2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I have had a lot of catching up to do today but I am now up to date. Sorry to hear the bad news people have had and thanks for the inspiration you all continue to give. Also welcome to the new joiners. I have had a couple of weeks on holiday (not away but off work) and I have been busy with some larger projects so haven't been logging on. I do have some coupon spends to declare since I last posted.


I have booked myself a working holiday in September (to make up for the one that was cancelled for this month) and they have recommended that you wear steel capped boots. I own walking boots but not steel capped boots so I bought some for £26.00 from an outdoors store. I was very surprised that they were so reasonably priced. Its not a waste either as I will continue to use them when I work up the allotment instead of using my walking boots. Boots are down as 5 coupons. Because I was silly enough to go shopping for boots without any socks I had to buy a pair to try these boots on. I was a little annoyed with myself but they will get worn. That was 1 more coupon. I also made a sleeveless top as it has been so warm and used 1 metre of fabric so that is another 3 coupons. On the plus side my Mum was getting rid of some normal socks so I said I would have them - 0 coupons. My tally now seems to be 38 coupons spent. 28 coupons left. Having a quick scan of my spends so far it seems that the big coupon spends seems to have been on footwear rather than anything else. I did have a quick sort through my footwear the other day (when I was off) and I seem to only really need now a pair of aerobics trainers. I won't be looking for them just yet mind. I also had a sort through my coats and I think I am alright with what I have got. They all get used as well. I did this sort as these items are kept in my hall and one of the big projects I did on my time off was decorating the hall, stairs and landing. Hard work but I am very pleased with the result and that it has been done.


I agree with all your comments about 20 somethings of today. When I say I am skint I don't do things like have manicures or hair cuts. I wait until I am not skint. I do think there is far too much pressure on youngsters to look the part. I was so glad when I got to my 30s and I just thought to myself "I don't care what people think, I am going to be me" and I have felt better for it. Perhaps it will all start going back the other way soon with all the awareness that has been made in respect of waste, pollution and other ethics. Lets hope so.

I live in hope!

Please tell us about your "working holiday". B*mmer about the socks, but at least you'll get loads of use from your boots. £26 is a really good price. I work in engineering and I doubt our HSE supplier could match it.

maddiemay wrote: »

Today I found just the summer trousers that I have been seeking, not CS, but new from the market 97% viscose 3% elastane, white butterflies on a black background so that I think is 6 coupons, taking my total so far to 31/66

35 coupons up your sleeve at this point in the year, isn't to be sneezed at. You're doing really well.

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

Well I'm on 46 coupons now I've added the shorts ... it would be less if I hadn't lost weight, I have had to buy some new things but I'm not complaining.

I have just done a wardrobe cull, a few T-shirts/tops for the charity bag and half a dozen things I'm going to try and sell on eBay as they are good makes and not very worn. I don't usually bother, but there is a lot of life left in these.

This is the first stage of trying to review my style, I still have a lot of things left that don't really excite me but at least they all fit me and go with other stuff. Stage 2 to follow!

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

My working holiday is with the National Trust and it is to help them do whatever it is they are wanting to do for that particular area. It may be planting trees or clearing scrubland. I have never done one before so I am a little apprehensive but I needed to do something new which doesn't involve having to have a partner. We have been told to wear clothes we don't mind getting dirty so I'm guessing my allotment gear will be okay but I am a little worried they may be too scruffy. It isn't until end of September so I may look for some slightly smarter gear in the charity shops over the next couple of months.

PipneyJane

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

My working holiday is with the National Trust and it is to help them do whatever it is they are wanting to do for that particular area. It may be planting trees or clearing scrubland. I have never done one before so I am a little apprehensive but I needed to do something new which doesn't involve having to have a partner. We have been told to wear clothes we don't mind getting dirty so I'm guessing my allotment gear will be okay but I am a little worried they may be too scruffy. It isn't until end of September so I may look for some slightly smarter gear in the charity shops over the next couple of months.

Sounds like it will be a great holiday, stepping into a completely different life and achieving something measurable in the process.

Does your allotment gear have tears in it? is it patched and mended? Is it stained? If the answers to all "no", then I'd think it'd be perfectly suitable, so long as it's washed and (maybe) ironed.

If stained, could you dye them to cover/conceal the stains?

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

Ooh, I used to do working holidays with the National Trust many years ago. They are brilliant fun.

Really, really don't worry about your working gear – clothes that you use for gardening will be perfectly adequate. You're probably going to want to change in the evenings, still into casual clothes, but the daytime stuff can be stained, patched or whatever, main thing is that you are warm enough and protected if it rains.

I hope you have a great time, I feel slightly nostalgic but it doesn't really fit with my life anymore. When I did the first one I had just got divorced, was looking for a (cheap) holiday that I could do on my own and wanted something a bit different. You'll make some great friends.

