Bums on softer seats

Bums on softer seats

make do and mend reuse sewing

Hello. Two hours in the sweatshop and six cushions are finished. I will drop them into the church on Monday on my way to Crafty Club. Someone might recognize the fabric. Thank you blogger Brenda from the Boro, as you can see your donation makes very nice cushion covers. 

I found an easier way to shred the stuffing. Dear Rocky's brush does a better job than my fingers.

No snow yet, but it's raining now. Bugsy went off his food again, but is now back on it. He has just scoffed some tuna fish. He seems to like the spring water variety better.

I have a picture ready for framing. I had a frame in mind and made the picture a bit bigger, but after laying the glass on it and putting the frame on top, I will lose a lot of it around the edges. That would be a shame, so now I have to find a bigger frame or make one. I have some glass, I'm now going to look in my wood stash to see if I have anything suitable.

Barbara asked how am I getting on with my shampoo experiment. I've had 23 washes so far from a 440 mil bottle of Aldi shampoo costing 35p. I an not half way down the bottle yet, so it's looking like I will get around 50 from it. I'll let you know when it's finished.

Things to do. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Stretching the stuffing

Stretching the stuffing

make do and mend reuse sewing

Hello. It's all very well making something new out of something old, a bit of upcycling to help save the planet, make do and mend rather than buying new, but it can be a bit boring at times. Using old materials means there is some preparation to do. Things to take apart, and then rebuild. All this takes time, probably easier to  bin things and start afresh with something new. But you know me, I hate to throw anything away which might come in useful. 

My friend Bob came round a few weeks ago, he was on his way to the tip and thought he would call in to see if I wanted anything out of his car before it got dumped. Some good picture frames among other things. Three cushions which looked ok. They were a bit small and filled too fat with lumpy stuffing. I thought I would take them apart and could probably get six new cushions out of them. Not that I need any more cushions myself, but I have some spare fabric and I could make them for the church. 

So here I am pulling apart the lumpy wadges of what looks like wool that's come straight off the sheep, and shredding it into a less dense stuffing. Six cushions are made out of old sheets, and six covers are waiting to be sewn up. It's like a cushion making factory in here. What a flippin boring job. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end, the parishioners will get something soft to sit on. 

It's been blowing a hoolie all day here, the Humber Bridge is closed to high sided vehicles, as is the M62 bridge over the river further upstream. I walked Jade this morning, and checked on the Summer House while I had my boots on, before going back inside. I'm pleased to report that it's still standing, still solid, and the roof hasn't blown off. The water buckets are full so they are doing their job of catching the rainfall, trouble is they are too heavy to move, ha ha. A lot of the plants in the raised beds have survived so far, I put bulbs in a couple of months ago so it should be a good show for the spring and summer. Mind you it has forecast snow, so we'll see what happens after that.   

Time to make my dinner. I'll make a big pan of something or other with what I have got in, to last two or three days. It'll be chuck it in and see what happens. Can't be bothered to go shopping.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

My new business - refurbishing boots

My new business - refurbishing boots

amazing cheap make do and mend silliness

Hello. How about this then. The new look designer gardening boots. Everyone will want a pair like these. I'm thinking of going into the refurbishing boots business, could make quite a packet with my quirky designs. I think a price tag of around £75 will cover the cost of my time, and materials used to upcycle a pair of boots. 

Planting flowers in them was suggested by quite a lot of you. I tried it once and the flowers died. I'm not sure why because my feet are not particularly smelly. They get a wash once a month whether they need it or not, ha ha.

This quick makeover took all of three minutes, and I expect my gardening boots to last at least another couple of years. They will be great in the summer because I have incorporated a complex ventilation system in the design. You will note the open grid at the front, this enables air to enter the boot in the toes area, which then circulates around the whole foot and exits around the ankle. A blow through draught will ensure the feet are continually kept cool when other parts of the body may be sweating profusely.

