I Will Mend Anything!!!!!

Yep, I pretty much will mend anything if at all possible.  I patch and sew jeans constantly.  I sit in the ground and on the drive quite often pulling weeds and cleaning up - It tends to wear out jeans.  However, I do use the oldest ones for the yard work - keeping a pair or two for 'good'.

I mend rips or tears in t-shirts often with a pretty patch.  Once it gets too bad, then they become hankies or rags.  I have gotten stains on things and instead of throwing them out - I use patches over the spot, embroidery, pretty buttons, appliques or fabric paint.

Totally frayed and worn towels in the past have been turned into wash cloths - I cut and stitch edges and continue to use.  Towels are good for rags as well.

I can't begin to tell you how many things I have mended in some way and continued to use.  I have sewn, used fabric liquid stitch, duct tape, super glue, patches and paint, scraps of lumber and many unusual items.

Last week I did a 'fix' on my work tennis shoes.  I bought 2 pair that fit well several years ago at a super price.  I still have one pair that is basically brand new!  The other pair was worn with jeans for ages, then I started using them when working in the yard.  I have finally worn a hole in the sole.  It doesn't go through 100% - but it allows moisture through.

 See - there is the hole that is worn in the  bottom of shoe.

I have a lot of this stuff around.  It is the material that you place under throw rugs to keep them from slipping around on the wood/vinyl floors.
I cut a piece of this to fit in the upper half of the shoe (like an inner sole).  Even though the hole had not come all the way through to the inside - I did cut and place a piece of duct tape on the inside in that area of the shoe - then I laid this new 'inner sole' in place.  It seems to be working quite well.
If I still get moisture through I do have some tape on hand that is water proofing tape - that I may try.

As you can see these are grungy.  I throw them in the washing machine every now and then to wash and then air dry.  This is them at their best!!!!!  LOL  I realize tape will need replaced after each washing.

I am sure with this fix I will get through this summer at least!  They still work and I see no reason to trash them.

This was the perennial bedding starting back a couple weeks ago.  See that nasty looking green chair?  I keep that out there and either put a big pot of flowers on it (for height variety) or I let the kitties use it to sun.

Well, the seat only had 2 slats left - the rest had rotted through.  The slats run the same direction as the arms - so I found some scrap wood and set it going the opposite direction and screwed it in.  Once the weather warms a bit the chair will get a completely new and brightly colored paint job (I see it in my head!).  

I can either put a pot of flowers there or a cushion for the kitties.  Once the ground flowers grow - the seat will be slightly secluded - so it's all good.

Yep, that is a old metal head board in the middle of the garden!  It is a flower bed!!!  LOL

It gets repainted this year as well.

I can tell you - within 15 minutes of adding those boards on the chair seat - I looked up and Momma cat was sitting there sunning and watching me do other yard work.  That made it all worthwhile!

I have so many projects to do this spring - just waiting for some warm days.  Painting pretty much takes a certain temperature for the paint to dry correctly.  I have MANY items around the yard that I am going to repaint this year to give it a bit more color and just add a bit of whimsy.  I love whimsy in the garden!!!!!

A couple years ago an old time hardware (that I loved) went out of business.  I got all kinds of spray paint in so many colors and even quarts of paint on a super discounted sale.  They are still good and I plan on doing most of my 'coloring' with what I have on hand.

So there you have a couple of my recent repairs.

Have you mended or repaired anything lately?