Evening star., 1940-12-15
Hobbies and Lobbyists
News of Activities Here and Nearby
By Edmond Henderer.

4ilC 4u1l SIOIy VI tIlC dVOCdtlUIl
Of Mrs. Robert Rands might well
be termed the evolution of hobby.
For many years. one spare time
interest has led directly to another.
The story starts in Java, where
MI. and Mrs. Rands lived for three
years. There, Mrs. Rands became
interested in the native art of
making batik. AS you may know,
batik is the name given to a process
of producing a colored design, or
pattern, on cloth, by blocking out
portions with hot wax, and also
to the cloth so colored. Not many
colors are used, and those on the
finest pieces are produced by native
dyes. However, even a three-color
piece represents long hours and
days of work.
Blue Is First Color.
Although details vary with the
location, the process is something
like this: A good grade of cotton
cloth is selected and 'ripened" by
soaking in a special dip prepared
for the purpose. The cloth is
placed in the solution and then
dried from S to 10 times a day
for to II days. The cloth is
then heavily starched and ironed.
The wax is next applied over all
the surface not to be dyed with the
first color. This wax is applied to
both sides of the cloth, and the
batik-maker may work some II
hours day for 20 days to wax a
piece 31ax8 feet. And even this
speed is only attained by women
who have practiced the art from
childhood.
The first color applied is blue,
and the cloth is usually carried to
an indigo dyeing establishment for
this purpose. The dyeing may re-
quire from 3 to 20 days and
may be done only In clear weather,
as the material is dried in the sun
after each bath. The wax Is then
removed by brushing and scrubbing
with hot water.
Ancient Art.
The owner takes the cloth home
and repeats this process for the sue
ceeding colors. The other two
colors of most batik from Central
Java, brown and cream, are applied
at home, the processing being SINH
lar to that for the blue.
Mrs. Rands attempted to learn
all she could about this ancient
art, accumulated a large collection
OF it, and even tried her hand at
making 1t herself. She became
such an authority on the subject
that after her return to America,
she wrote an article on it, which
appeared in Asia magazine. This
marked the close of her batik
hobby, but led directly to her next
spare-time activity. She joined
the League of American Pen Wom-
en-, heard a lecture on writing plays,
and decided to try that. Her first
play was about Java, as you might
guess. Later, she wrote a second
play, called 'The Pot of Cold
AAhto "eto q PAdy 4Ol IllAlQl Gil.
Great Research.
Now we come to the latest de-
velopment in Mrs. Rands' hobbies.
Following THE Pot of Gold" she
conceived the idea of writing a
play Cor story-drama, as she pre-
fers to call it, carrying a definite
message particularly appropriate
at this time of the year. 1t is an
age-old story which is always new
Prince of Peace"
This play represents prodigious
amount of research, and the result is
a new and different presentation of
the plea for peace on earth, good
will toward men" 1t has been ca
pably and authoritatively reviewed
on numerous occasions, so no re-
view will be attempted here. How
ever, short visit with Mrs. Rands
will convince one that this play has
truly been the hobby of its author
since the idea first occurred to her.
1t is still being presented at various
churches in Washington and had a
successful performance in the Tenn