Fashions and Furbelows

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18044, 3 January 1927, Page 13

Fashions and Furbelows

NOTES BY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS.

AUTUMN AND ITS MODES. All the colours of the fall are modish; the soft browns, deep oranges and subdued yellows. In sports wear, they are predominant, though not obligatory ; tweeds and hopsaeks rejoice in them. And they suit practical!}' every woman, no matter what her age. There is a- distinct note of the feminine in dress; lines arc much more of the “flowing” sort, drapery is not merely permitted, but smiled upon, and handled artistically. And gaiety is much to the fore. But the natural lines of the body arc now followed by the dress. Tailor-modes are as demure and strict as ever; they always will be so; but one can relax admirably in sports wear. To secure width in frail materials, quite straight breadths can be shirred skilfully on to gathering threads. Shirring is still in great vogue. Another mode of gaining softness is to allow pleats to fall one over another. Such pleats are unpressed and hang very softly. On filmy materials, frills set on at very oblique angles on the skirt of a frock are new and interesting developments. WAX FLOWERS. Who has not admired the lovely apple blossoms, daisies, water lilies, and other wax flowers which arc expensive to buy and seem hard to make? As a

matter of fact, however, they are not hard to make. Purchase artificial cloth flowers, melt some paraffin, let it cool slightly, then dip the flowers in it, shaping the petals naturally as the wax cools. Stems and leaves can also be dipped in wax or may be left uncoated. Two coats of wax, or perhaps more, may sometimes l>e necessary. With pure white flowers, a touch of yellow paint lightly brushed on from the centre out over the lower portion of the petal is effective. THINGS WORTH KNOWING. Here is a good tip for those who do laundry work or cooking and are obliged to wear eyeglasses. Before going into a steamy or moist atmosphere rub the glasses with soap and then polish them; it will be found that the moisture does not rest on them. Ordinary cardboard hat boxes look quite ornamental if covered with wallpaper that has been left over from the walls. New stiff-bristled brooms should, before being ilsed, be soaked for a few hours in salt and water. This stiffens the bristles and prevents their coining Stains caused by hot dishes being put on a polished table can be removed with spirits of camphor. Apply it very lightly with a clean, soft rag—do not rub it in—and polish with a soft duster. Linoleum should never be laid over a damp floor, as dampness combined

with absence of air causes linoleum to rot. Dusters can be cheaply made if flannelette is bought by the yard, cut and hemmed to size. Stains on eggspoons can quickly be removed with a little salt- on a damp cloth. FACTS IN BRIEF. New enamelled saucepans should be treated in the following way before being taken into general use, as it tends to harden them: Put them into cold water in a larger vessel, bring gradually up to boiling point, allow to boil rapidly for a minute or two, then leave to cool in the water. Soap powder should never be used when delicate ornamented china is being washed, as it would probably damage the ornamentation on the china. When washing knitted and crocheted garments of any kind, lay them on a towel to dry; never put them on a coat hanger, they will stretch out of shape if hung up at all. Toilet ware will not stain or fur if occasionally a little salt is thrown into the utensils. Always hang uncooked meat from hooks in the larder; never let it lie on a dish. Weak tea is an excellent eye lotion. It should be poured off the leaves directly it is made, and can be used hot or cold.