IDEAS: FOR XMAS GIFTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18577, 8 December 1923, Page 6 (Supplement)

IDEAS: FOR XMAS GIFTS.

32 IDA MBliuEK.

CSbristeas is n&miig, tad > those wk» intend to add the charm or the personal touch to their offerings by making their gifts themselves, may possibly find helpful suggestion* to guide them in their task of selection, from the various little articles illustrated. Two Pretty Bags. In the top right-hand corner of one of the groups is sketched a smart hand bag, that might be made, of black satin, almond green cloth, or velvet. An olderly lady would probably be delighted •with a bag of the hind rendered in black satin or grey .velvet, while a girl would ipcjoice in a pink sik bag or one of deep orange coloured cloth. A handy size is 35 inches from top of handle to lowest point, with a wid'h of nine inches at widest part- Preferably, the bag should he cut in one pise©, the nandlo having im join. The bottom and far as the "shoulders," must be seamed/ the reel is left open, and a ring, made of material and run on elastic, is slipped over the handle. Needless to say, the bag should bo silklined, and according to the sketch it is embroidered and fringed. The bag at top-centre of group represents one of those indispensable workbags made of fancy silk or cretonne, ran on rings, such as can bo bought in various colours from drapers. This bag, again, is made of one piecejust a large square of material, hemmed or lined,joined up the sides from the bottom to about mid-distance, and gathered rings at the top,

: 1 Shower Sachet ' -- 'A dainty little offering JU,,also suggested by tins shower' of tiny sachets sketched in the top left-hand corner of group. These little sachets are mad© of bright-coloured calks and satins worked up into bags, -which are afterwards stuffed with perfumed wadding. The necks are gathered up and tied with bebe ribbon, continued as streamers, the ends all tied together at the top of the shower. Sachets of this attractive kind are charming to attach to blouse-hangerc, and the "shower" gift might, with advantage, be supplemented by a blouse-hanger cj hand-painted or stencilled vtood, as suggested" in the sketch. A Calendar Mount. Pieces of suede (bought by the foot) can easily be made into various delightful little gifts. Sketched beneath the sadist is a calendar-mount, made of suede, to which a calendar is attached. Take a strip of rosy-ooloured suede and fringe the top end about one inch deep. TVom the other end, cut a piece oct of the centre and cut & deep fringe on either side. Then take a thin slat of wood, the width of the suede, notch once or twice, and 44 stitch " it dowa at the notches on to the top of the suede about three inches below the top edge; bring . the suede ovist to form a flap, and sew down the flap in a line, below the slat. Attach a ring at each top end, through which run a suspending oord; then glue • it* fix with paper fasteners a pretty calendar in the centre of mount. A Handkerchief Sachet. A sweet and novel idea for a handkerchief sachet is given by the centre sketch. Take same small [handkerchiefs with acalloped-edges, one of orange silk, let as say, the other of palest pink lawn: Tack them together (silk over lawn), and with orange floss, stitch them across to form a • leaving free two Inches of stitching; then inside the " diamond," catch down the handkerchiefs nith five large knots of forget-me-not floes. Remove the tacking threads and sift into the centre of the sachet, through the space. left free of stitches, several tiiblespoonfnls of pot-pourri or coarsegrained sachet mixture. Complete the " diamond " i stitching, sew a flat bow V of pale blue ribbon to one point of the ** diamond," " and embroider one of the corners of the top handkerchief with a spray of forget-me-nots. , f A Fold-tip Pocket Case. Below the sachet is illustrated a handy little fold-up pocket sketched open and closed. The original measures, when open, nine inches by six. Take a piece of deep red velvet, cut in size, line it with satin to match, and round off one end to form a' flap. Then cut two more pieces of satin the width of case and three inches high, back each with fine, close canva.3, ana work across the satin, with y allow silk, in , diagonal oose-linetia Sew a canvas-lined flap to each pocket, and! bind the" bottom of pockets with narrow red ribbon; then sew pockets to case, one at the bottom, the ' other above, wnth half an inch distance between them. Bind the edge of case with ribbon, machining in with it the side 3 of pockets. Machine also the bottom of pockets across the case- _ Finally, fold up pocket ease, mark positions for fastening, and ttrtr on a press stud. The front of the ease may be embroidered with gold silk or left plain. A Bolster Cushion. A. iovcly Yuletide gift would be a twister cushion, as sketched below the pocket case. The cushion cover is of old gold satin, with/ san irfi.et piece of brocade; it is drawn up at the ends and finished with tassels. A Work Basket. Rflatl, to the cushion is sketched a work with drawn- ap top of fancy silk. wickw k n3^ lar .'gift, a round, brown Kt iu! n i% ut a iid ' should be then t ' 6V6a iwu t te ? f 0,6 giver can lovely pi 0.,,3 „» Ji, *>y choice of a te njafe® a tor.+ Iv S v tln which a t aS»a ,i a^ kefc ' drawing ill:'- ' '

