1220 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
A DRESSMAKING LESSON. 
Making the New Basque. 
T HE basque is among the most popu¬ 
lar new models, and a little instruc¬ 
tion regarding it may be helpful. The 
lining consists of two pieces, front and 
back, shown in the diagram laid out on 
The Gathered Basque S338A. 
material 3G inches wide. bother this 
material shall be silk or mercerized cot¬ 
ton must depend entirely upon the ma¬ 
terial from which the gown is to be made. 
The basque itself can be of any mate¬ 
rial soft enough to be made full.' In the 
diagram, the basque is shown laid on 
such material 44 inches wide. The dotted 
lines that indicate the second collar and 
second cuffs are to show where the lining 
can be cut. 
Pin the various pieces carefully into 
place and mark all around the outside 
edges of the pattern with tailor’s chalk, 
marking all the perforations and notches. 
Cut as far beyond the edge for seams as 
the material requires. For the satin, one- 
half inch will be sufficient. Take up the 
deep darts that extend from the lower 
edges of the lining fronts and the darts 
from the shoulders of the basque by bring¬ 
ing the corresponding lines of perfora¬ 
tions together, baste and stitch on the 
light side. Split the darts at the folded 
edges and press open. Join the lining 
backs on the marked outline and press 
the seams open. Then gather both the 
fronts and the back on the under-arm and 
front edges between the double crosses 
and arrange each portion of the basque 
over the corresponding portion of the 
lining with the shoulder edges exactly 
meeting. Baste on the marked outline 
and try the garment on the wearer. It 
should not be tight, nevertheless one 
figure may require the under-arm seams 
to be taken up a little more than another 
and it is just at this point that any ne¬ 
cessary changes must be made. When 
the basque is adjusted, stitch the seams. 
Next slash each under-arm seam three- 
quarters of an inch above and three- 
quarters of an inch below the waistline 
to allow spring for the figure, and curve 
the edges of these slashes. Bind each 
edge of the seams separately wtili a thin 
silk binding, taking in the material of 
the basque and the material of the lining 
in each case. Press the seams open and 
flat. 
To finish the front and back edges with 
cords, as illustrated, cut bias strips of 
material one inch in width and fold at 
the center over a cord, basting the two 
edges together within the cord; then 
baste over the edges of the basque with 
the folded edges of the silk meeting the 
edges of the basque. Cut straight under¬ 
facings one inch in width and the length 
of the basque and arrange one of these 
over each front. Baste and stitch togeth¬ 
er close to the cord. Turn the facing un¬ 
der the basque, and fell the edges to the 
lining only. 
Stitch the lining and the outside of the 
collar together with the right sides meet¬ 
ing, turn on the seam, baste and press. 
Arrange over the basque with the right 
side uppermost, the center back exactly 
meeting the center back of the basque; 
roll the collar down and stitch the lining 
to the edge of the back on the marked 
outline. Fell the edge of the collar over 
the seam; then roll the collar back on the 
perforations. Close the seams of the 
sleeves. Join the ends of the cuffs and 
liuc them. Arrange over the sleeves with 
the large perforations at the seams and 
the notches meeting. Cut bias strips one 
inch in width and under-face. Place the 
sleeves in the armholes with the notches 
exactly meeting and the single large per¬ 
forations at the shoulder seams of the 
basque. Baste carefully and stitch, using 
the marked outline as a guide. 
Close either with buttons and button¬ 
holes or with buttons used for ornament 
only and snap fastenings. For the com¬ 
plete garment will be needed 1% yards 
of material 44 inches wide and 1% yards 
of lining 3G inches wide. 
To Make Money. 
F you want to save money, why put it 
a way, 
And let it lie still till a rainy day, 
Then if you would double it, take out a 
bill. 
And fold it across, any way that you will. 
You will find for your trouble 
Your money is double, 
And all men can see without banks or 
leases, 
Your money thus doubled, is always in 
creases. 
The above isn’t written from memory, 
although the idea was instilled many 
years ago, in an old scrap of a poem, the 
writer of which I cannot tell. I hope, 
however, to give a method of increasing 
money a little more satisfactory than that 
above. 
