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Vol. XLV PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 1864 No.2. |
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Ornamental Candlesticks, etc --First, procure some cardboard, cut out the candlestick or any other ornament, make iut the desired shape, then lay on some rice. Having prepared some spirits of wine and sealing-wax, which must be melted in a bottle before a fire, (care being taken not to place it too near and to keep the bottle uncorked,) lay it with a brush on the rice. When done, they look exceedingly well, and may be taken for coral. A box need not be cut of cardboard, as a common box answers quite as well. To smoothe a Rumpled black Silk Dress, etc. -- A little rock ammonia (bought at the chemist's) and a piece of common soda put into a bottle, and about half a pint of boiling water poured on to dissolve them; then, when cold, sponge the silk with the liquid on the right side, and iron it on the wrong. This receipt wonderfully improves anything black and is quite good for cloth, though, of course, that must not be ironed. Black Varnish for Stoves -- Melt half a pound of asphaltum, and add to it a quarter of a pint of linseed oil, and one pint of turpentine. This quantity will be enough for four grates. If it be found too thick, as it gets toward the bottom of the bottle, add a little more turpentine. It is for the black stoves, which must be washed clean of dirt and blacklead, and, when dry, apply the varnish with a brush. To Prevent the Hair from Falling Off -- Put equal quantities of rum and sweet oil into a bottle, and, before using, shake them well together. This mixture should be applied with a soft brush to the roots of the hair every night; it should be tried for a month, at least, before any improvement can be expected. Color for Wicker Baskers, or any small Articles of the Kind -- Dissolve one stick of black sealing-wax and one stick of red in two ounces of spirits of wine. Lay it on with a small brush. A Popular Hand-Book of the New Testament. By George Cumming McWhorter. 1 vol., 16 mo. New Yori: Harper & Brothers. -- A valuable book for those who have neither time nor opportunity, to consult original authorities. It is very elegantly printed. Buttered Eggs. -- Four eggs well beaten, three tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, a little grated tongue or beef, pepper and salt, three ounces of butter; put in a stewpan until quite hot, then add the eggs; stir all the time until quite thick. Have a slice of bread ready, toasted and buttered, spread the mixture upon it, and send it to table very hot. Ham Toast. -- Melt a small piece of butter in a stewpan until it is slightly browned; beat up one egg and add it to it; put in as much finely-minced ham as would cover a round of buttered toast, adding as much gravy as will make it moist when quite hot. When all the ingredients are in, stir them quickly with a fork; pour on to the buttered toast, which cut in pieces, afterward, any shape you please. Serve hot. FIGURED SILKS are again fashionable, but not nearly so stylish, we think, as the plain ones. A great disadvantage in a fiqured silk is, that it goes out of fashion so soon, whereas a plain one can be remade, year after year, and, with a fresh trimming, "look just as well as new." Large plaids have the same objection as the figured goods; but the tiny plaid French silks, which come in every spring, are always "the style." Some of the new silks are of light fawn-color, with large spots of blue at some distance apart; others are of gray, with blue satin stripes. Mauves, greens, blues, and, in fact, all varieties of color have small leaves, sprigs, etc., scattered over them; and some of the moires are in plaids. SUMMER POPLINS are plain; but many of the alpacas have small plaids in black. CHINTZES have white or light grounds, with small gay flowers and leaves, and these are really beautiful. There is nothing decidedly new in the way of making dresses. The small, loose jacket will be much worn with morning and home dresses, and basques are gradully obtaining favor, though they are not yet generally worn. BRACES have also reappeared; they are made very wide, and do not descend quite to the waist, but describe the form of a berthe at the back; they are used especially upon dresses of the Grabrielle form. They are also adopted by young girls over white tucked bodices; in these cases, they are crossed both at the back and at the front, and fall with four square ends upon the skirt. VESTS, JACKETS, ETC., are in great variety. The Sardinian vest has a small round basque, is worn with a velvet gilet, or under-body, made with a point in front, and laced behind. THE MEXICAN JACKET is loose in the back, cut open squarely in front, and fastened by small straps and buttons; it is often made of scarlet cashmere, trimmed with black; it is worn with a white cashmere chemise Russe, embroidered in black, or with a white muslin body. SLEEVES are still cut narrow, but we hope, as the season advances, they will widen a little, as they have a most stiff, ungraceful appearance at present.
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COLLARS still
show a tendency to grow larger. What are called "sailors' collars"
are very generally in vogue; they turn down from the throat with long points,
while underneath them is worn a bright-colored cravat, edged with chenille
fringe, and embroidered with jet. The white sleeves are worn with
very deep wristbands, fastened with either fine-pointed linen buttons or
with studs, while a long strap of starched linen is carried up the sleeve
underneath. This lingerie is always made of linen, embroidery,
being chiefly confined to children's toilets, and to the square pelerines
which are worn over low dresses at small evening reunions.
Many of such pelerines are made of gauze, muslin not being considered sufficiently
transparent. The newest form is "The Prince of Wales," and has already
become popular; it fastens in front, is rounded off, at the sides, as a
Spanish vest, falling in two wide ends at the back; those are edged with
either white blonde or black lace. Such pelerines generally prove
very graceful additions to the toilet.
