Our Consumer Society

[TelephoneAngel]

Today, boyfriend was called into work earlier than expected and it is far too hot to do anything other than sit around.

So, I had the idea of looking in my sewing cupboard, basically it's a cupboard where over the past five years I've chucked in anything which needed medning in some way, then rebelled against that and bought another one.

So some of these things have been in there a long time.

So, I've sewn up some skirts, some trousers, and best of all, but very sad -

I found in there my old trusty shopping bag which has wheels attached, its very helpful for shopping at market or somewhere where you dont want to be carrying heavy goods.About three years ago it got torn across the front.

Into the cupboard it went, and our society being what it is, with cheap goods being available, i bought another one, rather than mend that one.

Today, all it took was some very strong nylon thread and a large needle, and I had it mended and strong as ever within twenty minutes!

Just shows how wasteful our society has become (I know I'm not the only one!)

[protege]

Just shows how wasteful our society has become (I know I'm not the only one!)

You're not. You'd be surprised at what shows up in the garbage every week. I've seen big-screen TVs, sofas, and other once-expensive goods. The only reason they get tossed, is that they "no longer match the decor," or they're "too expensive" to repair.

Some of you know that I have a collection of older Radio-Flyer wagons. That started innocently enough--one was bought to deliver newspapers. 2 years later, it was damaged in an accident. Driving home one afternoon, I saw another one about to be thrown away. At the time, I was going to use it as a parts donor to fix the other one. But, it was older, and really too good to butcher. Instead, I cleaned it up and gave it a new paint job. While I was at it, I repaired the original one as well--the damage wasn't as bad as I thought. Both gave good service until the paper shut down in '94...and then were carefully stored in the attic.

But, those aren't the only ones... Right now, I have a grand total of 4. I found yet another...this time a '59, being thrown out. Again, nothing really wrong with it. Eventually, I'll get around to removing the rust and repainting it. Rounding out the fleet, is the Beast. This was bought at a discount store a few years back, and is used mainly to haul heavy things in the yard. The wider track means that shifting bags of mulch won't tip it over in corners.

Even old computers aren't simply tossed. I repair them, and donate them to charities. I reuse what I can, and scrap the rest. I'm sure it drives the recycling center nuts to find plastic cases and other scrap parts in with the bottles and cans

[BookstoreEscapee]

Someone left an old TV at the edge of our parking lot. The part that pissed me off is it wasn't even next to the dumpster, let alone inside it. The dumpster is at the end of the lot, and they left it under the trees in front of one of the spots on the side, about 5-6 spots down from the end. Most people who leave junk that is either too big to go in the dumpster or that appears to be in good enough shape that someone might want to snag it at least leave it next to the dumpster. (Which they're not supposed to do, either. If it doesn't fit inside the dumpster it's not supposed to go out there at all. You're supposed to dispose of it yourself.)

[Food Lady]

I got a recliner for less than $2 at the thrift store recently. (It was half off! ) It's a bit wonky, but perfectly fine, just an outdated color/fabric. That's what covers are for.

[Racket_Man]

you should see the junk pickers riding asround in their trucks on recycle pick up day. esp in the spring and fall when people play musical apartments. the curbs are LOADED with useful stuff. some things like window A/C units, chairs, recliners, do-it-yourself/put-it-together yourself furniture, etc. just need a little love and repair.

and yes I have picked up curbside/almost in the dumpster items in the past that I still have.

[ravevolution]

Are society is very wasteful. . .it's why we at my work charge for disposal of old tires.

Customers don't understand why we charge for this. Reason being so it doesn't end up in a landfill or even on the side of the road and actually gets recycled.

Part of the reason especially in the state I live (california) there are charges for environmental fees for consumer goods like appliances and electronics is cause of idiot people throwing their stuff out in places like the side of the road or other places than actually being responsible and taking it to a place to get recycled and such.

Cause of our wastefulness are we now penalized for it

[Der Cute]

A friend of mine loves to go check out dumpsters/garbage areas at apartment complexes. He's found some things he wanted to keep.

Personally, I havent yet. But I do purchase used items on Craigslist, because, well, it's cheaper than buying new. Baby clothes are hella expensive new, and the little buggers only fit in them for a month or so before needing next size up. So- garage sale-ing, CL, and thrift stores = good deal. I've found some good things on CL, and have sold some things I didn't need any longer.

I also try to use glass when I can. Like my baking? Never ever used those disposable aluminum pans. Recycle my cans. Make my own gifts at home. Stuff like this. (I can't sew worth a shit tho)

[Whiskey]

I just found a 24% Lead Crystal Brandy Decanter (20+ years old, possible. At least 50$ retail, if not more due to age) for 7$. Its made by one of the most respected Crystal manufacturers around.

[AriGriffin]

I have gotten brand-new quality books in addition to movies, cds, electronics, shelves, a bicycle frame, household items, and a a cat climbing tree in perfect condition- the cat never played with it by cruising the neighborhood on trash day.

[Seshat]

Sewing takes time and patience, but you can get the knack of it. You can also build up a collection of thread surprisingly quickly.

I DO recommend 'splurging' on good quality thread. Anything your local sewing store sells, NOT the stuff you pick up at $2 shops. There's a good reason for this: thread is made by spinning fibres together. The longer the fibres, the stronger and more even the thread. Good thread uses the long fibres. Cheap thread uses the 'wasted' short fibres.

Those short fibres actually make decent felt, carpet underlay, upholstry wadding, etc. They don't need to be wasted. But they're cheap, and some folks think they can fool suckers into buying cheap thread that keeps breaking, is frustrating to thread, and fuzzes up. Don't fall for it.

It's also worth 'splurging' on good scissors that are comfortable in your hand, a small pair of scissors for detail repair, a pincushion, pins, and a leather thimble. (You'll also need a needle set.)

Be guided by the staff at your sewing store; ask them to lead you to the tools that won't be frustrating to use, but won't break the bank. If the sewing store is the type that hires people who sew for the love of it, they're going to be very knowledgeable and happy to help.

The basics of making an invisible repair, by the way, is to keep all your working on the wrong (body) side of the fabric. Just catch three or four threads on the right (visible) side of the fabric with each stitch, and spend the rest of the stitch on the wrong side.

Study the garment. Examine what bits were being held together before it was damaged, and how. If the damage is in a seam or a hem, you can follow the line of holes and just slip your needle through the old holes and back again to fix it. (Or to make an invisible hem repair, pin it with the old holes and sew it using the 'just three or four threads on the visible side' technique.)

I usually 'darn' small tears. By this, I mean studying the tear, holding it together with my hand or on a table as it would be if it weren't torn, then running thread across one way then the other.
Most fabrics are woven, in a # pattern. You probably made woven paper 'art' in kindergarten - I know I did. Sew across from undamaged fabric, across the damaged area, and down to more undamaged fabric on the other side, in the - direction. Repeat until the entire tear is covered. Then start on the | direction, this time weaving the needle up and down through the - threads.
If you use a thread the same colour as the base fabric, noone will ever notice. If you catch enough of the undamaged fabric on either side, it will hold.

You can darn non-wovens as well, it's just a little more effort to figure out where is a good place to hold the undamaged fabric. Darning socks is a great place to start with non-wovens.

For a large tear in the actual fabric, the best thing to do is usually to make a patch with a fabric of a similar colour and feel, sewing that with the invisible-sewing technique to the back of the damaged area; then darn the tear.