Fashion and Things Feminine.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 215, 6 October 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

MORE ABOUT SPRING FASHIONS

Some pretty fashions jn blouse and skirt dresses are among the new spring modes, and home dressmakers will : e glad to know tiiat simplicity is the Kvynote of the majority. The simple blouse and skirt dress illustrated, for instance, is typical of the latest fashion, but is, at the same time, very unpretentious though da'inty in appearance. The skirt is sufficiently wide at the foot to be smart looking, and is very shapely, but is not rendered weighty by unnecessary fullness. The fastening can be arranged back or front, as preferred. The blouse is rendered decorative ov means of embroidery on the collar and front —or braiding might bo r instituted if preferred. The paper pattern is in five parts, i'lid includes half the back and one front, cut in one p ; ece, on the Magyar principle, one sleeve, one cuff, half the collar, and the pointed piece that forms the centre-front. Those pieces should be laid on two yard's of 36-inch material, folded in iialf lengthwise as indicated by diagram. The straight edges of hack and cellar must bo placed to the fold, to

avoid seams. The other pieces, or lather the slaeve and cuff, must be cut out in duplicate, but there is no need ior a duplicate cutting of the slender iittle vest-piece, though it may be necessary to line it afterwards. If preferred the collar and vest might be of Iroehe, material. The blouse itself :s suitable for cloth, washing silk, or French flannel, and it might be made of material similar to the skirt or of different stuff altogether. Imagination can picture a very charming dress niado of fawn-coloured or grey cloth, copied from the design indicated. The pattern of the blouse js quite simple, for the deep point of embroidery is put on independent!}', after the blouse has bee l put together. The fastening is in front, beneath the trimming, which latter is sewn to the right side of the blouse, and attached to the left with press-stud fasteners. A piping is introduced at each side of the vest-piece. The sleeves ar.e eased into the pointed cuffs, anil the falter must be lined, the raw edges of the sleeves lying sandwiched between cuffs and knings. . Girls and women who are clever wit/i their needles might produce somcthin ; very pretty in the way of silk or wool embroidery, worked on the blouse material, and used for collar and a est piece. The cuffs also might be of embroidery.

A PELISSE-DRESS

Cloth materials with a rib. sucli as whip-cord and corduroy, are more fashionable at the moment than plain-sur-faced stuffs, and there : s a fancy, also, for striped twill-silks and serge-silks.

among t!v materials shown for early spring wear being some good and substantial serge-silks 111 navy-blue with a whito stripe. These make up delightfully into pelifse costumes, which are very useful styles for the spring, nnd .serve as a change irom the usual coat and ski 'it suit.

By IDA #IHELLER - - Copyright.

Talents are of various kinds. Some are obvious, such as talents for music, painting, sculpture; others are unobtrusive but valuable, nevertheless, suc-li as talents for peace-making in tli: iiome, for putting people at their ease, and so on.

NOURISHING FOOD FOR CHILDREN.

A suggestion for a pelisse dress s offered in the accompanying illustration, and biscuit-coloured whip-cord, or navy serge or twill-silk, may be proposed for the materialisation of the dress.

Skirt and bodice are made separately in the first instance and are afterwards united at the waist, the bodice having a. little easing thereabouts, while the skjrt is plain-fitting and cut with a flute below. It is s,earned at the back and also in front, from the hem upwards, sufficient opening being allowed for a placket at the top, where snap-fasteners should be arranged. Th.« bod:c-e fastens invisibly in front, and is finished at the neck with a tulle ruff, centred by a band of velvet-ribbon, and at the waist of the dress is a split, short basque. Worn with it is a black silk hat. trimmed with worsted foliage that wreathes the crown.

MAKE I'SE OF VOI R TALENTS. Talent, perfected and used towards a good end, is power, and talents are fiiven us to train, not ro neglect. Many go to their graves without having put t any practical use r>r developed half the talents they possessed: numbers, indeed, are quite ignorant of th.e talents they are gifted with and never oercise then l .. Day by day one sees oamples of talents rusted and nndev< 'oped— there a gift for draughtmanship, penmanship, portraiture, and so or, that has lam dormant through Lziness or lack of opportunity to disj,iay itself, there a glorious voice, untrained either througn lack of means or lack of ambition to train it.

In every wane of lite may be met persons who might have been a source of pleasure to many, had their talents only been trained—persons who have become bores even to themselves because. maybe, they have been too idle to cultivate their talents, and so provide a resource for themselves. They are bored with life because they have learned notlyng thoroughly, and have no special interest in art or science or anything useful. Yet each one has a talent, only it may not have been sought out or cult:'. a ted.

Whatever talents are possessed, let them be brought to light and made use of. The homely taleirs must not be despised, fc<r they are, no doubt, as valuable in their way as th,o more showy ones, but are less regarded because they are not usually classed among the "arts."'

Children of three or four years of ego are sometinves very fastidious m t!;e matter of food, and mothers hav.e ■i good deal of difficulty in putting before them dishes that are at once •nutritious and pleasing to the palate. When children are dainty and hardly take sufficient lood for then - needs, iliey shoudl he persuaded, if possible, to take- a certain quantity of muk every day and also eggs, in one form or another. Eaten raw or lightly boiled, egg* arc most nourishing; but few children (are to eat raw eggs and if (ggs are taken in this form they must be cleverly disguised. One way of disgusing them is to beat them up wei! Mid then stir them in with some wellboiled rice. A good way to prepare rice for the children's meal is to boil it in three-quarters milk and one-quar-ter water, and when it is done stir in the egg or eggs. Eaton with milk and sugar, rice served thus, will be much enjoyed.

Custard made with fresh eggs is a dish that most children appreciate, and is one that is, of eour.-e. very nourishing, lor eggs and milk are the two i !(j.-t nutritious factors on a child's menu.

For building up a do.Vcate child, there is 110 finer drink than a cupfu! of milk to which the beaten yolk of an egg and a teaspoonful of sugar have been added. If a flavour is needed, a l'tclo vanilla extract or sweetened liquid chocolate can be stirred in with i. 1 e milk. A glassful of hot nulk, merely sweetuiei 1 with sugar and accompanied by ! iscuits is an excellent lunch for a ihild; while for breakfast, boys and •_ rls should be induced to take a bowl 01 bread and milk or oatmea' porridge oerved with sugar and hot milk.

FRESH AIR AND HEALTH. A groat many people, unfortunately ;< • themselves, do not appreciate the i. iportan</> of fresh air as an aid to physical and mental health. If is said that large numbers suffer from brain I oisoning dire to impure air, and are thus weakened mentally without knowing the cause. "Foul air, once observed a physician, "slays like a sword though not with the sam.o swiftness; but give it time enough, and it is equally fatal."' A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. Says Ruskn: "What fairy palaces v, may make of beautiful thoughts, j.ioof against all adversity, bright fancies, satisfied monioiies, noble lnst< rios, faithful sayings, treasure-houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us houses built without hands, for our sen's to live in!"