We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge
Options
Comments
-
dND said:Welcome back home Pip. 💕
In other news, DH has a start date at the Ministry. He starts next Monday. While I will miss having him around all day, every day, I think it will be good for both of us.
- Pip"Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.'
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it - that’s what gets results!
2025 Fashion on the Ration Challenge 66 coupons - 39.5 spent.
4 - Thermal Socks from L!dl
4 - 1 pair "combinations" (Merino wool thermal top & leggings)
6 - Ukraine Forever Tartan Ruana wrap
22 - yarn
1.5 - sports bra
2 - leather wallet11 -
That's good news, PipneyJane, for both of you. I hope Mr P enjoys his new job. I worked for the Ministry for 15 years, and they were, on the whole, pretty good to work for.
I'm glad MrTW is getting better - you must have been so scared, TW. But the fact that he collapsed in front of the paramedics made me smile. Nuts and coconut put me in anaphylactic shock. The very first time it happened to me, though, was in front of two staff nurses from the Army Medical Corps. Sometimes our guardian angels are really looking out for us.. ..
Take care, and lots of hugs xxSealed Pot Challenge no 035.
Fashion on the Ration - 27.5/66 ( 5 - shoes, 1.5 - bra, 11.5 - 2 pairs of shoes and another bra, 5- t-shirt, 1.5 yet another bra!) 3 coupons swimming costume.14 -
I hope Mr TW is doing well. How lucky that there were paramedics nearby. One of OH’s cycling groups were in the Dales last weekend and his friend had a bad fall. And there were two retired GPs nearby. And then mountain rescue and an air ambulance. I do worry when OH goes on his long rides but he enjoys them so much and is very fit.
I’m knitting away at my colourwork sweater, doing a bit every day. The body and one sleeve have reached the middle of the upper arm. I’m currently waiting for the postman to bring me some more circular needles, as the shorter pair I have in the required size has developed a snag. I’m enjoying knitting so much that I’m treating myself to a jumper board, though that will take a few weeks to arrive. It feels a bit frivolous but I can also use it for drying knitwear.Fashion on the Ration
2024 - 43/66 coupons used, carry forward 23
2025 - 62/8911 -
I wore my vintage Welsh tapestry waistcoat when I met my sisters for an afternoon at a National Trust property, to get our money’s worth from the membership. The beautiful fabric was much admired, our parents took up spinning and weaving in their retirement and we know the work involved. I think we dead-headed every daffodil in Gwynedd one year for a batch of yellow dye.
I had a quick look on my favourite sellers’ market, and this impressed me. Some skilled sewer has had unpicked the seams of a vintage, pure wool coat to reuse the fabric to make another garment, and then had the thrift to put the useable leftovers up for sale. It could make warm hat, a small scarf using the matching button, and a pair of mittens, perhaps with blanket stitched edges? The tapestry is reversible and both sides are lovely. The gorgeous, thick tapestry costs £124 a metre from Melin Tregwnt. I noticed in reading The Times from August 1940, that there is a small advertisement for turning suits, unpicking them and restitching them to make them look less worn. A friend unpicks and turns her husband’s shirt collars when they get a bit thin. It reminded me of a Georgette Heyer novel where the heroine’s mother faces poverty and cries, “We shall have to turn our dresses.”
Has anyone joined one of the new, “Make Do and Mend” groups? We had to make a suit in third year school needlework, but I was realistic and made just a wool skirt and knitted waistcoat. My middle sister sewed a beautiful lined coat when she was at college.
We took a flask of coffee to have when we arrived, and we all had our picnic lunches, and homemade cake, of course. We exchanged small gifts to save postage, I came home with a pot of homegrown, homemade, red gooseberry jam.
The National Trust provided two good sized pots of tea, and two smaller pots of boiling water for topping up the pot. We drank every drop of course, and afterwards I poured the leftover milk into my cup and that of my eldest sister to drink, saying, “Waste not, want not.” She gave me a look, just like Mum, and replied, “You’re definitely my sister, and not a changeling.”14 -
@Nelliegrace I think it was in An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa Mae Alcott where she talks about turning a dress. Always thought it was a smart idea myself.
12 -
I think turning dresses, shirt collars and probably cuffs as well would have been very common on both sides of the Atlantic. Fabric was relatively expensive to earnings and people would have wanted their clothes to last for as long as possible, especially if you only had a dress or two to your name, People would have had the skills to do it as most clothing was made at home. Its only our wasteful society that has forgotten how to do this.
Sealed Pot Challenge no 035.
Fashion on the Ration - 27.5/66 ( 5 - shoes, 1.5 - bra, 11.5 - 2 pairs of shoes and another bra, 5- t-shirt, 1.5 yet another bra!) 3 coupons swimming costume.13 -
I have some no-coupons spends to declare just for the joy of it.
Car boot sale yesterday: two unnecessary dresses and a pair of slippers. One of the dresses was only theoretically my size so will be donated to someone slimmer and taller (
) but the other, a Per Una sundress, is perfect. I already have lots of slippers but only a couple of pairs that haven't gone saggy, of which one is very much winter-weight and the other is to put in my bag for when I go to family who don't use shoes in the house. Does anyone know how to un-saggy slippers? Or should I admit defeat and get rid of them?
I've also rescued a favourite jumper of DH's. Somehow they always go under the arms and a previous repair had admitted defeat. I was stumped for a while then found a sock in the rag bag and used the decent material from the sock top to line the repair, then drew the fraying visible layer together and sort of stitched over the outside with a very-nearly-matching embroidery thread. To my great surprise, it looks okay.I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)
Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/229 -
Shirts used to come without collars and you added those separately. Many didn't bother adding the collar.
I have turned the collar on a jacket I really liked. Still using it.
11 -
In my 1970s childhood, Dad had a dark navy blue shirt and a dark bottle green shirt, both of which he really loved and both of which were wearing on the collar-points- and of course the worn bits showed pale, verging on white… cleverly he stole our felt-tip pens of the right shades, and I remember him neatly colouring-in his shirt-collars before wearing them!
Mr E wears lightweight brushed-cotton shirts loose over t-shirts for everyday, and they wear through at the collar-fold- I turn them as needed, very simple to do, doubles the life of the shirt2025 remaining: 37 coupons from 66:
January (29): winter boots, green trainers, canvas swimming-shoes (15); t-shirt x2 (8); 3m cotton twill (6);
.
2025 second-hand acquisitions (no coupons): None thus far
.
2025 needlework- *Reverse-couponing*:11 coupons :
January: teddybear-lined velvet jacket (11) & hat (0); velvet sleep-mask (0);12 -
I've had some non-coupon purchases from the local charity shop - 3 pairs bermuda/capris and a pair of shorts and 2 t-shirts - all cotton, (minimum amount being 95% for one of the t-shirt). I still haven't got to M&S for the new underwear so those coupons are burning a hole on my pocket.
Builders haven't finished yet - not seen them for 2 weeks - RSJ had to be ordered and I guess holidays are in full swing. But there's always today 🤞😁
Reading along I'm really tempted to have a go at knitting some socks - I have some sock wool and I think I've found where my needles are as in, I think I can get at them without unpacking anything more or having to move any boxes. 🤣
I'm loving the history I'm learning here too; I'm roughly half a generation out from my cousins and my parents spent around 30 years out of the country from an early age so they didn't have much contact with their relatives so family history is very thin here.Aiming for a Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget
FASHION ON THE RATION - 2024 62/66 coupons : 2025 36/66 coupons10
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.6K Spending & Discounts
- 244.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177K Life & Family
- 257.4K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards