2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

CAFCGirl

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

A flaw????

You're kidding?!

A Mum Tum Paunch indeed, tchah... that is the most gorgeous curvaceous lovely memento, a souvenir of your lovely offspring! How nice to have clothing that allows you to enjoy happy and enjoyable memories like that!

Oooh ugly crying

Laura_Elsewhere

At my parents' house - we've just found the envelope with all the Identity Cards and Clothing Coupon books for Dad's childhood in the war! Gran's book, my Dad's childhood book, and my uncle's book (born just after the war) - and a supplementary book for Gran whilst pregnant, with an extra 60 coupons for the baby clothes!

But the coupons in the main books are different colours - and it's even written on each page of coupons - orange (also labelled "CHILD"), but magenta coupons, olive coupons and crimson coupons... I had no idea! Were they simply different amounts so you paid over two (10-coupon) coupons instead of a whole page of single coupons? Or are they for different things?

Laura_Elsewhere

According to this site for primary school homework help (!), the different coloured coupons were so you didn't use the lot too quickly. There'd be announcements that people could now start using olive coupons, and if you still had some yellow coupons, those were fine, but you still were not allowed to use the magenta ones until they were announced as available.

"Why were there different colour coupons?
Each page of coupons was a different colour to stop people using up all their coupons at once. People were only allowed to use one colour at a time. The government would tell people when they could start using a new colour.
Coupons from one colour could be saved and used with the next colour."
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/rationing3.html

And Gran's books look just like this pic from the site. I shall try to get pics next week, if anyone's interested - and the supplementary pre-baby ones, etc:

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

At my parents' house - we've just found the envelope with all the Identity Cards and Clothing Coupon books for Dad's childhood in the war! Gran's book, my Dad's childhood book, and my uncle's book (born just after the war) - and a supplementary book for Gran whilst pregnant, with an extra 60 coupons for the baby clothes!

But the coupons in the main books are different colours - and it's even written on each page of coupons - orange (also labelled "CHILD"), but magenta coupons, olive coupons and crimson coupons... I had no idea! Were they simply different amounts so you paid over two (10-coupon) coupons instead of a whole page of single coupons? Or are they for different things?

Wow!!!

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

According to this site for primary school homework help (!), the different coloured coupons were so you didn't use the lot too quickly. There'd be announcements that people could now start using olive coupons, and if you still had some yellow coupons, those were fine, but you still were not allowed to use the magenta ones until they were announced as available.

"Why were there different colour coupons?
Each page of coupons was a different colour to stop people using up all their coupons at once. People were only allowed to use one colour at a time. The government would tell people when they could start using a new colour.
Coupons from one colour could be saved and used with the next colour."
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/rationing3.html

And Gran's books look just like this pic from the site. I shall try to get pics next week, if anyone's interested - and the supplementary pre-baby ones, etc:

Yes, please, Laura (re pics). What a wonderful resource you've found.

I guess the government were trying to space out demand, as well as helping people to not blow everything all at once. I do wonder what would have happened if you had coupons saved from two colours ago; presumably, they'd still be accepted.

- Pip

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

I am really loving this idea of coupons and using this way to be more conscientious in what you spend. It has really helped me. I am so far still at 38 coupons used (leaving me with 28) and I haven't actually bought any clothes from a charity shop or normal shop or purchased any material since July. I wonder if I could adjust this coupon scheme to my food budget somehow. I may have to think about that one. I don't think I could cope with living off the war food ration they had in place.

thriftwizard

I made it out without any yarn at all! (Though it was a close thing...) but I've surrendered 3 coupons for a metre (yard) of woollen fabric, to make a coat for my little grand-puppy. As he's a miniature dachshund, I could probably have got away with a fat quarter, if anyone had been doing them in wool as nice as the Shetland tweed I found for him.

To be honest, I found it all quite overwhelming; too big, too much to take in, too many school kids, some of whom clearly didn't want to be there, but apparently the alternative was a day of sport! There were things I'd have liked a closer look at, but couldn't get near. Maybe it was a mistake to go on the opening day? Or maybe I should stick to the smaller, more-local shows. I'd done my usual "sweep" to establish where I wanted to spend my time & possibly money, but when I tried to go back, it was so crowded I was having to push my way through, which isn't much fun.

That said, I didn't escape empty-handed! How many coupons should I surrender for a metre and a half of very-ridiculous pom-pom braid, rather more than 3" long?

PollyWollyDoodle

I used to go to the knitting and stitching show every year, but I haven't been now for a couple of years; I found it too overwhelming. If you're looking for something specific that it's useful, but some of the workshops and demonstrations are good, but there are so many stalls that it can get very confusing. I'm glad you got what you needed. I'm not sure if braid or trims were rationed? Perhaps it's something the shopkeeper had under the counter from before rationing started; I think you might be allowed to get away with it.

Laura_Elsewhere

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I am really loving this idea of coupons and using this way to be more conscientious in what you spend. It has really helped me. I am so far still at 38 coupons used (leaving me with 28) and I haven't actually bought any clothes from a charity shop or normal shop or purchased any material since July. I wonder if I could adjust this coupon scheme to my food budget somehow. I may have to think about that one. I don't think I could cope with living off the war food ration they had in place.

Well done on the clothing coupons!

Maybe you could try working out what your basic food staples are (ie bread, potatoes, butter, veg, meat, etc.) and then adopt a points system for all the non-staple foods, the treats, imported fruit, sugary stuff, snacks, fancy coffees, drinks, etc.?

So it would have a similar effect, where you stand there looking at the Danish pastry in the shop, thinking, "well, yes, but then if I do it means no crisps at the weekend as I'll have run out of points..."

Laura_Elsewhere

thriftwizard wrote: »

To be honest, I found it all quite overwhelming; too big, too much to take in, too many school kids, some of whom clearly didn't want to be there, but apparently the alternative was a day of sport! There were things I'd have liked a closer look at, but couldn't get near. Maybe it was a mistake to go on the opening day? Or maybe I should stick to the smaller, more-local shows. I'd done my usual "sweep" to establish where I wanted to spend my time & possibly money, but when I tried to go back, it was so crowded I was having to push my way through, which isn't much fun.

Yikes, that sounds awful to me!

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

Laura - thanks for that. I like that idea. I will have a work on that over the weekend.