MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1938, Page 9

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

» ITEMS OF INTEREST

SEQUIN NAIL POLISH.

A WEST END FIRST NIGHT

At a West End first night, the “Sydney Morning Herald’s” London representative saw a woman wearing an Edwardian cape of moleskin dyed violet-blue over a dress of the same colour. Another wore a black crepe gown with the front arranged in dia-mond-shaped gathers and a large pink arrow on the decolletage. This was. worn under a voluminous black crepe cape embroidered with a large black cire bow. I Sequin nail polish has made its de-J but in New York, to match the fash-1 ionable sequin trimming which one! sees on nearly every evening gown. Either silver or gold varnish may be worn, and the scintillating effect is I very gay.

Floral chin-straps, are to be a feature of the new season’s millinery. They will keep in place the pill-box, boater, or sailor hats which are fashion’s decree for the spring. At the Show of Furry Pets now being held in London, our representative saw powder-puffs of soft white rabbit-skin and coats and bags made of mouseskin. Rabbits on show had silver, orange, blue, lilac, black, or buff skins, so that their wool need not be dyed when it is made up.

Novel fastenings are a feature of some new Schiaparelli models. Tiny knives, forks, and spoons fasten coats and suits, and buttons like candy balls brighten dark materials, while tiny Christmas tree ornaments on a plain black day dress struck a seasonable note.

YOUTH’S BRUISES.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?”

We arc being constantly reminded that the restless, fidgety child needs hobbling and manacling. Does be? See what he will do when yoe set

him to a task that he likes best, with the assurance that he will do it well. ... In ninety out of a hundred cases he will apply himself assiduously, at peace, and proud of your faith in him. Vitality is a precious asset when rightly directed, states a writer in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” j The shy child is the exception! rather than the rule in 1938. At root! his trouble is the inferiority complex,! and he is forced back into his shell i whenever noticed. Itis the bounden duty of those to whom he is dear to J

bring him out of that. For this- is a distressing complaint, and if he is not cured in his youth, in adult life he will become chronically introspective —a burden to himself and a trial to, all whom ho may contact. j The domineering child is his an-1 tithesis. He is indeed a tough prob-; lem, with his swelled head and dicta-) tor ways. And, as such, he needs!

to be met with firmness and cour-| age, for he must be made to realise] that he is just one in a “team,” -with his brothers and sisters and companions as his mates, and 1 that he .owes it to them all to “play fair.” Brotherliness, or the “social sense,” should be impressed upon every child. Then the child of many fears? (Today we sugar-coat the pill and name them “phobias.”) Fear is the centre

lion in the den, and is responsible for more troubles than all the other beasts put together. And oft enough ihe tormented child is blamed for cowardice, when the truth is that, at heart, he is a little hero, putting up a big fight against this insidious foe. I His treatment entails immeasurable patience and kindly understanding. His fears must be brought to the surface and shown to be groundless, and therefore powerless to do him any harm.

And so we come back every time to the slogan of our Children’s Courts —“not what the child has done, but what can be done for the child.” Youth bruises itself upon the sharp rocks of inexperience, and, because of the scars that the older ones of us carry, we should guard and shield our boys and girls from similar buffetings with patience, wisdom, and understanding.

CUSHION STYLES.

NEW MODES ARE SIMPLE.

As accessories to a room cushions can be as valuable as any other part o’ furnishing in the planning of a home, and more especially is this true if they are chosen with au eye to colour, shape, and fabric. Cushions are essential -to almost every room. They give an air of comfort and form a delightful colourThey are invaluable in sun porches and on verandahs and give the correct finishing to a bedroom. Simplicity of line is the keynote of cushions for the coming season. Though plain in shape, they reveal very novel and rich trimmings, which are a foil to the more subdued fabrics used for lounged, dining rooms, and bedrooms.

Quilted, padded, ruched, and kilted edges are being used, as well as Si wealth of fringes and cording, to trim these all-important items of furnishing. Very interesting is the new way of looping the cord around cushions, and when used on velvet cushions in a tone deeper than the fabric of the cushion this is very effective.

Perhaps the newest material is glazed chintz, which is as lovely as its name suggests. The surface presents a lacquered effect, and is printed in a variety of gorgeously coloured designs. Very beautiful are the quilted glazed chintzes, which are delightful for bedrooms where bedspread, cushions, curtains, and window seat coverings can all be made to match.

Taffeta for cushions is once again popular, and can be very pleasing to the eye when finished with Italian quilting.

