SMART DRESSING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 8, 14 February 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

SMART DRESSING.

SOME OF THE ETCETERAS. MINIMISING THE COST. Never does one realise more painfully that it is "the little things which cost' ' than when going to buy the dainty furbelows and extra trimmings for dresses and' blouses. I shall tell yoa how some of the furbelows can be evolved at home with small cost of time or money. A smart tie, for: instance, that gives an * * air '' to the simplest blouse with a V cut neck, can be made with four inches of black satin cut across the width of thirty-six inch satin. Cut into twf strips, one seventeen inches, the other fifteen, turn in each strip a quarter of an inch on each side, finish the ends in a point and stitch on the wrong side in a turn and blindstitch the ends. Finish the longer strip with two small eyes across the squared end and the shorter with looj^s. The tie crosses at the point of the "V with the two ends falling oyer an accordion plaited jabot six inches deep. This may be made from the plaited frills that can be bought by the yard. Nine inches will be enough. Gathered the top into a two inch band of white silk and bind it down. Baste to the under side of black satin tie beneath the crossing point. The fold of the black satin tie is made from the few inches left on the width of the satin. Embroider the top in a simple design in colored worsteds, or one can have a monogram lightly padded and embroidered in one or two tones of colour in filo.

COLLAR FOR TAILORED FROCK. Such a tie can easily be made of remnants from black or white satin and the jabot can utilise ends of sheer creamy lace or a_ quarter of a yard left from'a chiffon cloth tunic, or the chiffon crepe, can be cut into two pieces lengthwise and the halves accordion plaited into two jabots. Hem the ends of the crepe in a half inch hem or finish with a picot edge. A collar that will be useful to wear with a tailored one pieee frock does away with the extremely low cut appearance of the neck when worn with a coat. Cut a shawl collar three inches deep at middle of back, finished, and harrowing to a point on each side in front. The length differs with the size of yodr neck and how low you wish to wear your blouse. The new shape fits high to the back of the neck and closes just at the base of the throat in front with a button and loop. It must be cut wide enough to roll over. The bottom is sewed into a narrow band. If you cannot get a pattern—which should be easy—'-experiment with paper until you get the right depth and roll to fit your neck. Cut the body of the collar double and sew in. a narrow seam on the wrong side, turn, baste the edges evenly, then baste to a large piece of paper. Make a bias strip of a coloured material folded to form a band or double fold a half inch deep. This means cutting the bias strip two inches wide and folding it over so each edge is even, theri_ fold in these edges until the desired depth. Baste the bias band on the poper following the shape of the collar and about three-eights inch away. Join the band to the collar with a simple fagoting stitch done in white or coloured cotton. This stitch is extremely simple. Start the thread under the fold edge—which faces the collar proper —and cross from left to'right,'taking a small stitch in the edge of the collar. Recross to the band and take another small stitch and return to the collar. The needle in crossing passes each time under the thread of the preceding stitch, thus giving the threads a twist at the edge of the material. Now cut away the paper and you have a pretty open work border connecting the two sections of the collar. Make two tabs seven inches long, three and a-half inches wide at the base, and two and' a-half at the top. Cut four pieces like this and join them right side to right side, sewing on a narrow seam and turning to make two tabs. Baste these to paper as you did the collar, . and shape the banding around them in the same way, following I down one side, across the bottom, and j up the other side to the top. The cor-

ners will have to be neatly mitered before the fagoting is done. < Sew the tabs under the fronts, of the collar so the front edges just meet at the point and the rest of the top is sloped to fit evenly around the collar band. Sew one to each side so the joining can be controlled by a single fastening of the collar. DEVELOPING THE SET. If desired cuffs can be made in the same way, making the solid part three inches deep, finished, and long enough to just meet around the bottom of the sleeve when the banding has ( been fagoted on. This length depends upon whether the sleeve is three-quarters or wrist length. There are various ways to develop such a set. It can fte of white striped or figured dimity, with a border of coloured lawn, or somewhat heavier, the body of, the set can be of pink, green, lavender, or blue linen, with the border of white linen or of a figured madras, or the set can be of white wash silk, both border and inner part with the fagoting in heavy coloured buttonhole silk, or a twisted embroidery silk.

A variation that is dainty but harder to launder can have the main part of the set of handkerchief linen or mull and the border of a colour in selfmaterials. Instead of making this of the folded strip cut two-inch wide bias pieces and join them with a half-inch ruffle of the colour between the edges. Hem and gather the ruffle —it should be bias strip, also an inch wide—and set its gathered edge up between the two bias strips which are faced right side to right side —if the material has a right and wrong. Sew in a narrow seam on the machine, turn the bands and baste on the lower edge so the ruffle projects. Npw turn in a narrow edge at the top, making both sides even, and baste again. Arrange the ruffled banding oh the paper following the shape of cuffs and collar, just as was done with plain banding, and fagot in the same way. NEW DE MEDICI EUCHES. A much simpler neck fixing by which you can utilise left-overs of lace or net and an odd piece of narrow fur is one of the new de Medici ruches. Cut a strip of the fur—it is prettier not more than an inch and a-half wide —long enough to go around the neck and fasten in a point at the bottom of the V neck opening of the blouse £>r dress with which it is to be worn. Cut a strip of white satin just the width and length of the, fur piece, but allowing enough for seams. - To the lower edge of this satin gather a ruffle of sheer shadow lace or dotted point d 'esprit three or four inches deep and to the upper edge gather a frill of inch and a-half wide to match. Baste these seams down on the; wrong side of the satin and cover with the strip of fur. Fasten the ruche with a/loop and button. Have the lace full enough at the points to conceal the closing. Allow nearly twice the length of the fur for each strip of lace. Wire the upper frill to keep it from falling, . If made of accordion plaited net cut an eight-inch deep strip and finish in a narrow hem on each end or bind with a narrow satin ribbon. Have a length plaited once and a-half or even twice the length of the fur. Eun a gathering thread through it far enough from the top edge to form the top frill, and run a second gathering thread nearly the width of the fur from the first one. Arrange the gathers on a piece of white satin ribbon and cover the lines of sewing with the fur band.