The Washington times., 1901-08-11

constantly filled during the past ten years.
She now visits different cities. trimming
in some leading establishment during the
| busy season and teaching classes in the
evening. She has private classes. others
connected with the Y. W. c. A, and has
taught a class in a social settlement dis
trict, paid for by wealthy woman.
In the usual millinery stores girls at the
end of six months are able only to do wir-
/ ing and scme Of the mechanical parts.
| Trimming and making are beyond their
widest dreams until they have served an
other term of many months. In the milli-
| merry classes described, a girl learns to
! wire hat in one lesson. One of the first
/ lessons is making bows. These must be
I artistic. and Mrs. Wyman shows the pu-
! pills how to give them just the touch that
makes them so. Another lesson teaches
frame making, and fitting to the head.
Another is on sewing braids into shapes,
and still others are on the different
stitches required, making rosettes and all
the late novelties, and also draping and
trimming.
All the models are first made by the pu-
pills from Tissue paper and tucked chiffon,
shirrings and drapings are successfully
initiated and complete models are con-
structed. 1t is customary in the Paris
millinery shops to make these for pattern
hats, and the designers work in tissue
paper exclusively, their creations being
reproduced in the designated materials by
the trimmers. This is not only good prac-
tce. but il saves expense to the pupil
who furnishes her own material for work
While the present fashions are taught to
each class, the technique is so thoroughly
learned that any new styles and novelties
Will be understood as soon as seen.
Some OF the pupils prove TO be genuine
artists, with special gift, but any girl
of average intelligence will learn to do
good work il term includes twelve les
sons of two hours each. and the cost is
so. y complete course is given for S.
many lessons as are necessary to equip
the pupil with thorough business knowl-
edge which will enable her to secure
good position in a hrst-class establish
ment, or to open a shop of her own.
Many. however. learn for personal adj
vantage only to trim their own hats and
hats of friends for a consideration" and
one such girl from recent class has in
voluntarily transformed her room into
a small shop. She began by trimming
hats for girl chums. who told others. and
with no effort ard no advertising on her
own part she soon found herself profita-
bly, busy. One direct aid to these stu
dents is the fact that the established
shops object to using a customers old
material. no matter how good and fresh
II may be. The girl milliner is quite will
in good condition. she has no new ones
to sell at profit.
In New York and Boston many girls and
women 90 out trimming hats just as n
seamstress would go out to sew, and they
have engagements for months in advance
They charge by-the hour for their SER
vices and make a good living.
One woman who was left a widow. with
her own way to make. took course in
millinery. Just as she completed the
course Mrs. Wyman received a letter I
from banker in one of the prosperous
town of the State saying there was an I
opening there for a good milliner, and /,
asking her if she could. send one This /
woman went. and her shop soon paid for 1
all the investment she had made.
Graduates who take the complete course /
are prepared to teach If they choose. A |
new idea is for them to give lessons in /
homes, perhaps to mother and daugh- /
tiers at the same time. They charge at I
given rate a lesson, just a music |
teacher drawing teacher would, and
after the first few pupils have been gained
the rest is easy, for one tells another.
The practical nature of this work and
its constant demand commends it at once.
Mrs. Wyman believes that girls should be
taught millinery as well as sewing, and
she hopes that in time II may be made
a part of the regular training of the
as sewing has been.