The Vent and Rant Thread

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Are you suggesting pooh hand over his beloved kitties to a Chinese cat eater?

Stitchawl

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Early Bird Special! On Sale! I'll Pay You!

3 cats - your choice! All incredibly cute! And loud! And early risers!

Make an offer! No reasonable offer refused! No offer refused!

I'll take your kitties!! Have been reading a neat book on how to most efficiently use their carcu...........uh..............no wait...........I've been wondering what to do to occupy my time lately!!!

Yeah............thats it. Please PM with delivery time...........

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Are you suggesting pooh hand over his beloved kitties to a Chinese cat eater?

Nope. Just relating a cat story.

[wyndslash]

so i accidentally got some water stains on my lovely new leather bag. i went online, and it said to moisten the area again with water.

so i did...and the stain got bigger >___<

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

so i accidentally got some water stains on my lovely new leather bag. i went online, and it said to moisten the area again with water.

so i did...and the stain got bigger >___<

If it really looks bad... and I mean really, so that you don't like it at all, then here's what to do...

Go to a shoe store and buy a tin of 'saddle soap.' You might have to look around a bit to find this, but it's pretty common. Take a wet sponge and rub it onto the saddle soap to work up a lather (just as you would with any soap) then wash your bag. Get it wet and soapy. Then rinse out the sponge and wipe off all the soap from the bag, stopping to rinse the sponge out several times. When it's all off, stuff the bag loosely with crumpled news paper, just to hold the bag's shape, and let it dry. DO NOT use your hair drier to dry it. DO NOT set it out in the sun. Let it dry slowly. When it's dry, you shouldn't be able to see any stain marks.

It all this works and the bag comes out looking nice once again, go back to the shoe store and buy a tin of neutral color 'shoe cream.' NOT SHOE POLISH!!!!! Cream! With a soft cloth, rub the shoe cream into the leather. This will probably make the color a bit darker too, but this will protect it from further staining.

Again... only do all of this as a last resort. If you don't mind the stain, leave everything as is.

Stitchawl

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

If it really looks bad... and I mean really, so that you don't like it at all, then here's what to do...

Go to a shoe store and buy a tin of 'saddle soap.' You might have to look around a bit to find this, but it's pretty common. Take a wet sponge and rub it onto the saddle soap to work up a lather (just as you would with any soap) then wash your bag. Get it wet and soapy. Then rinse out the sponge and wipe off all the soap from the bag, stopping to rinse the sponge out several times. When it's all off, stuff the bag loosely with crumpled news paper, just to hold the bag's shape, and let it dry. DO NOT use your hair drier to dry it. DO NOT set it out in the sun. Let it dry slowly. When it's dry, you shouldn't be able to see any stain marks.

It all this works and the bag comes out looking nice once again, go back to the shoe store and buy a tin of neutral color 'shoe cream.' NOT SHOE POLISH!!!!! Cream! With a soft cloth, rub the shoe cream into the leather. This will probably make the color a bit darker too, but this will protect it from further staining.

Again... only do all of this as a last resort. If you don't mind the stain, leave everything as is.

Stitchawl

it's not that bad (at least, i don't think it is). i mean, i suppose it has character. but it's still bugging me. as it is, i'm too scared to do anything else lest it gets worse, so i left a message on the Fossil facebook page. Hopefully they can at least help me.

I'm kind of nervous about washing the whole bag. oh, but can i do it on just that one area?

and do i need to wash it before applying the cream? or can i apply the cream directly without washing if my main purpose is to protect it from future stains?

[ProfCrash]

Apparently, playing fetch for an hour before bed time helps dogs sleep past 6 in the morning. He barely got up when the hubby got up at 7 this morning.

So play fetch with your cats.

Please post pictures so the rest of us can laugh.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

it's not that bad (at least, i don't think it is). i mean, i suppose it has character. but it's still bugging me. as it is, i'm too scared to do anything else lest it gets worse, so i left a message on the Fossil facebook page. Hopefully they can at least help me.

I'm kind of nervous about washing the whole bag. oh, but can i do it on just that one area?

and do i need to wash it before applying the cream? or can i apply the cream directly without washing if my main purpose is to protect it from future stains?

