THE BRIDE-TO-BE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 52, 24 May 1927, Page 5

THE BRIDE-TO-BE

WHAT SHE NEEDS When a girl is planning for a home of her own the bottom drawer is a wonderful receptacle, and everything she puts into it is invested with a halo of delight. Naturally the house-wife-to-be strives to have each item as pretty as possible, and she decorates her traycloths, monograms her serviettes, and embroiders her towel-ends, stamping her own personality on the house that is to be hers. The pretty laces and smooth linen, the thick damask and the fine huckaback are all desirable; only it must not be forgotten that other things are also needed. The home includes a kitchen (or, if not a kitchen, a scullery) as well as a dining room. Have you thought what your house will require if it has to be kept clean? And it is useless to provide pretty things if the background for them is not spotless. Cheap Materials Do Not Pay You may have put by a few teatowels and dusters, but when you start housekeeping you will be appalled to find what a very little way these few teacloths and dusters will go. You will need one tea-towel a day at the very least. You cannot keep your china sweet and glistening on less. Therefore, you must be sure and have an ample supply—sufficient for use each week and to have some in reserve, for the wear and tear on these articles is constant and very considerable. Glass cloths are another item of which you will require at least a dozen. Take care never to use a cloth for glass that has been used for other washing-up. You cannot keep your glasses bright and free from smears unless you polish them with a cloth that is used for nothing else. Teatowels and glass cloths are best bought ready for use, because you can get them with their names woven in colour on the linen, and this saves you time and trouble. Get these of the strongest linen, even though they seem a little expensive. In the long run it pays you to do this, as cheap materials have no wear in them, and household cloths must face much active service. To Reduce the Work Of dusters you cannot have too many. Checked dusters, chamois dusters, fine dusters for dusting ornaments, rubbing silver, and using on polished surfaces; medium dusters for general dusting, and coarse dusters for the really dirty work. Make a point of hemming every sort of duster. If you have a sewing machine this won’t be a long job, and the difference it makes to your dusting is surprising, to say nothing of the way it prolongs the life of the duster.

Dust sheets are another important item in the housekeeper’s outfit. If you can cover up your nice new furniture before you start to clean a room it reduces the work to a minimum. Old sheets and old bedspreads are capital for this purpose; but the trouble is when we first set up a house of our own we have no stock of donewiths to draw upon. If you have to buy new ones, get unbleached calico or any thin material that is opaque to keep out the dust and that will wash. It is not necessary to get the best quality, as dust sheets do not have to stand hard

While you are embroidering your guest towels do not forget that kitchen roller towels are even more .important, so far as the general welfare of the household is concerned. You will require at least half a dozen of these, and they should be of very strong quality. Here cheap goods are simply a waste of money. Give a fair price for coarse brown linen huckaback, and you will then have a serviceable article that will have some wear in it.

Oilcloth, with its mirrored surface, has been relegated to a high place. Little window-like motifs of it are inserted into borders and embroideries on frocks of navy black repp a flaming red is the favourite shade, although royal blue has also an effective appeal on straight frocks of oatmeal or beige tones.