The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-25
bT FLOATS

10 RSSih - CAiO AoNJ UAA
be ready to set away for their period Of
rest.
A cherry little plant for the house is
ouphea platycentra, often called cigar
plant, from a fancied resemblance of the
small red flowers and their tubular
shape to a lighted cigar. 1t is always in
bloom, requires little care and is equally
suitable for vases. pots or hanging has
kets.
At this season. when the hot sur
makes ventilation necessary, n the
clustering winds outside make it dan
gerous on account of d%raughts, raise the
window from the bottom and lower IL
from the top, just enough so that there
will be no preceptible crack between he
sash and either sill; but at the middle
of the window there will be quite an,
opening for ventilation without admit
ting the cold wind.
To get a succession of bloom from the
spring bulbs inside 1t may be well to
retard some varieties by taking them
into a cooler room and giving less water.
And after the flowers are once fully
opened they will last much longer if
the plants are kept out of the direct
sunlight during the greater part of each
day. Hyancinths. lilies, ETC., may be
taken from the sunny window to the
dining table or parlor. where they will
give special pleasure and continue their
blooming for a long time.
1t seems that the cloth gown is never
to go out of fashion.
A cloth gown, we'll fitting and simply
made, of a suitable color and material
is a servicable garment, and nothing
could be fashioned that would look neat
err or more genteel.
For the street it should stand as it is.
For the afternoon or evening at home
any of the dainty simple accessories
transform it into a most charming
house costume.
1t is the general impression that a
cloth gown must be tailor made to look
correctly. This is not necessarily SO, for
with any of the excellent patterns now
to be had the making of a tasteful gown
at home is a comparatively simple af-
fair.
The first requisite for making a dress
at home tina will look stylish and nice
is good lining. Get the best you can
afford for skirt and waist.
Poor Innings lose their body or stiff
ness, sag and draw, pulling the gar
ment out of place instead of sustaining
it properly. The waist should fit well,
but where there are two women this
matter can be arranged easily enough.
one fitting the other, until in time they
become quite expert
Another indispensable article in home
sewing is a smoothing iron, and an iron
ing board. or rather two of them-a
large one smooth and clean to be used
uncovered for the pressing of thick
goods and another of smaller proportions
Scoyered thinly for pressing other ar
ticles.
No garment should be considered fin
ished without first receiving a thorough
pressing. This process adds 10 per cent.
to the appearance of the garment, and
also aids the fit and hang materially.
Pressing with a moderately hot iron
at almost every stage of the putting to-
gether of a garment is required.
Press open all the seams of a cloth
skirt and bodice, using a not very hot
iron, bearing as heavily upo it as posi-
BILE. Do not rub the iron along the seam
as in ironing clothes, for that produces
a gloss sometimes on the right side OF
the goods. After one portion of the seam
is pressed. lift the iron and set it down
again. until the whole length has been
carefully gone over.
In pressing the seams of a skirt or
bodice never wet or dampen them. To
do so would be to pucker or shrink them.
giving a very ugly appearance. Wet
ting might cause the material to change
color. Never put an iron on the right
| side of the goods, eve with a piece OF
muslin between.
For convex curves, lk the outer edge
of the collar, press heavily with the iron
| drawing the collar at h same time
| Use, the uncovered board for pressing
| wooden dresses and all thick materials
and the covered one for cotton or silk
| work.
The hem of frills. the seams of cotton
| bodices, the hens of wash skirts, every
thing that is to be worn before launder-
| ing looks much neater and better for a
pressing.
Aside from the pressing a pair of small
irons are very useful to a woman IN
keeping her wardrobe in order.
Dress buttons that nave been wet and
soiled can be renewed if all mud and sol
Is brushed from them with a stout whisp
| Sponge them with warm water in which
a tiny bit of white soap has been dis
solved, n Tshen dry press with a mod
erately hot ron. An old, much worn
skirt can be~renovated in the same way
Wipe all overriding careful to use a
dark cloth if the goods is dark-with hot
! soapy water, then with another cloth
squeezed out of clear hot water, hang
up to dry and when almost dry press
very. hard on the wrong side. Children's
| clothes, SO apt to become soiled before
much worn, are freshened by this treat
ment.
Wells, ribbons. odds and ends so in
dispensable to the toilette and SO easily
crumpled are enovate with a warm iror
skillfully applied.
The madonna faced belle of our grand
mothers days put this useful household
article to a unique use when the parted
coiffure was in vogue, as now. MANY
very tiny plaits were arranged on eithel
side of the head. they were spread upo1
a bare table, and with a cloth betweer
were pressed hard with a warm iron
The plaits were then combed out ans
the hair arranged, M~adonna-wise, owe
the ears, pulled out in a gentle puff OF
either sid the face.
This treatment resulted in an ever
small flute which the hair retained sew
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