Dress
This dress, which is a combination of the "Polka Jacket" and ordinary dress, is exceedingly pretty and elegant, and well calculated to show off the figure to advantage. It is made up in silk or French merino, and the trimming consists of broad ribbon velvet, about an inch in width, of the same color as the dress, or one in good contrast. To those who are averse to wearing the jacket as a single garment, this may form a pleasing substitute.
DESCRIPTION OF DIAGRAMS.
Fig. 1.—The front of body—the trimming to be brought up in the form of stomacher.
Fig. 2.—Back of body. Join a to a (Fig. 1), b to b, c to c, d to d.
Fig. 3.—Jacket. Join e to e (Fig. 1) f to f (Fig. 2).
Fig. 4.—Sleeve.
NOVELTIES FOR THE COMING SEASON.
Fig. 1, it will be seen, approaches more to the style of the pelisse than the mantilla, a fashion that bids fair to be quite general the entire winter for outside garments, or pardessus, as the French call them. This, however, is intended for the milder season of spring, being made of rich violet-colored taffeta, trimmed with bows of thick satin ribbon, the same shade in front, and encircled by two falls of black lace.
Figs. 2 and 3 are breakfast caps, Fig. 2 being intended for a bride or young married lady, being composed of lace and close bows of rose-colored satin ribbon; the cap fits close to the head, a fall of broad ribbon coming behind the ear.
Fig. 3 is more novel in shape, and intended for an older person, the trimming encircling the face.
EMBROIDERED SCREEN.
EMBROIDERED SCREEN.
Materials.—Black satin, three shades of green chenille, gold twist, and gold beads.
Work the shamrock with the green chenille, veining the leaves with gold twist; the foliage in the background is also worked with green chenille. The frame-work of the harp is executed with beads, and the strings with twist. The wolf-hound is worked with brown chenille in embroidery stitch, as also are the stems of the shamrock and foliage.
PATTERNS FOR EMBROIDERY.
PETTICOAT TRIMMING.—IN BRODERIE ANGLAISE.
Materials.—French muslin, with royal embroidery cotton, No. 30, and Moravian, No. 24.
This engraving is on a scale just half the size of the original pattern. It is so strong that it is peculiarly adapted for jupons, which are worn, generally, most elaborately trimmed. The edge, which consists of a single scallop, is considerably raised; the Moravian cotton is to be used for this purpose. The wheels are all worked round in button-hole stitch, over a tracing of three threads, a rosette being in the centre of each. Indeed, if the entire pattern be overcast, instead of being sewed in the usual way, it will contribute much to the durability as well as the appearance of the work.
BRODERIE ANGLAISE FOR FLOUNCING.
(See Blue Plate in front of Book.)
Material.—French embroidery cotton, No. 20.
This description of work, now so extremely fashionable for every description of dress, is usually done on fine jacconet muslin; and, to prepare the pattern, either of the following methods may be used: Place the muslin over the pattern, taking care to keep it even and tight; then, with a fine camel-hair brush, and a solution of indigo or powder blue, mixed with gum-water, copy the outline of the pattern, and, to continue it, take care, after one length of the design is drawn, to place the muslin so that the pattern joins correctly. The other method, which is useful for thicker material—take the design, and, with a fine penknife or scissors, cut out the blue parts of the pattern, place it over the material to be used, and trace it round the cut-out parts as above directed; pierce the small eyelet-hole with a stiletto. When the pattern is prepared, tack the muslin on a piece of oil-cloth (green is the best color to work on for all descriptions of embroidery); run twice round the outline of the pattern with the cotton used double, and join the open spaces, cut a small piece out of the centre of the rounds and ovals, and, with the single cotton, work the edges in overcast stitch—the cotton run round, and the edges cut, forming the foundation. In the parts between the ovals and rounds, when there is only a small division of muslin, the whole should be overcast so as to form one bar between the open spaces. Repeat the same for the ovals which form the scallop round the outer edge, the diamonds of twelve ovals, and the rounds which form the Vandykes. The remainder of the pattern is worked in the same manner; but, instead of the overcast stitch, the open spaces are to be sewn thickly over. A small portion only of the pattern should be cut out at a time; and, should the design be worked on a fine material, use cotton No. 24 or 30.
EMBROIDERED COLLAR.
EMBROIDERED COLLAR
Materials.—French muslin, with embroidery cottons, Nos. 70 and 50; and boar's head sewing cotton, No. 90.
As the popularity of embroidery in muslin has become greater during the past year than it had been for a long period previous to it, so the skill of the majority of lady-workers has greatly increased; and we can now venture on presenting them with designs of a more elaborate nature than we have hitherto done, in the hope that our friends will be tempted, by the novel style of the pattern, to try the effect of a blending of the open work with satin-stitch.
The medallions are given of the full size, and any number may be used for a collar, according to the taste of the wearer. One half must fall in one direction, and the other half in the opposite one. Perhaps the design may appear hardly deep enough to those who are accustomed to the outrageous size of some of the mousquetaire collars; but very large collars are entirely exploded, and the dimensions of this now given are quite in accordance with the mode.
The design is so clearly seen in the engraving that no description of it is required. The finest embroidery cotton is to be used for the satin-stitch, and for sewing round the eyelet-holes; the coarser for the button-hole stitch; the boar's head cotton for the herring-bone.