There are very few women who haven’t 
some ability a little more in evidence than 
other abilities. A woman on a farm 
who had been practically shelved, from 
ordinary work, began showing young peo¬ 
ple how to do certain things. For in¬ 
stance, the woman had learned to make 
tatting years ago, and an old tatting shut- 
aud she can teach a good-sized class at 
once, especially if all ire learning the 
same pattern, although she can handle 
several different methods at once. It is 
astonishing the furore for tatting. This 
woman makes medallions of various sorts 
for insets in waists, etc. For one woman, 
she made a triangle of wheels, and three 
small wheels; these were used as insets 
on a vest front to a dress. After these 
were made it was decided that an edge 
was wanted, and the woman offered some 
clover-leaf tatting she had made, and it 
was accepted. The medallions sell from 
15 cents each up, according to the style 
and Work employed. A lot of jabots of 
tatod wheels were made to sell at 50 
cents each, that is for the two wheels 
joined. 
Having had gobd success teaching tat¬ 
ting she took up crocheting, beginning 
with the simplest forms, for the ends of 
bath towels, and going on to more intri¬ 
cate things. Her charges are so very rea¬ 
sonable for teaching that even real young 
girls avail themselves of her lessons; she 
has the faculty to teach, which helps 
much. These lessons she does not hold 
more than an hour, or at the most two 
hours at a time, as she has not been fit 
to do more than that, but she has earned 
a little money for her own use, and has 
helped to keep her heart and mind inter¬ 
ested. besides getting in touch with the 
girls of the neighborhood, which has 
meant much to her. 
Once beginning she has forged ahead, 
slowly, and a little at a time, she had 
made sales for her work, although she has 
not advertised it, nor has she preyed upon 
the good nature of her friends, in fact she 
has never solicited work, but it has slowly 
come to her. She was lucky enough to 
find a woman’s exchange which had just 
started, and which wanted work for sale, 
and the work was accepted with no en¬ 
DIAGRAM OF BASQUE LINING. 
tie had lain around for many years. This 
was brought forth and she picked up the 
old work. The revival of this art led 
others to want to learn it, so she decided 
that she would open a class in tatting. 
The young girls around came in and at 
10 cents an hour for the lessons, felt lit¬ 
tle drain on their purses, and yet the 
little received helped the woman consid¬ 
erably, more in fact, from the conscious¬ 
ness that she was not wholly useless and 
helpless than in a financial way, but the 
little work begun broadened out in other 
ways. Some were slow in learning to 
tat, and yet persistent, and one young 
girl, who spent a dollar in learning the 
mere stitch felt highly satisfied. She de¬ 
clared that while she had spent a dollar 
in learning the stitch, she should save 
many dollars by making her own trim¬ 
ming, which is a very sensible way of 
looking at the matter. Another young 
girl who learned the tatting, has made 
over fifteen dollars in talting this Sum¬ 
mer. She makes a common, plain tat¬ 
ting for 15 cents a yard, and she has 
made yards and yards of it. Others find¬ 
ing that she does the work reasonably, 
have had her make some especial kinds 
for which she gets from 15 cents up for 
her work. She made one baby bonnet for 
which she gets five dollars. The woman 
who taught the art, frequently has this 
girl as a pupil for an hour or so. as the 
teacher is ingenious and, inventive she 
thinks up new ways and combinations, 
and these she teaches at the regular rate, 
trance fee, but a charge of 10 per cent, 
commission was allowed for the selling. 
It is a wonder that more women who 
have ability to do work of this kind don’t 
try the exchanges, for nearly everything 
can be displayed there, and in time be 
sold. 
A carpet warp bedspread was made, 
using filet crochet patterns for the work, 
the pattern being extremely original, hav¬ 
ing initials crocheted in and at the top of 
th spread the words, “Peace to Thy Slum¬ 
bers,” all done in crochet. This spread 
the invalid made at odd times, and it is 
not for sale, but it will be shown at fairs 
and probably she will get premiums on 
it, for its very originality. Moreover, 
girls who could not pay her money, for 
l-arning (ho work, often paid her by work, 
which she could not do herself, and so a 
sort of neighborhood cooperation was be¬ 
gun. 
One might put her tatting and crochet 
work in stores to sell, but she gets a bet¬ 
tor price if it is sold to individuals. 
V\ ith an eager interest in some thing one 
will find time to do it, and it is astonish¬ 
ing the number of yards of tatting which 
can be done at odd moments. The gild 
who sold her tatting for 15 cents a yard, 
learned that it was hardly enough, as the 
thread used was the best made for such 
work, and the cost of the thread took off 
the profits, so that now she lets the buy¬ 
er of the tatting buy the thread, and the 
price is just for the work alone. 
R. s. M. 
October 10, 
Making Sauerkraut. 
