Fashion on the Ration: Month 1

A month ago, I began my year long Fashion on the Ration challenge, inspired by Susannah's challenge of the same name. For this year, I'm living on the UK wartime clothing ration that allowed each woman 66 coupons, which works out to roughly one-ish new garment a month. The focus is on a mindfulness toward quality and style.

February was a whirlwind month, a juggling act of a full-time job, a part-time job and a part- part-time job. There were great professional successes and terrible family emergencies. Needless to say, I didn't get much sewing done, but how'd I do otherwise?

Bought

I've got the zeal of the newly converted (let's see how I do six months down the line!). First, I bought this book, recommended by Heart Handmade:


Sucking Eggs: What Your Wartime Granny Could Teach You About Diet, Thrift and Going Green ... by Patricia Nicol compares modern day life to wartime living, providing a fascinating glimpse into forced austerity which she claims had many merits. There's much about this book I'd like to share with you this year, but briefly, it was eye-opening to read about austerity as an imposed regulation by the government, which fettered over the coupon-price of women's undergarments and whether sanitary napkins would be rationed.

For the public, it was a mark of pride and patriotism to show creativity and ingenuity with your slim coupon stash, representing two-thirds of what an average woman would buy in peace time. There were Make Do and Mend Sewing Centers for women who wanted to drop in and brush up on their sewing skills, since necessity dictated it.

I also enjoyed this book (I have many from the series):


GettyImages: 1940s. Really, if you were to read these small photography books—one is available for every decade of the century—it would give you a wonderful overview of history.

Sewing-wise, I realized I really needed to up the ante in the quality department. The two things I've consistently overlooked is fabric choice and fit, so I bought these two books.

More Fabric Savvy by Sandra Betzina


Though I've yet to use it as it just arrived, I bought it because it has detailed info for each type of fabric, from cutting, interfacing, needles, presser feet, seam finishes etc. I've also been visiting fabric stores to get better at fabric recognition.

Finally! The oft-recommended book for fitting.

In addition to books, I went a little crazy in the cardigan department. My neighbor was moving back to Spain and was selling these lovelies for $2 each, way below my thrifting threshold.


Cardigans and shoes are sometimes the only flashes of color in my outfits and three of these have already become standbys. They've also helped me understand what kind of fit I'm seeking in a cardigan -- I really don't want one that's super figure-hugging, it's not flattering. I may alter one of them using Casey's "how to refashion a cardigan" tutorial.

I hit up the thrift store on President's Day for the 50% off sale, snagging a fleece robe and these three items, a cute retro-ish looking red cardigan (much nicer than the photo! Inspired by Kate Spade).


The others are a very large cream polyester blouse and a black Eileen Fisher linen tunic that I snagged for a planned refashion.

Refashions

Speaking of refashions, I did this lovely with lace from Debbie:


Then I tried to use the legs of my self-drafted pants pattern to alter the fit of existing trousers and also fix the facing on last year's refashioned blouse using Simplicity 3263.


Though it looks sort of okay in the photo, and it's definitely the style I'm going for, the pants were a bust. I tried to refashion a pair of men's pants -- no hip and butt curves, low crotch, etc. So I think I'm going to combine my self-drafted pattern with the BurdaStyle Ruby Shorts pattern (which I've sewn twice) and cut up a very large pair of women's black pants. Cigarette pants, here I come!

I love the shape of the blouse above: The scoop collar, the front and back darts. Here's the original pattern:


It really needs a small bust adjustment to fit correctly, so armed with Fit for Real People I plan on refashioning the cream and black thrifted tops above using this pattern. I can't imagine anything more versatile to have in my closet.

I've also begun the Uniform Project sew-along with Debbie and Kristin. We're in the muslin stage. Incredibly exciting dress, very frustrating construction.

Patterns

Like tops, I've been thinking about versatility in the skirt department. I keep mentally coming back to the one I put on my work capsule/inspiration board, this blue crepe number, Valentino Roma Pleated Skirt, ~$900 retail. It's the flat waist, the versatile color, the fullness at the knee, and the bit of rock-n-roll embellishment on an otherwise plain skirt:

So I bought this pattern, from 1943. In 1940s sizing, I'm a perfect 16 (34-28-37) and that just rocks my world. By the 1950s and 1960s, I would've needed a smaller waist or larger boobs to fit a pattern out of the envelope.


