2025 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Gem-gem

laura_lau said:

That’s lovely @Gem-gem! Is it an infinity scarf? I can’t see the end where the black is. I definitely applaud you for working with the black! I have been using it, but definitely do not enjoy it. It’s going to be a wonderful gift! 

@laura_lau it isn't an infinity scarf. I looked up the length of men's scarf on some clothing sites and crocheted it to a similar length. 

With regards to using black, I have a neck torch to help see the stitches. Would recommend to all knitters / crocheters or even book readers. I got mine from T0ft. It keeps it charge for longer than the one my MIL bought from Am@zon, after she had seen mine. 

@Cherryfudge I find I lose the impetus on the run up to Christmas, so thought I had better start early. 

@MrsCD, The star gazing sounded wonderful. I found that the aurora looked much better / brighter through a lens rather than with the naked eye, but that could have been due to the grade of the northern lights. 

laura_lau

@MrsCD that sounds like an amazing experience! What a treat!

@Gem-gem I have the one your MIL has, I fear, which is kind of useless, as it barely functions for 2 hours and then needs to charge for at least 6, with such a short cable that you can't wear it while charging! Good to know they have better quality ones, I will have a look. I am also looking on investing in one of those readers' lights which emulate real sunlight, which apparently are the best for the eyes, but they are extremely expensive, so that would eventually be a considered and budgeted-for purchase in a distant future...

Yesterday I went to the Swedish shop and purchased a rug for the kitchen, mainly jute and a bit cotton, which was in the bargain "last chance to buy" area, for £5, as the one we have here is really in bad conditions having being washed way too many times. Same for the bathroom one. I had been planning to get those two for the past few months. I wonder if they count towards the coupons? 

Laura_Elsewhere

I started the designing and planning and cutting on Boxing Day, Thursday, and by Thursday 2nd Jan, a week later I had finished my new coat and hat- and wore them to cycle to the quarry to swim this morning (it turns out the hat is an excellkent winter swimming hat )

Cotton upholstery velvet, given to me by a friend who had acquired many metres of it (and it is glorious stuff...), lined with a teddybear-fur throw bought 9 years ago to make MiL a tiny teddy for her birthday, so that used about 8'x14" and the rest of a large double throw has been hanging around in a huge bag taking up room for nine years...! 

I'm pleased There are lots of mistakes, as always, but I think I got away with it all...  

(NOTE: the reverse-couponing is only my opwn little tally, to see how many coupons' worth of clothing I can make during the year- it isn't anything to do with the main challenge, and please don't worry about it if you're new to this! ) So my first reverse-couponing of the year! 11 reverse-coupons for a short jacket or coat! 

laura_lau

wow @Laura_Elsewhere I love it all!!! I'm in awe! Really really beautiful! From my inexperienced mind, I bet it's not that easy to work on those type of materials?

dND

Loving the outfit @Laura_Elsewhere, I to am in awe of being able to sew those fabrics. Dx

florianatwobob

MrsCD said:

Lovely scarf @Gem-gem. Your edges are very neat! 😁 I also learned how to thread a machine at school but I need to get used to my new sewing machine. I need to make some tablecloths for our coffee morning as the ones we're using are starting to go at the edges and are wearing thin. 
I've not been long home....DD asked me if I fancied going on a stargazing evening with her....it was brilliant! It was at Twice Brewed which is in a dark sky area, in the Northumberland National Park, and it was run by Wil of WilPhotograhy. We used enormous telescopes and watched a video about the aurora. Then we went into the planetarium for another show. It was worth the hour drive each way.

Oh I am very jealous as I follow Wil and his updates on F-book and love Northumberland in general. 

Laura_Elsewhere

It was actually very easy to sew- I did most of it on my old 1902 treadle Singer, although life got much easier when I used a different presser-foot so the smaller of the two bits was no longer getting caught up in teddybear-fur! 
I had expected problems - but the velvet is fairly substantial cotton velvet so none of the notorious slitheriness of cheaper modern synthetic velvets, nor of top-quality silk velvets or devore velvets... and the teddybear-fur seemed not to get caught up in the feed-dogs under the needle as I had expected.
When cutting the pieces, both velvet and teddybear, it went *everywhere* and we will be days getting rid of it, honestly, it's like the time I unravelled a mohair jumper and we both sneezed red mohair for weeks... but actually sewing, not a problem! 

Nonnadiluca

That's brilliant Laura!

PurpleAndGreen

Hello

I would like to join in with this challenge after too many years of lurking and following your progress.  I hope there’s room for me in the village hall – I don’t take up much space.

This is finally the year that I take charge of my stash of fabric and yarn which is much too much now and I have too many clothes many of which are too big for me now.  This year I intend to buy no clothes at all and make any that I need.  I also intend to alter/re-make some of the garments which are now too big – most of which have been worn only a couple of times.  The only things I’ll need to buy are underwear as I’m currently losing weight as I don’t want things falling off me when I’m out, and possibly a pair of trainers.

Hope it’s OK for me to join in and I’ll probably join @Laura_Elsewhere in her reverse-couponing challenge as well to keep me on track.

I’ve learned a lot from following you over the years and look forward to learning more and helping anyone I can along the way. I’ve left some freshly-baked scones in the tin and some blackcurrant jam with them.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

PAG

PurpleAndGreen

Laura,
Your coat is brilliant, I've never had much success with sewing with velvet unfortunately, and as for fur, well forget it!

Well done!
PAG