Cleaning a Shetland Fleece

After watching several "How to" videos on cleaning raw wool, I have two of Farmerboy's Shetland ewe fleeces washed.  The tension going into this project was edging towards high, since my experience has always been in felting wool... And I certainly did NOT want to see that for an outcome with these. 

Is my way the right way?  Or better yet, is there a right way?  All I can tell you is that happily the process below worked for me.  NO felting!! :)   

The following method works great for the Shetland fleeces.  If working with other breed's fleeces, a search of the internet may serve you well as some of the finer fleeces may felt with the slight agitation.  All breeds are different.

Here is the raw Shetland fleece from Lego.  The first task is to remove as much vegetation as possible and to "skirt" the fleece.  Skirting the fleece is removing any animal waste aka poop.  I was lucky.  The gentleman that sheers the sheep does a quick skirting prior to bagging.   The little pile to the top of the photo was all that I pulled off. :) 

UPDATE:  To make the cleaning process much more productive, I have purchased some large plastic tubs from a local hardware store.  I place a fleece in each tub and run cold water over the fleece until it is soaking.  It was amazing how much dirt comes out in the water.  The tub can be dumped and refilled to be dumped again prior to the next step.  The cold water will NOT felt the fleece. 

*NOTE*  I was in for a surprise on Lego's fleece.  Ever since I have known her, I thought she was a cream colored sheep. ;)
 

Here is a photo of my fancy processing equipment:   4 buckets, some original Dawn dishwashing liquid and rubber gloves.  Total cost was 7 bucks-- thanks to the local Dollar Store. ;)   All buckets are filled with my hottest tap water to help soften the lanolin for the Dawn to remove.  The first stop for a hunk of fleece is the bottom bucket that is mixed with a generous amount of Dawn.  The second bucket has a little Dawn mixed in.  The third and fourth buckets are a clear water rinse.  As long as the water in all the buckets are kept hot, the wool will not have a temperature change and felt.  In each soak, I would squeeze and rotate the wool in the bucket.  At the end of a soak, I would squeeze as much water out of the wool before depositing it into the next bucket. 

**If you notice a color change, that is because this photo was taken while washing Ariel's fur-- not Lego's.  ;)

Here was my surprise with Lego's fleece.  It is a beautiful white with blue gray and black.   I had to change the water in the buckets several times with her fleece.  The lanolin was so heavy and held the dirt so well that she appeared to be a completely different color. 

As you can see, I used an old clothes rack to hang the fleece outside.  The clothes pins came in handy to secure the fleece in the breeze.  Fortunately, the birds weren't taking an interest in the potential nest building materials! :)

Here is Ariel's fleece.  It is a lovely brown with a gauzy grey/white.  I am not sure if I will mix the colors in the roving or separate them.  It almost has a cobweb appearance to it while hanging. 
 

 

The next fleece will be Brick's.  His fleece is a wonderful cinnamon brown.   I will be anxious to see how it washes up.  Each fleece will get its own mesh laundry bag.  A cheap holder at $2 a piece.  They will be staying in them until I decide on a drum carder to process the wool with.   I must admit... I never thought doing the wash could be so much fun! :)

How to Make Rice & Wool Microwaveable Hand Warmers from an Upcycled Sweater

Here is a quick "how to" for an inexpensive Christmas gift -- wool and rice microwaveable  hand warmers.  Not only is it a present that is absolutely perfect for the chill ridden season, it is also a fun project to get you into that Christmassy mood!   If you don't have a wool sweater laying around your house, head to the local thrift store and give them a sale for the holiday season. :)   Purchase a 75% to 100% wool sweater that is dry clean only (the ingredients for a great felting sweater ;) ).   Next, wash the sweater with some detergent on hot.  Once the washing is done, you should see that the knitting stitches are almost lost in the intermeshing of fibers.  Finally, throw it in the dryer and get ready for a wintery project.

 

Here is an oversized vest that I felted from my local thrift store.  It came to the store with a few holes in it.  The ladies are smart enough to still put it out for sale, because us wool lovers are waiting to snatch up a deal! ;)  Just think of how many warmers a crafty seamstress could get out of one oversized vest... *sigh*

 

Originally, my thought was to do two different sizes of warmers.  But after getting the first set made, I decided the second size would be too big for my needs.  So, the template size for my hand warmers was 3 by 4 inches.  Four rectangles will be needed to make a pair.  Place them wrong sides together and fastened them well with pins, since wool has a tendency to shift shape while sewing.

