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 THE 
 
 LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 OF 
 
 MILLINERY AND DRESSMAKING, 
 
 WITH 
 
 PLAIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THE MOST USEFUL 
 
 ARTICLES OF DRESS AND ATTIRE. 
 
 WITH ADDITIONS BY AN AMERICAN LADY. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 J.S, REDFIELD, CLINTON HALL. 
 
 MDCCCXLIV. 
 
 
 
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 PRA ARABIA PPP LDAP IPL PLL IL LLL LPL ANE RAPP 
 
 ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1842, 
 By J. S REDFIELD, 
 in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, 
 for the Southern District of New York. 
 
 RRA PRIDDIS a* 
 
 
 
 ——<—_—— 
 STEREOTYPED BY REDFIELD AND SAVAGE, 
 
 | 13 CHAMBERS STREET, N. ¥. 
 ——<— $ 
 
 
 
CON'TEN'IS. 
 INTRODUCTION - - - = o - =) ae 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MILLINERY - . . : . @ S 9 
 
 Directions in bonnet-making. Materials. Drawn 
 bonnets. Silk bonnets. Children’s bonnets. Mourn- 
 ing bonnets. Directions for cap-making. Night caps. 
 Day caps. Net dress caps. Bonnet caps. Helmet 
 caps. Widows’ caps. Capotte. Lappets. Collars 
 and capes. Widows’ collars. Turbans. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DRESSMAKING - ‘ - - - . « See 
 
 Silk or stuff dresses. Muslin and print dresses. 
 Children’s dresses. Frocks for girls. Mantelet. La- 
 dies’ silk cloaks. Capes. Carriage cloak. Garden 
 cloak. A boy’s cloak. Piping. Plaits. Tucks. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ConcLusion - - : = - - - 656 
 
 
 

 
 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In a-community like that in which we live, 
 where respectability of appearance is essen- 
 tially important to our prospects in life, and 
 where, at the same time, the means of the vast 
 mass of the population are more or less limit- 
 ed, a wise and judicious economy is one of the 
 most valuable habits which can be formed and 
 practised by those who see a family rising up 
 around them, with daily-increasing wants, and 
 whom they are naturally and laudably desirous 
 of introducing into the busy scenes of the 
 world with that education, and those capabili- 
 ties, which appear most. likely and best calcu- 
 lated to insure success. 
 
 So strong is the wish in the bosom of the 
 parent to see his offspring prosperous and re- 
 spected, and to save them, as much as may be, 
 from those difficulties which beset his own 
 path in his youthful career, that we must con- 
 sider it as an innate propensity of our nature, 
 
 
 

 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 which, though often abused and carried to a 
 most criminal excess, is yet planted in the 
 bosom of man, by his all-gracious Creator, for 
 the best and most salutary of purposes. 
 
 This feeling of anxiety for the well-being 
 of our offspring, is, to a very considerable ex- 
 tent; manifested by both parents ; but it more 
 especially exhibits itself in the conduct and 
 habits of the wife and mother. We have wit- 
 nessed, with the most acute pain, the sacrifices 
 willingly and cheerfully made by conjugal and 
 maternal affection, in order that the husband 
 anid the child might be able to appear as she 
 thought they ought among their connexions 
 and associates; and we deem it the duty of 
 all to do the utmost in their power to point out 
 the means by which this proper and praise- 
 worthy desire may be gratified, without in- 
 curring those serious privations which the 
 éffort for its accomplishment not unfrequently 
 occasions. 
 
 Clothing is an item in the expenses of a 
 family, especially if that family consists of a 
 number of females, of no inconsiderable mo- 
 ment; and though the materials of dress are 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 at the present time exceedingly low, it must be 
 
 borne in mind that the remuneration for qnost 
 
 kinds of labor is also low, and that the cost of 
 
 making up apparel nearly doubles that of the 
 
 materials. That a knowledge of the most 
 common principles of millinery and dress- 
 making would be of essential service, both to 
 
 young ladies and the maternal heads of fami- 
 
 lies, no one, we presume, will venture to deny ; 
 and that such knowledge is seldom acquired, 
 
 is a fact equally beyond .the verge of dispute: 
 
 It is often felt that the means placed at her 
 
 disposal by the husband’s and the father’s in- 
 
 dustry are inadequate, without much contri- 
 
 vance, to support the mother and daughters in 
 
 that respectability of appearance they are, very 
 
 properly, desirous of maintaining ; and those 
 
 efforts to lessen expenditure are made which, 
 
 for want of the necessary instruction, often end 
 
 in aggravating the evils they were intended tg_ 
 diminish. 
 
 To all ladies thus situated this little hand- 
 book is respectfully presented ; and the author 
 cherishes the hope that it will prove eminently 
 useful in imparting those elementary principles 
 
 
 

 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of information, upon confessedly-important sub- 
 jects; which will enable the noble-minded 
 females of the United States to secure many 
 blessings of which they are at present de- 
 prived: to assume that respectability of appear- 
 ance which their modest worth and home-vir- 
 tues so well qualify them to adorn; and to 
 enable them, with serenity and cheerfulness of 
 mind, to cultivate those high moral faculties 
 which are the glory of a nature made only “a 
 little lower than the angels.” 
 
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 MILLINERY AND DRESS-MAKING. 
 
 CHAPTER I: 
 
 MILLINERY. 
 DIRECTIONS FOR BONNET-MAKING. 
 
 Tuat there is a charm in a neat and well- 
 made bonnet, is a fact that no one will be dis- 
 posed to deny, because all feel it; and it ap- 
 pears almost like an instinct of our nature to 
 desire that the head-dresses of those forms of 
 loveliness which move around us, and whose 
 sweet smiles constitute the sunshine of our 
 lives, should be worthy of the fair faces they 
 are intended to adorn. Fashion is ever chan- 
 ging, so that to lay down invariable rules for 
 any portions, and especially those which may 
 be considered the ornamental ones, of female 
 attire, is altogether impossible : still the gene- 
 ral principles are invariable, and the alterations 
 demanded by the fickle goddess who presides 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 over the ladies’ wardrobe exhibits her power, 
 not so much in the alterations of general cos- 
 tume as in an ever-varying attention to details ; 
 so that of most articles of er s may be said, 
 « Ever varying, still the same.’ 
 
 It is, then, essential that all to whom time 
 and economy of expense are of any value, 
 should be well grounded.in tliose general prin- 
 ciples which regulate the preparation of the 
 various articles of dress; and those who are 
 so grounded will find little difficulty im adapt- 
 ing such general knowledge to any particular 
 details which the changes of fashion may ren- 
 der it advisable to adopt. t 
 
 Millinery embraces the preparation of bon- 
 nets, caps, collars, and some other articles. 
 We shall treat of these matters as clearly and 
 concisely as possible, and hope that our labors 
 will be found highly conducive to the interests 
 and convenience of those we are especially 
 desirous of instructing. 
 
 We commence with bonnet-making. The 
 
 * The latest fashions can always be seen, however, at Mrs. 
 DEvEL’s, 297 Broadway,—a lady of taste and ——. who 
 stands at the head of her profess; 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. tl 
 
 first thing to be attended to is to have all the 
 materials ready before the work is commenced, 
 otherwise much confusion and loss of time 
 will be the consequence. Next, it will be 
 necessary, in making up these articles, to use 
 as much despatch as is compatible with accu- 
 taey and neatness. The materials employed 
 are in general of a light and delicate-colored 
 fabric; and leaving them to be tumbled and 
 erushed in a -work-basket, or on a table, is one 
 effectual way to get them so spoiled as to ren- 
 der theny unfit for use. On the other hand, 
 care must be taken not to make more haste 
 than good speed. Though it is necessary to 
 use despatch in making up a bonnet, it is equally 
 necessary that the utmost care and. neatness 
 should appear in every part. If the work is 
 so done as to make some contrivance indispen- 
 sable in order to hide an ill-finished corner, 
 and other parts which require the utmost cor- 
 rectness, the whole will appear vulgar and 
 slovenly, and will at once evince either cul- 
 pable ignorance or carelessness in the maker. 
 Much diversity of opinion exists as. to the 
 colors most to be preferred for bonnets. For 
 
 
 
12 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 young persons, bonnets look well made of 
 shaded silks; but for adults, silks of a light 
 and undecided color are, we think, most ele- 
 gant. No doubt, in the choice both of material 
 and of color, considerable deference must be paid 
 to the prevailing fashion. It is well to avoid 
 the two extremes into which some. people are 
 very apt to fall. The one is an entire disregard 
 to the prevailing taste, and the other a servile 
 submission to its tyrannie sway. A medium 
 course is the only sensible one, and, in this, 
 good sense will dictate how far to go and where 
 to stop. 
 
