The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-09-29
TO PRESS DRESSES
when Property Done II Gives tie,
Finishing Touch to . FEM
mime Costume.

When Properly Done II Gives the
Finishing Touch to . Fem-
| mime Costume.
No matter how carefully made, or
how stylishly fashioned garment
may be, it's entire good effect is ruined
if it is not carefully and correctly
pressed. Few amateurs realize the
Importance of this, the finishing
touch of tailor-made perfection; OF,
if they do appreciate it's importance,
they are unable to cope with it's re-
quirements. -
The irons should be neither too hot
nor too heavy, and both sides of each
seam, from the sewing line to the edge
finish, should be well pressed down
before any attempt is made to open
the seams fat. This presses the fin
| fishing and saves the risk of it showing
through. IF the dress is of very thick
| or very springy cloth or serge,
damp cloth should be laid over the
closed seam and the pressing done
through it, leaving it slightly damp for
the last pressing. After both sides of
the closed seam have been pressed,
each one may be laid open and pressed
fiat with a cooler iron, care being
taken not to stretch the length of
the seam; and, the bust of the dress
leach side of the top of the darts and
a little above them) should be opened,
| and great pains taker to press the
extreme tops Of the darts quite fat
out; but the same pains must be
taken not to stretch the dress, at that
part, either down or across. The very
| end, only, of the iron should be used
| there.
The sleeve seams should be pressed,
first closed and then open, and sleeve
board is certainly an advantage. Diff
ferent contrivances frequently take
| its place-a small cricket bat, broom
handle or rollingpin being the ia
vor1tes; but care should be taken that
neither bat nor broomstick has been
painted, and that the rolling-pin has
| never been used, or the heat will pro-
| duce bad results.
Pressing should always be done ON
four thicknesses of wooden stuff-soft
| cloth or a blanket covered with a
strong muslin cloth. The iron should
be we'll cleaned and not too large or
heavy. Tailors use narrow IRON,
which runs along the seams; and wom-
en- who make their own dresses would
be wise in having so helpful COM
modify.
ALI fabrics may be ironed in the
same way as woclens, unless they have
pile, when every care should be taken
not to fatten it; crepons come under
the same head as pile fabrics, and
should be pressed in the same way.
Silk glazes and scorches very quickly,
and should therefore be pressed in
the same way, and with an iron that
is light in weight and rather cool. and,
| indeed, it is mistake to use hot irons
in pressing.
| Fugitive colors which change to
brown when heat is applied to them,
are very terrifying, as it appears that
the garment has been spoiled, but, If
the lining has not been scorched. it
will generally be found that the color
comes back wien the dress is quite
cold. Nearly all light bIue-grays,
stone color, lilac, pale heliotrope and
the like are fugitive; it takes three
or four hours before the color comes
back to them. A safe test is to try
piece of the goods under the iron the
day before, and you can then Judge
how much heat it will stand.
It is not advisable for home dress
makers to use the damp cloth too
largely in pressing. With taiIors,
whose work is largely upon serges.
tweeds and firm WOODEN cloths, wet
treatment is best adapted to the re-
quirements of the material, and is
made one of the special features of
their work both in the exquisite finish
Of all seams and edges. and in the skill
full manipula ton by which they impart
form to garment while the large ma
jority of dress materials are so COM
parativeIy light and thin that wet
treatment would injure color finish
and texture. causing them to draw
up and look rough and cockIed, and
entirely destroying the delicate ap-
pearance of the fabric.
The skirt seams are pressed and the
band put on and hooked securely be-
fore the lower edge is examined and
the exact length in all places deter
mined. This done, the best means of
finishing it is to haste narrow hem
all around and press it firmly all
Ground. The binding braid or velvet
if put on them entirely by hand and
then finally pressed once more, will be
much more easily removed after it has
become worn out than If stitched on
and sewed in hem. You will be sur
prised at the smart taiIor-efsect of a
skirt so finished when compared with
one done by the usual time-saving
dressmaker method and the work of
repairing is lessened by more than
Ealf.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Sleep for Young People.
A few words for the benefit Of young
| mothers on the sleep children require.