Green Options

I’ve always been a total tightwad and pretty hardcore DIY, so other than the fact that my pension basically hit the floor last year, I’m remaining chill even in these trying economic times. One of the total tightwad/hardcore DIY activities that I enjoy doing at the beginning of every season is taking a look at my little girls’ wardrobes for the upcoming months, passing down what’s ready to be passed down, altering what can be altered to make it more seaonally appropriate, mending anything that’s torn or stained, and lengthening anything that my girls have grown out of.

Admittedly, I just love to sew for my kids, but even if you don’t, this method of lengthening your kiddo’s pants will give you months’ more service out of pants that are too short but still fit fine in the waist, and it really is quick and pretty easy. Of course, get ready to do it again in just a few months, because kids? They grow like weeds.

Continuing on our tour of how to mend your clothes (which is both good of your wallet and for the environment) this week I am covering how to fix an under wire bra.

For all the ladies out there, I’m sure you’ve had this problem. You find a bra that fits so perfectly and is so comfortable, that you wear it until one day the wire starts poking out. Well don’t fret because a simple stitch will have you back in your favorite underthing lickity split.

Continuing our short series on how to extend the life of your clothes. Here is a quick tutorial on reattaching a button. You can read about how to fix a hole in a side seem in Part 1.

Knowing how to reattached a button is a great skill to learn, especially because a loose button is not only inevitable, but you can find great deals at stores. I once scored a particularly lovely wool coat when it was on the sale rack, missing several of its buttons. The extra ones were still attached along the tag and by pointing out the missing buttons at the register, I was able to get another 10% off the already discounted coat, all the while thinking that the buttons were such an easy and quick fix! So onto the how-to:

On a recent visit with my parents, I noticed a small tear along the side seam of my father’s shirt. He mumbled something about how that was the end of that shirt, and my mother was quick to agree. After I picked my jaw off the floor at this ludicrous statement, I pointed out to my mother that she owned a sewing machine and I knew for a fact that she could sew! There was no need to get rid of the shirt when a simple and quick fix could make it good as new.

In these increasingly harder economic times, knowing some basic sewing techniques can help fix common rips and tears that will help extend your wardrobe. So over the next couple of weeks I will be highlighting some simple ways to fix up and mend your clothes. These fixes are worth more than the pennies spent on materials and are not only good for your wallet but good for the environment to boot.

To fix the aforementioned tear in the seam of a shirt you’ll need a needle of appropriate weight. One that is sturdy enough to go through the fabric easily, but thin enough that you won’t struggle. You will also need thread in a coordinating color.