Broke_Bear

Just a quick update, all is quiet on the western front here - Still no clothing bought so no rations spent - 33 to last to the end of the year This may all change soon (with any luck) as I have joined Weight Watchers and will hopefully be shrinking and requiring new clothes over the next few months. Could be an excuse to see what my alteration skills are like... honest answer is currently non existent!!

PipneyJane

Broke_Bear wrote: »

Just a quick update, all is quiet on the western front here - Still no clothing bought so no rations spent - 33 to last to the end of the year This may all change soon (with any luck) as I have joined Weight Watchers and will hopefully be shrinking and requiring new clothes over the next few months. Could be an excuse to see what my alteration skills are like... honest answer is currently non existent!!

This is actually the perfect way to learn alteration skills. It's a win-win situation. After all, what's the worst that could happen? You make something you don't like out of something you can't wear. In the meantime, you're experimenting, getting your eye in and picking up new skills.

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

I went on a short course about making alterations a few years ago. The top tip was to put the garment on inside out and then pin a new seam line. Then you just stitch this, go right across the waistband, don't bother unpicking or anything. Then cut off the excess. Obviously this will work well with a cotton skirt, and won't work on jeans, so it depends what you are trying to alter – as Pip says, you have nothing to lose!

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I went on a short course about making alterations a few years ago. The top tip was to put the garment on inside out and then pin a new seam line. Then you just stitch this, go right across the waistband, don't bother unpicking or anything. Then cut off the excess. Obviously this will work well with a cotton skirt, and won't work on jeans, so it depends what you are trying to alter – as Pip says, you have nothing to lose!

Excellent tip, Polly. Where did you do the course? (I'd love to do one myself.)

I have a yarn-related confession to make. I've been shopping on the black market. I'm on Susan Crawford's mailing list - she's best known for reworking and grading vintage patterns - and she has a sale on, which includes her yarn ranges. She sent the email out last night. It included the following statement about her Ghylll yarn, "This is the first batch of Lonk wool we had spun and then hand dyed and will not be repeated."

Originally, Ghyll was only sold as part of a breast cancer charity fundraising kit - one dyed skein, 1 natural - to make a shawl. Nearly 2 years ago, I spent nearly the entire year's yarn budget on three kits, in order to get enough yarn to knit a jumper. I finished my red Sun-Ray Ribbing Sweater with about a foot of yarn remaining (and that was after cannibalising my swatch).

I loved knitting with this yarn. I have 300g/900m of undyed in my stash and I know it's barely enough to make a sweater so, in a panic I've purchased 5 more skeins. Yes, I know, that'll give me 8 skeins in total, which is enough to make 2 jumpers.

Am I an idiot? Possibly. Greedy? Definitely. Can I afford it? At the sale price, yes. Am I suffering buyer's remorse? Just a little bit. When will I get to knit with it? God knows. The yarn fumes got to me. (Ghyll smells sheepy and made me crave roast lamb when I was knitting with it.)

- Pip (No idea what my coupon count is now)


ETA: 103 Coupons spent. :eek: The vast majority of it on yarn. Help me, I'm a yarn addict!

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

Ooh, I used to do working holidays with the National Trust many years ago. They are brilliant fun.

Really, really don't worry about your working gear – clothes that you use for gardening will be perfectly adequate. You're probably going to want to change in the evenings, still into casual clothes, but the daytime stuff can be stained, patched or whatever, main thing is that you are warm enough and protected if it rains.

I hope you have a great time, I feel slightly nostalgic but it doesn't really fit with my life anymore. When I did the first one I had just got divorced, was looking for a (cheap) holiday that I could do on my own and wanted something a bit different. You'll make some great friends.

That's what I am hoping for - new friends, new experiences and hopefully learn some new skills. I'm glad someone else has done it and is able to give me some good feedback. That's made me feel a little less apprehensive. Thank you.


On the clothes front I happened to look in the charity shops the last couple of days and found a pair of unworn black jeans for £5.99 and a pair of unworn outdoors/cargo type trousers for £5 which fit. No coupons as second hand. I have bought them but I may keep them as my best and use the tired (but not allotment) trousers for the holiday. My allotment gardening trousers are covered in paint splats, creosote stains, worn round the hems and very faded. They do the job for the allotment but I think I would feel happier wearing something that at least isn't covered in paint. I will have a look through my stuff over the weekend just to make sure I don't need anything else. I have loads of t-shirts which will be fine I think.


I have also decided I need to cull my work wardrobe. A lot of it I don't really like anymore, again, faded or I don't wear it anyway. I may use this opportunity to create a capsule wardrobe for work and make some space at the same time. I don't need to dress smart for work as no-one else does so I don't know why I bother really.


Have a good weekend all.