Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 607, 8 March 1929, Page 5

Feminine Interests

A SERBIAN BRIDE During her engagement the Serbian bride-to-be is tremendously busy. She cannot, on marriage, enter her husband’s house with empty hands; her trousseau is big and she must stitch, liem and embroider every bit of it herself. She also gives a set of linen clothes to her fiance and custom demands that he should wear it on the wedding day. On the wedding morning the best man goes to fetch the bride and, on entering the house, he throws a handful of sweets over her head, exclaiming: “Sweets to the sweet.” The bride’s wedding dress consists of a long skirt embroidered with bright sill& t an apron, a very tightfitting, sleeveless bodice studded with silver buttons, and long white embroidered sleeves. Her hair is parted in the centre and plaited very neatly, and she usually wears long ear-rings. In church the bride and groom have their hands tied together with a riclily- | embroidered scarf, and they are also i crowned with silver coronets. The ceremony concludes with the couple drinking a little blessed wine out. of the same cup, after which congratulations are offered, the bride kissing the hands of all the older women present. Before entering their new house, the newly-married pair are offered bread and salt, and the bride must not cross the threshold without having a loaf under one arm and a small flask of wine under the other. Then the banquet begins, but its most important feature is dancing, not merely eating and drinking; if weather permits, it takes place on the green. The wedding dance, the national “kolo,” is the only one indulged in, and it is curious to note that the bride is never allowed to dance with her husband on this occasion. The best man, who is the chief guest, has the privilege of dancing with the bride for the whole evening. LACE-MAKING AT HOME FILET CROCHET Lace-making is nice work—work that may be taken up or put down at any moment. Filet crochet is especially usefi*) and dainty, and there are tour ways in which you may work a filet-lace pattern. Filec crochet consists of spaces of two trebles with two chaiii stitches between, and of blocks made up of trebles added to the treble which is the side of the space. Blocks and spaces are, of course, made on a foundation chain crochet —three times as many chain stitches as there are squares in the block pattern added to six stitches if the second row of the pattern begins with a space. If it begins with a block, four are added. VARIETY if you want to make fine lace—to decrease the size, in other words — make it like ordinary filet crochet, with trebles and chains, but work with only two trebles to a block, plus the one which forms the side of the space, and with only one chain stitch between, trebles to form spaces. When the next row of your pattern begins with a block, use three chains to turn for the first stitch of the block. When the row begins with a space, use four chain —the rule being one less of trebles than in ordinary filet crochet. COARSE FILET LACE For coarse filet lace make long trebles —th£| is to say thread three times over the work and work off by twos—with five chain between. If a row starts with a large space, make 11 chain and work a long treble in the sixth stitch of the row below. When the space next to this large space is an ordinary space, or a block, make a chain of 14 stitches instead of 11 for the first large space, and eight chain stitches for the pattern instead of five when an ordinary space, or a block, follows the large space, it is necessary to slip-stitch across the tops of the spaces in a return row, because each of the large I spaces counts for two rows.

JEWELS—REAL AND IMITATION THEIR PLACE IN MODERN DRESS SCHEMES Some people still continue to complain about the vogue for imitation jewellery, sublimely unmindful of the reason of its popularity. They do not realise that modern woman wears her imitation pearls and her mock emeralds, not because she wants to a dash,” but merely because pendants, bracelets and clasps have definite duties to perform in up-to-date dress schemes. The chief business of imitation pearls, for instance, is to replace the collar of lace or linen that was once in vogue. The collar gave a clean, trim appearance even to the swarthiest throat, and pearls now perform the same office. Few necks can bear the close proximity of a dark frock unrelieved by a touch of colour, but pearls soften the effect. Again, the long pearl chain gives the line that is needed to counteract the somewhat austere effect of a severely plain bodice. Different styles in frocks demand different lines in necklaces; prove this by experimenting with “chokers,” short chains, and long chains, and choose for each toilette the length that gives the best results.

