uses for old towels

Topher

O.S. Things I did today

Sniffed then tasted the Double cream that was opened last week...... Hmmm It's Longeley Farm so I know it'll last way past its sell by date, but if I put it in a Victoria sponge, it won't last as long as the cake.
Remembering my saved 1983 (ish) Shirley Goode recipe in my "Fungus The Bogeyman" ringbinder my sister gave me when she'd qualified in 1984 I baked 1 half of a sandwich cake and turned the other half into six buns in the same baking session. Then sliced the single layer of cake in half, whipped up the double cream and spread it, and jam on one half, topping with the other. Just enough cake for three of us this afternoon, and some left over. Iced the buns, and put the roast in (half of a larger piece of organic pork leg, bought reduced months ago and frozen - listed on my freezer audit as needing using up)

Meanwhile, back at the husband......
We've kitted him up to use a motorbike for his college travel, to economise on fuel & parking costs. He'd had to buy a neck, wind stopper £26.98 for a good quality one. Finding he didn't think it efficient enough, he'd taken it back yesterday, got a credit note which he'd used towards some "good" boots, and today set about making a neck wind stopper. My recently organised piles of materials yielded some wind proof and stretchy high tech fleece, bought in a bagload of remnants from a factory four years ago. He's just spent half an hour on my sewing machine making a perfectly good, and well designed Neck W.S. Cost of materials = approx 50p

I know we could be criticised for buying the boots new, they replace some that were given by my brother, suitable for his bike riding in warm climate, not for hubby's daily travel to his Pennine University in January. His summer boots were off e-Bay for £4.99 but aren't proof against our weather. They will however be O.K. for summer, and alternating them will prolong the life of yesterday's purchase.

Now, while the sewing machine is out, what to do with Gran's handed down towels bought in the 1970's which now have worn thin in the middle? Proof of the value of buying good quality when you can.

T:D

luxor4t

Topher wrote: »

O.S. Things I did today ...
Now, while the sewing machine is out, what to do with Gran's handed down towels bought in the 1970's which now have worn thin in the middle? Proof of the value of buying good quality when you can.

T:D

You could quilt two towels together to make one thicker one, use this as a bath mat if it is too thick to dry yourself comfortably.

If the worn bits are really thin you could cut the towel down into a smaller 'hand' towel, face flannels or cleaning cloths. (This is what mum used to do with our worn towels).

Elizabeth West (Hovel in the Hills) says cotton fabric can be composted, otherwise you could pass on the useless bits to a charity shop's fabric waste collection.

Aril

Our local freecycle group has someone who regularly asks for old towels and bedding for her animal shelter.
Aril

Churchmouse

Topher wrote: »

Now, while the sewing machine is out, what to do with Gran's handed down towels bought in the 1970's which now have worn thin in the middle? Proof of the value of buying good quality when you can.

T:D

Exactly:D Sometimes I think it's easy to lose sight of the fact that cheapest doesn't always equate to best value;) I doubt that anyone's grandchild will have the same deliberating to do over any poundshop towels. Not that expensive necessarily means better quality, you just have to keep aware.

CRANKY40

In my opinion, decent motorbike boots are never a waste of money. If he has a bit of a wobble his foot could be the first point of contact with the ground, and better his good boots be shredded than his foot.

We were knocked off our bike by someone who wasn't looking where they were going, and thanks to the correct protective gear I was uninjured and my boyfriend at the time had 3 stitches in the top of his leg.

Pink.

Hi Topher,

There's an older thread that should help you find a use for your Gran's towels:

uses for old towels

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep all the suggestions together.

Pink

Topher

Thanks for those suggestions,
CRANKY40,
having worked my way through two biker husbands, I do value good quality biking gear as part of keeping safe, but its good to have a reminder, especially as my lifestyle has almost conditioned me into weighing up prices and value for money. Staying alive and whole has to be a part of that consideration.
Aril,
I am part of a Freecycle group, I may offer them up, but to be honest I would like the challenge of prolonging my use of them.
Luxor4T
I like the idea of quilting them, that would make a good inner pad for a pan holder or oven glove, wouldn't it?
Churchmouse,
I agree, you can get caught up in price/quality tangles, bearing in mind that price doesn't always equal quality. I was brought up, used to managing a very low income, but also in a family who always bought the best they could afford, and had "doing without" as an option. (Something that comes into my thoughts about meat production, amongst other things. We now only have organic chicken, or do without, because the cost of cheap chicken is too high for us. (IYSWIM))
Pinkwinged,
thanks for the reference, some good ideas on there. The dog has inherited some of the towels I had dyed badly and didn't like any more.

T:D

sammy_kaye18

Topher - totally agree. Bf is a biker and has been since he was 16 - hes had a few good 'offs' although not super serious yet still bad enough - (lol he had an off the night i met him adn ended up havign to sleep on my sofa because he was concussed! lol - here we are one 3 year old a dog and a flat later)

I personally dont think you should ever compromise on safety - and have always told bf that if its somethign for safety then i dont mind budgettign for it

luxor4t

Topher wrote: »

I like the idea of quilting them, that would make a good inner pad for a pan holder or oven glove, wouldn't it?

T:D

It would work very well provided they are natural fibres (as good quality towels would be).

It is terrifying the way some fabrics shrivel or melt when hot, when I sewed for craft fairs I happily made tea cosies but would not make matching oven gloves for safety reasons.

Topher

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

he had an off the night i met him adn ended up havign to sleep on my sofa because he was concussed! lol - here we are one 3 year old a dog and a flat later)

Funny that, my current ten year relationship had a "sleep on the sofa" night because of it being too snowy to travel on a motorbike!

(p.s. I may have lied a bit about the severity of the snow)

T:D