QURKENT FASHIONS.
Ttis decidedly munch easier to tell what
is pot fashionable, in the way of dress,
than what 1s. A prominent Parisian
authority says that there will be no so
called fashionable eolor this coming
gcason, but that soft tints will be p-e-
ferred to harsh ores and that light
shades will supersede dark onos when-
ever possible. Another equally god
anthority declares that brown and
green are to be the leading colors; how-
ever, as they are not ‘“nfallivle” it
may be that we shail see quite an un-
thought of color cceupying the first
rank, If the statement of the French
writer, Balzac, be true, i. e., “that a
woman's character finds expression in
her favorite color,” we shall undoubted-
ly have posiiive fashionable colors
which all will adopt, for no woman will
be ready to label herself as quarrel-
some by wearing her favorite color of
orange, or as a coquette by adopting
white.
in many of the heavier woolen fab-
ries, suitable for winter wear, is seen
the crepon finish. ‘'hese goods are
crinkled in stripes, with plain strijes
between or else crepe all over, like |
crepe oloth, Chevron, or V stripes of |
bias lines coming from the selvages and |
meeting in points in the middle of the |
breadth, remain in as great favor as
when first introduced. Narrow zigzag |
stripes in wool fabrices are seen again |
in all serviceable colors. Besides the
figared wool goods, the prominent |
feature of whiol is their roughness and
which take the preference of plain |
ones, embroidered cloth robes are |
meeting with great favor. In these the |
pew Persian border is embroidered in
the true oriental colorings and the
points of the design are sometimes
eighteen inches de. p.
Some of the cloth robes show ap- |
pliqued borders in velvet and cloth of a
beads. i
Every store has its choice of robes |
a dispogition, from the simple merino
costume, ornamented with a few scrolls,
fo the rich silken gown on which the
most complicated designs are wronght
in silk and beads, or glittering threads
of gold and silver. There is
broidered silk and satin, embroidered
China crepe and nnn's veiling,
broidered gmuze and net for entire
toilettes or in combination with plain
fabrics. Even the finest productions
of the Lyon's loows ~tand second this
seas nto plain, stiken fabrics, decorated
by machine embioidery, a species of
ornament that can be modified as oc-
cohesion serves accor ing to the kind of
dress it is intended to adorn and the |
person who 1s to wear it i
Fine cloth is especially adapted to |
the fourreau and princesse dresses |
which mold the form almost without a
fold. The trimmings applied to them |
are rich although somewhat heavy; em- |
broidery holds the first rank which is |
generally in tLe Renaissance style. i
Passewenterie will serve the same |
urpose although not so flat while for |
8 in great demand and will be used in |
one broad band at the bottom of the |
skirt or in several narrower bands, |
alone or in combination with embroid- |
ery. Dark lined fur, like sable, is |
sometimes applied to light cloths but |
it is considered more stylish this season |
to choose a fur irimming tbat recalls |
the tone of the cloth,
There is no doubt but that the ten-
depey at present is towards draped
skirts, though as yet draperies are ouly |
spplied to dressy gowns. The more
simple costumes remain straight as |
ever. The basqae, varied in form will |
remain the lending style for bodices of |
wool material, The most fashionable |
dressmakers are cutting cloth gowns to |
slear the floor, if for street wear, a style |
which will be favored by all sensible |
women, Skirts are box-plaited in the
back and for stout figures the fashion
of trimming the gored seams is gaining
ound as it gives a taller and more
der appearance. Fleeoy plaids are |
handsomely trimmed with bands of far,
or velvet bands snd a plain cloth vest |
braided in black.
The tea gown has a potent rival in
the house dress, which has grown ont!
of it. This is trained, brighter in color,
snd richer in material than an orainary
§oun for everyday wear, but closer |
tting than the tea gown, and with no |
suggestion of a neglige gown. Many |
tea gowns can be worn without corsets |
also em-
€m-
and are loose, but this is not the case |
with the house gown which gives a
good excuse for wearing bandsome |
silks, veivets and woolen broeades,
which with the present severe style of
walking gowns have been given a sec- |
ond place. A pretty house gown of
brown serge has a ruche on the edge of
the skirt lined wth pink surah, which
$iows with every turn of the wearer. |
No. 1288.
