Buttoning your blouse

DEAR HELOISE >> To save time and for convenience, button all the buttons on a blouse except the top two. Then slip the blouse on and off as though it were a T-shirt. Then you only have two buttons to button. This is particularly helpful to me when the blouse buttons in the back. I can pull the neck of the blouse up toward the back of my head and easily reach both buttons to do them. I can’t believe I hadn’t figured this out before now!

— Margaret Ann of Fredericksburg, Va.

Heloise

Drawstring

DEAR HELOISE >> To replace a drawstring from shorts or swim trunks that happen to be lost or broken, use a large size shoestring.

— Bill G., Fostoria, Ohio.

Fraud prevention

DEAR HELOISE >> I work for a major credit card company in fraud. I wanted to pass on some hints since a lot of people will be traveling now that travel has opened up again.

1. Don’t depend on or take just one credit card with you. Take two or three so that if one is compromised you will have a backup.

2. Let your credit company know if you’ll be traveling so it is noted on your account.

3. Computers monitor credit cards, so please don’t get angry with the card company representative if your card is declined.

4. Put your contact information on your account in case we have to authenticate/verify who we are speaking with and provide better service to you.

5. If the computer notices a large purchase or one outside your normal ZIP code, you might get a call from us to verify that it is you and your card making that purchase.

Tablecloth

The problem I had was finding a tablecloth big enough to cover the table. I finally bought a pretty king-size bed sheet and sewed a wide, 4-inch border all around the edge. It worked so well, I plan to do another one for Christmas!

DEAR HELOISE >> When we built our house, my husband decided he wanted to build a dining table big enough to hold a lot of people because we have a huge family. This table is square and has three chairs on all four sides. That’s 12 chairs total, but we can squeeze in about four more chairs if we have to, on occasion. The problem I had was finding a tablecloth big enough to cover the table. I finally bought a pretty king-size bed sheet and sewed a wide, 4-inch border all around the edge. It worked so well, I plan to do another one for Christmas!