 Amid the variety of shapes for bonnets, the 
 straight cottage form may, in our opinion, claim 
 the pre-eminence: they will always, more or 
 less, be fashionable, being general. favorites. 
 Drawn bonnets have been much worn, and are 
 not likely to be soon out of favor ; they are 
 well adapted for summer, and have an exceed- 
 ingly neat appearance if proper pains are taken 
 in the construction of them; they have also 
 another advantage—they may be made of al- 
 most any material, and look well either in silk 
 or satin. Net is also employed for the same 
 
 
 
ee 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. 13 
 
 purpose, and made either of white or colored 
 muslin ; they look extremely pretty. We hope 
 the following directions will enable any young 
 lady to make her own. 
 
 If the bonnet is a full-sized one, and is made 
 of muslin the width of common print, the re- 
 quired quantity is one yard and a quarter; and 
 if the material be silk or satin, two yards will 
 be found necessary. The canes are bought 
 ready prepared, or you may use whalebone for 
 the slots if you prefer it':,it has one advantage, 
 that is, it is not so liable to break as the canes 
 are ; of course it is much dearer. Having got 
 all the requisite articles, you proceed to make 
 the bonnet as follows: First, make a founda- 
 tion, either of willow or pasteboard, the shape 
 you design the article to assume when finished, 
 and you may make the crown and front of the 
 bonnet all in one, or in separate pieces, which- 
 ever you think best. We shall first give di- 
 rections for making a drawn bonnet, with the 
 front and crown in one. This method is thus 
 executed: It may be proper to premise, that in 
 making a drawn bonnet with the crown and 
 front in one piece, you find yourself obliged to 
 
 
 
14 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 join a piece of the material to the crown as 
 neatly as possible, as neither silk nor satin is 
 of a sufficient width, unless the bonnet be very 
 small. You are first to take one yard and a 
 quarter of the silk, and doubling it lengthwise, 
 round off the corners by the pattern previously 
 made ; then slit the silk down the middle, and 
 run it together at the outer edge. Then turn 
 it so as to have the running on the inside. 
 Next make the places to receive the canes. 
 You are to make four or five of these runners 
 close to the edge, all round, in order to give it 
 sufficient strength, and just wide enough to 
 admit the canes. Above these the other run- 
 ners are to be made about half an inch distant 
 from: each other, and with a small hole to ad- 
 mit the canes; when the latter have been put 
 in, these holes are to be sewed up. The run- 
 ners are to be made with sewing silk, which 
 is not to be cut off, but left, as by its means you 
 can the more easily draw the bonnet to the 
 proper shape. Continue these runners until 
 you have completed the whole front, and then 
 proceed to make the crown thus: Make rune 
 ners the same distance as in the front, andthe 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 15 
 
 same number close at the top as you made in 
 the edge. Having finished all the runners, 
 measure the proper length of the canes by the 
 pattern, cut them off, and insert them; you 
 must also insert a-wire of sufficient strength in 
 the place of the second cane from the edge. 
 You are then to draw up the silk both of the front 
 and the crown to its proper size, by means of 
 the silk ends you left to the runners, and fasten 
 them as neatly and securely as possible, 
 What is called the head-lining, is a piece of 
 silk or muslin, neatly hemmed, and of the same 
 depth as the crown, which having inserted, you 
 cut the curtain from the silk, three quarters of 
 a yard in length, and half a quarter deep ; this 
 curtain is to be finished by a narrow slip cut 
 on the coss, sewn on to it, turned over, and 
 hemmed neatly down on the under side. The 
 curtain is cut crosswise of the silk. In prefer- 
 ence to the narrow slip, some persons put @ 
 cord round the edge of the curtain, which must 
 have a runner and cane at the top, on which 
 you draw it to the size required. The bonnet 
 is now complete, and can be trimmed as taste 
 and faney may direct. 
 
 
 

 
 16 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 Another method of making this kind of bon- 
 nets is to have the front and crown separate. 
 | In this case, the front is made in the same 
 manner as in the former example in all re- 
 | spects. The same lengtheof material is re- 
 | quired, which is to be doubled and cut in the 
 | same manner. For the crown you make a 
 1 foundation of willow or stiff muslin, and you 
 ; must so make the round patch at the top as 
 ) that it will stand half an inch above the edge. 
 This top piece is to be covered with plain silk, 
 Ht and before you cover the sides of the crown 
 you must sew it on to the front; you need not 
 have the crown double silk, as an inferior ma- 
 terial for the lining is quite sufficient. You 
 \ make runners for the crown, and prepare the 
 Hi curtain as before directed. 
 | Bonnets of this kind, when formed all in 
 one piece, are best made of muslin or of net, 
 and they are especially light and agreeable in 
 the sultry days of summer. 
 
 Bonnets of various shapes are made of plain 
 and figured silk or satin, and must in all cases 
 be formed upon a stiff foundation. The best 
 and most economical way is to purchase a 
 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 17 
 
 foundation of the shape required, which is to 
 be found in the different millinery establish- 
 ments. Having procured one to your mind, 
 proceed as follows: Detach the crown from 
 the front, and shape the material by the pattern, 
 tack the lining and the outside to the front and 
 cord, or otherwise secure the edges. ‘Then 
 make the crown, covering the top first; then 
 put on it the piece of the material that is to go 
 round, in a proper manner, and secure it at the 
 top by a single or double row of cord, fit it as 
 tightly as possible to the frame you had before 
 prepared, and fasten it on at the back. You 
 then turn in the edges and set it on to the front. 
 The edge of the crown is to be outermost, or 
 over that of the front. You put in the head 
 lining and attach the curtain as in the former 
 examples, and trim it as you choose. 
 
 Bonnets for children are, for the most part, 
 made in the same manner, and of the same 
 materials. 
 
 An acquaintance with the directions here 
 given will soon enable any one to make a bon- 
 net of almost any shape. The principles are 
 the same in all, and details can not be learned 
 
 
 
18 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 from books—they can only be the result of 
 observation and experience. 
 
 Mourning bonnets are made of black silk 
 and trimmed with crape, or, if for deep mourn- 
 ing, covered with crape. In trimming mourn- 
 ing bonnets, the crape bow and strings are 
 generally broad hemmed, the double hem being 
 from half an inch to one inch broad: For very 
 deep mourning, the front of the bonnet has a 
 fall or veiling of crape, half a yard deep and a 
 yard and a half long, having a broad hem at 
 the lower edge. ‘The upper edge, being drawn 
 up to the size of the front, is either inserted 
 between the covering and the lining, or is set 
 m along the upper edge and covered with a 
 fold of crape. 
 
 DIRECTIONS IN CAP-MAKING. 
 
 The next branch of millinery to which we 
 shall direct attention is that of cap-making. 
 Some attempts have been made recently to 
 discard the use of night-caps, as detrimental to 
 health ; but it is not likely that such old friends 
 will be speedily abandoned at the dictum of 
 new and untried theories. We give the two 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 19 
 
 following examples as among the best we 
 know ; of course the variety of shapes is al- 
 most beyond calculation. 
 kh Nicut Cars.—The first is made as follows : 
 Es The head-piece is made 
 
 ~ 
 
 
 
 ? Ve of one piece of thick mus- 
 ee Z= lin, and the crown, which 
 ae v4 is in the shape of a horse- 
 gs shoe, of another. You 
 must be careful to have 
 both quite large enough to 
 admit of the cap being 
 drawn up to the size required, which is done 
 either by a strong thread or fine bobbin, run 
 into the slots indicated in the accompanying 
 engraving. Having drawn up both parts to 
 the proper size for the head, you unite them 
 with a cord run in between them, and overcast 
 the raw edges on the inside. You sew the 
 front and ends into a narrow band of muslin 
 made double: then finish by setting on the 
 
 | border and strings, as shown in the pattern. 
 
