Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2021

Laura_Elsewhere

carolinerunner said:

Any advice about how to mend very small holes in a very fine knit woolly? It doesn't need to look amazing, it's more sentimental value than 'for best' but I'd like to make it tidy and stop the holes getting any bigger

If it's very small holes and you aren't a skilled darner then I wouldn't try to darn them but just go for a kind of "holding" option... using ordinary sewing thread, use plain running stitch in small stitches to stitch a circle right round a hole, leaving the long end of the thread loose and unknotted. Then, when you've encircled it completely, gently snug-up the stitching by pulling gently on the two ends - you aren't trying to close it up into a hard puckered knotted lump, just to draw the edges of the circle a little closer and secure it from growing easily. Once it seems secure and snug to you, knot the two thread-ends firmly and well, making sure you don't accidentally pull it all tight into a lump   Don't trim the thread-ends too short!

I've done that, on the wrong side of fine knits in similar-coloured thread and it's made the holes totally invisible on the right side. Admittedly there were 8 or 10 little thread-knots with ends sticking out on the inside but that didn't matter  

You can get away with doing one circle of stitching but I find it often works better if I do one circle about 2mm from the edge, and then without knotting, just keep going in a spiral, inside the first ring of stitching, to make a second ring, even closer to the edges. If there's one bit that sticks out on the right side or suchlike, you could catch it with the needle and pull it back to lie flat (try to avoid pulling it through to lie on the inside as that'd just look more apparent on the right side). 

My precious barely-fits-me-now cardigan my Mum knitted me is still going strong with multiple of these thread-circle mends. They seem fine for machine-washing on 'gentle' or 'wool' as well, although mostly for my woollens inc handknits I just use the 'rinse' cycle with cold water, no detergent and 1400rpm which works fine. 

Siebrie

Mended: 1 small hole in a kingsize duvet cover, 2 holes in 2 socks (a pair, what are the odds?); a hole in a nightie, which I mended and then donated to husband's relatives.

Make do: soup from bendy veggies - delicious!

Minimize: winter gear, old washable diapers, children's shoes

CraftyLittleLisa

Its been a while since I posted but I haven't really had much to post about until recently.

I have done a bit of minimising of late.  Yesterday I managed to sell some furniture that I no longer needed (£130.00 extra in my purse) and I have recently been making lots of practical things with my stash of fat quarters and remnants of fabric.  I have made a sofa caddy (a pocket you hang over the arm of your sofa to store your remote controls, newspapers, magazines and books in), a laptop cover and a cable tidy.  I have also made a few dolls clothes and a snood with some left over fleece.

I have managed to do a mend as well recently.  I lost the nut that keeps my secateurs together so I bought another one so I can now use this tool again.  I got a second pair of secateurs sharpened as well.

As to make do, I am basically making do with all my food.  I am only buying things as I need them.

Thrifty_Taylor

I've been busy this last month making items for a craft fayre, using fabric from my stash. Sold the most I've ever done, so making more things for the next fayre in November.
My neighbour returned some books she'd been borrowing (& borrowed more), so I added them to the pile we'd read & advertised 3 bundles on a local selling page. All sold within a day & the money can be added to my holiday spends (leave tomorrow night). Have also been putting things in a bag for CS, it's now full, so will drop off next time I'm passing. Been taking things to the dump too. Don't know why I never thought of it before, but the dump we usually use is for recycling only now, so I've been making a special trip at weekends instead. Suddenly had a brainwave, that if I fill my car up in a morning, I can dump it after work, as it's just up the hill from the school where I work! Saves time & fuel.
I did sew two small split seams up in my not for best waterproof coat yesterday, been meaning to do it for a long time.
Once I find the wool out in the attic of my garage, I'm going to knit myself a poncho

2Scratters

Hi All,

slow getting through bits and making notes. 
DH on board more as has now finished his business. 

Mended - repaired my headset from work after I knocked it to the floor (happens frequently) and it decided to fall apart. Fetched it home and he says it looks its been repaired before..... we then decided it had been done by him previously. So cleaned off the old and on with the new glue its ready for back to work. He also glued back the sole on his army boot, they do keep his feet very warm, it seemed to have exploded for some reason and he is not heavy on his feet either.

Make do - still using produce from  the freezer and not spending too much housekeeping (food shopping ) money. Still using up the wool from the loft and finishing what I have started (still not finished yet!)

Minimise - ensuring we are using up what we have before making a new replacement purchase if it is only actually needed.

2Scratters x

mandy47

I was gifted a huge amount of wool from an elderly friend who can no longer knit after suffering a stroke. I've started making baby blankets and giving them to charity.
Sold a silver bangle. Still boxed. It was a xmas gift some years ago. I don't wear jewellery yet I often receive it as gifts.
Touched up a patch of damaged paintwork in the lounge. Can't see where it was so I'm pleased. 

CraftyLittleLisa

Its been a while since I have posted on here although I have been reading along.

I have done a bit of minimising lately.  I managed to sell some furniture that I wasn't using so that was a nice surprise - I don't usually manage to sell anything.  I have also got some fabric and linen donations to take to the charity shop this week.

On the made do side of things I'm trying to keep energy usage down.  My original provider has gone bust and I am waiting for the details from the new provider as to how much I will be paying monthly.  I have been trying to give some thought as to things I can do to make my energy use more efficient.  I have started to shut the lounge door when I start cooking so the heat from the cooker can go through into the lounge to keep it warm for the evening.  However, the lounge door has never shut properly so to keep it shut I thought I could make a draft excluder.  To make this I have cut one leg off an old pair of tights, stuffed it full of fabric remnants that I have been keeping when I have finished making items and tied the leg up.  I will prettyfy it at some point but it does the job at the moment.

thriftwizard

Bit triumphant here today - I finally did something I've been meaning to do for a couple of years! I had a lovely old Laura Ashley pure wool jumper, which I wore day in, day out in winter until it got so stained it just wasn't fit to be seen any longer. I put it aside, thinking maybe I'd turn it into a cushion cover; it was pretty much felted, too. And there it sat, right through lockdown...

But then I got the idea of slicing it open down the middle (and chopping out the worst stains) and stitching something round the edge to stabilise it. So today I stitched some old lace round the neck & front edges, and I now have a blissfully warm, if somewhat thick, make-do cardigan. I think Ms. Ashley would have approved!

I've also mended an old typewriter that's going for sale and minimised a fair bit of fabric to go onto my stall. (Not mentioning the fact that I've just won some more at the auction this weekend...)

Laura_Elsewhere

@thriftwizard - I have done that with a couple of charity-shop jumpers that had got sploggled on the front or moth-holed... a bit of velvet ribbon on the turned-back cut edge looks ever so pretty  

prepareathome

I am just waiting for delivery of a cheap, square embroidery frame (had lots but gave them away when had to give up cross-stitch).  Nothing in the house or garden sheds suitable and no chance of me getting out for wood or anything to make one.  Dogs managed to make a 4in L shaped square in a fairly new, heavy cotton double flat sheet that I don't want to patch as tear so big it will be noticeable so plan to darn it.  To heavy and big for me to try to hold tight and darn, so frame will do that.  I have hand pain when I do any repetitive hand movements for more than a few seconds, so it's likely to take me weeks but will be worth it if don't have to patch.

Been lucky up to now if dogs have torn a sheet, it's always been an old worn sheet - still have some from when I first married 41 years ago but sadly hard to get hold of those old type heavy sheets now. High thread Egyptian cotton is ok but not the same and certainly get thinner a lot quicker.