Does anybody 'darn' anymore?

meanmarie

I darn very little, OH's socks seem to last forever and I bin them when they disintegrate!

I can darn...my father taught me, although I never got to be as good as him..he was a most undomesticated man, but was an excellent hand at darning, I never knew where he learned.

I mend and make do as much as possible, I have no inclination to spend money EVER I wonder if that's sick or am I really OS

Marie

csarina

I was taught to darn by my grandmother, sho also taught me to sew, she was a tailoress and could cut a suit without a pattern, just on the measurements, I have often seen her chalk a jacket or tousers on the fabric and then cut it out. It was very rare that she had to alter what she had cut.

I must admit that I do not darn as much as I used to, but I have a jumper that belongs to SIL, he ripped it on a bush when playing golf, he brought it for me to mend.....I need to find some grey darning wool, its like looking for a needle in the dark!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made clothes for my children, and myself, but as clothes got cheaper to buy, I have virtually stopped, still do alterations though, often have to turn up trousers, as a 'wee person' I have trouble they fit everywhere else, but are usually 6" too long, you have to be careful or you alter the hang and they look really odd.

Rikki

meanmarie wrote: »

I darn very little, OH's socks seem to last forever and I bin them when they disintegrate!

I can darn...my father taught me, although I never got to be as good as him..he was a most undomesticated man, but was an excellent hand at darning, I never knew where he learned.

I mend and make do as much as possible, I have no inclination to spend money EVER I wonder if that's sick or am I really OS

Marie

He may have learned in the forces if he served. My OH is an ex-marine and he was tought to darn then.

CountryWife_2

I dont darn socks, but i do sew patches on jeans and my OH's work trousers, turn up my and other peoples trousers, turn collars sometimes and make my own clothes occasionally. I also knit a little, and can crochet. I make curtains and soft furnishings for a living and have an industrial sewing machine, so it comes naturally to me. I did evening classes in hat making recently and love to learn new skills in this area. I would love learn about shoe making, but no evening classes nearby unfortunately.

NOSONDDU

I darn. When my children were small I'd also cut off any pockets on worn out/out grown jeans etc and use them for patches for other jeans etc. That way the patches were "preshrunk" like the trousers that needed patching, and they were also "hemmed" ready.

Chipps

I mend DS's socks - not sure it's exactly darning, but he gets through socks faster than I could get to shops to replace them! I think it's being home educated, he always wears socks, but only wears shoes if he goes out, so pads round the house & garden in socks! Both DS's did this (but older one has left home, so not my problem any more!) I don't know why they didn't just go barefoot, but for some reason that's not in the male economy of things.

I do own a darning mushroom - snaffled it from MIL. She would have thrown it away - thinks I'm potty! But I don't mind! It has a nice picture of flowers on it, so quite a nice object in itself.

[Deleted User]

I have 7 grandchildren and the youngest four are very hard-wearing lads .My youngest DD doesn't, and won't buy a needle and thread so all the boys school trousers end up at my house. I have noticed now that when she buys the boys their school trousers one or two washes and the hems are falling down Mmmm I wonder if that is another way to get Mums to buy new stuff. Not every Mum has a obliging grandma around the corner.I now sew the hems properly before they get to wear them in September it save a lot of hassle with DD saying to me on Sunday night 'Help the boys trouser hems have fallen and they need them tomorrow ' God knows what she will do if I shuffle off this mortal coil .

thriftmonster

I patch ds1's school trousers - luckily M&S sell them with 2 patches of the same material. I think all his trousers are patched at this time of year. The kids and dh wear cotton socks mostly, but I do knit climbing socks for them - did a pair for dh for Christmas out of rare breed Hebridean wool - so I will darn wool socks.

I also used to darn a lot of wooly tights for friends when their daughters went through the knees - only have boys myself. The mushroom is very useful for things like tights - stops you catching the other side by accident.

I have also just turned a collar on a shirt for dh - Oxford shirts work well as they don't have stiffeners in the collar.

Topher

thriftlady wrote: »

This book is on my wishlist http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Do-Mend-Official-Reproductns/dp/1843172658/ref=sr_1_1/202-4560088-2422211?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182420764&sr=8-1, I gather it is full of tips for making clothes last during the war, because of course, they were rationed as well as food. I'm hoping it will have darning tips in. My son's socks get very holey and it would make me feel very virtuous if I could darn them.

Have you tried this reproduction of an original? I've got it. If you already know a little about Making do, it's probably not got many new ideas. But its good.
(about third book down)

http://www.1940.co.uk/acatalog/Reprinted_Wartime_Booklets.html
Topher

eeyorerules

Over the years I have darned various things. More recently I have darned my daughter's school jumper (after her schoolbag put a hole in it a few weeks into the first term) and I have also darned my son's football socks because they are so expensive to replace. Today I have spotted a new hole so I may get darning again. I don't recall ever being shown or taught how to darn so my darning probably isn't very good!!

Also what is a darning mushroom and where do you get one??