
librarg
of the
University of Wisconsin


I
.-
I


Copyright, 1923, by INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL Puausnmc COMPANY
Copyright in Great Britain

All rights reserved

Printed in U. S. A.
Puss or
INTERNATIONAL Tnxrnoox Coummv
Scum-ron, PA.
I 9226


PREFACE
This book is arranged for the convenience and ready reference
of students, homemakers, and dressmakers, giving historical
information, descriptions and uses of laces, textiles, embroideries,
and ﬁndings, and showing their values, purposes, and uses in
dressmaking work. It is not enough to know how to cut and ﬁt
garments unless one knows how to complete them artistically
by using the proper materials for the need or the occasion.
Detailed illustrations and instruction are given for the mending
of practical, every-day garments, as this work is required in the
average home. In the study of this part of the text, it will be evi-
dent that thrift and economy have been prominently considered.
To mend well is not only an economy but one of the womanly arts
that have come down through the ages, few women considering
themselves too distinguished to do their own mending.
Information is given for household sewing, including the making
of draperies, bed coverings, scarfs, and art needlework, as well as
the miscellaneous articles that a housewife may need to mend,
remodel, or replace.
A dictionary of trade and sewing terms completes the volume.
By a careful study of this part, fashion news will be more easily
and more accurately interpreted and the vocabulary of the modiste
and the fashion writer will be better understood.
A mystery often surrounds dressmaking work, which some
persons attribute to the terms used. To make all such words,
clear, and to provide aready reference for those interested in dress-
making work, this dictionary of trade and sewing terms is
supplied.


vi CONTENTS
CHAPTER VII
Page
EMBROIDERIES, FINnINGs, SHOPPING HINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 137
Embroideries—Findings—Sh0pping Hints.
CHAPTER VIII
MENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Mending Conveniences—Da.rning—Patching—Stockinet Mending-
Using Mending Tissue—Misce1laneous Mending.
CHAPTER IX
Housnnoua SEWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 178
Aspects of Homernaking—Table Linens—Pure Linen—-—Linen Sub-
stitutes—Size of Linen Pieces—Linen Supply—Economy Applied £0
Linens—Kitchen Linens—Bathroom Linens—Mattress Covers and
Pads—Sheets—Pil1ow Cases—Monograms on Bed Linens—Bed-
spreads or Counterpanes—B1ankets—Comfortab1es—Pieced and Ap-
pliquéd Qui1ts—D0i1ies, Runners, Scarfs—Cushions—Se1ecti0n of
Curtains—Types of Curtains—Types of Windows—Measuring for
Curtains—Preparing Materia1s—Al10wance for Finishes—Finishing Cur-
tains—Curtain Fixtu.res—Upholstery Covers—Woven Rugs—Braided,
Crocheted, and Knitted Rugs—Mending Rugs.
CHAPTER X
DEFINITIONS OF TRADE AND SEWING TERMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 217


CHAPTER I
DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
ORIGIN AND GROWTH
1. Tne preparation of materials for body covering, chief of
which are cotton, ﬂax, silk, and wool, whether for ornament or for
warmth and comfort, has demanded consideration from the earliest
times. Primitive women, who were concerned with providing
shelter and clothing for the family while the men were engaged in
seeking food and in warfare, played an important part in the
early development of the textile industry.
At ﬁrst, women made clothes from the leaves and bark of certain
trees or from the skins of animals, depending on the climate in
which they lived. In tropical countries, the inner bark of one
kind of tree was pounded until it was sufﬁciently thin and pliable,
and then -it was decorated and used for garments.
When skins were worn, the hair or wool was generally placed
next to the body; so, in some cases, such as in wool, the ﬁbers
felted from the oils of the wearer's body. This marks the beginning
of one form of textiles. Later, the dried skins of animals were
tanned to make them smooth.
2. Probably weaving originated through the using of the reeds
and grasses that primitive folk found in their wandering life.
These were twisted, knotted, interlaced, and tied to make mats
and baskets. Gradually, the ﬁbers of plants and the coats of
animals were woven, the ﬁrst woven articles being used for ﬂoor
coverings. With the occupations of men and women becoming
somewhat stable, a pastoral life gradually came into existence
and brought with it more desire for personal adornment. Weaving
thus became an important industry and experienced many improve-
ments.
LID 1-1


2 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
During the agricultural era which followed, ﬂax and cotton plants
were widely cultivated and sheep were raised for wool. By degrees,
life became more settled, households were established, and private
ownership became the rule. In fact, by the time that America
was going through her colonization, each home was a unit in itself,
the mother and daughters spinning and weaving, while the father
and sons prepared the ﬁbers and made and repaired the machinery
and tools.
3. The textile industry received considerable impetus through
the various inventions that helped to perfect spinning and weaving.
At ﬁrst, only human power was used; then horse and water power
- were employed; and ﬁnally steam and electricity replaced both of
these. With the increase of the demand and consequently of the
production, the industry left the home and entered-the factory.
Thus, women have gradually given up the making of cloth except
as they are employed in factories to do certain parts of the work.
SPINNING
4. Early Development.—The origin of spinning, which is a
process of drawing out and twisting ﬁbers in such a manner as to
produce a continuous thread, is difﬁcult to trace. One story is
that of a shepherd boy who, while watching his sheep one day,
noticed a bunch of wool hanging on a nearby bush. In his idleness,
he began to twist the ﬁber and, as he twisted it, he drew the ﬁbers
apart and found that he could make a long thread from these
comparatively short ﬁbers. Some authorities entirely discount
this story, claiming that, due to necessity, primitive woman was
the inventor of spinning. Whatever its origin, it was with this
invention that the true art of textiles began.
5. In the beginning, the spinner held the ﬁbers in her left hand
and twisted and drew them out with her right into a continuous
thread, which she wound on a stick, called a spindle, as shown at a,
Fig. 1. She had no means of keeping the ﬁber in order or even of
cleaning it before it was spun. Very soon, however, the distaﬂ made
its appearance and shortly after it came the whorl. On one end
of the distaﬁ, which was a stick 12 to 18 inches long, the ﬁbers
were loosely fastened, as shown at b, the other end being held


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 3
under the left arm or stuck in the belt of the spinner so that both
hands were left free to work with the ﬁber. The spinner soon found
that it was much easier to spin with a full spindle
than with an empty one, so she conceived the idea of
weighting it with a whorl and it then consisted of a
stick with a weight on the lower end, as shown in Fig. 2.
With these twoimprovements in
equipment, the spinster, as she was
called, would draw out the ﬁber
from the distaff with her left hand,
attach the end to the spindle,
and give the spindle a sharp twist
with her right. She would then
allow the thread and whorl to
twist ~in the opposite direction. After twisting a considerable length, she would wind the yarn
on the spindle, fasten it to prevent its unwinding, and begin the
process again. The rock, a later improvement, was merely a dis-
taff made with a standard, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it stood on the
ﬂoor beside the spinster.


F10. 1
6. At the present time, the Navajo Indians of Arizona have an
interesting method of spinning. With a slender stick for a spindle,
the point of which is stuck in the ground, the spinner, sitting on
the ground, pulls out‘ the ﬁber and twirls the spindle to twist it.
The yarn, when ﬁrst spun, is very slightly twisted so that it must
be gone over several times before it is ready for _§_
use in a loom.


7. Kinds of Spinning Wheels.—Up to
the 14th and 15th centuries, the distaff and
weighted spindle constituted the spinning equip-
ment. Then, they were replaced by the spin-
ning wheel, the spinners of India fastening a
wheel to a spindle and making it rotate by
means of a band. This ﬁrst spinning wheel
F"=- 2 known to history was called the Gharka wheel F1°- 3
of India. It was a very crude instrument and spun only very
coarse yarns, but it had the advantage of providing a more rapid
method.


4- DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
8. The great wheel, wool wheel, or muckle wheel, as shown in
Fig. 4, was the next to make its appearance. It was called the
great wheel because it had a large wheel. As it was used extensively
in Scotland, it received the name of muckle wheel,
muckle meaning great in the Scottish dialect.
The term wool wheel was applied because it was
best adapted to the spinning of wool ﬁber on
account of the shortness of the ﬁber and the slow,
intermittent motion of the wheel.
To spin with this wheel, a portion of the ﬁber
was drawn out and attached to the spindle;
. then the great wheel was struck with the hand
FI<=- 4 or a wooden peg, the blow causing it to revolve,
turn the spindle to which the ﬁber was attached, and twist the ﬁber.
To wind up the yarn, the wheel had to be revolved in the opposite
direction. When the spindle was full, the thread was wound off
on a reel. It has been estimated that spinners who worked at
this type of wheel walked as many as 20 miles a day as they spun.
The principle of the great wheel is still used in our modern wool
manufacture, but the mechanism has been so greatly improved that
practically all of the work is now done by the machinery.


9. The flax, or Leipsic, wheel, shown in Fig. 5, which is the one
we ordinarily see as an heirloom, with its distaff, spindle, and ﬂyer,
and which is adapted to ﬂax spinning, was a complicated piece of
machinery when compared with the great wheel. It was a
labor-saving invention in that it had a treadle for transmitting the
power and permitted the spinner to sit down ,¢‘1_
while spinning. The ﬂyer, which was not found it
on the great wheel, revolved very rapidly, twist- ~
ing the ﬁbers and winding them on the bobbin. - F" However, the spindle's motion was held back by
the spinner, who changed the yarn from one
hook to the other of the ﬁyer and gradually
ﬁlled the bobbin evenly. The motion of this
wheel is continuous, that is, the ﬁber is drawn
out, twisted, and wound up at the same time. Fm 5


10. Cardlng.—In -order to have a smoothly spun, clean
yarn, it was necessary to clean the ﬁber and make it ﬁne and soft
before spinning. This was done by means of carding. Primitive


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 5
woman used her ﬁngers for carding, opening up and straightening
the ﬁbers into a soft lap. Later, cards, which were ﬂat brushes
containing bent wires set closely together in strips of leather tacked
to the wood, were made for this pur-
pose. With two of theseicards, one
in each hand, as shown in Fig. 6,
ﬁbers could be made very clean and
ﬂuffy and laid out to form parallel
strands.
11. In 1748, Lewis Paul in- Fm 6
vented a machine for carding, which
consisted of revolving cylinders covered with wire cloth. john
Lees, in 1772, invented an apron feed, a device that made it possible
to put a large quantity of ﬁber in the machine at one time. Richard
Arkwright was responsible for an invention by which the ﬁber was
delivered from the carding machine in laps, but a short time after
the apron feed was invented a funnel was attached to the card,
thus making the raw material into a sliver. After being carded,
either by hand or by this machine, the ﬁber was ready for spinning
on either the great wheel or the ﬂax wheel.


12. Improvements in Splnning.—About the middle of
the 18th century, there came an increased demand for materials.
While the improved machinery made it possible to card the ﬁber
ready for spinning and to weave the cloth on power looms, still the
yarn was spun by hand. This, of course, held up production. To
John Wyatt is due the honor of producing the ﬁrst yarn spun with-
out the use of the human ﬁngers, a feat he accomplished in 1737.
His machine drew the ﬁber through two moving rollers, which also
used the ﬂyer of the ﬂax wheel.
13. Up to this time, but one thread was spun at a time. James-
Hargreaves, an Englishman, was the ﬁrst to work out a method of
spinning a number of threads at the same time. The idea came to
him one day when he saw a spinning wheel overturned, leaving
the spindle revolving in a perpendicular instead of a horizontal
position. Seeing at once the possibility of having a number of
spindles revolving in this position, he made his spinning jenny,
which spun eight threads at one time. It had an intermittent
motion like the great wheel, but it spun thread that was not strong


6 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
_—-Q
enough for warp. Hargreaves’ invention made him very unpopular
with his fellow workmen, who persecuted him bitterly, for they felt
that he was taking their work from them.
14. The next improvement in spinning was Arkwright’s
water frame, which was brought out in 1768. This machine was too
heavy to be driven by hand, so that mule or horse power was
required. Later, water power was used, which gave it the name of
water frame, and in 1790 steam was employed. The action of
the water frame was continuous like that of the ﬂax wheel and that
used today in ring spinning. In fact, the principles of both the
modern mule and the ring-spinning frame are the same as those of
the great wheel and the ﬂax wheel. The differences lie in the
mechanism that has been devised to take the place of the hands.
15. Samuel Crompton, in 1779, patented his spinning machine
under the name of the mule-spinning frame. Containing the good
features of both Hargreaves’ and Arkwright’s inventions, it was
more valuable than either of these before steam power was used.
Later, when steam could be utilized for power and when Whitney
invented his cotton-ginning machine in 1793, cotton spinning
received a great impetus.
It was when water and steam were used for power that the textile
industry was taken from the home to the factory. But the principles
of the machines used today in the largest factories are practically
the same as those set forth in the inventions of Hargreaves, Ark-
wright, and Crompton, with merely the substitution of machinery
for the hand work formerly done by spinners.
WEAVING
NATURE AND HISTORY
16. Weaving is the process of interlacing into a fabric two sets
of threads or strips of pliable material that cross each other at
right angles. The threads that run the entire length of the material
and form the foundation for weaving are called warp threads,
as indicated in Fig. 7. The threads that cross and interlace with
the warp threads are called weft, woof, or ﬁlling, threads. At


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 7
each side, the weft, or ﬁlling, threads, are woven very closely and
bind the warp threads into a ﬁrm edge, which is called the selvage.
As the warp threads have to bear a very great strain, they are
very strong and nearly straight, as can . W .__Wn.__..1_
readily be determined by observing and we-ff
testing the ravelings. Weft, or woof, 7:7 - - Y
threads are often softer, less wiry, and of
less even weave than the warp threads. A
sharp sound usually accompanies the tear-
ing of material across the warp threads,
whereas a dull sound results if a lengthwise .
_
tear, or one across the weft threads, is made. .


17. History of Weaving. — Textile
weaving dates back into prehistoric times,
for in the earliest written records are to be .
found occasional references to a weaving
industry well developed. Silk, wool, linen, ff" ,
and cotton of rare quality were all in use in *5‘ '
those early days; in fact, the textiles that
were woven in various parts of the Orient have perhaps never been
excelled in richness of fabric, splendor of color, and intricacy of
design. ‘Even though everything points to an early and ﬂourish-
ing industry in weaving, very few of the looms of antiquity are
preserved to us either in picture or in literature. In their pottery
painting, the Greeks have handed down the looms of Penelope and
Circe, whigh are examples of the early Greek looms. A picture of
an early Egyptian loom is also available.
Both the Egyptian and the Greek
looms are vertical, or hold the warp
threads in an upright position. The
 chief difference between these two looms
is that the Egyptian began to weave at
the bottom, while the Greek wove from
top to bottom, small weights being
attached to each warp thread.
Fm. 7


18. The vertical loom existed until
the 15th century. Then the horizontal
loom, which is shown in Fig. 8, and in which the warp threads lie in
a horizontal position, took its place.


8 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
19. The invention of the ﬂy shuttle, in 1738, by .]'ohn Kay meant
a great deal i11 power weaving. In 1750, he made some improve-
ments on it and, in 1760, his son invented the drop box. Both of
these inventions made the work of weaving easier and quicker.
Later, when Cartwright brought out his power loom, in 1789, and
steam was applieﬂqto Arkwright's spinning frame, the work of
making textiles by power was established.
20. Principles 01’ Weaving.—In weaving, whether done
on a primitive loom or on the modern power loom, three operations
are included: shedding, picking, and battening.
21. Shedding is the process of raising the warp threads as
needed. At ﬁrst, it was accomplished by raising each warp thread
with the hand and slipping the weft thread through the space made.
After a time, a simple contrivance known as a harness was devised,
by means of which one set of warp threads could be raised at one
time, the weft slipped through, and then the other set of warp
threads raised.
22. Picking is the process of throwing the weft threads across
the warp. In the primitive methods, picking was accomplished
very laboriously without even the use of an elementary shuttle.
Later, however, the shuttle came into use and by means of it the
weft threads were carried through the shed very quickly and easily,
23. Battening is the process of pressing the weft threads
against the ﬁnished cloth to make a ﬁrm fabric.
VARIEPIES OF WEAVES
24. The two ways in which weaving is done produce two main
classes of weaves: straight-line warp weaving and curved warp
weaving.
25. Straight-line warp weaving includes the three founda-
tion weaves: (l) the plain, taffeta, or tabby, weave; (2) the twill,
or diagonal, weave; (3) the satin, or sateen, weave.
26. The plain weave, as illustrated in Fig. 9, is the simplest of
all weaves and, if coarse yarns are used, may be made on a two-
harness loom. In it one weft thread merely passes over and under


10 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
-"28. The satin, or sateen, weave, shown in the satin in Fig. 13,
is an important one for it is used in all ﬁbers. In reality, it is a
ll Inl In
Ill {'5'-‘."-“T5 5'-‘SW5 .
rl Illa IlI~ Isl 1"‘-‘W-"‘l‘!‘: ii-I-n
III IIIII IOI IIICI III


form of twill, as shown in Fig. 14, but the interlacing of the ﬁbers
is done so that the twill does not show and a smooth, lustrous
surface with many loose, or ﬂoating, threads is produced.
The satin .weave differs from the sateen weave in that the warp
threads form its surface, whereas in the sateen weave the ﬁlling,
or weft, threads form the surface. Usually, the satin weave is
used for silk and wool ﬁbers, and the sateen, for cotton. It is
also an excellent weave for a combination of ﬁbers, such as silk and
cotton, as in cotton-backed satin.
Besides in satin and sateen, the satin weave is found in such
materials as galatea, Venetian cloth, messaline, and foulard.
29. Curved warp weaving includes the leno weaves, the pile
weaves, the double-cloth weaves, the ﬁgure weave, and the lappet
weaves.
30. Leno weaving, which is shown in the marquisette in Fig. 15,
consists of weft threads with the warp threads wound around them,


Fm. 16
as shown in Fig. 16. This weave is used extensively in curtain
scrim, but as it will not permit of having its threads drawn length-


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 11
wise, such material should not be purchased with the idea of hem-
stitching it by hand. The leno weave is found also in silk grena-
dine and marquisette.
When it is closely woven,
it is durable, but often
it is very open and loose.
31. The pile weave, _
shown in the velvet in .
Fig. 17, is the one in F!°- 17
which the beautiful velvets of the world are produced. In this
weave, the ground may be a plain, a basket, or a twill weave.
As shown in Fig. 18, there are generally two sets of warp threads,
asat a and b, which are
held by the weft threads,
as at c. One set of warp
threads forms the pile,
and in weaving these are
held loosely so they may be drawn over wires to form loops, which
are afterwards cut to produce the pile surface. Plushes, corduroys,
bolivia, chinchilla, rugs, and carpets are other examples of this
weave. Some of the plushes and velvets are in reality double cloth,
being cut between the cloth.
In another group of pile fabrics, such as terry cloth, which is
used for towels and wash cloths, the pile is in the form of loops of
threads instead of ends.
These materials should not, under any circumstances, be confused
with those that are napped, such as outing ﬂannel or broadcloth.
The nap is produced by brushing the loosely woven cloth until a
rough appearance is obtained. In duvetyn and velour, the fabric
is matted, but in the case of broadcloth, it is pressed after napping
to give it a smooth, mirror-like appearance.


32. The double-cloth weave is used in fabrics that are woven
with two sets of warp and two sets of weft threads. Special
warps and a double harness are needed for weaving of this kind.
Often, double-cloth materials are held together by means of catch-
ing an occasional weft thread through to the opposite surface,
and thus they become reversible, as heavy coating, polo cloth, rugs,
and double-faced ribbons. Other times they are made by fastening
two materials together with glue or mucilage. Again, they may


12 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
be woven so as to be fastened on one or both edges to make tubular
materials for lamp wicks, hose, and bags.
33. The ﬁgure weave is a combination of the three foundation
weaves—plain, satin, and twill. The simple ﬁgure weaves, such as
diaper patterns, huckaback, and granite, are done on a regular
loom, but for intricate ﬁgure work, such as is found in damasks
and brocades, the Jacquard loom is required.
Brocades have a right and a wrong side, whereas damasks are
ﬁgured on both sides and are therefore reversible.
34. The lappet weave consists of a plain weave with patterns
woven on the surface to resemble hand embroidery. It is done
by means of an attachment called a lappet, which is applied to a
regular loom. The extra threads on the wrong side are cut off
after the pattern is applied. Lappet weaving produces many
pretty materials, dotted Swiss being the principal example, but
they are not very durable as the process through which they pass
during the weaving weakens them considerably.
35. Bedford cord and piqué have characteristics peculiar to
themselves. They are sometimes known as cord weaves, but they
may be called “backed” fabrics because they carry an extra set of
warp threads at the back of the fabric. The one set of warp threads
weaves in the usual way with the weft, while the extra set carried
at the back of the fabric interlace with the weft threads at regular
intervals, producing a lengthwise ribbed effect of a rather wide wale.
Sometimes, a crosswise rib is produced by reversing the warp and
weft, the weft forming the ﬁlling at the back of the material.
36. Certain materials, such as bobbinet, maline, and tulle,
contain weaves that cannot be classiﬁed as any of the regular
textile weaves because of their construction. They have two sets
of threads that correspond to the warp and weft of other materials,
but these threads are woven on lace machines that permit varying
degrees of tension and therefore cause the weft, or bobbin, threads
to become twisted with the warp threads. To distinguish them from
other materials, they may be designated as lace weaves.


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 13
KNITTING
37. Knitting is the process of making fabrics by looping a single
thread, either by hand or by machine, each succeeding line of the
thread being looped into the one before it. This art has been known
for centuries, our grandmothers having knitted by hand large quan-
tities of wool into stockings and mittens. The moder n knitting
machine has a great number of hooked needles, which open and close
automatically and hold each loop as the knitting is done. If one
loop is dropped, the whole web is threatened with destruction.
Knitting yarn, which is softer and less twisted than weaving yarn,
produces an elastic material that is used principally for underwear,
hosiery, gloves, scarfs, etc. Sometimes it is plain and other times,
ribbed, the ribbed varieties being more expensive and usually better
wearing than the plain ones.
The chief knitted fabrics are tricolette, Jersey, and stockinette.
Some materials, such as eiderdown and chamoisette, have a
knitted background through which soft yarns are passed to make a
fuzzy surface.
CLOTH FINISHES
38. It must not be thought that a fabric is ready for use as
soon as it comes from the loom or the knitting machine. Just
the contrary is true, for it is then in an unﬁnished condition and is
called raw thread. It must be treated in various ways, depending
on the nature of the material and the ﬁnish to be applied.
39. Practically all materials must be scoured, or washed in
hot water and soap, in order to remove any dirt, oil, or other foreign
substance, such as size, a starch-like dressing put into certain warp
yarns to make them easier to handle. Often it is necessary to
burl materials after weaving, that is, to pick out any knots,
burrs, and similar imperfections found in them.
40. Singeing consists in treating the surface of material to
make it smooth after taking it from the loom. This _is done by
passing it over heated metal rollers to remove the loose nap.
41. Fulling is another operation through which many woolen
materials are put to give them a stronger and ﬁrmer body. This


14 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
process shrinks the threads and makes the fabric compact and
smooth. In the case of broadcloths and other nap-ﬁnished mater-
ials, the fulling is carried on until the ﬁbers become densely matted
and cover up the weave. Tweeds, on the other hand, are fulled
only to the extent of giving them a dressed surface, and certain
other materials merely have their texture strengthened in the fulling.
During the fulling process, the material is frequently taken out,
stretched, straightened, and inspected. When it has been suﬁ‘i-
ciently ﬁlled, it is freed from the soapby being rinsed, ﬁrst in tepid
water and ﬁnally in cold water.
42. To raise- the nap of woolen material that has been fulled,
it is teasled; that is, the surface ﬁbers are pulled out or broken to
produce an unequal nap. For this purpose, a thistle-like plant
covered with a hook-like growth and called the teasle, is employed
in the production of high-grade fabrics, although a metal device,
also, is used to nap materials. After the nap is raised, it is cut to
make it uniform. Sometimes the nap is pressed, and again it is
allowed to stand upright.
43. Many materials are put through a process called calender-
ing to give their surface a smooth, even ﬁnish and sometimes to
glaze them, as in sateens and silesias. Calendering is accomplished
by running the material over warm cylinders, pressure and steam
being employed in the process. The glazing of materials is brought
about by putting them through rollers that move at different
velocities.
BLEACHING
44. Before materials can be dyed or printed, they must be
_freed of their natural coloring matter and any oily substances
that they contain. Sometimes it is found sufﬁcient to scour the
fabrics, but usually bleaching is also necessary.
45. The process of bleaching consists of freeing textile ﬁbers
and fabrics from their natural color in order to whiten them.
In ancient times, bleaching was done by exposing the material
to the direct rays of the sun and wetting it at regular intervals.
This method, while followed for many years, and even now used in
some parts of Ireland, proved unsatisfactory because of the change-


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 15
able weather conditions, the length of time required, and the
possibility of losing much of the material through theft.
The increase in the demand for cotton materials created a need
for quicker and better bleaching methods. The use of power-
ful chemical preparations has practically supplanted the former
methods, especially where large quantities of material are to be
bleached in big manufacturing plants. Chlorine is generally used
for the vegetable ﬁbers, that is, for cotton and linen, and sulphur-
ous acid for the animal ﬁbers, silk and wool. In the case of linen,
grass bleaching is sometimes combined with the chemical treat-
ment.
DYEING AND PRINTING
46. The ﬁnal step in the preparation of material for the market
is dyeing or printing or both. Dyeing is the art of ﬁxing coloring
matter in the substance of a textile by immersing the fabric in the
color solution, while printing consists in applying color to only
certain portions of a fabric by means of a machine. In some
materials, these processes are combined. As would naturally be
expected, printed colors are not so lasting as dyed ones, although
many attractive and unusual designs can be produced by the printing
method.
47. Origin of Dyeing.—Dyeing was known in the most
ancient times, for we ﬁnd mention of it in the oldest writings and
some of the mummy clothes found in the pyramids contain borders
of colors. However, it is thought that dyeing was not a common
art in those early days, for dyed materials were put to only certain
uses and were worn chieﬂy by persons of unusual distinction.
The early dyers used only the products of nature or very simple
preparations, such as brickthorn berries, gall nuts, sumac, sandal-
wood, madder, cochineal, and logwood. These natural dyes are
still used in the East for the dyeing of the yarn for Oriental rugs,
a fact that accounts for the wonderfully soft and beautiful colorings
of these rugs even after long use, the natural dyes fading in tones
of the same hue.
48. Origin of Artificial Dyes.-——-It was not until 1856, when
Perkin, an Englishman, discovered the ﬁrst coal-tar dye, mauve,
that synthetic dyes, or artiﬁcial coloring matter, came into use.


16 - DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
This discovery produced a revolution in dyeing methods, for
the products of coal tar, the pitch distilled from bituminous coal
and condensed in the manufacture of coal gas, chief among which is
aniline, have formed the basis for practically all dyeing materials
since. Many other discoveries followed, chemists producing from
time to time materials that closely resemble the natural dyes in
effect although they bear no similarity to them in chemical
composition. In fact, these synthetic dyes have nearly supplanted
the natural ones. -
A very important step in the history of dyeing was the discovery
in 1870, by a German chemist, of a way to transform an extract of
aniline into alizarine, a coloring matter identical with madder, one
of the most ancient of natural dyestuffs. When this material
was available for the trade, it practically drove the natural product,
madder, from the market.
49. Methods of Piece Dyeing.—Dyeing cloth with coal-tar
dyes is done in three ways: by direct, basic, and vat dyeing.
50. Direct dyeing consists in subjecting the cloth to a dye bath
and, by means of frequent turnings of the cloth, transferring the
color to it. Dyeing of this sort is not likely to produce such good
results as that done by the other methods.
51. Basic dyeing is that which requires the services of a mordant
to make the dye permanent. By a mordant is meant a substance
that will ﬁx colors. To accomplish this, it must both penetrate
the ﬁber of the material and combine with the dye-matter in such
a way as to form an insoluble compound in or out of the ﬁber.
Various substances, such as tannin, gelatine, gluten, albumen, soda,
and lead salts, are used as mordants. The most common method
of dyeing with a mordant is to work it into the cloth and then to
apply the coloring matter. The art of the dyer consists in com-
bining the cloth, the mordant, and the dye so as to obtain a color
that will be chemically combined and permanent.
52. Vat dyeing has long been in use in Germany but has only
recently come into use in the United States. This form of dyeing
is interesting in that the cloth may not have the desired color when
it is removed from the dye bath but assumes the correct color on
being exposed to the air. Indigo is one of the colors that develop
by oxidizing, or exposure to the air.


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 17
53. Methods of Fiber Dyeing.—In contrast with these
methods of dyeing in the piece are several methods of dyeing ﬁbers
before and after they are spun. Dyeing in the wool consists in dye-
ing the wool after it has been washed and scoured and before it is
dry. Dyeing in the slub means the dyeing of wool after it is carded
and combed but not twisted. Dyeing in the skein is the dyeing of
yarn after it has been spun and is in skein form, a form of dyeing
used for ginghams, wool plaids, and novelty effects.
54. Dyeing Figured Material.—Practically all the dyeing
methods that have been explained produce plain-colored materials.
If a ﬁgured or striped material is to be manufactured, it is usually
dyed by means of resist or discharge dyeing.
55. Resist dyeing is used for material containing a combina-
tion of ﬁbers, such as cotton and wool, or for fabrics in which a stripe
or a design of another color is found. One of the ﬁbers or colors
is treated so that it remains unchanged in the dye that colors the
other part. In the case of the Batik work of Java, which is a form
of resist dyeing, the part that is not to be dyed is covered with wax,
which is later removed.
56. Discharge dyeing consists in dyeing the material in the
piece and then removing some of the coloring by means of chemicals
in order to produce ﬁgures, dots, and stripes. Considerable
experiment is required in discharge dyeing to determine the right
bleach for each dye.
57. Printing of Fabr1cs.—Printing, which has come to be
a science in itself, is done chieﬂy in the case of such materials as
calico, voile, percale, and galatea. The cloth is ﬁrst prepared by
singeing, bleaching, scouring, and starching it. Then it is printed
by being put through a machine that contains engraved copper
rollers bearing the design, a different roller being required for
each color that the pattern contains. If a dye is used that will
mix with the cotton without the use of a mordant, the process is
very much simpliﬁed.
When a mordant must be used to ﬁx the dye, it is usually applied
ﬁrst by means of a roller over which the cloth is run. The cloth
is then dried by steam-heated cylinders, after which it is relieved
of its acid by various processes so that its mordant is left in the
L D 1-a


18 DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES
pure form. A thorough washing in soft water completes the prep-
aration for the dyeing.
With the material properly cleaned and containing only a faint
outline of its pattern, it is immersed in a bath of alizarine, from
which it comes out a completely printed fabric. This solution has
the power to produce all the colors that were printed on the material
by the mordants. A ﬁnal boiling in soap and water to brighten
the colors brings the fabric up to its ﬁnishing processes—calendering,
folding, or rolling for the market.
58. Block Printing.—The earliest form of printing was
known as block printing. Now it is used chieﬂy in art work, having
been superseded by machine printing in the manufacture of fabrics.
In block printing, the design is cut out on a block of wood, the
parts that are to make the impression being left prominent and
the rest of the block being cut away. The color is supplied to the
block, which is then pressed ﬁrmly on the fabric in order to transfer
the design. As can be imagined, this is a process that, while it
produces extremely beautiful, artistic effects, is too slow to be used
commercially.
FABRIC CHARACTERISTICS
59. Right Side of Materia1s.—Many materials appear
practically the same on both sides and, therefore, may be used
without any concern as to keeping a particular side outermost.
When materials are not alike on both sides and there is doubt as
to which is the right side, there are various ways of determining it.
Usually, the right side has a smoother and more ﬁnished or more
attractive appearance than the wrong side, and any design in the
fabric stands out more prominently on the right side. If only one
side of a fabric is glossy, this may generally be taken as the right
side. If any novelty of weave or ﬁnish is more apparent on one
side than on the other, the more unusual effect is, as a rule, consid-
ered the right side, even though this is sometimes contrary to the
general rule that the smoother and more ﬁnished side should be kept
outermost.
60. In fabrics of twill or ribbed weave, the ribs, in most cases,
stand up more prominently on the right side. When both sides of a
twill weave appear very much the same, the right side may be


DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILES 19
determined by observing the manner in which the diagonal lines
run. To determine the right side in this way, hold the piece of
material up against you with the selvages up and down. In this
position, the diagonal lines should run from the left down toward
the right.
Most double-width materials are folded in the piece with the
right side in so as to prevent counter soiling.
61. Materials Having “Up and Down” and ' Right and
Le1-t.”—Materials are said to have an up and down when they
have a nap, a pile, or ﬁgures that are not the same on their opposite
ends and are not arranged in reverse positions, which causes them
apparently to “run” in one direction.
As a rule, a napped fabric should be developed so that the nap
runs in the same direction in all parts of the garment, although
there are exceptions to this rule mentioned in the Instruction Book
that deals with the cutting out of garments. The manner in which
the pile runs in a fabric
may be determined by running the hand over _,‘ -
it in the general direc-
tion of the lengthwise
threads; when the hand is moved against the 1 i
pile, it causes a feeling 1
or appearance of rough-
ness, but when the hand
is moved in the same I‘
direction as the pile, the i ‘
feeling is of smoothness.


62. In ﬁgured ma-
terial, the correct posi-
tion of the ﬁgures may
be determined by their appearance; the portion of the ﬁgure that
appears broader or heavier is usually regarded as the lower end,
except in the case of natural ﬁgures or familiar objects, which should
maintain their natural or familiar positions.
Materials are said to have a right and left when they have stripes,
plaids, or ﬁgures, as in Fig. 19, that appear heavier or darker on one
side of the design than on the other.


CHAPTER II
COTTON
PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE
1. Cotton is a downy vegetable ﬁber obtained from the boll,
or seed pod, of the cotton plant. This plant grows from 3 to 6
feet in height and is native principally to the island and seacoast
regions of the tropics, although it is raised successfully in other
places. A sandy soil and a warm climate are necessary for its
growth.
The earliest cotton was produced in India, Dacca muslin being
among the ﬁrst cotton fabrics ever made. India was the center
of the cotton industry for hundreds of years and still produces
cotton in large quantities. It was from this country, in the
16th century, that cotton was brought to America. Although
the United States was the last to take up cotton growing, for
almost a hundred years it has exceeded all other countries in the
production of this ﬁber, and at present it raises about three-
fourths of the entire world's crop.
2. C1assiﬁcation.—The cotton plant, the botanical name of
which is gossypimn, is a member of the mallow family, its ﬂowers
closely resembling the hollyhock of our gardens. Numerous classi-
ﬁcations have been made of its varieties, some authorities giving a
large number, but the majority place all cotton in four classes,
namely, herb cotton, gossypium herbaceum; shrub cotton, gossy-
pium hirsutum; tree cotton, gossypium arboreum; and lintless
cotton, gossypium barbadense. Growers and buyers of cotton,
however, prefer to classify it according to its place of growth, their
chief classes being Sea Island, Egyptian, Upland, Indian, and
Peruvian. The characteristics of these classes are as follows:
20


COTTON 21
3. Sea Island cotton is grown on the islands along the coast
of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. It has long, silky, ﬁne
ﬁbers and is used for making the ﬁnest cotton thread, such as that
utilized for laces, sewing thread, silk mixtures, and silk imitations.
4. Egyptian cotton ranges in color from white to brown, the
brownish color being due to the coloring matter in the Nile.
Its ﬁber is unusually long, from 1% to 1% inches, and it is used to
some extent in the manufacture of spool cotton. Its greatest
use, however, is in the manufacture of fancy knit goods, such as
the better grades of hosiery and underwear, it being next in value
to Sea Island cotton.
5. Upland cotton is grown in the United States on the uplands
of some of the South Atlantic States. It is a cotton that varies
greatly according to the cultivation of the plant and the character
of the soil in which it is grown. The ﬁbers of this cotton range
from % inch to 1% inches in length and form a source from which we
obtain the bulk of our cotton for use as sheeting, gingham, calico,
_ and similar materials.
6. India cotton is used for making very coarse yarns, such
as those used in denims and drilling, as it is shorter and weaker
than the American upland cotton. - The United States uses very
little India cotton; its greatest markets are Japan and European
countries.
7. Peruvian and Brazilian cotton, or South American cot-
ton, as it is sometimes called, has ﬁbers of a harsh, wiry char-
acter, which make both of these varieties useful in the adultera-
tion of wool. The ﬁber is about the same length as that of
Egyptian cotton.
8. Growth of P1ant.—Cotton is planted some time from
March until May and matures from August until the frost comes,
often as late as November or December. It is ready to pick as
soon as the boll bursts open and shows its downy center. The
picking is practically all done by hand, for although machines are
sometimes used, they are not very satisfactory because they cannot
distinguish between the ripe and unripe bolls and not all the bolls
ripen at the same time. Each picker picks from 150 to 200 pounds
of cotton a day.


22 COTTON
9. Cotton Ginn1ng.—After being picked, the cotton is taken
to a ginnery, where the seeds are removed from the ﬁber by the
cotton gin. This device, invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, has
played a very important part in the history of the cotton industry.
Up to the time of its invention, the seeds and ﬁber were separated
by hand, but this was a very slow process for no one was able to
clean more than 6 pounds of cotton in a week. Now, with the
modern gins in use, two men can remove the cotton from the wagon
and attend six gins, which clean 24,000 pounds in a day.
The cotton gin consists of a series of saw-like teeth that draw the
ﬁber of the cotton through holes too small to permit the seeds to
pass. The lint is carried on by rollers, whereas the seeds are sent
to the oil presses, these being frequently installed in the gin houses,
where the seeds are pressed through special machinery and yield
cotton-seed oil, the hulls being used for fuel and fertilizer.
10. Sorting, Baling, and 0pening.—After cotton is ginned,
it is generally made into bales of 500 pounds each and shipped to a
manufacturing center. Owing to the difference in the length
and the condition of the ﬁber, the cotton must ﬁrst be graded. To
do this, the bale is broken and the cotton is placed in a machine
known as a cotton opener, which tears the cotton apart. With the
ﬁbers opened, they are sorted according to length and whiteness.
Bale breaking and opening are not necessary operations if the
cotton is hauled from the gin directly to the cotton mill and it is to
be graded at once.
11. Carding, Combing, Drawing.—The cotton passes
through several intermediate steps that prepare it for the carding
process. By means of a machine containing a card and a comb,
the action of which has been compared to that of a comb and brush
on the hair, the ﬁbers are cleaned of their impurities and laid
approximately parallel. From the card, which delivers the cotton
inthe form of a sliver, it is run through the combing machine, if it is
intended for very ﬁne material. Otherwise, it goes straight to the
drawing frame, which combines several slivers and draws them out
so that they are the size of one. After going through the drawing
frame several times, the ﬁbers are sent to the ﬂy frames, where they
are drawn still smaller and twisted very slightly. Then the yarn
is wound on bobbins.


COTTON 23
12. Spinning.—The next step in cotton manufacture is
spinning, which is usually done on an upright frame by the ﬂyer
or the ring system. A humid atmosphere is more satisfactory for
cotton spinning than is a dry one. Consequently, England is
more suitable for this work than America, although large quantities
are spun in both the Southern and the New England States. The
chief purpose of spinning is to unite and draw out the ﬁbers and to
twist them into yarn.
There is a difference between the spinning of yarn for warp and
that for weft. Since the warp yarn must be stronger than the weft,
longer ﬁber cotton with a harder twist is used for it. For the weft
yarn, the short ﬁber is employed.
The invention of the cotton gin by Whitney made possible a
large supply of cotton for spinning. Also, improvements in spinning
wheels gave a great impetus to the industry. In fact, spinning was
practically taken out of the home and made a problem for
factories, where it has been kept ever since.
I
13. Dyeing.—As soon as the yarn is spun, it may be dyed
at once, when it is known as “dyed in the yarn”; or it may be woven
ﬁrst and then dyed, when the material is called “dyed in the piece.”
Most of the cotton yarn is dyed before weaving. Sometimes, the
yarn is bleached and mercerized before dyeing.
14. Weaving.—Before cotton cloth is woven, the warp
threads are sized to increase their strength and to make them with-
stand the wear of the loom. The warp is then placed on a warp
beam and each of the warp threads is drawn through its particular
heald, or vertical wire containing an eye, in the harness and its
space in the reed, or a heavy frame set close with straight wires,
between which the warp threads pass. The reed presses the weft
threads up close to the ﬁnished piece to make it ﬁrm and even.
Two operators are required to thread a loom for the ﬁrst time, but
after it is once threaded, the ends of the old warp may be tied to the
ends of the new with a weaver’s knot and the new warp drawn
through. The-pattern to be followed in the weaving is, of course,
worked out before the warp is threaded in the loom.
1 The principle of weaving is practically the same in all looms at
the present time. The harnesses automatically raise and lower
the Warp threads and with each opening of the shed, which is the
space between the warp threads, the shuttle ﬂies through, leaving a


24 COTTON
trail weft thread; then the harnesses raise another set of warp
threads and the shuttle ﬂies back. The majority oi cotton weaves
are plain, but twill weaves are seen in some materials, such as drilling
and khaki.
15. Cotton Finishes.—The varied ﬁnishes given to cotton
materials account for the large variety of cotton materials on the
market. Nearly all cottons are sized to some extent, the kind of
material used for sizing depending on the eﬂect desired. Thus,
organdie is sized to give it a very crisp appearance and percale
is treated with mucilage or gum to give it a glossy ﬁnish.
16. By calendering, or putting the cloth between heated steel
rolls and using warm dressings, a high luster may be obtained, as
in the case of sateen. Mulls are softened by means of oils; cre-
tonnes are treated with clay to give them a solid appearance.
17. Mercerization is a ﬁnish given to various cotton materials.
It is done in either the yarn or the cloth, usually before bleaching,
and consists in treating cotton under tension with a solution of
caustic soda to provide a high luster. Unless the yarn or cloth is
stretched very 'tight when treated with the soda, it shrinks both
lengthwise and crosswise and takes on a crinkled appearance. At
one time, this was the method used for maufacturing cotton crepe.
18. Printing.—In cotton manufacture, printing is an impor-
tant process. It consists in impressing, or stamping, a design on the
surface of a woven fabric or on the warp threads before the weaving
is begun. The designs in calico, percale, organdie, and many other
ﬁgured cotton materials are produced by means of printing.
PURCHASING COTTON MATERIALS
TESTS 1-‘on QUALITY
19. Before you buy cotton fabrics, there are several tests that
you should make in order to determine their quality.- Because of
the comparative cheapness of cotton ﬁber, it is seldom adulterated,
but an inferior grade of cotton is often made to appear heavier
by the addition of dressing. To test a thin fabric for the presence
of dressing, when making a purchase, simply hold it up to the light
and examine it. In this position, the starch that it contains will


COTTON 25
show between the threads. Or, rub the material in the hands to
remove a part of the dressing and thus determine the ﬁrmness of
the cloth. In the laundering process, such material loses both its
weight and its ﬁrmness. So, if you wish to make the most convinc-
ing test for the presence of dressing, wash a sample of the material
and compare it with the original piece.
20. Fastness to sunlight and washing is a very important
quality of cotton material. To test for this, cover one end of a
sample with a piece of cardboard or something else that will keep
out light and expose the uncovered end to sunlight for several days.
If the color remains unchanged, the fastness of the color to light
is practically assured. Then wash the sample in a warm soap
solution, repeating this process several times. If the color still
remains intact, you may rest satisﬁed that it is fast.
Guaranteed, fast-color material is more expensive at the out-
set than materials which are not guaranteed, because of the
special dyeing process required to produce fast colors. However,
the additional expense is justiﬁed by the attractiveness of the
material throughout its life.
21. Dark-colored materials that have not been properly dyed
have a tendency, when worn, to crock and discolor other garments
or the skin. To test for this condition, rub a sample of the material
briskly on a white, unstarched cotton fabric. If the color in the
dark material does not rub off with this treatment, you may feel
quite certain that the dyeing was properly done.
22. In buying material that is desired for long service, examine
its warp and weft threads. These should be in good proportion as
to strength and ﬁrmness, for the unequal tension produced by
threads that are too decidedly unlike will soon cause the material to
split or wear. Besides considering the strength and ﬁrmness of the
fabric, test its quality by untwisting one of its threads and noticing
the length of the separate ﬁbers. Long ﬁbers provide additional
strength and have good wearing qualities.
TABLE OF COTTON MATERIALS
23. The materials, or fabrics, made from cotton are large in
number and variety. In order that you may become familiar
with most of them, all those in common use for home dressmaking are


COTTON 27
Usual Width price
Name Weave Inches pa 1- Yard
Description
Calico. Plain 24 and 27 10c. up Closely woven, thin cloth, usually
with ﬁgured designs printed on
one side. Used for inexpensive
dresses and aprons. Often called
cotton print.
Cambric... Plain 24 and 36 15c. to 50c. Fine fabric with a glazed ﬁnish.
Used for handkerchiefs, linings,
and undergarments. Kid-ﬁn-
Canton, or ish cambric is narrower in width
Cotton, and cheaper in price.
ﬂannel. . Twill 27 10c. to 50c. Heavy cotton with long nap on the
right side. Used for children's
underwear, interlining, etc.
Canvas. . . . Plain 32 to 40 15c. to $1 A coarse, ﬁrm material. Used for
stiffening coats, facings, etc. ; also,
for making mail bags, tents, and
sails. There is also an open-
weave canvas used in embroi-
dery work known as cross-stitch
canvas.
Challis. . .. Plain 24 and 36 19c. to 50c. A ﬁne fabric, both plain and ﬁg-
- ured. Used for inexpensive
dresses and for comfortables.
Chambray. Plain 27 and 32 15c. to $1 Light-weight material with colored
- warp and white ﬁlling. Used
for dresses, aprons, and sunbon-
nets.
Cheesecloth Plain 24 and 36 12%c. to Thin, light-weight fabric. Used for
50c. wrapping cheese, butter, etc.;
also, for dish towels and for
window decorating. Colored
cheesecloth is used for masquer-
ade suits and dresses.
Chintz. . . . Plain 27 to 50 25c. to $5 Material similar to cretonne,
usually glazed-ﬁnished.
Corduroy.. Pile 36 89c. to $5 A durable, ribbed fabric in white
and colors. Expensive qualities
have cotton warp and silk pile.
Used mostly for outing suits,
lounging robes, and children's
coats.
Coutil. . . .. Twill 36 to 54 30c. to $5 A stout material, sometimes in ﬁg-
ured weave, used for corsets,
brassieres, bed coverings, and
draperies.


