Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4631174

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THE WARDROBE.

HAIR RIBBONS.

"Mother" (Mortlake) says that, like other   mothers, she has found the hair ribbon now avail-   able most unserviceable. She therefore buys a

yard of Japanese silk in the shade she wants, and cuts it into strips to make hair ribbons, hemming these all round. The silk ties very well, the cheapest silk making the softest bow. It needs pressing fairly frequently, and the light colours, of course, wash well. Three ribbons of this kind will last a year. She hopes this hint will be of use to other mothers.    

TO WASH SILK.      

"E.B." (Warburton) asks how to wash white

silk so that it will not turn yellow.

Mix a tablespoonful of soft soap and dessert-   spoonful of borax gradually with boiling water until thoroughly dissolved. Add enough cold water to soak the silk, and let the whole get quite cold. Soak the silk in this for a little while, then wash it carefully, and rinse very thoroughly in several waters. Press as much water as possible out of it, then spread it carefully on a large clean towel, and roll it up tightly. Leave for at least an hour (in cold weather for longer), and then iron dry with a clean hot iron. These directions should also be followed for Fuji silk, about which "Novice" (St. Kilda) inquires.

TO CLEAN CREAM SKIRT    

"Inquirer" (Rochester) asks how to clean a

cream Sicilian skirt which has got very soiled.

The only way to clean cream Sicilian satisfac- torily is to wash it. Follow the directions given for washing silk, but after rinsing turn the skirt inside out and hang it on the line, pegging it by the waistband, so that it hangs quite straight. When nearly dry. bring it in and iron it.

SPORTS COAT                

"City" (Melbourne) asks me to suggest a colour for a sports coat to be worn with skirts of dark grey flannel and navy twill.      

A nice shade of grey, paler than the skirt,   would answer with both skirts, or a cream, or an amethyst, or a nice shade of dark green, or sand, putty, or pale biscuit would all look well.  

SHOULDER BRACE  

There are many women, especially in the coun- try, who find it more comfortable to do outdoor work and much of their indoor work without cor- ets; there aer schoolgirls, too, who dislike the confinement of corsets, but need some sort   of bracing to keep their figures erfect and straight.

For the benefit of these women and girls the shoulder brace shown in the accompanying sketches has been designed. It is strongly made, comfort-   able to wear, and can he obtained in two sizes, which can be adjusted, in the putting on, to fit any type of figure. The brace is an undoubted boon, and fills a want which many women have   felt severely. It can be washed and boiled with- out losing its firmness or strength.

GRASS STAIN    

"M.E.", (Newport) asks how to remove a grass stain from a white linen skirt.    

Soak the stain in kerosene, and hang the skirt on the line, so that the stain is exposed to sun and air for a couple of days. Keep the stain moistened from time to time with kerosene. Then wash and boil in the usual way. If the stains have not altogether disappeared, keep repeating the process till they do.

DYE STAINS            

"Often Helped" (Winchelsea) asks how to re- move yellow patches caused by the brown dye from the embroidery running in a white silk blouse when

washed.    

I am afraid it will be difficult to get the blouse right again, but I would try the effect of kerosene on the stain. Soak the sports with kerosene, and expose them to strong sunlight for a couple of days, moistening the spots from time to time with kerosene. Then wash in the usual way.' I think it is nearly always a mistake to embroider white silk, or, for the matter of that, cotton or linen with coloured silks or cottons, unless one is abso- lutely sure that the colour is last. White em- broidery looks, I think, even better on white frocks than coloured embroidery.  

"E.E.S." (Melbourne) asks how to get rid of a black hat dye stain on the neck of an Assam silk coat.    

If the kerosene method recommended above is followed, it should be satisfactory.

MILDEW    

"Alphington" and M.D. (Homewood) ask how to remove mildew from white clothes.      

Moisten the spots with water, and rub with good yellow household soap; then expose them to sun and rain for a few days, keeping the spots moist all the time. Soft soap may be used if the   spots are very thick. If this is not successful,     though in the majority of cases it proves so, javelle water should be used. Dissolve a quarter-pound of chloride of lime in two quarts of boiling water. When nearly dissolved add a pound of washing soda. Strain through flannel and use the clear portion. Brush the liquid lightly on the spots, rinse well, and put ammonia in the final rinsing

water.            

SCORCH MARKS            

"Sister" (Hazeldean) asks how to remove a bad scorch mark from a white silk blouse.

The following method has been recommended   for removing scorch marks: - Wet a cloth with peroxide of hydrogen, lay it over the scorched place, and run a hot iron over it. Soaking the the spot in kerosene and exposing it to strong sunlight for some hours will sometimes remove scorch marks.- The following mixture has been recommended for removing scorch marks from   linen, and it may be effective with silk:- [?]lb Fuller's earth, ¼lb washing soda, one pint   vinegar, two onions. Peel and slice the onions   and pound them up. Add the vinegar and Fuller's earth, and mix well. Then add the wash- ing soda. Put the mixture into an enamelled saucepan, and simmer it gently for 10 minutes. Strain and bottle. Apply a little of the mixture to the scorched spot before washing.

TAR STAIN    

"E.M.R." (Armadale) asks how to get rid of a tar stain on a white luvisca blouse.

Soak the spot in eucalyptus, and rub it gently with a cloth moistened with eucalyptus, with a folded towel underneath the spot. The mark left   by thc eucalyptus will come out in the wash- ing.    

VERDIGRIS STAIN.

"Verdigris" (Melbourne) asks how to remove a verdigris stain from a woollen garment.

Soak the spot for a couple of hours in lemon juice. Then pour warm water through the stain to remove the lemon juice, and wash in the usual

way.

TO WHITEN HAT.

"Mary" (Tullamarine) asks how to whiten a white tagel hat that has become discoloured.

Brush the hat as clean as possible with a clean, firm brush. Then procure a deep box of some kind, with a lid or a cover. Attach the hat,

crown downwards, to the underside of the cover.

a little sulphur in a small tin lid. Stand the lid inside a saucer, and set the saucer in the bottom of the box. Light the sulphur. Put the lid, with the hat fastened underneath it,, on the box, and leave it for two or three hours. The hat must, of course, be well above the sulphur.

HANDKERCHIEF BAG.

"Holiday" (Kilmore) asks if any of my readers can give her directions for making a handkerchief bag.

STAIN ON SHOES

"Anxious" (Paisley) asks how to remove a brownish stain on a pair of white shoes. The shoes got wet with salt water at the beach, and when they dried this brown stain remained.

I am afraid it will not be possible to get rid

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