WOMEN AND THE HOME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18889, 12 October 1929, Page 20 (Supplement)

WOMEN AND THE HOME

LAVENDER LOTIONS, MADE AT HOME. _ If you are able to obtain any quantity of dried lavender, you will find it a pleasant and simple task to make certain lavender lotions for your toilet. To prepare lavender water, place two large handfuls of the flowers and a pint of water in a covered pan, and allow to simmer over a steady flame for about half an hour . When cool, strain the liquid, add six drops of grain alcohol, bottle and cork tightly. Lavender water-softening lotion is equally easy to prepare. Take four ounces of the dried flowers, four ounces of rice and eight ounces of pearl barley, fine oatmeal and bran. Put all together into a saucepan with three quarts of water, and simmer slowly for one hour. Strain when cool and bottle for use. A tablespoonful of this lotion added to the water in the wash-bowl morning and evening makes a delightfully soft and refreshing face bath, and leaves the skin beautifully smooth. Lavender vinegar costs very little when made at home. Mix well together four ounces of dried lavender flowers and two ounces of dried rose-leaves. Pour over them two pints of best white vinegar, shake together in a bottle, and leave for twenty-four hours. Next day, add half a pint of rose-water and shake again. The mixture should now be allowed to stand for ten days, after which time it may be strained and bottled for use.

LEISURE HOUR STITCHERIES.

New examples of needlework for the leisure hour are not only easy to execute, but look delightful when finished. The designs are bought ready stamped on to linen of pastel colourings, with part of the patterning tinted in contrasting shades, so that charming results are soon obtained by the addition of a little silk or wool embroidery. One fascinating design that looks equally well on a chair-back, tablerunner or cushion-cover consists in two charming child figures in soft rose-col-oured dresses, with a garland of flowers between them. The figures can be daintily outlined with appropriate silks, and the flowers worked in various bright shades with simple stitches. The entire design may be worked in two hours, yet the finished effect will give the impression that treble the amount of time and trouble has been spent on it. Wise brown owls perched on black twigs, with a decoration of black pine needles and orange pine cones, are to be obtained on a circular piece of linen, which may be turned into a fascinating sofa pillow or a table centre, as fancy dictates. Touches of silk or wool embroidery are quickly applied, and the design is an extremely pleasant one to work. Those who prefer sewing on canvas or coarser linen may find any number of designs with the patterns stamped on in harmonising colours. One square cushion cover is printed with an adorable garden scene, a rioting herbaceous border showing in the foreground, a crazy-paved pathway leading to a bluegreen yew hedge and archway, and hollyhocks peeping over the hedge beside a dovecote. Tall indigo poplars and a white-clouded blue sky complete the picture, which can soon be worked in tapestry wools. R.M. FROM RIGA TO VLADIVOSTOK. THE GREAT SIBERIAN RAILWAY. Day and night, day and night! The tremendous express tore on from the

bleak, sandy Baltic shores, through the hilly well wooded heart of Central Russia, past the great rivers, along the gigantic bridges, further and further eastwards. Plunging into the very core of the awe-inspiring Ural heights, it tore on across the Asiatic border, through dense, untrodden forests, skirted the Bajkal Lake, swerved a little down to the south, and still kept eastwards, on to Vladivostok, “ The Lord of the East,” and after the fourth day train life became almost normal, the jostling crowd led to no more exclamations of surprise, the very clattering of wheels ceased to be noisy.

That journey from Riga to Vladivostok, over immeasurable spaces, over changes of tree, hill, weather, wind and mountain, taught you far more than an extensive geographical course could have done, always provided you travelled with your eyes wide open. Tribe succeeded tribe 1 One climate followed on the heels of another. The Far East came to you in terms of gigantic pine and silver-flashing cataract and purplepeaked mountains. Dialects raced one another as the train went on covering its mileage—thousands and thousands of miles! Day and night! Speed varied seldom, but the eye quickly grew accustomed to lightning observations, and pictures were imprinted upon your memory, strange customs, strange tribal attire. Halts provided food for reflection for those “ after twilight ” hours, when you sat in your compartment while the fitful shadows outside the window quickly stole into darkness. The Great Siberian Railway—the biggest railway route in the world — was no real luxury, but a highly valuable investment.