2s . COTTON
Usual Width price
Inches pet Yard Description
Crepe.. . .. Plain 24, 32, 36 39c to $1 A crinkled, light-weight fabric.
Used for underwear, blouses, and
dresses. Some grades have ﬂoral
and Japanese designs. Used
{ Plain } for kimonos and lingerie robes.
Cretonne.. Twill 24 to 50 25c. to $12 A medium-heavy cloth, usually
printed in ﬂoral and striped
designs. Used for upholstery
and draperies.
Fancy
Crinoline.. Plain 27 and 36 19c. to 50c. An open-weave fabric ﬁlled with-
sizing. Used in cuffs, belts,
coats, and hats for stiffening.
Damask . .. Figure 36, 54, 64, 75c.to $2.50 A ﬁgured fabric used for table linen
72 and towels. See Damask, Table
II.
Twill 29, 32, 36 30c. to 50c. Strong, durable fabric in plain
colors. Used for overalls and
for furniture and ﬂoor coverings.
Diaper. . . . Figure 18 to 30 20c. to 25c. Soft fabric, generally made with
small diamond or bird's-eye pat-
tern; used for towels and under-
garments.
Dimity. . .. Plain 27 and 36 19c. to $1 Corded or crossbar, light-weight
material, plain and ﬁgured. Used
for infants’ garments, and for
aprons and lingerie dresses.

Drilling . . . Twill 32 to 36 25c. up Coarse, ﬁrm cloth. Used for men's
outing suits and for interlinings.
Duck . . . . . Plain 18, 27, 36, 25c. to $5 A heavy-weight, highly ﬁnished
and 126 fabric. Used for outing skirts
and coats and for tents and awn-
ings.
Flannelette Plain 27 to 36 29c. to 59c. A soft fabric with a slight nap.
Comes in white and colors. Used
for sleeping and baby garments
- and for kimonos.
Flaxon. . . . Plain 32, 36, 40 29c. to $1 A mercerized lawn of ﬁne quality.
Used for blouses, dresses, and lin-
gerie. Flaxon is a trade name.
Gabardine. Twill 36 25c. to 50c. A stout material used chieﬂy for
tailored dresses and skirts. See
Gabardine, Table III.
Galatea. .. Twill 27, 29, 32 35c. to 75c. A heavy, ﬁrm material for boys’
clothes, outing skirts, middy
blouses, and dress-form coverings


COTTON

Usual Width
Pefrétfm Description
Inches
Muslin .. . .
N ainsook . .
Organdie,or
organdy .
Outing
ﬂannel . .
Plain
Plain
Plain
40 25c. to 75c. Soft open weaves in ﬁne and coarse
qualities. Used for dresses and
curtains. Coarser qualities iden-
tical with scrim.
27 to 40 35c. to $1 Very soft, sheer, light material in
white and colors. Used for dress
foundations and blouses and for
inexpensive party dresses. Firm
quality sold under the trade
name of seco silk.
36 to 90 19c.to$1.50 A ﬁrm and loose weave, bleached
and unbleached. Unbleached
often referred to as raw muslin.
Used for undergarments where
durability is desired and for
sheets and pillow cases.-
36 20c. to $1 A light-weight, soft, bleached, mus-
lin suitable for dainty lingerie and
children's garments.
25c. to $2 Very ﬁne, sheer, crisp material,
- in white and colors. Used for
dresses, aprons, collars, and cuffs.
“Permanent-ﬁnish" organdie re-
tains crispness after laundering.
27 and 36 12;1;c.to40c. Similar to ﬂannelette, with a nap
36 to 45

Percale . . ..
Percaline. .
Piqué.....
Poplin. . ..
Plain
Plain
Plain
Cord
Plain
on both sides.
stripes, and checks. Used for
sleeping and infants’ garments.
36 17c. to 50c. A close, ﬁrm fabric, plain and in
colors. Used for dresses, shirts,
and children's clothes.
36 35c. to 60c. Closely woven fabric with glazed
or watered ﬁnish. Used for
linings and for drop skirts.
27 to 36 25c. to $1 A ﬁrm fabric in lengthwise corded
effect. Used for dresses, vests,
cravats, and children's coats.
27 to 40 19c. to $1 Fabric having ﬁne crosswise ribs.
Used for draperies, dresses, and
children's coats. Also made in
silk and wool.
25c. to 75c. Firm material woven with heavier
weft than warp, giving it a ribbed
effect. Used for draperies,
dresses, and children's coats.
27, 32,
and 36
Made in colors, .


COTTON 31
Usual Width
Inches
Price
per Yard Description
Scrim.....
Seersucker .
Silesia . . . ..
Silkaline. . .
Soisette . . .
Swiss.....
Tarlatan. . .
Terry cloth
Ticking . . .
Velveteen. .
Voile . . . . . .
Leno
Plain
Plain
Plain
Plain
Plain
Plain
Pile
Twill
Pile
Plain
36 to 40 50c.to$1.50 Rough-surface fabric made with
knotted yarn. Used for summer
suits and dresses.
36 25c. to 75c. Closely woven material, with lus-
trous, smooth ﬁnish, like that of
satin. Used for underskirts and
linings. Heavy quality known
as surf satin.
29c. to 40c. Open-mesh weave in white, cream,
and ecru; light in weight and
transparent. Used for draperies.
29 25c. to 50c. A thin fabric with an irregular,
crimped surface. Used for
dresses, coats, and underwear.
36 30c. to 60c. A light-weight fabric, similar to
percaline; soon loses its luster.
Used for linings.
36 25c. to 55c. A thin, soft, glazed fabric. Used
for draperies and comfortables.
36 35c. to 75c. Soft, mercerized fabric. Used
chieﬂy for negligée shirts and
pajamas and sometimes for com-
fortables. Soisette is a trade
name.
A soft dress muslin, usually in
cross-bar and dotted effects.
Used for dresses and curtains.
36 to 72 19c. to 59c. Open-mesh, slightly stiffened fab-
ric. Used for Christmas stock-
ings, as a stiffening in garments,
and for fancy costumes.
18 to 40 l5c.to$1.50 Cloth woven with a raised loop
giving a rough surface. Used
principally for towels, draperies,
and bath robw.
32 and 36 25c.to$1.25 Firm fabric in stripes and in ﬂoral
and herringbone patterns. Used
for pillows and mattress covers.
27 and 36 $1 to $5 A cotton velvet, with short, close
pile. Used for dresses and chil-
dren's wraps and for draperies.
36to 44 25c.to$2.50 Material having hard-twisted,
warp-and-weft threads woven in
open mesh. Extensively used
for dresses.
24 to 60
32 to 44 25c. to $3


CHAPTER III
LINENS
NATURE A.ND USES
1. Linen was probably the ﬁrst textile woven by man, for it is
known to have been in use centuries before the Christian era. And
the treatment given to the ﬁbers in these early linens was so excel-
lent that napkins discovered in the wrappings of mummies were
not only well preserved but were able to withstand several washings.
The Phenicians are said to have carried linen production into
Ireland, where it has always been an important industry, linens
from Ireland being in great demand because of their beauty.
2. Linen has ever been regarded as the textile of luxury, for
its rather high price, due to its methods of production, prevents it
from being used as commonly as many of the other fabrics. It is
used less frequently, also, because textile manufacturers have so
perfected cotton materials, producing almost indescribable colors and
weaves, that, whenever it is possible, cotton, which is much cheaper
and does not wrinkle so easily, is substituted for linen. However,
because of its sterling properties, there are some uses for which no
substitute can be found for linen. This textile is practically free
from lint, absorbs water very rapidly, gives up its moisture just
as quickly, is easily cleansed, has exceptionally good endurance,
can be had in the ﬁnest of fabrics, has threads that are smooth,
strong, and lustrous, and is pure and hygienic for constant service.
In addition, because of the length of its ﬁber, linen does not
possess the fuzzy surface that characterizes cotton and that even-
tually results in a gray and dingy look through the constant
accumulation of dust. -
32


LINENS 33
3. The cost of linen is well justiﬁed for household and surgical
purposes, as well as for wearing apparel, handkerchiefs, neckwear,
and fancy work. Because of its long history, its reliability, its
purity, its expense in production, its exclusive use for many
needs, linen should receive a respect which can hardly be accorded
to any other fabric. And every effort ought to be exerted to
prolong the life of a piece of linen to the fullest extent. Table-
cloths, napkins, and other household linens should be laundered
with the greatest care, as well as mended to make them last as
long as possible. Housewives of today may well emulate the
women of olden times, who spent more time caring for the treasures
they had acquired and less time in procuring new things than we do.
PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE
4. Cultivation of Plant.—Linen is made from the ﬁber
contained in the stalk of ﬂax, an annual plant that may be produced
in nearly all climates. Practically all European countries cultivate
ﬂax for the ﬁber, while India and the United States cultivate it for
the seed and its products. When full grown, the ﬂax plant, which
has an erect, slight, and willowy stem, ranges from 20 to 40 inches
high, and has small ﬂowers that vary in color in the diﬂerent
varieties from pale yellow to bright blue. In the cultivation of
ﬂax, successive plantings are not made in the same ground, for it
requires well-cultivated and well-nourished soil, an interval of from
5 to 10 years being allowed between ﬂax plantings in Belgium.
It is planted early in the spring, and as soon as it is a few inches
high the women and children begin to weed the plants. In late
July the harvesting begins, the ﬂax being in the best state for
ﬁber when the leaves and the stem of the lower part of the plant
turn yellow and the seed pods begin to open. Instead of being
cut, the ﬂax plants are pulled up by the roots a handful at a time
so as to save all of the precious, long ﬁber possible. l
5. Removing Leaves and Seeds.—The manufacture of
ﬂax into linen consumes much time and, for the ﬁner grades of
linen, requires much hand work. After the ﬂax is harvested, it is
allowed to dry and the seeds are then removed from the stalks.
Then the stalks are rippled, that is, they are separated from the
leaves and any seeds that may still be attached by being drawn
through a large iron comb.
I-D L-4


34 LINENS
6. Retting.—The next process through which the ﬂax is
put is called retting, the purpose of which is to separate the ﬁber
from the bark and the woody core. It is accomplished by cold water,
steam, dew, or in a chemical way, but the most satisfactory method
for color and strength is by cold water. This is sometimes done in
the neighboring streams, as in the river Lys in Belgium, this being
one of the best known ﬂax-raising districts in the world.
7. When the cold-water method is employed, the ﬂax is put
in open crates of wood, which are covered on the four sides with
jute burlap, often from 2,000 to 3,000 pounds being put into one
crate. The crates are covered with fresh straw, are ﬂoated in
position in the stream, and then are weighted down with stones and
sod until they are entirely covered with water. They are left in
the water until the ﬂax is sufﬁciently fermented, usually 14 or 15
days, the crate then rising above the water and bubbles appearing
on the surface. Sometimes, for very ﬁne ﬁber, the ﬂax is removed
from the water after 5 days, dried for a part of a day, and then put
back for further action.
8. A different method is that practiced in Ireland, the ﬂax
being placed in stagnant pools of water. But the color of the linen
is not so good when this kind of retting is done. - In Russia, the
ﬁber is left on the ﬁeld to be retted by the dew. Retting is also
done with the use of chemicals, but as these are apt to harm the
ﬁber, this method is used less often than the natural ones.
9. Breaking and Seutching.—After being retted, the bundles
are allowed to dry for a short time and are then turned inside out
so that the air will reach all parts of the ﬂax. As the ﬁber dries,
it bleaches and becomes pretty well separated from the bark and
woody pitch. It must be put through still more processes, known
as breaking and scutching, or beating, before it is thoroughly
cleaned of the particles of straw and dirt that cling to it. The
linen hackle performs the service for linen that the card does for
cotton in its manufacture; that is, it lays the ﬁbers in order and
removes all the short lengths of ﬁber that are known as tow, which
is rescutched, spun like cotton, and used for coarse cloths. Some-
times the scutching is done by hand and sometimes by machine,
but hand-scutching is considered less wearing on the linen.


LINENS 35
10. Hackling and Drawing.—For very ﬁne yarns, the ﬁber
is sorted and cut into three divisions. The middle cut is the
best and is known as cut line.
Before being spun, the ﬁber is combed many times and then put
through a series of hackling machines to clean it more thoroughly
and to separate the line from the tow. At the end of this treat-
ment, the line is smooth, ﬁne, and glossy. After being sorted
and cut, it is again put into a machine and combed through ﬁne
wires, until it is made into a continuous ribbon or sliver. This
process, which is called drawing, is repeated in other machines
according to the ﬁneness of the thread desired.
11. Spinning.—The spinning of the ﬂax, which is the next ‘
process, is done by the wet, dry, or semidry method, depending
on the purpose for which it is to be used. The tow is treated
differently from the line, it being spun much like cotton. Dry-
spun ﬂax is more silky and has a greater ﬁrmness than that produced
by wet spinning, but it is not so ﬁne. The thread produced by wet
spinning is twisted tighter and the ﬂax is more subdivided, but
these points are an advantage for certain classes of thread. Care
must be used in wet spinning, however, to have the yarn dried
quickly in order to avoid the forming of mold.
12. Sizing, Bleaching, Weaving.—With the spinning of
the thread completed, it is usually sized to give it strength, and
then it is often bleached wholly or partly before it is woven. The
weaving, as can well be understood, depends on the purpose for
which the linen is to be used. Sheetings, lawn, and cambrics are
done in plain weaves, while towelings usually show twills. Damasks
are generally woven on the Jacquard loom, and these cloths can
be used on either side.
13. Finishing Processes.—The ﬁnishing of linen cloth
does not vary greatly for the different weaves. After being woven,
the web of cloth is bleached. Chemical bleaching, dew bleaching,
and grass bleaching are in use. In Ireland, where grass bleaching is
the method used, the cloths are spread out on large grass plots,
wherethey become a snowy white upon being subjected to the
rain and sunshine. In addition to being bleached, linen is often
washed, blued, starched, and mangled.


36 LINENS
14. Dressing is needed to some extent in even the best linens
to bring out their designs. In poor grades, it is used to cover the
defects of the linen. Different dressings are used to obtain different
effects in the ﬁnished material.
15. Beetling gives linen its “leathery” feel. After the cloth is
dampened, it is placed on a roll and is struck with a series of wooden
mallets to give it the ﬂat appearance that is so familiar to every
one. The ﬁnal processes include calendering, pressing, inspecting,
folding, marking, and packing.
16. Countries Producing Linen.—The linens produced in
the various countries seem to possess distinctive characteristics.
Linen from Ireland has the distinction of being the purest white of
all linens, and while it is not always showy, it possesses the best
appearance and wearing qualities. The dazzling whiteness of
Irish linen has been compared to new snow on which the sun is
shining. These qualities are perhaps due to the climate in which
the ﬂax is raised, as well as to the method of bleaching, nearly all
Irish linen being bleached on the grass, where it is subjected to
sunshine and rain. Belfast, Ireland, is noted for its excellent wear-
ing Irish linen.
In Scotland is produced linen that is much in favor, too, as
it is usually sun- and grass-bleached, this method of bleaching being
less injurious to the ﬁbers thanbleaching methods in which chemicals
are employed. Scotch linens, as a rule, are much heavier and more
showy in pattern than Irish linens.
The linen made in France is noted for its beautiful patterns, and
especially is this true of French table linens. The French, as a
rule, spin their linen thread round and ﬁne with the result that
they are able to produce some unique weaves and designs. Many
linen dress fabrics are produced in France, too.
Belgium grows the ﬁnest ﬂax of any country in the world, and
the Belgians weave many beautiful linens as a result of having
splendid material with which to work; also, they manufacture the
ﬁnest linen threads used in lace making. It is said that the Belgians
use more dressings in their linens than do the Irish.
The linen produced in Germany and Austria is silver white in
color and very ﬁne in texture and is produced in beautiful designs.
Germany produces great quantities of unbleached table linen, also,
which many prudent housewives buy and then bleach. The bleach-


LINENS 37
ing is done by placing the muslin, every time it is washed, on the
grass, where it is allowed to dry and at the same time is acted on by
dew and sunshine.
The United States imports practically all its linen, and this fact
accounts to a great extent for the seemingly- high price of pure linen
in America. In this country, the raising of ﬂax has not reached a
point to be proﬁtable, except for the seeds and the making of
linen thread and coarse linen toweling. America is recognized
everywhere as the chief cotton-producing country, but Europe
claims all honors in regard to linen fabrics.
Experiments in ﬂax production, however, indicate that ﬂax can
be raised in the northwestern part of the United States. New
York state, also, has produced ﬂax from which linen has been woven.
PURCHASING LINENS
TESTS FOR LINEN
17. It is often a very difﬁcult matter to distinguish between
linens and ﬁne cotton fabrics, especially when the cottons are
slightly starched and ironed with a gloss. Consequently, much care
should be exercised in the purchase of linens. Many authorities
contend that only with a microscope or by means of certain chemi-
cal tests is it possible to distinguish linen from ﬁne cotton. Of
course, such tests are impossible to make when shopping; neverthe-
less, until the government passes laws that insist on pure, unadul-
terated cloth, certain precautions must be taken in buying linens.
And there are a few tests that can readily be applied and that
should be familiar to every housewife.
18. Because of the absorbing quality of linen, some kinds may
be tested by pressing a dampened, or moistened, ﬁnger on the
wrong side of the material. If the moisture is taken up quickly
and shows through considerably, this is a fairly good indication
that the material is linen. If the material is cotton, the frayed
warp and weft threads will take up the moisture before it can
penetrate the material. It takes an excellent cotton fabric to
withstand a test of this kind.


38 LINENS
19. Another test for linen that may be quickly made consists
in pulling out a thread and jerking it in two. If the thread breaks
easily and the ends appear ﬂuffy or fuzzy, similar to cotton twine
when it is broken, the material is cotton. If, though, the thread
breaks hard and the ends show an uneven, drawn-out break caused
by the ﬂax threads, which form the strand of warp or weft, not
being broken off abruptly, it is almost certain that the fabric is good
linen. Pressing the material ﬁrmly between the thumb and fore-
ﬁnger will help to determine whether it is all linen or contains some
cotton, for if it fuzzes up, it gives evidence of cotton.
20. A drop of glycerine on unsized linen makes it appear
transparent, but does not have this effect on cotton. This is, there-
fore, a very good, as well as a very simple, test.
21. A test that may easily be made and that will aid in deciding
deﬁnitely whether a given fabric is cotton or linen consists in plac-
ing a sample in a strong solution of washing soda. Both cotton and
linen will shrink in this solution, but cotton will become a light
gray, whereas linen will turn a faint yellow.
Another test is to drop the sample into a boiling solution of
caustic potash, which may be purchased in any drug store, and
let it remain there a few minutes. If it is linen, it will turn dark
yellow, while if it is cotton it will remain nearly white or turn a
light yellow.
22. The tests given for ﬁnding the amount of dressing in cotton
can be followed to very good advantage when testing linen cloth,
namely, holding the material up to the light or rubbing it in the
hands. If the linen is colored, the tests given under cotton for
exposing the material to the light and washing it may also be
employed. .
TABLE OF LINENS
23. Table II gives the name, the usual width, and the usual
price per yard of all linens in general use. In connection with each
kind of linen are also mentioned its nature and the purpose for which
it is commonly used. As is true of similar tables of materials, this
information will be of valuable assistance to all women in the
selection of linens for garments and other purposes.


LINENS
39
TABLE H
LINEN MATERIALS

Name
Art linen..
Butcher's
Cambric. . .
Canvas . . . .
Crash... . I
Crash
towelingi
Damask...
Diaper. . . .
Dress linen
Glass
toweling
Handker-
chief linen
Holland. . .
Huckaback
Round-


Plain
Plain
Satin
Figure
Plain
Plain
Plain
Plain
Figure
Usual Width
Inches
36
Price
Per Yard
$1
36 and 45 $1.25 to $5
18, 27, 32
30c. to
$1.50
36, 45 65¢. to $2
18
25c. up
15 to 108 $2.50 to $10
18 to 36
40c. up
16, 18, 22, 50c. to $5
36, 45
16 and 24 15c. to 60c.
36 and 45 $1 to $5
32 to 60 $1 to $2
15, 16, 18, 75c. to $3
22
36
50c. to $1
Description
18 to 45 69c. to $3 Smooth fabric with ﬁat thread,
for stenciling and embroidery.
A coarse, durable weave of long-
ﬁber linen. Used for butchers’
aprons, fancy work, dresses, and
suits. Also made in cotton.
Sheer, crisp fabric. Used for lin-
gerie dresses and handkerchiefs.
A coarse, ﬁrm material. Used as a
body in tailored coats and some-
times in upholstery.
A coarse weave with even weft
threads. Used for towels and
fancy work.
Firm, glossy linen generally made
in brocaded ﬁgures. Used for
towels and table linen.
See Diaper, Table I.
A plain, ﬁrmly woven material in
either white or colors. Used for
blouses, dresses, and towels.
A soft, ﬁne, loosely woven material,
usually having blue or red stripes
or checks. Used for towels.
A sheer, ﬁne, fabric; launders well.
Generally made of Irish linen.
Used for handkerchiefs, neck-
wear, blouses, and dresses.
Coarse, ﬁrm weave. Used for win-
dow shades and in photography.
Absorbs water; weft threads promi-
nent; warp threads often of cotton.
Used for towels and fancy work.
Fine, sheer fabric made of short
linen ﬁbers. Used for handker-
chiefs and baby clothes.
thread
Sheeting. . .
Plain
Plain
Plain
18, 22, 36, $1 to $4
45, 54
36 to 108 $1 to $10
Soft-ﬁnished material, made with
round, hard-twisted yarn. Suit-
able for drawn work, hand hem-
stitching, and hardanger work.
Used for pillow cases, sheets, towels,
wash dresses, and suits.


40 LINENS
SHRINKING AND SETTING COLORS IN WASH FABRICS
24. Cotton materials, particularly ginghams, chambrays, and
percales, as well as linen fabrics, almost always shrink and often
lose their colors when washed for the ﬁrst time. Therefore, it is
generally advisable to shrink them and set their colors before making
them up into garments. If you attempt to keep correct proportions
in cutting and ﬁtting and at the same time make allowance for
shrinking, you are likely to encounter difficulties, because it is hardly
possible to estimate the exact amount of shrinkage. However, some
materials, particularly soft, sheer fabrics, lose much of their “new-
ness” in washing; so, instead of following the deﬁnite rule that all
cotton materials must be shI-11I1k and have their colors set before
washing, you will do well to exercise your own judgment about the
matter. Also, the style that is to be followed in making a garment
should inﬂuence your decision in regard to shrinkage, for this will not
prove so noticeable in some designs as in others.
25. For material that requires only shrinking, water alone is
used, but for material that is to be shrunk and at the same time
have its color set, a mordant, or color-setting substance, is required.
Because of the different chemicals that are used in dyeing each
color, it is impossible to form speciﬁc rules to follow in setting any
color. Therefore, before you use any solution, try out its effect on
a sample of the material, letting it dry after the solution is used and
then washing it to determine whether or not the color runs. You
may ﬁnd it necessary to experiment with several solutions, especially
if the salt solution here suggested does not prove effective.
26. Using Salt to Set Co1ors.—Common salt is a very prac-
tical color-setting substance, because, in addition to being generally
effective, it is comparatively cheap and on hand in every household.
For materials containing more than one color, you will ﬁnd that a
salt solution is especially desirable, as other mordants are usually
effective for only a limited variety of colors, while salt may be used
for almost any.
The effect of a salt solution as a mordant, however, is not always
lasting and in some cases it is advisable to use a different solution.
You can generally tell what to do by observing the quality of the
material and the nature of the color, for, as a rule, in the more expen-


LINENS 41
sive cotton fabrics having soft or rather subdued colors, a salt
solution is all that is needed to set the color. If you prefer not to
shrink the material before using it and ﬁnd, in washing a sample of
it, that the color is practically fast, you may postpone the use of the
salt solution until the garment is ready for laundering and then
leave it in the solution for a short time before ‘washing it.
27. To make a salt solution for setting colors, follow the pro-
portion of 1 cupful of salt to 1 gallon of cold water. After preparing
enough of the solution to cover all the material that is to be treated,
place the material, folded as it comes from the store, in the solu-
tion, but lift each of the folds so as to make sure that every part of
the material is thoroughly soaked. Let it remain in the solution for 2
hours. Then rinse it well in clear, cold water, taking care not to
unfold it, and carefully press the water out with the hands. You
may run it through a wringer if you fold it lengthwise a sufﬁcient
number of times to permit it to be laid out ﬂat in the wringer and
thus prevent the crowding of the material and the wrinkling that
would naturally result, but do not, under any circumstances, wring
it out by twisting. After the water is pressed out, unfold the
material and hang it up to dry in a shady place, being very careful
not to pull the straight edges out of shape. Never hang a colored
fabric in the direct rays of the sun, because such sunlight will take
the life out of the color and often cause the material to become
streaked. After the material is dry, press it on the wrong side.
It will then be ready for use.
Material that requires simply shrinking should be handled in the
manner just described, except, of course, that plain water should be
used. It is not necessary to leave the material in the water any
longer than complete saturation requires.
28. Additional Color-Setting Solutions.—Following are
recipes for other solutions that prove very effective for some colors.
.Use these in the same way in which you would a salt solution.
A sugar-of-lead solution is generally recommended for delicate
colors, especiallyl lavender, but it also proves effective for many
darker colors. To make this color-setting solution, follow the
proportion of 1 ounce of sugar of lead to 1 gallon of boiling-hot
water. Try to dissolve every particle of the sugar of lead, but
should any insoluble substance remain, strain the solution in order


42 LINENS
to prevent the formation of streaks in the material, which may be
impossible to remove. Wait until the solution is cold before placing
the material in it; also, let the material remain there for 2 or 3 hours
before rinsing it. Sugar of lead is poisonous if taken internally, so
extreme care must be exercised in handling it.
An alum solution is usually effective for green. To make it, fol-
low the porportion of 1 tablespoonful of alum to 1 gallon of water.
A vinegar solution in some cases proves very effective for pink,
and in other cases it is much better for blue. In making such a
solution, follow the proportion of % cupful of vinegar to 1 gallon
of water.


CHAPTER IV
WOOL
WOOL PRODUCTION
1. 0rigin.—Wool is the soft, hairy covering of sheep and
certain allied animals, clipped from the animal and manufactured
into fabrics of various kinds. Whether it was ﬁrst produced
by the Egyptians or the Greeks is a question of doubt, but
it is sufﬁcient to know that the sheep has been a domesticated
animal from prehistoric times, for its bones have been found with
those of human beings in ancient tombs. All down through the
ages, to the time when cotton manufacture became an important
industry, wool was the leading staple of commerce, ﬁguring con-
spicuously in the prosperity of many nations. Now, it follows cotton
in importance among textiles, but its production and manufacture
are still leading industries in various parts of the world.
2. Wool Supply.—The wool ﬁber varies greatly as to length
and nature, some of it being short, soft, dull, and crimpy, and other
varieties being long, silky, and lustrous. The merinos, which
include the Spanish, the Saxony Electoral, and the French, or
Rambouillet, are prominent among the short-ﬁbered sheep, while
the Leicester, Lincoln, Cotswold, Romney Marshes, and Devons
are among the long-ﬁbered producers.
Besides sheep, the llama, the alpaca, the angora goat, the Cash-
mere goat, and the camel are all sources of wool ﬁber, some of them
producing inferior grades and others, as the Cashmere goat of the
Himalaya Mountain regions, yielding the most expensive wool
grown.
3. Australia, South America, and the United States have long
been the leaders in wool production. Australia is noted for the
43


-WOOL 45
in a bundle and put into a large sack, which, after being packed full,
is fastened securely and shipped to the market.
6. S0rting.—When the ﬂeeces arrive at the mill, they are
very dirty and greasy, and often contain burrs, straw, and even
anthrax germs. The wool must ﬁrst be sorted into its different
grades by a worker known as a wool sorter. This is a very dis-
agreeable task, but it is an extremely important one, for on it
depends much of the beauty of the ﬁnished yarn. In separating
the ﬂeece, which is a hand process, the sorter places it in piles or
bins according to its quality. From these, it goes to the cleaning
machines, each process forming a part _of a train of machines
which prepare the wool for spinning.
7. Dusting.—Very often wool contains so many impurities
that it must be relieved of some of them before it can be washed.
In some mills, it is put through the duster, which opens the ﬂeece
by means of coarse teeth, or spikes, and then removes much of the
dirt by means of a fan.
8. Scouring.—When the ﬂeece is taken from the sheep, it
contains a greasy substance, known as yolk, which is caused by the
animal secretions and the perspiration of the skin. The removal
of the yolk is accomplished by the scouring process, which
consists in putting the wool through various baths of warm water
and certain chemicals, such as potash, ammonium carbonate, and
soda, each mill having its own formula for the desired results.
Much care must be used in scouring or the ﬁber may be harmed.
From the last bath, it comes out thoroughly rinsed and then,
unless it is to be dyed wet, it is dried, ﬁrst in a cylindrical container
by means of a whirling motion, which drives out excess moisture,
and then by being carried over hot pipes or by mean of hot air.
-9. Carbonizing.—When wool contains a great many burrs,
it must be put through a process that removes these before it can
be carded and spun. Carbonizing, which consists of treating the
wool to a solution of sulphuric acid that is not strong enough to
injure the ﬁber and yet will singe the vegetable matter, is con-
sidered the best method of removing the burrs. The wool is
then rinsed in a solution of soda and water and ﬁnally baked until
the vegetable matter is destroyed. To remove the dried vegetable
material, the wool is dusted.


46 WOOL
10. B1end1ng.—With the wool relieved of its impurities,
it is usually blended to produce a combination of colors or of
varieties of ﬁber. This is a process that requires considerable
experience, for the blender must understand the mixing of colors
in order to produce the desired effects.
11. 011ing.—By this time, the wool has lost practically all of
its natural oil and it must be reoiled in order to pass through the
remaining processes easily. The oiling may be done by hand or the
wool may be sprayed_with machinery as it passes from one machine
to another. Various oils are used for this purpose, chief among
which are olive oil and tallow oil.
MANUFACTURE OF WOOLENS
12. After the oiling of the wool ﬁber, the processes for the
manufacture of woolens and worsteds begin to differ. When
wool ﬁber is intended for woolens, such as underwear, ﬂannel,
broadcloth, and similar materials, the processes through which it
passes are fewer in number and of a simpler nature than when it is
to be made into worsteds. This is due to the fact that, for woolens,
the ﬁbers need only be cleaned and mixed, whereas for worsteds
they must also be combed sufﬁciently to make them lie entirely
parallel.
13. Picking.—The ﬁbers are usually in a rather entangled
condition after scouring and drying, so they must be put through
a machine that opens them and then mixes them in preparation
for the next process. This is known as picking.
14. Carding.—The process of carding, which usually involves
the use of three machines, is the most important one in the manu-
facture of woolens. The ﬁrst machine is sometimes provided with
an arrangement whereby the ﬁber is mixed, and it always contains
some means of combing the wool into a ﬁne, even feed, or sliver,
so that it passes easily into the next machine. In the second card,
the wool is often transformed into a wide sliver and then laid diag-
onally into the feed, which deposits it so that one layer is half
over the other and still alongside of it. In the third machine, the
wool is fed from the side of the sliver so that it becomes well mixed
and is prevented from lying in the parallel rows that the teeth


WOOL 47
of the card naturally produce. From the last card, the ﬁber is put
through rub rolls and then wound on bobbins in a slightly twisted
form ready for spinning, or it is sent to the drawing frames where
it is further prepared to be spun.
15. Sp1nning.—The mule frame is generally employed for the
spinning of woolen yarn because its intermittent motion makes it
especially adapted to the twisting of soft, short yarns. In the
spinning frame, the yarn is wound on bobbins ready to be woven.
16. Weaving.—If the yarn is to- be dyed before weaving, it is
ﬁrst wound into skeins and then dyed. Either undyed or dyed,
it is woven into materials of various kinds, including broadcloths,
ﬂannels, chinchillas, blankets, as well as numerous sorts of knitted
and crocheted goods. The chief characteristic of woolen weaves
is that they are soft and practically concealed.
17. Finishing Processes.—After woolen cloth is woven,
it must be put through certain ﬁnishing processes before it is ready
for the market. Fulling shrinks it and makes it appear more
closely woven. Napping, which is done by a machine having wire-
cloth rollers, raises the nap of the material. Then, it is often
sheared if a smooth, glossy material, such as broadcloth, is desired.
Pressing and calendering follow, after which the material is bolted
and ready for the market. -
MANUFACTURE OF WORSTEDS
18. The chief diﬂerence between woolens and worsteds is that
in the making of worsted yarn the ﬁbers must be combed to make
them lie parallel before they are twisted into thread. This involves
much more work and the ya.rn must be put through many more
processes than for woolens, so worsteds are usually more expensive
fabrics. They are characterized by a ﬁrm, even, close-twisted
yarn and by weaves that are usually distinguishable, as in the case of
serges.
19. Carding.—The process of carding, while it forms a part
of the manufacture of all worsteds, is not so important as in woolens.
For very long yarn, the ﬁbers are put through only one carding
process for the purpose of straightening the ﬁbers in preparation
for the comb. If a short yarn is to be used, it must be carded
oftener.


48 WOOL
20. G111ing.—The purpose of the gilling machines is to
prepare the ﬁbers for the combs. Often, a number of slivers are
united and then they must be straightened and laid parallel so
that they can be fed properly into the combing machine.
21. Combing.—The combing of the ﬁber is the most important
step in worsted manufacture. The comb separates the ﬁber into
the long, straight wool, which is called tops, and the short, curly
wool called noils. The tops, which are the ones used for worsteds,
are sent to another machine that lays the long ﬁbers as nearly
parallel as possible. The noils are removed and then either com-
bined with pure wool for certain materials in the mill itself or sold
to other manufacturers. When the wool leaves the combing and
gilling machines, it is in the form of a good-sized sliver wound into
a ball that can be easily unwound.
22. Drawing and Doub1ing.—The yarn must be consider-
ably reduced in size to make it suitable for spinning, so it is put
through the drawing and doubling machines. These processes
are repeated as many times as necessary to make the sliver the
right size. In some yarns, a slight twist is given to the wool at
this time, but in many the twisting is not done until just before the
spinning. The wool is next wound on bobbins.
23. Sp1nning.—In the spinning of worsted yarns, two methods
are followed: the English and the French. The English system
oils the wool before combing and consequently produces a smooth,
lustrous, tightly twisted yarn. The French method uses very
little oil and so is often called dry spinning. It uses a much shorter
ﬁber than the English system and produces a soft, dull, loosely
twisted yarn.
24. Finishing Processes.—From the spinning frames, the
yarn comes on bobbins and is ready for dyeing, weaving, and sizing.
If it is to be dyed before spinning, it is run off into skeins or hanks
and then wound again after the dyeing. Sizing, which strengthens
the yarn and which is done in the case of most single yarns, may
be done either before or after weaving. As worsteds depend for
their beauty on their weave, the weaving of them, as well as the
ﬁnishing processes of napping, shearing, boiling, steaming, and
pressing, differs somewhat from that of woolens and at the same
time requires much care and skill.


WOOL 49
PURCHASING WOOL MATERIALS
TESTS FOR WOOL
25. All wool fabrics should be carefully examined to see
whether they are absolutely clean and free from signs of shop
wear, such as faded lines on the outside folds, spots, dust streaks,
or pulled thread. Such goods may often be bought at a lowered
price and, if time is not at a premium, may be cleaned, sponged, and
pressed so that they appear satisfactory.
The color of wool fabrics, also, should receive attention. Note
whether they are dyed evenly and whether the color is such that it
will withstand the sponging and pressing required in both the making
and the renovating of the garment. It is always well to examine
material by daylight or “day1ight lamps” in considering its color.
26. Fiber Test.—Sometimes wool materials are adulterated
by cheaper materials, such as shoddy, cotton, and the waste from
silk and wool machines. If you wish to know whether a material
is all wool, ravel a little of it and examine the ﬁbers. You will
ﬁnd that wool ﬁber is kinky, whereas other ﬁbers are usually
straight. Then try breaking a thread. The wool ﬁbers pull apart
rather than break, whereas cotton ﬁbers, upon breaking, have
tufted, fuzzy ends.
27. Physical Condition.—Much can be told from the
“feel” of a material. A pure-wool fabric feels soft to the touch,
whereas a wool mixture feels harsh and stiff. It is true, of course,
that worsteds are stiffer than woolens, but there is a vast difference
between the “feel” of worsteds and that of a wool material contain-
ing cotton or other substitute. Every effort should be made to
trainthe hand to recognize the “feel” of the best wool, for this
ability comes chieﬂy through experience in handling materials.
28. Design and Wea~ve.—In the selection of wool materials,
the design and weave should be carefully examined. A good plan
is to place the cloth between you and the light, for then the design
can be seen to advantage and any imperfections it may contain
can be easily detected.
L D 140


50 WOOL
29. The weave of woolen fabrics affects the wearing quality,
the color, the construction, and the success of the ﬁnished garment
itself. A close, twilled weave make a ﬁrm, durable material,
while loose, open weaves are apt to loseitheir shape and wear poorly.
On the other hand, the close weaves, although they wear better and
are less likely to catch on rough surfaces or sharp projections,
become shiny rather quickly. Looseness of weave can be detected
by pulling the material back and forth. If, when pulled apart,
the threads separate easily and show daylight through them, you
may consider the weave too loose to wear well.
Weakness in the material may be due to imperfections in weaving
or to too great a difference between the strength of the warp and
the weft threads. Exposing the material to the light or pressing
it ﬁrmly with the thumb and the ﬁngers will help to detect such
weaknesses.
Crushing the material in the hands and rubbing it together will
show, with a fair degree of accuracy, how the fabric will wear, for
roughness of the surface will be brought out just as in wearing.
Materials having cords or ribs running one way are weaker than
those in which the cords or ribs run in both directions, for if cords
are to be brought out prominently one of the threads must be
combined with threads that are ﬁner and more loosely woven.
30. Test for Shoddy.—Until recent years, shoddy was looked
down on because it was thought to be only waste thrown off in wool
spinning. This, however, is a mistaken idea, for shoddy is in
reality the shredded wool of old cloth reduced to short ﬁbers for
the purpose of being used again. A small amount of shoddy mixed
with new wool is not a serious detriment, provided the shoddy is
good, for some very splendid materials contain shoddy. The
best shoddy is made from clippings of new cloth, such as those
received from tailoring establishments, but discarded wool of other
kinds is cleaned by manufacturing processes and then worked up
again into actually serviceable materials.
The necessity for testing wool materials for shoddy is not that
they should be avoided, but that their price be commensurate with
the shoddy used. The distinguishing feature of shoddy is that it
has very short ﬁbers, so short that they cannot be combed. This
is one of the ways by which it can be detected. Sometimes, shoddy
is felted on the back of poor broadcloth to make it appear thick and


WOOL 51
heavy. Whether or not this has been done can be determined
by brushing the back of the material. If a dust is raised, the use
of shoddy is a certainty.
An excessive amount of shoddy in material makes it less elastic
than pure wool. So, examining a fabric to determine its elasticity
is another test for shoddy.
TABLE OF WOOLS
31. Table III is given to help in the selection, purchase, and
use of wool fabrics. As in the case of similar tables, the weave,
the width, the usual price, and a brief description are given for each
material mentioned. In reusing materials, especially wool fabrics,
many women ﬁnd uses not mentioned here, for this table, like the
others, considers the appropriate uses of only new fabrics. These
however, need not serve when economy must be taken into consid-

eration.
TABLE III
WOOLS
I
Name l Weave Umiilczvelsdth pefgiffrd Description
Albatross.. Twill 32 to 45 75c., Soft, loosely woven, crepe-like
$1 to $2.50 material, sometimes made- in
fancy weaves. Closely related to
nun's veiling. Used for shirred
and draped dresses. -
Alpaca. . . . Plain 36 to 54 65¢. to $4 Strong, elastic fabric_ with the
gloss of silk, and having ﬁne
cotton and wool-like hair ﬁlling.
Used for men's summer suits,
and for skirts and coat linings.
Armure. . .. Figure 36 to 45 $1 to $4 Similar to alpaca and used for the
same purposes. Woven in
bird's-eye and diamond effect,
sometimes in two colors.
Astrakhan. Pile 48 to 54 $4.50 to $15 A woolen or silk material in imita-
tion of real astrakhan. Used for
coats for men, women, and chil-
dren; for caps, muffs, and scarfs.
Barathea. . Plain 48 to 56 $2 to $6 Fine, soft, close weave in pebble or
broken- rib effect. Generally
made with silk or cotton warp
and worsted ﬁlling. Excellent
for dresses and light-weight suits.


52
WOOL
Usual Width
Inches
Price
per Yard Description
Bedford
cord . . . .
Bengaline. .
Bolivia
cloth . . . .
Bouclé . . . .
Brilliantine
Broadcloth
Brocade . . .
Camel's
hair . . . . .
Cashmere. .
Cord
Plain
Pile
Twill
Plain
Twill
Figure
Plain
Twill
36 to44 $1 to $3 Light-weight, all-wool material
with even warp and weft in
plain colors; sometimes called
tamise; in very light-weight,
called chiffon batiste. Used for
afternoon and evening dresses.
36 to 54 $2.50 to $6 Material with lengthwise cords,
that is, raised surface with plain
stripes between; in cotton and
wool. Used for tailored skirts
and suits.
$2 to $4 Firm, light-weight goods having
silk warp and heavy woolen ﬁll-
ing forming ribbed effect
heavier than poplin. Also made
in cotton and silk.
54 $4.50 to $11 A soft, all-wool material woven like
velvet. Used for coats.
$2 to $6 Medium-weight fabrichavingrough
but soft surface produced by
nub, or loop-yarn, ﬁlling. Used
for coats.
$1 to $4 Wiry, silk-wool fabric, similar to
alpaca, but of higher luster;
made from angora-goat hair.
Used the same as alpaca. This
is the ﬁne weave of mohair.
$2.50 to - Smooth, soft-ﬁnished, closely woven
$6.50 fabric with a nap. Generally
popular for dresses, suits, and
coats.
40 and 45 $2 to $8 Soft material woven with raised
patterns. Used for dresses and
wraps. Sometimessilk and wool.
42 to 54 $4.50 to $10 A fabric with a hairy surface made
entirely or partly of camel's hair.
In cheaper grades, cow hair is
used. Used for coats, over-
coats, and horse blankets.
36 and 45 $1 to $15 A soft fabric in beautiful shades
and sometimes woven in ﬁgures,
especially Paisley. Attractive
for women's dresses and for chil-
ren and infants’ wear.
36 to 54
40 to54
36 to 54
48 to 56

H


WOOL 55
Usual Width Price
Name Weave Inches per Yard Description
Karakul
cloth. . .. Pile 48 and 50 $3.75 to $15 Made in imitation of Persian lamb-
skin, which has short hair tightly
curled to the body. Used for
coats and for muffs and stoles.
Kersey.. .. Twill 48 to 60 $4 to $10 A stout, heavy cloth with a close
nap. Does not fray nor stretch
easily. Used for suits, capes,
and overcoats.
Lansdowne Twill 36 to 40 $2.50 to $4 A very ﬁne, wiry material made
- with silk warp and worsted ﬁll-
ing. Used mostly for dresses.
Matelassé.. Figure 40 to 54 $2 to $10 Material having raised designs
similar to quilting. Used for
suits, coats, and trimmings.
Also comes in silk.
Melton.... Plain 54 $4 to $10 Thick, heavy, short-nap material,
ﬁnished without pressing or gloss-
ing. Usually in dark colors.
Does not clean well. Used for
outing suits and overcoats.
Merino. . .. Twill 36 and 45 $1 to $3.50 Thin, light-weight fabrics. Used
for dresses and shawls.
Mistral. . . . Plain 40 $2.50 up Twisted, warp and weft threads
woven with nub yarn to give a
crepe effect. Used for dresses.
Mohair.... Plain 40 to 44 75c. to $4 A glossy, wiry material of which
brilliantine and Sicilienne are
varieties. Generally made with
a cotton warp owing to the fact
that the hair ﬁlling slips in the
weaving. Used for suits, skirts,
Novelty linings, and braid.
suitings.. Varied 40 to 56 $2 to $10 Originallyof plain,homespun weave
with rough, irregular ﬁlling of
different colors. The name is
frequently applied to all weaves,
especially to checks or brocaded
Nun's veil- effects. Used for skirts and suits.
ing.. .. . . Plain 18 and 36 $1 to $5 Soft, light-weight fabric. Some-
to 50 times called wool batiste; coarser
weaves called nun’; cloth. Very
satisfactory for shirred dresses
as it drapes well.


