Woman’s World

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18533, 15 July 1922, Page 9

Woman’s World

i HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE t

MODES du THE MOMENT. Very quaint, to wear with afternoon frocks, are the new bracelets, rings, and ear-rings made of miniature porcelain flowers—tiny roses, daisies, or for-get-me-nots, or all three mixed, says an English writer. « The latest frocks for afternoon wear dip mo»st unexpectedly at the back to show, a lining of periwinkle-blue or lipstick red crepe Marocain. “Lip-stick-red” lias come to us from America ; it is a »ed in which there is a strong dash of purple, and it is very attractive tor smart dresses.

A new idea is to have a “ basketwoven” girdle made of the same material as the dress. Beautiful ceintures are made of twisted magenta and silver ribbons, long ends of which are fastened to one wrist by a ribbon bracelet. Of course these decorative fur-belows can be made in any colour—or. colours—but there is a bright magenta which tones perfectly will dull silver and which looks equally well with black, white, or dark blue dresses.

The robe d’apres of the moment is remarkably simple. I have just seen a frock of sealing wax red crepe, which was sleeveless and collared to the chin. 'The corsage was ruched at the waist, and at either side the soft crepe puffed out like the skirt of a Watteau shepherdess.

HINTS FOR KNITTERS. Knitting seems to be as popular a pastime as ever, in fact more and more women seem to become imbued with its fascination. A knitting expert gives below some hints founded on experience which will be useful to knitting generally. Above all cleanliness is essential. Even in these days it is no uncommon thing to see some women knitting choice garments without a cloth on their knees to protect the delicate work from their dresses. And they are annoyed when told their work is soiled! 'Cast ou with two needles only in the case of a ribbed garment- or where elasticity is required. Casting on with one needle and the thumb gives a much neater edge and is the method which should be more frequently used. Cast off loosely. Dozens of garments are spoilt just because the stitches are cast off too tightly. If there is any difficulty in this respect a pair of thicker needles should be used for the purpose.

Always increase, or decrease, for shaping, on the third stitch from either end nt the needle—never on the end stitch as this spoils the edge for sewing U P-. Never join with knots, but knit the wool double for about six stitches. If two colours are being used leave the ends loose and run them in backwards with a damning needle. Wool should never be wound into a hard ball, as this will ruin its texture and make it thin. Wind loosely over two or three lingers, withdrawing the latter at frequent intervals so as to change, the position of the ball and keep it symmetrical.

Experienced knitters will find great interest in making some original garment. It is a good plan to study the ordinary fashion books and, a choice of garment being made, work to the paper pattern. First knit a small piece lof fabric for a guide; measure the ! stitches and ridges per inch, and from j them it will be easy to calculate the ‘ number of stitches required for differ- . ent parts of the garments. And what lis more, nobody else will have one like 111I 11 - FIBST AID IN THE KITCHEN. Burns and scalds in the kitchen are very frequent mishaps, and housewives have grown to consider such occurences inevitable. They are sometimes, however, very serious, and in every kitchen there should be a tiny cupboard containing the following necessities in case of accidents : —A, bottle’ of carron or olive oil, a bottle of saturated solution ol alum, a roll of bandages, adhesive tape, and a small Lottie of sal volatile. For burns or scalds, pour some oil ‘over the damaged portion and cover with the bandage. Of late’ it has been discovered that the alum water is ev m better. Broken bones are, of course, impossible to treat at home, however small the injury may be. Even in the case of a bad sprain the doctor should be sent for, for without a thorough examination one cannot tell whether if is a simple sprain or a fractured bone. Neglect might lead to a lifelong disablement.

DYEING WOODWORK. It is not generally realized that wood may be effectively stained with dyes commonly employed for fabrics. Floors or articles of furniture made of plain wood may be treated in this way. When the wood is not new it' shou.d be well scrubbed before applying the dye, which should be put on the wojd when it is very hot . (It is a good plan first to brush some of the dye on a piece of wood in order to ascertain if the right shade has been secured.) * Allow the dye to dry and then go over the whole surface with a rag that has been dipped in boiled oil. The wood may then be polished with any good wax or polish, or, if preferred, it may bo varnished.

SOOT ON CARPETS. Smuts and soot sometimes rujji the carpet-. When, these are brushed, an ugly smear often results, and is very difficult to remove. The right way to deal with these marks is to sprinkle them liberally with salt. Leave for a little while and then very lightly- flick the salt and soot into a dustpan. Pieces of coal that have been trodden into the carpet should be treated in the some way. a A soot mark of long, standing will generally yield in time if it is covered with salt and if this is left on for a day, or even longer, before the brush is used. PLEASANT ECONOMIES. Some women imagine that economy means substituting something unpleasant for something nice. This is not necessarily the case. A suet pudding 1 will be quite as nice, and just as wholesome, if. instead of the somewhat expensive suet, rather more than half the quantity of clean beef or lamb dripping be used.

