Collecting Vintage Lily of the Valley Handkerchiefs Hankies

Vintage handkerchiefs make a wonderful collectible. They are still readily available and for the most part affordable. If you want to narrow your focus down some Lily of the Valley designs are some of the prettiest vintage handkerchiefs.

For generations it has been a tradition for brides to carry a pretty handkerchief on their wedding day.
Lily of the Valley flowers have also long been associated with weddings and new beginnings. According to the book, The Language of Flowers,"It is not surprising that the Lily of The Valley symbolizes the Return To Happiness, for it is the sweetest flower imaginable. With it's dainty white bells and unmistakable green scent it is said to lure the Nightingale from his nest and lead him to his mate. It is the symbol of May Day and was known as May Lily and Our Lady's tears because it grew from the tears shed by the Virgin Mary at the Cross. The flowers were grown by monks for decorating the alter and were called Ladder to Heaven because the miniature flower bells grow like steps up from the stem." The young Shulamite bride in the Bible's Book of Love, Song of Solomon, says of herself," I am the Roses of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys." The Lily of the Valley are especially popular in France and are found as a wild woodland plant throughout Europe. They were not considered a garden plant until the 16th century. They have been considered to bring good luck since the Renaissance.

You will find a wide variety of styles of Lily of the Valley hankies. Often they will be trimmed with lace. There are many embroidered designs, both all white and colored embroidery. Sometimes the lily spray will be entwined with a pair of wedding rings. The printed Lily of the Valley hankies are most striking and a red one would be the hardest to find. Blue of course is very popular due to ladies wanting, "something blue" for their wedding day.

I have found Lily of the Valley hankies made in France, Switzerland, Austria and Madeira Portugal. Madeira made linens are some of the most sought after by collectors.

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Colloidal Silver Soap for Treating Burns

Burns are most unpleasant incident in our life. It can be a result of exposure to extreme heat, chemicals, electricity or radio active materials, which damages body tissues. Its symptom depends on the severity and cause of the burn but usually includes pain and sensitivity to touch. He skin may appear blistered, swollen, charred, dried, weeping, or red, grey or black colored. Silver, in its pure form, has been used as topical antiseptic for minor burns for more than 100 years. Because of silver's antibacterial properties, colloidal silver has been found to prevent the infection resulting from burns.

Silver has been used for thousands of years as a healing and preventive health product. Treating wounds with silver was common from the 1800s to the mid-1900s, when the use of antibiotics took precedence in the medical field. However, silver is still utilized in many medical circumstances. Hospitals use a silver treatment to dress scars and wounds, especially wounds that resist healing. Catheters are lined with silver to prevent infection and water is purified with silver. Now, silver is coming to the at-home health care market.

Minor burns should be first cleaned with colloidal silver soap and cold water and left for drying. There after, colloidal silver may be applied topically. Topical application of colloidal silver made on blistered or open wounds prevents risk of infection. Internal use of colloidal silver is not recommended for this condition. Aloe vera, which is another constituent of soap, is also effective in treating minor burns. The stabilized aloe gel is typically applied to the affected area of skin three to five times per day. Older case studies reported that aloe gel applied topically could help heal radiation burns.

Severe burns require hospitalization. They are typically treated by surgical removal of burned tissue followed by grafting of skin or synthetic substitutes. Use of colloidal soap is not recommended for these conditions.

It is most important to understand the variety of burns that can occur in the human body. Because the treatment of burns depends on the type of burn body has faced. Doctors usually categorize treatment of burns depending on its depth, area and location. Burn depth is generally categorized as first, second or third degree. A first degree burn is superficial and has similar characteristics to a typical sun burn. The skin turns red in color. However, sensitivity is retained which makes this type of burn somewhat painful. Second degree burns look similar to the first degree burns; however, the damage is now severe enough to cause blistering of the skin and the pain is usually somewhat more intense. In the third degree burns, burns the damage has progressed to the point of skin death. The skin becomes white in color and sensitivity is lost. In second and third degree burn types, fluid gets accumulated in and around the affected area. It may result in inflammation in the area surrounding it.

In addition to the intensity, the total area of the burn is also significant. This is usually measured in terms of percent of total body burnt. The skin acts as a barrier from the environment, and without it, patients are subject to infection and fluid loss. Burns that cover more than 15% of the total body surface can lead to shock and require hospitalization for intravenous fluid resuscitation and skin care.

However, location of the burn is most important factor compared to factors mentioned above. For example, burn to eye requires special attention as soon as possible, because it may lead to loss in vision permanently or it may be the cause for clouded vision, both of which are difficult to reverse. Burns of the neck or signs of burns to the nose or mouth require urgent guarding of the patient's airway, as swelling may result in life threatening obstruction. Burned tissue shrinks and can cause damage to underlying structures. Burns that extend circumferentially around body structures require surgical release of the tissue, often referred to as escharotomy.

Skin is the body's first line of defense against infection by microorganisms. As the burn causes skin damage, the body becomes prone to infections. These infections can affect the wounded area as well as the area surrounding it. It can also affect internal parts as the burns skin leaves a gaping hole in the defense mechanism of the body. Therefore, it is most important to prevent infections in the aftermath of burn injury. Here colloidal silver comes into the picture which is so effective in fighting infections.

