2018 Fashion on the Ration challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

Glad to help, Polly!

I'm down to a perilous 6 coupons, if I'm counting my freebie-vouchers as spending money buying things... waaah!

Still, I've nearly finished my red mohair cardigan, which is coupon-free, as I unravelled someone else'c cast-off jumper

Oh.

Just realised I bought a new dance-frock for going to gigs, argh. Frock of 'other fabric' = 7 coupons.

Oops.

And a crinoline-style cheap net petticoat for under it, another 4.

I am now at minus-5 coupons for the year, nooooo!!!!!

I know one thing, next year (we are all doing this for 2019 too, aren't we?) I shall be MUCH stingier in the first half of the year. I lost count and started at July 1st with a notional half, 33 coupons.
What I failed to do was account for spotting bargains, or buying one-offs.

So next year, I shall spend the first six months being very much more careful with my coupons, and then if I need to get things later on, I shall have them in hand.

It's also helping me think of having fewer clothes, of better quality! I like this challenge... thanks, PipneyJane for starting it and please do run it again next year!

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Glad to help, Polly!

I'm down to a perilous 6 coupons, if I'm counting my freebie-vouchers as spending money buying things... waaah!

Still, I've nearly finished my red mohair cardigan, which is coupon-free, as I unravelled someone else'c cast-off jumper

Oh.

Just realised I bought a new dance-frock for going to gigs, argh. Frock of 'other fabric' = 7 coupons.

Oops.

And a crinoline-style cheap net petticoat for under it, another 4.

I am now at minus-5 coupons for the year, nooooo!!!!!

I know one thing, next year (we are all doing this for 2019 too, aren't we?) I shall be MUCH stingier in the first half of the year. I lost count and started at July 1st with a notional half, 33 coupons.
What I failed to do was account for spotting bargains, or buying one-offs.

So next year, I shall spend the first six months being very much more careful with my coupons, and then if I need to get things later on, I shall have them in hand.

It's also helping me think of having fewer clothes, of better quality! I like this challenge... thanks, PipneyJane for starting it and please do run it again next year!

Minus 5 coupons? Shall we put the excess down to the black market? :rotfl:

Yes, my plan is to do a 2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge. I find it helps me to spend more mindfully, concentrating my mind on what I need and looking for better quality clothing. You do need to plan your spending, though. My weakness is yarn - of which I have a huge stash - next year I’m limiting the yarn buying to 20 coupons!

Did I say that I no longer work in a portacabin in the middle of a field? Well, I may have spoken too soon. That job wants me back. They’re desperate enough that they’re willing to offer me the earth, moon and stars. My gut instinct is saying yes, even though I know that senior management is disfunctional enough that their bosses in Group have (finally) noticed they can’t manage a the proverbial in a brewery and the project that I’ll be on will be in the firing line. I don’t like the way the company treats its contractors but, this time, I will be fixed-term-contract staff on a six month rolling contract. I can see the job lasting 18-24 months or being axed in 6.

As you can see, I’m in a bit of a dilema and I have to decide today. My current role is FTC, expiring March. I’ve done what I was hired to do so don’t see it lasting that long. On the one hand, I won’t have to job hunt for another year or so, which is fine by me. On the other hand, I could be going back to Hell.

Humph!!

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

What did you decide, PipneyJane?

I love the idea of putting the -5 coupons down to the Black Market - I'm shocked at myself for using the Black Market, but that must be what happened

Those red cotton-sateen Deliberate Trousers are sitting on my sewing machine, cut out, unsewn... I must actually make them!! It seems they don't sew themselves...

PollyWollyDoodle

Thanks Laura for finding that swimsuit, I'd searched for one in the largest size without success. It's a leetle bit tight but I'm hoping if I keep swimming three times a week, it will fit better in a month or so! I'm sorry I can't help with your search for a simple swimsuit. So, four coupons back out again - think that takes me up to 48. I still have some fabric to make up, but I'm going to need a new pair of winter shoes and some new bras.

This thread definitely makes me focus on what I can buy second-hand or make myself!

Laura_Elsewhere

It really does help me focus, too - I really want to do better next year... I can't believe I've ended up buying on the Black Market, the shame, the shame...

Next year will be different...!

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

What did you decide, PipneyJane?

I love the idea of putting the -5 coupons down to the Black Market - I'm shocked at myself for using the Black Market, but that must be what happened

Those red cotton-sateen Deliberate Trousers are sitting on my sewing machine, cut out, unsewn... I must actually make them!! It seems they don't sew themselves...

Hi Laura. Thanks for asking. Despite some well founded objections from my husband, I decided to accept the job. My friend who still works there also tried to talk me out of it. I’m aware the whole situation really is balanced on a knife edge, but if it falls to the right side, it will be a great opportunity for me. (If it falls to wrong side, I’ve lost little - some sleep maybe. The current role will end soon.). And they’re willing to pay me net as an employee what they were paying me gross as a contractor, which effectively means a huge pay rise since they’ll be making pension contributions, paying holiday pay and paying employers’ National Insurance. I will start in October.

On the Fashion On the Ration front, I’ve nearly finished knitting my Sunray Ribbing top. I’m playing yarn-chicken. I’m down to a few grams of wool - just a few metres - and still have the collar and button bands to do. In fact, I had to unpick the cuff on the first sleeve to make it slightly shorter, so that I could harvest enough yarn for the collar. I felt very 1940’s while doing that. (I deliberately made the second sleeve’s cuff four rows shorter and I definitely needed to do that.). I’m now trying to work out what to knit next....

