Ladies Column

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17076, 1 September 1917, Page 9

Ladies Column

A "PARTY FROCK."

No matter how well-filled a woman's wardrobe may be, it is generally opeii to receive a new blouse, or something else bought at the sales, and regularly as siale-thne comes round again most wonien fi^d that they are really in need of either large or small items of dress or millinery of one kind or another, and accordingly do the wise thin ganci buy what they want at the drapery sales. Among fascinating trifles of the toilette to be bought for a few pence are collars and capes for home wear, the cape-collar in thin material edged with fur being a delightful little dress-ac-cessory.

Money wisely spent at the sales can be in a way money saved. Dress-lengths can often be bought at the sales very cheaply, and a length of taffetas or.crepe de chine is handy to keep by one for. Spring wear. When something mor e . than the oidinary little day-frock is needed, taffetas is the material that is generally resorted to for. th 3 development of the same, and vary fashionable just now :.s shot taffetas, often seen in blue and green mixtures. Plain navy-blue taffetas can, however, always hold its own against more novel effects; and when a touch of brightness is needed, plaid silk relief is good, or, instead of a deliberate plain pattern, the silk may be striped in plaid colours.

Waistcoats in bright colours are sometimes very cleverly introduced into dark silk frocks and c,ive a gay touch without being aggressive.

The dainty little dress illustrated, suitable for birthday gatherings or occasions when a silk frock would be appropriate, would develop well in navyblue taffetas or crepe de chine and is well worth copying by those in need of a frock of the kind, for the design, is simple but chio at the same time and out of the common.

The skirt is plain and full, the character of the dress depending on the fas-

cinating little basque-blouse, which is of the one-piece kind, trimmed at the neck and elbows with brown fur. At the 'waist is a satin sash, and below -t the basque of the blouse hangs in graduated folds. The blouse fastens at the back, the plain front being a charming feature. This little dress would be lovely in rse-coloured- taifetas of crepe de chine. - '

FROCK FOR A CHILD. *

The child's irpckrillustr.ated, suitably for a girl 6£_ about seven years, of age has the merit of simplicity and originality as well; the novel-touch-coming from the "little apron-piece that peeos above the waist.

This is a frock for which velveteen, navy serge, or red cloth or serge, may be suggested, with a trimming of buttons.

Of 45 inch material, about 2 or 2$ yards will be required. There are in all seven piece? .of the paper pattern. These are illustrated in the diagram, and comprise half the front of skirt, cut with bib in one, one side of skirt with back, one front of bodice, half the back of bodice, one sleeve,- one cuff, and half the collar. Care must be taken-in cutting out to lay the straight edge of front of skirt to a fold of material (fold the stuff lengthwise before laying on it the patterns)place also the straight edges of back of bodice and of collar to th e fold, cutting out the remaining patterns in duplicate and seeing that the fron tof bodice is on straight of material, parallel with selvedge.

The bodice fastens in front, joining bodice and skirt to a belting or band of material, and try on. Turn up the bottom of skirt and fit the sleeves into the armholes, gathering the wrists into cuffs; remove th e frock, make any necessary alterations, line the bodice •and seam the frock. '

Ihe seams of skirt are at the back and on either side of front panel. Make the seams m lap style, and stitch them near the edge~where serge or cloth is listed..

. Again, where either of these materials is employed, a braid trimming might be introduced r.s a border to the collar, cuffs and bib, the braid from the latter running on to the skirt, and braid should,also be used on the belt Ihe bodice fastens invisibly, ed* e to edge. &

When velveteen composes the frock the belt should be of velveteen to match

or of wide satin ribbon. A pretty touch is the threading of tre tfelt through the front of the frock.

_ Another idea for working out the design would be to male the bib of coarse lace and carry the same on to the skirfa

for a short distance to suggest an apron. The pattern is useful alike for. an everyday frock" or for one -for occasions. The bib fastens with grip-studs on the left side, the buttons being only ornamental. The same with regard to the skirt.

TO OETALN PATTERNS.

Patterns of all the designs appearing in this column, week by week, can b| obtained by sending stamps, value 7d, for every pattern required (coat, skirt, blouse, one-piece gown, etc.), t o Miss Ida Meiler, Care ol The Editor. The envelope should be marked "Patterns."

A MEAL CHART FOR HOUSEKEEPERS.

