WOMAN'S PAGE

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 131, 28 May 1932, Page 6

WOMAN'S PAGE

WEEKLY ARTICLES ON MATTERS FEMININE Specially Written for the “ Press ”by a Leading Sydney Expert. » (Copyright.) s

FASHIONS

CURVES! ONLY CURVES It is only such a little while ago that we were exchanging secretly “diets” and warmly arguing the relative merits of lime juice and pineapples as means to a delicious and fashionable slenderness or, in other words “figurelessness. ” To-day, we arc allowed to be slender, but it must be the slenderness of well-defined artistic curves.

Again, we have to show a waistline, and, needless to say, moulded hips and slightly accentuated busts. Consider the frocks of to-day. For morning wear skirts arc neither too long or too short; shapely belts and dainty little finishing touches of lingerie are definite essentials of the new mode—but above all, there must be that slim-moulded look continuing right down the body.

In the frocks for the afternoon we find many delightful variations. For one thing, the skirts arc longer. Then, sleeves arc provocative —little puffs at the shoulder, or it may be at the elbow or even on the wrist. Shoulders are broad: waists arc welldefined and fit in with the most essential point, the maintenance of the moulded line from shoulders to hem.

And now to turn to evening frocks. There are striking contrasts in style but a uniform grace of line. Here we gather inspiration from the past in Princess, Grecian, and Empire gowns; with the modern trend very evident in severe satin sheaths that alluringly reveal the natural figure-lines. An international fashion authority recently stated: “The new gowns are so alluring. Form-fitting and cut to enhance the gracious feminine silhouette. But under those frocks the outline must bo perfect.” Alas, how many of us have “the perfect figure?”

Very few, unfortunately. Then it is obvious that it is necessary to acquire a perfect foundation garment for these so-revealing frocks. Luckily our corsetieres have set themselves intelligently and scientifically to moot this now fashion demand. The new foundation garments induce the most difficult figure into pleasingly, delicately-curved contours. Support is ’ provided where most needed, yet there is nothing in these supple garments to hamper freedom of movement. Stylos that have appeared to bo difficult” become not merely possible but becoming to an unexpected degree. Remember, then, it’s surves —curves always: * BEAUTY ON EYEBROWS Well-marked eyebrows are a great aid to beauty. If yours are too light in colour, brush them with vaseline every night and in the morning with boric lotion. They will gradually grow darker. While waiting for this desirable result, which takes time, try accentuating the brows with a 6B pencil, which can be bought at an. artists’ shop. It gives softer and more natural results than a proper eyebrow pencil. Train your eyebrows to a good shape and to lie smoothly by brushing them regularly with a clean eyebrow brush just moistened in brilliantine. The brows get clogged with powder, spoiling both colour and growth, unless they are combed frequently. Keep a small pocket-comb for that purpose. Your eyebrowes may be sufficiently dark, but too thin and poor to please you. If so, get some oil of cajepur from the chemist and paint it in. twice a week with a penny water-colour brush. As time goes on you will find them growing thicker and becoming less inclined to fall out. THE HOME LABOUR-SAVERS The daws are past when women were content that the cleaning, washing and cooking work of their home should take ux> th a whole of their time and energy. And very rightly too. Much has been done in the way of fittings in the modern kitchen to eliminate work and needless walking about. The kitchen range is a thing of the past- and has been almost entirely superseded by the gas or electric cook-

er, with a coke-fired or gas-heated boiler to heat the water all over the house. The modern sink of porcelain or teak-wood divided into two compartments is designed to make the use of a washing-up bowl or wash-tub unnecessary. Crockery is washed in the sink itself, rinsed in the second division of the sink, and set on the draining-board for the surplus water to run away. If possible, let the dresser and saucepan shelves, or rack, bo near the sink. These little details save so many steps

in the course of a year. The most practical form of dresser is one that has enclosed cupboards at the bottom, two or three drawers above this, and then a space left between those and the upper shelves which may have glass sliding doors. This gap allows for the lower part to bo used as a tabletop.

In the tiny kitchen of a flat or bungalow. a small, compact kitchen-table-dresser can be used. It is solidly built of wood and. extends to the floor with

a cupboard at one end and three drawers at the other. The top is porcelain enamelled on a steel sheet about three feet six inches long by a little more than half in width. It cannot become stained, nor will it break, and hot pans standing on it will do no harm. A damp cloth will clean it in a minute or so after its cool surface has been used for making pastry. The table has a -wooden flap extension which can be used when more table space is needed. Ordinary kitchen tables can bo obtained with these porcelain-enamel tops. If the cupboard space is at all scarce, it is a good plan to enclose the sink and draining-boards down to the floor, to form three roomy cupboards for the accommodation of all cleaning materials and spare newspapers.

