Frugal with clothes

Welcome to new follower.  When I can get to grips with back end of blogger I will set up some more links. I struggle with the techniques needed and can't remember what I did before!  Also Blogger does not let me more from one blog to another easily after the first 2 or 3. Just does not load some sites. Or is it the laptop?

I have been thinking a lot about the cost and life of clothes. In my last year of working I refused to buy any more "office" clothes and squeezed the last life out of many a suit.  Since I retired I have not had to dress up more than 6 times in 18 months and I have worn a leisure clothes that have been around for years (having been purchased for holidays) and things I have made.

This last week stuff worn over two winters has suddenly lost all their body. It appears modern fabrics that have been washed twice a week and worn hard don't have much of a long life. The cotton ones are destined to be cleaning rags. This week the council were advertising the recycling of all clothes "all your own worn things"  and I thought there were some of mine that could go there for a very, very final life.

I do buy some things in Charity shops and was lucky to find a very good quality cardigan the other day. My stand by best cardigan for all occasions can now become a gardening one. Strangely for such a good brand this red one has the most boring buttons in the world. I would like to replace them but I suspect  I would pay more than the £3 the cardi cost me!

I have made another cardigan out of an old Christmas

jumper. I has done 3 Xmas seriive so I think a new life is due. I was inspired by reading a sewing blog for this idea. I cut the reindeer out of the front and may use it in a craft project.

I then cut the jumper straight up the front and found the curved shirt ends of an old silk shirt to make an insert and bind the front.

I remember buying that shirt in 1978 in an unexpected flush of money one day. I loved it and kept it for years and years.  Now it is part of a cosy cardi for the spring evenings. 

I found this old sports shirt of my husbands in the "re make" bag the other day.

The collar had got a twist in it and my husband had gone off these shirts. So I remade it for me!

When I cut the collar along the seam it turned into what they use to call a "grandad vest" look. I took off the sleeves and introduced some small darts and then remade the sleeves as cap sleeves and shortened the should seam length. So with these things in hand some of the very, very worn stuff can happily set off to the recycling. Cost of sorting the wardrobe for a few more months? £3 and a couple of afternoons with the sewing machine.