Repairs

Mary jane dreaming (So Toria's fault). These were an old pair I loved, bought for $7 at a thrift store three years ago and have had the heel tips replaced once. They'd worn down again, so I found a local cobbler and had the heel tips replaced and a sole guard added to give it a bit of longevity. Total cost:$25.

Challenges:

Finally, I've signed up for Zoe's Me-Made-March challenge.


'I, Ali or the wardrobe, reimagined, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I endeavour to wear at least one me-made or refashioned garment each day for the duration of March 2011'

I'd originally planned to up my commitment from Self-Stitched September to two garments, but given the difficult previous month, my planned sewing, and an East Coast business trip, I opted for just one. And I likely won't be posting photos daily but will try to take photos and perhaps share with you my best/worst outfits each week.

Garments/shoes in ready-to-wear condition acquired: 9
Coupons spent: 0
Coupons left: 66

How was your February?

Fabric Scraps! How to Use Them

Last week, I asked you what you did with your fabric scraps and I was blown away by your answers! Those of you who live in the UK have textile recycling options (I'm envious!), but I also wanted to compile all the creative ways that you can use fabric scraps for those of us who have yet to find that option.

• Camelia Crinoline uses them for pockets, facings and sew-in interfacing.
• Sigrid, Willy Wagtail, Debbie and Janice mention that fabric scraps are great for stuffing in pillows, cat toys, dog pillows, homemade dolls and for making doll clothes
• Sherry and Lizajane say they're great for art activities in school classrooms.
• Misafir (Ruth) Geldi chucking less than half a meter/yard, and uses the larger pieces to make bias strips and selvedge strips to be used as seam stays.
• Sapotesews has a rubric for deciding how big a piece she'll use, using a waistband piece. "if it's at least that big, it can be useful, but if not, out it goes."
• Alessa pointed out this tute from Colette Patterns on how to make a continuous loop bias tape.
• Knotty Gnome uses the scraps for quilting and Darci just made this duvet cover. The teeny weeny scraps, Darci says, go to Scrap Action.
• Katie sometimes uses the pieces as waxing strips for waxing her eyebrows.
• Sewing Princess used her scraps to stuff a tailor's ham and seam roll. She's curious what to do with past-their-prime stockings -- any tips?
• Sabrina Clementine uses them to make fabric labels for the things she sells.

I'm inspired. I'm sure you'll see home of these things manifest in this blog this year.

The Uniform Project LBD is coming along slowly. I've ditched the center back piece entirely, the culprit in my opinion and have replaced it with the left front piece for a better fit. I'm actually pretty psyched about this dress now that I'm over one hurdle. The next hurdle: Figuring out how to sew a concealed button placket.

Happy sewing, all, and thanks for these awesome ideas!

What do you do with your fabric scraps?

I'm a day behind on the Uniform Project sew-along, but I did trace the pattern and cut it out on Sunday. I had so much excess paper from the original pattern, I traced all but two pattern pieces on the excess paper. And this week: The muslin!


These were the paper scraps I was left with:


Of course I can just heap the paper into the recycle bin, but it got me thinking. This week this pile will be scraps of muslin fabric and next week, fashion fabric. What can I do with the scraps?

I honestly have no interest in the little projects I could make with the scraps and no place to store the scraps if I have a change of heart. So I wanted to ask you, readers, can I recycle fabric and, if so, how? Are there centers that accept donated fabric scraps, for example?

Where this is coming from: The more I read about the 1940s, the less I can ignore that each item has a life before it enters our hands and after it leaves them. In the 1940s mindset, there was a World War waging, with fuel and fabric in short supply. It was the government's—and individual's—duty to ensure survival, both on the battlefield and on the homefront. And that largely meant conserving resources.

Though I have always been interested in the usefulness of things (hence, not wanting a lot of excess), I'll be the first to admit that the environment is not high on the list of things I've been passionate about. In many ways, I've been willfully ignorant, figuring I do my part. I live in a part of the world where being green is just as easy as not, and so I recycle my paper, glass and plastic, I compost my food scraps and I even make an effort to shop at local stores who sell local goods.

