Comments on: No New Clothes Challenge: Purging the Extras

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:54:17 +0000

Hey guys – I’m loving your ideas and questions. Just want to let you know I’m not ignoring them. In fact, I’m planning on addressing all of them in a nice and juicy post. if only this darn German homework wouldn’t get in the way…
Katie

By: Deborah Aldridge

Deborah Aldridge — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:33:09 +0000

The best thing that ever happened to me was having my clothes dryer break. I am forced now to look at every piece of clothing when I hang it, and when I take them down, I put some into the “giveaway” pile, and some into the “rag” pile. I had an entire drawer full of gardening / knockaround shirts. Now I have 5. I’m working on paring down my decent shirts as well, trying to pare down to 7, but it’s hard, because I do pick my used clothing (I only wear used clothing) carefully, so I don’t feel guilty about having 25 shirts that only cost $1 – $3 each.

By: Berliner

Berliner — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:00:39 +0000

Thanks for the jeans comments, Daniel and Annie. I did try the iron-on patches last year on a pair of old jeans, and they were stiff, uncomfortable, and eventually formed new holes on the edges of the patches. But then, I probably bought the cheapest of the cheaps! I’ll take a look around here and see what I can find (I’m in Germany, after all, and people here are pretty saavy when it comes to re-using stuff). The SAS2 sounds even better, unfortunately I haven’t got a sewing machine and would probably mow off my finger if I tried to use one. But I am encouraged to know other people manage to do it effectively and will keep trying. Thanks!

By: CC

CC — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:01:12 +0000

As I put newly washed clothes back in the closet, I put them at one end and aim to wear the clothes at the other end. When I find that I have been avoiding a certain item, I take it out and look at it seriously. I ask myself why I am not wearing it. If the answer is not justified (such as: it only matches one pair of pants, or I don’t like the sleeves much) then I gift it away, or cut it up for quilts or rags. As a school teacher, I have two types of clothes: Those I wear for work and church. Those I wear for hanging in the house and exercise.
I volunteer at a thrift store in town and love to shop for different clothes there. Since I am very particular on what I wear, I generally do not bring home many items that I do not absolutely LOVE. Then when I bring home something, I remove one item from my closet for every item I bring home.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:18:26 +0000

I can do this this weekend! I admit, though, sometimes I feel like I should hold on to some “nice” piece of clothing for that one time that I might need to wear it — even though I haven’t worn it in a couple of years and even though I spend my days in jeans and t shirts. So do you have any items that you hold onto just in case, or do you let those go, too?

By: annie

annie — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:44:11 +0000

I made a comment, but it must have gotten lost. boo.

to Berliner: purchase, online, a thing called “steam-a-seam 2″
use an old piece of jeans for a patch.
follow directions on SAS2 and iron the patch onto the back. Then take sewing machine and zig-zag around patch edge. Match thread with jeans and it will hardly show.
SAS2 is made so it isn’t supposed to come out in the wash or dryer, but I don’t trust anything. You don’t have to fix the hole unless you want to if you have a matching patch behind it. If you do want it not to show, then
put your machine on straight stitch and start on the left side of the hole, stitch forward and backward, pulling it to the left minutely as you do. Eventually you will cover the hole area with matched stitches.