Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-18
THE CARE OF LACE

Now that lace, in varying degrees of
expensiveness, from the so cent
yard variety to the rare pieces that
| cost hundreds of dollars, is used so ex-
| tensiVely in my lady'S wardrobe, the
home renovating of this fiimsy trim
ming becomes a necessary part OF the
housekeeper's knowledge
Only the careful supervision and care
| our grandmothers exercised over their
| fine laces have preserved them for our
use on gala day frocks, and following
| In the footsteps of our ancestors we,
| too, can keep our laces in good conul-
ton.
Many women are doubtful about
sending their laces to the cleaner
and when all is said and done the ne
cessity is not there, for any woman or
average intelligence can clean her own
laces, all that is needed being pa
| tience and care.
Always remember that all laces, no
matter of what sort, should be gently
handled There SHOULD be no pulling
| or rubbing or hard shaking. Then'
| too. soap must never be rubbed on
| lace. as it spoils the color-instead use
| a soapy suds made with pure White
soap and hot water.
| 1t is always best to avoid washing
lace unless it becomes necessity. AL
| any rate, IlIot IilC SiOcAAA'o
cesses. one good way Is to cover the
lace with common everyday corn
starch -four wrap it up in clean
| white cloth and lay away for a week,
| then take out, shake and brush, ana
1t is fresh and clean. Some people
| use flour for q dry bath. Slit quart
Of flour into a bowl, dip the lace ana
squeeze-not rub-with the hands. AIT
| err a, good shaking the dirt will be re-
moved. Still another method Is to lay
the lace out evenly on clean white
paper. cover It with magnesia, then
| put another paper on top. Leave IL
| inside the leaves of q book for TWO OF
three days, when 1t will look as fresn
as when new. White lace after clean.
ing Is always better for being kept
| In blue paper.
When lace must needs be Wasneo ano
there comes O time when dry cleaning
will no longer answer, soak 1t first in
boiling water in which borax has been
| dissolved, Then make a lather or GOOD
white soap and hot water ana, taxing
the lace from the water in Whlcn IL
has been soaking, squeeze II In the
lather until clean. Never rub II, ana
If fine either wrap around oottie OF
baste carefully on cloth. II the lace
Is not perfectly clean make another
lather and repeat the process, at last
rinsing it In clean water until all OF
the soap Is removed. If the lace is
pure white, q little bluing in the water
will help the color. IN ordinary lace
when stiffening Is desired dip 1t In
water in which rice has been boiled, or
when pressing sponge on the wrong
side with rice water.
1t is said by some proresSlonai
cleaners that old lace should be boiled
for several hours with a change of
water occasionally. This, of course,
is when the lace has become d1scol-
ored by age. To secure q nice color
the lace quite wet Is exposed on
! slab to the rays of the sun until dry,
| then a little clean soapy water is
| thrown over it to keep the lace damp
| The process is repeated for two or
three days, turning the lace now and
then. In this way the color is restored
Rinsing in SKINNED milk is said to
| impart to real lace the desired SOFT
creamy tint so much desired.
Several thicknesses of flannel should
be used for pressing the lace, and the
iron should not come in contact with
the lace, but the pressing be done be-
tween clean white cloths. When half
ironed remove the cloths and carefully
pull out all Of the points and loops,
then cover with the muslin again ana
iron until quite dry, pressing hard to
bring out the pattern.
EtanitOn lace should not De Ioneu'
but put under weight on clean
white paper after being washed, blot
ting paper giving the best results.
Valenciennes lace is best cleaned If
folded in regular lengths, sewed in a
bag of fine linen, and soaked In olive
oil for ten hours. After this the sack
should be boiled in pure white soap
suds for fifteen minutes. Rinse we'll
in rice water and iron under muslin.
- GkA.N h
ing your lace jabots or collars to
stretch them out on the ironing board
and stick pins in the edges. stretching
well as you go and pinning down each
point carefully. In this way the shape
Of the collar is kept and when dry 1t
will look like new. needing no ironing.
Fine lace handkerchiefs may be treat
ed In the same way, the center only
being ironed.