Fur Sewing and Mending: Fur sewing takes courage as much as skill. All fur is mended before making up. Art lies in cutting patches accurately and setting them in so the fur lies with that around it. To fill in a moth-eaten spot rip out linings and enough seams to let the fur lie flat, then chalk-mark the smallest space that will remove the moth patch. Cut through along the mark with a sharp-pointed knife, then lay the hole upon the patch fur and shift until it matches in color and growth. Mark all round, take off the garment, cut the patch with your sharp knife just outside the marking. Fit into the hole, tack lightly in four places, turn, sew the cut edges together, taking stitches close and barely deep enough to hold. Turn every little while, smooth seam, and look for puckers; if any rip, sew over. Sewing done, press seam hard with the thimble on something flat, then turn and press on right side with the end of the thumb. Manipulate until the skin edges lie one against the other. Fur garments can be remodeled at home with just such sewing. Shape, piece, or mend, sew together, and reline. Very tiny bits can be used many ways, wherefore save them religiously. Tails that have been partly moth-eaten or lost hair should have the bare lengths cut out, the remnants neatly joined. Long furs, such as marten, mink, skunk, and fox, are not easier than seal, beaver, and so on, but less apt to show bungling work. Astrakan is so soft and crinkly it sews almost like cloth.
Carpets, Matting, and Rugs: Make carpets as clean as possible before mending. Darn with wool and upholsterer’s needles as they lie on the floor, matching thread to pattern, unless the pattern is worn away. Cut bad spots square, or to straight edges, snip corners, turn under edges, fit in a square, turn down its edges, trimming at corners to avoid lumps, safety-pin at each corner, turn over and whip turned edges fast, then cover with damp cloth and press. Shift stair carpets often enough to get equal wear all over. Have an extra step length and turn it under at top or bottom to make shifting easy.
Dyeing helps a faded carpet mightily. Put it down clean with thick paper under, wipe over with clarified ox gall in tepid water, then with clear water, wringing the cloth dry, then paint with a thick soft brush dipped lightly in hot dye. Use the color predominant in the room, no matter about the pattern. Rub the dye in well, but do not slop nor sop it. Treat fine matting, especially in rug form, the same way. Figures will show through, but not unpleasantly. Even a grass rug takes color readily. Hang smooth and wet thoroughly, let stand to set, then wash with weak suds. Dye on both sides. Carpets and mattings must be dyed on one side only and washed lightly, after the color sets, with suds, then wiped over with either vinegar and water or weak alum water.
Rug-mending needs a volume; here it gets only a paragraph. For breaks, tears, moth-eaten or worn spots lay smooth upon something soft and sleazy—wool crash is excellent, so is basket-woven serge. Flannel will answer; at a pinch so will burlap. Fasten so thread runs true with those of the rug. If the original fabric shows appreciably, darn it down on the patch, matching the darning-wool to the colors. If there is a yawning hole, put the wool double in a very big needle, stick through from the top, bring up again in almost the same place. Tie to the end above, stick back, stick up again, repeat, varying thread, until the whole space is covered with woolly loops. Cut them through, then trim smooth with very sharp shears, comb with a coarse comb, and trim again. Moth-eaten moquette carpet can be treated the same way, using as many needles as there are colors in the pattern.
Care of Gloves: Pull off gloves over the hand, not by tugging at finger tips; this is the first commandment. The second is, Never crumple them. Let lie open from the hand until dry, then smooth, wrap in tissue paper, and put away. Sew fastenings the minute they show loose. Mend at the first ripped stitch. Glove powder shaken inside before putting away after wearing keeps them fresher. Either patch holes in thumb and fingers with very thin kid, else cut off the worn sections almost to the palm, shape new sections from old kid, sew on, then sew in. Color gray spots on the fingers of black kid gloves with a few drops of ink rubbed well through other drops of sweet oil. In cleaning with gasolene put on gloves, fasten smooth, and begin work at the top of the wrist—there will be circles otherwise, especially in long gloves. Wash as though washing hands, using a very soft cloth or wisp of cotton. Change gasolene as soon as dirty. Rub afterward well with starch and whiting, powdered.
Cleaning Furs: Brush well, comb twice—against grain and with it—wipe over with soft flannel, then with a wisp of cotton tied in old silk and dipped lightly in gasolene or benzine or ether. Ether is best for white furs. Work quickly, changing the cloth if it grows dirty. Comb up again, and sift over hot cornmeal or sifted sawdust, rub it well through the fur, up, down, crosswise, shake out, and hang to air. White furs after shaking out should be covered thick with starch and whiting in fine powder, mixed with enough powder blue to clear. Let lie several days, then shake out, brush hard, and wipe over very quickly with a soft damp cloth. Dry-clean light and fancy linings by gentle, steady rubbing with a swab of starch and whiting tied in soft silk or cheesecloth. Put a few drops of ether or gasolene on soiled spots, rub hard with the swab, then with a clean cloth, dipped in powdered chalk.
Furs worn in dusty wind or a foul atmosphere need to be well combed, brushed against the grain, and aired quickly. Dry wet furs in air, but away from heat. Stretch and knead them several times while drying to keep the skin pliable. Shake hard at first, hang smooth, and let drain. Unless very wet, only dampness will reach the skin if they are so treated. Snow shaken off before melting is a help rather than a hurt. Indeed, a good way to clean fur rugs is to drag them, hair down, over dry snow. Clean on the floor by sprinkling thickly with hot meal or sawdust, rubbing in well and brushing out, then combing.
VI
MAKING AND MAKING OVER
Wherewithal to make of is the first requisite. Here follow some simple tests easily applicable and well worth while. Use upon samples, and buy accordingly. Things over-cheap, it may be said in passing, carry their condemnation in their price. Buying them is extravagance, since they cost as much in time, trouble, and often in money for making up as sound stuffs and make no adequate return in wear.