Show I WOMANS WOMAN'S WORLD Choose Your Household Liners Linens n For Durability Fit to Needs By Ertta ErUa Haley I IS S thrIll th there e than a greater homemaking opening the door of or a well appointed linen closet Most women will agree there isn't and this holds true even though though women do not spend their time from f om doll to marriage days spin spin- spinning ning and weaving linens for their dowry Linens are not always linens in the pure sense of the word but we have become accustomed to designate designate designate nate them as such as long as they are woven goods for bedroom bath dining room or kitchen They The may be linen but they may be made of cotton rayon or even the synthetics like nylon or plastics No wise homemaker will let her linen supply get too low for com com- comfort fort She should take stock at I regular times and replenish the closet clos t when she can get the types quality and quantity at a reason reason- reasonably reasonably reasonably ably fair price The best rule to follow is to get the best quality one can afford Check for wearing qualities and also choose the most suitable linens lin lin- linens linens ens for your purposes You may find it economical to have several different qualities of f linens on hand such as inexpensive sive sive utility towels for trips and school a nicer quality for family use and some very luxurious sets when you want to put on your best airs Quantity depends a great deal dealon on personal considerations However How How- However However ever as a guide for a family of four with laundry done once a week you'll need these in towels 2 dozen each of bath towels wash washcloths washcloths washcloths cloths and hand towels 1 dozen guest towels and 2 or 3 bath mats A minimum requirement in bed linen is that each bed have four J Judge Judg liners linens carefully care sheets and more is better Detter Three or four cases per pillow is min min- Replace a pair of sheets a year for each bed Look for Absorbency Durability in Towels When you check absorbency in bath towels look carefully at the loops They are on both sides of the towel or in ribs or patterns They should be close and thickly packed The closer the loops the themore themore themore more absorbent the towel and the sooner it dries out after using Long loops make the towels soft as well as more absorbent If you like towels for friction rub-downs rub choose the shorter loop and tight weave so that you get the harsh feel Check durability by looking at atthe atthe atthe the of the towel This is the towels towel's backbone that will bear the strain to tej which it t is put The back back backside side should be firm close clo e and tight which shows shows that the Hie Hielo loops lo ps are held securely Hold the towel up to the light If it does not show light coming through even in pinpoints the quality quality quality ity is poor can also a so sobe be checked in the plain portion near the hem or border where there are no loops loop Feel towels in the hands to compare com com- compare compare pare grades and weights Its It's easy VJ A Abe I tY J rh J be b proud of oj them it i you want to 10 prou between the difference to t tell sturdy s towels and light loose ones on Hems should be stitched with WI t small close uniform stitches ches be backstitched T Th They ey y should also turned and stitched back across acro s the or hem The hems should be e turned up so they wont won't won t travel ravel should be firm and Selvages tf r inch wide closely woven about a b 0 ut 7 enough to withstand d and d strong Se that so so often causes rubbing the the e towel to fray As ten long as asis it itis well made any type of selvage is or hemmed woven type is satisfactory Heres Here's How Dow to Judge Judge Good Bed Linens not read labels labelson Though you may many things you buy z yo you on very should so do it as as' an absolute necessity in buying bed linens They give you real information as asto asto asto to what kind of material is used as well as a clue to its wearing qualities Percale is used in fine quality sheets It has a smooth feeling its it's firm but not bulky Woven of fine yarn it has a high thread count Usually percale sheeting comes in two types utility or carded or combed yarns with a thread count of which means the number of threads per square inch Fine percale is made of combed yarns with a count of or more I Muslin is used for utility sheet sheet- ing It is woven of heavy carded yarn with a thread count of or Lengthwise warp threads should equal the crosswise woof threads in number quality and size of yarn for best wearing quality as this means the material is well balanced Always check for a label telling torn size This means that the material used for the sheet was torn from the the length of the cloth before hemming When torn is given on the label it means the sheet will have straight hems If cloth is cut the hem will probably probably probably ably not be straight after launder launder- ing Judge Workmanship On Bed Linens I Check the hems on sheets just justas as you do on towels These should follow the direction of a single silling thread at the fold or at the theline theline theline line of stitching Stitching should be neat and andev ev even n about 14 stitches to the inch Ends of hems should be fastened securely and selvages must be firm neat and strong Best selvages are used on best sheets and these have extra yarn to give extra strength Pure finish on a sheet means a minimum of sizing a special kind of starch that's added to the warp yarns in all sheets to protect the thread while its it's being loomed If too much sizing is used the result is a sleazy sheet that shows up when laundered When you see a no weighting label or such information about a sheet it means that no heavy materials such as china clay have been used in the sizing Tensile strength on a sheet Is the measurement of the pull of the fabric which it will take be be- before before before fore breaking A type sheet may have a tensile strength of 60 or 70 for example while a type will have a strength of 45 Tensile strength then is the index of the wearing qualities of sheets or pillowcases Remember that the torn size Is the size before hemming To get the correct size for the bed de de- deduct deduct de- de deduct duct 5 inches for making the hem and another 5 inches for shrink shrink- age Allow at least 6 inches for tucking in at the sides for both width and length Give Consideration To Pillow Covers Pillow cases are made of the same material as sheets so the same considerations and standards apply to selecting them as do for forthe forthe forthe the sheets For comfort and ap ap- appearance appearance appearance have a ease case that fits the thep pillow p pow nicely but one on which which is not nt too roomy or the pillow will slip continually Cases will wear much better if you get them six to ten inches longer than the pillow and two t C to three inches wider |