Do people still sew on buttons?

[marvik]

I just wondered after teaching my 21 year old - who will soon be leaving home - how to do this.

I should hope so. It would be ridiculous to throw clothes away just because a button fell off.

I’m 28 and I don’t. I have very occasionally stitched up a hole in DH’s pocket but I usually just buy new clothes

Does anyone still darn socks?

Of course! And mend ripped seams and hems that fall down.

Couldn’t be arsed darning a sock though.

Yes of course, if a button falls off. I was also taught other simple mending techniques by DM. She didn't teach DB, but he apparently got taught while doing National Service!

Of course they should. I was at a neighbour's house a few months ago when she threw a school blouse into the bin because a couple of buttons had come off; I retrieved it and sewed buttons back on. She didn't have a button box....

Crikey, I'm an old bloke and all the class were taught to sew at junior school in the sixties. Made a teddy bear! Yes, we sew buttons on.

Yes! I take up trousers and mend holes and hems. I wouldn't ever darn socks though.

I get DP to do it.
It usually ends up looking like a bloody massacre when i do it!!

I sew buttons and mend little holes in tights. I darn socks if it's a little hole, but if it's just worn through from old age I buy new ones.

Absolutely! What a waste not to! I don't imagine that a future partner would be very impressed to be asked to do it.

People throw out clothes because a button came off?!

I’m pretty appalled by the waste tbh.

I sew on buttons & do other basic mending. My DC can sew on buttons too, they learned at Scouts so I didn't need to teach them.

I occasionally darn socks, if it's a favourite pair. My DGM taught me how & I like doing it, I find it a very soothing activity. Maybe because it reminds me of DGM, who I adored.

Yes i do, but i also usually spend quite a while still using it with missing buttons or leaving it for ages because i cant be bothered. Never sure if im doing it the ‘right’ way though as nobody ever showed me. I would love to know how to take up or let down trousers but i cant seem to do it without the stitching being badly on show.

I do, and constantly have to sew up holes in OH's pockets in his work trousers. Don't darn socks though.

DD has been learning to sew at school since she started and is pretty good already at 7 years old. She'll learn to knit too.

I do - can't imagine throwing something due to a missing button!!
I turn up hems, take tucks in waistbands, and haver shortened blazer sleeves. I'll give most things a go!

Yes, I do small repairs too. Never darned a sock but we all wear supermarket cheapies which go for rags once they are holey. I can put existing hems back up but am not very good at shortening things that are too long.

Can you all use a sewing machine? I’m late 30s and learned at school but I know lots of people my age who can’t.

I do.

I do, and I do minor repairs as well. I can't darn socks. With hems I often use that wonder web stuff.

I had to sew the button back on dd's school blazer, they are £30, would people really throw one away rather than put a button back on?

Just this minute did one.

The only socks I'll darn are handmade woolly ones, though. I can knit socks, but find it a hassle and a huge effort, so I'd feel bad throwing away someone else's efforts, if it can be easily darned. I wouldn't start darning my Tesco multipack cotton ones.

Of course.
Also this week I have sewn up a hole in DDs school bag and repaired the buttonhole on DHs leather jacket.

Yes. I was taught by my dad oddly enough but my mum was very good at repairing and sowing etc.