But there's a glimmer of consciousness a-brewing. Do these fabric scraps—if I have no other use for them—really belong in the trash?

Inspiration: Kate Spade & L'Arnacoeur

This ration business is already putting a hamper on my desire to quickly procure pretty things. It's effectively blocked me from two purchases (a pleated striped skirt for $10 and a red cardigan for $6) and placed me into a state of guilt after purchasing coupon-free sweaters. They were only $2 (well below my thrifting threshold, so not bad) but I bought six (oops).

The sewing and buying I haven't been doing has been replaced by dreaming of what I could have and make this year, and I think this represents a shift in this blog. Work's been demanding so sewing's at a minimum. This means a lot less wardrobe-ing and a lot more imagining.

What I'd like to do is share with you what's been inspiring me and do it regularly. Last year, I whipped up a Work and Casual wardrobe capsule and I keep mentally returning to them, as they represent my personal balance between loveliness and reality. I'm well on my way into sewing myself into these visual representations.

So why not more inspiration boards that I can capture and mull over and witness manifest in my closet? If my clothes and fabric buying is limited this year, why not really get a handle on what I love?

Kate Spade

This is all Glee's fault. Emma wore this Kate Spade coat last season and I was a goner.

So I've been trolling the website and I put together some of my faves in this collage. What I love about these pieces: They really strike that balance, to me, between being stylish but completely wearable. They are feminine and classic enough to withstand shifting trends yet contemporary enough to not feel costume-y. All of these pieces could be worn multiple ways in various seasons. And the pieces have a bit of retro flair and lovely details: The black cardigan has scalloped buttons and an asymmetrical bow on the collar.

The coat's got me thinking of a spring swing coat in French terry and I'm refashioning a pair of black slacks with these Kate Spade ones in mind. I'm even tempted to revisit my problematic A-line skirt pattern.

L'Arnacoeur

On one of these brain-dead nights post-work, I fired up Netflix and watched L'Arnacoeur, starring Vanessa Paradis. I fell in love with her wardrobe.

Here she is in a full skirt in a drapey-fabric with godets in a jewel-toned color. Her cardigan—a neutral cream—has a v-neck, 3/4 length sleeves and a band that provides waist definition. I can't imagine anything more feminine. Note to self: Nude maryjanes for spring?


A tank with loveliness! I can't tell exactly what kind of embellishment she's got here, but in the movie she wore this with jeans (while dancing to the final scene in Dirty Dancing). I shy away from white/cream tops because they strike me as either 1) hella boring or 2) super formal. I think I'd like something drape-y and feminine like this. And it'd go with everything: With every skirt and under every sweater.

I love this color. I'm not sure it loves me, but I love love it. You can't see it, but this is a full skirted dress. Talk about a head turner.

To me, this is the perfect daily uniform. All neutrals, all classic, put together in a way that's not boring. Black capris, flats, an elegant top in a contrast color, and a gray single-button jacket.

What I like about these clothes from L'Arnacoeur is they feel like they have movement. She's certainly not a curvy gal—which I tend to equate with looking feminine—but these cuts flatter her body. As a rectangular gal, I should take note.

And guess which fashion house designed her clothes? Chanel, of course. The Queen of Chic.

Take Away: Simple clothes can be really elegant. It's cut and fit that makes all the difference.

A College Girl's Wardrobe, 1941: Toms, Dickeys and Harrys

I'm enjoying reading your responses to my dilemma about how to address our cultural shift toward shopping in my Fashion on the Ration challenge. I know I may have a tendency to make the current state of affairs sound like a dire enterprise (and you all keep me honest, I love it!), so I thought I'd switch gears today and share something totally fun with you.

Here's a magazine snapshot of the U.S. in 1941, just months before we entered the war.

This comes from the New York Public Library (click image for original post), and features a double-page spread from the inaugural issue of Design for Living: The Magazine for Young Moderns in September 1941.

Dickeys lent a peter-pan-ish look, hats and knee socks were out and bare legs cut the stockings bill in half. But what else? Here "Miss Average College Girl" 'fesses up to the minimum and maximum size of her wardrobe.

Sweaters: 3-12

"The SWEATER is still old faithful, and a college girl spends 75% of her waking hours in the sweater-skirt ensemble. Cardigan or slip-over, long or short sleeves ... but it must be plain! No fancy scrollwork, no flower garden applique and no puff sleeve!"

