Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Make Do & Mend

A rainy afternoon Hello to you dear friends & readers

When I was a young girl growing up my Mum always "made do & mended"
Oh how I hated it ...
I wanted to be wasteful like the other kids in our street ... being wasteful meant affluence to me as a young girl

A poster on my wall from the Frankie magazine,  given to me by my friend Sally
How little I knew back then   ....  fast forward several years & what do I do today ??
I make do and mend   ...  (still!!!)
It is a lifestyle choice for me - I get far more excited at an Op Shop bargain than the most expensive labelled dress

This week I am linking up with my friend Sophie at Hettie Brown
Sophie practises her "Treading Gently, being thrifty, Living Simply" way of life & her blog is such a lovely place to visit with a cuppa  :-)

I have helped a friend shift house this past week & came home with a few black rubbish bags from which have been removed many "treasures" - easy come, easy go to some folk I guess



This black dolly with a wooden body was destined for the tip
I have given her a wash, some clothes & named her Ebony



While helping with the move I got myself the nickname "Mrs Steptoe" ... I just smiled ... I have been called worse !!!!

I have had 2 orders for my vintage linen table runners so decided to make 3 to have one for the cottage again
I very much enjoy re-using the old linens & doileys & always think about the women who made them & what they would've been thinking as they spent all those hours stitching away on them 



The Mr has learnt by now, when he comes home in the evening, invariably he will have to tiptoe his way to the lounge - he is used to me by now & doesn't complain ...  (much!!!)



I love the patching & piecing of making these runners - adding bits of lace here & there - they are not perfect as they have that slightly time-worn vintage appeal with their little faults & blemishes







This particular doiley (below),I almost could not bear to part with ... I just adored the flowery sails on the ship









Seeing the 3 together made me think, what a beautiful bed quilt they would make ... so I lay them out on my bed to get the general effect ...





Hmmm ... maybe that will be a project for another day  . . . ???!!!

I also completed an order for an Isabella Golly - imagine coming out in the morning all bleary eyed to be greeted by this sight on your breakfast table . . . 


Good morning . . .  whats for breakfast ?
How could you not feel cheerful looking at those little faces holding their teds :-)

So 2 more orders left on the list, & as one is not needed til christmas  I am hoping to get back to making some new stock for the cottage



These wooden pegs had been sitting in this container for many months - since I had made one for my friend Claire way back here  - they were waiting to be made into peg garlands for the Cottage



I decided to leave one lot stained & not paint them, to make more of a prim/country-style garland



Do you have a favourite??
I just love old wooden pegs - I love the differing shapes of them all . . .  speaking of which . . .  this just might have appeared in the post last week . . .  it just might have been a trademe purchase !!!


Quite a few peg garlands there I think !!!!

I cant actually print what the Mr's comment was !!!!

Hope you have found some time to "tread gently, be thrifty or live simply" this past week folks
thanks so much for your time & for stopping by
much love/hugs/friendship
Julie x0x0x 

9 comments:

  1. Julie I just love your creativity and your make do thriftiness.
    It reminds me to use what I have and finish things that I started before going to doing new.
    Those dollies are just so dang cute in their sweaters and dresses!!! How do you find the time??
    I remember you post on your peg garlands and I do love them both I have a split decor personality. I adore shabby yet love prim...shopping with you would be a hard choice, lol
    Okay now lets talk about that runner!!! OMG so amazing. I totally love the idea of a bedspread.
    What a great project for next winter for you ;)
    You always inspire me so much. This week I have found time to be thrifty and use what I had. I also hit the thrift shops for some retail therapy.
    Hugs
    Amy

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  2. I remember with loathing my darned socks.....I hated the lumps, they were so uncomfortable! But I get what you are saying OShop purchase get me excited too, way more than new stuff.
    Well Mrs Stepstoe, I'm glad you got some goodies for all your hard work helping a friend more, after all one mans/women's trash is anothers treasure!

    Love the peg garlands, love the second one......mmmm I might have to get my cheque book out again!

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  3. P.S I love the doliey runners & I find it hard to use them too.I like the idea of a quilt!

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  4. What a lovely dolly you came home with! and your latest dolls are so pretty, I love the one in red cardi. Infact, I am keen on red so your prim peg gardland appealed to, I think it's wonderful. I think a table runner inspired bedcover would be a beautiful way to use those lace inserts and doillies as over a large area they are going to make quite an impact, it's a great idea. I remember as a child having second hand clothes always and hating them, it took me years as an adult to bring myself to consider second hand clothes but I have passed that barrier now! Weekends were always spent at jumble sales with my mother and I would cringe if anyone I knew saw me coming out of one! I remember also when very young, a girl worse off than us in our road borrowing my 'best' (second hand) shoes regularly and wishing she would keep them! how ungrateful I was! Our toys were hand made knitted or sewn too. Grandma taught me to sew and made dresses and knitted for me - more horror - none of my friends had this! All these things seem postiively exciting nowadays! how we change. Bettyx

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  5. Hello dear Julie, you know I'm not surprised that we found our childhood "make do" encounters highly cringeable..some stuff was truly vile! There's a fine line between being ill equipped & being resourceful. It's all a great deal more optional now, if we're honest. I have always had a thing about old cotton reels & wooden pegs. Great TM find : ) I loved making dollies with the roundy ones (pegs) something I do recall making when my mother was still around...& candles for Christmas out of old crayons....a most peculiar smell. Both of your garlands are just brilliant.
    The table runners are wonderful. Boy, you'd have to have quite a stash ready & waiting to make a whole bedcover though wouldn't you. But it would be amazing!
    Who would have ever thought that there was a wooden body under the black dollies clothes, after all your lovely dressing.
    Pretty daffodils on the table : )
    Much love & friendship
    Catherine x0x0x

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  6. Your little Ebony looks so lovely after her make-over and I love the two Golly's. The lace table runners are beautiful and I agree, they would make an amazing bedcover. Hugs Wendy

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  7. Look seven comments now & hopefully I won't get the robot thing to sign? Wish me luck.

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  8. Sending doily love from across the world...little treasures from the land of linen. I love what you have done with them. We should start a doily appreciation society. Eco Ethel xx

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