New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-01

~ with all her rattles within reach,
~ am going to have sewing room, but
to-day my bedroom must suffice. Now,
children" And she fourshed her pair
of scissors as she seated herself beside
small sewing table.
The older children ran out of the room,
to return with the ragbag. This they
rleefully dumped upside down upon the
bed.
will you please tell met l be-
gan, staring. But John, jr., inter
rupted me with a loud shrek.
"Oh there's one, mother!" he cried
excitedly bouncing upon an old silk sock
which must have belonged to his father.
and there's another and another. Oh,
guess there's fifty million in this old
bag!"
When we had laughed at him, Ann
turned to me in explanation.
1--WE are now about to make some soft
dollies for babies to play WITH" she said.
II made one of these dolls for Baby
Betty, and one day when we were in Mr..
Smiths art store down in the village he
noticed the doll in her hand. He carries
fine line of toys and is always on the
alert for novelties, as great deal of his
trade comes from the wealthy suburban
families out here.
What an original doll' he said, coax
ing it away from Betty. And how very
safe. Nothing to break. No paint to
suck off. May I ask you where you pur-
chased this, Mrs. Brown?
"'I made it out of an old SOCK said
frankly.
"'Splendid! Splendid' he answered.
I wish you would make some for me. l
will pay you 81 apiece for all you can
supply
"'Done! cried. And so every thrift
stunt day we make from three to eight
Of these dolls for Mr.. Smith, who seems
to dispose of them very easily.
Let us start with this SOCK" she went
on. poking among the pile of socks and
selecting an old, champagne colored silk
one. Il turn it inside out, cut off the
foot part and about three inches of the
leg; lay the leg Tor what is left of it)
down flat and slit up about four inches.
stitch around this slit on the machine,
which makes the necessary space between
them when the legs are stuffed. Now the
body is ready to be stuffed very lightly
with this cotton. Five cents worth of
cotton is required, for we must keep the
doll soft
Next l lay the cutoff foot of the sock
flat upon the table, as if I were going to
out of it, base three inches, altitude six
inches, using the fold of the sock for the
altitude. This, when stitched together,
forms peaked cap for my sock doll. l
fatten this cap, with the stitched side
underneath, and cut semicircle in the
lower front edge of it, to fit around the
face.
THE face | make out of the toe, which
happens to be of white silk. sew the
face firmly into the cap and stuff them
with cotton, when the dolls head is ready
to be gathered about the neck and sewed
onto the body of the doll. Linen thread
IS used for this purpose, for babies love
to pull things apart, you know. Now we
are ready for the arms There are goods
Z two arms, each little over three inches
long. Again the fold of the sock is used
and one seam only on each arm is
stitched. Babies are not hypercritical, so
each arm is stitched into a point and the
hands left to their imagination, as were
the feet. Stuff the arms with cotton,
sew them ION to the body with the linen
thread and we are ready for the finishing
touches, accomplished by using water
colors, piece of blue ribbon one inch
wide and fourteen inches long and some
blue embroidery floss.
I'VE first paint the face, using the
lampblack for eyes, nose and mouth.
Later retouch the features with the right
/ colors-carmine for lips, vermilion for
cheeks, remembering always to keep the
paint as dry as possible, so it will not
run on the silk.
Taking the embroidery needle with
us blue floss, which is about as heavy as
darning cotton, loopstitch around the
ankles to indicate the feet, around the
arms to indicate the hands and then in
d'cate waistcoat on the body, not for
/ getting to embroider buttons down the
dolls vest. Two lines of loopstitching
around the cap and tying the blue ribbon
around the neck like necktie finish
the sock doll"
With the children helping US, we made
twelve of these sock dolls in an after
noon.
Just think, Ann, SIP earned for Thrift
stamps" l said, when putting on my hat.
No. replied Ann. ''Cotton for each
doll was 10 cents apiece, taking slice