2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

skogar

Dolly - many thanks for the advice about cold feet when cycling. I have seen the waterproof overshoes and I think they might work but haven't worked out whether they would be large enough to go over normal shoes. Also I am not completely sure whether they are intended to go over cycling shoes or whether some of them would work if not using clipped pedals 9or whatever they are called). I have very wide feet so my walking shoes are men's very wide fit. Its difficult at the moment as you can't go anywhere and try things on and its a bit limited locally as to where you might get something like that. Another option would be to get something that I could wear thicker socks under but my feet are that wide I struggle to buy shoes and boots at the best of times. I did have 1 pair of winter cycling socks which I was wearing with a thin liner (but then remembered I had the walking socks which I had bought in error to wear with boots thinking they were thee heavy weight ones and they weren't so hadn't been used - so have been using them as they are a bit warmer but they are a bit too snug if I try and wear the liner socks as well. I have my walking thermals on instead of long socks at the moment.

Laura - many thanks for a picture of the petticoat. The colour is fab. Very envious of you and your flanelette sheets - I love flannelette sheets in the winter as they are so warm and cosy. I was going to ask you about the flannel as I have only ever heard brushed cotton referred to as flannelette but you have explained. I didn't realise until I read the little bit of the victorians book that you can read on the look inside bit of amazon that at that time petticoats were made of wool. It seems very sensible to me. I now need one of them as well as a skirtbrella!

CAFCGirl

Oh silly me!
I posted in last years and then went to read back and noticed the new!
My internet/social media wind down is over, and I feel better equipped to handle C19 information and postings. Although hiding out in Netflix in my little village cottage was equally fun.
I have spent coupons so just trying to figure out what a pair of knickers amounts to and then will update my signature.
I'll attempt to catch up - no excuses not to really, not doing much else these lockdown days.
Much love to all!

PipneyJane

CAFCGirl said:

Oh silly me!
I posted in last years and then went to read back and noticed the new!
My internet/social media wind down is over, and I feel better equipped to handle C19 information and postings. Although hiding out in Netflix in my little village cottage was equally fun.
I have spent coupons so just trying to figure out what a pair of knickers amounts to and then will update my signature.
I'll attempt to catch up - no excuses not to really, not doing much else these lockdown days.
Much love to all!

Welcome back CAFCGirl.  < nudge nudge > Were you on a secret mission for SOE or just military exercises somewhere?  We won't tell anyone. 

Knickers are two coupons each.

- Pip

dolly84

skogar said:

Dolly - many thanks for the advice about cold feet when cycling. I have seen the waterproof overshoes and I think they might work but haven't worked out whether they would be large enough to go over normal shoes. Also I am not completely sure whether they are intended to go over cycling shoes or whether some of them would work if not using clipped pedals 9or whatever they are called). I have very wide feet so my walking shoes are men's very wide fit. Its difficult at the moment as you can't go anywhere and try things on and its a bit limited locally as to where you might get something like that. Another option would be to get something that I could wear thicker socks under but my feet are that wide I struggle to buy shoes and boots at the best of times. I did have 1 pair of winter cycling socks which I was wearing with a thin liner (but then remembered I had the walking socks which I had bought in error to wear with boots thinking they were thee heavy weight ones and they weren't so hadn't been used - so have been using them as they are a bit warmer but they are a bit too snug if I try and wear the liner socks as well. I have my walking thermals on instead of long socks at the moment.

Laura - many thanks for a picture of the petticoat. The colour is fab. Very envious of you and your flanelette sheets - I love flannelette sheets in the winter as they are so warm and cosy. I was going to ask you about the flannel as I have only ever heard brushed cotton referred to as flannelette but you have explained. I didn't realise until I read the little bit of the victorians book that you can read on the look inside bit of amazon that at that time petticoats were made of wool. It seems very sensible to me. I now need one of them as well as a skirtbrella!

