The Clothesline
by Andrea VanSteenhouse, Irene Rawlings
List Price:
Our Price: $17.49
You Save: $4.46 (20%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $13.47 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Andrea VanSteenhouse, Irene RawlingsPhotographer: David Foxhoven
Photographer: Jason McConathy
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-03
ISBN: 1586851438
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Book Reviews of The Clothesline
Book Review: Nostalgia
Summary: 5 Stars
"The simple act of picking clean, wet clothes out of a wicker basket, shaking them out, and hanging them up makes me slow down, giving me time to compose the rest of my day."
Washing machines are great for convenience, but there is a magical quality to hand washing clothes with a delicious essential oil soap (orange or lavender) and hanging them outside to dry. Of course, this means you need a clothesline and a secluded back yard.
As a child we used a soap called Sunlight and washed clothes in a ring washer. I know, I'm too young to know about ring washers, but in Africa that is what we used and we even had a sink with a washboard type surface.
The spinning umbrella clothesline was behind the house with a mountain right behind where animals could easily find their way down to our house. Often while putting up clothes, I'd walk up the steps and scare a baboon who would screech at me for interrupting the stealing of fruit. I'm not sure who scared who more, but clothes definitely ended up thrown about the garden as I ran one way and the baboon ran the other.
Memories of running outside to quickly take down the clothes in the afternoon is also a fun memory. As the rain would start to soak the clothes and sheets, we'd frantically be pulling them off the line, then hanging them inside to dry overnight.
With memories of hanging out clothes on a line, this book becomes even more meaningful. If you have a penchant for lavender ironing water and verbena soap, this will also be a delight.
This unique book has recipes for making your own soap with herbs, describes the variety of clotheslines, shows pictures of many different clothespin bags and explains how to wash linens. How do you make a new clothesline last longer? Why use a naturally scented softener?
Throughout this informative and very practical guide there are also moments of inspiration for designing your own laundry room. The storage of linens with small herbal sachets is followed by recipes and creative ideas. A special section shows how clotheslines found their way into art. Urban clotheslines and country clotheslines are included. Remember clothespin toys? They have pictures of those too.
"I know this sounds funny, but I think of hanging clothes as an almost religious experience." ~Betsy Bennett, artist (Sheets to the Wind II painting)
Now and then I just wish I could take my laundry down to the river and wash it on stones. I have strange notions, but mostly they appeal to my outdoor nature. By washing our clothes inside, we miss out on the feeling of the sun on our skin and the sound of clothes whipping about in the wind. While at my mother's house one day I found two clothespins and decided to keep them. My mother and grandmother always had clotheslines and I remember many happy hours as a child running through the sheets warmed by the sun.
~The Rebecca Review
Summary of The Clothesline
The Clothesline is a nostalgic yet practical guide to a less complicated time, when women shared household secrets, recipes and remedies over the back fence. Filled with historic and contemporary photographs and illustrations, the book includes tips on creating a fun yet functional laundry room, information on laundry collectibles, hints for easy care of heirloom linens, and traditional wash-day recipes like lavender ironing water and verbena soap. Visit the Clothesline website for helpful tips, excerpts from the book, and author tour information.Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating Books
The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Lifeby Kathy Waddill
McGraw-Hill; Published: 2001-07-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.75
Price in other shops:
Cleaning: History Mysteriesby Gill Tanner, Tim Wood
A & C Black; Published: 1994-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.95
The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Lifeby Lorie Marrero
Lorie Marrero; Reason Press; Published: 2009-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.19
Price in other shops:
Organizing Do-It-Yourself For Dummiesby Sandra Munson
For Dummies; Published: 2009-08-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.94
Price in other shops:
Clean Your House and Everything in Itby Eugenia Chapman, Bill Major
Grosset & Dunlap; Published: 1982-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $129.86
How to Moveby Sheri Steiner
Dell; Published: 1996-02-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.74
Price in other shops:
Home Freeby Guilfoyle Ann
W. W. Norton and Company, Inc.; Published: 1980-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.95
Complete Home Storageby Sunset Books
Sunset Pub Co; Published: 1989-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.99
Price in other shops:
The Sunday Telegraph Guide to Looking After Your Property: Everything You Need to Know About Maintaining Your Homeby Jeff Howell
Macmillan UK; Published: 2002-03-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Biting the Dust: The Joys of Houseworkby Margaret Horsfield
Palgrave Macmillan; Published: 1999-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.75
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Sew Retro: 25 Vintage-Inspired Projects for the Modern Girl & A Stylish History of the Sewing Revolutionby Judi Ketteler
Voyageur Press; Published: 2010-07-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.80
Price in other shops:
Country Living The Farm Chicks Christmas: Merry Ideas for the Holidaysby Serena Thompson
Hearst; Published: 2010-09-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops:
Make Your Place: Affordable & Sustainable Nesting Skillsby Raleigh Briggs
Microcosm Publishing; Published: 2008-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.11
Price in other shops:
Romantic Prairie Styleby Fifi O'neill
Ryland Peters & Small; Published: 2011-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.03
Price in other shops:
MaryJane's Outpostby MaryJane Butters
Clarkson Potter; Published: 2008-06-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Funby Amy Barickman
Amy Barickman, Inc.; Published: 2010-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.95
Price in other shops:
The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfortby EllynAnne Geisel
Andrews McMeel Publishing; Published: 2006-09-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Apronisms: Pocket Wisdom for Every Dayby EllynAnne Geisel
Andrews McMeel Publishing; Published: 2008-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
Sisters on the Fly: Caravans, Campfires, and Tales from the Roadby Irene Rawlings
Andrews McMeel Publishing; Published: 2010-05-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.91
Price in other shops:
The Kitchen Linens Book: Using, Sharing, and Cherishing the Fabrics of Our Daily Livesby EllynAnne Geisel
Andrews McMeel Publishing; Published: 2009-03-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: