make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

Hmmm yeah, I wonder if they would roll their eyes back then thinking 'another waste of government resources stating the obvious, do they think we're stupid?' Maybe, quite possible.

I'd love to read all the coping advice from back then. I'm engrossed in Wartime Farm, as are many of us. The murkey was fantastic. What an absolute triumph in a time that was full of worry.

GreyQueen

(((((((((big jenny)))))))) and ((((((((((kidkat)))))))))) hope your foot and tooth, respectively are soon on the mend.

I did a post a while ago, inserted a birthday cake smilie for 2tonsils and the whole blasted thing disappeared and I was thrown back to the desktop - arrgggh!

Shan't risk another cake-accident but HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2TONSILS hope you had a fabulous time.

Fuddle, I have seen fabulous deals on fabric at bootsales, sadly had to leave them behind as not in need of them and not wanting to hoard in my tiny home, wishing you best of happy hunting for cloth.

I agree about the prices of raw materials for crafts, they are shocking at times. I get quite ill looking at them but there are still things we can make and do for pennies or so. I have no carpets in my flat at all but I do have lovely handmade hooked rugs, most of the yarn being from old pulled out jumpers. They typically cost nothing but the price of the canvas and my time and the hooks (the readicut type latched hooks) turn up regularly 2nd hand for 50 p or less.

It mean when I moved, I just rolled my floorcoverings and strolled away. Maybe rugmaking would be a craft for you, especially as you are not yet in a forever home?

I learned this as a child and for the past nearly-forty years Nan has had a rug I made aged 10 a the foot of her bed.:o Nannas are the best, aren't they? I thinkl that perhaps your eldest girl would be old enough to have a go, it's one simple knot to learn and no sharp implements necessary.

Hope everyone will have a lovely weekend, GQ x

fuddle

smileyt wrote: »

Fuddle - sadly it's probably cheaper to just buy a duvet from Asda ....

I know. I think you call that progress.

fuddle

I'll look up how to make a hooked up rug GQ. My eldest has laminate in her bedroom and have always meant to get a rug for in there but other things just always take priority. It would be a project we could do together as the nights drawn in. That's a nice thought.

Do you sense I've calmed down at all? I hope so. The last few days I've tried to just take things in my stride and not get too enthusiastic. Still, nice to have a few crafty ideas up ones sleeve.

thriftwizard

Fuddle, one of the best sources of cheap fabric is old cotton (or cotton/linen) curtains or tablecloths; it's not the very best for quilting as it frays more than dress or shirtmaking fabric, but good enough & there's plenty of it. (Says she who's been known to rip the covers off old sofas & cushions in interesting colours; never go out without your quick-unpick!) £1 rails in charity shops sometimes have interesting 100% cotton shirts, pyjamas or dressing gowns, but I've been shocked by the prices they're charging for shirts recently until they've decided they're not going to sell & put them on that £1 rail. There's a lot more usable fabric in a £2.99 tablecloth than a £4.99 shirt. For batting, you want to unpick an old flat sleeping bag or two - ask on Freecycle - no different to the stuff you'd buy!

Pooky

The lap quilts on my blog are all made from recycled fabrics, mostly bed linens from boot fairs and charity shops. The cost per quilt (from my pocket ) is probably around £1 as the duvet I used as filling was free, the range of fabrics cost me probably around £30 over the past year or so but I have enough left to make probably 10 quilts.

Look online for wadding if you want to go down that route, it's cheaper. Recycled pillows and cushions would work well as stuffing too, just ask friends and family to keep them for you.

I caught up with !!!!!! today, loved it. Especially the "murkey"

Popperwell

Talking of making rugs...that brought back memories, I don't remember what was on it and we must be talking 40+ years ago(don't remember what happened to it either)but my Father made one and purchased the material etc...from this company, I did not even know the company still existed.

http://www.readicut.co.uk/rugs.html

If you put making rugs into Google its amazing what comes up.

monnagran

Good evening all.

