Ingenuity In The Home

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 6, 30 September 1937, Page 14

Ingenuity In The Home

Sewing And Decorating

Cap for Home Milliner. For a shilling or two you can make an adorable little flower garlanded cap that will look worth many times its cost. An old black felt hat will do for the foundation. If there is not one in the millinery cupboard, a plain felt hood must be purchased. Do not buy a very good one; so long as the crown fits your head well, the cheapest will do. Put on the hat and standing. before the mirror draw the cap shape on the crown with a piece of chalk. Cut away the brim, taking care not to cut into the crown too much at first, as you can snip away a little more if necessary. When you are satisfied with the cap, prepare the trimming, which consists of dozens of little felt flowers, stitched on to- a piece of black tape big enough to encircle the -cap. .If you have done felt embroidery, you are sure to have plenty of cuttings left — emerald, white, royal, buttercup, scarlet, petunia. Bring them all out. Should you not have any pieces by you, squares of multi-coloured felt can be purchased for a few pence. Each flower is made by pencilling round a penny, cutting out the circle, and snicking the edge xiito petals, as shown in the diagram. Leave? are little pointed emerald green 'ovals. When you have prepared a good pile of flowers and leaves, stitch them very closely together on the' tape, as indiehted in'the diagram, mixing the coldurs; effectively, and 'stitching a pair of leaves between every five or six blossoms, When the tape is^completely covered sew the garland round the edge of the cap, and;add a tiny eyeveil. If you prefer a one-colour cap, cut the* flowers out of the brim of the hood. An emerald cap, with self-coloured blossoms, one in delphinium blue or cardinal scarlet, would look delightful with a black or white dress. A black cap with red and white flowers,' a navy one with turquoise blossoms— many schemes can be worked out, and the results are certain to be good. Rugs for Nothing1. "And that's the end of that!" we Say, regretfully discarding a pair of badly . laddered stockings. But there is no reason why we should not walk on the ruined hosiery, if we can no longer walk in it. Cut off the feet and tops'of the stockings, and make the legs into one long strip about an' inch wide, the problem of frayed edges solves itself, for gentle tugging will make them eurl inward. Cut up all old stockings available, no matter

what their colours, join the strips together and roll into a ball. ; With .a large bone crochet hook, work the number of stitches required to form •the centre of the mat, having decided, in the first place, whether it is to be, round, square, or oval in - shape. Continue to work in simple crochet stitch until the rug is the required size, and line it with canvas when finished. , The most critical friend will . never guess that the striped mat gracing the hall is made of stockings, but will probably think it is some unusual native handiwork sent from "furritt' parts." Silk • rugs that are soft to the • touch and easy to wash are a boon in ihe nursery. When they are being made for this purpose, pastel shaded stockingette underwear whidx has seen its best dnys can be used. Decorating the Dado. Effective dado decorations for a sittingroom have been carried out in coarse oatmeal-coloured sacking cloth, boldly embroidered with raffia in vivid shades. The actual designs had been evolved by a modernistic decorator, but the method is simple enough for the amateur to copy, There are different designs in thei various rooms, one of emerald and blue waves, very conventionaHy treated, redsailed boats, and swooping gulis , being parflcularly effective. ..Another . shows groups" of leayed.. palm-trees, vfitb green cactus plants growing in a desert suggested by Jines of orange and yellow. Perhaps this would • be the easiest for the beginner to tackle. The design should be "drawn directly on to the hessian, *in freehand with' char- ! coal, which. is easily brushed off - should any alteration be needed. A -few bold sweeps for the tree trunks, some dashing horizontals -for the desert -distance,' and the queer cactus shapes - at intervals. Complete poftions . of , the decoration as you go atong, roll up the finished pieces and secure with, safety pins, so that the work does . not assunie unwieldly proportions. The stitchery should be of the.simplest, and done with a big raffia. needle. Do the trqe truriks in gatin-stitch, the leaves in.single stitches, outline, the desert in' etem-stitch, and work the cactus plaiits in the same way. Single stitches projeCting 'here and there from the* stemstitched outlihes of the plants will* suggest the'spikes. • When' the dado is completed, press .it on the wrong side, under a damp cloth, with a hot iron, and then fasten it to ihe walls, which should be papered or d istemperfed in a pleasant neutral colour.

Old Clothes Problem. "She's the type of woman who religiously "wears out>everythiiig to a rag. Her old afternoon f rocks do duty when she is making the beds and trimming the lamps, and her golfing kit comes in wheri she goes shopping. It may be thrifty but it is not chic!" • This was the description given of a woman Who lately settled in my neighbourhood, and she has lived up to every word of it! Her clothes have obviously been good once, but they never seem right for the occasion. She may look smart sometimes, , but I have not yet noticed it.. The trouble about this type of woman is that she will not adopt the principle of the business man and "write off" from time to time some of her obsolete gear. ' If the rnanufacturer were to continue to use up his machinery until it actually fell to pieces, he would never be able to maintain his position amongst fellow traders and competitors. A great many excellent women do not understand this. ' They continue to "use up" garments that should be written off as "depreciationsjj*. and-fail to make due bndgets for "fair — » ' To wear .an^Q tea-party dress when doing morjnmg housework is- a. depressing bu.siness./^ j^or js there ,any necessity for it,.^p^u|e there- are any number .of cheerful geryiceable overalls in washing CTef onneS^fe^.4. ^ ^ spirits and 'the efficiency^tfte*w«irer. To wear a sports hat at a garden-party may- be thrifty, but., it does . not add f8 the joy of nations, And . the old semievening gown, -though - still capable of some service, • hardly . looks in sympathy with a homely . "high tea" Once a woman has adopted ihe principle of "writing. off".'certain of -her old clothes each' season,, she- looks infinitely better turhed' out. And someone calls down blessings for the gift of them! Kitchery' and Dining-RQom. . To .serve lettuce salad in the yellow crpck' in which it .has "crisped" .is quite sahart. , If you can .find a blue-lined bowl of Devonshire pottery, so much the better, for tl^e . green of Ihe leaves .will look ■most pppetising against the linmg.. Water served. in a dresser jug of buff pottery encircled with Wedgwood bands, insjead of in the conventional glass jug, gives another informal touch to the luncheon table, much appreciated nowadays. Sijpilar jugs in smaller sizes - are used for \ home-brewed lemon syrup, ' sauce, and so on. ■

No item of fashion excites the curiosity or cupidity of women more than hats, And of recent years there has been plenty of scope for interest • seelng that millinery fasliions have come and gone at the greatest speed. Some of the new styles are shown here. From left to right they are:— FOR THE COCKTAIL HOUR: A little Degas bonnet in garnet crepe with a chiffon cascade and cluster of dawn pink gauze roses. FOR THE SMART LUNCHEON: A1 Patrick's crownless halo hat of liand-! sewn cream tuacan. Note the ofiginal ribbon trimming-

FOR STREET WEAR: The "Spanish Matador," made in crepe, taft'eta or grosgrain, wliich features a cushion crown. FOR ANY OCCASION: The revived "Pill Box" shape. The crown in stitched and has a cliignon loop of self material. FOR AFTERNOON PARTIES: A Spanish lialo model of navy Shantung haku, trimmed with grosgrain. FOR THE CINEMA PARTY: Another shape in Shantung haku, the halo cartwheel. Flowcr-trimmed under the brim.