Freshly pressed…
Sometimes, even though I’m a writer who should send her readers into the most astonishing worlds of history and fantasy, my blog posts can cover the most banal things.
Thanks to a likeminded blogger, Faux Fuchsia, I was prompted to think on how much I too like ironed goods in my cupboards and drawers.
Yes, I iron pillowslips…
Handkerchiefs…
Aprons…
Even teatowels.
Then I can open the linen press (this one at House) and salivate over the crispiness.
So too in the teatowel drawer.
It’s a nice diversion if one has writer’s block.
I have a very ordinary metal ironing board at House dating from the 1980’s, but in town I have the most delicious wooden ironing board dating from the 1940’s which my husband and I bought in the weeks before we got married.
And what’s better than slipping into a bed that has freshly pressed linen?
You tell me.
I love the look, but I hate ironing. hate it with a passion. I’m glad there are people like you who like to make the world a little bit more tidy and crisp. The bed makes me want to go climb in, partly because of the freshly pressed sheets, the other part because I LOVE the colors.
There’s probably not many people who like ironing, Jenny, but for me I use it for many things: thinking, listening to music, revisiting DVD’s on the telly and so on. Sometimes it can actually be meditative because it’s so rhythmic. But that’s just me. And thank you for the comment re the room colours… our house colours are fairly restful. (which some might read as boring and lacking in hutzpah!)
I’m with you on this one Prue- although I do draw the line at ironing teatowels! I have a wicker basket they live in and so the rolled up edges and crinkles can’t be seen. But freshly laundered and pressed sheets are blissful to sleep in- I even indulge in a few squirts of L’occitane lavender linen spray. Fortunately, mr Bollyknickers has no idea how much that is a bottle!
I love L’occitane spray for the laundry and I promise not to tell Mr.B. Mind you, I’m sure he enjoys sliding into those freshly pressed and scented sheets as well!
He doesn’t know it but i put it on his shirts too. The French sales assistant said “You will ‘ave a very relaxed man..”
‘Now listen, I will say zis only once… zere iz nussing like ze lavender in ze shirts…’
I had to check that this was not Simon Turney’s blog post. This takes OCD to an entirely new level! I remember ironing a shirt for an interview- I think that was 2006!
I’m actually laughing! I am a staunch follower of Si’s journey through life and random other things. But you know it can be exceptionally comforting slipping between ironed sheets or slipping on an ironed shirt! Then again, perhaps I do have OCD. Hang on … I’ll just ask the dogs, they’re unhappy with me trying to press the crimps out of their coats…
Sad, Prue, very sad. Too much time on your hands! My grandmother used to iron everything and we used to make much fun of her! But really…. I do understand how you can love the freshness of ironed linen. I admit I love the smell. However the only time I get to iron is generally late at night, so only the essentials get done!!
No time on my hands at all! Wish I had more and I might actually get the next Gisborne story finished. But HATE crushed things and my mum reared me to iron most things. I will confess if I’m tired and the teatowels are those wrinkly ones, I’ll fold and put at the back of the pile and I have been known to wash favourite jeans at night, put through drier and then (got this from a TV show when one of the heroines did it) fold and put between mattress and base. Next morning? Perfect!
Oh dear, I am in the ‘love the effect but hate the effort involved’ camp. I think I need to appoint an official Ironer in Chief.
My jeans are perfectly ironed, mind you, when I’ve had them on for a while. Must be the body heat!
All your cool blues and stripes are delicious.
Giselle, you are entirely forgiven… nothing like body heat to remove the crinkles!!
Nothing lifts my spirits like ironed linens and clothes! And starch!! Does anybody still use liquid starch? As household jobs go, it’s a bit like alphabetizing the spice rack and polishing the potatoes, but when I do iron I feel like I’m putting money in the bank that I”ll appreciate later.
Oh! Someone like me! Although I do draw the line at starch, although I’ve been known to spray starch on limp organza etc to spark it up! However I don’t alphabetize the spice rack, nor do I polish my potatoes… That said, you are so right about ironing and money in the bank. I love going to the cupboard and finding the shirt or whatever that I want to wear and knowing for at least 10 minutes of the day before dogs, car-seatbelts and life do their stuff, that things are presentable. And besides, I appreciate it even if no one else does.