BUILDING AND HOMES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 212, 4 June 1929, Page 17

BUILDING AND HOMES

(SY

JACK PLANE)

APPLIQUE WORK SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE DECORATION «... • HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS One of the most charming and effective ways of decorating the soft furnishings for a home, a London authority observes, is by applique work. A fashionable material for carrying out this simple and very decorative form of embroidery is linen. All sorts of delightful colourings may be obtained in linen, the uncrushable variety of the material lending itself particularly to being made up into household hangings, bedspreads, cushions, chair covers, and so on. It is never much use to suggest settled colour schemes, because every woman who has the true furnishing instinct usually has her own schemes in her mind’s eye. Even if she has not, she is probably obliged to make her new hangings harmonise with the tints that already predominate in her room. One or two hints may, however, be useful to those who find it difficult to think out their own colour effects. Here is a scheme for a sitting room and one for a bedroom. Given the main idea, each woman should easily be able to adapt the suggestions to her own use and taste. For a sitting room which is used a good deal by the family at large, and where the men of the house need not hesitate, now and then, to lounge comfortably, it is well to have some darkish, but at the same time warm and cozy, colour scheme. , For wintry days curtains and chair covers of brown, in a rather bright tan shade, • are delightful. On this could be appliqued a simple and most effective design of rather large Virginia creeper leaves in shades of autumn-red and leafgreen. This leaf is a particularly easy one to draw, and most people should be able to rough out for themselves a design. If not, any good pattern shop would be very likely to supply a transfer which could be adapted to form a border for the curtains. Cushions and a “tufty,” with the background colour of the leafgreen, would look well with a few of these leaves appliqued here and there to give the impression of having been scattered by autumn winds.

A bedroom would look delightfully refreshing and restful with a bedspread and curtains of soft, cream-coloured linen, with an appliqued pattern of soft pink roses.

An easy way to vary the linen applique is to cut out any of the beautiful and elegant patterns that are nowadays to be bought in cretonne, and applique these to suitable backgrounds in the manner described later in this article. Thus, the worker is saved immense trouble by having the patterns ready-inade for her, and th‘e use of cretonne has the additional very great advantage of giving in a very short time an extremely rich multi-col-oured appearance, which could be achieved only by many hours of careful labour if embroidered. When these cretonne motifs have been cut out, they should be pinned carefully into position on the blue linen background, which must constantly be smoothed very carefully to see that there are no wrinkles in the material. The pattern should then be followed round with a small tacking stitch, and it is then time for the final stitching. This consists of a narrow buttonholing all round the motif, and on a cotton material, such as cretonne, this is most effective when carried out in wool. Be careful not to make the buttonholing too wide, as this is apt to give the work a clumsy look.

The amount, jpf linen ...required for the curtains and bedspread must, of course, depend upon the individual sizes of windows and bed. A good rough rule for curtains, however, is to make each one-and-a-half' times the width of the window. Curtains should hang six inches below the sill. If the worker would like to spend a little more money, and gain a more luxurious effect, the same process exactly may be carried out on any silk background such as shantung, taffeta, or satin, with appliqued motifs taken from figured shantung, or figured crepe de chine. All sorts of these patterns may be used with advantage, particularly, elegant groups of flowers, birds of brilliant plumage, or heaped-up baskets of richly-coloured fruit

STRAY NOTES THE DINING ALCOVE Writing in “The Australian Home Beautiful” of the development of the dining alcove, Mr. D. W. Gale, A.R.1.8.A., observes that the popularisation of this feature has been one of the most rapid growths of the present-day architecture. “It was first introduced into domestic and apartment house planning as a means of saving space,” ho adds; "and consisted simply of a folding table and benches, placed in a convenient position in the living room or kitchenette. Here the lesser important meals of the day could be served. At first this alcove was planned as part of the living room or kitchen; but it has now developed into a special small room with doors and windows of its own. It serves either as a complete substitute for the dining-room, or as a spare dining-room. This latter use is its true function, although many people with small families prefer to dispense with a dining-room altogether to save space. “The amount of room to be occupied by people sitting at the table must be carefully studied in designing an alcove, because the furniture, being definitely fixed, determines the dimensions of the room. The width of the table should not be so narrow that there is no room between the plates of the persons on either side of the table. The amount of space required for the benches is best ascertained by actually sitting at the tabic and measuring the space occupied. It will be seen that when a person is comfortably seated to eat, the front edge of the chair is directly under or one inch inside the edge of the table. If the benches, however, were fixed in this position it would be difficult for a person to “ sidle” into his seat at the far end of the table. It it necessary for this reason to allow 2 inches between the table edge and the front edge of the bench. A greater spacing will result in an uncomfortable position for eating. A width of five or six feet is therefore the most suitable. “It is not convenient to have more than two people on a bench which is only open at one end; therefore, the length of the alcove need not exceed seven feet. It is also well to remember that dining alcoves are used mostly by women and children, who, being smaller, prefer lower tables and benches than most men make.