56 WOOL


Usual Width Price


Name Weave Inches per Yard Description
Ottoman,
wool. . . . Plain 36 to 54 $2 to $5 A ﬁrm fabric in ribbed effect.
Used for coats and suits.
Panama... Plainand 36 and $1 to $4 A light-weight, smooth-ﬁnished,
Basket 40 to 54 wiry fabric made of hard-
twisted yarn. Used for skirts
and light-weight suits.
Poiret twill Twill 40 to 54 $2.50to $10 A ﬁrm, twilled, worsted having
an appearance much like French
serge except that its twill is more
pronounced, as in gabardine.
Used for dresses, suits, and coats.
Polo cloth. Plain 54 $3 to $10 Double-faced, soft, and loosely
woven, woolen cloth; it has an
evenly cut nap. Used for coats.
Poplin. . . . Plain 36 to 54 $1.50 to $4 Medium-weight material having
ﬁne, crosswise ribs. Used for
skirts and suits.
Prunella... Twill and 36 to 54 $1.50 to $5 A soft, ﬁne, closely woven fabric.
Satin Used for dresses, light suits,
and clergymen's robes. Satiri-
weave prunella used for shoe tops.
Ratiné.. .. Plain 40 $2.50 to $6 A loosely woven fabric, the weft
threads of which are looped to
give a rough, uneven weave.
Used for dresses and suits.
Rep . . . . . . Plain 36 to 44 20c.to $4.50 Firm material woven with a cross-
wise, corded effect. Used for
skirts and suits, for men and
boys’ clothes, and for draperies.
Serge. . . . . Twill 36 to 56 75c. to $6 Soft, durable material that tailors
well. Popular for suits, coats,
Serge, and dresses. Also made in silk.
Cheviot. Twill 36 to 54 75c.to$3.50 Fabric having a pronounced di-
agonal weave. Used for skirts
Serge, and suits.
French.. Twill 36 to 56 $1.25 to Very ﬁne, soft weave; easily tai-
$4.50 lored; wears splendidly, but in
wearing produces a shine more
readily than other serges. Used
Serge, for dresses, skirts, and suits.
Storm... Twill 36 to 54 75c.to$3.50 Hard, ﬁne weave with nap. It is
usually a coarser material than
French serge.


WOOL 57
Usual Width Price
D - ti
Inches per Yard escnp mn
Sicilienne.. Plain 42 to 54 75c. to $4 Coarse weave of mohair. See
Mohair.
Silvertone . Plain 54 $2.50 to $10 A velour-like fabric having a limited
quantity of real or artiﬁcial
white silk mixed with the stock
and producing a shimmering
effect.
Soleil. . . . . Twill 40 to 54 $3 to $6 A smooth, highly ﬁnished fabric in
ribbed effect. Used for dresses
and light-weight suits.
Tartan. . .. Twill and 36 to 54 75c. to $5 Soft cloth similar to serge but
Basket woven of different colors to pro-
duce checks and plaids. Some-
times in plain colors. Also made
in basket weave in plaid designs.
Used for dresses.
Tricotine. . Twill 48 to 54 $2.50 to $10 A soft, ﬁrm material showing a
very narrow, inconspicuous, diag-
onal twill that gives a knitted
effect.
Tussah. .. . Plain 40 to 50 $2.50 to A light-weight, lustrous cloth used
$4.50 for dresses.
Tweed. .. . Plain 44 to 54 $2 to $8 Rough, unﬁnished, open texture,
in homespun effect. Usually
several shades are mixed, and
the pattern is not deﬁned. Very
serviceable for suits and coats.
Velour . . . . Plain 44 to 54 $2.50 to $7 Soft, closely woven, smooth fabric.
Used for suits, coats, and capes.
Velour has a close-shorn nap.
Venetian. . Twill and 54 $2.50 to $5 Fine, smooth fabric used for skirts
Satin and coats.
Whipcord.. Twill 36 to 54 $1.50 to Material in raised, corded effect
$6.50 and sernidiagonal weave. Cord
varies in width from extremely
narrow to § inch. Used for skirts
Wool and suits.
taffeta. . . Plain 36 to 54 $1.25 to Fabric having a closely woven,
$3.50 smooth weave. Similar to pana-
ma but of a much ﬁner quality.
Used for dresses, skirts, and suits.
_ Zibeline.. . Plain 44to 56 $2 to $6 Material ﬁlled with glossy hair,
which gives a §- to }-inch nap.
Used for suits and overcoats.


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SOLEIL


WOOL 61
EXAMPLES OF WOOLS
32. In presenting new materials each season, manufacturers
often make use of certain features that have been popular in the
past. They effect changes in materials by using softer or ﬁrmer
yarns, by introducing nub, or knotted, yarn in weaving, by chang-
ing the width of the ribs or cords, and by varying a pebbled surface
slightly. Such differences produce new fabrics that carry trade
names. The most popular of these remain in demand long enough
to become commonly known and eventually are adopted as standard
fabrics.
As it requires some time for such materials to become standard
and as novelty fabrics appear each year, which are bound to be
\I
WHIPCORD


Fro. 4
short-lived because of their impracticability, it is sometimes neces-
sary to group materials, as in Figs. 1 and 2, under names that
represent effects, rather than to give the actual names of the
materials. Such names may appear in various grades of fabrics
and often cover cotton, silk, and wool materials, but they are a
help in classifying materials and aid the shopper greatly in explain-
ing to salespeople the kind of fabric desired.
I
33. Among woolen materials, there are certain standard fabrics
having characteristics that distinguish them from all other goods.


62 WOOL
The names of such materials are sometimes used in classifying new
fabrics. Examples of the best known of these are shown in Figs.
3 and 4. A careful study of these illustrations not only will help
to acquaint you with the appearance of these fabrics, but will enable
you to classify new materials that have similar features.

DOUBLE-FACED CHINCHILLA
Fro. 5
34. The term double-faced fabric covers a variety of materials,
many of them being produced in different effects. In Fig. 5
appears double-faced chinchilla, which shows the characteristics of
all such goods.


CHAPTER V
SILK
SILK CULTURE
1. 0rigin.—Because of its interesting history and the place
it holds in the industrial world today, silk is a textile of the ﬁrst
rank and deserves unlimited attention. Just how it became known
is a matter about which there is doubt, but tradition has it that the
wife of one of the emperors of China discovered the possibilities
of the silkworm in 2700 B. C. In addition to her discovery, she
devised a method of reeling the silk and weaving it into cloth. For
this work she was deiﬁed by the Chinese people and is still wor-
shipped, after all these years, as “The Goddess of Silkworms." At
the annual festival held in her honor, the feeding of the worms is an
important feature of the ceremony.
2. Spread of Culture.—For hundreds of years, the source of
supply of silk and the method of manufacturing it were kept secret
in China. The material, however, was sold to the Persians, who,
in turn, carried it to Southern Europe and sold it to the Greeks and
afterwards to the Romans. The people who bought the silk
believed it was made from ﬂeeces growing on trees or from
ﬂowers, in accordance with the slender facts concerning cotton
and ﬂax.
During the reign of the Roman Emperor, Iustinian, he commanded
two Nestorian monks to go into China and return with the secret.
Although in China it was a crime, punishable by death, to sell
silkworm eggs or allow them to go out of the country, these two
monks, while apparently engaged in their pious occupations,
studied the whole industry and secreted several thousand eggs in
their hollow staffs. These, together with a thorough knowledge of
63


64 SILK
the industry, they carried back to Rome, where, during ]ustinian's
reign, the silk culture became a royal monopoly. Later, it spread
into Greece, Sicily, Spain, France, and, in fact, over all of Southern
Europe, where it still continues to be a thriving industry.
Attempts have been made to raise silkworrns in America, but
these have not been successful enough to indicate that their produc-
tion will ever become a proﬁtable industry. Silk manufacture from
raw silk imported in large quantities from Europe and Asia is
America's part in this great work.
3. Life History of Si1kworm.—Silk is a substance formed
by certain worms in great quantity at a particular time in their
life history and secreted beneath the mouth from two long sacs
along the inside of the body. The silkworm, which belongs to the
family Bombycidaz, or spinners, exists in four states—egg, larva,
chrysalis, and adult, or moth. The egg is very tiny, scarcely
% inch in length, and when ﬁrst laid is yellow. The hatching,
which takes place when the mulberry trees begin to leaf, requires
about 10 days, the worm that emerges being black and no longer
than its shell, and having sixteen legs. At ﬁrst, the worms merely
pierce the leaves of the mulberry and suck the sap, but very soon
they become large enough to eat the leaves themselves. The worm
holds thefleaf with its three pairs of forward legs and cuts from the
edge a piece to be eaten. Thisgcutting causes only very slight noise
in the case of a single worm, but sounds like the falling of rain
when a large number of worms are feeding at the same time.
4. The skin molts four times because the worm grows so rapidly
that the skin cannot keep pace with it. In the molting process,
the worm stops eating, grows a little lighter in color, and fastens
itself ﬁrmly to some object by its last ﬁve pairs of legs. Then it
holds up its head and the front of its body for about two days.
The skin breaks at the nose, permitting the head to emerge and the
worm, by moving its body, to work off the old skin.
After the last molt, the worm is about 1% inches long, a wonder-
ful growth considering the size of the worm when hatched; then it
begins to spin its cocoon in a quiet corner, the glossy ﬁlament
emerging from two oriﬁces and thus making a double thread that
hardens upon being exposed to air. The worm moves its head in
the shape of a ﬁgure 8 in one part of the cocoon; then it moves to
another section and spins in the same manner. Within a day's


66 . SILK
the threads from four to eight cocoons are gathered together and
as the reeling proceeds, are easily made into one thread, for the
natural gum of the silk makes them stick together. If the reeling is
done by hand or by foot power, the silk is called re-reel silk, but if
power machinery is used, the silk is known as ﬂlature silk. There
is much waste in this process, for neither the ﬁrst nor the last
threads can be used.
9. Doubling and Twisting.—After being reeled, the silk
is skeined and sorted according to color, and then pressed into
oblong packages called books. It is then wrapped and shipped to
a manufacturing plant, where it must be sorted according to ﬁneness.
The skeins are soaked for 10 or 12 hours in warm soapsuds to
remove as much of the natural gum as possible; then they are
dried, the thread is wound on bobbins, and these are sent to the
doubling machine.’ In the doubling process, which is known as
silk throwing, threads from a number of bobbins are wound on
one bobbin in order to make the thread stronger.
10. It is sent to the spinner next, where the threads that were
brought together by the doubling process are twisted into one.
The way in which the threads are twisted depends on the purpose
for which the silk is to be used.
Single ﬁlaments of reeled silk that have not been twisted are
called singles. If the silk receives only a slight twist in spinning,
it is known as tram, but if it is tightly twisted, it is called organzine.
Tram is used principally for ﬁlling, while organzine is used for warp.
11. Spun Silk.—In addition to reeled silk, which the long
ﬁlament makes, the waste product is gathered and used for spun
silk. For this, the short ﬁbers taken from the outside of the cocoons,
silk from imperfect cocoons or those from which the moth has
escaped, and various other sorts of waste silk from reeling are col-
lected, boiled to remove the gum, and then cut, combed, and spun in
a way similar to cotton. Though of an inferior grade, spun silk has
many uses, such as for knitted fabrics, for fancy effects in cotton
and wool materials, and for embroidery and knitting silks.
12. Dyeing.—After being reeled or spun, the yarn must have
all of the gum removed in preparation for dyeing. The greater
part of the gum, of course, is removed in the ﬁrst cleaning, but
every particle of it must be extracted in order that the ﬁber may be


SILK 67
dyed smoothly and evenly. After the boiling-off of the gum, a
lustrous, creamy-white ﬁber remains. Degurmning takes away
a great deal of the weight of the silk so that a certain percentage of
weight must be added if it is desired to replace its original weight
and thickness. In most piece-dyed silks, the materials are dyed
and ﬁnished after the boiling process without being weighted.
However, many silks are weighted by means of salts of tin, iron,
and lead, particularly if they are dyed in the yarn. In the case of
blacks, a large additional weight is often added. After the silk ﬁber
is dyed, it is wound on bobbins preparatory to warping and weaving.
13. Weaving and Finishing Processes.—The weaving of
silk does not differ greatly from that of the other ﬁbers. The
Jacquard loom is used extensively for the fancy brocades. Finally,
the silk is put through the ﬁnishing processes, which consist of
dressing, mangling, and calendering. Pure silk does not require
dressing, it being ﬁnished by pressing alone. The silk and cotton
materials and the poorer grades of silk are the ones that require
both dressing and pressing.
14. Printing.—The printing of silks is an important part of
the manufacture of this material. This is done either directly on the
warp threads after the fabric has been woven, engraved copper
rollers or blocks being used as in the case of cottons, or in the piece,
when it may be done direct or by the discharge or the resist process.
Stencils are used to a great extent by the people of Asia in their
printing.
PURCHASING SILK
TESTS FOR SILK
15. To know the nature of silk is a valuable aid in silk selection.
The quality of silk fabrics may be determined by pulling out threads
from the warp and the weft and applying a lighted match to them.
The way in which the sample burns indicates whether it is pure
silk, weighted silk, artiﬁcial silk, or a cotton and silk mixture. If
it is pure silk, the burning ﬁber will appear to melt, boil, form tiny
bubbles along the burned edge, and give off an odor like burning
hair or feathers. If the sample holds its original form more or
less and simply glows when burned, you may be sure that the silk


68 SILK
is weighted. Artiﬁcial silk burns with a quick ﬂash and leaves no glob-
ular ash. If it is cotton, the ﬁber will ﬂash up, then smolder and
all but refuse to go out, giving off an odor like burning leaves.
Even though the silk may bubble and burn completely, great
care should be used before purchasing it, for while some light-weight
China silks are pure silk, they are so very thin and the weave is
so ﬁne that they do not wear well.
16. Another test for silk is to crush it in the hand and rub
a ﬁngernail diagonally across it. If it crushes and wrinkles when
squeezed in the hand or if the threads loosen or spread when the
ﬁngernail is drawn across it, it is not a good fabric to buy, for it
will not give satisfactory wear.
17. Still another test for silk is.to hold the goods up to the light to
see whether or not it contains pinholes, which are generally caused
by the action of metal salts used in the weighting of silk fabrics.
Because of the weighting process, the quality of ﬁber, and not
the weight, should be of the ﬁrst importance in the selection of silk.
If a garment that will give good wear is desired and a fairly good
quality of silk cannot be purchased, a much wiser plan is to purchase
a different kind of material. Very cheap silks are decidedly unsatis-
factory in every way, and they are rarely worth making up.
18. A good test for velvet is to press the ﬁnger ﬁrmly on the
nap. If it is all silk, the ﬁbers will brush up and the ﬁnger prints
will vanish; if it is cotton, the ﬁnger prints will show to some extent,
no matter how much brushing is done.
TABLE OF SILKS
19. The most beautiful and most regal of all dress fabrics is
silk, a fabric that, in its purest form, is more durable than linen,
as warm as wool, and usually exquisitely lovely. To assist in
the purchase of silk materials and to afford a wider acquaintance
with their kinds and uses, Table IV is given. Here, the names of
the materials are arranged in alphabetical order, and with each one
are given the weave, the width, the usual price, and a brief
description. Constant reference to this table will help to acquaint
you with the various kinds of silks and their characteristics and
enable you to appreciate their value and beauty.


SILK 69
Usual width
Inches
TABLE IV
SILKS

Price
per Yard Description
Bengaline. .
Brocade . . .
Canton
crepe. . . .
Charmeuse
Chiffon. . . .
Fancy
Plain
Twill
Plain
24 to 36
36 and 40
40
36 and 40
40
A heavy, soft fabric with a semi-
lustrous, pebbled surface. Plain
and colored. Used for hats and
dresses.
A fabric having heavier effect than
poplin. Cotton is used in the
ﬁlling. Used for coats, suits,
and trimmings.
$3.50 to $50 A fabric showing raised patterns of
ﬂowers; often enriched with gold
and silver. Used as trimming
and for elaborate evening gowns
and wraps.
$2.50 to $5 A highly ﬁinished material made
with ﬁne silk or cotton warp
and heavier ﬁlling forming light
cross-ribs. Heavier than crepe
_de Chine. Used for dresses and
wraps.
$2 to $5 A soft, dull, satiny fabric. Used
for dresses, especially draped
dresses.
A very soft, ﬂimsy, transparent
material. Used for trimmings,
overdrapes, and waists and as a
foundation under lace dresses.
$1.25 to
$3.50
$1.50
Chiffon
t-affeta.. .
China silk.
Crape.....
Plain
Plain
Plain
36 and
40
24 to 36
18, 27, 36
$2 to $5 A light-weight taffeta of good
quality, with a soft, lustrous
ﬁnish. Used for fancy work,
party frocks, street dresses, and
suits. -
50c. to $2 A thin, transparent fabric with a
luster. Used for linings, under-
wear, and sometimes for dresses.
$3.50 up A thin, semitransparent fabric,
ﬁnely crinkled, and having either
irregular or long, parallel ridges.
Black in this material gives a
very somber appearance and
hence is used extensively for
mourning purposes.


70 SILK
Usual Width Price

Name weave Inches per Yard Description
Ciré. . . . . . Satin 24 to 40 $3 to $6 Smooth, high-luster fabric with
lacquer-like ﬁnish. Used for
Crepe de hats and dress trimming.
Chine.. . Plain 40 $1.50 to Light-weight or medium-heavy,
3.50 washable, all-silk fabric with a
lustrous, ﬁnely crinkled effect.
Used for waists, dresses, linings,
Crepe and underwear.
meteor. . Twill 40 $2.50 to $5 A lustrous silk crépe with a ﬁne-
Duchess twilled face. Used for dresses.
satin.... Satin 36 and 40 $2.50 to $6 A close, ﬁrm but soft fabric of
high luster. Used for dresses
and evening wraps.
Faille . . . . . Plain 36 and 40 $2.50 to $6 A fabric having a light, crosswise
grain or cord and a slight gloss.
Used for suits, dresses, blouses,
hats, and children's coats.
Foulard. . . Twill 36 and 40 $1.50 to $5 A soft, serviceable silk, plain and
ﬁgured, for dresses and blouses.
Fur cloth.. Pile 48 to 50 $3.50 to $20 Deep-pile fabric made to resemble
various kinds of fur. Tussah silk,
silk ﬁber, and mohair are
generally used in making it.
Used for coats and trimming.
Gauze. . . .. Leno 18 and 36 50c. to $3 Fine, transparent goods, ﬂimsy but
very strong. Used as backings
to lend support and for over-
draping and veils. Sometimes
Georgette called gossamer.
crepe.... Plain 36 to 40 $1.50 to $5 Sheer material similar to chiffon,
but woven of a harder and more
durable thread and having a
crepe-like surface. Used for
- dresses, blouses, negligées.
Gloria..... Twill 36 to 40 75c. to $4 A ﬁne, closely woven fabric hav-
ing a soft luster. The ﬁlling
may be cotton or wool. Used
for umbrellas and men's shirts.
Gold cloth. Plain 27and 35 $6.50 to A shiny material made of metal
$13.50 warp and silk weft. Used for

trimmings.
Gold tissue. Plain 36 $1.50 to Similar to gold cloth but soft and
$7.50 transparent. Used for overdrap-
ing and trimming.
~


SILK 71

Usual Width Price
Name weave Ipnches Per Yard
Description
Gros de
Londres. Plain 36 and 40 $2 to $4 Highly ﬁnished, pliable fabric hav-
ing ﬁne, ﬁat ribs running cross-
wise. Used for dresses and hats.
Grosgrain.. Plain 36 to 40 $2 up A stout, durable, corded silk; cords
run from selvage to selvage;
comes in colors. Used for coats
and trimmings.
Habutaye.. Plain 36 75c.to$3.75 A ﬁne, washable Japanese silk;
smooth and even in texture.
Used for summer dresses, waists,
skirts, and automobile coats.
Japan silk. Plain 36 75c.t0$2.5O This name covers a variety of
Japanese or Jap silks, but is
commonly applied to cheaper
qualities of habutaye. Heavier
and coarser weave than China
silk. Used for blouses, summer
dresses, and kimonos.


Khaiki. . . . Plain - 36 75c. to $2 Fine, light-weight Jap silk. Used
Liberty for dresses and scarfs.
satin . .. . Satin 36 and 40 $2 to $4 A very soft, closely woven material.
Used for linings and trimmings.
Louisine... Plain and 36 $2 to $3.50 A plain, durable silk; soft glossy
Basket texture. Used for dresses, coat
linings, and trimmings.
Madras . . . Plain and 32 to 40 $2 to $4 A durable wash silk, usually striped.
Figure Used for tailored blouses and
men's negligée shirts.
Maline.. . . Lace 27 50c. A soft,thin,perishable, gauzy fabric,
similar to net in weave. Used
for neckwear, trimmings, and as
drapery for evening gowns.
Sometimes called tulle.
Marquisette Leno 40 $2.50 to $3 An open-mesh fabric, appearing
much like voile. Used for over-
drapes and evening gowns.
Messaline.. Satin 36 $1.75 to A closely woven satin; soft and
$3.50 brilliant. Used for dresses;also,
for petticoats and linings.
Moiré... .. Plain 24 to 40 $1.75 to A watered effect produced on a
$8.50 corded or ribbed fabric. Used
for coats, dresses, suits, and
trimmings.


72 SILK
Usual Width Price

Name Weave Inches per Yard Description
Mousseline
de soie._ Plain 45 5()¢_to$1_5() A transparent material. When
slightly stiffened, it is sometimes
called pineapple cloth. Used
for yoke and collar foundations;
similar to gauze.
Mull . . . . .. Plain 27 to 49 5Oc_tQ $2 Very soft, sheer material. Used
for foundations of dresses and
blouses, and for inexpensive
party dresses. Heavy quality
sold under the trade name of
Seco silk.
. Qttomam _ Plain 49 to 44 $2 to $5 Thick, corded, lustrous silk. Used
for wraps and as a trimming
Peau de rather than for dresses.
cygne. . . Plain 36 $2 to $6 A fabric of soft, lustrous ﬁnish in
pebbled effect. Used for dresses,
suits, and coats.
Peau de soie Plain 36 $2.50 to $5 A soft, durable fabric with dull,
satiny ﬁnish, showing ﬁne cross-
ribs on one or both sides. Used
for tailored dresses and for trim-
Persian or ming.
Paisley. . Satin and 27, 36, 40 $2 to $20 A silk of many colors and designs.
Plain Used chieﬂy for dress ornament.
Plush. . . . . Pile 50 $3.50 to $20 A rich fabric with a pile face and a
coarse, woven back. Plush pile
is longer than that of velvet.
Pompadour Used for coats, capes, neck
or Dres- pieces, and muffs.
den. . .. . Plain 36 $2 to $8 A ﬂowered silk, usually taffeta;
sometimes in rich colorings.
Used for party dresses, linings,
and fancy work.
Pongee. .. . Plain 33, 34 $1 to $5 A plain, washable, light-weight
fabric, having a slightly rough
surface. Usually made of the
natural raw silk. Used for sum-
mer suits, dresses, and blouses.
Poplin..... Plain 36 and 40 $2 to $5 A rich warp fabric having well-
pronounced crosswise cords due
to heavy weft. Comes in many
varieties. Satisfactory for suits,
dresses, and children's coats.


SILK 73

Name
Satin...-...
Satin,
Skinner’s
Satin,
Wash . . .
Shantung. .
Silver cloth -
Silvertissue
Weave
Usual Width
Price
per Yard Description
Inches
Satin
Satin
Satin
Plain
Plain
Plain
‘Twill
36 and 40 $1.50 to $10 Firm, basic weave with a glossy,
smooth luster on the face and a
dull back. Comes in many va-
rieties. Used for dresses, coats,
linings.
36 $2.50 to $5 Heavy, durable satin with luster.
Used chieﬂy for linings and
dresses.
Soft, white or light-colored satin
used for collars and lingerie. It
has the advantage of giving a
good appearance after washing.
A heavy grade of pongee silk. A
rough, plain, washable fabric of
natural color. Used for dresses
and blouses.
A shiny material made of metal
warp and silk weft. Used for
trimmings.
The cheaper grades are imitations
of the metal cloths, and the more
expensive ones are made of metal
but are transparent.
Soft, pliable fabric without dress-
ing. Used for dresses and hats.
Safin surah is a high-luster silk.
36 and 40 $2 to $5
$1.25 to $5
33, 34
$6.50 to
$13.50
27, 35
36 $1.50 to
$7.50
36 $1.50 to $3
Surah.. . ..
Taffeta. . . .
Tulle . . . . . .
Velvet . . . .
Velvet,
Chiffon. .
Plain
Lace
Pile
Pile
A ﬁne, smooth, glossy fabric with
considerable body; alike on both
sides. May be plain, ﬁgured,
striped, or plaid. Most popular
silk for general purposes.
Fine, ﬂuffy, machine-made net.
Used for rnillinery and for
drapery on dresses and party
frocks.
18, 36,45 $1.50to $10 Has a short, soft, thick pile face
and a plain back. May be all
silk, or all cotton, or have a silk
face. Used for dresses, suits,
coats, and trimmings; extensively
used for rnillinery purposes.
40 to 54 $4.50to $20 The lightest, softest velvet known.
Used for elaborate dresses, suits,
evening gowns, hats, and wraps.
36 and 40 $2 to $6
72 $2
~


74
SILK
Name

Velvet,
Croise. . .
Velvet,
Lyons . . .
Velvet,
Mirror. .
Velvet,
N acrc- . . .
Velvet,
Panne . .
Vestings. . .
Voile . . . . . .

Weave
Pile
Pile
Pile
Pile
Pile
Figure
Plain
Usual Width
Inches
Price
per Yard
Description

18,36, 45 $1.50 to $5 Has coarser back than Lyons vel-
18 to 36
18
18, 36
18, 36, 40
22 to 36
40
$2 to $6
$1.50 to $5
$2 to $6
$1.50
to $7.50
$2 to $10
$2.50 to $3

vet; so woven as to hold the pile
ﬁrmly, making it suitable in all
cases where a durable velvet is
desired. It is used extensively
for trimmings.
Has a short nap that is not secure
in its back, or foundation. Used
for draperies and bows, for which
it seems especially adapted.
A shimmery velvet, made of long,
soft pile pressed in dilferent
directions. Used as trimming
and for n1illinery purposes.
A velvet with a back of one color
and a pile of another, which gives
a beautiful, changeable shading.
Used for evening gowns and
wraps, and as trimming, espe-
cially for millinery.
Velvet having a soft pile pressed
downward in one direction.
Used for gowns, wraps, and hats.
Heavy, fancy materials usually in
highly colored, Persian effects.
Used for vests and trimmings,
and for men's ties.
Open-mesh, semitransparent silk
or silk-and-wool goods. Used
for overdrap_es, evening dresses,
and fancy blouses.


CHAPTER VI
LACES
HISTORY OF LACE
1. From its very beginning, lace has been regarded as woman's
treasure, and its production, as the ﬁne art in which she has most
excelled. Both old age and youth alike are conscious of its charm
and beauty, realizing innately the power of this network of threads
to enhance their appearance and provide a softening touch. And
never has the value of the raw material entering into a product
been so much increased by skill and industry and with so slight an
expenditure of tools as is true of hand-made laces. Just consider,
a little ﬁaxen thread, a needle, a design drawn on a piece of parch-
ment, plus the skill and inﬁnite patience of a woman, and the
result is a product almost beyond price—“a thing of beauty and a
joy forever.” Lace made by machine can never aspire to the
distinction won by most of the hand-made varieties, but it is very
often so dainty and so good an imitation that it not only demands
our attention but arouses our respect and admiration.
2. While very few of us will ever have the privilege of possessing
many, or perhaps any, pieces of good hand-made lace, we need not
be deprived of knowing its characteristics, for there are excellent
collections of these laces in the museums of art throughout the
country, which are open to all for study and enjoyment. By
examining these collections, or even by making a careful study of
clear, distinct photographs of them, we may come to know the
difference between a well and a badly designed piece of lace, whether
hand- or machine-made.
It is all too true that the machine can not entirely give us the
beauty _and variety of texture we ﬁnd in a needle-point or a bobbin-
made ground or toile; still, we can learn to select the best pattern
75


76 LACES
available and also to distinguish the qualities in lace that give it
enduring worth and make it a continual pleasure as long as it lasts.
3. Whether made by hand or by machinery, lace is an open-
work fabric or network of linen, silk, cotton, or similar threads made
with a needle or bobbins or by machinery and usually ornamented
or ﬁgured. Most women know these facts regarding laces, but
not every woman is familiar with the names of the laces, their
wearing qualities, and the appropriateness of their design and weave
to certain garments. It is the purpose of this Chapter, therefore, to
give a brief history of the evolution of lace, to illustrate its various
kinds, and to give an explanation of their distinguishing features
and uses, so as to enable the woman unfamiliar with laces to gain a
knowledge of them, and thus be in a position to select laces in an
intelligent manner and to keep them in the best possible condition
as long as they are useful. _
By having a correct idea of the different weaves, their wearing
qualities, and the purpose for which different laces are used, a
woman will be able to recognize nearly any kind of lace when she
sees it; and, aside from knowing what to select for her own use and
how to help others, she will understand better the descriptions of
gowns in fashion publications, which frequently contain excellent
suggestions for the artistic use of laces of all widths and qualities.
4. Origin of Laee.—As the term is now understood, lace was
ﬁrst made and worn in the 16th century. The place of its origin
has been much disputed, several different countries, notably Italy,
France, Spain, Flanders, and even the far East, claiming the distinc-
tion. The frailness of the specimens that remain makes it somewhat
diﬁicult to trace the history of this beautiful fabric, but these,
together with pictorial art and sculpture, have practically settled the
question that to Italy belongs the honor, for it is deﬁnitely known
that needle-point lace was made and worn there before 1500.
Investigations indicate that bobbin, as well as needle-point lace,
was made in Belgium by Barbara Uttman at about the same time.
Lace derived its origin from netting, and not, as is often thought,
from embroidery.
5. Growth of Lace Making.—At ﬁrst, the lace-making
industry was conﬁned to the religious orders, it being made by both
monks and nuns. Gradually, however, the nuns taught the art to


LACES 77
their pupils and in this way it spread among the other classes of
people. Numerous countries, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany,
and England, gradually took up the making of lace, each one
producing certain varieties and becoming proﬁcient in the making
of them. Wherever lace has been produced, the industry has
thrived at times and declined at others, the severity of the laws
passed concerning it being largely responsible for this change.
Therefore, while one would expect a story of continuous prosperity
in so beautiful a craft as lace making, its development has been
continually arrested and hampered. Consequently, while we like
to think of lace as a simple, graceful, womanish fabric, it has often
been inﬂuential in affecting the ﬁnances of a whole nation.
6. For many years, lace was made chieﬂy out of silk and linen
thread, but in 1833 cotton thread was ﬁrst substituted for ﬂax.
This produced a less artistic lace, but it afforded increased facility
for the makers, as they found the cotton thread cheaper, more
elastic, easier to handle, and less liable to break.
7. During the 19th century came also the invention of machinery
for the making of net having a fast mesh, that is, one that would not
unravel, for in 1809 John Heathcoat invented a machine that
produced bobbinet. At ﬁrst, only 1-inch strips, which had to be
joined together, were made, but gradually machinery was perfected
that would produce 18-, 30-, 36-, and 54-inch widths. With the
introduction of machine net, all the traditions of lace making
were upset, and by 1830 lace makers produced all kinds of simple
motifs which they applied to net, thus demolishing the old methods
of lace making and practically ending the history of old laces.
8. Another notable event in the history of machine-made lace
was the application of the Jacquard attachment to the lace machine.
This device had been used for the weaving of silk, cotton, and linen
goods from the time of its perfection in 1803, but it was not until
1837 that it was successfully applied to lace making. From this
time on, machines were able to duplicate practically every pattern
of hand-made lace, so laces steadily grew in production and decreased
in price.
9. Lace Making at Present.—After the ﬁrst novelty of the
machine-made lace had worn off, a slight reaction in favor of old
lace set in both in England and on the continent. In France, laces


78 LACES
were cleaned, cut, and adapted to modern fashion. Thus, within
the last half century, the taste for good lace has again become
almost general in both England and France. The reason for such
a reaction is not strange after all. While almost every descrip-
tion of lace is now made by machinery and produced so perfectly
that it is often diﬁicult for the practiced eye to detect the differ-
ence, still we can never overlook the fact that the ﬁnest and most
artistic machine-made laces can never possess the intricacy of
pattern nor the beauty of design that characterize laces made by
hand.
10. In America, however, the hand-made lace industry has
not progressed so well as in foreign countries, although in this
country rapid strides have been made in the manufacture of lace
by machinery. The reason for this should be clear. The intricacies
of hand-made lace designs require long, tedious hours of labor, and
as such work in Europe is done mostly by peasants, who work for
very low wages, the cost of production is not so great there as it
would be in America, where a higher standard of wages is the rule.
In this day of commercial rush and competition, the time expended
in making a bit of hand-made lace is hard to realize; yet, to see a
piece of real hand-made Flemish lace without associating patience
and labor with it would display lack of conception, for some
of the designs made by the Belgians are marvelous so far as beauty
and workmanship are concerned.
METHODS OF MAKING LACE
11. To understand thoroughly the varieties of lace and their
uses, it will be necessary for one to become familiar with the principal
ways in which it is made. As has already been explained, lace
refers to ornamented open work of threads of ﬂax, cotton, silk,
gold, or silver, and occasionally hair or aloe ﬁber. These threads
are looped, plaited, or twisted together in several ways, the method
used determining the name to be applied to the lace as follows:
12. Hand-made lace, or lace made by hand with the needle
and with bobbins. This includes:
1. Needle-point lace, or lace in which the threads are worked
by hand with a needle.


LACES 79
2. Bobbin lace, or lace made with bobbins. This is made on a
pillow, often being inaccurately described as pillow lace.
13. Machine-made lace, or lace made by machinery. Imi-
tations of both needle-point and bobbin lace patterns are produced
in machine-made lace. Machine-made lace is of two varieties,
which are:
1. Woven lace, in which two sets of threads are used—warp
and weft.
2. Embroidery lace, in which a pattern is embroidered on a
ground, which is often burnt out afterward.
14. Needle-Point Lace.—In the true sense of the word,
needle-point lace is made with the needle alone, although there are a
number of laces to which the term “point" is applied that are com-
binations of both point and bobbin lace. It originated as an
evolution of cut work and developed into net lace.
In the making of needle-point lace, the design is drawn on parch-
ment, which is kept straight by being stitched to heavy linen.
Threads are then laid along the lines of the pattern and sewed down
- through the linen and parchment. By means of ﬁne stitching done
with a needle and a single thread, the entire design, both the solid
ﬁlling and the open work, is worked on the threads already laid,
the button-hole stitch being generally employed.
15. Bobbin Lace.—The method of bobbin-lace making is an
exceptionally interesting study and one of the most important in
the ﬁeld of hand-made lace. The lace is made on a pillow ‘or
cushion by twisting and plaiting threads wound on bobbins. It is
soinetimes called pillow lace, but this is not a distinctive title for
it since needle-point and knotted laces are also supported on a
pillow. The chief characteristic of bobbin lace, in addition to
its being made with bobbins, is that the threads in it are plaited.
In fact, it is the plaiting and twisting of the threads that help
to characterize bobbin lace. At ﬁrst, instead of pillow, bobbins,
and pins, the hands were used, each ﬁnger serving as a peg.
Occasionally, the hands of several assistants were required to
furnish sufﬁcient pegs for a broad border.
16. As with needle-point lace, the pattern is ﬁrst drawn upon
a piece of paper or parchment, which is then pricked with holes.
The pricked pattern is placed on the cushion, which is sometimes


80 LACES.
a circular pad backed with a ﬂat board in orderithat it may be
placed upon a table and easily moved as the worker may wish, and
other times a well-stuffed short bolster, ﬂat at both ends. On the
upper part of the pattern are fastened the ends of the threads
unwound from the bobbins, which thus hang across the pillow.
These bobbins are thrown and twisted with regular precision in
order to form the fabric of the ground and pattern. The wider
such hand-made lace and the more intricate the pattern, the more
bobbins are required to do the work; and as this work means the
expenditure of much time and the exercise of skill, the price of such
laces increases with the width and the intricacy of the design, the
wider laces being more expensive in proportion to their width than
the narrow ones.
17. Many bobbin laces are ﬁnished with bead edging, which
consists of tiny buttonhole loops of thread edging the lace. This
needle-point edge is, in effect, applied to many kinds of machine-
and hand-made laces. It adds much to the attractiveness of a
lace design, as it tends to impart the daintiness so much sought in
laces. Bobbin lace ﬁnished in this manner is frequently referred to
as needle-point lace. Bobbin-made lace has a ﬁne, soft quality -
that distinguishes it from needle-point lace, which has a much
harder and crisper appearance.
18. Woven Lace.—As early as 1560, efforts were made to
invent machinery that would produce lace and thus take the place
of the hand workers. William Lee, a weaver in Nottingham,
England, struggled to produce a machine for this purpose, but his
efforts met with opposition from the authorities because they con-
sidered machinery to be a detriment to the interests of the working
classes. However, continued efforts by other inventors ﬁnally
resulted in the production of the Heathcoat machine in 1809,
which made successful net. John Leavers, of Nottingham, England,
greatly improved this machine, and although it has had improve-
ments since his day, it is still called by his name. The application
of the Jacquard attachment has made it possible to duplicate the
patterns of hand-made laces.
19. As the Leavers machine makes a woven lace, it requires two
sets of threads, warp and weft threads. The warp threads are
held in reels, while the weft threads are wound on ﬂat bobbins


LACES 81
and run at right angles to the warp threads. The bobbins are
made ﬂat to allow them to pass between the warp threads and the
two sets are twisted together by means of both a mechanism that
controls the tension of either set of threads at will and an oscillating
mechanism. As the tension on each set of threads can be made
tight or loose, the slack threads on one are permitted to twist about
the other as the pattern requires.
Nottingham, England, and Calais, Caudry, and Lyons, France,
produce large quantities of woven laces.
20. Embroidery Lace.—The other variety of machine-made
lace, which includes Plauen and St. Gall laces, is made on an
embroidery machine called the Schifﬂi machine. The industry
ﬁrst started by the making of Oriental laces. Eventually, it was
discovered that by using a ground of one material and an embroidery
thread of another, the lace could be treated to an acid bath that
would destroy the ground without affecting the pattern.
The Schifﬂi machine works on the same principle as the sewing
machine, having two threads, one carried underneath on a bobbin
and the other on top in a needle. The early machines were
operated by hand, several needles being controlled by a pantog-raph,
an instrument for reproducing the design, but later it was found
possible to use a Jacquard attachment to reproduce the pattern
and greatly increase the number of needles on the machine. Plauen
in Saxony and St. Gall in Switzerland are the centers for the manu-
facture of this kind of lace.
VARIETIES OF LACE
LACE Tnnms
21. In the subject of lace, as in most subjects, it will be found
that there are many terms that are purely technical; that is,
terms that pertain exclusively to this particular subject. These
must be understood if a thorough understanding of laces would be
had. To make them clear and at the same time enable you to
take up the following examples of laces in the most intelligent
manner, an explanation of the terms most frequently met with is
here given, arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference.
L D 1-7


82 LACES
A jours.—The ﬁlling or ornamental work introduced into
enclosed spaces.
Applique.—Either needlework or bobbin lace in which the
pattern is made separately and sewed onto a net ground.
Bead Edge.—Another name for beading, which is the simple
heading on pillow lace.
Bobbins.—Small elongated reels, either wooden or bone, on
which thread is wound for the purpose of lace-making. Often
they are weighted with such articles as beads, coins, seeds, etc.
Brides, Brides Claires, and Bars.—Small strips used to
connect the parts of a design and employed instead of a groundwork
of net. They consist either of threads overcast with buttonhole
stitches or of twisted or plaited threads.
Brides 0rnees.—Brides ornamented with picots, loops, or
pearls.
Cartisane.—A strip of parchment used to give a raised effect
to the patterns in lace. It is covered with silk or gold or other
metal thread. As it is not durable, the less it is used the more
the lace is esteemed.
Continuous Inner Pearl.—A stitch used in Honiton and
other braid laces to ornament the inner side of any leaf that is not
ﬁlled with stitches.
Cordonnet.—The thread used to outline the designs in lace.
Sometimes, it consists of a single thread, other times, of several
threads worked together, and again, of a thread or horsehair over-
cast with buttonhole-stitches.
Couronnes.—The cordonnet is sometimes ornamented with
stitches known as couronnes. The English form of this term is
crowns.
Dentelé.—A French term meaning a scalloped border.
Engrélure.—The edge of a lace by which it is sewed on the
material it is to decorate. Same as heading or footing.
Entoi1age.—The French term for a plain mesh ground.
Entre deux.—The French term for insertion, whether of
embroidery or lace.
Fil1ings.—These are fancy stitches used to ﬁll in enclosed spaces
in needle-point and bobbin laces.
Fond.—The groundwork of needle-point or bobbin lace as
distinguished from the pattern. Other names for it are champ,
entoilage, reseau, and treille.


LACES 83
Gimp.—The pattern of lace which rests on the ground or is
held together by brides. It is not the same, however, as the
material gimp, which was formerly called guipure.
Grounds.—Two forms of ground are found in laces—the
bride and the reseau. The bride ground consists of bars that con-
nect the ornaments forming the pattern. The reseau ground is a
net made either with the needle or with bobbins.
Guipure.—Formerly, a lace-like trimming of twisted threads.
Now, it is applied to all laces having a tape-like pattern on them.
Insertion.—Strips of lace or embroidered muslin or cambric on
which both edges are alike.
Jours.—Ornamental devices found in various parts of lace. In
Venetian point lace, jours are introduced in the center of the ﬂowers.
Mat or Math.—T he closely worked portion of a lace; the toile.
Passement.—The pricked parchment pattern upon which both
needle-point and bobbin laces are worked.
Pearls or Purls.—Bars or brides.
Pearl Edge or Purl Edge.—A narrow edge consisting of pro-
jecting loops and sewed to lace as a ﬁnish. -
Picot.—Tiny loops worked on the edge of a bride or cordonnet
or used to beautify a ﬂower, as in the case of rose point.
Pillow Lace.—Bone lace, or bobbin lace, made on a pillow by
twisting or plaiting the threads with bobbins.
Point Lace.—Properly, only lace made with the point of a needle,
needle-point lace. However, the term is often misapplied, numer-
ous laces, such as Point d’Angleterre and Honiton point being
made with bobbins and not with the needle.
Point de Raccroc.—A stitch used to join reseau ground.
Point Plat.—A French term for ﬁat point lace having no raised
cordonnet or outline cord.
Pr1cker.—A short instrument with which holes are pricked in
the pattern used for bobbin lace.
Reseau.—Ground of small, regular meshes made both on the
pillow and with the needle.
Samp1ers.—Small samples showing patterns of lace. They
originated in the 16th century when not every one could buy
pattern books because of their scarcity and high price. They were
also used to show the skill of the worker.
Sprig.—A detached piece of lace which is appliquéd to a net
foundation or joined with other sprigs by means of bars.


S4
LACES
H4.pv"uI'.\pDQ.vI.-v""- """'*~--vnnnnnnPl'5
.|. '’ - ¢ - “
Machine-Made Alengon
Fm. 1

Ties.—Like bars, ties are the
connecting threads worked across
spaces in needle-point and bob-
bin laces.
To1le.—The substance of the
patterns of lace as distinct from
the ground.
Trei1le.—Another name for
the ground or reseau of lace as
distinguished from the pattern
which they surround.
EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL LACES
22. Following are the names
and descriptions of a large num-
ber of laces together with illus-
trations of many of them. Not
all the laces in existence are in-
cluded here, but practically all
of the laces that are used by
the woman who sews are dis-
cussed. With these illustrations
and descriptions ﬁrmly ﬁxed in
the mind, no woman should be
at a loss to recognize any kind
of lace when she sees it; rather,
she should be able to make
proper selections for garments
on which lace is to be used, and
she should know whether it will
give the service she desires of it.
23. In studying the laces
here mentioned, it should be re-
membered that the manner in
which they derive their names is
by no means consistent. Many
of them are named according to
the locality in _which they have
been, or are, made, or the nation-


LACES 85
ality of the people who make them, as Antwerp lace, Brussels lace,
Armenian lace, Bohemian lace, Belgian lace, and so on. The same
kind of lace is made in many countries, but the threads of which
it is made vary to some extent, owing to the process of manufacture
of the thread itself in these different countries. Then, again, the
implements used in the manufacture and the method of making
have much to do with the naming of laces, as bobbin lace, point
lace, and so on.
24. Alengon lace, often referred to as point d’Alengon, is
a needle-point lace having a sheer net ground and a pattern that is
outlined with a thread covered with buttonhole-stitches to produce


Machine-Made All-Over Net Machine-Made All-Over Lace
Fic. 2
a cord effect. This lace, which was the ﬁrst to use a net ground,
has a closer, ﬁrmer pattern than any other lace and a very clear,
ﬁne ground. When hand-made, it is very expensive, but the
machine-made variety, an example of which is shown in Fig. 1,
is inexpensive and is used extensively on ready-to-wear garments.
25. Algerian lace is a narrow, ﬂat, ornamental lace of gold
and silver threads. It is used in outlining designs on garments and
in draperies and fancy work.
26. All-over lace, Fig. 2, is any lace that has both edges
ﬁnished the same and a pattern that repeats the entire width and


Machine-Made Antique
Fm. 3


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Machine-Made Appliqué
Fro. 4


88 LACES
length. It comes in beautiful designs in silk, and is made also in
very cheap grades. Sometimes it contains merely a dot, and again,
an elaborate pattern. It is used for dresses, blouses, ﬁounces,
yokes, and sleeves, as well as for millinery.
27. Aloe lace is a coarse kind of lace made from the ﬁbers of
the aloe by the peasants of Albissola, Italy. This lace is not much
in demand as it becomes mucilaginous, or gummy, in washing.
Although it is usually executed in tatting, the threads are sometimes
twisted and plaited. Such work is also done by the natives in
Paraguay, South Amer-
ica. Tatting is done in
aloe thread at Manila,
Philippine Islands.
28. Antique lace,
Fig. 3, is a hand-made
bobbin lace of heavy linen
thread in large, open,
square, knotted mesh.
It has the appearance of
a coarse form of darned
work done on an open-
mesh weave, and is often
referred to as darned lace.
Antique lace usually has
rare patterns, all kinds
of designs being worked
in the net by darning,


Machine-Made Arabian _ _
Fm 5 and, as 1t 1S hand-made,
it is expensive. Imitation
antique lace is sometimes used for draperies and similar purposes.
29. Antwerp lace, a bobbin lace resembling Mechlin, was
ﬁrst made at Antwerp in the 17th century; it is sometimes
known as Flanders lace, also. It was made in order to supply
the increased demand for Mechlin lace. In one variety, the design
is worked on a ground and in the other the sections of the design
are merely attached by means of brides or bars. The chief charac-
teristic of this lace is a pot or a vase of ﬂowers, which varies in
its size and its details.


