Happy Australia Day to my fellow Australians! Whether you celebrate quietly with Vegemite on toast while watching the cricket, or at a BBQ with a lot of people, fireworks and wine, I hope you enjoy today. We have a lot to be thankful for.
~~~~~*~~~~~~
Just after Christmas I had to go to town to buy a couple of things at the post-Christmas sales. I grabbed my trusty small brown leather bag that I can fit my wallet and keys in, and left. When I paid for my purchase, I was a bit embarrassed to see the shop assistant looking at the inside lining of my bag which was ripped and tatty looking. It had been like that for quite a while. On the way out of the department store, I went to the bag department and looked for another bag. This little brown bag of mine has been my sole leather handbag for at least 20 years. It's probably older than that, but let's say 20. I like it because it's very good soft leather, made in the UK and I can sling it over my chest and have my hands free to pick up things for a closer look.
So, there I was in the handbag department, thinking I'd pick up a good bag for $50 on sale. I almost dropped when I realised the bag I liked, something similar to my little brown number, was $225, reduced by $100. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS for a handbag? I think not. I put the bag down and went home.
Yesterday afternoon, I was in my workroom and looked at my handbag again. I decided to fix it. I carefully cut the old lining out and made up a rectangle of cotton. While I was sewing it on my machine, Hanno came in to ask me something and wanted to know what I was doing. I told him I was fixing my bag. He sort of rolled his eyes at that news, asked me his question, then left. As I continued on my task, I wondered if I was being a bit too enthusiastic about recycling this bag.
I've thought about it for a while now and I know I did the right thing, for me. I fixed my wallet about a year ago. Same story - good soft leather (so I could stitch it on my machine), with the lining pulled away from the edge. Then I just tidied up the lining and restitched it. It's perfect and I've been using it for the past year with absolutely no problems. That wallet is probably 20 years old too. While I was doing my repairs I kept thinking that an animal had died to supply meat and the leather and that to throw it away without getting the full value of that sacrifice would be disrespectful and mean spirited. Those two items demonstrate to me the wise economy of buying the best quality you can afford with the intention of making repairs as you go through the years to realise the full value. All it needs now is a good clean and reconditioning with some Dubbin and it'll be ready to go for another 20 years. : - )
But it got me thinking about how far we push ourselves when we recycle. I believe that if something is still serviceable and fixable, then you put the effort in. I don't care about fashion - in fact, it doesn't enter into my head at all when I'm thinking about recycling (or ever). But am I alone in this? How far do you go? If someone you know thought it was a bit extreme to recycle a handbag like this, would it stop you doing it? Would you even care? My answers are no and no, what are yours?
If I loved it and it would still look good fixed up, then mine would be no and no, too.
ReplyDeleteI've always marched to a different drummer anyway so fashion has never been high on my list!!
I would do the same. Of course, one should not become absurd with recycling, but in this case there are several weighty arguments why to recycle it - you love the bag, it is conveniet for you, the bag itself is ok, only the lining should be replaced, by postponing a purchase of a new bag you save some resources boths yours and the plantet's.
ReplyDeleteSince I started to live more simply and to cut down on expenditures to pay off the mortgage early, I ask myself two basic questions before I decide to go and buy something - do I need it (or just want it)? can I postpone the purchase? Of course, all within the common sense.
That's a lovely bag and well worth re lining, we fix everything
ReplyDeleteNice job you did on your handbag.
ReplyDeleteNo your not alone, I am not swayed by fashion either.. i used to use an old childs bag as a handbag (my sister was throwing it out) I used it for year a lady at church noticed so she gifted me on if her older handbags that was 5 years ago..its serviceable,practical so I will use it till and can be used no more..i am the same with shoes too
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's going to far. I know that I have some sweaters and good woolen tights that I've had for well over twenty years. If it works for you, why change it?
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you Rhonda. No and No for me. Buy lee, but buy good quality when needed and make it last that's how we consume here. If it needs mending we mend it or repurpose it. I only need to think of the enormous waste that goes into landfill to come up with great ways to repair something or a new way of using something. I left fashion behind many years ago.
ReplyDeleteWhat others think wouldn't enter into it for me. But, you obviously know how to go about fixing your bags. I would have a hard time of it.
ReplyDeleteI have a brown bag I use all fall and winter which I love; it's fake leather, and the lining is pilling. I'm just putting up with it for now.
