buck. This re-
lieves the strain of a sudden jerk, such
as all boys are apt to give
II despair OF ever getting really fast
black darning cotton" says one wom-
an, 80 have taken to using cashmere
mending wool for all hosiery. 1t does
not make SO neat darn, but it is
softer for the feet and it never loses
color" The same authority declares
in favor of darning fannels and fan
nelette garments in preference to
patching them.
The comic papers are not far wrong
when they ridicule the average woman
for not knowing how to sew on but
tons. 1t is often the simplest things
of which we remain longest ignorant.
because no one thinks it worth his
while to tell US just how they should
be done.
For buttons which are sown through
and through, and on which there is
great strain, such as those on chill
dren's waists, No. 16, or at least not
finer than No. 20, cotton is needed.
Linen thread is not available, because
it requires a coarse needle, and that
will not pass readily through the but
ton. Double the cotton, place pin
across the top of the button and sew
over it and through the holes, winding
the cotton around the button under
meath after each stitch. Thus you
make an artificial shank, and when the
pin is withdrawn there is enough
thread to prevent it swapping when
strained.
For coat buttons, whether lasting,
bone or ivory, the best thing to use is
coarse twist. If you can get tailor's
twist, SO much the better. Linen
thread turns gray, and becomes brittle
after short time. Twist is the best
for shoe buttons, and should always
be used double.-N. Y. Times.