Preparing for winter II

babyblooz

Oh my word, that is so worrying! I have dragged everything out from the loft and I am just washing an old duvet so that is going to go under the bottom sheet when the weather turns colder. I have some wadding that I could maybe use to make a window quilt for our porch window and I have a thermal silver paper type groundsheet thing that I bought from poundland that is going to be stuck to cardboard for reflectors on the external wall radiators. Its the kind of sheet they wrap you in when you have run a marathon and I got lots for a quid, so maybe I could put a layer of that in the window quilt so that it deflects the cold air? Hmmm, I can feel a big think coming on, better make a cuppa and get comfy!

THIRZAH

Thanks for the weather warning MrsRogers. I shall definitely aim to get all my Christmas shopping done very early this year so I'm not struggling into town in the snow.

DHs office have decided to have their annual party in the spring or summer from now on rather than in December. The past two years I've had to travel into town for it wearing walking boots carrying my "posh" shoes in a bag. We got a taxi home last year and it couldn't get up the hill to our house.

We are getting new windows this year as there was ice on the bottom of the kitchen patio door last year-on the inside! I've told DH we need a porch too. The hall was like an icebox last year.

I'm stocking up on tins etc already.

Reverbe

chirpychick wrote: »

we are in need of:

socks - hubbys socks every single pair have holes in, his mum buys him loads every birthday and christmas and after the first wear they are holey so im not sure what to do about him this year..

is there anything i have forgotten??

my flatmate does that to socks. I have some still from 15 yrs ago and he wears holes in them real quick. he has a lot of hard skin on his heels. I need to take a sander to them cos I am sick of buying him socks and having him ruin them and throw away perfectly good ones cos he cannot be arsed to file and cream and soak his heels..:mad:

CH27

That weather forecast has spurred me on to be even more organised.

Reverbe

Thanks for the weather warning btw. TBH last yr I think we had medium snow only once. wasnt as cold as previously and luckily I was at work so not cold _ aside from staff areas where they didnt put heating on. a few drifty spells on odd days but that only affected customers. Store wouldnt allow us to close n go home despite empty stores, not even the ones who lived in villages and drove.Am still trying to prep as much as I can tho and trying to learn how to knit so I can knit squares to make throws.

Chillout5892

Lining curtains with fleeces

mrsr wrote: »

Hi
Can anybody suggest the best way to line curtains with fleeces,... Reading the tips on fleeces i thought adding a extra layer may keep evan more cold out.Any suggestions on a easy way would be a great help.
Thankyou

Hmm, I got in a bit of a pickle when I started doing this last year. When I lined my curtains (11' high by 4' each needing 1.5 fleeces per curtain) they initially fell apart at the middle horizontal seam, because the weight of the fleeces pulled away from the stitches. So, it can be a bit tricky.

The chances are your curtains will be made from a fabric that's woven. Ikea fleeces are not, which makes them very stretchy and unstable for hanging. They are made like a synthetic felt or stretchy blotting paper. You can pull them apart if you're not careful. It's best to wash them first, as they shrink and it mattes (felts) the fibres together to make the 'fabric' a bit tougher.

Initially I ran them through the sewing machine, which seemed like a sensible thing to do, until I realised after about 6 inches that is stretched the fabric totally out of shape. I found hand sewing like large tacking best.

It's also too thick to sew as a normal seam, and if you do can't open the seam and iron it flat. It's best to sew one fleece on another with a small overlap and tack straight through.

Because the fabric isn't stable, it's best not to sew to the curtains down the sides as the curtains.I found the curtains and fleece pulled and stretched independently of each other. It was best to attach the fleece behind the curtain along the top, just under or on the curtain tape and let both textiles hang free.

If the fleece is longer than the curtain, let it hang for a few days and then trim it in place while hanging on the window. That will give it a chance to stretch if it's going to. No need to hem as it won't fray because it's made like felt. If the fleece is wider than the curtain, hang it first, open the curtain flat and then trim off the sides.

As you can imagine, initially I made a bit of a dogs dinner when I started this. It took 8 fleeces to cover the 2 windows in my flat, they are huge. But I had to throw away the 1st 2. Ikea muust think I'm bonkers buying 10 fleeces.

If you can line a single curtain with one fleece, safety pinning it would do, but I would suggest you use lots of pins across the top, like every 2 or 3 inches,or else the fleece with stretch and sag and might start appearing across the bottom.

Sometimes trying to do things 'properly' just doesn't work.

Hope this helps.

Petlamb

I'm hoping we'll have moved but in case we haven't, I find myself looking in despair at the windows here. They're not bad windows but they don't have curtains (only blinds) and that means they make the rooms really rather cold (and means I can't fleece line the curtains as we have none!)...

