General Chat

Aren't you all good! I dont do a thing, if its tatty I give it to charity and if its unwanted I give it to my neighbour or sell on ebay. (Hangs head in shame!). I change my cushion covers and curtains yearly as I get bored...but it makes me think, my ancestors lived and died in tents and they'd turn in their graves!!

People who can be frivolous are lucky, many people don't have the money to do that and if they were around when families had to watch the pennies, they knew all about turning collars and sheets etc. I have done it for my parents on my old sewing machine in years past, luckily when they were pensioners Dad had a fairly good pension from his job that continued after he died so those latter years were easier ones for my parents, which they richly deserved. They never had a car or fancy holidays, never went abroad or ate out a lot etc but at least they could have what they wanted, just a shame they both only lived to 79 - they could have had a good life for longer had their health been better.
I think the way we were poor when I was young affected me and caused me to start my hoarding, that and the fact that I ended up a single parent on a low income so several part time jobs so I could be there for my son meant I never had a lot of money to spare. The way things are going with this country more people will end up having to think twice about spending and it will come hard to those who have been used to splashing out.

I remember making aprons for Mum and aunts out of old skirts and such and have always made my own and Mum's curtains - I only remember Mum buying one pair for her bedroom when she was in her 60s that were ready made ones.

Lizx

I don't sew if I can help it,apart from a bit of patchwork which is made from my old clothes and stuff from jumble sales which I have been doing for about thirty-five years.It might even get finished one day,

My store cupboard is a sight to behold.If it is on offer I get plenty.Maybe I have some subliminal knowledge of an iminent seige but you can be sure we won't starve.

Sharron, its second nature to countrywomen to keep a good store of food in, I have known it to snow so much that we couldnt get a car out for 6wks, and was i glad i had the space to store things then, not so much to carry on foot. Mind, I had room then for a nineteen cubic ft freezer.

Jean (Monmouth), good morning. Your 'ends to middle' story reminded me that I used to do that. Used to turn my dad's shirt collars too. But I remember this incident as if it was yesterday.
When I was pregnant with my first child, some 44 years ago, I was 'blessed' with a visit from my grandmother. Out of her bag she produced a pair of good quality white linen sheets. "I've bought you these to cut down for cot and pram sheets" she said. And in the next breath "Your grandad died on those sheets, you know". Wow, what a gobstopper that was.
I also used to make three piece suits for the OH and shirts, and made all the childrens clothes and winter coats. It was just a thing you did in those days.
have a good day, everyone
Julia in Derbyshire

I have three freezers.You would think I had a huge family but it just us two and One Hand and Wheels,that's my dad.I also have my orphans to feed.These are two men I have known all my life who have been utter Godsends.They both lived with their mothers and are only very basic cooks so I make more of whatever we have for them to have some and they do the garden and take the old man out and clean out the shed and paint the kitchen and make me feel like the Queen of Sheba.
We seem to have worked out our own form of Communism,sort of Amish without the religion.
Now we are working up vegetable production for next year now.Our garden is big,it is an inter-war council house,so we should be able to live well when we get it back up to speed.

Awe Sharron, bless you for taking care of the 'orphans'.
We have an allotment, and grow all our fruits and veggies. I would not be without my four freezers. I freeze as much of the veggies that I can, and make the fruit into things, plus I do abit of baking at the weekends and freeze it also. My OH often asks if there has been a famine forecasted on the news, when he attempts to extracte things from the freezer.
You will wonder how you ever managed without a veggie patch.
Good Luck with it, and hope to hear of your harvests next year.
Julia in Derbyshire

We always did have a veg garden but it was the old man's place and I was not welcome there but he has not been interested until this year since he had his stroke.This year,now the wet room is up,we can get organized.We have a lot of huge pots which are accessible from the wheelchair and this year he actually planted something and tookan interest.
He and his mate go out foraging and we have plenty of blackberries again and apples.A neighbour died a couple of years ago and,while things are happening to the house,the garden is overgrown.With permission from her sister,we had a tree full of bullaces.That went into jam which is lovely on a steamed pudding.I have a marrow pie in the fridge for pudd'n tonight.
There is a stall up the road the old man goes to for veg as well.It is one of his jobs.