2025 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

weenancyinAmerica

@pixtotts - maybe that explains my cats - plan to live forever so not very loving. I have always loved it when I had a loving cat but the current three are stubborn, ignore the human when possible, and generally make a mess. Sorry you have lost your two loving family members. They do get themselves into our lives, don't they (even my three). 

PipneyJane

One thing I haven’t done is explained how I came to do the Fashion On The Ration Challenge.  It all started with listening to series 8 of the Cast-On Podcast, in particular this episode about living on 66 coupons.  That inspired me to attempt the Fashion On The Ration Challenge in 2013.  I blogged about it and followed a few other bloggers who attempted it.

At the time, I was also toying with trying to live on WW2 rations for a week.  (We never did.). My inspiration was the BBC’s Wartime Farm and also this thread on MSE, which documents @thriftlady_2 attempt in 2007.

Anyway, it got me thinking and trying and here we are….

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

@PipneyJane - how many years have we had the FotR challenge in the MSE Forums? 

I can't see how to find out when I first joined but I know it was pre-pandemic so 2019 at the latest. I joined the forums in 2015. 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

@PipneyJane - how many years have we had the FotR challenge in the MSE Forums? 

I can't see how to find out when I first joined but I know it was pre-pandemic so 2019 at the latest. I joined the forums in 2015. 

2018 was the first one, @Laura_Elsewhere, so this is the 8th year. At some point during 2020 you named the village, and 2021 is the first time we had the blurb about it in the first post.

- Pip

Nelliegrace

My sister has sent me socks for my birthday and I have vintage handkerchiefs to send her for hers. How precious these must have been when they were in short supply, and clothing coupons were limited.
Fashion on the Ration helps me to value the clothes I have, they are worth looking after and repairing. Granny would say, “A stitch in time saves nine.” 

alicef

I'm so behind on the thread - I shall sit down tonight and have a read!   Must say I love the history behind the thread creation.  

Right - I bought a pair of fleecy thermal leggings - it's been so cold working outside - as a Land Girl do I have a special voucher for these, (she says hopefully)?  Otherwise that's 2 coupons.

On the stash busting front (January's target), I finished 2 pairs of socks & knitted a scarf and will cast on for the 'big project' (jumper Brownie) tonight.

Thinking about February stash busting projects - I would like to finish a colourwork vest started last year, (neck & armhole ribbing & sewing up), and I've some cotton yarn that I make dishcloths from - so will aim 2 make at least one dishcloth as well as continuing the big project.

PollyWollyDoodle

I’m just thinking about a comment from someone above, and I’m sorry I can’t remember who it was now, about feeling stressed about the number of clothes they had.  

I did Marie Kondo and that reduced the number of clothes in the wardrobe significantly, and I was really surprised at the difference it made.  Suddenly everything ‘went’ with everything else, and I no longer had stuff that I didn’t really like.   I also realised during lockdown that a couple of pairs of jeans and t-shirts was actually all I needed most of the time.  Those frantic searches through the wardrobe, flinging clothes on the bed trying to find an outfit (we’ve all been there, right?) were gone.  It’s also made packing to go away much easier. 

I’m guilty of buying too much second-hand just because it’s cheap, so this year I’m trying to be more focused and only buy where I’ve identified a gap. 

Nelliegrace

I weakened and put a bid of £11 on a pretty, Welsh tapestry waistcoat. Thankfully someone outbid me and it went for £13.50, with the money going to a good cause.

CapricornLass

It would have been warm, though

kiwisavings

Thank you all for your thoughts on this challenge - very inspiring

I have listened to the podcast recommended by Pip and have also reserved a copy of 'Less' from my local library.
It's nice to see the big overlap with other areas that I'm interested in:
- capsule wardrobes (I like the Vivienne Files for colour ideas)
- decluttering - e.g. Marie Kondo 
- stash busting
- colour seasons


Nice to have found a group of thoughtful and interesting people.