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteno, I don't think that's going too far. And I completely agree with you about respecting the animal that gave it's life for the bag (and meat).
I repeatedly repair my shoes, and I've also started wearing a ccouple of things I've had to darn - to teach in private schools! I'm sure until recently, everyone wore out things that had been repaired, now it seems not to be acceptable so lets bring it back into fashion!
Thanks to you I now have a good, hard think before I decide anything is ready to go.
On the cost of the new handbag, its' not really that much considering the materials and work that go into a bag - I think we've become accustomed to getting everything cheaply from China.
Have a great Australia day, Madeleine
Rhonda, I would have mended the bag as well. Old possessions have history and become very dear to us, no matter what their perceived value is. You will be hard pressed to find such great quality today. The best part is, your bag now tells another story. Lol
ReplyDeleteMichelle.
My answers are no and no as well. I march to my own drummer. I just resuscitated the lining of my favourite (old, and from the thrift shop) winter coat. I take delight in making things last and last some more. I lament owning things that can't be repaired.
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day from Canada!
I like this post for so many reasons! Like you, my answers are no and no. Others perhaps do consider some aspects of our homesteading lifestyle a bit extreme, but we wouldn't trade a bit of it. Making and doing for ourselves, recycling and upcycling, etc., is all part of being a good steward of what we have.
ReplyDeleteLovely job on your leather bag. I, too, enjoy making repairs and extending an object's useful life.
Happy Australia Day~
Julie
You did a beautiful job fixing up your bag! I don't really think there is such a thing as going too far in this regard ....hmmm....something for me to ponder today, thanks Rhonda!
ReplyDelete-Jaime
I'm with you, Rhonda. If it can be repaired--repair it. As you say--buy the best you can afford with the intention to make repairs as you go along. Also, buy an enduring style so that no matter when or where it will look good.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, as usual!!
ReplyDeleteI totally would have fixed those two things, and I'm glad you did.
However, I have a problem that I'm facing right now. My sewing machine. It's not very good. It jams, and it's cheap and doesn't work well. The thrad holder is broken off, and the reverse is super-glued back on. But it's only 4 years old!!
I paid $120 for it, and it will be that much to have it fixed. I feel bad tossing it, but I can get a much nicer machine for $219, and I *really* want to do that, and I think it's a wise choice, considering how poorly made my machine is (although it *was* the best I could afford at the time, and the $219 is th bst I can afford now, although I'm sure it's still pretty cheap)....but I still feel like I'm being a wasteful consumer :(
~Melanie in Canada
I think in the days of convenience, high fashion and fast paced lives it is too easy just to go and buy a new bag/new anything. I'm sure people don't think of the animal when they see that new bag sitting on the shelf...
ReplyDeleteHello Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteMy answer would also be no, and no!
Why waste? And who cares what anyone else thinks?
I have a leather bag and a pretty leather wallet both just the right size and shape for me. I always choose a handbag by how it feels on my shoulder as the first consideration. I was just figuring out how to repair the lining and seams with some sort of glue. So I guess we are on the same page.
Keep up the good work and Happy Australia Day, Denise, PA. USA
You did a great job and no I would not worry in the least. I am lucky as my best friend of over 30 years is the same as me in this area. So we egg each other on a bit and don't worry if other friends or family look at us strangely.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to buy something I would do it . I have the money to do it. But for many of the reasons you mentioned I like to look after what I have not fill the op shops and landfill.
Oh great Rhonda! I would do the same thing, I guess. And I hope my answer will be no and no too ;o)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, I'm going to sleep now ;o)
Love from Holland!
Well, many of my clothes work their way down the old-fashioned line of smart to everyday to weekends at home - there is a time when a top or skirt just doesn't look smart any more, no matter how carefully mended. But I would definitely have mended that bag. I think handbags seem very expensive in the shops as well - and many of them are either hideous or impractical, if not both - but the charity shops often have a particularly good selection, very gently used.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more about recycling/repairing as long as you can. I hope I don't bore you with these examples of just how firmly I believe in using things up: I use my husband's worn out underwear, which has good elastic, to repair my bras. If the underwire comes loose in the bras, I stitch it back in. I carry a checkbook with a cover that I stitched to cover the plastic one that originally came with the checkbook years ago. Cost? Nothing - it was made from scraps from another project. When that one wears out, I'll make another one. I darn socks more than once. I save pill bottles and use them to make small frozen popsicles with the juice from canned fruit. I wash plastic bags until they are no longer usable. Nothing is wasted from poultry or ham. If bread begins to taste old, I freeze it and use it in meatloaf, salmon, etc. as a filler.