A clothes airing rack, fixed to the ceiling and raised and lowered by pulleys is useful when there arc small children in the house. There is a smaller rack made entirely of wood which can bo rested on any mantelpiece, for holding small garments before the fire while being dried and aired. A tray-wagon is a most useful piece

of furniture which is as welcome in the kitchen as in the dining-room. It will save hundreds of steps between the rooms every day and lightens the work of the house considerably. It should have large rubber-tyred swive’ wheels, so that it runs easily over a carpet and loose rugs, and yet is just as needful for serving tea in the garden. GENERAL SUNLIGHT EFFECTS Many old houses and flats "were once part of a big house, so often have big long windows and they are a problem indeed to curtain in the prettiest and most satisfactory way. The aim and object of everyone is to give , as much as possible, the effect of sunlight into the room, and you can do this by hanging primrose-coloured curtains of some thin material right over your big windows. Net, georgette, or voile of the palest, yellow are suitable materials to use. The effect of sunlight will be all the greater if the walls of the room arc pale yellow, too. By doing this your windows will not seem such a large, blank expanse of coldness, and the effect will be charming with darker and heavier curtains outlining the windows. CONCERNING GEYSERS I have a geyser in my bath-room and I love it! I know that I can get hot water at any time of the day or night, without any effort and in a few minutes. But many of my friends complain about one thing, and I expect hundreds of you have heard the same grouse. Now, it is necessary, for safety’s sake, to turn the geyser off before entering the bath, and so many people complain that they can never judge how much cold wated is necessary to cool the hot water —that invariably they allow too much. But here is a simple remedy:— While running in tho cold water, stir up the bath from the bottom, with a wooden spoon kept for that purpose,

and as soon as you can continue the stirring with your hand. Cold wgter sinks to the bottom and will ruin a hot bath if it is not stirred up. Most of the trouble is caused by the ignorance of this fact, for so many people merely flick the surface of the wather with their fingers to test its heat, while the cold water has been running in. Don’t risk stepping into a bath which is too hot to bear. GOLF SOCKS Here’s a way to convert a pair of woollen stockings into smart golf socks. Cut off the legs of the old socks 11 inches from the base of the heel. Oversow the raw edge of the sock with darning wool to match, then turn a -J inch hem over to the right side and tack.

Now all you need is a few strands of bright-coloured wools —say scarlet, green, and yellow. On the wrong side of the sock —as, of course, the top must be turned over afterwards —work out a row of darningin scarlet wool, over the tacking stitches, then a row of darning in yellow wool. Leave a space of 4 inch and work a row of back-stitch in green; then a space of 1-4 inch and a row of slanting up-and-down stitches in scarlet wool; a 1-4 inch space and another row of green back-stitch; now a 4 inch space again and two more rows of darning in scarlet and yellow. Work some yellow dots between the V’s and the green back-stitch. The gay top looks very chic. NOTES A rolling pin covered with, a clean tea-cloth makes the ironing of sleeves much easier. In this way it is more possible to avoid a crease down the middle of the sleeves than if they arc ironed flat. Beating the white of an egg into a stiff froth is sometimes apt to be rather a long job. You can speed up the process by opening a window or a door a few inches and standing in the draught with the basin and beating briskly. The larger the basin the bettor you can beat. If you add an egg to butter and sugar before creaming it for a cake it will cream in about half the usual time. THE COOK A FEW SAVOURIES Bird-nest Savoury: 7 eggs, 1 tablespoon minced ham; 1 teaspoon parsley; 4 saltspoon salt; 1-4 saltspoon pepper; 4 oz butter. Boil the eggs 15 minutes, then put in cold water. When cold shell and cut them in halves, take out yolks and mash them. Add the other ingredients. Fill the whites with the mixture and press the halves together. Rub them with flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry a nice brown. Serve hot with fried parsley, in the centre of the dish.

Devilled Chicken: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan. Add 1-4 teaspoon each of paprika, pepper and salt, a few grains of cayenne, 2 teaspoons French mustard, a tablespoon piquant sauce and 2 tablespoons chili sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Take the neatly cut chicken joints.- Make incisions in the flesh. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and dredge with flour. Cook for 10 minutes in the sauce. Arrange on a hot dish. Add a gill of stock to the sauce in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour over the chicken.

Ham and Noodles: Take 14 cup minced ham; 14 cups cooked noodles, Oi- macaroni; 3 tablespoons butter;-2-3 cup milk; 1 egg-yolk; pepper; 1-4 cup breadcrumbs. Saute the noodles in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add minced ham and mix well. Put into buttered baking-dish. Heat the milk. Add eggyolk. Season. Pour over the ham and noodles. Sprinkle the crumbs on top with 1 tablespoonful butter. Brown in oven. *