Here's Your

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 5

Here's Your

LEX THE SUN Service Bureau a**ist you with your problem*, whether they relate to dress, health and beauty culture, cook•ry, homecraft, travel, sport or my other of the many things on which we are all constantly needing information. Whatever your particular puzzle may be, we will be glad to give our advice when,vtr possible. All communications must bo accompanied by the inquirer’s name and address (not for publication), and sent to THE SUN “Service Bureau,” Women’s Page, THE SUN, Auckland. Answers will appear weekly in this column. IF PICOT FRAYS How can I keep picot-edged georgette from fraying? It always seems to on my dresses. Before you send the dress to be hemstitched for picot edging, tack a piece of the georgette behind. Then cut it all away afterwards. It means that the plcct edging is doubled in strength. In the rase of a scalloped hem. add a wide enough piece to embrace the scallops. VELVET FOR BAGS I wonder if you could tell me what it fashionable this season for evening bags? My frock is green crepe de chine and my mother's black and silver. Also, are fans still the thing? The green frock it trimmed with gold. My dear, velvet bags are newest. I think. You can make a charming tec for yourself of green velvet. Make it a square shape and gauge it across in rows about 1 inch apart. Join the seams up afterwards and set into a gold mount. It might be lined with gold silk. Tour mother could have either a silver or black bag, and for her an envelope shape would be smartest, I think. She might make one of silver lame. It could be made like a

long oblong bag, stiffened with thin cardboard, and the end slip-stitched

up. Then fold the “bag” in three and sew up two sides, leaving one third of the bag to flap over the other two—just like an envelope. A silver initial on one corner, and it would look a very expensive affair. Yes, fans are still “in,” usually ostrich feather ones with two or three long plumes. ICE FOR THE SICK ROOM Where ice has to be kept within the nurse’s reach, have a good-sized china bowl, across it draw a piece of thick flannel, secure it with a string and fasten it there. Place the ice on this flannel and cover lightly with a piece of flannel several times doubled. Stand the basin in a p 0 sage or unused room and the ice will keep cold and even freeze to the flannel. Thus the ice can be kept very near the sick room and many steps to the ice-chest avoided. Needless to say, the flannel should be new and very well washed and rinsed in a number of waters. It should be rinsed well every day. The best plan is to have two lots of flannel, so that one can be washed and dried while the other is in use. DRYING FRUIT To dry peaches, plums and pears, carefully draw off skins and take out stones. Put fruit into a bowl and strew over them their weight in pounded sugar; let it dissolve slowly. The next day put fruit in separate preserving pans over a slow fire and simmer gently for i hour; then put back into bowl, pour the boiling syrup over and let the fruit lie in it for 3 days. Pour off syrup and use for other purposes; expose fruit to a gentle heat and turn every day until dry. Keep them In layers, with writing paper between, in a tin box. Any fruits that have been preserved in syrup may be converted into dry preserves by draining them from the syrup and drying in a stove or very moderate oven, adding a quantity of powdered loaf-sugar, which will gradually penetrate the fruit. They should be dried in the stove or oven on a sieve and turned every six or eight hours, fresh powdered sugar.' being