1902 
583 
Houskeepers’ Sewing 1 Basket. 
DO fea.dyma.de garments help 
RURAL WOMEN? 
Have improvements in readymade gar¬ 
ments—underwear. children’s clothes, and 
bedclothes—enabled you to lessen your 
household sewing? Do you hem sheets and 
pillow cases, or buy them readymade? Here 
in New York we buy readymade pillow¬ 
cases of good muslin, size 36x45 inches, for 
14 cents each, and we see no economy in 
making them. How much sewing do you 
do for the men folks? Do you make all 
muslin undergarments? Do you buy any 
children’s dresses readymade? Our own ex¬ 
perience is that girls’ frocks, if Inexpensive, 
are poorly put together. Do you buy your 
wrappers or house dresses readymade? It 
was formerly the custom, with many 
housekeepers, to buy muslin by the bolt, 
both bleached and unbleached, for con¬ 
venience in making the family underwear; 
does anyone in your circle do this nowa¬ 
days? Speaking in general terms, what is 
your opinion as to the desirability of buy¬ 
ing the class of articles here referred to 
readymade? 
As far as my experience goes ready¬ 
made garments do not prove satisfac¬ 
tory. I have always made my own 
sheets and pillow cases; in fact, I have 
never met with any readymade in our 
stores, although they may have them. 
We buy our men’s garments mostly all 
readymade. I never bought but one 
wrapper readymade; had to make it 
mostly all over and then gave it away. 
I buy my muslin by the quantity and 
make my own underwear. I am sure it 
is bought by the holt for the bed, and a 
great deal for underwear. My opinion 
is, if one wants something quick for the 
moment it will do to buy, but the old 
saying is true, “once done right is twice 
done.” .REBECCA A. WRIGHT. 
Indiana. 
We hem our sheets and pillow cases, 
and tablecloths and napkins, the latter 
by hand, but sheets by sewing machine. 
We consider the quality of the cotton is 
better for the money when we do the 
sewing ourselves. For the men folks we 
mend, but they prefer to buy shirts 
readymade, stating that by giving 
proper measurements they can get a bet¬ 
ter fit than when made at home. Under¬ 
wear for women and girls can be pur¬ 
chased more cheaply when a sale of 
white wear is on; the objection is, how¬ 
ever, that the garments are cut every 
way of the cloth. We can buy Spring 
and Autumn costumes well made and 
fitting in our city for less than the cost 
of making at certain seasons of the 
year. Old experienced housekeepers who 
buy their cloth by the bolt (and many 
do in our locality) find that the clothing 
wears better, irons better, and does not 
shrink like readymade goods. Many 
women who lead busy lives are finding 
readymade clothing a great relief in 
spite of drawbacks, and are glad to avail 
themselves of it. But we prefer bed 
clothing such as quilts and coverlets 
made and quilted at home, the ready¬ 
made comforters being so loosely put to¬ 
gether as to get out of order too easily. 
Canada. annie l. jack. 
There are few farm women who do 
not avail themselves of the various 
forms of house and street dresses, sav¬ 
ing much work and a fair amount, 
usually in dressmakers’ bills. The bet¬ 
ter class of garments are fairly well 
made and fit the average figure as well 
as we make our homemade dresses fit 
in the majority of cases. Short and 
stout, or tall, short-waisted women find 
themselves at a disadvantage, hut the 
evil in the dress can generally be reme¬ 
died in a few minutes. Possibly these 
readymade garments do not wear quite 
so long as the homemade article, but 
the difference is not great. In under¬ 
garments the knit suits have almost en¬ 
tirely superseded homemade articles, 
with infinite comfort to the wearer. It 
always pays to buy a good article. But 
dresses called “wrappers” can be bought 
for $1 which give good satisfaction. 
Shirt waists at the same price are really 
excellent. I have no experience with 
factory-made sheets, but the pillow slips 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
at. from 15 to 18 cents each wear as well 
as homemade ones, and are often pret¬ 
tily ornamented with hemstitching or 
tucks which makes them very desirable. 
Very pretty dresses for young children 
can be bought almost for a song, and if 
not a perfect workmanship they will 
wear until the wee mites grow out of 
them. For larger children it no doubt 
pays to buy a better grade, as both ma¬ 
terial and workmanship are better. Let 
the added money be put into these re¬ 
quirements rather than into decorations 
and furbelows, for simple dresses go a 
long way towards making happy, con¬ 
tented children. If a child gives too 
much thought to dress it is at the ex¬ 
pense of much that goes to make child¬ 
hood happy. Where housekeepers have 
only an amount of work which they can 
do easily, they can no doubt furnish 
their wardrobes and bed linen for less 
money if they make all articles at home, 
but to the busy woman, and her name 
is legion, whose hands are so full of all 
sorts of work that there is no room for 
needle and thimble, the era of ready¬ 
made supplies is one of the greatest of 
blessings. sara a. little. 
