2026 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

skogar

2025 - 3.5 coupons carry over + 66 = 69.5

Last year's purchases. Last year was a busy year so didn't get round to doing much clothes shopping only replaced absolute essentials:

1 waterproof jacket - 11 coupons

1 long sleeved walking t-shirt - 5 coupons

And I was unable to resist the following in the end of year sales -

1 wool tank top - 5 coupons

1 navy wool cardigan - 5 coupons

1 dress - 7 coupons

Total for year = 33

So carrying over 36.5 but am definitely going to need to replace quite a few things this year, especially those t-shirts. :-D

skogar

And now 2026…

Carrying 36.5 + 66 for this year

1 pair walking shoes 5 coupons

2 walking t-shirts - 8 coupons

2 prs walking socks - thin, short - 2 coupons

4 prs WYS wool ankle socks - 8 coupons

total 23 coupons, 79.5 remaining

Now to peruse the new coupon rates - the wool cardigan and jumper increase will be the toughie for me I think.

keepcalmandcraft

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82034793#Comment_82034793

I went to see The Longest Yarn II yesterday and really enjoyed it. My highlight was seeing Titanosaur still in the cathedral - amazing!

alicef

oh thank you @Cherryfudge. @PipneyJane yes you are correct, Susan Crawford has done a version of this, plus I expect Susan has done ALL the resizing calcs. I'm sure I have her book with her version of the pattern, but I can't find it! I have a vintage pattern, (one size and different yarn), and Linda Ivell's book which also only has details for one size but has the chapter on how to adjust - which I've put off and put off doing. The sleeve head in the original pattern is quite distinctive, (very 1940s); Linda Ivell's pattern softens that to a rounded pleated head which I prefer.

I shall have another cup of tea and catch up on the thread.

dND

No spends to report but popping in to ask for some advice please.

While going through the piles of stuff left in the summerhouse by the previous owners I came across what is obviously a linen hand embroidered tablecloth but it has a lot of staining.

The top stain looks like coffee/tea and the lower one either oil or mould with a good few age spots thrown in for good measure.

What would you recommend for cleaning, I've already laundered it once as having been left in the summerhouse for a few years before I bought the house it was rather mucky.

TIA Dxx

Nelliegrace

The linen is quite worn, oxiclean solution may help with age spots and mildew, @dND. Best of luck. I have a few similar small cloths, just getting a final use as hand towels.

Laura_Elsewhere

@dND - just to give you a range of opinions, I wouldn't use Oxiclean :) everyone has their own preferences, and I avoid paying the vast sums for the brand when you can just buy hydrogen peroxide 3% from a chemist or online, and dilute it with cold tapwater :)

I would actually start by soaking the cloths in plain cold tapwater for a few days, changing the water daily. Then I would use a very mild detergent like plain castille soap, or an environmentally-sound washing-up liquid. Mix it up in a small bowl to make a frothy liquid and dip the stained part in; dunk it well, and then use your fingers to manipulate the cloth so the froth goes back and forth through it- avoid rubbing at it, just keep dunking and bending and rolling it for a few minutes. Leave it for half an hour and repeat. Do that for each stain, and then give it a good rinse in plain cold tapwater. Leave it overnight again in tapwater (this does take a week, but a lot of it you aren't doing anything :) ), and then see how it looks. If it's still stained then squeeze the water out gently and put it into a bowl of milk. No, really :) leave it overnight, rinse again in cold water and put it through a normal wash.

There are more things, but soaking in water, really working a detergent froth through the weave and back again repeatedly and then a milk-soak will see off a lot of stains :)

PollyWollyDoodle

if you look up Nancy Birtwistle she has lots of advice on getting stains out, and I remember something similar to what Laura’s suggested. I had brown spots on the lining of a pair of curtains and successfully treated them with a paintbrush (art size, not house painting!) and a solution of green bleach, recommended by her

dND

Thank you

@Nelliegrace when I have time I'll have a session with the green bleach and see if anything shifts. 😁

@Laura_Elsewhere I'l also give the soak a go while I'm figuring out when I can spend time to clean it. 🤣

@PollyWollyDoodle Thank you for the reminder about Nancy Birtwhistle, I have a few of her books, just need the time to read them and probably more importantly, remember what I've read!

Thanks Dxx

Nelliegrace

I think I shall get some hydrogen peroxide @dND, I only use Oxy because I got a lot cheaply at TKM.