Loop Cord Trim

In the garden, around the house

Most people now know: Pull cords for windows and blinds can be a serious danger to infants and toddlers . But many families still have these cords in their homes.

According to a recent survey by the Window Covering Safety Council, 92 percent of American adults have heard about strangulation dangers connected with pull cords. In addition, 74 percent of those surveyed also were aware of potential hazards from the cords running through blind slats.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200 infants and young children have died since 1990 from accidentally strangling in window cords.

Manufacturers adopted safety precautions to guard against this danger that went into effect in 2001. The WCSC urges homeowners to replace any blinds, corded shades or draperies that were manufactured before that date.

While homes with young children may be safe, summer can put these youngsters at risk as they visit relatives or family friends on vacation, says the WCSC. Here are other tips:

• Install only cordless window coverings in homes with young children.

• Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords. Preferably move them to another wall, away from windows.

• Keep all window cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. Make sure cord stops are properly installed.

• Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.

For more information or resources, click on www.windowcoverings.org or call (800) 506-4636.

• Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden with tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons enjoying the heat. Deep water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.

• Generally, tomatoes need deep watering about three times a week. Don't let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot. If the plants look droopy, give them a drink. But a little afternoon wilt (particularly in heirloom varieties) is normal this time of year.

• Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.

• Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.

Button/Toggle Help! — Démodé

So I FINALLY got off my butt and scanned the better resolution picture that I have of the Maja portrait… and I’m really glad I did, because of course I am now finding little details that I missed!  Like, the black trim around the armhole has the occasional spangle on it!

Now, I am trying to figure out the buttons.  I had assumed they were all the same style, and were some kind of passementerie/thread wrapped button.  But now that I look at them in higher resolution, I see there are TWO different styles — one that looks like some kind of spiky, knotted? or passementerie? button, and something that I think may be a toggle… but then has some spiky-ness involved.  OR are they buttons and toggles that are laid on top of some kind of embroidery?  WTH?

I got the book 50 Heirloom Buttons to Make

Hmmm, it’s looks to me like the soutache wave figure is behind the button pieces. The button pieces all look like a fuzzy/loopy/pompom decoration on one end (thread wrapped or knotted would be smoother) with a long loop coming out. Then the toggle side could be different between pix 1&2 – 1 looks like the toggle is an oblong bead with threads through it making the fuzzy poufs on each end. 2 looks like there’s loopy/pompom stuff going on that the oblong bead sits on, or it’s the knotted end of the loop sitting under the toggle bead – they don’t looks as connected as they do in pic 1.

Alyxx — thanks, good thought about a pompom! Image 1 doesn’t have stress on the toggle — it’s from the jacket revers. Image 2, OTOH, does have stress — it’s from the CF waistcoat closure. So it makes me think they’re the same thing, but image 2 has stress so the toggle is being pulled away from the whoseewhatsit decoration. But yeah, relooking at Image 1, it does look like a bead with fringe-y bits sticking out the end! But #2 looks different — agh!