I have the overshoes and they are a sort of neoprene type fabric, quite stretchy for pulling on but snaps back for a snug fit, they have a gap in the bottom for the cleats, I ride in cleats but they would still fit with regular shoes but I am not sure if your grip on the pedals might be compromised which could be dangerous.  Not sure what else to suggest.  I struggle with cold fingers in winter, it doesn't matter what gloves I wear I still end up with just enough blood flowing through them to be physically painful.  Once after running in winter for about an hour without gloves I got home and my hands turned bone white and my fingers were hard like sticks, this lasted about 2 hours, I've worn thin gloves for running ever since.

Laura_Elsewhere

@dolly84, you're probably sick of people making helpful suggestions, but... 

re cold hands - can i suggest a two-layer solution? First, soft, snug but not tight, fingerless mitts - ie no fingers at all, just a tube with a thumb-slit - cut up an old, shrunk jumper's sleeves or buy Turtlesdove's recycled cashmere, whatever you have or can get. But without fingers. They will protect the blood supply without compressing vessels. 
Secondly, worn over those, really good Bernie-Sanders mittens. I knitted mine oversized in pure wool and then deliberately shrank them so they're very dense and cycling downhill in Edinburgh autumns they were pretty much windproof on the handlebars. 

The combination of snug wrist/hand-warmers plus mittens which have air-space in them should do as much as anything can do. Failing that, I'd suggest those little hand-warmer devices which you recharge by taking out the little coin-sized bit and putting it in freshly-boiled water for 5 minutes. 

thriftwizard

Oh, oh, oh - they have proper ticking! Thank you, Laura, I've been hunting everywhere for that! I have lovely feather pillows to re-cover, but wherever I ask for it, I get shown deckchair canvas or "ticking stripe" fabric which just isn't nearly tightly-woven enough!

Laura_Elsewhere

thriftwizard said:

Oh, oh, oh - they have proper ticking! Thank you, Laura, I've been hunting everywhere for that! I have lovely feather pillows to re-cover, but wherever I ask for it, I get shown deckchair canvas or "ticking stripe" fabric which just isn't nearly tightly-woven enough!

And they're also jsut lovely people - every time I've either phoned or emailed, they've been brilliant - and they know their stock too. I've used them for... ooh, since about 2007, I think... 

Nonnadiluca

No good for cycling, but I definitely second mittens for warm hands. I have knitted several pairs for myself, DD and grandchildren from a pattern for oversized Scandi type mittens. I knit one pair in a nice dk wool, then another pair in a soft baby type dk, then sew both pairs together. I'm out dog walking every day and these keep my hands toastie!

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

PipneyJane said:

@Laura_Elsewhere.  Now you're making me lust after a bolt of really good, fine, wool flannel.  No idea what I'd make with it yet, but I love decent fabric!  (Thank God the shops are closed during Lockdown.  It'll give me time for this to wear off.)

- Pip

No idea where to buy wool flannel, but my beloved century-old family firm, from whom i buy all my phenomenally good (and mega-wide) Belgian linen, Wolfin Textiles do "nuns veiling" which is a very beautiful fine wool challis. They also post you samples, free, so you can drool in the privacy of your own home... 

I recommend their Belgian unbleached linen, the 213cm-wide one - with washing it softens beautifully and needs no ironing, ime. I used it for all my re-enactment body-linen and all I ever did was take my shift off after wearing it 24-hrs/day  for 5 days, and chuck it in a cold-water rinse cycle, take it out after the spin and drape it somewhere to dry. Real linen's anti-microbial properties and European-grown, traditionally-processed very-long fibres do the rest... I've also used their white linen, which is a little more loosely-woven. 

I would apologise, only... well...
https://www.wolfintextiles.co.uk/product-page/nuns-veiling-100-wool

I have no idea what "nuns veiling" looks or feels like.  Will have to hold a séance and ask my mum.  In the meantime, I've joined the mailing list.

However, what's more exciting is that I recognise their old shop!  I worked in Fitzrovia for five years in the '90's, when It was still clinging to being the garment district, and used to browse the handful of fabric shops that traded with the general public.   My favourite sold ends-of-bolt at massively discounted prices (e.g. 160cm wide pure wool tweed suiting at £5/metre).  I made several suits from their fabric.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

@PipneyJane ask for samples - they send, iirc up to five, free - and the wool challis - 'nuns veiling' - really does have to be handled to be believed. It's beautiful... 

I'm so pleased you recognise their shop!