The coat basque has a full frontof pink
surah to match, with colar, cuffs and
pockets of brown and pink shot velvet.
‘ancy velvets, silks and satin are used
for these dresses in combination with
wcol materials. Scroll patterns ares
marked feature in the fancy velvets,
pink, electric, or
s-egg blue, which
verges closely on green; the newest
on a heliotrope, gray
hopper green.
For evening dresses for young girls,
ight
gray on orange, or dove on rose; also
ing fine satin stripes, in the same color,
they are edged throughout with fur, or
have revers, collars and cuffs of fur.
The old fashioned paletot is again re-
vived for ontdoor wear, fitting at the
back with stra*yht fronts. The eloth
caps are warm and useful, with broad
bairy stripes and astrachan collars. As
the winter advances these o pes are to
be worn with sealskin or astrachan
yokes and collars The fashionable
wrap cloak is made Of rough cloth,
checked or plain, with a hood; others
are in tweed, lined with ohecks or
stripes,
Boas are to be as much worn this
year as last and the three quarter fur
capes of fifty years ago. They fall
much below th. wai-t and are rather
high on the shou ders, Muffs will be
larger than those of last season.
Rouran Curren.
4
-
3, a Sa
Ete
®
Another silk mentioned in our
Folienne diagonal
which has stripes like ropes carried in |
a slanting direction across the material
in colors that are most exquisite, such
as old rose, yellow and Chartreuse
peach. Printed chiffon, the designs
representing rosebuds, violets and
other flowers in their natural colors on
a white ground, make charming even-
ing toilettes for the young people; this
material is draped over sik founda.
tiors, and for the neck and sleeve trim-
ming the design is printed on either
edge of the goods aud to match the
wider fabric.
match.
No. 1280. Back viEw,
No. 1787, Verver Wrar.— The ma-
terials fc rthi ms ntle are black velvet,
feathers and jet passementerie. ‘Lhe
lain basqu~, supported at the waist
ine and trimmed with
the front of the sleeves,
the edge of the fronts
enllar,
and open
and
in the back is heavily ¢m-
ery of jet ornaments the sleeves of the
mantle. ‘Ihe ends of the tabs
NO. 1200. No. 1280
Silk blouses, which are now fashion.
able and largely worn, are made of Or-
plaits to the waist inclosed by a waist. |
Others have a;
af puflings of
same sppearing on the sleeves, while
many have the edge of the deep basque,
loon.
In this time of profuse garmiture,
ing anything which does not offend
or i
want of harmony 1a color. Lace, either
white, black or cream colored, has never
been used to such an extent as during
the fall seston and will without doubt
Guipure, Renaissance,
point de
Venise and point de Bruges, are all!
used. Guipure tritamiogs are employ- |
ed for dresses of ladies’ cloth or other!
woolen goods in the shape of plastrons, |
revers, collars, hip skirts, eto, :
Black net heavily covered with fine, !
cut-jet beads and nail heads is used for |
plastrons, aod sleeves on jet-trimmed |
gowns of black or colored milk, black |
net, lace or velvet. Some Parisian
modistes are even putting fur borders |
on ball dresses of and gauze, |
It will undoubtedly be what is called
a fur winter whether a cold one or not.
