LADIES’ LIFE.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 222, 29 December 1926, Page 2

LADIES’ LIFE.

USEFUL HINTS. WET SHOES. If shoes have become soaked through, and not merely damp, soft paper should be stuffed into them, as this will help to dry them by absorbing some of the moisture. The paper must be changed from time to time. When the shoes arc ; about half dry the trees may be put in, ' and those which consist of a- piece of wood at either end are the most satisfactory for this purpose. The shoes | must not be placed near a fire but dried slowly in a warm room, and if they become hard a little warm olive oil or* castor* oil, well rubbed in, will soften them and nourish the leather. WASHABLE FABRICS. Most home dressmakers allow for shrinkage of washable materials by . making garments somewhat on the large ■ sjzc. This sounds all right in theory; j but in actual practice it docs not work , at all satisfactorily. The closeness of ' the sewing makes the shrinking process | anything but uniform. By far the- better plan, therefore, is to shrink any washable materials before they arc cut out and made up into garments. The fabric should be laid (folded) in j a tub of cold water straight from the I tap (not rain water). There it should i remain steeped for 48 hours. ; If there is any red colouring in the i material, a couple of handfuls of salt should be mixed with the water before the fabric gets into it. If thete is any , blue colouring in the stuff, one handful j of crushed alum takes the place of the ( salt. This method effectually prevents | the colours from running. j .. ■ iv . Z X . ■ ■■

When the material is removed after the steeping process, none of the water should be squeezed out. Just hang the fabric up where it may drip and dry slowly. Never place it in the sun or in any other heat. Obviously the drying process will take a little time, but at the end of it you can be sure that shrinkage has taken place uniformity and evenly, and to the fullest possible extent. Cutting out and making up can then be embarked ' on with confidence. ' Any pressing of the shrunken fabric, should be done with a cool iron. MAKING JAM. Always gather the fruit in dry weather, or the jam docs not keep well. If using bought fruit rhe jam should t be made during a spell of dry weather. If the scum is not removed from jam it will not be clear and bright in. colour. z Always stir after adding the sugar, and don’t re-boil until the sugar has melted. I It should boil fas* after the sugar is j added. UsC‘ a wooden or silver spoon for ! stirring. i Rub a little butter ever the preservi ing pan to prevent the jam burning. Preserving or loaf sugar should be used. They throw up less scum, and thus cause less waste. | Reject all over or under ripe fruit I for jam-making, and use no bruised or I damaged fruit. | Wash all fruit. Soft fruit may be put I into a colander and held undera tap. j Never make jam in an iron or tin pan.' Enamelled pans, aluminium, cop- ! per or brass pans are the best to use. ! All pans must be clean, and brass and ! copper pans must be car’efully examined to sec that they are free from all trace I of verdigris.

It is estimated that there arc' about seven million cats in Britain. / “ Boxing Day” had its origin in the boxes of comforts collected by the priests of old for poor children, on the sacred day, and opened on the of festival set apart for distributing their contents.