N l,-;.'-y'_;-1-|-1 _n I _| 7-! t 5 wr/_| Y! IQ‘
I - 0’ "of _ ‘W ‘ 1'19.’ -“_s',*_f.'-‘ ¢','_I' ’¢


\


Hand-Made Baby Laces Machine-Made Baby Laces
Fic.6
89


92 LACES
34. Battenberg lace, Fig. 7, is a form of Renaissance lace but
of a coarser quality, and consists of a braid, or tape, usually of ﬁne
linen thread, woven together with linen thread into all kinds of
designs. It is made by
machinery and by hand.
Machine-made Batten-
berg is very cheap, but
_the hand-made is ex-
pensive, the price being
governed by the delicacy
of the pattern. The
hand-made pieces are
used as collars and cuffs
on women and children's
coats, and the coarser
designs, for draperies and
fancy work.

35. Blonde lace
was originally a heavy,
closely woven bobbin lace
produced in Spain and
made of unbleached silk,
from which it took its
name. Later, the term
was applied to silk laces
in white, black, and col-
ors made at Chantilly,
France. It has a ground
of ﬁne, twisted silk and a
toile, or pattern, worked
entirely with a broad,
ﬂat strand that produces
a soft, silky effect.
rs;
N
~rs~1>*'-" - §?,i-'-:v
I ,;_.‘1‘v-v.
?
Machine-Made Bohemian 36, Bgbbjnet,
Fm- 9 8, is the net made by the
bobbin as distinguished from that made by the needle. Modern
bobbinet is a machine imitation of the original hand-made bobbinet.
It has hexagonal, or six-sided, holes but no designs and is used for
dresses, dress foundations, overdrapes, and draperies. The price of


LACES 93
bobbinet depends on the ﬁrmness of the mesh, the coarser weaves
being less expensive than the ﬁner ones. A kind of bobbinet, called
Tosca net and shown in Fig. 8, is more open than ordinary bob-
binet, but it is very ﬁrmly woven, and consequently very durable.
37. Bohemian lace, Fig. 9,
is a bobbin lace that is made in
Bohemia and may be recognized
by the tape-like effect in the pat-
tern. As a rule, this lace is too
coarse in weave and design to be
suitable as dress trimming. It is


Hand-Made Bruges Machine-Made Brussels
FI0. 10 FIo- 11
both hand- andqmachine-made, the machine-made variety being very
effective for it often imitates the designs of the old Bohemian laces.
38. Bruges lace, Fig. 10,"consists off ﬁne lace tape woven
together with ﬁne thread. The real lace is made in much the


94 LACES
same way as duchesse lace, but it is, as a rule, somewhat coarser.
The ﬁne weaves of this lace are suitable as dress trimmings, and
the coarser, cheaper grades are used for table-cover ﬁnishes and
draperies.
39. Brussels point
lace, Fig. 11, is a lace of
exquisite ﬁneness in
which the designs are
made seiparately and
then assembled and ap-
plied to a net ground.
Formerly, the ground
was worked with bob-
bins around the ﬂowers,
but later the ﬂowers
were sewed to a machine
net. At one time, Brus-
sels lace was smuggled
into -England and called
Point d’Angleterre to
avoid the duty. The
earliest Brussels point
resembled Alengon lace
in that the designs were
outlined with a cord, but
this outlining thread was
not covered withIbutton-
hole-stitches nor was the
lace so close and ﬁrm.
In the lace trade, Brus-
sels point is a name
given to very ﬁne laces,
regardless of the pat-
tern. It is called Rose
point when its pattern
contains rose motifs, and Point Gaze when its designs are of a very
ﬁne, open, delicate kind. ‘

Machine-Made Applique- Carrickmacross
Fro. 12
40. Carriokmacross lace is of two kinds—appliqué and
guipure. A ppliqué C arrickmacross, Fig. 12, is made by placing sheer


LACES 95
material over plain net and applying designs to the net with the
buttonhole-stitch or the chain-stitch, and then cutting away the
surplus material so as to leave the outline of the design clear.
Guipure Carrickmacross, Fig. 13, which is a heavy lace, closely
resembles cut work. It is made by working the outline of the
design over a foundation and then connecting the motifs or designs
with crocheted brides, or loops, or loops ornamented with petals or
picots, as in Irish crochet lace. The centers of the ﬂowers, in hand-
made Carrickmacross, are cut away and the openings ﬁlled with
lace stitches and the detached parts of the pattern connected with
bars. Hand-made Carrickmacross, which is rather expensive,


Machine-Made Guipure Carrickmacross
Fro. 13
is used for whole dresses and as trimming for dresses, and the
machine-made is used for inexpensive curtains.
41. Chantilly lace, Fig. 14, was named from the town of
- Chantilly, France, but it is now made in the towns of Bayeaux,
Grammont, and Calvados. It is bobbin lace characterized by
ﬁneness of ground, light, open-work ﬂowers, and thick, silky threads
outlining the patterns. Black Chantilly, which is said to have no
rival in the lace realm and has a ﬁne ground and elegant ﬂoral
patterns, appeared in the 17th century made out of a grenadine,
or non-lustrous silk.


§
Q-
4
u
-.
.'1.-.'
. "1;
’_
-§
s.,
-m'I-
Hand-Made Chantilly
- F10. 14

Machine-Made Chantilly
96
_.-A-{.11 u--


LACES 97
The imitations of Chantilly follow closely the designs of the
original laces, and while they are not equal in quality to the real
lace and are generally made of cotton thread, they are extremely
effective. _
Chantilly lace is used for dress trimmings, ﬂounces, overdrapes,
and dresses. It is expensive at the outset, but it is very durable
and may be used again and again.
42. Cluny lace, Fig. 15, is a coarse-thread bobbin lace made
of a heavy, strong, tightly twisted thread in linen and cotton. It


Machine-Made Cluny
Fic. 15
is named from the Museum of Antiquities in the Hotel Cluny,
Paris, because it is supposed to have an antique look. It is similar
to torchon lace, but is distinguished by its geometrical designs,
which often take the form of wheels and paddles.
The machine-made Cluny has reached such a degree of excellence
that it is sometimes difﬁcult even for experts to detect the difference
between the real and the imitation. However, there are three
distinguishing points: (1) Machine-made Cluny is made of two
L 1) 1-s


98 LACES
sizes of thread and hand-made, of one; (2) its threads have a
crinkly, irregular look instead of a straight, taut one, as in hand-
made; (3) the thread used is generally cotton, while linen thread is
used in the hand-made.
Fine weaves of Cluny lace are used in lingerie blouses and dresses;
the coarser weaves, for pillows, centerpieces, and so on. The
durability of hand-made Cluny makes it inexpensive, even though
the original cost may seem exor-
“"' € F""'f""'\'\ ,~ . - bitant.
Wis riiiivlliiai
r" ,
I; \l1II4I|"/I
ale. -
43. Craquelé net, Fig. 16,
consists of a ﬁrm thread woven
in zigzag effect and producing a
mesh that is sometimes used in
shadow lace of good quality and
resembles the crackle in old pot-
Cmqmé Net tery. It has beautiful designs,
F10. 16 _ _ -
which make 1t attractive for
overdrapes and all-lace dresses. It is more expensive than plain net.


44. Crochet lace is lace which, in the hand-made variety,
differs from other hand-made laces in that it is made with a crochet
hook and but a single thread. It is similar to needle-point lace,
but does not equal it in ﬁneness. In their designs, crochet laces
usually imitate needle-point laces, such as Venetian and Honiton.
Irish crochet, Fig. 17, is probably the most popular variety of
crochet lace. The distinguishing mark of this lace, which is difﬁcult
to imitate, is the crochet-stitch or the buttonhole-stitch, which is
followed by every thread of the work. As shown in the illustration,
thisﬁlace comes in a heavy variety known as heavy Irish crochet, the
designs of which have an outlining cordonnet, and a ﬁne, ﬁat
variety, known as Baby Irish and in which the cordonnet is
omitted. This kind of Irish lace is closely imitated, as shown in
Fig. 17, in both pattern and width. Real Irish lace is distinguished
by its thread, linen thread generally being used, and it has a stiff,
starchy feel rather than a soft, puffy one as in the imitation.
The best Irish lace is made in Ireland, but much of this lace,
and good qualities, too, comes from Armenia, Austria, Germany,
Italy, China, and France.
Irish lace of both kinds is used chieﬂy as trimming for women
and children's dresses.


LACES 101
ing qualities are good. It has some exquisite patterns and is
therefore suitable as trimming for elaborate gowns, especially
bridal robes. The motifs
of duchesse lace are imi-
tated in princess lace, but
not much similarity is
seen because these motifs
are applied to a net
ground in princess lace.
49. Egyptian lace
is a ﬁne, hand-made,
knotted lace that is some-
times ornamented with
beads. It is expensive
and therefore rarely used.
When it isused, it is made
to serve as trimming.
50. English point
lace, often referred to as
Point d’Angleterre, is an
extremely beautiful lace
equal in design and mak-
ing to many of the point
laces of France and Italy.
The mesh is always made
with bobbins, but the pat-
tern is usually made in
needle-point. Raised’
ribs, which are produced
by twisting or plaiting
the bobbins, are some-
times seen on the leaves
or other parts of the de-
sign. The ground shows

_ _ Machine-Made Duchesse
much variation, ﬁne FIo 18
needle-point ﬁllings often
being used and bobbin-made brides, or connecting bars, also
being employed.


102 LACES
A mistaken idea that Point d’Angleterre originated in Belgium
existed for some time. This was due to the fact that at one time
in England the importation of laces was forbidden. However,
much more lace was needed to ﬁll the demand than could be supplied
in England, so the English lace merchants bought up the ﬁnest
Brussels laces. and smuggled them into England under the name
of English point or Point d’Angleterre. The original lace, how-
ever, is purely an English lace and the chief portion of the ﬁnest
varieties was made in England.
51. Fiber lace is made from the ﬁbers of the banana and the
aloe plant. It is a frail, expensive lace, and is not practical for many
purposes. However, both
banana-ﬁber and aloe-
ﬁber lace are used as dress
trimming, especially on
sheer organdies and
chiffons.
52. Filet lace, Fig.
19, is a darned or em-
broidered net woven into
squares with a contin-
uous thread, there being
a knot at each corner of
the square mesh. It is
perhaps one of the most
attractive and practical
of the lingerie laces, and
is excellent for blouses
and dresses. Real ﬁlet


Machine-Made Filet _ _ _
1--,o_ 19 lace 1s expensive, but it
wears indeﬁnitely. Chi-
nese ﬁlet lace is coarser and consequently cheaper than the other
varieties. Beautiful imitations of ﬁlet lace may be purchased at
very reasonable prices.
53. Guipure lace was probably a bobbin or needle-made
lace of gold, silver, or silk threads, but now this term is usually
applied to all large-patterned laces having coarse grounds, ﬂowers
joined by brides or coarse stitches, and no delicate groundings, and


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Machine-Made Hontion
103 Fro. 20


104 LACES
includes duchesse, Honiton, Maltese, and Venetian laces. The word
guipure is derived from guipe, which means a thick cord around
which silk is rolled. This padding, which was known as cartisane,
was not durable as it would not wash and shrivelled up with heat,
so the pattern was soon destroyed. In time, it was replaced
by a cotton thread and gradually the lace came to be made with
heavy tape rather than a rolled cord.
54. Honiton lace, Fig. 20, a pillow lace originally made at
Honiton, England, consists of round, heavy motifs or sprays of


Hand-Made Limerick
Fro. 21
ﬁnely woven braid joined with a needle. Honiton lace is either
applique or guipure. The applique- H oniton is made by applying
the motifs to a ground that is usually machine-made net. H onitzm
guipure is characterized by large ﬂower patterns joined by needle-
made bars. It is similar to duchesse lace, but is heavier in effect.
The chief use of Honiton lace is as a dress trimming. The machine-
made varieties .usually show a tape-like effect.
55. Lille lace is a French lace that resembles Mechlin, except
that the sides of its mesh are twisted, whereas in Mechlin they are
braided. Its designs are of a simple nature, being usually outlined


Machine-Made Macramé
F10. 22
-_ _. . ._. _ ._ _
1n,u- ¢ i '»’-¢---."-. -
Jitefntsf-. 01.5.5-10--Q-_G-R-r-r-¢ » - ¢ 1'-1--iH1-.r.-W - r-1r-.r.~:n".r~?¢.~-»1v»
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Machine-Made Maltese
F10. 23
rpI€ -'ff"f|ff 1"P-I- -'F_{l"rFf 1-5- f--f"5?¢"-l_-_U |f\"“‘é-F-n"‘Q..,’_¢"
Q 6  _( ._& .
10-


106 LACES
‘ by a thread of ﬂat, untwisted ﬂax, and its ground is sometimes
sprinkled with dots.
56. Limerick lace, Fig. 21-, is not a real lace but consists of
delicate patterns embroidered on net or muslin with either a chain-
stitch or a darning-
stitch. Real Limerick
lace is beautiful as a
dress trimming, but
as a rule it is expen-
sive; machine-made
Limerick, on the other
hand, is more ordina-
ry in appearance and
less expensive, but it
makes an effective
dress trimming.


.1--4


57. Macrame
lace is of Spanish
origin. It isa surviv-
Machine-Made Mechlin Hand-Made Mechlin
- Fic. 24
al of knotted point lace and is woven usually in geometrical designs
down from the selvage,many ends being woven together and then tied
to form the pattern. Macramé cord, which is made out of close-
twisted cotton thread, is manufactured for this purpose. Fre-
quently, the threads are allowed to hang loose and form a fringe.
Fine silk macramé is used for scarf and shawl ends and the coarse


LACES 107
carpet-warp kind is used for ﬁnishing the edges of bedspreads,
table scarfs, etc.
Macrame wears indeﬁnitely, and the machine-
made kind, which is illustrated in Fig. 22, though rather expensive,
is excellent when a heavy lace is desired.
58. Maltese
lace is a bobbin
lace of more open
w e a v e t h a n
either Mcchlin or
Valenciennes,
but it is not un-
like either of
these laces. It
has no regular _
ground and, as a
rule, the patterns
include a conven-
tionalized Mal-
tese cross and
d 0 t s c a 1 l e d
“mosca.’_’ It is
made both in
thread and in
black and white
silk. The ma-
chine made-vari-
ety, Fig. 23, is
m 0 d e r a t el y
priced, wears
well, and is used
for dresses and
lingerie garments.
59. Mcchlin
lace, Fig. 24, is
a very ﬁbery,
- I I A"’_I" iii-a;g5n;=I§
-_’I1PIqIQU


Hand-Made Medici
yirgwv.-9",o:0_a~op 810?; p :vI°'_l-\_ s~~~‘-Q4 5.3'; 
p~
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¢ . '
ﬁn'-":”*:€,\ yﬂl ,!‘~1-4:§-,;"a-1-“".*'_"" -


Machine-Made Medici
Fro. 25
beautiful, bobbin lace. The patterns, which are chieﬂy ﬂowers and
buds and resemble those of Brussels lace, are outlined with a thread of
ﬁat, silky ﬂax. The net ground has hexagonal meshes in which four of
the sides consist of two threads twisted and the other two, four threads


Machine-Made Metal Lace
F10. 26 108


LACES 109
plaited. The making of this lace requires great skill, so it is rather
costly, but it is closely imitated on the machine and the machine-
made variety may be purchased at reasonable prices. Mechlin
lace makes a very beautiful trimming for non-washable dresses,
the nature of the mesh and the ﬁneness of the thread preventing it
from washing satisfactorily.
60. Medici lace, Fig. 25, resembles Cluny, but it is usually
made of ﬁner thread and has one of its edges ﬁnished with scallops.
It is characterized by closely woven work alternating with an equal
amount of open work. It is rather difficult to imitate this lace on
the machine, and still there are some machine-made varieties that
are very well done.
Medici lace is used for
the same purposes as
Cluny lace.
61. Metal lace, Fig.
26, which is made both
by hand and by machine,
is developed out of gold
or silver threads. The
hand-made variety,which
is very rare and conse-
quently expensive, is a
guipure lace, whereas
machine-made metal N°“‘“g*‘a"‘ La“
lace consists of a net Fm”
foundation in which are woven all kinds of designs with metal
threads. It is used as trimming for evening dresses and robes
and in millinery work, many beautiful effects being created with it.
62. Nottingham lace, one kind of which is shown in Fig. 27,
is a term that includes all of the machine-made laces made at
Nottingham, England, the center of the machine-made lace district.
Curtain laces are produced in large quantity, but there are also
clever imitations of many hand-made laces, such as Valenciennes
Mechlin, and Chantilly.
Laces made at Nottingham are both white and cream and are
used largely for curtains, but the ﬁner weaves are employed for
dress trimmings.


LACES
63. Oriental lace,
Fig.
28, is in reality an
embroidered net from which
the ground -
lace
1s not cut
away. In the making of
this , two threads are
used wh
ich is heavy,
yed to make
top, and the
is lighter, hold-
ign un
, one,
g emplo
ign on
which
the des
Or
bein
the des
other,
’ derneath.
tal laces come in

ings.
lace, Fig. 29,
lace characterized by
der
ien
i ghly satisfactory
rimm
64. Paraguay, or
Teneriffe,
-web effects woven
ingle threads, which
ing
and are h
as dress t
1s a
spi
of s
//- are arranged into spider
- . wheels and woven together.
The very ﬁne Paraguay
‘‘; laces, which are expensive,
i I7 are used as dress trimming;
the coarser weaves, which
are not so costly, are used
' fancy work.
111

,e
we
as
Fm
&.W
mw
10
:~.
aa
en
Pw
06
5V
6a
.5

d similar articles.
Plauen is a general
ting in Plauen, Sax-
but now made in many
Most of them
tations of many of
used as a ﬁnish for dress
linings an
66
term that includes all laces
origina
ony,
other places.
are imi
Oriental Lace
F ic. 28


Hand-Made Paraguay

Machine-Made Paraguay
111 FI0. 29


112 LACES
the beautiful real laces, such as Point de Venice, but new designs
are originated from time to time. These laces are produced on the
Schifﬂi machine by embroidering with cotton or silk thread on
woolen material and then chemically treating the embroidery so as


Fro. 30

Plauen Lace
Frc. 31
to dissolve the wool and leave only the cotton or silk, which
then takes on the appearance of lace. Because of the method
of making, such laces are somewhat frail and cannot be used
where a durable lace is required.


LACES 113
Plauen lace is shown in Fig. 31 and other examples are found in
the illustrations of machine-made reticella, Fig. 37, and machine-
made Venetian, Fig. 45.
67. Point de Gaze lace, Fig. 32, is a very ﬁne, delicate,
gauze-like lace that bears a resemblance to Alengon. Part of the
pattern is made in close. and part in open, stitch, the open work

Hand-Made Point de Gaze
FI0. 32
being ornamented with dots. It is distinguished from Alengon,
however, in that its designs are not outlined with buttonholing but
are merely emphasized with a thread.
68. Point de Paris lace originally resembled Brussels and
had a distinctive hexagonal mesh and a ﬂat design. Now, the
term is generally applied to machine-made cotton lace resembling
L D 1-9


114 LACES
Val but of simple pattern and inferior quality, as shown in Fig. 33.
Its ﬁgures, consisting of ﬂowers and leaves, are outlined with a
heavy cord.
69. Princess lace, Fig. 34, is a delicate, beautiful lace made
in imitation of duchesse lace, but often bearing little resemblance

Machine-Made Point de Paris
Fm. 33
to it because of its net ground. In the best type, the parts of the
lace are made separately and then applied by hand to a machine-
made ground. As in the case of duchesse lace, princess lace is used
chieﬂy for dress trimming.
70. Ratiné lace, Fig. 35, is an inexpensive machine-made lace
having designs that consist of a groundwork of heavy loops, resem-


._
' .
to
a. ...... .
¢
w .1»
Q» as»
. .
0 3
¢aK-1¢. .
mp»
. . ._ .
'‘.
5.1.- I

Princess Lace
Fm. 34
115


116 LACES
bling Turkish toweling. It is generally used on wash dresses that
are made of heavy, rough material.


Ratiné Lace
Fm. 35


Hand-Made Renaissance
F10. 36
71. Renaissance lace, Fig. 36, consists of linen tape woven
H into motifs and the parts then fastened together with twisted bars,


LACES ’ 117
spider wheels, and other ﬂat stitches. It is lighter than Batten-
berg lace and not so rich in appearance. The ﬁne weaves of
Renaissance lace are used for dresses, and the coarser weaves for
draperies.
72. Reticclla lace, Fig. 37, was the earliest of needle-point
laces, being originally a development of drawn and cut work.
Brides and picots were introduced and simple geometrical outlines
followed. Later, the foundation fabric or cut work was abandoned
and the needlework constituted the entire design. The machine-
made reticella resembles the real
lace in design, but is in reality a
Plauen lace produced on the Schifffi
machine. Real reticella lace is
very expensive, but good imitations


1-rand.M;,,1e Rgﬁcglla Machine-Made Reticclla
- Fic. 37
may be procured at a reasonable price. Reticclla lace is used for
collars and sometimes in millinery work; the ﬁner weaves are
employed as dress trimming.
73. Shadow lace, Fig. 38, is a thin ﬁlmy lace of ﬁne weave,
having an entirely ﬂat surface and rather indistinct designs. It
may be of any design or character so long as it is shadowy in appear-
ance. .
Shadow lace is extensively used as a dress trimming, its soft,
lacy appearance making it desirable for draping purposes. It is not
an expensive lace, its price usually being regulated by the ﬁneness
of the thread and the design.


Ma¢hiI1¢-Made Tatting
FI0. 42
120


-- ’--
- "-qunl
'.30'4"
Machine-Made German Val
F10. 44
of torchon are made
of linen thread, and
the cheaper qualities,
which are commonly
called beggar's lace or
Bavarian lace, of cot-
ton. The coarser
weaves of torchon are
much used in fancy
work, and the ﬁne
weaves are employed
in lingerie dresses.
Torchon lace is inex-
pensive when its wear-
ing-qualities are taken
into consideration.

78. T u 1 1 e is a
ﬁne, gauzy machine
net. It is ﬂuffy and
beautiful when fresh,
but is so frail that it
has a very short life.
Tulle is used on even-
ing dresses, as a hat
trimming, and in
places where ﬂuffy,
airy bows are desired.
It is sometimes called
maline or illusion.


79. Val lace,
Fig. 44, the common
term for Valenciennes
lace, is a bobbin lace
in which the ground
and the pattern are
woven together. Its
designs are ﬂat, but
they are very beauti-


LACES 125
Venetian laces are used chieﬂy for dress trimmings, but they are
also seen on curtains.
81. Wool lace, Fig. 46, is a woven lace of varied designs, in
which wool thread is used for either the warp or weft thread or for
both. The example shown here is of the ﬁlet variety. Lace of
this kind is used chieﬂy for dress trimming.
J UD GING LACE
82. If one intended to make an exhaustive study of the subject
of lace, it would be necessary to know how to determine, so far as
hand-made lace is concerned, whether it is needle-point or bobbin,
at what period it was produced, where it was made, etc. A study
of this kind, however, would require more time than the majority
of women can give it. And, too, only a few persons are fortunate
enough to possess hand-made lace in any quantity, so it is not to be
expected that many women will desire to make such an extensive
research. Usually, it will be sufﬁcient to know, in regard to lace,
whether it is hand-made or machine-made. Sometimes it is not an
easy task even for the experienced eye to detect this difference,
but generally it can be determined by applying the following tests,
which embody the chief points of distinction.
83. Hand-made lace is characterized in the following ways:
1. In needle-point lace, buttonhole-stitches occur in inﬁnite
variety. These are never seen in machine laces for no machine
has ever been invented that can produce this stitch in even its
simplest form.
2. Any padding that is required in hand-made lace is worked
with a slanting stitch.
3. In hand-made lace, it is difficult to unravel the threads. In
fact, in some varieties, the unplaiting is a tedious process.
4. _ The mesh of hand-made net is square, hexagonal, diamond-
shaped, or a combination of hexagons and triangles, as in Chantilly
and similar grounds.
84-. Machine-made lace may be distinguished by the following
characteristics :
1. The threads have a twisted and compressed look.


126 LACES
2. If there are any raised ornaments, the padding is worked over
and over straight.
3. The threads, upon being unravelled, come out easily.
4. The mesh ground is perfectly round and even.
VALUE OF HAND-MADE LACES
85. Rare, hand-made laces, unlike their clever imitations, have
no ﬁxed value on the market. The prices they bring depend on the
condition of the piece, the rarity of it, and the amount of bidding
that is done for it, most of these laces being sold through auction
houses. However, some idea of what has been paid for some good
specimens of real lace can be had from the prices obtained for a
collection of laces sold a few years ago at Christie’s in London. It
will be noted_that Venetian point laces are the most costly. A ﬁne
piece of Rose point is almost priceless because it is very fragile and
can be obtained in only small quantities. Even the smallest piece
is eagerly bought up by dealers or collectors.
Point de Venice, 58-inch length, 24 inches wide $3,000.00
Rose point, 4-yard length, 11 inches deep . . . . . 2,100.00
Point d’Alengon, 4 yards, 25 inches deep . . . . . . . 2,300.00
Point d’Alen<;on, 44-inch length, 17 inches deep. 215.00
Point d’Alengon, 2% yards, 14 inches deep . . . . . . 230.00
Gros Point de Venice, 1% yards, 8 inches wide . . 90.00
Reticella, 5 yards, 7% inches wide . . . . . . . . . . . . 165.00
Reticella, four short lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210.00
Old Flemish Guipure, 4 yards, ll inches wide . . 85.00
Old Genoese, 3 yards, 1 yard deep . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.00
Point d'Argentan, 4 yards, narrow . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.00
Point d'Argentan scarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- . . . . . . 155.00
Mechlin, 30 yards in odd lengths, narrow . . . . . 105.00
Point d’Angleterre, 3 yards, 12 inches wide . . . . 105.00
Old Brussels scarf in two pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00
Brussels Applique, 6 yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115.00
Point Gaze parasol-cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.00
Honiton ﬂounce, 3 yards long, 17 inches deep . . 345.00
Honiton lace, 5 yards long, 17 inches deep . . . . 120.00
86. The authorities at the South Kensington Museum, London,
have given the following prices on some specimens shown there:


LACES 127
Venetian point altar-frontal, 8 feet long, 3 feet -
wide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,850.00
Venetian chasuble, stole, maniple, and chalice
veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1,000.00
Venetian ﬂounce, 2 yards long, % yard wide . . . . 725.00
Gros point collar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105.00
Brussels lappet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115.00
Drawn-thread jacket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00
Linen cut-work tunic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00
USES OF LACE
87. Laces have ever been particularly cherished by women; for
their loveliness, the reﬁnement they suggest, and perhaps their
association with romance and history combine in their appeal to
feminine fancy. Although, in various periods, laces were used
to adorn garments for men, modern ideas favor them merely for
women's wear, and it does seem that their delicacy ﬁts in very well
with the charm and grace usually attributed to women.
For women and girls of all ages, few fabrics or trimmings can be
employed with greater becomingness than lace. Filmy lace of
delicately traced design brings out the loveliness of youth and softens
the lines of age, while lace of more decided character, if artistically
arranged, provides a notable distinction in a costume.
88. Like other fabrics and trimmings, laces are not always in
decided vogue, but each season favors some kinds of lace and intro-
duces new uses for them. Sometimes lace seems to be a dominat-
ing note in fashions and it is used not only for trimming but for
entire dresses, for wraps, for hats, and for many dress accessories.
Again, merely touches of lace will be noted, but its value in dress
designing keeps it always an important factor in fashions and ever
gives the assurance that an exquisite piece of lace is a treasure of
practical merit. The revolving wheel of Fashion gives preference
ﬁrst to one kind of lace and then to another, but invariably returns
the various types, so that almost any kind of lace may be used again
and again, or as long as its wearing qualities permit.
89. Lace always has a place as a trimming for underwear,
lingerie, and children's clothes. Also, for household linens and
decorations’, it is truly indispensable.


128 LACES
90. Characteristics and Uses of Modern Laces.—The
large. coarse patterns of real lace that were the delight of our
great-great-grandmothers were of a stout, heavy quality that
would outwear two or more dresses, but it was difficult to work
up these laces satisfactorily into dainty costumes because of the
boldness of their design. This feature has been overcome to a
great extent in modern laces, for, with the exception of the heavy
varieties that come into favor every now and then, each season brings
out seemingly daintier and prettier laces than the preceding one.
Unfortunately, though, it cannot be said that the wearing qualities
of the laces have advanced correspondingly with the designs, for
the ﬁlmy laces of today frequently give way before the fabric with
which they are used shows noticeable signs of wear. Without a
doubt, however, the service that is required of garments nowadays
is partly accountable for the shorter period of usefulness of the lace.
91. Selection of Laces.—-The way in which lace is selected
for use at present is also different. Up to about 50 years ago, the
woman of station who did not possess a chest or a roll of lace was
rare indeed, and when she planned a gown she brought her lace forth
to see whether some of the laces that she cherished could not
be used in developing the garment. At that time, a lace-
trimmed gown or one made entirely of lace was a prized
possession—an extravagance worthy of note. Today, even the
women of moderate means need not consider a lace gown an
extravagance, for a lovely variety of designs, improved methods
of manufacture, and competition among manufacturers make
machine-made laces very desirable from the standpoint of beauty
as well as economy. Buying lace to match the material, as is now
the general custom, is perhaps the best way after all, for it is no
small problem to choose a design in a dress that will use up some
particular width, weight, or color of lace. Then, too, it is really the
more economical way, because if just enough lace is purchased for
the gown in question there is no waste, while, if an attempt is made
to use up lace patterns that are on hand, a beautiful piece of lace
must frequently be sacriﬁced to have it conform to the design; or
if the length of lace on hand is short, the dress might appear stinted
as a result.
92. Because of the nature of laces, their selection merits even
more careful consideration as to color, design, texture, applica-


LACES 129
tion, and purpose than the choice of other fabrics and trimmings.
The application of laces, especially those of the more exquisite
or handsome variety, is very important, for unless they are made
more interesting by their arrangement and none of the beauty of
their design is concealed, except by subtle suggestion, their use is
hardly justiﬁed.
93. Texture, as applied to the selection of laces, need not be
considered so much for its suitability to type as for the effect it
would give in the costume. If daintiness is the effect desired, lace
of soft, ﬁne character with delicately traced designs is needed to
carry out this suggestion. Sometimes, elegance would be pre-
ferred and, as an aid to this effect, lace very rich in quality and
appearance, with designs of a rather intricate nature, might be
chosen. Other times smartness or decided character in the costume
might be aspired for; prominent or unusual designs in lace of a type
that is in decided vogue might be used to excellent purpose for this
effect.
94 Dainty designs that will be serviceable and practical are
the ones to be sought in expensive laces that must be preserved for
several years’ wear, for large, coarse patterns of lace not only are
more difficult to make up attractively but also appear unduly
conspicuous in seasons when their vogue is not pronounced. A gown
of choice lace is well worth remodeling and should be preserved
carefully until the time when Fashion favors the use of such lace.
Then it is deserving of all the care, skill, and becomingness with
which it may be fashioned.
95. The foundation of a lace dress is also of decided impor-
tance, for if it is not right, it is bound to detract considerably from
the beauty of the lace. As a general rule, a ﬁlmy lace of delicately
traced design appears best when used with a foundation of self-
color or one that does not contrast decidedly, while lace having
large and comparatively solid designs is especially lovely over a
foundation of sharply contrasting color that throws the designs into
bold relief and gives a richly brocaded effect.
L I‘ 1-10


130 LACES
CARE OF LACES
NECESSITY FOR CARE
96. Laces, though many of them are exquisite and conse-
quently of very great value, are subjected, through use and wear,
to the ravages of dirt and soil, just as is the fabric of a garment. And
since lace, even in the machine-made varieties, is usually a treasured
possession, it should be kept just as clean and fresh as possible.
Nothing evidences carelessness in woman's attire more quickly
than a soiled piece of lace, and nothing is more expressive
of the right appreciation of this delicate fabric than the greatest
care exercised to keep it in perfect condition.
97. The method applied to the cleaning of laces depends, of
course, on the kind of lace. Some laces may be washed in water
with the proper sort of soap, while others cannot be submitted to
this form of cleansing because of the material used in their making
or the frailty of their texture. Therefore, before attempting to
clean a lace, make sure that you know what method to use and
then follow explicitly the directions given for it.
The chief point to remember in the cleaning of laces is that they
should never be twisted nor wrung nor rubbed together harshly,
for they cannot stand rough handling. Rather, they should be
squeezed gently and patted until all the dirt is removed even though
this process requires longer time and considerable patience.
CLEANING WASHABLE LACES
98. At best, washing is a somewhat difﬁcult process so far as
laces are concerned, so it is well to keep a piece of lace clean as long
as possible before resorting to laundering.
One method of temporary cleaning consists in laying the lace in a
piece of blue tissue paper, sprinkling freely any soiled places with
ﬁnely powdered magnesia, and then wrapping the lace up in the
paper and putting it away for a few days. When the magnesia
has been shaken out, the lace will appear quite clean.
99. Washing Durable Laces.—In spite of the greatest care,
however, the time will come when this sort of cleaning will not


LACES 131
sufﬁce and the lace must be subjected to a more vigorous treatment.
A precaution to take is not to put off the cleaning of the lace too
long, for if the dirt is permitted to work into the fabric it is very
difﬁcult to remove.
The most satisfactory way to clean washable laces is with soft
water and a pure soap, such as Ivory or Castile. If soap ﬂakes can
be obtained, these will be found very satisfactory for they dissolve
quickly and are easily handled. For laces of durable quality, such
as linen and heavy cotton laces, make a strong suds of soap and
water and into it put 1 level teaspoonful of borax to each quart of
water. Squeeze the lace gently in this until it is clean and then
rinse it well in lukewarm water, handling it gently in the rinsing as
well as in the washing. Always lift all the lace up at once rather
than pull it out by one end, for pulling the lace will break the ﬁbers
more quickly than anything else.
100. In the case of very frail laces, as well as chiffon and net,
the same method may be followed, but much more care must be
taken. Make the suds only about half as strong and squeeze
the lace very gently in it until the dirt is removed. If the lace is
exceptionally frail, it may be put in a bottle with the warm suds
and the bottle then closed securely and shaken vigorously for a
few minutes.
101. Still another plan to wash delicate lace successfully
consists in winding it around a bottle after this has ﬁrst been wrapped
with cheesecloth so that the ends of the lace can be secured.
When the lace is in place, it may be covered with another layer of
cheesecloth if its delicacy is such that it would seem to require this
extra precaution. Place the bottle in warm soapsuds and let it
stand for a while. Then shake it vigorously so that the dirt may
be removed.
For lace that is very much soiled, put the bottle with the lace
wrapped around it in cold water containing small pieces of soap
or soap ﬂakes and bring the water to a boil. As the water becomes
dirty, remove it and replace with clean, cold water and more soap,
repeating this process until the water does not show any more dirt.
Then rinse in clean cold water and set the bottle aside until the
lace is thoroughly dry.
102. If the lace is too large to be wound on a bottle and too
delicate to be washed in the ordinary way, baste it securely and


13-L LACES
After securing the ﬂannel or the towel, lay the lace on it, right
side down, and pull each part out very carefully so that it assumes
its correct shape before the ironing is begun. Have the selvage of
the lace, if there is one, next to you, and in ironing, work away from
the selvage toward the edge so as to shape the lace properly, the
selvage usually being tighter than the edge.
111. To avoid the risk of scorching the lace, use an iron of
moderate temperature. Rub the iron over every bit of the lace
until it is entirely dry. Then pull out all picots and small points
into their original form by means of a pin or needle. If a wrinkle
should be pressed into the lace in the ironing, sponge it with a little
starch water and then iron it out.
If the lace has a raised ﬁgure, rub it gently on the wrong side with a
lace awl or any blunt tool that is smooth and will not injure the
fabric. This process relieves it of any stiff, starched look it may
have and makes it as pliable as new lace. Finally, pass the iron
lightly over the entire piece of lace.
112. Unstarched laces may have a little stiffening imparted
to them in the ironing, which will make them look like new. To do
this, place the lace right side down on the ﬂannel or towel and rub
it gently with a piece of material that contains sizing, such as
organdie that has been dipped in water until it is soaked. Or,
a cloth dampened with thin starch water will do very well as a
substitute. When the lace is damp enough, iron it slowly with a
moderately hot iron so that the moisture will evaporate slowly.
When entirely dry, remove from the board.
113. Cleaning Black Lace.—Black lace should not be
washed as are other laces because it loses much of its color and
takes on a gray look. However, it may be cleaned by putting it in
strong tea and squeezing and working it just as if the tea were soap-
suds. A small amount of gum arabic added to the tea will stiffen
the lace and give it the appearance of new lace. Coffee may be
used for this purpose, but tea is generally preferred because it
contains no greasy substance. Very good results are also produced
by dipping the lace in a solution of 3 parts lukewarm water and
1 part vinegar.


LACES 135
CLEANING NON-WASHABLE LACES
1 14. Certain laces, such as silk and ﬁne-mesh laces, are of such
a texture that they do not permit of washing. However, there are
ways of cleaning such laces, so it is not necessary that they be
discarded just because they have become soiled.
115. Perhaps the simplest way to clean non-washable laces is
with powdered magnesia or French chalk. These can be purchased
for a small sum at any drug store. Lay the piece of lace out on a
paper and cover it generously with powder. Then fold the lace
back so as to form two layers and cover again with the powder.
Continue to fold it in this way and to cover each layer with powder
until it is thoroughly saturated. Then put it aside for several days
so as to give the powder a chance to absorb the dirt and grease that
the lace contains. At the end of this time, shake out the powder,
being careful to remove every bit of it. The lace will then be ready
for use.
116. For dry cleaning, gasoline is undoubtedly the most
satisfactory medium. For this purpose, purchase clean, high-
grade gasoline, that is, gasoline that is free from dirt or any
greasy substance. A precaution that must be taken with gasoline
is that it should always be kept away from any ﬂame or ﬁre, for it is
highly inﬂammable. Also, it must be used very cautiously so that
there will be no ill effects from it. A good plan is to work on the
porch or before an open window so that the fumes may be carried
off into the air.
117. To clean lace with gasoline, put it into a self-sealer fruit
jar, either the 1-quart or the 2-quart size, depending on the size of
the piece of lace, half ﬁll the jar with gasoline, and shake vigorously.
The shaking will loosen the dirt and permit the lace to come out
clean and fresh. Next, lay the lace out in the open air and pull
it into shape while it is drying. When it is dry, lay it, right side
down, on a well-padded board, place a piece of tissue paper over the
wrong side of it, and press it. Take care in the pressing not to
stretch the lace, for it cannot be put on a garment in a smooth,
even manner if it is stretched out of place in its cleaning or
pressing.


CHAPTER VII
EMBROIDERIES, FINDINGS, SHOPPING HINTS
EMBROIDERIES
1. Embroidery is made in two ways, by hand and by machine.
H and embroidery is, of course, that which is made by hand and is
usually made for special orders or by those who desire it themselves.
Machine-made embroidery intends to imitate hand embroidery
as closely as it is possible to do so and in many cases the imitations
are very beautiful. This is the kind that is on sale in the stores.
H and-ﬁnished, machine-made embroideries are very satisfactory
and, while they have an appearance similar to hand-made embroi-
dery, they are not nearly so expensive.
2. In purchasing embroidery, make sure of a substantial edge
and endeavor to have its background in keeping with the weight of
the garment on which it is to be used, avoiding always the use of a
heavy edging on a light-weight garment. Cheap, tawdry embroi-
deries should not be used unless they are employed to decorate a
garment of like nature; otherwise, they are an extravagance and,
unless the design is suitable, are an evidence of poor taste in selec-
tion.
3. Embroideries divide themselves into several types because
of the materials on which the design is worked and the thread
with which it is done.
4. Organdle embroidery is sheer, crisp embroidery made
on different grades of organdie; the ﬁner the organdie, the thread,
and the design, the more expensive the embroidery, just as is the
case with chiffon and ﬁne voile embroidery. All of these embroi-
deries serve chieﬂy for dress trimmings.
137


138 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
5. Batiste embroidery is generally considered a dainty
embroidery suitable for ﬁne work, such as trimming for infants
and children's clothes, for undergarments, and for lingerie dresses.
The grade varies so much, however, that one must be cautious
about design, width, and texture to make sure that the embroidery
is appropriate for the garment on which it is used. Fine batiste
embroidery is durable and one of the most generally used embroid-
eries.
6. Nainsook embroidery may be made on ﬁne or coarse
nainsook, may have a dainty or heavy design, and may be done
with ﬁne or coarse thread. Fine nainsook embroidery is often
used rather than batiste embroidery, especially when an attractive,
appropriate design is available. It is less expensive and usually
very satisfactory for wearing and laundering.
7. Cambric embroidery is often called convent embroidery
because it was made by the convent sisters long before machine
embroidery became popular. Real convent embroidery is beauti-
ful and very valuable, but it is rarely procurable.
The cambric embroidery used today is of ﬁne or coarse quality
and is made on a closely woven cambric. The design is closely
buttonholed or “satin-stitched" by machine so that a durable
ﬁnish is the result. Such embroidery is occasionally popular for
petticoat ﬂounces, for pillow-case ends, for children's under-
garments, and sometimes for collars and cuffs to be worn on tailored
..¢. ._ -~T .. blouses and dresses.


“j..i........¢;§...f.....,;é.-,, 8. Beading-.—Beading _is _a
" ‘ form of embroidery that is in
constant demand. It comes in
several different varieties and
widths and has different uses according to the kind that is
selected.


Fm. 1
9. Seam beading, shown in Fig. 1, consists of a narrow
embroidery beading made on batiste, nainsook, or cambric. It is
sold also under the names of izeining and entre deux.
The chief use of seam beading is on hand-made baby clothes,
blouses, and lingerie dresses, where it is used in joining the sleeves
to the armhole, skirts to yokes, and for other similar purposes.


EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS 139
10. Double beading, shown in Fig. 2, is that which contains
openings between two beading edges, the openings being long enough
to permit ribbon or tape to be run through. Such beading is
used for children's clothes, undergarments, and occasionally for
trimming on lingerie dresses.


1 n I 0 I‘ I Q I I
0 Q I I I I I 1 I I
0 n v n I v u 0 0 u
I i I 0 u q.ﬁ I I I
I . I
--'--""“"‘"1.‘.“P‘!'!!!.'§-;'..1
<—v-_-.1--r.-v~~»r~ .. .._.


14._ -.._ ._ ._. _ p._.___..._- -
Fro. 2 F10. 3
11. Embroidery-edge beading, shown in Fig. 3, contains
openings for ribbon or tape but has embroidery-ﬁnished edges.
It is used at the top of ﬂounces, on yokes of night dresses, and for
children's clothes. It is usually applied by being stitched ﬂat
between the beading and the inside of the embroidery edges.
FINDINGS
12. A thorough acquaintance with dress findings, that is,
the various small accessories such as buttons, lining, etc., used in
dressmaking, and a knowledge of their use and convenience will
save much time for the dressmaker in two ways. In the ﬁrst place,
she will know just what is right for a particular need so that she
can use it rather than a substitute; and secondly, she can plan to
have the necessary ﬁndings ready so as to facilitate her sewing.
Many women take much pride and satisfaction in having a
stock of ﬁndings always at hand and, when any standard article is
used, in replacing it on the next shopping trip. This is an excellent
plan that can be recommended to all who do sewing on either a
large or a small scale.
A visit at least every season to a store having a well-stocked notion
department is time well spent, for often new things are brought out
by manufacturers to help in accomplishing certain ideas demanded
by Fashion. A deﬁnite acquaintance with such novelties, in addi-
tion to saving time, makes possible the achievement of certain
style effects that might otherwise be tedious.
13. To help you become familiar with ﬁndings, those in general
use are here listed in alphabetical order as well as described and,


140 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
in most cases, illustrated. Only standard ﬁndings are considered,
for the novelties can always be found prominently displayed at
the counters where notions, or ﬁndings, are sold.
14. Be1ting.—Belting, which is an essential ﬁnding, comes
in two general varieties, canvas and cambric. ‘
If the canvas belting is ﬁrmly woven, it requires no boning, but
if it is of the soft variety, it is usually boned for stiffness.
Cambric belting is made of cambric cloth and is always boned
for stiffness. . .
Both canvas and cambric belting are either straight or shaped
and are sold by the yard at notion counters. The width varies
from 1 to 6 inches, according to fashion requirements, straight
lines requiring straight, narrow belting, and ﬁtted lines, curved or
shaped belting. -
15. Boning.—In dressmaking, the term boning means the
stiffening, or staying, of one part of a garment so that it will retain
its shape and act as a support for another. Whalebone was formerly
used for this purpose, but it is rather expensive as well as some-
what difficult to use.
An excellent substitute for whalebone has been found in feather-
bone, which is made of strips of feather quills woven together with
linen thread. Featherbone is not expensive, is very pliable, and
may be sewed through readily and withoutinjury, thus permitting
it to be secured in place with very little effort.
Hook-and-eye bone is a special kind of featherbone woven
a little closer than the covered bone and made a little softer so as
to permit easy sewing. It is used chieﬂy in waist openings, where
it is generally inserted in casings.
Boning may be purchased by the yard or the roll, and may be had
with silk, satin, or cotton covering. As boning is generally put in
places subject to considerable wear and strain, it is advisable
always to employ a very good quality. The cheaper grades are
liable to break before a garment is worn out, making it necessary
to replace them.
16. Boning and Stays for Collars.—Boning and stays for
collars usually consist of narrow widths of covered featherbone in
both black and white. In Fig. 4 are shown two varieties, that in
(a) being covered with silk ribbon and the one in (b), with ﬂoss.


EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS 141
Besides collar featherbone, which is sold by the yard, there are
celluloid collar stays and, as shown in Fig. 5, covered wire ones
called serpentine. These are made 2 to 3 inches in length and


FI0. 4 Fro. 5
are usually covered with silk or cotton thread. They may be
purchased on cards having six collar stays on each card, or the
serpentine variety, attached to a binding, as here shown, may be
purchased by the yard.
17. Tubular cording, shown in Fig. 6, is very popular for
holding out tunics and skirts when bouﬁant styles are in vogue.
It consists of strands of a composition substance or of a metal-
covered thread woven into a
narrow, pliable, tubular strand.
18. Bra1ds.—Braids and
edgings are considered together because they are, for the most
part, ﬁnishings, even though their uses may differ.


F10. 6
19. Fancy braids are novelty trimming or ﬁnishing braids.
These vary greatly in width and appearance and are often designed
so elaborately as to be very handsome and expensive.
Rat-tail, or mouse-tail, braid is a round, smooth, slender, silk
braid. Braids of this kind, as
well as fancy metal braids, are
used when Fashion decrees.
20. Fifnishing braid,
shown in Fig. 7, is a narrow
white tape about i inch wide,
on which feather-stitching or
some other fancy stitch is applied either in white or in colors.
It may be purchased by the 4-yard piece at a very small cost.
Finishing braid is used as decoration or for ﬁnishing the top of
rufﬁes instead of bias facing.


Fm. 7


142 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
21. Military braid, shown in Fig. 8, is a silk braid varying
in width from 1 to 2 inches and is sold by the yard or in bolts of
10 yards. It is used extensively at times for bound buttonholes,
as a binding for tunic edges, and
as a trimming for woolen dresses
and suits, especially tailored
middy suits for children.


22. Picot, or feather, edge
is a very ﬁne braid having picoted loops along one edge and is used
as a trimming, as a ﬁnish, and in crocheting. Its width varies
from % to i inch.
23. Rickrack braid, two varieties of which are shown in
Fig. 9, is used extensively for trimming underwear, pillow cases,
and sometimes dresses. It is
a cotton or mercerized braid, comes in white and in colors, and
may be purchased in packages
containing 4-yard pieces.


24. Scallop-fini shed
edging, shown in Fig. 10, is a
%-inch embroidered scalloped edge. Under various trade names,
edging of this kind usually comes in packages containing 3-yard
lengths. It is very useful and durable for every-day underwear,
for it is easily applied and
wears as long as the garment
itself. It makes a very neat
ﬁnish on aprons, and is often
particularly attractive when
the color of the embroidered edge matches the colored ﬁgure in the
material that is used for the body of the apron.
Fio. 9
“-_d1-1n .--_.---_n.¢..-m---- vnQ3¢ ---¢ - -


Fro. 10
25. Skirt braid, shown in Fig. 11, is a smooth, evenly woven,
twilled braid that is made in
only %-inch width. It is used \&“ ‘
to protect the bottom of skirts §¥:1?§;::;~§f"’§§£§§;§$..-1\1.
.
from hard wear when they are
long and full. Braid of this .
kind may be obtained in mercerized cotton or wool in all standard
colors, and is sold usually by the 3-yard piece or the bolt.


EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS 143
26. Soutache braid, shown in Fig. 12, is manufactured in
both cotton and silk, but the width is always the same. It is
sold by the 12-yard piece, and
isiused for ornamenting dresses
and suits. When applied by a
sewing machine with the braiding attachment, a much more even
and perfect result is obtained than when it is applied by hand.


27. Button Mo1ds.—When buttons are desired only for
ornament, they are often made by covering molds, one of which
is shown in Fig. 13, with material, and then they
are used plain or decorated with beads or stitches.
The molds, which may be had in either wood or
bone, come in all sizes and are for sale by the string,
by the dozen, or by the one-third dozen.


V ,,.-..,,~K
F10. 13
28. Buttons.—The ﬁrst purpose of buttons is
usefulness, and the second, ornamentation. Because they often
lend distinctiveness to garments on which they are placed, care
should be exercised in their selection. They are made of various
materials, including pearl, bone, and composition, and they are
S
1 (ll) (5)
Fro. 14 Fro. 15


made up with two or four holes, as in Fig. 14, or with shanks, as
in Fig. 15. The shank may be of the same material as the button,
as in (a), or it may be a metal shank, as in (b). Cloth is often
used as a shank for cloth-covered buttons, especially when they
are to be sewed close to the garment or are used for
trimming more than for service.
29. Pearl buttons are usually thought of as
wash buttons, though very beautiful pearl buttons,
because of their luster, are often arranged, as in
Fig. 16, so that when the garment is washed, they can be removed
as protection to the button.


30. Bone and composition buttons are tailored buttons.
The real bone button at present is rarely seen, for most of the


144 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
so-called bone buttons are made from the seeds of the American palm
tree. These seeds, which are shipped to the United States from
the tropics in great quantities, are easily dyed, polished, cut, and
engraved.
31. Cable Cord.—A softly twisted cotton cord, varying in size
from -§- inch in diameter to the thickness of a lead pencil and called
cable cord, may be purchased for corded shirrings and for cordings
to be used as an edge ﬁnish or for making ornaments. If a quantity
is to be used, as for
trimming the edges of
a dress, it may be pur-
chased in 5-yard bolts,
but it may be procured
by the yard also. Cable
cord comes in black and
white only.
3 2 . C a b o c h 0 n
Found.at1ons.—In
the making of bunch
bouquets and various
other ornaments,
whether of ribbon or
other materials, cabo-
chon foundations, as
shown in Fig. 17, will
be found useful. Cabo-
chon foundations are
merely small pieces of
(1') buckram pressed into a
Fm 17 dome or similar shape,
as here shown, those in (a) being white buckram and those in
(b), black.  In (a), the cabochons shown at a and b have not had
their edges cut, while those at c, d, e, and f have been trimmed.


33. Dress Shields.—To prevent perspiration from soiling
dresses under the arms, dress shields have been devised. These are
commonly made of two thicknesses of a very ﬁrm, closely woven
muslin, between which is placed a rubber substance that prevents
the perspiration from passing through to the outside of the shield.


EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS 145
Dress shields usually come in black and white, but ﬂesh-colored,
transparent ones may be purchased for wear with sheer dresses or
blouses. They may be purchased by the pair in sizes from 1 to 4,
and they vary in shape from small quarter moons to very large
three-quarter moons. In one type of dress shield, the ﬂaps are of
equal size, while in the other they diﬁer, the small ﬂap being placed
in the sleeve and the larger ﬂap in the blouse. The range in price
is quite decided in dress
shields, the small ones being ~)
cheaper than the large ones.
34. Elast1c.—Two gen-
eral kinds of elastic, round
and ﬂat, as shown in Fig. 18,
are always to be had. The small, round, hat elastic, shown in (a),
is so called because it is used extensively for children's hats. The
ﬂat elastic, shown in (b), which may be had in various widths
from % to 1 inch, is used for bloomers, garters, and waist lines
of garments, especially those for children. Both varieties may be
purchased in black or white.


35. Hooks and Eyes.—Hooks and eyes, which may be had
in black or white, range in size from No. 000, the smallest, to No. 4,
the largest, size No. 1 being most commonly used for placket open-
ings and for fastening dresses and other garments.
As shown in Fig. 19 (a), some hooks
have a hump that serves to hold the eye
and prevent the hook from slipping out,
(a) (M and others, as shown in (b), are perfectly
straight. The eyes are of two kinds,
too—the straight eye, such as is shown in
O-O €K$D (c), and the round eye, which is shown
(c) (a) in (d).
Fm- 19 Hooks with a hump are more difﬁcult
to hook up and to unhook than humpless hooks, and for this rea-
son should not be used on garments that ﬁt close; for such garments,
the humpless hook is best.
The straight eye is used with the hump hook on garments where
there is not much strain, and the round eye is employed on belts,
girdles, and tight linings, and in almost every case with a humpless
hook.
L D 1-11


146 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
36. Hook-and-Eye Tape.—When it is desired to save time
or to have hooks and eyes sewed very close together, as in the case
of a close-ﬁtting garment, hook-and-eye
tape, shown in Fig. 20, will be found very
satisfactory. On this tape, which may be
purchased by the yard, hooks and eyes are
spaced 1% inches apart, and they are fast-
ened in it very securely. Hook-and-eye
tape is usually sewed in place with whip-
ping-stitches.
37. Seam Binding.—Two kinds of
U seam binding for the covering and seams and
1.-,o_ 20 edges may be purchased, cotton and silk.


38. Cotton binding, which is cut on the bias and has its
edges turned, as shown in Fig. 21, is more familiarly known as
bias binding. It is much easier to apply than unfolded bias binding
cut by hand and consequently is more popular.
Bias binding of this kind comes in sizes 1 to 6 and may be obtained
in 6-yard pieces in cambric, lawn, percale, or taffeta, and in white,
plain colors, and stripes. Its
range of widths and materials
makes it a great convenience in
sewing, where it has many uses. 1--,6; 21


39. Silk seam binding resembles a very light-weight taffeta
ribbon. It may be purchased in 9-yard pieces of various widths,
and it comes in colors as well as in black and white. Its chief
use is to ﬁnish the seams of woolen garments.
40. Snap Fasteners.—In places where a substantial, ﬂat
closing is desired, snap fasteners, shown in Fig. 22 and commonly
called snaps, are very satisfactory. They come in black and white
and range in size from % to % inch in diameter.
Q 9 Medium-sized snaps are the ones most commonly
used, for they are large enough for most purposes
Q Q and they fasten easily and hold securely.
Snap fasteners come in numerous makes, but
those having a ﬂat under piece and an upper piece
containing a small spring are usually considered the most service-
able because they do not pull apart readily.
Fic. 22


EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS 147
To test the quality of snap fasteners, close them and then try
to open them; if you ﬁnd it a little difﬁcult to pull them apart, you
may know that they are a good make, for the best snaps close tight
and thus insure a substantial
closing for garments.
41. Snap-fastener tape,
shown in Fig. 23, which corre-
sponds to the hook-and-eye tape
previously described, is frequently found very useful. Both edges
of each part of this tape are usually sewed ﬂat to the garment by
means of whipping-stitches.


42. Tape.—Three varieties of tape, which ﬁnd many uses in
dressmaking, are shown in Fig. 24.
43. Cotton diagonal tape, shown in (a), is used for braid
trimming, to ru.n in casings, to bind armholes, and for many purposes
where a strong tape is desired.
It may be purchased by the
.- -W.. . 4-yard piece in widths from %
to 1 inch. Occasionally, it may
be obtained in colors, but it is
usually either black or white.


V‘¢-1s N.
44. Linen tape, shown in
I 3 . (b), does not twist so easily as
"II cotton in laundering and hence
Flo. 24 , _
ﬁnds for itself a place in the
dressmaker’s ﬁndings. It may be bought in 4-yard pieces.


45. The so-called lingerie tape, shown in (c), is a ﬁnely
woven cotton tape that has a ﬁrm edge. It is used extensively in
underwear and lingerie as a substitute for ribbon, because it
wears so much better and can be laundered with the garment.
Lingerie tape may be purchased by the piece in light blue, ﬂesh,
pink, or white, and comes in several widths from % to 1 inch,
the widest width being used for shoulder straps of vests and bodices.
The narrow widths may be purchased byithe 3- or 4-yard bolt and
the wider widths by the yard.
46. Weights.—Considerable use is made of weights and
weighted tape, particularly in tailored garments of all kinds.


148 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
.-ll
47. Coat weights, one of which is shown in Fig. 25, are
round, oval, and oblong, and they vary in size from No. 1 to
N o. 4, the largest being about the size of a half dollar.
Such devices are used to give weight to the lower
edge of coats, to panels in coats, and to parts
of woolen dresses. M .
4 8 . s 11 0 r -
w e i g h t tape,
shown in Fig. 26 (a), consists of
closely woven cotton material
in which small shot is held. It
is used in the bottom of tunics, _.
the ends of sashes, etc., in order - i i --
to make them hang correctly. Frc.(b26
F10. 25


49. Flat-weight tape, shown in Fig. 26 (b), is used where
more weight is desired than the shot-weight tape provides.
SHOPPING HINTS
50. To be a successful shopper, you should have a deﬁnite idea
of what you want before you start out to buy. You will ﬁnd it
advantageous to carry a notebook containing measurements and
samples of goods to be matched, provided you can procure such
samples beforehand. By being so prepared, you will save much time
in making selections and will generally command interested assis-
tance from clerks, or salespeople, who are usually willing to help, but
are often handicapped because some shoppers have no idea of what
they want.
Frequently, salespeople are held responsible for unsatisfactory
purchases when really the customer is at fault. You can usually
avoid unpleasant occurrences if you decide as nearly as possible
on the materials, as well as the amount you want, before you con-
sult the clerk, and if you apply to the materials, before you buy them,
whatever tests are possible.
51. Choosing the Right Grade of Materia1.—If you are
choosing between two grades of the same type of material, consider
the quality rather than the price. Often a fabric that costs just a
triﬂe more will give you much longer and more satisfactory service


EMBROIDERI ES AND FINDINGS 149
than a cheaper grade, and in this way more than compensate you
for the additional expenditure.
52. Widths of Material to Select.—Y0u will always ﬁnd
it advantageous to take the width of the material into consideration.
In some cases, wide material may be cut to better advantage than
narrow and thus result in a saving even though the price per yard is
considerably more.
Sometimes, you will ﬁnd that itlis more economical to buy double-
width materials than single-width, as double-width goods usually
cut to better advantage than single-width, and the quality, as a
rule, is better.
53. Buying Trimmings to Suit Materials.—If you must
exercise economy in selecting materials, you will do far better to
spend nearly all your money on the material and leave only enough
for very simple ornamentation. It is evidence of the poorest taste
to wear garments laden with a quantity of cheap trimming. Trim-
mings should be of the same quality as the material chosen; if they
do not so agree, one tends to cheapen the other.
54. Buying Colored Material.—In buying colored material,
you should try to see it in the light in which you will use it, that
is, in daylight or artiﬁcial light, so as to be sure that the color is
just what you wish. Many stores have two kinds of lamps, one
that shows daylight and the other, artiﬁcial light, so as to help their
customers in determining the suitability of the color.
Thread and trimmings should likewise be matched by the proper
light to insure their being right.
55. Procuring Samples.—Often you may have to send away
for samples, especially for trimming. As a matter of fact, thousands
of women in sections remote from large cities usually obtain samples
from two or more stores in different cities at the same time so that
they may compare both qualities and prices.
When you write for samples, state as nearly as possible the nature
of the material you desire, its width, color, and weight, and the
approximate price you wish to pay. Such information will facilitate
replies from stores and will usually result in a much better assort-
ment of samples from which to choose. You should always know as
deﬁnitely as possible what you want and what could be substituted
as a second choice.


150 EMBROIDERIES AND FINDINGS
56. Advantages of Buying in Quantities.-—Many fabrics
may be bought cheaper by the piece, or bolt, and it is desirable to
buy them in this form when large quantities are to be used
immediately or within a short time.
Tape, narrow edgings, seam binding, and insertions may usually
be bought a little cheaper by the bolt or the dozen pieces. Ribbon
by the roll, sewing cotton and silk by the dozen spools, etc., also
may be bought advantageously.
57. Keeping Up Supply 01’ Findings.—Hooks and eyes
in both black and white and in various sizes, snap fasteners, pearl
buttons of good quality in small and medium sizes, as well as a
supply of needles and pins, should always be on hand in the sewing
room. Such articles should be listed in your shopping notebook
as soon as your supply is exhausted so that you will not forget to
replenish them when you are shopping. It is very inconvenient
to pick up a piece of work that needs a little tape, a certain size
of hook and eye, or a particular size of button and then ﬁnd that
you have none of these articles on hand.


CHAPTER VIII
MENDING
MENDING CONVENIENCES
1. Few women appreciate the importance of mending, forget-
ting entirely the old proverb, “A stitch in time saves nine." Every
housewife should form the habit of doing the weekly mending each
week instead of allowing it to accumulate until it becomes a burden.
Carefully mended garments denote thrift, industry, and economy;
therefore, every woman and every girl should take pride in know-
ing how to darn a pair of stockings, to patch a worn garment, and
to mend a tear.
Stockings and undergarments may be mended after washing, but
outer garments should always be mended before they are laundered,
because laundering helps materially to conceal the patch or the darn,
as the case may be.
Too much time may be spent in mending an old garment if the
fabric is much worn. For this reason, it is well to exercise judg-
ment so that no time nor labor is squandered. Wearing apparel may
often be mended on the sewing machine, but dainty outer garments
should always be mended by hand if possible.
2. For convenience, it is advisable for you to provide yourself
with a mending basket or a mending bag and to equip it with the
necessary tools for mending, such as needles, thread, darning
cotton, scissors, a darning ball, etc.
You can quickly make a mending bag from any straight piece
of ﬁrm material 1% yards long and % yard wide. Fold the material
through the center, crosswise; lay the folded piece out on the table
and pin the sides together, pinning up from the fold; sew up the
sides; turn a 2-inch hem at the top and stitch it; and then run
another row of stitching % inch from the ﬁrst stitching on the hem so
151


152 MENDING
as to form a casing. Next, cut and work a vertical buttonhole
inside of the hem on each side of the seam between the two
stitchings. When these buttonholes are made, run a smooth cord
three times as long as the bag measures at the top around through
the casing twice, and where the ends meet lap them and sew over
and over the lap so that the joining will be smooth and strong.
Finally, pull one loop of cord out at each buttonhole. By taking
hold of each of these loops and pulling outwards, you can draw the
bag together at the top, or close it easily and quickly. To open the
bag, simply insert one or two ﬁngers of each hand into the shirred
opening and pull it apart. -
The bag or basket, whichever is used, should be kept in a handy
place, so that you can take up your mending quickly or carry it
on while resting from more strenuous housework. You will be
amazed at what you can accomplish by picking up a stocking or
some garment and mending it while you are waiting for something
to bake or while you are visiting with a neighbor. With so many
demands on a person's time, it is valuable to know how to economize
time, and one good way in which to do this is to systematize the
home sewing and mending.
DARNING
3. Several methods are employed to repair worn and torn
places in articles of wear. One of the most important of these
methods is darning, by which is meant the repairing of a tear or a
hole by weaving a thread back and forth. Patching, another
mending method, which is considered later, should not be resorted
to unless the holes are too large to be darned.
4. Darning Floss.—F0r darning in the home, you may use
darning ﬂoss almost exclusively. This should always match
the article that is being darned as near as possible, both in color
and in texture. Cotton and mercerized-ﬁnish darning ﬂoss may
be had in spools of approximately 45 yards each, and silk, in 1-ounce
spools. Cotton-ﬁnish ﬂoss, which is cheaper and heavier than the
others, is used for darning underwear and heavy cotton hose, but for
silk or lisle garments of the same character, silk- or mercerized-
ﬁnish ﬂoss is preferable. Two, three, or four strands of ﬂoss come
in each thread. So, if the hole you wish to darn is small, it is


154 MENDING
7. The appearance of a hole that has been darned in a stocking
or an undergarment is illustrated in Fig. 2. In making such a
repair, take the stitches from the right side, if the darning is being
done in a stocking or a close-
ﬁtting portion of an under-
garment, in order to keep a
smooth surface next to the
skin. Use two or more
strands of ﬂoss, according to
the texture of the fabric and
the size of the hole that is
to be darned. Do not tie a
knot in the thread; rather,
leave the end free, as at a,
Fig. 3.
First, provide the rib, or
lengthwise threads, for the
darn. Run these stitches far
enough from the edge of the
hole to catch all the weak threads, % to % inch usually being
sufficient. In applying each rib thread, take a few running-stitches
in the material, as at b, and arrange them so that the needle will
come out over the edge of - -
the hole. Then put the
needle under the edge
directly opposite, and take
a few running-stitches in
the material. Run these
stitches back and forth
across the hole and be-
yond it to form a dia-
mond-shaped darn, which
prevents the strain that
there would otherwise be
on one.thread of the ma-
terial. Take the stitches
fairly close together, but not so close that they touch. At the
turning of each lengthwise thread, leave a very tiny loop, as at c, to
provide for shrinkage of the ﬂoss in laundering, and for the elastic-
ity needed in a garment of this kind.


FI0. 3


MENDING 155
When the entire space is covered with lengthwise threads, turn
the work and take crosswise stitches in a similar manner; but where-
iwie:-2~:-
-i-;;ﬁgl-1
:'o:-:
vi-!
.-‘-‘.9
.
..- ¢’..:--‘-'.\
. . . . -'-
Fl-
"1 .-
.
_s‘‘ m
Y- -+a''"ir-
-
.-'.
my-M. .
‘.‘”.-.:-...i-.


ever the crosswise threads cross the warp threads, weave them by
slipping the needle under and over, as at d. Catch the frayed


-~o-..-- -~-. . .;;;.-».-,:»»--::I:'v'_.:.-_.':\~::::v:::.m' - .
--,'- .'.*.h'_..~ ~\<_.._.w o‘.:; -‘! , ‘~
.;.:.;0-_.;.-:-;.;\.‘'-.'- . oi --;.;=.- _;.3,'-_.-;;,'_.,
-f- - -~'- -~.--._-.:-2-{.":::.3 .- ~;.;¢0-‘_.;..-W-.
.- . _ .- - .---.~.-.,-. 0. ~ ..-_.,,_..._-._.-'-
‘i-.-.~.-. H- ¢.-_.-.-.':"...'-..-.-.- ‘ -.-.:;-.-;.-“. - 1 -. . -


3:33"


-w1
N-


‘.1


‘ l ~ Q 4
5»!-.‘13§:~:-;t;:;:g:;.:..
"f-':f:‘»:i:I:T:i:1:-.‘*i:a'
\. - - -p, .-Q


.
. ._.
”' - - :. ’'-'-.
.~’¢?f'-¥*. ._2:-,M4\:. sn-
"~mr.. . _‘._'‘'-?'-'
Fm. 5

edges of the material in with the weaving so that they will be
ﬁrmly secured. There is an advantage in leaving the frayed edges


156 MENDING
around a hole to be darned, for the unevenness which they cause
around the edge helps to make the darned place less conspicuous.
After ﬁlling in the entire space, as in Fig. 2, secure the thread with
a few back-stitches; also, cut off the projecting thread ends and
any frayed ends that were not caught in the weaving process.
It is not always necessary that darning threads run parallel
with the warp and weft threads or ribs of the material. When a
hole is to be darned in a part -of a garment or stocking where
elasticity is desired, as at the knee, the darning threads may be run
diagonally so that the darned portion will “give” when necessary.
8. Darning Reinforced With Net.—If the hole in a garment
is very large and the material is of the kind that will not permit


Fm. 6
readily of patching, such as sheer knit material, a neat, even darn
may be made with the aid of net. Baste a piece of cotton net
under the hole and then ﬁll the net portion with darning-stitches
in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. These illustrations show
such a darn made on a foundation of cotton bobbinet, or net,
the right side of the darn being shown in Fig. 4 and the wrong side,
in Fig. 5.
9. Darning a Straight Tear, or Slit.—A straight tear, or
slit, in a garment made of rather ﬁrmly woven cotton, silk, or
woolen material, may be darned in the manner shown in Fig. 6.
Baste the material to a piece of paper, placing the right side to the
paper. This will hold the material securely in place and prevent
the stitches from being drawn too tight. Use thread that matches,
both in color and in texture, the material that is to be darned. A


MENDING i 157
warp thread of the material is preferable to any other kind. Darn
the tear back and forth through the material only, taking the
stitches rather loosely and alternately over and under the edge
until all the space is covered. Make the stitches so that they will
be very small on the right side. Finish the work by taking a few
short back-stitches to secure the thread, and then remove the
bastings that hold the material to the paper. The object of a
darn of this kind is to mend the tear substantially and still keep the
stitches from appearing too prominent on the right side.
10.. Darning an Angular Tear.—If a tear is angular, you
may darn it in the manner shown in Fig. 7. Baste the material


Fic. 7
to paper the same as for a straight tear. Then take stitches back
and forth in the same way, slanting the stitches as you approach
the corner, so as to secure all the frayed edges and produce a ﬁrm
ﬁnish.
PATCHING
11. Patching consists in mending a garment by inserting a
patch in a ragged or worn spot or sewing one on it. This mending
method is generally employed when the tear or hole is too large to
be repaired by darning. You may do patching in several ways,
but the chief point for which to strive is to place and secure the
patch so that it will be as inconspicuous as possible.
In patching ﬁgured, striped, or up-and-down material, you will
have to exercise great care so as to match the patch with the
material in the garment; otherwise, the patch will be very notice-


158 MENDING
able. In striped material, you can do the matching readily if you
square up the hole that is to be mended.
If you must use a new patch in mending a faded garment made of
wash material, overcome the newness of the patch by ﬁrst boiling
it in soapy water to which a little baking soda has been added and
then rinsing and pressing it well. Also, the patching can be more
readily accomplished if the frayed or worn edges of the material
to be patched are trimmed away and the garment is carefully
pressed before mending. With the patching completed, press the
the garment thoroughly again.
12. Hemmed Patch.—In Fig. 8 is shown the right side and
in Fig. 9 the wrong side of a hemmed patch; that is, a patch used


Fic. 8
on materials that are laundered frequently and in places where it is
necessary to conceal all the raw edges. -
For such a patch, use a piece of material that is considerably
larger than the hole that is to be mended, in order to provide
allowance for matching and for turning hems. Place the right side
of the patch to the wrong side of the material just under the hole,
and, if the material is ﬁgured, striped, or plaid, shift the patch until
it matches exactly. Pin or baste this in position, clip the corners
of the hole to be mended, turn under the edges of the hole, and
baste; then hem them with short, close stitches. Turn the garment


MENDING 159
to the wrong side and trim the edges of the patch so that they may be
turned under the same amount as the edges of the hole and a ﬁnish


F10. I9
similar to the hand fell formed. Hem the edges of the patch with
very ﬁne stitches. If you do such patching carefully, being sure to


Fro. 10
match both the thread and the material as perfectly as possible,
the patch will be scarcely noticeable on the garment.


160 MENDING
13. Overhand Patch.—The right side and the wrong side of
an overhand patch are shown in Figs. 10 and 11, respectively.
This patch is even less noticeable than the hemmed patch, but it
requires more skill in its making to avoid puckering or tearing.
The overhand patch is used chieﬂy on garments that are not
laundered frequently and in places where raw edges are not objec-
tionable.
For the overhand patch, cut and match a piece of material in
practically the same manner as for the hemmed patch and pin it
in position under the hole in the garment. With a tracing wheel,


Fro. 11
trace around the hole i inch from the edge. Remove the pins
from one side of the patch and cut the edge of the patch ;{- inch
beyond the traced line; then, on the traced line, turn back to the
wrong side both the edge of the patch and the edge of the hole.
In this condition, the edge of the patch and that of the garment will
be turned in opposite directions on the under side, as shown in
Fig. 11, and the folded edges will just meet. On the right side,
overhand these folded edges together with small, even stitches,
and clip the corners on the wrong side so that the edges will lie
perfectly ﬂat, as at a, Fig. 11. Finally, overcast the raw edges in
the manner shown, thus, forming a. ﬁnish that is neither bulky nor
conspicuous.


MENDING 161
14. Darned, or Set-In, Patch.—The darned, or set-in, patch,
examples of which are shown in Figs. 12 and 13, is very satisfactory
for mending table linens
or woolen materials '‘‘'
having a nap. Table
linens have a double
weave that makes it
possible to conceal some
of the stitches that hold
the patch in place, and
the nap on woolen
material also aids in
concealing the stitches.
To weave in the patch,
select, if possible,
thread that matches
the material; but if such
thread cannot be pro-
cured, use a thread of
the material itself. If the patch is to be inserted in woolen
material, you may use human hair for the darning.
Begin such patching by carefully basting the right side of the
material to a piece of paper
and then inserting in the
hole a patch of the same
material. Be sure that the
patch ﬁts the hole exactly
and also that it matches the
weave and the ﬁgure in the
material. Then, beginning in
the center of one side and
working on the wrong side,
darn the patch in place with
short, close stitches that run
back and forth. Keep these
stitches from going through
the material as much as pos-
sible, so that the joining will


Fro. 12’


FIo. 13
be inconspicuous on the right side. When all the stitches are made,
remove the bastings that hold the garment to the paper.
L 1) 1-12


162 MENDING
As Fig. 12 shows, you will ﬁnd it almost impossible to make all the
darning stitches in table linens inconspicuous. If, however, when
you insert a patch in woolen material of very ﬁrm and rather heavy
weave, you run the stitches from the wrong side through the center
of the thickness of the material, as shown in Fig. 13, they will not
be at all discernible on the right side.
- 15. Darned, or Underlaid, Patch.—Fig. 14 illustrates a
mending method in which an underlaid rather than a set-in patch
is held in position with darning-stitches. Such a patch may be
used for repairing a large
hole in a stocking or in
a garment that is very
loosely knitted.
To make a neat repair
by this method, use a
patch that matches as
closely as possible the
color and the texture of
the stocking or the gar-
ment. Cut the patch a
triﬂe larger than the
hole that is to be mended,
and baste it to a piece
of paper. Place this
under the worn part of
the article to be mended
and baste carefully.
Secure the edges of the hole to the patch by darning back and
forth over the lapped edges, weaving them closely together, and
catching all the frayed ends of the material.


16. Flannel Patch.—To repair garments of ﬂannel or of any
material that does not fray, provided you want a good, substantial
patch, prepare the hole in the material and also the patch as for a
hemmed patch, that is, by squaring up the edges and matching
stripes or ﬁgures if necessary. Place the patch over the hole and
cut the edges so that they extend from % to % inch beyond the hole.
Baste the patch in position, but do not turn under the edges of
either the hole or the patch. Next, catch—stitch the edges of the
hole to the patch from the right side, as shown at a, Fig. 15, using


..
.
F10.
163


164 MENDING
silk thread of the same color as the material, if possible. Then
turn the garment over and, on the wrong side, catch-stitch the
outside edge of the patch to the garment material, as shown at a,
Fig. 16, being very careful to take very small stitches so that they
will not show any more than actually necessary on the right side.
STOCKINET MENDIN G
17. Stockinet Grafting.--Tears in garments of knitted
or stockinet weave, such as ribbed stockings, undergarments, and
sweaters, require a special kind of mending in order that the repaired
spot will not prove unduly conspicuous. Such mending may be done


by grafting the edges of a tear together with loop-stitches in imita-
tion of the weave of the material. Fig. 17 illustrates this method,
called stockinet grafting, applied in the mending of a crosswise tear
in stockinet. It may likewise be employed for shortening knitted
undergarments, leggings, and sweaters that are too long and can-
not be shortened satisfactorily on the edges. In shortening a
garment, prepare it for the grafting stitches by cutting out, on a
true crosswise grain, a section of material sufﬁcient in size to remove
the desired amount of length. Then pick the loose ends of thread
from the loops in the cut edges of the garment so that each edge will
show a continuous row of loops.
18. For the mending, use thread or yarn of a color and texture
that matches as nearly as possible the color and texture of the


MENDING 165
material that is being repaired. Start the work at the right-hand
end of the lower edge. To make the grafting stitches, bring the
needle out as at a, Fig. 17. Then insert the needle in the loop above
and just a little to the right, as at b, and bring it out in the center
of the next loop to the left, as at c. Next, insert the needle at a
and bring it out in the next loop to the left, as at d. Do not draw
the thread too tight; rather, permit it to form a loop the same in
size as that which forms the weave of the garment.
_Take the next stitch by inserting the needle at c and bringing
it out in the next loop to the left, and proceed with the work by
taking the stitches in the manner directed, grafting the edges
together and making the stitches as nearly uniform as possible,


so that they will resemble the regularity of machine work. After
catching all the loops together, ﬁnish the work by bringing the
needle to the wrong side and taking a couple of back-stitches.
19. Stockinet Patch.—The most satisfactory way in which
to mend a ﬁrmly knitted stocking or undergarment when you
desire a very inconspicuous ﬁnish and the hole is too large to be
neatly darned, is to set in with grafting-stitches a piece of similar
weave and color, as shown in Fig. 18. For this purpose, it is well
for you to keep on hand unwom portions of stockings from which the
feet have been cut, as well as unwor n pieces of undergarments of
good quality.
Prepare the hole in the garment by cutting the sides so that
they are even with the weave of the material, thus forming either a
square or an oblong space, and remove the loose ends of the stock-


166 MENDING
inet, so that the loops will appear as in the illustration. Then, cut
a patch that has true lengthwise and crosswise edges and is the
exact size of the hole to be repaired, and insert it so that its loop
edges meet the loop edges of the hole. Graft these loop edges
together in the manner shown. Then overhand the lengthwise
edges together from the wrong side and run a few darning-stitches
back and forth through these lengthwise joinings to make them
secure, but be careful not to have the darning-stitches show on the
right side.
USING MENDING TISSUE
20. For mending woolen materials,’ mending tissue, a semi-
transparent rubber substance that melts when heat is applied to it
and thus serves to hold torn edges together, is invaluable for dark
materials. You can buy mending tissue in nearly any store that
sells dry goods, a package costing only a small sum. One package
will last a long time in the home, but, in any event, it is not
advisable to buy large quantities, as the tissue crumbles after a
time and is then unﬁt for use.
21. Repairing a Tear With Mending T1ssue.—When
mending tissue is to be used, the tear should be repaired immediately,
so that the edges will not have an opportunity to fray. To mend
with tissue, place the torn part of the gannent, wrong side up, over
an ironing board and smooth the material out ﬁat. With a needle
or a pin, draw the torn edges together, bringing them as near as
possible to their original position. Over the tear, place a piece of
tissue large enough to cover it completely, and then over the tissue
lay a piece of the material exactly the same in size. If you cannot
procure material like the garment, you may use a lighter-weight
piece of the same color as the garment to be mended. Next, run a
hot iron over the patch several times. The heat from the iron will
melt the tissue and cause the patch to adhere to the material, mak-
ing an almost invisible and a very secure patch.
22. Patching With Mending T1ssue.—A very inconspicu-
ous patch may be applied with mending tissue. First, trim the
hole to an oblong or a square shape. Then, cut a piece of material
the same shape as the hole but a seam’s width wider on all edges.
Place the worn part of the garment, wrongside up, on an ironing


168 MENDING
Although hand or machine repairing of this kind is suitable for
- the purpose in most instances, the mended portion is usually not well
disguised. If you desire a very inconspicuous ﬁnish, you may form
the dropped stitches into a chain with a very ﬁne crochet hook, as
shown in Fig. 19. Slip the hook through the loop at the lower end
of the opening and, holding it in the position illustrated, pick up
the succeeding dropped stitch, and pull it through the loop. Con-
tinue in this manner until every dropped thread has been caught
and then secure the last loop with a few overhanding-stitches.
25. Refooting Stockings.—When stockings whose tops
are in good condition have feet that are beyond further darning,
you will ﬁnd it in line with economy to cut off the worn feet and
replace them with feet cut from the unworn tops of other stockings.
The new foot portion, if applied
carefully in the manner illustrated
in Fig. 20, will not prove at all
uncomfortable. Besides, the small
amount of time and effort you ex-
pend in doing the work will be
counterbalanced by the satisfac-
tory service-you will obtain from
the repaired stocking, provided the
tops are of good quality and still
sufﬁciently strong to withstand
considerable wear.
26. The line on which to cut
the stocking depends on the con-
dition of the foot portion. In most
cases, the toe and the back of the
heel show the most decided wear;
therefore, they should be cut away
in the shape illustrated in Fig. 21, which shows worn portions in
the toe and the heel. In any event, cut off the foot in such a
manner that all the worn spots will be removed, and then use the
piece cut off as a pattern for the new foot.
In preparing to cut the new foot, place the old stocking foot so
that its lower edge is along a lengthwise fold of the stocking from
which it is to be cut and the heel portion is over the double thickness
at the top, as in Fig. 21, in order to provide for an extra thickness


Fm. 20


MENDING 169
of material in the new heel. Then cut the center-back line of the
new heel, shaping it the same as the center back of the original
heel and making allowance for a seam, as at a. Shape the line
above the heel and also the sides of the new stocking foot the same
as the part cut off, making allowance for a seam, as at b, but instead


Fro. 21
of shaping the toe portion the same, cut it in the manner shown at
c, being sure to provide sufﬁcient length in the stocking foot. By
cutting the new foot in this way, you eliminate the seam d at the
center front, which might prove uncomfortable in a footed stocking.
Although the shape of the toe portion in the new foot is decidedly
changed, it may be very easily adjusted to a corresponding part of
the stocking leg; also, it contains sufﬁcient width to make it ﬁt
properly.
After the foot portion has been cut, stitch a plain seam at the
center back, using the sewing machine for this purpose in order to
catch each of the stitches securely and prevent them from dropping.
Trim the seam edges to within % inch of the stitching, press the
seam open, and then catch-stitch it through the center, as at a,
Fig. 20, so as to hold the edges open and prevent them from forming a
ridge. Next pin, baste, and stitch the foot portion in position,
turn the seam edges to one side, and, without turning under the
edges, hem or whip them to the stocking, as at b.
Fig. 20 shows the wrong side of the stocking after the new foot
has been applied. The seams in this case are made on the wrong
side, but if you prefer you may make them on the right side and
give them a neat ﬁnish.
27. A stocking that is worn merely in the heel portion may
have the worn part cut away and the new heel portion shaped with


170 MENDING
the aid of the part that was removed and applied in the manner
suggested for putting a new foot in a stocking. A new toe portion
may be applied in a similar manner.
28. Mending an Opened Seam in a Kid Glove.—As a
general rule, the stitching in the ﬁnger tips of kid gloves has a
tendency to break before the gloves show decided signs of wear at
any other point. Do not delay in repairing even a very tiny open-
ing in the seam, for this opening, unless securely mended, will
quickly enlarge because of the readiness with which the broken
stitching runs when there is even the slightest strain on it.
To mend the ﬁnger of a glove, insert in it a glove stretcher, a
pencil, -or the ﬁnger, to prevent the stitches from catching in the
opposite side, and sew the seam edges together with ﬁne overhand-
ing-stitches, using for this purpose silk thread that matches the
color of the glove. Start to make
these stitches i inch or more
below the open seam and extend
them an equal distance beyond
the opening in order to catch the
original stitching of the glove and
prevent it from pulling out again.
29. Mending a Tear in a.
Glove.—Because of the slight
strain on the lengthwise seams in
the ﬁngers of kid gloves, they
usually remain intact for some
time, especially if they have been
sewed with a ﬁrm, good quality
of thread. However, there is
considerable strain on the kid at
the base of the ﬁngers, and this
often causes the kid to rip close to
the seam where it has been weakened by the stitching. Such a
tear, if merely overhanded together, will cause still greater strain
on the kid and consequently will soon become an unsightly rent.
In mending such a tear, follow a method similar to the one
illustrated in Fig. 22. First, work all around the edges of the hole
with buttonhole twist or heavy sewing silk, using single-purl
buttonhole-stitches for this purpose. Fill in the open space by


Fic. 22


MENDING 171
working one or more rows of these stitches, according to the number
that are needed. Take each new row of stitches through the loops
of the preceding row. Decrease the number of stitches toward the
center and draw the stitches together at this point. Then run
the thread back through the lacework to the edge of the opening and
fasten it securely. The buttonhole-stitches will provide the
elasticity that is needed to prevent too decided a strain on the kid
around the repaired space.-
30. Mending the Finger Tips 01’ Silk or Cotton Gloves.
Although the ﬁnger tips of both silk and cotton gloves are generally
made double, they usually show signs of wear very quickly. You
can prolong the life of such gloves and also save considerable time
and labor in mending if you take the proper precautions as soon as
the tips appear a triﬂe thin.
For reinforcing ﬁnger tips, use darning-stitches in the same manner
as for reinforcing thin spots in stockings or garments. Use a very
ﬁne needle and very ﬁne matching thread in doing this work, so
that there will be no great strain on the threads in the glove
material when the needle is being drawn through; also, be sure to
follow the weave of the material and make the stitches very small.
If a portion of the outerilayer of the ﬁnger tip is worn away,
secure the free edges of this to the under portion of the tip with
darning-stitches, and then, with reinforcing stitches, cover the ‘
entire space over whichthere is only one thickness of material.
31. Mending Net, Laces, and Vei1ing.—If there is a
tear or a small worn spot in net, lace, or veiling, you may ﬁll it in by
simply using thread of a corresponding color and texture and imi-
tating as closely as possible the mesh or pattern of the material.
This method of mending, however, will prove tedious if the hole is
large. In such a case, procure a patch of the same material,
if possible, and apply it in the manner illustrated in Fig. 23.
To do this, cut the patch considerably larger than the opening
and place it over the opening on the right side so that, at the sides of
the hole, the mesh or pattern of the patch matches exactly the mesh
or pattern of the net or lace. Then, without turning under the
edges of the patch, secure it to the net or lace underneath on the
mesh lines or on the outline of the design. For this purpose, use a
ﬁne needle and ﬁne thread of a color that exactly matches the color
of the lace, and make tiny overhanding-stitches over the mesh, as at


172 MENDING
a, and single-purl buttonhole-stitches around the outline, as at b.
Do not follow a deﬁnite line in doing this work; rather, take the
stitches in an irregular manner, as the illustration shows, in order
to make the joining as inconspicuous as possible. After the patch
has been secured on all sides, cut away the net or lace that extends
outside of the stitches taken to hold the patch in position, cutting
close to these stitches so that no frayed edges will remain. Also,
cut away, close to the stitches, the surplus underneath the patch.
D
P
O
.. ' "535'..' Q


Fm. 23
In this condition, the mesh or the design in the fabric should appear
unbroken. The illustration shows only a part of the surplus cut
away.
This method of mending net or lace may be applied likewise to
piecing or seaming net or lace when an inconspicuous joining is
desired.
32. Mending Torn or Worn Curtains.—A quick and satis-
factory method of mending curtains consists in dipping a piece of
matching material in cold starch, applying it wet over the hole
so that the grain of the material or the mesh and pattern outlines
match, and then pressing it with a hot iron. The pressing will cause
the patch to adhere to the material and make the mended spot


MENDING 173
less conspicuous than a patch applied with stitching. You will
have to repeat this process, however, each time the curtains are
laundered, for the water will moisten the starch that holds the
patch and cause it to loosen.
33. Mending the Worn Lower Edge of a Skirt.—Often
a skirt wears out around the bottom before it becomes shabby
anywhere else. Its appearance can be considerably improved and
its period of usefulness lengthened if the worn part at the lower edge


__ _.;_ .- Q-.,>._.._.-4
Flo. 24
is removed. To accomplish this, take out the stitches that secure
the hem, turn the lower edge up a triﬂe more, and make the hem
deeper; or, if necessary, cut the hem off at the lower edge and apply
a facing.
If, for some reason, you consider it impractical to remove the
stitches that secure the hem, you may follow the method illus-
trated in Fig. 24. Split the hem at the lower edge and turn the
outside portion under % inch or a triﬂe less, as at a. Slip a narrow
bias strip of light-weight material, such as cambric, as at b, under
this folded edge so that the edge of the strip is even with the fold,
and baste this to the turned portion. Then catch-stitch the raw
edge of the turned portion to the cambric, as at c, catching merely
the turned portion and the stay strip. Finally, turn under the


174 MENDING
inside portion of the hem, as at d, so that it extends to within % inch
of the lower edge and secure this with slip-stitching to the turned
outside portion, as at e, taking care not to catch the stitches through
the outside portion of the hem.
34. Altering Clothes for Growing Chi1dren.—The prob-
lem of continually altering garments is one that confronts practically
every mother who has growing children. It is a simple matter to
let down the hem in a skirt or a sleeve, provided sufficient allowance
was made for such an alteration when the garment was originally
cut, or to apply a facing if this will provide the necessary length.
But to add even more length or to add width is a problem that
must be carefully con-
sidered in order not to
mar the appearance of
the garment.
35. To lengthen a
skirt, if the lower edge
of the hem is consider-
ably worn or if the
under side of the hem
appears brighter than
the right side, you may
follow the method illus-
trated in Fig. 25. Stitch
a narrow tuck near the
original hem turn, as
at a; then apply the
facing and secure the upper edge by turning it under just below the
row of stitching that holds the tuck and stitching this edge, as
at b. Do not take this row of stitching through the tuck;-rather,
take it under the tuck, as at c. The tuck, besides including the
worn part of the hem, will make less noticeable the difference in the
appearance of the two parts of the dress. The only disadvantage
of this method is that it does not provide all the additional length
that the letting down of a hem ordinarily gives; but, if you do not
require the full hem width, you will ﬁnd this method very satis-
factory.
When an extra piece of material must be used to provide suffi-
cient length, conceal its joining in a tuck placed either above the