The best thing about this project is that you simply just sew around the outside edge of the rectangle, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.   Start sewing your warmers by going forward and reverse to lock your thread and start to head around each side.  Stop within a half of an inch of the starting point, lock your thread again and cut your piece free of the machine.  Using a funnel (I bought a cheap 3 pack from the dollar store.), fill your little bag 3/4 full of rice (also purchased at the dollar store).  To finish, you can either sew the hole by hand or use your machine.

How much simpler can it be?  (This project would be great for me to  use up some of those sweater remnants that are in my stash.  Yay!)  They are perfect for holding in ones hands, placing in  pockets or sticking inside mittens.  All one has to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 to 35 seconds to warm them up.  I know it doesn't seem that long, but they can get REALLY hot... Trust me.   So, be careful handling them and make sure that they are not damp- prior to heating- in any way.  These of course are not washable but can be cleaned on the surface with a wet cloth.

This particular pair is heading to the home of my younger sister for a test run.  She works for her local school system (First through third grade... YIKES) and her normal routine has her outside with the kids for short periods of time.  Similar hand warmers have been rumored to hold heat for up to 25 minutes.    I will let her put them to the test! ;)

Autumn ~ Recycled Cutter Bar Bug

I do so love the fall season.  Doesn't the sound of Autumn conjure up a multitude of wondrous colors?  Of course, all of them are my favorites!   Plus, the chill in the air makes drinking hot chocolate an absolute pleasure. *Sigh* 

 

Farmerboy has harvested his Indian corn.  It is always a thrill to pull back the husks to find a colorful surprise. :)  When these mini beauties cease to be decorations, they are also able to be used for popcorn.  How's that for recycling?  ;)

 

 

 

 

 

As you all know, Farmerboy collects vintage farm implements.  He broke a cutter bar over the summer and decided to recycle it into some bug art! ;)  Here is his latest welded creation.  He is made from a single tooth from the bar, along with a bolt, nails and some odds & ends.   I am just captivated by this little guy.  Farmerboy hasn't noticed him missing from the table where he left him, yet!   

I stole him!  He wandered out from my studio area for these photos.  Don't tell Farmerboy that I have him... ;)

Old Pipe Wrench or Grasshopper ?

Have I ever told you that my son loves to weld?  He is actually very good at it.  The talent comes in handy with all of the old farm equipment that he collects. ;)  Lately, his welding has taken on an artistic twist.  My Farmerboy is churning out grasshoppers... swarms of them.  These "recycled hoppers" are made from old pipe wrenches that he purchased at a local auction last year.  The John Deere colored one in the center is for Farmergirl's Grandpa's birthday.  My son made one for him last year, but apparently Grandma confiscated it as a decoration for inside the house! :)  

I never know what I'll find crawling around my house, when I get home from work! LOL



Primitive Black Cat & Witch Halloween Softball Bowl Fillers

This week, I have been working on some primitive Halloween softball bowl fillers.  Remember when I said that Americana themed ones were going to be next! LOL  The softballs for those got painted and mid sketching... Well, my mind started dreaming of witches and cats. ;)   I just love Halloween colors and folklore! *sigh*

This one is called "Witch's Flight".  I decided to give the moon a harvest glow, instead of the traditional blue to white finish.   The yellow/white glow makes the witch pop out crisp and clean... Silhouettes are one of my favorite things to create.  The black cat was inspired by the vintage mache cats of years gone by.  They were and are so creepy and cool... very Cheshire in appearance.  Although one does not reside in my house yet, I love viewing them on Ebay.

Next, a more homespun look was used to create "Spooky Cat".  The black cat (adapted from an old pattern that I used to paint years ago... Sorry, I cannot remember the artists name at the moment!)  has such a prim look to him...  Just like he jumped out of the sewing scrap bag!  The other side is adorned by a favorite fall treat, candy corn... Truth be told the mallow pumpkins are my favorite! ;)   

These two pieces will be taken downstairs to be sanded and roughened up.  Then, they will head to the spray booth.  I already have plans to make a set with matching spindle posts for a solitary display.  The Americana ones are just going to have to wait in the wings for a few weeks.  Halloween and Christmas items just keep popping into my head.

And just when you thought that I turned my back on my little gourds, the other work in progress on my table is a snowman gourd "make do".  I have never attempted one of these and am having a blast with this one.  It started out with plans of being a pumpkin, but the face shape called out to be a snowman.  I  am so excited to get him finished and put him up to share! :)

Upcycled Wool Sweater Mittens & Soup!