Stewed fruit will need just half the usual quantity of sugar if half a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda be added to two pounds of fruit |>efore cooking, and the fruit will be less sour, as the carbonate of soda corrects the acid.

Excellent pastry can be made from bacon fat. There is generally some left iu the pan after the breakfast bacon has been fried, and if this be saved it

is cheaper than butter or lard. Where half a pound of butter would have been used, live ounces of bacon fat stiffi- ; cient instead. BEAUIY BATHS. Our grandmothers attached great importance to the herbal and aromatic baths which they used regularly as a means of preserving their youth and beauty and now that beauty culture has developed almost to a science we, too, are beginning to realise the value of these beauty baths.

Most of these baths are simple and easy to prepare, and so are within the reach of the busiest vroman, while their refreshing and rejuvenating effects can often be noticed even after the first has been taken (states a writer in the “Daily News”). This is perhaps the cheapest, and one of the most easily prepared. It always has a most softening and whitening effect on the skin. To make one Kike two half-pints of bran and tie each half-pint up in a little bag ;of butter muslin. Place the bags iu a saucepan with two quarts of cold water and bring it to Jie boil. 'Then squeeze the bags lightly and add the water in which they have been boiled to the bath, throwing in the bags, which should be used in place of a flesh-glove. The woman with a coarse, greasy skin will derive great benefit from the regular use of an oatmeal and orris-root bath. For this she should’ prepare a couple of bags made of butter muslin and fill each with two tablespoonfuls of fine oatmeal, one of powdered orrisroot, and a little finely shredded dried lemon and orange peel (about a teaspoonful of each). Tie up the bags at the neck and soak them in cold water for fifteen minutes. 'then squeeze them in the water till all the white milky liquid has been extracted, add the water to the bath, and throw in the bags. Used as a glove over the face, neck, and arms, they will whiten and soften the skin and remove all grease.

A beauty bath for the face, neck, and arms, which if used regularly will restore freshness and a youthful appearance to ihe most impaired complexion, can be made by dissolving half an ounce of boric acid in one and a, half ounces of pure alcohol. To this, add four ounces of rosewater and one ounce of glycerine. Shake thoroughly, then add one and a half ounces of simple tincture of benzoin. The latter should be added drop by drop, shaking the mixture after adding a few drops. Bottle, cork tightly when not in use, and apply with a soft sponge.

HOUSE FARMING. “House-farming,” as it has been termed, offers considerable scope for the woman who knows how to set about, it. The title refers, of course, to a form of enterprise which has arisen out of the housing problem—namely, that of taking oyer houses and increasing their capacity by converting them into flats, suites of rooms, or bed-sitting rooms, as the case may be. The idea is not that of “ letting apartments” in the ordinary sense, but of providing as far as possible the same sort of accomodation with some, at least, of the freedom and privacy to be secured 1 in a self-contained flat or a homo of one's own. “ House-farming" on a large scale is being undertaken by men, but obviously it is an enterprise for which women are especially fitted. One woman recently manipulated part of the upper storey of her house so as to form a flat almost as complete and self-contained as any you could find in “ mansions” erected for the purpose. There is a bedroom and sitting room, and a dinky little kitchen, evolved from a little boxroom, and—the brains of the woman who conceived it!—it has in it practically everything required for a kitchen, except a sink and water laid on, but as the bathroom adjoins, this scarcely matters at all.

While, however, this work offers great scope for womeii, only a woman who understands whas she is doing should attempt it It needs enterprise, initiative, ingenuity, and business capacity. One must have a certain capital, and be sure of some financial backing. One must be able to gauge the possibilities of a locality and understand the value of aspect, situation, etc., in selecting a house. It is also necessary to be able to judge who would be likely to prove a good tenant.

USES FOR VINEGAR. Moisten the stove polish with a few drops of vinegar instead of cold water. Only a gentle rubbing will be needed afterwards to produce a bright polish. When eggs are scarce, add a. dessertspoonful of vinegar and one egg to a large plain cake for which, without the vinegar, three eggs would be used. The vinegar will help to make the cake light and “short.” and will prevent it from having that tough consistency which is sometimes the result of using too few eggs in proportion to the amount of Hour added. W lien boiling fish add a few drops of vinegar to tile water; the fish will then be quite firm and very white. If an egg has a very thin shell, or is chipped and is likely to crack when being boiled, add a. few drops of vinegar to the hot water. A teaspoonful of vinegar added to lard used for frying prevents the article to be fried from absorbing too much fait ■ A tablespoonful of vinegar added to the last rinsing water in which silk, crepe do chine, and ribbons are washed freshens the colours and makes them look like new. Wash meat in vinegar and water to freshen it before cooking. If tough meat is soaked in a little vinegar the fibres will soften. One or two tablespoonfuls of vinegar added to bath water renders the bath ! more refreshing. (Added to the rinsing water a few drops of vinegar will prevent the hair from appearing sticky alter shampooing.