 : 
 b | The next example we shall give may be 
 { either made entirely of muslin, or of muslin 
 ) and lace. The cap itself is made of muslin, 
 
 
 
20 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 and drawn to the proper size of the head by 
 means of slots, as in the last 
 
 pattern. The crowr is gath- 
 
 ered full at the head-piece. 
 
 p / The ene may be either 
 
 be set with lace at the edge ; 
 
 in either case, they must be 
 first whipped, and then set on to the cap full. 
 You must be careful not to hold the lace 
 edging too tight while setting it on. These 
 are very elegant night caps, and the details 
 may be varied at pleasure. 
 
 Day Caps are worn by most married ladies, 
 and by some that are still single. ‘They are 
 of a great variety of shapes, and almost ‘all 
 kinds of material, but especially lace, and plain 
 or figured net; both white, colored, and black, 
 are used in the making of them. To insure 
 accuracy and prevent waste, it is always ad- 
 visable to cut the patterns in paper. The fol- 
 lowing may be made either in white or colored 
 net, and looks extremely well: 
 
 First pattern: Make a head-piece or front 
 of the annexed shape, cutting it by a paper 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 21 
 
 rie See pattern the size 
 required; then in 
 
 a similar manner 
 
 eR C—-—' cut the crown, 
 
 which is in the shape of a large horseshoe. 
 The double head-piece is short at the back, 
 but long at the ears, and you will require half 
 a yard of net, of the ordinary width, to make 
 one cap. You cut out the head-piece first, and 
 put the kind of wire called riband-wire all 
 round it; you then set the crown in plain at 
 the top, and the fulness plaited in neatly at the 
 bottom: the width must not exceed two inches. 
 This cap is trimmed with riband, one piece of 
 which is to be placed across the cap where 
 the crown and the head-piece meet. For the 
 border you will require from three to four yards 
 either of net or lace, which having plaited, 
 you set on full at the sides, aud quite plain in 
 the centre. The border at the back is set on 
 full, and you have strings of riband. Some 
 ladies wear an artificial flower, or flowers, 
 which gives to the cap an elegant and appro= 
 priate finish. 
 
 Second pattern: This is made of one piece 
 
 
 
THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 Ps '_ of net, which is ‘cut as 
 shown in the accompany- 
 ing figure. It is the most 
 easy to make of any shape- 
 
 Back. we know. The ears are 
 
 formed by the corners ; the front is formed and 
 
 kept in shape by a riband-wire ; and the crown 
 
 is made by plaiting inthe back. Jtmay be 
 trimmed and bordered as in the first pattern. 
 
 Dress Car.—This is’ made of net, and is 
 
 == formed of two pieces, exclu- 
 
 E. MY sively of the border and trim- 
 
 / mings. The pattern must be 
 
 cut in paper both for the head- 
 
 pieces and the crown. The 
 
 head-piece is, when opened, 
 
 twelve and a half nails long, and two wide. 
 
 The paper pattern is only a half one, and the 
 
 material is to be doubled before cutting it. 
 
 You cut from the front in a slant line, com- 
 
 mencing at the point of the double, and re- 
 
 ducing the open ends half a nail; you also slit 
 
 from the back at’ the bottom, one mail and a 
 
 half in depth, leaving the extremities only an 
 
 obtuse point. The crown is in length four 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 23 
 
 nails and three quarters, and five nails wide. 
 You cut off from the top, having previously 
 doubled it half a nail, sloping it round at the 
 corners: the bottom corners are done in a 
 similar manner. Make the cap up by first 
 putting wire round the head-piece, and then, 
 having previously whipped the crown, setting 
 it on plain for about two nails above the ears, 
 and the remainder in small plaits, quite to the 
 front. The back is also plaited a little to make 
 it fit properly to the head; and in cutting the 
 slants for the head-piece, you must do it in the 
 shape of a quarter of a circle. The cap is 
 bordered with blonde, or lace set on full, and 
 a small bow is put on at the back. Over the 
 front a riband, either white or colored, »is 
 brought, which is left of sufficient length to 
 form the strings. 
 
 If you would have this cap more ornamental, 
 take two pieces of wire, a little shorter than 
 the front, and quill them with the same kind 
 of blonde, or lace, as that of which the border 
 is made, but narrower than the border, and not 
 so full. ‘The wires are to be covered with a 
 narrow riband, and one of them is set on at 
 
 
 
24 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 the joining of the crown and head-piece, and 
 the other between it and the border. 
 
 A Boutiir Cap.—This is made of net, and 
 is neat and convenient. You 
 commence by taking a square 
 of seven nails, which you 
 double, and the back is hol- 
 lowed out a little. You then 
 
 hem the front and the back, and join it up at 
 the top with a piece of lace, satin, or riband, 
 about one nail in length; the rest of the top 
 is whipped and gathered to the point of the 
 insertion work. The border is of blonde, net, 
 or lace, and is set on full and double at the 
 sides, single and plain in front. A simple 
 flower placed between the double border on 
 each side, is a neat and tasteful addition. 
 
 A Heimer Car.—This is made up for a 
 morning dress, and is easily done. The usual 
 material is tulle, or lisse. It is in three parts, 
 and is made as follows. The pattern for the 
 sides must be four nails long, and two nails 
 and three quarters broad. The front is a little 
 sloped, and the back is curved from the ears 
 about half a nail. This curve must be two 
 
 
 
¥ ra. 
 
 SoS 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. 25 
 
 nails in depth from the front, and you slope 
 upward from this point two nails and a half; 
 leave half a nail straight, and round off the 
 comers at the top to one nail and a quarter; 
 the rest is left straight. Having thus cut the 
 side pieces, you must take a strip of the net, 
 three quarters of a yard long and two nails 
 broad, in front, gradually decreasing to one 
 nail and a quarter ; behind this you must gather 
 evenly on both sides, and set onto the other 
 pieces full all the way. The cap will then 
 resemble the accompanying 
 figure. . You wire both the 
 front and the back, and bind 
 them with riband. The stitches 
 rm, are to be concealed by a riband 
 ¥ or rouleon of satin, and you 
 trim the cap as fancy or good taste may dictate. 
 
 Wipow’s Cap:—The making 
 of this requires care. ‘The 
 material is white crape or book 
 muslin. The pattern must be 
 cut in paper, which is to be 
 laid on the material. The lat- 
 ter, of course, must be doubled. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 26 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK. 
 
 The paper for the crown is the full length, but 
 only half the width required. Get a piece of 
 
 } 
 . 
 . paper seven and a half nails long, and three 
 | and a half nails wide. ‘This»you slope on one 
 side; and commencing from the double, you 
 | measure two nails and three quarters, and then 
 proceed in a line slightly curved upward, for 
 i three nails and three quarters, from which you 
 round off the corner two nails and a half, 
 leaving one nail straight at the top. For the 
 a half head-piece, your paper must. be one nail 
 and a quarter in width, and three nails and 
 three ‘quarters in length. The ends of this 
 are sloped from the corner on one side, so as to 
 reduce the other three quarters of a nail. ‘The 
 cap is made up by setting the crown into the 
 head-piece, the shortest side of which joins it, 
 and you must be sure to throw most of the ful- 
 ness to the front; then hem it both before and 
 behind, and set on the borders, which are made 
 of the same material as the cap, and are one 
 quarter of a nail broad. They are set on as 
 full.as possible, and are doubled in front. ‘The 
 borders are hemmed, and a round stick is rum 
 through, which gives them the appearance of 
 
 
 
es 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. ZF 
 
 being crimped. A tape is put through each 
 hem, by which it is drawn to its proper size 
 and kept in its place. Binders are laid upon 
 the head-piece, which are made in the follow- 
 ing manner: You require a piece of the mate- 
 rial two yards in length, and one nail and a 
 half broad. In this you make a tuck, in the 
 middle, and a broad hem on each side ; through 
 these the stick used for the border is put, and 
 a tape is run in as before, and for the ‘same 
 purpose. These bands are fastened behind. 
 The chin band is made nearly in the same 
 manner. Both edges are hemmed and crimped 
 with the stick, and are also furnished with a 
 tape. The length is three quarters of a yard, 
 and there is no plain piece left between the 
 hems. ‘These are pinned on each side of the 
 ears of the cap. 
 
