746 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
NOV 9 
HOME DRESS-MAKING. 
OLIVE E. DANA. 
I T is the season once more for changes 
and remodellings, and, let the impecu¬ 
nious rejoice, it is the season of seasons for 
home dress-making. Was there ever a time 
when Dame Fashion allowed such large 
latitude in the choice of fabric, style and 
ornamentation ? Was there ever a time 
when the prevailing modes were so simple 
and so easily followed, and the effects so 
charming ? 
This is the time surely for one to make 
over one’s old dresses, to combine old with 
new, and old with old into dainty gowns 
that shall delight both the wearer and the 
beholder. It is a comfort to most women, 
especially to home-keeping people, to have 
pretty and becoming dresses for home-wear. 
And they can be gotten up this year with 
little outlay. 
Two or even three materials may be used, 
they tell us, in the same gown, and almost 
any sort of garniture one happens to have. 
These house-dresses admit, too, of almost 
unlimited piecing. There is such a variety 
of trimming used that it is very easy to 
conceal a seam. And even if it cannot be 
hidden, it shows very little on a woolen 
dress, if neatly sewed and pressed. Old bas¬ 
ques or polonaises may be cut off at the belt 
to serve for plain waists. The draping may 
be re-adjusted in plaits or gathers at the 
back with little trouble. Shirring the front 
breadth of the skirt enables one to use 
short lengths, and plaitings, especially 
the fan-plaitings, alio v of narrow pieces. 
Or an extra breadth or two, added to the 
old draperies, will usually make one of the 
full, plain, gathered or plaited skirts. A 
flannel thus planned, with a full, plain, 
broad-hemmed skirt, plaited into a binding 
and a plain or plaited waist with a broad 
belt is comfortable and convenient for 
house-wear in winter-time. Braid is a 
pretty garniture, if one chooses, on such a 
dress. The wide black braid formerly in 
vogue, is very suitable for use on dark-blue, 
green or gray flannel. Or such a dress is 
almost equally tasteful if only collar and 
cuffs, of the same or contrasting color, and 
perhaps fashioned from some laid-by bits 
of velvet, are added. Cashmere takes kindly 
to much shirring and smocking, and these 
serviceable accomplishments in needlework 
—which are not hard to acquire—give new 
freshness to old material. 
For a street-gown one could not of course 
combine and piece so freely, and one would 
have to be more critical about the condition 
of the old goods. But there is much liberty 
as to mode and trimming as well as in the 
choice of goods. It is good news to women 
with light purses that dark colors will be 
most popular the coming season, and that 
cashmere is among the leading fabrics. 
Velvet, surah, and watered silk seem to be 
the favorite goods for trimming. 
A pretty fall street suit lately noted was 
of dark-gray flannel, with'plaited draperies 
and small round basque. Its chief garni¬ 
ture was formed of rows of narrow velvet 
ribbon, garnet, or, more accurately, cardi¬ 
nal in hue, which crossed cuffs, collar, and 
the simulated square neck in front. For 
cold days a jacket of the same material 
with the dress was worn. It had no trim¬ 
ming and fitted as everything does, tightly. 
Stripes combine well with plain goods. To 
a navy-blue serge was lately added goods of 
the same color with a broad stripe of dark¬ 
ly-shaded gray running through it. The 
latter material forms the fan-plaited front 
of the skirt, the plastron,—which is loose at 
the top and laid in fine plaits lower down, 
—the sleeve-puffs, etc. The effect is most 
harmonious. Later it will be worn with a 
jacket of dark-blue beaver, with collar and 
sleeve trimmings of gray fur. 
Home dress-making, whether of garments 
cut and fitted elsewhere, or wholly planned 
by the maker, demands painstaking atten¬ 
tion to details. 
It is very annoying to find one’s basque 
one-sided—a defect almost hopeless—or the 
neck too high or too low, or the sleeves of 
unequal length after the dress was com¬ 
pleted. All these matters require care, ac¬ 
curacy and patience, and to insure the best 
results, the experience which comes only 
by some practice. I think some good 
women do too little of such work, either 
because of lack of time, strength or incli¬ 
nation or perhaps because it seems a folly 
and a waste of time to “ make over” very 
often. So some of us come to wear, at 
home at least, garments that are out of 
date and, quite likely, ugly, when a little 
application and ingenuity would quite 
transform them and us. And I cannot 
think time so spent is wasted. 