I can see that there might be a problem during the winter months when the ground is sodden after a rainfall. There is a possibility that mud and water will enter the boots, which could cause some problems, like dirty socks and feet which will have to be washed upon entering the house. I will have to put my inventing cap on and come up with a solution. Perhaps two plastic carrier bags could protect them, the handles could be tied around the ankles to prevent them from slipping off. At least the plastic bags will get another use out of them.

Anyway, I am taking orders for my new boot refurbishment business. Send me your boots with the cash, sorry can't do cards or cheques, and I will do my best to give them an attractive makeover. You will be delighted with the results, if you are not then tough, like it or lump it as my mother used to say. There may be a delay in sending them back to you as I expect demand for this service will be pretty high, so do not expect miracles. If you find you need the boots quickly I suggest you go out and buy another pair to tide you over.

Now I must go and do other things, so I'll leave this with you. Admire my genius inventiveness and if you would like to have a go at boot refurbishment yourself  just send £65 in cash and I will dispatch to you a comprehensive kit which will contain everything you need to redesign your boots to a high standard like my own.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Why was Brenda laughing?

Why was Brenda laughing?

cheap garden make do and mend money saving

Hello. What is so funny about my boots? Can someone tell me why Brenda almost collapsed into fits of laughter when she looked down at my feet? 

I can't see anything wrong with them. Isn't it normal to get as much wear out of something as you can before it becomes useless and has to be chucked? These boots have served me well, I got them from a charity shop  a few years ago, about five I think. For a couple of quid, they looked decent enough to go to town in. Then when they began to show signs of scuffing they were relegated to walks around the village. No one bothers what I look like round here, they are used to me looking a bit odd.

They then became a bit loose on my feet so I thought I'd better just use them for gardening. I tie the laces like that so I can just slip my feet in and out of them without too much bending down. While in the garden I am often popping back into the house for something I have forgotten, so I don't want to be bothering with tying laces every time I wear them.

There isn't much gardening to do at the moment, but these boots are not for chucking just yet. I still have to hang the washing out, or put some waste in the bins, or water the pot plants if it doesn't rain. They will be sitting by my back door for a while yet, there is still a bit more wear left in them. I think they could do with a bit of tarting up, I may paint them lovely colours  ;o)

I'm off to the library van, I haven't seen Stan in weeks, he will be wondering what has happened to me. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon
Toodle pip

Oooops, got carried away :o)

Oooops, got carried away :o)

crafty stuff imagination make do and mend

Hello. My lovely charity shop bootees are looking a bit tired, and need tarting up a bit. I want to wear them tomorrow and they must look nice. Remove dirty white laces. I tried scrubbing around the white bits at the bottom with a toothbrush and toothpaste, then wash up liquid, didn't make any difference. 

So, paint it's got to be. Vinyl silk emulsion from the tester pots.

Oh wow, I just couldn't stop myself. The grey fabric was a bit grubby, so let's give it the full works, blue, green and purple. I had a new pair of laces in my stash to complete the jazziest trainers ever. They would cost a lot of money in the shops. I bought them for £2 a few years ago, have had a lot of wear out of them, now they have a new lease of life, all for a couple of bob.

Love, love, love 'em. I hope they will make people smile. Not to be worn in the rain maybe, ha ha.

I'm going AWOL a bit later today, something important to do. Can you mind the shop for me, no skiving. I'll be back before you know it.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Out of date? Not a problem.

Out of date? Not a problem.

experimental food make do and mend vegetarian

Hello. That's another little job done with a handy tester pot of paint. I have a collection now of these colourful pots. It all helps to brighten up the garden. 

No, not a packet of brains, or a bag of string. I can get vacuum pack noodles from the Cash and Carry, four of these for 30p. they are out of date of course, but that's not a problem. They're handy for knocking up a quick meal.

