SAVE BIG MONEY -- GET INTO THE "HABIT" OF MENDING

The times we live in say if it needs fixing, toss it out. Have you ever figured up how many good clothes you toss out that all it needed was a quick fix? All you need to do is get into the "habit" of attempting to mend or fix rather than to just throw them a way. Here are a few ways to maximize your mending time.

1. Create a mending bag. Put all of your mending supplies in one place, like a tote bag. Here are some suggestions to put into the bag. If you don't have time to make a trip down to the fabric store, most of these things can be found online at Clotilde.com and Hancock Fabrics.com.

Depending on your mending needs there are probably more things you could add to this list. You could store this bag somewhere you might be idle. Maybe next to your bed, in your car, or in the kitchen.

• Buttons -- save these in all colors and sizes. The little white ones are great to cut off worn out shirts. You'll almost certainly reuse them.


• Iron-on patches


• Appliqués -can be put over a hole


• Stitch Witchery (an iron on fusible tape you can use for hems)


• Snaps


• Scissors


• Thread-white, black, navy, and a variety of colors


• Pins


• Needles


• Safety Pins-These work really well for pulling through drawstrings or elastic that has worked its way out of the casing. Small Safety Pins


• Collar Extender-a button with a loop that will extend neck space under a collar


• Fray Check --Use for fraying seams


• Zipper Safety-This gadget that connects to the zipper and then hooks to the pant button. This way the zipper won't slip down.


• Fabric Mending Magic/007 Bond-Glues the rip shut.

2. Group "Like Jobs" together. Hems to fix, buttons to sew, clothes to patch or appliqué, socks to darn, rips to mend.

3. Jump on thinning knees before your kid's knees burst through. Put a patch underneath the knees either when you first purchase the jeans or when you start to see the color of the pant leg lightening around the knee.

4. Know What to Stitch Where-If you are mending on machine use a straight stitch for cotton, denim, and any woven fabric. Use a small zigzag stitch for a knit fabric.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002

Answers

I usually rip the crotch out fo my work clothes,, my mends dont work,, and when I take them to get "repaired" IM told, it would be cheaper to toss them,, any ideas??

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

Stan, I'm not trying to insult you and I have a suggestion about those pants. Try a larger size. Maybe a style that is a bit more baggy in that area. Through the years and three husbands, I've found that when pants rip at the crotch, it means the pants are too tight.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.

there arent too tight,, fit perfect, its because Im alwaya climbing on equipment,, and straddleing machines and such, they do tend to wear out there, but they also get snagged and rip

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

I fix pants that are ripped in the crotch area all the time. Cut a large patch, big enough to cover the whole area, then I zig-zag around the edges two or three times, then I zig zag across ot several times. If you do a nice job you should not really feel it, as you are going exactly around the edges with a tight zig zag stitch. Most of the time you can't really see it, but for work pants who cares! I just fixed a pair of my brothers a few days ago, he rides horses for a living and that is the first thing to bust out, he said they were very comfortable and it took me less than 10 minutes to fix... I'm sure you could do it yourself, just make sure to zig-zag, a straight stitch will just bust out again!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 25, 2002.

I used to have to fix the crotch seams in my husband's jeans all the time, and it was far from my favorite mending chore. Then I got him to start wearing suspenders . . . and there are no longer any rips. With their small hips and rears, guys don't have much to hang jeans off of, and when they start climbing, bending, and straddling, even a little slide downwards will cause that area to come under much more stress and there go the seams. He likes the suspenders because they work better than a belt and make his jeans more comfortable to wear, and because I'm no longer grousing about having to fix them!

-- Marcia in MT (marciabundi@myexcel.com), April 25, 2002.

what the heck is a "zig zag" stitch?? All I have is a few needles and some thread

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

It is on a sewing machine!!! That is probably the easiest way to get a good tight stitch. If you use a lot of jeans, it would be worthwhile to find a machine. I have seen them used for very cheap, and it would be cost effective to save the jeans.

If you could find a skilled seamstress I'm sure they could do it easily. I have done a lot for people for $1 a pair or so... But since you are a handy type of person, I imagine you would have no trouble learning to use the machine yourself... Would give you somethng to do during the long cold winters!!!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 25, 2002.

LOL,,I have enough to do during the cold winters ! ! ! ! ! a buck a pair?????,,, HMMmmmmmm (wonder what shipping would be ,,,,, )

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

Stan....first of all try hiking up your pant legs when you climb and stretch. It will reduce the tension on your "area of concern". Also, I would suggest mending your pants like Melissa advised, but do it as soon as you buy them. That way they are reinforced before and it is easier to sew on untorn new ones than old beat up ones. You'd be surprised what a guy will do around here to get his pants mended.......

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), April 26, 2002.

Does anyone know how or if it's possible to fix a dress shirt that has a 1.5 inch cut on the exposed side of the collar?

Would cutting a patch from the part that is usually tucked in to replace it work? This collar also has stays, so maybe this complicates the problem...?

If this is possible, how much should I expect to pay for this to be done?

-- Meghan Johnson (ultra0green@excite.com), September 16, 2004.