MENDING 175
hem or at its upper edge, according to the width of the new piece
employed. This method may be applied also to the lengthening of
a sleeve.
36. Inserting a band of contrasting material by means of tucks,
feather-stitching, lace, or machine hemstitching provides another
method of lengthening a skirt or petticoat. Consider carefully the
effect of this addition on the appearance of the garment as a whole
before deciding to insert any contrasting material, for this will
provide a trimming detail that, unless carried out in some other
part of the dress, might appear as a foreign note and thus accentuate
its purpose. For instance, if you wish to lengthen a dress of sheer
material with a band of contrasting color in the same material,
you might make the joining less severe by joining the band with
insertion and then carrying out a detail similar in effect but
considerably narrower in width in the sleeve or waist portion.
37. To lengthen a slip or an underwaist and make it larger in the
armhole, open the shoulder seams and join the shoulder edges by
means of a piece of self-material or straps of ribbon, insertion, or
¢ tape, according to the quality and trimming of the garment. How-
ever, do not make the straps so long that they make the armholes
too deep or the neck line too low; rather, supply any additional length
that is required in a slip by adding to the skirt portion, as previously
suggested, or supply more length to an underwaist by adding to
the lower edge.
If you use straps of ribbon or insertion at the shoulders, taper the
shoulder edges of the garment so that they will blend into these
straps, and ﬁnish the pointed ends in a neat, attractive manner.
By securing the straps with lazy-daisy stitches or French knots
in forget-me-not design, you will provide a very ﬁrm and dainty
joining.
38. To add width to an underwaist, the method of inserting
tapes between slashed edges is especially satisfactory and makes
the garment more comfortable for warm-weather wear.
To add width in this manner, slash the underwaist the full
length of the center front, bind the edges, and insert three pieces
of tape, one at the upper edge, one at the lower edge, and one midway
between the two. Make these tapes long enough to provide the
extra width that is needed, and secure the ends underneath the


MENDING 177
so that they will not tear out in the laundering. In doing the
darning, be careful to take the stitches only through the interlining
of the collar or culis and not through to the opposite side. Thus,
the fact that the collar and culfs are mended will not be evident
from the right side when they are reversed.
43. To remedy badly worn sleeves and cuﬂs on a boy's blouse,
cut off the sleeves at the elbows and simply hem the lower edge of
the short sleeves that remain. Such blouses are suitable and very
comfortable for summer wear and, besides, the short, loose sleeves
provide greater freedom and relieve the strain across the shoulders,
thus prolonging the life of the blouse.
44. To mend a man's shirt at the neck, where it is worn thin
but not deﬁnitely broken through at the tender places by the points
or edges of the collar, cut a piece off the tail of the shirt, place it
neatly underneath the worn spots so that the stripes or ﬁgures
match, and carefully darn this in place. If the places are badly
worn, the most satisfactory way to mend them is by means of a
set-in patch.
45. To mend a hole or tender place where buttons are pulled out,
carefully darn a small piece of material underneath so as to give
strength. Then, when the button is sewed directly over the darned
place, the mend will scarcely be visible.
46. To mend a man's summer underwear, which is usually made
of soisette or coarse dimity, it is better to strengthen the torn place
than just to sew it up. The most favored way to do this is to
put a piece of soft muslin underneath, make a long stitch on the
sewing machine, and darn back and forth with the machine stitch
until the patch is neatly and securely attached to the garment.
Sometimes, such garments have a knitted section straight across
the back of the waist line. The tearing of this usually indicates
that the garment is short in the back, and a strip of material, say
1 to 3 inches in width, should be seamed in to prevent another
tearing.
L D l--13
0


CHAPTER IX
HOUSEHOLD SEWING
ASPECTS OF HOMEMAKING
1. A simple but satisfactory branch of sewing consists in the
making of attractive fabric furnishings for the home. Even if
there is only one room that one may call one’s home and that a
bedroom, a cozy, home-like atmosphere may. be given to it by
choosing the proper window decorations and ﬂoor coverings and
by giving thought to counterpanes, pillows, scarfs, and other
necessary furnishings, all of which can be made at home.
2. These articles have such a deﬁnite appeal for almost every
one and as a result Fashion has come to play an important part in
their regulation. Consequently, although fashion changes are not
so rapid as in dress, they are of sufﬁcient concern to necessitate
their being considered and followed if rooms are to have a con-
sistent, satisfying tone.
To keep in touch with style changes in home furnishings should
prove a simple, yet fascinating matter, as stores or departments
carrying art goods, the home departments of magazines, and various
catalogs offer, in season, many helpful suggestions and practical
ideas. The displays will help the observing woman in exercising
her own ingenuity to the end that, with sewing skill and right
color combinations, delightfully satisfying results may be obtained.
This is especially tme if she is enthusiastically interested in achiev-
ing a deﬁnitely planned effect.
3. To make attractive articles for the home, it is essential to
apply dressmaking skill to the sewing of them and artistic taste
to their color and arrangement, ever remembering that cushions,
over-draperies, scarfs, coverlets, and, in fact, all household fuinish-
178


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 179
ings require more thought as to sewing deftness and color appro-
priateness than as to sewing exactness. The same principle applies
here as to millinery, for instance, for it is a well known fact that an
artistic milliner can often produce more unusual, yet satisfying,
results than a dressmaker who may be tempted to plan and sew
for service rather than for effect.
4. This chapter is designed to help you by advising you as to
materials and styles for articles that are made in the home, as well
as to explain such construction details as the correct widths of
hems, the required amount of fulness, and the right proportions
for them. It is expected that the sewing skill you acquire from
the Instruction Books will qualify you to develop any of the articles
described or any others that you may especially desire.
TABLE LIN ENS
PURE LINEN
5. Fresh Linen a Sign of Hospitality.—Much romance is
associated with the white, satiny cloth of hospitality—linen.
Every home, however, cannot afford beautiful linens, and yet all
homes can be hospitable with a clean cloth always in readiness for
even the unexpected meal-time guest.
6. Scope of Linens.—When linens are considered, you perhaps
visualize the exquisite French linens that are so beautifully designed
and are so leathery and ﬁrm to the touch. Or you may think
of the table linens that are elaborately embroidered and trimmed
with real lace, such as lunch, breakfast, and tea cloths. Then, too,
you may think of dinner cloths that are monogrammed but not
often lace trimmed, or banquet clothes that are usually the reverse.
All such linens have their place, but the average woman is con-
cerned chieﬂy with the selection of much less pretentious linens.
If she can have only one dinner cloth, she should choose this with
the greatest care as to appropriateness, endeavoring to make the
best selection from the many designs and qualities offered.
7. Some housewives buy unbleached linen and bleach it them-
selves by wetting it and placing it on the lawn in the direct rays
of the sun. This is a very practical way of saving money and
prolonging the life of linen. Artiﬁcial bleaching often weakens the


180 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
linen ﬁber, and although not all linens are bleached in this way, a
stronger fabric may be had if the bleaching is done at home.
8. Table linen may be procured silver-bleached as well as
unbleached. The former has three different grades, quarter, half,
and three-quarters. In the purchase of linen, either unbleached or
silver-bleached, it is well to remember that a good, medium quality
has 180 threads to the inch. -
LINEN SUBSTITUTES
9. Mercerized Damask.—Good linen is expensive, so many
housewives purchase mercerized damask or cotton for table cloths.
For ordinary use, these substitutes prove very satisfactory, but
as the mercerization disappears with laundering, the cloths become
dull and often present an unsatisfactory appearance. A linen cloth
for which one pays only a third to a half more than for a mercer-
ized one is usually less expensive, and certainly more gratifying, in
the long run because of its appearance and the length of time it can
be used when carefully laundered and mended.
10. Heavy Cottons.—Certain heavy cottons, both white and
colored, such as crash or imitation linens of plain or novelty weave,
make interesting cloths or runners with napkins to match, and they
add an attractive touch to the porch, lunch, or tea table. These
may be ﬁnished with a crocheted edge, with a cross-stitched or
blanket-stitched hem, by drawing threads of the material and
replacing them with colored threads to form a hem line or design,
or in any of the numerous other ways that Fashion may suggest
from time to time.
SIZE OF LINEN PIECES
11. Table Cloths.-—The size of table linens depends on the
size of the dining table. The following measurements are given to
help you when selecting cloths:
Wmrn . LENGTH
Incrnss Incmzs
72 - 72 to 144
81 81 to 126
90 90 to 126
108 108 to 216
126 126 to 234


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 183
used occasionally for every-day wear to keep them white. As an
economical measure, this is worth trying, but there is, of course, a
charm about an unbroken length on a dinner table which can be
produced only by the use of one cloth.
20. Saving Linens from Wear.—There is also the matter of
getting the maximum wear out of linen. Table cloths usually wear
out where they fall over the table edge and along the creases in
which they are habitually folded, leaving some parts only half worn.
Many women use the better sections of the cloth to make napkins
and tray cloths for every-day use. .
_
A good way to prevent a line of wear along the creases is to cut
1 inch from one end and one side of the cloth, just as it begins to
wear, so as to bring all of the creases in new places, and then to
reﬁnish these edges.
KITCHEN LINENS
21. Articles Included Under Kitchen Linens.—In many
households, kitchen linens do not receive their due share of atten-
tion, but they are of sufﬁcient importance to demand considera-
tion. These linens fall naturally into several classes; dish towels,
dish cloths, hand towels, and oven towels, if one does not use pot
holders.
22. Dish towels generally include checked glass toweling,
crash toweling, and ﬂour and sugar sacks.
23. Glass toweling makes very satisfactory towels because it
leaves no lint on articles wiped with it. It is, however, rather
light in weight and soon becomes wet.
24. Crash toweling has, in many homes, been entirely supplanted
for dish towels by ﬂour and sugar bags, and not unjustly so, for
the cost of these bags is small and after a few launderings the
material is as soft and absorbent as the crash toweling.
25. Some housewives ﬁnd the cheap grades of Turkish towels,
or terry cloth, most satisfactory for dishes. These towels are soft
to handle, absorb moisture quickly, and leave no lint.
26. Hand towels of linen crash ﬁnd favor in most homes.


184 HOUSEHOLD SEWING

27. Dish cloths should be of some porous material, such as
cheesecloth, that can be wrung very dry when necessary. Knitted
cloths of soft cotton are ideal, or the good parts of worn towels may
be hemmed for dish cloths. In some stores, it is possible to pur-
chase dish cloths of square mesh that are most satisfactory.
Oven cloths may be of the same material as dish cloths.
28. Weekly Supply of Kitchen Linens.—The essential thing
in preparing kitchen linens is to provide a supply that will be suffi-
cient to insure absolute cleanliness. The following is a good basis
on which to begin:
12 dish towels
6 may be glass towels
6 may be crash towels
2 oven cloths
12 hand towels
3 dish cloths
29. Applying Tape Hangers.—For convenience, kitchen
and hand towels should be provided with hangers. These are


..:~\\.\»w\~.\-___+


‘C/%
\\s\\'_\'\~\-


Fro. 1
generally made of tape and are applied merely at one corner or at
two corners that are directly opposite, in the manner illustrated in
Fig. 1. After turning the hem but before securing it, pin a piece
of tape about 6 inches long in position, as at a, taking care that the
loop end folds, as at b; next, turn the ends at c inside the hem.


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 185
If the hem is to be put in by hand, then overhand the tape as at
d, taking the stitches from the hem side along the upper ends and
the sides of the tape and then from the right side to secure the tape
along the lower edge of the hem.
If the hem is to be machine stitched, stitch the tape as at e.
If you prefer not to have the loop end open, overhand or stitch
it ﬂat, as at f.
BATHROOM LINENS
30. Bath towels, as a rule, are made of terry cloth, that is,
Turkish toweling. If time permits, the terry cloth may be pur-
chased by the yard and made into bath towels, but this is rarely
an economy, as the ready-made towels can be purchased at a
moderate cost.
31. Hand towels may be made of linen, cotton, mercerized
cotton, or Turkish toweling, but the most favored ones are made of
linen. The cotton in huckaback, plain or diaper pattern, often
becomes gray and, unless carefully laundered, stays dingy. The
Turkish hand towels, because of their roughness, are preferred by
some people. -
32. Guest towels are made of the same materials as hand
towels. Occasionally, colored-linen guest towels are in vogue,
and at such time colored linen can be purchased in towel width suit-
able for hemming and ornamenting.
33. Size of Towels.—The size of towels varies greatly. The
guest size, which is smallest, is about 14 by 20 inches; the hand or
face towel, 16 to 18 inches by 32 to 36 inches; and the bath towel,
generally 24 by 45 inches.
34. Supply of Towels.—It is a good idea to have a compara-
tively large number of guest towels if you do much entertaining,
for the laundering of the small towel takes much less time than that
of the large one. The following supply of towels is usually adequate
for a home:
6 hand towels per person
3 bath towels per person
12 guest towels


186 - HOUSEHOLD SEWING
35. Wash Cloths.—Turkish face cloths made of unworn
parts of old towels, ﬁnished with plain hems or crocheted edges are
very satisfactory for wash cloths. If you prefer, face cloths made
of knitted material or terry cloth may be purchased ready-made.
36. Bath Mats.—Bath mats are generally made of very
heavy terry cloth or a soft cotton pile fabric resembling velvet
carpet. They are woven in attractive designs or plain colors and
vary considerably in size. It is generally advisable to purchase
such mats ready-made.
BED LINENS AND FURNISHINGS
MATTRESS COVERS AND PADS
37. Mattress Covers.—Covers for mattresses are usually
made of a good, heavy grade of unbleached muslin, and consequently
can be laundered easily and often. To keep the ticking of the mat-
tress fresh and clean and thus add to both its appearance and its
hygienic value, mattress covers have been devised.
38. To make a mattress cover, cut two pieces of muslin the
width and length of the mattress to be covered, plus 1% to 2 inches
for seams so as to insure an easy-ﬁtting cover. Then cut two long
strips of muslin the length of the mattress and the width of the
depth of the mattress plus seam allowance and two shorter strips
equal in length to the width of the mattress and as wide as its
depth plus seam allowance. Sew the long strips to the sides
and the shorter strips to the ends of the large pieces with a plain
or French seam to form a boxed cover. One end should be left
open so that the mattress may be slipped in and the cover then
closed with coarse hand sewing or strong snap fasteners.
39. Mattress Pads.—Many housewives ﬁnd the use of pads
a satisfactory protection to mattresses and use them either alone or
in addition to mattress covers. Pads are made somewhat smaller
than the mattress over which they are used—about 2 inches both
in width and in length—and they are ﬁnished in much the same way
as a quilt except that they must be more closely and ﬁrmly quilted.
Occasionally, the knotted pad is used, but it must be very closely
tied to make it satisfactory. Mattress pads may also be purchased
ready-made for regulation-sized beds.


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 187
40. Another practice often resorted to as a mattress protection
is the use of worn quilts. After a light-colored cotton quilt has
become worn, the sides and ends may be cut away and the edges
neatly bound. These quilts, of course, are not so ﬁrm and pad-like
as the regular pads, but they afford a very satisfactory protection.
SHEETS
41. Materials.—Linen is the luxurious material for sheets and
pillow cases, but few housewives can afford it for general use. Cot-
ton sheeting, if of medium weight, is more economical and gives
perfect satisfaction. Light-weight muslin becomes wrinkled and
wears out quickly, while the heavy grades are often hard to handle
in laundering.
42. Measurements.—One of the most important things to
remember, when making or buying sheets, is to have them suffi-
ciently large to cover the mattress and to tuck under on all four
sides. Then they can be put on with mitered corners in true hos-
pital style.
To meet all its requirements, a sheet should be %to %yard longer
and wider than the mattress. Sheeting may be purchased by the
yard in various widths. In the stores in some localities, the sales-
people speak of the width of sheets in the number of quarter yards
in width; that is, 63-inch sheeting would be called “seven four;"
72 inches or 2 yards, “eight four”; and so on. Sheeting may be
obtained in 81- and 90-inch widths, also.
43. Sheets may be purchased ready-made, if desired, in sizes
that are right for regulation-size of beds. The sizes are as follows:
Sizes SIZES
Incnss INCHES
62 by 90 81 by 90
63 by 95 81 by 99
72 by 90 90 by 96
72 by 10s 90 by 10s
44. Repair of Sheets.—Occasionally, a sheet becomes torn
in the corner where it comes in contact with the spring of the bed.
The best method Of mending this kind of tear is to patch it neatly.


188 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
Single-bed sheets become very thin and sometimes tear through
the center while the outer edges are still very strong. An easy
method of repairing such a sheet is to cut it in half lengthwise
through the thin section, lap the two selvage edges about iinch,
stitch them down ﬂat with the sewing machine, and then hem the
raw edges. The life of the sheet may be prolonged considerably
when repaired in this way, for the selvage edges will receive the
hard wear and the worn part will be tucked under at the sides.
In cases where large sheets are badly worn in the center, it is
often economical to cut them down to ﬁt smaller beds by splitting
them through the thin portion, joining the two selvage edges as
previously suggested, and then cutting away as much as possible
of the worn part before hemming the raw edges.
PILLOW CASES
45. Material for Home-Made Slips.—-Some persons use
linen for pillow cases, especially if they are embroidered or trimmed
in some way, but generally pillow cases, or pillow slips, are made
of muslin tubing that is woven double without a seam. The tubing
comes only in 42- and 45-inch widths, so that if neither of these
ﬁts the width of the pillow it is better to make cases from ordinary
muslin.
46. Ready-Made Slips.—Ready-made slips may be pur-
chased in stock sizes. In a good grade, they are very satisfactory,
but they are more expensive than home-made ones. Another dis-
advantage is that they are sometimes made on the cross of the
material, a feature that makes them difficult to iron and also
takes away from their life.
The sizes of ready-made pillow cases are"
- SIZES.
INCHES
42 by as
45 by as
45 by 38%
47 . Repairing of Pillow- Cases.—If pillow cases made of
tubing are worn thin in the center, their life may be lengthened
by cutting across the seam end, turning the lengthwise creases, or


190 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
either in blocks or in strips. Then-, too, there are the attractive
crocheted spreads made of alternate strips of linen and coarse
crochet.
Unbleached muslin spreads with strips of cretonne as a trimming
and those having appliquéd or embroidered designs are sometimes
in vogue and often used to carry out a deﬁnite color scheme.
Flounced counterpanes, usually of light-weight material, are
used for Colonial or box beds.
52. It is sometimes the fashion to make a light-weight counter-
pane from 1 to 1% yards longer than a regulation spread so as to
be able to draw it up over the pillows. When used in this way, it is
tucked in at the bottom and top of the pillows and gives the-appear-
ance of a roll.
Unattached pillow spreads to match the counterpane may be
made of a separate strip of material. These are usually the width
of the counterpane and from % to 1 yard wide.
53. Manufactured Spreads.—The manufactured bedspreads
are of four types: Marseilles, satin Marseilles, piqué, and seersucker,
the latter being generally termed dimity spreads.
54. Marseilles spreads are heavy and are made of a soft cot-
ton thread, generally in stripes or honeycomb effect, and, as a rule,
have elaborate raised ﬂoral designs and a background of slightly
raised ﬁgures.
55. Satin Marseilles spreads are lighter in weight and very
much ﬁrmer in texture than Marseilles spreads, ‘and have a smooth
background with ﬁgures that stand out very plainly. These
spreads have a highly mercerized ﬁnish that gives them a smooth,
satin-like appearance.
56. Pique spreads have, as would be supposed, a ﬁne, rib-
like effect.
57. Dimlty spreads are light in weight and have a striped,
crinkled appearance. Such spreads are frequently used in hospitals
because they are so easily laundered.
58. Sizes of Manufactured Spreads.—These manufactured
spreads are woven in the following sizes:


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 191
SIZES
Iucnss
For single bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {72 by 90
72 by 100
For three-quarter or double bed when spread
is tucked in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 by 100
For double bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 by 100
For extra-size bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 by 116
59. Repairing Manufactured Spreads.—The mending of a
manufactured spread is sometimes a problem. The best method of
mending the -Marseilles and piqué spreads is to darn them by
means of Dexter cotton of- a size that matches the thread of the
spread. The seersucker spreads can be inconspicuously patched.
BLANKE'I1S
60. Wool Blankets.—For cool nights, a supply of bedding
that will provide warmth and yet be‘ light in weight is required.
For this purpose, nothing is more satisfactory than wool blankets,
as cotton blankets do not have the warmth in proportion to their
weight that wool blankets possess. Yet, the greater the percentage
of wool, the greater the care that must be exercised in washing the
blanket.
Between the pure cotton and the 98-per cent. pure wool blanket,
there are many grades. In a well-heated house, blankets of medium
percentage, say 60 to 80 per cent. pure wool, are perfectly satis-
factory.
61. Binding Blankets.—Two blankets are usually woven
in one piece, but most housewives cut them into two separate
ones for ease in handling and then ﬁnish the cut edge either with
blanket-stitching or with a binding.
A popular method of ﬁnishing consists in using a ribbon binding
that matches or harmonizes with the stripe in the blanket. This
is basted over the edge so that the ribbon edge on the wrong side
of the blanket extends ,1—,-, to % inch beyond that of the ribbon edge
on the right side. Then both edges are caught by stitching from
the right side of the blanket. ~ -
Besides ribbon, there is on the market a blanket binding that
may be applied in the sa.me manner as the ribbon.


192 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
62. Blanket Sizes.—Blankets are manufactured in the follow-
ing sizes: SIZES
Incmzs
’F - lbd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..{6°bY8°
or sing e e 60 by 90
For three-quarter bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For double bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {76 by 84
80 by 90
63. Repairing Blankets.—The mending of blankets can
best be accomplished by darning. By the time a blanket is in a
condition necessitating mending, most of the nap has worn off
so that the da.rned place does not appear very different from the
blanket itself. In some cases, a set-in patch may be necessary, and
if the patching is neatly done it will prove very satisfactory.
COMFORTABLES
64. Material.—So attractive are the materials for home-made
comfortables and so pleasing are the results that can be gained,
that many homemakers make their own comfortables. Materials
that may be used for this purpose are cotton challis, silkaline,
seco silk, cheesecloth, and even light-weight cretonne.
Many persons prefer the cheesecloth for wool-clipping ﬁlled com-
fortables, for they can be washed easily. Cotton or wool batting
and sheet wool are also used as ﬁllings. Down is a very soft, light
ﬁlling found in some of the ready-made comfortables and much used
in home-made ones. These materials may be bought in large bats
of two or three pounds, which unfold into a square and prove
especially satisfactory for comfortables that are to be tied because
they insure a smooth, unbroken surface.
65. Quilting Frames.—One of the essentials in the making
of comfortables and quilts is a quilting frame. Such a frame
consists of four sticks, each about 8 feet long and on one edge of
which narrow strips of ticking have been tacked, and four clamps
for holding the sticks together at the corners. The frame should
be placed so that its corners have the proper support and it is held
at a height that is convenient for the worker. The backs of chairs
make very good supports for this purpose.


194 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
69. Tying Comfortables.—When a comfortable of ﬁgured
material is to be tied, usually the pattern can be used as a guide for
the placing of the ties. When plain material is employed, a paper
guide, as shown in Fig. 4, should be made.


Fm. 3
Decide on the number of inches you wish between the ties, this
usually varying from 4 to 8 inches, and then cut a strip of paper
of this width and notch it at the proper intervals. For example, if
the distance between the ties is to be 6 inches, the paper strip


Fm. 4
should be cut 6 inches wide and as long as the width of the comfort-
able and then notched on each edge every 6 inches. Place one
edge of the guide along the edge of the comfortable and pin it
securely in place. Then put in the ties at every notch indicated on
the guide.


HOUSEHOLD SEVVING 195
7 O. Thread for Tying Comfortab1es.—F0r tying com-
fortables, various threads are used, such as wool yarn, ribbonzine,
heavy mercerized ﬂoss, and even baby ribbon. Occasionally,
Dexter cotton and wool yarn are used together, the cotton tying
the two thicknesses of the comfortable together and the wool being
used to make small rosettes that are tied with the cotton to the
comfortable. These rosettes, when cut, are very ﬂuffy and give a
desirable ﬁnish to the comfortable.
The tiny bows of ribbonzine shown at b, Fig. 4, make very attrac-
tive ties. To prevent the bow from coming untied, it is advisable
to take an extra stitch through the bow, as indicated by the needle
at c in the illustration.
71. Edge Finishing for Comfortables.—After the tying
of the comfortable is complete, the edges must be ﬁnished. For
fancy comfortables, the two raw edges are turned in ﬁat and sewed
together by the machine or by couch-stitching. Sometimes two to
ﬁve rows of machine or hand stitching are placed around the entire
edge of the comfortable, the spacing between the rows of stitching
being made from 2 to 3 inches apart. A binding is a very common
method of ﬁnishing. Then, too, if the lining, or the back, is
made 1 or 1% inches larger than the top portion, the lining can be
turned over the top to give the appearance of a binding.
PIECED AND APPLIQUED QUILTS
72. The term quilt is generally used to designate a bed covering
made by stitching together, in a certain design, two layers of cloth
or patchwork and an interlining. The stitching, or quilting, may
be worked over the surface in plain ﬁgures or it may follow very
complicated designs, and it may be done by hand or by machine.
73. Filling for Qu1lts.—For ﬁlling quilts, ordinary cotton
batting may be used, but for quilts upon which very ﬁne work is to
be done, cotton sheet wadding is preferred because of its smoothness
and lack of bulkiness. Oftentimes worn blankets may be very
satisfactorily used as the ﬁlling for quilts.
74. Origin of Pieced Qui1ts.—Few of the present generation
have a large store of pieced quilts, as those were made in bygone
days when materials were considered more valuable than time or


196 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
at least as much so. Then, all materials were woven on hand
looms, -and naturally the scraps that were left after the ﬁnishing of
a garment were prized. The larger pieces were generally used for
patchwork quilts, while the smaller pieces were cut and sewed for
carpets and rugs. Though comfortables have largely supplanted
quilts, it is not unusual to ﬁnd persons at the present time who
make very beautiful patchwork quilts.
Many elaborate patterns are used for these pieced quilts. Some
of them have appliquéd, or top-sewed, patches, as they were called
when Fashion introduced them.
75. Piecing of Quilts.—Quilt piecing has always been
considered good as practice work for beginners in sewing because
of the accuracy that is necessary in cutting and stitching. To
have a wholly satisfactory quilt, jagged joinings must not exist.
A careful worker will take great pains to have all blocks the same
to 1-1; inch, which means that each piece for a block must be cut true
with the grain of the cloth and sewed together with even seams.
Then, in putting the blocks together, more care than in piecing is
necessary so that the blocks will meet exactly at all points. To
insure this, many pins should be used along the line of seaming.
76. The piecing of a quilt usually follows some geometric design,
unless it is of the crazy-patch type, where the pieces, just as they are,
are sewed together or basted on a lining large enough to form the
quilt. The edges of the joinings in pieced quilts are often covered
with catch-stitching or other fancy embroidery stitches. At one
time, all pieced quilts were made entirely by hand, but at the pres-
ent time quilts are often pieced by machine.
77. Material for Back of Quilt.—The back of a quilt of
wash material may be white or of a color that matches the promi-
nent color or tint in the piece-work. The material of the back
should be soft and in keeping with that used in the piecing, as
fabrics similar in texture will quilt together much more easily
than if one is over-ﬁrm or ﬂimsy.
78. Setting Up the Quilt.—For hand-quilting, the pieced
top is set together complete, the size of this determining the size of
the bottom piece. When the bottom piece is seamed together,
both the top and the bottom should be pressed carefully from the
wrong side so that both are entirely smooth. Then the bottom


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 197
piece is put in the frames with the seams up and covered with a
very smooth, thin layer of cotton or ﬁlling. The top is carefully
laid on so as not to disturb the cotton in any way and it is neatly
stretched in place just the same as for a comfortable.
79. Marking for Quilting.—When this is done, the markings
should be made for quilting. These are usually made with faint-
colored chalk, the idea being to use a color of chalk that will not
discolor the fabric enough to be evident after the quilting is com-
pleted. Some use the chalk free-hand in marking a design, but the
safer and more accurate way is to prepare a pattern of heavy-weight
paper, shaping it just as you want the quilted lines to appear, and
then use this as a guide in marking the design, which may be square,
diamond, fan, or feather shape, the feather shape being, perhaps,
one of the most difﬁcult designs to do.
If the top is an appliquéd one, the marking may be omitted as
the quilting may be done around the appliqué designs and the
spaces between then ﬁlled in with square or diamond quilting.
80. Procedure in Hand Quilting.—After the design is
marked, thread a No. 7 or 8 sewing needle with medium-weight
thread, usually white. The good quilter takes just enough thread
in the needle at one time to do one marking or space, so that she
has fresh thread for each row and no beginnings in the middle of a
row of quilting. To start the quilting, tie a small knot in the
thread and pull the knot through the fabric so that it is imbedded
in the cotton and entirely concealed. Proceed then with the quilt-
ing, which is, in reality, running-stitches, always making sure that
each stitch comes through all thicknesses. The left foreﬁnger
usually follows underneath to make sure of this; consequently, it is
advisable to wear a small piece of adhesive tape or a bandage or a
second thimble to protect the ﬁnger from needle pricks. When
the row of quilting is done or the needleful of thread is used, ﬁnish
it over with two or three tiny back-stitches, which should hold it
securely.
81. Procedure in Machine Quilting.—Quilts of plain mate-
rial are often quilted by machine in squares or diamonds, or with
lengthwise stitching, the quilting being done easily with a quilter as a
guide.
To prepare the quilt for machine quilting, put it in the frames
in the regular way. After it is stretched tightly in place, start


198 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
to roll from one side, turning the roll over toward the top of the
quilt. As the quilt is rolled, the end pieces of the quilting frames
may be taken out, leaving just the two side strips. One of these
may be slipped under the arm of the sewing machine. Then the
quilter is adjusted to mark the desired width and the quilting
started. The roll will serve to keep the quilt in position while the
quilting is being done. Quilt the material with lengthwise stitching,
extending the quilting across the entire width. Then remove
the side pieces of the frames and put the quilt on the machine and
quilt it in diamonds or in squares, as you choose.
82. In machine quilting, a long stitch is often a temptation
because the stitching can be completed more quickly, but a medium-
length stitch is much more attractive and much more satisfactory
when the quilt is completed. Some prefer to use a short stitch
and then to stretch the quilt a little bit as the stitching is being
done to give a medium-length stitch. This will avoid any breaking
in the stitching line which might occur after the quilt is ﬁnished
if the stitching is not elastic enough.
DOHIES, RUNNERS , SCARFS
83. Fashion is very solicitious about such details of home
furnishing as doilies, runners, and scarfs, and justly so, for they
play an important part in protecting furniture, in bringing out
beautiful color effects, in keeping a room harmonious, and in
attaining the unusual touch so much desired.
All kinds of materials are employed for such articles, from
leather and felt to delicate silks and laces. Fashion usually dictates
when these materials should be used, but the general character
of the room should be taken into consideration if the best results
are to be attained.
84. Doilies vary in size and shape and should be made to
agree with the furniture on which they are to be used and to
afford the protection that they are expected to give. They are
generally made round or oval, of white or ecru linen, and with
embroidered or lace-trimmed edges.
85. Runners and scarfs are similar to doilies so far as
materials are concerned, but they are generally made to match the


202 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
They furnish a special means of giving windows an individual touch
and vary from the straight gathered rufﬂes, known as the shirred
valances, or Dutch effect, to the ﬁtted, shaped ﬁnishes trimmed with
pufﬁngs or braid and hung
plain or having their fulness
laid in plaits of various
kinds. These may be put on
a rod if the design permits,
or they may be fastened to
valance boards, which are
especially made to ﬁt in
box-like fashion over the
top of a window.


l r
if TYPES OF \VINDO\VS
mm \-,,
99. Door Windows.
In the approach to a home,

the door is the ﬁrst thing to attract attention; consequently, the decorat- . - -
ing should be such as to create a pleas- ,
¢ ing impression. J Numerous window designs are found i
in doorways and each presents an M 5
interesting problem. The doorway ‘
illustrated in Fig. 6 gives an idea for
the treatment of a center- and side-
window arrangement, but the same
idea may be carried out where there
is only one window. Sheer net cur-
tains are shirred top and bottom on . |Wm: , I
rods having a 1-inch heading above ll N2:2 ¢i L
and below the rods. This heading Fm- 7
gives an attractive ﬁnish, but it may be omitted if desired and the
curtain shirred on without a heading.


1 12;-


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HOUSEHOLD SEVVING _ 203
100. Living-Room or Dining-Room WindoWs.—In many
homes, there is the ordinary rectangular window that, because
of its simplicity, needs as careful consideration as windows of
unusual design require. Windows of this type are very often
treated in the Dutch _
fashion, as i1lus- " ‘- - - ___
trated in Fig. 7. - ii
The curtains and
valance are made
with a loose casing
and a 1-inch head-
ing above the rod,
and the valance is
hung between the
curtains.
This treatment
may be varied by
placing the valance
on a separate rod
and letting it extend
the full width of the
window over the cur-
tain, a plan often
followed when the
surrounding conditions make it inadvisable to use overdraperies.
In such a case, the heading on the curtains may be omitted as
the top of the curtains is entirely covered by the valance.


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101. Bay Windows.—The bay window is another type
that requires special consideration in the matter of curtains or
draperies, and many are the ways to arrange such a window
attractively.
One pleasing and very simple method of treatment is shown in
Fig. 8. Glass curtains of sheer net or marquisette are hung at the
windows and overdraperies that reach to the ﬂoor are hung at each
end. If the space should be broken, overdraperies may be hung
between the windows, also, as shown here. For variety, the end
curtains may be drawn back and held in place by a cord or band.
The valance is shirred and placed on a separate shaped rod, which
extends the width of the bay.


204 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
This treatment may be varied by hanging panel curtains at the
windows and by using a plaited valance, rather than a shirred one.
102. French D0ors.—The French door affords an opportunity
to add an artistic touch to a room. This is especially interesting
in the summer home where the doors open into a sun parlor. A
very effective treatment is shown in Fig. 9, where net is shirred on
rods at the top and bottom of the door, with a heading above
and below the rods. These curtains cover only the glass in the doors.
The overdraperies, if used, may be
made with a shirred or plaited heading
and hung from a rod placed just under
the cornice, or top of the door.
If, desired, the net curtains may be
hung from a top rod and left free at
the lower edge.
103. The glass curtains are some-
times omitted, especially in country
¢ homes where the outlook is pleasing.
¢ In such a case, bright-colored curtains
- in harmony with the surroundings prove
very satisfactory.
104. Kitchen Windows.—In
many homes, it is considered a needless
expense to hang curtains at the kitchen
windows, but even if only a kitchenette
is to be considered, there is probably
no other room in the house in which more time is spent and which,
therefore, should be made as cheerful and attractive as possible.
And curtains help considerably to give an air of coziness that is
very delightful in this room.
Curtains of ﬁrm scrim, marquisette, ﬁne gingham, light-weight
unbleached muslin, Swiss, voile, or a good quality of cheesecloth
are suitable for kitchens and will hold up under the strain of
frequent laundering and the steam vapors that are inevitable
in a kitchen.


105. The easiest and most satisfactory treatment for kitchen
windows is to hang the curtains straight from a rod at the top of


HOUSEHOLD SEWING
205
the window to the sill.
This method, which permits the curtains to
be laundered with less labor, is always followed when the windows
are small and high, as over a sink


i i S

106. Bathroom Windows.
The window treatments discussed
for the kitchen may be satisfac-
torily applied to bathroom win-
dows also. The chief require-
ments are to have the arrange-
ment simple and the material
such as can be laundered easily.
107. Bedroom Windows.
Another interesting problem is
planning for the bedroom win-
dows. The outstanding feature of
such windows should be dainti-
ness, and probably no treatment
emphasizes this point better
than ruﬁled curtains, as shown in
Fig. 11.
novelty or a rufﬁe-edged band, as illustrated.


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or other kitchen equipment.
In the case of windows of regu-
lar size having both upper and
lower sections, the curtains are
often hung from the middle sash
over only the lower part.
the light admitted is too intense
and it is advisable to keep the
upper half of the window covered,
two sets of curtains may be used
V Y, effectively, as shown in Fig. 10,
one hanging from the top to the
middle sash and the other from
the middle sash to the sill.
But if
it - -‘l
L ‘ °;


Such curtains may be hung straight or held back with a
straight,
they should just clear the sill, but when held back they should
measure about 3 inches longer in order to allow for drawing back.


206 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
108. Bedroom-window curtains are especially attractive when
made of dotted Swiss or cross-bar marquisette. The width of the
rufﬂe is a matter of choice, but 1% to 2 inches is a good general
width. The outer edge of the ruﬁle may be turned in a narrow
hem or it may be picoted and the other edge gathered and joined
to the curtain in a fell seam. This gives a neat, smooth ﬁnish.
Another method of making the ruffle consists in ﬁnishing both
edges alike and then gathering the ruffle on to the curtain so as to
leave a tiny heading beyond the stitching. This gives a very
pleasing eﬁect and requires only one row of stitching.
If rufﬂed curtains are not desired, simple straight curtains
with plain hems, lace, or braid are very satisfactory for bedrooms.
109. Casement Windows.—Many housewives have the inter-
esting problem of decorating casement windows. Fig. 12 shows a
very simple but pleasing treatment of such windows. The curtains,
which are made of
I: net, have no head-
_ { ing and reach just
‘.‘ to the sill of the
- window. They are
H . ~i-~¢ui-~|+ii4o it ll E - ~ i
= ‘ placed on the inside
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3
. rod. The valance
ll ‘ ‘ ' and side curtains
are made with a
heading and are placed on the outside rod. In this case, the over-
draperies should come at least to the lower edge of the Window frame.
This treatment of a group of windows may be successfully used
also where casement windows are placed above built-in furniture,
such as bookcases or buffets.
.-.
F10. 12
CURTAIN MAKING
MEASURING FOR CURTAINS
110.
Accuracy in measurements is absolutely essential to
insure correct results in ﬁnished curtains. A yardstick should
always be used in preference to a tape measure as the tape is apt
to stretch and cause incorrect measurements.
In the taking of measurements, consideration must be given to
the type of window and the position of the ﬁxtures. Usually,


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 207
measurements are taken from the top of the rod the desired length
of the ﬁnished curtain and to this measurement is added sufﬁcient
allowance for hems and headings.
PREPARING MATERIALS
111. Cutting.—The most important point in preparing
material for curtains is to cut it straight. All materials are woven
evenly, but in the process of bleaching or ﬁnishing or placing them
on a bolt, they are sometimes stretched and appear crooked when
measured off. If this is the case, pull the material carefully on the
bias, and then measure the proper length on the selvage and draw
a thread. This crosswise mark will serve as a guide for accurate
cutting.
112. Preserving the Freshness 01‘ Materials.—As a great
deal of handling deprives materia1 of its “new look,” it is advisable
to handle the material as little as possible in the making of the
curtains. This can be accomplished by basting only where abso-
lutely necessary. By pinning the hems in place and pressing them
with a moderately hot iron, much basting can be omitted and the
material will retain its stiﬁness instead of looking limp and stringy
when hung.
Soft materials that have no body require careful basting to
hold the hems in position.
ALLOWANCE FOR FINISHES
113. Width of Headings.—The proper allowance for head-
ings is an important feature of curtain-making. For the average
or ordinary window, this allowance is governed by at least three fac-
tors, the weight of the material, the fulness of the curtain, and the
position of the ﬁxture on the window. A good standard is 1 inch,
although heavier materials may have a wider heading. In no case
should the heading be allowed to extend above the window frame
nor made so wide that it will droop over.
114. Width of Casings.—A common error in curtain making
is to have the casing too narrow for the rod to slip through easily.
This point cannot be too strongly emphasized, for if the casing is
tight the curtain will be damaged when the rod is inserted. An
allowance of 2% inches at the top of a curtain permits a 1-inch
heading and leaves a generous casing that will accommodate either


208 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
a round or a ﬂat rod. A narrower casing may be used, but it- is
advisable to have the width of the casing twice that of the rod.
A thimble or a glove ﬁnger placed over the end of a round rod
will allow the curtain to slip over the rod easily and avoid any
danger of tearing the material.
115. Allowance for Sh:-inkage.—In materials that are apt
to shrink, an allowance should be made at the top of the curtain.
This may be done by allowing twice the amount for heading and
casing and turning it double; then, as the curtain shrinks in launder-
ing, it may be altered from the top. Some materials do not com-
plete their entire shrinkage in the ﬁrst laundering and must, there-
fore, be altered more than once.
116. Width of Hems.—The next thing to be considered is
the width of the hems. This width is usually a matter of taste,
but 1% to 2 inches is very satisfactory in almost every case. The
hems on the bottom and the inside edges should be the same width.
Sometimes the lower hem is made wider than the inside hem, but
the curtains are better balanced and give a neater appearance if
the hems are uniform.
117. Allowance for Fulness.—Providing proper fulness
for curtains is an important factor, for the charm of a window is
often lost by having the curtains too full or too scant. Several
points govern the fulness, namely, the width of the window, the
weight of the material, and the size of the pattern.
For the average window, one and one-half times the width of the
window gives a Lfulness that is satisfactory. In many cases, the
material is sheer and the pattern small, and more fulness would give
a softer appearance; then it is advisable to allow twice the width
for fulness. For example, a window 36 inches in width, on which
sheer material is used, should be hung with two widths of 36-inch
material. This is the average narrow width of curtain material
and on a window of this size it allows twice the amount for fulness.
If 27-inch material is used, two widths would be sufﬁcient if the
material is of a rather heavy quality, as they would allow one and
one-half times for fulness. Material 27 inches wide is rare, how-
ever, and is not used in very many cases.
The average-width material is 48 to 50 inches. Very often
such material is too wide to use two full widths, and if split would


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 209
be too narrow. In such an event, it is necessary to cut the material
so as to obtain the proper fulness.
118. For overdraperies, the material usually measures 36 to 50
inches in width. If 36-inch material is used, a full width is needed
for each side curtain, provided the material is soft and light in
weight. Heavy materials must be cut narrow enough to hang
gracefully.
While 50-inch material is more expensive, it often proves more
economical in the end as it can be split for side curtains and thus
requires less material than narrower widths. It is always neces-
sary, of course, to consider the size of the window and the kind of
material that is to be used before cutting the widths for over-
draperies.
FINISHING CURTAINS
119. In the making of curtains, both hand and machine
stitching play an important part. Because of the evenness of the
stitching and the necessity for less handling, machine stitching is
usually preferred to hand stitching, except in cases where unusual
lace bandings or medallions, which seem to require hand work, are
to be inserted. If the machine is to be used, however, the stitch
should be fairly loose and should be lengthened enough to prevent
puckering.
120. Applying Lace.—When a lace edge is applied to a cur-
tain, it is placed in just far enough on the curtain to hold securely.
Great care must be taken to ease the edge when applying the lace
in order to have the curtains hang properly. If the edge is held
tight, it will cause the curtains to draw up and hang very unevenly.
121. Applying Braid.—Two methods may be employed in
applying braid. In the ﬁrst, the braid is applied by machine to
the outer edge of the curtain. As in the case of lace edging, the
braid should be eased a triﬂe to prevent drawing. Fringe, also,
may be applied in this manner.
In the second method, the braid is placed in on the curtain the
width of the hem. If you wish to use this method, baste the hem
in position and then baste the braid along the same line. Next,
secure the braid and hem at the same time with very small run-
ning-stitches on both edges of the braid. In turning the braid at
the corner, miter it.
LD 1-15


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 211
is necessary. If space between the plaits is desired, it is usually
made the same as the width of the plait.
127. The pinch-plaited valance is made in the same way
as the box-plaited valance, but the ﬁnished box plaits are pinched
up into three or more equal parts that stand out rather than lie
ﬂat. These plaits are tacked together for from 1 to 3 inches below
the top of the valance so that they hold securely.
A valance of this type is hung on the rod by small rings sewed
to the back of each plait far enough below the top of the heading
to conceal them. -
This method of providing fulness may be used at the top of
curtains as well as in valances. It is especially appropriate for
draw curtains.
128. The plain valance is more difﬁcult to make than the
other valances, because in nearly every case it requires a facing and
a wooden or beaver-board frame to which the valance may be
secured. Many attractive designs may be worked out in a valance
of this type by shaping the lower edge in various ways.
CURTAIN FIXTURES
129. Curtain rods are made either round or ﬂat, and may be
had in single-, double-, or triple-rod ﬁxtures. Such ﬁxtures should
be placed as close as possible to the outer edge of the window frame,
as it is advisable to have all of the frame covered by the curtains.
130. The single-rod fixture is used where there are no
overdraperies or where the Dutch-window treatment is used.
131. A double-rod fixture may be used where the valance
hangs between the overcurtains. In using this ﬁxture, place the glass
curtains on the inner rod and the overdraperies on the outer rod.
132. When the valance of the overdraperies extends the entire
width of the window, it is advisable to use a triple-rod fixture.
In such a ﬁxture, the inner rod is for the glass curtain, the middle
one, for the overcurtains, and the outer one, for the valance.
If it is not convenient to purchase a ﬁxture of this type, a double-rod
ﬁxture may be used for the glass curtains and overcurtains and the
valance secured to a frame placed above the window, as in the case
of the plain valance, or fastened to the outer rod by means of hooks.