“The design of the benches of dining alcoves has in most cases been fashioned after the interesting old benches which, in Gothic and colonial times, were placed near to the kitchen fire. Their interest lies chiefly in the exquisite and droll carving of the bench ends. A bench for a dining alcove, however, is preferable without ends, as they interfere with the access to the seats. Types which are designed primarily for the purpose in view are really for mare suitable than any copied historic style. . . . “Another interesting scheme is to plan an alcove with a table in the corner of the living room, with benches against the walls. There would be fixed seating on one side and end of the table, and loose chairs may be added when desired. A favourable point in this scheme is that the table may be used for other purposes between meals or completely moved, makfeg aa attractive coraej foe reading.”

THE GARDEN GATE An American writer makes the following observations on the types of garden gates that arc appropriate to particular settings:— “Just as the hedge, wall, or fence justify the gate, so do they determine the type of gate, while the latter must also be in proportion and accord with the size and type of garden. Nothing looks more out of place than an elaborate, stately gate at the entrance of a modest garden whose charm may be its very simplicity. “The strong-looking wrought iron gate of simple or even intricate design is very fitting for the stone wall. If wood is used, I should prefer the solid heavy gate made of strong oak rather than a picket gate. Where the wall effect is secured by means of a clipped hedge, the solid gate—not quite as heavy—seems also more appro“In the informal hedge of broken line, made up of shrubs of many types and sizes, the picket gate with a rose-coveied arch makes a delightful picture. 4he roses merge into the shrubs, ana tne hedge and gate-posts may be faced down with perennials, lilies-, and ground covers. “The trick wall—if not too low—seems to call for a full-sized door rather than a little gate, even if the wall has to be raised with graceful curves to provide tne necessary height “Then there is the 'roofed’ or hooded gate. This type of gate is a PP ro 2 rl! “® if used near the house, where the house wall continues as a garden wall. J-ne roofed gate may then be so designed as to form a consistent part of the architectural scheme. A natural roof over a gate may be built by means of pleached shrubs or trained evergreens. “Under no circumstaiices should gates, arches, or pergolas be placed in isolated positions on the lawn or in the garden, where they utterly fail to indicate their purpose, use, or meaning. _ “The ‘garden gate’ offers unlimited opportunities for the expression of individuality. Just as the friendly doorway nlaces upon the house its unmistakable stamp of hospitality, so the garden gate sends out its invitation ‘come into tile garden,' learn its secrets and enjoy its beauty.”

SUBSTITUTE FOR STAINED GLASS’ A good substitute for stained glass can be made from photographic plates and aniline dyes. It remains for the ingenious individual to visualise the several uses to which the product can be put. First the plates are fixed in hypo to clear the emulsion, and then after washing they are dried off to be dyed the required shades later. If it is intended to use a number of coloured panes for hall lights or windows, there should be a clear glass doubled with each to protect the emulsion from the wear of constant cleaning. There are generally some old negatives of the same size available for this purpose. , . Some pictorial effects can be incorporated in a design, too, by printing positives on glass and dyeing them, but to the ingenious mind a suggestion of mysterious patterning will give scope for additional interest. The selection of the object to indent the design depends on what is available. To quote a few by way of hints, mention is made of those that have produced charming results. They are: Open canvas, and striped textile fabrics; a thick bushy hedge; a creosoted boarded fence; a brick wall; and a piece of lattice-work. In photographing some of these objects they should be decidedly out of focus to destroy all indentificatipn but not sufficient to eliminate the tracery of the design. The exposure should be short to produce exceedingly thin negatives, or else development must be arrested as the equivalent. After the plates are fixed the design, though faint, shows up very nic?/! ly, and when dyed in different colours presents a unique appearance. If it is intended to print a number of positives from one negative the latter would then need to be well exposed and developed; also a light-coloured object is recommended so that the markings on the positives would not be dense. Some very charming border effects can be made, especially with a geometrical design; and it is really surprising to what an extent the idea may be adapted. When the emulsion is dry and hard the plates may be cut to designs without fear of damaging the film. They should be cut from the glass side, although the pattern can be scribed on the film with a' stiletto or similar tool. A diamond is recommended for cutting intricate scrolls, but 1 for simple cuts a steel glass-cutter will give remarkable service.—H. Atkin, ini the “English and Amateur Mechanics.”

