2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

@Laura_Elsewhere I think it’s the season for babies. Yesterday, I started a Five Hour Baby Sweater for a colleague’s soon-to-be-born (stash-dived some lemon coloured Aran weight acrylic, so no coupons).   I’m making the one-year size on 7mm needles.

@Tete_en_l'Air and anyone else who suffers from static:  the best cure I’ve ever encountered is to rub your tights/stockings lightly with hand cream/body lotion once they’re on your legs.  Seriously.  When I was nursing, I suffered from dreadful static - I once walked into work, took off my coat and found the skirt of my uniform had wrapped itself around my waist with static - and I tried everything to cure it:  antistatic sprays, fabric conditioner, hand-washing my tights...nothing worked...until the Sister in my last department told me about the hand-cream trick.  Any type of moisturiser will do and you only need a little, say enough to cover a 5p piece, smoothed over your tights.  (Whatever they made British nursing uniforms out of back in the 1980’s, it really didn’t play well with nylon.)


HTH.

- Pip

CAFCGirl

Hello to All!
How are we? Been quiet in my neck of the woods. No coupons spent, although I have purchased via ebay secondhand a black casual dress, button up, very 90's grunge 'Friends' type affair.
I have visions of it looking rather 'cute' in spring with some trainers and maybe a denim jacket over top, a nice tote shopper handbag effect.
On that note, I had 4m of an Ikea upholstery material, white with black veggie design that was an ebay whim from a year or so back. Couldn't for the life of me figure out what id make but it was too good a price. Anyway, it got sent up North to my mum who has made me some shopper bags, and smaller hand/lunchbag size totes which look lovely (from the photos she sent me) so I can cull the tired tatty ones and I have visions of Farmers Markets with the new ones  

So will now be on the hunt for a denim jacket or jacket of that style. 

Tete_en_l'Air

PipneyJane said:

@Tete_en_l'Air and anyone else who suffers from static:  the best cure I’ve ever encountered is to rub your tights/stockings lightly with hand cream/body lotion once they’re on your legs.  Seriously.  When I was nursing, I suffered from dreadful static - I once walked into work, took off my coat and found the skirt of my uniform had wrapped itself around my waist with static - and I tried everything to cure it:  antistatic sprays, fabric conditioner, hand-washing my tights...nothing worked...until the Sister in my last department told me about the hand-cream trick.  Any type of moisturiser will do and you only need a little, say enough to cover a 5p piece, smoothed over your tights.  (Whatever they made British nursing uniforms out of back in the 1980’s, it really didn’t play well with nylon.)

Ooh thanks for that Pip - I've never heard of that remedy before, will give it a try! I have finished sewing the heavy trim onto my dress (not sure what the proper word is for it!), washed it and it's hanging up to dry - just need to try it and see how it fits before I can give it a test run.

Had another little "weight loss, wardrobe gain" this morning in the form of some fleecy tights I bought a while ago. They were an 'investment' from Long Tall Sally and when they arrived I actually thought there'd been a problem in the manufacturing because I could barely get them up. Gave them a try again this morning and they're fine! Clearly a width issue and not a length one! This challenge is really making me reassess what I already have.

CAFC Girl - I've been bingeing the whole of Friends over the last few months and the 90s fashions are looking more and more current and desirable but maybe I'm just nostalgic for my youth...

Nonnadiluca

You lot are ahead of the curve - article in today's Guardian about fashion on the ration!!

pixtotts

I have to start this with the basic fact that I  can't get on with the new quote button...  I'll be sticking to copy and pasting names! 
dolly84 - I've not had Dr Martens before, so I'm quite excited to get some! I had read that about them taking some breaking in though, do you know how long it usually takes you? It's going to be one of the hardest feats of self control for me I think  

Thank you all for the sock recommendations! (this is where the quotes thing failed me...) I know someone mentioned waitrose / john lewis - my mum swears by their tights so I'm going to try and sneak some socks onto her next order And H&M was also mentioned, I've never tried their socks regular socks, but my absolute favourite socks ever came from there, some dark grey over the knee wooly socks  so definitely going to pop in next time I'm in town see what they have. Thank you for the other recommendations I'll bare them in mind next time I have sock space.  

I've become addicted to watching youtube videos by several ladies who make and wear historical clothing, I found the one, fell down the youtube hole of watching all her friends videos too. There is something quite relaxing about them, it is also making me want to sew. I have several started projects I really should finish. But sadly I am an artist and have a rather important order due end of April which is requiring learning new techniques so sewing isn't going to get done any time soon   

CraftyLittleLisa

I have a spend to report.  I bought a couple more pairs of knickers so that is another 4 coupons spent.  However, I had a sort through my box of "projects" I have which is where I throw the free kits you get with magazines.  Amongst the assortment I found a kit for making a pair of knickers so I have now also made a pair.  This I am assuming is a zero coupon spend as it is from my stash of existing materials.  I still do need probably another couple of pairs but I will hold off buying them for a couple of weeks at least.

Also in my "projects" box was a ball of wool which I started to knit a pair of socks with.  I pulled that out yesterday and started doing that after I had finished the knickers.  It has grown quite quickly.  Hopefully in a week or so I will have another pair of very nice socks to add to my sock drawer with zero coupon spend.  This will also help with my "Minimise, Made Do, Mend" challenge I am taking part in.

dolly84

pixtotts - the orignal Dr Marten boots, the lace up kind in the hard leather and the chelsea boots in the same leather take the most amount of wear to break in, you need to wear them for short periods of time (don't go out all day in them or if you do take some other shoes) at first, lace them up snugly and make sure they are not too big to start with as their sizing is quite generous.  It will take you a while but once they crease they are very comfortable.  The printed leather boots are much softer as are the grained leather ones, the shoes also break in very easily.

CAFCGirl

Well I can safely say that I have spent last year's carry over coupons on...… you guessed it - yarn  
I will double check exactly just in case its dipped into this years, but I'm excited to get the yarn as I was at least organised in ordering the exact stuff needed for 7 projects I have in  my project notebook (which was part of my 20 20's resolution goal type things).

Another two ebay items won at 99p too. One is a casual sleeveless skater dress with little ying yang symbols all over and the other some dungaree shorts as I'm hopeful for some sunny warm days for these.

CAFCGirl

Having just checked, I have 15 balls of 100g ordered which I believe would be 30 coupons but its manmade fibre so would be half, so 15? So I'm still within last years so, will really REALLY consider last years all done with now LOL

Tete_en_l'Air

PipneyJane said:

@Tete_en_l'Air and anyone else who suffers from static:  the best cure I’ve ever encountered is to rub your tights/stockings lightly with hand cream/body lotion once they’re on your legs.  Seriously.  When I was nursing, I suffered from dreadful static - I once walked into work, took off my coat and found the skirt of my uniform had wrapped itself around my waist with static - and I tried everything to cure it:  antistatic sprays, fabric conditioner, hand-washing my tights...nothing worked...until the Sister in my last department told me about the hand-cream trick.  Any type of moisturiser will do and you only need a little, say enough to cover a 5p piece, smoothed over your tights.  (Whatever they made British nursing uniforms out of back in the 1980’s, it really didn’t play well with nylon.)
HTH.
- Pip

You may have changed my life with this!!! Tried it yesterday and it worked like a dream all day long, even after putting on and taking off my coat, going in the car, everything. It did still crackle a bit when I took it off but didn't stick to me at all. Thank you!!