Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-01
MENDINo HINTS.

If a buttonhole tears out lay a piece
of closely woven tape back OF it, stitch
firmly in place, hem the old button
hole to 1t neatly and then cut and work
in the tape a new buttonhoie OF the
proper size. An extra fine way is to
rip the band apart and take out the
threads of the old buttonnoie, stitch
the tape on the inside of the pacA rid
Of the band, stitch up the latter in its
original shape and proceed as before.
VIXEN buttons have torn out it is COM
paratively easy to squeeze a small
square of good tape through the hole,
lay it fiat in the proper position be
stitch it in place. Hem down the rag
ged edges on both sides and sew the
buttons to the tape. Any button or
button hole that is to bear strain
should be stayed with tape when the
garment Is being made, the stay taDes
for both buttons and buttonholes being
placed in the band before II IS stitched.
The corset cover comes next in or
der One way to make it is TO cut it
from the shirtwaist pattern which fits
you, making 1t round or square neck,
as you like. and with a pepulum to
avoid fullness over the hips. When It
comes to mending ordinary corset COW
ers patches are put in like those in
drawers, all the way to the waistband,
II II bGEIlS WOTLu Wulltt OLHEIN lSE
round or square ones with the cor
ners carefully mitered. Circular cor
set covers are a little harder to patch
since the place where holes come most
quickly under the arms - is on the
bias. Combination corset covers and
drawers. or corset covers ana skirts,
are being more and more adopted. The
former combination is better, because
drawers and corset covers are worn
about the same length Of time where
as corset covers soil much more quick
~ than skirts.
Mending Silk skirts is almost hope
less. When pinked ruffles fray out
cut away the w-edged points just
above the pinldng. Sometimes new
narrow ruffies are needed and often only
a new dust ruffle. When a favorite
silk skirt is too far gone to fuss with
it is sometimes possible to make from
it q 12-inch rufie which may be put
on a sateen foundation or fastened to
the inside Of the skirt it matches.
Circular skirts viii not stand the
weight Of such a rufie, but d-plait-
ed ones will. Make the silk flounce as
deep as you can, then sew 1t to strip
Of thin material and attach 1t to the
skirt at the seams. This plan has, for
stout women, the particular advant-
age Of giving support to the skirt with
out any extra material over the hips.
White skirts with plain hens are
easily mended around the bottom.
Without ripping the hem, insert the
finger or a paper knife at some hole
and separate the two parts along the
frayed edge. Now turn up each loose
part about half an inch or possibly
more, according to the height of the
worn places, haste the edges together
and stitch. This gives a neat, solid
edge again. Where the points Of en-
broidered ruffies are worn and the rest
is good. cut them off and stitch on the
embroidery that remains either a mar
row edge Of the lace or one of plain
embroidered scalloping which har-
monies with the original design.
Sometimes deep embroidery has a
continuous figure in the design which
may be cut along the edge, making
a shorter skirt. In this case tucks will
have to be taken in the dust rufle if
there is one; or If this is worn out Il
may be cut off entirely