2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

dND

Liverpool_Anne said:

Hi all, I have finally finished the rework of the scrap blanket and have started baby blanket number 1, baby due on Christmas day so I should get it done

@PipneyJane I love the idea of you explaining how Britain works . 

Take care everyone

As a Boxing Day baby can I float the idea of a half birthday - mine being the 26th June.  Christmas time birthdays, in my experience, blend into Christmas, there is often the 'joint present' and then there's the 364 days until the next present plus the lack of availability of friends on the day for parties.  The half birthday gives the chance of a summer BBQ and friends ready to party. 😁

weenancyinAmerica

@dND - That is what my mother did. Her birthday was the 3rd of December so she celebrated in June also. We have a problem now with three birthdays in December (16, 26, 31) for my grandniece and grandnephews. I try to make sure there are separate birthday and Christmas presents for them. But we only see them at Christmas, not for their birthdays. So they tend to get opened the same day. 

CapricornLass

I wish my parents had thought of the half birthdays.  My birthday is New Years Eve - not a good day when you have Scottish parents!  I often felt my birthday finished at 9am as they sorted out the house ready for their Hogmany party later on.  Birthday parties are impossible, and no-one is interested in going for a meal - if you could get one that hasn't been ramped up in cost for NYE.  And even presents could be dicey.  I woke up for one birthday to find I only had one present - a box of smarties from my youngest sister - presents from my parents and grandparents hadn't been delivered on time by Royal Mail.  I was old enough to pretend it didnt matter, and young enough to be really hurt....

OH has suggested I have half birthday but it's too ingrained now.,  But Christmas is and always will be more important to me.

basketcase

@CapricornLass
Why not have both 'real' and half?!

My DS's birthday is 27 June.  When he was about 8 he said to me "Isn't it great that my birthday's in June, Mum?  It means that you've got exactly 6 month between my birthday and Christmas to save up for my presents!"

thriftwizard

Another one with a mid-December birthday here & I'm totally in favour of having a half-birthday! Since we became parents 35+ years ago, my birthday has been swamped by the festivities, however hard my family try to set that one day apart. We don't start Christmas decorating etc. until after my birthday, but when we were kids (in a vicarage, admittedly) it didn't start until 24th, and it did go on until January 6th. No money, but lots of visitors, fun, games, music & home-made treats - I do know how lucky we were!

Nelliegrace

Does’t it seem daft to have to buy another product to remove the gunk which builds up clothes from modern detergent and fabric conditioner?
I loathe the chemical smell of fabric conditioner, and the way it rots elastic. 

I remember seeing Ruth Goodman grating a bit of carbolic soap into a hand-cranked washing machine in The Wartime Farm. 

The helpful person at Miele talked me through getting my washing machine to work again. It didn’t like having a programme interrupted when I thought it had finished. It didn’t work the first time, but I left it unplugged overnight and tried it again in the morning, running the drain/spin cycle with the machine empty. Then the short programme worked. We cancelled the repair man, £170 an hour or £285 including parts, (the shock gave me angina, so I hadn’t been able to pay immediately, they allow 24hrs!) And yesterday the adjust temperature worked. My last Miele was simpler and lasted well over 25 years. 

Cherryfudge

£170 an hour!! Good grief.

Nelliegrace

That was more than a month’s gross pay when I started Nursing! For an hour!

PipneyJane

Nelliegrace said:

Does’t it seem daft to have to buy another product to remove the gunk which builds up clothes from modern detergent and fabric conditioner?
I loathe the chemical smell of fabric conditioner, and the way it rots elastic. 

I remember seeing Ruth Goodman grating a bit of carbolic soap into a hand-cranked washing machine in The Wartime Farm. 

The helpful person at Miele talked me through getting my washing machine to work again. It didn’t like having a programme interrupted when I thought it had finished. It didn’t work the first time, but I left it unplugged overnight and tried it again in the morning, running the drain/spin cycle with the machine empty. Then the short programme worked. We cancelled the repair man, £170 an hour or £285 including parts, (the shock gave me angina, so I hadn’t been able to pay immediately, they allow 24hrs!) And yesterday the adjust temperature worked. My last Miele was simpler and lasted well over 25 years. 

Oh @Nelliegrace!  I hope you feel better.

If you’re anywhere near West London, I have an excellent Washing machine repairman, that I can recommend.

- Pip

Nonnadiluca

I haven't been on this thread for ages due to various life events that I won't bore you with, but have now spent a bit of time catching up.

 Firstly, Pip, I'm sorry that you've been so unwell and delighted to hear that you're okay now.

When I delivered DD's weekly shopping today she was upset that her Ugg boots had a tear about 5cm long, vertically, next to the back seam and she asked me if I could sew it up for her, (she can't sew a button on or a name tape in school uniform!)
I'm worried that making needle holes in the suede close to the edge might result in a tear that would make the situation worse. I'm not sure what I should do so thought I'd ask the hive wisdom, (that's you lot!) if you have any experience in this kind of thing and can offer any advice. Thank you