HOMELY CRAFTS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 20

HOMELY CRAFTS

WHAT WOMEN ABE LEARNING,

It is unlikely, that either Bradford or Lyons -will be perturbed because a few women are said to have fitted up a "loom room," and are weaving, on costly machinery, the woollen or silken fabrics that they will wear later on, re-' marks a writer in the London ''Daily Telegraph." There has been for some years past a little Tevival in the dirocf tion.of hand-weaving, and- there are centres in London, notably in Chelsea and. in South Molton street, at Haslemere and elsewhere, from which beautiful and artistic —though far from cheap —materials are turned out. The annual exhibitions of the Home Arts and Industries Association always include admirable lengths of work of this description, from remoter, places, but in these instances the worjcers are ox'orcdfeinß their skill in the hope of selling their products. ! But newer than this is the quietly educational work that is being carried on by the Federation of Women's Institutes, in the matter of showing the village housewife how to help herself. Is it generally realised that up and down the country are some 2562 of these modeat organisations, extending even to the furthest and most conservative of the Sleepy Hollows that remain? They differ, however, basically from any of the industries that have been established, inasmuch as . they are educational and have no purpose of training the women for any commercial occupation. "The more homely and domestic daily needs are eagerly studied, and a class, for example, in tinkering the pots and kettles always proves popular. "The spirit in winch we oegin euch teaching," eaid one at headquarters specially concerned with this section, "is that it is very unlikely there will be any money to be made by mending tinware, but that there is a p-.reat deal to be saved." ■ . . Then again, cane chair mendinghas proved a craft in which the cottager women are keen to have instruction. Under modem conditions the peripatetic gipsy or tramp has become a rare visitor, and if he does present himself at a village his charges have soared to heights beyond the working-class purse. Hence, good.frames h^ye been relegated to wood sheds, until the clever demonstrator has come along and shown how simple^ and easy the task of reseating- can be. Equally it has been something akin to a revelation to many to realise that the frame oi an umbrella may well repay the putting on of a new cover. But to take the old one into the town was wont to result in a quotation as to the cost of the renovation that suggested it would be nearly as cheap to buy a new one. It becomes, however, a very different matter when you buy the covering material yourself and affix it at odd moments by your own labour. ! The particular aversion of the aver-, age institute member is instruction in what is usjually defined as> "plain" work, whether in stitchery or cookery. In such directions they feel tnemselves as competent as—or more t'aan — their demonstrator, b u t-the promise'of a new pattern, for a jumper or the expectation of recipes for now cakes and sweets will bring a crowded and highly-inter-ested attendance. One of the furthest-reaching influences of the institutes has been in glove-mak-ing, and in two centres at least an industry on commercial lines has grown ur>. Indeed, the amateur glovemaker has become a personage of importance to the leatlwr trade, and firms, as was shown at the last leather fair at the .Agricultural Hall, now cater for her wants in the soft-dressed chamois and suede-finished' skins that she requires. For some years past there have been a few ladies well known in the most exalted social ranks who have enjoyed their little hobby of. making their own gloves, but the movement has now. attained to what may be defined as "popular" favour. It is more than possible, also, that the dainty "mocassins" in pretty coloured suede, with a fur bordering, and finished, American-Indian fashion, with some bead embroidery on the toes which took a conspicuous place in recent displays of Christmas novelties, owe some- . thing to the attractive models turnad out by some of these village workers.