A ROOM OF OUR OWN

LaFollette, Israel B.

A ROOM OF OUR OWN By Israel B. LaFollette WHAT A DAY was our house warming at "Progressive House"! As I have written before, we moved in just after election, but aside from arranging our work...

...The gag is on...
...So last fall Phil, as he put it the other night, said he would take the responsibility for keeping "a roof over our heads" if we would take the responsibility of carrying on the myogram...
...First I bought a big roll of cotton batting and some cheese cloth and made thick pads to cover the back and arms of each of the chairs, quilting the pads enough so that the cotton batting would stay in its proper place, and then I tacked the pads to the woolen chair and sewed and tied them to the wicker one until when one sat in the chairs they felt almost—if not quite—soft enough to have been upholstered...
...When they were satisfactorily padded I bought some bright chintz which blended well with the other colors in my room and proceeded to make my slip covers...
...As for rumors of sugar shortage, rationing and price increases, Miss Elliott pointed out that "existing stocks of sugar readilys^vailable to consumers in the United States are now considerably larger than usual...
...As we anxiously peered through the window my father would say, "Too bad...
...A ROOM OF OUR OWN By Israel B. LaFollette WHAT A DAY was our house warming at "Progressive House...
...The kitchen brigade had things well in hand which was .very lucky since they not only had crowds to serve but the l%rge old-fashioned, kitchen with its tempting fragrance attracted men and women alike...
...So every good housekeeper who tries to upkeep her home at a minimum of expense will probably find that in addition to her other accomplishments she needs to add the art of upholstering...
...This will almost double the wear of your slip covers...
...THE AFTERNOON was erowded, but by evening the old house A was bulging...
...The cookbook will sell for $1...
...La Follette ing...
...Mrs...
...Each time we have a committee meeting we come "bearing gifts"—a dishtowel, half a dozen teaspoons, a tray, cream and sugar bowls, and so on...
...If you happen to be one whose home contains ' such articles of furniture, just send a penny postcard to Montgomery Ward in Chicago with the request that you be sent two free pamphlets— one on HOW TO UPHOLSTER and the other on HOW TO MAKE SLIP COVERS, and with these pamphlets as text books, start out to do your job...
...These statements by certain shoe dealers constitute unwarranted 'scare' advertising," Miss Elliott said...
...umors Of Price Jumps In Sugar And Shoes Are Unwarranted Rumors of price jumps in sugar and shoes are entirely unwarranted, Miss Harriett Elliott, Consumer Commissioner of the National Defense Advisory Commission, announced this week...
...From the young Progressives who gut on a most amusing skit, to the "old timers", there was determination and enthusiasm for the fight ahead...
...If you follow the directions in this pamphlet you will eventually have a frame for your old chair or davenport which will be firm and substantial and you can then give your full attention to the cover which will finish your piece...
...As the appointed time arrived I reminded my co-workers of our childhood days, waiting for guests at our birthday celebrations...
...Both of them were sturdy and good for many years yet, but both fully looked their age so I decided to do them over with slip covers...
...However, if you are not given to hitting nails squarely on the head that is a job which the man-about-your-house can probably be coaxed or bullied into doing for you...
...I will report from time to time on our plans and activities, and will be delighted to have any suggestions our readers may #ffer...
...Recipes should be sent to Lee Goddard, 110 Madison Ave., Chula Vista, Calif...
...Clark, who is the mother of three sons, declared that /'war can dislocate the whole social pattern" in no time...
...And here is a suggestion—buy enough extra material to make loose pieces which can be basted over the back and arms, matching the pattern exactly, so that they look as if they grew there, but ready to carry the brunt of the hardest wear and easily removable so that they can be cleaned as needed and basted back into place again...
...Any anxiety soon disappeared, however, as noon saw friends istfiojiad driven in from out-of-town begin to arrive, even some out-of-staters...
...Upholstery Booklet Gives Directions Step By Step THE FIRST OF THESE pamphlets gives step by step, with excellent illustrations, just what must be done to restore the old upholstered piece to its original condition from the ground floor up, ready for the cover...
