Silkworms- Part 2
According to Dr. Feltwell in his book cited earlier, about twelve thousand silkworms would need twenty sacks of mulberry leaves a day. About 220 kg of leaves (485 lbs) would produce a kilogram of silk (2.2 lbs).
Most of the cocoons are used to recuperate silk, so not many pupa turn into moths. An important step is to place the cocoons in boiling water for a period of time. This takes off the glue-like substance secreted by the silkworms which holds the cocoon together. In the hot water bath most of the pupa are killed. For moth production, only the best cocoons are chosen. It is possible in the cocoon stage to determine if the moth will be female or male, as the female cocoons are heavier. Thus, the appropriate numbers of male and female moths are allowed to develop to support the next generation of production.
In the heyday of silk production in France, many cocoons would be produced by individual families. One needed access to a substantial supply of mulberry leaves, and an appropriate number of eggs were distributed from the local silk cooperative. The individuals would make room for cocoon production in their attic or another suitable building. This was not a simple venture, however. The process was very labor intensive, and there had to be a constant supply of mulberry leaves ready. Silkworms are also prone to disease, and one had to be very careful in raising them. They needed to be kept warm, and normally wood stoves were used to heat the rooms they were raised in. If fresh mulberry leaves were too hot, however, the silkworms could become ill, so the leaves had to be left in the shade for several hours to cool. At one point the famous doctor Louis Pasteur was called to the silk region to determine the cause of a mysterious illness of silkworms. He eventually determined it was a particular virus and suggested cleanliness procedures and that moths be chosen from only the best cocoons.
After the cocoons were harvested, they were taken back to the cooperative and weighed, and the families that raised them were paid, their work for the year completed with regard to the silk industry. Next the cocoons were shipped to a factory were they would be sorted for quality. The silk thread extraction process from the cocoons came next, and machinery has existed for many years to help in this process. Tying the ends of the delicate silk fibers to the machines was another delicate process that required good touch and experience to perform properly. After the threads were unwound from the cocoons they were wound onto spools and eventually placed on looms and woven into fabric. The cocoons which contained pupa that were allowed to continue on to the moth stage were not usable for silk production. The moth had to excrete a chemical and essentially burned a hole through the cocoon, and this meant the silk was damaged.
Considering all the above effort, it is not surprising to see that the production of silkworms and silk tended to shift to locations and countries where low cost labor was available. Thus China and India are the leaders today. Of course the introduction in the early 20th century of synthetic fabrics like rayon and nylon had an enormous effect on the silk industry, but there will always be a demand for the real thing. Silk is a luxurious and versatile fabric that has an allure which will always be in demand.…
Where Does The Name ‘babydoll’ Come From?
A babydoll is a kind of lingerie that is very popular with young girls. It is a short style like the nightgown or negligee that is worn to bed. Babydolls are usually decorated with lace, faux fur, ruffles, bows and ribbons. Most babydoll are made of chiffon, silk or nylon and are sheer or see-through. The name of babydoll comes from the length of the hemline, which is around six inches above the knees. It looks similar to a mini-dress.
The babydoll became popular after a movie named with “Baby Doll”. It is an old movie that came out in 1956. Carroll Baker acted a sexy 19-year-old virgin. That style of nightgown she wore in the movie soon became a “must have” for many women. As a matter of fact, during 1930s and 1940s, women just had started to wear short bed-jackets trimmed with lace and an array of bed-capes,
Afterwards, the babydoll was made into a short dress that could be worn at day time. Due to the special style that made people think of youthfulness and innocence, more and more young people began to wear them. Some styles of the babydoll are similar to what dolls wear. When wearing it, the buttocks can be easily seen, so you will look extremely sexy.
Today, the babydoll is probably the most popular form of lingerie, the sexiest style. The short hemline makes your legs appear to be much longer, and if you do not want to be completely exposed on the bottom part of your body, you can wear the matching panty accompanying the gown. If you do not like too sexy style, also there are a lot of elegant styles available.…
The Various Aspects of School Uniform And Ways to Buy Them
Buying school uniforms were a headache even a few years back. This problem escalated further when there were requirements for sporting accessories and kits. There were very few places that produced these dresses for kids and one had to search for long before finding a suitable maker whose, dresses matched with the specifications set down by the school. However, now there are various shops from where one can buy these uniforms and it is not required to go long distances for this purpose.
