The Library of Work and Play: HousekeepingGilman, Elizabeth Hale
General
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping
Gilman, Elizabeth Hale
Home economics
Then put on the under sheet, right side up, with the hems at the top
and bottom, the selvages at the sides and the middle crease in the
middle of the bed. Turn the sheet smoothly under the mattress at the
head and foot. In the case of the under sheet, this turn should be a
few inches deeper at the head than at the foot; in the upper sheet the
deeper turn should be made at the foot. The person who sleeps in the
bed naturally pushes the under sheet down, and pulls the upper sheet up.
To fold the corners, stand at the foot or head of the bed. Keeping the
fold even, hold the sheet straight out from the side of the bed. Put
your other hand under the corner of the mattress and run it round on
the fold of the sheet until the thumb is even with the upper edge of
the mattress. Hold it there. Then fold smoothly under the mattress the
part of the sheet you have held out and withdraw your hand which you
will find is in a sort of little pocket. This is sometimes called a pie
corner, and it is rather like the fold for a mitred corner in a hem.
When finished, the under sheet should be tight stretched and smooth.
Spread the upper sheet on the bed wrong side up, then when the hem is
turned back at the head of the bed, it will be right side out. Turn the
sheet under at the foot twelve inches if possible. Turn the corners at
the foot but do not turn the sides under nor the corners at the head.
See that the sheet lies straight, and smooth out all wrinkles.
[Illustration: Photograph by Helen W. Cooke
Straight and Smooth]
Put on the blankets, their upper edges reaching to the place where
you intend to make the backward fold in the sheet. Fold them under
about twelve inches at the foot, not at all at the sides; smooth them
carefully.
If two people sleep in a bed or if the blankets are narrow, put a
single blanket on crosswise, placing one of the selvages even with the
edge of the mattress at the foot of the bed, then the ends will hang
some distance over the sides. Some people fold double blankets evenly,
some prefer to fold them with one binding a good way below the other
binding. This preference depends on whether one likes the upper part of
the bed covering thick or thin, and also whether the blanket is long
enough to turn under at the foot when folded evenly. The fold, not the
bindings should be at the foot of the bed, in order that, if too warm,
one thickness of the blanket can be easily thrown back.
When all the bedclothes are on, with the exception of the spread, turn
back the edge of the upper sheet over the blankets, leaving about a
foot of the under sheet exposed. Then fold all the coverings neatly
under the mattress at the sides, drawing them smooth and straight.
The spread is put over the whole bed. It should hang over at the sides
and foot, far enough to hide the mattress, springs and all under parts
of the bed which are not of the same material or finish as the upper
parts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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