W OULD you give a good reliable re¬ 
cipe for sauerkraut. Your Rural 
Cook Book is in constant use in our 
family, but find no kraut recipe. 
MRS. E. K. M. 
Will you tell me how to make sauer¬ 
kraut by the barrel, and also in what dif¬ 
ferent ways it is prepared for the table? 
c. L. M. 
The preparing of plain sauerkraut is 
very simple. Select sound hard cabbage, 
remove and discard the loose outer green 
leaves. Quarter the heads, cut out the 
cores and the bases of the large outer 
mid-ribs. Then slice with a sharp knife, 
cutting into fine strips lengthwise. Sauer¬ 
kraut cutters are made for both hand and 
machine power, and ar very convenient, 
as a sharp knife is needed, and a care¬ 
less person may easily cut himself with 
an ordinary large knife. Weigh the 
sliced cabbage, and for each pound of 
sliced cabbage allow one-half ounce of 
table salt. Dust salt in the bottom of a 
clean keg or earthen jar and put the cab¬ 
bage in it in layers, dusting each layer 
with salt. On top of the last layer add 
more salt in the proportion of one pound 
of salt to each 100 pounds of cabbage. 
The cabbage should be pressed down 
firmly; some housekeepers pound it 
down with a wooden pestle. Sometimes 
juniper berries are added to the top lay¬ 
er of salt, a handful to each 100 pounds 
of cabbage, but this is a matter of taste. 
A loose cover is then put on, with a 
heavy stone on top to weigh it down, so 
as to keep the cabbage under the brine 
that is formed. Keep it in a cool dark 
cellar, and skim off any scum that forms 
as it ferments. If the brine lessens much 
as the sauerkraut is used, add enough 
brine to cover it completely, and always 
keep the cover with weight on top. Ex¬ 
perienced housekeepers rarely weigh their 
materials in making sauerkraut, as their 
rule-of-thumb knowledge is sufficient. 
When preparing for the table, take 
out the required amount, rinse in cold 
water, drain, and boil like cabbage. Salt 
pork, ham or corned beef may be boiled 
with it if desired; sparerib or sausage 
are also desirable accompaniments. After 
boiling it is often warmed over in the fry¬ 
ing pan with bacon drippings or other 
fat. and many consider it more savory in 
this form than boiled. This sauerkraut 
saute, if we may be allowed, at the 
present time, to combine a French ad¬ 
jective with a standard German dish, is 
desirable with Hamburg roast—that is, 
savory chopped beef baked in a roll. 
Some boil the sauerkraut a long time, 
until it becomes quite dark colored, but 
it is usually only boiled until tender and 
white. It becomes dark when warmed 
over in the pan. Another savory dish is 
sparerib stuffed with sauerkraut; the 
boiled kraut is laid on the hollow side 
of the sparerib, which is folded over it, 
and then cooked in the oven. 
Sauerkraut is sometimes made from red 
cabbage, while a Thuringian recipe calls 
for caraway seed, the same amount by 
measure, not weight, as of salt, and some 
sliced tart apples. 
Baked Eggs With ITam. —Mix a cup¬ 
ful of finely chopped ham. half a cup of 
bread crumbs, one teaspoon of chopped 
parsley, one teaspoon of butter, quarter 
teaspoon of made mustard and enough 
hot milk to make a smooth, soft paste; 
spread this in buttered scallop shells, 
break an egg into each shell and sprinkle 
with buttered crumbs. Bake in a quick 
oven until the crumbs are brown and the 
whites of the egg firm. 
Waffles. —Do you make waffles? If 
not. why not? Try this, following direc¬ 
tions carefully, and you will be pleased 
with the result: Two cups of sifted 
flour, one cup of buttermilk, one table¬ 
spoon of melted butter, one teaspoon of 
baking powder, one-half teaspoon each 
of salt and soda, two or three eggs, 
beaten separately. Sift the flour, salt 
and baking powder five or six times. 
Beat the yolks of the eggs and stir into 
the buttermilk, sift the flour in a little at 
a time, beating the mass smooth between 
times, add the melted butter and beat 
till perfectly smooth; beat hard and long, 
for your success depends upon it. Add 
the soda dissolved in a tablespoonful of 
warm water, beat some more, then fold 
in the beaten whites of the eggs. Grease 
tln i waffle irons well before you bake the 
first waffle, and they will not need it 
again. Have the irons good and hot. 
Serve each waffle on a warm plate, fresh 
from the irons, crisp, feathery, melting, 
and your family will be sure to pronounce 
them the “best ever.” 
