Wednesday 4 July 2018

The Back Of The Net

Sorry - nothing to do with football! My blogfriend Fishcake has recently moved house, and her frugal Mum found some window nets in a CS. But they were too big, and had to be rehemmed to fit. "What can I do with the trimmings?" Fishcake asked.
Personally I'm not a net curtain type - but often, when I'm given bags of fabric oddments by friends who are decluttering, I find a piece of net that's clearly been trimmed. Here's a few thrifty tips for repurposing such remnants;
In the garden - if you have fruit bushes, you can prevent the birds from eating your currants or whatever if you drape the bushes with net. You may need to sew a few strips together to make a piece that's wide enough for swathing the greenery  - but hey, this isn't the Sewing Bee, the birds may be deterred, but they won't be bothered by your wobbly stitching.
Drink protectors -I bet your great grandmama had one of these - a large square or circle of net will cover your jug of squash and prevent the insects from getting in. Weight it down by sewing a few beads[or buttons, or washers] round the edge. If it is an emergency then just clip half a dozen clothes pegs on to weigh it down.

Bowl cover - "time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana as they say. Make a simple mob cap [tutorial here] from a large circle, and gather it, to make a cover to keep the minibeasts away from the mangoes
Dressing up clothes #1- tutu. Measure the child's waist. Cut a strip at least three times that [four is better] Fold it in half. Sew the side seam to make a tube. Make a casing, and thread elastic through - or gather it and sew along a piece of wide elastic which will act as the waistband.
Dressing up clothes #2 - angel/fairy wings. Sorry, this picture does look like a large diaphanous bra! Measure the child's outstretched arms, wrist to wrist, and add 10cm. Now make two loops of elastic which will sit comfortably on the wrists. Attach these to the two top corners. Gather up the net across the middle of the strip, tie with a bow.. Voila! instant wings. Pin the bow to the childs top to keep the wings from flying off.
 
Bags -large ones for veg, middle sized ones for keeping lingerie from tangling in the washing machine- and small ones to hold lavender...

For parties and weddings, make 'bonbonierres' to hold sweets  - you can sew them neatly with drawstrings- of for speed, gather up a circle of net and hold in place with an elastic band [at last! a use for those loom bands now lying neglected in the cupboard]
Even the narrowest trimmings can be cut into strips and wound up and stored neatly to make ribbon ties. Use them for tying round gifts or bunches of flowers- or for tying plants to garden stakes.
And don't forget you can use trimmings for collages and card making too
...a dozen uses for the back bottom of the net, which would otherwise have gone in the bin. 
Saving money and saving the planet!
Any other suggestions?

waxwrap update
FC asks below about my wax wraps. Here's an update
I made them in June last year[tutorial here] In January, I noticed the one I used most was developing crease lines and in February, I rewaxed a few of them. 
I discarded one wrap, which was left slightly too long on a cut half of butternut squash [my fault entirely]It developed some black mould spots and I didn't feel happy with it. Otherwise the wraps continue to work very well. My main uses are for sandwiches, cheese, and covering bowls. Following the squash incident I've avoided direct contact with moist produce. Rinsing well in cold/cool water, shaking, and air drying [draped over a bottle]  seems to be adequate maintenance. Store flat with as few folds as possible.

12 comments:

  1. This isn't really about this post but I was looking back at another of your tutorials and wondered how your use of waxed cloth was going. Have they proved easy to maintain?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent, excellent ideas Ang! Love them all!! The fairy wings idea is super!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Useful for school choirs [of angels] at Christmas, maybe?

      Delete
  3. I recently used a Remnant to replace the net in a small fishing net. Reading all your suggestions I will be looking in the C S to buy some more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never thought of that one. Must remember that if Rosie ever wants to find tadpoles!

      Delete
  4. I read your blog every day, you never cease to amaze me with the uses you come up with for odd things, I thought I was good, but you beat me into a top hat. fantastic ideas. We do use olf nets for the fruit bush, we were really amused the other day to see a blackbird trying to pull the net off the white currants so he could get at them. OH went out and took a small bunch off, left them on the ground, a few minutes later they were all gone. The blackbird sat on the fence watching what OH was doing!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Absolutely brilliant! The angel wings look like something from Ann Summers - but what would I know about that?! ;).

    ReplyDelete
  6. wedding dress for dressing up? somewhat worryingly that was my sons favourite outfit aged 4 , hes now in his 20s and doesnt want this mentioned in public...lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps you should have posted this anonymously?!

      Delete
  7. I wouldn't say that I was a lace curtain sort of person either but I walked in on one of HOH's Scandi dramas and there - in the middle of the loveliest living room you have ever seen was a huge window with a beautiful floor to ceiling lace curtain. So maybe, they are on the way back. You heard it here first :-)

    ReplyDelete

Always glad to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!
I am blocking anonymous comments now, due to excessive spam!