Spring Flowers

Spring Flowers

Monday, August 31, 2009

Thrifty Shopping Trip

While out running errands Saturday morning, I decided to stop and take a look at a Goodwill Thrift store that I hadn't been to in a while. I usually find more wool sweaters and clothes at yard sales during the summer, but it looks like even the thrift shops are now getting ready for Fall. I found quite a few pretty wool sweaters, a great chocolate brown suede skirt and a couple of vintage woven wool men's jackets.

I've gotten all of my new wool fulled/felted, dried and cut into pieces and some even ready to stitch together. I'm working on some new handbags that incorporate the woven wool with the wool sweaters and maybe even some of the suede. I think these combinations will work well together and hope to have some new designs to share and list in the shop by the end of the week.

5 comments:

fookaDESIGNS said...

oooh...great finds!

Lola said...

I love the colors!

Melissa Lisbon said...

beautiful finds - can't wait to see the finished products :)

katiegirl said...

Hi,

I'm a lurker but have been following your blog and drooling over your etsy shop for a while!

How do you felt/full your sweaters? I threw some in the wash to felt like normal and mine turn out much more fuzzy than yours! Also, do you cut the sweaters before felting or after? Thanks!!

Cheryl Patterson said...

Thanks Everyone!

Hi Katiegirl, when I full/felt my sweaters I use a heavy duty setting, hot water, with a mild detergent (like Woolite) in my front load, energy efficient washer. I sometimes cut the sweaters apart at the seams before felting, but not always. (Betz White recommends this and I do think the sweaters felt more evenly this way) I don't put mine in the dryer, I just lay them on a drying rack, or hang to dry. I always sort by colors and only wash white sweaters with other white sweaters so they don't pick up fibers from colored sweaters. And you can always steam press wool to give it a smoother feel. I hope this helps! - Cheryl