 A Capotrr.—This is often worn by young 
 ladies who are liable to take cold. 
 It is thus made: A piece of silk 
 », Or satin riband is taken of the proper 
 
 
 
 two nails in breadth, which is re- 
 duced to half a nail, by the inser- 
 
 
 
THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 tion of a riband-wire at each edge. Cross 
 pieces of wire in the middle and at each end 
 are introduced, for the purpose of keeping the 
 riband its full width. Another piece of wire, 
 covered with riband, the same as the front, 
 goes at the back of the head, the length of 
 which must be made to fit the wearer, and care 
 must be taken that it does so in as accurate a 
 manner as possible, as. almost all the comfort 
 and ease of the capotte depend upon it. This 
 is firmly sewed on to the front, a little above 
 the ears. The border is-of net, blonde, or 
 tulle; and set on to the front in plaits ; upon 
 the edge a satin or gauze riband is laid in folds, 
 so as to cover the stitches and form the strings. 
 A similar one is laid upon the back, and some- 
 times a small bow is placed there in addition. 
 You trim the border according to taste or the 
 prevailing. fashion. 
 
 Larrrrs.—These are made of net, lace, or 
 blonde, set on, as a double border, to a riband, 
 which forms the strings. They may be either 
 plaited all round, or left plain in front. In the 
 latter case, a plain piece of blonde is generally 
 passed over the forehead. 
 
 
 
FO PL oy 
 iene taal 
 
 ere EE. 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC, 29 
 
 CoLLars anp Caprs.—These are so nume- 
 rous and various, both in their shapes and ma- 
 terials, that to give particular examples in a 
 hand-book is impossible. The general prin- 
 ciples in all are the same; they are worn as a 
 finish to the dress, and should be made to sit 
 as neatly upon the neck and shoulders as pos- 
 sible. Velvet, silk, net, lace, and various kinds 
 of muslin, are the materials employed ; they 
 are made plain, and with worked edges, square- 
 cornered, or in a semi-circular form, as best 
 suits the taste of the wearer, and the purpose 
 they are intended to answer. They are some= 
 times made with a small collar to turn down 
 upon a larger one ; neat ones are made of clear 
 muslin, with a border of braid laid on in various 
 tasteful devices. The widow’s collar is made 
 of book-muslin, with a broad hem at the edge, 
 and over this is placed black crape. ‘The cuffs, 
 generally from five to seven inches deep, are 
 made the same way and of the same inaterials. 
 Collars for slighter mourning are made of mus- 
 lin, crape, or net. 
 
 Tursans.—The foundation of a turban is 
 usually made of slight buckram or stiff muslin, 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 THE LADIES” HAND=BOOK 
 
 cut so as to form a broad band for goimg round 
 the head, with a peak or point to rise above 
 ihe forehead. ‘This band has a chip and thin 
 wire at the upper and lower edges, and is lined 
 with persian or sarcenet. The material of 
 which the turban is made (being crape, tulle, 
 or gauze—frequently a gauze handkerchief) is 
 then pinned on according to your pattern or 
 your taste, with a few occasional stitches. As 
 turbans are rarely trimmed, they should be 
 neatly put together in every part. On all sides 
 they should be finished so as to bear the eye. 
 
 To make a turban in the Turkish style, two 
 lengths of gauze, perhaps two gauze scarfs, 
 are twisted, one over the other, round the foun- 
 dation. <A piece of the gauze is left over to 
 cover the crown, and the ornamented ends 
 hang down on one side. 
 
 
 
ee 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. 31 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 DRESSMAKING. 
 INSTRUCTIONS IN CUTTING OUT A DRESS. 
 
 In many instances, to be able to cut out and 
 make up a dress is an acquisition of no small 
 advantage to its possessor. ‘This useful branch 
 of female education is not, in our opinion, cul- 
 tivated with that care its importance demands ; 
 and, in consequence, much expense is often 
 incurred where the money might be applied to 
 other important aud necessary purposes. Some 
 people have an idea that.they can. cut out a 
 gown or other dress merely by looking at one 
 already made, or by an inspection of the draw- 
 ings, and in most cases very deficient descrip- 
 tions, found in books of the fashions: but this 
 is a sad mistake. No great exertions ate 
 necessary in order to become capable of prac- 
 tising this part of domestic economy ; but still 
 its principles must be understood, and its most 
 simple rules impressed on the memory, before 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 32 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 anything like accuracy, to say nothing: of pro- 
 ficiency, can be attained. 
 
 No one will deny the importance of dress ; 
 it is, in fact, an index to the character; and 
 the female who is utterly regardless of her 
 appearance, may be safely pronounced deficient 
 in some of the more important qualities which 
 the term “ good character” invariably implies. 
 On the other hand, a regard: to neatness and 
 order, held in due subordination to the exercise 
 of the nobler faculties, will generally be found 
 to stand in close connexion with an earnest 
 endeavor after the attainment. of intellectual 
 and moral excellence. ‘hus, an attention to 
 neatness in dress, and to its judicious arrange- 
 ment, so as to be in accordance with the sta- 
 tion and circumstances of the wearer, becomes 
 of much more moment than, on a superficial view 
 of the subject, some might be disposed to admit. 
 
 Most girls begin dressmaking very early ; 
 that is to say, when they clothe their dolls: 
 and very good practice it is. When their 
 mother gives them a remnant of print, and they. 
 tum it about, and measure it to ascertain 
 whether there is enough for a frock, and if 
 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 33 
 
 there is not enough for a frock, determine 
 whether it shall be a petticoat or a pinafore, 
 and cut it out accordingly,—all this is practice — 
 in dressmaking. When the doll is bidden to 
 lie very still to be fitted, and when she is laid 
 sometimes on her face, sometimes on her back, 
 and sometimes held with her head downward, 
 while a paper pattern of her waist is being 
 cut,—all this is practice in dressmaking. The 
 practice will be all the better if the mother can 
 spare a minute to look on, and point out that 
 the front of the body may, if convenient, be 
 cut on the cross, but that the backs and arm- 
 pieces must be straightwise of the cotton; and 
 if she can just show how far back the join of 
 the sleeve should go, and how the skirt should 
 be a little taken up in front, that it may sit 
 well, and not hang lower before than behind. 
 It will be kind in the mother, too, not to allow 
 bad work in a doll’s dress, any more than in 
 her own gowns. If you have had a mother 
 or a schoolmistress who let you dress a doll, 
 and made you do it neatly, you have had as 
 good an introduction to your future business as 
 you could desire. 
 2 
 
 
 
34 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 From making your doll’s frocks, your next 
 step was, probably, to make your own. Your 
 first attempt, perhaps, was to run the seams of 
 the skirt of your cotton frock,—to run the sel- 
 vage seams with a backstitch, and, in case of 
 a gore or half-breadth, to make a hem with 
 the selvage over the cut edge. If you puck- 
 ered it in the least, | hope you were made to 
 take it out and do it again, taking care to pin 
 the edges together at short distances the whole 
 length, that you might not find, when you came 
 to the bottom, that one breadth gave you an 
 
 inch or two over the other. Some few things 
 about making a skirt should have been ex- 
 plained to you at the beginning—things which 
 are true about the making of all skirts, through 
 every change of fashion, and whether the dress 
 be of the coarsest stuff or the richest satin. 
 These are— 
 
 ist. That you al pin or tack together 
 the breadths of the skirt at the top, before you 
 begin, so that you may not chance to put in 
 more gores on one side than the other (if there 
 are gores), or find that the hind-breadth comes 
 to one side. 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 35 
 
 2dly. That you should, while thus arranging 
 the breadths, look very carefully that no one 
 breadth is turned wrongside out, if there are 
 two sides ; or, if figured, with the pattern up- 
 side down. 
 
 3dly. That, as the uppermost edge takes up 
 the most, as your work lies over your finger, 
 and as the cut edge stretches more than the 
 selvage, you should, as beforementioned, pin 
 from top to bottom, before you begin to join 
 them, the breadths on which you are employed. 
 This is the surest way of avoiding puckering. 
 
