2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

CAFCGirl said:

@Laura_Elsewhere I got a soulful hug and love from your post - 'be human - experiment'
What a gloriously beautiful sentiment. I may jot that down for my craft space wall

Oh, I am pleased - we all need hugs!  

But well.... it is what humans do, isn't it? We try, we experiment, we adapt... in my archaeology degree, in the modules about early hominids, they kept emphasising how unusual it is for a mammal to live from the Arctic to the Tropics and down to nearly the Antarctic without any biological differences - because humans are such an 'adaptive' species.... and you don't get adaptive behaviour without experimenting...  

I had planned to make myself summer frocks this year, but after sensible discussion with my Intended, we've concluded that it would be more sensible to keep my current short (knee-length or only an inch below) skirts, black linen, dark blue poly-stuff, limping on one more year because I have consistently been losing weight, down a stone since last autumn, 5lbs of it since lockdown started, so it is more sensible for me to concentrate on making undies and wedding things this year, and make new summer frocks next year. I am knitting a new summer cardigan though, because I wanted something completely separate! Pale blue bulky yarn, short slightly puffed sleeves and embroidered when done with a garden of 1930s-stylised hollyhocks and delphiniums round the waist!  

Laura_Elsewhere

@keepcalmandcraft that dress is gorgeous! 

A friend in New Zealand's been having Formal Friday throughout lockdown, where she and friends dress up as if going out to a black tie event - why not do that with some friends and post photos or Skype/FT/Zoom? 

keepcalmandcraft

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Pale blue bulky yarn, short slightly puffed sleeves and embroidered when done with a garden of 1930s-stylised hollyhocks and delphiniums round the waist!  

@Laura_Elsewhere that sounds lovely. Laura_Elsewhere said:

@keepcalmandcraft that dress is gorgeous! 

A friend in New Zealand's been having Formal Friday throughout lockdown, where she and friends dress up as if going out to a black tie event - why not do that with some friends and post photos or Skype/FT/Zoom? 

That sounds like a good idea, I wonder which friends would join in??  

PipneyJane

keepcalmandcraft said:

I watched The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society film on catch-up last night (it’s available for another 3 days on iPlayer).  I loved it and was checking out all the costumes, I especially liked the gold dress. 

I love the cactus CAFCgirl, I may have to have a go at that for my daughter who loves cacti. 

I’ve been trying to use up my fabric stash (it will take years and years) and made a dress from some teal stretchy lace with sequins.  I didn’t have enough of the right colour lining so I made it without lining and will wear it with a black camisole and underskirt.  It fits beautifully and I’m so pleased with it. (Photo hopefully attached). Just need somewhere to go to wear it now! 

 

That looks lovely, @keepcalmandcraft.  Very elegant.  And a nice photo of you, too.

- Pip

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle said:

I have to declare 1.5 coupons for a sports bra. Part of my lockdown exercise has been doing Couch to 5k and once I’d stuck it for two weeks I decided some proper support was needed. Alas, I won’t be wearing it for a while - on my ‘rest day’ walk yesterday I slipped in some mud and sprained my ankle really badly ☹️ I can barely hobble across the room.  I’m hoping I can manage to drive as I have a lot of work on this week, if not a furloughed friend has offered to be my taxi for a day or two. Not strictly within the social distancing rules but I don’t think I can do anything else. 

@PollyWollyDoodle. How is your ankle now?  Are you back running?

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

No ☹️ Thanks for asking Pip. I’m very fed up, it’s been four weeks and it’s still quite swollen and painful, I can’t even walk more than a few hundred yards, let alone run. It’s very frustrating, it is getting better slowly but I’d hoped to be more active by now. If things were different I’d be looking for some physio, but it’s not an option at the moment, although I have found the fabulous Bob and Brad on YouTube which has helped. Thank you for asking, anyway!  

And keepcalmandcraft, that dress is fabulous. I’m getting my sewing mojo back slowly, I’ve just made some ‘face coverings’ (not masks!) with great reluctance, as I can see that I may need to wear one at some point. Tomorrow a new sun hat for my friend’s son, I’ve made several from this pattern so it won’t take long. 

joedenise

@PollyWollyDoodle what sunhat pattern do you use?  Is it available online?

I'm just getting my sewing mojo back too.  I've made a face mask today, obviously not a surgical one, so more a face covering.  Going to make a few as think it may well become compulsory to use face coverings when shopping in the not too distant future.  I've got a different pattern to try tomorrow to see if it's any easier/quicker.

Laura_Elsewhere

Yeah, reluctantly wearing a "face covering" in supermarkets here too - I used this pattern, as have friends, and it works well.

I used the men's size (it's a Malaysian pattern and I'm a bit bigger than the average Far Eastern woman!), plus I added a 6" length of pipe-cleaner along the top edge, plus I made the side-hems into drawstrings, and used t-shirt strips as a tying drawstring, stitched firmly at the top of the channel, so that if you pull on the string, it tightens the lower part of the mask improving fit without pulling on the bridge of your nose. 
I use my glasses to check fit when I put it on - they always steam up, because for some reason I wear it lower than I need to, so I always move it up half an inch and then they stop steaming up and I know the fit is improved. For a bit til my moist breath stops it being as breathable as it needs to be, anyway... 

https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/#face-mask-pattern

borscht

I've been using the shaped face mask pattern from the Big Community Sew, which was started by Patrick Grant. 
The free shaped pattern is good. And the instructions are Fiona on the videos.
I've made about 40 of them for friends and neighbours.
Can't post a link because I'm too new!!! 
www dot bigcommunitysew dot co dot uk

PollyWollyDoodle

I’ve just used that pattern too Borscht!  Very easy to do. 

Joedenise it’s a reversible bucket hat pattern by Oliver & S, and it was free online - I’ll see if I can find a link. It’s child sized but if you search around, someone has given instructions for sizing it up for adults. It’s very easy to follow and I have made it several times.