2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Welcome everyone 

Anyone need a top up to their cup of tea?

thriftwizard said:

Morning all! Slipping off the back of my lorry to request to join in again for this year, please! I've brought some leftover mince pies... are we carrying unspent coupons forwards, or is it a clean slate this year? One of my main resolutions is to use up stash  (fleece, yarn and fabric) rather than buy new (which may also have the effect of reducing clutter in my sewing room) and the other is to sort my wardrobe out - it doesn't matter that hardly any of it has been bought new, there are things in there that just don't "fit" and don't get used, and I can't get anything else into the drawers because of them!

Thanks for the minced pies, @thriftwizard.  If you are lucky enough or canny enough to have coupons left over from 2022, please feel free to roll them forward.  I think the coupons from earlier years will have expired by now.

- Pip

MrsCD

Thanks for the cuppa, @PipneyJane
I've spent half an hour on the phone this morning to my energy provider to put accurate end of month readings in from my meter. The latest bill is a mess of estimated readings, some of which are my actual readings, and figures plucked out of mid air it seems. From what I can work out, and the very nice young woman on the phone agreed, my December e7 electricity usage will cost £400, and that's being careful! 😱 Thankfully I've built up a really good cushion to cover exactly this situation so I'm hoping the unit cost will start to come down in the new year. (Rant over!) At least I'll have less available cash to waste on clothes...
Think I'll have another cuppa before it gets cold.

thriftwizard

@PollyWollyDoodle, I'm no expert with the overlocker, I just did exactly what you suggest - practice! Chopped up old towels to make "face-cloths"/cleaning rags, made sure I had a little spare of every fabric to try it out on, etc. And read a couple of "manuals" too.

@PipneyJane, as I can't "see" which year my coupons are from, I've decided to confine myself to the regulation 66. Don't need much, in fact I don't need nearly as much as I actually already have! As usual, shoes will likely be my downfall... I still haven't sorted out walking boots, and need to.

Wraithlady

I definitely need to join up again for next year!

Hope you like the half a Christmas cake I sent over with Him Indoors - I am full of cold at the moment so don't fancy sharing the lurgy with all and sundry 

PipneyJane

Wraithlady said:

I definitely need to join up again for next year!

Hope you like the half a Christmas cake I sent over with Him Indoors - I am full of cold at the moment so don't fancy sharing the lurgy with all and sundry 

Thank you for not sharing your lurgy, @Wraithlady.  Hope you feel better soon.  The cake was lovely - I had to stop the dog snaffling it.

- Pip

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all starting the year with 89.5 coupons as I am carrying over 23.5 but only because I haven't had time to get to the shops to buy some yarn for the baby makes or the t shirts and OH is debating the necessity of another oodie but I will test the situation as I got it into the wash yesterday
@Gem-gem, the embroidery is lovely, I love owls and I hope everyone appreciates the work. I did get a few threads from my Mum  but not many. I am sorry about your aunt but you must have so many happy memories of her it would be lovely if you do get her threads so you can continue to remember her when you are using them. I have my Mum's knitting needles and a couple of crochet hooks. I would keep an eye out for threads in the cs as I am sure some must end up there though I have never found any.
@Cherryfudge, I love that hat and the tassle on the top is fab.
I am still trying to wear out my clothes, I have so many. In the recent cold weather I have been wearing a lovely Aran cardigan made by my Mum and a jumper I made. They are both about 20 years old and showing no signs of wear and I have had comments from complete strangers about both of them saying how nice they are. Do you think people are starting to value home made things again? 
Take care everyone

Nonnadiluca

@Liverpool_Anne, you're so right about memories; my aunt was a wonderful knitter and made jumpers for me, my children and my older two grandchildren. Her speciality was aran jumpers and jackets for which she never followed a pattern, just made it up as she went along. When she died just before her 90th birthday I asked for her knitting bag,, and in it was the back of a jacket she had started for my grandson who was nearly two. He's 17 now but I have kept it and think of her every time I see it. 

Gem-gem

@Liverpool_Anne, thank you for your kind words. I will look out in the cs when I next visit them. Yes, I do think that people are valuing homemade things more. Most of the birthday presents that I gave this year were homemade - crocheted hot water bottle covers with a new hwb inside. 

DH and I have just come back from a walk. We popped into a local shop and managed to bag 10 pints of milk for £1.49 (29p for two pints) and some chicken breast for half price and two pizzas and pork loin slices for quarter of the price. We have left plenty for everyone else. Later, I will pop some rice pudding into the village hall for everyone to enjoy. 

DrCarrie

There are very few people in my family that appreciate homemade gifts, I have given up trying to convert them. But do make things for those who do. 

I am starting with 66 coupons - as I am new to the game! Looking forward to learning from you all. 

I am very lucky, I don't really need anything at the moment, it helps that I only go into work 2 or 3 days a week. There are things I want but nothing I need. 

pennywisesheeb

Happy New Year to you all. I'm going to be trying to minimise the second hand purchases this year also, I've developed myself a bit of a chazza shop shopping habit. There's one in town where everything's a quid and i can find some right good bits but also can also come away with a bag full stuff I don't really need and I brought because it's a quid. I've sorted a pile of stuff that needs altering/ refashioning so that should give me something to do and keep me away from the shops for a while.