RE: [lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
I really enjoy these older books and the recipes they contain and over the decades have collected a few. I also have used quite a few of the hints and tips they contain and found that most of the granny tips work. I've not heard of such a use for ground rice but have long known about the hot bran treatment for tweed, furs, upholstery etc. I've never had to use it though as I don't own tweed or furs and most of my upholstery is either leather of soft covers that can be washed. Another of those older remedies was the use of wadded up white bread to remove marks from wallpaper Fran in Oz -Original Message- The government's hope was that people would reuse and repair old garments rather than insisting on buying new outfits. The WI offered advice on how to give old garments a new lease of life including rubbing hot bran into tweed skirts and jackets, cleaning white materials with ground rice and using powdered magnesia to clean delicate fabrics such as lace, embroideries, white kid and suede gloves Oil of eucalyptus would revive jaded silk and faded crepe de chine.Grandmother's recipes for cleaning clothes were proposed but sounded very expensive: 'For cleaning silk mix well together three ounces of strained honey, two ounces of castile soap and half a pint of gin.' - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
Thank you for sharing that; I love reading old housewifery advice. My favourite snippet from a book I have is that after washing your blankets you should go out onto the green with a neighbour to give the blankets a good shake. This appeals to me for two reasons: firstly the idea that we all have a green to go out to is lovely, and secondly I really like the concept for sharing housework with neighbours. Work at home always goes better when I share tasks with my daughter. Halves the time and the company is good. Lesley - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
All this reminds me of a t-shirt belonging to my son the label has full washing instructions followed by 'or give it to your Mum'!! Sue in East Yorkshire - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
I have been reading the book Jambusters by Julie Summers which is about the role the Women's Institute played in the 1940s when everything, including food, was in short supply. On p156 of the paperback edition is the following, about clothing: The government's hope was that people would reuse and repair old garments rather than insisting on buying new outfits. The WI offered advice on how to give old garments a new lease of life including rubbing hot bran into tweed skirts and jackets, cleaning white materials with ground rice and using powdered magnesia to clean delicate fabrics such as lace, embroideries, white kid and suede gloves Oil of eucalyptus would revive jaded silk and faded crepe de chine.Grandmother's recipes for cleaning clothes were proposed but sounded very expensive: 'For cleaning silk mix well together three ounces of strained honey, two ounces of castile soap and half a pint of gin.' I do wonder how practical these tips were given a scarce food (ground rice) is proposed as a cleaning agent. I can think, too, of a better use of gin! As the list is quiet at the moment I thought there was space for this and perhaps some interest in it. Patricia in Wales - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
I wonder if this is like prices for lace books. They can ask for a certain price for a lace book, but it doesn't mean they'll get it. Here,they could suggest these cleaning methods, but it doesn't mean people were stupid enough to risk their precious fabrics with these concoctions. Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, where they say we will have spring in 2 weeks. I have one blooming daffodil so far. Patricia wrote: I have been reading the book Jambusters by Julie Summers which is about the role the Women's Institute played in the 1940s when everything, including food, was in short supply. On p156 of the paperback edition is the following, about clothing: The government's hope was that people would reuse and repair old garments rather than insisting on buying new outfits. The WI offered advice on how to give old garments a new lease of life including rubbing hot bran into tweed skirts and jackets, cleaning white materials with ground rice and using powdered magnesia to clean delicate fabrics such as lace, embroideries, white kid and suede gloves Oil of eucalyptus would revive jaded silk and faded crepe de chine.Grandmother's recipes for cleaning clothes were proposed but sounded very expensive: 'For cleaning silk mix well together three ounces of strained honey, two ounces of castile soap and half a pint of gin.' My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members, please ignore it. I read your emails. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Care of fabrics - 1940s style
Since this is the only risible paragraph in the entire book I have no idea if this was taken seriously but I suspect not. Apart from anything else, women simply didn't have the time to mess around with all these processes. if clothing couldn't be washed it may not have been worn. You have to read the book to appreciate how much rural women did, in addition to looking after their families, like keeping hens, raising pigs, growing vast amounts of fruit and vegetables and then preserving much of the fruit one way or another to put it in the public food chain, knitting and sewing clothes for themselves and for families left without anything, taking care of evacuated children etc., etc. I was surprised they had time to sleep! Patricia in Wales I wonder if this is like prices for lace books. They can ask for a certain price for a lace book, but it doesn't mean they'll get it. Here,they could suggest these cleaning methods, but it doesn't mean people were stupid enough to risk their precious fabrics with these concoctions.Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, where they say we will have spring in 2 weeks. I have one blooming daffodil so far.Patricia wrote:I have been reading the book Jambusters by Julie Summers which is about therole the Women's Institute played in the 1940s when everything, includingfood, was in short supply. On p156 of the paperback edition is the following,about clothing:The government's hope was that people would reuse and repair old garmentsrather than insisting on buying new outfits. The WI offered advice on how togive old garments a new lease of life including rubbing hot bran into tweedskirts and jackets, cleaning white materials with ground rice and usingpowdered magnesia to clean delicate fabrics such as lace, embroideries, whitekid and suede gloves Oil of eucalyptus would revive jaded silk and fadedcrepe de chine.Grandmother's recipes for cleaning clothes were proposedbut sounded very expensive: 'For cleaning silk mix well together threeounces of strained honey, two ounces of castile soap and half a pint ofgin.'My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members,please ignore it. I read your emails. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
