#makedoandmendhour 11th September

Hurray-I’m back! I think.
I’ve still got lots to do with the book and the new website, but SmallSmall has just started pre-school (eeek!) so I now have some regular child-free time. For the first time in SIX years!
There will be no stopping me….

So back on the horse, and off we go with a round up of this week’s marvellous #makedoandmendhour!

Pics we shared:

1. @CountrySkills had an original 1970’s pattern she was starting to use, but not wanting to spoil it, she was tracing the pattern first-that’s dedication for you!
2. @GDUKStyle had a whole heap of button-y inspiration for us-with this button initial, a button bag (3) and a button lamp (4)
5. Fabulous looking batch of damson jam from @jmdland
6. and 7. Beautiful upcycled glassware from @DecadiaDesigns
8. @mommyemu has been busy again, and made this fabulous skirt from old t-shirts!
9. @MintyMoose has used old maps to decorate these cute Scotty Dog magnets
10. In previous #makedoandmendhours, we have seen how @BBWS_CIC’s community veg plot has been progressing. Now they have a raised bed made from offcuts of wood that a neighbour was throwing out
11. and 12. Patched jeans! From @PracticalLou and @Maker_of_Things
13. Some very large courgettes, and some less large squashes from the garden of @sweetmyrtle-she’s planning to make some ‘garden soup’
14. Patched pants! These are pant-tastic! Am in awe of @DalkeyDan 🙂
15. @PracticalLou wins the prize for the biggest Make Do and Mend project of the night-a whole house!
16. and 17. @Maker_of_Things has been busy again, re-building Vitorian doors, and welding some parts on his truck
18. Loving this bag made from juice cartons by @ShabbySheUK
19. Following last week’s #makedoandmendhour, @mehubbyandkids contacted her local wood recycling centre, and managed to source some pallets to make a decking area in her garden-result!
20. A spot of visible mending from @RachaelHodgetts
21. The super talented @sweetmyrtle made this gorgeous shirt for her hubby for his birthday-what a a lucky man!

There was a plea for help from @RachaelHodgetts-her son’s school shirt (which has an embroidered badge on it) has an ink stain on it:

Suggestions included:
-covering it with a badge or patch
– trying to bleach the area-using diluted bleach and applying with a paintbrush
-sprinkle with salt, then rub with a lemon and rinse
– ammonia-this was from @DalkeyDan’s stain book-I LOVE that she has a stain book!
Any other suggestions from you guys? If you leave them in the comments, I can pass them on to Rachael via Twitter 🙂

We had another thread going in response to the question posed by @ahousewifeswork “How do you all prepare for the cold months in your homes?”
Answers included: wearing more layers; adding lining to curtains; making draught excluders; knitting big things (they keep you warm while you are knitting!); hanging curtains over the front door; doing keep fit DVDs in the lounge!; chopping wood ready for the fire; how water bottles; warming bricks in the oven, to put in the bed!; which led on to making heat packs from dried chickpeas in a fabric bag-leave them in a low oven or Aga and then use them to warm the bed; and finally, casseroles instead of salads!

And @DecadiaDesigns asked for help with drilling through glass. She wants to make this gorgeous cup and saucer set into a light:
She was advised to use a special diamond tipped drill bit, or a special glass drill bit. And then @Maker_of_Things advised to use a little putty around the hole location, and to add a little pool of light oil into the putty ring wall. Then drill slowly through the glass into some wood behind-top tips!

Links we shared: 

• How to make a draught excluder-from The Guardian
• A You Tube video for making natural glue
• An article on a yarn bombed statue of a monk!
• Tutorial from @mommyemu on how to make a skirt from old t-shirts

All in all, another fabulous #makedoandmendhour. I say it every week, but I really do learn something new each time!
Thankyou so much to everyone who joined in, and shared pictures and top tips 🙂