 4thly. That you should, as often as possible, 
 begin your run at the top, so that if there is 
 any left over, it may go off at the bottom, where 
 it is of the least consequence. You can do 
 this in every case but where you have to join 
 a cut edge and a selvage, and must begin 
 at the bottom, in order to have the selvage 
 uppermost. 
 
 Sthly. That you must remember that gored 
 skirts hang lower at the bottom of the gores 
 than either before or behind, and that the first 
 turning in of the hem should be therefore Jaid 
 in rather deeper at the sides of the skirt. 
 
 
 
THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 6thly. That you should make your fastenings 
 so good as that the dress may wear out before 
 they give way. ‘This is particularly important 
 with regard to the pocket-holes and the open- 
 ings behind, which should be well secured by 
 stitching, or a bar at the turn. It is very try- 
 ing to a lady to find her skirt slit down behind 
 the first time she slips her gown over her 
 head, or her pocket-hole give way before she 
 has put her hand into it half a dozen times. 
 With these remarks, and a proper share of 
 attention, the following instructions will remove 
 much of the difficulty in which the novice in 
 the art of dressmaking finds herself involved. 
 First the materials for the intended dress 
 must be procured, and it is advisable, whenever 
 practicable, to get them all at the same time. 
 The necessary requisites are the material, the 
 lining for the body and skirt, wadding, cover- 
 ing, hooks and eyes, silk, thread, and what is 
 called stiffening muslin. You will require all 
 those for a silk dress, and most of them for 
 those of other fabrics. 
 Having thus procured the required articles, 
 proceed to cut out the dress, first measuring 
 
 
 
 
 th 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
As 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. 37 
 
 off the number of breadths of the proper length 
 for the skirt (which is, of course, to be regu- 
 lated by the height of the wearer, and by the 
 manner in which it is intended to he made), 
 and try them carefully on one side. If tucks 
 are to be introduced into the skirt, a proper 
 allowance must be made for these, as also for 
 the turnings both at top and bottom. You next 
 cut out the sleeves, as being the largest parts 
 of the garment except the skirt. In cutting 
 out the sleeves, you must first prepare a paper 
 pattern of the required shape ; then double the 
 lining, and cut it exactly the shape of the pa- 
 per, leaving about an inch all round for the 
 turnings in. You will thus cut the sleeve 
 linings both together, and will avoid some labor 
 and all danger of making one larger than the 
 other. Double the silk or other material so as 
 that both the wrong sides may face each other, 
 and cut the sleeves by the lining just prepared. 
 To secure exactness, it is best to tack it to the 
 material. Be careful to lay the straight side 
 of the pattern to the selvage of the silk. 
 
 The sleeves being thus prepared; proceed to 
 take the proper measures for the front and back 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 38 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 of the body, by fitting a paper pattern to the 
 shape of the person for whom the dress is in- 
 tended. The paper should be thin, and you 
 commence by folding down the corner the 
 length of the front, and pinning it to the middle 
 of the stay-bone. Then spread the paper as 
 smoothly as possible along the bosom to the 
 shoulder, and fold it in a plait, so as to fit the 
 shape exactly, and bring the paper under the 
 arm, making it retain its position by a pin; 
 from this point you cut it off downward under 
 the arm, and along the waist; the paper is 
 then to be rounded for the arm-hole and the 
 shoulder, and you must recollect to leave it 
 large enough to admit of the turnings. In the 
 same manner you proceed to form the back, 
 pinning the paper down straightly ; and leaving 
 sufficient for the hem, you fit it to the shoulder 
 and under the arm, so as to meet the front. 
 You will thus have an exact pattern of half 
 of the body, and this is all that is necessary, 
 as, of course, you cut both sides, both of the 
 front and back, at the same time. The linings 
 are t6 ‘be cut by the pattern, and the silk by 
 the: linings. You must take care to cut the 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 39 
 
 front crosswise of the silk, and in two sepa- 
 rate pieces, which are afterward joined in the 
 middle. If the plait made m the pattern be 
 very large, it must be cut out on the silk, or 
 the body will not fit well to the shape; if 
 small, it may be left: but we think that, in all 
 cases, to cut it out is the preferable method. 
 
 It is not generally advisable to cut out the 
 half of the back all in one piece, as it fits bet- 
 ter with pieces joined at the sides; these are 
 called side-bodies; and this method should 
 always be adopted, unless the lady has a very 
 flat back: in that case, it is best to cut the half 
 all in one piece. The backs must be cut 
 straight ; and it is best to tack the material to 
 the lining before cutting it. 
 
 Having thus prepared the several parts, be- 
 gin to make the garment, by running or seam- 
 ing the breadths of the skirt together; and be 
 sure that it is made full: a narrow or straight 
 skirt is now completely, and very properly, 
 exploded. Run the seams as evenly as pos- 
 sible, fastening the ends to your knee, or to a 
 pincushion screwed to the work-table, to hold 
 them firmly. Run the lining together in a 
 
 
 

 
 40 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 similar manner, and fasten each of the outside 
 seams to a corresponding one in it; after which 
 turn the edges at the top down on the inside, 
 and sew them firmly together. Between the 
 lining and the silk it is usual to introduce some 
 kind of material, as stiffened muslin or wad- 
 ding, to hold the bottom of the dress in its 
 proper place. ‘This is fastened to the lining, 
 and the silk is hemmed down upon it. Care 
 must be taken that no stitches appear on the 
 right side. An opening in one of the seams 
 must be left for the pocket-hole, which must 
 not exceed one quarter of a yard in length. 
 You run the silk and the lining together, as at 
 the top, and make a plait which is to be folded 
 over on the right side; this is secured at the 
 bottom, and conceals the opening. Having 
 thus completed the skirt, to which flounces 
 may be added, or into which tucks may be in- 
 troduced, if deemed advisable (they seldom are 
 in silk dresses), you proceed to make the 
 sleeves, running up a cord on one side of the 
 silk or other material, and folding both the silk 
 and the lining the same way, you stitch them 
 together, and leave an opening at the wrist ; 
 
 
 
 ed 
 
 ns 
 
 oe 
 
 ~ 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 41 
 
 you then turn the sleeve, and the edges being 
 on the inside are not seen. The sleeve being 
 thus seamed up, it is, if full, to be gathered, or 
 done in small plaits at the bottom, to the size 
 of the wrist. The gathers, or plaits, are set 
 into a narrow band, lined, and you cord as you 
 please, or as is most in accordance with the 
 prevailing fashion. You next put on the trim- 
 mings at the top of the sleeve, and then set it 
 into the arm-hole with small plaits. Some put 
 on the trimmings after the sleeve has been set 
 on to the body; but it is a most incorrect and 
 inconvenient practice. 
 
 The next thing to be done is to put the seve- 
 ral parts of the body or waist together. This 
 should be done slightly, and the body tried on, 
 in order that the fit may be made as perfect as 
 possible. When this is done, sew the parts 
 firmly together, and put a cord over all the join- 
 ings except those under the arms. Fasten the 
 plaits down on the fronts, hem the parts which 
 require it, cut the proper shape round the neck, 
 and see that the arm-holes are so made as to 
 be easy and agreeable. Then hem the back, 
 stitch the dress up the front as firmly as you 
 
 
 

 
 42 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 can,and do the same at the shoulders, the side- 
 bodies, and under the arms; after which you 
 must put a cord or band at the waist, and also 
 insert a cord round the neck. This cording 
 of the neck and waist require much care and 
 attention ; for if not done properly, the appear- 
 ance of the dress will be spoiled. In case you 
 prefer a band to a cord at the waist, it must be 
 lined, and the lining put on first, and afterward 
 covered with the material of which the dress 
 is composed. If there be any trimming on 
 the body, it must be put on before the sleeves 
 are set in. A cord is to be set round the arm- 
 holes as neatly as possible. 
 
 The body being now finished, you have only 
 to set it on to the skirt, which is to be doubled 
 more in front than at the back, in order to form 
 the slope. You gather the part not plaited, 
 and join it to the body. In setting on the 
 back, it is best not to gather it, but to fold each 
 gather as you proceed: this secures an even- 
 ness not otherwise easily to be obtained. The 
 depth of the slope varies, and no certain rule 
 can be given, except that in all cases the skirt 
 must be a little shorter before than behind ; 
 
 
 
 oe 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 43 
 
 otherwise much inconvenience will be found 
 in walking, especially where it is the fashion 
 to wear the dress of a considerable length. 
 