All kinds of fur trimmings will be
worn; borders, caffs, hems of skirts,
collars, bands on dresses, hats, bon.
nets, elo, |
The newest seal skin jackets are three
quarters length and have a wide,
collar which is capable of many as
but most becoming with the cor:
ners turned down in front. A new
form of jacket is fastened on the left
side and edged with a narrow border
of Persian lamb. There are other
special novelties, the Newmarket for
example modelled on the ordinary ‘gar.
ment of that name, and baving fi
lib sleaves are no longer *
Ag " ust safficien
full to be il : y
The Tudor fur eapes are made witha
shoulder yoke edged with a double row
of fur, from beneath which the oloak
is fulled to a three quarter length,
The tight fitting coats are all long
reaching almost to the knee, double
and the mantle is closed
of the front with fancy clssps.
afr 0. 1288. Prasreow,--Plastron of
anaw colored surah to be worn within
00 open vest. It is formed of a high
n lar and a plastron sarrounded by a
osrrow edge of silk embroidery; it]
pens in the centre under a puff of the
same tissue attached to the collar by a
knot of the surah. The top, at the
peck, is pleated then spreads itself in
the form of a loose chemise,
No. 1291.
A Coar ror 4 Lerrin
The girl's cloak 1s
Gmn's Croax.
1289,
The back of
the waist is cut plain the fronts wide |
enough to permit pleats to be laid at |
the neck, the fulness being shirred at |
the waist line. The cape is out so the |
stri form a border: is plain in the |
back but pleated on the shoulders in
front and back where it is ornamented
by a box-pleated ruche of pinked cloth.
Pointed belt of the stripes,
No, 1290. The little boy's coat is
made of dark blue serge and trimmed
with marrow gilt braid on the milor
collar and with two rows of brass bus-
tons.
Jer Brur.—No. 1291, illustrates =
fashionable pointed jet belt
lower
finis with a
may be used
No. 1292.
No. 1203. Dress ror a Yousa Orr,
—{iray wool checked with a narrow
blue velvet stripe is the materisl em-
ployed for this plain but stylish dress,
of blue velvet.
of plain gray cloth; a girdle of passe.
menterie is placed at the bottom of the
and a knot with
back. High, straight collar of blue
velvet and sleeves of the striped goods,
No. 1203,
A Woman's Wit,
Many of the firet settlers of Illinols
were rude im speech and rough in man-
ner. Money was scarce with them,
and service was paid for in produce.
Governor B. used to illustrate these
incidents of frontier life Ly the fol-
lowing anecdote: One day whem he
was a Justice of the Peace there came
to his office 8 young man, accompanied
by a young woman.
“Be you the squire?’
manly youth.
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you tie the knot for us right
away?’
“Yes, sir.”
“How much do you charge?’
“One dollar is the legal fee, sir.”
“Will yon take your fee in bees
wax?
“Yes, if you can't pay cash.”
“Well, go ahead and tie the knot,
and I'll fetch in the wax.”
“No,” said the squire, thinking there
woe a chance for a little fun:
“bring in the beeswax first, and ther
I'll marry you.”
Reluctantly the vouth went out to
where was hitched the horse upon
which, Darby and Joan fashion, the
pair had ridden, and brought the wax
in a sack. On being weighed, its value
wus found to be only about half a dol-
ar,
“Wal,” said the saaxious groom,
“tie the knot, and I'll fetch more wax
next week.”
“No sir; I don’t trust; that's against
the rales of this office.
Slowly the pointed youth
ng:
“Come, Sal; let's go.”
“1 say, Mister,” answered Sal, with
8 woman's wi, ‘can’t you marry us as
far as the wax will go
“Yes, I can, and will,” replied the
“squire,” laughing; and he did.
It is sald that there are five citizens
asked the
FANCY WORK.
HINTS FOR CHRISTMAS,
Father 1'me jogs steadily on and |
waits for no man, It seems only a few |
weeks ago that we were in the midst of |
Christmas gaieties, and now if we
woul | not be caught vapping, we, who |
esnnnot afford to buy the many Christ. |
mas gifts designed for our friends, |
must turn our thonghts aud attention |
to planning these ‘love gifts.” And
surely thev are rightly named “love |
gifts”, for 1t is only love which prompts ;
the spending of time, that in some |
cases one can lly afford, in order fo
make them, And does not a gift, no
matter how simple, if made by the
hands of a friend touch a chord in your |
beart that no bought gift ever did?