Keep contemplating curtain poles but (and I don't know if other relatively short-term renters get this) I'm reluctant to spend money and "invest" in a place we don't really want to stay in that long. Hmm.

Chillout5892

Thank you SO MUCH for this.

MrsRogers wrote: »

Hello All

Here is the website link (Lot is quite technical)
(http://www.exactaweather.com/UK_Long_Range_Forecast.html

Summary from above link

'Based on the natural factors that I have covered and in terms of how I calculate solar activity into my forecasts, it would be adequate to suggest prolonged periods of well below average temperatures and widespread heavy snowfall throughout this winter. This will result in the fourth bad winter in succession for the UK, and will prove to be the worst of them all. I now fully expect records to be broken, with the Highlands of Scotland being once again particularly hard hit. It is therefore vital to start preparing now in terms of high energy bills, and raised awareness amongst the elderly and most vulnerable people.'

Like all MSE recommendations preperation is key

Yes I was feeling totally SMUG and warm too. Thanks to this site, I'm ready for this winter too. Just have to get some new boots like Red_lady_1's hint. But they are too pricey for me. Rumour has it high street shoe shops lost out on sales last year as their 'winter' shoes, were ... eh ... NOT! This year we should see more warmer, safer footwear for severe winter conditions, less stiletto heeled 'winter boots! I've just checked M&S and that certainly seems to be the case. YEAH!

M&S have their new stock of slipper boots in. I really recommend them. They have great soles on, you can pop out to the bins without getting them soggy. I've won't wear anything else. See the reviews.

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Secret-Support-Faux-Boot-Slippers/dp/B003X0DJT8?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_1&nodeId=70875031&sr=1-1&qid=1307982309&pf_rd_r=0B02D4M09PMJDFJ4WPX9&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=70875031&pf_rd_p=215570647&pf_rd_s=related-items-3

My new purchase will come into it's own for this Winter and Spring. I've just had delivered a Knitting Machine. I can't wait to get started.

Think I know how this winter's cold weather payments are going to be spent!

mrsr

Chillout5892 wrote: »

Lining curtains with fleeces



Hmm, I got in a bit of a pickle when I started doing this last year. When I lined my curtains (11' high by 4' each needing 1.5 fleeces per curtain) they initially fell apart at the middle horizontal seam, because the weight of the fleeces pulled away from the stitches. So, it can be a bit tricky.

The chances are your curtains will be made from a fabric that's woven. Ikea fleeces are not, which makes them very stretchy and unstable for hanging. They are made like a synthetic felt or stretchy blotting paper. You can pull them apart if you're not careful. It's best to wash them first, as they shrink and it mattes (felts) the fibres together to make the 'fabric' a bit tougher.

Initially I ran them through the sewing machine, which seemed like a sensible thing to do, until I realised after about 6 inches that is stretched the fabric totally out of shape. I found hand sewing like large tacking best.

It's also too thick to sew as a normal seam, and if you do can't open the seam and iron it flat. It's best to sew one fleece on another with a small overlap and tack straight through.

Because the fabric isn't stable, it's best not to sew to the curtains down the sides as the curtains.I found the curtains and fleece pulled and stretched independently of each other. It was best to attach the fleece behind the curtain along the top, just under or on the curtain tape and let both textiles hang free.

If the fleece is longer than the curtain, let it hang for a few days and then trim it in place while hanging on the window. That will give it a chance to stretch if it's going to. No need to hem as it won't fray because it's made like felt. If the fleece is wider than the curtain, hang it first, open the curtain flat and then trim off the sides.

As you can imagine, initially I made a bit of a dogs dinner when I started this. It took 8 fleeces to cover the 2 windows in my flat, they are huge. But I had to throw away the 1st 2. Ikea muust think I'm bonkers buying 10 fleeces.

If you can line a single curtain with one fleece, safety pinning it would do, but I would suggest you use lots of pins across the top, like every 2 or 3 inches,or else the fleece with stretch and sag and might start appearing across the bottom.

Sometimes trying to do things 'properly' just doesn't work.

Hope this helps.

Thankyou for that .
I havn't got a Ikea near me so i am going to have to hunt round else where ,i really want to get cream if possible so it matches in.Think you sound more capable with a needle than me,i dread to think whats it's going to look like after i've finished:rotfl:.The smaller front room windows proberly won't be to bad,from what you say it looks as if it's going to be the big patio curtains,will give it a go.
Thanks again

redlady_1

Vampire and indeed mrsr...when I rented I used these extendable pole things for my net curtains. Also I put a curtain up at the stairs. This meant I could put curtains up but take them down whenever I wanted. mrsr - I now have two fleeces up at my kitchen window and I just turned them over and sewed it and threaded them onto a net curtain wire. There is no reason why you couldnt thread them onto one of these poles and then just take them down in the summer