Sock Stretchers

A member of our group has been downsizing and offered some minis to us. These 2 shapes were held together with string. Took a while to figure out what they were - going back to the days of hand knit wool socks, which had to be dried on these stretchers, or they shrunk to baby foot size!

The wooden shapes with socks drawn in pencil.

The socks painted and ready to be hung on the line.

Wouldn't you know I mislaid the little ...s somewhere. Luckily, I had traced the original and made a replica, as well as a perforated sample to show how the stretcher would look. Sooooo, I just proceeded to make a sock filled replica as well.

Scrub a Dub Dub

Washing clothes was not so easy as it is now. Water had to be carted from the pump, heated on a stove, and poured into laundry tubs.

Families were large in the early 1900's, and although many kids shared a bed, there was still a mountain of sheets waiting to be wash with whatever frequency the housewife could manage! In the city, manufactured soap could be purchased. In rural areas, the homemaker might have to make her own from ashes and lard.
Such a labour intensive process!

And can you imagine the damage lye soap and washboards could do to the hands?

Here is a link to Niagara minis blogpost which describes this project.
http://niagaraminis.blogspot.ca/search/label/Laundry