I remémber one bright Christmas not
long since when a little mat made of
zypher, knit in a ronnd chain by means
of an empty spool and pins, was placed
in my hands by a little rageed mite of
humanity who at the same time wished
me “A Merry Chri tmas,”
It was all she had to give, for she
was oply a “wail,” apd it was made of
odds and ends whish had been given to
that little gift was more precious to me
than the elaborately embroidered toilet |
se: besides which I placed it, for I
knew that it was the material expression |
of the warm, heart-felt love of a young
ohild, while the more expensive git
was nothing more than & passing cour- |
tesy. In this ad seversl succeeding
numbers of our paper we propose to
give our readers not only suitable de- |
signs with descriptions for Christmas
gifts but also now and then hints
simple, useful and practical which each
one can elaborate according to her own
fancy. ‘
A pretty gift and one that will be
apprecisted is a crocheted muff, which
can be made of black or soft gray wool,
bright colored silk or
eatin. For this mske a foundation
chain of 78 stitches. 1st row.-De, Ich
the row, 2d row.-One
the take
O03
up
i iGO
take
makes
ap the
} loops
Batne
sRIne
the hn
to the
d e;
in the back part o
as before,
Repe t the 2d
is wide e
Pp Again,
OK: COL
end of
remeni-
4
i the
on
WAY
row, 3d Plain
ber 10 work
Tow,
and 3d rows until the
ough for the mat. For |
up the mufl a sheet of wadding,
rit the color of tLe
silk which vou may select for the lin-
itself, which
be a third larger than the ero- |
piece, are necessary. Cover |
side of the wadding with dark
canvas cloth; turn down on the sides of |
the silk, which will form the sides of
making
on,
should be run, |
through which ribbon is drawn.
Draw up the ribbon til: your silk is of |
the same rize an the crocheted piece,
then sew it up, slso the erocheted picce
and draw it 0 er the wadded
that the milk side will form the inside
of the mufl: fasten the edges neatly
and fini-h with pretty bows
Pretty book-marks can
ips of narrow ribl
eut lengths, Taste
i
ne
Sli BO
made of
won of differ-
ned together sat the
top with a flat steel ornsment, the
lower ends torned to form a point and
ornamented with a cross, anchor, etc,
also formed of s eel. If one is too far
be
wents are sold, the ends of the ribbon
may be fringed and just above a tiny ,
little tag made of some pretty contrast-
ing colored silk, just the width of the
ribbon and filled with fine white sand,
neatly fasteved on. |
Twirie bags are very scoeptable to a |
housckeeper and may be made very |
ornamental. They can be crocheted of
ecclored cord, or made of strips of
narrow picot edged ribbom or colored
flash. 1f crocheted use the the well
nown shell stitch; begin with a chain
of 4 stitches whioh fasten in a ring
then use single crochet for 5 rows after
which change to shell stitch, widening
as often as pecesaary till you have a
circle the size of your ball of twine,
knit » picoe without wideaing to cover
the ball well, finish off with an edge
and draw the top together by running
narrow ribbon through the meshes
after you bave inserted the ball. The
lower part should be finished either
with a bow of ribbon or with a fine
cord aud tassel made of the same cord
that is used for the ball cover. When
made of plash cut the plush in the
form of an envelope, shaping the four
flaps to resemble chestant leaves,
Have a little brass eye inserted at the
top of each leaf through which green
cord or ribbon should be drawn and
formed into long loops for hanging the
holder, Era.
———— ID AIS
UROOHETED EDGING. —1hia design 1s
very effective and makes a prefty trim-
wing for a buresnu scarf or for other
purposes. It is worked in the length.
gin with the upper line of circles:
First Row. ~FEleven chain, join, 13
a. ¢. under the ring * 11 chain, join to
the first of 11 chain with 1 slip-stiteh,
which must be worked very tightly, so |
tbat the circle joins very evenly;
work 14 a eo. under the cobain at the |
lower side, so that the singles in this |
row all lie on the same side; repeat
from * for the length required.