MANTILLA AND SACQUES show a decided tendency to grow shorter. Both the circular cape or cloak and sacques will be worn. These latter fit in toward the figure, but are by no means close to it. BONNETS are certainly smaller than they were a year ago, and have now, we think, attained a very good size. In Paris, efforts have been made to have the bonnets very small, but without success, as all the ladies of decided taste cling to a "just medium." HEAD-DRESSES. -- For small evening parties, dinners, or the opera, nets, when made with fine gold braid, are very becoming, and give additional smartness to a toilet. Many young ladies are satisfied with a large bow of either sky-blue or ponceau velvet, mixed with gold braid, fastened to the center of the net, and the head-dress is finished; others add flowers. For evening head-dresses, wide velvet plaits of some lively color have been introduced; these cover the back hair only, the rest of the head remains unadorned, with the exception of a cross-piece of velvet, which crosses the forehead, terminating at the side with a bouquet of either pink or white roses, corn-flowers, companulas, etc., etc. The selection of the flowers depends upon the color of the dress. Another style of head-dress consists of two separate puffs of flowers joined by a rolled velvet ribbon, one to be placed above the forehead and one in the back hair. One of these was composed of white and pink narcissus, another of chrysanthemums with frosted petals and snowy leaves. The same are made in hops, with the buds in pink, blue, and various colors. It is a curious fact to observe how the fashion of introducing color into the trimmings of underclothing is increasing. Although many still maintain a strong prejudice in favor of "all white," still the majority incline to the admixture of color, and the consequent enlivenment which it imparts. We believe colored petticoats were the first innovations; these were quickly followed by colored stockings, and now flannel petticoats, chemises, and night-chemises are more or less trimmed with color. For chemises, the prettiest inexpensive trimmings we have seen are worked with scarlet ingrain cotton upon white French cambric. The designs are all small--dots of scarlet, embroidered in satin-stitch, with a festooned scarlet edge in button-hole stitch; others have white edges with scarlet leaflets for designs. These trimmings are strong, and can be washed without fear of the color running, or, indeed, departing altogether. They appear to us very suitable for children's underlinen, as well as for ornamenting their pinafores. The open embroidery (we allude to that where the pattern is formed with eyelet-holes,) is now but little used, it hav ing been superseded by that worked in satin-stitch; but when it is employed, either for fronts of night-chemises or for dressing-jackets, the insertion is generally lined with stripes of pink or red ingrain cambric. White flannel petticoats are now also adorned with color. The edges are festooned with scarlet wool, above which they are braided with scarlet braid. Others are simply stitched by machine, with scarlet ingrain cotton round the edge, then braided with a design about three inches deep, headed with another row of backstitching. But colored flannel petticoats are also worn; either scarlet or pink are the popular shades. HATS are usually round, for both boys and girls. Young girls, from eight to fifteen years of age, wear over thin dresses, for the evening, the very pretty bodice called Diane De Poitiers; it is open very much, in the shape of a heart, both in front and behind, and made in black or colored silk, trimmed with a pinked ruche; a muslin or nainsook pleated chemisette is worn underneath, embroidered and edged with lace. This bodice is worn either with a white skirt, or one of white cambric or muslin, with a tiny colored pattern. In the latter case it should be trimmed with self-colored ruches of cambric of the shade as the pattern, and the bodice should also be of the same color. The Swiss bodice and various ceintures, of which we have often spoken, are also much worn by little girls over white dresses, with large bows and flowing ends at the back. THE POLISH COSTUME, for a little girl from two to three years old, consists of an under-frock of white cashmere. The skirt is trimmed with two narrow flounces, put on with a heading and edged with blue braid; the body is high, and ornamented with a quilling, edged with the same briad, and placed in the shape of braces; the sleeves are long, and edged round the wrist with a similar quilling. Over this frock is worn a second skirt, open in front; it is made of blue cashmere, and ornamented with black velvet medallions, embroidered with white silk braid and steel beads, and joined together by scallops of white and black braid; it is lined with quilted white silk. A graceful little jacket accompanies this skirt; it is of the same material, round and open in front, and very short sleeves fastened by a button on the shoulder; it is also ornamented with medallions similar to those of the skirt, but of smaller size. For a little boy, from two to three years of age, a gray poplin frock. The front of the skirt is plain -- that is, without any pleats; it is made of two widths cut on the cross, the seams being made with a piping of cerise -colored silk. The edge round the bottom is trimmed with a narrow cerise-colored silk quilling; the skirt has a pointed band and braces, edged with the same piping and quilling. On each side of the skirt, in front, are two small pockets, placed outside, and trimmed in the same manner. A small jacket is worn with this skirt, over a white chemisette; it has a short, pointed basque behind, and is rounded off in front; it is trimmed all round with a piping and narrow quilling the same as the skirt. For a little girl, from six to seven years old, a gray poplin frock, embroidered round the skirt with a running leaf pattern in scarlet and black chenille embroidery; the body is low, open in front, with small straps across, and braces on each side embroidered like the skirt.
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