TO RENOVATE A LEATHER COAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18542, 12 April 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

TO RENOVATE A LEATHER COAT.

Leather coats have several seasons of life left in them long after they have lost their newness, so that an hour spent in renovating is well spent. First of all, the surface of the leather which may have “picked up” in places should be placed back in position with strong thin glue, and the back of the collar and cuffs, if soiled, should be cleaned with a dry cleaning prepara- ' tion. Finally the whole coat should be \ gone over with white cream such as is' all over. u?"*d on patent leather, and polished "•n, sometimes, a button comes s and nearly always brings a piece c • coat with it. xne only thing to do is to patch the coat from behind with leather of the same colour as the coat, mending the slit by drawing it together over the patch with strong cotton. If you remove the belt from the hips to the natural waistline, now fashionable, you will find that the belt is inches too long. If you cut off the buckle and the spare inches, the piece of belt can be opened out flat, and this quite considerable piece of leather makes the patches. While you have the buckle off. shortening it, it is a good time to turn the belt over and present the unscratched side to the world. DRYING AND STORING HERBS. Drying is the best way of storing herbs, and this may be done before the fire, in a moderate oven, or in the sun. Herbs are at their best just before they begin to flower, and the flavour is preserved best when quickly dried. Gather the herbs on a dry day, cut off the roots, shake well, and wash if necessary. Dry in a cloth, then tie in small bunches, and place these on a dish in a cool oven. If dried in the sun, spread the herbs on sheets of paper and turn often. When dry they may be hung in paper bags in a dry place, or the leaves may be picked off and stored in bottles. Cork well. Another method of storing is to pound and sieve the leaves, and put the powder into well-corked bottles. During cold weather clean out the fuel stove when cooking is finished and set the kindling for next day. The heat of the stove will dry the fuel which will blaze readily when lit next morning.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS. For a change add a little finelychopped mint to cream-cheese sandwiches made with brown bread. Nappa gloves put in an air-tight bottle with a piece of lump ammonia will in a day clean up like new'. To prolong the wear of gloves place a small bit of cotton-weed in the tip of leach finger and thumb. I To remove w’alnuts from the shells ! without breaking the kernels pour boiliing water over the nuts and let them i stand till cold. Then crack with a I hammer on the end of the shell. When eggs are scarce and dear, bacon in a batter is a good substitute for bacon and eggs. Make the batter with one egg, milk and pepper, with flour to thicken (salt is unnecessary). Immerse the rashers in the batter and ;fry in deep fat; serve hot. ! A dainty afternoon-tea biscuit is I made by mixing equal quantities of [desiccated coconut and condensed milk. : Drop in teaspoonfuls on a greased slide and make golden brown. To avoid sunburn, wash your face in milk and let it dry on. It will be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but is and infallible preventive. When baby on the farm has reached the sitting-up stage place a horsecollar on the floor, throw a thick rug over it, and you have a safe place for baby to sit in. A cup of milk added to the tub of blue water on washing-day will soften hard water and prevent clothes from I becoming streaky. j Jellies will slip out of their moulds without sticking to the sides if the mixture is allowed to cool before be- ! ing poured into the moulds. | For darning tablecloths and other | household linen use embroidery hoops ! for holding in shape, then sew back and forth in the usual way for damI ing, and you will have a mend that lean scarcely be distinguished from the ■ goods. For gauze underwear this is exi cellent. I If floors are to be restained they I must be scrubbed with strong soda j water and allowed to dry. j To polish a cloudy mirror, rub a ■ moist cake of soap over it to form a film, then rub it off with a soft, dry cloth. The grounds remaining after coffee has been drained off can be used to remove “shine” marks from navy and black serge garments. Pour some hot water over the grounds, then dip a soft i cloth into the liquid and use it to ' sponge the material. Here is a simple home remedy for burns: Just paint them with white of egg. This soothes as w'ell as heals, even when the skin is slightly broken. Rust can be removed from curtain pins by soaking them in water to which a little ammonia has been added, and rubbing them well afterwards. Water in which rice has been boiled makes excellent starch if two or three 1 drops of turpentine are added to it. Do not apply furniture polish to an ! ebony or rosewood piano case, as it ■ cracks the veneer. Use a few drops of paraffin on a clean duster instead. ODDS AND ENDS. There comes a time in the lives of all sheets when they are too thin to be ’ worth mending, and every time they r are used fresh holes appear. When they have reached this stage it is a good plan to turn them into bedj room or kitchen curtains to match the t colourings of the room. Sheeting takes any colour of dye excellently, and by discarding the middle parts that have worn thinnest, you will 2 have some good-sized pieces to use for i, curtains.

A simple crochet edging can be worked on them if liked, but plain effects are more fashionable just now, and look very smart.