The Oregon daily journal., November 01, 1908, Page 63, Image 63

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PATTERN AND DESIGN TRANSFER SECTION
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M
EMBROIDERY FOR
BABY CLOTHES
Fin en ess the Keynote
Dainty Device, Delicate Materials, Diminutive Designs
Fine needlework is an essential in the wardrobe of an infant, and
few mo'thers, however slender their purse may be, are without some
article of fine embroidery among the little garments for baby's wear.
Not many mothers areable to spend $10,000 for an embroidered
outfit such as graced the appearance ot, a certain Newport baby,
but all mothers with a little time at their disposal are able' to acquire
just as rich embroidery, just as daintily made up, by the exercise of
jrj their own hngers in such needlework as usually makes a pleasant pas
time, for the woman who is deft with her needle.
Festoon and garland effects are, at present, in the height of fash
ion for the tiny folk, who do not know the difference between a
sock and a bib, except by the taste, and small figures are always the
correct thing in designs for infants' apparel.
It is a pretty fancy to make a baby's outfit with a general design
capable of being appropriately repeated upon articles ofYarjous kinds.
The bib and the bootee look all the daintier for having a similar pat
tern, and nothing looks sweeter than an entire costume' worked in
harmonious decorations.
Nothing is more easily made than the'little cap shown in the illus
tration. For material select nainsook, fine cambric or good lawn ;
stamp the pattern and outline it with a soft filling thread, run in and
out as one would run up a seam, only with larger stitches. i. Fill in the
leaves and flower petals and, where necessary, double the thread for a
thickening of certain places in stems and spirals. When the scallops
, and design have all been outlined in this manner begin to work the
design.
For the material to be used for caps, dress yokes and bibs, use
either number 25 or 35 mercerized embroidery cotton, which comes at
two or three cents a skein. Use as fine a needle as will thread with
out tightness and work crosswise, over the filled-in pattern, laying the
stitches close together and exactly on the outer edge of the running
stitches. In the spray design, as well as in leaves of a wider size, it is
a pretty idea, and one which facilitates work, to darn the leaf or else
outline it with a stem stitch and fill it in with tiny knots. Either way
of filling in a leaf or flower petals fashionable and very quickly accom
plished. L
When a bib has been embroidered it may be feather-stitched
around the edge to a thick, soft piece of cotton material. Several
kinds are for sale for the purpose of wadding bibs. A tiny frill of
lace may be added to the very Jancy bibs, but most of them should
be simply finished with, scallops. Indeed, scallops make an ideal fin
ish for everything belonging to a baby. The bib pattern makes a fas
cinating festoon design for the front of a little dress. Stamp it two
or three times across the front of a dress for smart occasions, and,
if the pattern is to be used in a christening gown narrow Valen
ciennes lace, or a group of tiny tucks, or featherstitching may be
placed between the festoon panels down the dress front. Either nar
row lace or featherstitching should outline this panel from the little
dress yoke to the hem or frill at the bottom. i ?
A baby cannot have too many caps, and the design shown is equally
suitable for a cap of fine nainsook or cambric or one of equally fine
oyer the face. Under the outer ruffle, on tlw left side, it is the latest
conceit to tuck a large satin rose in white, blue or pink. Gener
ally ties are also of satin and a satin bow is fastened o each .side of.
the cap so adorned. The effect is quite bewitching.
Very little babies have the outeredges of their caps finished with
just a simple scalloped edge. To this may be added at will one or
two narrow frills of lace. In all styles of little hoods or caps a separate
front effect rs often achieved by embroidering the front edge on the
wrong side, sometimes finishing it with lace and turning it back upon
the top of the hood, like a shallow envelope .flap. This is a pretty
fancy and makes the cap appear more elaborate. Where the back of
the cap is gathered to its circular headpiece, the seam should be neatly
finished tiff and the joining edges hidden under a narrow band of
featherstitching, briarstitching or any dainty needlework stitch known
to the worker. The same stitching furnishes a dainty border to the
bottom of the cap where it touches baby's neck, and is sometimes
extended along both edges of the tie "string in place of simple hem
ming. The tie string design is not only suitable for the ends of baby's
. lawn tie, but also for mother's as well, and for her silk and satin neck'
pieces. It comes in nicely tolrim the corners of baby's little sacques
and kimonos and as adornment to pillow, cushion, sachet and other
articles with corners to decorate with needlework, , ;
. The lining of baby's hood or cap is made of soft China or Japan
ese silk in two thicknesses, with the edges turned in and neatly sewed
together. The white cap is just tacked to this lining) which may be
of white, pink or bfueT" Hoods of wool are lined in the same fashion.
The thickness of baby's hood lining must depend upon the kind of
weather he is to be taken out in, but it should always be of wash
able material. Quilted silk is a favorite for this purpose.
To work silk- and cashmere hoods, fill in the design with, linen
floss in loose stitches, So that the linen will not shrink at the expense
of the design, or else use a soft filling silk for the purpose. Work
crosswise with silk floss. Mercerized linen makes a pretty .embroid-
ery upon wool hoods for the reason that it never turns yeHow in the
laundry as silk, floss so often does.
The dress yoke should be worked in the same way that the bib is
and where it is joined to the dress the seam should be covered with a
band of needlework stitches, of which featherstitching is most fashion
able for a baby's dress A tiny frill of lace is also often added), in
which case the same kind of lace is required in the neck and sleeves.
This yoke pattern makes a beautiful design for a cape or round collar
made of any material.
Some of the cunningest forms of needlework are maCe up into',
little bootees mere scraps of material embroidered and lJded over
baby's wee feet. The bootee is embroidered upon silk of plain surface
or rep or crystal. Crystal silk is particularly popular for bootees, out
door hoods, wraps and capes for babies. Besides silk, bootees are also
made of pique, thin kid, and occasionally of cashmere lined with silk. "
Silk bootees are embroidered with silk .floss and so are kid ones, but
cotton and other kinds are worked with linen floss or mercerized
cotton, which is best for pique. Little straps of the same material are
sewed to the top of the bootee and sometimes fasten with a bow
and' sometimes with a button. It is quite a fad to trim the, tops of
little tootees with one, two or three overlapping rows of narrow lace
or narrow satin ribbon, and this is irrespective of the material,of which
the tiny shoe is built. . ,
Where the bootee is sewed to its bit of a sole the joining edges
should come upon the outer sideso as not to rasp baby's rose.leaf '
foot.- Some persons bind these narrow edges with satin ribboti or cot
ton tape of a very narrow quality; others sew them down fiat beneatha
; band of featherstitching or trimming tape decorated with some pretty
needlework stitch. ' Sometimes eyelet holes in front of the bootee allow
til narrow ribbon laces which are tied in cunning little bows. Very
cashmere or crystal or heavy white silk, Wash caps are considered the
most correct things for infants, but older babies might have this de- often, loo, little bows of silk or satin, to match baby's hood or cap.
sign used upon their caps and the 'difference in size made up by the C are sewed ;over the "arch of the instep where there isn't any arch,
r deep front frill which is so fashionable for older babies, from one Nothing is prettier than a small design of hand embroidery upon the
'to two years of age and over. The deep frill may be made of Jace- "ctpe of baby's bootee and atiy woman can work these small designs, .
edged lawn propped up by lots of bobinet or chiffon or lace ruffles ' they require so little skill, with the needle.