THE SUMMER CRIB

Evening Star, Issue 21284, 13 December 1932, Page 2

THE SUMMER CRIB

LITTLE DETAILS THAT COUNT SUGGESTED SIMPLE IMPROVEMENTS Calls of the summer cottage and woodland shack grow over louder as trees reach their full-leafed foliage, and shimmering hot days recall easygoing days in the country, beach bathing, hours of relaxation. Children eager to have their full quota of playlook forward to the informal freer living away from the city home or apartment.

Signs of the exodus from the city arc seen early along the country’ highway. Motors formerly trim and neat now bulge with baggage. One car wo remember was headed for an inland lake, loaded with summer stuff—a chair roped on to tho back, cooking pans peering from under tho lid in a box on the running hoard, and a huge bundle of bedding on top. All formality it seems is thrown to the four winds when the summer cottage is the destination. Having finally arrived at the summering place with equipment still intact, and having extricated one’s feet and arms from a corner of the car infringed upon by necessary bundles, the first impulse usually is to run around the ground to look up some of the favourite haunts. It is like going hack to an old friend, and wondering what changes have taken place in the interim. ■ '

After the general survey comes the “ fixing up.” Perhaps heavy rains have been unkind to a wooden step, or perchance winter winds. have played havoc with a' few bricks in the chimney. As soon ns the most necessary repairs are made and a thorough cleaning accomplished inside, the most interesting task of all is giving those touches to the interior which make it seem like home. Though it is only a temporary abode, it sometimes is just as easy as not to make it attractive and colourful. .

Cheap grades of furniture are sometimes used in cottages for a very simple effect. But if the summer cottage is less pretentious, ranging to the tworoom wooden shack, it is usually fortunate if it- can get hand-me-down chairs or benches from the city porch or yard.

Fabrics held to dress up a place even when, furniture is less substantial. Bright coloured rag carpeting, .gay rugs; chair pads made of slashy cretonne, chintz,’ or percale; and colourful decorations for the windows—all those add an informal cheerful note in keeping with the life of the temporary 7 home. Textiles are so reasonably priced now that it seems one could never purchase bedspreads, couch covers, and draperies with so little outlay of money. Burnt orange, peach, or green, and other shades according to the taste give quite a lovely glow in a room. If, as often happens, the cottage gets the cast-off dingy curtains of the city home, even they can be freshened up to keep pace with the colours naturally expected in a summer place. Curtains which began with 'a "white or cream colour, but which have lost their newness, can be dyed in an inexpensive solution and come out with a coppery yellow colour which gives the effect of sunshine when held up to the light. THAT COPPERY-YELLOW COLOUR.

The dyeing is done in the following way: One solution is of one tablespoonful of iron sulphate (sometimes called ferrous sulphate and sometimes copperas) to one gallon of water. A second solution is one tahlespoonful of soda ash to one gallon of water. The material is dipped in clear water and then in the first solution. When partially dry it is dipped in the second solution. This process is repeated two or three times, according to the intensity of the colour desired, then rinsed and dried. Usually the fewer the glass curtains tho better, certainly if one can view the open country or water from the windows. Even draperies should be toned down so that they do not detract the eye from the outdoor scene. Plaincoloured chintz draperies are better than large figured patterns in such places. As bedspreads and cot covers take up much area in a room, their colours must be carefully chosen. Coarsely woven fabrics in homespun patterns, fifty inches wide, are now on the market, and excellent for the purpose. Attractive bedspreads for summer places are made of two pieces of chintz, the top of the bed being covered with a large patterned material and the sides made of a wide ruffle reaching the floor cut from a plain coloured chintz matching tho predominating colour of the top. Unbleached muslin makes a good foundation for designs cut from cotton material, such as large clover leaves or geometric patterns, giving a splashing effect with not too much work. THE SIMPLEST FINISH. Perhaps there is no place where a can of paint can do so much as in a summer cottage. One man carpeted his floor this way. He painted a space the size of a large rug in one colour and surrounded it with a lighter shade. If fabric rugs arc to be scattered about there are very cheery ones of primitive type including small rag rugs, braided rugs, and Scotch wool-woven ones. Even a single mat beside the hod adds comfort and coziness. As no one goes on a vacation for work, anything which simplifies housekeeping is welcome. A new dull finish table oilcloth which has lost its glossy “ kitcheny ” appearance makes very attractive covers for washstands, tables, or even for chests of drawers and bureaus. With fancy scalloped edges the covers are decorative and are easily kept clean. Lights which make such a difference in a winter room at home are equally as effective in the cottage. Many of these arc wired with electricity and have just one bulb of light suspended from the ceiling in each room. To prevent the glaring light, shades of a lantern type are made of gift wrapping paper. One cylindrical lantern was produced by using tho wire top of a ten cent store shade, wiring this to a wooden embroidery hoop to form tho top of the lantern and pasting Chinese red gift paper to the hoop. The lower part of the paper was pasted to another

embroidery hoop, making a cylinder of bright colour punctuated with silver stars and sending out a soft glow. Such lanterns though not professional enough for the home usually can keep company with other improvised devices which make the summer cottage an informal and well-remembered haven.

MAORI CARVINGS. The Maori carvings for the Otaki meeting house have now been completed by tho Rotorua Maori arts and crafts school. They form a fine specimen of tho carver’s art. The carvings will ho despatched as soon as instructions are received from tho Minister of Native Affairs.