Make A Silk Purse Of A Sow's Ear Meaning

Example : 1884, Charlotte M. Yonge, The Armourer's Prentices, ch. 22:  "He always was an unmannerly cub," said Master Headley, as he read the letter. "Well, I've done my best to make a silk purse of a sow's ear!"1997, Joanna Biddolph, "Mandelson has become PR’s new role model," PRWeek (UK), 23 May (retrieved 16 Dec. 2009):  PR people can make a silk purse of a sow's ear.2001, Penny Jackson, "House & Home: On your marks. Get set. Sell!" Independent (UK), 6 Jan. (retrieved 16 Dec. 2009):  A smart development can make a silk purse of a sow's ear, and the effect on older properties can be quite dramatic.