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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1908)
The Home Dressmaker and the Winter Wraps WHEN the family purse is looking a trifle slim, the problem of the Winter wrap Is always doubly serious, and I have received a number of letters requesting- help in its solu tion. "What is the best investment for a semi-dressy wrap this season?" writes on correspondent. "I have looked In all the shops for a reasonably priced coat," writes another, "and I rouM find nothing I would have under $31.00. I simply cannot pay this price, and as 1 am handy with both machine and needle, do you not think I could do better than this by making the coat at home?" These two questions are worth an- ewerlng In detail. Certainly the best investment for a semi-dressy urap. by which I think my correspondent means a wrap which can be worn over a number of one-piece or two-piece dresses to church, calling, receptions and perhaps even to the theater or evening function over an evening (own, Is something lone, sim ple and Inconspicuous. The separace wrap Is, above all things, long and trracefuL Simplicity of design Is less pt to attract attention and prove that Its wearer has but one good outdoor wrap, than the more pronounced pat terns, loaded with trimmings. And the inconspicuous coloring, such as black, a soft, reliable mode of tan. or a be coming subtle gray. Is sure to combine well with almost any coloring of (owns. Generally speaking I think there is no wrap for such use that can compare with a semi-fitted long coat or cloak of black broadcloth so trimmed with fine silk braid and handsome buttons that it can be worn with semi-tailored gowns on the street, and by the addi tion of a striking lace collar will be transformed Into an evening wrap. , Next to black broadcloth comes vel vet, and this is particularly effective over silk or broadcloth suits. It is not no good, however, over coarse cloth mixtures, Silk wraps are never a good investment for the woman who must use one coat or cloak very hard during an entire season, and neither is silk a warm enoush fabric for the average climate In this country. So much for the first question. Now for the second. The success of making an oxjter gar ment at home depends upon two things the tailoring ability of the home sewer and the quality of fabric em ployed. The woman who Imagines that she can cut the price of a thirty-dollar garment in two by making It at home is greatly mistaken. She will do won derfully If she gets It for twenty dol lars. This ten dollar saving does not represent the retailer's profit by any means, because the retailer pays for the wholesaler's labor and "style." Say you wish to duplicate a black broadcloth wrap trimmed with heavy sHk braid and ornaments. Just what will It cost? For a coat In two-Thirds or three-fourths length you will re quire at least four yards of broadcloth. F2 Inches wide. If you are very tall and you use the full length sleeve now ' Good form and Self Control SELF-CONTROL. Is first aid to so cial success. Occasionally, or more properly speaking rarely, you will meet a social leader who seems to fairly blaze her way by the aid of an ungov ernable temper, a sharp tongue and a hauteur which Is maddening to all who feel obliged to bow to her. But In such a case this leadership Is due not to the inborn right to lead but to the possession of greater wealth than all her neighbors, political power held by her husband, charities dispensed with royal prodipallty or other purely extraneous claims to leadership. She Is despised and feared, and her supremacy Is always menaced bv a woman whose charms and social power come from within. W all remember the story of a famous hostess who to relieve the em barrassment of a man guilty of break ing one of her finest cups, deliberately dropped the one she was using and acted as if the entire catastrophe was a mere trifle. It is hardly necessary to go to such lengths to reassure a guest, but the hostess who can forget her own loss and annoyance t the .careless but entirely unintentional mishap to her property at the hand of a guest is the woman who has mastered this first aid to good form. Not long ago at a reception a man. hastening to relieve his hos;tess of a cup of tea she had Just poured, spilled some of the amber-colored fluid on her delicately tinted satin house frock. With a mechanical smile she accepted Ms abject apologies, but the women present saw an ominous flush stealing up under her lace collar. When lier