Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-10-13
| DIARY OF a |
WELL DRESSED
-. GIRL y
~ By .SYIpId Il
Gordr0
How She Used Two Remnants to Make an
Indoor FrOck

/ How She Used Two Remnants to Make an
| Indoor Frock.
! The event that opened the social
season this year proved that we can
not be frivolous while there are such
distressing conditions in Europe.
1t was a fashion fete" given for
the benefit of the Belgian refugees
instead of the usual assembly ball.
We donated the costumes and then
acted as mannequins to display their
smartness. After the show Dad
auetioned off the hats and frocks, and
went about 1t in such n clever way
that everyone grew generous and paid
outrageous prices for the things that
pleased their fancy.
My rose-colored house frock ap-
pealed to n guest of Mr.. Havilands s.
from out OF town, and she bid 1t up
to $40. When 1 saw how anxious she
was TO buy it / was proud of the fact
that 1 had made "every stitch" OF it
myself from two remnants that l had
picked UP at odd times.
| saw piece OF rose -colored chiffon
broadcloth on the bargain counter one
day, and, as 1t had been marked so
low, I thought that / could afford to
keep it seven years, If necessary, be-
fore using it, so l made the invest
ment
Shortly afterward | found a rose
| colored remnant of chiffon--enough
for a bodice-and when | compared it
with the broadcloth found it was a
tint or two lighter, but of the same
tone Then | decided to use the rem
nants 10 make frock, and when the
idea of the fashion fete came up /
promised to give a gown. and in my
| minds eye" | saw a dainty rose
| colored creation for indoor wear
Taking the length of broadcloth. |
found that II was wide enough to
make the length of the skirt, allow
| ing for a generous hem. My inten-
tion was to make it of straight
widths, but / soon discovered that
cores were necessary in order to
make it flare gracefully. Unless a
skirt Of worsted material is gored
there is too much fullness about the
waist. 1t appears as bulky and
clumsy as the skirts worn by the
Holland peasants.
| | gathered the skirt at the top and
4
so that the stitches would not show
| There wasn't much of the chiffon
so / was forced to design a very sim
pie waist. 1 used u pattern that
called for gathers about the neck
| and this supplied q soft fullness
across the front and back. Then |
made long bishop sleeves and joined
them to wide, snugly fitted cuffs.
| / slipped ON the skirt and bodice
and mother stitched them to the
waistband. There was a half-disap-
pointed expression on her face as she
said: 'It needs something to liVen 1t
up. Robin. Take a full-length view
of 1t in the pier-glass and you Will
see what ! mean"
One look was sufficient TO show rne
what WAS wrong. The bodice was
much too plain and would have 10
have a jumper or an extremely broad
girdle TO break its lines ] tried both
effects and decided upon the latter.
| fixed a. wide band of the broad
cloth smoothly about the waist. ana
then. after experimenting with differ
ent colors and materials, concluded
that a sash of navy blue tatfeta was
just the right thing to knot over the
girdle to give the smart dash OF con-
trasting color.
Since many of the latest frocks have
the old fashioned collar bands, ] en-
broidered a strip of the chiffon in
tones of navy blue and finished the
neck line with it. / repeated this note
of embroidery on the cuffs and the
ends of the sash, and added narrow,
pleated frills to fall over the hands
and stand up about the throat.
Both mother and ] looked in vain
for flaws in the finished frock. 1t was
as effective and smart as 1t could be,
and | hope 1t fits Mrs. Havilands
guest as we'll as it did me.
Hereafter I'll always have the great
est respect for even the smallest rem
nant, when a froclS made from two
MAS cau gfdarpd worth $40.