The Daily Herald from Chicago, Illinois • Page 8

THE HERALD Monday, Docimber 6, 1976 Section I --7 suburban living Crafts columnist shares gift ideas Dusty Pilot is a designing man. For more tlian eight years he has been the arts ami crafa columnist for Tlic Cleveland Press, turning nut an unending stream of practical but clever do-it-yourself projects. Dusty Is one of those men who designs his own clothes and has turned nn Interest In entertaining and home decorating Into a full- time Job. lie has taught and lectured on various crafts and floral arranging and also has been a prwfcvilonal party planner and consultant. Dusty especially pleased to help Herald readers let loose with their crealivcncss during the holidays.

Ills booklet. "Christmas Decorating." offers ideas and designs to follow to decorate the home, from blrdhousc to brick fireplace. Me even follows through with idem to concert Cliristmas greeting cards into year-round u.Hcful olijccts such ax bowls, Ixis- kets. vases and boxes fur your dresser. As a columnist in the field he came In on the wave, so to speak, of what many thought would be a craft craze.

One that would be hot for a couple jvars and then fizzle out ni men rind women turned tlicir fickle interests to other projects. ThK however. Is not the case and in the past 10 years crafU have grown into a stable recreation throughout the country. For example, the craft industry has groun at an increasingly rapid rate. Total industry sales in 1903 were under $100 million, with sales In 1975 nearly $900 million and the Industry is projecting sales of $3 billion by 1983.

Tills phenomenal growth of the craft industry really meant that readers of Dusty Pilot's columns and users of his booklets continued to look fur creative things to do at homo. And axe isn't a factor. One so- nior citizen asked Pilot what she could do with an old pair of false teclh she had lying around. "Tills." he admitted, "was a stumper," and he said he would need a few Harvey Wnllbangcrs to help her out. Although he pointed out that women have more opportunity to be creative than most men because they're at it every 1 day setting the table, choosing furniture, apparel and accessories, "men tend to be more bold, daring and innovative and that's what It takes to be really creative.

Women tend to stick to tradition." Chauvinist attitude aside, Dusty Pilot loves to keep his creative juices flowing and share his Ideas with newspaper readers. Christmas Crafts will appear each day today through next Saturday, Dec. II. in Suburban Living. (Newspaper Enterprise Awn.) Santa Glaus is swinging FELT SANTA Clauses cut to various sizes make a holiday mobile.

It's a good gift for nowlywodi and a fun project for the family. Felt ornaments can be hung as house decorations or used to trim packages by DUSTY PILOT Bring holiday spirit to any room with" these whimsical swinging Santas. Hang them from the ceiling, from a light fixture over your dining table or hang them flat against a wall. They can oven be used as package and tree trims. Cut the flat Santas as small or as large as you like the pattern here Is easy to decrease or increase, Eacli square equals one-half inch.

FIIIST STEP: Cut the cap and body from light-weight cardboard, then cover both the front and back sides with red felt. SECOND STEP: For each Santa cut out four eyes, two tassels and two boots from black felt. From red felt, cut noses and two moutlis. Cut two beards from white. T1I1UD STEP: Trim the bottom nf Santa's coat with fur or heavy wlu'te yarn and the bottom of his cap with red sequins.

I'OUIITII STEP: To string the noso and body, sandwich heavy thread between the two pieces of fell. Use glue to hold the thread and together. FIFTH STEP: Hang the eyes and nose from the bottom of the cap. SIXTH STEP: The Santas can bo made into a mobile by hanging one Hang the body from the bottom of the Santa from another. Hang the individual strings of various-sized Santas from one large Santa.

nose. Attach the thread with a dab of blue. Enterprise Assn.) FOLLOW THIS pattern to maka a basic" felt Santa Glaus. It can be increased or docreasad according to the size desired. Send for your own Dusty Pilot Christmas book The swinging, swaying Suntus aro part of (he jolly family of clothes plu (lulls, pine coin- OH Is anil pixie tree ornaments In Dusty Pilot's Christmas Craft Book which also includes many utlicr holiday decorating ideas.

Order your own and gift copies today. The book costs only 51.30 each (Includes postage anil handling). Scud check nr'nioiicy order nith name, address and tip code Ui CHIUST.MAS CIUFTS. In care of Paddock Publications. P.O.

Box 189, Dept. .1, Radio City Station, New York'. N.Y. 10013. The annual physical: it needs examining, too by PATIUCIA McCUUMACK The annual physical Isn't having such good year.

Arguing against such examinations In recent months have been two kinds of critics. To wit: Health economists. They say the annual physical cats up too much of the gross national product. It is too costly. Some doctors.

11 icy couldn't hnmllc the patient loud If every adult wanted nn annual physical. They say: too many people, not enough doctors. An associate clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, however, cautions against throwing out the baby i the bath water. Dr. William R.

Cunnlck Jr. also is responsible for more than 6,000 periodic health examinations annual- iy- "We must be flexible enough to change," he said In nn Interview. But we also must recognize the contribution that periodic health examinations have made. "The outstanding example is the decline In deaths from heart disease, the leading cause of death In this country. True, the decline has been slight approxi- mately 10 per cent in middle-aged men over the last decade but we arc finally making inroads.

