AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 221, 17 September 1924, Page 12

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

PROTECTION FROM THE SUN. Strong sunshine should never be allowed to fall on any piece of inlaid furniture, or pieces are very apt to be- . come loose and discoloured. Nor should : any article made *of tortoise- ! shell come in contact with the i sun's rays, or it will lose air its polish, and take on a dull look ; hard to dispel. All perfumes should . be removed from a.sunny toilet table! or the sun will not only affect the • quality of the scent, but give it a milky appearance. As a matter of fact, all perfumes are better kept in a dark ', drawer than exposed to the light. WISDOM ABOUT CORKS. It seems impossible to extract from , an empty bottle a cork which is larger , than the bottle's neck, but it can be done in th% following way: Stand the j ■ bottle in cold water for a few. minutes to cool the air inside. Then rub a little vaseline round the inside of the ' neck of the bottle. Take a hairpin and with this "spike" the cork, bringing it as near to the' neck of the bottle as j: possible. Then quickly plunge the bottle | into rather hot water. The warmth will : cause the air inside the bottle to expand . and the cork will be expelled with a • loud pop. To make corks air tight, which is ' necessary when bottling fruit juices, the : corks should he dipped in a'mixture made by melting one part of beef suet with '• two parts of white wax. The process ' should be repeated three or four times. ' the corks being well dried between each ■ dipping. . ! NEW IDEAS FOR CRETONNES. Cretonne frocks have been "the thing" . for wear at home and in the country for the past two seasons, and this year ■ has brought in cretonne as a trimming ( for such solid and grave materials as serge and broadcloth. ] We have an ensemble made with a blue serge skirt and a cretonne bodice, the pattern showing flowers in crimson and green and bright blue. To add to the interest, the frock, which has no definite waistline, has the pattern of the cretonne cut out and appliqued. on to the serge of the skirt in a most charm- ' ing and effective way,'instead of being j cut across in a straight and unimaginative seam. 'The coat is of serge three- • quarters in length and wrap-around in pattern, while the lining is of the ere- \ tonne which appears at the cuffs and , collars emerging from the sober unity ■ of the serge. The applique idea in cretonne is also, used in interior decoration, Jarge flowers of cretonne being cut out and appliqued on to plain rep. curtains and cushions. A pair of blue rep. curtains will be appliqued with, a pattern of large white and red lotuses cut from cretonne, and used to border the hem and the inner edge of. the curtain 3. The stitch used in this case is a buttonhole one done in heavy floss, although the figures are often simply sewn on with the common hemming stitch. RENOVATING RAINCOATS. , A raincoat is a holiday necessity, but - examination of the coat we thought, i would be good enough for the purpose J often reveals it as creased and dirty, and even lacking in rainproof qualities. Something must be done about it, and, failing a new coat, we have to undertake a little renovating oh our own account. To. clean, it should be laid upon the kitchen table and well scrubbed with mild soap and warm water, .and dried in the open: air. , • . '' Keproofing is the next question, and there 'are two methods by which this process may be carried out by the amateur. Here is the.first:' Take five gallons of boiling water and in it dissolve lilb of alum. In another bath, using the same quantity of water dissolve lilb of sugar of lead, then mix the two " solutions. The coat should be well j worked in this liquid till every part is! saturated. Squeeze, but do not twist, j as much liquid as possible from it and hang out to dry. When quite dry it must be washed in cold water and dried ' again, when it is fit for use. A warm j iron will press out. any puckering that may have taken place. The alternative method is to take Joz i of isinglass and boil it in a pint of !' water till entirely dissolved, afterwards straining the liquid through a piece of muslin. Then, in a quart of hot —not; boiling—water, dissolve loz of alum, i and then add it to the other solution. I Shred up a quarter ounce of curd soap, dissolve it in a- pint of boiling water, mix with the other liquid and turn all into a saucepan and bring to a temperature just below boiling point. With this solution, the coat is treated on the wrong side, and it should be spread out upon a table for the purpose. Use a brush to apply the hot liquid to ■ the coat, and take care to get it well into the seams, etc. It must be allowed to dry, and should then be given a final sponging with cold water. A rubbered coat -may be cleaned by ecrubbing with plain water, provided the latter is soft. If rainwater is h%t j available soften tap water by boiling jup a small muslin-bag of bran in a [pailful.. When the mackintosh is scrubbed clean, plunge it up and down iin a bath of clean water, and without attempting to squeeze or wring, hang it in the open air to dry. Never attempt to dry a rubbered material by the fire. i or it is bound to crack. A tear may be repaired by means of rubber cement, to be bought at all rubber outfitters' shops. If it is smeared on"*either side of the rent and the edges fixed together by means of a rubber patch, beneath, when the cement sets, the repair will be hardly noticeable. If a -weight is placed above the repair to help set it, be sure to damp it first, or it will stick, and in removing it the damage will be increased. COLOURED BUBBLES. ' A disappointment of childhood is that soap bubbles last but a moment. But coloured bubbles may be blown that will last several minutes if they are prepared as,follows: Take a pint of warm water, and shave into it a piece of household soap about an inch square. See that the soap is completely dissolved, and then add , a dessertspoonful of gum arabic. Stir thoroughly till melted. Next add a teaspoonful of glycerine, and finally 1J pints of cold water. Divide the mixture into us many basins as re- ; quired, and to each add" a pinch of a different cold-water dye. However, this is- to be recommended only- where the children are old enough.to"realise they must not swallow the mixture. When very tiny children art blowing bubbles colour may be introduced by the use of ■a little fruit juice. The pipes used should ibe boiled occasionally, and children should be instructed that they must not be lent to their playmates. Paint each pipe with, a bright band, a different '• colour for each small member of the! family. Pipes 'for should find i £ treasured place in eveij tqy cupboard.!