Fashion and Things Feminine.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 265, 5 April 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

By IDA MELLER -

TWO GARMENTS FROM ONE PATTERN.

Tho home-dressmaker is so busy nowadays and is usually so keen on turning out prettily-made blouses, wrappers, simple one-piece frocks, and so on, that she is generally glad to come across a pattern that serves a dual purpose, and can bo turned to account for the cutting out of two garments. A pattern of this sort applies to tho two useful and pretty little garments illustrated, which are both as simple as possible, but fashionable at the same time, and would l)e serviceable additions to the wardrobe of most women. Jn tho ono case the pattern is P«t to tho service of a house-frock; in tho other it is used for a dressing-gown, both being of the one-piece kind. Any woman who understands anything about home dressmaking, can see at a glance how easily cut out and made up are the two articles suggested, either of which would bo suitable for cashmere, delaine, or cotton-crepe. The forck is belted at the waist, and

tne belt is stitched to the bodice and skirt ; which are in one-piece, so that tho frailness i 8 drawn the fullness and shaping cf the material in tho region of the waist are not disturbed when the dross is worn and removed. The shoulders arc made with yokes, and the frock fastens in front with buttons and buttonholes; the sleeves are drawn into cuff-bands and a becoming collar finishes the neck, while a little breast-pocket is added on tho left front. The belt, collar and cuffs might bo of fancy material. The dressing-gown has no attached belt, but a woollen girdle, run through side-slits, is added, and tho sleeves hang widc> and loose at the ends. UNDERSET FOR A LITTLE GIRL. Tho little girl's under-s.t illustrated will interest mothers who make up their children's clothing at home, as many of them do, for a great deal of money is saved by home-dressmaking, especially whero children's clothes are concerned. The designs include a pair cf knickers and a princess petticoat for a little girl of about six years of age. The knickers require about 1J yards cf ordinarywidth calico or long-cloth, and the pattern is in two pieces, including half tiio knickers (back and front in one) and half tho waistband. The diagram indicates the material folded selvedge to selvedge, as the knicker pattern is cut out in double material.

A placket must be made at each side o,' tho knickers and strengthened and I .iced in tho usual way. The placket

No. 2017. I no is suggested iu the diagram. Tn k together the two parts of the knickers, gather tile front to a doubled band ol material, taking the raw edge between the two thickucsse-, and in the same

Copyright.

way gather the back of knickers, to a doubled baud.

But before the knickers are mounted to the bands, tucks should Ixj.arranged in tho legs —three little tucks at eacn knee, where eventually frills of embroidery are added.

Buttonholes should be made at intervals along tho waist-band, to correspond with buttons that should be attached to the little girl's under-bodice. For the princess pett'icoat, about 1} yards of long-cloth or calico will be needed. The petticoat is made with a panel front, one side gore, and a back, and fastens at tho back with buttons and buttonholes. Two or three little tucks are arranged at the bottom of the petticoat, as on tho knickers, to allow lor growing.

The pattern of the petticoat is in three parts, namely, half tlie panel front, one side gore, and half the back. Tack together tho various parts, make the tucks, and try on the petticoat. In seaming, follow the principle always adopted in regard to linen underwear, of having the wrong side as neat as the right; leave a placket at the back, and turn in and face the neck and armholes. Provida button and buttonhole fastenings, trim the neck and armholes with washable frilling, and add a flounce of embroidery to tho end of the petticoat. This little garment will assuredly bo p. very useful addition to a little girl's wardrobe. As cold weather approaches, the under-set might be copied ill flannel material as a protection against cold-catch-ing. A FIRELESS COOKER. A fireless cooker is a very useful thing to the business girl or woman, who has littlo time for cooking, and little opportunity for obtaining a hot meal when she comes home Late. A tireless cooker will keep food hot for hours, and a busy woman will often find it convenient to cook a couple of meals at the same time and put one aside in the ijieless cooker for later on. A cooker to retain heat can be mado from two lard or biscuit tins—a 50!b. tin and a 2olb. tin. In the bottom of the larger tin, a two-inch depth of paper pulp should lie placed;the pulp can be made by tearing newpapers into shreds and soaking these in water. The padding should be firmlv stamped down and the smaller tin should bo placed upon this. Then the space between the two tins should be filled with pulp, care being taken to clamp it tightly. The padding should extend to within one inch of the top of the smaller tin, allowing onlv enough space to fit tho lid. A half-gallon aluminium or enamel pot can be used for the cooking vessel. The food must be brought to the boil in tho vessel, and tne latter .must then bo covered and placed in the cooker as quickly as possible, tho lid of the smaller tin being placed in position afterwards, and a treble thickness of cloth being tucked in neatly and going Txhiipletely over the cooking vessels. A further protection in shutting in heat is afforded by the lid of tne Larger tin, which should be fitted on finally, and thus make the cooker quite handy and neat-100 King. Hay may be used instead of pulp, liay-box cookery being quite well knewn. WASHING THE FACE. One of the cheapest meUiods of acquiring a clear, white complexion is merely to wasli the face properly. This should bo as regularly a part of the toilet at night as brushing tho teeth. The procedure should be in this wise: With hot water and pure white soap, thoroughly cover tne face with lather, using a good complexion brush. The latter is better than a wash-cloth because it "scrubs" better and acts as a good stimulant to the blood vessels of the face. When the face is rinsed well with tepid water and gently and thoroughly dried with a soft towel, a good cold cream should be mooed over the skin, and when this has been thoroughly spread over the face and been allowed t.i remain there for five or ten minutes, it should be gently wiped off with a piece of soft linen. The face .should not be rubbed too dry, but some of tne cream should be left in the outer tissues of tho skin. Tho severe scrubbing thoroughly softens and cleanses the skin of all dirt and stain, whilo tho cream nourishes and whitens it. FOR TIRED FEET. Wnen the feet are tired by long standing or long walking, nothing is better for them than to l>athe them in soda and warm water, letting them . einain until the latter becomes cool. The feet should then be dried by vigorous rubbing, to quicken circulation. If very tender, the feet may be hardened and refreshed by l>eing rubbed with E;\ do Cologne sprinkled on the palm of the right hand; or they may be rubbed with oatmeal cream or even tallow, and then rubbed over with an antiseptic powder. A HOUSEKEEPERS HINT. A good hint is given by a housewife of exponent c on wash-ing-up dishes in a way that will clean thorn well and save the hands at the Sjiinie time. "Wnen you are washing dishes," she says, "use rubber gloves, but remember that tbf>e are ruined by very hot water. L'se, therefore, warm water and soap, putting the dishes as thev are washed in a drying-rack, or, failing this, on a gcod->sized tray. When all the disnes havo been washed and put on the. tary, place tho latter m the sink for a minute or two and pour boiling water over the contents of the tray. TnLi will not only rinse the dishes thoroughly, but will make then) dry all the quicker, and your Lands, will not be harmed in any uav by the very hot water Used." Tins useful and pra< tical little hint is worth remembering. DOROTHY'S CAKE. A nice home-made plum cake is generally woloomo on the tea-table, and housewives] may be glad of the following recipe for "Dorothy's Cake." Tho ingredients are:—lib. of flour. a teaspoonful r«f spice, 2 toaapooafuls of baking-powder, ftom. of butter Jib. of ; .irraiits, Jib. of raisins. L'oz.s. j c r.m-

