England is full of charity shops. The internet sells items on ebay. Now the shops have sales. So tempting to buy an item which is a size too large or small, missing a button and you knew it, or you get home and find the zip doesn't work. How do you fix the problem?
My parents saved string, buttons, zips, pillows and sheets to turn into patches, hankies, dusters, anything which could be re-used. My mother always had a button box and zips. She lived through World War II. I was astonished when I went to Australia and lost a simple shirt button off a blouse that my hostess could not replace it instantly with a button from a button box. I always save sewing kits from hotels so at least I have a needle and white cotton and a small shirt button or two, or twenty, or maybe two hundred - if I could only find the other box - I have at least five button boxes.
Both my grandmothers were seamstresses. Grandmother on my late father's side sewed the button holes for the suits her husband made (he was a master tailor, like his father). My late mother's mother was a milliner and her wedding photo shows a huge hat which I like to think she sewed herself, unless it was a gift from her mother?
My parents lived through World War I. If you are either a sewing fanatic or a clothes fanatic or a hoarder, it's a good idea to heep a button box and a zip box. When you discard garments, check for useful zips, buttons, and spare buttons inside hems and attached to seams. For less than £10, $20dollars US or Singaporean, you can buy sewing kits and bags of buttons from haberdashery stores such as Spotlight (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore).
Replacing Zips
You may wish to add a zip for security to a cheap tote bag, or replace a broken zip in a bag or item of clothing. Cut out the old zip. Consider replacing with hooks and eyes or button and loops. Buy a new zip which is long enough. Or a long zip from discarded items. A white zip could be dyed to match a bag. or dye both bag and zip in same dye. Or buy two identical items from a rummage sale to get the zips. Two short zips can be used, fitting the two zips with pull tags meeting in the middle. Pin your zip so the pull tag is in the right place. If the end is too long, it can hang inside or be lightly sewn down the seam of the bag. Try to use matching thread and sew the zip below the top edge for a neat look. But if your bag is very small and you want it to hold larger items, sew it as high as you can. Seam your zip it with running stitch along both edges.
Moving Buttons
If you have a machine which makes button holes, you might be able to sew together button holes and make new ones. But if the garment is too tight and you are hand sewing you can move the buttons more easily than making new button holes.
Find the place where the button(s) should go and mark with a safety pin. (Less likely to drop out or scratch you than a pin.)
Adding Buttons
Check for spare buttons inside the garment. Sometimes large buttons have smaller buttons at the back.
If you have spare buttons, you can sew them onto a belt or scarf or headband or the hem of a skirt or black trousers (what Americans call pants) to make a matching set.
Replacing missing buttons
Find a button the right colour and size. If you are one short, make the top button a fancier, larger button in the same colour. Or find another similar pair to sew on the cuffs and use one of those to replace a button on the front.
If you have a large number of buttons and one or two missing, but you have another set, sew them alternating. e.g. red green, red green, red green.
Or have the odd button at the lower hem of a blouse and tuck the blouse inside to hide the odd button.
Making a hole in a large belt
You can buy a hole punch from China online e.g. through ebay. In the UK you find large craft shops selling through out of town stores and on the internet. An alternative or temporary measure is to make a hole with an awl, or even a pair of scissors. Turn the scissors end slowly and gradually to make a round hole, not a straight one which might split. (However, some people make a round hole with a small slit to one side to allow room for the larger buckle thong.
Extending a belt
Extend a belt by removing the buckle and adding ribbon to both ends to tie in the middle or back. Or cut the belt and add the extra non-matching leather patch at the back hidden by a shirt worn outside.
Make your own belt
On ebay I found shops which sell belt lengths in all colour to which you add your own buckle. The belt fastens with a heavy round press-button. the only problem is that the double thickness of belt makes it hard for the buckle to lie flat.
Re-using a belt
You can cover an old belt with fabric cut from a hem to make it match. Or change the buckle.
Re-using a buckle
Buy a new belt. Or use a strip of wide ribbon. Or hem up a piece of spare fabric. Or seam up a spare tie. (Ties are sold cheaply in charity shops - in the USA called thrift shops.)
Lining a bag
Easier than you think. Take any fabric such as an old pillowcase. If you like, dye the lining to co-ordinate, or dye bother the bag and lining. Or dye a white blouse, and white bag and white lining to match, e.g. blue or pink. If you are not very meticulous, the bohemian tie-dye effect is easier.
You could try making the lining bag using a piece of newspaper. Or even a paper bag or plastic bag from a supermarket cut to size. Allow room for the seams. The top could fold over. If you use a fancy fabric such as strong satin, the lining can come up to make the bag larger, and be fastened with a zip or a draw-string. to make a draw-string, choose your co-ordinating colour ribbon draw string. Fold over the top hem of the inner bag twice much larger than the ribbon. The bag must be inserted inside out to hide the sewing seam which looks neater and ensures you don't catch keys or sharp items in the seam and pull it apart. you might wish to insert an oblong base at the bottom of the bag, either on top of the lining using extra fabric to cover it, or underneath the lining. You might try this first time on an old discarded bag just to see how its done.
Another system is to use the lining of one bag and the outside of another. If you need a pocket for a phone or coins or tissues and make-up, create pockets with a concertina fold, or add on a pocket made from spare material. Or use a pocket from a discarded bag. Or buy a cheap coin purse and sew it inside.
Or take your existing coin purse and attach it to the inside of the bag by sewing in a ribbon attached to the bag at one end and the mini-purse on the other end, to be sure you don't leave your purse behind. You can also pull it out in a hurry.
Do you have spare key rings? Sew one inside your bag so you can find your keys easily. If the inside pocket is large and can take the weight of keys, that's a handy place for a key ring.
Replacing a shoulder strap
Replace a shoulder strap with a wide ribbon, an old belt with the buckle removed, or the shoulder strap from a kit bag. You can save the slider mechanism or a couple of D rings and double the length of the shoulder strap to make one which extends.
Turning a cushion into an evening bag
I was looking for a plum coloured shoulder bag and could not find one. Then I saw plum coloured pillow cases, long or square. All they needed was a length of plum coloured ribbon and I had a shoulder bag. You can sew in a black zip along one side.
Shortening a dress or skirt
Cut it short. Use zig-zag scissors.
Leave the end showing. Or fray into a fringe. Cover with ribbon. If it's too short, wear a lacey slip underneath. Use the spare material for a matching belt, a scarf, or wind into a rose, attach to a safety pin and wear it like a brooch.
In the olden days you needed to crawl about measuring hem level with a ruler resting on what you hoped was an even floor, or down from what you hoped was an even waist belt. Now the fashion is for uneven hems. Up at the front and down at the back. Up on the right and down on the left. Wobbling all around. Zig-zag. If it's too short on one side, sew on a patch or some lace.
