Monday, August 15, 2005

Goodwill and the Weakwilled

WE cleaned out our closet, as you may have heard, and packed everything salvagable into The Car and headed for Goodwill. There is a new store in a ritzy suburb south of us (everything is south of us) and we had to arrive in style, since this Goodwill has curb service. The Mercedes ahead of us was behind a Cadillac Escalade and they had matching Rubbermaid tubs full of usable discards. I wished I had fished out better clothes to donate, but I gave what I could.
The preppy looking young man unloaded us and Dave looked at me like 'Should we tip?'

I figured we should check out the store and see what it is that our clothing would be mingling with, and I was not disappointed. I found wonderful sweaters with labels revealing fabulous fibers. Some were even hand knit and sewn up by hand, (in China not locally). I grabbed a few dozen and showed Dave, who had his arms full of sweaters too.
Let's rethink this, I said. I put back all but three and he kept two. Mine I immediately began unsewing.

70% Silk 30% Cotton and very dyeable with my regular procion dyes.


Ready to wind into skeins and prewash.


100% silk, four plies held together to knit as super bulky. I have to figure out how to turn them back into single plies, for dk weight, without getting everything tangled up.


My last great find to unwind. 64% Lambs Wool and 36% Nylon which will dye with the many packages of acid dyes I recently got at Meredyth's garage sale.
O yes, they were all mega-bargains.
Dave wonders why I am doing this. "Do you NEED more yarn?"
Need has nothing to do with it, as you already know.

For some reason all sweaters these days are made for arms that drag on the floor. I have much shorter arms than that, and probably as short as this sweater's former owner. I doubt this garment had ever been worn.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have been busy in the studio lately... IRONING.

Sunday's output. This is kit fabric dyed by the lovely and talented Angie. I have been saving the wash out and ironing til this week.
Since she was cleaning out her house too, My Hairy Dogmother gave me this fabulous new toy...
A Singer Professional Presser!

Now tasks this daunting look like child's play! I still have this mini-mountain to conquer, but I am so well equipped now, doncha know?





Why did it take this long to get such a vital tool for my work?
Duh!
It gets really hot and has steam and hisses like the big guy's press in the tailor shops.
I am a lucky duck.

I have burned the same knuckle twice, it gets so hot. But just look at the great job it does on the fabric.

Perfect packs of pure perfection.
Am I pleased as punch? Por Supuesto!
Which brings me to the point. I have instituted a new site, and would like to extend an invitation to the grand opening of Melody's Stuff

7 comments:

  1. This is so tantalising waiting for the writing! The fabric looks really yummy and I'm envious of your press! Now will you have got the writing in before I leave for work? I don't think so... hmm, a long wait then to read it! Something to look forward too! Oh don't I blether on!

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  2. Those cases of frshly dyed and pressed fabric quite literally make me *drool*.

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  3. Hey Mel, I thought the point of Goodwill was to get rid of stuff not to acquire more...although I will admit ya got some great stuff. Sadly, my knitting has fallen by the wayside...gotta get back to it soon. Have socks that are expected for Christmas. As always, your fabrics rock.

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  4. Amazing. Good haul from Goodwill... and gorgeous fabrics. But here's what I want to know...How is it that the way you pleat the fabrics to dye them doesn't end up with big vertical lines down the fabric? Is it because the fabric is stacked two or three layers deep so the folds aren't tight? Inquiring minds want to know...

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  5. Anonymous8:56 AM

    Ok, the yarn is wonderful....guess where I will be stopping the next time I venture out (we have so many Good Wills around here that I can't go to either Kalamazoo or Battle Creek without passing at least one and, if I go to Lowe's, two)? Not that I need more yarn.

    And, as much as I'd LOVE to buy some of that fabric, I have a 50 yd bolt of PFD charmeuse in the closet waiting for me to finish the charity quilt so I can do some dyeing....I LOVE the presser. I put the rotary iron on the cost estimate for the new studio...actually, I only added about $3500 in necessary tools since I already have so much.....just need a place to set it all up and use it!

    teri

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Hello,
So nice of you to drop by. I love your comments, and if you would really like a reply, please email me at fibermania at g mail dot com