I've just scoffed this, it will keep me going until my next meal at around 5 or 6 pm. Sliced mushrooms, tail end of a cucumber, handful of baby spinach, cooked in oil for a few minutes. Add spices and a packet of noodles, and cook for a few minutes more. Blimey, I'm stuffed.

I need to go to town now so I'll buzz off. we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Everything in the garden is..........pink

Everything in the garden is..........pink

experimental food imagination make do and mend vegetarian

Hello. It's been lovely weather, I think we are going to have a real hot summer, I feel it in my bones. Finally, I have used up the pink paint. See this gate? It's plastic. I picked it up after a motorhome show about eight years ago. I was there to collect a vehicle and drive it back to the depot after the show had finished. Some of the traders chuck out stuff that is damaged because they can't be bothered to take it back home with them. I picked this up and thought, that it might come in useful. 

I bashed two metal rods into the ground in the gap between the garage and the hedge, and this just slots onto them. The upright posts are hollow. It's beginning to look a bit tatty and could do with a face lift. No problem. 

Paint it pink. Looks great doesn't it. Not bad for a freebie, even the paint was free, given to me for the summerhouse. I'm well chuffed with it.

I think I might turn my garden into a pink theme park, ha ha.

Heidi is watching me from the rough patch of grass in the middle of the lawn. I leave it rough so the cats can snuggle into it in the sunshine.

Dinner tonight was a bit of a mishmash. I managed to get some yellow stickers last night, not as many as usual but enough. Chopped up baby sweetcorn, sliced mushrooms, and egg noodles on a bed of salad leaves. Very nice, quick to make in one pan. The turmeric makes it yellow.

I'm finding that it's too hot in the daytime to do my three miles, so I'm leaving it until the evening. The other night I didn't go until 9.30pm, and it was lovely, still warm but with a cool breeze. It's just gone 8pm now, so I think I'll get up and go.

Thank you for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Easy to make handy little bag

Easy to make handy little bag

make a bag make do and mend reuse

Hello on this sunny Saturday morning in North Lincolnshire. Boy did it rain during the night, all my water buckets and bowls are full and overflowing, and the ground is very soggy. I will wait until things dry out before I attempt any garden tidying today. 

Yesterday I did some tidying in the crafty stock room, and came across the remains of a pair of thick black tights with one leg missing, previously removed for an experiment. A pair of one legged tights is not much use, unless you have a second pair which you can wear together. I remember doing this years ago, when I had a ladder I saved the tights until I had another similar pair. Cut off the laddered legs, and bingo, a new pair of tights. I haven't worn tights for years, gone right off them. I prefer leggins under jog bottoms in the winter, and light cotton trousers in the summer, or bare legs with either shorts or a long skirt if it is really hot. 

After cutting off the second leg, I ended up with a pair of pants. Hmmm, what to do with it now? I know, I have an idea. Turn it inside out with the back and front seams now on the sides. Run the sewing machine across the bottom a couple of times, I did zigzag stitch. Turn it the right way, you now have a bag that will scrunch up quite small to put in a handbag or pocket. 

I did a test, curious to see how much shopping it would hold. The gusset is now the handle.

I loaded it up with some weighty stuff. Packed neatly it will hold quite a lot.

Yep, I could certainly carry this from the shop to my car. 

Right, an easy project for you to tackle. Go and look in your drawers for some thick tights that you no longer wear. Even better would be some colourful or patterned ones. For a slightly thicker bag you could use leggins of any size. Cut the legs off straight across from about two inches below the gusset. The top of the tights is now the bottom of the bag, sew across with a machine or it can be done by hand.

If you carry a small bag around with you like this one, you will never be caught out if you suddenly remember you have to pick up a few items from the supermarket on the way home. If you are walking, put one in your rucksack. Could be used for carrying books to and from the library. Good eh!

