USEFUL IN THE HOUSE.

Northern Advocate, 22 January 1927, Page 10

USEFUL IN THE HOUSE.

A pair of gauge scissors, by means of which you can cut a strip of material perfectly straight and even, no matter how long it is. These scissors are particularly useful for cutting strips of flimsy fabric on the cross. A vegetable rack which stands firmlv on trestle legs with wooden compartments for various vegetables swung between them. Thus all vegetables are kept well oil’ the ground, and you eau swing from the uprights as many boxes ns you like, to hold potatoes, greens onions, etc., without getting them mixed up and the flavour of onions over all. Various attachments for your sewing machine —and have a lesson on how to use them! With gathering, veiniug, quilting and ruehing so much to the fore in personal as well as household adornment, these little “gadgets” are worth their weight in gold. T-. uv nothing of the very good <uub’’o’de)o- vou can do on your vi-i dnno V- means of the embroidering •'tt o'hment w’-ich is perfectly simple 1o fix and work. It is a pity to have a good machine and use it onlv for plain seaming, when von can do sn uionv other more efTecth’e tilings with it.

USE OF DRESS PATTERNS j Almost every home dressmaker has | found that some commercial dress patterns fit better than others. It is true j that different companies have different ideas as to what is the standard figure. As a result, patterns vary in slant o t j scams, length of sleeve, width across ■ chest, and back etc. The best plan is i to study different makes' until the one which requires the least fitting is found. On buying a new pattern it is always advisable to test it. If one has a dress form, this may be done by pinning the pattern pieces together and trying it on the form. Necessary alterations can then be made. Another method requires earefhl checking with the individual’s measurements. The measurements, exclusive of seam allowance, should be taken on the pattern in exactly the same position as on the figure. It is usually necessary to allow for several inches of fullness in the bust-width, hips, sleeves, etc., so that the garment will not be form-fitting. j The .most important measurements to be taken are the bust, the width across the chest from the armhole

curve, the width of the back between, the armhole curves, the upper arm circumference, and the shoulder length. If tho pattern is found to be too large it may be altered by folding a tuck in the front and bark patterns from the centre of the shoulder to tho bottom of the rvaist, on a line parallel to the centre front and to the centre back.

To enlarge the pattern, cut both the front and the back sections from the centre shoulder to the bottom of the waist on lines parallel to the centre front and to the centre back. The pieces should then be spread apart to give the amount of increase needed.

The same rules may be applied to altering a sleeve pattern.