THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
369 
A pretty pen wiper is made by using a medium-sized 
grape leaf for a pattern, and cutting its shape from 
green felt, also cut two or three leaves the same size 
from black cloth, and fasten them at the back of the 
green leaf. With dark purple Germantown wool make 
enough worsted balls to arrange on the leaf as a bunch 
of grapes, fastening each one to a worsted covered 
wire. The balls are easily made by taking a circular 
piece of card-board, 1% inches in diameter, having a 
half inch circular opening in the centre, and winding 
the worsted about it until the centre is full; then cut 
it on the outside edge and tie at the centre with a firm 
thread; remove the card-board, and clip the worsted 
ball to the size and shape of a grape. If it does not seem 
full enough, hold over hot steam for a few moments. 
Whisk brushes are prettily ornamented by covering 
the handle and top of the brush, as far as the cord is 
woven to hold it together, with plush or velvet on 
which is embroided a little sprig of flowers ; or else a 
palette shaped rack to hold the brush can be made, a 
shown in the Cabinet for December, ’83. 
Willow scrap baskets, which can be bought for sixty 
cents, are very simply and tastefully decorated by 
weaving ribbons in the openings. As most baskets are 
made with the sides divided in three rows of perpen¬ 
dicular strips the ribbon should be just wide enough to 
fill the spaces, using the same color for top and bottom 
row, and one of contrasting color for the centre, 
ending in a full flat bow with short ends. Wind the top 
of the basket with narrow ribbons of the colors used. 
The little oblong shaped tin mustard boxes when 
covered snugly with satin, a little band of plush sur¬ 
rounding the top, the cover at the bottom extending far 
enough below to gather closely, forming a bag-shaped 
bottom, finished by a plush ball tassel are neat little 
receivers for burnt matches, etc., hung by a little 
ribbon from the gas jet. The satin case can be deco¬ 
rated with embroidery or painting. S. A. Wray. 
WOOL DRESSES, ETC. 
Woolen materials seem to take the lead among dress 
fabrics this season, both for house and street wear for 
which they are so well adapted. Silks and satins being 
generally reserved for evening toilettes. Woolens with 
raised or tufted figures, especially those with velvet /rise 
which is raised figures of uncut wool loops on plainly 
twilled surface, are used for vest and draperies in com¬ 
bining with plain goods; uncut and corduroy velvets 
are also used in combination with plain or rough cloth. 
A new French material is shown resembling poplin 
somewhat, but soft enough to admit of graceful drap¬ 
ing. It comes plain, and figured with small embroidered 
dots of contrasting color grouped together which have 
a very pleasing effect. 
The newest vests for such dresses, as described in the 
Bazar, extend the length of the basque front, have two 
points, two darts on each side, and small pocket flaps. 
At the back of the neck they show for an inch below the 
collar, which is high and made of the material of the 
vest. The basque accompanying such a vest is finished 
at the neck with a turnover collar, and on the fronts with 
a narrow revers of cloth tapering still narrower at the 
waist line. A square of four or five inches is sometimes 
cut out of the front of the vest just below the standing 
collar and filled in with a cravat knot of satin or velvet 
in some bright color. Diagonal fronts are revived again 
and are made to lap from the left shoulder to the right 
hip. The basque front is cut in the usual way, and the 
diagonal piece is added to the seam down the middle of 
the front and fastened on the bias side by hooks and eyes. 
A full apron drapery is arranged so as to conceal the bot¬ 
tom of the basque. 
Uncut velvet and tapestry wool form a handsome dress. 
The foundation for the skirt is trimmed on the bottom 
with two narrow velvet pleatings, and above these is 
a deep scant velvet flounce, covering the undraped por¬ 
tions of the skirt. The figured wool forms the full deep 
drapery and the pointed basque which has a tapering 
vest of the pleated velvet, also collar and cuffs of velvet. 
Another pretty suit of plain wool has a deep box- 
pleating in which are three tucks, an inch in depth; this 
is placed around the skirt with the exception of the 
right side which is laid in double box-pleats from the 
waist down to the skirt bottom. The deep front 
drapery is also finished on its lower edge with a hem 
and three tucks, and so arranged as to hang with 
but little fullness on the left side, so as to form a point 
there, while the other side is caught up nearly to the 
waist, and the double box-pleats fill the space 
between this and the back drapery. 
An authority upon fashions says : 
“ Low draperies still prevail on wool dresses, and are 
liked not only for their gracefulness, but because they 
are economical, as two breadths of double-width stuff 
can be made to go further in these draperies than any 
other way. Indeed, sometimes they make in effect both 
the upper and lower skirts, as they are nearly all that is 
needed when properly mounted on a foundation skirt, 
which, whether made of silk or of alpaca, is no longer 
considered a sham skirt. This single breadth in the 
back forms wide pleats below, and is turned over in 
high puffs at the top, while another breadth is shaped 
slightly at the top by darts, and draped below in a deep 
apron that may be square, or pointed, or else be turned 
back in reverse on the sides to show something of the 
lower skirt or a broad band of trimming there.” 
Dolman shaped wraps with short backs and long 
square fronts, trimmed with beaded chenille fringe, are 
used with these dresses to complete the suit, and may 
be of the material of the dress, or if one of richer mate¬ 
rial is desired, there are Ottoman grounds with figures 
of terry or uncut velvet, to which are given the curled 
effect called frise, which are cut in the same style and 
trimmed with fancy chenille fringe. 
Tan-colored kid gloves remain in fashion both for 
street and full dress. They come in such a variety of 
red-brown and yellow shades that they look well with 
almost all dresses, and the custom of matching the 
gloves with the color of the dress is no longer followed. 
Wrinkled loose-wristed mousquetaire gloves, either in 
the ordinary or the undressed kid, are given the pref¬ 
erence. C. 
