Thanks for the responses. Good questions. Some are planted under a Bradford Pear tree, pretty much full shade; while others are planted under a large pine tree and in some canna lilies. Soil is about 6.5 ph and was amended three years ago with peat, potting mix, and Black Kow. Osmocote has been added to the beds about once a year. I have a soaker hose snaking through all beds which gets connected several times a week. Plus, the lawn irrigation system soaks them from the top twice a week. The beds never seem to be dry. As to dormancy, the zone is 7b to 8 and we do have some freezing temps during the short, 2 month winter. The hostas certainly disappear late Fall to early Winter and don't show up again until April. I'm concerned with 5 to 10 plants out of 80+, the others seem pretty happy. As to whats left, basically they are minature plants whose leaves just seem to fall off or otherwise disappear. Great Expectation went to bed last year as a normal leafed plant, woke up this Spring as a small leafed fellow (1-2 inch leaf length) and finally just disappeared. The soil in general is sand with loam and sticky black mud mixed in. Seems to grow other stuff pretty well although unammended it does hold water when it finally does get wet. I'm mystified. John

I'm brand new to this forum, but I believe I can answer your question. There are quite a few fabrics that have wool content that can be washed, but I would first test a small piece of the fabric to be sure. You should process it just like you would if you were going to wash it with your other clothing. If it shrinks, then you can bet it is fabric that needs dry cleaning. For lining your skirt, you use the same pattern and cut a lining material such as a polyester blend that your fabric store can show you a selection of. There are many blends of fabric available, but you want to get a complimenting color to your fabric. The lining is usually attached at the waist band, and stitched with the zipper also. Hem it just as you would the outer skirt, but put it about an 1" to 1 1/2" above the bottom hem, this way you will have give to the skirt and with the lining you don't have to wear a slip. Good luck.

Elmer J Fudd (formerly S Whiplash) wrote: "Care labels are on garments for a reason, that's the best guide. My comment was generic rather than specific, lest someone think from the first comment that all wool items can be "washed". Dry clean only means just that." The labels are for recommendation. As for being there for a reason, well sometime, the reason isn't always justifiable in the care of the fabric. In other words, just because the label said to "dry clean only", it doesn't mean that it is the only way to clean the garment. Silk fabric is a good example of this. Every time, I see the "dry clean only" label on silk garments, I giggle. Think about it, what came first, silk fabric or the dry cleaning method? Silk is actually a pretty strong fiber. People in ancient time had mainly washed silk garments by hand and hung them to dry. I do the same. I put all my silk garments in the washer and use the gentle cycle. Then, I hang them up to dry. Once the garment is ironed, the shine of the silk comes right back. LOL, I think the reason silk (of Chinese origin) is labeled for dry cleaning is to help out all those dry cleaners that are mainly owned by the Asians :) Now back to wool, like someone already said it, wool is basically animal hair. Animals do get wet (from rain or whatever) but their hair remains well. Some things to remember when washing wool fiber is to use cold water and be gentle enough so it won't shrink and felt the fabric; unless, felting was meant to be done. Ah, I need to get back on my knitting. I've been wanting to make a wool felt hat.

Contact a local restoration company (the people who come in and do the clean up after a fire/flood). They will give you the best advice. It could cost you $$$$$ just to get an old rug that looks (and smells) like an old rug. The one thing I know about mold....it never goes away completely. Mold produces spores. They are microscopic and fit into EVERY space between every fibre. And I mean the fibres at the MICROSCOPIC level. There is no way to completely eradicate mold in a soft material such as carpet. You can sanitize it for a while...but those little mold spores that were missed will eventually grow a new colony - and the cycle continues. If you have $500 - $1000 to spend on restoration (that might now work), feel free to purchase them. I personally would not do it. My training in Hospital cleanliness tells me this isn't going to work out the way you want it to.