Speaking as a person pretty familiar with cloth, I want to know how far back that verse is known. (see first post)

Because I suspect it's a modern filler slapped on to make the song more emotional. If you've ever dyed anything, and you've ever owned any woolens, you would know that a finished petticoat would shrink drastically when subjected to the hot temp's and harsh chemicals involved in dying fabric.

And, to me, the line 'until my parents wish me dead' sounds like somethng from a modern soap opera, not from a traditional song.
It also sounds like a man trying to make himself think like a woman and not succeeding.

If I were singing this song, I would drop the whole verse.