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 213
137. Materials for Rugs.—The preparation of carpet rags
requires considerable time, but such attractive rugs can be made of
scraps that would otherwise be of no value that the time spent in
preparing the rags is used to good advantage.
Old stockings, undergarments, and dress materials of all kinds
can be utilized in making carpet rags, the beauty of the rugs being
often enhanced by the difference in texture.
138. Carpet Weaving.—Although weavers are not so
numerous as in olden days, it is usually possible to locate a weaver
who will make attractive rugs at a moderate cost. It is always
advisable to examine some of the work done by a weaver before
giving him materials for rugs. Sometimes unpleasantness results
from the fact that the weaver does not understand exactly what
his customer requires, and though many times he will make very
valuable suggestions, it is always well to explain clearly just how
you wish the rug to appear when ﬁnished.
139. Preparing Rags for Rugs or Carpets.—In preparing
rags for use, several points should be remembered in order to have
an attractive, evenly woven rug.
1. Either before or after cutting, dye faded or drab rags so as
to insure a bright, cheerful rug.
2. Cut the medium-weight material into 1-inch strips, as near
as possible on a straight grain of the material. The light-weight
material must be cut wider and the heavy-weight, narrower. At
one end of each strip, remove about % to i inch of the width in a
slanting cut in order to prevent the joining to the next rag or strip
from being bunglesome.
3. Lap the ends of the rags with the slanted end on top of a
straight one, for a length of about 1 inch, and then stitch either by
hand or by machine.
4. Wind the rags into balls that are ﬁrm but not hard. Balls
of carpet rags that unwind from the center are easier for the weaver
to handle than those which unwind from the outside. To wind
such balls, begin the work by leaving along end—about 10 inches—
between the thumb a-nd foreﬁnger of your left hand. Then wind
the rags over your left hand, being very careful not to allow the
end to become snarledwor caught in the winding. By keeping the
thumb of the left hand inside the ball and winding around and
around the hand, a ﬁrm, compact ball that is easily unwound will


214 HOUSEHOLD SEWING
result. The outside end should be tucked under so that it will
not affect the unwinding.
140. Cotton Fi1l1ng.—Those who do not care to cut and
sew rags and yet like ‘woven rugs or wish a rug of some particular
color may buy cotton ﬁlling, or roving, as it is sometimes called, a
soft, loosely twisted cord, and use it in the same way as rags. While
rugs made from roving are very pretty, they soon rough up and
require washing.
BRAIDED, CROCHETED, AND KNITTED RUGS
141. The simplest home-made rugs are braided, crocheted, and
knitted. Very beautiful color effects may be worked out in such
rugs if the rags are dyed so that they harmonize well.
142. Braided Rugs.—Two methods of preparing rags for
braided rugs are in use, that is, by turning in the raw edges and pro-
ducing a ﬁrm ﬁnish, and by using the rags without turning in the
raw edges and thus obtaining a softer ﬁnish. The ﬁrst requires more
time and produces a neater rug. The second, besides requiring less
time, is, according to some opinions, more artistic. However, the
method to select is entirely a matter of opinion.
143. To prepare rags when the edges are to be turned, cut the
strips a little over 2 inches wide, turn in the raw edges i to § inch,
and fold the strips through the center. Then take stitches through
the strips thus folded, long stitches being permissible on the under
side. The basted strip should measure from % to % inch. If the
frayed edges of the rags are to be left exposed, the strips should be
cut about % to 1 inch wide.
When the strips are prepared, the work may be begun by fasten-
ing three strands and then braiding them. When the end of the
strand is reached, a new one should be seamed on to the ﬁrst one so
that the seam comes inside the folded strand.
144. After about % yard has been braided, it is a good idea to
sew the braid to form a circle, oval, or oblong, depending on the
shape desired for the rug. This may be done by sewing from
either the wrong or the right side, and using an overcasting-stitch
and a heavy thread. Continue the braiding and the sewing until
a rug of the desired size and shape is completed.


HOUSEHOLD SEWING 215
145. Crocheted Rugs.—In crocheting rag rugs, it is advis-
able to use a heavy twine or cord with the rags in order to give
body to the rug. Some persons prefer to use a cord about the thick-
ness of carpet warp and to crochet it with the rags, while others
use a heavier cord, one about the thickness of a lead pencil, and
crochet over ‘it, drawing it up as an aid in shaping the rug. In
sewing rags for crocheted rugs, seam them as suggested for the
braided rugs.
In crocheting rags for rugs, use an extra-large bone or wooden
crochet hook. Simply make a series of single crochet and shape
and sew the rug as the work proceeds.
146. Knitted Rugs.—Those who enjoy knitting will ﬁnd
pleasure in making a knitted rug. Such a rug may be more
quickly made than a crocheted rug and it is quite as attractive.
Cut the strips about % inch wide, join the ends, and wind into balls.
Begin a strip for the center of the rug, which should measure about
6 by 12 inches. Then knit another strip about 4% inches wide and
long enough to go around the center strip. Allow the strip to be a
little full around the corners so the rug will lie perfectly ﬂat. This
will make a small rug, practical for many purposes. Larger rugs
may be made by adding more strips and joining them together.
MENDIN G RUGS
147. Woven and crocheted rag rugs may be mended by holding
a strip of rag in place and darning it in with soft twine, or by crochet-
ing or weaving in a strip of rag to take the place of the destroyed
part. If the rags should break because of weak fabric, heavy thread
woven back and forth underneath will give strength and hold the
parts together.
148. Replacing Worn Pile.—The mending of the pile in
machine-made rugs is sometimes a problem for the home woman.
However, the pile may be replaced with the use of a darning needle
and yarn of a matching color. First, darn in the backing; then, make
the pile by running the thread under the proper number of backing
threads, knotting it to prevent it from pulling out, and pulling it
up to make loops on the top side, which correspond in length to the
rest of the pile. Then, if the mending has been done well, the


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
219
A
abbé cape (a-ba’). A small shoulder
cape like that worn as a part of an
abbot's costume.
accessory. Anything that aids the
principal agent in a subordinate
way; an accompaniment.
accordion plaits. Narrow, straight
plaits like those in the bellows
of an accordion. They range in
width from § to % inch and are put
in by means of steam.
agaric (ag'a-rik or a-gar'lk). Acotton
fabric of loop-yarn construction
having a surface similar to ﬁne
Turkish toweling.
aigret (a-grét' or 5/grét). See egret.
A jours (a’zhur). A French term
meaning open-work and applied to
embroidery, knitting, etc.
albatross. A soft, loosely woven,
crepe-like woolen material in black,
white, and colors, similar to nun's
veiling; also made in fancy weaves;
used for dresses.
Albert cloth. Reversible, double-faced
woolen material, each side having a
different color. Used for coats,
suits, and wraps.
Alengon lace (a-lén’s<5n; F. a-lan-son').
A needlepoint lace having a sheer
net ground and a solid design whose
edge is outlined with a cord. It is
very expensive but is imitated in an
inexpensive machine-made lace that
is much used on ready-to-wear gar-
ments.
all-over lace. Any wide lace, silk or
cotton, having both edges ﬁnished
the same and containing a pattern
that repeats the entire width and
length. It has many uses, being
employed for entire dresses or for
parts of a dress.
alpaca (al-pak’a). A strong, elastic,
wiry fabric of plain weave with
cotton warp and alpaca or hair
ﬁlling. Used for men's summer
suits and coat linings, and for
women's tailored skirts.
analogous harmony (a-nal'o-giis). Har-
mony produced by associating dis-
tant but related tones of colors.
Thus, when two tones from two
related scales are brought together,
an analogous harmony results.
angora W001. The wool of the angora
goat, used in the making of mohair.
antique lace. A hand-made pillow
lace of heavy linen thread in large,
open, rectangular, knotted, and
sometimes irregular mesh, which
gives it the appearance of darned
lace. It usually contains rare pat-
terns, all kinds of designs being
worked in the net by darning, and
as it is hand-made, it is expensive.
Imitation antique lace is sometimes
used in draperies.
Antwerp pot lace. A very rare bobbin
lace characterized by a vase or
basket of ﬂowers in its design. It
was formerly made and worn to a
great extent by the women of
Antwerp as a trimming for their
caps.
appliqué (a-ple-ka'). Any ornament
in cloth, wood, or metal that is laid
on and applied to another surface.
It may be a band or a separate
design, such as leaves, ﬁgures, etc.
apron. An article of dress made of
cloth, leather, or other material to
protect or adorn the front of a per-
son's clothes. Aprons were worn in
England as early as the 14th century.
Later, they became a part of fashion-
able dress, being made of very ﬁne
materials, ornamented, and edged
with lace. In Queen Anne's time
(1702-1714), silk aprons trimmed
with gold lace were worn, and in
George II's reign (1727-1760), long
plain aprons were popular. Aprons
of ﬁne lace were worn with formal
costumes in colonial times. Service-
able and ornamental aprons continue
to be wor n up to the present day.
apron tunic. An ornamental article of
attire resembling an apron and a
feature of modern modes.
arabesque (ar-a-besk'). A scroll effect
or design usually made with cords,
stitchery, or applied pieces outlined
and perfected by Arabian or kindred
artists.
Arabian lace. A curtain lace, usually
ecru or drab in color and corded
with a heavy, darker ecru or drab
cord. Imitations of this lace are
usually cheap and shabby in appear-
ance.
arc. Any part of a line that forms a
circle.


220
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
armure (ar mur). A large variety of
dress materials made of Botany
wool, mohair, cotton, or artiﬁcial
silk or combinations of these ﬁbers.
It is woven in bird's-eye and in
diamond effect, and sometimes in
two colors. Like alpaca, it is used
for linings, skirts, and suits.
arrowhead. An ornamental stitch
resembling the head of an arrow and
used on tailored garments at the
corners of coat collars, pockets, and
pocket laps, as well as at the tenni-
nation of seams, tucks, and plaits,
at the end of machine stitching, and
at a given point on tucks.
art linen. A variety of linen having a
ﬂat thread and used for stenciling
and embroidery.
artiﬁcial silk. An imitation of natural
silk produced by treating cellulose
until it becomes a gummy solution,
and then pressing it through tiny
holes so that it comes out a ﬁne
thread with a glistening, white,
silky appearance. A number of
these ﬁne- threads are joined and
twisted to make the commercial
sizes used most. It has a ﬁeld of
its own, but fabrics in which it is
used should never be represented as
true silk.
artois (ar-twa'). A very long cloak
with lapels and three or four capes,
the lowest being cut to a point in
the center of the back. This style
of wrap was worn by women in
England and America during the
reign of George III (1760-1820).
astrakhan (as'tra-kin). (1) A woolen
or silk material of considerable
warmth having a long, closely
curled pile that imitates the fur of
the real astrakhan lamb. Used for
coats, caps, muffs, and scarfs.
(2) The skins of very young lambs
from Astrakhan, Russia, of which
muffs, collars, and coats are made.
B
baby lace. A name used to designate
any narrow, dainty, li ht lace,
whether cotton or linen. t is used
chieﬂy in the making of layettes and
for trimming dainty dresses and
undergarments for children.
baby lamb. The ﬂeece of very young
Persian lambs, having a ﬁner curl
than Persian lamb itself.
baby ribbon. A term applied to the
narrowest of ribbons, much used for
children's garments.
back-stitching. A sewing operation
made by taking a very short stitch
forward and then putting the needle
back each time into the end of the
last stitch, always advancing from
the under side of the material.
badger. A coarse, long-haired, wooly
fur in light beige with black and
white tips. Also called blaireau.
Balkan blouse (bal'kan). A blouse
that is gathered into a wide band
around the hips. This blouse came
into fashion during the Balkan war,
1912-13.
band. A ﬁat, ﬂexible strip of any
kind of material used for a binding.
In the 15th century ruffs were
called bands. They were made of
linen or cambric, and were stiffened
with starch, underpropped, or else
allowed to fall upon the shoulders,
when they were called falling bands.
Our term bandbox comes from the
original use of such boxes as were
used for bands and ruffs.
A de-
bandeau (ban-do’ or ban'do).
vice of various shapes made of buck-
ram and wire and used to adjust
a hat to a particular head-size or to
raise it from the head at a certain
angle. Also, a narrow band or
ﬁllet encircling the head.
bangkok (bang-kek’). A hat woven
of wood. It is so termed because it
suggests the national head-gear of
Siam, whose capital is Bangkok.
bangs. A portion of the front hair cut
off short and even and worn hanging
down over the forehead.
bar. (1) A group of cross-threads
covered with the buttonhole-stitch
or the over-and-over-stitch and
used to stay the ends of a but-
tonhole and prevent them from run-
ning out, to form a trimming at the
end of the seam, and to take the
place of an eye, when it is sometimes
called a loop. (2) It is also used in
connection with lace, when it refers
to the threads that connect the solid
parts. Here, it consists of two or
. more strands that are either corded
or covered with buttonhole-stitches.
Other names for it in this use are
pearl, leg, tie, and bride.


222
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
pletely out of use, the present beaver
ats are usually made of a silk
material or imitation fur.
Bedford cord. Material with length-
wise, raised cords and plain stripes
between the cords; made in cotton
and wool. Used for dresses, skirts,
and children's coats.
beige (bezh). The color of undyed,
unbleached wool.
bell sleeve. A sleeve that is full and
ﬂaring at its lower edge, like a bell.
bengaline. A corded material with
heavy, ﬁlled crosswise cords of wool
or cotton covered with threads of
silk or silk and wool. Used for
skirts, suits, coats, and collars.
beret (ber'ét). A round, ﬁat cap of
soft material, with a full crown,
worn by the Basque peasants.
Bermuda fagoting. A fagoting similar
to single feather-stitches placed on
the wrong side of sheer material so
that their shadow shows through.
It is used on any sheer material as a
simple, practical trimming.
bertha. A form of collar for a bodice
extending around the neck and over
the shoulders in imitation of a short
shoulder cape, which was formerly
called a bertha.
binder. A sewing-machine attach-
ment by means of which a binding
is applied to the edge of material.
biretta (bi-ret'a). A sectional cap,
usually having a tassel at the center
and worn by ecclesiastics of the
the Roman Catholic church and by
some doctors of divinity, heads of
university faculties, etc. This form
of crown is much used in women's
hats at different times.
bishop sleeve. A sleeve similar to
that used in a bishop's robe, being
loose at the hand and having fulness
at the armhole.
blanket-stitch. An embroidery stitch
used to ornament and secure the
edges of certain parts of garments,
particularly the edges of appliqué
patterns. It is really a buttonhole-
stitch with a single purl and the
stitches taken a short distance apart.
blanket-stitch couching. A stitch con-
sisting of one or more threads lying
ﬁat and held in position with the
blanket-stitch. Like the plain couch-
ing-stitch, used to outline borders.
blanket-stitch seam. A method of
joining two edges of material in an
open seam by means of a single-purl
buttonhole-stitch, three stitches being
taken on one side and then three on
the opposite.
blistering. The name given in Eng-
land in the middle of the 16th century
to a form of trimming produced by
slashings in waists and sleeves,
through which the under garments
came in the form of puffs or blisters.
blonde. A type of person having
ﬂaxen or golden hair, blue, gray or
brown eyes, and clear complexion.
blonde-brunette. A type of woman
having light chestnut or brown hair,
hazel, gray, blue-gray, or brown
eyes, and medium complexion.
blonde lace. A form of closely woven
bobbin lace, originally made in white
and cream colors only; in the trade,
however, the term is applied to silk
bobbin lace of all colors.
bloomers. An article of dress resem-
bling knickerbockers and worn with
or without an overskirt by women,
usually for athletic purposes. They
are the result of an unsuccessful
effort made in 1849 by Mrs. Amelia
Bloomer, of New York, to establish
a costume consisting of loose trousers
drawn in at the ankles with elastic
bands and a short petticoat.
blouse. A general term referring to
almost any kind of waist worn by
women with a suit or a separate
skirt. It may be belted or allowed
to extend over the skirt. Also, the
long, loose smock of the English work-
man and the French peasant.
blucher (bl<Y)'cher). A high shoe or
half boot named for Field-marshal
Von Blucher, who commanded the
Prussian army at Waterloo, 1815.
Also, a shoe made on the same lines
as the water-tight shoes, with the
tongue and the vamp cut in one.
blue. One of the chief colors of the
spectrum, the color of the clear sky.
bobbin. A small slender spool, or a
thin, deeply grooved disk, that ﬁts
in the carrier under the needle plate
of a double-thread, or lock-stitch,
machine and carries the lower thread.
Also, one of the wooden cylinders
that carry and steady the threads in
pillow-lace making.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
223
bobbin lace. Lace woven over a
design on a pillow or cushion by
means of bobbins.
bobbinet. A net having hexagonal or
six-sided holes but no designs. It
was originally made by hand with
bobbins, from which it was named to
distinguish it from net made with
needle-point stitches. It is used for
dresses, dress foundations, over-
drapes, and draperies.
bodice. The waist of a woman's dress.
Originally, the word referred only to
tight-ﬁtting waists, which were
sometimes laced both in the back and
in the front and were spoken of as a
pair of bodices.
bodkin. An instrument that is blunt
at one end and has an eye at the
other. It is used to draw tape
through a hem or a series of eyelets.
body lining. A coat lining that extends
merely to the waist or a triﬂe
below it.
Bohemian lace. A bobbin lace whose
pattern is characterized by a braid
or tape-like effect. It is imitated in
machine-made lace, which is very
effective. It is sometimes used for
dress trimming, but as a rule the
designs are too large and coarse for
this purpose.
bolero (be-1a’ro.) A Spanish jacket of
short length with or without sleeves
and without lapels, worn open in
front over a bodice or waist of light
material.
bolt. A roll of ribbon approximately
10 yards long. It is by the bolt that
the manufacturer sells ribbon. Also,
a roll of material of a deﬁnite number
of yards. A roll of white cloth, as
sheeting, is from 30 to 50 yards.
bombazine (bom-ba-zen’). An Eng-
lish dress goods made of silk warp
and worsted ﬁlling in serge weave
and dyed in the piece. It is usually
black and is much used for mourning
purposes.
boa. A long, round scarf of fur,
feathers, etc., for the neck.
bonnet. A covering for the top and
back of the head as distinguished
from a hat, which covers the top
of the head only. A typical bonnet
has ties, is without a brim, and leaves
the face uncovered.
boot. An form of shoe that extends
above t e ankle. The dainty, high
silk shoes of our grandmothers’ time
were called boots.
Botany wool. A ﬁne merino wool grown
around Botany Bay, Australia.
bouclé (boo-kla’). A medium-weight,
soft, twilled material, made of cotton
or wool, having nub, or loop, yar n for
ﬁlling that produces a surface
similar to that of astrakhan. Used
for coats and capes.
bouﬁant (bo-0-fan’). Having a full,
puffed-out effect, as in the drapery
of a skirt or in puffed sleeves.
bound buttonhole. A buttonhole whose
edges are bound rather than worked
with buttonhole twist. Buttonholes
of this kind are bound with either
material or braid.
box coat. A plain, loose coat, ﬁtted
only at the shoulders and having a
box-like appearance. This type of
coat was worn by coachmen in
England during the 18th century,
and it is probable that the origin of
the name can be attributed to the
fact that these men sat on the box,
or raised seat, of English coaches.
box plait. A plait, that has a fold
turned toward both sides, formed
by folding a piece of material so
that two edges come together on the
wrong side at a point directly
behind, or under, the center of the
outside part of the plait. Box plait-
ing made in leather ornamented the
armor used in ancient Rome. An
inverted box plait is simply a box
plait reversed. A double box plait
is one having two folds on each side.
A triple box plat-t is one having
three folds on each side.
braid. A narrow, ﬁat tape or woven
strip forbindingthe edgesof fabricsor
for ornamenting them in other ways.
braided-band—stitch. An embroidery
stitch formed by weaving threads
back and forth in diamond-shaped
form to ﬁll in the space of a band or
a border.
brassiére (bra-syer'). A close-ﬁtting
corset-cover, either plain or trimmed.
bretelle (bre-tél’). A sort of cape or
decorative shoulder-strap extending
from the belt in front over the
shoulders to the belt at the back of
the waist.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
225
six single purl buttonhole-stitches
are worked by means of a second
thread brought out a certain dis-
tance below the bar-stitch and
fastened at a point directly opposite
on the other ribbon.
buttonhole twist. A silk thread
especially prepared for making but-
tonholes and eyelets.
Byzantine (bl-zan'tln or blz'an-tin).
Relating to the arts, architecture,
and modes of the Byzantine Empire,
which extended from 399 to the Fall
of Constantinople in 1453.
C
bunting. A soft, open-weave cotton
or wool fabric used for ﬂags and for
decorating purposes.
burnoose (bur-no-0s’). A sleeveless,
woolen cloak, wor n by Arabs and
Monks.
buskin (bi-1s’-kin). A kind of half-boot
laced with cord or ribbon and worn
in ancient Greece. Buskins came
into fashion in France with many
other Greek styles during the time
of the First Republic (1792-1804).
They remained the vogue through
the Empire period (1804-1814), and
were also worn in England and in
rare cases in America.
bustle. A pad or frame worn by
women on the back below the waist
to distend the skirts. Fashionable
from 1880 to 1893.
butcher's linen. A heavy, stout,
bleached linen of durable quality;
comes in gray and bleached and is
used for butchers’ aprons, fancy
work, dresses, and suits.
button. A knob of bone, metal, glass,
or some composition, with a shank
or with holes through which it is
sewed to garments for trimming or
for service.
button molds. A mold made of wood
or bone to be covered with material
and used as an ornamental button.
buttonhole. A slit made in a garment to
receive a button and usually covered
by means of a particular stitch
known as a buttonhole-stitch. A
horizontal buttonhole runs crosswise,
a vertical buttonhole, up and down,
and a diagonal bull/‘onhole, diagonally.
buttonhole cutter. A tool used to cut
buttonholes for tailored garments,
cutting both a straight buttonhole
and an eyelet with one operation.
buttonhole gimp. A very ﬁrm, small
cotton cord, Q inch in diameter,
closely wound with silk thread and
resembling in appearance ﬁne, silk-
covered hat wire. It is used by
tailors to strengthen buttonholes,
being held around the opening so
that the buttonhole-stitches can be
taken over it.
buttonhole tied-stitch. A decorative,
open-seam stitch used to join the
edges of ribbon. On a bar-stitch
that joins the ribbons, from four to
LD1»-ll
cable cord. A softly twisted cotton
cord in black and white, used for
corded shirrings or ﬁnishes. Comes
in various sizes.
cable-stitch. A chain-stitch made of
heavy rope silk but not forming a
perfect chain, for the needle, instead
of being inserted in the preceding
loop, is put in a scant 1‘; inch to the
right and below it. It is used as a
braiding stitch, frequently on dresses
and blouses and also in fancy work.
cabochon (ka-bo-shon'). A small piece
of buckram pressed into a dome or
similar shape and much used in the
construction of ribbon ﬂowers and
ornaments of like nature.
calendering. A ﬁnishing process in
which the fabric is passed between
heated steel rollers to produce a
smooth, glossy surface.
calico. A plain, closely woven, cotton
cloth with ﬁgured design printed on
one side. It is used for dresses,
aprons, and wrappers. It is often
called cotton print.
cambric. A ﬁne fabric, both linen
and cotton, with a glazed ﬁnish;
used for handkerchiefs, linings, and
undergarments.
camel's hair. A ﬁne, soft, warm
fabric with a high, glossy ﬁnish,
woven of long staple wool and having
loose hair on the surface made
entirely or partly of camel's hair.
Used for coats, overcoats, and horse
blankets.
camise (ka-mes’). As part of the dress
of the early Saxons, the camise was
an undergarment worn next to the
skin. After the Normans invaded
Britain, in the 11th century, it was


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
229
signs often take the form of paddles,
but this feature cannot always be
relied on as a distinctive point. At
the present time, machine-made
Cluny has reached such a degree of
excellence that it is sometimes
impossible to detect the difference
between real and imitation lace, but
in the cheaper grades two sizes of
soft thread are employed. The ﬁne
weaves of Cluny are found in
lingerie blouses and dresses, while the
coarser weaves may be seen in
pillow-cases, centerpieces, and similar
articles.
coat. An outside garment for wear on
the upper part of the body, con-
taining sleeves and usually worn by
men but also worn by women,
especially when it is of greater length.
coatee. A short-tailed, close-ﬁtting
coat.
cocarde (ko-kard’). A cockade or
rosette of plaited ribbon used as a
trimming feature on both hats and
dresses.
cockade. A rosette or knot of plaited
ribbon or other material used as a
hat ornament. Formerly, these were
worn on hats to designate some form
of service or as a party badge. The
white cockade of the Bourbons was
a favorite hat trimming during the -
French Restoration period in the
early 19th century.
cocked hat. A hat turned up jauntily
at one side. The dandy of the
Cavalier period in the 17th century
often cocked his hat in several places.
coﬁer head-dress. A form of head-
dress in the shape of a colfer or box,
worn by women from the 10th
century on through the middle ages
to 1453.
coif (koif). A close-ﬁtting cap or hood,
extending down over the forehead
and sometimes widening out at the
sides.
coiﬁure ..(koif'ﬁr or F. kwa-fur’). An
arrangement or dressing of the hair.
Also, a head-dress, generally of lace.
cold color. A color in which there is a
predominance of blue.
collarette. A standing collar with a
wide ruching around the top like
those worn by Catherine de Medici
and Mary Queen of Scots in the
16th century.
color card. A card issued from time to
time by dealers in dress materials,
textile manufacturers, and dyers to
acquaint the public with the various
color names that are applied to
materials for dress.
color gray. The color produced by
mixing two or more tertiary colors.
color harmony. A pleasing effect that
gives the impression of unity and
that is produced by certain colors
brought close together, side by side.
color value. The amount of dark or
light expressed by a color.
combination-stitch. A stitch consisting
of several running-stitches and then
one back-stitch.
commode. A wire frame over which
women piled their hair in curls
about 1700.
complementary colors. Those colors,
which, by their union, will produce
white. This can be done with
colored light rays, but with pigments
only a neutral gray can be produced.
complementary harmony. Harmony
produced by associating comple-
mentary, or opposite, colors.
concave curve. A curve that rounds
inward.
continuous placket. A placket made
either in the center of a gore or on a
seam and ﬁnished with a straight
strip of material 1% to 2 inches wide.
contrasted harmony. Harmony pro-
duced by the association of any of the
colors with the neutrals, white, black,
and gray, and with gold or silver.
convex curve. A curve that rounds
outward.
coolie jacket. Akind of short box coat
reaching just below the waist. In
shape, these jackets are like those
worn by Chinese and East Indian
burden bearers, or coolies.
coque (kok). A French term meaning
cock. Applied to cock feathers,
which are much used in millinery.
coquille (ko-kel’). Having a ﬂuted or
scalloped edge like a shell, from
which the term is derived.
cord seam. A seam having a corded
effect produced by turning both
seam edges to one side and then
stitching through the three thick-
nesses of material.


230
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
corded. A term used to describe fabrics
having ribs running lengthwise, pro-
duced by the wa ; crosswise, pro-
duced by the w t; or diagonally,
produced by the twill weave.
cordeliére (kor-de-lyer'). A knotted
girdle.
cording. The stitching of cords on to
various garments; also, the cords so
stitched.
cordonnet (kor-do-ne’). The raised,
heavy edge of a millinery braid or a
lace design.
corduroy. A ribbed cotton fabric with
a close pile in white and colors.
Some expensive qualities have cotton
warp and silk pile.
coronation ,braid. A ﬁrmly woven,
highly mercerized, cotton braid with
alternating thick and narrow places.
coronet. Any kind of chaplet, wreath,
or other ornamental circlet for the
head. Coronets are also worn by
certain nobles and denote, by their
form, degrees of rank less than a
sovereign.
corsage (kor-sazh’).
bodice of a dress. Also, a bouquet,
real or artiﬁcial, worn at the waist-
line.
corset. A close-ﬁtting garment worn
for the purpose of supporting or
giving shape to the ﬁgure. In the
middle ages, corsets had skirts and
sleeves. As now made, they extend
from bust to hips, are stiffened by
strips of steel or whalebone, and are
usually tightened by lacing.
corsetiere (kor-se-tyer’). A corset
maker or merely one who sells and
ﬁts corsets.
costume. All of the garments worn at
one time. Also, the dress belonging
to a given country, time, class, or
calling.
costume suit. A costume consisting of
a dress and coat or jacket of the
same material.
cothurnus (ko-th\3r'ni-1s). A buskin or
half-boot with very thick soles worn
by actors in ancient Athenian
tragedy.
cotton back. Applied to silk fabrics,
mostly satins and velvets, made with
a cotton back.
cotton crepe. A crinkled fabric of light
weight used for underwear, blouses,
The waist or
and dresses. Some of the heavier
grades have ﬂoral and Japanese pat-
terns and are used for kimonos and
lingerie robes.
cotton ﬂannel. Heavy cotton having a
twilled surface on one side and a long
nap on the other and used for
children's underwear, interlinings,
etc. Also known as Canton ﬂannel.
cotton print. See calico.
couching-stitch. An over-stitch that
serves to hold down close to the
material one or more threads lying
ﬂat and with them form a ﬁat,
unbroken outline. It is used chieﬂy
for border outline work.
coutil (ko_o’-til’). A linen or cotton
canvas for corsets and brassiéres.
couturier, mas. (ku-tﬁ-rye’) A cos-
couturiere, fem. (ku-ti:-ryer’) t u m e
designer in France. A few of these
creators of attire in Paris hold abso-
lute sway over the dress of the ultra-
fashionable ladies. Many materials
and types of garments have been
named for the great couturiers who
brought them into fashion; as, the
Georgette sailor, Georgette crepe,
Roider fabrics, Wirth gowns, etc.
covert cloth. A woolen material of
ﬁrm, diagonal-twilled weave, usually
in light tan. Used chieﬂy for outing
suits and wraps.
crepe. A thin, transparent silk or cot-
ton fabric that has been rendered
crimpy in the process of manufacture.
It may be had in white, black, or
colors. The black, being peculiarly
somber in appearance, is much used
for mourning purposes. Crape of
this kind is woven of hard-spun silk
yarn in its gummy or natural condi-
tion, the crimp being produced by
pressing the fabric between heavy
steel rollers, the surfaces of which are
creased and indented so as to pro-
duce the pattern desired.
craquelé (krak’le). An effect in lace,
silk, or net, resembling cracked or
broken glass.
craquelé net. A net consisting of a
ﬁrm thread woven in zigzag effect
that resembles the crackle in the
glaze of old pottery. This mesh is
sometimes used in shadow lace of
good quality. It has beautiful
designs that make it attractive for
overdrapes and all-lace dresses.


232
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
cutting gauge. A device usually in-
cluded in a set of machine attach-
ments. It is applied to the point of
a pair of scissors to provide a quick
method of cutting strips of uniform
width.
D
damask (dam’ask). A fabric, both
cotton and linen, in twilled and satin
weave, and sometimes in brocaded
ﬁgures. Used for towels, table linen,
and napkins. In the 3d century,
Syrian weavers developed methods of
weaving which produced a ﬁgured
fabric patterned by its own warp and
weft threads and having the name
of the Syrian capital Damascus
reﬂected in its name.
darned lace. A term including all net
effects with the pattern applied in
needlework, such as ﬁlet lace.
darner. A hard, smooth, ball-like or
egg-shaped article used to put under
a hole while darning it. Gourds
make good darners.
dart. A place in a garment from which
a tapering piece has been cut to
make it ﬁt the ﬁgure. Also, a
measurement from the waist line
to the fullest part of the hips.
décolleté (de-kol-e-te'). A style of neck
opening that is cut very low in
order to expose the neck and
shoulders.
denim. Strong, durable, washable
cotton fabric of uneven twilled
weave. It comes in plain colors and
is used for overalls, furniture, and
ﬂoor coverings.
design. An arrangement of forms or
colors, or both, intended to be
applied to a fabric or an ornament
to beautify it.
diaper. A white linen or cotton fabric,
made with small diamond or bird's-
eye pattern in a twilled weave. It
absorbs water readily and is used
for towels, fancy work, children's
dresses, etc.
dimity. Light-weight material, corded
or cross-bar, plain and ﬁgured. Used
for infants’ garments, aprons, and
lingerie dresses.
directoire (di-rék-twar’). A distinct
style of the period of the French
Directory, (1793n1801 ,) characterized
by exaggeration and eccentricity.
doeskin. A ﬁne, soft, compact, twilled,
woolen material having a very soft,
short-napped face. Used for gloves,
skirts, coats, hats, wraps, and linings
in heavy fur coats.
Dolly Varden costume. A costume
consisting of a dress with tight
bodice, short quilted petticoat,
and ﬂowered chintz panniers, and a
large, drooping, ﬂower-trimmed hat.
This is the costume associated with
DollyVarden, a character in Dickens’
novel, “Barnaby Rudge."
dolman. A wrap resembling a cape
with openings for the hands. Dol-
mans were originally patterned after
a long Turkish outer garment.
dominant harmony. Harmony that is
produced by associating different
tones of the same color.
double chain-stitch. A chain-stitch
consisting of two links or loops of
thread combined as one. It is used
when a heavier effect than that pro-
duced by the single chain-stitch is
desired.
double-faced. A term applied to
fabrics that can be worn or used
either side out.
double-stitched seam. A ﬁnish for a
plain seam consisting of two stitch-
ings on each side.
double-stitched welt seam. A welt
seam having a second row of stitch-
ing added at the seam turn.
doublet. A close-ﬁtting garment with
sleeves and sometimes a short skirt.
Worn by men from the close of the
15th century to the middle of the
17th century.
draft. An outline drawing of a pattern.
drafted pattern. An outline drawing
produced by the aid of a tailor's
square or some other device from a
combination of measurements that
are governed by the rules of pro-
portion.
drap d’ Alma (dra-d'al’ma). A soft,
closely woven, double-diagonal-
twilled wool or silk mixed fabric.
Suitable for dresses and suits. Origi-
nally made in black for mourning
purposes.
drapery. The materials with which
anything is hung or draped, particu-
larly the hangings or loose garments
often represented in sculoture and
in painting.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
233
drawn work. A form of decorative
work that consists in pulling out
parallel threads of a fabric to obtain
an open space and then hemstitching
the edges of this space so as to hold
the remaining threads securely. It
is used to ornament table and bed
linens, draperies, collars, cuffs, and
lingerie blouses.
Dresden. A small ﬂower design in
pastel shades.
dress. The modern outer garment of a
woman or a child consisting of a
skirt and a waist, either separate or
united. Also, used in a broader
sense to designate the various gar-
ments worn as a covering for the
body.
dress improvers. The hooped panniers
of the time of Louis XIV, XV, and
XVI in the 17th and 18th centuries
were often called dress improvers.
dress linen. A plain, ﬁrmly woven
linen in white and plain colors.
drilling. Coarse linen or cotton twilled
cloth used for men's outing suits.
duchess satin. A close, ﬁrm, but soft
fabric of high luster. Used for
dresses and evening wraps.
duchesse lace. A rare old bobbin lace
that, while not made of tape, has a
tape-like appearance. It resembles
Honiton lace, but is worked with a
ﬁner thread and has a greater
amount of raised or relief work
and daintier and ﬁner designs. It is
used as a trimming on elaborate
gowns, such as bridal robes. There
are various imitations of duchesse
lace, one of which is known as
princess lace.
duck. A strong, closely woven, plain
material, lighter and ﬁner than
canvas; used for outing shirts and
coats and for small sails, tents, and
awnings.
dust ruﬂle. A ruﬁle sometimes added
to the bottom of a petticoat to pro-
tect the edge of the ﬂounce from hard
wear and prevent it from becoming
soiled.
Dutch neck. A square or round neck
line cut only 2 inches below the
throat.
duvetyn A very soft woolen fabric
resembling velvet and having a ﬁne,
short nap that is raised during the
process of ﬁnishing and gives the
material a silky appearance. Used
for coats, suits, and dresses.
dye bath. The dye solution prepared
for the dyeing of materials
E
écru (ek'r0_o). The natural color of
cotton, wool, or silk; that is, the
color of unbleached linen or hemp.
edge-stitcher. A sewing machine
attachment that makes it possible
to stitch an edge perfectly, to join
lace, and to apply piping.
egret (ég’r_ét). (1) The heron from
which light, ﬂoating feathers are
obtained. (2) The feathers obtained
from the egret and used as a trim-
ming for women's hats.
Egyptian lace. A ﬁne, hand-made
knotted lace sometimes ornamented
with beads. As it is expensive, it is
rarely used, but when use is made
of it, it serves as a trimming.
eiderdown (I'-dér down). A soft,
elastic, knitted fabric made of thick,
soft, spun yarn and heavily napped
on one side. Also, a soft, twilled,
cotton-ﬁlled fabric with a long-wool
nap, sometimes on just one side,
when it is called single-faced, and
sometimes on both sides, when it is
known as double-faced. Used for
children's garments, carriage robes,
lounging robes, and bathrobes.
embroidery. Ornamental work done
with the needle on cloth, canvas,
leather, and other materials by hand
or by machinery. Threads of vari-
ous kinds, such as cotton, silk,
silver, gold, etc., are used in this
work.
embroidery daming-stitch. A ﬁlling-in
stitch consisting of even basting-
stitches, every second row alternat-
ing, and used for ﬁlling in bands and
borders.
embroidery hoops. Round or oval
wooden hoops, the inner one often
padded with felt; used to hold a
piece of material ﬁrm and smooth so
that embroidery can be applied
with facility.
emery bag. A small bag ﬁlled with
emery powder and used for the
polishing of needles that have
become rough or rusty.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
235
A decorative stitch
somewhat resembling a feather.
The single stitch is made by bringing
the needle up through the material
from the wrong side, placing it in
at the right so that with the thread
it forms a triangle, pulling the
thread through, and then taking a
similar stitch to the left. This work-
ing back and forth is continued until
the row is completed. Combina-
tions of two, three, four, or more
stitches are often used in feather-
stitching.
fell. A method of ﬁnishing a seam that
is intended to be neat and ﬂat. In a
hand fell, the edges of the material
are lapped so that the seam lines
meet and are then basted through
the center. Each edge is then
turned under so that it meets the
basting and is ﬁnished with the
hemming-stitch. The machine fell
consists in making a plain seam,
trimming away the under edge, and
then turning the other edge under
and stitching it.
felt. A ﬁrm-packed, smooth fabric
consisting of entangled and matted
ﬁbers of wool, fur, mohair, and
cotton, which are thoroughly mixed,
carded, hardened, and made into
felt with the aid of moisture, heat,
and pressure. It is sometimes made
by weaving or knitting a coarse body,
raising a heavy nap, and then
felting this. Used for hats, table
covers, pennants, glove linings, etc.
ﬁber lace. A lace made from the
ﬁbers of the banana and the aloe
plant. It is a frail, expensive lace,
and not practical for many purposes.
However, both banana-ﬁber and
aloe-ﬁber laces are used as dress
trimming, especially on sheer organ-
dies and chiffons.
ﬁbers. Filaments, or threads, used as
raw material for textile fabrics.
They are classiﬁed as animal, vege-
table, mineral, and artiﬁcial ﬁbers.
ﬁbula (ﬂb’a-la). An ornamental brooch
that fastens like a safety pin; used
to hold the Greek chiton and the
Roman stola in place. Archeologists
say that ﬁbulas were common as
early as the bronze age.
ﬁchu (flsh'o-0). A draped scarf or cape
feather-stitch.
having long ends that fall from a
knot at the breast. Fichus were
fashionable in France during the
reign of Louis XVI (1774-1793), in
England while George III was on
the throne (1760-1820), and in
America during the ﬁrst years of
the new Republic.
ﬁndings. The various accessories used
in dressmaking, such as belting,
boning, buttons, braids, hooks and
eyes, etc.
ﬁlet lace (fi-le’). A darned or embroid-
ered net woven into squares with a
continuous thread and thus appear-
ing decidedly unlike the spiderwork
form of irregular darning. It is
attractive and at the same time
practical for lingerie blouses and
dresses. Real ﬁlet, while expensive,
wears indeﬁnitely. Beautiful imita-
tions of ﬁlet lace may be purchased
at reasonable prices.
ﬁllet (fil'ét). A narrow band encircling
the head or binding the hair. Fillets
were worn in ancient Egypt and
were a feature of the Greek and
Roman head-dress. During the Em-
pire in France (1804-1814), Joseph-
ine wore‘ beautiful ﬁllets of gold in
imitation of those used in classic
times.
ﬁlo silk. A soft, untwisted embroidery
silk that comes in skeins of 6 to 12
yards each. It is very satisfactory
for satin-stitches, as it blends well
and makes a smooth design.
ﬁshbone-stitch. An embroide stitch
resembling the backbone 0 a ﬁsh
and consisting of a series of diagonal
single-purl buttonhole-stitches made
ﬁrst to the left and then to the right.
It is used chieﬂy as a braid-stitch or
a border-stitch.
ﬁshtail train. A dress train that
resembles the tail of a ﬁsh in shape.
ﬁtch. A mottled brown fur with yellow
spots.
ﬂannel. A plain soft, loosely woven,
light-weight, woolen material with
warp and weft threads of equal size.
Extensively used for infants’ petti-
coats and sacks and for men's shirts.
flannelette or ﬂannelet. A cotton
fabric with a slight nap in white
and colors and ﬂoral designs. Used
for sleeping garments and kimonos.
ﬂap pocket. A type of tailored pocket
having a ﬂap as a ﬁnish for tile
opening.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
237
furbelow (f(lr'be-lo). A gathered or
plaited ruﬁle or ﬂounce. Furbelows,
which originated in France, were
much wor n in England during the
reign of William and Mary (1689-
1702) and were a popular form of
trimming in America during colonial
times. In a broader sense, furbelows
refer to any ornament, especially of
feminine dress.
G
gabardine (gab-ar-din’). (1) A twilled
and waterproofed worsted coating
material, made with ﬁne diagonal
ribs.j (2) A softer fabric, similar to
French serge and used for women's
skirts, coats, and suits. (3) A long,
loose gown or cloak of coarse mate-
rial, which, in the middle ages, was
the prescribed garment of the ]ews.
Gainsborough hat. A large, graceful
hat worn by the ladies in the por-
traits painted by the famous English
portrait painter Gainsborough (1728-
I788). It was usually turned up on
one side and trimmed with plumes.
gaiter. A cloth or leather covering for
the ankle, usually buttoned at the
side and held down by a strap run-
ning under the foot.
galatea (gal-a-te’a). A heavy, ﬁrm cot-
ton material for boys’ clothes, outing
skirts, middy blouses, and dress-forrn
coverings.
galilith (gal-I-lith’). A composition
material resembling jet and made
into beads and similar ornaments
that form trimmings for hats and
dresses-I _ g
gathering. A sewing operation made
with very small running-stitches and
used to bring the parts of a section
of a garment closer together by
drawing them into folds or plaits.
gauntlet. In medieval armor, a glove
worn under the mail to prevent
chaﬁng. In modern attire, a gaunt-
let is a glove having a long wrist
extension.
gauze (goz). (1) A very sheer, light,
perforated fabric of cotton and wool
worsted or silk, in which some of the
warp ends are crossed and twisted
around the ﬁlling. Used for sheer
foundations, frills, and trimmings.
(2) Very sheer, knitted fabrics used
for underwear.
Georgette crepe. A crepe-like silk,
sometimes silk and cotton; sheer,
like chiffon, but woven of a harder
and more durable thread. Used for
dresses, blouses, negligées, and many
kinds of trimmings.
Gibson waist. A woman's mannish
shirtwaist having a plait over each
shoulder, made famous by the
artist Charles Dana Gibson in his
pictures.
gilet (zhi-le’). A waistcoat or the vest-
liike front of the bodice of a woman's
ress.
gimp. A narrow, ﬂat, ornamental
trimming of silk, cotton, wool, or
beads, formed of or interlaced with
cord or wire; used for dresses, fur-
niture, etc. See also buttonhole
gimp.
gingham. A stout, light-weight, wash-
able cotton fabric, woven in yarn-
dyed stripes, checks, and plaids and
used for dresses and aprons. Com-
mon gingham is in plain weave and
ﬁnished with starch sizing. Madras
gingham, which is made of ﬁner
yarn, contains a larger number of
colors than the staple gingham and
is woven in various weaves. Zephyr
gingham is a softer and lighter dress
fabric than madras gingham and is
produced in a great variety of fancy
colored effects in stripes, cords,
checks, and plaids in both plain and
twilled weave.
girdle. A belt used for girding a loose
garment about the waist. In ancient
times, the Greeks and Romans tied
their girdles around their waist and
drew the upper part of their gar-
ments over them to permit freedom
of motion. Girdles, like most other
articles of attire, have evolved
gradually into the carefully cut and
sewed articles that we know today.
glacé (gla-se’). A French term meaning
glossy or having a lustrous effect.
It is sometimes [applied to dress
goods having ﬁne, well-stretched
cotton warp and mohair ﬁlling in
plain colors and ﬁgures.
gloria. A thin, very closely woven
fabric made with silk warp and
worsted or cotton ﬁlling in diagonal
twilled weave. Sometimes called
2-anella cloth. Used chieﬂy to cover
umbrellas.