ReplyDeleteI make many of my purses, but I also still use an old billfold that I got twenty or more years ago. Like yours, the leather is very soft. I can't bear to throw it away. I've glued or stitched it back together several times.
It just goes against my nature to throw anything away that is still useful - at least useful in my eyes. My friends think I'm a little wacky, but they don't try to change me. I don't feel deprived; I LIKE to keep things going as long as I can. I try to buy good quality products, so most times cost is less an issue than serviceablity.
It will be interesting to see how other readers of this post will respond.
Diane in North Carolina
Oh no, now I want my old red leather bag back - I threw it away when we moved recently waaaaaah!
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job! Your former handbag is my old pair of boiled-wool slippers! :) love,andrea
ReplyDeleteNo and no from me Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteAs I write this I am wearing a dress I bought five years ago that I have repaired ( one of the straps came undone). It's a perfectly good dress and it's comfortable, so why throw it away if it can be repaired?
I agree with other comments that it depends on whether you have the skills or materials to fix things. Leather is ideal for repair. I've paid for shoes to be repaired rather than replace them.
I also think it's kind of cute that Hanno rolled his eyes at you ;) we can always do with a bit of a reality check sometimes, although in this case Hanno had it wrong ( sorry Hanno!)
Enjoy your day.
x
Megan
there is something about old leather - and good for you for fixing it. Just imagine all the memories that bag holds!! made in UK even better than something made production line in China.
ReplyDeleteI'd repair it too and a coat of Dubbin will make it look almost like new.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Robyn
It's the only way my Mum and (especially) my Nanna lived Rhonda. Everything, absolutely everything was recycled from that rubber band that the postie keeps the mail together to the cardboard box the cereal came in. I think I do pretty well cooking everything from scratch but after 3 days my recycle bin is full. I'd need another house to store all that stuff. Way too much packaging on goods, way too much choice and living in a throwaway society. Kerbside collection is on again in Brisbane and I was just taken back with the number of TV's, computers and other electrical and furniture items awaiting collection. Growing up we had our TV for over 20 years. If it broke, we called the TV technician and they fixed it. I'm sure those guys are out of a job now.
ReplyDeleteAnne @ Domesblissity xx
I agree with you on this one too. I don't think you can go too far, and it seemed like a simple repair for you anyway (and it looks great!). What a shame to have thrown it away when it was just a tear in the lining. It's a lovely bag. Years ago, we would not have had the choice, we would have had to make the repair.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of going to far, maybe that's me. I repaired a small tear in my shoe with electrical tape. One shoe is fine and it's such a tiny tear in the leather in otherwise good, sturdy shoes. It seemed like a waste of shoes and a waste of money replacing them when they do the job very well with the repair (maybe I should try to learn to fix it properly ;)).Obviously fashion isn't a high priority for me either.
Oh,what a great Post!i'm with you on this,when you love something like your bag,i would never replace it with a new one,you did a great job mending it!i have a love affair going with my old jumper,i have had it for 19 year's,and i cannot,and will not throw it out,every winter out it comes,and i feel the love!it even has little holes in it now,which i must patch up,i wear it around at home,and no-one ever see's me in it,but i don't care if they do!i love it!so you keep enjoying your old faithful bag,x Carol
ReplyDeleteI can't see the pictures right now - blogger is acting up but I wanted to wholeheartedly offer my support! I have a system that works for me and it is loosely based on the value of the item (monetary or sentiment). If an item can be repaired then absolutely do it! If we can't fix it, and nobody else can for a reasonable cost, then I repurpose the item into some thing usable if at all possible. My own leather handbag is going strong after only 5 years and I expect AT LEAST another 5-10 years out of it and I WILL repair it should the need arise. I've repaired a good number of things in recent years to a very satisfactory result and it is wise use of funds and time to do so. I am getting much more skilled at mending and repairing and this is a valuable skill to have. Our parents and Grandparents were much better at this than most are today. My husband is very skilled at repairing things in the garage using scrounged or makeshift parts fabricated out of scraps. Myself, I could care less what anyone else thinks, so NO and NO! :)
ReplyDeleteI would definitely replace the lining! My problem is what do you when the leather shoulder strap starts cracking? I have to beautiful bags that I can't use. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteIf I could fix it I would otherwise I would search the op-shops and garage sales for another one. I wouldn't buy new and NO WAY $125! That's insane...but people do...
