The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-07-18
A SILK WAIST.
How to Make an Inexpenstve Garmene
for Summer Wear.

for Summer Wear.
Nothing makes cooler, fresher
locking waist than the wash silks
which come in all manner of delicate
stripes at very moderate price. Five
yards should not cost much. All else
you need buy is cheap plain corset
cover-cne coming high in the neck
and net too big in the armhole. That's
your foundation.
To make the waist, cut three lenptha
of silk long enough to reach from the
junction of neck and shoulder to well
below the belt. Sew them together
then double them along the middle OF
the center breadth and cut them to
the shape of the diagram given here
with. Now sew up the shoulder seams
making them either with bag seam
like the corset cover. or binding them
neatly with narrow white binding. Pit
the narrowest possible bias facing
about the neck, leaving II so that Won
can run a fine drawing string through
it.
Finish the bottom with case for a
similar drawing string. Then for
sleeves take a breadth and half for
each. Leave the selvage plain and
straight but round the tops so as 70
set well over the shoulder and hollow
them slightly under the arm. At the
bottom put on two cases. or else run
narrow tucks for draw strings Then
gather them at top and sew to the silk
hnI ba 4. 1
ing tape.
Next, with strong thread, basic the
silk armholes to those of the corset
cover. Do not let the stitches show
upon the upper side and fasten off
firmly. Then run the narrowest white
tape into all the eases-at the neck the
bottom of the waist and the wrists.
| Put on the corset cover, button it IN
and draw the outside to fit, arranging
the fullness as is most becoming to
your figure.
Pin it in place; then when You have
taken off the garment put firm Blasting
stitches in place of the pins.
For the wrists il - only necessary to
draw up and tie the strings, and your
waist is complete, made in but little
! longer time than it takes to tell about
| it. OF course you can add stock col
| lar of ribbon. or wear any of the hun
| bred ffills and ribbons now in vogue.
You can tie ribbon wristlets, too
make the whole as ornate as YOU please.
But that is an inessential thing.
What is of much greater Importance is
| that such a waist can be washed and
kept clean and fresh II You only have
command of a washbasn. For when
it is soiled you only have 10 unpel< the
hastings about the Eeek and armhoe,
| pull out the draw strings nnd.wash lin
| ing and outside separately Use for
the silk good white soap and do not
rub it on the fabric. but make good
| suds. Wash quickly through that;
rinse twice in water of the same tenn
perature.
Do not wiring, but fold smoothly in
side clean towel. Then squeeze as
dry as possible, shake out and hang
in the shade to dry. If yon can manage
to stretch it out over bit Of lath sns-
pended like coat hanger there viii DO
hardly wrinkle in it. Replace the
strings and put ii over the lining as
before-of course, after the lining has
| been likewise purified. Two such
waists, or at the most three, will take
you safe through the hot summer
months, and much more than save their
cost in laundry bills, to say nothing OF