I would be to scared to pick out the extra stitches like she did. But so insightful.
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Grafting is magic… I’ve never tried weaving in ends from the right side like that. I usually just start with a few duplicate stitches, but ripping out a few more stitches to get ends to weave in makes sense!
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Not sure if this is where I can ask a question or not, I’m not really a craft person but was hoping someone has dealt with the issue confronting me. I want to glue felt to a hard board. The problem is that the felt will be covered with pinback buttons and will be framed for a wall hanging There will be some weight involved with this project. Being a guy, tried to cut the felt oversized and used a lot of duct tape, which failed after a few months. I have Gorilla Glue and something called Suxun B-7000. I also have a cheap glue gun. Has anyone had any experience with such a project or have an idea which adhesive would work best? I appreciate any help you can provide to me.
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Hey, @ronman! Welcome!
Anytime you have fabric, which is absorbent, and need to have it stick to a harder surface or to other fabric, the glue has to be a strong “gloopy” glue. I have had the best luck using either E6000 or Fabric Fusion glue. E6000 pretty much stick to anything but the drying time is a bit long…use a silicon make up brush ($1 or so at the dollar store) to spread it on the board and let it sit for a minute or so to get really tacky. E6000 can be found cheapest at most hardware stores. Ace hardware has its own brand which is even cheaper!
Fabric Fusion is really thick and is not quite as easily absorbed by the fabric…it is also flexible and washable. Doesn’t sound like you would need this one.
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Or fusible webbing could be ironed on with a piece of something less absorbant on top of it, tissue paper even?
It would help to see photos of your item to best figure out a solution.
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Oh, hey there.
All you craftalong-ers check out the Peek Behind The Curtains Challenge! You don’t need to make something new to join in, you just have to (finally) share the things you’ve made already! WHAT!?
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Nice!
I’m trying to fix my winter boots since the lining fabric was so worn the padding was coming out. I have no idea what I’m doing… 
The patch will make it more functional than before at least.
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That would have been a neat fix! I just cut some patches in stretchy fabric and sewed them on to the best of my ability. I cut away the loose bits of liner fabric first.
There are still worn bits, but I needed to wear them today. I got the worst heel done, and one side of the other.
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Not if you use fabric glue…it remains flexible and squishy all the time…I use Fabric Fusion.
But, that being said, I still think sewing is the best for hard worn areas…it will last longer and be more secure…great job…love the pop of color that you gave your boot, @Annchen !
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Agree…I won’t use glue for areas of stress or for most clothing either unless it is temporary. Decorative items like the fabric pine cones I make are fine.
lol I made fabric shoes years ago with denim bottoms…I loved those shoes for around the house but they wore out quickly. Thanks for the reminder…that would be a nice project to use up some of my fun prints! Get yours done to show them off!
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go you!
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I was considering figuring out how to have a large dye vat to freshen up some of our bath towels and realized that even our youngest bath towels will be 10 years old next month so mayyyyybe, it was OK for me to get new bath towels. We already have SO_MANY_RAGS that are in plenty good-enough shape for their jobs, so I decided to hem and or zig-zag the starting-to-fray edges of the offending bath towels and a few hot tub towels so I can confidently donate them to the local animal shelter. They will get the full measure of the rest of useful life of these! WOO!
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Yes! You need new towels! What a lovely way to keep them having life…donating them to a worthy cause!
I bundled up all of my old raggedy towels and dishcloths as well and donated them to an animal shelter. They use them to clean the dogs, clean the cages, etc. They were truly appreciative!
They don’t really care about the condition because after some uses, they are thrown out or massed washed/bleached. I was told they use most of them until they literally almost disintergrate!
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Exactly! I thought be tidying up where they were fraying, it would give them a few more washes before they disintegrate. Unfortunately, they didn’t want the hand towels - which are in better shape, so I guess those will go to a thrift store. I LOVE linens, but was denying us new towels, because we have so many - I just didn’t see them for what they were AND didn’t do the math. A decade is plenty and these will be used until they truly wear out - aren’t just embarrassing. I have a big black trash bag FULL of towels for the pets! 
Now I just have to get myself and the towels down to that end of the valley in the next couple weeks.
Because of this decision, tomorrow I get to pick up a few more new towels so we have enough should we ever have the maximum number of guests again. YEY!
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That’s a beautiful piece.
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I watched a few videos of this woman from Germany who picks five or so pieces of clothing from her closet and figures out why she hasn’t worn them. She then proceeds to fix them so that she will.
She usually loves the fabric, but maybe not the length or the sleeves, etc. Most of the fixes are pretty easy, too. Make a top out of a dress. Cut off the top of a dress to make a skirt. The hardest thing she did was combine a top and a skirt to make a new dress.
If she didn’t like the fix, well, then, off to the donation pile. I am going to try this with my own clothes. I know I just have to figure out what it is that I don’t like. I think breaking it down into four or five at a time is doable and won’t be overwhelming.
What are your thoughts on remaking clothes like this?
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That’s more or less what I’ve been doing with my mending pile lately, tho I like the idea of analyzing unworn things out of the closet.
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Your post is what got me thinking about it…I often wonder how much of what I donate really gets worn again or if it is sent to be shredded or to a foreign country, etc. It bothers me that clothing is filling the landfills all over…people used to keep their clothes longer, mending them, changing them up with new trim or buttons, etc.
I know I am guilty of excess so I am not buying any new clothes this year.Mending and refashioning, or even reusing the fabrics for something else.
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