ReplyDeleteBarb.
My wallet would be close to 20 years old and still going strong. The leather is soft and has the sheen that only old leather has. It has a small rip in the linning that I've been wondering how to fix. Throwing it out is not an option. There is no way you could buy something so well made for under $200 these days. It orginally came from a factory outlet and is amazingly Australian made!
ReplyDeletegreat job on the repairs! I have a leather handbag thats my fav, i have succumbed to fashion on a couple of occassions and never use them, which is silly, but i love the old leather one!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic job you did Rhona. I'm not sure I would have done such a good job of it myself, not to mention that I'm a novice when it comes to sewing.... I agree with you on buying the best quality you can afford as quite often "cheap and nasty" proves to be false economy. Unfortunately, many may not be able to afford the dearer item (just as I couldn't when I was younger). There is absolutely nothing wrong with recycling, refashioning or mending items that have meaning to you, and really it shouldn't even matter what others think of you for doing so either. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful thing about well-made items is that they can be repaired and restored, again and again. Leather bags, leather shoes and so on. I recently had my leather boots re-soled & re-heeled, and they look beautiful and like new again.
When these loved items begin to be worn beyond repair, only then it is time to head to a quality consignment or second-hand store and buy a replacement.
-Natasha
I have a bag similar to yours only it's black and has a few more pockets on the outside. I paid a moderate amount of money for it about 5 or more years ago.
ReplyDeleteOne of the inner zippers busted and I thought about replacing the bag. It wasn't that expensive to replace. Then I thought why should I get rid of a bag that does everything it should do, all for the sake of a tiny zipper!
It's funny you should write this post, because every time I use my bag I ask myself am I going to far fixing a handbag? But I'm stubborn and I like the stuff I get use to, yes, I will fix the bag.
I also have a little plastic see-through purse, which I've repaired countless times with electrical tape. It just has this cute little smilee face (like the classic "have a nice day" sticker) on the front of it. I cannot bring myself to discard my purse. I know it's not about going too far with recycling. It's just because I like it so much.
Who wouldn't like a smilee face, LOL?
What galls me is that all our bootmakers and shoe repairers have gone, it used to be a matter of course that shoes and bags would be taken for repairs. I wonder if perhaps these trades will return?
ReplyDeleteIn our work as picture framers we actively encourage people to recycle frames made of timber. Usually replacing the old nonacid-free mat and backing will bring these back to a good serviceable life.
yep, I probably would have repaired too. Mostly because I can't find what I am after in the shops. Last time my last wallet fell apart (it was the zip as well and I am not good at those) I got my 'new' one for about 50c from the Op Shop.
ReplyDeleteI am currently working out if I can successfully dry the stalks from our corn to make stakes for the tomatoes. And I am going to give weaving a basket or something useful from the corn 'leaves', a good crack!
Kristy
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteOh, if I was in your shoes my answers would be the same as yours. I think it's great you were able to fix your brown leather bag. You saved a lot of money that way...and now you have that cash to use for other things :) :) That's really smart...and you've inspired me to do the same with my things :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this one. I try really hard to get the full use out of my stuff. In fact just the other day I spent a half hour sewing up a popped seam on my shoe. There are no holes in the sole yet so I want to keep using them.
Even when my shoes or clothing do wear out enough that they are no longer presentable to wear in public, I continue to wear them to work in the garden until they are fully "use up".
I mend and darn wherever I can. Our puppy chewed and broke the straps on my favourite sandals. Instead of chucking, I paid the cobbler $9 to fix them - good as new. My daughter's jeans got a darn last weekend. We'll eke a few more wears out of them before she outgrows them. However,I wil chuck when necessary.My very favourite summer cotton pants, 8 years old, ripped a few weeks ago, and I threw them. The fabric had worn to the point you could almost spit through them, so a darn wasn't going to hold them for long.