MIXED BATHING IN OCEAN LINERS. AN ATLANTIC INNOVATION Having decided to permit the introduction of mixed bathing in the swimming bath of the world’s largest liner Majestic, the W hite Star Line have appointed Miss W innie Elliott to be swimming instructress, the first woman to hold such a post in an Atlantic liner. She is an ex-champion and holds the diploma of the Royal Life-Saving Society. Regulations have been prepared for the mixed bathing, and it will he Miss Eliott’s duty, in company w r ith Mr. G. Bell (jii charge of the baths in genJ'® t’hat they are observed. Specified hows during the afternoon have been set apart, and one side of the pool will be allocated to the womeiwmd the other side to the men. WomerfUind girls at these ocean mixed bathing matinees will be expected to wear skirted costumes, and it is conceivable that Miss Eliott may find heyself in the position of a “censor” should some of the more dashing girls sally forth in ths bizarre and skirtless dainties that graced their limbs at the seaside last summer. Special costumes, blue with white border, aud complete with modest skirt, are to be provided aboard the Majestic, and these may be regarded as standard for the Atlantic mixed-bath-ing girl.

-I He swimming poo! is a magnificient affair with a pink and white colour scheme. . There are 30 dressing-rooms and a gallery for spectators. The bath has an area of 820 square feet, and it takes only 25 minutes to fill it with lZu tons of sea water, warmed to 80 degrees.

BEADS AND SEQUINS. Beaded and sequin tunics have evidently come to stay. On all sides one notices dance and dinner gowns which owe a great deal of their beauty to the sparkling effect achieved bv a ’ beaded tunic, cleverly arranged over a simple undcrslip of net or satin.

TOILET TABLE CREAMS AND LOTIONS. It- is difficult enough to recommend a cosmetic that will do a certain thing —it js almost impossible to say what it will not do. The fault doesn’t lie with the cream. * providing, of course, it is a good, stan- I dard brand. What 1 mean is this: 1 ’ can suggest certain creams that will ; soften the skin, but, unless I can ex- | 1 amine the texture of your skin, 1 can- i not tell whether any given cream will I not promote a growth of hair on your , face. But J can say that there is praeti- ' cally no danger of such result if you use the cream rightly. Please understand that we are considering cold creams and cream lotions ; in this case—not massage creams. The; latter, as a rule, do not contain any [ “fat’’ or “grease” ingredients and it. is \ such ingredients, almost invariably. found in cold creams and lotions, that i cause hair to grow. The reason face creams so often . cause hair to grow is that the woman using them massages and rubs the; cream into her skin whereas it should : never be allowed to enter the pores. ; The value of a face cream is in the [ softening effect it has upon the outer i or first layer of skin tissue, not in feed- j ing c.r cleansing the pores. Another’ ' use For face creams— and a use to which | jit is too seldom put—is for removing dust from the skin.

If your skin is inclined to chap ’ easily* or its texture is at all coarse, I you should use a good cold cream once , a day. The best time to apply the ; cream is just before retiring. Wash! the face well with clear water and a ; mild', white soap. .'Fellow this with : a rinsing in clear hot water and then, use another rinsing of clear cold water. | Continue the cold water rinsing until! the skin feels cool and then liberally ! apply the cream. The cold water will have, closed the , , pores and there will be no danger ol , j any of the cream being absorbed. Ap- ! ply the cream with a gentle rubbing! with the palms of the hands. {Don’t 1 attempt to massage it in and don't I press down as you rub. Co over all I parts of the face and neck and then : take a very soft piece of cloth and gent- 1 ly wipe the cream away. If you come in from a walk or ride to : find your skin showing a fine coating of dust don’t attempt a soap and water ! cleansing. If vou do you are liable to I scratch and irritate the skin by rubbing I the dust into the pores Instead you ♦ should apply a thin layer of cream "all over the face and neck and allow it to remain on lor at least ten minutes. By , that time it will have softeiifjgi the dust j 'and foreign particle and it can be! wiped off with a clean, soft cloth. 11 you want a cosmetic 10 remove the ! dust and foreign matter that has work- ' ed into tho pores you should use some good massage. There are many such i creams on the market, tho best of which will be recommended by any reputable druggist. Or you.can obtain a good massage cream from any reliable! beauty specialist. To use such a cream you must first wash the neck and face in the same I way suggested lor the use of cold cream ' except that, the hot water rinsing! should be followed by a five minute steaming. Dip a folded Turkish towel in some steaming water, wring it .out dry and then wrap it about the; face. Change the towel every minute- ; When the application has been made the pores will be well opened and ready to receive the massage cream. Apply the cream and rub it in with the palms I of the hands. Continue the rubbing un- • til the cream is ejected by the pores—* until it begins to come out carrying with it the offending dust. Then wash the face in clear warm water and apply a very light coating of rice powder.