I'm going to get my walk done early today, in case it rains later, so I'll sign off and leave you too it. Have a nice weekend whatever you are doing. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

The fireplace is reborn, cost 20p

The fireplace is reborn, cost 20p

arty stuff cheap imagination make do and mend

Hello. Hey, what about this then, good innit. I have been sitting in this living room for twenty years looking at that horrible brown fire surround, why didn't I do something with it earlier. Look at the transformation, it makes the room a lot brighter.  

I used the sample pots I bought from Woolies when it closed down, 4p each. They have come in useful for all kinds of tarting up and crafty jobs. 

Whoever cemented the facing bricks in didn't do a very good job, there are a few holes here and there in the mortar. I've tried to disguise them with dollops of white paint. It looks better if you step back from it.

I am well chuffed with it. The walls are plain lemon and the fireplace is now a nice feature. Still got some paint left, I wonder what else I can find which needs a facelift, ha ha. Got the bug now.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Covering up ugly

Covering up ugly

make do and mend reuse

Hello. I was sitting in my comfortable arm chair reading the paper this morning while enjoying my coffee, when I looked up and thought, that fire surround is really 'orrible. It's ugly, it's drab, it's dull, and it's boring, got to do something about it. It's got to go. 

I could get it taken out and open up the fireplace again and have a real fire. It would cost a couple of grand maybe, which I could afford to pay for, but to be perfectly honest, I don't want to spend time foraging for firewood, buying bags of coal, and cleaning up the mess afterwards. It's much easier to turn the knob on the gas fire and get instant heat, so I'll stick with that. 

So, no major works will be taking place, no money will be spent, I just need to tart it up. How to do that?

Slap a coat of paint on it. My friend Helen gave me some white emulsion, left over from a house redecoration she did on her rental property. Waste not want not, give it to me, I will use it, I said. This is the undercoat, not finished yet, I have a plan for it. Watch this space to see the transformation.

I quite like living on my own, I can decorate using any colours I please, don't have to ask anyone for their approval, or ask if they can live with it. The only criteria is that I can live with any changes I make. And as I am easy going, that's simple. I like colourful, so this is what the fireplace is going to be.

Thanks for your comments on yesterdays post, interesting to read them.

Must go, Rocky wants to go for a bimble. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

There's a bit more life left in the shelves yet.

There's a bit more life left in the shelves yet.

experimental food garden healthy eating make do and mend recycle remembering vegetarian

Hello. Hope you're not getting too bored with the garden posts, but the sooner I get it done the sooner I can move on to other things. Today the wooden shelving got a makeover. The bottom is rotten so the plan is to saw that off. First I removed everything from it, and tipped it over to lay on it's front. Then I removed the shrink wrap from around it. I think Mayze is stalking Heidi, they are not the best of friends and mainly give each other a wide berth. 

Here we go, the last bit is getting the chop. I've peeled back the plastic backing so I can get at the wood. I knocked a few nails in where some of the joints were a bit loose.

The next thing to do is encase it in fresh shrink wrap. To do this I laid it on it's back and went round and round several times. There is a brick under each corner to raise it off the ground so I can take it right to the edge at the back and front which will keep the rain out. Shrink wrap is like a gigantic roll of cling film, it's very strong.

Next I laid out a base of bricks for it to stand on. The ground is not flat so I put some compost underneath to level it.

This is the before picture, it's leaning crazily. 

This is the after picture. A bit shorter but much more stable. I now need to paint the garage wall above it to blend it in. I hope I've still got some paint left. I've put some sheets of strong glass on the top, the cats are bound to climb on it so it will stop their claws from tearing it to shreds. Mayze will be happy that her bed is still there. .

I did a small lunch today, this is on a tea plate. I can't stuff my face in the middle of the day when I have got physical work to do. I needed protein so I zapped a Quorn fillet in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it, then I cut it into pieces and put it in a small pan with a splash of oil. Next I chopped up a couple of spring onions, I find scissors do this job better than a knife, opened a tin of chick peas, half in this, half in the fridge, and washed and cut up four mushrooms. Chuck it all in together with a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese, and a teaspoon of vegetable granules. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. It was chuffin lovely. You could serve this as a dinner with potatoes, pasta, or rice, or salad. 

