WHEN YOUR CLOCK IS “AWKWARD”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 519, 23 November 1928, Page 5

WHEN YOUR CLOCK IS “AWKWARD”

LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT BY A CLOCKMAKEK. To adjust a “losing” pendulum clock, shorten the pendulum by very slightly' turning the screw below the bob in a clockwise direction. A “gaining” clock, of course, requires reverse treatment. A hanging clock should be so adjusted that the pendulum swings equally to right and left of the centre line. A pendulum clock with a barrel body in a wooden or marble ease is frequently deranged by the body being twisted slightly during winding, so that the escapement cannot act properly. Clocks which are placed on cold shelves in chilly rooms, and those subject to draughts, seldom keep good time. To correct this fault, stand the clock on a thick piece of felt or cork linoleum. The risk of damp getting into a clock and setting up internal rusting of the mechanism may be reduced to a minimum by placing a small bag of unslaked lime on a toy saucer’inside the clock. This will absorb any moisture that would otherwise corrode the delicate metal parts. Where the oil has set hard, thaw it by holding the lighted end of a wax taper inside the clock for a minute or two. Alternatively, the clock may be warmed thoroughly by' placing it near a fire for several hours. Never hold a clock directly in front of a fire, especially if it is wood-encased. To ensure smooth working of clocks, never allow the mechanism to run down entirely. And do not overwind. Count how many turns the key' will take to keep the spring at a nice even tension, and keep to this num- ! ber. A clock spring will last much longer if it is always wound when there is the least extreme of temperature. The middle of the day is the best time. THE HOME-MADE PRESENT SOME ACCEPTABLE IDEAS If you are one of the pleasant people who believe that the home-made present is more affectionately personal and, therefore, worth twice as much as the bought gift, it is time to think about Christmas. I do not mean that you must immediately' take to your work-box and your embroidery needle, for nowaday's there are many i things of quite a different nature j which take far less time to fashion I than"a bit of faneywork or knitting. There are little outfits of powder ; dyes (to be mixed with methylated ; spirits), which, with the special brushes provided, will enable you to tint leathers to delightful ends. At quite a small outlay and with an equally' small expenditure of time and energy, you will be able to fashion a delightful handbag or belt, purse or satchel, that otherwise might represent a cost beyond y'our means. Then there is the outfit for the dyeing of silks and velvets without the use of liquids. Crayons are used for this craft; when these have been applied, the material is placed between sheets of blotting paper and a warm iron is passed over the whole. The superfluous dye is thus absorbed into the paper and - the rest is permanently dyed into the fabric. The loveliest of scarves and lingerie, as well as delightful table runners and d’oyleys for household use, may be produced by this method. Smooth, soft materials are most suitable for this form of decoration. Outfits for the decoration of articles in white wood represent other means of achieving the home-made present at small cost.

EASTERN INFLUENCE WHY THIS CRAZE FOR ORIENTAL IDEAS? Subtly, insinuatingly, almost invisibly a wave of Orientalism bas spread over our fashions. I visit a friend. She greets me clad picturesquely in a loose Chinese coat of brilliant scarlet and a pair of black satin trousers. At last, with admiration in my eye and covetousness in my heart, I venture a remark: “Your Chinese coat is adorable.” The other women guests think so, too. Before we take our leave we have filched from our hostess the name of the shop where she bought it —and the price paid.

And so there are more converts to the fashion for the Oriental dress. In the Shops Walking round my favourite shop I am surprised in every department by the display of Eastern ideas. Blotters are made from strips of old Chinese embroidries. Whole writing table sets made in lacquer. Engagements blocks, stationery stands, inkstands—even electric light and candlesticks —painted with inscrutable little figures on higly polished enamel backgrounds greet my eyes. Even the Furniture My next engagement is at a furniture shop farther down the road. This is British to the backbone. Yet here, again, I am overwhelmed by this amazing invasion of ideas from the distant lands of the rising sun. Every lampshade I see is suggestive in some way, either in form or decoration, of the artistry of the Japanese or Chinese people.

And so popular has lacquer furniture become in this country that it is given a special place to itself. From India “Nests" of tables stand side by side ■ with bureaux, with beds, with bookcases and picture frames; their highly polished surfaces with the : raised designs glowing brightly in the i light of electricity. There are squat little figures hold : ing electric bulbs, there are incense burners, woven mats, spice bottle.-., match boxes, cigarette cases and Indian beaten brasswork coffee tables, all bearing this imprint of the East. Bric-a-Brac Netsuki and carved ivories crowd the antique shops. Chinese jade still holds a high place in the affections of the jewellers. And has there ever been such an array of miniature Buddhas or stalking elephants