Fashions and Furbelows.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18803, 4 July 1929, Page 12

Fashions and Furbelows.

Notes by Special Contributors

MAKE AN ITALIAN SHAWL. Have you among your bag of bargains a square piece of cream viyella? If so, it will prove the handiest possible thing to convert into a bright Italian shawl. Italian shawls are becoming even more popular than Spanish ones. Their outstanding characteristic lies in the fact that they are embroidered with wools rather than silks—vivid reds, greens, yellows and blues—and have long wool fringes. The fringe is as warm as the shawl itself, and hangs in such pretty cascades over one’s arms and dress! Here is one exceptionally easy design which will serve as a clue to all the others. With a pencil trace an oval figure, about one inch wide at its widest part, and about four inches long. Work this round with crewel stitching in pale lemon wool. Now lay diagonal stitches across, at half-inch intervals, in marigold shade of wool, and when the whole oval is spanned by these stitches, start a fresh series in the opposite direction, so as to form a lattice work. Where the threads cross, catch them with a tiny stitch in lemon yellow. Now work two more row's of crewel stitching round the oval, one in orange, one in flame, allowing the background material to show just a little between. Finally work a series of irregular scallops in large buttonhole

stitch all round the oval figure, using any bright colour of wool to represent petals. It. is a good plan to mix a little black with the composition in order to throw up the various colours—and when in doubt, green, nature’s own background, may always be used for filling-in. When you work leaves, start with a centre vein in crewel stitching, and place rows and rows of crewel stitching round it until you have roughly a leaf shape. BRIEFS TO BEAUTY. Bran made into paste with buttermilk is the latest beauty mask. It’s special virtue is that it diminishes “shine” while bleaching the skin. Those of you housing a family of pimples will welcome the news that barley water clears the skin. Drink a glass or two at lunch and supper. It is made by simmering pearl barley (loz) with water (1 quart) for an hour. To make it more palatable add a little lemon peel after it has been simmering for half an hour. It is sheer waste of time to press out blackheads if you do. not dab on a little peroxide or spirits of camphor immediately afterwards. These substances being astringents, help to close up the pores. White of egg, whisked to a stiff froth, and “thinned out” with water, makes quite a good substitute for setting lotion (one white makes half a pint of lotion). You merely damp the hair with a mixture prior to inserting curlers or water-waving combs. It is vastly improved by the addition of a little lavender water. THAT WELL-GROOMED LOOK. Nothing helps that well-groomed look more than dainty light collars and cuffs on a dark frock. Only they must be immaculate. To save incessant washing of these attractive accessories there are several cleanly little dodges worth trying. One is to don a pale, washable scarf under your coat, so that the dark fur does not rub your spotless cellar. In the same way, a dark coat lining or gloves tend to soil white cuffs or sleeve frills. Wear light-coloured, washable gloves; washable kid can be bought nowadays. Or face the sleeves of a dark coat lining, for six inches upwards from the wrist, with white silk. In an emergency, when all your

collars and cuff sets need washing, fly to handkerchiefs. Two handkies with a pretty embroidered or fancy edge, each cut across in half, make the daintiest fresh set—half a hanky each for the cuffs, the other two halves, meeting at the back, for the collar. Only one inside edge on each to hem roughly in a twinkling!