Second Row. Under the other half
of chain work 7 singles, 6 chain, 1. 8 a |
into the second, 9 chaip, 1 8. ¢. into the
fifth, 2 chain, 7 4, ¢. under the chain,
join to first (ingle or circle, worked in
Inst 10w with 1 slip-stiteh worked very
tightly; repeat from the beginning of
Third Row.-—~Work another row of
circles as follows: 11 chain, 7s eo.
ander the chain, 1 slip-stiteh into the
centre of chain between two picots of
Fourth Row, Fourteen s. ¢. unde
each of the three fir.t circles of chain,
7 8. ¢. under vext eirele; turn, and
work back, 14 chain, 1 8. ¢. into the
ninth 2 chain, | slip-stitch into the fifth
single of next eircle, 4 chain, 1s. e.
into the third, 2 chain, 1slip-stitch into
the seventh of 14 chain, 18 chain, 1 8,
¢ into the fourteenth, 2 chain; pass
over three singles of scallop; 1 a. e.
into the rext, 7 chain, 1 a e. into the
third, 2 chain, 1 8. ¢. into the twelfth
of 18 chain, 8 chain, 1 slip-stiteh into
centre of next circle; turn, work 11 a.
¢. under the eight chain, 14 5, eo, under
the mext chain and 11 8. ¢. under the
nexy; work 7 mingles under the circle
last worked wader, and 7s ec zader
the next; turn, and work back: 14
chain, 18 ec into the tenth, 2 chain, 1
6. ¢. into the next scall p of mingles, 7
chain, 1s ec. into the third, 2 chain,
1 8c into eighth of 14 chain, * 16
chain, 18. ¢. into the eleventh, 3 chain,
1 8. ¢. 1uto the depth be ween two seal-
lope, 8 ebain, 1 s, c. into the fourth, 2
chain, 1 8. ¢. into the ninth of 16 chain:
chain, 1 8. c. into the tenth, 2 chain, 1
£. ©. into the next scallop of singles, 7
chain, 1 a. ¢. into the third, 2 chain, 1
8. ¢ into the eighth of 14 chain, 7
chain, 1 &. c. nto centre of next cirele;
turn, 13 8 ¢. under cach of three first
loops of chun, 17 8. c. nnder next loop,
13 8. ¢; under cach of three next loops,
i 8 eo, under last circle worked under;
repeat from the beginning of the row,
For the heading, which is done on
the upper edge of the first row of cir.
cles, was as follows: —
1st row. into each of three
slugies, © chain; repeat,
«i row.-—One d. ¢. nto
= chain; skip 2 stitches, and
One 8, c.
first stitch,
repeat,
Crsmion ror ax Easy Cuan —This
handsome cushion cover 15 made of
strips of olive green silk plush put on
full, and a strip of rich embroidery
worke ! on beige congress canvas, For
this embroidery any bandsome« design
may be chosen, worked in different
faney stitches or even in the old fash-
jioned eross-stitch. ‘I'he band of em-
broilery should be edged with a thick
cord of and silk in the same
colors ss those used to work the band,
snd monnted on a fouadstion ocorre-
color witu the plush.
the cushion should be
s oolor which harmonizes
with the plash,
x 1
chenille
sponding In
be back of
fared with
Exrrrinoe Bao. — This knitting bag of
Christmas gift for an old lady. It ocon-
sists of an oblong piece of heliotrope
broeche silk sixteen inches wide and
twenty-four deep, with a lining of old-
gold satin, The edge all around is
finished with milk cord, the sides re-
maining nnjoined. Along both ends,
at two inches and a half from the edge,
five brass rings are sewed on st inter-
vels of four inches; the piece is folded
through the middle, and the end rings
on both sides are tacked together. A
ribbon drawing-string ispassed through
the rings and tied in bows at the sides,
and loops of ribbon are affixed at the
corners for handles.
‘The front is ornamented with ascroll
design or a large monogram worked in
silks and gola thread.
Less expensive materials and a more
simple design could be used in making
one of these bags,
Evvcoarion is all right, just so
does not leave its victim too smart