It has been cold outside today, so I was inspired to finish up my sewing on these wool felted sweater mittens.  Here they are newly pressed and ready to be listed in my Etsy shop. :)  I have some plain sweater fronts cut for mittens, also.  They were suppose to have some wool embroidered designs added to them, but a friend convinced me that some plain mittens would be great for customers with patterned coats.  So, I'll be finishing those up this week. ;) 

It has come to my attention with various hints from my family members  ;) that we have not had fresh noodles for a while in the house.  Everyone (myself included)  is sick of eating prepackaged brands.  So... I took time away from my work to play in the kitchen.  Noodles are so fun to make, and the clothes rack that I bought is a great help in making 4 or 5 double batches.



And my reward for turning out all of these noodles?  A warm bowl of homemade chicken soup! :)

I hope everyone is warm and cozy today!  They are predicting temps in the 40's this week.  We sure can't complain.  It has been a mild winter in Northern Illinois this year! :)

Vintage Rusty Bed Springs & Gourds

Here are some rusty bed springs that my kid found for me.  Aren't the pretty? ;) I was thinking about playing around with some of my little gourds and mixing them with recycled stands.  Since I do most of my thinking out loud LOL, my kid decided to help my plans along by locating some rusty springs.   How lucky am I ? :)

For the creations that do not require the added rust, I purchased some new springs from Deb's Etsy shop  My Stitches to Treasure .  The new ones have such a nice clean look to them, and the base is more narrow than the vintage springs.  They should appeal to potential customers that do not desire the rough weathered look.

My collection of nail kegs hold all of my small and mini gourds.  They look so wonderfully prim stored in that fashion!  Here is a little guy in the most basic form! ;)   Thank the heavens that he has some friends, since I can see many different whimsical beings created from that shape.  The sketch book will be getting filled up tonight! 

My next thought was to turn to my jumbo egg gourds, but then I decided to give myself a little challenge... How about these mini dipper gourds with their curly tops?  I'm thinking, a few of them are going to make their way to the studio.  :)

When looking at the photo of the mini dipper gourds, I laughed when noticing the tag from the flea market.  It will stay on the keg and remind me of the great times hunting for treasures... and the adventures to come! :)

Stay tuned for more updates on the mini gourd front... :)

Mini Snowman Gourds ~ Ready for the Holiday!

I have spent the week catching up on a few orders and getting these little mini snowman gourds dressed!   It was fun to make wee little hats and scarves.  They are all now snug and warm in their upcycled cashmere sweater hats and scarves.  Top of the line trimmings for these little dudes! ;)

The first snowman completed stands 8 1/2 inches tall (including his hat).  His soft fuzzy stocking cap and scarf matches the little gingerbread girl's Butter Pecan background perfectly.  His mittens are a lightened version of Olive Moss that complements his earthy tones.   

The smallest of the mini gourd snowmen has the boldest of colors!  This little bundle of winter joy stands 6 1/4 inches tall (including his hat).  A soft repurposed burgundy cashmere sweater hat and scarf complement his Holly Green mittens.   A big statement in a very small package! :)

The tallest of the trio is donned in the softest of winter colors.  He stands 8 1/4 inches tall (including his hat).  Two different recycled cashmere sweaters were used to make his attire:  one in a soft Medium Blue and the other of light Ecru with a Sage Green tint.  To coordinate with his light colored apparel, I made his mittens Medium Brown with Butter Pecan highlights.  This one may not be entirely finished...  As I look at him, the brushes may come back out and give him some snowflakes in the sky around the woolly lamb.  Snowflakes would give a little extra magic to the Christmas scene! :)

These little snowmen were so much fun to work on.  There are about a half a dozen more of their brothers waiting for paint... and quite a few larger ones, too!   These little guys should be making their appearance in my Etsy store sometime this weekend. I'm not sure how many more will get completed for before the Holiday... But, I look forward to adding to my inventory after the first of the year.  Can you believe it?  2012 is not that far away! 

