New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-07
HANDBOOK ON HOME ARTS.
Interesting Facts About Embroidery and
Dressmaking.

| well written little volume which has recently been
! published by E P, button & Co. New-York. AS
! the title suggests, it is a book for women. by
| women, and. a matter of fact. six women have
| collaborated III its making-Ruth NJ Day, who
! writes on embroidery; J. z. Davis. who conducts
the novice through the intrcaCies Of dres5Haklng;
Clara Hill. who elucidates millinery; Mrs. Turnbun
! and Miss TurnbuIl, who take knitting and crochet
| as their province, and Ethel NJ N. McKenna, the
editor. This book is second in the series known as
| The Womans Library and is amply illustrated
| While the effort is apparent throughout these
useful pages to make the subjects handled as
transparent as possible to the reader. there is one
difficulty, from the American point Of view with the
| book. It has been written by English women Tor
| English readers. and some of the facts stated
do not tally with American experience. The Amer
lean girl for example who should pick up this book
! in the hope Of learning how to set about becoming
a milliner would be mystifed at the start by al
| lusioCs to court" high Glass; middle class
and low class" millners establishments, while
her rystihcation would gradually pass into state
| of stupefaction she read about Factory acts,
! II. NJ inspectors living in" etc. Further on she
| would find herself adjured to live in. as there
is nothing SO advantageous to a steady, well bal
anced girl as going right away to live in re-
spectacle, high toned establishment, where proper
| rules regulate the house"
LIVING IN SYSTEM
AT the present day, though only the head hand
| except where but few kept-may can expect
| to have bedroom to herself the assistants may
! fairly reckon on having only other bedfelow,
llOuS possibly, II the ped chamber ne very Id &C
and airy or the esta bishment city house. the
| rent high and economy OF space a necessity. the
! bedroom may be divided into two parts. double
hd be4 2eh & MAY a take Of 5q b 9Hs
called upon to sleep with her bed head underneath
her pillow a WIN Was se tho nase With ri gir in
very high class house thrty-fve years ago,
All OF which is or may be highly misleading 10
the american girl who like Rosa Dartle, is look
says Miss Day in the ec 9Pe9 6n
a which
Then follows, valuable demonstration Of the
| various embroidery stitches that the amateur may
a ape 20 master Tin an explanation 6 [ne most e1e
! mentary Of the stitches whose structure depends
they are worked is simply little diagonal stitch
| taken from thread Of the canvas or linen on
comPosed Of two diagonal stitches crossing one ne
| nine threads Chree in each directon). The reason
much is because the latter is Just about twice
| eHectlve as the former as Miss Day proves. py q
Another very common and effective stitch I WoTked
| tine stitch. It is worked in diagonal rows Make
| a straight stitch extending over: say, six threads
next thread three holes higher up than you put it
Stitch in Which many Of the i zgzsg patterns on
| italian chairs etc, are worked.
USEFUL STITCHES.
Other useful stitches Of this type are plated
! stitch" or Spanish stitch" and rather more
elaborate stitch sometimes called "fshbone' which
is rather like herringbone stitch worked on its
side.
Then there is darnng "a kind of first cousin to
the foregoing stitches and the family Of satin
stitches; the crewel group, chain: tambour, knot,
rope and fancy stitches like herringbone, feather:
Miss Days attention. The diagrams should prove
| Illuminating to any woman DESTROYS of becoming
From the niceties Of gold thread appiques
| and ribbon work to the technique of dressmaking
may seem a far cry. Still. the explicit directions
given for the cutting fitting finishing and pressing
| Of skirts and bodices cannot but be useful to any
woman who tries 10 do this sort of thing for herself
"Lcn me 9uthor OF TINS Ieluse gives Iet l ne
h5s on te d1d ana o WTonS o us for
faults or flaws before use and the right side ana
I upon. Cloth looks best ii cut with the nap to
! smooth downwards; the pile of velvet should
! diagonals cut to run from left to right down
on ali pieces the twin runs the same way, meeting
a. TIE seams and making the sarmeRt look as II
on the body from an uncut piece Of the stuff
DISPOSAL OF STRIPES AND CHECKS.
stripes and checks are planned to run into VS.
at the waist: figures, spots, plaids, flowers cords.
! ribs, etc, must be carefully watched to complete
the design over the seams"
! Aneut the painful topic Of wrinkles, Miss Davis
! writes: 1T may be accepted Cor general guidance
that Il sl slant; wrinkles appear at any seam or
| alteration must be made by opening the seam and
other may be needed until both sides lie smooth
~ Iogether. Inc %rInkIes may SHOW at the front
raising or lowering it on the back one, at the first
re&dustmenf 6 the back half Of the g second e sT
may need deepening or, in plain bodice. with all
! the seams through, on the curved side piece, in
! WFlCn case the wrinkles may usually be removed
by making little extra reduction the waist line
/ If the seams are TO be overcast she advises
| the worker should do before pressing, that all
the sewing may be hattened if bound It is usual
TO press before binding. In good work all the turn
ings are scaIOped and narrowed off at the ends of
both sides Of each seam should be pressed firmly.
The iron should not be passed above the heads OF
the darts. or fold viii be pressed into the bodice
| ! ne seams should then be laid open and pressed
open from the inside on covered roller. without
! need to he worked out very finely, and the small
piece at the head of each dart must be made TO lie
| fat like small box peat. but the bust must not
! be stretched across above them.
THE PRESSING OF SEAMS.
| The best pressers work by the straight thread,
| both down and across. and heavy pressing and
| dragging are both avoided For stubborn sprngy
stuffs they slightly dampen each side Of the line
| stitching before pressing open. a touch of nearly
dry yellow soap rubbed down each side Of the seam
| before laying it open will help make the seam
rlenCed workers have very liberal idea Of what is
! meant by touch and will often rub enough
soap on one seam 70 serve for several dresses This
! hardeuS the seam. and if damp glazes through
10 the outside Of the garment sometimes completely
spelling the material. Inside glazing is a thing to
avoid il makes after alteration dieting QUIZ i'm
! every seam was pressed under tissue paper, that
the bodice should not ne glazed il II needed letting
far as the line Of stitching and further and the
turnings opened by drawing the inside the seam
over the edge of an iron in the direction 5
the PIE shooIhes, or pressed on thick pad. with
a narrow. curved iron SILK be very lightly
pressed under tissue paper and with cool iron II
| glazing is TO be avoided"
! k4I H0yISEsEOT y sss&sN III