2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

Ooh I LOVE Rice Krispie cake. I never make it because ... I think you’ll have no trouble finishing it, I could probably eat the lot!  

thriftwizard

Oooh yes please! Though I'm still rather full of cheese scones...

Betharooni

Ooh those Rice Krispie cakes sound yum - can I have your recipe? Also very tempted by those cheese scones...

Cherryfudge

I have gained weight just looking so I will give in and say 'yes please' - the baking round here is certainly benefitting from the presence of our friends on the American Base! Who needs nylons when they can have chocolate?

I went up in the loft to track down some old roll necked tops that I used to wear under woolly pulleys and came down with two bin bags of winter stuff. Why on earth do I have such a thing about scarves? I did find some cords that I'd utterly forgotten and was thinking of sending them to charity, but that's before I found they are a perfect fit. So my first new item of the year is second hand from myself and therefore costs no coupons. I also found a fleecy pyjama top from long ago but with a lot of life still in it. I honestly have far too much but there's rarely an item I want to let go. I'm wishing for car boot sales again as I used to get oddments of wool there and a bit of me says I'll get some to finish my net bag project if only I can go to a car boot... not one thing in my yarn stash will do as well!

I've been Drawn In, haven't I?

My final total for 2020 was 26 and a half tokens spent, thirty nine and a half remaining so I start 2021 with a rather awe-inspiring/startling/illegal 105 and a half.

By the way, how do others keep track of coupons spent? I'm going to try a page in my bullet journal, and hope I don't lose it again.

Cherryfudge

PipneyJane said:

I am currently trying to persuade myself that I don’t want to spend £150 on a pair of pure merino ski leggings and matching thermal top.  On the one hand, they will be warm, will get worn a lot and should last as long as the pure silk ones I bought 20 years ago.  On the other hand, that’s a lot of money, equivalent to spending nearly 4 months clothing allowance. (What can I say?  I microbudget.).  Coupon-wise, I can afford it; I’m starting the year with 72, having brought 6 forward from last year.  The leggings would be 2 coupons and the top 3.

What did you decide, @PipneyJane? you were putting up a good argument for buying earlier today, and wasn't buying better quality a feature of wartime clothing?

PollyWollyDoodle

I keep a note on my phone and try and remember to update it. It wasn’t hard last year as purchases were so infrequent! 

I’m starting with 29.5 coupons plus this years allowance. Hoping to keep to my ‘second-hand only’ rule except for footwear and underwear, but think I will need some more running gear, the new leggings are actually a bit too large and I have to keep pulling them up. I’m not likely to find them in a charity shop even when they re-open. 

Cherryfudge

PollyWollyDoodle said:

I keep a note on my phone and try and remember to update it. It wasn’t hard last year as purchases were so infrequent! 

I’m starting with 29.5 coupons plus this years allowance. Hoping to keep to my ‘second-hand only’ rule except for footwear and underwear, but think I will need some more running gear, the new leggings are actually a bit too large and I have to keep pulling them up. I’m not likely to find them in a charity shop even when they re-open. 

I have a favourite pair that are ages old and the elastic was starting to sag to the point where Dh threatened to pretend he wasn't with me if they gave way entirely while out running!
To my surprise, inserting a drawstring through the waist worked really well and they have lived to fight another day (and Dh is still okay about running next to me).

VickyV

Hi everyone! Just having a meander through the village and it seems so lovely that I’m tempted to move in! If nobody objects, that is!

I have far too many clothes, they do get worn for the most part, but have a terrible habit of buying things because I like them (since losing weight, I actually enjoy buying clothes for the first time in my adult life!) and not because I need them! I will probably need jeans, knickers, running leggings, and a couple of bras but I’m hoping to keep everything else to a minimum - I’ve lived in hoodies and jeans for 9 months so I’ve worn holes in the knees of my favourite jeans and my running leggings mostly have holes in or don’t stay up all that well! 

Looking forward to this challenge and seeing what I can find in the charity shops! I’d love to say that I’m crafty but I can just about sew a button or wonder web a hem so no home made/altered clothes here, I’m afraid! 

Vicky x

Couldsavemore

Liverpool_Anne said:

Hi Pip, separates are usually the way I go but unfortunately my top is bigger than my bottom, I tend not to wear very fitted tops relying on basic t shirts with a jumper or cardigan depending on the weather, and I wear semi fitted trousers or jeans as my job means I can be required to do some active stuff like tai chi or yoga as well as woodwork and some elements of personal care. I find these clothes are both comfortable and practical if not particularly flattering, but I don't get paid to look good lol, though I do brush up well when I need to, as my nephew said at my nieces wedding lol. I had a lovely sky blue wrinkled silk trouser suit with silver ballet pumps and handbag. The shoes and bag I still have but the suit has been relegated to the mending bag as last time I wore it, at another wedding in Germany I unpacked it from my bag to discover the fabric had split up one of the front panels of the jacket.  I managed to rescue it by using a piece of cellotape on the inside which held it together invisibly for the day but is not a long term solution. I have kept it in the hope of finding a way to salvage it eventually, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi..
If its a clean split might I suggest something like wond** we* or thin interfacing and iron on the reverse sie of the fabric.. should work like your cellotape but more permanent.
Depending on where the split is could you add a decorative patch to cover it?

Couldsavemore

Hi..
Can I joiin?.. So thats 66 coupons for me.
Question.. If its already in my stash do I use up coupons?
Am busy making a skirt from material in my stash... Also half way through knitting a hat.. again wool from stash.
I'm another who needs to loose some lockdown weight as quiet a few items are not fitting due to flabby belly syndrome!