2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

Can’t quite get my head round how it would work, but yes, I’m definitely interested!  Great idea. 

Watty1

Dropped back in after so long away and find you discussing a Christmas Fayre. How lovely.

Cherryfudge

I have had a busy few days/weeks (not sure when it began or how close it is to ending) and here you are discussing Christmas! More time has passed than I thought.

I think I need it all explained please, in nice easy words... and with a cup of something to keep the brain going.

By the way, was it here that someone mentioned O Douglas? I've now read two of her books on a very cheap Kindle compendium and they are such a good way to wind down. One of them seriously lacked plot but made up for it in charm, the other worked better for me and both gave me time in the beautiful Scottish Borders, so thank you to whoever mentioned them. It's also time in those inter-war years: Penny Plain is set immediately after the first World War, just at the point my Dad was born, and what a different world it was from today - and yet they are adjusting to a very different world from the pre-war years.

maryb

Coupon spend to report.  5 coupons on a pair of 1940s style walking shoes from Memery in cognac leather.  They have a sturdy medium heel which is almost impossible to get on the High Street unless you want stompy clumpers and these are pretty
https://memery.co.uk/collections/1940s-shoes/products/everyday-walking-oxford-shoes-30s-40s-cognac-brown-emily

Please keep your fingers crossed for me that they fit - I've had so much trouble with shoes since the left foot flattened and went up half a size.  I was a 5.5 before and a lot of shoes no longer come in half sizes so if I can fit in a six with an insole for the smaller foot I shall be happy

Cherryfudge

Oh my, @maryb -  a whole site full of gorgeous shoes! I wish I had £100 needing to be spent because straight away I spotted some boots, and I miss wearing boots since I had foot trouble. I really hope yours are the perfect fit.  

maryb

Aren't they lovely?  It was more than I would have wanted to spend but I'm desperate for some comfortable shoes

Laura_Elsewhere

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Would anyone be interested in some kind of village fête?

I haven't thought it all out, but I was reading Nelligrace's post about her church summer fair, and it made me wonder if we could organise something similarish?

I think we could manage a couple of competitions- maybe a fancy-dress competition, not for us ourselves but perhaps for a banana? Best costume for a banana?! Or a potato, maybe, given the scarcity of bananananas in wartime? 

Those of us who make things could perhaps make something, and then we can sort of raffle it (are we allowed to, in MSE forums?)- whoever makes the highest donation to our chosen charity gets that item posted to them (I think they'll have to pay postage too).  

If we did it at the beginning of December, then it could be all lovely and Christmassy...

What do you think? And we could all try to find a time to be online at the same time to have a nice cup of tea together! 

Would anyone be interested in a Christmas Fair, here in Little Mending on the Borrow?

A bit more detail- only ideas, feel free to chip in, object or point out glaring hiccups I have missed  

- We choose a date for the *Much Mending on the Borrow Christmas Fair* for the start of December. 

- We choose a couple of subjects for little competitions, ie best homemade fancy dress costume for a potato, and then on the day we post photos of our dressed-up potatoes, and either have one person as judge (Mr Pip??) or agree between ourselves, or even not actually have any winner, just do it for the fun of it...

- Those of us who make things can knit/ sew/ crochet some small thing suitable for a village fete, and then post photos, details, descriptions, and people can 'bid' for it  with donations to a charity- I am not entirely sure of the legalities of this, whether it comes under the laws to prevent gambling without licenses... possibly we might just donate our homemade things to whoever writes the best case for why they should have that thing, and then we just leave it up to each other to donate to the charity... a bit like when people get paired-up for a making-challenge, only everyone has the option of any of the things or none, so if you hate knitted socks, you don't have to have them... but basically a stall at the village's Christmas Fair with things you can take home (well, have posted to you...)

Does that make a bit more sense?

Laura_Elsewhere

@Cherryfudge - it may have been I who mentioned O.Douglas as I absolutely love her books. I have them all in the little pocket-sized Nelson's hardbacks, having started with my Gran's copy of Eliza For Common... I think Ann & Her Mother is pretty dire, and tend to skip it on read-throughs, but otherwise they are an absolute joy in all their detail... 

@maryb - please keep us posted on your memery shoes- I've considered them but never known anyone who has any- if they're decent quality and can be re-heeled then I shall invest!!

PollyWollyDoodle

Ooh I’m drooling over some of those shoes!  I’m pretty much restricted to boots or trainers at the moment while I try to get some foot problems sorted out, but some of those lace-up shoes would be perfect.  

@Laura_Elsewhere!  It would mean disclosing real names and addresses at the point of sending things out, but I have done this in the past on another forum (that was more of a Secret Santa).  Obviously we’d do that bit via pm, not on here.  

alicef

@maryb - I love the design of the shoes; I had a pair of Russell&Bromley years back that had a similar look - I should have kept hold of them!

@Laura_Elsewhere I'm in on the crafting bit, most certainly.

@Pipney_Jane I do adore an Aran jumper - I have about 4, (not knitted by me!),and they get a lot of wear over the winter.  Re.  Susan Crawford's imminent book release, I think it is August  - I can't wait!