The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-14

The young housewife who when buy
ing her first house furnishings can afford
a little additional outlay for slip cover
ings for pillows, holsters and mattresses
will save herself much tiresome labor and
eventually considerable expense. These
slips for mattresses are the most salts
factory when made Of a cheap grade Of
blue and white ticlzing-that which re-
tails for about ten cents. Being light
and thin, it washes easily and is still
heavy enough to serve the purpose of
keeping the mattress clean.
When making pillows and holsters it is
better to use muslin to contain the feath-
ers or down, having a good quality Of
feather ticking outside. which can easily
he removed and Numbered when soiled
without the necessity Of emptying the
feathers as our mothers and grandmOth-
cTs used to do
1 remember calling once on a young
housekeeper, whom I found side
porch gingerly dipping feathers with her
hands out Of a pillow tick into Il barrel
Her gray flannel dress and pretty bangs
were fluffy with down. and altogether 1t
seemed thai if she had prepared for the
occasion She could hardly have made
matters worse
We were old friends. SO | took the lib
erty Of offering assistance. Picking up
the remaining unopened pillow, l asked
for the case that had been on it and Il
needle and thread. After shaking the
feathers into the end of the tick opposite
the end to be opened ] ran a basting
thread all along about two inches from
the latter. ripped the seam and basted
the ripped edges ali around the open end
or the piliOwcase. Then ! drew out the
first basting thread. shook the feathers
out Of the tick into the pilIowcase, basted
the latter across the end and cut the
stitches which united the two. when the
tick was ready for the laundry with
scarcely any waste or muSsinS. Where
slip coverings are not used this is the
easiest method of preparing pillow ticks
for the wash.
When finishing bed comfortables, they
should always have a half yard strip of
cheeseclOth-the back breadths of WORE
Bingham dresses of a pretty light shade
would do nicely-basted across the ends
10 keep them neat and fresh as long as
possible. 1t is a question whether COM
fortables are really cheaper bed cover
ing than blankets, though L believe that
delusiOn still exists with most house
keepers. The latter make the ideal GOV
ering for cool weather, because of light
ness and loose texture, which admits
free passage Of the eXhalatiOns OF the
body, and because Of the ease and thor
oughness with which they can be fire.
quently cleansed. OF late years there
has been a white. heavily heeced cot
ton flannel blanket put upon the mar
ket which makes a desirable substitute
Tor quilts IN summer weather. These
retail at from 90 cents to $3.50 a pair.
They are also to be had in soft shades
OF gray, just the thing for schoolboys
and farm help. one defect is their
meager dimensions. In order to remedy
this / have sometimes torn one blanket
in two and Sewed the two halves on the
ends of two other blankets, using the
sewing machine for the work and fell
ing down the rough edges. OF course
the blankets thus pieced were used cross
wise the bed instead of lengthwise, as
before.
Bedding in constant use should daily
be exposed for several hours to current
of resi- air and to the sunlight as often
as possible. Once a week hang ON the
clothesline for the Minneapolis
HOuSeSeeper