The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-07
HOUSEHOLD HINTS

selves to either a simple or an ornate
style
A set of clamps operated by a lever tt
draw them together and a notched bal
to hold them has been invented by a
Pennsylvania man to facilitate the join.
ing OF belt ends.
| Many houses are showing designs in
peads or in a beaded effect, secured by
French knots. These latter are very
new and are worked in silk or heavy
cotton and in contrasting colors.
! Skirts of new tailored costumes con-
| tinue straight and close. Later it is prob
able that wide silk bands will assume
| greater Importance as an adornment on
skirts as well as on coats.
Straw Jack Tar hats are already in
| the shops for boys, intended probably
for the little tourists going south. Some
times the brims are different in color
| from the square crowns.
Fiat little pump bows of Irish lace
| against tiny wings of pleated hemstitched
wear, and small bows of black velvet or
| black satin still head jabotS.
| Many blouses match the suit in color,
and braid. crocheted buttons and the
| touch of black satin are the favored
| forms of trimming. They are generally
made of crepe de chine or of satin. and
have narrow crushed girdles attached
A popularity of the pearl fisheries of
| Ceylon is their irregularity. For six con-
secutive years prior to 1908 they were
profitable, but since then every year has
been a failure, and no more successful
fishing is expected until 1915.
Distinctly new and fetching among the
fascinating fabrics for childrens frocks
are the hand-embroidered' cotton mar
Guisettes that have an eYelet design.
These have a white crown with the en-
broidery done in all the usual colors.
Tailored coats continue to be cut on
loose, straight lines, and are of length
best fitted to the figure: generally they
end just below the hips or half-length.
A pleasing variety is seen in the length
of the small sleeves and the shape of
collars and revers.
To make thin curtains hang evenly
when finished make the casing for the
curtain rod first, insert the rod and hang
the material from the fixtures Now draw
down the window shade as far as you
wish the curtains to come when finished.
With the bottom of the shade as a guide
you may haste or very carefully pin the
hem. and when it is finished the curtains
will look straight
busters" when housecleaning. Dampen
two cheesecloth busters with the oil and
shut them up in a tip pail with a cover
on il for twenty-four hours: then they
will be ready for use Use one for
furniture, &C, the other for hardwood,
linoleum and such things. They will take
up dust without spreading it again, and
will not leave streaks, like a freshly
dampened cloth
When children's clothes need altering
the work may be facilitated greatly by
bringing all the garments to one room
and having the children try on the cloth
ing at one time In a family where
there are several girls this will be found
less irkSome for the children. Have a
pad of paper and a pencil ready, and, as
each garment is tried on, write on slip
Of the paper what is to be done; then pin
the slip to the garment
Allow time to mark curtains when TAX
ink them down in the spring to be laun-
dered. When they are to be put up again
there will be so little trouble in sorting
them. for the different windows that you
will he well rewarded. The best way to
mark them is to write the names of the
rooms on tape with inde1ble ink and
sew the tapes to the right-hand upper
corner of each curtain. If a room-say,
the living room-has two or more win
dOwS. mark one pair OF curtains l. r.
No. l, another pair L. r. No. ., &c.
A rainy-day bag will make the time
pass pleasantly for a little girl who has
the bag given her to play with on wet
days only, when she cannot play out
doors. The bag itself should be made
of a pretty piece of cretonne covered.
say, with Kate Greenaway figures. It
should have long double draw-strings.
IN = rciI Oh h.
toys: a ball, small animals, a string OF
spools. some bright pictures. and various
little odds and ends added from time to
time without the chld's knowledge.
By using sponges in housekeeping It
is possible to save much trouble and
avoid that endless litter Of dirty cloths
which is so common. Buy two 10 cent
SpongeS and use them in this way: Have
the first one in a pail of water in which
some good soap has-been dissolved; have
the second in a basin of clean water
Use the first sponge for the dirty work
and go over the same places with the
second one, taking from the clean water.
When buying the spongeS choose close,
solid ones, as they are easier to manage.
A pretty awning for a kitchen window
may be made this way: Open a large, |
strong barrel hoop and nail the ends on
each side of the window casing, about
six inches above the lower sash. Drive
a row of nails in the top of the casing |
and lace strong cords or wire from the |
nails to the hoop. In well-prepared !
ground below the window on each side |
plant seeds of morning glories, cypress |
vines, scarlet-runner beans or any
vines. Train these vines |
up to the hoop by means OF cords and |
then over the network.
There is no right way to wash blan-
kets, and it is just as easy to follow as
the wrong way. Start by cutting up half |
1 cake of good white soap and dissolving
t in hot water. Pour this into enough
cold water to cover the blankets, and add |
TWO ounces of powdered borax. Soak the
blankets overnight in this solution. In
he morning squeeze most of the water
rom them, and rinse them thoroughly in
>old water in which little borax has
been dissolved. Rinse finally in bluing
water, but do not wiring or squeeze them
his last time; simply hang out to drain
Ind dry in the sunshine. Hang the blan-
lets by the side, and change to the other
iide when partly dry. Blankets washed
his way will not shrink and will be light
md fluffy.
To wash pillows place on the stove a
arge clothes boiler and measure the
water as you fill it For each five gal
ons of water allow one bar of good
aundry soap. Dissolve the soap, and
when the water is tepid immerse a single
,iIlowtick. feathers and all If the tick
ng Is much soiled, or IL the water Is
lard. add household ammonia in the pro-
,ortion of a tablespoonful to gallon OF
water. Allow the pillow to boil for
wenty minutes; then, having ready a