RESCUE
Every year (until covid-19) one, two or three members of my family take a hike, set off with lovely clean clothes for the holiday pictures. However, we return with items which are stained by wading theough water, falling off stepping stones and spashes. Add to this eating food on the go, eating out at cafes without napkins, drinking coffee to keep awake, or from a tip-up dispenser, eating and drinking in a hurry as the group moves. Then there's the stains from falling over in the mud, sitting on grass or rocks. And those stains which magically appear, with nothing you can blame on yourself, others, or circumstances. Mystery stains, of unknown origin.
The Virtres of Recycling
Recycling is now popular. Not a sig of greed, anal retention, slovenliness. Despite Marie Kondo, who wants us to clear clutter. We are told that it saves wastage. Saves money. Saves resources. Saves the cost of burying goods.
The Stianed Sweater's History
My son threw away a warm, thick white sweater which had some mud stains from a hike. I rescued it.
Family Recycling History
I learned about rescuing clothes from my mother (who died in 2000). She had lived through world war 2 when clothes and fabrics were rationed. Shops closed for curfew. Patrol was rationed so you could not travel. A bit like now in 2020 under Covid-19 restrictions.
You spent your evenings in at home. Fancy clothes not needed. Nobody else could see a small patch, but you could and you wanted to cover stains. Those were the days of darning socks.
Rags Rescued For Cleaning
The ultimate rag rescue is to take stained items and use them as cleaning clothes. Odd socks can be used to dust. Slaaves can be used as oversleeves to protect your clothes when you are cleaning.
New Small Garments From Old Big Ones
But the good parts of a garment can be re-used. My first idea was to save parts of it. Maybe the sleeves, attached to or under a sleeveless vest or padded sleeveless gilet. But one sleee had tiny spot. How about the cuffs, on a shirt with spoiled cuffs? Or to extend a three quarter sleeve garment which was too cold in aumn and winter? Or the neck to make a dickey to fill in a v-neck top and warm myself in winter or outdoors.
Patch - sew-on / iron-on
My next idea was to cover the stain. Make a patch. No hem on this garment could be re=used. But you could remove the whole of the back of the garment to patch the front, and add an oblong panel at the back in a thinner fabric. Use a matching or contrasting colour.
Too much hard work, too much time taken.
Paint With Fabric Paint
I could cover the stain with a painting, either a square, diamond, oval, long ribbon, or series of diamonds, or an entire background.
What could I draw well? Obviously something I had done before successfully. Flowers and trees.
I looked at my own paintings done on a Writers Holiday (in Wales) course under artist Susan Allison. I had drawn trees. In the sky were little birds, just circular blobs for the head and v shapes for the wings. That was easy. the dot stains could be adapted.
I had to match the colour of the existing panel on the front of the sweater. That was black.
My first idea was to draw in tailor's chalk, which I could not find. Pencil would not show up. Biro would be messy and spread - but I could cover it with paint later.
I drew the birds with black biro. Even if it was ruined at first wash, I had a warm garment for one evening.
Years ago I went to a colour course for clothes and dressing. We were taught that the cost of a garment is divided by the number of times you wear it. So a two dollar garment worn once is more expensive, twice expensive as a 100 dollar garment worn 100 times.
My rescue garment might only be worn once, but since it cost me nothing, that was one day's wear for free. And it solved my problem of something warm to wear.
I sent the picture to my son. He responded with three words. 'You're a genius!'
I wore the painted sweatshirt to an outdoors dinner party in London, England, a drive across London to a friend's back yard dinner, on the first night of tier one, which allowed groups of up to six to meet outdoors.
Now you know how to rescue an old or stained garment in a hurry.
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About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker
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