The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-11-29

When one does ones own dress
making correct cut costs only the
price of a pattern, and careful finish
nothing at all in money. Yet they are
of far more importance in the smart
gowning of the younger girls than is
either quality of material or expensive
trimmings. Possibly the fact that
children rapidly outgrow their frocks
has influenced the fashions. BE this
as it may, certain it is that even IN
circles where money-saving need not
be considered, simplicity and dainu-
ness rather than rich and elaborate ef-
fects distinguish the attire of the
children.
Lingerie frocks are de rigueur for
four-and six-year-olds, for dress, even
in mid-winter. They cannot be too
dainty, either in material. trimming,
or finish. Lawns and cotton batistes
can be found fine and sheer, even
when low-priced; and as the founda-
ton of lingerie dress, they answer
quite as well as India linen. After
/ all, the daintiness lies less in the quail
/ ity of the material than in its fresh
/ ness, it's lines. and its finish.
Skirts must be short and full. The
hem and tucks must be set with
geometric precision, and sewed with
almost microscopic stitches. The raw
edges of seams must be invisible,
both on the right and wrong sides.
Whipping them to inherited lace it
adds somewhat to the total expense,
or seam-beading is the newest way,
but the next best method turns the
seams to the right side, trims them
close, and hides them under narrow
band of bias material with its edges
folded down. This is first basted into
position, and then ornamented with
closely set herring-bone stitches done
In crochet cotton or in the new mer.
cerized embroidery thread. The long
seams in the frocks are finished in
French" style.
When inserting lace, bands OF
drawn work, strips Of darned, tucked
or embroidered net, etc, haste the
trimming into position, sew 1t down
Just within its own edges, and finish
the ends in picket-points. as illustrated
In Figure 1. To secure the transpar
ent effect, turn to the wrong side, and
with pointless scissors cut through
|, the center the portion of material i'm
mediately under the lace. Fold the
raw edges back at the lines of sewing
, and stitch them down just beyond the
latter, so as to catch the extreme edge
r of the lace. Finally, trim away the
r material close to the last row of sew
' ing. Whipping the lace and materia
together makes a daintier finish, bu
the cheap lace and cottons will no
, always stand the strain which may
! eventually be exerted upon them.
. In the little frock shown in Figure 1
:. the hem, being double, was whipped
!. TO the lower edge of the lace inser
!, ton above II, and the lace edging a
the sleeves and throat was whipped
TO the brier-stitched collar and elbow
bands. Clever fingers can improv
y upon these by substituting coral
{ stitching for the simpler brier-sutch
ing. and setting French knots between
!, the branches.
The following items entered into tn
construction of the frock:
~ 2 yards of lawn at 20 cents ............s Z
4 wards OF insertion at 5 cents.......... >:
d iH yards of edging at cents.......... !
Buttons ......,s................. :,
~ Cotton (half a spooD ................... I
" Cotton (for herring bone stitches).... I
. Pattern U410 ................s..'...'''.' =
IL Total .....s...ss.s..'.....s''+s
~ Figure illustrates a charmin
" dress for little Miss Eight-Year-Olt
" The skirt was made of embroidere
~ bouncing, and the bretelles of ban
embroidery to match. The open nee
aud sleeves were finished with waller