The Fuschia File, part 3

If you ever wondered how important it really is to wash your fabric before sewing, this pretty much sums it up: my 5 yards of 58" fuschia wool is now 3.5 yards of 50" wool. And I was washing it on a cold, gentle cycle, too -- although the 10 minutes in the 135-degree color remover bath probably contributed a bit to the shrinkage.

Other than that, (and the fact that it's still eye-jarringly bright) it's now lovely, thick and soft, and once I turn it a more appropriate hue, it will make a very nice garment. If I'm careful with my cutting, I can probably get a gathered-skirt kirtle from it.

With a dark brown over-dye, I'm hoping to achieve a sort of wine color. Stay tuned!