Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 285, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1912 — Some Pretty Breakfast Caps [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Some Pretty Breakfast Caps

When Christmas gifts bear with them kindly thoughts or careful work on the part of their donor and a recognition of good taste in those to whom them are given, the recipients are sure to be pleased. And, whether the pursa be fat or lean, good management and cleverness make it possible to embody these ideas in all gifts. Those which are the handiwork of the giver are whpse which make the strongest appeal to our hearts and bring home the sweet, gracious spirit of Christmas. What taxes us most each year Is the matter of deciding on what to give. After this has been settled upon and our list made out, the rest is easy and the work a pleasure. There are innumerable pretty things for women and girls. All of them love articles made to decorate their homes, and those made for their personal adornment; so the choice is not so hard. It does require some thing to find out gifts for men. But we won’t go far wrong if we stick to things which add to their comfort. Arid they like, too, those things which add to the attractiveness of their rooms. About the prettiest and easiest gift to make is the bewitching breakfast cap. Everybody, that is anybody, has a little frivolous and dainty cap for morning wear these days. They are a delight tio the eye and anybody may own one. Some people call them boudoir caps and, furthermore, there are caps made of nicer materials which are worn In the evening and are called opera caps. They are all simply fliade. It isn’t a bad idea to decide on a gift of this kind and make them up for all one’s girl or women friends. Each one may have some little individual touch to make It different from the others. By planning to make several caps at one sitting there is a saving in material and time. These caps are very Inexpensive. They are made of plain or dotted net, all-over lace, thin silk, mull, batiste, embroidery and chiffon and edged with narrow plaitings of net or lace. A square of the fabric used makes the crown, that is a piece of goods 18 inches wide and of the same length is all that Is required for the crown. The corners are trimmed away making the pieces somewhat circular. A narrow binding is sewed about the edge of this piece and an elastic cord run in. It Is long enough to reach about the head with a little stretching. A single or a double fall of plaited net or lace is sewed about the edge, one row being slightly wider than the others and falling a half inch below it. A single ruffle is often edged with narrow ribbon. The cap shown in Fig. 1 has a crown of sheer eyelet embroidery with a double ruffle falling about the face. The upper ruffle is edged with a narrow Valenciennes insertion. These

By JULIA BOTTOMLEY.

plaited ruffles may be bought, and range from twenty-five to fifty cents a yard already to sew on. A band of soft messaline ribbons in light blue, extends about the cap with a small fiat rosette at each side. This is made by gathering a quarter of a yard of ribbon along one edge. A little bunch of pink rosebuds is perched under the rosette, just where the ruffle joins the crown. It requires one and a half yards of ribbon for this little cap, such as may be bought for fifteen or twenty cents a yard. Three quarters of a yard of plaiting is a little more than is needed but is the allowance for one ruffle. One and a third yards will easily make tjvo ruffles. Fig. 2 shows a less expensive cap made of a coarse dotted net. It is made in the same way and edged with a ruffle of net having a finish of narrow Val. lace. Under this ruffle a plaiting Is sewed, finished with a hemstitched hem. Pink and blue satin ribbon one inch wide Is made into little bows and mounted at each side. Such a little cap costs only fifty cents. A lovely cap of spangled chiffon Is pictured in Fig. 4 and this cap Is also very cheap in price. The chiffon is light blue with little crystal dots over the surface. A plain, thin net crown lines the chiffon, to protect It. They are bound with a thin, narrow satin ribbon in pale blue, through which the elastic cord is run. The ruffle Is made of the same chiffon edged with a border of the ribbon. A little bunch of pink moss roses and leaves is sewed to the left side. This cap is made In pink or light green or lavender or in all white. It requires almost no time to make and is one of the prettiest of all. If one has time to make the plaited ruffles, the expense is lessened. But even buying It ready made it only requires three yards to make the single edging for four caps. An average of seventy-five cents each will cover the cost, when several caps are planned to be made at one time. Evening caps are more expensive. One is shown in Fig. 4 made of silver lace. The ruffle is a satin ribbon, Is blue, covered with the silver and there is a hand made wreath of little ribbon rose buds made of narrow pink satin ribbon set about the top of the ruffle. Pretty flowered ribbons and those of rich brocade make beautiful opera caps. Nearly always! tiny made flowers, or small millinery flowers like the forget-me-not, are used in trimming them. Rich laces are draped in full puffs for crowns and lace edgings fall about the face and over the neck in caps that are worn with evening .dress. But, however grand, the opera cap Is not quite so sweet as the little breakfast cap nor nearly so useful. For breakfast is a daily happening, and anything that makes the young day cheerful is a Christmas gift worth having.