2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Oooh yikes, my heart goes out to you - I've done similar things. It's up there with painting yourself into a corner literally, or sitting the wrong side of the cut when sawing a branch...

Agreed.

how hairy is the yarn? If it's quite Shetland-y then you can definitely start breathing again Just wet it a bit and carefully rub the area with fingers to encourage the fibres to mesh on the inside...

It's Brushwork, by Blacker. I think it's woollen spun so a bit sticky but not hairy. It's plump and squidgy. Even before washing, the yarn fills all the available space between stitches and you can't see where I've woven in ends. Unfortunately, if the ends do go, it's in a really visible spot. I think duplicate stitch for a couple of inches on either side is the only way to go. (Fortunately, I have several balls left.)

If it isn't... well, I've used sewing-thread and a needle before now to rescue unravelling mistakes - the old house had such a problem with moths... on the wrong side, use sewing thread to run a ring round the vulnerable area and draw it a tiny bit tight, knot the two ends of the sewing thread and it will reinforce surprisingly well!

I generally wash and dry a cardigan before cutting it up, but I rarely bother with anything special beyond draping flat over a chair-back or hanging in the window on a shaped wooden hanger. I do have a Shetland woollie-horse I've used occasionally.

I make sure to give the cutting area a good pummelling when doing that first handwash, to help the meshing of fibres.

You steek, don't you? I've done it once, in a class taught by Alice Starmore. Most important thing I remember - apart from using sticky wool - is to incorporate enough stitches in the steek so that they've got something to stick to. Brushwork would be good for steeking.

- Pip (damn auto-correct keeps trying to turn "steek" into "steak".)

Laura_Elsewhere

Well today has been about Make Do & Mend all right!

Make Do: use scrap black viscose lining and newly-bought ribbon to turn unwearable blue dress into very wearable dark-blue skirt which I was wearing by mid-afternoon.

Mend: remove non-matching pockets from front of black linen skirt, re-dye it, wash, press on wrong side, and prepare for inserting pockets into side-seams next week.

thriftwizard

I can get at my drawers again! One large bag for ragging, and one to give to the charity shops; I've even found some stuff to sell on. Now all my everyday & posh clothes fit into the space available, and there isn't anything there I won't wear again.

But we won't mention my dance stuff... :-)

Laura_Elsewhere

thriftwizard wrote: »

I can get at my drawers again!

I wasn't the only person who thought that thriftwizard's lingerie storage had been inaccessible, was I? Oh c'mon.... I can't have been...

Is anyone up for a bit of hand-holding, cheer-leading or joining-in, over the next two weeks, in an effort to go through my (your?) existing clothes and reduce their quantity?

PollyWollyDoodle

No, you weren't alone, Laura!

I'm up for this. I've realised I have a cupboard full of clothes that just don't excite me much, and don't get worn often. Not sure if it's just because I've had them a long time, or whether my style has changed a bit.

I highly recommend the Marie Kondo method, you don't have to extend it to the rest of the house if you don't want to! Basically, gather everything in one category together (if that creates too many items you can break it down into e.g. short-sleeved tops/longsleeved tops) and then go through item by item, only keeping the ones that 'spark joy'. It's really important not to rationalise – don't start muttering "but I paid a lot for that!". If you don't love it and rarely wear it then it isn't working for you.

I will admit that there are some items that don't make my heart skip, black work trousers for example are necessary but dull. And as we are on rations, I think we are allowed to keep stuff that can be repurposed. Only if you know exactly what you're going to do with it though. I have made the mistake before now of keeping something because it's beautiful fabric but I have lacked the will (and skills) to actually start hacking it.

I'm sure others will have their own methods of culling, the focus is to end up with stuff that we want to wear and which makes us feel good.

Laura_Elsewhere

We have floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall shelving, so I have a shelf for jumpers and cardigans, a shelf for long-sleeved tops, a shelf-for t-shirts and vest-tops... which tells you what stupidly large quantities I have of them all...

I think I shall empty out one shelf, and then ONLY put back the things I really do wear, AND which look and feel nice. Repairs can be done and everything washed and dried before being folded and put back.

Then it's a question of what to do with the rest of it... the flat's so full at present we have no real extra storage space but I think I can probably claim a bin-bag's worth of space in the box-room behind the main shelves there... then I can think hard and come the autumn, work out what to do.

Most of the long-sleeved tops I no longer wear are too thin to make knickers out of but also my 1902 Singer only does a straight stitch, no zig-zag... but perhaps if I do have some decent fabric in never-worn tops I could make some knicks by hand? It's not exactly a huge amount of sewing, after all! Maybe, maybe...

PipneyJane

I've just been knocked for six.

Do you remember that wedding I went to in New Zealand last year? Well, I received an email a few minutes ago from the groom. His bride died on Thursday following complications after a short illness. (I don't know exactly what.)

I'm sitting stunned. My heart's aching. I want to cry but can't - not in this office. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I replied to the email but it feels inadequate.

- Pip (telling you because i know you'll understand)

Laura_Elsewhere

Oh Pip, lovey! {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}

Laura_Elsewhere

(EDIT: I've heard from Pip and she's got people to be with tonight to look after her, and her work-colleagues were brilliant too. Terrible shock...)


I can PM you my mobile number over on Rav if it would help to talk to someone? Can you simply say "I've had some bad news - it's personal and I need half an hour/ 20 mins" and go outside to walk somewhere and call a friend or me, or just PM even?

thriftwizard

Oh Pip, that's awful - so sorry...