Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

oldhaggis

monnagran said:

My father had an aunt who used to do it, but she was notoriously mean and kept it up long after it was necessary.
In her nineties she took a winter coat to pieces, turned it and sewed it together again.
Sneaky ways to save the pennies?
She wrote the book.

Thank you Monna, this brought back long forgotten memories of my mum. She was a very skilled needlewoman and I remember when I was a small child in the 1950's, she dismantled one of her 3/4 length winter coats and turned it inside out. She also took apart some of my dad's old high quality tailor made suits and made them into pencil skirts for herself. Any remaining bits of fabric from old woven garments were never wasted, because she made us all mule style slippers out of them. She also turned the worn collars on dad's shirts, and unravelled old jumpers. She would knit one new striped jumper for me out of two old plain ones. 

I think that times must have been very hard for her during the war and she had learnt never to waste or throw anything away. 

Siebrie

My former boss, a highflying CLO (Head of International Legal Department of company with >40,000 employees) had her blue pinstripe pant suit modified into a dress. The pantsuit had been very expensive, and the seamstress changed if for far less than a new dress would cost. I loved to see her being wise with her money.

monnagran

oldhaggis, Oh my goodness, yes.  Anyone who has suffered my stories in the past will remember the smart matching coat and skirt made by my tailoress grandmother from my father's cricketing flannels, while he was away fighting for king and country. 
He forgave her eventually.

Gem-gem

Yesterday, I wrapped up Christmas presents that my Mum will be giving others. When I finished the roll, I asked if I could have the inside brown paper section that you find in the middle, as I will be able to use it as wrapping paper. 😀 paper that will be given at least a second life before being recycled. 

Mum has quickly been writing four Christmas cards - that I will ha d deliver, when I hand deliver mine. A saving of £2.60 for Mum. 

My Mum is about six inches shorter than me, so if I ever shrink a pair of yoga trousers, a woollen jumper in length or a top - the arms, I pass them on to her and hey-presto they fit her. 

oldhaggis

Monna, I loved the tale of your grandmother making herself a coat and skirt out of your father's cricket flannels. I find these snippets of social history absolutely fascinating. 

It all comes down to the quality of the fabric that the original garment was made from. Good to know this still goes on among the higher echelons of society Siebrie.

I remember my mum altering garments for her boss's wife in the 50's and early 60's. It was mainly letting them out at the seams, or altering the hems. In those days posh frocks and suits had a reasonable amount of seam and hem allowance. However, her pet hate was having to let out madam's corsets by inserting an extra panel ! 

cornishchick

oldhaggis said:

Monna, I loved the tale of your grandmother making herself a coat and skirt out of your father's cricket flannels. I find these snippets of social history absolutely fascinating. 

It all comes down to the quality of the fabric that the original garment was made from. Good to know this still goes on among the higher echelons of society Siebrie.

I remember my mum altering garments for her boss's wife in the 50's and early 60's. It was mainly letting them out at the seams, or altering the hems. In those days posh frocks and suits had a reasonable amount of seam and hem allowance. However, her pet hate was having to let out madam's corsets by inserting an extra panel ! 

funny how memories work, I recall a book I read to my daughters in the '80s, the was one rhyme/story about a Taylor making a garment, and as it wore out they made something new, the phrase I can recall clearly is "there was enough fabric leftover to make a button."
but I can't find any reference to it .. 

Freezer diving today for food, just need to get to payday without spending any more money as my glasses cost so much more than they would have in June when I had my test done, but didn't have any money to buy new ones.  lesson learned. put glasses on the long term savings plan. 

Brie

cornishchick said:

funny how memories work, I recall a book I read to my daughters in the '80s, the was one rhyme/story about a Taylor making a garment, and as it wore out they made something new, the phrase I can recall clearly is "there was enough fabric leftover to make a button."

but I can't find any reference to it .. 

Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman?  

Brie

I used to hate my mom's thriftiness in making clothes.  Dreadful growing up with home made stuff when everyone else was buying from fashionable shops.

And I always thought her somewhat daft for buying things on sale that didn't fit her and then she would dismantle and reassemble.  It was something that rarely failed - and that was usually if she bought something that was very cheaply made to begin with.  I would argue with her about the cost of a garment.  She would say it only cost a fiver and I would point out that she then needed to spend hours getting it just right and that should be part of the cost.  Good thing we never went into business together as our costing methods are/were completely contradictory!!!

2Scratters

@cornishchick re your expensive glasses - I found a pair of Fossil frames on a reduced shelf in TK Man shop for £6. I wear bi-focals didn't like the varifocal ones at all. Spocsavers were happy to put in my prescription lens but of course would not accept liability if the frames got damaged. This, I did not worry about. 

p00

My mother used to make us skirts when we were young in the 50s. They always had the shirred elastic waistband, which I dont know if you had to make yourself or could buy to attach. Of course clothes are cheaper now in comparison to income back then in my opinion and knitting a 'new' jumper or cardigan from reused wool was common. I think the thing we all could learn from the war days is to use and reuse what we have instead of being a throw away society.
Brie: I have a friend who buys clothes 'cheap' from China constantly and used to spend hours altering them. Shes a shopaholic really as she has boxes and boxes of stuff waiting to be altered and now she and her partner are both suffering with memory problems it will probably never get done anyway.
p00 x