print, and are made according to the pattern for petticoats (see Plate 4, Fig. 1); those for the rich are made in various ways, among which are the following:

The full body.

The plain body, cut in one piece.

The plain body, with backs and fronts cut crosswise.

SCALE FOR THE SKIRTS.

Width of skirt 2 or 3 breadths, so as to form from 14 to 16 nails wide, when the skirt is double, as if

There are so many ways of making up skirts, that only a few will be described. Broad hems and tucks of various depths are the simplest and prettiest; others are more ornamented by letting in work at the top of the broad hem, or working with braid, bobbin, or cord. Robings are often brought down in front, in continuation of the little capes sewn on the bodies. These robings should be 11⁄2 nail broad, sloped off to nail, and carried down to the bottom of the skirt, or to the top of a deep hem. They should be sewn on so that the edge of the work is turned outwards. The sleeves are made according to fancy, and are of the sizes marked in the Scale, pages 35, 36.— (See also, Plate 4.)

In cutting it out, double the strip for the body once, and again in half, and then cut out the armholes the proper depth and width. The full body is made up in either of the following ways:—the first and most simple, is by merely hemming it at the top and bottom, putting wid ehems at the ends, and then setting it upon the skirt, making more fulness at the back and in front than at the sides. The sleeves are put into the body with shoulder-straps.

F

The tapes are put in to draw from the shoulder-straps behind, at the top, and another string to draw in front, also a tape all through the waist-hem.

These simply-made frocks are very useful for fast-growing children, as they will let out to the size wanted.

ANOTHER MODE OF MAKING UP.

PLATE 4. FIG. 2.

The other mode of making them up is the neatest in appearance. The body is gathered at the top and set into a long narrow band, which forms the hem and the shoulder-straps. The bottom of the body is also firmly gathered, aud sewn on with very strong thread to the skirt, which is also gathered so as to let the fulness lie principally in front. Sometimes the body is biassed in front in two or three rows, as in Fig. 2.

Straight bodies are generally used for ladies' children, and are ornamented in different ways. Some are worked in bobbin-work, coronation braid (see Fig. 4), common braid, or else work is let in; and others with satin-stitch worked on the muslin, or very fine small tucks, either horizontal or perpendicular (see Fig. 3). One or two bodies will be more minutely described here, as a guide by which to make others.

PLATE 4. FIG. 5.

Divide the body in half, so as to ascertain the middle, and run a tacking-thread down it; run two others, one on each side, at the distance of little more than a nail from the middle, at the top, and slanting down to the middle point at the bottom of the body; run two others, at the distance of of a nail on each side of the last, slanting them towards the centre, at the distance of a nail on each side from the centre. These tacking-threads serve as a guide, by which means the pattern can be done more regularly. Sew two bobbin-lines, one on each side of each tacking-thread, leaving a small space between them sufficiently wide for little oylet holes, or some other ornamental pattern, to be worked. Afterwards, sew on the bobbin neatly in patterns, according to fancy. Put in the sleeves next, having worked the bands and the triangular shoulder-bits to correspond with the front. Next put on the capes. The whole should be trimmed with a little edging or narrow work.

PLATE 4. FIG. 8.

The bands round the sleeves

The front is worked in fancy button-hole stitch, as in Plate 5, Fig. 19. and the triangular shoulder-bits are worked in rows of the same stitch. The capes are worked near the edge with the horse-shoe stitch, as also the ends of the body (Plate 5, Fig. 20), and the edging is entirely of fancy bobbin edging (Plate 5, Fig. 18).

PLATE 4. FIG. 6.

Procure some pretty open work, in the style of that in the Plate, and sew several strips together, always making the pieces narrower at the bottom than at the top, in order to make them point towards the centre, as in the Plate. A body made thus generally wears and washes very well. The capes should be of some pretty work, and the whole trimmed with edging to match the rest. The triangular shoulder-bits have a piece of insertion-work inlaid in them.

BODY WITH HONEY-COMB STITCH.

This body has the side-bits cut as above, and the front is a triangular piece of honey-comb stitch worked and let in. In making the triangular bit, lay the plaits very narrow and even, before working it in honey-comb. For a description of the stitch, see Plate 1, Fig. 15, 16.

SLEEVES.

PLATE 4.

There are various sorts of long and short sleeves, some of which it is impossible to describe clearly, and it will not, therefore, be attempted. The most simple are the following:

Cut your material into square pieces of the size wanted (in proportion to the Scale), and double the square in half, so as to make it triangular, or three-cornered in shape. Fold it in the same manner again and again, as often as it will admit of being done; one side is longer than the other, mark it with your scissors the same distance on the long side from the point, as it is on the short, and cut it directly across; by which means the square will become a circle, as will be seen when opened. This circle should be hollowed out at one side (Plate 4, Fig. 18), in order to make it set better under the

Before opening the circle, a small hole should be cut at the pointed end, to form the opening