Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Rat Race

That's the topic for the next Uplink service in two weeks; fortunately we don't need costumes for the short skit the drama group is doing. I've got the role of a busy, harried mom...I told our drama leader that I don't know if I can stretch my acting abilities that far... :P

I managed to cut out one (1) pink twinset on Monday night. It's an interesting fabric that I found at Hancock's when I went in for more grey wooly nylon to finish off the edges of the altar blankets. It's a lightweight poly/lycra blend jersey knit jacquard, and I cut Loes Hines' Sweater Set from it. Hey, it was $2 a yard, and it was the right pink for choir, so it's good. And I cut it out the same day I bought it...which is amazing. I had to cut the shell double, as I could read the labels on my cutting mat through a single layer, but I got extra fabric so I could do that. I've got a fuzz over 3/4 of a yard left; I think I'll make a stretch-lace trimmed cami from the remnants. If I can just squeeze out some time for sewing (rat race indeed!)

Oh, I do have a question...Tim Wead, the guy who comes in to play Scrooge for our Christmas production, was in town and at church Sunday and asked me about a costume problem he has. I couldn't answer it, but thought I'd ask and see if anyone has any greater expertise in that area. Anyway, he's got a white silk name brand suit (i.e., it's an investment) that he uses in one particular monologue that he does, and some time back he dropped the jacket on the street when getting out of his car. It's got some rather nasty road dirt on it, which his dry cleaner treated but couldn't remove. Anyway, he asked if I knew of any reverse dyeing process that might remove the grey smudges from the white silk. I don't do dyeing, so I'm completely clueless as to whether he could do anything about it or not, but I said I'd ask online and see if I could get an answer for him. So, question is duly asked...does anyone have any suggestions? TIA...

2 comments:

  1. Lisa,
    If the stain has oil in it, you'll have a visible oil stain even after dyeing. My recommendation would be to take it to a bridal shop and see who they use for stain removal. They encounter things like this all the time.
    Shannon

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  2. If he's looking for a way to dye the stains white... I don't know of any way to do that. You remove color to get to white(ish), but there's no dye to do so.
    Bleach, color remover, discharge paste... will remove existing dye color, but not necessarily in a predictable way. And silk doesn't like being treated with some of these chemicals.
    I wonder why the cleaners couldn't get it out... maybe Shannon is right and it's oil. Did he specify to them what had happened? Maybe they have certain pre treatments that they didn't know to do?
    I'd have to suggest that his best bet may be to try other cleaners. D

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