daughter, a minute or so later, ap prcKwhed the tea table she hissed: "Never ask that man here again. lie's a boor." The next dav, when a skilful maid had removed all trace of the stain and the liobtess had utterly forgotten her unnecessary comment on the awkward guest, the story was being repeated all 1 1. rough th dratking-rooms of their set by tattling women, the better appreciated bit ause the awkward young man's en ticement to the daughter of a famous Munclor had been announced In ttie morning papers. When his hostess of t!i day before heard this news and the fa it that her sharp speech was being re peat".! a!! over town, she was in the il-pth.3 of humiliation. Hoar In mind that the woman who ccine to your home with a spiteful bit of gosip. some ugly remark which Mrs. S. ami-,-'-, lias made about you. will itirry w iijttover you say in response straight to Mrs. So-and-So. Here is your ciiar.ie to exert self-control and give 1;t nothing to tarry. Tou can turn aside the b t of gossip by talking of something else, or even by saying that you are sorry Mrs. So-and-So feels so hardly to nard you. as you like to have friends amor.g your own sex. Perhaps the same woman will come mother day and tell you that the Mon day Morning Club has blackballed your l-.ame when proposed for membership. Now. do not. If you value your social future, tell the miserable tattler what you thtnk of the club and Its members individually. She will repeat all that y.n:i say with flounces and fringes. More than likely the club has not yet taken Action on your application, and the caller is merely retailing Idle rumors. But if It goes bark to the club that you consider all Its members social climbers ami the club a gaOiering of, would-be in favor you may require even more, according to the pattern selected. This will cost $10.00. Your lining, in a qual ity of satin which will wear will cost you at least 36.00 more, for it does not pay to use flimsy satin for lining, and taffeta is little used in coat linings this year. Add to this at least S5.00 for findings, cords, braids, buttons, etc. and some outsido tailoring which is abso lutely essential to the correct fit and set of the garment. So, you see. without your time and labor, you will invest at least 321.00, showing a saving of fS.Od on the In vestment. And to make this a real satisfactory saving you must exercise great care in the tailoring and finish of the garment. Important points to be considered are the stitching and pressing of the wrap. Use heavy' pelf-tone sewing silk for stitching and be sure that your machine Is perfectly adjusted. If the stitch pulls, or drops, or the tension is too tight or too loose, you will not have a tailored garment. Never use cotton thread in any part of the stitching. Unless you have plenty of length, do not attempt to press the garment. A nearby tailor will do this for a trifle and get better results. If you do your own pressing, remember that the seams must be pressed on both sides, on the upper side by covering the cloth with a plainly woven dampened fab ric that will leave no mark of the weave on your broadcloth. That means that you must not employ a piece of honeycomb toweling, which will leave diamond-shaped markings all over the cloth. A slender woman must always canvas her coat, and if the snug-fitting tail ored look is to be secured, canvas must be nsed for any and all figures. Io not buy small and unimportant-looking buttons or braid ornaments for a large wrap. A couple of large, handsome but tons will give better results than a number of small, cheap-looking ones, and big, braid ornaments must be em ployed on the large cloaks now in vogue. Sleeves are either very fussy or se verely plain. The long, plain sleeve fits the arm like a glove and Is fitted Into the arm s eye with gussets in stead of pleats. It also comes down over the hand almost to the knuckles. The fancy sleeves are cut in oddly shaped pieces, but show very little gathering or pleating. The fancy ef fect Is secured by the application of braid. Another feature of the season's wraps is the preponderance of short-waisced effects. Boleros are often used to se cure this, scheme, or a bolero effect Is simulated by the application of braid. A novelty in lining for wraps to be used for dressy wear Is the white, pale gray, or delicate mode lining which will not eoll light frocks, run to the waist line only, and then the tails of the long coat or wrap are lined with self-tone. For Instance, a black broadcloth wrap to be worn with light