204 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



April 



But a full sleeve gathered into a band with ribbon, 

 like the neck of the dress, is much prettier and 

 will last much longer. Have no buttons, nor 

 hooks, nor pins, to fasten infants' clothing — use 

 tape or ribbon for this purpose. 



Bibs and short tiers any mother can make out 

 of small pieces of cambric or brilliant, binding 

 them with very narrow strips of pretty lawn or 

 muslin, or setting around the edge a row of tatting 

 or crochet in cotton. These save much washing 

 and ironing of dresses, as well as much wear. 

 But a baby four months old, or even younger, 

 should be supplied with long-sleeved tiers drawn 

 high about the neck ; made of gingham or calico ; 

 full enough to cover the dress well — hanging 

 loosely around it and being fastened at the belt, 

 behind, also at the neck. These tiers are such a 

 saving to the clothes of children, that all should 

 be furnished with them, to wear about their play 

 ■within doors, till they are twelve years old. And 

 girls should wear them several yeai-s longer, when 

 assisting in housework. The skirts of calico and 

 gingham dresses that are outgrown can be used to 

 make these tiers, though of course new goods will 

 last much longer. 



A baby needs a small woolen sack to wear over 

 its low-necked and short sleeved cambric dress in 

 cold weather. To make this, take one-third of a 

 yard of flannel, of some pretty color, and fold its 

 two selvages in a crosswise manner to the centre, 

 forming a double point; the selvages lying upon 

 one cut edge of the flannel, the other edge being 

 the front opening of the sack. From the centre, 

 which makes the top of the point, cnt a small 

 semi-circular piece, — thus forming the neck-hole. 

 The crosswise folds fit the slope of the shoulders 

 and are the centre of the sleeves, which are formed 

 by cutting the flannel parallel with those folds, at 

 a proper distance from them to make the sleeves 

 snCSciently wide ; for the length of the sleeve ex- 

 tend these cuttings to within two inches of the 

 arm size, and finish it at the hand according to 

 your taste. To shape the body of the sack, cut 



out gores under the arm, and then stitch a seam 

 there ; also stitch up the sleeves. Cut the corners 

 of the front to a circular shape, and then pink the 

 edge of the sack or cut it in small scallops. A 

 yam or worsted sack may be knit or crocheted of 

 the same shape. 



For the winter dresses of a babe that is old 

 enough to dispense with a wrapping blanket, use 

 nice flannel or thibet or all-wool delaine. Plain 

 is prettiest, though they are often printed in small, 

 neat designs. Don't get gaudy colors or showy 

 figures ; and make the dresses large enough to 

 last two seasons. A good way to make these 

 woolen dresses is to have the waist only a coacin- 

 uation of the skirt, arranging the fabric in plaits 



' at the belt, which are stitched in their folds to a 

 lining that fits the waist smoothly yet loosely. 

 Cut the sleeves as for cambric dresses, and bind 



: both them and the neck with silk or velvet. 



! A long, loose sack, lined and lightly wadded, to 

 be used as a moraing wrapper or dressing-gown is 

 a veiy convenient garment, not only for babies 

 but for all children. Its advantage for warding 



I off colds and chills in a half- warmed room should 

 not be overlooked, nor yet its economy in saving 



I much hard usage of better dresses. It can be 

 made at very little expense — by taking two or 

 three breadths of the skirt of your old thibet or 



j delaine dress and using as much taste and inge- 



' nuity in fabricating it as you would in making a 



! man's lounging coat. 



A baby's outside garment should be of the most 

 delicate flannel ; or else of thibet, lyonese cloth or 

 all-wool delaine of a quiet color ; made double, of 



' the same material, or lined with soft, colored cam- 

 bric of the same shade as the outside. Cnt and 

 make it in the fashion of a woman's water-proof 

 circular, with a hood attached, having also a cape 



I to wear with it when much exposed to cold. 



[This subject will be further corBidered in a subse- 

 quent chapter. The next chapter which will appear iu 

 ' our May number of the Monthly Farmer, will treat of 

 Woman's Out-door Work, Gardening, &c.] 