Sorry, I'm still a bit up in the clouds and baby-obsessed but I promise that after today Mia will be a closed subject.
Mcculloch: You are right, there is not enough joy in the world. Anyone called Joy bears an awesome responsibility for living up to their name. I should know!

2tonsils: To be without electricity for 48 hours sounds grim. I suppose that it's better to have forewarning so that you can make whatever preparations are possible. We just happen to have multitudinous church candles here so if you run out let me know and I'll send you a boxful.

Tomorrow I intend to rejoin the world. Today I have signed up for a craft course, (patchwork) in the hope that I will feel inspired to get sewing again. There always seems to be something much more important to do and I do miss doing my little bits of crafting. Goodbye tidy house, welcome creativity.

Just read the post about 'Readicut rugs'. I made one years ago and my Dad loved making them. He was colour blind so the patterns were quite interesting. Unfortunately, the last time I tried to get a kit from Readicut the wool was much thinner and the result was disappointing.

GreyQueen

fuddle wrote: »

I'll look up how to make a hooked up rug GQ. My eldest has laminate in her bedroom and have always meant to get a rug for in there but other things just always take priority. It would be a project we could do together as the nights drawn in. That's a nice thought.

Do you sense I've calmed down at all? I hope so. The last few days I've tried to just take things in my stride and not get too enthusiastic. Still, nice to have a few crafty ideas up ones sleeve.

It's a very companionable thing to do, sitting together on a sofa chatting away.

It's so easy, too. The rug canvas is in the form of a grid, and the hooks have an end which curls back toward the handle like an upside down letter "l".

You take a length of yarn, single thickness or as many thicknessnes as you like, depending on what you're using.

Rug hook in dominant hand, push thru canvas from front to back to front under one of the grids until the latch part is completely thru (latch will fall back into the open position.

You put the yarn in your other hand, hold it doubled up by the ends to form a loop. Catch loop in hook, keep hold of ends of yarn, pull hook backwards towards your body.

As the hook pulls thru the grid of the canvas, the latch will be closed.. Tug slightly until the doubled end of the yarn is just poking thru the right side of the canvas. Still hold onto those ends!. Then you push the hook forwards again, on the right side of the canvas, until the handle is nearly up to the loop. Still hold those ends.

The latch will have fallen open automatically by this point. Twist you hook and capture the yarn just above where it shows thru the canvas. Still hold the ends!

Pull the hook back to your body and the bits of yarn you're holding will have to be released at this point as they are coming back with the hook to form the knot. The hook comes free naturally at this point.

Give your little rug tuft a firm tug from the ends to settle the knot tightly and move to the next square. Easy peasy. And if you make a mistake or change your mind about a colour, you can just grap the back of the knot with your finger or the hook and pull it out.

Actually, it's probably easier to watch it on YouTube or summat. Be not afraid, it's the easiest thing you'll ever do.

I haven't brought rug canvas for some considerable time but it was circa a tenner a meter but you could also use old hessian sacks as a backing, but these are hard to source in this day and age. The proper rug canvas gives you a nicer easy grid to work from.

Most of my rugs are stripes but you can do all sorts (blocks, checks etc) but because your yarn tufts are effectively squares, they don't execute curves designs very well, they'll always look a bit stepped, IYSWIM.

Mum has a rug in her bedroom I made yonks ago from ordinary cheapy acrylic DK yarn. It's black grids with solid blocks of bright coulours (I just followed the grids on the canvas). Very effective and slightly-Mondrian.

:cool: Well, in my dreams, possibly.

You can be a hooker, too, Fuddle!

Popperwell

GreyQueen wrote: »

You can be a hooker, too, Fuddle!

You have a right to be "Up in the Clouds!" Monogran, I do hope the world we inhabit improves for all of us.

Funny how much of what we do connect us when we actually mention something even like rug making...anyone basket weaving yet:p