Fashion and Things Feminine.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 227, 17 November 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

By lb A KELLER

A BLOUSE-COAT. One ui the most fascinating and comfortable garments for girls' wear is tin? blouse-ioat, which is appearing in varied forms and washing materials. It is different from tlie golf-coat ,'n that it is drawn to the figure at the waist, and boasts the characteristics of a blouse and basque. It is worn with various skirts and is sometimes smocked and made with a yoke. Smocking has become very fashionable again, and is used a good deal on Russian blouses as well as on blouse- coats, overalls, and dust-coats. Illustrated is a sinipie but smart blouse-coat, suitable for tussore silk n the natural colour, for dark blue «;» brown shantung or linen. It is gauged below the shoulders, at the waist and at the wri>ts, and the fronts are buttoned. The gauging at the waist occurs at the sides only; the hack if? strapped, and two very short straps complete the waist in front and are buttoned together. A collar trims the neeK

The paper pattern of this becoming blouse-coat is in six pieces, comprising one front, half the seamless back, on.* sleeve, half the collar, liafl the back waist-strap, and one front-strap. These pieces are suggested in the diagram given, and th?s latter indicates how to dispose of tlicm to the best advantage on yards of 40-inch stuff, folded in half lengthwise. The straight edge of back pattern is laid to the fold, as is the patten of half the back waist-strap, semis in the (omplete pa ftcrns being thus avoided.

The front ol' coat, the sleeve, an 1 front strap are each cut out in duplicate, and care should be taken that the straight edge of front of coat is iaid parallel with the selvedge and is cut on the straight. A margin should be allowed fur turnings. A *pate is marked diagram for the lacking half of thc_ collar; tho complete collar must be cut out in one piece. If i', is lined when made up, the collar pattern must be cut out m duplicate. The dotted lines on front and sleeve patterns indicate the lines of gauging. All the beit-pieces should l>e lined, and the fronts of the coat should b<i faced back with bands of their own material, about two inches deep. Buttons must be sewn to the left front, and the front waist-straps must be provided with similar fastenings. Illustrated with the blouse-coat is a pretty sailor hat, trimmed with ribion.

A LITTLE GIRL'S OUTFIT

Mothers and those who are* concerned with children's clothes in ons way or another, cannot have failed to •see that interesting things are happening in connection with clothes for juv'oniles and that in their way the-.* have taken 011 many of the fashion-

Ko last. k able, new points that are conspii uouin woinems' dress. The new points are modified, of mur.se, when the{y arc concerned with frocks for little gir!-\ hut they are there, all the same.

Copyright.

Sniits, for instance, lor the six-year, old, are cut with a pretty little Hare, mat ii quite in accordance with f;u>iion's latest whim, and ojder girls aralso provided with flare skirts. On a brace-i rock for a giri of seven, thj llaie skirt, ot s.'ige, is allied to a wide Vaisthand of its own material and a couple of braces of the same. At the hem ot the skirt a little embroiders in Russian, colours appears, and this r lightly repeated on the braces with excc!Lnt effect.

J.wo simnic :uid pretty ions for the outfit of r \ little girl from five t-r, seven years, are illustrated. Figur:- " A shows a very useful and practical little frock, the skirt of which ;« placketless and run on an elastic t the waist. Ii preferred, a ribbon might ke substituted. The open bodice is stfttiled to the skirt, and tlie frock "• slipped on all in one. This is a good style lor linen or serge, worn with a pique or white flannel vest-. In Figure "B" is a spring coat, with a short-waist-od bodice, fiiTT skirt and double cape-collar. This little coat works out well in linen, tussore, washing silk, or in black satin. Worn with it is a wide-brimmed hat will foulard crown and a flower in front. I'igure "C" illustrates a child's prin. '■ess petticoat, and Figure "D" is nursery overall. IX THE HOME. i'-fiiciency in the home is absolutely necessary if the home is to be run on practical, economical lines, but tlier? are to-day so many labour saving instruments to be bought that do household work better than human bands can do it, thit the woman who can afford to furnish her home with these meilranieal devices will find her task, done in a third of thy time, and with l ilt the expenditure oflaliour and sometimes of money involved by ordinary conditions. After the initial expense, most labour-saving household inventions save money to the housekeener.

Womjen have business outside the home as w-eli as inside, and' in order ih.it they may have time to devote to menta (advancement, they'realise that they must introduce new measures into their homes whereby the ho use wo r i. wiil not keep them confined to their tasks for the wnoie of en eh day. Th? household duties must be well and properly done, but this need not necessarily mean the constant devotion :>f all a woman's thought and attention to dusting, cleaning and cooking. By being more efficient in the home and using labour - saving implements, women will be able to give themselves more time for outside interests. Home work, properly managed, need not be ah urden, but, on the contrary, it should be a pleasant duty. The wellmanaged house is the one where clieer'liiliuss '(flrcvtAs, and it is the ono where work has been simplified as much as nossible.