New York. 
Who does not wear readymade cloth¬ 
ing, at least to some extent, at the pres¬ 
ent day? Once I would have scorned 
the idea of putting on such an ill-made 
garment as is the wrapper I brought 
home from the store recently, but now 1 
am glad I did not have to wait for one 
to be made, so I shut my eyes when the 
long stitches stared me in the face. 
Everyone who has to work about the 
house and poultry yard wears these 
same morning wrappers, and most wo¬ 
men look nice and tidy in them. Not a 
few nice skirts are purchased, ready¬ 
made. Little girls’ dresses are made at 
home; I think it would be poor economy 
to do otherwise. There are so many 
brilliant colored goods on the market 
that fade out the first time they are 
washed that it would be simply throw¬ 
ing money away. But the small boy 
prides himself on “store clothes,” ex¬ 
cepting the blouse waists, for which 
mothers prefer selecting the material, 
with an eye to the wearing and washing 
qualities. The heads of households all 
buy their garments readymade—and 
what an amount of labor it does save 
the busy housewife! There is no call 
4188 Round Yoke Waist, 
32 to 40 bust. 
sit down to the sewing machine for 
awhile; there may not be any economy 
in the work that we do, as far as the 
dollars are concerned, but it is a change 
that is exhilarating, and often is better 
than medicine in producing a healthy 
condition of the mind. Most of us like 
the sewing much better than we do the 
housework; but the latter must be done 
at all hazards, and that does not leave 
us time enough for many other duties. 
So we hail the readymade clothes with 
delight; and make ourselves tidy, and 
quite presentable on short notice for all 
emergencies. may maple. 
Michigan. 
The Rural Patterns. 
Round-yoke waists with elbow sleeves 
have been very popular this Summer, 
and the pattern given, which includes 
beading threaded with velvet ribbon, 
would be very suitable for a handsome 
white gown. The lining may be.omit- 
4182 Five Gored Habit Back: 
Skirt, 22 to 30 waist. 
ted. The waist consists of the round 
yoke, tucked backs and a slightly full 
tucked front. As illustrated the yoke 
and low collar are joined by the bead¬ 
ing, but the stock can be made separ¬ 
ately if preferred. The sleeves are in 
elbow length, tucked in clusters and 
trimmed to match the waist and are fin¬ 
ished with deep lace-edged frills. To cut 
this waist in the medium size four yards 
of material 21 inches wide, 3)4 yards 27 
inches wide, 2 y 2 yards 32 inches wide, or 
two yards 44 inches wide will be re¬ 
quired with 8 V 2 yards of insertion and 
12 yards of beading to trim as illustrat¬ 
ed; or five yards of insertion, 10 yards 
of beading and % yard of all-over lace 
or inserted tucking for yoke when such 
material is preferred. The pattern No. 
41S8 is cut in sizes for a 32, 34, 36, 38 
and 40-inch bust measure; price 10 
cents from this office. 
The habit back has come into vogue 
again, as shown in the accompanying 
picture. The skirt is cut in five gores 
that are shaped to fit the figure closely 
about the hips and to flare freely below 
the knees. At the lower edge are three 
circular flounces that are curved to give 
the new flat effect and one, two or all 
of which can be omitted. The closing 
in the case of the original is at the left 
front seam where it is carefully ren¬ 
dered invisible; but it can be made at 
the center back, if care be taken to hide 
it from sight, or be made ornamental 
with lacings or buttons and buttonholes 
that extend the entile length of the 
skirt as seen in many of the latest 
gowns. To cut this skirt in the medium 
size 12 % yards of material 21 inches 
wide, 10 yards 27 inches wide, 10 yards 
32 inches wide, seven yards 44 inches 
wide, or 6 % yards 50 inches wide will 
be required. The pattern No. 4182 is 
cut in sizes for a 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30- 
inch waist measure; price 10 cents. 
GRAIN-0! GRAIN-0! 
PURE 
SURE 
Because it’s all coffee— 
Just the pure coffee-bean. 
Because the sealed pack¬ 
age insures uniform 
strength and flavor. 1 
The University of Notre Dame, 
NOTRE DAME, INDIANA. 
Classics, tetters. Economics and History, 
.Journalism, Art, Science, Pharmacy. Law, 
Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer¬ 
ing, Architecture- 
Thorough Preparatory and Commercial 
Course s Ecclesiastical students a' special rates. 
