Handicraft for Girls Part 16

FLAX.

The fibers of flax are spun and woven into a fabric called linen. This is one of the most ancient industries known to man. Linen is often mentioned in the Bible and the ancient Egyptians wrapped their mummies in this fabric. It is said that the finest linen of the present day looks coa.r.s.e beside that from the Egyptian looms in the days of the Pharaohs. The Hebrew and Egyptian priests wore garments made of this fine linen.

=The Plant.=--Flax grows from two to three feet high, and has a blue flower. A field of flax in blossom is very beautiful.

While it is grown extensively in many parts of Europe, Asia and America, the soil and climate of Ireland, France and the Netherlands are especially adapted to its growth, and it is in these countries that it reaches its greatest perfection.

The fiber of the bark is the part of the plant used in the manufacture of cloth. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.

=The Preparation of the Fiber.=--When the plant is ripe it is pulled up by the roots and beaten to loosen the seeds which are then shaken out.

Next the stems are steeped in soft water and afterward allowed to ferment. They are then dried and pa.s.sed between fluted rollers which breaks the woody part of the stems which are again beaten to remove this woody part from the fiber. The fiber is then made into bundles and sent to the mill to be spun, where it is first roughly sorted, the longest and best portions being separated from the short raveled ones. These inferior portions are called "tow."

The treatment of the flax fiber for spinning is similar to that of the cotton (page 92), being drawn and twisted and drawn out again, repeating this process several times.

=Spinning.=--Coa.r.s.e and heavy yarns are spun dry, but fine yarn must be spun wet. Some varieties of velvet and velveteen are made from linen.

Much of the so-called linen cloth of the present day is mixed with cotton or jute. The principles of weaving are the same as that of the cotton. See page 93.

For many centuries the weaving of linen was conducted as a household industry. The first attempt to manufacture it on a large scale was in England in 1253. It is now one of the national industries. Linen is bleached after it is woven. In the olden times it was spread upon the gra.s.s, or lawn, and the action of the sun, air and moisture whitened it, and for this reason it was called "lawn," and it is still so designated.

In the modern process of bleaching, the linen is first singed by being pa.s.sed rapidly over hot cylinders which makes the cloth smooth. It is then boiled in lime water, washed and afterwards scoured in a solution of sulphuric acid, exposed to the air for a time and again scoured.

Lastly, it is boiled in soda-lye water and dried over hot tin rollers.

The gloss on linen is made by first mangling, then starching, and finally running it between heavy rollers.

Linen is chiefly manufactured in France, Belgium, Germany, England and the United States. France is noted for the finest kinds of lawn and cambric, while Ireland excels in the production of table linen. The largest portion of the sheeting and toweling is made in Scotland. The linen manufactures of the United States consist princ.i.p.ally of toweling and twine.

WOOL.

Wool is the fleecy covering of sheep. It is distinguished by its waviness and the scaly covering of the fibers. The scales are more pointed and protrude more than those of hair. This gives it a tendency to mat or felt. The waviness of wool is due to the spiral structure of the fibers. Next to cotton, wool is the most extensively used of all the textile fibers.

The Romans developed a breed of sheep having wool of exceeding fineness, and later introduced their sheep into Spain. Here they were still further improved, and it was not many years until Spain led the world in the production of wool. The fine wooled Merino sheep originated here.

Australia and the United States are also great wool-producing countries.

=Cla.s.sification.=--There are three cla.s.ses of wool, cla.s.sified according to the length, fineness and felting qualities:

1. The carding or clothing wool.

2. The combing or worsted wool.

3. The blanket or carpet wool.

Wool on different parts of the same animal varies greatly, that on the shoulders being the finest and most even. All unwashed wool contains a fatty or greasy matter called yolk or suint. This keeps the fiber from matting together and also protects the fleece from injury. The yolk must be removed before the wool is manufactured into cloth. When the fleece is cut from the body of the sheep it sticks together so that it can be spread out like the hide of an animal, and each fleece is tied in a separate bundle. A few years ago sheep shearing was done by hand. This was a busy time, especially on large ranches where thousands of sheep were to be sheared and it required a large crew to do the work. It is now accomplished with much less time, labor and expense by machinery.

Alpaca and Mohair are cla.s.sed as wools, but the former is produced by the Alpaca goat and the latter by the Angora goat. Cashmere wool comes from the Cashmere goat, found in Thibet, and is very costly, as only the finest parts of the fleece are used. In the far eastern countries beautiful, costly fabrics are made from the long hair of the camel.

=Preparation.=--When wool comes to the factory in the raw state it must be scoured. This is done by pa.s.sing it through machines containing strong soap suds, and afterwards rinsing it. After the wool is dry it is mixed or blended. Mixing is an operation of great importance and is done to make the wool of uniform quality. Portions of wool from different lots, qualities and colors are placed in alternate layers and blended.

If it is desired to mix other materials with the wool, such as silk, cotton or shoddy, it is added at this time.

The wool is harsh to the touch after it has been scoured, owing to the removal of the yolk. To restore its natural softness it is slightly sprinkled with oil during the process of mixing.

=Carding and Spinning.=--The process of carding produces a thread having fibers projecting loosely from the main thread in little ends which form the nap of the finished cloth. After it is carded it is wound on spools and is ready for the spinning. In spinning the threads are held together by their scales and the waviness of the fiber which prevents them from untwisting. Another valuable feature of wool is its elasticity, which makes it soft to the touch and this is retained in the manufactured goods.

=Woolens.=--There are two cla.s.ses of woolen textiles, woolens and worsteds, depending upon the character of the fiber used, and the treatment to which it is subjected. The shorter varieties of wool are used in woolens, while the long fibers are combed out and used for the worsteds. In making woolen yarns the wool is simply carded and very loosely spun, but in making worsted thread the wool is combed out and hard twisted. Owing to the nap of the woolen goods the weaving is scarcely visible, but in the manufacture of worsteds the weave is evident and a great variety of designs is possible.

