2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

CAFCGirl

My eBay charity coupon free stuff has started arriving.
Very nice thin knit wrap front too with lower back. Looks quite nice and fits my earthy art teacher artisan vibe.
On a whim and a 99p bid I won a sleeve less the waist dress. Couldn't quite tell the pattern from the photo but it's arrived and it's lots of little blue t×t birds. Material is semi silky and should I be invited anywhere slightly dressier than my usual, it'll work very nicely. The type of dress for afternoon tea or a birthday bbq. Will source a nice thin cardigan at some point, in a denim blue I think to work it with.

Awaiting about 4 other bits.... And a lot luck bid on some jeans too.

PipneyJane

Deramores are selling Greyscale colour packs of plain Regia sock yarn, 6 x 100g balls, for £47.59. That equates to £7.93/ball and will make 9 pairs of socks. It's so tempting but it's 12 coupons.

I don't want to spend the coupons but obtaining plain, dark sock yarn is actually quite difficult and it can be hard to find patterned yarn suitable for the office. My DH would also like another pair of handknitted socks.... ARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I have been debating this around in circles for the last hour.

- Pip

(If the light grey is too pale, I could actually knit a replica of the infamous with it Gotland jumper (the one where the yarn bled out all it's dye).

PipneyJane

PipneyJane wrote: »

Deramores are selling Greyscale colour packs of plain Regia sock yarn, 6 x 100g balls, for £47.59. That equates to £7.93/ball and will make 9 pairs of socks. It's so tempting but it's 12 coupons.

I don't want to spend the coupons but obtaining plain, dark sock yarn is actually quite difficult and it can be hard to find patterned yarn suitable for the office. My DH would also like another pair of handknitted socks.... ARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I have been debating this around in circles for the last hour.

- Pip

(If the light grey is too pale, I could actually knit a replica of the infamous with it Gotland jumper (the one where the yarn bled out all it's dye).

And..... I have talked myself out of buying this yarn. I have 40 coupons left for the year and don't want to spend it on yarn that'll just go into the stash for months/years. If it's meant to be mine, it'll still be available when I need it.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane wrote: »

And..... I have talked myself out of buying this yarn. I have 40 coupons left for the year and don't want to spend it on yarn that'll just go into the stash for months/years. If it's meant to be mine, it'll still be available when I need it.

- Pip

Well done, Pip! And remember the second-hand yarn search facility in Rav - I have bought some really top-quality silk lace yarns and wool sock yarns for quite a bit less than the full price because someone wanted to shrink their stash!

I've been using up some stashed yarn that I've had for some years - my 20-something nieces will have their Easter chocolates in these little crocheted bags, about 5 inches across and very very very much more sparkly than the photos show - they look like Xmas tree tinsel, basically. I did a little loop at the back of the drawstring ribbon so they can hang them up to make them more likely to find some use for them.

Very fast to work up. I'm having a day in bed after too long with short-sleep rations, and have just alternately dozed and crocheted and to my surprise they are done!

(the apples and yarn are just to show the openings; I wouldn't be cruel enough to give my nieces apples for Easter! )

So - no coupon-spending on buying fabric or yarn to make eco-friendly packaging for Easter! I think I might try making some in plain cotton for my parents - maybe I could find a way to make dish-cloth-doilies into chocolate-wrappings?! My mum does love a good old-fashioned dishcloth for the sink...

PollyWollyDoodle

Ooh they are really cute! I must use up some of my yarn stash ....



Bought a brand-new-with-tags white t-shirt from a CS yesterday, I need another plain one for work. Still pondering on making some more t-shirts but the sewing machine hasn't left the cupboard since Christmas, too many other things going on.


In fact, something weird has happened to me. I got an email from one of my favourite shops about new season stuff etc, and idly scrolled through, and there are some nice tops and dresses, and I have got some vouchers that I could spend ... but I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. It's not just the 'rations', it seems so wasteful buying new stuff when (a) I have a fairly full wardrobe already and (b) there is so much in the charity shops. My mindset has really changed, and I think apart from some essential undies and some work trousers, my coupons will be going on fabric this year.

