Harper's Household Handbook: A guide to easy ways of doing woman's workMcCulloch-Williams, Martha
General
Harper's Household Handbook: A guide to easy ways of doing woman's work
McCulloch-Williams, Martha
Formulas, recipes, etc.; Home economics
Rug-mending needs a volume; here it gets only a paragraph. For breaks,
tears, moth-eaten or worn spots lay smooth upon something soft and
sleazy—wool crash is excellent, so is basket-woven serge. Flannel will
answer; at a pinch so will burlap. Fasten so thread runs true with those
of the rug. If the original fabric shows appreciably, darn it down on
the patch, matching the darning-wool to the colors. If there is a
yawning hole, put the wool double in a very big needle, stick through
from the top, bring up again in almost the same place. Tie to the end
above, stick back, stick up again, repeat, varying thread, until the
whole space is covered with woolly loops. Cut them through, then trim
smooth with very sharp shears, comb with a coarse comb, and trim again.
Moth-eaten moquette carpet can be treated the same way, using as many
needles as there are colors in the pattern.
=Care of Gloves=: Pull off gloves over the hand, not by tugging at
finger tips; this is the first commandment. The second is, Never crumple
them. Let lie open from the hand until dry, then smooth, wrap in tissue
paper, and put away. Sew fastenings the minute they show loose. Mend at
the first ripped stitch. Glove powder shaken inside before putting away
after wearing keeps them fresher. Either patch holes in thumb and
fingers with very thin kid, else cut off the worn sections almost to the
palm, shape new sections from old kid, sew on, then sew in. Color gray
spots on the fingers of black kid gloves with a few drops of ink rubbed
well through other drops of sweet oil. In cleaning with gasolene put on
gloves, fasten smooth, and begin work at the top of the wrist—there will
be circles otherwise, especially in long gloves. Wash as though washing
hands, using a very soft cloth or wisp of cotton. Change gasolene as
soon as dirty. Rub afterward well with starch and whiting, powdered.
=Cleaning Furs=: Brush well, comb twice—against grain and with it—wipe
over with soft flannel, then with a wisp of cotton tied in old silk and
dipped lightly in gasolene or benzine or ether. Ether is best for white
furs. Work quickly, changing the cloth if it grows dirty. Comb up again,
and sift over hot cornmeal or sifted sawdust, rub it well through the
fur, up, down, crosswise, shake out, and hang to air. White furs after
shaking out should be covered thick with starch and whiting in fine
powder, mixed with enough powder blue to clear. Let lie several days,
then shake out, brush hard, and wipe over very quickly with a soft damp
cloth. Dry-clean light and fancy linings by gentle, steady rubbing with
a swab of starch and whiting tied in soft silk or cheesecloth. Put a few
drops of ether or gasolene on soiled spots, rub hard with the swab, then
with a clean cloth, dipped in powdered chalk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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