Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

good_advice

This is the use to be fabric.
Silly desktop would not let me post a second photo on the same box as above.

good_advice

Here you can see the fabric from a nighty, petticoat and a fleece jumper.

Took buttons off everything.
x2 carrier bags went in the bin. No good for CH now I have has the unpicker and scissors out.

This afternoon I am decorating x2 victoria sponge cakes. I baked them in the oven yesterday along with the dinner.
Filling oven space and sharing electric.

mamaninie

2 years ago I bought my daughter a very large set of dancing uniform - leotard, leggings and skirt - so large it all hd to be taken in a little to fit. Well I have now got out my unpicker and unpicked the 2" tucks I put in the leotard straps and the skirt waistband and now she'll have another year's wear out of it (hopefully!) Does look a bit ropey though as its faded everywhere else but the bits inside the tucks - don't think she'll notice though!

cheerfulness4

I love your photos Good Advice. It gives me ideas as I've thrown away things that would have been useful later. I've never really been a hoarder, perhaps because it ran in the family, but I've realised there is a happy medium between the two.

I'm reading at the moment the book the Kon-Marie thread is all about and while I think there are excellent and very useful points made in it, I don't entirely agree with her all methods. While I think around 80% of her suggestions are absolute logic when you give some thought to them, the rest I don't. Some things don't immediately show their usefulness but are such a blessing later to ourselves or someone else.Still think she's a very clever lady, though. Anyway, most books I find have elements that when combined lead to where I'm trying to reach.

Sorry, waffling but it struck me when I was looking at the above photos how easy it is to throw away things that are expensive to rebuy just because we live in a throw away age. To this day if I need bias or zips, buttons or elastic, I go to mum not the shops. She saves everything and on my budget that is so appreciated.
She just needs to organise her drawers better then we can find things easier without all the mess and tangles. When I've organised my drawers I think I'll repay her kindness and make her some and get them all lovely. It will free up so much space!

No knitting done yet. Must have fallen asleep as not so well and woke up with a jump as DS had come in and placed a mug of hot chocolate beside me. Feel so much better for my rest and meds have made joints more comfy now.

I want cauli cheese now. Love it. The plan is that Juicy Orange Chicken tonight. :drool:

Mamanine- my mum was good like you with alterations when we were young. Hems were up and down, darts in and out and bows and lace to cover worn areas. Clothes really earnt their money in those days. Those times ars definitely returning to many I think.

cheerfulness4

Silva, forgot to say, this is the danger zone, the unpicking stage. Its the time when there are always more relaxing or fun things to do, when things get stowed in a bag and left. You'd have a job on doing that with the size of that cushion, though!
Onwards and upwards with it. Just imagine how great the boats going to look this season as you cruise along with your new look interior.

silvasava

Haha - that's what I'm hoping Cheerful - spent Wednesday morning having another go at scraping - a really yuk job, unpicking's better! at least I can do it in the warm
We've got a quiz night next week & the theme is Chinese New Year - had a rummage & found I still had a beautiful Cheong Sam that I'd bought for the fabric (in a CS - £4.00) & then couldn't bring myself to take the scissors to it. It fits me perfectly so I've given it an iron & after will go in the 'dressing up' box!
Enough on here - back to the stitch ripper!!!

ziggy2407

Rose_Wood wrote: »

Hi,

I've been enjoying reading all the posts and seeing the pictures. I've always made do, minimised and mended. This year I wrote a list of projects to finish in my household planner on the first of January and dug out the oldest one to complete.

It's a hand made patchwork quilt that I started when I was 19 years old!! So only 37 years to make. It has been in a cupboard for years but I dug it out, finished the border and lined it over the past couple of weeks. Each hexagon in it is only 5cm long at its widest. When I began it all those years ago I could never have imagined being a grandmother when it was finally finished. It's completely made out of scraps from dressmaking projects so holds loads of memories. The light blue background was school uniform dresses for my sisters and the floral fabric from dresses I made first for toys and then for myself. Even the backing holds memories as my mother gave me my old duvet cover from the same period recently (which she made back in the 70s) and I unpicked it and the pillowcases to make the backing.



I've made several patchwork quilts over the years for friends and family but by machine, but this one is all handstitched. I even hand sewed the ribbon binding round the edge. Now I want to make my 4 year old grand daughter a quilt for her bedroom at my house - before she is very much older!!

Rose

OMG, that is stunning, well done :T

silvasava

Yippee - unpicking done - cover re-cut and sewed back up :j Fits nice & snugly now. 2 down, 4 to go although looking at the others i don't think they'll be so bad as they are not so tapered as they are 'midships' where the boat is a bit beamier (bit l ike me really )
I need a new pincushion - saw some heart shaped ones but they were a bit too small for me so I decided I'll do my own - its my incentive to get the cushions finished :rotfl:

vhalla1478

Hello again, All,

I'm interested in the recycling projects you all have and the 'rescue' of zippers, trimmings, fabrics etc. Unfortunately it seems as if new items today are extremely flimsy/badly made unless you can afford better quality. I recently made four bridesmaids' dresses for a friend of my daughter-in-laws; what a nightmare - the fabric was rubbish, the thread kept snapping and the zips were practically transparent. No wonder we've become a throwaway society; a lot of things aren't worth keeping. I would far rather have a few good things than lots of tat. I know I agonised a couple of weeks ago about buying an expensive cafetiere, but I've had so many cheap glass ones that their combined price must be surely more than my latest acquisition. It's the same with saucepans. I always used to have le Creuset cast iron but couldn't lift them after I broke my elbow, so I bought their triple ply range - wonderful - they never burn or stick, they distribute the heat evenly and once they are up to temperature, they retain the heat and will carry on gently cooking, so vegetables, boiled eggs, etc cost very little in fuel. I hope this doesn't sound like an advert, which it isn't, just my banging on about quality - good second-hand over flimsy new any day of the week!

Right, I'm going to make kedgeree for tea and will post the recipe later and if I have the energy I might have a go at making lemon curd - I have a few elderly lemons to use up. Watch this space!

Viv xx

Rose_Wood

Vhalla have you tried making your lemon curd in the microwave? I made a couple of jars yesterday and it took no more than 6 or 7 minutes - so much faster that the normal way. I had a spoonful tonight in Greek yoghurt and it tasted gorgeous. I didn't follow a recipe but just melted a piece of butter, some sugar and the juice of four lemons in the microwave and then poured in beaten eggs (4 I think I used) in a really thin stream beating at the same time and put it back in the microwave. I did it on high but took it out every 40 -50 seconds for a stir. You can always sieve it if you get any cooked egg but I didn't need to.

Rose