waist or frock will be lined through the sleeves and waist section with white satin and the tails with black satin. Heaviness is the general attribute of the up-to-date wrap, as will be seen by refering to today's illustrations cop- led from some of the smartest wraps on exhibit at late Fall openings. MART DEAN. literary lights, the blackballing will fall to your lot without fail. Just wait until the friend who pro posed your name for membership noti fies you of tlie result. Plenty of time then to express your optnion of the club which does not desire you as a member. The word you do not speak today cannot turn to sting you tomor row. If Mrs. Jones-Smith is sending out in vitations for her daughter's wedding and you fail to get a card, though you went to school with that daughter, do not run over to Mrs. Blank-Dash's and tell her what you think of the ungrateful Jones Smith set. Perhaps, after the bitter words are spoken, Mrs. Jones-Smith may call you by phone and tell you that the full quota of envelopes did not accom pany the Invitations, and as you were one of the old family friends your in vitation was held up a day. And. what is more, you must be sure to come over to the dinner given to Myra's wedding tarty. Of course, Mrs. Jones-Smith should either have seen that the full comple ment of envelopes was delivered, or held up her Invitations a day, but you were as hasty as Mrs. Jones-Smith and less ex cusable. You will now try to take back what you said to Mrs. Blank-Dash, but already she has gone down to market and repeated your sharp speech to her dearest friend. Mrs. aNathan Brown and there you are. all in a stew for the lack of a little self-control. Many a girl has lost her sweetheart because she flew at him hysterically for being late in calling to take her to a dance. She may miss a dance or two, hut what is that compared to losing the respect, I was almost going to say the reverence of a good man? Do try to exercise self-control, girls. It is a finer social asset than pink cheeks, French frocks and a motor-car of your own. PRL'DENTB STANDISH. CoaTcnlcnt Cooking Time-Table. BROILING. Thin fish. 5 to 8 minutes. Thick fish 12 to 15 minutes. Thin steak. S minutes. Thick steak. 10 to II minutes. Umb chops, medium thick. 8 minutes. Young chicken. 20 minutes. BAKING. Plain cake, 10 to 40 minutes. Sponge cake, B0 to 60 minutes. Gingerbread, 30 minutes. Bread jems. 30 minutes Rolls. 10 to 15 minutes. Pie crust. 30 to 40 minutes. Biscuits. 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies, 10 to 15 minutes. Itmb or mutton, per pound, 15 minutes. Ribbed roast beef, per pound, 12 to 15 minutes. Chicken, 3 to 5 pounds. 1 to 2 hours. Tame duck, 45 to 60 minutes. Wild duck. SO to 45 minutes. I-arce birds, 30 minutes. Small birds, 15 minutes. BOILING. Hominy. 2 to 4 hours. Rice, In double boiler. 1 hour. Rice, in boiling water, 20 minutes. Oatmeal, 1 hour. Chicken. 2 hours, simmering. Beef, a la mode. 3 to 4 hours. Corned beef. 6 to hours, simmering. Ham. medium slxe, 5 hours. Smoked towKue, 4 hours. Turkey. amaJI. 3 hours. Cod, per pound. 6 minutes, flams. 3 to 5 minutes. Bluefish. per pound. 10 minutes. Finnan Haddle. per pound. 6 minutes. Sslmnn and Halibut, per pound, ' 15 minutes. SIMPLE SEMI-FITTED Trifles That Very wide chiffon veils in soft, be coming shades of tan and grayish green, embroidered or appllqued with very large dots of a deeper shade and finished with a broad fold of soft satin to match the dots. These are used for draping plain felt hats for outing purposes. High back-combs showing . amber overlaying tortoise-shell or vice versa. Directoire coats, with the long, swallow-tail effect, made of black lace or fancy braids, very transparent, to wear over evening gowns. Directoire revers. ready embroid ered and braided, with cunts and pock et lapels to match any of the Fall colorings. The Mary Garden barettes for the hair, extremely large, two incnes or more In width anu four Inches long. To wear with these are fancy snell pieces for the fr-nt of the hair in fila gree shell patterns, Greek borders and lattice work. They are intended to help support the heavy masses of false hair now worn under the huge nats. One-piece dresses lined with chamois to do away with a heavy coat These dresses are Intended for fashi table affairs, and with them it is only neces BOLERO EFFECT DONE WITH COAT, SMART Are Seen in sary to wear a set of handsome furs and an elaborate hat. Sliver sandwich trays. A charming wedding present, consisting of a large silver plate In