If you just do the one area, you will still see a difference in that spot. I once had a lovely white silk shirt... Somehow, someone splashed coffee on it. There was no way to get the stain out so I made a large pot of coffee and soaked the whole shirt. Yes, it turned it into a coffee colored brown silk shirt. But you could no longer tell that there ever were any spots on it, and I was able to wear it for the next few years!

And yes, you can apply the cream to the whole bag just as it is. But you will still see the stain, and the cream may darken the leather a little bit. You didn't say, but if this leather is suede, do NOT use the cream on it!


Stitchawl

[wyndslash]

no, no it's not suede. i'll have to think about this, but thanks for the advice i'm just really nervous about possibly ruining an expensive purchase.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

no, no it's not suede. i'll have to think about this, but thanks for the advice i'm just really nervous about possibly ruining an expensive purchase.

Doing this process with the saddle soap will NOT 'ruin' the bag at all. What it 'might' do is change it to a slightly darker color, depending upon how the leather was tanned in the first place. There may be no change at all. But if the leather retained a water spot, it's probably a good bet that it will get just a shade or two darker if you wash it with saddle soap. Keep in mind, saddle soap is MADE for washing leather... That's its purpose. It doesn't harm leather, not even suede. The shoe cream can mat down suede, which is why I don't suggest that, although even that can be restored with brushing...


Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

I am wondering how you would go if you got rained on with that bag? Does it have it's own rain coat?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

I am wondering how you would go if you got rained on with that bag? Does it have it's own rain coat?

Sneaky, you're Australian, so you can be our expert here... When it rains, do sheep shrink? For that matter, do cows have to get new skins when they get wet?

I've thrown leather jackets into washing machines with combinations of laundry soap, dish washing liquid, and "Simple Green," and run them through several cycles with that mixture... Then a couple of cycles with plain water to be sure it was all rinsed out. Good leather does NOT get ruined when it gets wet, but it does often change color. And a good leather conditioning liquid will bring back to life old dried out leather. So will ArmorAll!

Every year I wash my Springtime leather motorcycle gloves. WASH... as in using strong soap and warm water. Sometimes using undiluted SimpleGreen and soap... I put them on, then 'wash my hands' thoroughly. It's often difficult to get old motorcycle grease off of gloves after it's been ground in for a season. But I gets 'em clean...

And then when dry, I use a good leather conditioner (there are lots and lots of good leather conditioners out there!) and they are ready to be put away for the next year. Mine are going on four years now.

The real problem is when drying leather. Dry it too quickly and it will ruin it. Using extremely hot water will ruin leather. It tends to cook sheep...

And here's a quick tip for those with old favorite wool mittens or sweaters that are getting a bit long in the tooth... Wash them and then give them a rinse with your favorite hair conditioning rinse. They will feel soft again, like brand new! This works great with old wool hunting socks!


Stitchawl

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

And here's a quick tip for those with old favorite wool mittens or sweaters that are getting a bit long in the tooth... Wash them and then give them a rinse with your favorite hair conditioning rinse. They will feel soft again, like brand new! This works great with old wool hunting socks!


Stitchawl

Yep, handspinners use this trick often when washing fleece. People are sometimes surprised to find that they are not "allergic" to wool any more once they have worn something made of wool that hasn't been processed with harsh chemicals. Washing wool stuff is usually fine as long as you minimize agitation and sudden temperature changes -- it's the drying process where most people get in trouble.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Yep, handspinners use this trick often when washing fleece. People are sometimes surprised to find that they are not "allergic" to wool any more once they have worn something made of wool that hasn't been processed with harsh chemicals. Washing wool stuff is usually fine as long as you minimize agitation and sudden temperature changes -- it's the drying process where most people get in trouble.

My husband thought he was allergic for the same reason. He still is sensitive to wool against the skin, even for stuff like socks. But he wears my hand knit socks as "oversocks" over commercial cotton socks for the extra layer and warmth.

[Freeshadow]

@spindlegirl
oh, you good woman helping keep feet warm? UGH!
interested in polygamy?


re eating cats: It's not as much a joke as you think.
the reason rabbits are sold with tail is that you know you won't get a cat for cooking instead