Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2020

Laura_Elsewhere

Anzac_Biscuit said:

Hello sewing types! I have a question - I want to learn to darn in order to 'make do', as many of my clothes have moth holes in them What do I need? Is darning wool thread only for woollen jumpers, socks etc? What do you use for T-shirts? Thanks everyone!

For t-shirts, I think I would try just stabilising and minimising the hole - that's worked on moth-ed t-shirts of mine!

I use normal sewing thread in a colour that goes with the t-shirt, and keep the thread single, don't double it. Turn the t-shirt inside-out, and back it with something - I tend to use battered old paperback books, but a darning mushroom, large raw potato or orange, anything will do that works, iyswim  
You want the fabric pulled flat and snug but not stretched, if that makes sense. If you use an orange or potato you could use pins to hold the fabric at the tension while you sew, til you've done a few and got the hang of it. 
Basically what you're doing is sewing with little running stitches in a spiral round the hole, working inwards - take as tiny a stitch through the fabric as you can. just a thread or two, so it shows less on the outside; gradually ease the thread snugger as you go so the hole is just slightly drawn together without puckering or gathering. When you start, leave a looong tail on the (unknotted) thread: when I've gone round about twice or three times, each circling being just inside the previous, I just snug it all up, check it's flat and not puckered, and then just tie the long tail and the working end together in a granny knot, nothing complicated. 

It might take a bit of trial and error, but it's possible to make a hole in an inconspicuous place really barely visible - if the hole is somewhere really visible it may still be obvious or even very obvious in which case you could do the same inward spiralling stitching but in a deliberately contrasting colour as a bold Make Do & Mend statement! You could use embroidery thread with much larger stitches, working on the outside, maybe even add a bit of lurex thread  

I use the same method with sewing thread on small holes in wool jumpers and cardigans as well. I used to live in a big old house with moths literally in the structure of the house, 150 years of fluff under the floorboards a breeding ground for the little unmentionables! I learnt to be quite good at mending moth-holes... 

Anzac_Biscuit

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Anzac_Biscuit said:

Hello sewing types! I have a question - I want to learn to darn in order to 'make do', as many of my clothes have moth holes in them What do I need? Is darning wool thread only for woollen jumpers, socks etc? What do you use for T-shirts? Thanks everyone!

...lots of useful stuff...

Wonderful, thanks so much! I'll give that a go I have a beautiful darning mushroom ordered and I need to get some needles I think but I have plenty of thread, at least enough to make a start

CraftyLittleLisa

Another weekend where I couldn't really get outside.  I tried to get up the allotment as it was supposed to be dry but then as soon as I got there it started raining.  I want to start growing things.  Anyway, as it was raining I managed to make a little more progress on the MMMs.

Minimising:

Knitted wool into two more bonding squares and finished a blanket for the local premature baby unit.

Made a pair of shorts out of some left over fabric (I wanted to focus on summer for a bit).

Turned an old pillow and some remnant fabric into two cushions for the lounge.

Turned old pyjama pants and dressing gown from my rag bag into reusable toilet paper.

Make Do:

Turned stale bread into bread pudding

Made crisps out of veg peelings.

Mend:

No mends as such.

Keep safe all.

misstara

Haven't posted for a while - hope everyone is keeping safe and well.

Have had a few days off work and have mostly just been pottering around the flat.  Have managed to get some little jobs done like bleaching the shower curtain, gluing a strip of wood back onto the bottom of a kitchen cupboard, tidying the bookcase (only top 3 shelves had books, the rest was a bit of a dumping ground) and doing a food inventory.

I made some lentil soup yesterday which got rid of a few bendy carrots.  That will do my lunches all this week.  I've now only got a small amount of lentils left and haven't seen any in the shops for a couple of weeks.  Need to pop out today to get some milk, bread and veg so will have a look for lentils while I'm out.  

Back to work tomorrow, no option of wfm so slightly dreading what I'm going to find but hopefully all will be fine

Molly41

Ive heard that Asian shops have some in.

misstara

Molly41 said:

Ive heard that Asian shops have some in.

Thanks Molly.  I didn't think to look there, we've a couple fairly close.  I've been out today already and couldn't get any but will bare that in mind for next time I go out shopping.

House_Elf_2

Good Morning Folks,

School finally closed, so keeping busy....

Make do: We have made a raised bed from an old upturned table. Moved it to a better position and stabilised it with extra boards around the sides. 
Mend: 3 pairs of leggings and 2 pairs of tights mended. Really need to replace them, but no one will see me at the moment!
Minimise: Found a couple of pounds of potatoes in the raised bed, when we emptied the the compost to move it. Used the tiny ones in a chicken tray bake and will use the rest for wedges.

Keep on MMMing. 🙂

House_Elf_2

Good morning,

Yesterday's  MMMing....

Make do: We are using bricks, reclaimed from the demolished shed, to make paths around the raised beds.
Mend: I have fixed the washing machine. The filter needed emptying. I am £1.75 richer! DH stuck the heel back onto his shoe with Superglue.

Minimise: The recycling centres are closed. Not sure where our garden waste will be stored in the meantime. However, started to knit an eco friendly plant pot, using up yarn from natural dye workshop I attended a few weeks ago.

Feeling very Tom and Barbara from the Goodlife at the moment. We shall be getting a goat next! 

Have a lovely day 🙂

2Scratters

We are being blessed with some sunshine which I am sure is helping a lot learning to deal with this situation. It is giving us time out to slow down and reflect as human beings. 
Taking  this to practise to sort out our homes and fridges and lives. 
Minimise the contents of the cupboards and freezer by generating home made creations.
Actually mending by sitting down at the sewing machine turned up trousers again. Stitched cushion cover and re use.
Make do with clothing in the wardrobes. Cutting down more garments for the "man shed"

villagelife

My first post here this year.
I need to make more of an effort as money is going to be tight over the next few months.
Mend - I repaired a hole in trousers which had been relegated to wear only in the garden but will now last a bit longer.
Also sewed up hem on DH trousers.
Make do - reusing seed trays - some should be thrown away but am using this year.
Minimise - lots of packaging and catalogues have been recycled.

Will try and post most days but depends how busy work gets!