Plastic Film

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 83, Issue 4, 15 October 1951, Page 313

Plastic Film

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TRANSPARENT or semi-transparent plastic films are at present available by the yard in most softgoods stores, and as they have attractive patterns, handsome gifts can be made from them. In this article Nell Macpherson, Rural Sociologist,, Department of Agriculture, Auckland, describes the making of some plastic articles which do not need to be sewn.

PLASTIC film has certain properties which are most useful. It is waterproof, non-porous, resistant to soiling, does not require ironing, and may be laundered by wiping with a damp cloth. However, as it is a film and not a fabric, every hole made in it weakens it. This necessitates special sewing methods which have been described in previous articles in the “Journal”. It is inflammable, but not more so than most fabrics made of either natural or synthetic fibres. Because it is waterproof and resistant to soiling, it is especially suited to use where there are young children in a family, as it saves time and energy in washing when children spill liquids over it.

Table Cover To make a plastic table cover take l{-yds. of 36in. plastic film and scallop the edges. Cut a pattern for the scallops by tracing round the edge of a saucer as shown in the illustration below. The size of the scallops may be varied by the size of the object traced; for example, an ink bottle makes a small scallop. Place the pattern on the folded plastic film and hold it with paper clips. Cut out the scallops, and the table cover is made. It will resist both water paints and inks. Tray Cloths and Wagon Cloths Measure the tray or wagon to be covered and cut oblongs in floral plastic film to fit them. These “cloths”

remain clean for a long time, but if anything is spilt on them, they should be wiped with a cloth wrung out in warm water. The ease with which these covers are cleaned saves work when invalid or convalescent children have to be nursed. Similarly a plain sheet of plastic, say, 36in. x 18in., is useful as a cover for a convalescent’s bed. This cover protects bedding from becoming soiled and when it is spread on a bed a child can colour pictures or paste cutouts in a book. Bread Cloth When bread has to be kept over the weekend it tends to dry out after a day or two. A sheet of plastic wrapped round the bread seems to keep it fresh for a longer time and at the same time keeps it clean. Plastic sheets are invaluable at the beach. They can be used for picnic cloths which will not let the sand through and wrappers for wet swim suits and towels. A quick dip in cold

water will clean them and they may be hung to drain over a clothes-line. As plastic is waterproof, wrappers containing wet swimming clothes will not damp those things with which they come in contact; nor do they take as long to dry as canvas bags. Lunch Wrap A piece of plastic 18in. x 18in. makes an excellent wrap for a school lunch. The sandwiches do not dry as much as they do in other wraps, and moist sandwiches, such. as those made with scrambled eggs, can be carried without any leakage. If the initials of the owner are glued on to the plastic, the wrap is easily identified. Any good waterproof glue will fix the initials. Table Mats Table mats can be made of either light plastic film or the heavier weight, which is very similar to American cloth in appearance. The advantage of using the heavier film is that it is more heat resistant than the light and will not crinkle or crepe even if a hot plate is placed on it. These mats may be any size, but with a squared pattern, as in those illustrated, Ilin. x 9in. is a useful size for a place setting. Book Covers and Bookmarks With the pretty patterns of plastic at present available pleasing bookmarks and book covers can be made. They consist simply of straight pieces of plastic cut to the correct size. Gifts Made by Using Glue Many other gifts can be made by using glue. Tube glue of the type used for making model aeroplanes is probably the most suitable. A motif or a decorative border may be glued on to plain plastic to brighten a cloth for a child’s high chair. These borders are attractive additions to table centres and runners and dressingtable mats. A useful.gift for a person who does much travelling is a plastic stocking bag. The one illustrated is made from a strip of plastic 18in. x 9in. and will hold 4 to 6 pairs of stockings. One

end is folded over the other, leaving 3in. free for a closing flap. The edges are glued together and turned to the front and glued down. A decorative border is then glued on to the flap. A brush and comb bag and a shoe bag may be made in the same way . There are many other ways of using plastic film, and shower, kitchen, or bathroom curtains can be made with a sewing machine. Following are the mam points m the technique of sewing plastic:— Holes in plastic weaken the film, and tears often start from them, so the fewer holes made the better. A long stitch with loose tension is therefore advisable.

Two rows of stitching should not be placed close together. The seams should not be finished in any of the nqiia ] wavs Thev should be merelv nL+i.7 y merely mm neauy. If the plastic film sticks a little in the sewing a drop of machine oil along the line of sewing will make it move easily. Pins, of course, should never be used, as they make holes, but adhesive cellulose tape, stamp hinges, or weights such as pennies could be used to hold the pattern in place. Do not tack the edges, but use paper clips to hold them together for sewing.

Substitutes for Sugar and Cooking Chocolate

SUBSTITUTING honey for sugar and cocoa for cooking chocolate enables the housewife to try new recipes or vary old ones. Cooking chocolate has been unobtainable in New Zealand for some time, but many delectable recipes from overseas demand its use. Honey, because it is relatively expensive and sometimes scarce, is not usually substituted for sugar, but it is very useful when sugar is in short supply or to give new and interesting flavours to cakes, biscuits, and puddings. Honey for Sugar Honey is a little sweeter than sugar and more compact; about a sixth of its bulk is water. To replace 1 cup of sugar in a recipe use 2/3 cup of honey and reduce the amount of liquid by 3 tablespoons. If only a small proportion of honey is used—example, J cup of honey and f cup of sugar— adjustment of quantity or liquid need be made. Honey which has become hard and crystalline should be melted over hot water before it is measured or it will

not pack closely into the cup and the measurement will be inaccurate. Heating or greasing the cup or spoon makes the honey pour in and out more easily. Honey makes foods darker, moister, and a little sweeter. Cocoa for Cooking Chocolate Cooking chocolate, dark and unsweetened, is made in large blocks or loz. squares. Cocoa is made by extracting fat (cocoa butter) and moisture from raw chocolate, so these two constituents must be replaced. The smooth texture of the true chocolate cannot quite be achieved. For loz. (one square) of chocolate substitute 3 level measuring tablespoons (|oz.) of cocoa and J level measuring tablespoon (Joz.) of butter. Heat the butter with 1 tablespoon of water, stir in the cocoa, . and cook the mixture for a moment or two. It must be watched carefully as it is likely to burn.

—NORMA K. METSON,

Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Wellington