It Looked Like a Major Disaster Scene!!

Last week I had an assortment of things to take to a local thrift shop where proceeds benefit the hospital auxiliary. In the pile was a red wool jacket, and I sez to myself, "Why not felt this wool and use it for some crafty project?" I think I'm pretty crafty (as in clever) to come up with this nifty recycling idea.

So I read instructions on how to felt wool fabric and tossed the coat into the washing machine, turned on the hot water, and headed upstairs. I returned to the basement some time later. I reached into the machine to pull out the jacket to toss it into the dryer. It was Sopping Wet! The machine must have become unbalanced during the spin cycle and shut itself down.

Well! When I pulled that jacket up out of the machine I splashed water all over the place (thankfully, not on me!). This was not just plain, ordinary water. No, Sirree! This was Blood Red water. I felt as if I was in the midst of the First Plague in Exodus! Blood-red water splashed everywhere making my washroom look like the scene of a major homicide! Anyone else might have called 911 but I'm a cool-thinker and managed to avoid pushing the panic button.

I've prewashed fabrics for my quilting ventures. I've prewashed RED fabrics before and have had to toss only one or two pieces that simply would not stop bleeding. There are some red fabrics that will never be safe to wash with other fabrics. No matter how many rinses. No matter how many attempts to use vinegar or some commercial product that is supposed to bind the dye.

Nope. Wasn't going to even THINK about re-washing! Nope. Tossed that little red jacket (it was little now...the idea of felting is that the wool shrinks!) into the trash. Minus three black buttons which I salvaged for my button jar.

Maybe I can use the buttons to teach the grandkids how to make a Button on a String.
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