FRILLS ADS & OIBLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 21

FRILLS ADS & OIBLES

Special Feature supplied excluisvely to TUE SON. Auckland, by The Central Press, Fleet Street, London.

Vogues and Vagaries

(By

Madame Jeanne Varrez

SWEET SAUCES FOR SWEET PUDDINGS WHITE WINE SAUCE Have ready in a double saucepan I a quarter of a pint of good white | sauce, add to it gradually, while j warm, one glass of cooking sherry and lio.-i of sugar; stir until it is at ] boiling point, then grate over it a ! little lemon rind, and serve immedi--1 ately with any sweet steamed or boiled ! pudding. CLEAR ARROWROOT SAUCE Boil very gently for about ten minutes a quarter of a pint of water with the very thin rind of half a fresh lemon and ltoz of lump sugar. Take out the lemon rind; see that the liquid measures a full quarter pint and then stir in a sms." teaspoonful of arrowroot, smoothly mixed with the strained juice of the lemon. Serve not or cold, as preferred, with canary, ginger, suet or cabinet pudding. CUSTARD PUDDING SAUCE Boil very gently together, in a double pan, half a pint of new milk, a thill strip of lemon rind, a pinch of cinnamon, half an inch of vanilla bean, lloz of sugar. When the milk is strongly flavoured and at boiling point, strain and pour it slowly on to the beaten yolks of two eggs smoothly mixed with a teaspoonful of flour and a couple of grains of salt. Stir very quickly round and round as the milk is added, till the mixture thickens and looks creamy. It must not be placed upon the fire, but should be held over it while this is done. Finally whisk to a froth and gerve with chocolate or other steamed pudding. PUNCH SAUCE Boil together for 15 minutes three ounces of sugar, half a pint of water and the thinly cut rinds of one lemon and one orange. Strain, thicken with l£oz of butter mixed with 1J teaspoonsl'ul of flour, and then add one wineglassful of cooking sherry, the juice of one lemon and one orange, and a tablespoonful of brandy. Serve with custard, plain bread or plum pudding.

DECORATIVE BRASS By Pauline Bouchier The choice of something unusual in i household ornaments is not so easy j as one would suppose, but the present vogue for engraved and inlaid brassware is a great help to the housewife who appreciates the attraction of this type of adornment. If we appreciate brassware, we can combine the useful decorative with the decorative, and choose articles of utility which can also be ornaments. Among modern pieces, a large, round tray, patterned with an ornate border, encloses a magnificent peacock, the whole pattern being marked out in four colours, red, blue, green and black. Again, a set of four trays in varying sizes, all intricately marked, can be bought inlaid with red or blue. Simple Or Otherwise Brass vases are not restricted to simple shapes, though there is simplicity for those who prefer such styles. A straight, octangular vase is attractive, and so is the tapering vase which is fairly wide at the rim, and mounted on a short stem. A “coffee-pot” vase with two handles is decorative and but moderately patterned with a weird assortment of arabesques, conventional flowers, and so on. Fern pots are made in brass, and a pot-pourri bowl has a well-perforated lid, both being patterned to match one another. A striking picture of a mandarin is portrayed on a sweet dish which stands on a tall, fancy stem. For the Smoker There is a wide range of patterns on match-boxes, and match-stands, and the pretty round boxes which are just large enough to hold 50 cigarettes. For pipe-smoking husbands, there are appropriate racks and stands, and, of course, innumerable ash-trays. An amusing set is labelled the “Ladies’ Smoking Set.” This consists of a seven-inch tray, with a match stand in the centre, a small round ashtray, and a cigarette stand. This set costs about half-a-guinea. Teapot stands are made in brass, while memo, pads have fancy brass tops into which sheets of paper are clipped. Another novelty is an extralong, narrow pen-tray, and for those who have difficulty in slipping on their new shoes, there are shoe horns. Even the syphon of soda can be made an ally of a brass scheme, by means of a brass syphon-holder.

SOLVING DRESS PROBLEMS QUESTIONS I AM ASKED By MOLLIE LITTLE Because I am a fashion artist, most of my friends seem to regard me as an infallible authority on all matters pertaining to dress. Consequently, 1 am always being questioned by some- i body about her own particular problem, which usually happens to be the problem of many others. Sometimes I am asked the same questions again and again, and so I propose answering a few here, in the hope that you may find among them the solution to your own pet problem. To begin with there is Anabelle, who, in her late teens was always bewailing her extra ounces. Now, in her early twenties, she is bewailing the lack of them. Even in these figureless days she looks absolutely gaunt by comparison with the slimmest of us. She is not so unlucky as she would have us believe, however, because she can wear most of the extreme styles with perfect success. Frills and Furbelows Belts, lots of front drapery, filmy frills for evening wear, circular stripes, square necks, high collars — all these were designed for her. The little scarves, tied in a bow under one ear, or a large “choker” necklace w r ill hide her “salt cellars,” while many bracelets camouflage the boniness of her wrists. The armholes of her evening frocks should be cut as small as possible, and she is one of the few persons who can wear the front and back of her bodice cut almost to an inverted “V” and kept together by means of a row of choker beads. The stiffest of silks are hers, and the fullest of “gauging”; but she must beware of pleats. I know a very charming girl whose face and figure are everything to be desired, but whose legs are most certainly not! They are not tremendously big, but the calf seems to extend down into the ankle, making it appear short and thick. Until lately she has been wearing skirts to cover her legs almost to the ankles. That was a great mistake. It made her look extremely dowdy, and suggested that her unseen legs were, no doubt, unduly fat—to match her ankles to which her long skirt attracted unwelcome attention. Flattering Hose Since, however, she has worn skirts of the fashionable length, fairly dark stockings and plain court shoes with high heels, the extra thickness of her ankles is not nearly so noticeable. Then there is the “little girl’s” problem. The girl I have in mind is five-foot-nothing in her shoes. She makes the great mistake of wearing “busy” clothes. She is fond of floating panels and pouching coatees of frills, embroidery and fancy shoes. None of her clothes seem to touch her anywhere. She would gain smartness by the process of elimination. Two-piece frocks should give away to one-piece dresses —beltless, when possible. Pleats should take the place of flares or gathers. Her shoes, gloves, hat, handbag, should be severe and neat; sleeves long and tight; and the whole ensemble of not more than two tones of one colour.