CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 85, 11 April 1931, Page 3 (Supplement)

CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

"RENEWING" OLD DRESSES, TWO PRACTICAL EXAMPLES. (Conducted by Tinkerbell.) Dear Girls, — Many of last year's dresses have become a little dull and appear not quite so attractive as they did a season ago. Yet there is much wear to be had from them, and with everyone practising economy, Busy Bees will have to follow suit. Really last year's dresses can be made to look quite pretty so long as a little time, and thought is put into retrimming and touching them up a little. To-day I intend to give two practical demonstrations of dresses which have been renovated. The illustration on the left shows a dress which originally was too short for the owner, but which, after being treated, looks quite nice again. Originally the dress was 2in too short, so a strip of contrasting material 2|in wide and long enough to go round the bottom of the skirt was cut and a

tiny hem made along one edge. The atrip of material wa« then tacked to the hem of the dress. Next the join was gone over with running stitches or stem stitches of coloured wool, care being taken not to pull the stitches too tightly. Groups of lazy daisy flowers were worked at intervals along this line, as is shown in the accompanying illustration. Narrow strips of the same material were sewn round the neck and armholes of the dress, and when dainty decorations of tiny woollen flowers were added the frock looked almost as good as new. The second picture gives many ideas to one "touching up" an old dress. In this case the original dress was of plain coloured cotton, and in renewing it a pocket was cut_ from contrasting linen and was trimmed at the top with floral cretonne. This was sewn to the pocket shape, the top raw edges were turned in, and the pocket was buttonholed into position, enough space being left at the top for a hand to be inserted. A cretonne flower was appliqued to the skirt above the pocket. _ Last of all, the right front of the bodice was trimmed with a group of flowers to match, and a very pretty dress was the result. The original busy bee will be able to turn out some very smart frocks by touching up the old ones, and so .may dress as smartly as she wishes, with only very little expense.