"It's my firm conviction that the detection of elevated blood pressure In persons undergoing periodic health examinations has been a major factor in this decline." CUNNICIC IS vice president and deputy chief medical director for Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. The firm's workers over 33 get free health exams period ically. He oversees the program. Detection of alcoholism in the Mibclinical stage -when both the examining doctor ami patient might he unaware that anything is wrong was also cited by Cunnlck as a valuable result of periodic health examinations. Certain liver tests done in conjunction with the periodic exam may show the abnormal condition.

"If the disease Is detected In tills phase, the recovery rate may bo as high as 75 to per cent," he "If you don't detect it early enough if ou waif until the liver Is gone then almost everything else is gone, too: the family, the job, the person's self- respect. "Alcoholism is a serious health problem. And alcohol is a factor in a high percentage of fatal auto accidents. Early detection of the disease Is imperative." CUNNICK ALSO referred to the decline in cervical cancer over the past quarter century. "There seem 'to be at least a couple of reasons for Unit," he said.

"Women have smaller families. They are getting better treatment for related conditions. "But 1 think it's fair to say that the preventive step of pelvic examination by the Pap smear has been a major cause of the decline in this form of cancer." The physician said other tests during a periodic exam may not be so valuable but they arc useful. He named two. Tests for glaucoma and the stool examination.

Blood In the stool is an indication of a search for possible rectal cancer. "But," he said, "some tests are cither little or no value and should be discarded from the periodic physical. We must gel away from thinking that the more we do, the belter. "A good example of a rather routine procedure that today has little value is tho annual chest X-ray, especially in younger individuals. We're not looking for tuberculosis any more.

And (he test has been shown of little value in detecting lung cancer." THE PHYSICIAN cautioned against a cookbook- approach to the periodic physical. "We're all a little different," he said. "We all have different family liistorics. We all have slightly different physical and emotional responses. "We can say, as a general rule, that some test may be unnecessary or may be done less frequently but the person who knows best what to test for and what not to test for is the patient's own doctor." He suggested studies to show, more precisely, what to include in a periodic physical.

"We need to determine what age groups are most vulnerable to what diseases and to keep our periodic physicals flexible enough to accommodate these differences." Periodic health examinations arc not intended to pile up data in your file at the doctor's office, by the way. Cunnick said they're meant to link findings i preventive steps "steps that will help to keep a person well." (United Press Inl'l) That last button on placket's only for show Dear Eunice Farmer: When there Is a placket closing i buttons that extend down the center front of a dress, ending Just below the waistline, I have difficulty trying to prevent the placket from pulling out due to strain when tho garment Is put on and taken off. Have you any magic lips about this? Once this placket lean at the end, it is Impossible Ui S.R.S. Dear Mrs. S.fl.S.: The little tip that I use myself which works beautifully, is to keep the last button buttoned at nil times.

It might be necessary when sewing It on to catch a few threads of the buttonhole as well. that you really can't unbutton it. II the placket is done perfectly. It is only held together with a therefore we must do everything in our power to avoid any extra strain. The last button Is usually only for fashion or balance and It Is not necessary to open It for comfort.

The winner of today's Sew Simple set of gold blazer buttons is Mrs. Noml Smith, 2300 N. Chrysler Tucson, Ariz. 85715. Her winning tip is: "Here's an old, old trick, but one that even some experienced sewing friends didn't know.

To hide thread ends after securing your thread, needle between layers, bringing your thread out on inch or two. Pulling the thread so that tho fabric gathers a bit, snip the thread, and the ends disappear In between the fold of the fabric. This works well on heavy, single layers of fabric also." Dear Eunice Former: I am about ready to make a lace blouse which I would like to line to motcli the color of a skirt. Since the front facing is on extension of the blouse, and folds back, how can I get the lining to the edge so that It will all be the same color? Mrs. R.S.

Dear Mrs. R.S.: Instead of a separate lining, you must under-llne the lace blouse with the desired color. In other words, cut each piece of your pat- tern from the lining as well as the lace. Basto the lining fabric to each piece of your pattern before construction; from that point on, you will pretend you aro working with only one layer of fabric. By tills technique, the color of the collar, facing, cuffs, will all be the same as tho body of the blouse.

For the booklet, "All About Sleeves," put 10 cents In a self-addressed, stamped, long envelope and mall it with your request to Eunice Fanner, Box DCS Molnes, Iowa 50306. Dear Mrs. Farmer: I am 14 years old and just love to sew. I'd like to pass on a little tip for your readers. When pinning the pattern, put a pin extending horizontally through any notches so.that the scissors will hit the pin and prevent cutting off these valuable notches.

Also, please give me any sug- by Eunice Fdrmer gestions for finishing the scams of corduroy? --Susan A. Dear S'san: How I loved your letter. I hope it will encourage a lot of mail from other "up and coining" sewers, because your little sewing tip was very good. As to finishing the seams of corduroy, because corduroy like velveteen does form little balls of fiber that come off on sweaters the easiest way would be to over-cast the seams. You must be sure to use a very loose stitching because overcasting often pulls the seams at the edges causing your seams to pucker.

If you remember to cut the seams a little wider, you can turn a small edge of the fabric and machine stitch close to the fold edge before stitching your seams together: this will give a nice smooth finish. The last method would be to hang a separate lining in the garment which would prevent the edges of the corduroy from "fuz- zing off." (Register and Tribune Syndicate, I97G).