 It is often deemed desirable to have a cape 
 to the dress of the same material. This is 
 often found to be a great convenience ; and no 
 great art, though a proper degree of attention, 
 is required in making it. The lining is to be 
 tacked to the silk or stuff, and the cape cut out 
 by a paper pattern the size and shape required. 
 Before taking out the tacking thread, a cord 
 should be run in at the edges, and these latter 
 are to be turned, and the lining sewed down 
 firmly upon them. You now take out the 
 thread, and ornament or leave the cape plain, 
 just as you please. In making flounces, you 
 must remember that they must in all cases be 
 cut on the cross, otherwise they will not hang 
 with that degree of exactness and freedom 
 which is desirable. They are to be run ona 
 cord at the top, the size of the skirt, and 
 gathered. ‘They should also be corded at the 
 lower edges. Sometimes a slot is made at the 
 top of the flounce, and the cord run in. ‘This 
 is much to be preferred to the common method. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 Tucks, with or without open work between 
 them, have an exceedingly neat appearance, 
 and never look out of fashion. They are 
 especially proper in black and white dresses ; 
 and when they are put on, it is essential that 
 they should be cut straightwise of the material. 
 To cut them crosswise is decidedly improper. 
 It is sometimes good economy to make the 
 sleeves of a dress in two separate parts each, 
 so that the lower portion can be taken off at 
 pleasure. For an evening dress this is found 
 very convenient, as the under part will come 
 off at the elbow, and a ruffle of lace can be 
 substituted in its place, which gives a short 
 sleeve a neat and finished appearance. 
 
 The directions here given apply principally 
 to dresses made of stuff or silk. In those 
 made of muslin or calico some slight varia- 
 tions occur. These latter are not always lined ; 
 indeed, cotton prints for summer wear are sel- 
 dom done so; but the lining of muslin dresses 
 is becoming much more common than it was 
 some years since, experience having shown 
 that the dress when lined through sits much 
 neater upon the person than it does without. 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 45 
 
 In cases where linings are omitted, a piece of 
 some strong material must be run in at the bot- 
 tom of the skirt, and firmly held down with 
 the hem. But we think a thin lining, even for 
 the light dresses worn in summer, is to be pre- 
 ferred. It is a good plan to set a cord round 
 the bottoms of dresses; they soon wear, but 
 the cord is a great advantage, as when it gets 
 unsightly, a new one can with little trouble be 
 put in its place, and the dress remains the 
 same length as before. 
 
 If proper attention be paid to these direc- 
 tions, any lady may soon learn to make her 
 own dresses ; to do which would be, in a va- 
 riety of instances, a decided advantage. Where 
 there is a family of children, the mother finds 
 that if she has to have all their dresses made 
 by hired hands, it will most materially increase 
 the expenses incurred for clothing ; and to avoid 
 this, she does them herself, without the requi- 
 site experience: the chance is that she wastes 
 more in one way than she saves in the other, 
 and the garments are illy fitted in the bargain. 
 
 In making children’s dresses, many of the 
 directions already given will be found equally 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 46 
 
 
 
 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 
 
 applicable. Frocks for both boys and girls 
 are generally made with the bodies full, but the 
 
 pattern must be cut plain in paper, the same as 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 in the garments intended for persons of more 
 mature age. The bodies of children’s frocks } 
 are often made without linings, but, as a 
 general rule, we think the practice is excep- 
 tionable. The clothing of young persons 
 should always be made so as to support the 
 frame, without cramping its growth, or im- 
 peding its muscular action by unnecessary and 
 injudicious pressure. The skirts of frocks in- 
 tended for little boys are often cut crosswise, 
 and look pretty and becoming. In dresses 
 made of figured silk, or muslin, or cotton prints 
 (for children), the tucks should always be cut 
 crosswise. ‘This is especially to be attended | 
 to in plaid patterns. 
 
 Frocks for girls are by some persons directed 
 to be made to come high up to the neck. This 
 is, in our opinion, a practice that should be 
 avoided. The body, on the contrary, should 
 be rather low, and made to lie firmly upon the 
 projecting part of the shoulder, but not to fall 
 off upon the upper arm: this is almost as un- 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 47 
 
 sightly as the high body we disapprove of. 
 The graceful form of the bust, one of the most 
 exquisite productions of creative skill, should 
 by no means be concealed ; a necklace is its 
 proper adornment; and should it be said that 
 the clothing them up to the neck is necessary 
 on the score of health, nothing can be farther 
 from the truth. In fact, a moderate exposure 
 to the action of the sun and air is essential to 
 the possession of good health. The notion 
 that to cover up the neck and bosom of a little 
 girl will prevent her taking cold, is ridiculous 
 in the extreme. It is the most likely way we 
 know of, of securing the evil it is intended to 
 avoid. A holland or diaper pinafore, made to 
 come up to the throat, and put on at times of 
 unusual exposure to the cold, would answer 
 every desirable end. We hope that all mothers, 
 who may read our observations, will at once 
 abandon the idea of high-bodied frocks being 
 im any way conducive to the health or comfort 
 of their female children. 
 
 Mantetet.—In the making of this useful 
 and favorite article of ladies’ attire, there is 
 much variety in the materials employed. They 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 48 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 
 
 are sometimes made of shawling, but more 
 commonly of silk, satin, cloth, velvet, and me- 
 rino. The mantelet comes down nearly to the 
 knee, and is lined either with silk or muslin, 
 and occasionally with glazed cotton cloth. 
 The shape is that of the cape of a cloak, and 
 should be cut by a pattern to insure accuracy ; 
 five breadths of the material will be required, 
 and the neck is hollowed to make it fit com- 
 fortably ; it can be either gathered into a band 
 or set on toa collar. In the latter case, the 
 collar must be made to turn over. You trim 
 the mantelet in any manner you think the most 
 becoming, with velvet, satin, or fur; or it may 
 be trimmed with either fringe or lace. It is 
 neat, and very convenient for a lady, either for 
 a short walk, or as a part of a summer’s even- 
 ing dress ; in the latter case, the material and 
 lining should be as light as possible. 
 
 Lavies’ Six Croax.—Choose a silk that is 
 of a color not liable to fade, of which six 
 breadths are required, and the width of the 
 cloak is five breadths ; the length is, of course, 
 made according to the height of the person 
 who is to wear it. You cut the shoulder pieces 
 
 
 
cnereer 
 
 OF MILLINERY, ETC. 49 
 
 first in paper, taking a cloak already made for 
 your guide, and having fitted them exactly to 
 the person, lay the paper upon the lining, and 
 cut it out; the silk is cut out by the lining; and 
 be careful to leave sufficient for the turnings in. 
 Prepare the coflar in the same way, pointed at 
 the corners and slanting toward the neck; the 
 collar is hollowed out at the top from the front 
 corners, to a sufficient depth behind, to insure 
 its falling gracefully over the shoulders and 
 back. It is lined with silk, between which and 
 the outside stiff muslin is to be introduced. 
 The shoulder pieces are to have flannel or 
 wadding between the silk lining and the mate- 
 rial. ‘Those who have no cloak at hand from 
 which to take a pattern for the shoulder pieces, 
 may obtain one by the following simple method: 
 Take a piece of thin paper, and cut it in the 
 shape of a round collar; hollow it out at the 
 top, until it will lie over the shoulders perfectly 
 straight and close. 
 
