A PRACTICAL IDEA

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 143, 21 June 1929, Page 13

A PRACTICAL IDEA

Miss Jerome Spencer, president of the Federation oi Women's Institutes in Jtlawkes Bay, and organiser for New Zealand, is the lady to whom New /sealand owes the starting of this movement amongst country women, whieb made such vast strides iv England and Canada, says a prater iv the Auckland ,• S l/ n ~WI»J e- n Auckland she was delightfully attired in a hand-spun and woven woollen coat, made in the latest style. It was dyed a beautiful golden brown, with dye. made from the tufted lichen, which grows on old posts and on old trees in the bush. This-supplied a delicate shade of the; new: rich coffee brown, and. is absolutely fadeless. It was banded, at the bottom and on the collar and cuffs, with Naples blue, dyed with- indigo.' dye, and scarlet aiid cyclamen patterns" of g, delicate shade—. one- inado with cochineal and the other from madder—all dyes used being vegetable; which do not fade' like ■ the chemical dyes. Her skirt'was also handspun and woven in light'beige, with pattern ■■ of ■ darker browny : all being made from the different shades to be :found in the.natural wool-.of a light brown sheep's flqece. ' At. 'Napier,'.'■ Mrs. IV' Hutchinson, o.f Risgington, recently paid* a visit to.-the-Nelson Park-School, and gaver;the children" a. demonstration ' of, hand . spinning,, using the simple" little' instrument called,- : a spindle. . The children were very, interested, and since then she has received Some quite ' good samples of yai;n, ''spun" by.' the little ones.. The demensferatiori was arranged to enable the children to understand the method of garment production and the use of New Zealand products. The Government wool expert, Mi-i.Cook', when in Hawkes Bay, rapidly learnt how to spin by hand, and'when lecturing gave-a demonstration of his . power, showing the wool straight from'the sheep till it was run off into band-spun yavn. He said that given this knowledge and a pair of knitting needles- anyone could provide thenißelveo with their own clothes.