Room-, Free, Junior o S nloi Year, Collegiate 
Courses. Rooms to Rent moderate charge. 
St. Edward's Hail to' boys under 13 
The 59th Year wll open September 9, 190'J. 
Catalogues Free. Address 
KEY. A MORRISSEY, C. S. C., President. 
ST.MARY’S ACADEMY 
''NOTRE DAME, INDIANA. 
Conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Cross 
Chartered 1855. Thorough English and Classical 
education. Regular Collegiate Degrees 
In Preparatory Department students carefully pre¬ 
pared for Collegiate course Physical and Chemical 
Laboratories well equipped. Conservatory of Music 
and School of Art. Gymnasium under jirectlon of 
graduate o Dr. Sargent's Normal School of Physi¬ 
cal Training. Cambridge, Massachusetts Catalogue 
free. Address 
DIRECTRESS OF THE ACADEMY, 
8t. Mary’s Academy, Notre Dame, Indiana, 
FIVE 
POINTS 
OF EXCELLENCE 
Leaving the centei’ of the city 
from which you start; reaching 
the center of the city of your 
destination; over smooth and level 
tracks, giving rest and comfort ; 
riding beside running waters most 
of the way ; through the centers 
of population to the gateways of 
commerce ; when you travel by 
THE NEW YORE 
CENTRAL LINES 
A copy of the Illustrated Catalogue of the 
“ Four-Track Series” will be sent free upon 
receipt (fa two-cent stamp by George H. 
Daniels, General Passenger Agent New York 
Central ,fc Hudson River Railroad, Grand 
Central Station, New York. 
the only way we sell our special . 
line of celebrated { 
KALAMAZOO 
steel ranges, steel cook stoves and 
Oak heaters. We sell direct from 
our factory at factory prices on _j 
30 Days’ Free Trial, 
freight paid. At the end of the trial yon 
can keep or return purchase at your 
plo&BUrc. Fairest offer ever made. Want to know 
more about it? Bond for freo catalogue. 
Kalamazoo Stove Co., Mira., 
Kalamazoo, Midi. 
A Liberal Proposition. 
Thrice-a-Week World and ) $1.65 
The Rural New- Y orker ) a year 
for those great bolts of “factory cloth,” 
bleached and unbleached. The outing 
flannel blankets for beds in Winter and 
the knit underwear for men, women and 
children, leave no room for the heavy 
brown sheeting that was in such general 
use in the earlier days. Very much of 
the bleached cotton is replaced in Sum¬ 
mer by the filmy gauze suits. I think 
most of us in this region make our 
sheets and pillow slips, probably for 
the reason that they are not brought to 
our market, and then it is a real recrea¬ 
tion to get away from the kitchen and 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use “Mrs.Wins- 
low’s Soothing Syrup” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
Remember that name when you want a delicious, 
appetizing, nourishing food drink to take the place 
of coffee. Sold by all grocers and liked by all who 
have used it. Graiu-0 is made of pure grain, it aids 
digestion and strengthens the "nerves. It is not a 
stimulant but a health builder and the children as 
well as the adults can drink it with great benefit. 
Costs about M as much as coffee. 15c. and 25c. per 
package. Ask your grocer for Graln-O 
One of our special offers is the Thrice-a-Week 
World and The Rural New-Yorker combined 
for $1.65 a year. By this arrangement you are 
sure to obtain all the news of the day, and Infor¬ 
mation of special interest to the farm and home 
at the same time. The Thrice-a-Week World is a 
clean, reliable newspaper, and the low figure at 
which it Is offered, in conjunction with The Rural 
New-Yorker, should make the combination un¬ 
usually attractive. 
ABSOLUTE RANGE PERFECTION 
Sold for Cash or on Monthly Payments 
Money Refunded after 6 Mouths Trial If 
Clapp’s Ideal Steel Range 
is nut perfectly satisfactory t( you My superior location in Ohio on Lake 
Erie enables me to construct the very best Steel Rauge at the lowest possible 
price Coal, Iron, Steel ana other Steel Range materials are cheapest here 
Freights are low and Labor is the best Large complete factory with the best 
facilities, run by men who have haa 2C years’ experience, insures you getting 
the “top-notch’ in a Steel Range at a positive saving of $10 to $20. 
Sent Free. My complete catalogue of all sbes and styles 
wl.h or without eservolr for city, town or country use, with 
book describing the good and bad points of a Steel range, 
which you shoul see whether you buy of me or not. 
Practical Stove and Range Man, 
002 Summit Street, TOLEDO, OHIO. 
CHESTER D. CLAPP, 
