Lace Back In High Favour Again

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 35, 20 November 1937, Page 4

Lace Back In High Favour Again

T ACE marquisette net, and embroidered Swiss muslin, dominate the fashion picture at a Sydney spring show, which opened recently. A strongly-patterned and vividly-col-oured paisley design featured a gay evening frock, with a. fully-flared skirt over a rustling taffeta slip. Lace applique was another feature of the new evening gowns and dinner frocks. One gown, in black marquisette net, had a yoke and sleeves of fine lace, and three separate appliques on one side of the full skirt. Lace was also an important daytime detail, and was seen in many unusual guises. Paisley and Indian prints looked well worn under a dark lace redingote. Sports frocks of linen had accompanying coats of linen lace of the same shade. Almost without exception, the evening gowns had full skirts. Many of them were tiered and all made over taffeta. A white embroidered Swiss muslin was shown over black taffeta, the cut edge of the embroidery forming patterned edges at the hem-line. The most talked-of Parisian style of the season was Maggie Rouff’s “Capri,” a rich sea-blue chiffon frock, with a widely-flaring hemline, trimmed '”ith huge scarlet poppies, interspersed with cornflowers. A single poppy was poised on one shoulder, and the bodice was closely shirred. This was one of the outstanding modes of the show. The two-colour combination was carried out in a striking model of deep blue, with the beautifully-cut skirt flared into extreme fullness with deep godets of green. Perfect for wearing with the elaborate evening frocks were little capes of rows and rows of gathered ribbon in varied shades. There were also fluffy capes of ostrich feathers and maribou in pastel shades. Navy and wine coloured silks spotted ii white were made into severely-tail-ored frocks and were worn either with jackets in a plain matching shade faced with the spotted materials, or with smart little jackets of white sharkskin.

No Transfers. Spotted Swiss muslin makes an excellent basis for “no transfer” embroideries. You can obtain exquisite results with the addition of a little hand-work in gaily-coloured embroidery threads, the polka dots woven into the muslin being used as guides for the stitches. Thread the needle with coloured stranded cotton (four threads) and work eight lazy daisy loops round each spot, which becomes the centre of the flower, with a fly-stitch in green, slightly to one side, to suggest the leaf. Do not embroider round every spot. Alternate ones will look well, or, for very dainty effects, work the flowers round every third or fourth spot. Little girls’ party dresses of Swiss muslin, spotted in white, red, blue, or green, are delightful with the daisyflowers embroidered in the- same or a contrasting colour. A ribbon sash to match completes the garment. Set of ®place and glass mats for the luncheon or dinner table are very fresh and inviting with the edges bound with bias-binding to match the spots on the muslin. Duchess sets, cake mats, and even casement curtains can be fashioned in the same way. The work can easily be done at odd moments as there are no tiresome preparations to be made. Chintz on Crash. Chintz-applique on crash is a happy choice for holiday or “leisure hour” needlework. The materials are inexpensive, the work is easily carried out and looks most attractive, so there are three important points in its favour. Choose flower patterned chintz with fairly large blossoms. Snip out some individual flowers, and some sprays of two or three, pin them on to the crash background, tack all round, then blan-ket-stitch them down with black stranded cotton, using three strands in the needle. The diagram shows the work in progress. When the applique is finished, embroider here and there some little curling tendrils in black stemstitch, using two threads in the needle. Remove the tacking threads when the stitchery is finished. Cushion-covers, dressing-table mats, tea-cosy covers, and tray cloths can be made in this v ay. A delightful set of table-mats was made of oatmeal crash, dotted with chintz flowers in red. robin’s- , eg_ blue, and green, the mats bound with cherry coloured cotton bias binding. Linen table napkins and napkin rings were made in the same way. Another idea is to work individual crash square with the chintz appliques, and combine them with plain squares the same size, inserted alternately between thr embroidered ones, for a cottage bedspread. Old “Receipts.” Modern beauty experts do not scorn to do a little research work now and then in collections of ancient “receipts.” At present they are re-discovering the possibilities of strawberries as skin improvers. These are crushed in buttermilk and are being used as facia] packs. They have an astringent action. Wedding Present. Dressing-table sets back with glass are new and one of the choicest presents you can give a summer bride. The glass is not the tinted mirror glass with which we have become so familiar in the home, but carved crystal which sparkles and gleams like silver without the rubbing and polishing that silver needs to keep it bright. It “goes” with any colour

scheme, too, which gives it an advantage over the enamelled brushes, combs and hand-mirrors. Spun Glass. Spun-glass, so delicate and fairy-like in appearance, is now being made by a process that renders it not nearly so fragile as it looks. It is even practicable for curtains and very delightful they are to see in the palest of pastel colours. Very pale green spun glass suggests coolness and airiness and there are amber-tinted glass curtains that give a sunshiny glow to the light through the windows that is pleasant on dull days. Weather Precautions. Weather that may change from brilliant sunshine to a heavy downpour of rain in less than an hour has led to some Ingenious compromises in dress this summer. At one fashionable gathering, a picture hat in red American, cloth looked appropriate with a red and white printed frock when the sun was out, yet when the rain started it was a good shower-proof covering. Incidentally, this cautious woman had also with her one of those transparent proofed silk capes that roll up into such small space for carrying.’ ,