A variety of effects can also be produced by the character of the finish. Among the princ.i.p.al varieties are:

1. The dress face finish, such as broadcloth and beaver.

2. The velvet finish.

3. The Scotch or Melton finish.

4. The bare face finish, which has the nap completely sheared off.

While the finish may differ, the general treatment of the cloth is practically the same. The first step is called pulling, when the cloth is soaked in hot water and pulled by a pulling machine. It is soaked, pulled and beaten until it is only half its original length and breadth.

It is then rinsed and stretched on a frame where it will dry without a wrinkle. At this time the nap is raised by beating the cloth with the spike head of the teasel plant or its subst.i.tute. The pile or nap is then trimmed so as to present a uniform surface, when it is wound tightly around a huge drum and immersed in hot water. Finally it is pressed in a hydraulic press, during which time steam is forced through it. This is to give solidity and smoothness to the cloth and also to add l.u.s.ter to the finished fabric.

CHAPTER IX.

DRESS, AND ITS RELATION TO ART.

Art education should bring to every girl a greater appreciation of beauty and a sufficient knowledge to enable her to beautify her home and to dress herself becomingly. This is the real "applied art" or "applied design" of which we have heard much but seen little.

The power and skill necessary to originate an intricate and artistic design, and a technical knowledge of color-blending are worth something to the individual, but the ability to apply this knowledge later to the decoration of her home and to the selection of her own wardrobe is of vastly greater importance.

An artist who paints the human figure, draws and erases and draws again, and yet again, that the contour of the form he creates may be right in proportion and graceful in line. He studies his coloring, he compares, rejects and blends for a particular shade or tint that makes for complete harmony. No discordant note of color nor turn of line that detracts from the beauty of the whole is allowed. And there are artistic makers-of-garments who put into the costumes they create the same thought and care that the artist spends upon his canvas, but the prices of both are within the reach of very few. Nearly every woman must plan her own wardrobe and choose the furnis.h.i.+ngs for her home and this is what "Art" and "Domestic Art" in the public schools should train the girl of to-day--the woman of the future--to do.

Art on paper is the preparation for a journey--packing the suitcase, as it were, necessary but toilsome; the application of art principles to the problems of real life, the delightful excursion, opening the eyes to real beauty and its possibilities. May the children in our schools have something more than the drudgery of preparation.

Clothing was first designed in the early ages, no doubt, as a covering and protection to the body; it has come, however, to mean something more than this. It is an expression of the character, the nicety of taste--or lack of it--the discrimination and judgment of the individual. In the selection of one's garments there are a number of points which must be taken into consideration, such as health and comfort, cost, fitness, color and style, as well as beauty. And above all, the average woman must pause and consider last season's garments, that are too good to be discarded and must form a part of this year's wardrobe. It is quite disastrous to plunge ahead and buy a blue dress, because blue happens to be stylish, if the hat to be worn with it is a green or brown "left over."

While a due regard to the opinions of others demands a certain conformity to the customs of the time and place in which one lives, there is always a lat.i.tude allowed which enables one to exercise individual needs, taste and preference.

Health and comfort should take rank before everything else. A style which interferes with either is an absurdity which anyone of good sense will avoid.

Neatness should be considered above beauty or style. A soiled collar, hooks, eyes and b.u.t.tons missing, gloves out at finger ends, shoes dusty and unpolished, braid hanging from the skirt, the waist and skirt separated are all accidents which may befall anyone, but are most deplorable when they become chronic.

It has been wisely said that the best dressed woman is she of whose clothing one is unconscious, whose dress is neither conspicuous from extreme style nor too noticeable from a total disregard of the custom of the times. Good taste demands that one be not overdressed. Street and business suits and young girls' school dresses should be plain, well made and neat, of subdued and becoming color.

"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy," wrote Shakespeare, and the advice still holds good. Economy does not consist, however, of buying cheap, shoddy material. Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g can be dispensed with to the improvement of the average garment, but a dress made of good cloth will out-wear, look better, give greater self-respect, and in the end cost less than several dresses made of cheap stuff, as the cost of making is no more for the one than the other. This is a principle that applies as well to underwear. Simple garments, well made of firm fine cambric are much to be preferred to those overtrimmed with cheap lace and sleazy embroidery.

Some colors and styles are becoming to certain complexions and forms and are quite the reverse to others. A short stout person should avoid plaids, while one overly tall should never select stripes. The lines of the garment are equally important--any method of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g that gives length, the long lines of the "princess" and the "empire" styles are a boon to the short figure, while the overskirt, the deep flounce, and the bands of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g running around the skirt, all help to break the long lines for the tall woman. Belts that by contrast divide the figure are not good unless one wishes to shorten the height. Waists and skirts of the same color usually have more style and give better form.

Give careful heed to the selection of color, not only to the dress but to the accessories, hat, gloves, collar, belt and shoes, as well. In fact, consider the costume as a whole made up of parts, each one of which must harmonize with every other.

Before sewing machines were to be found in every home and ready made clothing in the stores styles did not change so rapidly. Commercial conditions now make it to the advantage of a great army of people that the styles in dress change often and radically. The manufacturers of cloth, the wholesale merchants with their agents, the retailers and their numerous clerks, wholesale garment-makers and their many employes, pattern-makers, dress-makers, milliners and the manufacturers of all minor articles of clothing are all benefitted by this oft recurring change in style. This condition has come about so gradually that we hardly realize to what extent we are victims of trade-tricks. It is not necessary nor desirable that woman should enslave herself to follow all the vagaries of style.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHILD'S PICTURE BOOK.]