Day by day fresh knowledge came to you. Day by day new peoples crowded past. How many tribes live there! Hamlets, settlements, town! On and on went the express. And at last Vladivostok, the gate of the Far East, with all its elements— Russian, Siberian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and even Siamese; with the freedom of the eastern seas in its gigantic port, and the none too languorous grace of the Far East in the streets, for the proverbial Oriental ease has no room in the Far East. But you were not keen on hectic sight-seeing during the first days at Vladivostok. The journey stayed in your memory, and you wanted to be alone with your recollections, to sort them out, to fix them in your mind for ever. —E. M. Almedingen. THE FIRST EARLY SHOWS. THE ETERNAL FEMININE. THE SONSY ELEMENT. “TEMPERAMENTAL” CLOTHES. (By DIANA DANE.) The designers appear to be divided in opinion as to the silhouette we are to present during the coming months. Some there are who insist on the ultrafeminine line, with all the _ frills and furbelows that accompany it. These specialise in house frocks and evening gowns, rather than out-of-doors clothes. The latter are not neglected, however, and the feminine touch is introduced into tailored suits and coat-frocks by means of fresh blouses, jumpers, collars, cuffs and jabots, all pleated, befrilled, lace-trimmed, or embroidered. There is nothing stiff or starchy about the models of those who cater for the Very Feminine Woman! Here, then, is inspiration for she who likes neither

“rakish” carelessness nor uncompromising severity. Another group of designers makes tentative efforts to reintroduce the sonsy element—the straight, slender line; the artful carelessness; the almost boyish freedom from frills and furbelows. These like best to dress the “sporting girl,” although their ensembles look equally well on the one who has never handled a club or a racquet in her life, so long as she is slim and buoyant, not too tall and—not too old! With curled coiffures so much in vogue, the enterprise of these designers should meet with a certain amount of success. But who can say? The third group comprises what I call the “temperamental designers” who will occasionally turn out a “garconne’ get-up with as much pleasure as they will evolve a super-sophisticated toilette de soiree for the grande dame. It all depends on the mood of the moment! But it should be noted that these people are most often in the mood to produce gowns with draperies, classic lines, and the simplicity which spells Art with a very big A. When their day and evening frocks are not draped, they follow very closely the line with which we have become familiar this season—fitting tube-like to the hips, thence widening into full flares. The dipping hem is not. so popular, however; the best models in this group are more or less straight all round. When making sports and every-day clothes, these designers insist on the slender bodice, which may possibly extend in the form of a narrow yoke to the hip-line where it joins the skirt, the latter pleated, cut circular fashion, or flared by means of godets. There is also a straight, fold-over skirt for which success is predicted as part of a

