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straps. This last feature is entirely eliminated in later 

 styles, for an abaca top in some form or other is not only 

 cheaper but superior in appearance and in wearing qual- 

 ities. The uppers are now made in a fancy lace style, 

 especially for ladies' slippers, or with macrame uppers or 

 straps. The public schools in Sorsogon Province are put- 

 ting out an all-abaca slipper in which even the filler between 

 the upper and lower sole is an abaca sheath. The sheaths 

 of areca nut and bamboo are, however, also serviceable as 

 a filler. The bottoms of abaca slippers are either of braided 

 abaca or leather. 



Coiled baskets. — These are made on a single or multiple 

 foundation from the loose abaca fiber or cord. 



Bags. — Various styles of bags are made from the abaca 

 fiber. Some of the bags are worked in a pure macrame 

 weave while others are made as is Irish crochet, Teneriffe 

 lace, or other forms of needlework. 



Lace. — Bobbin and Battenburg lace have been made suc- 

 cessfully from abaca fiber. 



Lamp shades and belts. — These are made in the public 

 schools from abaca fiber, employing the macrame weave. 



Matting. — Very strong matting can be made from abaca 

 cord. 



Lupis hats. — Hats made from abaca lupis are very strong. 

 Depending on the width of the fiber used and the care taken 

 in its preparation and weaving, these hats are fine or 

 coarse. They are woven in the natural color which for a 

 stylish hat cannot be considered satisfactory. Because of 

 their excellent wearing qualities, however, experiments in 

 bleaching the fiber would be worth trying. 



Lupis furniture. — The pupils in the farm school at 

 Indang, Cavite, are turning out chairs, settees, and other 

 articles of furniture made out of brown lupis which at most 

 plantations is usually thrown away. Bamboo forms the 

 foundation for the furniture, and the lupis, either braided 

 or twisted, is wound around the bamboo framework. 



The chief merits of lupis lie in its strength and the color 

 effects that can be obtained. The tannic acid in the material 

 would tend also to keep out vermin. 