...We'll Tipt oe In Our Homes" If War Comes T OSS OF American privileges and "all the freedom we have" will be gone overnight if America enters the war, Mrs...
...THE GROUP divided up into committees both for the open house and a "Reis for Supreme Court Committee" which is actively promoting the election of Judge Alvin Reis who we hope i^ill provide a Progressive approach to the questions before that conservative body...
...They were very happy about the house, and pledged all cooperation in our venture...
...And as we each swung into action on our various jobs, we felt more and more optimistic...
...However, when I jumped out of bed at six o'clock on the fateful morning to find a clear sky with a tinge of red in the east, my spirit soared...
...The United States Department of Agriculture also puts out a pamphlet on making slip covers which may prove helpful...
...I think Phil expressed the predominant feeling of us all when he said in his talk that regardless of whether or not we get into the war that our problems here in America will still be with us increased a hundred-fold...
...Fortunately the materials necessary for such repairs are inexpensive and the work is not difficult, though it is necessary to be able to pound tacks with accuracy...
...Of course, like all brides, I expected that prosperity would shortly come into my home bringing with it some lovely new furniture so that all the old inherited pieces could be chucked out the back door...
...Once we divert our interest and resources to parts all "over the world to save the world for Great Britain, we are very likely to see South America suspecting us of a desire for something quite remote from hemisphere solidarity...
...I only wish that all our readers might have been with us to tain comfort and courage from the companionship of such fine men and women who make up the back-bone of the Progressive movement here in Wisconsin...
...As for material for slip covers, one can satisfy almost any taste...
...Buy Extra Slip Cover Material For Heavy Wear rTHE SECOND PAMPHLET on HOW TO MAKE SLIP COVERS A tells just how to tackle this job so there is no need for repeating those directions here...
...of Documents, Washington, D. C. ~~D...
...Let's not fool ourselves for one moment as to what would happen to us here if we should enter the war," Mrs...
...This was no light task, as the Souse is old and shabby, which meant plenty of scrubbing and cleaning, not to mention furnish- ' Mrs...
...Which reminds me that I must add a special note of appreciation to the Refreshment Committee's husbands who cheerfully "ate off the kitchen shelf" a good deal the past week while their wives were laboring for "the cause...
...With this in mind, a group of our "tried and true" women met to begin our plan of activity...
...Clark said...
...Some shoe dealers have claimed that a general rise in shoe prices lies ahead...
...While'most of us are volunteers and have family obligations, we do keep the House open most of the time...
...Clark forecast...
...For our first event, however, we feel very thankful and happy...
...W. R...
...Labor Women Plan Practical Cookbook Members of the women's auxiliary of a San Diego aircraft unit of the United Auto Workers are compiling a CIO cookbook...
...It was soon obvious that any differences on the Lease-Lend bill did not affect the staunch Progressivism of the rank and file of Progressives...
...Purchase of millions of pairs of shoes by the U. S. Army will not in any way interfere with civilian demands, the consumer adviser added, and went on to say that present conditions on the shoe market even warrant the expectation of lower prices...
...To those of you who could not be with us I extend a cordial invitation .to drop in when you are in Madison...
...March weather can be most uncooperative, there are always conflicting activities going on on any date one may choose, and there was the added question of emotions running high on the Lease-Lend bill...
...In the event of war, American progress in improving relations with Latin and South America would be wiped out, Mrs...
...Unless one can afford a really good upholstery fabric for the cover—woolen or mohair stuff which will hold up for years—it is much more sensible to cover the piece of furniture with heavy unbleached muslin and then make a slip cover for it which can be replaced when it wears out without having to go through the whole business of upholstering the piece all over again...
...For a long time we had felt the need for a center where people dbuld write and come for Progressive sustenance, and we felt it would be a grand idea to have a kitchen to brew a cup of coffee whenever we wanted...
...Even if sugar should become scarce, she said, "sugar production can be expanded materially in domestic areas as well as in nearby foreign areas...
