The Washington herald., 1907-08-06
FROM WOMANS
POINT OF VIE w

The best feature Of the unprecedented
prosperity Of the country is the revival
Of hand labor and consequent opportunity
for skiIlful fingers. Machinery has been
Of incalculable value 10 business, but It
crippled hand labor and took away the
means OF livelihood from host Of work
ers. Machine-made shoes were cheap;
therefore. the handmade articles fell into
disfavOr Machine lace had good wear
ing qualities with the added advantage
OF cheapness, so the better kind ceased TO
fabrics and furniture and only those who
were needed in the running Of machines
have shared in the general prosperity.
Now a revulsion Of feeling is bringing
handicraft to the front again. II will
not seriously interfere with the world of
machinery. but it viii mean financial
gain to a large number Of skilled workers
Those who have money TO spend pre-
fer hand sewing, handmade furniture
and real lace, and a movement is on foot
10 revive the industry OF hand-weaving
qualities OF the products and originality
of design. No rugs have been found TO
equal the handmade floor coverings Of
foreign lands. and there is no lace on the
market TO compare with the strong
Irish crochet which is having a we'll
deserved popularity There are a few
women who had choice pieces of this lace
In their possession long before the craze
for it was born, and the patterns have
not been dupiIuate1 The hardest kind
Of wear has failed TO make any impress
sion upon its strength, and that cannot
be said Of any other variety, save, pos
sibly. the handmade torchons, which make
the most satisfactory trimmings for IN
derwear.
Handmade furniture lasts a lifetime,
and there is nothing prettier than mis-
sion shapes put together with pegs. I
know of a home belonging TO a bride,
a little affair of six rooms. that is wholly
furnished in this manner, with a viii
low chair or two. Oak is the wood, but
it is finished in different colors. green
being chosen for the living room. with
removable tapestry pillows. Even the up
right piano has a quaint looking case in
green stained oak. The library is of
weatheTed oak with tawny leather cush-
4U4o ADANu Will AlOAlA1. anu TIE UllllHE-
room furniture was stained a red known
as cherry Old blue was made the key
note Of that room, while the two bed
rooms were in golden oak and white
enamel, respectively.
A prettier home have never seen at
any cost. and this one was paid for out
Of the savings Of two bread-winners, both
OF whom have good taste and heap
Of common sense. As the bride does her
own housework she determined that
there should be no unnecessary furnish
ings, and nothing that required unusual
care, for she wanted time to read and
sew, to keep up her good looks and her
circle of friends and acquaintance. En-
tertainments frequently, but always in
a modest way that makes no serious in
roads on the family income.
To spend time in embroidering useless
articles is folly. as would be the elimina-
tion of the sewing machine in making
garments. Table linen needs handwork,
but monograms on cloths, napkins, and
towels are luxuries which the fastidious
often forswear, believing that the fine
4
hemming is done by hand, of course. Hand
made lingerie is a luxury, and if a woman
chooses to put her time and strength into
it. that is TO her credit To buy It at
shop prices is beyond the modest purse.
believe that the time is coming when
we shall return TO the simplicity Of our
ancestors in more ways than the hand
loom and the spinning wheel. There IS a
tendency toward handmade shoes from
measure, a few women having already
secured their own lasts.
It means that We shall not be confined
to any one make of shoes or any one
style, for we can have whatever we
choose TO pay for. Custom-made articles
cost more. but wear better. as I realized
after 1 had purchased a gown, spent sew
eral weary hours in the fitting rooms, and
discovered too late for remedy that
bodice and skirt were not mates. either In
shade or texture. As for the sewing
well. l have been taking stitches in that
frOck ever since / bought H. at a price
that ought to have given me satisfaction.
The mother of two small children told me
recently that she was having similar trOu-
bic with little shoes. the best she could
buy coming to rending after a weeks
wear. She is going to have their shoes
made to order In the future. This is only
one sign of future interest In handiwork
BETTY BRADEES.