LEAGUE OF MOTHERS

Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 September 1936, Page 15

LEAGUE OF MOTHERS

EVENING FOR FATHERS

The members of the Petone branch of the League of Mothers entertained the fathers at a special social evening in St. David's Hall recently. The hall was filled to capacity arid looked particularly attractive with, large bowls of foliage, Iceland poppies, arid spring flowers, the stage being arranged as a drawing-room. Mrs. Mill ward (president) welcomed all, and extended a special welcome to the fathers who had attended in such good numbers.

Proceedings opened with the singing of "God Defend New Zealand" and the "League Prayer."

Miss Pargetter began the musical programme ,with a piano solo, after which Miss Christina Young gave much pleasure with her singing of "Waiata Maori," and an encore song. Mrs, G. Castles gave two elocutionary numbers, "Napoleon's Tomb" and "Earthenware," after which the branch choir gave a bracket of two glees, under the conductorship of Mrs. O'Neill, "The Fisherman" (Schubert) and "Happy Day" (Mendelssohn).

Mrs. G. Cook was the speaker for the evening, arid gave much pleasure to all by describing her recent trip to America in a delightfully-humorous vein, at the conclusion of which she showed samples of American Indian handwork, and many views of remarkable scenery.

While preparation was being made for a one-act play, Mrs. Kersley gave

a brief outline of the aims and objects of the league.

The play, which was the cause of much laughter, was a fantastic comedy depicting a perfect.world peopled^only by women. Those taking 'part were Mesdames Wakelin, Amies, arid A. Miller, and Misses Melhuish, Hunter, Heywood, and Bucknall.

A dainty supper was then served by the committee, and Mr. Brocklebank, on behalf of the : men, thanked the Petono branch for their goodentertainment. '~ - '-■ • ■ ■' -V ■-' -.-;■ /': ■

Incidental music was supplied by Mrs. O'Neill; . .■■ '■■".

FLOWER CONSCIOUS

TABLE LINEN FASHIONS

We are very flower-conscious this year, says a writer in the "Melbourne Age." Look at the floral prints that are displayed in all the city stores; the heaps of posies and bouquets for sale on the counters, or the hats with wreaths and posies attractively arranged to give the best effect. And when you are walking down the street watch the women who pass you, each wearing her bunch of flowers in her coat or frock. All the flowers in the world seem to have burst into bloom and brought into use for the fashions.

Table linen follows the fashion, and, after a few seasons during which the emphasis has been laid on the finer, more restrained type of work that has called for the most exacting of stitchery—cut work, punch work, and that type of sewing called "Madeira" work in which the thinnest of thread has been used, to do the delicate sewing— floral designs are coming into favour. Needle painting is the name that was given it by, our Edwardian. ancestors, who covered their .cushions with it, used it on crash table centres and mats, and altogether were so very generous that, as usual when a certain thing is overdone, a reaction set in and all the painstaking work that had been put into the linen found- its way to the very bottom of the linen chest, and was only brought out as a last resort.

Those people who in this work showed more than average taste in both colour and design, will welcome the return of- the needle-painting, especially as it is to be done on the cream linen that makes so much better a background than the stiff white fabric that has occasionally been brought into service for .colour work during the last few. years. ■ ■ -.-