Even the cheeriest of housekeeper? wearies at times of the perpetual thinking out of menus for the family meals and the monotony of planning breakfast, luncheon, and dinner for every day in the week, while, on the other hand, members-of the-average family are apt to grumble at the sameness of food put before them and to crave for variety in the. daily menus, yet never a suggestion of a practical kind do they offer to the woman at the helm, who is obliged to do all the thinking-out for them a swell as for herself, so far as the table is concerned. Moreover, it is often very difficult for a housekeeper to please v the tastes of all for whom she has to cater, for the fads of one are contrary to the tastes of another, and so on. .. ;• " : . :

Ihe great question with which most house-keepers have to deal just now, is how to run a home in the most economical and it is the food problem that must needs be tackled first in settling the question, for generally, it is the way in wh^ch the table is conducted that is chiefly responsible for economy or extravagance in home management. ■

A'discreet housekeeper suggests that to keep up a, good but economical table the housewife should occasionally del vote one or two evenings- to a serious study of the food question, and in that time work out a chart of daily meals, covering about three .weeks. At the end of that period, she says, it will be' quite safe, to begin again and follow the routine, more or less closely, because the meals of three weeks ago will be forgotten Certain changes, relative to foods; that are i:i and out of season must, of. course, be ma=de in the meal, chart, and this is advantageous for the : sake of variety; but the basis of the' original .chart can remain the same month in and month out. The saying in worry/ time, aiid anxious thought will, it is. affirmed, more than compensate for the time spent at the beginning in working out the .-hart.

The simplest way in which to set about the task ahead is to take a practical- cookery book and read right through it, making a note on a slip of paper of every inexpensive and suitable recipe. To this list, most women will be able to add the names of other dishes which they have personally tested, and the final grouping of the various dishes —soups, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, savouries, sweets, cakes—will b e a simple enough matter.

Itwill be ewll worth wrile, in making

the chart, to work out the cost of each dish and to note this on the chart. Then, at any time of special stress, t will be very e:,sy to arrange the meals so that their cost .will sink to the very lowest-amount possible.

TO MAKH BUTTONHOLES.

/To cut buttonholes through two or three thicknestos of material without separating the fabrics, mark fhe place and size of each buttonhole with basting thread or chalk, and with a, fine needle, and thread to match the buttonhole, twist-stitch close to the mark, then cut the buttonhole between the lines of stitching. Thia will not only hold the various thicknesses together, hut will form a stay over which the buttonhole ma- be Worked. All buttonholes should be dampened and pressed when completed. L

TO PREPARE CITRON PEEL

When using citron, orange peel or candies of that nature, steam them for a few minutes, then run them through the food chopper. The work is easily and quickly done in this way, while the ordinary manner of preparing requires time, labour, and patience.

DAINTY VEGETARIAN DISHES

~, Butter a 'baking-dish, and- in-the bottom place a layer of cooked rice, i>b.en a layer of sliced and peeled tomatoes, and small raw onions or large onions cut' m quarters. Put in a few lumps of butter (or dripping, which is just as good and much cheaper), season highly with celery salt, paprika, and ordinary dairy salt, then.place another layer of rice on top, continuing with tomatoes ana onions until the dish is full. Now take a cup of fresh or canned tomato juice, whichever you prefer, and pour over the dish. Sprinkle -the top with grated cheese, and bake in a moderate oven for half or three-quarters of an hour. If the dish is very large it takes an hour to bake it. I can hardly be cooked too much, and is not good uiade>' done.

IRISH POTATO PUDDING

Boil ten potatoes and run them through a sieve, add to them two tablespoons of melted butter, the yolks of two eggs Well beaten, four tablespoons of cheese, two tablespoons of hot milk, paprika, pepper and salt to taste. Beat stiff the whites of the eggs and fold this mixture in with tlie other after it has been carefully mixed. Grease a pudding dish with butter or lard, and sprinkle generously with browned bread crumbs. Pour in the mixture and bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. It must be served and eaten at once.

ROMAN LENTILS

Wash one cupful of lentils and well drain, place them into' just under a pint of vegetable stock, add one teaspoonful of salt, and let them simmer for an hour; when cooked they should absorb all the stock and be quite dry. Now melt two tablespoonfuls of butter, add three chopped raw onions and one tablespoonful of curry powder; fry all this together until the onions are brown, add the lentils, seasoning with pepper and salt and heat up again; serve in a dish surrounded with hot boiled rice, or alone, according to taste.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Life is filled with little disappoint ments and irritating trifles; bift if we learn the virtue of patience and exercise it under them their power to irritate and disappoint will be weakened. On the other hand, if we become impatient every time we are crossed in any way we soon find more and more thingsl to become irritable about.