What we appear to be has some subtle, 
re-acting influence upon what we are. 
To be, even in looks, some distance in the 
rear of the prevailing fashion, sorely 
weighs one who strives to be in more es¬ 
sential things abreast of the current. 
And a woman is not womanly who does 
not wish and try to be attractive and come¬ 
ly, and capable, in her own way, of giving 
pleasure. 
And she makes a mistake who dresses 
unfashionably or unbecomingly, who will 
not give due attention to little matters of 
toilet and etiquette, and relinquishes, thus, 
one prerogative of her womanhood, a mis¬ 
take only less great and disastrous than 
hers who makes these things her supreme 
aim. 
CLEANING GLOVES. 
W E are indebted to the Detroit Free 
Press for some suggestions on this 
subject. 
Gloves are an important consideration to 
women. Even those women who possess 
wealth sometimes find themselves so placed 
as to necessitate the cleaning of their 
gloves. To women who are compelled to 
economize the matter is of very consider¬ 
able importance. Georgia Cay van, the well- 
known actress, has gathered a treasury of 
useful knowledge in this direction, and in a 
recent conversation with a friend she did 
thus impart: 
“ You see, one needs so many gloves. 
There are not only those I wear on the 
street, but there is hardly a part I play that 
does not call for at least two or three pairs 
on the stage; but I have got hold of a 
recipe, given to me by a little old French 
lady, and now I clean them myself over and 
over again and make one or two pairs last 
me through one of those long runs of a play. 
I go to a chemist’s shop and ask for a quart 
of deodorized benzine, one dram of sul¬ 
phuric ether, one dram of chloroform, two 
drams of alcohol, and enough lavender 
water to make it delicately perfumed and 
pleasant. The clerk mixes that up for me 
properly, and when I get it home I pour 
about a cupful of it into the basin and 
wash the gloves in it. If I have been wear¬ 
ing them a long time and they are very 
black, I have ready prepared two bowls in 
both of which is some spirits of wine slight 
ly perfumed with the lavender water. 
Through this I give them two rinsings, but 
if they are not very much soiled one rinsing 
will be sufficient. Then I lay them on a 
table, and with apiece of soft white flannel 
I rub them smooth, so that all the wrinkles 
from the washing disappear, and they be¬ 
come partially dry ; after which I stretch 
a cord across the corner of my dressing- 
room, in the light, but out of the sun and 
wind, and on this I hang them and let them 
dry for 34 hours. If the gloves are very 
thin and not of the first quality I dry them 
on my hands, slipping them on and button¬ 
ing them, and then scrubbing them briskly 
with a dry flannel to quicken the process of 
drying them. But I don’t think that pays; 
it takes too much time, and. no matter how 
careful one is, a cheap glove never looks 
well after it is cleaned. I think, on the 
whole, it is cheaper to throw them away, or 
rather, never to buy them.” 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
‘ ‘ EORGE ELIOT ” says that she 
VJT wonders whether the subtle meas¬ 
uring of forces will ever come to measuring 
the force there would be in one beautiful 
woman whose mind was as noble as her 
face was beautiful—who made a man’s 
passion for her rush in one current with all 
the great aims of his life. 
The Rural Californian says that we 
are apt to underrate the amount of execu¬ 
tive ability and organizing capacity of the 
woman who thoroughly keeps a house, 
without making life a burden to all its other 
inmates. The well-ordered home, where 
cleanliness is the rule, and thrift and thor¬ 
oughness are still united with liberty, al¬ 
ways seems to exist of its own accord. 
Such a housekeeper as holds the helm 
there, however, is as rare as that perfect 
actor whose finished work conceals his art, 
and makes the play seem real. 
THE lack of order is the principal defect 
in every imperfectly kept home. System is 
the first important requisite. Necessity, 
comfort, luxury; these in their order 
should be considered and provided for. The 
same general style should prevail all 
throughout the house ; not beginning with 
elegance in the parlor, to wind up with 
meager bareness in the boys’ room. 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
THE GOURD AS AN ARTICLE OF 
UTILITY AND GRACE. 
T HE gourd is a climber of remarkable 
growth and dense luxuriant foliage. 
Aside from these admirable qualities its 
fruit is useful as well as ornamental. In¬ 
deed, it can be made a thing of wondrous 
beauty and ‘‘ a joy forever.” 
