What eras inspire you?

dandy-candy

I am quite a vintage fan, but I love different eras for the way they inspire me.

I love the mend and make do attitude of the 1940's, it really appeals to my OS thriftiness and I think the spirit and strength of those women on the homefront while bombs were dropping is amazing. I use this era for inspiration in adapting what I have at hand to fit my needs.

The 1950s are what I base my style on, I adore the way women dressed so feminine and the bright colours in their home wares. I just wish I had a wasp waist!

The final era I like is the 1970s. The whole back to the land movement with a deep respect for nature is beautiful and appeals to my herbalism and spiritual side.

Do other people have aspects of their OS living that they identify with different eras? I would love to see what appeals to you!

meritaten

I freely admit that I am heavily influenced by my nan! who married in the early thirties and brought up four girls during the war. we lived with her until I was ten - and some of my most treasured memories are of her teaching me cooking in her tiny kitchen - but in my mind they weren't lessons - they were 'spending time with nain! She liked to cook, she hated sewing, but would spend hours making dresses etc because she 'had to'. and she did it beautifully. like her, I hate making clothes but will embroider for pleasure! WIERD that isn't it?
She had this 'string ball' - she saved string and wound it onto a ball - when I was little it was the size of a football!
She was houseproud and taught me how to 'polish' wooden furniture using the round tins of beeswax polish - I still use them - they last for years!!!!!! very economical! esp when compared to 'spray polish'.

how to 'make do and mend'. She taught me to darn socks, elbows of hand knitted jumpers and shop bought jumpers. to patch inside the knees of trousers when they were new - don't wait till they wear out! patches show then! patch when new and the knees don't wear out! she thought Iron on interfacing the best invention since sliced bread! lol.

my mum has/had no interest in cooking - she had her weekly 'menu' of things she could cook and she wouldn't deviate! nan would use what she had and if that meant a strange combination - so be it!
but nan made beautiful cakes and her Welsh cakes were the best - so were her pikelets, I tried to recreate her recipe but nothing comes close. (if you are from the valleys and have a pikelet recipe - please post it - drop scone recipes are nothing like it!).

armyknife

1890s-1913.

Mrs_Bones

So many different eras to choose from, I love history in general so it's a tough choice. I love the band music of the 30's/40's period, it's fashion and the make do and mend ethos. Likewise I like the music halls of the Edwardian period and house styles.

I think when I look back though it's rooms that most influence me. I'd love a library / study like the grand houses use to have. It also might sound rather 'sad' but I've also always fancied a laundry room, with large walk in closets for keeping pressed linens. Maybe because the only room I've got for my washing machine is in the garage, the kitchen is to small.

The room I most dream about creating though is a Still Room which dates back to the Medieval and Tudor periods. It was separate from the kitchen and apart from being a place to brew and make wine it was all the area where the all the household preparations were made, from medicines, toiletries, make up and household cleaning products. I use to like making things like potpourri and though I've got a small herb garden I'd like a bigger one with scented plants also to make my own preparations. I like the idea of using natural products where possible to clean etc, I fear we use far to many chemicals now.

TravellingAbuela

For inspiration in the way I have always lived my life it has to be the forties. I was born just after the war ended and we lived next door to my grandma and grandad, who looked after me a lot whilst my mum and dad were at work.

My grandma was one of the original make-do-and-menders and taught me an awful lot - without me actually realising most of the time! Her waste-not-want-not attitude lives on through me and now also my DD.

I still use a lot of her recipes, though many weren't actually recipes, it was just a case of making something out of what you had in! I still make a Waste-Not-Want-Not soup today!

She taught me to sew and I remember, as if it was yesterday, sitting at her old treadle sewing machine in her back bedroom, whilst my grandad was tending his veg patches in the garden below. She taught me to knit and crochet too but I never had the patience to grasp tatting!

I wish now I had thanked her for all she taught me. I just hope my DGDs can remember me with such fond memories in the years to come.

ps Meritaten she also kept the huge ball of string in the pantry, along side sheets of folded brown paper that "might come in".

dandy-candy

Meritaten your nan sounds lovely! I wish there were more of that generation still around, they could teach us all so much.
Mrs Bones a laundry room doesn't sound sad at all. I'd love one with a high ceiling and pulleys to hoist up the washing when it dries. Wet washing on racks around the house drives us all barmy!

dandy-candy

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

I remember, as if it was yesterday, sitting at her old treadle sewing machine in her back bedroom, whilst my grandad was tending his veg patches in the garden below.

I think it's so lovely when families work together to make the home. I'd love to do crafts with my DD but she isn't interested in the slightest. I have managed to get DH into gardening, which is a good thing as he has green fingers

lostinrates

I think techniques which have endured through ages are inspiring. I,m also looking to see what 'tomorrow ' brings. It tickles me when its oldstyle with a twist or added ease rather than super fan dangly.


Cookery wise, I'm fascinated by early food writing and recipes. Things that go something like ''Take almaundes blaunched, and grynde hem al to doust withouten eny lycour. Do þerto poudour of gyngeuer, sugur, and salt; do þise in a thynne foile. Close it þerinne fast, and frye it in oile; clarifie hony with wyne, & bake it þerwith.'' Some of these recipes with a few tweaks are to my taste....others its clear where food tastes lead on in other directions over the years.

Ultimately though, I'm glad I live today. I'm glad I have yhings like a washing machine and a vacuum cleaner especially. Hot running water and reliable plumbing is a modern luxury I am happy not to forgo as well as access to Internet and huge numbers of books for reference and pleasure.

Dozey_crow

I like all eras up to 1960s but I am greatly inspired by the Victorian era. It seems a time of amazing progress as well as mend and make do. For instance, they grew hundreds of varieties of fruit and veg including par choi, peppers and other things we may still consider exotic. They made hot beds from straw and manure to do this.

They were pioneering but also resourceful which was a winning combination. The clothes, jewelry and fabrics were also beautiful. Don't get me won't I know that some awful things also went on but it fascinates me.

Eyeore

Meritaten and TravellingAbuela your Grans sound fab, mine died when I was quite young so whilst I do remember them, they lived far away so I don't remember being 'taught' anything. I'd love them to be around now, since I am trying to be more OS! Anyone want to adopt me?

I love reading about the 40's and 50's, so much admiration for everyone during that period but I really really love reading about the Home Front, I could read for hours. My new years resolution was to start trying some of the recipes - hmm we'll have to see how that goes!

VJsmum

Slightly OT, but it isn't so much another era that inspires me but another nation, which is France and the French. I love the way they shop, cook and eat, I love the way they dress and the whole lifestyle.