Bracelets are required to counteract the unbecoming effect of sleeveless frocks on certain types of arm. The number of bangles worn is decided by the length of the arm. Jewels, either real or imitation, also serve to introduce the necessary touch of colour tc a toilette. An all-black gown may demand the addition of emerald or jade stones, while a beige one may look better with sapphires or rubies. The clever dressmaker generally advises her customers as to what jewels should be worn with her creations. Since she makes a study of colour schemes, she may be relied upon to tender the best advice. —L.M.

LINEN IDEAS FROM FRANCE There are few white things in the modern linen cupboard. Not only have tablecloths been produced in colours, but sheets and pillow-cases are now quite definitely tinted, and the newest bathroom sets are a perfect riot of vivid hues. France has sent over some delightful sheets of very thin linen, with bolsters and pillow cases to match. These are in pastel shades, not pinks and blues and mauves, as might have been expected, but soft apple green, deep biscuit, butercux> yellow, and even coffee brown and buff. You may feel a. little dubious about the deeper shades, but both the coffee and buff tones look most attractive against the dark brown of an oak bedstead.

They are not elaborately worked or decorated, each set relying entirely upon the softness of its colour and the sheen of its fabric for effect. The liueu is not the kind that rumples easily, and the prices are not exorbitant.

The needlewoman might well buy lengths of the material, make her own bolster and pillow-cases, and hemstitch sheet shams to match. The effect would be almost the same, and a very distinctive touch would be given to her bedrooms. For the bathroom there are complete sets of colourful bath sheets, towels, face cloths and washing gloves, all to match. The plain colours are most attractive, especially those in green or beige, with white threads to add a dainty finish. If something more brilliant is desired, there are bold floral designse on white or buff grounds. On a white ground, for instance, there is a spray of deep pink roses and green foliage, and on a very pretty shade of buff is a design of green leaves and brown flowers. G.S.

WOMEN IN ICELAND Considering the tiny country, the number of women’s organisations existing in Iceland is extraordinary. At the head of these stands the Women's Rights Association, which, at the present time, is organising a specially active campaign for widows’ pensions. The problem has an importance all its own in Iceland, where the male population consists almost entirely of fishermen and sailors, and where accidents at sea hai disastrously often. The women at Reykjavik have their own associations for social work: their Health Circle, the White Ribbon Temperance Society, the Friends of Children, the National Council of i Women, and several others. They have all united just now with the Women’s Rights Association, and the able leader, Miss Asmundsson, is busily collecting statistics about the actual position of widows. On this information the association will draft a Bill to lay before the Parliament, urging the latter to ameliorate the life conditions of widowed mothers. Livelihood is hard to get in Iceland, where the winter grip is long and cruel, and where the soil is anything but fertile. Storm and wind and frost have given Icelandic women strength and sturdiness; they have but little ease in their young days, and their responsibilities increase when they marry. Their men need true companionship in their rare spells of rest ashore, and the children are left entirely to the women’s care. An Icelandic woman, were she so gifted, would he well fitted to define duty. It enters Into her life with childhood and she does not give it up in her old age. Her husband, whose own life is an endless series of hardship and risk, needs more than mere verbal encouragement. But, for all the stern hardness of her days, the Icelandic woman does not accept grimness as a slogan. She sings at her work, and her steady blue eyes hold laughter. She has no fear of the sea. Understanding all its varying moods and often herself braving its anger, she never makes weaklings of her children, knowing full well that some time her sons must go out to cast their own nets, and that her daughters must be ready to give fearless help and trusty companionship to their iishermen-lius-bands. INGEBORG STROM. THE BALLOON IN DECORATION SOME NOVEL SCHEMES Brightly coloured air balloons, help ved of the small people, always suggest gaiety and joy. Why not, therefore, try to introduce the balloon motif into your furnishing schemes? It may sound freakish, but really it is quite a good idea! Curtains, for instance, might be made of string-coloured casement cloth, trimmed with balloon-shaped appliques, in vivid red, green, orange, and royal blue. Cushions could be fashioned to match, or a pretty idea would be to make perfectly round pillows, in various bright hues, further to emphasise the balloon notion. Attractive frieze and dado ideas may be worked out for nursery adornment. Circles of different sizes and colours could be cut out of brilliant papers, and pasted on in groups here and there round a room with neutraltinted walls. Black strings, painted on afterwards, and carried right down to the skirting-board, would complete the decoration. There are other ways of using balloon decorations; in trimming the children’s frocks, for example. A play-pinafore of oatmeal cloth would look very gay if adorned with appliqued balls of jade and lemonyellow; while the two-year-old’s diminutive rompers might be made of dull blue casement, spotted with big scarlet and black balloons. Counterpanes, soiled linen bags, table covers and picnic cloths, all can be trimmed in the same way. Try the effect of one article, and you’ll surely want to make some more. R.M.