There are various reasons why school dresses were chosen in the first place. The main reason behind it is that school is a place where everyone is treated equally and anything that can create a divide between students is parted with. If it was so that there were no dresses, then a few fortunate students who have wealthy parents would have worn expensive clothing and the others would have felt insecure to mix with them.
Therefore in this way students can focus much more on their learning and works rather than on social statuses. The uniforms are also effective from the economic point of view. These dresses are generally quite affordable and one doesn’t have to think about getting new clothes every few months for their children to wear to school. Another very important aspect is that due to uniforms, all students are made to look alike and this helps in forging a good spirit. No distraction is caused due to the difference in dresses and thus the pupils can concentrate of their studies and work and all these taken together form a good prospect for the children as well as the school itself. Thus a school wear can help in various ways.
More and more institutions are lying down guidelines for its students to wear uniforms. They have to be of the right color proper design and also in the right shape and size. The clothing consists of various things like shirts, boys’ trousers, girls’ skirts, blazers, ties and other things. These things also have to be made of good quality fabric with high finishing and also in the right measurements. If a child is uncomfortable in his dress, then it may hamper his studies and performance.
Thus these things also need to be ensured. The different uniform manufacturers that are there are now capable of making dresses those are of high quality. They also produce dresses for boy scouts and girls guides. Many children are also involved in various types of sports and PE and a person can also buy the apparels that are required for these purposes from the different dress manufacturers. The school wear makers now also have their own websites and in this way a person can buy the apparels without even having to leave the house.…
Foot Tattoos ? Getting Inked With Discretion
tattoos are the new ?must have? ? everyone wants them and you are definitely not cool if you don?t have at least one. Trouble is not everyone wants to be obvious about it and so you have to be careful about placement. One way round it is to go for a foot tattoo. tattoos for women are notoriously difficult to place appropriately bearing in mind the problems associated with skin stretching during pregnancy (and ageing) and the unfortunate social stigma of lower back tattoos leaves little choice. Foot tattoos are generally regarded as being cute, sexy and discreet. There was a reluctance among tattoo Artists to work on feet because of potential pain and fading problems but modern techniques have alleviated both of these problems.
Foot tattoos are less showy than those in other areas which is important for those who don?t want to be too obvious about their body art. Foot tattoos are perfect to show off when you want to, and cover when you need to. They are less common than those on other parts of the body though that is changing as they are particularly popular with career orientated women who seem to prefer them as they don?t compromise their professional status but still keep up with the social trends outside the workplace. Another large factor is that a skilfully designed tattoo on the foot looks good with modern shoe designs ? especially open toes and strappy sandals. Men do have foot tattoos but not as often as women, mainly because so many areas of the male body are easier to work on.
Design is important when choosing any tattoo as you will be living with it forever, you should be sure that it means something to you and you must consider how you feel about it being on public view! Foot Tattoos are ideal for small or flowing designs and you should always get guidance from the Artist who will be doing it for you. Most designs can be reduced in size if necessary and you can be sure that a good artist will only want to do a tattoo that will look good on you and reflect well on them. If you want a personal design you may have to pay a small deposit to cover the design time but you will end up with something that is unique and special.
Foot Tattoos are generally a little more painful than those on more fleshy areas of the body, for this reason some Artists are still reluctant to do them. There is little flesh over the bones in the foot so any work done on that part of the foot is likely to cause discomfort, especially if you have sensitive feet. Because blood vessels are closer to the surface they can also bleed a little more but a good artist using good equipment will minimise this.
You must be prepared to take extra care of a foot tattoo, both during the healing period and in general. They are more prone to infection which is another reason why some Artists are occasionally unwilling to do them. Your new tattoo needs to be kept clean, dry and free from any irritation whilst it heals. This means that shoes, stockings or socks are to be avoided if at all possible for at least one, and preferably two weeks after the tattoo has been done. This will give time for any swelling to go down and stop rubbing on your new artwork which would blur it or worse still, partially rub it out. If you have any pain or signs of infection in a new foot tattoo get in touch with your Doctor without delay. Even when a foot tattoo has healed well it still tends to get rubbed more by shoes and may fade more quickly that other areas. You should always use a good moisturiser and even then it may need to re-coloured. Sun block is just as important for foot tattoos as it is for those on other parts of the body.
Tattoos are far more of a fashion item now and are accepted as an art form in their own right rather than a social ?badge?. Foot tattoos are more and more becoming the choice of someone who wants a tattoo that is both different and discreet.…