WOMEN AND THE HOME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17170, 13 October 1923, Page 9 (Supplement)

WOMEN AND THE HOME

OUR PARIS LETTER.

'From Pauline Courlander.) THE FT? ENCH EMBR C)IDER ESS. The visitor to a. French sea-side place, whether a quiet or a fashionable one. must notice the amount of needlework that, is being done by those who sit breathing; in the ozone on the plage or the hotel verandah. The elegant, dainty Parisienne and the comfortable Frenchwoman from the Provinces alike spend a good part of the morning or afternoon ever needlework : in fact, it sometimes looks as though their chief object in coming to the seaside we re not so much the sea and all its pfeasnres as the finishing of some embroidEMBROIDERED HOUSE LINEN. We can pass lightly over the embroideries for the home, lor they are nearly always useless and, to our eyes, most ugly. Embroidered filet is almost a habit for bed-spreads and antimacassars. and “ broideri© Richelieu for table linen. Linen sheets and pillowcases with Irish embroidery and, perhaps, a strip or a corner of Cluny ( lace are much beloved—the more em- I broidery the merrier as it were. Cushions, too. wore overwhelmingly | decorated, and quite a lot of petit: point is done for chair and sofa upholstery. To our eyes all these seem of debatable taste and of an overdressed character, and we need only stop to mention some very charming cushions with landscape designs out- i lined in soutache braid on linen or > solid silk, and others with still-life subjects in applique of different coloured linen. DAINTY DESIGNS FOR. LINGERIE. But fine embroidery is the Frenchwoman's long suit, and her dainty work is almost worth the hours that she spends with it. “ Little and good is the motto for the prettiest lingerie

designs, and here are. a few id'eas that may inspire you. The plain tulle hem buttonholed on to fine linen remains a favourite and could he further decorated with a conventional empire design in English embroidery of the very finest. FLORAL MOTIFS. Then there is the medallion outlined in a raised stitch and filled in with a tiny bunch or basket of flowers chain-stitched in coloured washing

silks. This design is useful for all kinds cf garment and is used for the. front of a nightgown or chemise, the. corner of knickers, the cuffs and collars of a. hlou.se or a tab through , which a ribbon belt passes. CHAIN-STITCH AND BUTTON- • STITCH. Some of the early Victorian embroid- ’ eries show what can he done with chain-stitch and if you happen to possess a. piece, you will be able to pick out several bits and reproduce them in modern silks or threads. There are some pretty ideas fer buttonhole-stitch and the prettiest are botanical ones. A tiny spray of lion- i esty, for instance, can be reproduced by the silvery white leaves being appliqued on rose petal pink crepe do chine. Thin white Japanese silk is suitable for the leaves and the stalks : are. done in a running stitch, Dande- ; lion seed balls, cape gooseberries or nasturtiums are all suitable for decor- ■ ativo applique designs; so arc birds, ! insects and butterflies. Two tiny empire wreaths in English and raised embroidery are pretty on ; a chemise front that has a border of hemstitching. Then there is the i straight border of six or seven rows of narrow tucks, with two bunches of apples or plums or cherries appliqued j on in washing silks : or how would J you like insertions cf plan filet net. | on to which you could embroider a | flower or a. fruit here and there? ! Narrow hemstitched frills are being j made and buttonholed on to the main garment. A charming idea, too. is the empire bodice of a chemise or nightgown entirely covered with a tracery in the thinnest of chain-stitches. THE MYSTIC NUMBER. Most mystical of all numbers ; s Three. This is because it is complete

jin itself, “ having a beginning, a i middle and an end.” ! Three was considered a mystic figure j amongst pagan nations. The “ trij angle.” u Jewish sacred symbol, has ; also been found in the tombs and wall j inscriptions of still more ancient | peoples. I In tiie Greek mythology, there were j Three Furies. Three Fates. Throe i Graces. The thundetholt of Zeus, and ! the trident of Poseidon liad three j forks or prongs Cerberus. Pluto’s

dog. h;ul three heads, and the Pythian , priestess sat on a tripod, or throe- [ legged .stool : this signified the knowledge of the gorls as covering tlx? past, the present and the future. The early Church believed in the mystic significance of three; holy water j was sprinkled three times, many itivo- I cations three times repeated. The belief in the efficacy of three has prevailed down iro our own day. IVe use the number almost unconsciously. The starter of a race cries:—“ On 3 ; two, three and away” : those who on- j ter the presence of royalty bow three j We still believe —or pretend not to I believe, which comes to the same tiling j —that to do anything a third time is lucky, lienee the proverb: •‘The third time never fails.” And in ‘‘Twelfth Night ” Shakespeare tells us that “the third time pays for all.” There i« a well-established superstition that if two things are smashed, there is sure to be a third breakage. In .some districts, the belief is so firmly rooted that houewivos aft# r breaking two articles, will solemnly immolate a

jam-pot, or something equally value less, so that the omen may be cheaply fulfilled. During the war another •’ I liroe '* superstition was revived : the ill-luck that would befall the third person, if three people lighted cigarettes or pipes from the same match. It is extraordinary how universal this belief became. and it still persists. •• SYBIL.” THE CLEAN SPONGE. One way of restoring a hath sponge to good condition i? to soak it for a whole clay in a solution composed of three- ounces of carbonate of soda and two pints of water. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and dry in the sun. if possible. Another good solution for cleansing fl sponge is a small quantity of salts of lemon dissolved in a quart of lrot water. Soak the sponge in this until it- is quite clean, then rinse well. After using a sponge., squeeze it as dry as possible, and suspend it bv a string. This ensures a longer life. But Immediately it shows signs of wearing out. little bits breaking off when in use, keep it in a fine muslin bag. The bag should be large enough to allow tin* sponge inside lo swell, and should he kept on when llie sponge is in use. Soak a new .sponge well before use leave it in a moderately strong solution oF salt and water for twentydfour hours: place il in cold water for a few hours, and finally hold it tinder a running tap for about ten minutes. E M. L.

THE SHAKERS. ! ! There is. I believe, a sect called the Shakers. lam not thinking of them, bu!of those troublesome people who insist on shaking hands every time you meet them. These people dissipate their energy and your own quite needlessly. You may meet them three or four times a day. and each time they walk in at your door they will insist on shaking hands. A on mav hang back and try to escape with only a nod and a smile, but it is of no use. Out comes the hand. and, since it seems rude to allow Airs Smith's hand to claw empty air. you are compelled to thrust your lingers into her greedy clutch. People of strong personality may be able to refuse. But it demands no little courage and self-control to keep your hands linked securely behind your back when you know Airs Smith is determined to inflict on you the fourth or fifth handshake of tin* day. Are wo any the better for this persistent shaking of hands? I cannot see

that wo are. In this instance, as in so many others, iron custom lias us in her grasp—or handshake? Just because our remote ancestors gave each other their hands when they mot. as an assurance that t-bev concealed no deadly weapon, are we to continue the custom for ever and ever, amen? At- all events, .some restraint should bo exercised in the matter. Once a day is quite sufficient for any two people to shake hands. After that, a nod and a smile should he quite sufficient. In China they .solved the problem centuries ago. The C hinose do not shake hands with each other: instead, they shake hands with themselves. A Chinaman, when he greets you. clasps his hands in front of him and bows over them. This is far less trouble than our own handshake and has the | added benefit of being more hygienic. FREE PICTURE PASSES. Collect- 24 packets of Biplane Tea and hand same to your grocer and you receive a free pass to the pictures. Collect 2 packets and you receive a | large toy balloon. Biplane Ten is noted for its delightful flavour and its exhilarating qualities. Sold by leading grocer 310