2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

catherinekate

Made it through the forum reset!
Thank you for your excellent advice on re-heeling Laura_Elsewhere, my new heel tips arrived today from Ebay and I'll be tackling my least favourite pair over the weekend (just in case I wreck them on the first try!)
I repaired 3 pairs of knickers yesterday (the elastic was coming away from the fabric).
However I have never managed to repair tights - Crafty Little Lisa what sort of wool/cotton/etc did you use? When I have tried either the thread has snapped or the tights have ripped even more. Admittedly my sewing skills are pretty basic.

dolly84

Opaque tights are one thing I have always repaired, I just use regular cotton thread and no special technique at all, there might be a slightly lumpy bit by the toe but it holds ok for long enough to get more wear from them.

CraftyLittleLisa

That was all I used as well - just ordinary cotton that was in my sewing basket. I was a bit careful when putting the needle into the fabric but was a basic and easy repair.

Laura_Elsewhere

Yep, another one here who used to sew up holes in thick tights - but then I'm old enough to have lived when you couldn't afford to buy endless new pairs, and had to make your 3 pairs last you forever and a day! Rinsing them out at night and hanging them to dry, sewing up holes... and always ending up with one pair that were still fine for wearing with boots but not with shoes because of all the snags and sewn-up holes - but you still kept wearing them because another pair would mean not going to the cinema with your mates this weekend, or having to walk to college because your week's bus fares would go on the new pair of tights, etc... 

I love not wearing tights, I really do! Hateful things at the best of times! 

thriftwizard

I have a dilemma! I've been looking at dresses to wear for The Wedding; we now know it'll be in southern or central France in September. I know what kind of thing I want to wear (think Phase 8 summery-floral, with cardi; it's a "relaxed" do) and found several nice ones on Ebay in my size, thinking I won't have to surrender any coupons that way, not to mention it'll be a lot cheaper. But they're nearly all advertised as "BNWT" and I'm aware that a number of those will not have been come by in the most above-board way, although of course people sometimes do buy dresses then find they don't fit/suit/partner disapproves/they've lost weight & they can't take them back, for whatever reason... So, do I take the plunge & buy one, or am I in danger of encouraging the sort of behaviour that puts prices up for all of us? 

PollyWollyDoodle

Do you know, that’s never crossed my mind. I have friends (who haven’t discovered Fashion on The Ration!) who give away stuff which still has the tags on. I’ve just assumed these are things someone’s bought at a boot sale or similar ... am I being a bit naive?  You could just bid on the ones that don’t say ‘with tags’?

supersaver1000

thriftwizard said:

found several nice ones on Ebay ........ advertised as "BNWT" and I'm aware that a number of those will not have been come by in the most above-board way

Just be careful @thriftwizard.  My friend bought a designer COAST dress from ebay - when it came it clearly wasn't the real deal just a badly made version.  She had a bit of a job to get her money back, but got it eventually.

ps I have currently got some BNWT items on ebay (just high st. not designer) - DD bought them and never wore them.  Make sure you look at the reviews before buying.

Laura_Elsewhere

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Do you know, that’s never crossed my mind. I have friends (who haven’t discovered Fashion on The Ration!) who give away stuff which still has the tags on. I’ve just assumed these are things someone’s bought at a boot sale or similar ... am I being a bit naive?  You could just bid on the ones that don’t say ‘with tags’?

Same here! I had always just assumed the BNWT things were unwanted presents with no receipt or no branch nearby to return them to, or things bought by the kind of people I've known who go on shopping sprees and then find things unworn still with tags, two years later at the back of the spare room... I've certainly bought the occasional item still with tags on at charity shops over the years, too... I just assumed some people hunt these out at the very cheap places like car boot sales or CSs, and then sell on eBay for a profit! 

I suddenly feel all naive!  

dolly84

thriftwizard said:

I have a dilemma! I've been looking at dresses to wear for The Wedding; we now know it'll be in southern or central France in September. I know what kind of thing I want to wear (think Phase 8 summery-floral, with cardi; it's a "relaxed" do) and found several nice ones on Ebay in my size, thinking I won't have to surrender any coupons that way, not to mention it'll be a lot cheaper. But they're nearly all advertised as "BNWT" and I'm aware that a number of those will not have been come by in the most above-board way, although of course people sometimes do buy dresses then find they don't fit/suit/partner disapproves/they've lost weight & they can't take them back, for whatever reason... So, do I take the plunge & buy one, or am I in danger of encouraging the sort of behaviour that puts prices up for all of us? 

 

You can check their feedback to look at what they have been selling, is it all BNWT.

Laura_Elsewhere

I'd be acquiring a new skirt an awful lot faster if I had the courage to cut it out!  

I'm at that stage where I had everything ready, double-checked and then triple-checked, at midday today but somehow ended up baking fairy-cakes and jam tarts instead...!  

I shall get my chap to stand over me in the morning and make me cut out the skirt... it's so simple to make: four identical panels, one waistband, two pockets sewn onto it afterwards. And my chap always helps with the hems - I stand on a chair wearing the skirt and he crawls round putting pins in, wth a bit of wood with a mark on it so he can get it the same distance from the ground all round... I just stand and rotate slowly on the spot and make hilarious comments about being the ballerina inside the lid which he doesn't get because he never wanted one of those little boxes...