Posts

Why wash new clothes before wearing them? Post 763

Why Wash New Underwear? I was following a few forums on Facebook and elsewhere on whether you should wash underwear or all clothes. Some people say you don't know who might have checked the garment at the factory, packed it, re-packed it, posted it. Whether it lay around and got dusty, dust mites, insects, bacteria, viruses.  Whether an item was tried on in the shop, then put back in the package. Or posted out, tried on, wrong size, returned still with the tag attached, but touched, and against somebody's skin. Washing Donated Clothes  When I lived in Northwood in North west London I used to shop in the Cancer Research shop. I queried the cleanliness of donated clothes. An assistant told me that everything was washed in their washing machine at the back of the shop.  I think every charity shop should have a washing machine, and mark which clothes have been washed if some are washed and others not. Risks Of Unwashed Items How do you know that donated clothes are not night ...
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Kim & Co Clothes - light pink vests - Dress of the Day 762 by Angela Lansbury

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 I was hunting for Kim & Co clothes. I have stretch suits which are not smart but neat and fit all the time. I hunted on ebay and up came the offer of what looked like two pink vests. They are not the heavy stretch fabric, but very light, like underwear.  I had hesitated to order the two pink vest tops from Ebay because of the size. They are soft and comfortable to wear. Then I looked up the company online and found lots of interesting information. 1 Kim is not the family name but the first name of female designer Kim Mendelson.  2 Although the clothes are designed in Montreal, Canada, they are marketed through online clothes channels in the UK and Germany. 3 Designer Kim produces not just two seasons of clothes, summer and winter, not just four seasons, but a new collection every month for the online shopping channels. 4 Their unique selling point is designed for women by women, why not for a woman by a woman. Thinking about it, with that much designing required, she...
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Crocs from Sports Direct. Post 761.

 £55. Heavy. High. Smarter than the average for evening wear. Seen in Harrow on the Hill in St Anne's. Pink only, no adornments £44.99.
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Shorten Or Change Trouser Leg Styles, Inspired by the past. Post 760 by Angela Lansbury.

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 I was looking at an old post on altering trouser legs (pants legs) which were too long. I had scanned down to check on any posts lacking pictures and this post popped up about shortening suggestions. Update May 5th 2026 Trouser Leg Styles When I looked up trouser styles in Wikipedia weeks later I found many more style from historic options.  Public domain image from Wikipedia. Whilst I have the scissors in my hand, and have the nerve to cut up fabric, what more can I do with trouser legs? Slit Trouser Legs  But that would expose my legs. Sexy, but impractical. Balloon or Barrel Ankles Attention-getting. Different. Wide legs with godets (triangular insets). Make Tabs to Shorten Trouser Legs Like the ones on shirt sleeves. A ribbon of fabric to be sewn in below the knee. Cut the ribbon to just shorter than the fabric leg's cuff so the ribbon doesn't dangle down untidily and annoying your ankle or tripping you up. Sew a button on the outside. Cut a slit slightly larger than...
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Elsa from Frozen - tied and tidy ponytail. Style of the season, by Angela Lansbury. Post 759.

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 I first saw this style of ponytail worn by a mother at a soft play centre in Mill Hill. Post 744. Then I saw it again, worn by an entertainer dressed as Elsa from the film (Americans say movie) Frozen, for a five-year-old's birthday party. When I looked it up in Wikipedia I could not find it under hair styles. I eventually found pictures under the word ponytail. When I was a child a ponytail was usually what was described in Wikipedia as a high ponytail. Ponytails from the nape of the neck were more discreet, more usually a style preferred by men. When I looked in Wikimedia Commons I found the same picture again of the style I was trying to track down and name, this time with the words tied ponytail.  Notice six hair ties or bands, all different colours. Picture from Wikimedia Commons. Description English:  Tied ponytail Deutsch:  Haargummizopf Date 28 September 2013 Source Own work Author Stilfehler I have at last discovered how to give the photographer credit quic...
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Add ties to a summer hat. Dress post 758 by Angela Lansbury.

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  This summer sun hat has a wide floppy brim. I sewed on pink ribbon to fasten the hat under my chin.  I had a choice of smart satin ribbon or matt tape-like ribbon. The satin would have suited smart, silky outfits. But I was planning a hiking holiday. With jeans and cotton clothes or stiff linen, the matt tape went better. Also it was a better match with the fabric and colour of the hat.# I sewed the ribbon onto the hatband where it joins the hat. I tried the hat on.  Both pieces were fixed equal distance from the label and any seams centre back.  then I noticed the information on the label. The hat was made in China. Not a surprise.  But it was a hat made from paper and bamboo.  Hat Size Select Hat size 57 cm. I buy hats which are sold off cheaply even if they are too small or large for me. I am prepared to take the trouble to alter them to fit. If the hat is too large, I can temporarily wear a scarf to keep a large hat in place. If the hat is too small, ...
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Add Interfacing To Support Sagging Home-made Handbags. Dress post 757 by Angela Lansbury.

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 I wondered what to do to stop my evening bag sagging. I had made the bag from a sequin front top in size 6, which I consider child size. Both the bag and the flat ribbon straps needed support. Firstly for appearance. Secondly for durability. Advantages of Interfacing It wasn't long before I discovered the answer was interfacing. This fabric, looks like stiff off-white netting, if you order white, but websites also offered me black. Occasionally it is used only as a second layer of lining.  Interfacing Colour Choices The backing in white is clean and fresh and won't dirty or darken light or pale patterned top fabric. Black is less obvious and intrusive inside a black bag or belt or rucksack (backpack) and won't show the dirt. However, as the the name suggests, interfacing is not just a backing but usually an intermediate layer, like stiffer padding sandwiched between, for example, a woven jacket with a silk lining. Why Interfacing Helps You Make Handbags And Clothes  Inte...
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