PAPER IS USEFUL WHEN SEWING FINE, DELICATE FABRICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 869, 13 January 1930, Page 5

PAPER IS USEFUL WHEN SEWING FINE, DELICATE FABRICS

in ihe gaiety of her innocent heart, j the amateur dressmaker commences I a little. dance frock that is to rely ! for its effect upon rows and rows of j net, tulle or lace flounces, only to find i that the apparently simple job of sew- j ing on these flounces straightly and ! neatly is beyond her. Were she to penetrate to the profes- j sional workroom, however, she would discover that the work is reduced to a fine simplicity by means of laying on the work-table a sheet of thick white paper, pencil-marked with straight even lines. Over this the transparent foundation is fixed with pins, and the worker is enabled to keep the material firm and straight while she rapidly tacks the frills for machining. The lace frock of today is difficult to machine without drawing up the flimsy web. But cut a length of paper to correspond with the seams, stitch i this with the lace, and you can draw it apart afterward, leaving a perfect and unpuckered seam. The same ruse applies to chiffon aud tulle, both fabrics that elude the needle unless treated after this fashion. The fashionable lace nightdress yoke is often an elaborate affair of inserations of different widths allied to appliques, motifs and piece lace. In joining these together by' hand, one is apt to draw up the various portions in such a way that the shape is ruined and the effect marred. But tack them to a yoke pattern cut out in brown paper, do the oversewing with this background in position, and you should make a good job of it. “IN ASPIC—” “Aspic” is a terrifying word to tlie average housewife, but the making of it is by no means a difficult task, and when you have once mastered it you will have an almost unlimited supply of savoury dishes at your command. Aspic jelly is also not at all expensive to make. It is a good plan to make a good quantity, to pour it into clean, dry jars, lay a piece of tissuepaper dipped in brandy on the top, and cover securely so that the jar is air-tight. The jelly will then keep good for weeks. Aspic Jelly Required: Three quarts of water, half a pint of sherry. (If expense is to be very much considered, this could be omitted and extra water used instead.) Two lemons, a large carrot, one small turnip, one small onion, two cloves, a bunch of herbs and a bayleaf, two sticks of celery, ten white peppercorns, one teaspoonful of salt, five ounces of leaf gelatine, quarter of a pint of mixed malt and tarragon vinegar, three eggs. Put into a clean bright pan the water, sherry, carrot and turnip cut in quarters, the cloves stuck in the onion, the herbs, celery, the juice of the two lemons and rind of one, salt and peppercorns. Place the lid on the pan and simmer gently for one hour, then put in the gelatine and vinegar. Well wash the eggshells, crunch them up mid throw them into the pan; whisk the whites of the eggs lightly, add them, and whisk the contents of the pan over a quick fire until they boil to the top of the pan. Draw it to one side, put on the lid, and let the contents settle. Sieve the jelly through fine muslin and repeat this until it runs through perfectly clean. It is then ready for use.