USEFUL DINTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 3

USEFUL DINTS.

'./ -The'^Woman;'who;takes ! upon'"herself 'the] ..•■'• onus • of;' making "her "own/'clothes "should. bo speciahy /careful/in. 'the "matter of. cloth .materials, to ascertain, .before making .them ■": Up,, that ; tho been" 'thoroughly. ;- sponged and "shrunk^'-'lf''this' has."not been .^;,tfim'6;.''ttere' ? ;ißy^lwaysi'Hhe /i ohance| r of' ( th'e' ''Material "spotting", with, the first /shower/ of -rain,;, and causing :her.'Wbr^'.tp/be i; .' entirely. ; thrown away: -A'good'''method.'of preventing! >'this/evil,is. to. thoroughly'soak a large, piece. '.: of muslin in' warm iwater,'• spread :■ it•over -.the / material on tho wr'ong : side;/'and roll both,the < ': muslin.;and material. up//together, leaving ..-them.;in;,this.;condition for,, several .hours. v -AVhon 'removed,''shelcan'.'start.'upori-the. business'of.'cutting 'and fitting'; without any" mis-' givin"gs;'.'.-;Anqthor: good wrinklei' or'v.tlio '.' amateur needlewoman"is .that• l 'qf;iaying"i:a . damp; cotton'l cloth .'over; .the: material •while, engaged. tin!'tho/husm6s's.','pf ;",">pressing ■the. seams, - thus preventing the cloth' from bcr.' ■: coming scorched --or . sKiny./;/'/It, is , equally necessary;to-rshrink',linen', or/drill/'for,.they' shrink .nearly/as :-much/.as, .woollen': goods",'■'■ if .. not ''more. Three-quarters of aii'.inch" shrink- : age'to'every yard 'of'material';was;:th'e,,.osti- ;. .matei./given 'by one., experienced dressmaker'. •They can* be.shrunk'/in-the./same way as woollen;stutfs,'/but,''if. '■ pos'siblpj;it; is.bctter to soak, the whole piece,inj water' for some •hours'" before: cutting.,: "c:_'.: ' ■ ,; : •■';■;.,''\.-''"'THEHANG : ; ;>■ Numbers^of'clever'expedients are adopted by th - e ; Frenchwoman to give a good.hang to • the skirt,'-and. in these, days, when* "beauty, unadorned ; is "adorned': the' most"—arid the :.; new; skirts, are./frequently-, innocent l of any. trimming '.and rely for their, /'.effectiveness solely fon■ the"; manner :\ in. r which jthoy are. ;■■." manipulated by - the "'. ..drgs3maker--it is. in-. , -toresting'.to learni'of'one., Where "thin"-silks' '■, and soft' fabrics/.arc/'concerned,",'a,strip" of ; -soft'flarael'.or woplleh''inateriar,' cut ; on the ; orpss, ;isrstitched/at'the;!bkek',of ,the liom'in place of- stiffening, /find causes.'thc" material, to:fall;iri;softpr''aild more.graceful,folds than 'if-a harder'and'.stiffer,fabric liaoVbeeri .used!;, : , C^^^/REMOTING^NKfSTAINS/,. A! '//' ; ./, ./Tomato" juice', is said to /be,' successful' in ; many/cases in riimpvihg ink'stains from .white /- materials; y su'cli -'as' .handkerchief if. -.' muslin ■;•' frills; etc'.vlt rnust, however, be done ns.soori as .possible ''after>!tho : mishap: has ,-occurred. ',- A clean piece''of blotting paper.should bo'laid , under the,stain'', 1 .-'and;-a'vslice";of vraw..-"ripe / tomato /rubbed 'over the'surf aco, fresh' pieco's of blotting/paper being-substituted until the ink-spot has' disappeared. •<- /-■',-(./-r/n -/.- >■•''.' .'• : ■ :': .In the laundering of coloured materials :, the..utmost,,ca,re;:Should...bo.,tak'e'n,/the iehi-' broidery..being,,,if possible,"-'■<-,washed .quite separately",'frpm.'-,other.articles.; ■ 'About 'a couple of ounces' of bran /should-be placed in warm ~water,/and the", embroidery - left in. this to soak for, some, dirt being carctully, pressed out.,from.time toitime.". When ' clean.it;, should ,be,„wcll. squeezed to eliminate " ; w ■' w , at ">'- an .d- P»lled /out carefully. - '.It should .then bp hung*,iip..until. almost..dry;. , ' w^P? ; ? t - s ¥ u ' (l :k o , i r' o ncd oh the wrong sidf;.;/ • ..;".-•;'>///• "LAqEiNSEKrioNS.,,;;;;: ! v ;; v Insertions, and ..appliques of lacearo an easy. form of decoration, for the" amateur. Straight • ' rmv ? ,°| insertion; may- stitched'on with a ma , ohl , n *' but whore curved lines are to be followed.a.little more trouble must bo taken.' the /outline should bo marked-'first "on. the material, with/pencil, or .chalk,, care- being takeii/.that- the marks .occur whore,they will bo hidden, /or. on/tho' material which will cut .-.away, .later. '; /; '-v ;•/-'; '/./,,/ ■•■' ~':. -"y : ,''■.;•/V;!'" '/BEAD •WORE.;;/';- /■ ' . '-ty™ °f .embroidery is ;.much; in vogue just now,for-, belts, -purses,'; and. other small articles./. Heads,'both in .'fringcr'a'h'd Worked in design, figure prominently-upon: both electric Jight, and .candle .shades of either paper ?£ s 'i ■' t^ lio -? e - shades'areimade on a frariie; the top has ah .extension piece, ; so as it can be ; adjusted to ,any sized globe,; and from rlu b i - eadsare ' sfcrun S to tho biiter' edge' ot the tramc,.and.thon down the sides,in Vshaped length; Differeiit coloured beads/are used,.and combined colours-of redi'nd white/ ~ green, and _white/ and: yellow' "arid white, aro - Very-effective;.^'/., ■.•■■ ■■ /•'■::•: -'Vi/.'/.i "COLONIAL" 'WOIIAN AND HOUSE-' //;/,■/;/./ /•/; ."WORK.:.-,,-- :':,. ~ ;..'•.., /'How.to bo maid:and mistress in one is be-' ■ing.oxplained through the columns of an Eng- , lish'.nGWspaper by a lady wlio'claims to be an ■ U6 * r |> l ' an -'./, "Evidently"' 'she has' lieen' away : . from'her-hative v land'for.'sb'mo'time, for she speaks .with .pride /of the 'way, "colonial"' women .set about ,to do their own housework According/to, her, I /English women *ro,too : ' afraid, of their neighbours' opinions, whereas Australian .women do what their reason ap- ... proves,/and caro : little '/for''-the criticism 'of others.--: This sounds strango,"-coming as. it ■•' does : at; a 'time when the domestic help problem is.so perploxmg_ns, and housekeeping .■;■■ is frequently being.'abandoiied with 'the idea pf-seelnng peace in. a,boarding establishment.' ■ iben we are tblcl,that/the.Australian lady / nnd her daughter, livo in : a seven-roomed hat m; London, and that thoy bake their /brend,: design, and make- their gowns, cook, ..: wash,./iron, .and-do nil the necessary hotiso--1 work with.marvellous neatness''and despatch. It is claimed, further, that science and com-mon-sense can be brought' to bear on tho subject, the important point being how to savo labour. Attached to the article are illustrations of the. two ladies doing, their daily round. One is lying on the floor, dusting the ■polished boards uhdor.the sofa, a task which : besidos boing clcaiily is most beneficial to the figure;, provided the arms are used alternately. Physical culturo oxercises are com-

