HOME-MADE LAMPSHADES.

Northern Advocate, 20 February 1926, Page 10

HOME-MADE LAMPSHADES.

• A HINT FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT PAINT. Two delightful lampshades had boon made by a friend of mine as Christmas presents. Of thick parchment, paper, they were adorned, one with two gaily coloured parrots, and the other with bright bunches of fruit. "I didn't think you could paint," I said. I "Nor can I," my friend answered. i "Look again!" i j CUT OUT OF CRETONNE. When I did so, I found that parrots and fruit had been carefully cut from patterned cretonne and then neatly gummed on to the paper. They looked exactly as if they had been painted, and a coat of colourless varnish helped to complete the illusion. Women who have not the "gift of the brush," and who feel that in the matter of home-made gifts their artistic sister has an almost unfair advantage, may like to imitate the idea. Neatness of handiwork is essential for success.

FASHION FANCIES. WHAT WOMEN ARE WEARING IN LONDON. ,Tiny flat plaques of jet are being used to ornament some of the new black georgette evening dresses. Long chains of jet and of crystal beads with tiny pieces of jet Strang between are boing bought as ornaments, though pearls are always considered correct wear for general mourning, states an English writer. Black Nottingham lace and Britishmade velvet are other materials being used for evening wear, velvet being specially requisitioned for evening cloaks, some of which are made up on the reversible principle with a dark fur lining. In black materials for outdoor wear those most often asked for are velour, suede cloth, duvetyn, and the all-wool Denby Dale fabrics. Dark-coloured furs are chosen to trim these. The wearing of black has brought back seal and seal-dyed musquash, those infinitely becoming and richlooking furs that have been somewhat in the background of late. They well deserved a return *to the first ranks of popularity. A SLIM SILHOUETTE. A very interesting remark was made to me by a director of a world-famous ! Mayfair house. "All our mourning j orders have had the slim straight sil- j houette. The flare has evidently been < too popular and women are showing a j preference to return to the straight t outline. "In coming fashions what flare oi 1 fulness there is will probably be at tho I front of the gown or wrap." ! To wear with simple tailor-made I in Paris there are lovely little waist- j coats being made of natural grey deer- ! skin edged with silver-thread embroidery. From the single pocket dangles the | black moire ribbon of a fob-watfeh. i "Mulberry", and "olive" green arc | the colours in vogue in Paris at ■ the ! moment. But beautiful shades of

I ■'!'!■;■:.!••■ ise glacee," rose "fondant,"! |..i,,) •'' (-•yclamen " are being prepared} | for the blue skies of Cannes and j -Monte Carlo. ! The- very latest velvet coat is fitted jin the figure down to the hip line, I even a little below. Then the hem is I generously gored to give the necessary flar--\ The sleeves are long and wide j fit the wrist, and the garment is bord- ! (rod all round with some uncommon ! fur. j When velvet is used for lining a cape lor for a cape itself it is frequently ( gathered at intervals of about two | inches, the whole distance from neck : to hip depth, after which it is left to I fin re. Better results are usually obtained from a dual row of gather threads a quarter of a inch apart than from a single row. A "GOLDEN AGE" IN DRESS. This is the age of gilding. Gilded monkey fur is used as border, collar and cuffs to magnificent evening wraps of gold lame. Gilt heels adorn the smart afternoon shoes of scarlet kid of black patent leather, and flat, gilded kid handbags are carried at afternoon dances and in l'i" evening. The influence of the Paris exhibition will be felt all through the w-inter and ennn'n™ spring. "Le dernier cri" is the sr-mrt girl with mat-white skin who ' I'ts succeeded in looking amazingly IP-p n cubist wax-mannequin—fair hair Towdced with silver dust, eyes made un to look Chinese, carnation lips, dead -"hite .<?kjn. \~<M\ ot, printed in tapestry colours, l: ]-p the cretonne frocks of the Deau- ■ Ule season, will be one of Monte Covin's winter novelties. One Lancashire-woven velveteen sent to the Paris Exhibition this year ivis a eopv of an old Persian design, l a lovely piece of workmanship.

AN - EASILY MADE BED SCARF.

A bed scarf would prove a most delightful present for an invalid or an old lady who spends a good deal of her time in bed,_ for it is designed to keep the arms and back warmly covered, and yet it is as light as the proverbial feather. It is most useful to slip on, too, if you are reading in bed and have to hold your arms out from the blankets, which, to say the least of it, is a chilly process during the winter. With a pair of No. 10 steel needles, cast on 50 stitches, and knit in a ribbing of two plains, two purl, for about six inches. Now take a pair of No. C bone needles, and begin to knit plain, on the first row, knitting into the back and I front of each stitch, so that you increase to a hundred stitches. Knit on those hundred stitches in plain garter stitch for about 40 inches, | then decrease to 50 stitches again, by j knitting two together all along the row,, and with the steel needles knit Another ribbed cuff of six inches, and then east off. This will make the scarf for a medium size, bwt, of course, the exact length depends on the figure for which you are making it. Sew the edges of the cuffs together, and about three inches of the plain knitting, so that the scarf will fit closely to the arm. It looks best knitted up in white wool, but if you want to introduce n little colour, the prettiest way is to crochet on a narrow edging to the cuff in coloured wool.

If you desire n more complicated effect, you mav work the cuffs in a

fancy stitch, using different coloured wools, but choose rather pale shades, as brightly coloured wools are. apt to look crude if they are used in conjunction with white. The finer and softer the 'wool is, the better for your purpose, for the whole virtue of the scarf is that it is so light. If you make it in heavy wool its weight is very apt to become tiring to a delicate wearer.