The herald., 1898-04-15
DRESSED IN STAMPS
Thirty Thousand Were Used to Make
a UNIQUE Ball Costume

ct used about 10000 Cancelled postage
stamps in making my dress, and would
not make another like 1t for 500" said Miss
Antoinette Warlitz Of Baltimore. She was
the winner of the first prize at the Ear.
monte masked ball. -.,-.
The idea of the postage stamp dress was
suggested to Miss Warlitz by friend VINO
had seen one at a masked ball In Vienna
Miss Warlitz thought 1t worth repeating
and appealed to her friends for aid In col
lecting stamps-stamps of all countries
United States ordinary stamps, revenue, or
special delivery, Spanish, French, Swiss.
Italian, Dutch, German, even Chinese; any
old thing was acceptable, just so 1t was
stamp. A few of the 10000 were bought
from stamp collectors. The most valuable.
SO far as face value goes, were hfteen-
cent United States stamp and twenty
five cent Mexican one, but some of the for
eign stamps were quite rare and could n0t
be replaced for anything like their face
value.
Five weeks were spent in stamp collect
ing and three in making the dress. which
consisted Of short, full skirt and round
waist with long sleeves. The foundation
of the dress was muslin. On this the
stamps were pasted, and not an inch OF
the muslin was left uncovered. The skirt
was cut by circular pattern, and after Il
was fitted the design on the front was
drawn upon it In pencil. Every detail OF the
design was carried out accurately.
In the center Of the front breadth was an
eagle, made of brown Columbian stamps.
Suspended from the talons was globe
made of very old two-cent blue revenue
stamps, the meridans being outlined by the
narrow title borders cut from Columbian
stamps. On either side the globe was an
American flag, the stripes OF blue one-cene
stamps and red two-cent stamps, the stars
were Of the blue stamps.
| Except where 1t was taken up by the de-
sign the skirt was striped-nut up and
| down but around. 1t was finished at the
bottom by a border Of Brown Columbian
stamps, 100 in number. Above this were
three rows Of the red two-cent stamps.
( then another row Of the Columbian. then
more of the red and SO on to the top
Blue instead Of brown Columbian stamps
were used in one of the rows; in another
the large green medalllons cut out Of ths
stamped envelopes; and in another series
of stamps Of all values, from one up to five
cents.
The foreign stamps were pasted on the
bodice in the form Of shield, the center
I of which was made up of portraits oi
| Washington cut from revenue stampssThs
! full sleeves were made of blue and red
stamps and were finished at the hand with
cuff of foreign stamps The bodice was
fastened in the back, and after 1t was on q
strip Of stamps had to be pasted on to hide
the fastenings. A large Leghorn hat'cov.
cred entirely with red and blue stamps
was worn with the costume, and a pink
mask; and a round fan covered with red
stamps was carried. Over the shoulder
was slung a tiny red mail box. with the
letters u. 8. M. in gilt on 1t.
Miss Warlitz's mother and sister helped
her to make the dress, but the plan was
kept a close secret, and whenever visitors
would come in the dress would be hustled
out of sight. After everything was finished
1t seemed as though the trouble had been
for nothing, for the paste used had stiffened
the skirt so that it stood out like balloon.
A kindly disposed rainy day took out the
superf1uous stiffness, however, and re.
duced the refractory gown to sumbission.-
i Chicago Exchange.