For Valenciennes or Thread. Take a large-necked bottle, fill with
rain water, put in the laces with a piece of castile soap, and leave them to
soak well, strongly shaking the bottle now and then. When well
washed put the laces in clear water with a little bluing and gum arabic ,
then wring slightly. Do not iron, but lay them in the sun on a stiff
cloth with a pin in each loop. For Valenciennes, rinse them in weak
coffee with a little gum arabic ; dry the same way.
If too white dip in saffron water. Laces dipped in a weak solution of
saffron water (saffron with boiling water poured over it), can be tinted
any color from a pale cream to the deepest yellow.
DOING UP LACES AND CURTAINS. 237
To Point Lace. Procure a smooth deal board three-fourths of an
inch thick, about eighteen long by fourteen inches wide ; envelope it in
fine cotton cloth, drawn tightly and smoothly over it and seamed at the
edges to keep it firm. Lay out the lace upon this in its proper shape,
without any undue stretching, and tack it closely all around the edge to
the cotton, and a few stitches here and there in the middle to keep it
firm. If a long piece of lace it may either be tacked on double or
wrapped round and round the board, only be sure to secure the edges
in form by sewing them down to the cotton cloth. Have ready a lather
of curd soap and luke warm water ; lay the board in it to soak all night,
taking care it is entirely covered. The next day rub it gently with the
hand in the lather, which will remove all soil or dirt. When it is quite
clean rinse well in cold water, by pouring it quickly over the lace seve-
ral times ; let it drain a little, and finally pour over some very thin
arrow-root starch (if liked, color slightly with coffee) ; then dry before a
clear fire, and do not untack the lace from the board till quite crisp
and dry. No further stretching or ironing is required.
Lace Curtains. First take them down and give them a good shak-
ing, then rub them through two waters, or pound and rub them ; put in
a pillow-case to boil, which prevents their being torn ; suds and rinse in
bluing water and dry. Choose a warm sunshiny day to starch them.
Take quilting frames out in the sun, place them upon four chairs (the
same as for a quilt) and pin a sheet on them ; use silver gloss starch
and make a cooked starch, bluing it a little ; starch two pieces and pin
on the sheet together, stretching them lengthwise as far as possible ;
then pin the edges as near as two inches before the edges are quite dry
(the middle dries first) take them on the ironing sheet and smooth them
nicely. Or pin them down on the carpet, at sides and ends, putting the
pins close together, or pinning in the center of each scallop or point.
Leave until perfectly dry before removing from the carpet. If the car-
pet is clean, and free from dust, it will not be necessary to put clean
sheets down before pinning the curtains.
SILK AND EMBROIDERED HANDKERCHIEFS.
White or cream handkerchiefs should be washed in cold rain water
with a little curd soap ; then rinse them in rain-water, cold, slightly
colored with bluing ; wring well and stretch them out on a mattress,
tacking them down tightly. They will look as good as new if carefully
washed.
Page 210
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
For Valenciennes or Thread. Take a large-necked bottle, fill with rain water, put in the laces with a piece of castile soap, and leave them to soak well, strongly shaking the bottle now and then. When well washed put the laces in clear water with a little bluing and gum arabic , then wring slightly. Do not iron, but lay them in the sun on a stiff cloth with a pin in each loop. For Valenciennes, rinse them in weak coffee with a little gum arabic ; dry the same way.
If too white dip in saffron water. Laces dipped in a weak solution of saffron water (saffron with boiling water poured over it), can be tinted any color from a pale cream to the deepest yellow.
DOING UP LACES AND CURTAINS. 237
To Point Lace. Procure a smooth deal board three-fourths of an inch thick, about eighteen long by fourteen inches wide ; envelope it in fine cotton cloth, drawn tightly and smoothly over it and seamed at the edges to keep it firm. Lay out the lace upon this in its proper shape, without any undue stretching, and tack it closely all around the edge to the cotton, and a few stitches here and there in the middle to keep it firm. If a long piece of lace it may either be tacked on double or wrapped round and round the board, only be sure to secure the edges in form by sewing them down to the cotton cloth. Have ready a lather of curd soap and luke warm water ; lay the board in it to soak all night, taking care it is entirely covered. The next day rub it gently with the hand in the lather, which will remove all soil or dirt. When it is quite clean rinse well in cold water, by pouring it quickly over the lace several times ; let it drain a little, and finally pour over some very thin arrow-root starch (if liked, color slightly with coffee) ; then dry before a clear fire, and do not untack the lace from the board till quite crisp and dry. No further stretching or ironing is required.
Lace Curtains. First take them down and give them a good shaking, then rub them through two waters, or pound and rub them ; put in a pillow-case to boil, which prevents their being torn ; suds and rinse in bluing water and dry. Choose a warm sunshiny day to starch them. Take quilting frames out in the sun, place them upon four chairs (the same as for a quilt) and pin a sheet on them ; use silver gloss starch and make a cooked starch, bluing it a little ; starch two pieces and pin on the sheet together, stretching them lengthwise as far as possible ; then pin the edges as near as two inches before the edges are quite dry (the middle dries first) take them on the ironing sheet and smooth them nicely. Or pin them down on the carpet, at sides and ends, putting the pins close together, or pinning in the center of each scallop or point. Leave until perfectly dry before removing from the carpet. If the carpet is clean, and free from dust, it will not be necessary to put clean sheets down before pinning the curtains.
SILK AND EMBROIDERED HANDKERCHIEFS.
White or cream handkerchiefs should be washed in cold rain water with a little curd soap ; then rinse them in rain-water, cold, slightly colored with bluing ; wring well and stretch them out on a mattress, tacking them down tightly. They will look as good as new if carefully washed.