Turning the sheets inside out (sides to middle)

TudorRose

When I was growing up in the 50s/60s my mother used to turn sheets side to middle using what I think was called a 'slip & fell ' seam as this gave a flat seem that was comfortable to sleep on.
Many of the sheets we had when I was young came from my granparents. In fact I still have a few in my airing cupboard which I don't use but can't bear to get rid of.
I also remember Mum & Dad given linen sheets to a jumble sale when the y moved in the 1980's. Wish I had them now!
When my daughter was born in 1976 Mum made all her cot sheets out of flanelette sheets I had used as a child. Did me 2 children before being used as cleaning rags.
I used cloth nappies for both my children & regularly used to re hem them on my machine when they went raggy on the edges as they never wore out otherwise despite soaking in napisan & machine washing.

Justamum

TudorRose wrote: »

W
I used cloth nappies for both my children & regularly used to re hem them on my machine when they went raggy on the edges as they never wore out otherwise despite soaking in napisan & machine washing.

I used terry squares for my first two children, then they were used as hand towels, before becoming so threadbare they didn't dry any more! Then I got pregnant again and had my DD2 (who is now nearly 6) so I bought some shaped nappies. Tbh I wish I'd just bought more terry ones as they were far more absorbent and had an after life :rotfl:

clairehi

none of my sheets have ever worn out so I cant see myself ever needing to "sides to middle" them, how old do sheets need to be before they wear out? I did replace them about 5 years ago when we got a king size bed but the old ones are still doing service on the spare bed.

not v. expensive ones either, just bog standard John Lewis poly cotton fitted ones.

I actually gave away a lot of old egyptian cotton flat sheets to the CS as I cant be bothered to iron them but they seem to be indestructible.

socks are another issue. DS2 goes through them like hot dinners!

we used to "mend" snagged tights with a drop of clear nail varnish,
or if laddered would cut off one leg and wear with another single legged pair, not the comfiest solution but did work.

zippychick

ive merged this with an older thread discussing patching up sheets in this way

great tips - one liners is a good thread for little odd pieces of ideas

there's also what would my granny think of OS and organising your week the way granny used to do it

Zip

bellaquidsin

I've turned sheets sides to middle with a run and fell seam, and turned collars and darned socks - just lived too long really. Now polycotton fitted sheets don't lend themselves to turning, collars with stiffners in the backs don't do so well and modern socks don't darn up like the old woollen ones did.

However I am still working through a stash of MIL's flannelette sheets which although I don't use on the beds (take too long to dry) they are providing me with a supply of ironing board covers and when they are worn to bits on there, I cut the corners off, machine hem, and make dusters, never bought a duster either.

Bella.

[Deleted User]

I can remember buying Taylor-Woodwards Lifelons tights (around 1960) They were supposed to be guaranteed for 6 months, and you could replace them free of charge if they laddered.I can't ever remember replacing them so they must have lasted well.
I had a huge tin of buttons that I no longer needed and I donated them to my local primary school where they used them in the classrooms for crafting.

Winchelsea

I knit - and darn - socks. I know for a fact that the pair I have on my feet at the moment were knitted in 1978. I can remember what job I was doing at the time, and used to get the sock knitting out when we were a bit slack.

They're stripey, made from odd bits left from other socks, so cost me nothing in the first place, and are still going strong!

GreyQueen

Alison_Funnell wrote: »

Button tins - another lost 'art'. Mum has buttons (stored on threads in sets) from her mum and odd buttons from her gran. I'm sure lots of us here have them, but in the wider world they seem a dying thing. And zips - nothing was useless all bits got saved, leather straps from kilts, hooks and eyes, bits from bras - the lot.

Gosh typing that I realise how much I don't reuse.

I keep meaning to 'repurpose' (sorry I really don't like the phrase much but seems right here) clothes - change buttons, add/remove trimmings abd the like, I really should put in a bit more effort to do it.

Ooh Alison, button tins, what a delight and a useful resource. We have ancestral buttons which have not seen a garment in decades and some beloved sets which have seen consecutive service on many an handknit cardi. Got to be aware that button tins can be an emotional matter, though. A colleague in an old job told me that her Mum and her Auntie weren't speaking over a row about who inherited their mother's button tin. These were perfectly sane and sensible women in their fifties, btw.:rotfl:

ceridwen

I note the use of flanelette sheets as dusters. Dusters...what are they?:rotfl::rotfl:....but...errr...has anyone got any other uses for flanelette sheets. I've had some passed onto me by my mother - and they don't fit the "modern size" double bed I have (much smaller than I would use - and I feel a bit dubious about using other peoples bedsheets anyway IYSWIM).

What other uses can anyone suggest for them please. It seems a shame to just leave them sitting mouldering away in a drawer - as I dont like to just throw them out/pass them on.

I've also got HUGE amounts of pillowcases (as my parents like matching bedding - so always pass the now unmatching ones on to me) - so I'm a bit stuck for uses for them as well.

Alison_Funnell

Flanelette is great for linings - curtains, h/m bags etc. You can use it for cloths to clean with, pet bedding.

Pillow cases - cushion covers, bags, patchwork, collection washing...