Vintage Sled with Hand Painted Snowman and Gingerbread House

How about a apple pie from a jar and a nice cup of hot green tea to kick off the morning?  I know... So much for watching my calories, but I will make up for it on the treadmill later. ;)   My quiet morning moment was spent with my mind conjuring up a list of things to do for the day.  Now that I have a few more days of the week open, my work schedule is made up by yours truly.  And let me tell you, my boss is a demanding one! ;) 

First job of the day was to get some photos of my newest creation.  This is a vintage children's sled with a snowman tole painted on it.  The design was inspired by a line drawing from Jamie Mills - Price (another one of my tole favorite artists).   I can't help but alter the drawings a little to fit my personality (the little building was originally a birdhouse), and the fact that I LOVE gingerbread houses! ;)  Plus after years of working with ceramics, I like to put my own eyes on my pieces.  It gives a sense of familiarity to the little being looking back at me. :)

This is one of my smaller sleds measuring 32 1/2 inches tall.  I left as much of the sled original as possible.  The metal and runners are rusty with a little bit of their original red paint.  The painted image is only on the top side of the seat, so the original wood is exposed from the back.  I could see some pine tree bough accents added to this sled, but due to shipping weight and box size, I decided to leave that detail to the new owner.

The image on the sled is approximately 21 inches tall.  I filled every bit of the wood space with the painted scene.  It made it a little challenging with the size of the sled, but it looks sooo cute!

I made a matching coffee stained hand tag for gift giving.  The snowman on the tag was colored with washed out acrylics to give it a watercolor appearance.

A close up of his darling face! :)

I really could have went crazy with the details on this gingerbread house.  They have always fascinated me.  My favorite holiday show is the gingerbread house competitions on the Food Channel.

I really love working on vintage sleds and have made it an option to do custom ones on my Etsy store.  Past customer's have really enjoyed the new life that it gives to their children's old playthings, and it really adds a wonderful touch to their wintry decorations. :)

Now, I am off to put a few coats of varnish on a vintage Santa sled.  There are some new wooden Christmas ornaments that need their photos taken.  Then,  I need to get painting on some little gourds... Better get movin'! :)

Handmade Felted Sweater Mittens

Winter time is coming fast!  I thought that I would try my hand at making some warm woolen mittens out of my stash of felted sweaters for my Etsy Store.  Here is the first batch on the cutting table.  I am going to embroider and applique on the solid colors (already did the third one in from the top row) to give them a little individuality. ;)   

I am absolutely addicted to felting wool and cashmere sweaters.  When out thrifting, it is exciting to find an intricate pattern or new blend of colors.  On my last thrift run, I scored some beautiful variegated  fuchsia sweaters that I cannot wait to work with!  Not all sweaters felt well, but I am finally getting to the point of being able to tell the difference before purchasing.  My stash is getting huge... so I thought that this would be another way to get to use these upcycled sweaters in a repurposed way.    

My first attempt to create a pair of mittens happened last winter for my sister.  She works at her local school and is outside with the kids during recess and has a tough time keeping her hands warm.  She asked me to create a pair of mittens in their school colors with paw prints on them (school mascot is a Husky).  It took a few weeks of hunting, but I managed to find an orange sweater. Yay!!  I cut out my pattern and used the small scraps to create the paw prints.  I love to stitch while watching TV, so this project was so fun!  Plus, I got to practice my blanket stitch on a smaller format.  Here is the mittens completed... tada!! 

I was absolutely thrilled with the final product and had a great time working with my beloved wool. *sigh* ;)  Since my sister stands outside for long periods of time, I took some of my wool fulled from a thick winter coat and made some removable liners.  Upon completion, they were packed up and on their way to their new home.  The mailman must have knew that she needed these, because she was wearing them before I had a chance to call and say that they should be arriving soon!  LOL    The best part of this project was that she loved them. :)  It was very cold the day that they arrived, and she tested them out with the liners and said that her hands had never been so warm!

As you can see from first photo, I am working on a second set that will be identical to my sister's.  Her daughter keeps reminding me that she would like a pair, and her Mom made it clear that she is NOT borrowing hers! ;) 

Fall Scarecrow Picnic Basket

It has been a busy time with the paint brushes here in the Hollow lately! ;)  The colors of Autumn were calling to me all week, and this scene captures the essence of fall in a whimsical fashion.  Tole artist Chris Thornton created this wonderful design, and it is the second time that I have had the pleasure of using it on a basket.  Don't you just love those cheery little pumpkins? :)

When doing multiples of large designs, I always try to change up the colors to make them unique.  I have never used the colors suggested by the books...  Just like giving the color scheme my own personal touch...  I guess. :)  Plus, I am constantly mixing colors (which drives the student's crazy at the ceramic shop!) for just the right shade to make the characters come to life.

This basket is large enough to hold treats for Halloween (would work well for my popcorn balls!) or as storage for fall sewing projects (would keep a curious black cat out of mine! ;) ).

