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The Very Essence of Daintiness - Materials to Use - How to Make the Sachets - Designs Suitable to Use - Attractive Novelties for Bazaars - Dainty Sets, including Nightdress and Glove Sachets for
Wedding Gifts Embroidered with Favourite Flower or Initials
The freshest, sweetest, most dainty thing imaginable in the way of a sachet can be made of linen, embroidered and buttonholed in coloured silks and perfumed when possible with the scent of the flowers which are used in the embroidery design.
For the sachets a very fine make of linen, known as "surplice linen," costing Is. 11 1/2d. per yard, and measuring 36 inches in width, is best.
Particularly dainty are the lavender handkerchief sachets, for which a piece of linen should be cut measuring 7 inches by 18 inches, and then folded into three equal parts of 6 inches respectively. If possible, the piece that is turned up to make the bag should be at the selvedge edge, as a hem is then avoided. The portion that forms the flap is then ready to have the design drawn upon it, consisting of a curved border for buttonholing, and a central design. The linen being of so fine and clear a texture, this can be done by laying it over the design chosen, and tracing it as one would on a tracing paper.
If a lavender sachet is decided upon, there should be a dainty sprig of old world lavender, embroidered with mallard floss silks in its natural colouring, the buttonholed edging worked in the same shade of mauve.
Having completed the design, the piece intended for the bag should then be machined up on the wrong side, and a small patent dress fastener sewn on to serve as the fastening for the sachet, and over that on the outside a small bow of mauve satin ribbon, which serves as a neat and pretty finish to the fastening.
For the inside of the sachet make a small muslin case, and fill it with dried lavender flowers, and a most fascinating and exceedingly charming handkerchief sachet is the final result.
Almost equally effective is a design of delicately shaded pink roses and buds, with their foliage painted in water-colours, and outlined in silks to tone, on the flap, the buttonholed edging worked in pink of the same shade.
The muslin case for the inside should be filled with cotton-wool and perfumed with attar of roses.
In like manner a violet, lily of the valley, carnation, jasmine, in fact almost any small flowers or berries will give good results worked in their own colourings.
The actual cost of the materials used in the making of the handkerchief sachets scarcely exceeds 6d., and they will be found to prove a great attraction at a bazaar, where they very readily sell for 2s. 6d. each. Their exceeding daintiness renders them almost irresistible, and, whatever object the purchaser has in buying, it is absolutely certain that the person who is destined to receive it will be charmed with such a dainty gift.
A very attractive set for a wedding present to give to a friend may be made by the addition of a nightdress and a glove sachet, as well as the one to be used for handkerchiefs, and the complete set could, if possible, be embroidered with the bride's favourite flower, and her initials in the corner.
For the nightdress sachet the linen should measure exactly 18 inches by 36 inches, and is made up in exactly the same way as already described.
The glove sachet will require a piece of linen about 12 inches by 15 inches in size. Each sachet has the little scented pillow of cotton-wool of proportionate size.
A pretty design for a nightdress case of conventional rose sprays and foliage, worked in satin stitch. The perfume used on its inside sachet should be attar of roses
A design of lucky green shamrocks is always a popular one, and very effective and graceful are sprigs of pink or white heather and yellow mimosa, or, if preferred, the conventional designs look exceedingly well, although the sachets may be a little robbed of their unique personality without the introduction of flowers to correspond with the perfume.
Other sachets to hold ties, laces, or veils are also to be mentioned. Especially when travelling, are such protective cases of practical value. They are not to be classed among the useless trifles that are so easily acquired but so seldom used. For the items of a woman's dress that are cared for are those that wear the best, and that, as a rule, indicate the well-dressed woman.
Neckwear, veils, gloves, all look the better for being laid aside with care when not in use.
A shamrock pattern with a scalloped edging for a glove sachet
Sprays of heather, white or pink, are original in design and can be combined with any scent preferred
The perfuming of these sachets must be left to the individual taste of the owner, but provided the scent is not allowed to become too noticeable it is a favourite method of imparting the selected perfume to a woman's clothing.
New ways of decorating sachets will occur to the artistic worker, and they offer an opportunity for the exercise of her gift for original design work.
 
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