Ladies' Columns

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4872, 18 July 1936, Page 3

Ladies' Columns

HEALTH. A GOOD SNEEZE. Chronic nasal catarrh is one of the most widespread ailments. You know the symptoms: a constant stickiness at the back of the nose, a morning cough, a feeling of fullness in the head —perhaps irritability, and a bad temper. If the catarrh remains in the nose, that is the whole story; but sometimes it spreads to other places. The membranous lining of your nose holds myriads of tiny, hair-like things, called cilia, waving about, always moving strongly in the direction of the outer world. A speck of dust on this surface is moved quite rapidly outwards. The effect is that, in a healthy nose, any germs or dust breathed in are quickly "shown the door;" any accumulation of catarrh is urged towards the nostrils and away from the sinuses, the ears and the bronchial tubes. Cilia will only move if they are kept moist. In a dry nose they stop work; but they are rather particular about the kind of moisture with which they are supplied. Normally this is the mucus of the nose and it is surprising what a good supply can be ensured by suitable breathing exercises. If the nose is very dry, obtain a nazal irrigator, and fill with a weak salt solution—a teaspoonful to a pint of water. Throw the head back and pour the fluid into each nostri] in turn. Then do the breathing exercise. Take a very deep breath; shut the mouth and exhale all through the nostrils. Repeat this a dozen times several times a day. If there is really chronic catarrh, an oily spray may be necessary. . It is wise to consult your doctor on the best for your use.

Don't be afraid % of a good sneeze. It is excellent. It provides .the mucus and the draught your nose needs. Of course, the cilia can only do their work if the passages are kept open. Otherwise the whole mucus stream is dammed up. An obstructed nose is a matter that should be immediately attended to by your doctor. BEAUTY. LIPSTICK AND ROUGE. In choosing lipstick and rouge be sure the two are the same red. No orange. lipstick with raspberry rouge, for instance. If your skin is yellowish, select rouge and lipstick in the apricot, poppy, mandarin, sunset, or orange shades of red. If your skin is clearly pale, ivory or cream, you can wear the clear shades of pure red make-up, vivid cherry, geranium, or crimson. If your skin is pinkish, choose rose and blush-pink shades of rouge and lipstick. If your skin has purplish tones —a ruddy full-blooded colour—you should wear rouge and lipstick in tones of raspberry, ruby, or claret. Of course, you will never buy rouge or lipstick because a very smart woman you know buys that kind or because it's a lovely colour, or in an adorable container. Buy it only if it is your own blood colour. Your choice of powder, rouge and lipstick will vary somewhat according to your clothes. Wearing green, grey, or blue seems to take colour out of your skin; it takes brighter cosmetics to make them becoming. Red, pink, orange and purple dresses or hats cast reddish lights.

To Summarise: The Brunette should use a rich, blueish-red shade that blends with her skin tones exquisitely, and compliments her dark hair. With this goes a peaches-and-cream powder. The Blonde is in the salmony-pink-classification, and uses Tangee rouge and lipstick, which looks orange in the box and stick, but turn to a lovely soft wild rose pink when on the skin. This is perfect for delicate colouring, or for' women who do not care for too obvious make-up. The powder that looks best on the blonde is a cream or rachel. The Red-head is provided with a very becoming brownish-red shade of lipstick and rouge. Her powder shade is rachel. NEEDLEWORK. CUTTING PATTERNS. Success in pattern cutting is halfway to successful sewing. You should always be very careful that everything fits?? be it only a square mat. No amount of lovely work can cover a misfit. These are the chief points to bear in mind when you put your scissors in for that first fateful cut. When making household articles these can either be carefully measured or cut out first in paper, allowing correct turnings, and giving careful attention to this when making

up. No time is ever wasted by being exact over these little details.

.When buying patterns, simplicity should always be the keynote. Get a good pattern, follow the instructions for altering it to your own measurements, be sure that it fits correctly, and then you will have an invaluable block pattern that can be used over and over again with different trimmings and accessories. The present fashion in lingerie is simple in the extreme, and quickly worked embroideries are taking the place of lace in all but the most elaborate models.

