86 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



trade-marked brands : Data on wearing qualities obtained from student 

 records. 



Baby layette — 



Investigation of cost and number of articles in ready-made, comparison 

 with home-made, planning of very inexpensive layettes and designing and 

 making of one pattern adapted to several garments. 



The students in residence at the MerriU-Palmer School have made a 

 special study of the problem of designing and making simpler clothing 

 for children, and simpler methods of fastening, a child's ideal outer 

 garment to combine coat, leggings, scarf, and hood, garments on the 

 market and the designing of patterns and the selecting of material. 



This course gives evidence of the wide range of research problems open 

 to women interested in textiles and clothing and the study of children's 

 clothing, which has been only barely begun as a piece of experimental 

 work and which, if continued, shonld be a worthwhile contribution not 

 only the clothing work, but to the health of the child. 



Field Work in Textiles and Clothing {H. E. 55 j : The purpose of this 

 course was to enable the student to investigate lines of work other than 

 teaching, to apply economic theory to clothing consumption, to study 

 retail trade and business methods in use in the commercial world. Four 

 students have chosen to work toward the position of buj-er in retail stores 

 and have spent the laboratory hours in salesmanship work in three of 

 the Lansing stores. 



Two other students wished to have more advanced work in clothing 

 constr-uction, especially in tailoring. They have worked with two of the 

 Lansing tailors and with a leading modiste. 



Another student has been interested in textile research. She has 

 worked on the subject of shrinkage — the best method and the relation 

 between price and qualitj' and the amount of shrinkage. Home dyeing, 

 stain removal and analysis of laundry soaps have also been worked on. 



FieJd Work in Millinerij (H. E. 536) : Out of a class of twelve stu- 

 dents in Commercial Millinery, eight did field work in two different shops 

 in Lansing. The class met regularly for three laboratory periods per 

 week or six hours. During each student's shop experience, she was asked 

 to report at only one class period ; the other two days she worked in town, 

 conforming to the rule of the shop as to hours — ^1 to 5 :30. 



With the co-operation of the person in charge of the work room, prob- 

 lems not carried out in cla«s were given in the shop. In most cases, the 

 students worked in .shop for six 'half days, •covering a period of three 

 weeks. 



It gave an insight into shop methods not possible to prasent in the 

 school laboratory, and thereby helped her to be better prepared to teach 

 in a vocational school. 



The creative instinct is much more easily developed when one is sur- 

 I'ounded by the materials with which to create. 



It develops speed which is necessary in the successful creation of hats. 



It gives the girls a sj-mpathy and understanding of the workers in 

 other fields. 



From the standpoint of the consumer, it gives her a better idea of the 

 real worth of a hat. 



