My grandma, the one who taught me embroidery, did laundry for people. Everything got ironed. She let me start on the flat work. Handkerchiefs, table napkins, and pillowcases. I had to stand on a box because the ironing board was not adjustable. The iron did not have steam. You sprinkled water from a soda bottle with a stopper punctured, just so. One lady had special, lavender scented water. I once did two men's dress shirts with it before she caught me. They had to be rewashed "to get the stink out".
We had the same "job". My mother set me up to iron all the flat things as well. She would sprinkle the linens and then roll them and cover with a sheet of plastic. I took one item out at a time and ironed it flat and smooth. Loved ironing. I stopped a few years ago when my husband retired and didn't need perfectly ironed shirts and pants every day. Now my own linen is always un-ironed as well. It took awhile to get used to being wrinkled but now I like it--softer to the touch.
LOVE hankies! Have quite the pile in my top dresser drawer. I keep one in my car, one in my purse, one in the pocket of my robe, and they may occasionally be found between the couch cushions. Needless to say, I actually use my hankies. Many of my favorites were my dad's. They're a treasure.
I have a lot of my husband's cotton bandanas. Shared them with his boys. These are actually damask dinner napkins, though on the small side. When you are part-time caretaker for a toddler, you had BETTER have something for wiping.
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My grandma, the one who taught me embroidery, did laundry for people. Everything got ironed. She let me start on the flat work. Handkerchiefs, table napkins, and pillowcases. I had to stand on a box because the ironing board was not adjustable. The iron did not have steam. You sprinkled water from a soda bottle with a stopper punctured, just so. One lady had special, lavender scented water. I once did two men's dress shirts with it before she caught me. They had to be rewashed "to get the stink out".
We had the same "job". My mother set me up to iron all the flat things as well. She would sprinkle the linens and then roll them and cover with a sheet of plastic. I took one item out at a time and ironed it flat and smooth. Loved ironing. I stopped a few years ago when my husband retired and didn't need perfectly ironed shirts and pants every day. Now my own linen is always un-ironed as well. It took awhile to get used to being wrinkled but now I like it--softer to the touch.
LOVE hankies! Have quite the pile in my top dresser drawer. I keep one in my car, one in my purse, one in the pocket of my robe, and they may occasionally be found between the couch cushions. Needless to say, I actually use my hankies. Many of my favorites were my dad's. They're a treasure.
I have a lot of my husband's cotton bandanas. Shared them with his boys. These are actually damask dinner napkins, though on the small side. When you are part-time caretaker for a toddler, you had BETTER have something for wiping.
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