tailor-made suit, with a straight, hiplength jacket as the other part. For sports there are sleeveless, fitting sweaters to be worn with pleated or circular skirts and long-sleeved coats. And there are long-sleeved jumpers for wear with similar skirts and short, sleeveless cardigans—very much as we have worn them this season. One of the biggest differences between the present season’s fashions and those prepared for the months ahead is to be found in colour. Last week I mentioned blue as a favourite shade of one or two important houses. Now I find that what are called “off-blues” are equally in the picture—grey-blue, greenblue, mauve-blue, and a blue that looks “inky,” sometimes appearing blue, sometimes purple. We have had few “off-colours” this season—beyond white —and certainly purple tones have _ not been overworked! But Parma violet figures quite conspicuously in one excellent collection, while orchid-mauve has at least two well-known admirers. Pink remains in vogue—pale, cyclamen, and rose, with cyclamen extremely popular for evening wear. Pale and rose-pinks are also used very daintily on black and navy-blue afternoon frocks. Harmonies of colour are features of the early shows as, for instance, yellow with brown and a certain dark green tint; grey, coral, and oyster; flame — a notable revival—and black, and so on. There are other colour combinations—l cannot honestly call them harmonies!—which will have a brief life among the wealthy, and will then expire. MAKING THE TEASHOP PAY. COMMONSENSE WAYS OF AVOIDING WASTE. (By MARY LOVAT.) No longer does the untrained woman, suddenly confronted with the necessity for earning her own living, turn to the expedient of becoming a nursery governess or a paid companion. Far more often do her thoughts veer in the direction of a teashop; or, if not so ambitious, of providing teas at her own little home for the passing wayfarer. But even this needs some sort of training—preferably the.- training of experience. Without this, profits have a way of becoming more slender than they should be in proportion to the work involved. Here are some hints gleaned from a wom£n who, from a small beginning, has now half a dozen teashops to her credit, each bringing in a healthy little income. The greatest waste, says she, occurs with the tea, which is often made so strong by a careless helper that the pounds vanish as by magic. Her plan is to prepare each week a number of muslin bags, which are cut in three sizes, suitable respectively to contain sufficient tea for pots for one, two, and three customers. When the bags are filled, a few minutes suffice to sew them up, care having been taken to fashion them large enough to allow for the swelling of the leaves. In this way, just the right quantity of tea is used, and washing-up is facilitated, for there are no stray leaves to remove from teapots or cups. When flour, currants, sugar, peal, etc., are given out to the cook for cake-making, she is told exactly how many buns, cakes, biscuits and so on are expected on each occasion. This means that she must take care in apportioning the mixture. A system of marking the date by tags fixed to the cake-boxes rules out stale accumulations.

I’VE GOT THE . . , BLUES!

There are the office blues, when e\-erything seems to be going wrong at work; the home blues, when any place seems gayer than that; the I-don’t-think-he-loves-me-any-more blues, or the isn’t-life-futile-and-how-can-a-poor-girl-live blues! For each of them there is the same cure. First of all, you’re probably a bit run-down, and it may be raining, and you’re rather tired. So maxim 1, see to your health: maxim 2, see if the world brightens after a good meal; maxim 3, try to be cheerful, but if it is too much of a strain, don’t. But last maxim, and best of all, try to put whatever it is that’s worrying you right out of your head. Every time the horrid subject creeps into your mind put it away and concentrate on something else. Make yourself do this. Then wait! For, as perhaps you have found out, but forgotten again each time, it is extraordinary how one can look back, even to yesterday or to a few hours ago, and think: “Why ever did I feel like that? Thank goodness I didn’t do anything rash while in that mood! ” So when you have the blues, never mind what kind, just try to be cheery until they pass over, for they always do—clouds never stay still! “But,” you say, “it’s all very well to talk, but how can you ‘try to be cheer ful’ when everything’s going wrong?” Well, if you really can’t be cheerful —or even try to be—don't, whatever you do, sit and mope by yourself indoors. Go for a really long tramp, whe-

ther it foe raining cats and dogs, or not. Just tramp! Until you’re dead beat. Then, when you get home, oh, how nice to have a jolly good feed, and then, tired out, to snuggle down in a nice warm bed! You'll wake up next morning and have to search really hard for your blues—and, you won't find ’em!

THINGS YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW.

(By •‘HOUSEKEEPER/’) To Sweeten Sour Cream. When cream is only _ very slightly sour, it can be made delicious to serve with puddings, etc, in the following way: Put the cream into a basin, with the juice of a lemon and a good tablespoonful of sugar, and whip it until it is quite stiff. This increases the quantity, and the sour flavour cannot be detected. Curing Rancid Butter. When butter goes rancid, try the following plan: Take as much butter as is likely to be required, and put it to soak for a couple of hours in cold water, to which a good pinch of carbonate of soda has been added. Work it up into a pat, and the rancid taste will have disappeared. When Making Boiled Puddings. Never turn out boiled puddings the moment they are taken from the saucepan. They are very liable to break if this is done. Let them stand for a few minutes until some of the steam has evaporated, and then they will turn out easily. Light Pastry. V To make pastry beautifully light, use a knife for mixing it instead of a spoon, and touch it with the hands as little as possible. Use a sheet of greaseproof paper to roll pastry on if pressed for time. The same paper, if it is sponged with a dean, damp cloth after use and put away, will serve again and again. Try Vinegar. When poaching eggs, add a teaspoonful of vinegar to the water. This helps to set the white, and keeps it from spreading.