This is why I have a big car, it doubles up as a van. Off to the tip again to get rid of this.

Bit of a climb to lug it up the shiny new steps, but I can manage. They have a non slip surface so not much chance of falling. There is a man to help if anyone turns up with larger items. 

I've had some comments come through from Alison, another enthusiastic new reader who is lost in the bowels of the blog. I'm sure she will turn up here soon, she says she is reading five months of posts daily, so by her reckoning she will have caught up by the summer. She's recently taken early retirement, is de cluttering, and has got the sewing machine out. Sounds like she will fit in just fine here.

It's been a very sad day for the people of Brussels who have been caught up in the terrorist attacks. I can't begin to imagine how anybody can recover from losing friends and family in such horrific circumstances. Those who are injured will carry their pain with them for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to all who are affected. Tears in my eyes as I write. Lots of love and best wishes to the people of Brussels. xxx

Thank you for popping in. We'll catch up soon. xxx

There's a bit more wear left in them yet.

There's a bit more wear left in them yet.

confused dogs make do and mend sewing

Hello. It's a shame to throw things away when they can be repaired. These slipper boots were given to me, my friend was going to throw them out. I have no scruples about accepting freebies from friends. I've been wearing them around the house, they come up to my calves and keep my ankles toasty warm. Now they both have a hole in the bottom, but the rest of them are good for a while longer. I feel a mending job coming on.  

In my crafting store room I have some soft leather pieces, picked up from the Scrapstore. First I made a cardboard template, then cut two pieces of leather to make new soles. One side is in dark blue and has a shiny surface, the other side has a fabric backing and has a rough finish.

Stitch them on with some very strong string like thread.

Perfect, lots more wear in these.

Does anyone remember these granny slippers I bought from a charity shop a couple of years ago, or was it three? They are still going strong. Not very fashionable but who cares what they look like. They do the job of keeping my feet warm. 

I've had a little dog out for a walk today for the first time. Meet Poppy. My friend had to go for some tests at the hospital and she didn't know how long she would be away. I see them out most days, so Poppy knows me. Isn't she a sweetie. She is a happy little soul, wanting to stop and meet and greet everyone she sees.

I was nearly on the radio again today. I had a call from Radio 5 Live, they were doing a feature this morning on supermarket offers which confuse customers, so they couldn't work out which was the best buy. The practice is bent in favour of the supermarkets by making customers spend more than they intended to. The man asked me if I bought the buy two get one free type of offer, and would I be tempted to buy things just because they were on offer. I said I would buy them but only if they were something I normally buy, I don't buy things just because they are on offer. He arranged to ring me back at 10.30am.

About 20 mins later he rang back and said they wouldn't be needing me. I was a bit baffled because I was very clear about my thoughts on special offers. I tuned into the programme on my computer to listen to what they were saying. Then I got it, the reason they turned me down. The agenda was to have a go at supermarkets, accusing them of dodgy practices, deliberately confusing people so they spent more money. My answers to his questions didn't fit in with that. I said I ignore all the offers unless it was something I usually buy. I would not buy items just because they were on offer, and I would pass them by. What they really wanted was someone to slate the supermarkets, and I didn't do that, instead I put the onus on the customer to work it out for themselves and make the right decision.

I tend not to get too hung up on trying to unravel the mathematics of different pricing. Yes, I always try and get the best for my money, but if I make an error of judgement I think, oh well, swings and roundabouts. It's impossible to be 100% right all the time.

Talking of Supermarkets, I'm popping out to Aldi now. I need some dog food and a few bits and bobs. I'm not walking tonight because I am out with my walking buddies tomorrow, we are doing ten miles I think.

I'd better get a move on, thanks for popping in. Nice to see some new names appearing in the comments, welcome everyone. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.