Once upon a time...

Liz West

Once upon a time, I ate dinner almost every night in a formal dining room. The table was covered with a damask or linen cloth and set with silver, crystal, and china. My napkin matched the cloth.

Our house, like many other old homes, was also equipped with a giant mangle iron, which was built into a special cupboard in the kitchen. This was used to press large flat items, such as tablecloths and napkins. The mangle had a hot steel curved plate on the bottom, and a padded rotating press that was operated with a knee pedal. Push one way to stop and raise the press; push again to press it back and start it rotating. The rotation would pull in the fabric. If the fabric was not held properly it would wrinkle and those wrinkles would be pressed in. Operating the mangle required skill, and I remember being very proud when I was old enough to be allowed to use it.

---

View Project: