Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
HOUSEWIFE ECONOMY
Sheets, Blankets and Towels
Given New Lease.
NEVER NEED A. NEEDLE
Darning and Button Placing Done
With Systematic Care.
INGENIOUS TRANSFORMATIONS
fashionable White Coats or Embroid-
cred Kimonos for Boudoir Wear
Creftily Lifted From the Table.
INGENIOUS TRANSFORMATIONS

To the thrifty housewife no homely econ
| omy which the needle may accomplish is
despised. "a stitch in time saves nine" is
an appreciated proverb and through the
| aid of the tiny spike with it's kindly, wait
ing eye she can do such wonders with
worn household goods that the change
seems enchantment.
This interchangeable cobbler in the home
circle realizes that to be caught mapping
| Is to give time. the enemy of things ma
terial all the chance it wants for the leak
of pennies So that darning and putting on
buttons at vacant places Is done systemati-
cally, every piece in the weeks wash be-
ing looked over before the articles are put
away in their respective places.
Old sheets which have passed the stage
of usefulness are torn In half the more
solid outsides Joined together for the CEN
ter, and the thin. parts,- once the middle
trimmed away and rehemmed for outsides
This brings seam down the middle of the
sheet. but since the princess who felt the
rose leaf through a dozen mattresses Is no
more. the seam must be endured
= you can't imagine says one dear old
home fairy. ''now much longer this cob
bling makes sheet last. 1t is almost like
new in variability, and Is without the dis
agreeable harshness which a new sheet
has"
This is double reason for the making
over of sheets that have become worn in
the middle. where is confined all the wear
and tear Of bed linen.
Worn Towels and Blankets.
This wise old lady. who is maiden aunt.
by the way. also discourses learnedly on
the subject of worn towels. old blankets,
table cloths. etc. If the towels are thin
t. 10 ~ H.
away and made into wash cloths. silver
polishers or what not: IL at the ends. cut
off the split portion and hem the towels,
setting them apart for occasional use.
I'm sickness she declares. there's moth
ing so comfortable as little soft fresh tow
els which may be thrown aside after once
using And besides making them out of
the larger towels, the good part of dis
carded table cloths may also be used In
deed. If old table cloths are of Ana damask
their uses in the sick room are endless and
In the case alone of the new baby, whose
swaddling things should be of softest ma
terial. big hemmed portions are invaluable
for first diapers and bath and crib sheets.
When 1t comes to blankets, the maiden
aunt is really profound in ways and means
of doing them over. If the blanket Is good
enough she says merely to take bits from
an older one, patch the holes and rehem
the ends. which, with long use. split up in
ways dangerous to blanket health. If there
are little holes. ravel out some of the edge
| IOT OaTIlluS WOOl anu uoifO tucfu Will d
coarse needle. These darns show but lit
tie, and you feel good" says the maiden
aunt, to think you don't have. to pay IS
just yet for new pair.
There are other ways OF fixing up old
blankets so that their lives may be pro-
longed. One is to double those worn thread
bare over and quilt them for nursery-crib
summer use. These also serve for the
warm bed pieces, which should be put
over all mattresses under the sheet. AS to
new blankets, a ribbon binding Of the ends
before any use Of them is an excellent and
simple precaution against the end splitting,
which Is bound to come in time.
Radiant Reincarnations.
Bordered winter hangings which have
become moth-eaten or old-fashioned can
be radiantly reincarnated as table COW
ers, lounge Spreads etc. a bachelor girl
with a country barn for studio was given
a set Of four in old-time chenille. These
had dull red centers and deep red and blue
borders; and even IL the centers had not
been hopelessly dilapidated such family
drapery." as the girl put 1t. would never
have done for studio. SO the deep
OF and sewed together for big table
cover. For the moth holes which pierced
them some of the narrower side border of
the curtain was used for patching. The
| best part Of the red centers was pieced
into lounge spread. which in turn was
covered by straps Of the narrow border.
these forming large squares with red for
the center. The result was table and
couch cover far handsomer than the girl
ever could have afforded. besides being in
distinctive and most attractive style.
With her own old silk petticoats and
others friends gave her, the same girl
created matching hangings or surprising
splendor. Only shades OF red, blue, black
and white were used for these, and after
these were carefully sewed together and
rolled into two big balls. A rag-carpet
weaver, for the sum of twenty-five cents
per yard, did the rest. For floor rugs. made
| in the same way, every scrap of old wool
| material that came handy was used
Use of Smaller Pieces.
More elegant home economies for the
needle come in the way Of book covers
| (Which form most attractive Christmas and
| birthday gifts) and little toilet bags. for
the finer and smaller pieces of linen. These
are not necessarily "soil' bags, for with
stiff cardboard bottoms and easy-running
drawstrings such pretty receptacles are
used for fresh handkerchiefs, clean stocks,
neck ribbons. etc.
French cretonne, in delicate Powered pat
terms, is the best material for these, with
white wash tapes for binding edges. For
an easy model, cut two round pieces, using
| a large saucer for pattern; long straight
strip forms the sides, which are gathered
| to the round pieces before the cardboard
bottom is slipped in. Lastly. about three
inches from the top at the inside small
| brass rings are sewn, through which run
the easy drawstrings. When completed, one
or two of these pretty toilet bags hang at
the side OF the dressing table They
also often used to carry sewing materials
when travelling, their crumpling quality
making them feasible for any tiny trunk
space.
The homemade book covers may be made
really beautiful, and one in a well-chosen
material certainly enhances the attractive
ness of the current magazine, whose dog
cared covers soon become eyesores. Choose
materials for these always with reference
to the rest of the rooms color scheme and
cut the cover four inches longer at the sides
than the book. Pad this thinly with cotton
batting, line with thin appropriate silk
and tack the extra length OF the sides over
SO that the book will lie easily inside.
Covers for Gift Books.
Such cover also adds much to the value
of any Of the many little gift" books which
appear with the holiday season. Handsome
and much sought materials for this last
variety are the imported art squares sold
In any of the big department stores. The
whole style OF the book. its binding. ETC.. is
also considered. the charming brocade pat
tern -ef the Louis periods going especially