Cleaning Antique

If you have just acquired an antique quilt, there are some things to watch for before you think about how to clean it. You need to look carefully at the quilt’s age and condition. You also need to think carefully about whether you should wash a quilt. It is a good idea to seek the advice of a professional textile conservationist first. You can find one by contacting The American Institute for Conservation, 1717 K St. NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20006. It is true that no matter how careful you are, you may permanently damage a quilt by washing it. You should certainly never wash a damaged quilt before repairing it.

There might be stains on your quilt, since old quilts are made of natural fibers which absorb things like body oils, liquids, soils, and other organic substances easily and over time these invisible stains oxidize and become colored stains. That makes it difficult to know how to pretreat them. Often what we think of as blood stains are really the remains of a dead bug and these stains are nearly impossible to remove. Another problem is dye migration. Changes in temperatures will cause dye migration that results in brown stains in quilts folded and stored for years. Since, the dye has permanently stained adjoining quilt fabrics, most stains caused by dye migration can’t be removed. You shouldn’t even try because you can do even more damage by trying than they have already. In addition to these stains, your quilt might have damaged scattered spots known as foxing, which is caused by the growth of molds.

If your quilt is very stained, it may be a good idea to spot treat areas with sodium perborate, the active ingredient in Clorox 2, before washing the whole quilt. Another way to spot clean is to brush a paste of Biz, Ivory Snow flakes or Shaklees Nature Bright on the stained spot and then vacuum it well with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner after it dries. Be careful to have all portions of your quilt equally clean. Using lemon juice to bleach stains, or laying linens on the lawn stains is not a good idea as your fabric may be temporarily brightened, but this usually turns to yellow after a while.

If you are going to display your quilt folded over a rack, and there are no holes, rips, frayed seams, stains, delicate fabrics or embellishments etc in it, you may be able to just simply air it outside on a nice warm day to remove dust and dirt and freshen the quilt. You can lay it on the lawn with a clean sheet underneath it and another on top of it for protection, especially from sunlight. If you don’t have a lawn, you may hang it over a wide railing with a sheep protector.

You could also vacuum it with the brush attachment of a low powered vacuum cleaner, although you would need to put a clean fine mesh screen over your quilt first, to prevent threads and yarn from getting sucked away, if it had elaborate embellishments or damage. You want to vacuum gently, use a Dust-buster if you have one. Be careful not to pull loose material from your quilt. Hold the vacuum cleaner at least half an inch above your quilt, vacuum both sites, and repeat that if you need to. Never vacuum painted quilts since you may strip the paint off.

In summary, cleaning an antique quilt can be a challenge. A lot depends on the age and condition of your quilt, and whether it has delicate fabrics or embellishments on it. It is probably a good idea to avoid washing it if you can, although you do want to get rid of dust and dirt as much as possible. Always check with a professional textile conservationist first to see what they think about the advisability of washing it.

Need Boat Shoe

If you are thinking “hey I don’t have a boat”, keep in mind that these shoes are not just for wearing on a deck anymore. It is true that woman’s boat shoes are also known as deck shoes, but today you will see them just as much on the streets in the city and on campus as you will at your local marina.

Originally, women’s boat shoes were manufactured to be worn while out boating or sailing. The original Indian moccasins because of their low profile, the water-repellent hide and the lacings on the sides for fit probably inspired them. Today’s women’s boat shoes and their construction with rubber soles and water repellent or, at the least, less water absorbent leather uppers make them perfect for a day on the water.

Today’s manufacturers also offer a variety of colors and styles. This is making it a shoe that falls between an informal dress shoe and the ultimate casual shoe. So today, even with the obvious practicality of women’s boat shoes, if you do go sailing or boating, it doesn’t mean they are only used on the water. They have become a major part of European women’s wardrobes and a major player in the preppy style of North America. Women’s boat shoes are now being purchased by anyone who is dressing casual. They are stylish in any situation that does not require formal attire. A word of advice is that they are considered just a 3 season shoe. They are not normally worn in the winter. You can wear women’s boat shoes with or without socks, which make these woman’s boat shoes very versatile. Some manufacturers will include a sock pad to add cushioning for those who do prefer the traditional no sock look.

