"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~ Henry Van Dyke

Monday, May 9, 2011

Make do and mend Mondays

Mondays are becoming exciting me to as I challenge myself this year to "make do and mend". This is not about spending money. It is about using what is in my home and perhaps rethinking its purpose to turn it back into a loved and well used item. It will often be about objects in the home but sometimes also about cooking.

This week I decided to remove a tapestry tablerunner from the items I was selling online and do something to repurpose it. I had bought these marked down very well at a shop in Bruges, Belgium. I loved them but never ended up using them. I even had to dig out the lighter one out of a gifts chest as I thought I would use it as a present for someone some time since I never even took it out of its bag. They were going to be used on my sideboard but I use it as a desk where I am sitting now with my laptop chatting with you.

I ripped out the few stitches used to create the point and also carefully picked out the stitches holding the tassels. These might show up in a later "make do and mend" project. I ironed the tabelrunners and.....

...cut them into four equal rectangles. Placing right sides together, I sew around the edges. Trimmed the corners, turned right side out and sewed the opening shut. I edge stitched them about 1/4 inch from the edges using brown thread on top and blue thread on the bottom.

The results are two sets of placemats in one! The one side is for use in autumn and winter.....

...while the second side is perfect for spring and summer. Now placemats are something I will use! What about you? Have you got something in your home that you can repurpose so you can join me and "Make do and Mend"?

18 comments:

terricheney said...

Genius! Holding my feet to the fire aren't you, lol. I'll go dig around and see what I can find to make do or mend...

Kathy A. said...

What a wonderful repurpose you found for those runners. And for two seasons. How very clever.
I am afraid that mending and redoing are not my forte LOL.

Rhonda said...

Hello Heidi
I love this theme! Your placemats are so nice too.
I've been doing this in my home but so far, my current making do has not involved sewing, just using what I had. I moved G and E's playarea to a back corner of our living room and changed the breakfast room back to a pink and green breakfast room. I used curtains and rugs that were stored away, even had some paint that I used on chairs.

I can hardly wait to see what you make and mend this week.

Joanne said...

I love the placemats, Heidi! As I started reading your post and saw that you were pulling out stitches at the points my mind thought, ah ha! Placemats - and I was right. Great idea!

Tammy said...

What a good idea! I immediately took a mental inventory of my table linens, wondering if I have a runner I could do this with... :o)

Nancy said...

Well now, are you just clever. They are really great. Good job Miss Heidi.
Love you, Mom
PS: I have so much stuff in this house, I would not know where to start.
Yesterday, I made Becky a laptop sleeve out of some fabric I had upstairs in my sewing room, and some batting I had in the attic. Does that count???

Used-to-Bees said...

What a great idea to make Monday 'Make do and Mend Day'. I will see if I can think of anything to do!
x

Susan in SC said...

Very nice Heidi!

Babs in Alabama said...

What a great idea, Heidi! Are you going to put all these ideas in print. I think you'd have a book you could sell :)
love the place mats,
Babs

Unknown said...

Brilliant! I love the double use of these. Yes, Penny Ann - you're feet are to the fire! I may have something done soon - I have some redecorating to do and will need some make do and mends for it!

Elly said...

Wat een goed en leuk idee! "Roeien met de riemen die je hebt"luidt het gezegde waar ook ik heel vaak gebruik van maak. Dat geeft echte voldoening, toch? Hugs en groetjes, Elly

Jenny said...

What a wonderful idea Heidi. The placemats are really pretty. I agree with Babs, you should put your ideas together and make a book...we all love them and I know others would too...then when you are a famous author we can all sit back and say " I knew her when she was starting out...grins...hope you are having a good day, I think of you so often. Patches sends her love to Dagi...Hugs from CA.

Carolien said...

Hello Heidi,

Good job, these placemats!
I cleaned some cupboards and gave some neighbour children drawing books which I found there ... that's recycling too isn't it?! ;)
And after some weeding, raking and the usual chores ... my knees and back say NO, so I am going to make some stitches on a recycling pattern of Elizabeth, fun!

Have a nice evening & hugs, Carolien

Unknown said...

Well I'll have to go rummaging through my linen closet and see what I can repurpose. Thanks for the inspiration. Linda

DonnaTN said...

Great idea! I love that they are reversible so you don't have to find places to store 2 sets.

Ginny said...

Great way to repurpose an unused item! I'd never use placemats as pretty as those though. Inevitably, when I put new placemats on the table (or old ones which are freshly laundered), my dh spills on them. I'm sure that never happens in your house, though, and that your new placemats will see lots of use!

Saskia said...

Love it! good idea!! I like to do that too. Look at my window screens. And I made from the leftover lace a curtain for my kitchentowl rack.
Need to plan our new play-date!....

Anonymous said...

Who would have thought?? Not me, I would have given the tablerunners away. As placemats they are very useful and beautiful.

blessings, jilly