XLI.REPAIRS.
“The mother, wi’ her needle an’ her shears,Gars auld claes look amaist as weel’s the new.”
“The mother, wi’ her needle an’ her shears,Gars auld claes look amaist as weel’s the new.”
“The mother, wi’ her needle an’ her shears,Gars auld claes look amaist as weel’s the new.”
“The mother, wi’ her needle an’ her shears,
Gars auld claes look amaist as weel’s the new.”
AFRIEND writes: “I have been much interested in the Grand Patching and Darning Exhibition; but my husband is rather skeptical as to any great good resulting from it. He seems to think it a waste of time to do this work with such particularity, and doubts if, in these days of plenty, women will find it necessary to patch, piece, and darn so elaborately. I reply, that probably a large portion of those who have seen or read of this work may never be called upon to do it; yet we know that there are many, very many who are, and will be, compelled toeconomize material, though at the loss of time; and therefore I think this exhibition will prove a good thing, if it should lead to a more thorough knowledge of the way to do this work well. How much more respectable and comfortable the poorer classes could be made, if the wife and mother understood how to piece, patch, and darn neatly, and so contrive that the smallest scrap could be used to good advantage and present an attractive appearance. I wish you would give us a talk on this subject.”
So much has been said, and well said, since this Exhibition was first planned, that a word from us may seem quite superfluous. A motherly care for our “Household,” however, tempts us to venture, though we do not intend to weary our readers with many words. Every point has already been ably discussed, and we can furnish nothing new.
Possibly, many of those who have read about this “Darningand Patching” have turned away, saying, “Thank fortune! I shall never need to employ myself about such work; I should feel that I was spending my time foolishly.” Would the time spent in perfecting yourself in this accomplishment be more wasted, think you, than that which you give daily to crocheting and embroidering a host of things unlike aught in heaven above, the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth? And yet, the time spent in fancy work has taught you little that you could turn to practical use, should reverses befall you,—and who is secured against reverses? Fortune is fickle, and policies taken out in her insurance companies are not reliable.
We would not speak slightingly of many kinds of really elegant fancy articles and ornaments which women’s skill has wrought. If you have the time to spare, then, “these ought ye to have done, but not to leave the other undone.” Should disaster come, and any of us be compelled to “rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness,”—to plan and turn and contrive, using all the skill we possess to “gar auld claes look amaist as weel’s the new,”—how thankful we should be that in our younger and more prosperous days we had been taught this art, and by it were now able to carry with us into our altered circumstances a power to bring light out of darkness. If one knows how to renovate and remodel, there is far more genuine pleasure in using the knowledge to construct new out of old, than can possibly be gained while shopping on the most extravagant scale. To walk into a store with a full purse, and buy, without stint, whatever the eye covets; to send the material to the dress-maker, and have it made and brought home without any effort on our part, is a tame enjoyment compared with contriving the dress from a scanty pattern, or from odd bits and ends. We weary of that which costs us no toil or thought; the charm soon vanishes, and we seek for something new.
Now, suppose you examine a dress that has done good service. It is somewhat spotted and a good deal soiled; but you say, “It is so pretty and becoming, I shall feel like losing an old friend if I throw it aside; what can I do to renew its beauty?” If the material is silk or woolen, even of the most delicate colors, you can very easily clean it without fading. After ripping it with care, prepare equal parts ofalcohol, soft soap, and molasses. Half a pint of each will clean a silk dress, unless you have wasted twenty-five or thirty yards on one dress; in that case you will need a larger quantity of the preparation. Have near you two small tubs or pails of water, one warm, the other cool, unless the material is woolen, when you should use hot water for both. Spread one piece of the dress at a time on to an ironing-sheet; dip a clean sponge into this very dirty-looking, but very effective wash; rub each spot separately till you have cleansed it; then, keeping the sponge wet, go over the whole piece, wetting it thoroughly, and carefully removing the dirt and spots. When satisfied that you have done your best, rinse the piece faithfully in the first water; do not wring it, but hold it up and let it drain a moment; then shake and snap vigorously, to remove as much water as you can. Put it through the second water in the same manner; snap as dry as you can, at least so that it will not drip; spread smoothly on the ironing-sheet, and iron quickly. Be careful toiron by a thread, and iron till perfectly dry. Have your irons as hot as you can use without scorching. If the material is the same on both sides, iron on that which was first used as the outside of the dress, but make it up inside out.
This preparation is such a vile, dirty-looking compound, one would suppose it would ruin anything touched by it. Not so at all. We have cleaned the most delicate silks and ribbons,—blues, violets, pinks, and greens,—and havenever failed to secure a very good renovation of the materials, without changing or weakening the color, or leaving the harsh, stiff crackle on the silk which washing usually gives.
Having cleansed the dress, now, suppose you see how much ingenuity you can display in remodeling it. Change the gathers or pleats, that the most wear may fall on stronger spots; alter the position of trimming to hide some weak place, or improvise something to suit the exigencies of the case. If cracked or much worn at top and bottom, cut off all that must go; then cut the upper part of the skirt off from the bottom, about as high up as you wish your trimming to go, and set in a piece of lining or paper muslin, to supply the length of what you have cut away from the broken parts of the skirt. Over this “sham” lay the fold, puff, ruffle, or flounce you have prepared for trimming. It is good economy, we think, to buy a large pattern when you get a new dress, that there may be some left for repairs, at least for new sleeves and waist; but if you have none,piece,—piece very neatly, of course; and with ribbon, silk, or velvet, of a color to contrast, or harmonize with the dress, form your trimmings.
By skill, a garment may be so entirely metamorphosed, that your “dearest and best” will compliment you on your new dress. The only good thing about the present style of overskirts, flounces, paniers, bows, and every conceivable and inconceivable shape of trimming, is, that it is a wonderful help in making old things new.
Some time since, we noticed that a young friend, who is generally remarkably neat and simple in her taste, was rather more elaborately dressed than usual. We honestly complimented her on the pretty silk, the fine fit, and very becoming color.
“But I see,” said she, “you refrain from a word of commendationfor my trimmings. They don’t suit your taste, I know, my friend, and pray don’t think that they are in exact accordance with my own. Let me tell you a secret. Every bow, band, strap, fold, and frill hides a piece set in or a hole mended.”
In the midst of a large company, there was not a lady that appeared more genteelly or better dressed than our friend. If there were more like this modestly independent and industrious girl, we should hear very little of the talk, so common nowadays, that young men are unable to marry,becausethe young ladies are so extravagant.