 The various parts being thus ready, proceed 
 to make up the cloak. First the. breadths are 
 to be seamed together, so as to show the 
 stitches as little as may be. One breadth is to 
 
 
 
50 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 be thrown to the back, and at one nail and a 
 half from the seam cut the arm-holes three and 
 a quarter nails long, and two and a quarter 
 below the shoulder pieces, which are to be 
 next made by running the material and the 
 lining together, with the wadding between 
 them, on the wrong side, and then turning 
 them. You next double the three back breadths, 
 and hollow them so as to fit the shoulder 
 pieces; into which the whole is afterward to 
 be set in as full and even as possible, the two 
 front breadths reaching to the shoulder, and all 
 the rest being set on to the back. At the dis- 
 tance of four nails from the shoulder pieces, 
 plait in the back so as to fit the waist; and a 
 band, of a sufficient length to encircle the per- 
 son, is laid upon the folds behind, and drawn 
 to the inside through two apertures cut on each 
 side, and worked as button-holes ; this band is 
 fastened by buttons or hooks in front. Some- 
 times a riband-case is made on the inside, and 
 strings run through it, which answers the same 
 end. You next make the collar in the same 
 manner as you prepared the shoulder-pieces, 
 and set it on to the neck. These cloaks are 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 51 
 
 trimmed in various ways. The arm-holes, 
 when not in use, are concealed by pieces of 
 the silk, three and a quarter nails in length, 
 and half a nail in breadth, which are lined and 
 set on to one side. They must have a row of 
 piping set on all round. You may trim the 
 fronts with a hem, one nail and three quarters 
 deep, of velvet, cut crosswise ; or, if you pre- 
 fer it, you can substitute an edging of fur: but 
 we think that velvet looks the most handsome 
 and becoming. The cioak is sewed round the 
 neck with silk cord of the same color, and 
 finished with tassels, or an ornamental clasp is 
 adopted ; either is suitable, and may be used 
 at pleasure. 
 
 These cloaks are very elegant, when prop- 
 erly made. Sometimes they are furnished with 
 capes of the same material, which are gene- 
 rally loose, and are found very convenient. 
 They may be worn as mantelets, without the 
 cloak, and are made as follows: 
 
 Take a sheet of paper as large as you in- 
 tend half the cape to be, and round off the cor- 
 ners so as to form it into a perfect circle ; 
 double this, and from the straight side cut a 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 52 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 small half round for the neck: open the pat- 
 tern, and from the front of the inner half circle 
 double one side in a slanting direction, for the 
 opening in front. No precise rule can be given; 
 but the paper must be so fitted to the person 
 that the fronts may meet when the cape is 
 worn. Having got your pattern correct, cut 
 out the lining by it, and lastly the silk for the 
 cape ; both, but especially the outside, must be 
 cut crosswise. The lining and silk are to be 
 neatly run together and then turned, and the 
 back seam seamed up. ‘The trimming of the 
 cape must be the same as that of the cloak. 
 CarriacE CLioax.—For persons who have 
 to travel in cold seasons or in open carriages, 
 these cloaks afford a degree of warmth and 
 comfort not to be despised or disregarded. 
 The material is either plaid or some woollen 
 fabric, and the manner of making a cloak of 
 this description is as follows: The material 
 should be eleven nails in width, and the gene- 
 ral length of the cloak is one yard and a half. 
 Of this, five breadths are sufficient for the 
 width of the skirt. ‘The arm-holes are made 
 at the distance of five nails from the top, and 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 53 
 
 are five nails in length. This cloak is fur- 
 nished with sleeves, which are sewn almost 
 plain into the arm-holes, and may be made 
 use of or not, as is deemed most convenient. 
 They are made of squares of the material, 
 eight nails by eight, so that when doubled and 
 sewn up they are eight nails long and four in 
 width. The cloak is gathered at the neck into 
 a band the proper width, and a collar is added, 
 as are also one or,more capes. ‘The length of 
 the neck-band varies, but its medium length is 
 ten nails. This kind of cloak is lined through- 
 out with calamanca, glazed cotton cloth, or 
 flannel ; and it is a wrapper, without which no 
 delicate female should presume to travel in our 
 uncertain climate. A neat button, clasp, or 
 chain, secures it at the throat. 
 
 GarpEN Croax.—This is a useful article, 
 and is generally made of plaid or merino. 
 Three breadths of the latter, of what is called 
 double width, will be sufficient for the cloak ; 
 of the former you will require five breadths. 
 You cut the shoulder-pieces and the collar as 
 before directed, and the arm-holes are made in 
 the same position as those in a silk cloak; 
 
 
 

 
 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 they are three nails and a half from the lower 
 part of the shoulder piece, and four nails in 
 length. They are concealed by pieces lined 
 and piped, as those for a silk cloak. “The 
 whole of the garment is lined with glazed cot- 
 ton cloth, either of black or of any other color 
 that is deemed suitable, and fastened at the 
 neck by a hook or clasp. 
 
 A Bov’s Care or Cioax.—This may be 
 made of Scotch plaid or any other suitable 
 material. You cut an entire circle, as large as 
 you design the cloak to be ; in the centre of 
 this, cut a small aperture, about twice the size 
 of that required for the neck, and cut thence 
 to the edge on one side; this makes the open- 
 ing for the front. Gather the neck into a band, 
 hem the fronts on the outer edge, and the cloak 
 is complete. 
 
 Pirine.—This is often used as an ornament 
 or finish to silk cloaks or other dresses. It 
 is made in the following manner: enclose a 
 cord of the proper thickness in a strip of silk 
 cut crosswise, and put in on in the most even 
 manner possible. 
 
 As plaiting and making tucks are much used 
 
 
 
 
 $$ a 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 55 
 
 in dress-making, we close with directions con- 
 cerning them. 
 
 In plaiting, make the plaits as even as pos- 
 sible ; and in double plaiting, they must be laid 
 both ways, and made to meet in the middle. 
 
 Tucks require to be made even, and it is a 
 good plan to run them by a card cut the proper 
 width. ‘They must be run on with small and 
 regular stitches, and a backstitch must be taken 
 constantly as you proceed. 
 
 
 

 
 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In the foregoing pages, we have imbodied, 
 in a concise but intelligible form, a mass of 
 information, which experience and observa- 
 tion have convinced us was much needed by 
 thousands and tens of thousands of those who 
 are the glory of the land that gave them birth, 
 and who, amid their scanty and limited means, 
 are most laudably ambitious to appear, in the 
 truest sense of the word, respectable. To 
 those, and to the affectionate mothers and de- 
 voted wives, who are anxious to make the most 
 of the means placed at their disposal, we trust 
 that our labor, and it has been truly a “labor 
 of love,” will prove an acceptable offering. 
 Already we behold, in mental vision, many a 
 delighted mother and daughter, conning over 
 the lessons of useful economy we have thus 
 endeavored to impart, and rejoicing that at 
 least one pen has been devoted to aiding the 
 but half-informed in the more economical out- 
 
 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 57 
 
 lays of the proceeds of industry, and the bring- 
 ing within the sacred precincts of domestic 
 life a new rivulet of prosperity and happiness. 
 
 In whatever light we view it, the needle is 
 an object of the most fascinating character. It 
 is a home friend; and while it confers upon us 
 all unnumbered blessings, it is a source both 
 of utility and pleasure, that is within the reach 
 of all. In joy and in sorrow, in health and in 
 sickness, in life and in death, it is our com- 
 panion, our solace, and our helper. Thus, ever 
 ready to obey our guiding will, let us be sure 
 to profit by its silent but eloquent instructions. 
 As the needle turns not to the right hand or 
 the left from the occupation assigned, so let us 
 pursue, with undeviating footsteps, the ap- 
 pointed path of duty; and as it ever points 
 with strict fidelity to the attracting magnet, so 
 Jet us in all our works, whether useful or orna- 
 mental, turn to Him “in whom we live, and 
 move, and have our being.” 
 