A high quality women’s boat shoe is not going to be inexpensive and should last for several years with proper maintenance. The prices for a quality shoe will range from $39 dollars to as much as $170 dollars.

Speaking of maintenance, a women’s boat shoe is designed to handle adverse conditions on the water. You may think that they do not need to be kept up but this is far from the truth. In between wearings, quality oil should be applied to the leather uppers occasionally. This helps keep the leather soft, flexible and water-resistant. The insoles should be sprayed with an anti fungal / bacteria spray and allowed to air dry. If the rubber soles should become worn you need to replace or repair them.

Today, even women who have never been on a boat or, for that matter, near the water are being attracted to the casual style offered by the women’s boat shoe. Fashion experts state that these sporty shoes can be worn with any of today’s casual attire. The only time they advise wearing a loafer instead would be in a more business type casual setting. This rule is not iron clad as it will depend somewhat on your ensemble of choice. Aided by more contemporary styling and multiple colors, today’s woman is able to stand out more with women’s boat shoes then was possible with the plain original style and color.

Buy Perfume

The importance of perfume has been realized a very long time ago. Its birth can be dated back to the early Egyptians era when it was being used for religious ceremonies and love making preparations. Nowadays, perfumes have virtually become a bare essential in our society and they are being used in all walks of life. The use of perfumes adds zing to the occasions as they are considered to be one of the most luxurious and sensuous accessories in the modern society.

When it comes to the use of perfume as an essential part of body accessories, they are numerous brands available in the market that one can choose from. However, the choice of a particular brand largely depends on the social stratum of a person. These days, the use of designers` fragrance is a rage in the market and everyone wants to use a specific brand of fragrance which is not only well-known but also stands out in terms of smell.

Some facts about perfumes:

Generally, the fragrance of perfumes last longer for people who have an oily skin. This is because their oily skin has more natural moisture content that holds the fragrance. On the other hand, dry skin has less natural moisture content and, hence it fails to hold the fragrance for a longer period of time.

Admired perfumes for men range from citrus, spicy, woodsy, leathery and while they are designed in a controlled environment, the same for the women are designed for primal senses with the combination of subtleness and refinement. Perfumes for women can be found in different wonderful themes such as floral like roses, jasmine, fruity like citrus or orange blossoms, oriental like mix of spices, amber and so on.

Perfumes are worn by both men and women to display their individual personality. However, what smells wonderful on your friend might not suit your body temperament. Hence, while buying a designer perfume, bear the following dos and don`ts in mind:

How to try:

When you want to try new fragrance for its chemical reaction, try it on your body and not on an object, say on the perfume bottle cap or a piece of cardboard. If you experience any irritation on your skin, take it for granted that the chemical components of the fragrance are not suitable for your skin tone and texture and its use could be harmful for you.

No two-timing, please:

Buyers are often found to be trying different perfume fragrances at the same time. Do not use three or four fragrances at a time as it affects your sensory reflections leading to confusion relating to the choice of a particular fragrance. So, the chances are you will fail to pick that perfect perfume which would be suitable for your skin tone.

Say NO to fake & cheap:

Do not go for fake and cheap designer perfume fragrances merely for the sake of saving a few pennies. What seems like a saving could cost you dearly in the long-run. Fake and cheap fragrances can be extremely detrimental to your skin tone and texture as they are not made up of quality and standard components of fragrance. The best way to choose the perfect perfume is sniff coffee beans to clear and refresh your smelling power.

Samples:

Always try to use sample perfume bottles if it is possible for you to get one. They are extremely ideal for you to understand the ultimate effect on your body. Incase you find them suitable or otherwise, you are in a situation to make a choice accordingly.

Designer perfume outlet:

The best way and place to buy a perfume is to drop at a designer perfume outlet where you can pick your favorite designer perfumes. It helps you to take the right decision as you have a wide-range of choices to pick from. Besides, perfumes purchased from a designer perfume outlet tend to live up to your expectation. They could cost you a bit more, but you can feel the difference as you impress people with the unique smell. This is when you feel that your spending is worth it.

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