No pictures of stuffed tights on the line this week 🙁 …… this is because it hasn’t stopped raining long enough!! I can’t wait for the warmth to return so I can get my wool washed, and also now I have a HUGE pile of fabric to wash! Why? Well I have been stash building instead of busting!!
I have been given someone else’s stash!! Yes really – it’s amazing and I was sooo excited when I saw what was in the bags as it’s really lovely pretty cottons. Some of it is small off-cuts but some is unused, folded, still-with-a sheen! It’s fantastic and I am very fortunate to have been offered it, the only drawback is the smell … it has obviously been kept in a smoker’s house and really reeks. I can’t even keep it in the kitchen I had to put it in the garage! The fabric doesn’t look dirty in any way, if it did I probably wouldn’t have accepted it. Now I know why people put ‘made in a smoke-free house’ on their selling sites!
- about a third of it being washed!
I am having to unfold and wash every piece and then I suppose it will need ironing too (boo, nasty word).
One wash was not even enough to remove the smell but as I use non-bio unfragranced soap powder I thought I would go and buy some biological stuff with added essential oils and see if that worked. It did! It now smells sweet and fresh. I decided to put in on the line even though it’s going to rain as the rain and fresh air should help even more !
It’s been interesting unfolding the cut pieces though as it’s a peek into that other unknown woman’s sewing life as I try and guess what the circular shape cut out of some ditsy floral could have been! There are navy blue ‘school skirt’ fabric remnants and what looks like an airtex pocket shape too, I wonder if she made school uniforms for her kids?
on the line in some SUN (didn’t last long!
It makes me think about what someone would make of my stash if they suddenly were to acquire it!!
Well I am sure I will have plenty of new makes to write about once I have it all washed and .. ironed… (shudder!)
Off to link up with the lovely Handmade Monday Crafters as usual and enjoy some reading with my glass of wine 🙂
How lovely to get a whole new stash! I’m afraid I would stack it unironed and iron it as I use it. How very slovenly of me.
Very sensible Wendy and probably what I’ll do as well 🙂
I too recently gained someone else’s stash – lots of wool tweed, thankfully from a non smoker. It’s amazing to get given fabric:) Sadly mine is still packed, not yet made it to the washing machine:)
Well done for getting your new fabric organised so quickly, it sounds like there are some great finds. Cigarette smoke smell is so hard to get rid of isn’t it, i’m glad you got there in the end. Good luck with the ironing…..! x
ugh! It’s bad enough when STUFF is *just* musty… Personally, I would have hung it [securely] IN the rain & wind FIRST! THEN, SOAK & wash it with Baking-Soda, and lots of rinses. And then, a proper washing with SOAP. Don’t iron until the smell IS actually OUT, or you’ll just end up frying it in! – You don’t own a Steamer do you? That might do before resorting to an iron.
Actually yes – I have got a steamer – only fairly recently – hadn’t thought about trying that. As the forecast is rain all week I might just hang out the lot in it and wash it afterwards as you suggest then steam it!
BTW, use the steamer in an area where the stream and moisture won’t get into your OTHER “good” stuff!! — If there is ANY smell left, it could end up getting into the rest of your house! — Can you put Baking Soda into the water reserve? Or would it clog stuff up eventually? – I don’t own one myself or ever used one either.
whatever… Hope it all works! — If not, then just make stuff out of it *FOR* SMOKERS! THEY won’t be able to “tell”!
😀
Oo, how exciting to have a new stash to go through
Lucky you, another awful smell to get rid of on vintage fabric is moth balls! Only thing that works is out in the sunshine. x
How exciting to have more stash to play with, you’re very organised getting it all sorted and washed, I’m sure you’ll manage to get rid of the smell.
Your donated stash looks wonderful hanging on the line. I have the same probelm with washing powder. I usually use non-bio but have to use something smelly when washing old fabric. What lovely things are you going to make with it?
Ali xx
I’ve finally got it all clean and lovely by washing in scented powder and leaving on the line in sun and rain then sun/wind again. Just washing was not enough with some of it! I am going to make some patchwork quilts to start with, and some throws to take camping, using the small mixed pieces!