2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

maryb

First coupon spend but I’ve used nearly two months worth in one go.  Three silk vests at 3 coupons each.  I hate wearing thermal underwear but silk is lovely and light and warm. I found some long sleeve vests on the Lands End site with a scoop neck so it doesn’t peep out at the neck so went a bit wild buying three.  And it’s just as well the cost isn’t rationed!!!(although Land End always have sales so you never need to pay the list price). But they are investment buys and will see me out.

It looks as if we are due a blast of cold weather in February so they will be used.  And if Putin does go for broke then we could well have power cuts.  Although we have gas central heating the pump wouldn’t work in a power cut.

PipneyJane

@Laura_Elsewhere I knew you'd know about the sewing machine.   There are times I wish I had a treadle just for the sheer beauty of them.  (And a spinning wheel but there are limitations on my time...)

maryb said:

First coupon spend but I’ve used nearly two months worth in one go.  Three silk vests at 3 coupons each.  I hate wearing thermal underwear but silk is lovely and light and warm. I found some long sleeve vests on the Lands End site with a scoop neck so it doesn’t peep out at the neck so went a bit wild buying three.  And it’s just as well the cost isn’t rationed!!!(although Land End always have sales so you never need to pay the list price). But they are investment buys and will see me out.

It looks as if we are due a blast of cold weather in February so they will be used.  And if Putin does go for broke then we could well have power cuts.  Although we have gas central heating the pump wouldn’t work in a power cut.

Link, please, @maryb.  As a child of the "hot south", I love thermals and wear them daily throughout the winter when WFH.

All - the thought occurred to me about capsule wardrobes:  have you had your colours done?  I did back in the 1990's and one of the most useful takeaways from it was a widget of colour samples which you could spin out and compare/use for choosing clothes.  It is very useful for helping to decide which colour goes with what, when building outfits.  (I have no idea where it is, right now.  If I find it, I'll take a picture since words are not my strong point today.)

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

I had my colours “done” back in the late 1980s I think. I’ve still got the widget somewhere, it was like a little book of samples of fabric.

I suspect that age and greying hair have probably changed things a bit, but it was an interesting exercise - for example I always buy cream, not white for shirts or T-shirts because it suits me much better. I don’t think I’ve paid much attention to the other colours, I buy what I like and if it’s not going to be next to your skin (e.g. trousers or skirts) then it’s not so important. I really learned the benefit of using scarves, get a few in colours that suit you and they can make anything look smart. 

Laura_Elsewhere

I had my colours done and they came up with colours I actively loathe - acid-yellow and aqua-turquoise, for two of them. I can't tell you how much I hate both of those colours, violently and vehemently and lifelong-unceasingly. 
Some yellows, yes - the delicate pale-yellow of primrose-petals, yes please, absolutely, and the wonderful sunflower-yellow, or the darker gold-yellow of buttercups... but not that nasty harsh sour acid-yellow, never! 

I used to live in black because I was so rubbish at putting colours together. Eventually I branched out into the safety of black plus one bright colour, usually red. In my mid-30s I got reeeally adventurous and moved into what my friends kindly termed 'sludge-green', occasionally daring to wear sludge-green with a soft muted old-rose. 
then my new life started and I went wild with colours  

Now I wear lots of colours I never would have worn - as my hair and skin have changed with age, I've been very drawn to autumnal-leaf colours, but I also love a specific set of what you might call semi-pastel colours: a very specific mid-blue, mid-pink, mid-yellow and mid-green, quite a bit of white in each but staying true to the pure colours. 

My clothes change colours a fair bit with the seasons... in autumn, of course it's autumn colours, moss-greens, chestnut, russet... then into winter and classic Christmassy red and conifer-green... now in late winter it's more greys with one or more of the pale semi-pastels coming in:grey and pale yellow, or black and soft mid-pink. Come spring, that tends further towards more of the semi-pastels worn together, with paler greys or cream. Then it's summertime and I can wear all the colours, primary colours alone, or with black, or pretty flower-p[rints, etc... 

maddiemay

Hi all, ref thermal base layers I bought 2 silk scoop neck ones from Land's End last year, 50% off + plus a friend advised me of a one day further 10% discount across the board. I am 34DD with narrow shoulders and I bought the small, they fit really close and are gorgeous against my skin. Pricey at £50 a pop, but regular offers.

I have 2 items to declare, more thermals, this time Uniglo Heattech scoop neck vests, man made fabric, but so soft, I had one from over a year ago and washed and wears really well. Usually £14.90, but £9 in sale ATM, sizes probably very limited tho'

I too had my colours done in the 80's, lost my swatches, but have since checked out on line, I need to trawl back through e-mails to find out which company.

Sorry don't seem to be able to do links ATM

TwibbleDee

I was considering buying a pinny - I’ve wanted one with more full coverage for quite some time. As I was looking at them, I realized…they’re very basic shapes and not very complex, sewing skill wise. Plus, I already have fabric that would work great!  So, that will be my next project. 

The 2 “patterns” I’m looking at are here:
https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/diy-linen-pinafore-apron-for-women-free-pattern

https://www.sisterswhat.com/2019/03/farmhouse-linen-pinafore-apron-pattern.html

If anybody has made one that came out fabulously, let me know!

Laura_Elsewhere

The very simplest apron has always worked brilliantly for me - you take a piece of fabric the width and height you want, fold it lengthways, and then cut out the curve to make the top part narrower. Then you sew the wide ends of those tow cut-off pieces together, put a hem along the long straight edge and sew that on as the pocket in the front, with a curved seam all round the side-bottom-side, and a short vertical seam up the centre-front seam, so you have two large shallow pockets. 

Zero-waste cutting  

Googling for a diagram, I find nobody seems to make these - what?! why?? It has to be the simplest sewing-pattern in existence for any item of any kind  

nannygladys

Wrathlady - they look exactly like that and fit into  bobbin that looks a bit like a space rocket!!!! 
Thanks

nannygladys

Laura_Elsewhere - I found it on that link!!!! Mine is a bit older than yours, it was built Jan/June 1910 in Clydebank, Scotland!!!! Can't believe it's over a hundred years old. I think it must have been serviced a few (probably quite a few years ago) as there's a sticker from a service shop on it and the wheel turns effortlessly. Any further help would be appreciated as I would love to know how to get it threaded up etc . I also have another of machine that came from somewhere (can't remember) that's electric but again old, but that's out of reach at the back of some bits and pieces so I'm not looking at that yet. Thanks so much!!!

nannygladys

Sorry not older, it's not as old!!!!!!
Nannyg