Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-05
SARTORIAL HINTS.
By Elizabeth Lee.

Housekeepers are always interested in
the new linens and damasks brought out
| each season, for though on the whole
| these lines are staple, new designs are
| to be seen each succeeding year.
Since the round table is favored for the
| dining room, the cloth. too. must be
round in shape also, and / have in mind
| an excellent cloth of pure Scotch linen
marked at less than 81. 1t measured
probably seventy inches in diameter and
the design was woven to fit the table
The center was scattered with polka dots,
outlined by circle Of pansies on line
with the edge Of the table. A wider
was finished with buttonhole scallop-
ing.
was told this had been named the
emergency cloth, because it was alike
appropriate for every occasion. 1t was
also expected, I was Informed. to be in
| demand as a wedding present, being
quite out of the ordinary run Of table,
| cloths.
The key pattern forms the border to
some of the new linens. sometimes alone
| and sometimes combined with a floral
effect. On a round-shaped cloth the
| pattern appears very attractive. Tn"
less the edge is finished with scallop-
ing. hemstitching is used. the plain hem
no longer being in favor.
The napkins, of course, match in fin
| ish the cloth to which they belong.
| That old standard design, the feur-de-
| lis, Is seen in new arrangements, as,
the design quite small and then deep
| border of the figures very large and
bold This seems to be a popular pat
tern this season. for a tablecloth Dor
straight was showered with rather small
polka dots.
One would think fashions never changed
in table linen, but they do. One year
stripes will be in demand. another year
1t will be bowknots, and so on, but one
can never go wrong in selecting the polka
dot or the feur-de-lis design.
The tab!ecloths that come by the yard
are excellent both in Scotch and Ger
man damask, but in buying cloths this
way the purchaser should see the sales
man open the damask fiat before cut
ting. l know of one house where the
assistants are instructed to do this, but
as rule the cutting is done when the
cloth is doubled, consequently there is
often a loss of five or six inches on
cloth. After the customary thread draw
ing before hemming it is not at all UNI
usual to find from two to three inches
Of course, is worthless. Still one has
had to pay for It, and the only result Is
shortened tableclOth.
For everyday use the German silver
bleach cloth gives excellent service. The
two-yard size costs about 81 and can be
had In different dice" designs. I like
the dice pattern for an inexpensive table
cloth, because 1t Is SO unpretentious. Fine
damask cannot be too handsome in de-
sign, however. I am often asked the
tests for proving linen to be absolutely
all linen. and / can only pass on the in
formation given me by an elderly Scotch
man, who had been a buyer Of linens for
many years. He said: There is prac-
tically no sure test. What I know Of
linens I learned from my old mother.
can usually detect the presence OF cotton
by simply passing my fingers over the
surface of the article, but when I am
still in doubt I tear it. BY the sound Of
the tearing I know whether 1t Is pure
linen or adulterated."
This test, however, would not be very
practical to the housewife buying new
linens, would it?