If you wish to have superior results, you simply cannot work with inferior materials. Today is washing and ironing, and although I am doing things by the book i simply cannot be happy with my results. Part of it is my fault, I did not check the napkins for stains before I washed them, and I did not use distilled water in my iron. So, my napkins have faint but noticeable (to me) grease stains that now will never come out, and my olive tablecloth has hard water marks. Fortunately, I am not working with my good linens right now (and have no intent to until I get this right.)
The linens I have out now are inexpensive cotton ones from Target, which are fine for casual use. That said, now that I am paying more attention to detail I am unhappy with the craftsmanship that went into making them. The seams are not at all even - I think I could sew a better seam (an I am a lousy seamstress.) Ironing them makes the distortion even more obvious (to me.) Granted, once folded no one would ever know, and to be truthful even unfolded most people would neither notice nor care.
I talked more with my mother today, mostly about the comparative benefits of using fitted sheets or flat sheets on a mattress. I think we both decided that flat sheets folded with a hospital corner look very smart on a bed, so I will put some energy into learning this technique.
I also found out that my mother learned domestic service from her grandmother, who ran a boarding house. I'm going to ask her to email me with more information about that time in her life. I never knew my great grandmother; she died the year I was born. I knew only that she had ten children, and that she helped raise my eldest brother while my Father was in the service.
The day is almost half over, and I feel that I've accomplished a lot. Dusting and vacuuming will finish my housework for the day, and I will have plenty of time before I have to start dinner.
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