Showing posts with label ostrich feathers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ostrich feathers. Show all posts

Sunday, November 1, 2015

To Clean Ostrich Feathers

Cut some white curd soap in small pieces, pour boiling water on them, and add a little pearlash.

When the soap is quite dissolved, and the mixture cool enough for the hand to bear, plunge the feathers into it, draw the feathers through the hand till the dirt appears squeezed out of them, pass them through a clean lather with some blue in it, then rinse in cold water with blue to give them a good color.

Beat them against the hand to shake off the water, and dry by shaking them near a fire.

When perfectly dry, curl each fibre separately with a blunt knife or ivory paper-folder.