The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10
The Visiting Seam
stress.
Some f Her Littlc Fads
and Foibles.

Tho visiting seaInStrcss took out her
little notebook, the ono In which she
marked down her engagements; for be 1t
known that she IL of those rare
creatures, n visiting seamstrcss who really
can sew, and cut and at. ana remodel,
and DO the countless other things that
the woman who capnot put a stitch for
herself always expects someone else TO
do for her. M
'Lct inc gee" she muses.. Monday,
Tuesday and Wcdncsda. ut Mrs. Mend.
hams No. my dear, ! cannot possibly
20 to the theater with you on Tuesday
night" turning to her visitor. You sec,
! shall have tc put In the first three days
next week at Mrs. Mcndhams. and she
expects to get three new frocks made in
| that time, any number OF sleeves re-
| modelled new velvctccn bindings on Il
| bakers dozen of skirts, and goodness
| knows what AL bssldes!
..Shea wants ali athat done In three
! days!" queried her city cousin. low
| many assistants does she provide to help
| you through.
"Asslstants." scornfully laughed the
| dressuakcr. tAsSistants. did you say!
| Well, Mrs. Meridian will announce that
/ she will do all of the Blasting and all OF
1 the hand sewing, so that can do all
\ OF the cutting and fitting and nuchinng;
but when 1t comes 10 doing 1t, she Is
| yconspicuously among those absent. Then
| she 4WOnucrS Will ! 'tlI uoiHS Win tue
! time that she Is paying for; and how 1t
! Is that cunnot HNke.and finish such
| simple gown rs hers III one day. Oh, |
| tell you, my dear girl, the woes OF the
\ visiting scnrnstress are many; and the
man or woman who would have the conr-
4 age to set them forth on the stage would
be hailed az the lineai descendant Of, and
Legitimate successor to. the firm OF An
/ anias, Sapphire and Company. ne
! "Shc never has anything ready for me.
Il The machine always has to be cleaned
and oiled after ! come; there is mad
rush to the store for bastinS cotton, for
machine silk for bone castings and seam
1 bindings Or course always have my
own scissors and needles and things like
that: but no matter how often phone
her or write her. It's always the last
minute before she buys what Is necessary.
Then, too, the things she wants re-.
modelled are MEYER ,; 3. ripped and have
"Weli, wonder that you work for her
at all." rejoincd the wel-to-do cousin.
..If | had to 30 out 10 WORK. should
choose the people that I'd work for, and
4 I'd be mighty particular In my choosing,
too"
ION, no, you wouldn't. You'd just
learn to take them as they come, tho
rooa with the bad, and the Indifferent
wlth the Ignorant. Nov, there's this
same Mrs. Mendham. She is one OF the
Ignorant ones. She thinks that a whole
Gown can be made and finished In one
day: and she herself cannot make even
n Tiny dolly in II whole week
s"Whnt DO I think OF this new figure?
We'll. ii simply means that have got
j to get new set OF patterns al around;
for no fitted waist or shirtwaist, either.
TINT went over the old-tlme straight front
Will do over this new shape.
"Eor some OF my best customers, with
whose figures | am familiar, ! will cut
thcIr waist Innings at home here. sew
thrm IN, have the fentherDoncs run In
the seams and the hook.and-eyc bones
down the front; and then they are all
ready TO fit Just rs soon us get there.
This saves Il world of time and trouble
after, just TO get all my cutting and bon.
ing done at once, and seems to make the
work 70 SO much quicker.
g .Anl when 1t comes to fitting stout
lady's skirt, well, though ! 10 say 1t my.
self, there's no taiior ~ TINS town can
do better You know the way TINT elder
" women 30 often stand, the back hol-
lowed at the wnlst-thcy try to stand so
straight that they almost fall over back
ward.-,und the abdomen protruuIng. Try
II to make the average pattern skirt TT
them, and it VIII sng In forlornly. In the
middle OF the front and hitch upFa few
Y inches besides. 5-f til e
We'll, to overcome this ! cut the skirt
some four or six inches longer than Is
necessary, and after it is scanned to-
gcther try 1t on. Pnnin.:s II waistband
!. firmly on the waist, ! draw the skirt up
inside Of This until II falls III correct 20,
( sltton. Then turn up the bottom, pin.
t ming " closely and carefully. sew on the
. baud and let tho skirt hang, well weight
ca, on the Sngure-stand over night. Then
It Will stretch all that 1t is going to-, and
t next day, after one more try-on, ] tnlsh
/ the hem, sew on tho binding, and 1t u
i done. as
!, "l'hc length nouncc?" she queries, "Oh
= yes, that always make to come well ny
to the knee, so tnat when the skirt y
sIr Is sh Of silk No Whe or ether othes
o under part, being well st!lfcned. helps "a
j. il set out the dress skirt quite after Inc an
:. proved flare. You know yourself that
!; unless one have Sufficient skirts under
: meath even the, best cut dress VIII nor
. around the ankles and lose NIL OF its
# sn,n rt cnnhnt with avon tha first wear