2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

Yay I was able to refund my extra pair of trousers so that's six coupons back, bringing me down to 36. I'm honestly more excited about the coupons than the money! :rotfl:

Yes, when I see an item in a shop, it's the coupons I think about, not the pounds! I stand there thinking, "hmmm.... it is really nice - but... it's SIX COUPONS!!!! That isn't worth six coupons!!!"

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

Well done CraftyLisa - I take it that you bought the skirt fabric, if you were using fabric you already owned then it doesn't count ... or were you the person trying to use up your stash, sorry I can't remember!


PollyWolly- yes I did buy the fabric. I get a sewing subscription box sent to me every month and I used that fabric to make the skirt. It is a really bright and cheerful fabric so I can't wait to wear it in the summer. I am also trying to use up my fabric stash. I need to make some household things and some presents. I have also decided to sew some gift bags this year to "wrap" presents in instead of buying wrapping paper (which will end up in landfill as it can't be recycled) or using brown paper (which some people seem to find offensive).


Its a nice feeling when you are able to take something back and get a refund when you realise that actually you won't make use of it.

Laura_Elsewhere

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I need to make some household things and some presents. I have also decided to sew some gift bags this year to "wrap" presents in instead of buying wrapping paper (which will end up in landfill as it can't be recycled) or using brown paper (which some people seem to find offensive).

I crocheted some little bags for Easter from pink tinsel yarn which were a huge success - and I am happily using the bags I got some Amazon presents in last Christmas, silver-spotted organza drawstring ones, very useful!

I keep not having the time or energy but I want to use up some "fat quarters' I've been given in experimenting with making beeswax-cloths... you know the very expensive things you use instead of clingfilm or sandwich-bags? It's a sheet of cotton, completely soaked in a mixture of melted beeswax and jojobo oil (which is another wax that's liquid at room temp, so stops the beeswax hardening to brittle-hardness again), and you just put it over a jar or dish, hold your hand on it a moment to warm it a little, then bend it down to make a lid... or fold it up round sandwiches - you mustn't use them in contact with meat or dairy, so not exactly like clingfilm, but certainly it would reduce our use of single-use throwaway plastics.

Friends have them and love them but they're over a tenner EACH to buy! I have some organic beeswax and some jojoba oil, and I have these FQs people have kindly sent me* which are not my style at all but could be given away as cheerful wax-wrap presents!


*it is lovely that people kindly send me things but I am realising I have quite a lot of yarn and fabric I never chose...

CAFCGirl

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

I crocheted some little bags for Easter from pink tinsel yarn which were a huge success - and I am happily using the bags I got some Amazon presents in last Christmas, silver-spotted organza drawstring ones, very useful!

I keep not having the time or energy but I want to use up some "fat quarters' I've been given in experimenting with making beeswax-cloths... you know the very expensive things you use instead of clingfilm or sandwich-bags? It's a sheet of cotton, completely soaked in a mixture of melted beeswax and jojobo oil (which is another wax that's liquid at room temp, so stops the beeswax hardening to brittle-hardness again), and you just put it over a jar or dish, hold your hand on it a moment to warm it a little, then bend it down to make a lid... or fold it up round sandwiches - you mustn't use them in contact with meat or dairy, so not exactly like clingfilm, but certainly it would reduce our use of single-use throwaway plastics.

Friends have them and love them but they're over a tenner EACH to buy! I have some organic beeswax and some jojoba oil, and I have these FQs people have kindly sent me* which are not my style at all but could be given away as cheerful wax-wrap presents!


*it is lovely that people kindly send me things but I am realising I have quite a lot of yarn and fabric I never chose...

I make these in my business, Although I make vegan ones without beeswax.
I will warn you, it's messy and sticky fun but if you want the sort of 'tacky' factor so they'll hold their form you need to use pine resin really, else they don't really hold their shape as well over containers.
I hasten to add I don't charge a tenner for mine either because I don't believe in adding in a green tax to capitalise off others :rotfl:

CAFCGirl

I've spent coupons on yarn - tut tut!

So that's a whopping 10 coupons from my calculations.
I was, post ordering, tempted by dipping my toe in with sock yarn and ordering a sock loom to gift them for Christmas. I kept it together and clicked off the site.

Decided to use the aqua yarn I was gifted to loom knit another blanket for my sister and her partner as a gift for their new house. They will have a beautiful 'snug' room with wood burner, bookshelves and cosy armchairs over their garden with French doors so I think it'll sit lovely in there. Hence ordering more yarn as I wanted to stick to same type and create a colour flow they'd like. So it'll be the aqua, soft grey, cinder grey and a dusky rose colour.

PollyWollyDoodle

Ha Laura - 'beeswax wraps' has been on my list since January. I have lots of fat quarters of cotton in my stash, and a plentiful supply of beeswax, just haven't got round to it yet. I can't believe the prices charged for them commercially, especially as beeswax is pretty cheap. The method I've seen just uses wax, I hadn't heard about adding jojoba oil.

Laura_Elsewhere

CAFCGirl wrote: »

I hasten to add I don't charge a tenner for mine either because I don't believe in adding in a green tax to capitalise off others :rotfl:

Oooh, I do love the people in here! Ethical AND ethical?!?!

Do you have a link, please? I know a few people who might want to buy some vegan ones...

Laura_Elsewhere

I'm starting to wonder if I come across as particularly pathetic, in a kind of Victorian orphan sort of way... or if I simply know enormous numbers of generous and thoughtful people...

I've been saving up for some proper good hiking footwear later this year, because part of my being overweight is that my feet hurt so much, no matter what...

...and a friend who has lost quite a lot of stone via lots of outdoorsy activity in the last couple of years, so knows just what it's like, has sent me a present - a pair of very very very good-quality hiking boots which fit as if custom-made for me... and coupon-free!!!

I am very fortunate!

But I am a little concerned that I'm unconsciously going round with my nose wistfully pressed against metaphorical windows...

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

I'm starting to wonder if I come across as particularly pathetic, in a kind of Victorian orphan sort of way... or if I simply know enormous numbers of generous and thoughtful people...

I've been saving up for some proper good hiking footwear later this year, because part of my being overweight is that my feet hurt so much, no matter what...

...and a friend who has lost quite a lot of stone via lots of outdoorsy activity in the last couple of years, so knows just what it's like, has sent me a present - a pair of very very very good-quality hiking boots which fit as if custom-made for me... and coupon-free!!!

I am very fortunate!

But I am a little concerned that I'm unconsciously going round with my nose wistfully pressed against metaphorical windows...

No, you aren't. You just have very kind and thoughtful friends. Wear them with pride.

Apologies for being AWOL for the last few days. We had a rather full weekend followed by me working away for Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a friend staying, so went to the Manga exhibition at the British Museum on Saturday. Also, if anyone saw a woman knitting on a grey sock at the cricket on Monday, that was me. (England vs Afghanistan at the Oval in a World Cup warm up match. I have no idea if it was broadcast. We had second row seats.)

- Pip

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

Laura - I did consider making beeswax wraps but I decided it would make too much mess. My sister used to make candles when she was a kid with wax and it got everywhere. I think I will just buy them when I need them. However, I have come across some pins on pinterest about making plate and bowl covers with fabric and elastic. I'm going to give that a go. I cut a load out last night and I am just starting on overlocking them. I am away this weekend so I probably won't get them finished for a while but at least I have started (and quite a lot of small sizes of fabric has been used rather than being kept in my stash forever and a day). Progress!