filigree work set upon a short standard. In silver-plated on white metal they are not very expen sive. Dotted net veils to be worn over the large hats, finished with a silk fringe, not over an inch in depth around three sides of the veil. This fringe must match the color of the veil exactly, and must be of soft silk, not of chenile. Butterfly designs in evening silks, vestlngs and hair ornaments. In the evening silks the coloring is soft grays, blues, with just dashes of soft, burnt orange, and other dull combinations. The vestlngs are gay in colorings, while the hair ornaments are Jeweled, span gled, etc. For street wear the one or two-button glove in what is known as leather-colored kid. For evening wear and formal afternoon occasions, white kid gloves are worn. Black glove3 are for mourning only. Smart stationery In pale and faded shades only. Foreign paper comes in pure white, with envelopes of the same BRAID. DIRECTOIRE COAT BRAIDING. the Shops paper lined with brilliant hues, such as purple, scarlet, green and blue. Shaded chiffon veils that run in col orings from the palest shade of tan to a seal brown; from a blue white to a deep navy; from a faded Nile green to a deep bottle, etc They can:iot be made In this country, and. like all Imported novelties, are expensive. Macaroni and Cheese on Toast. Have ready a cup full of macaroni which has been boiled In salt water and cut up rather finely. This means a cup full after cooking, not before, and the pieces should be half an inch or more in length. Melt a tablespoon full of butter in a skillet and add one tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until well mixed. Add gradually half a cup of sweet thin cream and cook two min utes. Add quarter teaspoon of salt, a dash of cayenne pepper and quartet teaspoon of mustard. Into this sauce stir first your macaroni, then half a pound of mild American cheese, grated. Stir and simmer gently until the cheese has melted, then turn the mixture out on triangles of toasted bread. Serve at once. WITH MODIFIED SHEATH SKIRT MODEL IN Vacation Days and Abuse of the Hair MY DESK is literally piled high with letters from all over the country written by girls telling me of the ravages which the Summer sun has worked upon their hair. It is now too late to apply the never-failing ounce of prevention. The harm has been done, and one cure will not work for all. The girl who has been to the seashore and saturated her hair with salt water every day, then dried it in the broiling sun, finds her tresses streaked and her scalp itchy and dry. Her case is gener ally the most deplorable of all. ' Let her begin work at once, and she should not cease in her efforts until she has restored her hair to Its natural gloss and health. If the hair Is dark brown or black, 'and has faded streaks thrdugh it from salt water and sun, I know of no safer cure than touching up these streaks with an herb lotion. This is not a dye, but is made of freshly gathered garden herbs. First shampoo the head, using a Castile soap Jelly, and then dry in the sunlight. Apply the herb lotion nightly 'with a toothbrush until .the desired shade is acquired. Take two ounces of green tea and two ounces of - freshly dried garden sage. Put them in an iron pot (no other" kind of a pot will do) and pour over them three quarts of boiling hot water. Let it simmer on the back of the stove until reduced to one quart; remove from the fire and let it stand in the Iron pot for 24 hours. Strain, bottle and apply as directed above. Red hair which has become streaked can be restored by using henna paste. The hair must be divided Into strands and then covered with the paste thoroughly. The paste should be left on for two hours, then washed off several times In warm water to which a few drops of ammonia have been added, and the hair dried in the sun. ' Henna raste One-quarter pound of powdered henna, 4 drachms of aceilc acid, 4 drachms of white honey and 4 drachms of powdered rhubarb. Gloves should be worn while applying any of these color ing matters. Now, to restore the broken ends of hair. With this condition the hair is generally very brittle all over. First Hinge the hair, and to do this the hair must be divided into long strands end Ithese strands twisted very tightly, then rub the hair from the bottom of the twist upward so that the broken ends will stick out. With a lighted taper run up and down the twisted strand, singeing off all broken ends. The next step Is to mas sage the scalp with pure olive oil or yellow vaseline. Yes, I