CREAM CHEESE TRIANGLES. AN UNUSUALLY SAVOURY DISH. Ingredients: lib flour (not selfraising), 3 eggs, about lib cream-cheese, salt to taste, melted butter. Make a dough with the flour, 2 eggs, and the necessary water. Roll it out to a circle about the thickness of thick cloth; cut the circle downwards into strips about two inches wide: then do the same across, so that you can get pieces about two inches square. Have the cheese mixture prepared as follows: Put the cheese into a bowl and pound till perfectly smooth, seasoning with salt; break in the remaining egg and mix all thoroughly. Put a little of this mixture in the centre of each square; fold over the square crossways to form a triangle, and enclose the cheese by pressing the edges firmly together. Have ready a pan of boiling salted water, throw in the triangles, let them boil for about twenty minutes, then drain well. Pour melted butter over them, shake up and serve piping hot.

E mlnunlmmmmnmlmmmmummmmmmmmm ; SMALL TALK. I: __ larn amused whenlheer le say they don’t know what to talk stout. Why, there are scores of everyday 3 subjects to discuss. 3 Exciting things. too. 5 You have only to glance at the news- ." papers to be convinced of that. Spend " ten minutes every day reading your 5 paper and you'll find enough subjects 1' to talk about for a week. and probably a a good supply to last you over the next week-end as well. Now the chief ingredients of the recipe for small talk are—observation, :- interest and sympathy; and you must 5 cultivate these in order to make con--1: versation flow easily. Above all. you should appear to be interested in what you are talking about—even the weather! . You are going to Mrs Brown’s this " afternoon. so let us look what news there is in today’s paper. Here we are—plenty of likely topiee. I. Just cast your eyes over the headlines. E. Remember you will be well advised m ~ leave polities alone. till you are more expert in the talking game. Here is a, an article on “women swimming the t Channel." Ask Mrs Brown if she can‘ I; swim. What does she think of women} 0 trying to beat records? Does she let‘ 0 her children bathe, etc? 1 2t “Another Atlantic Flight." .Herveon‘ - Ted is in the Air Force. Inquire how :1 he is getting on; and having once set. y] her 03 on-the subject of Ted. I should a. say an air of rapt attention will be all 1. that will be required for the next quarter of an hour, at least. e The reason you feel so tonguetied is e because you are nervous and self-con- :. scious. > I know, from experience, how l 8 flustered one can feel when shown into a room full ofcgeople. When you find d yourself inst: a situation. just pro 11 tend that the people are ninepins: greet n your hostess calmly and find your way gr quietly to a vacant seat. your hostess t. will see that you have somebody to

talk to; and that somebody, if she happens to be young, may be just as nervous as yourself. If your victim is a stranger, you might ask if she knows and likes ycur native town; it is always an openitg. Then remember the newspaper headlines. If you are observant you can easily guess if she is a games girl, or a housework kind. Talk in a qufot. clear tone, and not as though you feared the sound of your own voice. Appear confident and you will quickly put people at their ease. If you learn the art of drawing people out about their hobbies, you will often find yourself unable to get a wort in edgeways, and can sit back and tale a rest. They only want a good listener. Take yourself to pieces, and I tfcink kindly interest that makes you unable you’ll find it is frequently just lack of to make small talk. By taking a sympathetic interest in people, you will quickly learn the xrt of talking to them.