Evening star., 1901-03-18
MILITARY EMBROIDERY
AN INDUSTRY WNERE THE DEMAND
EXCEEDS THE SUPPLY.
Formerly Imported; hut Now All This
Needlework IL Done in
rh.. reu{try.

| sleeve and belt symbols for the officers of
every departmental and military organiza-
| ton in the land has to be wrought in gold
| and silver on the heavy broadcloth And
| women do this work. Even expert men
| needle workers never attempt 1t, for it re-
| quires a deftness and delicacy of touch pc
| culiarly feminine, although it bears no
| slightest likeness to the embroidery done
| on plant fabrics:
| 1--WE seek out good military embroiderers,
! they don't have to hunt for u.s." said a
prominent outfitter. "See this number t5'
on this shoulder knot. The officer is in the
9Th Artillery and is getting new uniform.
| Not many workers could execute gold en-
| broidery as smoothly as this. 1t requires
| years of practice and understanding to ham
| die such material. The experts make good
| incomes and have things their own way.
| They stay at home and take orders. We
| glad to give them all the time and material
| they wish to effect such results. Now, I'll
| show you what we call stock work. The
| eagles and emblems on some ordinary
| steamship companies uniforms. The lines
are seraggly and inferior compared with the
| experts work. Yet woman able to di-
| rect work room of girls doing this grade
| of insignia in factory gets $50 week.
| Military embroidery is done with the finest
of gilt or silver tubing on heavy stuff much
| stiffened.
Sometimes we have women amateurs
| come here to get material to work insignia
| for their husbands and brothers uniforms.
| They have been taught embroidery; have
| done quite beautiful work, they say, and
| are confident that, after practcing with the
| right materials. they will succeed in doing
| a device satisfactorily. We give them the
| measurements, proper materials and some
| hints how to begin, and they go off, but
| invariably return, saying they can't make
| the figures look right. Then we take the
| materials they bought and have the mark
| ings done in shape. No amateur embrod-
| erer, however skilled she may be in tapes
| try, silk or linen applique or even in doing
| beaded work has ever to my notion made a
| device for a soldiers coat or cap that was
| fit to look at
| She Talks of Her Business.
"I have in my head now the insignia of
| every military, naval and departmental de-
vice used in the United States said a
| skilled embroiderer. Il must keep up with
such matters in order to be able to fit each
| device to the rank it belongs to without
instruction. The cavalry. the artillery, the
| infantry, the engineer corps, the staff Of
| physicians, surgeons. commsSaries, all have
| different badges and belongings. My books
| would show all the various changes in in
| sigma that have occurred in governmental
matters for the last forty years. 1 learned
| the work from regular French decoupeur,
| and started in as a girl just when the civil
| war created a demand for such service. To
| learn military embroidery is a likely profess
| sion for any young girl. Two of my best
| assistants began with me errand girls
| when barely fourteen years old. 1t is not
work that affords remuneration from the
| start. Persistent apprenticeship is required
before rewards begin. But, once mistress
| OF the craft, one has good paying, interest
| ing work for a lifetime
| Each time officer is promoted there
| Is change Of emblems. In peace times
| the military companies want their uniforms
| and equipments kept up. There are dress
! parades Decoration day, public and cere-
monal demonstrations, to keep the insignia
| ball rolling. Then the military and naval
| academies now demand superior equipment
| for their ranking officers In foreign coun-
| tries the court and contingent ceremonies
| make much call for orders and decorations
| Paris has always led in<such matters, but
| the work is much better paid for in this
| country, and the orders have been lavish Of
/ late years
"The work is like bead work, and yet
| 1t is not" she adds. displaying the shoul-
| der badge of a Sd Cavalry officer with the
figure "3" built in, firm and solid on the
| yellow groundwork. You must take up the
| tiny sections of tubing bit by bit on the
| needle and sew it fast to the foundation,
| but an accurate eye for proportions and q
steady hand is needed to get the effect
| smooth and symmetrical. Once done wrong
| 1t can't be altered. There are no flowing
| lines and fancy innovations as in embroi-
| derry with silks or crewel. Everything is
exact, formal, disciplined as in the military
| service.
Small Home Factories.
"The women who do the high-grade mill
| tary embroidery are nearly all gentlewomen
| who shrink from public notice. They learned
the work deliberately at the hands of older
experts and pursue it quietly in home sur
roundings that bear evidence Of refinement,
prosperity. Seldom does one operate alone.
She trains helpers to her own standard of
expertness And her being able to take
| large orders and execute them on time is
convenience to the tailors. These private
work rooms show nothing of hurry dis
| order. The materials used are expensive
| and must be taken care of. No department
can be sighted, from the cutting out of the
foundation samplers to putting on the plait-
| ings of thick-roped gold cord that define the
| markings. 1t is the matter Of cutting and
designing as much as good work that dis
| tinguishes the artist embroiderer of mill
| tary gear from the mere follower of the
| trade: The heavy cloths and foundation
samplers are lad piece on piece for many
| thlckneSses and them cut out somewhat as
ta1lors' goods are cut, but with a knife diff
! ferent in pattern from any knife used in
other trades. Accurate cutting greatly ia
| clIltateS the needleworker'S efforts.
| The cutter and patterner of figures and
! emblems used In military routine is called
| decoupeur In the old world countries the
| decOupeur is a recognized artist In the
| United States the woman decoupeur's work
| wins the praise of all military officials who
| wear 1t. And many general and admiral,
| much pleased with the well-executed insig-
| MA on his uniform, sends personal thanks
| to the embroiderers. and when arranging for
| further outfits stipulates that the insignia
be worked only in her particular workshop,
under personal direction"
Il cannot get helpers enough just before
| decoration day or any special demonstra-
| ton, said one of two sisters who have
| an embroidery plant in a big city. 1T is
| skilled work that 1 must have, and skilled
| labor in our line is hard to get | have
| many dlsappointments. Young girls with
| taste ana ambition are eager these days
| to go into something that will yield re-
| turns almost immed3ately that they neglect
| any profession requiring much practice.
| our work Is a profession, not a trade, II
well done. The demand lis certain, the pay
| hlgh the work of intrinsic interest. Yet
| girls Will work for years in order to dabble
IN water colorS ors.o ito no purpose or
| to get inefficient knowledge of music. They
| Try millinery, whichTonlf offers work half
| the year, or domesticsneedfewo ork that yields
scarcely anything. obi. s6ften wish oppor-
tunity to draw theiBfattention to this COM
| paratiVely uncrowdad field. 1 have to stay
| In town all summer, To- execute orders