2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 31 December 2019 at 3:12PM edited 28 June at 7:12PM in Old Style MoneySaving 1.3K replies 45K views

Laura_Elsewhere

I've decided that this year I am actually timetabling Needlework Time into my week - every week I shall find several hours (currently a Wed afternoon, but if that changes, I *will* find other time!) to systematically work on finishing the thousand and one unfinished projects, and start and finish the hundred and one unstarted projects.

I shall end the year with fewer clothes but better ones - I can sew well, but I'm horribly slapdash about bodging things, so I want to learn how to do things properly, and how to draft more of my own patterns.

So... I shall be systematically sewing, knitting and crocheting my way through my coupons as mcuh as possible!

keepcalmandcraft

I visited a few charity shops this weekend and got some lovely bargains. I was actually looking for brown trousers but of course didn't find any! What I did find was a pair of M&S Roma jeans in my size for £1, 2 neutral tops for work for £2 each, a skirt for work for £2, a long textured velvet skirt that I bought for the fabric but actually fits and looks lovely for £2 and a beautiful kilt made of pure wool turquoise tartan that I will use the fabric for something (about 3 metres x 90cm wide) for £2. So 6 items for £11 and no coupons spent!

I've also had a good sort out of my clothes and shoes and got several bags for the CS. I've also turned all the hangers around so I can see what I wear over the next 6-12 months.

Laura_Elsewhere, I like your idea of timetabling in Needlework time, I think I need to do that as well.

Laura_Elsewhere

keepcalmandcraft wrote: »

So 6 items for £11 and no coupons spent!

I've also had a good sort out of my clothes and shoes and got several bags for the CS. I've also turned all the hangers around so I can see what I wear over the next 6-12 months.

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Congrats on the CS finds - nice work! Turquoise isn't my colour but I wish i could find 3m of pure wool good fabric for a couple of quid!

Edit to Add: the Needlework session each week will include mending and alterations too. Basically whatever needs done to get me wearing nicer, better clothes!
Turning your hangers is a brilliant idea - most of mine isn't on hangers, but on shelves, but I'll try to think of some way to do this. I need to unload my over-crammed tops and t-shirts shelves, shove everything into the tumble-dryer for 15 mins to freshen it up and then put it all back, anyway, so I may do something that will let me know what I wear and don't wear... actually, not putting it *all* back would be a good start!

ditty1234

Just found this challenge, and while I do think it looks fun, I wont actually join as I will be on my 2. year of just about not buying any clothes - tells you about how much I used to buy. Still have a full basket of stockings!

Laura_Elsewhere

ditty1234 wrote: »

Just found this challenge, and while I do think it looks fun, I wont actually join as I will be on my 2. year of just about not buying any clothes - tells you about how much I used to buy. Still have a full basket of stockings!

Oooh, you're very welcome in here - you can be cheerleader and give us tips on how you did it - well done!!!

lykkelig

Laura Elsewhere may I thank you for single handedly changing how I make socks. I have today repaired a hole in a two month old pair of socks, right by the toe, and it's no wonder - I can see my toes through the fabric. I just thought that was how sock fabric was meant to be and never questioned it. I can't get 2mm needles until a trip out next week but I can't wait to start making a dense sock fabric. I thought you would like to know that I had a mend to perform on such young such socks. Proof in the pudding.

thriftwizard

(((I may have to conquer this knitting thing. Or live with deep sock envy forever after...)))

Laura_Elsewhere

thriftwizard wrote: »

(((I may have to conquer this knitting thing. Or live with deep sock envy forever after...)))

Well... if you live within travelling distance of the Shrewsbury/Telford area I'd be very happy to meet up for a few hours and take you through the basics...

Mwahaha- er, I mean, any time. Really.

Laura_Elsewhere

lykkelig wrote: »

Laura Elsewhere may I thank you for single handedly changing how I make socks. I have today repaired a hole in a two month old pair of socks, right by the toe, and it's no wonder - I can see my toes through the fabric. I just thought that was how sock fabric was meant to be and never questioned it. I can't get 2mm needles until a trip out next week but I can't wait to start making a dense sock fabric. I thought you would like to know that I had a mend to perform on such young such socks. Proof in the pudding.

I am pleased! Like I said, a teensy bit evangelical...

The other way to do it is to knit a larger size than you need on the larger needles but then deliberately wash them a little too hot or tumble-dry yarn that shouldn't be tumble-dried - but you have to do it very carefully or you end up with teeny tiny felt bootee for toddlers! !

In fact, that's how I knit our thick house-sock slipper-boots... I knit gigantic floppy huge socks, iirc the foot is about 13 inches long, using Aran yarn on 6mm needles - and then wash and dry them carefully until they come down to being the required 9-10 inches long, by which time everything's meshed together and become "fulled" which is what people nowadays usually call felting. But it only works with pure wool yarn that *shouldn't* be machine-washed!

supersaver1000

Hi All

My leggings all came but only 1 pair fitted me - so two to go back and 2 coupons spent. The long sleeve t-shirt also fitted me nicely and at half price for £5 its good value (and a pretty colour/pattern) so I am going to keep it. Not sure if I am doing the right thing as its 5 coupons but time will tell.

Going to update my signature from now on with my coupon total but I have spend 7, so still have 59 left.

Have a good day everyone.