Striped, plain and tartan cottage weaves, cretonnes in many patterns and colours, and novelty knop weaves are some of the favourite materials being used for the portico or verandah lounge-

Very useful are the check patterned leather travelling cushions in twotone effects of brown and fawn. They serve a dual purpose, as they contain pockets for books and have handles for carrying purposes.

CLEANING SILVER,

HINTS FOR HOUSEWIVES

It is not difficult to keep table silver in good order if a few simple precautions arc taken in cleaning and stor- ; ing it. i As soon as possible after use spoons I and forks should be washed in hot I soapy water. They should be handled | separately, for if they are mixed up in • the washing bowl they will rub toI gether and their polish will be dulled iby small scratches. Silver is soft and I is easily spoiled by rough treatment. After washing it should be dried on a. I soft towel of old linen or damask.

If spoons and forks are not kept in a specially fitted canteen they should he laid in a drawer or plate basket lined with baize or wash leather.

Leathers, brushes and cloths that are used lor cleaning silver should be kept in a special box or drawer and used only for the one purpose. A small quantity of cleaning powder should be freshly mixed, either with mehylated spirits or with water, each time the silver is cleaned, and it should 1 be spread thinly and evenly over the surface. Gloves should be worn, so that no finger-marks are left. Hard rubbing should not be necessary, and is liable to do damage. Special care should be taken not to wear down the hall-marks on solid silver by over-vigorous polishing. Whatever powder or liquid polish is used, it. should be of the best quality, free from any trace of grit. Silver that is carefully washed every day does not usually need cleaning more than once a week, but it is advisable to keep a small leather at hand near the sink, so that eggspoons may bo rubbed over before they are put away. Leathers specially impregnated with cleaning material may be bought and are convenient lor this purpose. HOUSEWIVES PROTEST.

THEY HATED CHANGE. If Adam and Eve had anything in common with the British nation, they probably donned fig leaves, for the first time, with the greatest reluctance. and only under protest went into a cave to get out of the rain. For

I the British nation, winch is so proud |of its achievements’ and progression, ■ accepts change with cautious hesita-

tion and a. great deal of beating about 'the bush. | Consider a Twentieth Century i housewife. Her home is filled with

! labour-saving devices, appliances for j cooking and cleaning, which are deI signed to produce elaborate results j with very little effort. As she wipes l the gleaming enamel of her stove, or I puts her vacuum cleaner away in | the cupboard in the hall, she may, if

she is that sort of housewife, observe to the cat that she doesn’t know how people ever managed without such things. There was a time when they not only managed without such things but were very reluctant to manage with them (writes M. J. in the “Dominion.”) When gas cooking- made its- first tentative appearance experts proved that food cooked in this way was contaminated, and that if the practice continued it would undermine the health of the nation. Electrical cooking was greeted with suspicion, and of vacuum cleaners it was said that they -would wear through the pile of the thickest carpet in a fortnight. The humble egg-beater had tremendous opposition to contend with. Even to-day there are die-hards of the knife-and-dinner-plate school who maintain that the secret of the successful sponge-cake lies in certain inspired and subtle wrist-manipulation that cannot possibly be conveyed through the inhuman mechanism of the ro-tary-beater.

When sewing machines- first appeared od the market our grandmothers looked askance, ft was regarded ns a clumsy device that only the bonelazy would resort to, and for some years after the invention of mechanical sewing no self-respecting woman would wear a garment that had been made by such a subterfuge. Aluminium, which has saved housewives countless .hours of scouring, was first produced commercially in 1893, and a committee appointed by hardware manufacturers to investigate its possibilities pronounced it a transient fad. Stainless steel was invented by accident, and thrown away ."S waste material. Even when its mm-corrosivo properties- were fully recognised it was a long time before the public could be induced to use it to

any extent. It is true that as a nation we are ■ pposed to' change. The old Tory ■pirit of “what was good enough for my grandfather is good enough for me.” is strong within us, and yet we have progressed a long way from \dam Perhaps a few adventurous spirits are all that a nation requires. The woman who is putting her vacuum cleaner away in the hall cupboard is saying smugly to her cat, “I wouldn’t oppose the innovation of such obviously useful devices.” 1 wonder. If an enlerprising firm introduced an electrical contrivance for turning mattresses and restoring blankets, sheets and pillows to their 'ccustomed daytime orderliness, I hink that she would be the first person to say, “But the bed wouldn’t ’?e properly aired!” and another struggle for progress would have begun.