A small but useful modification.

That's a velcro strip from Daiso (Japanese $2.80 shop - incidentally full of all the little useful things you didn't know you needed or that would be made) that I cut lengthwise - with a little rotary cutter also bought from Daiso (good to not make your good one blunt - also $2.80).

My Dad is in a nursing home with dementia :( and it is getting more difficult to get him dressed.
I think this is a huge problem for a lot of less abled people.. getting in and out of some clothing can be frustrating for the person who may not have the patience, strength or agility to get clothes on. He is losing weight and he gets cold in the air-conditioning so he wears long pants year round. He likes to wear track pants in the winter but when we take him out it's too hot now here. Putting some elastic waisted chino type pants on him last week it was difficult (and he was impatient) to get the pants up over the under things he needs with this elastic waist. I thought I would put a strip of velcro along the side and let him get the comfort and ease of the elastic waist but with quick access. It is surprisingly strong and it was available in the right colour... bonus.

Firstly I sewed the elastic in the waistband through the whole waistband about 3 cm either side of the side seam, unpicked the waistband then I cut the elastic. Then I unpicked the flat felled seam to the pocket opening end. The velcro had adhesive, which was very strong actually and this made it useful to hold in place and not have to pin. The only problem I struck was that the adhesive stuck itself to the needle then the needle couldn't go through the fabric and velcro.. it even pulled the thread out. However, tea tree oil to the rescue... I dipped a cotton tip in the oil and rubbed the needle clean with it which did two things. One; it cleaned the needle and two, with the needle lubricated, it made the needle able to really slide in and out easier and less of the adhesive would stick. I had to clean/lubricate the needle a few times but it worked a treat. So that's my small but useful modification. I'll test it on Sunday when I go get Dad for our weekly family lunch and report back.

It's been a busy, busy time lately what with working full time and two lots of overseas friends here. Friends have gone and my job officially ended today... it was a short contract of 4 months... however, although that contract is over, a new opportunity starts on Monday with the same department for an unknown length of time. It's been a huge learning curve and there was many changes throughout this time. It's great to be part of a team that literally is like turning a ship around quickly....being responsive and adaptable. So not much in the sewing for me but hopefully I'll get something made up this weekend.

Paris, river cruise 2022 - photo bomb!

(this post has been in my drafts since July 2022 due to life circumstances. I'm just going to write just a little and then just show some photos) My friend worked on a Superyacht for many years and through this connection was offered a friends and family deal on a river cruise in Europe. It was a deal too good to miss even though it wouldn't have been a first choice for me for a holiday. She had done this trip before but during the winter taking in the Christmas markets. We were going in June 2022. We decided to have 5 nights in Paris (where I'd been 5 times before) and 2 nights in Amsterdam where my friend lived for 2 years in her youth. We flew into Frankfurt... not because we wanted to but because these were the only flights we could get but we worked with it. Remember great deal! So ok, a short (5hr), fast ride on the ICE/TGV trains got us to Paris eventually (one was late which missed the connection to the earlier TGV but there was one a bit after). We knew that w

YFASMA - Fabric shopping in Athens

I promised this post in March! Fabrics from Euro1 per metre! I didn't buy anything in this shop but there was some lovely fabrics. I did buy the green and pink one above on the right. A satin finish rayon. It is lovely. There was a lot of lovely fabrics in this shop. It wasn't cheap Euro 8 p.m. but I didn't have a lot of room in my bag and I wanted something I would really love. I also didn't buy anything in Paris this time. I did buy the fabric for a table cloth just across the way from this shop. I also bought some orange/white weave linen fabric for Euro 4 p.m. at another shop, which I think I'll make some summer trousers with. As I was going to the airport, I saw this dress on the platform and I really liked it. Very easy to do too, I went to the Benaki Museum while in Athens. There is actually 2 locations. In this one I saw lots of Greek and Cypriot cultural crafts. This was a bridal bed in Crete. There was lots of clothing, embroidery and gold jewellery.

The saddest dress, then a few more.

Well hello. It's been a while. It was 8 months from the last post to the previous one to that and it's a bit longer this time. The last day I wrote was 10 Jul 2021. On 12 July my son and I were finally seeing Tim Minchin after booking it before we went to Europe at the end of 2019. It was going to be April 2020, but changed a few times and although it was a school night (year 12 for Alex) we went for dinner and sat in the show. My Mum had gone to hospital that morning and my sister was still at the hospital with her. Just after interval I got a message on my phone, "get to the hospital now". So we raced out and to the hospital where. although it was a lockdown and no visitors allowed, all 10 of us were allowed to see Mum as she was end of life. I won't go into the whole thing but Mum didn't die that night, but because of lockdown, we were not allowed to go and see her until a week and a half later when we were allowed just to discuss palliative care. By the n

Sew Darn Tired

Search This Blog