The varieties best adapted for decorative 
purposes are the Pear-shaped, Bottle¬ 
shaped, Orange and Dipper-shaped, and 
the Hercules Club. There are many other 
varieties of fanciful form, but these are the 
most practical. The variety known as 
“Chinese Loofa ” must not be omitted for 
it is certainly worthy of mention. The in¬ 
terior of this gourd, when ripe, is a tough, 
fibrous mass which makes the best of bath¬ 
ing cloths. For this purpose it cannot be 
excelled. It is neither as rough as a brush 
nor as soft as a sponge. It is, to a limited 
extent, already an article of commerce. 
The gourd, preparatory to decorating, 
must be fully matured before being picked. 
Better leave the fruit on the vine until the 
frost has turned the foliage. Then pick, 
and the only precaution to be observed is 
that they are carefully dried. This is most 
effectively done by laying and standing the 
gourds in a shallow pan of coarse sand, 
Gothic Design in Red and Blue Oil 
Paint. Fig. 27 1. 
which has been heated in the oven or in the 
sunlight. Turn them frequently that they 
may dry evenly. This drying process 
loosens the seeds and inner tissue which is 
shaken out of a hole cut where the stem 
was attached. With the aid of a little 
water all matter will readily come out. 
Powder-Horn with Etched Scroll 
and Oiled. Fig. 272. 
The simplest decoration is to varnish, and 
before being allowed to dry sprinkle thor¬ 
oughly with metal powder or diamond 
dust. Something really artistic is this: 
Paint a gourd a dull blue and decorate 
with a gothic design in Pompeyan red. 
This will prove rather intricate and tedious, 
but the result will amply repay the artist. 
As to the use of the gourd: In southern 
countries it is quite general. They are con¬ 
verted into powder-horns, dippers, ladles, 
water-flasks, wine bottles, vinegar cruets, 
and even cups. 
When intended for powder or a liquid a 
Painted Black and Decorated in 
Bronze and Silver. Fig. 273. 
wooden stopper is supplied. Filled with 
cologne or toilet water they are charming 
gifts. 
The orange or pear-shaped gourd makes 
a dainty rose-jar. Cut through its widest 
part, and glue a strip of heavy paper to the 
edge of the under cup to prevent the upper 
from slipping off. Fill with spiced rose- 
leaves ; or, if these are not to be had, fill 
with cotton heavily scented with sachet, 
powder. This shape is also nice for a cas¬ 
ket for small jewelry or buttons. The illus¬ 
trations given explain themselves. 
ANNA HINRICHS. 
MAKING AND REMAKING DRESSES. 
S HE is indeed a most fortunate woman 
who possesses the gift of invention 
and the habits of thrift and economy. 
Should she be in straightened circumstances 
these virtues are the fairy wand by whose 
aid she can manage to keep herself and her 
family well-dressed, self-respecting and en¬ 
tirely comfortable. Nowhere are system 
and order more essential than in domestic 
management. There are so many things 
pertaining thereto, which seem of little im¬ 
portance but which require to be con¬ 
stantly under the watchful eye of the mis¬ 
tress lest work accumulate and clog the 
wheels of its intricate machinery. 
Many a woman of delicate health accom¬ 
plishes an extraordinary amount of labor 
by being rigidly systematic and a thorough 
economizer of time. Our home journals 
have recently shown a most commendable 
purpose to give information in regard to 
the prevailing fashions in dress. This is 
well, yet every woman who attempts the 
making or the remaking of her own or her 
children’s clothes should subscribe for a 
magazine devoted wholly to that work. 
Formerly these were mostly reprints of 
elaborate Paris fashions ent irely unfitted to 
practical every-day life; but this is no 
longer so. There are now some which not 
only illustrate and describe all grades of 
dress but also give explicit information on 
all subjects pertaining to dress. Fashion, in¬ 
stead of being the mistress it too often is, 
can be made a most accommodating and ef¬ 
ficient ally. 
The gourd is now ready to be ornamented. 
This is a vast field for ingenious taste and 
artistic fancy. The gourd may be painted 
black, coated with gum-copal varnish, and 
ornamented with a sprig of golden-rod or a 
cluster of black-eyed yellow daisies. A 
Grecian design in bronze and gilt is very 
effective on the black. Another way is to 
etch a scroll with a sharp-pointed knife, 
and finish by simply oiling. An antique or 
Japanese design is pretty painted in oil, 
£Hi.orcUa»mt$ 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Custcrla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for easterly, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castorla 
