Washing Lace: Method 2

Another excellent method to washing lace, is to dampen a piece of new organdy or other white goods containing starch or dressing. Place this over the lace and iron till dry. This gives a crisp new appearance to the lace without making it at all suggestive of starch. Another method of washing lace is to soak it about fifteen minutes in a bowl of suds made of white soap and water. Pour this off and replace with a clean suds.

Place the basin where the sun will shine upon it. Change the lather twice a day and let the rays of the sun restore the lace to its original whiteness. When it is clean rinse it in several clear waters, pressing but never squeezing, and drop it in a dainty heap on a plate.

Leave it here till it is only damp, not wet.

Dissolve two lumps of white sugar in a pint of water, and into this drop the lace. Allow it to remain for about five minutes.

Squeeze this sweetened water out and spread the lace smoothly upon the soft, flannel-covered ironing table. Over it place a piece of white muslin and iron with a warm, not too hot, iron until it is dry.

Remove the cloth, and taking the lace in the hands, carefully manipulate with the fingers until the lace has been restored to its original shape. Then with a fine lace needle, which has no point to tear and split the delicate threads, carefully open and shape each picot.

Irish guipure and real point lace should be pinned out, not ironed. This is quite a task, and should be attempted only when the worker has ample time and is not liable to be interrupted.

A large wooden drum or hoop of sufficient width is best, to washing lace, but if this is not to be had, a large circular box or a straight board may be used. Pad the outer surface of this drum on both sides and the ends of the board with several layers of white flannel, and, if preferred, cover this with a piece of white muslin stretched smoothly.

Lace must, of course, be damp when pinned, and then the pins will not tear the threads of the picots. Only a portion of the length should be removed from the damp cloth within which it is rolled. Should the lace, being pinned, become dry, dampen it with a wet cloth or sponge. First pin the footing down to the padded support, using plenty of pins placed close together. Spread the lace across its width smoothly over the support, and pin each picot separately by thrusting the pin through it and into the flannel support as if it were a cushion.

The pins must be the exact size of the picots, as their size must keep the picots in their original shape. Leave the lace until it is thoroughly dry and then remove the pins. If the lace has a raised design, stamp it on the wrong side with a lace awl.

Note: there is another method to washing lace. You can read how to wash lace here.

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