El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-02

C. ~
great increase in the manufacture
of readymade clothing, there
still remains a large amount Of sewing
to be done in the average home. Cen
orally the burden Of this falls upon the
wife and mother. To many women the
family sewing seems an increasingly
heavy burden each year, notwithstand-
ing the number Of helps brought for
ward every season calculated to hight
en- the work Of the home seamsIress.
Aside from the sewing machine,
there is no one article which has haU
so great an influence in simplifying
the manufacture of garments in the
home as the cut paper patterns which
are now scattered broadcast through
out the land. Tt Is over century
since the country tailor in q New Eng
land village first cut a paper pattern
for sale for use In a home. This pat
tern was for pair Of trousers for
small boy and was remarkable for fit
and style, according to the require
ments of that period This was the be-
ginning Of the tissue paper pattern
business in the United States g bust
ness which has now reached enormous
proportions and calls for the eXpendi-
ture of millions Of dollars each year
First Patterns Crude.
The first cut paper patterns were
crude and Inaccurate. Often they were
as beWildering as q picture puzzle ana
Na-AEA AlA III man. d 4LeeAAAeA--g anu
ing spell from the woman who tried 70
use them. Now the paper pattern IS so
simple that a child can comprehend II
and so accurate that few alterations are
required.
While the careful home seamstress
keeps a pattern bag and preserves all
patterns to be used again, many WO-
men are recklessly eXtrava CANT in this
respect and purchase a new pattern
for each new garment Folks nova
days have to have a pattern for most
everything down TO a pocket handker-
chief" remarked an old lady upon en-
tering her granddaughter sewing
room In my day when a woman
needed a pattern for a new body, she
stood up and the dressmRker pinned
newspaper to fit her and then cut 1t out
for years and loaned to all the neigh
bors. If Il got worn out or torn, IL was
laid on newspapers and another one
American Patterns Rest.
American pattern manufacturer are
the leaders throughout the world. Most
Of them print their catalogues and
pattern directions In several languages
and these are sent to every country Of
the world. The French patterns are
more expensive and less comprehensive
to the amateur while the English and
German patterns are said to be faulty
in lines and lacking in style. The sizes
are also less carefully adjusted than the
American patterns.
The sewing machine quickly followed
the tissue paper pattern into the Amer
lean sewing room. The first machines
were heavy and cumbersome and the
action so heavy that they were known
as lady killers. Running the earlier
machine required much physical
strength and hundreds Of women Grip
pied themselves for life in running
them This difficulty has been practi-
with their ball bearing. perfectly adj
Justed mechanism can hardly injure
even delicate woman. although the
application Of electricity and water
power has obviated even this eTertiOn.
There is also a hand sewing machine
that is useful TO the woman who has
not great deal Of sewing TO do Tt
may be plOced upon an ordinary table
and operated by hand It cannot, OF
course, do the speedy work of a larger
machine, but its small bulk makes It
desirable addition in apartments and
small houses where there is no room for
the ordinary machine.
The number Of appliances or attach
ments for doing special work upon the
sewing machine are almost numberless.
Iucklns, hemming, telling and quilting
are now accomplished speedily and ac-
curately by means of easily adjusted at
tachments. The better class Of machines
provide attachments for doing various
kinds Of embrOiderinC and also hem
stitching and braiding. One Of the
newest appliances, and one that is in
great demand. IS the stocking darner
by means or this the busy mother may
in a few minutes neatly darn large
holes which would have required hours
OF tedious work If done by hand.
Pioneer Sewing Machine Men
While the first sewing machines were
invented in Europe and first exhibited
in France, It required American inge-
nutty to make them OF practical use.
Elias Howe and William Singer are
frequently credited with having invent
ed the sewing machine. even though
they did not originate it. AS with the
paper patterns. the American sewing
machine is recognized as suDeriOr to
that Of any other country and figures
largely on the list Of exports to every
foreign country.
But despite the aid Of the paper pat
tern and the sewing machine the fam
ily sewing is stiu heavy tax upon the
mother OF a family and manufacturers
and inventors are seeking to still fur
Their tighten this labor. Various kinds
Of adjustable buttons lessen the num-
Der of buttons TO be seWed on by hand,
The fact that so many buttons are bro
ken in the wringer led the manufac-
turer this year TO place a wrinEer-
proof button upon the market But
tOnhole strips. containing substantial
buttOnhOles, which can be quickly
placed upon any garment by stitching
the strip in place, are another laboi'