bined with' all the swooping, dusting, and bed-makihg ; and it is proved (by pictures) that scientific houlekcopors, can entirely accomplish,'the housework of washing, ironing,' sowing, cooking, and other odd jobs, and then ready for an 'tfternoon jaunt in their best clothes. Othbr hints for scientific ;housekeeping are given, such as papering the walls with a.washing paper, srnd painting all woodwork a dull biack. Brass knobs and finger plates ' should be • enamelled black ; and, oak furniture in to be preferred,.for: it will not need. polishing. . Heavy furniture, should-, be mounted on ball-bearing castors,which, respond to a light touch, arid dull linoleum is recommended for floor coverings. That method.in management is the sound basis of. scientific housekeeping is a..truism-which no oho-;doubts, .but somehow one .still, -has a feeling that tlie,'domestic problem has-yct.tq be solved. Almost any one!can',keep house if they put their mind. to. it, but the majority of us .want to put. some one. else's mind to. it-., , iiMJiKOiUEKING HOUSEHOLD' LINEN. ■ This form of marking is distinctly to be 11 'inches :in from tho' edge of the table;-just ;preferred:to : using marking ink. Tho fashion now is to have vthe,.initials on; monogram rather .large: :A- four-inch• initial is seen' on 'shoots,; a two-inch -size on tho pillow slips. 1 The same/sizes obtain for: table; linen. .Monograms 'arc in good style'.' 'Lettering should be. plain, and 'original designs are sought - after. • The monograms should, be' worked in places where'they may' be: seen..' ;On dinner napkins the' lotters are usually iplace'd in one. corner,- on :tho' cross,': so that' they will como direotlv in'' tho'cent'ro of the corner- square- wlron tho napkin. is folded in the usual ;way.,:. -',"Whon' : the 'monogram is' worked in i the r centre of -the 'ontiro ■• napkin, the latter''must be Mded in-thirds;- For-'a .long/or. square tablecloths, the best placo for ;the: monogram is a spot at aboiit ; beyond tho salt-collars, f In this position it is less-likely to bo<covered by-'dishes than at any other point, and, shows to bettor advantage., ;,\Urgo ornamental monograms'on'bed-' .spreads-may'.bb' any /size',approved of. Sheets' should. ( be\,nuwked in!the esntre, near ;the f - broad .top .Beam, so that; tho lettering • will show when the bod:is miido and the sheet folded over. .Asto stylojany kind 'rf stitch ;mnyi,bp.„omployed:. sotin stitch is 'perhaps a tnliei ; ovordone. -A bold raised should jbasought:after. ; , ■ ;■■"■;■< ■ ••:,