Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

Sun_Addict

That material is fab it has a real retro flower power vibe.

joedenise

You’re going great guns with making your dress.  I’m sure you’ll have it finished to wear at the weekend.  Hopefully you’ll post a picture of it once it’s done for us all to see.

Makingabobor2

foxgloves said:

@Makingabobor2 - I liked its sort of 1960s/70s vibe. Aiming to fly around doing all my jobs this morning so I can devote the afternoon to sewing. I have very few summer clothes as I rarely see any I like, so I'd ideally like to get my current sewing project (the batik dress from the lovely fabric I received as a birthday present) finished in time to wear this weekend. 
F

I bought a few summer bits from V*nt*d this year. Perfect condition & only a couple of £s each. For the last few years I have been saying I have nothing decent for summer. I don't share your talents for sewing...lol

Suffolk_lass

I have bought some (bee patterned) fabric too, but it will be going to the little place in town where they take on repairs and small sewing projects. I have plans for a warming plate cover for our aga. You can buy "hob hats" but nobody makes warming plate covers. I used a couple of thick towels last year, and our electricity consumption dropped. We have the remains of an insulation roll (like you use behind radiators), and I am after a large pouch in my fabric, with a towelling back, stuffed with the insulation foil, with fastenings along one side so I can wash the pouch but remove the foil first. I know I could make it myself, but it is a) time, and b) my sewing machine needs a service

Moorviews

Makingabobor2 said:

What is Vermiculite?

It is a bit too complicated for me to explain but I will try. It is a mineral that is mined, then heated to form expanded strands and flakes. Very lightweight and silvery in colour, it can help with holding moisture and nutrients in compost. I use it on top of fine seeds instead of compost mostly. It has quite a few uses in horticulture. 

Moorviews

Happy dressmaking Foxgloves! It will be lovely for you to be able to wear your dress this weekend. I find that a deadline forces me to do the hem, something which I don’t really enjoy the process of. 

foxgloves

Afternoon Sunbeams & thank-you for all your comments & contributions. Nothing to report today but have generally kept the money saving faith:
*Not a no-spend day but only our weekly groceries, no frittering.
*Tweaked meal plans to make use of something we already had in & wrote grocery shopping list.
*Got a good free stretching session (with my amble beam-end in the air!) clearing a section of border, forking it over, mixing in some leftover compost from something else & planting with bedding asters.....another Spring sowing which has not been at all happy, but now showing signs of growth.
*Fed a tubful of kitchen scraps to the worm composter.
*More exercise (weightlifting!) lugging 7 large full watering cans around the front courtyard plants.
*Garden pickings: Lettuce, strawberries, basil, spring onions & carrots.
*Made tomorrow's packed lunch & breakfast.
*Cut bias binding, pressed, sewed & finished the neckline on my dress. Made a start on pinning up the hem.
*Cleaned the bathroom - usual minimal products- & vacuumed downstairs....which was rather pointless as I have the patio doors open & the brisk un-summery wind is blowing stuff in endlessly. The breeze does make the heat morw bearable though.
Off to water the veg, back garden containers & struggling bedding plants now. It's my cooking night but after that, it's sofa time.
Tomorrow is my Big Budget Day so I've been jotting the occasional note in my diary too, to remind me of a few relevant bits & pieces.
Ok, off to wield the hosepipe......
F x

Makingabobor2

Moorviews said:

Makingabobor2 said:

What is Vermiculite?

It is a bit too complicated for me to explain but I will try. It is a mineral that is mined, then heated to form expanded strands and flakes. Very lightweight and silvery in colour, it can help with holding moisture and nutrients in compost. I use it on top of fine seeds instead of compost mostly. It has quite a few uses in horticulture. 

Aah, thanks. 

Humdinger1

Bee patterned fabric @Suffolk_lass.  Would that be showing bees too angry to sell? Love Humdinger xx 

Suffolk_lass

Humdinger1 said:

Bee patterned fabric @Suffolk_lass.  Would that be showing bees too angry to sell? Love Humdinger xx 

  Actually, my bees are all lovely now! Making them re-queen does the trick. I just have too many (as usual!). If I can persuade the relevant lady to make the topper I will show you a picture in due course (but on my thread so I stop highjacking @foxgloves')