died peel, 2 eggs, oozs. of sugar, a little milk. The. butter and sugar siiould be worked together first, the eggs should be broken and the yolks and whites beaten separately and then miked together with abcut a cupful of milk; add the eggs to the butter and sugar, tnen mix m the fruit and peel and lastly the flour. Put the mixture into a wellgreased c;ike tin and bake it in a moderate oven until cooked through. POTATO CROQUETTES. To make potato croquettes, cook ons pound of potatoes, and when they are quite dry, pass them through a fine sieve, mix with them one ounce of clarified fat, a pinch of salt and pepper, and two yolks „( raw) of eggs. Mix all into a paste and let it get cold, roll it out with a little flour, and form it into the shape of small pears; clip these m eg» and bread-crumbs and fry them in boiling fat or oil till they are a good golden colour. Drain them on paper, stick in each a bit of parsley srtalk, and serve hot on a dish spread with a paper d'oy.'cy. HOW TO COOK POTATOES. In a pamphlet about to I>e Issued by the British Board of Agriculture, entitled "Economy in IVng Potatoes,' will be emphasized the best way to cook tins vegetable. The potato consists largely cf water, and its richest constituents iire next to the skin. Not cnly this part, but a good proportion of tlio "flesh" is lost by thick paring. The average lo>s, according to the Board of Agriculture, amounts to one pound in every five pounds. Pared potatoes put into cold water lose more than one-sixth of their protein, or flesh-forming substances, moro than one-fifth of their mineral matters, and some of thoir starch. Boiled in thcr "jackets," they lose but 1 per cent, of protein, a little over 3 per cent, of mineral matter, and practically none of starch. The following are some of the useful hints given in the pamphlet for economising the food value of the potato:— When boiled or steamed in its jacket, a cut in the skin at each end <will prevent the potato from becoming stodgy. Before baking, the tubers- should bo pricked and then cooked slowly, so that the skin does not " bake" on " the flesh." When potatoes must be pared owing to bru&ed surface they should bo steamed or cooked in the"smallest quantity of I'oiling water, to which a little salt has been added.

FOUND OUT. HINTS FOR BUSY HOUSEWIVES. To prevent the contents from sticking, sprinkle the pudding-cloth before uj-.o with cold water. * * « Stuk a pen-nib that has corroded intia raw potato several times. This will make the nab as good as new. * * • Bread will remain fresh for several days if you soak a small sponge in cold water and pla.ee it in a saucer in the bread-pan. * # » Before using a milk-saucepan, ; t should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water and greased round the top edges. This prevents the milk from boiling over and the saucepan from burning. •'# • • Before v.s ; ng new clothes-pegs put them in a pot with enough water to cover them and let them boil for about ten minutes. Then drain the water off and let them dry. This will prevent tho pegs splitting. * * # The stalks of currants may be quickly removed by well flouring the hands and rubbing the fruit as hard as possible between them. This takes much less time than picking them separately, and is just as effective. THE HOME LAUNDRY. When ironing table linen, ircn with the selvedge and not across the grain. * * * A little coffee can be added to starch for tan or (ream materials and cables them to keep their colour well. A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. Opportunities for doing great things seldom occut ; but every day brings with i". tho opportunity to perform a kind deed of one sort or another, and it s'lould be remembered that life is made up of in'finVtrsimals, and that it is the little thing that really counts. A kind word, a kind look,may make the heart swell with joy.