Skip to main content

Freecycle Piano

I mentioned I am a member of Freecycle locale Brisbane. This is their mission statement:

"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."


Freecycle is active all around the world and basically you "offer" or "want" something and put it on the local site.  All members get email updates daily of stuff wanted and on offer.  Then you make arrangements for collection/drop off  via email through your local Freecycle email address.


I needed a piano for my son who has been learning piano for two years and practicing on an electric Casio keyboard. These don't actually have the complete set of keys so he was running out and that limited his learning.  His keyboard was doing strange things and we were getting desperate. (He had his tonsils and adenoids out last week so he hasn't played it yet but was overwhelmed at how wonderful it is)


Anyway, with not much hope I put up a wanted: piano with good guts (insides!) as I didn't want to have to pay to move and tune a piano I couldn't afford to restore. Well I had offers of not one, but two pianos.  The first one is the one I accepted as the insides were done about 10 years ago but it was never played after this.


And here is my Freecycle piano...


The yellow on the left is the keyboard with the cover and music pouch. 



It is just over 100 years old with real ivory keys ... beautiful, no? I was gobsmacked when I saw it and because I know nothing about pianos, I asked the piano teacher to go and have a look for me.  She couldn't believe someone was giving it away! It needs a few keys tweaked and after settling a few weeks, a tune also.  I could not just accept this beautiful piano so I have a voucher for the lady who passed it on to us. I am so grateful! The mover/tuner/restorer valued it quite highly - what a treasure.


I love the concept of Freecycle ... I hate waste and therefore tend no to throw things away if they are still viable but no longer useful for me. This allows the gifting of stuff to someone who needs and it takes it off your hands .. WIN/WIN!!!  I love it.


Do you Freecycle?
Labels:

Comments

LinB said…
I've read about Free Cycle but never used it. What a lovely piece of furniture! Glad you were able to acquire it -- and I'm sure its owner is happy that it went to a good home, and not to a burn pile somewhere. I work at a church, and we are forever being offered clapped out sofas and broken tables and unplayable piano). When they don't sell at fundraising auctions, we are forced to either pay to have them hauled off, or use them as fuel for Youth Group bonfires. Your instrument has saved you time, expense, and air pollution. Happy January!
26 January, 2012 02:29
Anita (Summer Gypsy) said…
Wow. What an awesome find! Piano's are such special things. I have a friend who needs to get rid of hers and feels terrible letting it go, what with all the memories. This is a great idea to give it to a loving home. How warm and cozy to know it found a grateful home where it would be loved!
14 February, 2012 01:42
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Island night... PNG cruise

Well hello again. I've just come back from a cruise to Papua New Guinea and I made a dress for Island night. Island night or any theme night is just a suggestion... there is no organised event, meals, activities; just a dress code suggestion.  As soon as I read that, I searched for this vintage surfie fabric I bought years ago at an op shop. I was thrilled to use it. I needed an easy pattern that I could make 2 days before the cruise departure and one that I would wear again.  I used this Style 2911 pattern that I only bought online a few months ago. Style are my favourite patterns. I cut out a size 16 but had to reduce it to the 12. It's a great simple but elegant pattern and it went together perfectly. My machines liked it too... they cooperate when they like what I'm making and it was a breeze.  I cannot believe that we didn't get one photo of it on. I was thrilled with it and even tho there is some ink staining you can't really see it as it's so busy. I had ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Silk and undies, and old skirt, Korea

 I found a photo of the silk I bought when I went to Seoul South Korea. It's so pretty. I can't remember how much it was but it was a good buy. Earlier that year, when I was at the fabric area in Paris, the silks although beautiful, were very expensive.  The colour on my monitor is pretty accurate. I love it. There was huge markets with lots of crafty stuff and fabrics but it was overwhelming. The market we went to, Dongdaemun had lots of hand made jewellery too. I bought some capiz shells to make a mobile (I must find those). My friend bought some lovely big feathers. ** from here to the coffee is a repeat. For some reason I didn't remember already putting this up so apologies :) My friend gave me a big tub of really beautiful quality fabrics. These above were remnants pieces but I decided to make her something. I used the Kwik Sew 2028 pattern and made two sets. There is also a few metres of the brown top in a rayon twill which is such fantastic quality, unfortunately I d...
Post a Comment
Read more

More things I've made - part 3.

Well part 3 is here. First up Style 1876. Did I ever say that Style are my favourite patterns? So this one was an op shop find a long time ago. It's a great pattern. I can't remember if the bodice is cut on the bias (but I think not) and the skirt is cut on the bias. I made it out of some synthetic crepe in the most fabulous colour. It has great pockets that you can see on the red dress.. The are sewn onto the back pieces, and then when you sew it up and leave the opening, you stitch the pocket onto the inside/front of the dress. That pocket isn't going anywhere. I used up all the fabric which was a gift from a friend's mother in law. It turned out to be a bit see though and I didn't wear it. It fits so nicely around the shoulders and arm holes. I decided I was going to wear it to Brisbane Spoolettes Frocktails this year as I didn't have time to make something else. I decided that it needed something else though as it was a little too see through for me.  I had ...
6 comments
Read more