And so it begins

How do they manage it?, doing the ironing ready for the start of the new year...yes I know I've had several weeks to do this, but no 2 son had only just found his uniform hiding under the bed! I discovered that two pairs of school trousers were only just hanging together by a thread.  To say the seams had come apart would be an understatement, there was nothing joining them from waist to knee...the result of slipping over in the snow apparently!  Well it was time to test my new resolve and instead of rushing into town to get him new trousers, I dusted off my trusty old sewing machine and set about 'mending' these, in the end I basically had to unpick the whole lot and reassemble both pairs.  Some 4 hours later I have to admit they looked as good as new, I was £40 better off for not having to purchase new, I also managed to listened to a few CD's that I had borrowed from No 2 son's girlfriend and I felt I had achieved something at the end of it.  The make do and mend philosophy really does have something going it!

 

It's my sister-in-law's birthday next week, so whilst I had my sewing basket out it was a good opportunity to make her present.  I had some squares of different coloured felt, and plenty of seed beads in a variety of colours, so decided to put these to good use and make a brooch.  Very simple, I cut out 4 circles in alternating colours and graduated sizes, once I'd done that I cut petals into the circles (I found it less fiddly that trying to cut a flower shape to start with).  Next I layered them on top of each other, fixed in the centre with the seed beads and then sewed a safety pin on the back - Ok a brooch back may have been better, but I didn't have one and improvisation is now a key word in my vocabulary!

I actually made two brooches whilst I was at it, I haven't decided which colour I will give to my sister-in-law, but whichever one, I'll put the other up for when I have another birthday to make for.  I was quite pleased with how they came out, and of course the fact that they were made from bits I already had made it even better.