Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Today I taught my DGS to use my sewing machine, he made two pokemon figures from an old pair otights & some fabric scraps, next time he visits he wants to make a messenger bag.
I'm still working my way through my yarn stash, making baby blankets & bigger blankets.
Hester

Not much to report from today as I was on a double shift at work, however, I ate all my meals at work for free so that minimises my food bills

Plan for this coming week is to make some birthday cards and also make a draught excluder (currently using a towel in front of the door). Would never have thought to use a leg from an old pair of jeans - thanks for tip Lynplatinum.

I think I may have the oldest needle case it is Victorian. It belonged to my grandmother, no I am not that old my grandmother was 45 when my mother was born my mother was 30 when I was born. Late babies run in the family. I had my last one at 48 and DD had her first and one and only at 41.

Needle case is made of, outside leather and inside pages white flannelet cut with pinking shears. The pages have not worn at all just gone speckled brown. I did wonder about washing them but not too keen on risking it. I will have to see what DD says she will remember her grandma always having it near her. My mother was a professional dressmaker so most of the time it lived on the table or later when they came out the coffee table. It did not go into her sewing box until her last five years when she was too blind to sew any more. Apart from the last 5 years of my mothers life it will have probably been in continuous use since about 1890. Has anyone got one older?

I also have mums sewing box. I had one of my own and it wore out so I swopped it for mum's just after she died. My dad made them for us. Mine was made when I was a child. It wore out because of the amount of times I moved. When a Student nurse I moved it around every 3 to 6 months I trained in a group of hospitals. We moved ward every 3 months. As there were 5 hospitals in the area you could end up moving hospital as well as ward. I married an airman so we were always on the move shortest stay was 3 weeks longest 3 years. We also moved nearly as often after he came out of the RAF.

The boxes are just a wooden box with a hinged lid on legs. Dad used sink chain to stop them going too far back. Mine was padded and lined. It had a huge pincushion in the lid, pockets down the sides and I had everything in tins. The old quality Street tins 5 1/2 inch diameter. I still have them with buttons in one and other bits and pieces in the other. Mums is not padded I do miss the big pincushion. I do have a few pincushions my DD made when she was a child.

I used to do embroidery so my sewing box was mostly used for that. Mum's had two pieces of doweling across the middle of the box. A plastic cutlery box sits on that with cotton reels in it. My tape measures and thimbles are in the short part for teaspoons. They have been very useful both for, knitting sewing and crocheting.

WE have our names down for social housing. If I get a bedroom big enough for a double bed I will get a double bed. Now I know what to do with all of my pretty single duvet covers now, lots of drawstring bags.

I have a long bag with handles for all my wrapping paper both Christmas and birthday. It has pockets for tags etc. Once I got that and I collected all my rolls of wrapping paper I realised I had enough wrapping paper to last about 20 years. I also then put all of my odd Christmas cards together. I have not had to buy any Christmas cards for the last 6 years. I think I may get two more years yet before I have to buy any more. As you get older you send less and less.

Oh what lovely memories the sewing tools evoke. I have my Grandmothers button box with lots of military buttons in it - mainly Naval ones and a beautiful set of cut glass buttons that I've never had a use for but will keep, and my mothers button box & her sewing table (in the loft ). I've also got a lovely green bakelite pin box of my Mum's and my maternal grandmothers silver thinble that fits me & I use.
I use a Mothercare baby box for my sewing bits & I keep binding, tape, ribbons & zips in ziplock backs according to colour - makes it easier to find things. I also have a couple of clear plastic tool boxes (Asda I think) that are just the right size for storing all my threads.
My knitting bag was made by my Mum for me from a lurid green satin cape with dragons on that my Dad bought back from the far east for me when I was a baby - needless to say my mother never put me in it! In her day babies wore pastels or white! I do treasure it because it is a reminder of both of them & their love.
Great idea about the drawstring bags - last ones I made were about 40 years ago for the boys plimsolls at school - complete with an applique initial for them! I'm going to do one for my wrapping paper as the plastic bag I've got has split. I'll put a pocket on the outside for the gift cards too - WHEN I've finished the cushions haha!
Totally off the sewing subject - atip that was given to me years ago. If you shop once a week for your main shop - make it a day later each week - then on the 8th week you have 2 lots of money. This could also work if you are paid monthly.
Also - use a skirt hanger (clip type) to hold recipe pages & hang on the cupboard door when you are using them - good if you store your recipes in plastic wallets.