Mending clothes by hand

Not hard. If it's a broken seam, you'll want to know how to do backstitch, which is just called "stitching" in this 1893 hand sewing textbook:

and Olwyn Mary are probably among the most experienced here with hand patching fabrics -- I mostly just applique a patch into place by handor mend on a sewing machine.http://video.about.com/teenfashion/How-To-Patch-a-Hole-in-Jeans.htmApplique methods I'm most likely to use:Needleturn and reverse: -- of course, you don't need to applique fancy shapes... squares and rectangles work just fine.Kay

I'll second that, but it does help to get decent needles matched to what you're trying to do/sew.

I have several needles that are a few decades(!) old, They are fairly thin and I find them very easy to use. The needle length also affects whatever you're trying to do. I use a slightly longer needle for back stitching, a shorter needle if I'm overstitching along an edge.

I've been looking around recently trying to find some modern replacements, the cheap readily available needles are all quite noticeably thicker than my old needles. May be OK if you're stitching fairly thick materials but not so good if the material is quite fine or delicate.

Don't be tempted to pull off loooong lengths of thread, it'll knot and tangle and you'll very quickly lose patience!

Agreed.

That's the best piece of advice, most beginners (and some more experienced!) think that it will same time if they use a long length of thread. My rule when teaching is never more than 18".

I only sew by hand and thoroughly enjoy it, machine sewing is boring as well as noisy!

Cue for members to claim they have silent machines :-)

Mary

My treadle machines make a very soothing clickety-clack.

The one I used to use did too and it wasn't unpleasant - but it interfered with my radio listening (plays and other voice-based programmes).

Hand sewing, apart from being very satisfying, is an excuse to sit and relax while enjoying the radio.

I do a lot of knitting too and have a machine. Guess how I knit!

:-)

Mary

Mine too! And so do the hand cranks... And most of the electric machine give of a quiet hum of business, and all are great fun to use!

*sigh* You're a luddite? OK, you sew by hand, and knit by hand....do you own a food processor but never use it?

Now that made Oi chuckle.......[1]

[1] For our cousins across the pond, 'Oi' is a broad English dialect rendering of 'I'. Was used in a comedy series on UK TV

Hehehe... I own and use lots of sewing machines, but sew some things by hand because they stil come out better and/or I enjoy the process/it needs to be done in a historically accurate way where it'll be seen. I also own and use a big fancy food processor and a stick blender, but we also have a Mouli food mill in the house (belongs to James), a potato ricer, and a large selection of old fashioned knives. Some things are easier done by machine (first stages of kneeding bread, making pastry, blending soups and sauces, for example), but some are more satisfying done by hand (cutting tomatoes into lilies for a buffet, cutting potato wedges... ), and some are impossible by machine (cutting all the ikky fatty bits out of meat before making stews and casseroles).

Horses for courses, innit! ;)

I own a bread making machine but very rarely use it. I use the Kenwood mixer for making dough (I make a large amount at a time, enough for a week). That's because my old hands are so arthritic I can't mix by hand. When the dough has been mixed I fold and stretch rather than knead. Nothing Luddite about that, it makes better bread in our opinion :-)

No, I'm not a Luddite, nor a Chartist, nor a Leveller or any other of the political idealists, it's jkust more satisfying to make things by hand, with the feel of the textures and smell of the materials than it is to use a machine. I did use sewing machines of various kinds (hand, foot and electric) for about fifty years, now I have time and leisure I've discovered the delights of a slower pace of life.

Oh - and I cook all our own food from raw ingredients - even grow some of them. When the hens aren't laying we don't use eggs, it's not difficult! When we camp I cook in the same way, making everything over charcoal or occasionally bottled gas. In the house I recently acquired a microwave and find it good for some things. But we still don't have a tv ...

Mary

But I love my computer and so do my correspondents because my handwriting has always been execrable :-)

It's VERY regional. It's not used in Yorkshire :-)

>

Hurrah!

You've hit the nail on the head.

I really must brinig Spouse's overlocker down the road ...

Mary er - what's a stick blender???

I think she meant stick blender. I've got one of those, and it's nifty.

I looooove my bread machine! I've done it the other way, but to be honest, the machine is a lot more consistent than I am. Something about over-proofing, under-proofing, burning in the oven.....

You can have camping. I tried it, and discovered my idea of roughing it is a night in a motel. As for TV, you can now watch a lot of the better programs on the computer!

While you're cooking from scratch, I'm taking advantage of wonderful new advances in my local grocery store. Those Bertolli Mediterranean dinners for two are fantastic! That and a salad, and I'm good to go. Then I found Target sells them at an even better price than my grocery.

Isn't that what I asked?

I've looked and looked but a stick blender ... ???

:-)

Mary

When you've done it for sixty years those things never happen :-) The bm isn't all that good for sourdough either. Our outdoor stone-built (by Spouse) bread oven is far superior.

We built our own tent so that it was as comfortable as home. We also rebuilt our caravan and the same applies. No roughing it for us :-)

We don't want to though ...

I'm very happy for you.

Didn't someone say horses for courses?

:-)

Mary

Should have added that I hate shopping!

I've been dying to try them, I wanted to wait until someone said they were good. I have a working refrigerator-freezer again, (diagnosis was "busted relay") so I'll lay in a supply as soon as I return from the trip. On that subject, DD reminded me that as awful as it is to have had to deal with appliance repairs when I'm so busy, think about what would have happened if the 'fridge went on the blink while I was away...truly rancid thought!

Beverly, grateful for bits of good fortune...