LETS GO GOSSIPING

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4046, 11 May 1938, Page 4

LETS GO GOSSIPING

WOMEN’S INTERESTS: THE HOME.

(By MISS MARY TALLlS.—Special Service to Te Awamutu Courier.)

FASHIONS. WHAT THE WORLD WEARS. Light-hearted cottons, fresh-linens : and floral chiffons are the ideal fabrics for holiday evening clothes. Silks and satins, velvets, fur wraps, and elaborate jewellery should be left ai home if youthfulness is the essence of the modern spirit between the witching hours of eight and midnight. A very wide hoop dress, worn at a London fete was interpreted in coloured gingham. At the same fete a very young girl wore an attractive flowing dress in crisp white broderie Anglaise, tied about the waist with a long-ended sash in black velvet. A typical washing print is in white chintz printed in a delicate etched design of pale pink and black flowers machine - stitched all over in wide chevrons. This stitching gives a faint matelasse finish to the chintz and holds the fullness of the shaped skirt in stiff formal folds. The tailored belt is in black patent leather. 1937 has been a year of elaborate evening coiffures. For holiday wear evening coiffures will still be worn but in place of spangled veils, soaring lilies and sequin caps, women will wear in their hair simple field flowers in bright clear tones, pique motifs in white and crisp ribbons tied in a bow on the top of the head. It is almost certain that blue corn-flowers will continue their vogue through the holiday season. Short gloves in bright colours are correct for the evening. Bright-col-oured sandals will be worn. Fine lace stockings are coming in for day wear. They will certainly be favourites for evening wear next summer.

THE HOME. HINTS FOR THE PAINTER. Care must be taken in enamelling unpainted walls because the surface requires at least three coats of paint to make it waterproof and hard. On the first application, the plaster absorbs so much paint that ordinary oil paint is rarely used, and the best mixture is three parts of boiled oil to one part of paint. Two other general methods are used, and these consist of glue size to seal the porous parts or a good brand of prining oil ap plied according to the manufacturers instructions. But this sealing of th': porous parts must be done properly otherwise the finished appearance will be spotted. Boiled oil and paint may be used for the second coat, mixed in equal proportions, and the third coat will consist of good quality oil paint. Now the surface is ready for the enamel., which must not be commenced until the oil paint foundation has become thoroughly dry and hard. Before enamelling, go over the surface with No. 0 sandpaper, carefully rubbing it down and removing all dust by wiping over with a clean chamois leather. Pour some of the enamel over the work, but not working it about too much. Just lay it on, because ~ differing from oil paint, m dragged. When everv taken, the result is ♦’ finish as c b 4 DP **

HEALTH. FLAT-FEET. Those whose occupation involves much standing should keep the feet warm, comfortable, and dry. This maintains the circulation and prevents the weakening of the arches. The fashion of turning out the toes for walking contributed to the weakening of the arches. Savage races and children, when walking naturally, point the feet straight ahead, and this is the proper and natural method Daily exercise of the muscles and joints of the feet is important. The best exercises are walking on tip-toe and with the feet together, raising one-self to tip-toe: and back to the flat position. If flat-footedness has already started, as shown by pain, the usual practice is to wear arch supports. These certainly relieve the pain, but invariably cause further weakening of the arches. The best treatment at this stage is to wear shoes with a shallow strip of leather nailed under the sole just in front of the ball of the big toe, and to have the heel broad and cut away so that the inner side is a quarter to three>-eighths of an inch higher than the outer side. This throws the weight slightly on to the outside of the foot and takes the strain off the arch. This, combined with pointing the toes straight ahead and tip-toe exercises, would check and cure the complaint at an early stage COOKING. THREE DAINTY SWEETS. Coffee Blancmange: Ingredients: 1 pt. milk; 11 oz. cornflour; 2 oz. sugar; 1 gill coffeo essence; 1 oz. butter. Put the cornflour and sugar into a basin and mix with a little of the milk. Boil the remainder, and pour on to the other ingredients in the basin; return to saucepan, and continue to boil gently from 3-4 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the buttei and coffee essence; mix thoroughly and pour into a wetted mould. Serve with whipped cream. Cornflour is so nourishing that it figure«s largely on the sick room menu but vary it by adding- 2 oz. cocoa (instead of coffee essence) when you mix the cornflour with the milk, a few blanched and chopped almonds, just before you pour the mixture into the I mould, and calling it Nut Chocolate Blancmange. Arrowroot Pudding: Ingredients: oz. arrowroot; i pt. milk; strip of lemon rind; 1 level tablespoonful of sugar; 1 egg. Mix the arrowroot to a cream with a little of the milk. Put the strip of lemon rind and sugar into th mainder of the milk and ? boil. Remove >•'

rowroot. Pour into a greased pie-dish and bake in a moderate oven for 3C minutes. HOUSEKEEPING. SMALL USEFUL ITEMS. Rub a mudstained umbrella with a cloth dipped in methylated spirit and the stains will disappear. When a mattress has become rusty, brush it with a stiff brush, and give it a coat of aluminium paint, and it will not rust again. Remember to lay a damp cloth over the part which is being treated when beating stuffed and upholstered furniture of any kind. The dust will then be prevented from rising and settling on other articles. Dirt and soot can bo prevented from falling into the hearth of seldom-used fireplaces by placing a piece of wire gauze, cut to the correct size, at the base of the chimney opening. This will catch the soot and can be very easily removed and replaced. Open your piano now and then and sprinkle inside, especially the felts, with a good dry insecticide. This will prevent the felts becoming riddled with moths. If rugs and carpets persist in curling up at the corners they can be made to lie flat by sewing hat-wire round the edges underneath. WASHING AND CLEANING. Before washing a woollen jumper or cardigan, sew up the pockets with wool, otherwise they will drop. When elbows of sweaters begin to wear thin, strengthen them with wool of the same colour and weight, using a large needle and following the thread of the knitting backwards and forwards. * A larg-e piece of perforated zinc placed at the bottom of the copper will drive the boiling water to the top and the clothes will be boiled in half the time. Be sure all edges of the zinc are turned in and hammered flat. Tan shoes that are too light may be made darker by rubbing them with a woollen rag dipped in ammonia. Repeat once or twice, before giving them a final polish. For mildew stains on linen, wet the article, then apply a mixture of soft soap, powdered starch, a little salt, and the juice of a lemon. Leave in the air for a day and a night. Rubber wringers should have the tension removed immediately after they are used. Otherwise, if severe pressure is left on the rollers for a time there is a tendency for a “flat” to develop and the rollers will lose their circular shape. It is important to wash the metal parts. To remove inkspots from a coloured linen dress apply (a) a paste of raw starch, and (b) a smear of dripping. Leave the starch on for several hours then rub in the grease, and roll the dress up for the night. After washing in warm water and suds all trace of ink will have disappeared. A time and stoop-saving device. Wear an old dress with a belt (leather or material). On the belt stick twelve or more pegs They can’t fall off, oi fall throug'