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 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/
