Fashion and Things Feminine.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4627, 14 May 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

By i&A MELLSR - - Copyright.

VELVETEEN COATS FOR “ ODD " SLITS. A smart fashion that will serve economical purposes is tire three-quarter coat of one material worn with a skirt of another. These “odd’’ suits are useful where short lengths of stuff are concerned, and may present a very fashionable appearance, while costing very little. At this season, the richest-looking and most appropriate material of an inexpensive kind that can he suggested for a three-quarter coat is velveteen, either plain or corded, which makes a splendid appearance. The newest coots are mads in the flop style, and some of them are arranged with hip-hc' is of their own material. The coats d ) not necessarily correspond in colour with the skirts worn with them, a coat of red, purple.

or deep orange-coloured corded velveteen accompanying, for instance, a skirt of navy-blue serge. A suggestion for a costume with skirt of woollen material and coat of velveteen is afforded by the sketch herewith The coat is quite loose-fitting, and is held to the waist by a wide belli with buckle. Fur trims the nock and wrists, hut these little touches of beauty are, of course, optional. It would be possible, however, to use a cheap fur stole for the neck and dispense with fur -t the wrists, or to use marabout everywhere in place of fur. Velveteen at Is. Hid. the yard would -erve for the coat, which would thus be quite inexpensive and at tho same time an invaluable addition to the winter wardrobe. A lining of polonaise should be added. The picturesque sailor hat illustrate! is a typical stylo for black velvet with red or goid-coloured roses, hack and front. THE NEW SKIRT. When a new skirt comes into vogue it is important to tho homo dressmaker to possess a pattern of it, and the woman who makes her own frocks must now, of course, own among other things a pattern of a double or tunic skirt, such as the one with corselet waist illustrated, which may he regarded as a typical model and one of the simplest to deal with. . Tho under-skirt and tunic might, it preferred, he made ol the same mater-

ml, but, as planned hi our sketch and diagram, the skin, is made up in two materials. It would work out well in navy serge-suiting for the tunic and navy cloth, striped in deep red and orange, or green and red, for the underskirt. The tunic fastens in front with but-

tons and buttonholes, but the uuderslip is designed to fasten at the left side. Thus, when the two arc united at the waist, the union extends only from the left side, around the back and as far as the front-centre of the tunic. The uuderslip, when on the figure, is then secured with stud fasteners at the leftwaist and placket, and the tunic is buttoned or otherwise fastened at the cen-tre-waist. Another plan, however, might bo adopted and is worth noting. The underslip might fasten in front with the tunic, and the seam at the foot be concealed by a band of material laid over ibe lining (for sateen or linenette would serve for the foundation slip in this case) to the required depth. But lot us discuss, the making up of the skirt as applying to the diagram. The two-piece foundation slip is represented by half the back and ha if the front, cut with sides, and the quantity of 36-38 inch material required is 23 yards. The fabric should lie folded in half lengthwise, and the straight edges of the patterns, representing centrefront and centre-hack, laid to the fold, the front and back of the skirt being each cut out in a single piece. The tunic is in three parts, two fronts and one back, and the paper pattern, as indicated by the diagram, includes half the tunic, namely, one front and

half the hack. The quantity of 46-13 inch material required for the tunic is 2) yards. The material .should he folded lengthwise and the straight edge of hack laid to the fold, the entire hack being cut out in one piece. The front pattern is cut out in duplicate, the straight edge of front being laid parallel with tho selvedge. At the waist the skirt should he mounted to a petersham hand (sewn to it along the top edge only) with hook and eye fastenings. The buttons used on the tunic should ho fairly large. THE EDUCE OE DISCIPLINE, As our poet lias aptly said, “ The readiness is all.” And we can only he ready when the moment comes by previous effort and training. This applies to all things, great and small. Many of us are apt to take life too casually, without thinking or training, and, in business and domestic affairs alike, failure afteu comes about through lack of system or through a system of mismanagement and carelessness. It is good for everybody that a certain amount of discipline should enter into every day life and tho “muddling through”" state he avoided by a thoroughness of system and knowledge of what is undertaken. “Fitness for the situation” may he taken as a very good motto to live up to. I.t was on tho subject of discipline and readiness that a most excellent address was recently given hy an army chaplain to his men during an open-air service held on the green at a Kentish port, the pulpit for the occasion being a light cart.

