2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

keepcalmandcraft said:

  A lady in the WI needs a couple of balls of Hobbycraft WI yarn and can't find it anywhere.

You can always order online from Hobbycraft if it's a yarn they still make, either to collect from a store or to be posted directly. 

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/brand/womens-institute?filter=Product+Groups~Yarn/

diminua

Do we have a rule on cushion covers? I've bought three as the lovely patchwork silk ones I had were falling to bits. The new ones are heavy cotton - maybe 2 yards of material at 2 coupons a yard would be about right? So I'm now down to 58 coupons.

PipneyJane

diminua said:

Do we have a rule on cushion covers? I've bought three as the lovely patchwork silk ones I had were falling to bits. The new ones are heavy cotton - maybe 2 yards of material at 2 coupons a yard would be about right? So I'm now down to 58 coupons.

Cushion covers are household items, so we won’t penalise you and the cost won’t come out of your coupons.   Remember, people who suffered bomb damage during the blitz got extra coupons to replace household fabrics, including cushion covers.  

Last night, I watched a fascinating French documentary about their last summer before the War, France 1939: One Last Summer.  It is constructed out of people’s home movies and narrated with memoirs/letters.  Regular people were aware War was coming and the dread overshadowed everything.  They referred to the 1938 Munich Agreement - remember Chamberlain and “Peace in Our Time”? -  as “the Munich Betrayal”.  

Naturally, I studied the clothes to see what regular women wore.  Dresses and skirts were knee length or just below.  Shoulders were not exaggerated, while sleeve heads were more like the ones we see in wartime knitting patterns.  There were a few puffed sleeves but I think I only saw one garment that vaguely resembled “Concentrate on the Sleeves”, despite what the fashion magazines pushed. 

Laura_Elsewhere

What with probably staying indoors rather a bit, I'm planning to really organise what fabric stocks I have here, and put in some proper work on converting those to clothing  shall enjoy wearing! I have been muttering about short-sleeved blouses for a couple of years and really want to make some of those to replace cheap t-shirts that wear out in a few months and are so thin and flimsy they can't be worn without a vest-top underneath! 

Anyone else planning to augment their wardrobe whilst being at home more? 

(We're awaiting a minor-but-urgent operation date, after which there'll be 4-6 weeks of sick leave anyway, so my plan is for me to go out as little as possible for shopping, disinfecting thoroughly on my return before contact with him, and for my chap to stay put completely, as far as I can make him! At present, we're all still as normal, him going to work, etc., but once the op happens, it will all change, trying to keep him safe while he recovers...)

PollyWollyDoodle

Sadly, we are just debating whether my choir can continue rehearsing - probably not, and some other events I was expecting to attend have been cancelled.  So I expect to have more time on my hands, and yes I fully intend to get on with some of those overdue projects, including taking in some handmade stuff which is now too big.   I am self-employed and it is possible that I won't be able to work for the next couple of months, I fervently hope not, but if it does happen I will have no excuse not to get everything done.  Well, I expect I will find an excuse not to do some things  ... filing pile, I'm looking at you. 

I am slightly worried that if I am at home for two months with no work/no social activity, I won't need to take in the clothes at the end of that period, I will fit right back into them! 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

What with probably staying indoors rather a bit, I'm planning to really organise what fabric stocks I have here, and put in some proper work on converting those to clothing  shall enjoy wearing! I have been muttering about short-sleeved blouses for a couple of years and really want to make some of those to replace cheap t-shirts that wear out in a few months and are so thin and flimsy they can't be worn without a vest-top underneath! 

Anyone else planning to augment their wardrobe whilst being at home more? 

(We're awaiting a minor-but-urgent operation date, after which there'll be 4-6 weeks of sick leave anyway, so my plan is for me to go out as little as possible for shopping, disinfecting thoroughly on my return before contact with him, and for my chap to stay put completely, as far as I can make him! At present, we're all still as normal, him going to work, etc., but once the op happens, it will all change, trying to keep him safe while he recovers...)

Laura, I am sorry to read your news.   I hope your Lovely Chap recovers well and quickly.

Someone asked me what I’d do if I was quarantined and my response was: “read, knit, garden, sew, house work (in that order of priority)”.

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Sadly, we are just debating whether my choir can continue rehearsing - probably not, and some other events I was expecting to attend have been cancelled.  So I expect to have more time on my hands, and yes I fully intend to get on with some of those overdue projects, including taking in some handmade stuff which is now too big.   I am self-employed and it is possible that I won't be able to work for the next couple of months, I fervently hope not, but if it does happen I will have no excuse not to get everything done.  Well, I expect I will find an excuse not to do some things  ... filing pile, I'm looking at you. 

I am slightly worried that if I am at home for two months with no work/no social activity, I won't need to take in the clothes at the end of that period, I will fit right back into them! 

My choir is in the same boat, Polly.  Tonight’s rehearsal was cancelled and we’re waiting to hear about our concert on Saturday.  The choir is voting via email.

- Pip

maddiemay

For me it will be (hopefully) a little knitting, sewing up many small makes, some mending and with luck lots of gardening and reading.  I am in the "you should stay at home for 4 months" group, but as my rural county has only declared 3 cases, with sadly 1 death and as my little town is 25+ miles from a larger town I am hoping to postpone this for a few days or perhaps weeks, whilst of course distancing myself from folks and carrying on with mega hand washing, perishing eczema flaring because of this annoyingly.
Laura - best wishes to your chap for the operation and recovery. 

Laura_Elsewhere

Thanks, Pip!

maddiemay, you continue to look after yourself - we've a date in Shrewsbury once the world stops whirling so madly at 100mph...! 

PipneyJane

Breaking news.  Our concert on Saturday has been cancelled.  While I completely understand why, I still feel quite disappointed.  We’d lined up a fabulous guest conductor - our regular one being unavailable this term.

@maddiemay Keep safe.  

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

Does anyone else feel like this has sort of become rather a lot more like an actual wartime community? 

I'm planning to start re-reading the various wartime journals and Mass Observation books I have. I need to spend time with those women, to borrow their calmness and strength of mind and organisation and determination...