A great many patterns are cut on the cross these days, and in slim fittings these may be satisfactory, but they should be used with discretion in the larger sizes. The first requirements for cutting out are large sharp scissors and a good space to spread out the material. If no table is available, a clean sheet can be laid on the floor.

Always read the directions carefully before starting, and select the pattern pieces revelant to the style you have decided upon. Arrange the pieces on the material, giving special attention to the correct bias of each part, otherwise in the finished garment the pull will come in the wrong place. In preference to pinning or tacking the pattern pieces on the material, which is apt to tear the paper and pucker the stuff, lay a few books on the pattern to hold it down. These are easily moved when adjustments are necessary.

When cutting velvet materials with pile or nap, and patterned fabrics, great care should be taken to keep each piece the right way of the "rub" and to join the pattern up well. Sometimes it is better to allow a little extra material to ensure good results. . Special note should be taken of turnings. If those allowed are poor, an extra half-inch can be added, but do not forget this when making up. Extra turnings should always be allowed in children's clothes, or in any garments that might possibly shrink. USEFUL RECIPES. CHEESE PASTRY. Cheese pastry can be used for small patties filled with asparagus tips or Other vegetables. It forms a delicious and unusual basis for after dinner savouries if cut into rounds and baked. Or it can be cut into strips, baked in a hot oven, and eaten as a savoury with celery. To make cheese pastry, sift four ounces of flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne into a bowl. Rub in four ounces of butter and add three ounces of Parmesan and one ounce of Cheddar cheese, finely grated. Mix well, and make into a dough with the yolk of an egg and a tablespoon or a little more of water. Roll out and use. OATMEAL BROWNIES. Half teacup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 well beaten eggs, 3 tablespoons milk, 2 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup finely chopped and stoned raisins, 1 teaspoon almond flavouring, pinch of salt. Cream the butter and sugar. Next beat in the eggs until very light, then stir in the oatmeal and'milk. Next add the well floured fruit and flavouring. Lastly sift in the flour and baking powder. Blend all ingredients well and drop in teaspoonfuls a little apart on a baking sheet, bake in a fairly quick oven for ten minutes. POTATO AND FISH BALLS. Steam some potatoes in their skins or bake them, remove the skins and put the potatoes through a sieve. Flake up an equal quantity of fish and mix Avith the potato. Season well with pepper, salt, a tiny pinch of cayenne, mace and mixed herbs aud some chopped parsley. Add enough melted butter or dripping and flour to make the mixture pliable enough to be made into balls without breaking up. Dip in a beaten egg, then coat all over with fine breadcrumbs. Drop in deep, boiling fat and fry until golden brown. WHOLEMEAL FRUIT PUDDING. Put 1 large cup milk and 1 tablespoon dripping into a pan and bring to the boil. Put 2* cups wholemeal (half wholemeal and half plain flour may be used if preferred), 1 ,cup supar, a teaspoon of spice, and 1 good cup of raisins, dates or mixed fruits into a basin; dissolve 1 teaspoon of carbonate of soda in a little milk or water and add to the boiling milk and dripping. Stir this quickly into the dry ingredients, pour mixture into a greased basin, and boil for 2i or 3 hours. The longer it is boiled the darker and richer the pudding will be. i ,

FISH PATTIES. 4 ozs cooked fish, 1 gill white sauce, a little lemon juice, i teaspoon anchovy sauce, salt and cayenne to taste, | lb rough puff pastry. Remove bone and skin from fish, break up with a fork. Make sauce, add fish and flavourings, and season to taste. Make pastry, roll out thinly, cut into rounds with cutters one two sizes larger than the other. Line greased patty tins with the larger rounds, fill with the mixture, wet round edges of pastry, place tops on, glaze, bake in hot oven for 15 minutes. RICE SCONES. Half lb flour, i lb ground rice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, I teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon bugar. When all the dry ingredients are well mixed, add enough sour milk to make a soft dough. Turn out on to a floured board, cut into rounds and cook on a hot girdle.