“What is it,” said the preacher, “that makes you men so ready when the call comes? It is the discipline to which you are accustomed, the preparedness and fitness that arm you to face a big situation without shrinking, if you arc ready hi small things and train yourselves to perform ‘trivialities’ well and thoroughly, you will find it easy to meet tlx* big events in a fine, brave spirit. The force of discipline in everyday life is an immense asset when the great call comes. No duty should be regarded as too small to do to the best of your ability. Train yourselves well in the small things, and von will pave the way to accomplish the groat ones with honour.”

Discipline is, indeed, a mighty fnci.or in making light of difficulties, and the chaplain spoke wisely when ho urged attention to this most important point, which applies, of course, to the housewife as to the soldier. If the housemistress brings method and management to her work, she will have a wellordered house and will he aide to keep her servants or to do whatever housework falls to her lot without litter as she goes, and to economise and vet live and dress well. Cut if she is without system, she will spend a great deal and reflect slovenliness in her wardrobe and home. Another point touched on by the chaplain that made one think, was his reference to the voids left in many homes by the absence of the soldiers in front of him. “Are you missed,” he asked, “because no one can do the worK yon have been accustomed to do so well as you yourselves, because no one can quite fill your places, or because your work is better done by others?” This brought homo to one the importance of always doing one’s host. A DECORATIVE IDEA. In putting up shelves over bedroomdoors, to hold light articles, such as hatboxes and lace-boxes, a pretty touch is given to the scheme of decoration if each shelf is covered on the underneath witli paper to match the walls, or if a border of flowered tissue, such as is used for curtain-borders or mantel-borders, is nailed to the drop of the shelf. This is particularly effective. The drop-border is also to be recommended as an addition to painted-wood bookshelves, unless short silk or case-ment-cloth curtains are used to conceal the honks. Where they are old and shabby-lonking, curtains- are an improvement from a decorative point ol view. HOW TO MAKE BLACK COFFEE, A Fronclrepicure describes in the following way how to prepare black col--1 t’O The important rules are : “Grind tincoffee only at the last possible^moment. U«e water that lias been boiled quickly, ami do not fill the filter .of the coffeepot too full. Use sufficient coffee to make a really strong decoction, and do not move about the coffee-pot wink- tlm water is filtering through the coffee, . the liquid will he thick-looking whero■v.- it should he quite clear. Black cor fee should be drunk in little sips as hoi as possible and should not he too much su oo toned. . in i„ K in Ihoir « «t v “y“ m pmt a 'it that CARE OF THE TEETH. « \ person who pays no attention to his teeth,” says Lavatcr. “betrays at

once symptoms of a low and a vulgar mind.” & ‘ It is certain that a mother cannot too early impress upon the minds of hep children, the paramount necessity of paying daily attention to their teeth, this should be regarded as an essential portion of the children's daily ablutions, and when once the little ones have habituated themselves to practising what is preached, they will not readily neglect their teeth. Above all, they must be taught to guard against the formation, to any extent, of tartar. Ibis can always he arrested with care, u hen tartar forms between two teeth it should be removed by a dentist and the space kept ever afterwards free t y the use of a silk thread, run backwards and forwards between the teeth. A tooth-powder should be simple in nature and efficacious in use. A dentist recommends such simple preparations as powdered cuttle-fish and prepared chalk, and gives as one of his recipes ; Prepared chalk powder, 2ozs.; powder of cuttle-fish, I or.. ; and powder of orris-root, loz. Tins is a simple and cheap tooth powder. Another recommended, rims as follows : —Powdered cuttle-fish. Bozs.; powdered cream of tartar, 4ozs.; orris-root, powdered, 2ozs. All ingredients must be thoroughly well mixed together. When the gums assume a soft and spongy texture, they require the application of stimulants for their euro. A few drops of Eau de Cologne, or tincture of myrrh, added to a tumberful of water used for rinsing the teeth, will strengthen the gums. Pending the visit to a dentist, when the teeth arc not quite healthy, powdered charcoal makes an excellent dentifrice. Tlie cleanest way to use it is to sprinkle a small teaspoonful on to a piece of paper, or the inside of a tin lul of a tooth-powder box, and dip into it a moistened tooth-brush. A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. Beware of growing narrow-minded. Take alarm at once if you find jmt are getting into a groove and into the habit of criticising unkindly everything that people around you are doing.