Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/140

 satin and the pins stuck in close together and about a quarter of an inch out of the pin cushion. One I arranged in a card board sort of crown and the needles inside for the head and feathers curling over them. The bodice of the dress was cut square at the neck, and sleeves only to the elbow. When finished it made a very pretty ornament and I got 12/6 for it which was very good profit on my outlay of 1/9, as I had the material by me.

A Fish Wife is easily carried out and if you give her a basket on her back she can carry all the utensils in it, or you can put the thimble in for the crown of the hat, but all the things must be put on so that when wanted they can be taken without trouble or without pulling the doll to pieces.

Dolls may be dressed as men for the use of men very artistically. [sic] For instance I did one as a stockrider, with one of those pipes that can be taken to pieces I used the bowl for the crown of the hat,. [sic] Make the cabbage tree hat of brown paper plaited, and the stem as the handle of stockwhip, which I tucked under his arm to hide its length and a coil of whipcord (to use for whip lashes) round his body as stockmen often carry their whips. The leggings (made of brown paper) held matches round the tops, and the shirt opened down the front to form a tobacco pouch. I made two of these first as samples and sent them into the shop hardly expecting them to sell, but before the month was out I got an order for one dozen useful men, and I would be afraid to say exactly how many I did make within a few weeks. Bushmen were delighted with them and bought them readily.

A Fisherman is easily made with a coat with many pockets containing hooks, a rod (the pipe stem) over his shoulders with cord wound round to represent the line. The pipe bowl for a cap, you can fix the peak on the peak on the head of the doll so that it can easily be removed. A little creel of plaited grass or brown paper and filled with tobacco, while the line can be fixed to the back of the man or hung on a hook to the post against which he stands. You must have a square of flat wood with a minatureminiature [sic] post in the centre to fix the man doll to, to keep him upright. Or you can buy a small doll's chair and have him sitting down. I cannot now remember all the characters I represented amongst my useful men and women; the stockrider and the butcher were the favorites. The latter is one of the most difficult to dress properly; one of the easiest is the farmer, with two baskets. A pieman with a square box on his head, and another pieman with his oven. From this idea I took others making whole families, street stalls, and street cries [sic]. A very pretty stall can be made as a lady's work basket, but one must know how to use ones fingers, and to glue and tack together. For bazaars these things are all very useful and so easily made that a child twelve years old can make them.

In the bush it is almost necessary for a woman to know something of carpentry to furnish the home with the true comforts she wants. In making articles of furniture it does not matter how roughly they are fashioned so long as they will stand and are strong; because one can easily cover them prettily. Paint them with Aspinall's enamel, fix cushions here and there, and really make them far more artistic than many of the articles of furniture seen in city drawing rooms.