TO STRENGTHEN BUTTONHOLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 May 1927, Page 7

TO STRENGTHEN BUTTONHOLES

Kiddies’ garments frequently tear before the material is worn out, because of the severe strain imposd on the buttonholes—especially in the case of rompers and crawlers. The life of these useful little suits can be considerably prolonged by strengthening the buttonholes, making two rows of machine stitching the length of the butonhole-opcning, and so close that there is just room to cut between them. The ordinary buttonhole stitching should then be worked over the machine stitching, which provides a very strong edge.

To work buttonholes smoothly and quickly, mark the size on the material with a soft pencil and, when it is worked, cut with a sharp pen-knife This is especially helpful in working on material that ravels easily.

To cure corns rub on them a little sweet oil night and morning. If persevered with, this will quite cure them within about a month.

A piece of lemon-skin put in the dish when you are washing up will soften the water, remove all traces of the smell of fish, onions and the like, and give china a fine gloss.

When mashing potatoes use hot milk, not cold. Cold milk makes the potatoes heavy and sodden.

| Salt extracts essence. Therefore add salt last thing in cooking vegetables, grills, fries, etc.; but put salt in the beginning when making soups, stews, etc.

To make linen easier to write on when marking, dip the piece to be marked into cold starch and rub over with a hot iron. You will then be able to write without the pen scratching.

An aluminium pudding-dish in which a baked custard or milk pudding is to be cooked can be prevented from becoming marked by rubbing well on the inside with butter before using.

A satisfactory protection for the polished top of a small dining-table may be made at home from a sheet of asbestos. Cut the sheet to the shape of the table, and then divide it into two equal parts. Paste unbleached muslin on each side.