56 FLIGHT FROM THE CITY 



Western civilization which has to be made in fac- 

 tories. 



With women's garments, the field for weaving and 

 for the needlecrafts, even with prevailing styles, is 

 much broader. The garments illustrated show coats, 

 suits, and dresses all made from fabrics woven in our 

 home. I presume I am rather prejudiced in the matter, 

 but it seems to me that the garments Mrs. Borsodi 

 has produced in our home compare favorably with 

 those which most women buy ready to wear today. 



The sewing-machine is a most important piece of 

 domestic machinery. It is doubtful whether any other 

 piece of machinery pays larger dividends upon the 

 investment made in it. Yet it remains a tool, to be used 

 when needed and laid aside, perhaps for months at a 

 time, when no sewing has to be done. In combination 

 with the loom, the sewing-machine takes on new sig- 

 nificance both economically and artistically. What I 

 have here in mind can be made clear by quoting from 

 an article by Mrs. Borsodi in The Handicrafter, which 

 describes one of her suits: 



The suit was made from a twill suiting. The yarn was 

 a weaving special; the warp tan No. 136, and the weft a 

 lovely green, No. 755. The weave was a simple twill made 

 with four treadles operated i, 2, 3, 4 and repeat. Four 

 yards of material 27 inches wide were used. The suit was 

 based upon a Vogue pattern, which was modified in many 

 details. Since I had never before tailored homespun, it 

 took many more hours of time to produce the suit than 



