Mary writes: Okay, here's a newby question asked to me by another newby, and it had me thinking. She found some pre-made linen hankerchiefs in her basement and wants to add a lace edging to them.
================================================ Dear Mary, Well, by pre-made, I assume hemmed. 1. Always pre-wash the hanky. 2. Just because they are pre-made, doesn't mean that you have to use it that way. make a smaller hankie by cutting the hem off, if you want to, and just make wider lace! Attach the lace with a 3 or 4 sided stitch, which are pulled thread technique. Then just trim the fabric away from the stitch line. 3. If the hankie is hemstitched with a narrow hem or has a rolled edge, you can just attach the lace to it. 4. Once the lace is attached and the issue of washing arises, wash as for any highly regarded piece of lace: soak it in distilled water, adding Orvus to the soak water if it is more soiled. Orvus is a wetting agent that gets whatever shouldn't be on the fiber to float away, so strictly speaking it isn't a detergent and it rinses completely out. The common wisdom is "be willing to drink the last rinse water" because it has nothing in it. 5. I have had great success when washing my laces by spreading them on a flat piece of glass or acrylic. The laces dry so smoothly that they don't need ironing. 6. If you must iron a hanky with lace attached, first iron the lace, front side down on a soft surface, like a towel. (You don't want to squash your lace flat, if you can help it). After the lace is the way you want it, then iron the fabric that it is attached to. Ironing essentially stretches out the fabric being ironed. You want the cloth center to stretch to match the lace, not stretch the lace to match the cloth. This piece of advice was straight from the late Kaethe Kliot of Lacis in Berkeley. Finally, it's your lace and your hankie. When you like the looks of it and are satisfied, then that's the final word. Patty Dowden Mary writes: Okay, here's a newby question asked to me by another newby, and it had me thinking. She found some pre-made linen hankerchiefs in her basement and wants to add a lace edging to them. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
