Clothespin Bags

Another new item we have this year is clothespin bags. They are the cutest things! They look like little girls dresses and come in a variety of bright colors. You put them on a hanger and hang them on your clothesline.

Mark and I have been hanging our clothes on the line outside for years. There is nothing as great as the smell of freshly laundered clothing hung outside to dry. When I was little, everyone hung their clothes on the line in the summer. I remember wire stretchers that we fit inside my Dad's slacks so they were under tension and didn't have to be ironed.

You need to learn the proper "etiquette" for hanging clothes on the line. Undergarments and all lingerie are always hung on the inside of the clothesline. The shirts, pants, towels, etc., are hung on the outside. This prevents neighbors from having to view your underpants and lacy negligees.

Never hang shirts from the shoulders. When they dry, there is an indentation or pucker where the clothespin pinched them. I usually hang shirts on hangers, then on the line. I do the same with shorts. It saves a lot of time when you put the clothes away. Give towels a snap before you hang them up. I don't know if it does much for the towel, but it does a lot for me--especially if I am in a bad mood.

I usually give each side of a cloth napkin a little tug, then fold them in half and hang them on the line. The little tug straightens out the seam and little if any ironing is needed.

Any other questions about hanging out clothes, just give me a holler.

Grandma Dora's Apron

I received the new aprons from Meg just in time for the Chesterton, IN European Market which begins on May 30, 2009. They are adorable--full coverage with two pockets of tulip design which allows Meg to use contrasting fabric. These are cut from the same pattern that my Great Grandmother Dora Hansen used in the 1890s. Each one is a little different so it is difficult to put pics up. As soon as I get them up, they sell. Oh well, it's a nice problem to have. I'll be blogging about the other items we have for sale in the future. Edgewater Cottage is not just all about soap. We have lots of retro items--aprons, clothespin bags, etc.

I remember Great Grandma always wearing an apron. I guess it was because she only had a few "house dresses" and usually wore them more than once before washing them. The use of an apron kept dirt and grease off her dress. I have always wondered why the chefs on the Food Network don't wear aprons. Not even Martha wears aprons when she cooks. I would imagine if one of them would start wearing aprons, then selling them, they would probably make a good amount of money!