REMOVING STAINS In all well-regulated houses there is found a medicine chest in which are kept the remedies for minor household accidents, but very few people keep a store of stain removers which may be applied immediately a stain is discovered. Such a collection is, however, if not essential, at least desirable, and to be efficient need not be very elaborate. A few two-ounce bottles kept in a corner with the commoner cleaning reagents will prove useful many times when least expected, and when the situation might be lost by hav- ‘ ing to run to the chemist for them. For removing grease or paint, petrol and methylated spirit are invaluable, and a bottle of each should be at hand. These should be clearly labelled, and their extremely inflammable nature kept in mind. Ammonia is useful for cleaning silver and aluminium. Ink stains on the fingers may also be removed with ammonia. , Some crystals of oxalic acid should be kept, as ink stains in cloth may be removed by soaking in a solution of this substance. The acid has poisonous qualities, however, and must be used with care. Stains in silk should be treated with a mixture of equal parts of lemon juice and turpentine. The mixture should be applied lightly with a swab of cotton wool. Coffee stains may be removed from delicate fabrics by sponging lightly with glycerine and pressing. The above chemicals are most often required, and they will keep quite well if tightly corked. A very useful and economical cleaner for rough work may be made from scraps of soap and fine red sand. The soap is put into an old tin, and covered with boiling water and stirred occasionally until it has dissolved, when the sand is added. Enough sand should be added to give the mixture the consistency of stiff butter. This yields a very nice substance to work with, which is useful in cleaning earthenware, etc. If desired a little carbolic acid may be added to give it a fresh scent and disinfecting qualities.—“A. Mel.,” in English and Amateur Mechanics.”

SCREENS OF TO-DAY Screens very, often serve a useful purpose even in well-built houses where draughts give comparatively little trouble, and if they are well-chosen they enhance rather than detract from the most cherished schemes of decoration. Many modern screens, a British writer remarks, are joyously colourful. In one example cited, a background of dull blue felt had appliqued upon,’-.; it a quaintly fantastic scene; half Alpine ana half Kiplingian in its motif—it might have been cither a poster cracking up some new haunt in the Tyrol, or an illustration to an unknown “Just-so .. Story.” , Black and white were effectively combined in the applique design, and the screen looked extremely well in a grey-walled room with white paint-work and a carpet of grey-green rush matting upon which lay rugs of natural cocoa fibre, patterned with emerald and blue. The furnishing fabric was black rep, the curtains were of plain blue linen, and the cushions were blue, emerald, and grey. The screen provided a very simple room with its principal piece of decoration. 1 Delightful as are these ultra-modern effects, there is nothing to beat the oldfashioned screen covered with embossed leather or leather paper. A room containing a screen covered with Spanish leather will never lack a certain majestic dignity. Age cannot wither such a piece of furniture; on the other hand, the years and the many polishings which go with them only improve its softly shimmering surface and its wonderful bronzy hues. Though a genuine leather screen is a somewhat costly article, marvellously successful effects can be obtained with a good make of “leather” wallpaper. Nowadays these are so cleverly and so closely imitative, that in colour and texture It is difficult to tell them from the real thing.

SUMMARY OF TENDERS CLOSING DURING THE PERIOD, JUNE 4 TO JUNE 18,1929. Swan, Lawrence, and Swan.—Tenders for erection of new roof on shop premises, Dannevirke. Close Noon, June 6. Harvey S. .Clarkson. —Tenders for alterations and addition in brick of Criterion Hotel, Blenheim. Close 5 p.m., June 10. J. M. Dawson and King.—Tenders for erection of concrete factory, Ebor Street, 'for Ford Motors. Close noon, Friday, June 14. J. Prouse.—Tenders for erection of theatre, shops, and dwellings, Lower Hutt. Close noon, June 18.