ReplyDeleteLike you, my answers would be no and no. :)
ReplyDelete"While I was doing my repairs I kept thinking that an animal had died to supply meat and the leather and that to throw it away without getting the full value of that sacrifice would be disrespectful and mean spirited."
ReplyDeleteThat, to me, is actually a very good thought. I need to remember this. Not that I own a ton of leather or anything, but just because I am often too quick to throw out what seems to be old or no longer works. But to view the item as a part of a bigger picture would help, I think, to put it more into context. So that throwing out a leather handbag isn't just throwing out a handbag anymore.
We eat meat at our house, drink milk, eat eggs. I'm not entirely opposed to killing for food or important supplies, but I think you're right that we need to honor the life that was given so that our lives would be better. To do anything else is just cruel. We also need to treat those animals well while they're alive, but that is another story.
I really appreciated this post. Thanks.
When I started working for a stonemason, I had to get by with tennis shoes to start. It's rough work and soon the toe end of the sole was flapping about. I wrapped it tight with about three rounds of white duct tape and made it through a couple more paydays.
ReplyDeleteI got a couple of snickers, but I thought myself rather inventive.
brenda from ar
I too am not very fashion conscious. If I like something, it does not matter to me if anyone else does. That bag is made in such a way as to be rather timeless in fashion anyway. Yes, in your situation, and the bag looks pretty good still, I would also make a new lining piece. You are a wise consumer!!
ReplyDeleteNow if you were trying to stitch together somethink like underwear with more holes than not...that would be nutty. My poor mom...she had to go buy underclothes for her mom to be buried in!! Something to think about ladies!!! Grandma was the best person on earth and had she thought of all this, I am sure my mom would not have been in that situation. At least store ONE new pair of such things for that day!!
Elizabeth in NC
Interestingly, the older I get, the keener I am to repair and the less I care about what others think. I couldnt give a toss, wish I had been like this when I was younger, it would have saved me so much angst ( and money)!!
ReplyDeletePS I like the bag and can understand why you wouldnt want to get rid of it.
xx
Mimi@ vanilla rose
Of course you should fix up the bag if you like it! Alternatively, perhaps Hanno would like to spend several weeks of his discretionary spending money on a new handbag for you as a gift ;-))
ReplyDeleteI currently have a pair of jeans I love that are being patched to death. I can only wear them around the house or in the garden now, but they have shape, fit me beautifully and make me feel good when I wear them.
I'll be truly gutted when they finally go as I've never found another pair like them.
oh i really want to comment to Melanie who wrote about her sewing machine above... I would buy the best sewing machine you can afford and make sure it's a good brand name... if you can't afford a new one, buy one second hand... far better than buying a new cheap machine (and honestly I think $200 is too cheap for a decent brand new sewing machine as well)...
ReplyDeleteI sew every day and have used so many different machines... and the old mechanical machines work so much better than new plastic-y cheapy ones... i almost bought an old singer i found at the recycling centre for my children... an old singer that was still purring, for less than $50. op/thrift shops are a great place to look for second hand machines as well!!)
amy
Hurrah for you for fixing your bag! I have a 10-year old pair of leather boots I bought on sale...beautiful black boots that I have had reheeled and which I polish religiously. Never will give these up.
ReplyDeleteIf something I have gets beyond repair, I will buy it used on ebay. People sell things with the tags still on, without the departmental store markups. We buy all my hubs jeans this way. Then the jeans become shorts, then they become rags.
AM of the bread
I've just found my 'perfect bag', yes it's leather and I probably shouldn't have bought it, (I'm a new convert to vegetarianism) but I decided, it was there, I needed it, I've waited to find 'the one' for a long time and so I made the decision to buy.
ReplyDeleteIt cost £65 in the post Christmas sale at Laura Ashley, a HUGE amount to me in my newly converted frugal lifestyle, but I am selling my other couple of bags and lots of other fripparies to offset the cost and then this bag will be looked after, repaired and generally be 'the one' for as long as I can make it last.
January 2012 - who knows......
Love the post and LOVE your repairs to your bag, I hope it keeps going for many more years for you.
Sue xx
I think you are so right. I'm a member of a club that repairs all kinds of things that other people would throw away. I do the administration. We started in September last year and there have been many itmes that came our way and have been repaired. Very old things too. This is just wonderful !!
ReplyDeleteMy husband just repaired my old bag too ; )
Hugs from The Netherlands.
