Using up old yarn - can anyone beat this?

I used to love making dresses, jackets, in fact all kinds of clothes for myself and my daughters. Haven't done so for years as the material became more expensive than the finished article. I still knit even though that has become expensive. I did use up some wool which I bought over 20 years ago recently. It's a shame a lot of dressmaking skills have been lost. My mum was excellent making at making dresses and knitting, far neater than me. She was making clothes without a pattern until well into her 80's.

Yes I can. I found a half made summer dress that I must have started 36 years ago . I’ve now inserted the zip and finished it off and my oldest granddaughter aged 7 loves it!

I smell a massive stinky rat !

I was sorting out the garage and found Jane. I think my brother bought her for me when he was born- so she must be 61 now.
Her clothes have been moused - I have some wool left over from knitting for DSs but does anyone know where I can get patterns for "old" baby dolls please?

I knitted for my children and grandchildren when they were young but once past a certain age no one wanted to wear hand knitted clothes. When one of my sons was about 8 we bought him a small snooker table for Christmas and my mum knitted him a black waistcoat with pockets for his chalk so he looked like the professionals. I have a wonderful book of knitting patterns which was given to my grandmother at Christmas 1942. I just love looking at the patterns which include knitted vests, knickers and swim suits for children!

I have a cream cardigan with a fancy beaded pattern on the front, which belonged to an Aunt of DH. The label reads 'Made within the British Empire'.

Nipsmum. Have you tried charity shops for dolls, or even car boot sales? I have seen lovely dolls of all sizes in both of these places.

My mother was an avid knitter and also a great tennis fan, particularly Wimbledon. During the Wimbledon fortnight, she used to do all her work in the morning so she was able to sit down and watch Wimbledon in the afternoon, and at the same time she would be knitting! One year she knitted 2 cardigans during Wimbledon fortnight! She still had these cardigans when she died in 1994. It took me a few years before I could part with them. Money was short when my children were very young and both my mother and I would knit and crotchet clothes for them - a girl and 4 boys. However, when they went to school, the boys in particular were most put out because they were 'the only ones in their class with hand knitted jumpers/cardigans'!! Apparently everyone else had 'shop bought jumpers or fleece lined tops'. I still knit and have patterns from over 70 years ago which my mother knitted for me and my brothers as babies and also the pattern she used for the 2 'Wimbledon' cardigans!
Has anyone else noticed that some patterns from years ago actually turn up again in the shops as 'new' patterns? I have used a number of patterns over and over again. I also found wool my mother had left over and knitted items for my granddaughters when they were born - over 20 years ago!
We also knitted lots of dolls clothes over the years including for 'Cindy and Action Man'!
My Mam was a beautiful knitter and I am so thankful she passed her knowledge to me.

Yes probably, my youngest child is 46 and all the toys came out of the attic for GC. We even have some from my youngest sister's toybox and she is 61.
I also have a box of knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn from way back when.

I've got a teddy bear who is now 64 years old. I treasure it. I remember one morning waking up to see Teddy in red corderoy dungarees and a red jumper my mum had made for him in the evenings. He is still dressed in them. That means love to me, her making them.

Does anyone know where I can buy nice baby dolls for dressing. I don't want to pay a fortune for named manufactured ones. They are for charity. Any that I see or can buy on the internet are quite ugly.

You still buy hand dyed wool in skeins which require winding. My daughter was my yarn holder recently for 3 Hanks of beautiful wool. I also have been given black bags full of yarn of various weights. After sorting and using it I do try to let he person that donated it see what I have done with it. Charities are always looking for knitted goods. It keeps me busy as I can't bear to be sitting doing nothing.

I have loved dressing 2 x GD’s in some of my own DD’s gorgeous dresses that I have saved. I still have them in perfect condition for DD to pass down to her GC.

Yes Gin, I have three Rosebud dolls.

Do you remember the Rosebud dolls ? They were about 9 inches high and I used th knit their clothes from Women’s Weekly patterns on the thinnest needles and yarn.

Oh Lilyflower yes, that smell of real wool in the rain! This thread is bringing back many happy memories. As for me, I have loads of bits of fabric that I will use ‘one day’ including some that I inherited from my granny. DGD is into sewing now so she may end up with it all ....

Almost 5 years ago my Mum died. She wad always obsessed with cleaning. When we had to sort out her house we found boxes and boxes of cleaning products u used, my Mum called her stock. We found a few boxes of washing powder and a bottle of bleach had pre decimal stickers on. Mum used to buy more to replace what she used but did not rotate her stock. We did have a chuckle and my sister took it and used and said it was fine.

Ah, this thread has reminded me of school days when everyone had jumpers knitted out of real wool by their mothers. When it rained and we sat in the warm classrooms we smelt like a herd of sheep. Happy days.

Talking of doll's clothes reminds me of my grandmother. She made me a beautiful set of doll's clothes when I was about 6 (71 now) and I still have them and the doll. There is a wedding dress and veil, black velvet trousers and a knitted pullover, sequined evening dresses and all sorts of lovely garments. I had two sons that wanted to play with diggers and spaceships and my only granddaughter lives in the USA so not enjoyed by anyone but me.

I have an unfinished blue sweater that my dear mum was knitting for my daughter. My daughter would have been about 6, she's now 42. She now has an 11 month son, so one day I will finish that sweater and give it to him. It's going to be something special from his great granny.

Do they have to be new, BillyBob? If not, might be worth trying charity shops.

I've now finished the hat and have started the multicolour blanket. Seed stitch borders and the odd 'stripe', garter stitch in between.
Still have to work out what to do with all the other oddments stuffed into a drawer. Some are chunky, so won't work with the bits of DK.

I have been looking for a couple of dolls to dress, without much success, been on Amazon, E bay etc. nothing to my liking.

This is slightly different, it was my granny who used up pieces of fabric. She was a bit of an amateur dressmaker and in the 1950s the neighbours would ask her to make all sorts for them. Dresses, cushion covers..... Often using fabric from another garment. Granny would often be left with pieces/scraps of fabric that were saved up.

She had a pattern for a dress that was sleeveless and had a square neck, with a panel down the front. The scraps were used to make me my summer dresses.
I would have been about 8 years old.
One patterned fabric was used for the main part of the dress, another patterned fabric was used for the panel. Not much attention was paid to coordination of the colours or fabrics. Many's the dress I had that bore no relation to anything found in a dress shop. I recall a red check dress with an orange and green floral panel. In those days it was a case of needs must!!

she keeps her own clothes on (mostly)

Jalima you're going to have to watch that one when she grows up