NfcCDLfWORK A MUFF OF PIPED S By LILIAN JOY How to Arrange the Cording— Lining the Muff— Decorating it with Roses to within a short distance of Materials Required THE muff of silk or velvet, to wear with a long scarf or stole to match, is very smart this season, and may easily be made at home by the clever needlewoman. The muff seen in our photograph is a good example, and will require 3 yards of soft satin or paillette silk to make it. The foundation consists of a double layer of wadding. This should be cut 32 inches long and 16 inches wide, and oversewn at the raw edges. Then cut off i J yards of the silk for the piped top. This is not, however, sufficiently wide, and a piece must be added on each side 3 inches in width, cut from the remaining ij yards of silk. If a double-width silk can be secured, then no join will be necessary, and i^ yards will be sufficient for the muff. To do the piping a medium-sized cord should be laid be- tween a fold of the silk, and pinned in place, and then secured with a line of fine run- ning stitches, being careful not to catch the cord itself. Use a sewing silk to match the material for this, and a long millinery needle. For the outei cords fold the silk over the cord, and then lay it flat at the edge of one of the three-inch strips, and tack it in place before sewing it. Cut the cords when the end of each is reached ; do not draw them up until all are sewn in. Do the middle cord first, folding the silk in half on the right side to get the centre. Then do the edges. Fold the silk again to find the correct place for the cords between the centre and the edge. In this way you will get them at equal distances with little trouble. Now draw up all the cords to the length of the cotton-wool padding, arranging the fulness evenly. Put a running thread at the raw edges of the silk on each side. Lay the silk on the wool padding, and turn it over the edges. It will come about an inch beyond the edge on the inside. Draw up the thread at the edge of the silk. Arrange the gathers, and sew them down on to the wool. Cut off a piece of the remaining silk 32 inches long and 15 inches wide for the lining. Turn in the edges to cover the gathers, and slipstitch wrong it in place each end. The muff is at present perfectly flat, in order to facilitate arranging the fulness on the piping-cords, but it will now have to be joined at the ends. First join the piped top on the wrong side. Finish off the cords, and cut them. Then overlap the cotton- wool, and sew it together. Finally, turn in the silk lining over this, and slipstitch the seam. All this is done with the muff held on the side, but it should be turned inside out just to see that the piping-cords are drawn up nicely to fit the muff. The muff is now complete, except for the little cluster of silk and tinsel roses and buds. Get ^ yard of 5-inch-wide platinum ribbon to make the centres. Cut a strip off this on the cross, fold it, and run the raw edges together. Roll this round and round, gathering it only a very little, and sew it securely at the base. This forms the centre. Then cut a piece of silk on the cross, measuring 10 inches by 4I- inches, gather it in the same way, and roll it round the centre. Make the little buds in a similar fashion on a smaller scale, letting the centre come a little beyond the outer silk. Attach each bud to a piece of piping-cord covered with silk. Sew buds and roses on to a small mount of tailor's canvas, covered with silk and secure to the muff, being careful not to pucker the satin of the muff. The cost of this muff will be approxi- mately 5s. 9d. for 3 yards of silk, at IS. I id. ; 3d. for the wool ; and about 6d. for the platinum ribbon ; making 6s. 6d. in all. A scarf to match can be made of 5 yards of silk drawn up at the ends with groups of piping-cords, and finished with a fringe of buds. A colour to match the gown should be chosen. Grey or amethyst silk vould be particularly charming, or a delight- ful variation would be to use velveteen instead of the silk. In that case the roses should be of satin ribbon to match, with metallic centres. large muff made of piped silk with silk roses