...If we do go into this war, the clamps will be put on overnight, and we shall be tiptoeing in our own houses...
...Now if Democracy is to be preserved in the home the first prerequisite, would seem to be to furnish It with a ] place on which It can sit and discuss, so obviously something must be done about such a situation and here is our | suggestion...
...I'm afraid they got the wrong day...
...Hirst, they decided, we must have fn open house which would intro-uce the home to our friends...
...Bennett Champ Clark, wife of the Missouri Senator, and chairman of the Washington branch of the America First Committee, prediced in St...
...One of them was an old mission rocking chair of heavy oak made about 1907, and the other was a wicker chair of a brand popular in 1912...
...But no one who does dressmaking in her home need shy at making slip covers and if one has been used to fitting squirmy young ones, it will be mere play to work on an inanimate piece of furniture which stands still and won't squeal when you stick , a pin into it...
...Your Money's Worth Home Upholstering . . . Advice On Making Slip Covers . . . Reclaiming Old Eyesores pRESENT DAY FURNITURE designers and dealers and repairers ¦I seem to have combined in a racket which sees to it that, with the exception of the straight kitchen and dining room varieties, practically all chairs offered for sale are either wholly or partially covered with some fabric which will eventually wear out and need replacing...
...The Decoration Committee did a fine job begging and borrowing to make the house cheerful and gay, and you should have heard %ur cheers when flowers from generous friends (including Bob and Rachel in Washington) began to arrive...
...Let us assume that most homes contain a chair or davenport whose once beautiful cover has been reduced to shreds and whose springs are bubbling through the seat, and that upon inquiry at the nearest furniture repair shop the discovery has been made that to do it over will cost as much as the old thing is worth and far more than the budget will allow...
...The result was well worth the trouble, my drab old eyesores are converted into attractive modern looking chairs whieh I now feel that I can hand on to my children with a dear conscience...
...Post-campaign exhaustion Wftd us all in its grip, but our minds were at work on plans for the future of "Progressive House...
...It was the first Progressive get-together in months, and people were happy to see each other again, especially in these times of worry...
...Already it is-evident that government influence is binding the free inclinations of many people...
...Cuba has large surplus stocks of sugar currently because of the drastic curtailment of European markets...
...How the women did work...
...Forgetting the international situation for the time being, this column will therefore devote itself to some suggestions on how to acquire that art...
...Housewives from all over the country are invited to send in-recipes, with emphasis on economy, because the cookbook is intended for practical wives of workers...
...If your room is rather dull and needs brightening try a gay flowered chintz or cretonne, if you want something a bit more subdued, monks cloth, figure denim or crash is good— you can find something to suit almost any budget but for good wear stick to a closely woven fabric...
...Louis last week...
...As I have written before, we moved in just after election, but aside from arranging our work rooms for The Progressive and the bare essentials for NPA we had not undertaken to really get the place going...
...By that I mean that already we see thousands of people right here afraid to say out loud that they don't like the trend, because they are afraid of losing their jobs...
...We served coffee, sandwiches and Rookies, all donated by Progressive women throughout Madison, f»nd you know how much organizing and telephoning that entails...
...Converting Old Eyesores Into Upholstered Disguise T STARTED HOUSEKEEPING with a few pieces of furniture and L several old pieces which had been handed over to me by relatives who wanted to get rid of them...
...that our program and our united effort will be needed more than ever...
...It is AGRICULTURE LEAFLET 76, SLIP COVERS, and may be secured by sending 5c (stamps not accepted) to the Supt...
...But after 20 odd years of housekeeping two old chairs are still with me, so I have resigned myself to keeping them forever and decided to try giving them a modern disguise...
...Of course we were all nervous, as we had no way of knowing how many people would come...

Vol. 5 • March 1941 • No. 11


 
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