South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-13
Needle,Uork As a
Means of Livelihood
Tact Will Acquire Patronage
for Dainty Embroiderer;
Work Is Pleasant.

Were there not considerable senti-
ment about the marking of household
linens, l might not get so much of
| that work TO. do" explained a placid
faced, grey-haired woman, the while
she diligently embroidered a large
initial on the corner of a towel You
might not suspect how large is the
number OF men who are positively old
maidish about the way in which their
household linens are marked. This
place, for instance -spreading the
towel across her lap-"Deiongs to an
elderly bachelor whose list OF estab-
lishments includes a country place,
town apartment, mountain camp
and a seagoing yacht. And the linen
for all of them is marked exactly
alike-a single letter and a pansy in
one corner, two inches above the hem
which invariably is a quarter OF an
inch wide. He will not have any
other style of marking and hemming
for the purely sentimental reason that
1t was his mothers way of Identifying
her linens. W Mich you realize that the
letter and the flower are on every
toWel-bath, pantry and kitchen va
riety, on the centerpiece, sheets and
pillow cases for the servants as well
all of the napery, you Will see that the
replenishing of that stock each season
IS a cOnSidera bic task which rebounds
to my advantage since each new piece
is sent to me before ii is Numbered.
This man of the initial and the pansy
is my only regular patron-whO counts
for much-becauSe millionaire
bachelors are scarce. But People are
always getting married, even when
times are hardest and the bride-elect
who has the money to buy a quantity
of household linens never seems TO
have time TO mark it with her hands.
But she's apt to be as fussy as my
wealthy bachelor. Every single piece
in the collection, including the
humblest kitchen towel, has to carry
her individual initial or monogram,
even though it may be in color in
stead of in white to correspond with
the finer portions of the stock.
How do l acquire the patronage of
brides elect?" The embroideress
smiled mischievously. I'm walking
authority on local society because my
first duty of the day is TO search the
morning papers for engagement an
nouncements. During the 10 years that
I've been doing this work I've marked
linen for so many brides-elec that my
acquaintance among the rich or fash
iOnable is SO extensive that usually
can get a card of introduction to the
desired patroness. However, if nobody
whom L know in a business way can
put me into communication with her
family, armed with some specimens of
my handiwork, L call at the house and
nine times out of 10 l get an inter-
view At first l was shy about going |
TO see strangers and mailed circulars
to them instead. But after Vainly |
awaiting a reply in every single in |
stance, l determined to hencefOrth put
my pride in my pocket just as any |
woman must do who has only her own |
efforts to depend upon. Whenever |
have approached people in this way
coming to them out of space, as it |
were-they have been most kind and |
have listened patiently to all L had to |
say about the advantage of getting all |
linen marked with embroidery over /
that OF the ordinary ink process. FIRE.
quently, too, the bride-elect decides at /
the final moment almost, to get all of !
her lingerie marked by needlework,
and in any case she is likely to want |
her handkerchiefs TO be initial-em-
broidered.
ut would be hard to tell of the |
number and the different sort of peO-
pie who order dozen or more hand
kerchiefs marked with an initial. a
monogram or a flower. The more
prosperous have this work done upon
the handkerchiefs which they them
selves intend TO use, and the moder-
ately circumstanced, for their friends.
There is more profit in doing
handkerchiefs than in any other form
of needlework marking because those
very small squares are so easily
handled that the stitches can be rap
idly put in. Moreover people will pay
more in proportion for them. Next to
handkerchiefs. II is pleasantest TO do
fine towels. sort of work which pays
well for the time expended upon it
because the rather large lettering
which the average patron prefers
shows up wonderfully on the heavy
damask. on the other hand. kitchen
towels are a thankless task for even
the best of crash isn't worth putting
so much upon, but it is a fad to have
everything in the linen closet uniform
" identified and so make the best
rates possible for them.
"One thing that l never do is to
give d price list for lettering linens. 1t
does not do because there nevor are
exactly as many or as few pieces as
are bargained for and either patron. or
worker gets the worst of the bargain.
NJ way is to ask so much for every
marking, according TO its simplicity or
its elaborateness, but make scarcely
any difference in charge for the varied
sizes of the letters. Because all of the
materials to be embroidered are white
the worker can stitch steadily for sew
eEal hours, morning. afternoon and
evening, without unduly Straining her
eyes. And il pays-I shall not state
definitely how much for each letter
because the prices obtained must de-
= Il.