2025 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

alicef

@Laura_Elsewhere I just love seeing your sewing & knitting, (I'm a big fan of needlecord), and I think your shoes are fabulous!   I'm trying to put together an outfit for G00w00d and I did find a thrift pair of new shoes in the style of heeled Oxford shoes for just £5, so I snapped them up. (Thrift so zero points - hurrah!).

I thought this article on 'Changes in women's footwear - part 3 1940-1949' interesting

https://www.satra.com/bulletin/article.php?id=2080#:~:text=Wedges and platforms&text=Perhaps the most iconic of,toe holes or slingback straps.

3 coupons to declare as I had to add to augment stash for my KAL blanket 

Laura_Elsewhere

@alicef  the shoes are repro ww2 shoes, from a historical re-enactment supplier
They’re properly made so can be repaired and re-soled and re-heeled and last for decades…

Baileys_Babe

@Laura_Elsewhere I like your dress, it is beautiful, the acorn buttons are such a fantastic little detail.

Laura_Elsewhere

Thankyou everyone! It is the first time in years that I have managed to make something that I didn’t mess up seriously and have to rescue with a work-around bodge- I still feel amazed that I didn’t make some stupid mistake, and your nice comments encourage me further!

MrsCD

I'm a bit late to the party, but @Laura_Elsewhere, your dress is amazing, and it really looks great on you. Well done!😁

Gem-gem

MrsCD said:

I'm a bit late to the party, but @Laura_Elsewhere, your dress is amazing, and it really looks great on you. Well done!😁

@MrsCD says it all @Laura_Elsewhere, you have done an amazing job. It looks really good on you. I, like the others enjoy seeing your makes. Please keep showing them to us. (I was also admiring your other makes that you were wearing). 

PipneyJane

Love the dress @Laura_Elsewhere, and the acorn buttons are perfect.

Who was it who recommended Creating Vintage 1940’s Knitwear by Linda Ivell?  Thank you for the recommendation.  I’m only part of the way through reading it but it is fascinating.  It’s more of a knitting history lesson than a pattern book.  Did you know that any yarn containing over 15% wool required coupons?  Also, as well as weight - 2oz per coupon - there was a yardage requirement, with yarn measuring less than 100 yards per ounce requiring 1 coupon per 4 ounces, instead of the usual 1 coupon per 2oz.  (That still doesn’t sound true to me, but I can’t find an independent reference to check it.)

On a different topic, what did you think of the Sewing Bee final?  No spoilers, but I did pick the winning garment.

- Pip

Nelliegrace

Gorgeous @Laura_Elsewhere, like a painting by Lucy Almey-Bird. 

alicef

@Laura_Elsewhere my OH swore by Loakes, (several pairs going strong still), because they could be mended again and again. They don't get much use these days as he seems to favour trainers!

@PipneyJane I did a link to Linda Ivell's book - I think it is very interesting, (haven't read too much as I have a pile of projects on the go).

Speaking of projects, Black Sheep Wools, (which I must visit one day), in conjunction with Martin Storey have a blanket KAL starting  in October.  It looks VERY impressive.  I haven't done a Black Sheep Wool KAL BUT I suspect it is similar to the Rowan one in that the pattern is free so one can knit from stash rather than buy the recommended wool

here's the link 

https://www.blacksheepwools.com/collections/winters-storey-knit-along

thriftmonster

Also late to the party but @Laura_Elsewhere that pinafore is lovely.

I was wearing fairly sturdy repro 1930s shoes to Goodwood last Saturday and they survived the rain and mud amazingly well - I had applied mink oil to the leather soles and my feet stayed dry.