Good answer there, Piper!
But to make things clear for Be Da Veva, a housewife (pronounced hussif) is a small sewing kit in a cloth case with thread, needles and buttons.
I had one that was issued to me when I was first in the army. Most useful.
Our Afrikaner instructor NCOs knew its name, but not its correct pronunciation, so they told us it was a yowswaaf!
Regards,
Mike