WOMAN’S GLORY A COLLEEN’S HAIR-BEAUTY SECRETS By PEGGY O’NEIL Your hair must have care if it is to look attractive. Plenty of brushing is the best thing of all. Ten minutes spent this way before going to bed makes a world of difference. Likely you’ll feel too tired and think it can scarcely be worth the trouble; but it is! During the day, ’tis best to let the sunlight work for you, by going about bareheaded whenever it is possible. Country girls, because they’re always running to and fro without hats, get much prettier hair than city girls. Also, that’s why Irish colleens have such glorious hair—soft, silky and lustrous. Vary your style of hairdressing occasionally; doctors are always advising this. Also, for dry hair, apply with the finger-tips equal parts of bay rum and medicinal paraffin; or for greasy hair, the bay rum alone. Perhaps you already have fine thick hair, and just want to know how to make the very best of it? Well, if you have classic features and a ? % ,al expression, try for a soft effect in arranging the hair. Soft confiding features gain dignity when a severer mode is adopted. A woman’s greatest glory is her hair, and she cannot give it too much attention.

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW Stains on Brown Shoes I am often asked how to ..remove stains from brown shoes. Here is my way: Wring out a soft cloth in warm water to which a little household ammonia has been added. Rub it on a bar of soap and thoroughly wash the stained parts of the shoes. Wipe with a wet cloth, put in shoe trees, and leave them in the air to dry. When thoroughly dry, apply brown shoe polish with a soft rag, rubbing well into the cleansed parts. If the stains are not quite removed, repeat the process. To Cure a Corn Cut the top off a swede, and make a hole in it. Fill the hole with cooking salt and leave till the salt is dissolved. Each night and morning dip a piece of bandage or lint into this and place it over the corn, keeping it there as long as possible. In a few days you will be able to remove the trouble. To Press Trousers Fold the trousers and put the legs only through the wringer. This makes an excellent press and, moreover, docs not “shine” the cloth. To Boil Cracked Eggs

If you want to boil a cracked egg, twist it in a piece of butter paper and boil in the usual way. It will not then lose its contents. H.H.

IT PAYS TO MAKE AT HOME (1) Laundry Blue: Buy from the chemist three pennyworth of indigo blue and oxalic acid mixed. Divide this into three equal portions; put each portion into a half-pint bottle, and fill up with water. Let the preparation stand for 24 hours, when it will be ready for use; it does not

“cloud” the clothes and is much more economical than the ordinary blue. (2) Floor stain: Boil together for 10

minutes one quart of water, one and a-half ounces of washing soda, quarter of an ounce ot bicarbonate of soda, aud two and a-half ounces of vandyke brown. When the stain has been applied and has thoroughly dried, it should be polished in the ordinary way.

(3) Furniture polish can be made quite inexpensively from the following ingredients: Two-thirds of raw linseed oil and one-third of turpentine; well mix and apply with a brush: wipe off with a soft cloth, rub bing well till quite dry. Dents and scratches almost entirely disappear under this treatment; if applied regularly, it will cause the furniture to retain a particularly fresh appearance. In order to ensure furniture taking a better polish, first wipe it all over with a cloth wrung out of hot water, then furniture cream. This will produce a brilliant surface which will not show finger-marks. C.R.J.