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

I have also been trying to work out how to use my fabric and yarn stash (not necessarily to make clothes) and my sister-in-law came across a charity knit for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice. I have attached a link in case you are interested https://cmhcharity.org.uk/knit-a-chick/. You basically knit chicks for them to slot chocolate eggs into (cream egg size) and they then sell them to raise money for the hospice. I have made 2 so far with my oddment stash. I'm aiming to make one a day. I know this isn't really clothes related but thought it may be of use to those of you that have lots of oddments of wool that are not quite big enough to do much else with (and in my case it stops me looking for another project that involves spending money).

Laura_Elsewhere

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

In fact, something weird has happened to me. I got an email from one of my favourite shops about new season stuff etc, and idly scrolled through, and there are some nice tops and dresses, and I have got some vouchers that I could spend ... but I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. It's not just the 'rations', it seems so wasteful buying new stuff when (a) I have a fairly full wardrobe already and (b) there is so much in the charity shops. My mindset has really changed, and I think apart from some essential undies and some work trousers, my coupons will be going on fabric this year.

That is brilliant!!

I'm still at the stage of standing in a shop staring at a garment and thinking "but you're HOW MANY coupons?!" and remembering last year when I ran out so early and had to turn to the Black Market when I'm normally so law-abiding...

So I'm definitely buying much less, but not quite at the stage you're at, where it's for deeper reasons than some coupons on a messageboard!

It shows how powerful it is, though, when you have a group which helps you question your decisions to buy new clothing... steadily, slowly, surely, we're all buying less and less...

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Well done, Pip! And remember the second-hand yarn search facility in Rav - I have bought some really top-quality silk lace yarns and wool sock yarns for quite a bit less than the full price because someone wanted to shrink their stash!

I've been using up some stashed yarn that I've had for some years - my 20-something nieces will have their Easter chocolates in these little crocheted bags, about 5 inches across and very very very much more sparkly than the photos show - they look like Xmas tree tinsel, basically. I did a little loop at the back of the drawstring ribbon so they can hang them up to make them more likely to find some use for them.

Very fast to work up. I'm having a day in bed after too long with short-sleep rations, and have just alternately dozed and crocheted and to my surprise they are done!

(the apples and yarn are just to show the openings; I wouldn't be cruel enough to give my nieces apples for Easter! )

So - no coupon-spending on buying fabric or yarn to make eco-friendly packaging for Easter! I think I might try making some in plain cotton for my parents - maybe I could find a way to make dish-cloth-doilies into chocolate-wrappings?! My mum does love a good old-fashioned dishcloth for the sink...

Laura, those bags are lovely! You could stick googly-eyes on them, stuff them with small presents/balls and give them to children as “special present bags” and as a toy to play with.

- Pip

diminua

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Well done on the tops! And yes, undies bought abroad don't use up your coupons (although you probably will have to declare them and I don't know what the customs officials will think of those saucy foreign scanties compared to our sturdy 1940s British knickers! )

I got beautifully confused on first reading and was trying to remember the Scilly Isles being invaded... then I re-read!

Thanks Laura. This made me smile as I came back through Gatwick yesterday. Where, curiously enough, there didn't seem to be one single person in Customs. I don't know if it's usually like that, as I think I was only paying attention because you mentioned them.

Presumably if I did have anything to declare I'd have to actively search for someone to declare it to. Or maybe if I went through the red channel a bell would ring and they'd leap out from behind a door at me

CAFCGirl

Grey marl t\shirt fabric dipped hem top (second hand) - will look nice with some darker grey skinny jeans I have, or come summer with a pair of denim shorts - which I intend to make myself from some cheap charity shop jeans.

Olive green banded waist maxi dress in a jersey material which may not need taking up YAY will look lovely I think with some tan sandals, and for cooler times with a slouchy cardigan and belt.

Very happy with that lot.
Waiting on my eBay bits to arrive and then plan having everything out and outfit building\identifying gaps and needs and writing a list of things to look out for in charity shops.