“LET’S GO GOSSIPING.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 9 October 1933, Page 9

“LET’S GO GOSSIPING.”

TH EHOME. (By Mary Tallis). Curtains. —Good window treatment is of the utmost importance to every home. Curtains can make or mar the exterior of a house, and from the inside they should look right, too, because if well done the window treatment will help the room’s decorative scheme tremendously. When considering curtains, remember that although the material used is important almost more so is the way in which they are hung. Don’t put curtains "upon a tape “for the time being.” It is better to leave the curtains down altogether than to put them up in a slovenly manner, and when once they are put up they are seldom altered. Your home will look most attractive if the outside effect is uniform. There are three ways of arranging this. All the curtains can be made of the same material; tho windows can be close covered with net; the curtains can be lined. Although not quite so popular as they were at one time, there is again a certain vogue for lace curflains. These can lie used lor a screen instead of plain net, if preferred. If your home is a small modern one, your best choice will bo among the following: casement cloth, repp, artificial silk, chintz and cretonne. For the more old-fashioned type of house with large windows, use brocade, furnishing serg®, or heavy repp. When thin materials are used they will hang better if lined. Whether to choose a plain material or one with a pattern is often a problem to the housewife. It is a fairly safe general rule to choose plain for the room with a patterned wallpaper and a patterned material for the room with a plain wallpaper. An ideal material for bedroom or nursery curtains can be obtained in a variety of dainty shades both plain and patterned and guaranteed to wash beautifully. Any money spent on patent metal curtain runners and patent curtain tape is money well spent, for when these are used your curtains will hang right from the beginning. Fortunately, patent runners are inexpensive and once the initial cost is paid there is nothing to get out of order. And these special runners are just as suitable for use with a bay as with a straight window, for they are so made that they can be bent to follow the line of the bay. Most ol the patent runners have special roller bearings to which the curtains are attached by hooks. These make the opening or drawing of the curtains easy, for they move on the runners without effort. A special curtain tape is made to use with these, or other fittings. With this tape there is no need to sew on hooks and rings, for there are woven pockets into wflicft these can be slipped. No sewing is necessary, it is the work of a minute to take out the hooks before washing. They can he replaced just as quickly, when tho curtains are ready for hanging again. One point very much in favour of using proper curtain fittings and tapes is the fact that with these the curtains are much less likely to get torn. Make the curtains full enough to hang in easy folds when drawn, for nothing spoils the look of a room more than curtains which have to be strained to make them cover the window. The length you make the curtains is most important, too. Casement curtains should reach the sill, hut not lie on it. In a low room height can be given by hanging curtains which just reach to the floor. All curtain treatments should be finished with a pelmet or a frill. A pelmet should be made when heavy materials are used, and a frill for the lighter ones. CROCHET.

Crochet this Collar. —This dainty little collar makes the cutest finish to a plain jumper or woollen frock. Materials : ?)oz. fine-spun Angora wool and a No. 12 crochet hook. Measurements : Round neck edge, 14in.; depth, sin. Abbreviations: St., stitch; eh., chain; d.c., double crochet; tr., treble; long tr., long treble (work as for treble, but putting wool twice over hook and finishing like a treble, that is, put the hook under the wool and draw through two loops at a time, until only cne is left). Make 33 eh. Ist row: Miss 2 eh., then 1 d.c. in each of tire first 7 s!s.; 1 tr. in each of the next 12 sts., and 1 long tr. in each of the remaining 12 sts. 2nd. row : (4 cli. to stand for first long tr.) then 11 long tr; 12 tr.; and 8 d.c. 3rd. row : (2 ch. to stand for first d.c.) then 7 d.c., 12 tr., then 12 long tr. Repeat 2nd and 3 id rows until neck edge measures 14in., or larger if desired (there were 80 rows to the original collar). Fasten off and darn in end neatly. For the tie, make a length of chain 14in. and work 1 tr. into each st. Fasten off. Make another strip the same. Sew one strip to top edge of each side of collar. Lightly press collar with a dry cloth if Angora wool is used, or a damp cloth if worked in ordinary wool. PALMERSTON NORTH GUIDES. MEETING OF~EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the executive of the Palmerston North Girl Guides was held on Friday, when Mrs G. A. Eliott presided, there being also present Mesdames Aitchison, Wimsett, Tottman and Bennett and Misses McLngan and Warren. Apologies for absence were received from Mesdames Whyte, Rodgers, King, Carrutliers and Misses Warburton and Grant. Mrs Eliott announced that Mrs Tweed (provincial commissioner) had reported favourably on the Palmerston North Guides. It was decided to hold the Labour Day training camp on a site near Fitzherbert bridge if fine, and in St. Andrew’s Hall should the weather be unfavourable. G.uiders are expected to be in attendance from Ohakune, Raetihi, Palriatua and Woodville in addition to the local troop and several offers had been made to billet the visitors. An invitation was extended the executive members to visit the camp. Tentative arrangements were made to hold a garden party in December to augment the funds to provide headquarters for the district. Mrs Grant Sim wrote expressing her pleasure in accepting the office of vice-president. Mrs H. F. Wilson was added to the executive.^ A vote of sympathy v«ith Mrs P. F, O’Connor in her recent bereavement was expressed. PUBLIC SERVICES QUEEN. DANCE AT HOKOWHITU. On Thursday evening a most enjoyable dance was held in the Hokowlritu Hall as a result of which the Public Services Queen funds will benefit considerably. The queen (Miss Kathleen Richards) was introduced to those present and received a warm welcome. Music was supplied by the Public Service Orchestra and the supper arrangements were in the hands of Mesdames F. Bennett and W. Huntingdon and helpers. A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Miss Bradley and partner.