. JHE personal: touch; •

(CopyrislrU

A Doll Tea-Oosey. The vogue in dolls as ornaments in-, spires many a bright idea for Christmas gifts. ' There is the doll pin cushion, the doll lamp shade and the doll teaooaey, for instance, as sketched. Make a cosey in the ordinary way, stitch securely to the top of it the waist of • a doll with a very pretty china face (theso little part-tlolls, or doll's - heads only, are obtainable) in the fancy departments of drapers' uteres), dress the doll and make a long print skirt to match the bodice, slip it ' over the cbsey, stitch the waist of it to the doll's body, find add a ribbon sash,, A Hat-pin Stand. A simple . little gift for the dressingtable is a hat-pin .stand (illustrated), made from a cylinder of cardboard covered with silk brocade. For the ' top, buy a few inches of fine mesh wire from an oil shop; with a pair of nippers cut a small round of wire to fit into the top of the cylinder, gild the wire, then press it in place from the bottom of the cylinder upwards so that the top fits tightly and is nicclv rounded. Glue the bottom of the cylinder to a round of cardboard,, cut to size and painted. Gifts to Wear. Suggestions for several dainty articles for the wardrobe are .arnished by the other group sketch. The central article is an evening underslip, suitable lor crepe da chine, decorated with |\mple hand-embroidery and run with a ribbon at the waist. The hanger that supports it suggests a separate gift. It is just an ordinary wood or wire hanger, covered with silk, nicely gathered ana perfumed inside with sachet powder sprinkled •on cotton wool. The camisole, sketched in the top lefthand corner, is intended for piece lace, run with narrow ribbon at the top and waist, and provided with ribbon shoulderstraps. In the opposite top corner, a home-made neck-tie for the girl who wears high collars is suggested. The tie might be of plain silk or satin, " individualised " by a touch of soutache or silk embroidery,, or of striped silk. Below the necktie is illustrated a rosette of velvet ribbon, that would be a pretty gift lis a waist ornament; and-below that, again, is a bertha collar, that might be carried out in georgette, bordered with ribbon. ' Itho little dressing jacket illustrated, would look sweet copied in coral-ooloured or turquoise-blue fancy crepon, finished with a little neck-bow of satin'ribbon. Other Novelties. The four fancy articles sketched at. the bottom of groups are, respectively, a shopping bag, a 'loos® book cover, a pincushion, and a string _ box. The shopping bag. might be home-made throughout—of brown linen for instance, lined with canvas, trimmed with a band of embroidery and finished with cord handles— it might be an ordinary rush basket, beautified •by wool- embroidery done by the donor.

The book cover, so useful for keeping clean borrowed books, is easily made from a piece of American cloth or suede, lined with canvas. The little twin-pincushion is made by stuffing a linen bag with bran, slipping this into another bag of fancy silk or cretonne, and tying it as tightly .'is possible in the centre with_ fine twine, after•wards covering this with ribbon. For the string box, (choose a small cardboard box, cover it with chintz or wallpaper, paste it on smoothly/, and sfee that the pattern joins properly where lid and box unite; then bore a hole carefully in the centre of lid. Put a ball of coloured string in the box and ''pass one end through the hole.