Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 5

Feminine Interests

Wide Brimmed Hats for Summer

Without Too Many Flowers

Under the shadow of your widebrimmed summer hat, you may laugh defiance at old Sol, no matter how fiercely he burns during the long days of November and December. For the newest hats, " of pineapple straw, yedda, ballibuntle, and the rest, are heat resisters of the highest grade, and fair white necks need suffer no blemishes from the ravages of a hot Auckland summer when sheltered by their wide brims. Last summer the pineapple straw, that big, stout weave looking like so many squares of definite pattern, made a furtive arrival. This year it is here as a fully accredited fashion. In all colours, but mosty in soft pinks, blue, greens, or yellows, and especially in natural or white, the big fellow may be seen blossoming in every hat shop window. Perfectly unadorned except for a narrow ribbon band round the crown, the pineapple straw depends solely

and with absolute self-confidence on its shape and size. Other softer straws, such as Yeddas and the ever-fashionable crinolines, lend themselves to more artistic decoration. A spray of vivid flat feathers in scarlet up the crown of apple green Yedda gives distinction at once to a hat that is otherwise perfectly plain. On the wide bri* of a yellow crinoline cluster two water lillies, one above and one below the brim. Many of the hats in less exclusive salons cling to t l ' ?ir belief in an overabundant of flowers and lace-flowers like outsize roses, and lace in profusion 'ng fronr t!-i« o- inlet into the crown. But the wise will keep clear of such purchases. For unless well done, they have that “tawdry” appearance which will completely mar a smart ensemble. Simplicity counts all the time, and plaster never did and never . ill look right.

HOMELY RECIPES FOR WHOLESOME FOOD

Here are two homely recipes for wholesome tea-table food, which you have probably tried, unsuccessfully to buy! WHOLESOME BREAD Scald 1 pint of milk; when it becomes lukewarm, add a pint of water, a teasponful of salt, and one compressed yeast cake dissolved in two teaspoonsful of water. Sift in sufficient wholemeal flour to make a batter that will drop from a spoon; beat continuously for five minutes; cover and stand in a warm place (75deg. F.) for three hours. Then add sufficient flour to make a dough; knead at once into loaves, put into small greased pans, leave to rise one hour, and bake in moderately quick oven for 45 minutes. DOUGH CAKE Weigh four pounds of dough that has risen; spread*it on a well-floured beard and work into it half a pound of butter, ten ounces of granulated sugar, two well-beaten eggs, a dust of spice, a gill of hot water, and, at the last moment, two and a-half pounds of well-cleaned currants or sultanas. Form into loaves, three-parts fill the tins, and leave to rise for 20 minutes before baking. TENNIS SENSE The day may be perfect, the court in excellent trim, and your outfit most attractive, yet you may not be happy! Simply because you have overlooked the fact that tenuis, as well as a holiday, needs careful preparation beforehand. For instance, two or three hours on the courts the first .time you wear your new crepe-rubber of string soles-is certain to result in hot, tired, swollen feet, unless you have hardened them by soaking daily in a footbath to which has been added a tablespoonful of medicated powder. A good powder consists of an ounce of crushed orris root and two ounces each of boracic powder and carbonate of soda. After soaking, dab the feet with this, using a pad dipped in methylated spirit. Then, before donning tennis stockings, shake a little of the medicated powder into the feet. These preparations made, you will be excellently equipped for the fleetest of footwork. Many players suffer from irritating little blisters caused by the grip of the racket which could quite easily be avoided. Here again the skin needs hardening before commencing the game. Daily rubbing together with brisk movements after smearing on a generous layer of cold cream will make for suppleness of the muscles, and dabbing with methylated spirit afterwards will help to harden the skin. It is as well to avoid both vanishing cream and powder when going on the courts, for the use of either will merly clog up the pores. The best treatment is to dab all over the face, neck and arms with a good cucumber lotion, made by adding two tablespoonsful of rose water to an equal quantity of cucumber juice. | Never continue playing when fatigue has set in. Rest at once, and, if you will be playing again very shortly, remember that the best pick-me-up is a raw egg, either beaten up in a little milk, or taken whole from | a glass into which a little vinegar or 'Worcester sauce has been poured.

THE ODDMENTS BOX

WHAT TO DO WITH THE j REMNANTS | A scrap of net, a length of chiffon, j oddments of ribbon, little bits of lace —all purchased at the sales because they were “going for an old song”; and all more or less useless because they are so small! Scraps like this will inevitably be thrown away during the great clearance if you cannot devise some means of utilising them in the meantime. bazaars and sales of work are continually being held; dainty side-lines for Various stalls are always in demand. And every woman likes a shingle cap for night wear, unless, of course, she is fortunate enough to possess a head “sunning over” with ! natural curls. Sketched here are two extremely j pretty yet very simple caps, either ! of which could easily be made from unwanted oddments of material. One is designed for spot net, and the veriest amateur will have no difficulty in carrying it out. A circle of the net is gathered slightly round the edge and bound with ribbon through which casing a narrow elastic is run. A small shaped frill of similar net, edged with a lace remnant, is stitched round the back, and .he whole is finished with rather wider ribbon in the same shade as the binding. The second cap will look well expressed in chiffon or tulle. Your remnant is probably quite large enough to make the close-fitting bonnet, which is frilled with lace at the back and edged with lace insertion. Tlire® or four caps such as these will have an enthusiastic reception from prospective stall-holders, and will find ready purchasers when offered for sale at the bazaar. THE OLD WASHSTAND AND SOME NEW USES Now that the bedroom washstand has give place to the built-in basin fitment, the thrifty housewife may be anxious to find a use for the despised piece of furniture, which has probably cost several pounds. The marble-topped table is, perhaps, the least easy to adapt, for marble is quite inadmissible in a sitting-room. But put it in the kitchen and your cook will bless you for a perfect pastry-table. It is not vandalism to paint marble nowadays, since good taste has decided that, unadorned, it is unsuitable for any but the most formal apartment. Special paints are sold for the treatment of stone, and a marble washstand will easily give the basis for a charming occasional table. If it has an upstanding piece attached at the hack, use it as a writ-ing-table, standing a stationery cabinet and a couple of tall candlesticks against the back. . A small washstand will make an excellent service wagon, if rubbertyred wheels be screwed to the legs. One of the rails intended for towels will serve as a handle by which to propel it, hut the other rail must be removed. The drawer will be useful for the reception of cutlery and silver and may be divided up accordingly into sections of different lengths. Another plan is to get a carpenter to fit three extra shelves below the table-top. These will serve to take boots and shoes, a curtain being hung from a brass rod in front to hide them from view. The rod will be fixed on hooks screwed below the top. S.L.