Your bag looks wonderful Rhonda! $225 for a handbag??? I might have fallen over in the store!
ReplyDeleteMy answers are No and No.
Looks like you did a wonderful job on your handbag Rhonda! I don't think it takes recycling too far at all! Handbag prices are horrendous nowadays, and if you settle for a cheaper price, you get cheaper make. (That is personal experience talking.)
ReplyDeleteI have a favorite shirt that has a hole in it in a hard-to-fix place, but its THE perfect shirt...and I just can't bear to part with it.
Around here we recycle everything we can. Plastic bags get cut up into yarn and made into reusable shopping bags, sink matts, and the like. Recycling pushes you to get creative! Hope you have a beautiful day.
The Girl in the Pink Dress
Even if our machine could not have fixed a purse we could check out what a shoe repair shop would have cost to do the job. You could supply the material. I have a local shop that will fix a shoe leather or luggage or purse with little cost. Anything leather they will give a try. I try first then go to them if I cannot do the job. Yes the cost of good leather bags is now outrageous and even then the quality of the bags are not as nice as the old one. Good post. I imagine many have never thought of this. Sarah
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with everything you have said and I too don't give a stuff about fashion or being trendy etc etc. Whatever makes you happy I say. Why do some women have this 'thing' about handbags anyway? I don't even use one, prefering to use a 'bum bag' as it's safer and less easy to use when out shopping or whatever.
ReplyDeleteFixing things gives me a real thrill. I don't get that thrill from shopping, though I imagine some people do.
ReplyDeleteIt is showing appreciation for all you've been given to use it to the max.
I've been chuckled at a few times for fixing what should be trash (according to the chucklers), but in the end I am saving money, saving time, and saving resources. Win, win, win.
Your purse looks swell! Good as new!
Ha! I've still got a down parka that I got for free at a rummage sale 25 years ago. Nobody wanted it because it had a horrible orange plaid trim that was torn. I took it home, and replaced the horrible orange with a nice purple fabric and it has served me well ever since. Its zipper is finally giving out, so my next project will be zipper replacement.
ReplyDeleteI literally wear my clothes until they have holes... then I mend the holes and keep wearing them until they can no longer be repaired.
I am wracking my brains trying to understand how anyone could possibly justify paying over $100 for a handbag! I realize everyone is brainwashed by the fashion industry, but still it makes it hard to have sympathy for people drowning in consumer debt.
Yep! I have had the same leather purse for at least twenty years now. No problem, but the zipper is beginning to give out.
ReplyDeleteHello Rhonda
ReplyDeleteYour bag is just beautiful!!!
It is real leather and comes with a history.
I work part-time but still buy most of my clothes for work at op shops for no more than two dollars a piece. Much better quality than you can buy anywhere new!!
Can't wait for your book. I think it is just the nicest presentation I have seen for a while. ( I am a Librarian so hsve seen a few over the forty or so years I have worked in this profession!!)
All the best
Keep dry
Hi Rhonda, Great Post! I have tried to repair my favourite handbag on many occasions, there was a few tears along the internal zipper pocket. So your defiantly not alone.
ReplyDeleteNicky Singh.
I have a lovely suede handbag with the lining all ripped as well. I have been agonising over whether I will repair it or buy a new handbag. I did look at Myer at the Boxing Day sales, but like you was horrified at the cost of replacement. I hate waste and wouldn't care what other people thought. Good for you for repairing yours, I will be doing the same.
ReplyDeleteoh my you did absolutely the right thing. Our ancestors used, reused and then cut apart and reused the fabric again...quilts anyone? The term "thriced turned coat" refers to wearing a garment till it showed wear and then picking it apart and turning the fabric to the inside and remaking the garment...the poor would then turn the fabric a third time to get as much wear as possible!
ReplyDeleteEven the most worn out and stiffest leather can come back to life again with some gentle work and TLC and good leather cleaning and reconditioner. I have an old mail bag that i found for pennies that looked cracked and ruined but I was able to eventually bring it back to life and I love it...all the marks, crinkle marks and creases just add character to a beautifuly built old piece.
So you go girl...rework what you can, especially the things you love!
LOL I love Hanno! He was rolling his eyes over you running a few stitches through an old bag but no doubt he would have had kittens if you spent the $125 on the new bag!!
ReplyDelete