AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 77, 31 March 1924, Page 11

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

FASHIONABLE HANDBAGS. The latest handbag resembles an elongated envelope, is flat, and has a matter-of-fact handle fixed along the top. The most, expensive silk is used as covering, and a plaque of carved silk adorns one corner, if not two. Set in this motive may be found a piece of mother-of-pearl, jade, or lapis lazuli.

The more ordinary-shaped bag of gathered silk has as handsome a fastening as the one of envelope shape. The flat vanity ease and purse combined offers many rich and rare decorations. Ambusson tapestries, worked in very line silk, form the tops of some of these small hags. Finely-worked cross-stitch designs on silk gauze are let into moire silk with skill and artistic beauty. TO POLISH WINDOWS. The quickest and best way of polishing windows and mirrors is to apply the following preparation: Mix together one tablespoonful of whiting, twenty drops of paraffin oil, five drops of glycerine. Mix into a paste of medium consistency, and rub a little on to window or mirror. Allow to dry thoroughly, and then polish off with a soft cloth, and you will have a glistening polish that will not only he lasting under ordinary conditions, but will actually withstand the atmospherical conditions which cause "steaming."

Washing day at home need no. interfere with the windows and picture glasses and mirrors if they are cleaned and polished with this preparation. It is also a splendid polish for steel and 'plated goods, such as cycle rims, handlc'bars, fenders, etc. If a quantity is made, what remains after use must be placed in an airtight tin and stored in a cool place. FEATHERSTITCHIHG. Featherstitching is being used to a great extent to-day on garments of all kinds for the baby, the little girl, ttie "big girl, and the woman; and rightly so, for it gives a dainty touch and is easily and rapidly done. This is realised by the individual who makes her own clothes, and should be by those who are in business and who purchase all lingerie ready made, for such garments may be quickly trimmed with featherstitching and made to take on a lovelier appearance. The effect of the single featherstitch can be varied by putting rather far apart the stitches of white floss and setting between them stitches of tinted floss.. When one purchases dress accessories made of net, such as collars, cuffs, guimpes, waist fronts to be worn with suits, etc., it is very easy to make them more elaborate by featherstitching them with white cr cream silk rope floss. If the article is tucked or has rows of narrow lace trimming, this featherstitching along each tuck or edge of lace is very effective. In this way inexpensive articles are made both dainty and beautiful.

A DOLL QUICKLY MADE. This doll will not break, as it is made from wool, either white or coloured, and the thicker tlie wool is, the softier and fluffier the doll will be. Half an ounce of wool will make a fair-sized doll. To make it, take a hank of wool about 13 or 20 inches in length, fold it in two, and with a strand of the same wool tie ;it tightly in three places, one quite near the end, another a little lower down to ! form the neck, and one lower still to form the waist. Cut the wool at the i top and the ends will represent the hair. I Then cut loose several strands from the . body part to make the arms, and with ' a bit of wool tie them to suggest the I hands. On the head part sew with black j cotton two small linen buttons for the I eyes. Then outline the nose and mouth with a few stitches of white wool. Tie a ribbon round the waist. REPAIRING SLIPPER TOES. Black satin slisjers which have become frayed at the toes can be quickly and neatly repaired and given new usefulness by tips of fibbon attached witli glue. The ribbon, matching as nearly as possible tbe quality of satin in the slippers, should bo two inches wide. Cut a piece of it long enough to cover the toe ot* the slipper and allow half an inch over. Lay it over the toe of the slipper and cut off. not too close to the sole, the two corners that are superfluous.

Then coat the remaining ribbon with glue and lay it on the slipper so that one selvage edge extends a quarter of an inch over the sole, at the point of the toe. Smooth the ribbon ou the satin of the slipper until there are no wrinkles, and then with a sharp instrument (the point of a nail knife or a manicure instrument will do) tuck the edges under the sole. Run an extra line of glue around the sole, and set the slippers aside to dry.

If the slippers are of coloured satin. and it is impossible to match them, buy ribbon of a shade slightly darker, and cover the heels as well as the toes. For the heels, cut the ribbon on the bias and it will stretch to accommodate itself to the curve of the heel. Tuck the edge of the ribbon between the heel and the main part of the slipper, and cut it off exactly at the line of the side of the heel, and at the bottom where the leather lift is joined.

If the leather lift needs replacing, allow half an inch of tlie ribbon to extend below it at the bottom, then take the slipper to the repair man and tell him to remove the lift. When the leather lift is off, coat the over-lapping edge of the ribbon with glue and smooth it over the bottom of the heel.. Then, let the cobbler replace the leather lift, and the slippers will look like new.

For work of this sort use only the best liquid glue, and use it thoroughly, but sparingly. If it is used too freely, it will soak through the ribbon, and if the material is light coloured, will leave a stain.