Choosing Your Winter Woollies

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 98, 12 May 1937, Page 14

Choosing Your Winter Woollies

Gossip From Boudoir and Kitchen

/^OLOUR Is usually the first thing a woman thinks about when she is planning a new suit or frock. Almost as important as the shade of the material, however, is its texture, which does not so often receive . the same wise ' consideration. Those soft light woollehs and fine tweeds that somehow manage to provide all the desired warmth though they are far less weight thaii the old-style "winter fabrics," are coming more and more into the picture and are ideal for people whose figures are grateful for a little flattery. The thin woollens witli smooth surface lend themselves well to skirts that are cut on a hias which are the full-fiSured woman's friend. Decorative Darning. . . (By Mary Lovat.) The hand-made gift is the most elo5 * quent, speaking of hours spent in the fashioning and in thoughts of the recipient. Some women are little. skilled in embroiderles and. fine stitcheries, and therefore puzzled to decide how to carry oUt the ideal. gift in a way that is techni-' cally right. As a rule, however, they afe equal to the simple process of darning, po the difficulty is by no means insuperable. Delightful, up-to-date effects may be obtained by decorative darning stitches that call for no particular deftness. Choose material that is coarse in weave and ' sufficientiy open in texture to allow the darning strands to settle down evenly on the background. Crash, canvas, nets and some huckabacks are good for the purpose. Keeping in mind the colour scheme of the room in which the present is likely to be placed, plan a group of wools or cottons to agree with it. If a table sash, or a set of chair backs is decided upqn, shaded effects will be very successful— dark violet shading to palest lilac, or deep old rose shading to the most delicate pink. Do not give equal spaces to all the tints, but begin with a generous proportion of the deepest and gradually decrease as the lightest is reached. Bring each row of darning close up to the last, to intensify the tone. Crewcil wools fiU up the spaces in curtain nets satisfactorily and rapidly, so that to make a toilet-table set which is a compact mass of darning will not take up a great deal of time. Instead of merely working along in fines parallel with the two ends of each piece, take the stitches in a continuous border all round, to obtain mitred corners which will add greatly to the general effeet. Cushion-covers, towel-ends, casement curtains, nightdress and pyjama sachets, glove and handkerchief cases, scarves and sashes are amongst the many gifts than can be embellished with darning stitches,

Interior Decoration. Rooms over filled with furniture, walls burdened with pictures, photographs and trophies, no longer exist in modem homes. We nave learned the value of space in interior decoration. Bare walls, however, do' not appeal to everyone and many find them cold and unfriendly. In a small modem house tapestry hangmgs and antique fumiture look out of place. The ornate mouldings, heavily framed pictures and mirrors and spindle legged furniture of a later date look equally out of harmony. Modem walls are best covtfed with small pattemed paper. Paper is ivarmer in appearance than paint or colour wash. Again, plain paper in a neutral shade finished with a gay border is an excellent choice. A third idea is to have plain paper and • hang groups oi simply framed prints at intervals round the walls. Very small rooms are best served by neutral schemes, depending for colour on gay curtains and ornaments. A wellfilled bookcase will give an air of comfort to any room, and one or two wellchosen vases in vivid colours are preferable to an assortment of "oddments" scattered about without meaning or significance. Tidiness is important in small rooms and this plain - but tasteful furnishing makes it a simple mattfer. From the work saving point of view, too, such rodms have everything to recommend them. ' r » Novelty Woollens. Soft, light wool fabrics, such as angora and a variety of novelty woollens that are as supple as silk, are excellent, too, for the thin figure which needs bodices cut on soft full liries and sleeves with puffs and gathers introduced where possible, to conceal flatness . and angles where there should be curves and no visible corners. Plain materials are generally recommended when you are dressing to look slimmer than you actually are. Fabrics with a broken weave, with very narrow diagonal lines woven in them, or with small inconspicuous pa'tterns are frequently just as successful. ■ Baths for Beauty. In . considering the eflects of various baths, group those which come under the heading of "beauty" into three — cleansing, stimulating and soothing. For cleansing purposes, really warm water is required. A bath thermometer is a great asset and between 90 deg. and 98 deg. signifies a warm bath. The necessity for soap, and the kind oi soap used, must depend on the skin. If it is oily, use soap freely. If rough, dry or harsh, use soap sparingly or substitute for it fine oatmeal which makes a perfect cleanser. Buy three or four pounds

of fine oatmeal, scent it with a few dropa , of oil of verbena, and keep it in a jar. After the bath, have a good rub down With Turkish towels and apply talcum powder, or one composed of powdered starch four parts and zinc oxide one part. For a stimulating bath, use .really warm water and then take a cold shower or a cold sponge over. A tepid or warm seasalt bath is also stimulating and the salt - is sold by all ' chemista Sun bathing is an excellent skin tonic, if not overdone and if the skin ii?. gradually exposed to sunlight. Air baths are the skin's natural tonic and should be taken whenever possible, as they promote appetite and aid digestion. For a soothing beauty bath, use rain water, or tie a bran bag to the hot water tap so that the water runs thxough iti Soothng herbs for bath use are: dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary^ and- balm in equal quantities, mixed with orris ■ root and fine oatmeal. Fill ■ muslin bags with the mixture, putting sufficient for . one bath in each. Use the bags, too, as a sponge. Effects of Stripe. Horizontal stripes, as everyone knows, have a widening effect on the figure that make , them an asset to those who are tall and thin. Jersey cloths include a blue one with horizontal white navy lines that is particularly good. Wool and feather mixture fabrics are delightfully light and soft. AS they .are obtainable in .check designs and in plain coloui's to match they are a good choice for two-piece outfits, the plain fabrics for the frock and the checked one for the jacket or coat. Rabbit and lamb's wool are woven together in another very light but warm material that is suitable for skirts and jackets that go beneath a top-coat at present, but will later do service as outdoor wear on their own. If you are short and want to look taller, plain fabrics should be . your rule and fine cashmereS and a new material with a suece finish are good selections for yom As vertical lines are also kind to you, consider the possibilities of a smooth close-grained woollen in black with a pin-stripe, not too Widely spaced, in silk glinting faintly over the surface. Useful Hobby^ A hobby that. is appealing to modern women is that of felt applique work, • It is colourful, effective and quickly finished, which is a strong point in its favour in this impatient age. Particulaiiy suitable for screens or cushion covers, worked on a felt or linen ground, the felt embroideries. are also being employed for curtain ends in the form of a wide border. The felt for the applique can be bought in mixed colours and cut into small piece?