 There is something calculated to afford high 
 delight to the heart which expands at the 
 prospect of any increase in the sum of human 
 happiness, in the fact that, since the com- 
 
 
 

 
 58 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK 
 
 mencement of the present century, much more 
 attention has been paid to the subject of dress, 
 by the mass of society, than had been pre- 
 viously bestowed upon it. ‘This is one of the 
 most favorable signs of the times, since it is 
 closely, and in some respects inseparably, con- 
 nected with the elevation of the mental stan- 
 dard, and the development of those higher 
 powers by which human nature is so promi- 
 nently distinguished above the animal creation. 
 No one who has paid the least attention to the 
 subject can doubt, for a moment, the close alli- 
 ance which subsists between the honest pride 
 of appearance and the desire to secure the 
 highest attainable amount of intellectual cul- 
 ture and improvement; and no one really pos- 
 sessing a heart can refuse to rejoice in this 
 undeniable mark of general progression. We 
 are sensible, that if not under proper guidance, 
 this desire to attain a more respectable and 
 elevated position in society may degenerate 
 into a mere love of show and finery. But we 
 are disposed to look on the bright side of things, 
 and to come to the conclusion that elements 
 are now at work which will produce not only 
 
 
 
 ht 
 
 
 
OF MILLINERY, ETC. 59 
 
 a refined and elevated taste, but a correct and 
 well-regulated judgment. We consider it the 
 peculiar glory of our age, that woman is ac- 
 knowledged to be fully capable of, and worthy 
 to share in, the most exalted intellectual pur- 
 suits. ‘To her, as well as to the boasted lords 
 of the creation, the treasures of art are freely 
 opened ; and she is invited in the society of 
 those most loved, to walk through the glorious 
 paths of knowledge, and to drink with them 
 full draughts from the opened fountains of 
 enlarged information. 
 
 To render herself worthy of this her im- 
 proved and still improving condition, is the 
 duty, and should be the pride, of every female. 
 And when it is considered how much a neat 
 and becoming mode of atiire adds to the at- 
 tractive force of woman’s charms, it will be at 
 once seen, that to attain that object with the 
 least unnecessary sacrifice of time, labor, and 
 expense, is a matter of no mean consideration ; 
 and that any effort tending to this end, however 
 humble, is deserving of the countenance and 
 encouragement of all who are desirous of co- 
 operating in the designs of the benevolent 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 THE LADIES’ HAND-BOOK. 
 
 
 
 60 
 
 
 
 Creator, and who, recollecting that He himself 
 has declared that “it is not good for man to be 
 alone,” are desirous of investing the fair forms 
 of those intended for our comfort and delight 
 with every. personal and mental excellence, 
 calculated to render them worthy of the high- 
 est esteem and most devoted affection of the 
 wise, good, and accomplished among mankind. 
 
 ~ 
 
 THE END. 
 
 
 
J. S. REDFIELD, 
 
 CLINTON HALL, 
 Corner of Nassau and Beekman streets, 
 
 PUBLISHES, AND HAS FOR SALE, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, 
 
 THE FOLLOWING POPULAR BOOKS: 
 
 Ladies’ Hand-Books. 
 
 A Series of Hanp-Booxs For LApIEs, edited by an American 
 Lady—elegantly bound with faney covers and gilt edges. Im- 
 perial 32mo. 
 
 No. 1. BABY LINEN— 
 
 Containing Plain and Ample Instructions for the 
 preparation of an Infant’s Wardrobe; with 
 engraved patterns. 
 
 “Indispensable to the young wife.”— World of Fashion. 
 
 No. 2, PLAIN NEEDLEWORK— 
 
 Containing Clear and Ample Instructions where- 
 by to attain proficiency in every department 
 of this most Useful Employment; with en- 
 gravings. 
 
 “Tt should be read by every housekeeper, and is highly use- 
 
 ful to the single lady.”—Ladies’ Court Circular. 
 
 No. 3. FANCY NEEDLEWORK AND EMBROI- 
 DERY— 
 
 Containing Plain and Ample Directions where- 
 by to become a perfect Mistress of those de- 
 lightful Arts; with engravings. 
 
 “The directions are plain and concise, and we can ape rece 
 ommend the yolume to every reader.”—New La Belle Assemblee. 
 
 
 
WORKS PUBLISHING BY J. S. REDFIELD. 
 
 No. 4. KNITTING, NETTING, & CROTCHET— 
 
 Containing Plain Directions by which to become 
 proficient in those branches of Useful and 
 Ornamental Employment; with engravings. 
 
 “A more useful work can hardly be desired.”—Court Gazette, 
 
 No. 5. EMBROIDERY ON MUSLIN AND LACE- 
 WORK, AND TATTING— 
 
 Containing Plain Directions for the Working of 
 Leaves, Flowers, and other Ornamental De- 
 vices ; fully illustrated by Engravings. 
 
 “Tt should find its way into every female school.”—Gazette of 
 Education. 
 
 No. 6. MILLINERY AND DRESSMAKING— 
 
 Containing Plain Instructions for making the 
 most useful Articles of Dress and Attire; with 
 
 engraved patterns. 
 “In this age of economy, we are glad to welcome this practical 
 book.”—La Belle Assemblee. 
 THE WHOLE FORMING A USEFUL AND ATTRACTIVE 
 SERIES OF Books. Eacu WorK COMPLETE IN IT- 
 SELF. Any number sold separately. 
 
 A NEW AND SPLENDID FAMILY BIBLE. 
 The Pictorial Bible—Being the Orp and 
 
 New Testaments, according to the authorized 
 version, with more than oNE THOUSAND ENGRA- 
 VINGS, representing the Historical Events, after 
 the most celebrated pictures of West, Rar- 
 FAELLE, Rusens, MicnarL ANGELO, GUIDO, 
 Poussin, and Carracct. The Lanpscare ScEngs, 
 from original drawings, by Meyer, Cassas, 
 Forsin, Frazer, Lasorde, and others; and the 
 
 
 
ee 
 
 t 
 0, 
 
 AS, 
 
 he 
 
 WORKS PUBLISHING BY J. S. REDFIELD. 3 
 subjects of Naturat History, of Costume, and 
 of Antiquities, from ANCIENT scuLPTURE, and 
 from the best sources, ancient and modern.— 
 With full Marginal References ; the latest and 
 most authentic Mars; an elegantly-engraved 
 Faumy Recorp; and the Trxt, from the Stan- 
 dard Edition of the American Breue Society. 
 
 
 
 Pictorial New Testament. 
 
 The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
 Christ, with views of places mentioned in the 
 text, and accurate delineations of the costumes 
 and objects of Natural History.—With an av- 
 THENTIC Map or Patestine, from recent sur- 
 veYys. 
 
 The Pictorial New ‘Testament 
 with the Book of Psalms. 
 
 Criminal History of England. 
 
 Criminal History of the English Government, from 
 the first massacre of the Irish to the poisoning 
 of the Chinese. By E. Recnautt. Translated 
 from the French by an American, with notes. 
 
 A vivid picture of the wrongs perpetrated by England upon 
 the rights of nations. 
 
 WARDLAW ON MAGDALENISM. 
 
 Lectures on Magdalenism; its Nature, Extent, 
 Effects, Guilt, Causes, and Remedy. By Rev. 
 Ratrx Warptaw, D. D. Delivered and pub- 
 lished by special request of forty Ministers of 
 the Gospel, and eleven hundred fellow-Chris- 
 tians. From second Glasgow edition. 
 
 
 
WORKS PUBLISHING BY J $. REDFIELD. 
 
 
 
 ROLLIN’S ANCIENT HISTORY. 
 
 The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Cartha- 
 ginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and 
 Persians, Grecians, and Macedonians ; including 
 a history of the Arts and Sciences of the An- 
 cients. By Cuartes Rorzin; with a Life of 
 the Author by James Bett. 2 vols. octavo— 
 with maps and plates. 
 
 GUIZOT’S GIBBON, 
 
 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Em- 
 pire. By Epwarp Gisgon, Esq. A new edition, 
 revised and corrected throughout, preceded by 
 a preface, and accompanied by Notes, critical 
 and historical, relating principally to the propa- 
 gation of Christianity: by M. F. Guizort, Minis- 
 ter of Public Instruction for the Kingdom of 
 France. 2 volumes, octavo. 
 
 SEARS’ PICTORIAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF 
 THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Pictorial Illustrations of the Bible and Views 
 in the Holy Land. Illustrated with 600 Engra- 
 vings. By Rosert Sears. Three volumes. 
 Twenty-five thousand copies of this Work have been sold 
 
 within two years. 
 EASTERN ARTS AND ANTIQUITIES. 
 
 Eastern Arts and Antiquities—Being Illustrations 
 of Manners, Customs, Costumes, &c., &c., of the 
 inhabitants of the Holy Land.—130 Illustrations. 
 
 BIBLE QUADRUPEDS. 
 Bible Quadrupeds—An account of the Quadrupeds 
 mentioned in the Bible, with sixteen splendid 
 Engravings, 
 
 
 

 

 

 
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