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
Now there's a coincidence. I used my carders on some lumpy cushion stuffing this morning. It is all soft and fluffy again now... took me flippin ages.
ReplyDeleteI also have been known to open up old pillows and shred the matted filling inside so that I can reuse it. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteYour summerhouse is not going anywhere - I bet it's bomb proof. I did a similar trick recently and made a load of cushions out of an old duvet. Yes it was rather labourious but they now feel like expensive cushions.
ReplyDeletedont have nothing in with the snow threatened might be worth a nip to the shop to make sure you and the furries are good for food
ReplyDeleteregards tessa
I am on my 5th kettle of homemade soup, and am at the point of finding out what's WAY back of the cupboard. This is what good winter cooking is like at my place :)
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of stuffing. I use it a lot at work with my clients. Always fun.
ReplyDeleteOoh blimey that will keep you busy, i hope you had some good music to listen to while you were fluffing the stuffing :D
ReplyDeletesammie xx
Oh I wish I had your patience and just a smidgeon of your skill and talent at creating so many wonderful things from other people's throwaways. But, I do make a good soup, out of anything and everything I can find in cupboards, fridge and freezer, so not all is lost! Keep warm.
ReplyDeletebest wishes, Terry
What a nice project, cushions for the church. I'm sure they will be lovely.
ReplyDeleteTwo questions: Have you selected a word for 2017? Remember last year your word was colour, very appropriate. My word for 2017 is Calm.
How are you doing with your shampoo bottle experiment? I thought of it when I turned my shampoo bottle upside down the other day. Luckily my shampoo bottle has a lid with a flat top so it can stand that way while I'm using up the last bits.
Hope that your weather improves!
Never thought to use the stuffing out of cushions- just been putting it in the textiles bin at the tip. I'm a keen recycler/upcycler so that will be one to add to the memory banks. I bought a CS teddy once to use his stuffing for a knitted toy I'd made, but this is a better solution. Thanks
ReplyDeleteArilx
I love a chuck it all in and see dinner, last night it was a new pot of veg chilli. Tonight's version will see half the left overs added to some green lentils and a spoonful of curry powder to make a dhal. the rest will stir into some pasta for Friday. I strip the stuffing from cushions to fluff up then fill them again, makes them feel like new.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought Ilona re the large buckets of water - make sure nothing falls in and drowns. Hope you don't mind me mentioning this? SueM
ReplyDeleteA very good tip, I found a poor little mouse in the bottom of one of my buckets the other day. What a horrible way for it to have died :-( Now all my buckets have a piece of wood sticking out of them for climbing out purposes.
DeleteSue: Exactly the same thing happened to me. It really made me weep and I felt so guilty. Since then, I have always provided a way for creatures to climb out. When I go on holiday, I also provide a way for spiders to climb out of the bath and sinks by attaching a thick piece of string to the tap and leaving the other end trailing in the bath or sink.
DeleteI'm just in the process of turning an old duvet of ours into a dog bed.
ReplyDeleteI simply fold it into the right size, sew all around the edges with very strong thread and then do a couple of 'dimples' by sewing through the layers in half a dozen places and tying the thread in a knot, this keeps all the layers together, and then make a simple pillow case type cover that can be removed for washing out of a cheap £3 fleece from Asda.
The dogs love it as it smells faintly of us and is nice and thick and cosy.
How busy you all are! This morning I have taken all my cushion covers off and they are washed and on the line. Some have zips, but most have to be sewn back on. This week I made a second tea cosy from old materials in my craft shelves. The first one I made on my aged Singer was difficult, as the wadding stuck under the foot, this time I decided to hand sew, and managed to ram the eye end of the needle into a deep crack on my thumb!! I saw stars, but finished the job, and the crack is healing nicely. Just knitting a jumper for the street kids in South Africa, from odds and ends of wool. I've made these for years and years, and it keeps me busy.
ReplyDeleteSusan (wife of Edward)
Wool stuffing? Not, synthetic?? I am super jealous. Natalie
ReplyDelete