WOMEN’S NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 81, 4 March 1935, Page 9

WOMEN’S NOTES.

THE LAUNDRY. (By Miss Mary Tallis.) The treatment of art work.—Before it is possible to understand the treatment of art work it is essential to know exactly what the term “art work” means. Art work is any material sewn or embroidered in fancy designs with white or coloured cottons, linen, silk or wool-thread. This kind of work needs very special care, and the wise housewife will wash it on a day quite apart from the usual washing day. Before washing examine the articles to find out which is the most delicate part of the work and treat accordingly. A certain amount of preparation is most essential when dealing with coloured work, to enable the washing to go through quickly and so give less time for the colours to run. Prepare a soap solution by dissolving shredded soap in boiling water, or have ready a good supply of soap flakes. The soap flakes are fine and pleasant to use. They dissolve at once in hot water and make an excellent lather, even in the hardest water. When you have made your soap solution, then make your stiffening agent; the kind of stiffening used depands upon the nature of the work. If the material and embroidery threads are cotton or linen, boiling water starch is used in the proportion of one part full strength starch to three or four parts of water. If the material or threads are silk or wool, a gum solution is used—this preserves the natural softness and lustre of the silk and prevent the stiffening of the wool. The usual proportions are two tablespoonsful to a half-pint of water. A supply of clean towels, large enough to wrap up the art work so that the coloured surface will be kept away from the plain when the article is put through the wringer, should be ready. When dealing with all kinds of art work, use gentle methods of cleansing to prevent breaking or roughening the threads. White cotton or linen thread should be washed as white cottons, using a moderate strength starch (1-3 or 4) —the degree of stiffness will have to vary with the quality and thickness of the fabric. White or coloured cotton, wool, or silk materials worked in coloured wool, silk or cotton threads should be treated as lor the most delicate fabrics, using every precaution to keep the colour and prevent it running into the background. KNITTING. How to knit.—Making up your work: All knitting, except ribbed work, should be pressed when completed. First, pin out each piece ot knitting to the measurements given, then press with a warm iron over a damp cloth. . Next seiv up the shoulders of the garment, then sew the sleeves into the armholes. Press these seams before sewing up the sleeve and side seams. When working on four needles: When working on four needles, as for making a sock, or glove, the whole of the knitting is done from the front (outside) of the work • therefore, to make stockmgstitch’ one just goes on working m plain knitting, round after round. When working on a round knitting needle: The same rule applies on the round needles as for four needles when working stocking-stitch. GENERAL.

How to care for your brushes. —All new household brushes are improved by soaking for a short time in cold water containing either salt or alum—this causes the wood to swell and tighten the holds on the bristles; it also helps to stiffen them. It is quite impossible to clean with dirty brushes, consequently regular washing is required. Brooms and household brushes should be washed by dabbing them in a pail of warm, soapy water to which lias been added a little ammonia, or soda. Rinse in warm, then cold, water to stiffen the bristles. After each brush has been washed it should be thoroughly shaken and hung to dry out of doors, hanging head downwards. Never dry brushes in the oven or with intense heat of any kind; this is ruinous to wood and bristles. Bass and fibre brushes should be washed m tepid water only—hot water softens and spoils bass. Rinse in cold water to which has been added a handful ot common salt, shake well and hang out of doors. Scrubbing brushes sometimes need a little extra attention scald them with boiling soda water, rinse welL and then beat on a hard surface. As the dirt loosens, remove it with an old skewer. Wlien quite clean, rinse in warm, then cold salt water and dry in the open air. Hair brushes must be treated carefully, otherwise tho bristles aro apt to become discoloured. They should be cleansed in warm soapy water softened with a little ammonia or a pinch ot borax. If rainwater is available, this should be used, as it loosens the dirt so muck quicker. Soda should never be used for a hair brush and soap should not Tie rubbed directly oil to the bristles. The brush should be beaten up and down, taking care that the back does not enter the water. When perfectly clean, rinse very thoroughly in warm, then cold water (salt) to stiffen the bristles —a little blue -may be added to whiten them if liked. Shake well and hang in the open air to dry. The bristles must never be dried with a towel as this bends and breaks them. Tooth and nail brushes should be steeped in cold water containing a little borax for one or two hours weekly, to sweeten them. COOKING. Ragnoiis savoyarde.—Everyone is anxious to try a new dish. Here is one recently invented by a famous cook. I am certain you will be delighted with it. Take a veal kidney, trim it well, removing carefully skin and nerves, and leave it whole. Melt in a pan a piece of butter the size of a small egg; when it has reached the foaming stage, put in the kidney, season with salt and pepper and brown it slightly all over. This preliminary cooking should not take more than two or three minutes, as the kidney must only be partly done; in fact, quite raw inside. Cut in pieces. Remove from the pan the excess of butter and put in a glass of port or sherry. Bring to the boil and reduce at least by half; add the pieces of kidney, the blood that came out when it was cut, a little French mustard, salt and pepper and a good glass of fresh cream. Cook three or four minutes more so that the sauce reduces and thickens and the kidney finishes cooking. Rut into a fireproof serving dish, or a casserole add slices of mushrooms previously cooked and quenelles. Cook one minute more, see that it is well seasoned, squeeze on a little lemon juice, stir and serve in the same dish. To make the quenelles—Chop finely 2oz. white meat (preferably either cooked veal or fowl), season it well with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg and pour it into a mortar or a bowl. Take a slice or two of stale bread (crust removed), soak it in milk, squeeze it and put it in a small saucepan with a little piece of butter. Dry well on a slow fire, stirring, and add the yolks of 2 eggs (hard-boiled). Mix well and see that it is very smooth; cook slowly until it does not stick to the spoon any more. Take the pounded meat, same weight of butter or fat

(the part round the kidney of beef or veal being the best)' and half that weight of the bread batter. Mix together, season and pound well. Add one whole egg and one yolk (raw), mix again. Put this paste on a floured board, flatten it, and make little quenelles about 2 to 3ins. long. Cooking the quenelles. —Put them carefully in a saucepan full of salted boiling water; they should be able to revolve freely without danger of breaking. Boil three or four minutes, remove the saucepan to the side of the fire and leave the quenelles in another ten minutes. Remove with care, drain and use as prescribed.