Thinking beforehand is a by ;i> means unimportant factor in the wellmanaged home, and helps "to ensure economy and comfort combined.

FO'JD AND SLEEP AS FACTORS TO

HEALTH

An unbridled fondness for lion-bone, pastry, and other sweet tilings is one of the most frequent causes of a bad complexion, which often brings with it those unsightly little specks known as blackheads. To avoid too much of such foods does not mean giving them up altogether. They should be taken m moderation only.

Coffee and tea are said to be injurious to the complexion, but they are not always so, provided they, too, arj taken in moderation. ''Drink plenty of water, hot and cold," it is urged, "if you would have a goodj olear complexion. The human body requires about half a quart of water a day, and nothing will promote digestion bettor than will a glass of hot water, slowly dipped immediately upon rising in the morning." The hot-water cure is no new one, and there are not a few women who, either tor their complexions or their digestion, make a practice of sippin ▼ a tumblerful of almost boiling water the first thing in the morning or th? la.st thing at night. Hut probably not many swallow half at quart of pure water a day. Liver troubles, like complexoin ones, ;wro often successfully treated by the told water cure. Scarcely less important than the rules for healthful oating and driiking are those that should govern .sleeping. The sleeping-room should, above al'. lie well ventilated. That is one of the chief requisites of healthful step. Then again, the body should not be tired .ivflh the weight of heavy bed-cover-ings. These latter should be lightweight though warm. Eight honr«' sleep is required bv the overage grown individual, but children require more. It i- better that the head should not lie too muili raised, wherefore one p;'!ow should suffice. POTTED DAINTIES. Hoiise.ko.'pers may lie interested m trying to make the'two "potted dainties'' of which recipes are appended. They com,* from Italy. Potted Tomatoes. —To make potted tomatoes, cook a peeled and shredded onion with three tar-sized tomatoes, and let them cook very gently to 3 pulp v, itil half an ounce of butt-':. Then pass all tnrough a sieve, add i well-whisked egg, and over the tire until the mixture is thick. When it is thoroughly well-blended, add tw* ounces of grated cheese, then four ounces of fine, white bread-crumbs. Turn the p:iste into clean, dry jars, and cover the top of each with clarilied butter.

Potted Haricot Bean-. In preparing haricot beans fot potting, firs'. Miak them ovar-niglit. Then cook them until tender in boiling. salt:\l water with one large onion or two small onion-. Drain away all water, mash the beans and onions smooth with butter. season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and put up into pots, remembering to exclude air by covering the to;)v with clarified butter. Imitation anchovy paste may made from the same recipe, ,-witli tuc addition of two teaspoonfiils of anchovy essence to impart the desired flavour

A THOUGHT KOR THE WEEK. "Patience," -aid a bishop, "is th 1 ballast of the soul, that wil] keep it from rolling and tumbling in The greatest storm.''

A NOVEL IDEA FOR COVERING. JAM.

Method: While flic jam i>- still hoi in the jars pour a fen spoonful of treacle owr each one, then cover with white butter piper dipped in milk. Jam covered down in this way will keep any length of time it placed" in a dry, cooi cupbaord, the paper becoming life > parchment. Insufficient sugar. insufficient boiTing,, and damp stor ooms are tile several causes that spo.. jam. If the storing place he too warm tire jam crystallises; if damp, fermentation sets in. Acid fruits require almost an equal weight of sugar; for those less tars three-quarters of a pound, cr rather less, will lie sufficient.

See that the preserving pan with thu Iriiit in it boils all over, not at the sid? only, and when a littk. of the contents will iellv on plate remove the pal from the fire.

Fruit which is not very juicy requires a little water in the pan. ' Put tha fruit 111 with half the weight of sugar required and boil to rtwentv minutes, then add the remainder of the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon till the preserve will jelly if tested ns previously directed.

Tiles.* directions a-e not intended for experienced makers of preserves, but I hear so many complaints that jam wili not keep that I offer the above suggestions to those who have not found their own methods entirely satisfactory. Jam should be made with cane sugar." That preserved with beet sugar or with moist sugar does not so well.

TWO HINTS. Before cleaning knives on a knifeboard. damp them slightly. They wilr then clean more quickly, and gain ,t better polish.

To remove rings from a finger swollen by their tightness, dip the finger iri very cold soapsuds; the rings should then yield easily to persuasion and it shoudl be a simple matter to slip t.!rern from tlie finger.