My 30 remaining coupons are waiting for my trip to France at the end of September. I want a new suit. Who knows, I may even find the elusive trench-coat-with-detachable-lining that I’ve been looking for since Summer 12017...

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

Gosh that does sound very 1940s!

Hope the job works out, and you can maintain a 'take the money and run' approach - not always easy when you're in the thick of it!

[Deleted User]

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

No need to answer this, as the swimsuit has had to be sent back. Sigh. I have a full figure and a rather long torso, and it seems to be impossible to buy a sports swimsuit larger than an 18. There is plenty of plus size swimwear, if I wanted retro, plunge, uplift, cutouts or anything else fancy - it seems manufacturers don!!!8217;t think larger ladies just want to swim for exercise! I really don!!!8217;t want to go to my local leisure centre wearing a plunge front, or one with a little skirt. Coupons back in the drawer, I!!!8217;ll have to carry on with the rather old swimsuit I already own.

I am taller and buy all my swimsuits from Long Tall Sally:


https://www.longtallsally.com/swimwear/c


I have just checked and the cossies go up to a size 22.

RicardaRacoon

Laura, I don't know in which group here it was that someone said that there are certain yarns you just don't unravel... ANd if you ever feel the urge to do so you'd better bang your head against a wall, equal pain.... So well done on unraveling the jumper and reusing the yarn!
And don't be too hard on yourself because of the black market!



Pip, I had a good laugh about you knitting at Prom Concerts! I'd totally do the same!

RE vouchers; I'd count vouchers from the company or freeby yarn. But a voucher as a gift from a friend/family member could easily be interpreted as they'd order the yarn with their points because out of whatever reason they have points to give away.



My new shoes that I bought less than two months ago were proper war quality and already in a really bad state... So I bought a new pair of shoes because I can't go through autumn with only one pair of flat shoes until boots season starts... So another five points down... Well, I could, most people did that back in the days, but my feet hurt horibly when I wear the same shoes for days...



So my total toll is:

5 Points for a blouse
14 points for a pair of plimsolls, a pair of flats and a pair of lace ups
8 Points for a pair of jeans
7 points of a non-woolen dress
4 points for 200 gramms of yarn
total 38 points, that leaves me with 27 points for winter



I guess I'll soon have to think of my winter wardrobe. Preferably before next week as I will be away for a week and I know I might buy a thing or two... I'd better make it something I need....
I just hope I can mend the lining of my winter coat because a new lining is oh-my-gosh-I-don't-want-to-think-about points... Though thinking of it... I have some left over curtain fabric in a flower print perfectly matching my coat... That would be make-do-and-mend at it's best...!



I intend to do something boarderline illegal with some yarn for a knitting for soldiers scheme... I will wear the scarf I knit before handing it in...
In 21 centuries therms; I'm going to the Harry Potter Studio Tours and want to knit myself a Hufflepuff scarf. Since black and yellow aren't really colours I will need in a scarf I decided to give it to charity afterwards. I think I mentioned that I will only count yarn I buy for myself, when knitting presents I pretend that I only do the knitting while the person bought the yarn with their own points and charity knitting is a socks for soldiers scheme...



And I also intend to cheat more with yarn. An old family friend insisted on paying me something for a favour I did her - although I told her that, if she insisted on giving me something, I'd much rather have a pair of handknitted wrist warmers... - and I will invest this money in sock yarn and pretend I got the yarn from her. She is an old lady with a massive wardrobe, so she'd have enough points left and would have given me yarn instead of money...


I'd be in again if we're doing this again next year! I did a challenge alone two years ago but it is so much more fun like this! Plus in my case I count it as research because I try to write a novel that is set in WWII.



Have a lovely evening everyone!

Laura_Elsewhere

RicardaRacoon wrote: »

Well, I could, most people did that back in the days, but my feet hurt horibly when I wear the same shoes for days...

Shoes were better made in the past, though! I have a pair of Church's brogues, men's lace-up shoes made in the early 1960s, almost a decade before I was born - I bought them on eBay, pale yellow-brown, very ugly, very stiff and hard, and I had to spend ages working on them to restore them, but now they are THE shoes I choose for a day I know I'll be on my feet a lot! They also look beautiful, the leather has gone to a beautiful glossy dark chestnut-brown, like a fresh conker!
I also buy black leather lace-up dance shoes, with a squareish heel about 1.5 inches high, and put rubber soles and heels onto them (as they are stage shoes, they aren't sturdily-enough soled for walking on pavements), and non-metal segs from Blakeys, and then those last me several years as everyday shoes for all but the warm months. In summer I live in plimsolls, but those end up hurting my feet much more.
I find it interesting that the old-fashioned, properly-made shoes hurt my feet FAR less...

RicardaRacoon wrote: »

I intend to do something boarderline illegal with some yarn for a knitting for soldiers scheme... I will wear the scarf I knit before handing it in...
In 21 centuries therms; I'm going to the Harry Potter Studio Tours and want to knit myself a Hufflepuff scarf. Since black and yellow aren't really colours I will need in a scarf I decided to give it to charity afterwards. I think I mentioned that I will only count yarn I buy for myself, when knitting presents I pretend that I only do the knitting while the person bought the yarn with their own points and charity knitting is a socks for soldiers scheme...

Very clever!! And makes me feel less guilty about the black market, too!