This creation will  be heading over to Etsy with some of my other seasonal items this week.  I have made the decision to concentrate on creating projects and designs centering in on Halloween, Christmas, and Primitive themes for my shop.  Christmas use to be my favorite topic, but the colors of fall have always been near and dear to me.  My favorite primitive and rustic collections embrace these warm and earthy colors.  Guess that makes sense since October has always been my favorite month of the year!  Which is probably why my son made sure to hold out for this month to be born in! LOL 

Harvesting Sweet Corn & Felting Sweaters

In the midst of my commission work posted on my "Sketches" blog, I am late blogging about some of the happenings from September and hope to get them caught up this week.  One of my first endeavors came from the cornfield during the first weekend of September... courtesy of my son. 

My little farmer boy planted a field of sweet corn on a vacant lot that we own in town.  (He has the best luck for not getting any hungry critters invading and stealing the harvest.)  To my surprise, he called me on my way home from the Edgerton Thresheree (promise to get those pics up this week) and told me that he was picking all the sweet corn.  Aaaaagh!  So, I put aside my afternoon work and began to shuck some corn.  Thirty-seven quarts later... I decided to throw in the towel.  After all, there is only three of us in the household.  And although we love corn, that figures to approximately 3 quarts a month.  I packed the quarts for freezing and can get two days worth of veggies from each one... plenty for our family!  After gifting a couple of grocery bags full to friends, setting some aside for the week, and coaxing the hutch bunny to eat a few small ears (how desperate it that?! LOL), we were still left with a third of the ears still in the trailer.  Thank heavens for the neighbors!  Farmer boy told them of his harvest, and they came over the next afternoon and carried them off to put up for the winter.   We fed the remnants to neighboring farm animals, so there wasn't waste. Yay!  It went so smoothly that one would have thought it was carefully planned. ;) LOL    

Winter sweaters from the thrift store... Yay!!   Along with wool clothing and jackets, wool sweaters are on my list.  Here are some of the sweaters (already felted) that I have accumulated this month.  They are felted in a hot wash and dried on high heat.  I try to wait until there are enough similar colors before doing a day of felting.    It is so cool to witness the transformation!  Trust me, it is a very addictive hobby.

I spent yesterday morning starting to organize part of my stash from the bins and mix in the new haul.  For easier storage, I decided to cut off the arms and wide waist bands, since those parts are used for different projects.   The sleeves even got a stapled label of what kind of animal fibers that they are composed of.  How's that for organization?  Wish I would have thought of that when I started building my stash last fall!  Aaaahhh... better late than never...

I have been so excited to have the opportunity in September to create some pieces that will be listed in my Etsy store for fall and winter.  Tomorrow's post will show how I encorporated a few of these upcycled sweaters into embellishing a new project. 

This is the first year that I will be able to spend the fall and winter creating upcycled and fiber art, along with my graphite work.  My list of projects and sketch books are full of ideas that have my mind spinning, but I think that I finally have a pretty good schedule going.  It is a crazy balancing act with all the different medias... just the way this multi tasker likes it!! :)

Thrifty Finds ~ Vintage Wool Blankets & Molds

It has been so crazy around here... but in a good way!  We have been running to garage sales, estate sales, and flea markets.  My camera is loaded with photos, and I just haven't had the time to get them up to share.  This week has had some 90 degree record breaking days.  But today, we ended up at a flea market 45 minutes away in 48 degree weather.  Brrrr!  So this week has been: the furnace running, the central air running, and back to the furnace.  But no flooding rivers here, so you will not hear any complaints from me.  My prayers go out to those in the Southern States.

I will begin with this post on the estate sale.  It is being held in a large building across the street from where I work.  How lucky is that!  I found some 100% wool blankets for $5.00 a piece.  Here is one that must have been homemade.  It has blanket satin binding on each end and measures 60" x 170".  It is unusually large and on the thin side, and I thought it would be great to use for batting in a quilt.   

 

These two wool blankets were made by St. Marys.  I think they measured 80" x 90".  They are super thick.  I have read where quilters have used them in tied quilts.  I love wool and have some projects in the works.  These would make some wonderfully warm throws  in the winter.  I just need to get them covered so that the sensitive ones in my house do not spend the winter itching! ;)

These molds were in two big bags.  (Most of them are stacked with their duplicates in the picture.)   Now I know the bottom photo shows Christmas trees that I believe are for jello, but the other molds are aluminum, thin, have one or more duplicates, and most are made in West Germany and Germany.  The array of animals, frogs, and fish are very small about an inch and a half.  If anyone knows what these are for let me know.  I am guessing that maybe they are for one sided chocolate??