know this is dis agreeable and makes the hair oily, but all medicine is not sugar-coated! But scalp massage is the secret of keeping the hair healthy and making it grow. It is not necessary to go to a beauty parlor you can do it yourself each night in your cosy room, and if you persist, in a very short time you will find gratifying results. Before dressing the hair and when tak ing it down, shake it out loosely, letting The Real Way to Fumigate IF YOU live in the country or where there is no board of health to fumi gate for you after a contagious dis ease, it is well to know how to do it for vourself. Some persons think their duty done It a few sticks of sulphur are burned in a room, even after such diseases as scarlet fever ' or diphtheria. Unless properly used, sulphur is quite inef fective. The room must be airtight. This does not mean doors and windows closed, but practically hermetically sealed. If possible, shut the windows so that they can be opened from the out side. It makes it easier on the one who must open the room after fumiga tion. Have An hand plenty of cotton bat ting cut Into strips three or four inches wide. This should- be stuffed into all cracks around the doors and windows and in the keyholes Cover a register or fireplace -with unbleached muslin tacked or pasted tight over the opening, to prevent the fumes from escaping. An old-fashioned blower can be used In the fire place if the edges are stuffed tight. Open bureau drawers and closets and open and hang up bedding and any un derclothing that may have been left In the room. Toilet articles of silver or brass fur nishings should not be used in a Blck room, as sulphur will ruin them. If they have been used, wash them off carefully with carbolic acid solution or some other disinfectant, and re move them before fumigating. Buy rolled sulphur and break it into small pieces. Every 500 cubic feet of air space will take about a pound and three-quarters of sulphur. Three pounds to a room ten feet square will answer. Remember that the effect of the fumes Is heightened by moisture, so have ves sels of water standing in the room and hang up wet sheets. The Iron pot in which sulphur Is burned can also be stood in a pan of water. A small preserving kettle should be stood in a deep dishpan and both raised from the floor by inverted flower pots or bricks. If the sulphur is saturated with alco hol it will burn better. It is well to in vestigate at the end of a half hour or the sulphur may not have ignited. Do not open the room for 34 hours. If you cannot get at the windows from the outside, cover the mouth and nose with a damp cloth until the window is reached, and have a strong draught blowing from the hall. Let the room air a day before using again, and wash off the woodwork and floor with a solution of carbolic acid aiyl water in the proportion of a table spoonful of the acid to a gallon of hot water. For scarlet fever or diphtheria bed ding should be burned or sent to be re covered. All toys that cannot be washed should be burned, and books as well. Scarlet fever has been taken from books after 30 years. Fresh paper should be put on the walls. It Is not enough to fumigate a room and forget the mother or nurse. Before Joining the rest of the family she should take a disinfecting bath and thoroughly wash off her hair with it also. The the air get to the ' scalp. Now dip the fingers In the oil Just the finger tips place the finger tips at the forehead where the hair first appears, and grad ually work them backward over the sculp in a circular motion. At each turn let the fingers press deeply enough to move the scalp and work the oil Into the roots. Then, with the same circular motion, still moving the scalp, begin at the ba.se of the neck and work forward over the head to the forehead. About 15 minutes should be spent in this manner every morning and night. Then, too, there is the girl who has neglected her hair and it has become thin and needs stimulating. For this is needed a good tonic, which must be mas saged into the scalp. A very excellent quinine tonic has been given in these columns many times, but any reader who has not seen It and desires it can have a copy of It if he will send me a stamped and self -addressed envelope. Red hair, which was so fashionable for many years, seems to have gone out of fashion, and the girl who has been trying to keep her hair in Titian hues will do well to let it get back to Its nat ural color. Nothing but time will do this. This should be a lesson to the girls who