Dress Of The Day with Angela

 The Red Belt Fastening a belt This week I was looking at my red belt. It had no loop to fasten the hanging end. If you made a belt from matching fabric, you might cut it to hand just outside the buckle, with interfacing to make it stiff, or even an added fabric rose or triangular end to make it neat. But it is good to have a long belt so that you allow for putting on weight, lending it to somebody else, giving it away or selling it, or simple hiding the end behind your back. But a stiff end hanging down is annoying even if it is invisible.  DIY ribbon loop I looked at the red ribbon on the table on my sewing box and thought, 'I ought to sew a loop'.  Red belt tied with ribbon. Photo by Angela Lansbury. I tied it around in a bow to see how long it needed to be. Then I thought, 'I don't have the time and energy to sew it. Why not just tie it in a bow?' The ribbon has to be either shiny satin or matt, to match the fabric of the belt.  Now I have the solution for all t...

 I have started unpacking and re-packing. Packing List - Deleting Items My husband suggested that he revises his packing list for a hiking holiday every year by striking off the list any items he did not wear. Unpacking  - Washing I am unpacking. Washing anything which might otherwise set the stain, need to be washed and be wet when re-packing.  Unwashed items can attract moths. I have saved a laundry bag from a hotel. A plastic laundry bag can last for years. One friend said she simply washes everything. No need to sort. Count days No need to over-pack. Count the number of days and nights. If you need to wear something twice, and items take two days to dry, you can wash items from the first two days on a five day holiday. That means packing only three items instead of five.  The item you wore travelling on the first day can be worn on the way home.  Rehearsing The week before, I wear (and wash) every item. Then, if I don't have the matching shoes, or underwear,...