The Washington herald., 1908-05-18
FROM WOMAN'S
POINT OF VIEW

In an information column happened
upon a paragraph that described a proc
ess OF turning damaged velvet into the
kind known as "Panne" and MORE"
and wishing TO test the truth of state
ment that means a distinct saving OF
money, I consulted a practical miliiner.
found that the thing could be done, bat
scarcely with satisfaction TO woman
who cared for appearances.
The real process is q machine one.
where the steady pressure Of large rollers
makes an even surface. A flatiron would
leave marks which no amount Of care
would eradicate. and the velvet would
have the undesirable air OF home treat
ment and inexperienced hands. I do not
believe that the sacrifice of appearance is
true economy. and neither does my In
formant, who has a reputation for clever
ness in freshening old material. She re-
moves spots and creases from velvet by
holding the material over steam and
brushing the nap in the right direction
with a soft brush. She dyes ribbons and
silk, touches up new flowers with water
color paints TO secure a desired shade,
and renovates old ones with gum arabic
water and the same box OF paints.
watched her studying a bunch Of
mignonette which had little red points
that would not harmonic with the roses
and lilaes she wished 10 use with H. Af-
ter some thought she secured a tiny pair
OF scissors and sniped the points from one
spray and studied the result. 1t was sat
isfactory, so she shipped the others and
secured the green she needed for effect,
without the disturbing red. Steam fresh
ems tulle. also. she says. unless the dress
Ing has all disappeared, as l found It
once in a rather expensive nat which I
wore just once at the seashore. It was a
red hat made Of currant red tulIe and
ribbon. and one-half hour reduced Its
dainty puffings 10 unsightly pulpy masses.
II could not be remedied, SO was con-
signed TO the ash barrel. with a frock
which cackled in the same damp atmos-
phere.
I watched the deft fingers of my milli-
merry acquaintance dissect a thick, ugly
ANai5 NebtieA EAhtitVs o&ia AAolA tliS HAriNS
make two graceful feathers and one tip,
The owner Of the feather bought It Of
another miiliner who charged her first
class price for an inferior article. I
learned a good deal that day. for / saw
two thin layers placed together and fast
ened firmly, making a respectable thick
feather ] saw an entire hat constructed
from secondhand materials. and it look
ed quite new and as handsome as any
imported model in her stock.
why can / not use these secrets for
the benefit of women who have TO econo-
mize everywhere, but especially on ward
robes?' ] asked and she promptly gave
me the desired permission and the prom
ise OF future aid whenever I needed It.
The ways Of renovation are endless"
she said as she twisted a loop OF ribbon
into coquettish form. examined pair
OF shoes the other day in a shop where
repairing is a speciality. They looked
quite new. yet the salesman showed me
that the leather was Old and told me
that the shoes were left TO be thrown
away. They were disreputable in the
extreme when the cobbler found them,
and IL was wholly as an experiment that
be took them in hand How many women
would wear newly soled shoes, I wonder?
Few, I am afraid, yet the scheme has
much TO recommend it.
BETTY BRADEEN.