The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-30
THE HOME.
LEARNING TO SEW.

The time for teaching little girl sew
| ing by giving her dishtowels to hem and
sheet seams to overland is past. A better
way has been found. and she learns hap
rilv, not grudgingly aad with tears. Tbs
needle is no longer pushed wltn painful
effort through rough Grassland stiff sheet
ing, but slips easily through the bits Of
old linen and muslin that ara destined
to make something pretty to stock the
little needlewoman's doll wardrobe or bed
or her own small tea table. She Is using
her imagination as well as her fingers,
and happy indeed she may be. Is there
any comparison, in point OF interest, be-
| tween big dish towel and dainty little
one for play dishes--a small oblong cut
from the whole portion of big glass;
| towel and hemmed neatly?
little girl will like to learn to darn
linen if the worn dinner napkin she is
set to work on is afterwards to be nicely
| washed and lroned, and become one of
her own little table-oloths. And could
hemming fail to be alluring when the
whole parts of another old napkin are
cut into squares for small fingers TO make
into doll napkinsf From pieces of old
handkerchiefs may be cut squares to bs
fringed for doilies, useful on doll tables
bureaus with dainty knicknacks, little
girl will employ many scrap of Swiss,
lace, and ribbon, and will learn to be
delicately skilful with her needle. A
normal child cannot set coarse stitches for
very long in fabrics that are nice or fine.
| Doll clothes can be made from discard
ed clothing. Old cotton goods is better
than new. because it can be sewed more
easily. From worn apron stuffs and
| haDdkerchiefs, doll 2uimpes and aprons
can be fashioned, the hem stitched edge
of handk erchief making pretty and
commercially easy finish to doll-nurss' S
| apron.
| Doll patterns can be bought cheaply-a
whole set of them for something like
twenty cents-and most mothers and elder
sisters can cut out the cloth when small
| fingers need work. A single doll may
do duty by being, at various times, a
| baby, q lady, a servant, or belle fond of
| fancy dress balls.
| Iol millinery is fascinating work. 1t
does not always require skill, either A
child of my acquaintance once took a
| largo velvet panSy discarded from her
mammals hat, sewed two strings of violet
paby ribbon onto the petals, and behold
really beautiful doll bonnet. The same
plan could be tried with q large daisy or
any fiat, broad-leafed, artificial flower.
A bunch of old violets will make beau
| tiful "violet bonnet" for doll. For a
shade hat let little fingers cut from some
dolls head. This hole is to be covered
with puff of silk, and little flower OF
! feather is sewed on one side.
| From doll clothing one can go on devils
| ing work for small fingers indefinitely.
A boy may like to try his hand at max
| ing bonnet boxes for dolls, and possibly
| trunks, but these must be reserved fo1
the articles on what can be made from
| pasteboard and wood.
Pillows and afgnaDs for doll carriages
will give small needlewomen chance to
| work in wOrsted, to embro1der on linen
and woollen goods, or to show their skill
il u tilizing odd pieces of satin. SILK, OF
| cashmere.
| Splint fruit baskets are adapted to many
devices that children will like to work at.
| The square quart sizes can be turned into
! very useful handkerchief BASKETS by Gov
ering them with cotton wadding first,
| then with delicate Silkolene, inside and
out, put on loosely in folds. A cover
made of pasteboard covered with the silk
olene is fastened on with ribbon straps.
| A scented pad for the bottom, and few
ribbon bands and bows, complete this
really useful gift that many small fingers
| will not find hard to make.
| A very complete miniature work. basket
| may also be fittedgup from one of these
baskets. One of the oblong pint size
| will make pretty bassinet to lay q small
baby doll In. A piece of stiff paper can
be- cut to form the curved back, and I'll at
and the basket covered with old sheer
handkerchief linen or dotted swiss laid
over bright cambria cover.
A pint basket, with a canopy top, also
of stiff paper, sewed firmly to the end,
will make the foundation for dear little
bed Delicate silkolene will be the best
overing for this. Across the top of the
basket fasten piece of cid cotton goods.
put on loosely SO it will sag little over