Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-02-25

Correspondence on topics Of interest to the ladies
| is solicited. Address: Editor HOAEMAKERs
| COLUMN, Oxford Democrat, South Paris. Me.
Hints for Making Over Dresses.
Almost every woman starts out with
the idea that she can make over an
old dress as good as new in about half
the time and by taking half the trouble
necessary to fashion new one. And
about nine times out of ten she ends
with disguised feeling that it was only
time and trouble wasted, because "the
thing looks made over, after ALL"
And this is all because she was care
less about the little details that are
really important in dressmaking. She
labored uuder the delusion that made
over" dress was not worth a great deal
of care and attention.
The successful woman goes at 1t
differently. She realizes that what she
cannot spend in money must be made up
by painstaking ingenuity. In the first
place she carefully rips the garment,
seam from seam, no two pieces being
permitted to remain together. Then
she picks out every stitch and knot of
thread and scrapes off the lint and dust,
before giving each piece thorough
shaking, brushing, sponging and press
ing. Perhaps the garment Is faded in
streaks and must 60 to the dyer-an
operation that is at least one-third
cheaper than buying new cloth.
Perhaps it is only soiled, and bath in
soap bark will make it as good as new.
For an ordinary garment ten cents
worth of soap bark, obtained at the
druggists, will be sufficient. Put the
bark to soak in clean crock or china
dish that has never held anything greasy
grease invariably soaks in the porous
stone or earthenware. Cover the bark
with warm soft water and let it stand
over night. In the morning strain 1t
through a cloth, pour half of it in foot
tub, add clear water and leave the goods
to become thoroughly saturated. If the
water is very dirty, use another course
of soap bark water and afterwards rinse
thoroughly in the clear tepid water.
Rub well, but do not wiring out the
goods with the hands; hang each piece
separately on the line to drip, and before
they have time to really dry, pres them
on the wrong side with an iron that is
only warm enough to take out the
wrinkles.
Plush, velvet and wooden goods, with
raised surfaces, may have the wrinkles
steamed out by tipping back hot iron,
laying upon it a wet cloth, and with its
back to the cloth, the velvet. The steam
forcing its way through the nap of the
velvet freshens it-provided it is already
thoroughly brushed and free from dust.
This renovating process is of course
very tedious, but without it perfect
satisfaction is impossible, and no
amount of time spent in trimming a
garment will make up for lack of fresh
ness. 1t is always great mistake to
make up any cloth or silk that is spotted.
The most important point after the
garment is cut is the basting. The rea-
son why basque wrinkles or skirt
hangs badly is because the basting has
not been carefully done. A garment
should be basted on perfectly fiat. even
surface, such as a light, thin, smooth
board held in the lap, and the lining
held loosely on the material at the waist,
80 that the outside will stretch and avoid
the little pin wrinkles that are so an
noying. All seams should be pressed
open, no matter where they are.
The next important feature OF the
waist is its boning. An old basque new
y boned will have its youth renewed.
To properly bone garment is first a
knowledge and then knack-the casing
must be firm enough to admit of much
stretching, and the bones of quality
that will bend without breaking. One
frequently hears the remark that dress
looks like picture in the picture, but
not when it is made up. 1t depends en-
tirely upon how it is made up.-Ex.