I tackled my ironing today. It took a couple hours to get all the articles from the basket pressed, folded and put away. The clothes basket had been getting more and more full. I saw it lurking in the laundry room corner—growing, it seemed, like a fabric monster. So, it was time to do something.
Not so many folks iron anymore, but I see it as a way to take care of my household. When the wrinkles in my husband’s shirts are pressed out, he looks neater. He looks cared for. My blouses fit better when they are ironed and I look like I’m awake—not like I’ve just climbed out of bed.
When our youngest daughter worked at Perkins she had to wear oxford shirts with black slacks. I remember discussing with her the importance of ironing those shirts and how much better she looked when her shirts were ironed—how much more of a tip she might get if she looked ready for work. I’m not sure if it sunk in, but she is still working.
I remember committing myself to ironing the knife pleats in my girl’s school uniform skirts and jumpers. What a time! Every week, I ironed those pleats for two girls, then three, then back to just the two, younger girls and finally to just Maggie, our youngest – I became very efficient in ironing pleats, and peter pan collars. And, I was always proud of how neat my girls looked in their white (pressed) blouses and plaid skirts– at least they looked that way as they went out the door to school. I can’t say they always looks that neat as they came back home.
Again, pressing the clothes of my children was one way I took care of them. I made sure they ate well, brushed teeth, combed hair, bathed regularly—all the things mothers attend to. It made me feel good to know that I could take care of my children and my husband.
I memorized Proverbs 31 which discusses the qualifications of a worthy wife, and it is one reason to strive to take care of my household. What a lovely chapter to help me know what I can do to care for my family
No one knows for sure when or where ironing began, but most authorities suggest the Chinese were using a method to steam wrinkles flat before anyone else, by passing stretched cloth over pans filled with hot coals. This was practiced over one thousand years ago.
“Meanwhile people in Northern Europe were using stones, glass and wood for smoothing. These were used for “ironing” in some places into the mid-19th century, long after western blacksmiths started to forge smoothing irons in the late Middle Ages.” (see history of ironing)
Simple flat irons were created by blacksmiths in the late Middle Ages. These plain metal irons were heated by a fire or on a stove. Some irons were made of stone, earthenware and terracotta, in places from France and the Netherlands and the Middle East.
As electricity became available, electric irons made ironing more economical and easier to regulate. There were not so many items sporting an iron shaped burn mark. My iron which uses steam, like the ancient techniques is fueled by electricity and has a variety of settings to cater to the may types of cloth available to press.
When I worked as a seamstress for J.C. Penny Co., we had a big press that took a careful eye and steady hand. I would lay a whole pair of men’s slacks on the bottom piece, then pull the top down. Steam would shoot out all sides and I would step back if I didn’t want to be lobster-red. We had a hat iron as well, that I did burn myself on, several times. It looked like an iron football atop a metal rod. You laid the shoulders of jackets on top, then a foot petal shot steam through the metal holes and into the fabric. If you were holding the jacket in the wrong place, the steam would burn. These days, it ‘s just my regular home-grown iron. Even so, I’ve burned myself a time or two on that. So, ironing has an art to it, as well as a bit of danger.
It’s okay that not so many folks iron these days. It’s a sign of the changing times. Fabrics have changed a lot. Ironing used to be necessary to flatten the wrinkles from clothing. However, modern fabrics (developed in or after the mid-twentieth century) need little or no ironing. Permanent press clothing was developed to reduce the need for ironing by combining cotton fibers with polyester, which is wrinkle-resistant. Knits and other fabric blends help eliminate the wrinkles and the need for ironing.
But, I still have hand-embroidered, cotton pillow cases, hand-crotched doilies, hand-made table clothes that should be ironed. They look so much better when ironed, and I don’t mind making these articles look their best. When I lay them out on bed or table, they make a statement about how my house is kept. Never mind that. They make me feel comforted that I can keep my house in a nice state of upkeep.
Perhaps, I also meditate a bit at I iron. I think of my husband as I’m ironing his shirts and dress pants. I say a little prayer for him. The aroma of his cologne sometimes wafts up as I heat the shirt—a bit of husband essence, as it were. I recently received a yellow tablecloth topper from a friend. It has a square center with a teapot print. My friend gave it to me because she knows how I like tea – and my favorite color is yellow. I just love it. And as I ironed it, I thought of what a lovely friend she has been all these years and the many small (and big) things she has given to me, the many meals and tea times we’ve shared. What a caring and generous person she is. My gratitude that such a wonderful person is in my life slides down my cheeks as I press and fold the cloth.
Sometimes my mind takes a little journey, scouting small troubles that need solving or thinking of future events. My train of thought makes frequent stops for short mending of items I’m ironing or of my friends or relatives that come to mind. I’m reminded of Mom or an auntie, who perhaps crocheted the doily or embroidered the pillowcases. Of the event when I received them. Or perhaps it is a table runner I quilted more recently, and I admire the various fabrics and how long it took to make the item.
I iron my handkerchiefs. I know. You are saying, “Who uses hankies anymore?” Well, I do. I have one in many of my coat pockets. I give them to my kids and grand kids. I keep a spare in my purse, (especially at funerals and weddings) to share with someone who might need it. A handkerchief is so much more civilized than a tissue. Again, it shows caring and taking care of. Here. I have one for you, if you need one.
My brother recently gave me a bag of Mom’s table clothes and dresser scarves. Some of them I remember clearly and a couple I had not seen before. Mom was like so many of us – saving the best ones for “good”-whenever that was.
I play music often when I iron, and it adds to the meditation. Some of the music I’ve had for years and years. The music takes me for a ride down memory lane, cheers me or provides nostalgia of days gone by. My favorites might not be yours, but when I’m ironing, I get to choose.
Finally, the satisfaction when the basket is empty; those extra shirts in Tim’s closet and the slacks I want to wear to church hanging in mine, the stack of pillow cases ready to put on the bed is the satisfaction of a job completed.
Resources
History Of Ironing at Old and Interesting: http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx
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