| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| brightmeadow |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 7:57:54 PM
How many of you girls do mending on a regular basis?
I had a T-shirt I haven't worn for a year because the underarm was ripped out.
Yesterday I went downstairs and fixed it. It really didn't take very long.
And I felt SOOOOOO virtuous for having done it!
On the flip side, I have a pair of hand-knitted socks I've already darned once, and now have new holes (not where I darned, but next to the previous hole) They're made from soft acrylic yarn and it doesn't seem to hold up like a wool/nylon blend would.
And I'm considering throwing them out. But haven't really decided yet. (My sock drawer is really overflowing, and I've got another pair 7/8 done....)
At what point do you draw the line between repairing something or letting it go?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| JenniferJuniper |
Posted - May 07 2008 : 04:50:11 AM
I love mending, and like Dawn I've lost count of how many things I've seen at yard sales and the thrift that only need a button or hem restiched, tiny little things. It just feels good to get more use out of something with only a little work. I also like to "Frankenstein" my clothes by changing a shirt from long-sleeved to short or sleeveless, turn a pair of full pants into capri length, and even sew different bows on my undies and bras. I often replace buttons on things I buy to make it different. My last pair of Levi's had 7 patches on them before I finally let them go to the scrap bag pile. I will darn the "good" wool socks, but the cheapo-cotton ones go to the ragbag for cleaning. They also make good "gloves" when you polish shoes to keep your hands polish-free.
As an aside, in college in the 90's I worked at V's Secret and company policy was that if something like PJ's or gown had button fall off we had to *destroy* the piece with scissors before throwing it out in case someone dug through the Dumpster. I'm talking about silk PJ's even. They would not donate any clothes to charity, nor would they take me up on my many offers to re-sew the button in place. I also could not take the shreded gown etc home for the scrap bag. The waste was appalling. |
| mommom |
Posted - May 06 2008 : 10:45:50 AM
There is just something about mending and darning that soothes my soul. I could do hand sewing for hours! And now that I can sit on the porches, I'm finding more things to darn and mend! Susan |
| JessieMae |
Posted - May 06 2008 : 06:34:21 AM
I do a lot of mending! Even though my husband works in an office and spends all day working on a computer, he usually comes home looking like he's been attacked by a bobcat! I don't know what that man does to his clothes, but every week I have to fix something.
I darn my own socks, too. I have four pairs of black work socks, and I am in a contest with myself to see how long they will last. A little while ago I started darning them with different colors of embroidery thread, so I can see how many separate patches I have worked on.
There is a line I won't cross, though. If the mending is going to show, I won't bother. I'll sew on buttons, fix dropped hems, or repair a torn seam, but I'm not much for patching holes in garments. If the repair will show, I just recycle the garment or whatever. |
| 4forMe |
Posted - May 06 2008 : 06:23:27 AM
I mend things quite frequently, my kids for instance are always having a button fall off or a hole appear in their clothes and they know to save that button or bring it to my attention as soon as it happens so as not to make it worse.
I have seen some really nice things in goodwill that were donated just because a button is missing or there is a tiny repairable whole and I think, people are so wasteful, they could have saved the garment for themselves but nope, tossed it to goodwill or the trash.
Edited to add....I LOVE hand sewing.
Sewing, knitting, gardening mom of 4. |
| electricdunce |
Posted - May 06 2008 : 05:31:21 AM
I love to mend things, maybe just because I love hand sewing, but also one gets great results for very little effort, my friends bring their items to be mended to me because they know I enjoy pretending that I'm useful. My vote on your socks would be to give them the boot, once things start getting new holes next to the mended ones it's no use. I've been there, done that, and ended up aiming toward the wastebasket.. It is such a good feeling to mend the things that you can....Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 8:17:59 PM
I haven't done it in awhile except for a few things of Scotts. I am mostly lazy and don't really care about a hole here or there in my own clothes. Sad,,,I know...but hey, I can't help it... ; )
I did take a few of Charlie's smaller sweatshirts, cut the arms off at about the half way up point, cut the neck opening a little larger and re-sewed(?) it and I am going to attach some arms off of his older long sleeve t-shirts to make new shirts for next winter. He is going through clothes so fast, I have to do something to cut costs.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 8:01:54 PM
I do quite a bit...because my husband always seems to rip shirts (in a weird "L" clean tear) and sweaters and such. Every Spring and every Autumn, I go through our items and replace buttons, sew hems, fix zippers, etc...It feels wonderful and it's like you have new clothes after you haven't been able to wear something for a few seasons! I always feel so "conquering" when I do it...we don't need new items, we just need to fix the ones we have!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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