I'd like to mend clothes as quickly as possible when there's a ripped seam or a zip, or a missing button. But sometimes I tend to put things in a pile so that I can do all at once. Needless to say, then I forget it for months.
Now I have more time, so when I saw that a blouse and a pillow case that needed mending, I did it right away. Both only had ripped seams, so it didn't take more than 10 minutes to open the machine, sew the seams and put everything back.
Mom's bathroom had several places that needed re-grouting. It's hard to buy grout in small quantities here, so I brought a tube of tile caulk and a caulking gun when I came. I bought the caulking gun from Habitat restore for jut $0.50. It was covered with dried cement. After cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, it looks much better. Most importantly, it works.
I patched several small holes with cement, then applied caulk. I hope it will last. Apparently this caulk is better than grout in wet areas. I will show my sister how to use the caulking gun, so if she needs to use it again she can do it by herself.
I'm having trouble transferring photos from my camera to laptop. For some reason the laptop suddenly stopped recognizing the camera. For now I am using iPad to take photos, but I have to fix the problem.
Other than these small mending and repairing tasks, I have been reading a lot. I finished two Miss Silver stories and am currently reading "The Quest of the Simple Life" by W. J. Dawson. If you are interested, it is available for free at Project Gutenberg.
What are you reading these days?
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Nil
The caulk gun looks great, Nil, and what a great price. I like your Singer sewing machine. Are they easy to sew on or no? I've always wondered. Right now, I'm reading some old cookbooks I picked up last week. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Belinda, yes the machine is a Singer treadle sewing machine. It was my paternal grandma's, and then passed down to my mom. I learned to sew from that machine. It's pretty easy to use. In fact my mom finds it easier to control the speed with the treadle than with an electric one. :)
DeleteThere's been a lot of making do and mending going on here to. People these days have got lazy and throw anything out, not here.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Marlene. I too find it's so satisfying to mend things without throwing them away.
DeleteHi Nil, That's great that you are getting all those tasks done. It really saves money to do them yourself. I just finished a book called Aging Backwards. It's about the importance of exercise to prevent muscle atrophy. I found it really inspiring and truthful.
ReplyDeleteYes Stephenie, it's not easy to find trustworthy reliable workmen now.
DeleteYour book sounds interesting. I really need external encouragement to continue my exercises. Perhaps a book will help. 😀
Such a great way to save money by doing the work yourself Nil.
ReplyDeleteI love your sewing machine, those old girls were made to last. I have a few old machines that my mother in law has given me. I must get to and set them up so I can put them to good use, like you are doing.
I am not really reading any books at the moment. Have been trying to catch up on some blogs :)
XTania
My mom says old machines are the best. In a way it's true, because it's easier to fix if something happens. Fancier ones are too complex, so repairs are more expensive.
DeleteI too have to catch up on blogs and HM forum. 😊
The glue gun looks very nice! Frustrating about the computer not recognizing the computer. did you restart your computer? Maybe re-install the camera software. Or maybe it will fix itself! I really don't enjoy mending, but it feels good after! Andrea
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't have camera software with me. Maybe it will fix itself, because it also stopped working itself. 😀
DeleteWell done on getting the repairs done. They don't usually take long once you set to them. Some re-grouting is needed here too. I must get on with it. X
ReplyDeleteThanks Jules.
DeleteGood luck with your re-grouting. 😊
I'm sure you mother appreciates you doing some small repairs for her! I am amazed that Customs let you bring a caulk gun. I once had a small pair of scissors with some sewing project I was bringing to work on and they gave me a hard time about that!
ReplyDeleteI am reading retirement related brochures and forms! LOL! After next month, I should have more time to read other stuff.
Hehee Bless, I had it in my checked baggage and TSA also inspected it. I don't see why Customs wouldn't allow it, it's not really a weapon. Unless one decides to hit someone with it. LOL
DeleteWas your pair of scissors in the carry on? Once I had to leave behind nail clippers.
That’s a good book Nil. Also, how nice that you were actually able to take such a thing in order to help out.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lady Locust. 😊
DeleteHi Nil, I am doing mending and sorting of clothing as well this week. My Mum also had a Singer machine just like yours, many years ago and did some beautiful sewing on it. I also love reading and am reading a novel by Natasha Lester titled The Paris Seamstress, which I am really enjoying. Nice to read what you are up to. Pauline
ReplyDeleteHi Pauline, I just check to see if our library has The Paris Seamstress. They don't have it as an e-book and there's a note about a pre release in September. Goodreads has good reviews so hopefully the library will have it soon. Enjoy your book, & happy mending. 😊
DeleteThat sewing machine! I couldn't take my eyes off it!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of you to do some jobs for mum...that is a nice thing to do
Thank you earthmotherwithin. :)
DeleteYour sewing machine is beautiful. And I thought I had an old machine!
ReplyDeleteI am reading a murder mystery in a science fiction setting called Mindsight by Dean Kenyon. It has a film noir voice to it, which I found a little odd for science fiction (and slow). It took me a third of the way into the story before I decided I like the book, now I do!
You are very patient. I normally don't go beyond the first chapter if the book doesn't interest me. :)
DeleteSmart to mend things quickly and not let a pile grow.. not that I would know anything about a giant to-mend pile ;) I didn't know you could use caulk to fix grout. I have a couple of spots in the grout that need repairing and I thought it required mixing up grout, so it hasn't happened, like that mending pile!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I'm not an expert so make sure if caulk is suitable for your application. I used caulk in the bathroom, because caulk is water resistant unlike grout. I have to wait and see if it works. :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful old sewing machine, Nil. It's wonderful that it is still in working order and being used too. I mended a skirt that I ripped a hole in during the week and tightened up a clip, with a few stitches, on a little knitted jacket I found at an op-shop. That was all that was wrong with it! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteSome don't know how to fix a button or do a simple stitch, so their almost new clothes end up at op shops. Good for people like us :)
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