Any Umbrellas?

The garden umbrella is very old and really faded- and has one section which has a rip, and a couple of very worn areas – and the next section has a small hole. What to do? I offered to patch it. We discussed what sort of fabric would be appropriate.

“I’ve got a spare gazebo cover” said Bob and produced a huge heap of green fabric from the garage [the umbrella is blue – but never mind] We took the umbrella off the frame, and I washed it – I draped it over the whirligig dryer and it soon dried in the warm sun.

I measured the split [12cm], and all the worn areas and decided that patches the size of my green bowls would cover them. Using Bondaweb, I applied 3 large Mary-Quant-daisies and one small one. I stitched round with zigzag stitch.

The picture top left shows the inside [still darkish blue] and the outside [faded to very pale blue] – and the split. Bottom left shows the flowers appliqued to the outside, as we decided that would give most protection to the weak areas. Inside, you just get a silhouette.

I made my daisy pattern by drawing a small circle inside a larger one, folding the circle into 6, and drawing round a small beaker to get the petal shape.

I didn’t need much of the gazebo fabric- just part of one ‘leg’ – so I cut off the other three and sewed them into a storage bag. The remaining fabric can be stored much more tidily now.

Toodle - luma luma, Toodle - luma luma, Toodle - olay
Any umbrellas, any umbrellas to mend today?
Bring your parasol, it may be small. It may be big
He will fix them all on what you call a thing-a-ma-jig
Pitter patter patter! Pitter patter patter!
It looks like rain.
Let it pitter patter. Let it pitter patter.
Who cares for rain?
He'll mend your umbrellas, then go on his way
Singing toodle luma luma. Toodle luma luma. Toodle- olay

They certainly don’t write lyrics like this any more! Bud and Chesney first sang this in 1938 – I remember my Grandad singing it in the 1960s, when he was out in his shed, mending things.