The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-19
MILITARY EMBROIDERY
An Art That Calls for Great Skill in
NeedleWork


Needlework.
Women whose work is of market i'm
portance in governmental and military
affairs are the skilled embroiderers who
make the shoulder, collar and cap de
vices on officers uniforms. Their worl
is more needlework architecture thar
embroidery They build up and pat.
tern in block-like, clearly defined char
acters that are meaningful rather than
merely decorative. Except that tneiI
work Is done with a needle, it bears nc
sort of analogy to the fine wrought
tlowery creations Of the normal femin-
inc embroiderer who works in floss silk,
linen, colored wool and other plant ma
| terial.
| Never is there an army or navy off,
| Ger promoted but he must have an ex-
| pert embroiderer do his shoulder knots
and straps, collar device or whatever
may be the need. His cap device must
be altered and other accoutrements
made to bear the proper insignia. The
experienced embroiderer, accomplished
in her art, never lacks for work that is
both well paid and of intrinsic interest,
and the ranks of such workers are not
crowded. There is more than employ
ment enough to 60 round, and enviable
praise and eulogy for those at the top
and nearest the top of the ladder MIMI
bers Of women throughout the city are
doing the commoner grade insignia
work. such as is used on the less con-
spicuous warden uniforms in prisons
and public institutions, and for the pet
ty officers in military service; but these
workers are mere tyros compared with
the workers for high grade, first rank
ing custom, and the woman accustomed
to the superior class of work would not
think of taking orders for the inferior
grade. She has a reputation to sus-
tain in her special sphere, and, more
over, after years Of steady occupation at
military insignia work, she is generally
what she will not do.
The Best Worker.
Who does the best work of this kind
in New York city and has done it long
est? A woman who never wants her
name disclosed who has dozen, maybe
two dozen, other embroiderers working
regularly under her direction at her pri-
vate house, but is as shy of public no.
tice as the most exclusive old Amster-
dam resident in the city She would
never forgive us if we told on her. is
the sense of the military tailors's an
swer. when questioned as to his women
co-adjutants, Two other makers Of
goods in other parts of the city
confirm the statement, adding that the
best known professional operators al this
work are gentlewomen hav-
ing neither the desire nor the need to
come before the public, as artists in 9TH
er trades or professions must, If they
would succeed.
''They have all the work they can do.
We seek them out; they do not hunt for
u.s." said Fifth avenue tailor. at isn't
every woman with sufficient brains in
her fingers to do this sort of thing right,
and even with Unborn knack and facil-
ty it takes worker from two to three
years to learn the art successfully.
From $12 to SIS week is paid to the
who work here at the shop on a
"
ers who design and place the work for
he others get $25 and over. The few ex-
pert embroderers who take orders at
heir own home and employ their fown
help make good incomes, and two at
east whom / could mention are indie
pendent and are only carrying on the
profession from habit and the love or
t. The longer they work at it the bet
er they do it and the more their work
8 sought.
Women Amateurs.
occasionally we have woman anna |
eurs come in here to get material to |
work. insignia for their husbands and |
,rothers' uniforms. They are fond of |
ancy work, they say, and, with little |
Practice with the right materials they |
will be able to make the device right
Well, we give them the measurements
nd some hints about workmanship |
he proper materials, and off they go,
tut invariably return, quite ready to
wn up that the work is harder than
hey thought and that they can't make
look right. try all they will. Then we
axe the things they brought and have
he markings done up in shape Nm sin
lie amateur embroderer not matter
low skilled in silk or linen applique, or
ven an adept at beaded brocade work,
as ever to my knowledge made a de-
ice for a soldier'sc oat or cap that was
It to look at"
The woman most notable at this pc
uliar needlework architecture, whose
xpert modelling, welding and general
erfection of finish so win the tailors
dmiration, lives in refinement that is
lmost luxury in an old fashioned we'll
ept mid-city block that has never lost
IS prestige nor often changed its resi-
ents. Neither has it been invaded by |
usiness. There is no sign, either out
de or within the quiet drawing room,
, indicate that work promised by GER
ain date and executed with all speed
reak throughout on the prospects of
nd system, comes in and goes out of
rat conservative front door There !
lay be, there is, workroom that is al
lost factory some where in the estab-
shment, but no hint of it shows either
the formal furnishings or the garb
nd manner of the house mistress and
artist. This woman said the
her day.
"There are some women occupied with
lis business who advertise occasionally I
n help | see the notices, but I never
ED to. Eight. ten, fifteen years is the
myth of time my women are with me.