A USEFUL PASTIME

NZ Truth, Issue 1078, 22 July 1926, Page 18

A USEFUL PASTIME

,Now that the winter evenings are here the girl who is skilful with her fingers likes to have some useful little hobby on the go to fill m her spare time. - ,

(/"NITTING, crocheting, etc., are all [X very well, but they are, apt to become monotonous; so here is a n«w occupation that will be fascinating as 'well as useful — button-making. Many of the new frocks show an effective use of buttons; indeed, on some of the simple little ! girlish dresses they form the sole trimming. While buttons may be bought m. all shapes and sizes, still there is a fascination m. making them at home to tone m exactly with the dress they are intended for. : Wooden button moulds, from the tiny ones that are used by the score to great . big ones, may be bought for a few pence. ... The method is to pencil on a/ piece of satin cloth or soft kid the exact circumference of the: mould, then to fill up the enclosed space with some dainty embroidery or. a conventional beaded

design. The material should then be cut, leaving a margin round the embroidery m which to run. a- thread to be pulled up. When the mould »is inside this thread is tightened to fit I and fastened off. For a black satin dress very effective buttons are made with the same material, with a simple design outlined, m tiny steel beads.^ Alternately, chain stitch worked m various gay colors to fill up the space looks most effective. For a severe navy frock, a row of scarlet red buttons, each With a' tiny [gold bead m the centre, would look most' effective, while fawn ones similarly^ treated would go well on one of the new green cloths. There is no end to the different effects that may be achieved with the aid of a little ingenuity and with the , outlay of a few pence for materials.