 

This large bunny has   A "Nutbrown" Product made  in England on it.  It is approximately 4 inches long.

Aren't they just wonderful looking?   Hard to pass  up at $2.00 for the whole lot.  I figured that I could find something to do with them. ;)

This pattern was the West Germany set.  They remind me of sunflowers and are so shiny.  They are larger than the rest and could be for tarts maybe??

I have come across the tree molds before.  Love the little mold of the horse's head!

 

It is fun to have a sale that is so close to rummage through.  The owner is putting out some more merchandise this week.  I will have to wander back over and do some more hunting for treasures!  ;)

Planter with Birdhouses out of Barn Boards

My son created this large barn board planter with birdhouses.  He has done some smaller ones in the past, but this one was custom ordered for a swap of goods. ;)  If I get out tomorrow with my camera, I'll post some pics of what he received out of the swap.

We are always on the look out for enamel pots that he can incorporate into his pieces.  The chipped pots work out great for him.  He is working on a smaller one now.  It will have an oval roaster for the planter.  I will have to get some pics to post when he is finished. 

I finally finished going through my aluminum coffee pots today.  Most of the ones that were in good shape went back to the basement and were put on a storage shelf.  My son and his friends can  grab a few to take camping.  Some are just to cool to part with. ;)  The ones that didn't have guts or had rough insides are being reserved  for craft projects.  I am running some ideas by my son and will post as soon as we have finished our collaboration. :)  The rest will get priced and taken in to work.   This girl needs to downsize!     

Thrifty Friday Find ~ Floss & Wool for Upcycling

I woke up this morning and decided to devote the morning to being thrifty.  So, I put my freshly brewed green tea in a travel mug and set off for an adventure.  The first stop was a thrift shop in a quaint little town.  I was hoping to find some wool jackets that had some color to them or anything else that might catch my eye. ;) 

Jackpot!  Everyone must be cleaning in anticipation for spring.  I found 9 wool jackets in the most wonderful colors that I have seen all year... camel, red, black, green, sky blue, and purple.  And even better, they were all long jackets, and they didn't have any of that foam backing that you cannot remove from the fabric! :)  

The pic below shows them after I spent the afternoon hacking them up.  That is what my son calls it! ;)  Aren't the colors wonderful... *sigh*  I have been looking for some bright additions to my stash. 

If you look at the last row to the right, the grey and burgundy are two wool blazers that I found.  On top of them,  there is a piece of cream and brown wool fabric that I found in the remnant bin.  I measured tonight, and it is 2 yards of fabric!  This is the first time that I have ever found wool fabric that came from a bolt at a thrift shop.  Yay!  

At the same shop, I found some floss.  It was in a basket and not marked.  I asked the girl at the counter, and she said that they were 25 cents a piece.  I picked through and pulled out most of the unused skeins.  It didn't seem like a lot, but it ended up being 93 skeins all together.  I cannot wait to add them to my bolt bins .  

Quite a haul for the first stop.  So how much did I spend for 9 wool jackets, 2 wool blazers, 2 yards of wool fabric, and 93 skeins of floss?  Well, the total came to $48.00, but Fridays are 50% off, so I got the whole lot for $24.00.  Yipeee!

The next stop was to a Goodwill store for a few sweater purchases ;) , and then on to another small thrift shop.  Can you believe it... another sale!  Fill a bag for $5.00.  The wonderful ladies that work there taught me the fine art of filling a brown bag to capacity.  (They were the ones that packed mine!)  They said  that you got to know when to fold them and know when to roll them.  This was a spin off of Kenny Roger's Gambler song. :)   So, I went around the shop, by that time humming The Gambler due to the power of suggestion, and picking up bargains.  They waited for me to bring a few up, rolled them up tight, and added them to the bag.  The results can be seen below; although, they were packed farther down in the bag at the store.  I'm surprised the ride home didn't burst the bag.

So here is the end result of that stop: 1 wool blazer, 1 wool/cashmere blazer, 1 wool skort, 2 wool short skirts, 2 wool long skirts, and three beautiful wool sweaters.   And yes, they all came out of that brown bag!  The cashmere fuchsia sweater on the bag in the pic was purchased  half off for $2.50 cents from the same store.  This brought my total to $7.50.   I was thrilled, and the ladies from the shop were happy to get rid of some of their winter inventory.   



Now, I can go to sleep with a smile on my face and lovely woolly dreams! ;)