238
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
green. A color in the spectrum between
blue and yellow; the color of spring
foliage.
grenadine (grén'a-den). A ﬁne, open
fabric, made of silk or wool mixed
with cotton and having more or less
elaborate warp stripes. Used for
overdrapes and evening dresses.
gros de Londres (gro de lon’dre_-.) A
light-weight silk fabric woven with
alternate narrow and wide ﬂat ribs.
It has a glossy ﬁnish and '.1-omes in
colors and in changeable effects.
Much used for hats and dres.-;€S.
grosgrain (gro’gran). A ribbon or a
stout, durable corded silk with
cross-ribs or cords that run from
selvage to selvage and than are
heavier than poplin but lighter than
faille. Comes in colors. The 1ul)!'ic
is used for coats.
guide pattern. A pattern made of
cambric or some similar material,
cut with the aid of a foundation
tissue-paper pattern and ﬁtted to
the ﬁgure. It serves both to test
the accuracy of similar tissue-paper
patterns and to guide one in cutting
and ﬁtting.
guimpe_(glmp, ganp, or gimp). _A
chemisette or under waist worn with
a low-cut gown to ﬁll in the neck.
Guimpes are also made with sleeves
and worn with jumper dresses.
guipure lace (ge-par’). Lace in which
the designs are held together by
means of brides or bars; in other
words, lace having no net ground.
Duchesse, Honiton, Venetian, and
Maltese,thoughdifferingfromoneam
other, are examples of guipure laces.
gusset. A triangular piece of material
inserted in a garment to ﬁll an open
angle or to strengthen it or give
more room.
H
glycerined feathers. Feathers treated
with glycerine so as to give them the
appearance of being wet.
godet (go-dc’) . Goi-es that are wider at
the bottom than the top, ranging
from 2 to 4 inches at the top and 12 to
15 inches at the bottom. Used only
when skirts are wide, they add
length to the ﬁgure and fulness at
the bottom.
goﬁer. To form plaits, ﬂutes, or
crirnps in, as a ruff. Leather is very
often ornamented with a design in
relief, which is called goﬂering.
gold cloth. A metal cloth made of
metal warp in gold color and silk
weft. Used chieﬂy in the making
of evening gowns.
gold tissue. A transparent metal cloth
consisting of metal warp in gold
color and silk weft. It comes also in
a cheaper quality, which is an imita-
tion of metal cloth.
goose. A tailor's heavy smoothing
iron, ranging in weight from ll to 30
pounds and so named because its
handle resembles the neck of a goose.
gore. A shaped section of a woman's
skirt containing two or more such
sections.
gorget (gor'jet). A variety of collar
or ruff. In the middle ages (476-
1453), a kind of wimple draped
closely around the neck and well up
to the chin.
gossamer. (l) A very soft, cobwebby
silk gauze used for veils. (2) A light
silk fabric waterproofed and used
for wraps.
gown. The outer dress or garment of a
woman, especially when long and
loose. Also, the oﬁicial or distinc-
tive robe of certain oﬁicers, pro-
fessional men, and scholars.
granite. A woolen material made of
hard-twisted woolen yarn woven in
pebbled effect; light in weight and
very durable. Used for skirts and
suits.
grebe (greb). A bird of the duck
family, from which are taken beau-
tiful, soft feathers used for making
entire turbans, as well as feather
breasts. The natural color is ivory,
ﬂecked with brown. The plumage is
thick and downy, and silky and
smooth in texture.
habit-back placket. A kind of placket
so called because it is used in ﬁnishing
the plain back of a woman's riding
skirt or habit.
habutaye (ha-bu-ty’). A very soft,
light-weight, closely woven, brilliant
Japanese silk, smooth and even in
texture. It is woven with a heavy
sizing on both warp and ﬁlling,
which is afterwards boiled out. Used
for summer dresses, waists, skirts,
and automobile or traveling coats.


240
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
hoop. A circular band of metal or
whalebone used to expand the skirt
of a woman's dress. The farthingale
of the Renaissance and Elizabethan
periods of the 15th and 16th cen-
turies was a single hoop mounted on
the edge of a circular piece of
material or tied to the waist by
means of tapes. Panniers were
oval-shaped wire, whalebone, or
wicker hoops that were very wide at
the sides. About the middle of the
19th century, bell-shaped hoops
came into fashion, these being hoops
of graduated size arranged one
above the other with the largest at
the bottom and held in place by
tape or mounted on a stif f petticoat-
hose. A covering, usually knit or
woven, for the lower part of the
legs and feet.
houppelande (h6op’land). A one-piece
garment worn by women in the
early 15th century, consisting of a
close-ﬁtting waist, an exceedingly
long, full skirt that formed a long.
train, and either bell or tight-ﬁtting
sleeves. The skirt and the bell
sleeves were generally lined with
fur. Later, belts at the normal
waist line were worn with houppe-
landes and as these were drawn in
tight, they produced an ugly outline.
huckaback (hi-1k’a-bak). A cotton or
linen material of irregular weave
having prominent weft threads.
Used for towels and fancy work.
hue. That property of a color which
characterizes it as a color instead of
a black-and-white value; that is, the
result produced by adding a color,
rather than black or white, to
another color.
I
hercules braid. A heavily corded,
worsted bordering braid.
herringbone-stitch. An embroidery
stitch consisting of a series of small
loops made with embroidery thread
and tacked down with the couching-
stitch. It is used where a rather
light outline is desired.
himation (hi-mat'i-on). Alarge, square
mantle like a shawl worn by the
ancient Greeks, usually with one end
thrown over the shoulder from the
back and the other held in one hand.
Holland linen. A plain-woven, un-
bleached linen, originally from Hol-
land, both glazed and unglazed.
Used for furniture covers and
window shades, as well as in
photography.
homespun. A loose, but very strong,
durable woolen material of plain
weave and coarse yarn, formerly
made on hand looms and now
-imitated by machine. Used for
outing suits and men's clothes.
honeycombing. A method of arranging
fulness similar to smocking, but
diamond-shaped in structure and
having each stitch run through two
ﬂutes of material rather than one.
honeycomb-stitch. A ﬁlling stitch
much used in embroidery work and
consisting of two layers of blanket-
stitches so connected as to form a
honeycomb effect. It is used for
ﬁlling in leaves and similar spaces.
Honiton lace (hon’i-ti-1n). At resent, a
bobbin lace similar to uchesse.
Guipure Honiton is characterized by
round, heavy motifs made up of
ﬁnely woven braid and then joined
by brides or bars maiie with a
needle. Appliqué Honiton is pro-
duced by making the motifs or
sprigs and then sewing them to a
net ground made separately. At
present, machine-made net is much
used for the ground.
hook-and-eye tape. Firmly woven
tape to which small hooks and eyes
are riveted. .Used where a sub-
stantial closing of considerable length
is required, as in tight linings, bras-
siéres, and tight-ﬁtting corset covers.
hooks-and-eyes. Small hooks of
doubled wire and eyes formed to re-
ceive them. Used as fasteners on
garments of all kinds.
India linon. A trade name for aﬁne,
closely woven cotton lawn, very
slightly sized and usually bleached.
Indian head. A trade name for a
coarse, ﬁrm material used as a sub-
stitute for plain, heavy linen.
indigo. One of the so-called seven
colors of the rainbow, a deep violet
blue.
insertion (in-sﬁr'shi’in). Any narrow
lace or embroidery having a plain
edge on each side that admits of its
being inserted in a fabric.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
241
javelle. water. A solution made by
dissolving Q pound of sal soda and
2 ounces of chloride of lime in l quart
of water. Used to remove ink stains
from material and as a bleach in
‘general laundry work.
jean. A twilled, undressed cloth
usually made of hard-spun cotton
warp and a low grade of wool or
shoddy ﬁlling, but sometimes made
entirely of cotton. Used for trousers,
boys’ suits, and women's outing
suits.
jerkin (jfir'kin). Formerly a jacket,
short coat, or upper doublet, some-
times made of leather. The jerkin
now takes the form {of a waistcoat
and is still in use in the north of
England.
jersey cloth. A thick, knitted fabric
made in fstockinet weave of wool
or silk and wool mixed. Used for
undergarments, petticoats, dresses,
and coats. .
jet. A rich, black variety of mineral
coal, sufﬁciently hard and compact
to be polished and much used for
making ornaments.
jumper. A short-sleeved or sleeveless
garment without a front or a back
opening, but with the neck cut
sufﬁciently large to admit of its
being slipped over the head without
difficulty. Worn over a guimpe by
women and children.
jupe (jo‘op). The French name for
petticoat.
jupon (jo_o'pon). (1) Now, a short
petticoat, but in the middle ages, a
sleeveless surcoat or a kind of jacket
or doublet worn by knights. (2) A
kind of dress fabric with cotton
warp and woolen ﬁlling.
K
inverted-plait placket. A kind of
placket consistin of an inverted
plait and used w en skirts appear
plain around the waist and hips and
ull at the lower edge.
iridescent (Ir-l-dés’ént). Having chang-
ing colors like those of the rainbow,
due to the Iinterference of light when
reﬂected from thin ﬁlms, as in
mother-of-pearl.
Italian relief-stitch. An embroidery
stitch used in ﬂower designs to ﬁll
in petals and leaves and often seen
in combination with punch work.
It consists merely of ﬁlling in the
space with single-purl buttonhole-
stitches.
J
jabot (zha-b0’). A frill of lace or the
like fastened at the neck and worn
by women on a bodice. Formerly, a
rufﬂe on a shirt bosom.
jacket. A short coat usually not
extending below the hips.
Jacquard eﬁects (ja-kard’). Figures
produced in materials through the
mechanism invented in 1803 by
]ean Marie Jacquard, a Frenchman
living at .the time of the ﬁrst
Napoleon.
Jacquard loom. An apparatus for
fancy weaving, having a chain of
perforated cards passing over a
rotating prism, the perforations per-
mitting the passage of wires that
determine the raising of the warp
threads and thus cause the ﬁgure to
be woven in accordance with the
prearrangement of the perforated
cards. It is now used extensively in
the making of silk, worsted, and
cotton materials, but is employed
solely for weaving ﬁgured goods.
jade green. The color of jade, varying
from green to yellow and yellowish
white.
Japan silk. A name that covers a
variety of Japanese or ]ap silks, but
commonly applied to the cheaper
qualities of habutaye silk. Heavier
and coarser than China silk. Used
for blouses, summer dresses, and
kimonos.
jardiniére (zhar-de-nyar'). Resembling
a garden of ﬂowers. Therefore, de-
signs of many colors composed of
ﬂowers, fruits, and leaves.
LDlr-17
karakul cloth. A heavy woolen fabric
made in imitation of Persian lamb-
skin. Used for women and children's
coats and for muffs and stoles.
Kate Greenaway costumes. Children's
costumes designed by Kate Green-
away, an English illustrator, de-
signer, and verse writer, and having
the high waist line and other char-
acteristics of the Empire period, to
which she went for inspiration.
Kensington Stitch. See long and short
stitch.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
245
Medici collar (méd’i-che). Alar e fan-
shaped collar worn by the edici
queens in the 16th century and
wired or stiffened to stand up and
out from the neck in the back.
Medici lace. A French bobbin lace re-
sembling Cluny to some extent but
usually made of ﬁner thread. It is
much like insertion in effect, except
that one edge is ﬁnished with scal-
lops. It is characterized by plain,
close-woven work with which open-
work alternates and produces a good
contrast. -
medieval (me-di-e’val). Belonging to,
or descriptive of, the middle ages,
which include the period in the
history of Europe from the downfall
of Rome in 476 to the beginning of
the modern age, usually reckoned
to be about the time of the fall of
Constantinople in 1453.
mélange (ma-lanzh'). A French term
meaning mixtures of color applied
in weaving; also, mixtures of cotton
warp and wool weft.
melton. Athick, heavymaterial named
for Melton, England, and made of
all wool or cotton warp and woolen
weft. It is ﬁnished without pressin
or glossing, the nap being raise
straight and then shorn to show the
weave clearly. Used for outing suits
and overcoats.
mending tissue. A semitransparent
rubber substance that melts when
heat is appliedpto it. Used for mend-
ing dark silk and woolen materials.
mercerization. A chemical process of
rendering cotton threads lustrous
and strong by treating them with a
caustic alkali under tension. It was
invented by ]ohn Mercer, an
English calico printer.
mercerized cotton. Cotton ﬁber treated
with a solution of caustic soda or
potash at normal temperature under
tension to prevent shrinking. The
ﬁber thus treated has an increased
attraction for coloring matter and is
characterized by a silky luster.
mercerized cotton thread. A cotton
thread with a soft, glossy ﬁnish, con-
taining from two tosix strands in a
thread. It comes in skeins and on
spools and is a very satisfactory
t read for embroidery work.
merino. (1) A woolen goods made in
England of shoddy, obtained from
soft woolen or worsted dress goods.
(2) An all-wool fabric, made of very
ﬁne, single merino yarn having either
the face and back twilled alike or
the face twilled and the back plain.
Used for women's dresses.
messaline. A soft, light-weight,
closely woven satin having a brilliant
luster. Comes usually in solid colors.
Used for dresses, petticoats, and
linings.
metal cloth. A fabric woven of cot-
ton or silk, combined with various
threads of gold, silver, or copper.
metal lace. Both a hand-made and a
machine-made lace consisting of a
net foundation on which are woven
all kinds of designs in either gold or
silver threads. It is used as a trim-
ming for evening dresses and robes
and in millinery work.
middy. An unbelted blouse that
reaches to the hips and has a sailor
collar. Such blouses were originally
suggested by those wor n by midship-
men or cadets in the United States
navy.
midinette. A shop girl in France.
milan hat. A hat of ﬁne straw
originally manufactured in the pro-
vince of Milan, Italy.
military braid. A black silk braid used
for binding purposes, also for trim-
ming tailored dresses and suits.
Comes in various widths.
millinery. A collective term embracing
all varieties of female head-wear.
mink. The valuable fur of the mink,
very close, soft, and even, and
usually seal-brown in color. The
Japanese mink is darker than the
natural northern mink.
mirror velvet. See velvet.
mistral. A worsted material whose
twisted warp and weft threads are
woven to give a crepe effect.
mitering. A method of joining two
pieces of material, such as lace,
insertion, embroidery, or ﬁnishing
a hem, at an equally divided angle,
as a corner.
mitt. A kind of glove, often of lace or
knit-work, worn on the hand and
wrist but containing no ﬁngers.


254
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
rolled hem. A kind of hem much
used on dainty, sheer materials
where lace or insertion is to be
joined. The edge is rolled tightly
between the thumb and the fore-
ﬁnger of the left hand, and the hem
thus formed is caught to the lace
or insertion with overhand-stitches.
Roman cut work. A form of embroi-
dery work that consists in outlining
a design with the single buttonhole-
stitch and then cutting some of the
material away. Bars are used to
join the embroidered designs and
keep the work in shape. It is used
chieﬂy in large centerpieces and
table covers of heavy material.
Roman stripes. Brilliant, contrasting
colored stripes running crosswise on
silk fabrics. A cotton warp is
used, none of which is permitted to
show.
rompers. A combination of waist
and trousers worn by young chil-
dren over or instead of other cloth-
ing, as at play.
rope silk. An embroidery thread con-
sisting of many strands of silk woven
into threads, which, in turn, are
twisted together to form the heaviest
kind of twisted silk thread.
rosette. A form of ribbon decoration
used chieﬂy for women and chil-
dren's clothes.
rose point lace. A form of Brussels
lace having rose motifs appliquéd
to a net ground.
round—thread linen. A soft ﬁnished,
plain linen, made with round, hard-
twisted yarn. It is suitable for
drawn work, hemstitching, and har-
dangar work, because the threads
are easily drawn.
ruche (r0—osh). A trimming of some
ﬁne fabric, as lace, silk, crepe, or
chiffon, gathered or stitched in the
middle and worn as part of a
woman's costume, usually at the
neck or wrist.
ruff. A plaited, crimped, or ﬂuted
collar or frill, especially a very
broad, full, and stifﬂy starched one
worn by both men and women in
the 16th century.
ruﬂle. A gathered or plaited strip
used as a trimming and attached
so as to leave one or both of the
edges free.
ruﬁer. A sewing-machine attach-
ment for making rufﬂing, plaiting,
and frilling.
running-stitch. A sewing operation
used for seams that do not require
strength and for gathering or tuck-
ing and consisting of a series of
short, even stitches. Usually, sev-
eral stitches are taken up before
the needle is pulled through.
russet. A reddish or yellowish brown.
S
sable. The valuable fur of a small
animal, dark lustrous brown in color,
with paler head and throat and short,
black paws.
sabot (sa-b6’). A wooden shoe worn
by French and Flemish peasants.
sack. A loose garmentwith sleeves.
Any loose-ﬁtting coat without a
waist seam. In the 17th and
18th centuries, a robe, commonly
of satin or brocade, ﬂowing loosely
at the back in folds from the neck
band or shoulder yoke.
sallow mature woman. A type of
woman having gray or white hair,
brown, blue, or gray eyes, and
sallow complexion without color.
sampler. A small piece of material on
which a detail in the construction
of a garment is developed. Also, a
piece of needlework, made to exhibit
skill or to preserve a pattern.
sandals. A kind of shoe much worn
by the people of antiquity and
usually consisting of a sole only, but
sometimes having a shield for the
heel and a cap for the toes. Made
of leather, cork, wood, straw, wick-
erwork, and velvet. Now largely
of leather and worn by children.
Sash. An ornamental band, scarf,
strip, or belt worn around the waist
or over the shoulder. In Oriental
countries, a long band of ﬁne
material wound around the head
to form a turban.
sateen. A closely woven cotton ma-
terial with lustrous, smooth ﬁnish
in imitation of satin. Used for
underskirts, linings, and dresses.
satin. A foundation silk fabric having
a smooth ﬁnish and a high gloss on
the face and a dull back. It de-
pends for its luster and brilliancy


256
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
sequins (se’kwln). A form of dress
trimming made of very small metal
disks or spangles in bands from
} inch to 1 yard or more in width.
serge. The most popular of all woolen
materials and made since the 12th
century in great variety. It has a
clear ﬁnish in an even-sided twill,
producing a ﬂat, diagonal rib effect.
The best grades are made of worsted
warp and woolen ﬁlling or all-
worsted and are used for suits,
dresses, and coats.
set-in sleeves. Sleeves that are set
in the waist at the armhole.
shade. A dark tone of any color;
that is, one approaching black. This
term, however, has been replaced
by black.
shadow embroidery. A form of em-
broidery consisting of single fagot-
ing-stitches so made on the wrong
side of very sheer material that they
show through on the right side in
shadow effect. It is generally used
for narrow petals and leaves that have
an even outline and no tumovers.
shadow lace. A machine-made lace
of a light, ﬁlmy character. Its sur-
face is entirely ﬁat and its designs are
rather indistinct. It is used exten-
sively for draped dresses and as a
dress trimming.
shako (shak'o). A high military hat,
originally of fur.
shank button. A button having a pro-
jecting piece or loop on its under side
by which itisattachedto thematerial.
shantung (shan-tung’). A rough, plain,
washable fabric of natural color; in
reality, a heavy grade of pongee
silk used for dresses and blouses.
shawl collar. A collar whose edge has
no notch.
sheaf-stitch. An open-seam stitch
made by tying groups of threads
together in such a way as to give
them the appearance of sheaves.
The thread that does the tying runs
through the center of the space
between the ribbons to be joined
and gathers up several cross-threads
and fastens them with a knot.
shears. A large pair of scissors, being
6 inches or longer and usually hav-
ing one small handle for the thumb
and one large handle for several of
the ﬁngers, thereby permitting con-
siderable cutting without tiring the
hand.
sheath gown.‘ A straight, close-ﬁtting
gown that ﬁrst came into vogue
under that name during the Directory
period (1795-1799).
sheen. A glistening brightness, espe-
cially a faint luster, as from reﬂec-
tion.
sheet wadding. Sheets of corded cot-
ton, used for padding garments, bed
covers, etc.
sheeting. A wide cotton or linen
fabric, twilled or untwilled, bleached
or unbleached, used for making
sheets for beds.
shield. A piece of moisture-proof
fabric worn to protect a part of the
clothing liable to become soiled.
shirring. A sewing operation in which
two or more rows of gathers are
used where considerable material is
to be gathered into small space.
The stitches in the second and
third rows are made directly in line
with those in the ﬁrst row and from
§ to % inch apart.
shirring plate. A sewing-machine at-
tachment used with the ruﬁler to
produce shirring in material.
shirt. A loose undergarment for the
upper part.of the body, made of cot-
ton, linen, silk, or wool and formerly
worn by both sexes. Now, commonly
restricted to a garment worn by men
and bo s and having collar and
cuffs either attached or separate.
shirting. Cotton or linen material
used for making shirts.
shirtwaist. A belted waist resembling
a shirt in plainness of cut and style
and worn by women and girls. Also
called a blouse.
shoddy. Formerly applied to the
waste thrown off in wool spinning,
but now applied to the shredded
wool or old cloth reduced to a
ﬁbrous condition to be remanu-
factured. Silk shoddy is similar
to wool shoddy in origin and con-
sists of the recarded ﬁbers from
manfactured silks.
shoe satin. A very strong, Tdurable
fabric having a dull back and a
smooth, semiglossy face and used in
making footwear.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
257
short-lapped placket.
in the center of a
section on a lengthwise thread of
the material and made only 3 or 4
inches long.
shot silk. Changeable or iridescent
silk produced by having a weft of
one color and a warp of another.
shuttle. (1) In weaving, a device
used to carry the weft thread, or
ﬁlling, to and fro between the warp
threads. (2) The sliding thread
holder in a two-thread sewing ma-
chine which carries the lower thread
between the needle and the up er
thread to make a lock-stitch. (3l>A
thread-carrying device used in tatting
and embroidery.
Sicilienne (si-sil-i-en’). (1) A coarse
weave of mohair having cotton wa
and wool or mohair weft, whidii
gives a wiry ﬁnish. Used for men's
dusters and summer coats, also for
women's wear. (2) A plain-woven
silk fabric with heavy weft ribs;
now made with silk warp and a
heavier cotton or wool ﬁlling in
plain weave, forming cross-ribs, simi-
lar to poplin.
silesia (sf-le'sha). A stout light-
weight, twilled cotton material with
a glossy ﬁnish, similar to percaline.
Used for linings.
silhouette (sil-66-et’). The outline of
a solid ﬁgure; also, a proﬁle drawing
or portrait having its outline ﬁlled
in with uniform color, usually
black, and its other features with
lighter lines. The best way to
study the proportion of a costume
is to think of it in silhouette with-
out taking into consideration any
details or accessories.
silk. A ﬁne, frail, glossy, ﬁbrous sub-
stance, produced chieﬂy by the silk-
worm in the formation of its cocoon.
The cocoon is yellow or white in
color, because of the secreted
by the worm, but it becomes white
or pale cream upon being boiled in
soap and water. The wild silk, the
worm of which feeds on certain oak
trees in China, India, and Japan, is
ecru colored even after the gum has
been removed.
silkaline. A soft, glazed cotton used
for draperies and for comfortables.
L D 1-18
A placket cut
gore or skirt
silkatine thread. A cheap, twisted
cotton thread with a high luster in
mutation of silk. It does not ro-
duce the effect that silk thread oes,
nor does it launder so well as mer-
cerized cotton, but it is commend-
able for practice work.
silver cloth. A metal cloth made of
metal warp in silver color and silk
weft. Used for trimmings, chieﬂy
on evening dresses.
silver tissue. A transparent metal
cloth made of metal warp in silver
color and silk weft. In the cheaper
grades, merely an imitation of
metal cloth.
silvertone. A velour, velvet, or plush
having a limited quantity of real
and artiﬁcial white silk mixed with
‘the stock to produce a shimmering
effect. The term originated in 1916,
but the idea is much older.
simplicity knot-stitch. An embroidery
stitch that resmbles a knot and is
made by two small back-stitches
placed next to each other. It is
very popular for border and outline
work.
simulated. Applied to dressmaking,
a term that means having the
appearance of or in imitation of
something else; as, a simulated
buttonhole, pocket, hem, etc.
simulated buttonhole. A buttonhole
made on the material for trimming
purposes in imitation of a button-
ole, no slit being used. Sometimes
called a blind buttonhole.
simultaneous contrast. The effect
produced by bringing together pale
and dark colors that are not com-
plementary to each other.
single-stitch seam. An attractive
ﬁnish for a plain seam consisting
in basting both edges back from the
seam and then stitching accurately
on both sides.
singles. See thrown silk.
skinner’s satin. A heavy, durable
satin havinga high luster. Used
for dresses and also for linings.
skirt. That part of a coat, dress, or
other garment that hangs below the
waist.
skirt gauge. A device used in mark-
ing the desired skirt length.


DEFINITIONS OF
USEFUL TERMS 259
sponge cloth. A piece of cloth, such
as unbleached duck or drilling, about
i to% yard in size, used to dampen
materials before they are pressed.
sports suits. Articles of wear especially _
adapted as to style and material for
sports wear.
spun silk. Inferior silk made from
short, waste ﬁbers and from im-
perfect cocoons. §Used for knitted
fabrics, embroidery and knitting
silks, and in combination with
cotton or wool.
St. Gall lace. A machine-made imita-
tion of Venetian lace. It is produced
with machinery by embroidering
with cotton or silk thread on woolen
material. When the embroidery
is completed, it is chemically treated
to dissolve the wool and leave only
the cotton or silk embroidery, which
takes on the appearance of lace.
stand pocket. A type of tailored
pocket having an upstanding part
as a ﬁnish for the opening.
stays. The stiffening pieces of a
corset; also, corsets themselves,
especially the early form of corsets.
These were originally almost instru-
ments of torture, but early in the
19th century they began to receive
the attention of manufacturers and
they have gradually been improved
until they are now pliant and elastic,
giving the desired freedom and yet
deﬁning the ﬁgure satisfactorily.
Steinkirk. A lace cravat worn in a
negligent way and taking its name
from the battle of Steinkirk (1692) in
Belgium, where the French had to
ﬁght with disarranged cravats.
stem-stitch. An embroidery stitch
sometimes called French stemming
and made by ﬁrst padding the outline
or stem with the running- or the
outline-stitch and then whipping this
over and over with very even stitches
made straight with the grain of the
fabric or worked diagonally. It is
used when heavier or more elaborate
work is required than can be done
by the outline-stitch.
stiletto (sti-lét’o). A small, sharp-
pointed instrument made of ivory,
bone, celluloid, steel, aluminum,
or other metal and used for punctur-
ing_ eyelet holes in material.
stock. A broad, stiffened collar or
cravat. The stocks wor n during
the Georgian period (1714-1830)
were tied in so many complicated
ways that a book was published con-
taining numerous diagrams and
charts describing many different
styles.
stockinet weave. A knitted fabric,
often in tubular fonn, largely used
for underwear.
stola (sto'la). The gown worn by the
women of ancient Rome draped
around the ﬁgure and containing
sleeves.
stole. A long, narrow scarf, usually
fringed at the ends and worn over
the shoulders; often made of fur.
A part of the vestments of the clergy
of Roman Catholic, Oriental, and
Anglican churches.
stomacher (sti‘1m'i-1k-er). An article of
dress, usually of -rich material and
elaborately ornamented, for the
breast and upper abdomen, having
the gown laced over it. Worn in
the 15th and 17th centuries. Stom-
achers were sometimes padded.
storm serge. A very light-weight
serge of hard, ﬁne weave with nap
made from comparatively low stock
with single yarn for both warp and
ﬁlling. Used for dresses, skirts,
and suits.
stowing. A term applied in the tailor-
ing trade to the joining of two edges.
It means to pack the edges together
closely so that the joining is scarcely
visible.
stranding thread.- Tailors’ gimp or a
thread, usually linen, twisted and
waxed and used to strengthen the
edge of a tailored buttonhole before
it is worked.
strap seam. A plain seam with a good
seam allowance, over which a bias
or crosswise strap of the same or
contrasting material is placed on
the right side after the seam has
been pressed open.
straw braids. The braids used in
making straw hats, which are largely
imported, the ﬁner braids coming
from South America, Italy, and
Switzerland and cheaper kinds from
China and Japan. They range
from } inch to 3 inches in width.


260
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
stroking. A sewing operation that
consists in laying the gathers after
they have been drawn up. It is
done by drawing a needle down be-
tween the gathers from above the
gathering thread and pressing the
little plaits under the thumb.
style. As related to clothes, style
pertains to the motif, the treatment,
or the design, in contrast with
fashion, which refers to the popu-
larity of a certain style, the common
trend, the prevailing mode. .
suede (swad). Undressed kid; that is,
a skin from which the outer part has
been rubbed off or skinned. Used
largely for gloves, but occasionally
employed as a dress trimming.
sugar-loaf hat. A hat in the shape of
an old-fashioned sugar-loaf, which
was conical and rounded at the top.
suit. A combination of two or more
garments constituting a single article.
sunburst plaits. A form of accordion
plaiting in which the plaits are very
narrow at the top and wide at the
bottom, thus producing a ﬂare.
surah (st‘1'ra). A soft, light-weight,
all-wool dress fabric woven in nearly
invisible cords or twills or in ﬁne
basket-weave effect. Also a light-
weight, soft, twilled silk.
surcoat. A loose garment worn by
men over armor during the middle
ages. Sometimes embroidered with
the wearer's coat-of-arms. Also, an
outer body jacket for women, often
trimmed with fur, in the 14th and
15th centuries.
swatch. A small piece of material,
especially one cut off for a sample.
Swiss. A dress muslin usually in
dotted or cross-bar effects. Used
for dresses and curtains.
T
tablier (ta-bli-e’). An apron-like part
of a woman's dress.
taffeta. A ﬁne, smooth, glossy, un-
twilled fabric, having considerable
body and alike on both sides.
Formerly, it was a very rich, strong,
and somewhat stiff fabric, but at the
present time it is made very pliable
and lustrous. It may be plain,
ﬁgured, striped, plaid, or changeable.
Used for dresses and general garment
purposes. Chrﬂan laﬁeta is a light-
weight variety of good quality and
soft, lustrous ﬁnish and is much used
for evening gowns.
tagal straw (ta-gal’).
which hats are made. It bears the
name of aDutch province in Northern
]ava.
tailleur (ta-yﬁr’). A French word
meaning tailor or tailoress. A tailor-
made suit or dress is now called
a tailleur, just as one speaks of a
“tailormade" in English.
tailored fell. A tailored seam made
in a way similar to a hand fell
but stitched by machine rather than
by hand. It is used extensively in
making unlined coats and skirts,
especially tailored wash skirts.
tailors’ chalk. Chalk used by tailors for
the marking of all lines in their work.
tailors’ tacks. See mark-stitching.
tamise cloth. See batiste.
tam o’shanter. A cap of Scotch
origin ﬁtting tight around the
brows but large and full above,
sometimes having a ﬂat top and often
a knot or a tassel.
tape. A narrow strip of ﬁrmly woven
cotton or linen. Lingerie tape is a
ﬁnely woven cotton tape which
comes in light colors and is used as
a ribbon substitute.
tape measure. A tape line usually
60 inches in length and % to i} inch
wide, and divided into inches, half
inches, quarter inches, and eighth
inches.
tapestry darning-stitch. An over-and-
over embroidery stitch that re-
sembles darned work when ﬁnished
but gives a solid effect in alternated
stitches. It is used as a border for
towels, table covers, etc. and in
conventional designs in fancy work
and dressmaking.
tarlatan. An open-mesh, slightly
stiffened fabric used for Christmas
stockings and as a stiffening in gar-
ments.
tartan. Originally, Scotch twilled
woolen or worsted plaids with dis-
tinctive designs and colors for each
Highland clan. These tartans ap-
peared in the shawl worn over the
shoulders and in the kilt. Now used
for suits and skirts.
A straw of


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
261
tassel. A pendant ornament consist-
ing of a tuft of loosely hanging
threads or cords as of silk or wool,
often headed with a silk-covered
button or mold. Tassels, like fringes,
were used in ancient times and were
decorative features of the costumes
of Nineveh and Babylon.
tatting. A knotted work of various
designs made with an oblong shuttle
and a single thread. The clover-
leaf and wheel designs are the ones
most frequently made. Imitation
tatting in no way compares with
hand-made tatting. Tatting is much
used as a trimming on lingerie,
dresses, children's clothes, and in
trimming fancy work.
taupe (top). The color of mole skin,
or dark gray.
Teneriﬁe lace (ten-er-if’). A lace made
largely in the Canary Islands and
having motifs of wheels and circles
like Paraguay lace. The wheels are
made by the natives over spools
that are held in the hand.
terry cloth. A material woven in looped
effect that forms an uncut pile. It
is made of cotton, linen, wool, or
silk and is used for many purposes.
In cotton or linen, it is called Turkish
toweling. It comes in stripes,
checks, plaids, or brocaded effects
in various colors.
tertiary colors (tér'shi-a-ri). The colors
produced by mixing pigments of the
secondary colors. The tertiary colors
are citrine, olive, and russet.
thread. A slender cord composed of
two or more yarns or ﬁlaments
twisted together and used in the
construction of a garment. Cotton
thread is made of cotton ﬁlaments;
linen thread, of ﬂax ﬁbers; and silk
thread, of silk ﬁbers.
thread shank. A thread tightly
wound around the threads that are
used to fasten the button to the
material, thus holding the button
away from the material and allow-
ing room for the buttonhole to come
between.
thrown silk. Raw silk that has been
doubled and twisted into yarns
of various sizes in preparation for
the loom. The principal classes
of thrown silk are tram, organzine,
and singles.
ticking. Firm, twilled, cotton fabric
in stripes, ﬂoral, and herringbone
patterns. It is used for pillows,
bedticks, and mattress coverings.
tie-stitch. Properly a millinery stitch,
but sometimes used in dressmaking
to fasten a fold in place from the
back or to make the ﬂat plaits of
ruches stand up in ruﬁles. To make
a tie-stitch, ﬁrst make a small stitch,
leaving several inches of the thread
with which to tie the other end.
After tying, cut the ends and proceed
to the making of the next stitch.
tier. As applied to dress, one of a
series of ruﬁles or ﬂounces. A tiered
skirt is one having several ruﬁles
placed one on top of the other.
tinsel. Very thin, glittering bits of
metal used to ornament articles of
dress.
tint. A light tone of any color; that is,
one approaching white. This term,
however, has been replaced by tone.
tinting. Coloring garments, material,
or lace by means of colored paper or
ribbon, red ink, or some commercial
preparation.
tissue cloth. A cloth made of silk
and gold thread. In the middle ages,
thin sheets of paper were put between
layers of this cloth to keep it from
tarnishing. This was the ﬁrst tissue
paper.
titian blonde. A type of person having
red hair, blue-gray or brown eyes,
a medium-clear or clear-white com-
plexion, and varying color.
toga (to'ga). The outer garment of a
Roman citizen, originally worn by
men and women but later conﬁned
to men. It was gathered together
on the left shoulder so as to hang in
broad folds.
togs. Articles of clothing, usually of a
particular kind, as skating togs.
tone. That property of a color which
distinguishes it from other colors or
from varieties of its own color in the
respect of its approaching or reced-
ing from black; that is, whether it is
darker or lighter.
top-coat. A coat worn over another
coat, as, an overcoat.
top dyeing. Dyeing over; that is,
dyeing on the top of other colors.


264
DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
underproper. A wire arrangement
that held up the huge ruffs worn in
the 16th and 17th centuries.
undersleeve. A separate sleeve of
light material wor n under the sleeve
of a woman's dress.
V
V neck. A neck line shaped like the
letter V in front.
Valenciennes lace (va-lan-syén'). . A
bobbin lace commonly called Val,
in which the same thread is used for
both the ground and the pattern.
The mesh is very open and of great
regularity, being hexagonal, square,
or diamond-shaped, with natural or
conventionalized ﬂowers or trailing
patterns. A distinguishing feature
of the real Val is the absence of any
outlining thread, the lace being ﬂat
and worked in one piece.
Van Dyck, or Vandyke, collar(v§.n dIk').
Large collars of lace or linen with
lace in deep points on the edge.
These collars were worn by so many
of the people who appear in portraits
painted by Van Dyck that they are
called the Van Dyck collar.
vegetable ivory. Material produced
from the seed of a tropical American
palm and used in the making of
buttons. It can be cut, engraved,
polished, and dyed more effectively
than any other button material.
velour (ve-lo'or'). A large variety of
soft, stout, closely woven, smooth
fabrics with raised and shorn nap.
Used for coats, suits, capes, and
dresses.
velvet. A silken fabric havin a short,
soft, thick pile surface an a plain
back. Introduced in the 14th cen-
tury in Italy, taking its name from
the Italian word “velluto," meaning
woolly to the touch. It may be all
silk or it may have merely a silk face
with a cotton or linen back. It is
used for dresses, suits, coats, and
trimmings, and for millinery pur-
poses.
velvet, croisé. A kind of velvet hav-
ing a coarse back and woven so as to
hold the pile ﬁrmly. Thus, it is
suitable wherever a durable velvet
is desired. It is much used for
trimmings.
velvet, Lyons. A kind of velvet hav-
ing a short nap that is not secure in
its back or foundation. Used chieﬂy
for draperies and bows, and in
millinery, for which it seems
especially adapted.
velvet, mirror. A velvet having a
shimmery appearance. It is woven
like plain velvet and then has its
pile dressed down. Used for trim-
ming and millinery purposes. Some-
times called paon velvet.
velvet, nacré. A velvet with a back of
one color and a pile of another,
which gives a beautiful changeable
shading resembling mother-of-pearl,
from which it gets its name. It is
used for evening gowns and wraps,
and as a trimming, especially in
millinery.
velvet, panne (pan). A kind of velvet
much the same as mirror velvet in
appearance, except that, in the case
of panne velvet, the nap is all laid
inthe same directionin the weaving.
velveteen. A cotton velvet with short,
close pile used for dresses, children's
wraps, and draperies. It is of
English origin, being originally a
twilled cotton with raised pile.
Venetian. (1) A ﬁne woolen cloth
somewhat similar to covert because
of the ﬁne diagonal that characterizes
it. Sometimes Venetian cloth re-
sembles whipcord and again it has
considerable nap and little twill,
like broadcloth. Used for spring
topcoats and suits and in lighter
weights for skirts and dresses. (2)
A very closely woven, strong cotton
fabric woven in satin or twill weave,
usually mercerized and dyed in the
piece. It has a glossy ﬁnish imitat-
ing silk and is used for linings, skirts,
and bathing suits.
Venetian lace. Guipure needlepoint
lace made in Venice, reticella being
the ﬁrst variety. Later, Punto in
Aria, “stitches in the air," was the
beginning of Point Venice. It con-
sists of needle-point motifs or designs
joined with an irregular network of
brides. It is used for dress trimmings
and curtains.
Venetian ladder work. A form of
embroidery work that consists in
outlining a design with two parallel
lines of buttonhole-stitches and con-


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
265
necting these with a series of cross-
stitches at regular intervals in ladder
fashion. It is used principally for
border work in conventional de-
signs.
vertical hemming-stitch. A hemming-
stitch taken at right angles to the
hem it is securing. It is used when
a very neat and inconspicuous hem
turn is desired or to secure a plain
hem over gathers on the right side.
vest. Formerly, only a close-ﬁtting
under jacket, which showed in the
front opening of a top coat. Now,
an extra piece of trimming in the
front of the waist of a woman's
gown.
vestee. A small vest used in the front
of a woman's dress.
vestings. Heavy, fancy materials,
usually highly colored and in Persian
and colored effect. Used for vests
and trimmings and for men's ties.
violet. A color or class of colors seen
at the end of the spectrum, opposite
the red end.
virago sleeves (vi-ra’go). Very full
sleeves tied in at intervals to form
puffs. Such sleeves were worn in
the Elizabethan period and are a
feature of the extravagant dress of
Cavalier times.
voile. (1) A plain, sheer fabric with
hard-twisted, warp and weft threads
woven in open mesh. Used exten-
sively for dresses. (2) A sheer,
open-mesh, semitransparent fabric
of silk or silk and wool. Used for
overdrapes, evening dresses, and
fancy blouses.
W
waistcoat. A vest, now commonly
sleeveless, covering the waist and
chest and worn under a coat.
Wallachian embroidery (wo-la’kl-an).
A kind of embroidery consisting of a
single-purl buttonhole-stitch used
to form both eyelets and leaves.
wardrobe. Wearing apparel in gen-
eral; all of a person's clothes.
warm color. A color in which there is
a predominance of yellow.
warp. The threads that run the long
way of a fabric, between which the
weft, or ﬁlling of cross-threads, is
woven. The selvage way of the
material.
wash satin. White, cream, or ﬂesh-
colored satin used for lingerie,
collars, and sports skirts and so
treated as to present a good appear-
ance after washing.
washable knot-stitch. An embroidery
stitch produced by making a loop
as for a chain and then fastening the
loop down with a couching-stitch.
Its chief use is as a border-stitch or
an outline-stitch.
waterfall. A silk fabric having the
luster of velvet and consisting of a
thin, slightly open foundation ribbed
with velvet pile so woven as to form
stripes about i inch wide and to
show warp threads between. It
drapes beautifully and is used for
evening wraps, scarfs, and millinery.
waterprooﬁng. The processes by
which cotton, wool, or silk, as well
as other closely woven fabrics are
rendered impenetrable by means of
various insoluble substances without
altering the chemical or physical
construction of the ﬁbers or the
yarns. The process must not alter
the pliancy of the cloth nor prevent
the admittance of air. The materials
used most for waterprooﬁng are
rubber, gutta percha, oils, fats,
varnishes, wax, acids, and oxides.
Watteau (wa-to’). A pattern or design
similar to those produced by
Watteau, an artist during the reign
of Louis XV (1715-1774). The
most popular Watteau styles were
the Watteau back, which is a style
of woman's dress in which the fulnms
of the back is conﬁned at the neck
in plaits or gathers and falls from
there to the hem of the skirt, some-
times forming a long train; the
Watteau bodice, having a square
neck and short sleeves terminating in
a rufﬂe; the Watteau mantle, which
was a cape with loose-plaited back;
and the Watteau hat, which was ﬂat
on top and raised toward the back by
a bandeau.
Watteau plait. A box plait at the
center back of a princesse gown laid
from the neck to the waist line and
then permitted to hang free to the
bottom of the skirt.
weft. See woof.


DEFINITIONS OF USEFUL TERMS
267
wool crépe. A woolen fabric having
a crinkly surface formed by using
alternately right-hand and left-
hand twist yarns in the ﬁlling. Used
for dresses.
wool taﬁeta. A wool fabric in a
closely woven, smooth weave.
Similar to panama but of a much
ﬁner quality. Used for dresses,
skirts, and suits.
woolens. Fabrics made from short,
staple wools.
worsted (wcT6s'téd or w6-or'sted). (1)
A woolen yarn used in making cloth
and having its ﬁbers laid parallel
rather than crossed. (2) A loosely
twisted yarn for knitting.
worsteds. Fabrics made from long,
staple wools.
wrap. An article of dress intended to
be wrapped around the body. In
the plural, outside garments.
wrapped skirt. A skirt designed so
that one side is folded or wrapped
over the other side.
Y
yam. A continuous strand of twisted
ﬁbers, whether animal, mineral, or
vegetable, for use in weaving and
knitting. By some, it is restricted
to woolen yarn only.
yellow. The color of the spectrum
between green and orange, similar
to that of brass or gold.
yoke. The portion of a waist which is
ﬁtted over the shoulders and to
which the rest of the garment is
sewed. A skirt yoke is a piece of
material ﬁtted over the hips and
the rest of the skirt is gathered or
plaited on it.
Z
zanella cloth (za-nél’a). See gloria.
zibeline (zlb él-In). A thick, woolen
material of plain weave entirely
covered with glossy hair, which gives
a nap § to } inch long. It is similar
to camel's hair except that the hair
is cut evenly. Used for suits and
Overcoats.
zephyr gingham. See gingham.


iv INDEX
Cotton ﬁlling for woven rugs, 214
ﬁnishes, 24
ﬂannel, 27
gin, 22
ginnery, 22
ginning, 22
gloves, Mending the ﬁnger tips of silk
or, 171
Indian, 20
material, Calendering of, 24
material, Mercerization of, 24
material, Printing of, 24
materials, Purchasing, 24
materials, Table of, 25 -
materials, Tests for quality of, 24
opener, 22
opening, 22
Peruvian, 20, 21
plant, Classiﬁcation of, 20
plant, Growth of, 21
Production and manufacture of, 20
rugs, Roving for, 214
Sea Island, 20
sorting, 22
South American, 21
spinning, 23
thread in lace-making, 77
Upland, 20
weaving, 23
Cottons, Table of, 26
Counterpanes, Bedspreads or, 189
Countries producing Irish crochet lace, 98
producing linen, 36
producing wool, 43
Couronnes, Deﬁnition of, 82
Coutil, 27
Covers and pads, Mattress, 186
Buffet, 199
Furniture, 212
Upholstery, 212
Covert cloth, 53
Crape, 69
Craquelé net, 98
Crash, 39, 180, 181
toweling, 39, 183
Cravenette, 53
Crepe, 28
Canton, 69
de Chine, 70
effect in wool material, Illustration of, 58
Georgette, 70
meteor, 70
wool, 53
Cretonne, 28, 192, 199
Crinoline, 28
Crochet lace, 98
lace, Countries producing Irish, 98
lace, Irish, 98
Crocheted rugs, 215
Croisé velvet, 74
Crompton, Samuel, 6
Cuffs on a. boy's blouse, Mending worn
sleeves and, 177
on men's shirts, Darning of collars and,’
176
on men's shirts, Turning worn collars
and, 176
Cultivation of ﬂax plant, 33
Culture of silk, 63
Curling, Preventing rugs from, 216
Curtain, Applying braid to a, 209
Applying lace to a, 209
casings, Width of, 207
ﬁnishes, Allowance for, 207
ﬁxture, Single-rod, 211
ﬁxture, Double-rod, 211
ﬁxture, Triple-rod, 211
headings, Width of, 207
hems, Weights in, 210
hems, Width of, 208
lace, 100
making, 206
making, ~Preparing materials for, 207
materials, Preserving the freshness of,
207
rod, Sash-, 212
rods, 211
shrinkage, Allowance for, 208
valance, Box—plaited, 210
valance, Pinch-plaited, 211
valance, Plain, 211
valance, Shirred, 210
valances, Making, 210
Curtains, Allowance for fulness of, 208
Brussels lace, 100
Cutting materials for, 207
Draw, 200
Finishing, 209
for bathroom windows, 205
for bay windows, 203
for bedroom windows, 205
for casement windows, 206
for door windows, 202
for French doors, 204
for kitchen windows, 204
for living-room or dining-room windows,
203 _
Glass or sash, 200
Measuring for, 206
Mending torn or worn, 172
Nottingham lace, 100
Panel, 200
Saxony Brussels lace, 100
Selection of, 199
Swiss Brussels lace, 100
Types of, 200
Curved-warp weaving, 10
Cushions, 199


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