Does anybody 'darn' anymore?

Hime

I cut down old frayed towels and stitch two halves together for a bathmat. Not very glam, but great for messy kids. Towels and old teatowels are cut and sewn into rags for the floors too.
Used to darn all tights, but tend to only do the opaque ones now. Will hem T-shirts etc, much to the delight/horror? of step son. He likes to be in rags.
Old tights make great ties for plants. They are soft and have a lot of give.

daffyB

This is my first message. As an old biddy I was taught to knit, darn and mend and thought it was a dying art so very pleased to learn the folk are still making clothes etc last longer! I used to turn my son in law's shirt collars and cuffs but stopped when feeling it wasn't appreciated!U can get all kinds of aids to repair things from most department stores, in the 'habadashery', we've a good one in York, our market had an amazing array of things to use but it's gone, like the fabric shops etc (oh! the nostalgia!)anyway, good luck to all who keep up the good work.

rosieben

Hi Daffy and welcome! We've lost the decent haberdashery shops in our area too and now rely on the one remaining (used to be 2) little stall in the market. When I visit my daughter I try to get to the fabric warehouse near her and stock up! I'm also collecting old fabric for rag rugs (happy memories of making rugs with all the family in front of the fire in the winter and I remember how visitors would like to have a go) and also planning some patchwork. I love hand sewing, very relaxing!

moanymoany

rosieben wrote: »

That's mindboggling! - was it crocheted with wool or what fibres? I'm just trying to picture it; not that I'm much good at crochet, but I love the idea.

I'l probably have to stick to my rag rugs.

Rosieben,

Please tell me how to make a rag rug. I remeber seeing my grandma make one - she started by washing a sack! I was too young to notice how she made it from there.

My cousin Christine had a lovely Uncle Bill and Aunty Irene. They had a rag rug Aunty Irene had made before they got married. It went with Uncle Bill to his retirement bungalow. It must have been nearly 50 years old.

They can be such lovely things, made in patterns and out of all sorts of fabric. They were everywhere when I was a kid - longtime ago - but must be one of the ultimate old style moneysaving household things to do.;)

I've been trying to find out how to make them on and off for years.

Wirenth

I do repair my clothes, but the OP is right that 'clothes have become cheaper'. For me, it is not so much, 'clothes have become cheaper so its not worth repairing them' as 'clothes have become cheaper and of a poorer quality'. I've not bothered darning several clothes recently as the poor quality of the cloth round the hole/rip has meant that it wouldn't hold the repair together.

Parallel_Universe

I'm not sure what darning is - is it the same as sewing

rosieben

moanymoany wrote: »

Rosieben,
Please tell me how to make a rag rug. I remeber seeing my grandma make one - she started by washing a sack! I was too young to notice how she made it from there. ...

MM, there are several ways to make rag rugs but I do the type that you mention. I bought a piece of hessian though - my dad used to get hessian sacks from a local farmer but they're hard to come by these days.

I use small strips of fabric about 3" long and about 3/4 inch wide but you can change this depending on how long/thick you want your rug pile to be; fold the strips in half; using a 'prodder' you push the looped (folded) end of the scrap through a hole to the back of the hessian; then push the rug hook down through the next hole along, grab the loop with the hook and bring it back up to the front; then push the cut ends through the loop and pull firmly. I think my dad used to go over the finished rug and snip off the rags so they were about the same length - you can imagine that it was a bit random with so many people doing their bit!

Are you confused yet? I'm not very good at explaining but its a very easy process. if you want more info pm me.

I've googled for rag rugmaking and there are other ways of doing it which I havent tried.

Incidentally, I bought my rug hooks from ebay (I dont use a prodder, just use the rug hook). We used to stand the rug on a small table to work on as they can get very heavy but I use a freestanding wooden towel rail; its high enough to work at and supports the weight. These rugs are so hard wearing and it was pure luxury for us to have one beside the bed - much warmer to step onto than that old lino!

sorry this is practically a novel .......... I'll go now .........

Daisies

I did a one day Saturday course with the local council on rag rug making last year - it was excellent! You could also try your local library for books about it, I found several which had some good pictures and explanations in.

cefynbach

Hi, I can darn but haven't done so for ages but I do alterations and repairs, not only for myself and family but for other people as well. Until recently I had a shop where I sold haberdashery and also did dressmaking etc. but now do it from home as I should be retired by now.

old-fashioned_3

At 50+ You cannot buy decent thick socks that are comfortable for working boots unless you are willing to pay for the proper equipment so I still use my wooden Mushroom and soft spare wool from my wife to darn mine, but the youngsters are amused by it