never have dyed their hair but who "are Just crazy to do It" Once you dye your hair you are a. slave to the habit for years, for it must be kept up constantly. No dye Is permanent, and nothing Is quite so unsightly as a girl whose hair Is half one color and half another. White hair, once so unfashionable,' has now become quite the rage, and many of our smartest women who have been ap pearing In raven locks for past years are now pure white. To keep white hair looking well it should be shampooed very often and rinsed in water to which has been added a little common washing blue. This takes away that yellow tinge so common and unsightly. Elderly wonin do not care to shampoo their heads very often, and a dry shampoo is sometimes very effective in keeping the hair rure white and fluffy in appearance. I will gladly send such a shampoo upon receipt of a stamped and self-addressed envelope. This dry shampoo Is also very excellent for blondes. Throw all your curling irons out of the window This is honest advice. They have done more harm to the hair of the 20th century woman than any instrument known in the dark ages. Jf Nature did not give you wavy locks, then help Na ture by using a simple curling fluid. Dampen the hair with the following fluid and put It up on kid curlers over night. I do not advise the use of this fluid more than twice a week, however: Gum tragacant'a ounce Rose water 1 Pint Oil of almonds Vz drachm Crush the gum tragacanth tine, and pour it into the rose water. Stand in a warm place, stirring occasionally, till the gum swells and softens. Strain it twice, first throush cheesecloth, then through coarse lawn; add the almond oil and bot tle. KATHERINB MORTON. physician will tell you what to use. One tablet of bichloride of mercury to three pints of water Is excellent. Every Novice Should Know. That orange juice with cracked ice can often be taken by a patient who can retain nothing else. That orange Juice, being laxative, is excellent in most sick rooms: is some times even prescribed for typhoid fever patients. That chocolate, though nourishing., often causes dyspepsia when the diges tion is weak. That the nervous patient should have eight or nine hours of sleep. r That sleep will be slow in coming If the sick person is allowed to have com pany Just before bedtime or listens to exciting reading. That one should never ask a sick per son, "What can, I do for you?" That dainty service often counts more than quality or variety in the invalid's meals. That the nurse should never save steps when the patient's appetite is capricious. A small portion often tempts where a larger one nauseates. An extra trip to the kitchen is better than heaped up trays. That a sick room should never be made a thoroughfare or gathering place for the family. That sponging with alcohol and water will reduce fever several degrees. That, If possible, a patient should be Induced to give up tea and coffee dur ing convalescence. In a weakened con dition they are apt to induce nervous ness and sleeplessness. That having a patient hold her breath will often prevent a spasm of coughing. That toast water is a soothing and healing drink during attacks of bron chitis. That persons subject to rheumatism or weak heart should not take baths that are ice cold. Jeweled Tassels the Newest Kad. One of the barbaric pieces of jewelry that has recently been brought into first fashion Is the three-inch tassel of pre cious stones. One may at first wonder how such an ornament can be used, but once seen one is convinced that the ornament is not only beautiful, but very u-.uch to be de sired.. X The tassels are sometimes in loops, or in single strands like fringe. They are mounted on a ball studded with the same Jewels, or on a slide of gold which lias a tiny opening at top. However they are made, this is the way they are worn. They are mounted on the two ends of a quarter-Inch piece of velvet ribbon. This may be black, red. blue or green. It Is worn round the neck at the base of the collar, one end turned under, then over the other enci. so that the two tassels fall apart. One is about two Inches above the other. Saving; Time. "Well." bawled the bill collector In the hallway below, through the mouthpiece pertaining to the occupant of the top flat, "are you ready to settle that little account? Will It be of any use for me to climb the stairway? Why don't you speak up?" "Because, sir." answered a soft, gen tle voice through the tube. "I am try- ' - Cnak down. No. it won't be of any use." Chicago Tribune.