People in burn wards have known for a very long time that soaking bandages in a low concentration colloidal silver solution inhibits infection in burn victims; it literally saves their skin. In severe cases, it can even save their lives. Burn wards know this, and silver has long been used as an anti-infection agent with bandages or other medical supplies all around the world, especially in Russia, China, Japan, and Germany.

It is very easy to make silver bandages at home using a true colloidal silver that contains most of its silver content in the form of silver nano particles. The bandage pad is simply soaked in the colloidal silver and allowed to dry. The nanoparticles of silver impregnate the bandage material and will provide anti microbial protection when the bandage is applied to a wound. On a smaller scale, a Band-Aid strip can be used by simply putting a few drops of colloidal silver on the pad. It can be allowed to dry and saved for later use, or it can be used while the colloidal silver is still wet on the pad. Likewise, larger wound dressing bandages can be applied while wet with colloidal silver. The colloidal silver will speed wound healing and reduce the amount of scarring

For minor burns, natural medicine may be helpful after the burn is cleaned with soap and cold water and gently dried. Because of the risk of infection, topical applications should not be made to blistered or open burn wounds, unless under medical supervision. Extensive burns or burns causing more than minor discomfort should be treated by a healthcare professional.

Home Sewing - How To Make Your Sewing Not Look Homemade

Most of us will agree that sewing your own clothes saves you money and brings great satisfaction. It is gratifying when you complete a project and can say that you sewed it yourself. But, perhaps the biggest reason most people do not sew their own clothes is because they look homemade. You start out with visions that the outfit will look exactly on you the way it looked on the pattern envelope, but when it's finished it looks like something is missing. And, you can't quite put your finger on what it is.

I remember, as a teenager, staying up all night to finish an outfit so I could wear something new the next day for a special event or occasion. Even though I thought I looked cute, people could tell it was homemade, the night before. The only time the iron touched it was when it was finished, and then I really ironed it… hard. I didn't know what was missing until I stepped into a home economics sewing class, and saw a bunch of odd looking tools that I did not recognize, or know how to use.

What I learned in that sewing class was that the secret to making home sewing not look homemade was in the press…using those odd looking tools. I didn't know that if I put off pressing the garment until completion, that it would be too late to set in the shape. I didn't know that no matter how well I sewed, the professional look was also a result of proper pressing.

Yes, properly pressing seams as you sew actually shapes the garment and sets the stitching lines. As we all know, the body is not flat, it has curves, and using the ironing board alone will not shape the garment properly. The only way to shape your garment is by using the proper pressing equipment along with the ironing board.

If you are like me, and most home sewers, before taking a sewing class, you are also unfamiliar with specialized pressing equipment and not accustomed to using them. But, using the proper tools along with the proper pressing and sewing techniques makes the difference in the end result. It helps shape the fabric so it will fit the body more smoothly. Some of those odd looking pressing tools are listed below:

• Steam iron for pressing and shaping fabric and setting stitches at all stages of construction.

• Ironing board, well padded and smoothly covered in 100% cotton cover, absorbs moisture from the steam iron.

• Tailor's ham for pressing shaped areas and curved seams.

• Seam roll, or sleeve roll, for pressing seam allowances open and pressing seams in narrow areas.

• Clapper for pressing sharp creases without it looking over-pressed.

• Wooden point presser for pressing corners and points, and pressing straight seams open.

• Press cloths for protecting the right side of the fabric during pressing.

Pressing is different from ironing. When most of us iron, we use a back and forth motion, moving the iron over the fabric. In pressing, the iron is lowered to the place to be pressed, then raised off the fabric, and moved to the next area.

Ironing board covers should be 100% cotton because the all-cotton fabric absorbs the moisture so that the fashion fabric will dry quickly. The traditional ironing covers with the reflective surface, actually reflects the steam, and may cause burn damage to some fabrics and slows down the drying process when you're shaping with steam.

First, be sure you know the fabric content to determine the proper heat setting for the iron, then follow the techniques below as you sew your garment pieces together.

Press curved areas such as darts, hiplines, bustlines and collars over the tailor's ham from the wrong side with the point of the dart smoothed flat over the end of the ham to shape their curve. Horizontal darts should be pressed down, and vertical darts should be pressed toward the center of the garment.

Curved seams sometimes need to be clipped slightly along the edges so they can be pressed open without puckering. Do not clip any closer to the seam than absolutely necessary to press the seam flat. Be careful not to cut pass the stitched seam.

Darts in heavy or bulky fabric will be less bulky if you slash in the middle, and then press open. Be careful not to slash so close to the point that the fabric will pull apart.

Press seams open over sleeve or seam roll from the wrong side with the tip of the iron along the stitching line to prevent the seam edges from marking or showing through on the right side.

Follow the grain line in the fabric when pressing by moving the iron in the same direction as the lengthwise yarns of the fabric. Pressing across the grain or on the bias can stretch the garment piece out of shape.

Following the above pressing and sewing techniques will help you achieve the professional-looking results every home sewer dreams of. So, instead of a homemade looking garment, proper pressing gives you professional results and garments that you'll be proud to say…
"I sewed it myself."