I have very exciting news for you all about a shiny new Make Do and Mend project 🙂
I am launching a new site in the next couple of months-called Make Do and Mend-able
The aim is for this to be the “Go-to” site for all things Make Do and Mend, in a quest to spread the word and make Make Do and Mend the norm 🙂
The blog will continue, on the new site, but will be joined by:
- A Directory of Make Do and Mend classes and workshops-furniture and clothes upcycling, patching and darning, fixing, Repair Cafes-anything Making Do and Mending!
- A Forum-for posting your top Make Do and Mend tips, and asking for advice on any upcycling or mending projects you have on the go. I will be asking you all for input on what topics you want included in the forum-it could have sections on zero waste, waste not want not type recipes, allotment-eering, homemade cleaning ideas and tips etc etc
- Tutorials and Free Projects, and guest posts
- Interviews with the Great and the Good of Make Do and Mend
- Reviews of relevant books and products
It is very much going to be a work in progress, but the above will be a starting point. As it grows, and if there seems to be a demand, I would love to add things like Reclamation Yards, Charity Shops, Swap Sites, Dress Agencies, Flea markets etc etc to the Directory.
Another possibility would be a kind of E-bay for secondhand or unwanted crafting and mending materials-fabric, wool, sewing notions, machines, knitting bits…
So it really could be a one-stop shop for people wanting to live a ‘Pre-loved life’!
Now then, lovely people, this is where I need your help!
I would love to hear:
- Your feedback! Any ideas for things to include, features you would like to see
- Recommendations for classes and workshops that might want to be included in the Directory
- Any suggestions for books or products to review-if you want to write a review to submit for inclusion, that would be wonderful!
- If you have any awesome tutorials, on anything Make Do and Mend, that you think should be bought to the nation’s attention
- What you want to see in the Forum
- Who you would love to see interviews with-your Make Do and Mend heroes 🙂
You can leave a comment below, or try out my shiny new e-mail address: jen@makedoandmend-able.co.uk
If you are running Upcycling (furniture, clothes, jewellery, homewares etc etc), Upholstery, Furniture Painting, Clothing re-fashioning, Patching and Darning, etc etc workshops and classes and you want to find out more about being included in the directory, please do say hello!
Lastly, please do share this post with anyone you think might be interested-it’s really exciting and I would love as many people as possible to be a part of it!
My Make Do and Mend Year 
What a fantastic idea, full support from me.
Thanks Emma 🙂
This sounds like a fantastic idea. Good luck x
Thanks Nicola 🙂
Sounds like a good project, I might need to read some of those patching and darning articles as I have a small hole in my boilersuit
If anyone can fix that, you can 🙂
Brilliant. I’d definitely like to be involved and will try to come up with stuff soon.
Yay-thankyou!
We have a fantastic dress agency in BAWTRY South Yorkshire called Cherish, they stock women’s clothes, Jewellry, hats, shoes and bags etc and have just recently started with children’s clothes too, it’s fab, not bought any new’ clothes since it opened just over a year ago. Ladies in the shop are lovely and the stock is constantly changing
That sounds fabulous Heather. Do you know if they have a website?
Much,much needed – especially the links to workshops and classes. It is so frustrating to read about these on blogs AFTER the event. Also a collection of tutorials will be much used here.
Yay! Thanks for the support 🙂
love it!
http://www.fashionforlunch.net
Thankyou!
I think this is a great idea and would love to get involved! There is a great charity in Aberdeen which runs classes on sewing and upholstery but it also has a secondhand shop for baby things, prams etc to encourage people to reuse. Good luck!
That sounds fabulous Louba. Do you have a link for them at all?
http://www.aberdeenforward.org here you go! Their next big project is carbon reduction so very topical!
Brilliant, I’ll have a look. Thankyou!
sounds really good. A regular ‘linky party’ where we could share ideas [perhaps on themes – eg upcycling clothes, renovating furniture etc’ might be fun.
YOu read my mind Angela! Linky party is on the list 🙂
That’d be great Jen we’ve lost so many skills that used to be passed on from Gran’s, Mum’s, Aunty’s etc now we need to turn the clock back but sadly there’s not many of them around to ask :o(
Hopefully we can revive them, and get Make Do and Mend back into the mainstream 🙂
Sounds like a brilliant idea! If you need any help with articles I would love to be involved!
I’ll hold you to that Danielle, thank you!
Look forward to it. Am returning to sewing and would appreciate comments on how best to utilise the multi-size patterns with growing grandchildren, in the best, quickest and most cost effective way possible.
Sara Cowan
Date: Fri, 9 May 2014 06:01:47 +0000 To: cowan_sara@hotmail.com
Hi Sara
It’s useful to know what people are looking out for, so thankyou! And good luck with the sewing projects 🙂
It sounds like a fab idea to have all the resources, links and tutorials gathered in one central place. I’m a great one for reading stuff on blogs or online somewhere and then a day later can’t remember where it was – to have all the make do and mend stuff gathered in one place would be fab. I’m making much more of an effort to breathe new life into old clothes – the mending/altering pile is growing by the day LOL!! But I did get off my butt and dye four pairs of jeans the other day, the look fab but I am just worried about getting blue knees and underwear now LOL!! Keep up the good work with all the inspiration!
Thanks Karen. The jeans sound fab!
Sounds like a brilliant idea, I’d love to guest post, with sewing tutorials for upcycling. Can I have my upcycling workshops in your directory too?
Would love some guest posts and tutorials Joelle, and of course you can be in the directory! I will be in touch in the next few weeks 🙂
Dropped you an e-mail:) SO exciting:) looking forward to the link party…:)
Got it! Thanks Vicky-will be in touch 🙂
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