Interesting, no? When I think 40s, I think puff sleeve.

Skirts: 3-11

"SKIRTS are number two on the hit parade ... anything than can be crushed wrinkled, danced in, spilled on, walked in, hung on a hook, and still look neat and bandbox fresh."

Woo-hoo! My kind of girl.

Shoes: 3-16

"Campus feet are the same as ever in saddle SHOES ... and moccasins are owned by 40%. A pair of saddles, pumps and a Cinderella slipper for evening makes the shoe shelf complete."

Boyfriends (not boyfriend sweaters, mind you, we're talking strapping young men): 1-7

"Though he's not exactly an article of clothing ... the BOYFRIEND ... he's certainly what every girl would like to wear on her left arm this season. Boyfriends are scarce at girls' schools unless there's an Amherst or Harvard next door ... but girls at the co-ed schools are always squeezing coke dates inbetween matinee and juke joint."

Ha!

Finally, in closing:

"So now the facts and figures have verified something we suspected all along ... the college girl, her sweater and her skirt are forever "three comrades"!"

The NYPL post also notes:

The average young woman spent $240.33 a year on clothes in September 1941 ... There is no differentiation between handmade clothing and purchased items in this survey, but I suspect that some of these women's wardrobes included items that they made themselves (and there are articles elsewhere in Design for Living about sewing for oneself).

For those of you who are curious, using the Measuring Worth calculator, $240.33 is supposedly worth $3,500 today.

How does this poll strike you? Is Miss Average College Girl so different today?

Want more ration-action? Check out Heart Handmade's challenge.

A Small Embellishment, A Big Thanks

Happy Hump Day! We're halfway through the work week.

So not much has been going on in terms of finished objects, but I've been struggling with my self-drafted pants pattern and ripping apart old refashions to try and make them wearable. But I did make something this weekend that just tickles me, a very simple knit embellishment.


A bit o' background: Debbie of Minnado's House, offered me some lace from her amazing lace stash. Of her stash, she says, "My grandpa ran a wedding and evening dress business from the 1940s until the late 1970s and these laces are from his now long-departed business."

Here's Debbie's simple cardigan embellishment that shows off how special this lace is:


Then I'd mentioned how much I've been oogling Grosgrain's black sweater/lace refashion here (click through photo to post):

So Debbie wrapped the lace around her three times, cut it, and popped it in the post to me.

But then I sat on it for months. Vintage lace? It was almost too special to use. Should I buy a black sweater like Grosgrain, or should I use something from my abundant stash? And how would I sew it on?

After wrapping it around me in all sorts of contortions, I opted to do something very simple. I took a Ralph Lauren heavy knit short-sleeve top that I'd managed to damage with several bleach stains at the crewneck. Grrr. It's a pretty color so I've held onto it. I cut off the collar:


I finished the raw edge and folded it under a half inch. Using a cream needle thread and a rust-colored bobbin thread, I sewed the lace on using a narrow zig-zag. After languishing for months in my closet, it's back and it's better:


To be honest, I tried to do more with this, like Grosgrain's, but the lace on the sleeves or at the waist felt really busy on my frame. Good news: I've got more lace to play with for other projects!

In action, work-style, paired with a hand-me-down skirt and maryjane heels. The boy is trying to convince me it looks okay tucked in. I think the trick to tucked in constitutes either 1) breasts or 2) a waist, of which I have neither.


More casual: Paired with my sweater skirt and flats.


So I'm out the door this morning with this lovely sweater on. Between this and my Jessica top, I'm discovering new ways to top it off—I've typically been restricted to t-shirts and oxfords. And I wouldn't've been able to do it without them. Thanks, ladies!

By the way, this post could also be titled, "Why I love Debbie," because I recently won her giveaway which was this Burda magazine, my first:
I love flipping through the photos and thinking of how you could easily combine patterns. I bet if I had a one-year subscription I'd pretty much be set in terms of patterns to play with for years and years. I've got my eye on this pretty dress for summer:


Fashion on the Ration tally
Money Spent: $0. Damaged knit top in refashion pile, lace from Debbie
Age of garment: Purchased second-hand for ~$5, owned for 1.5 years
Coupons Saved: 5
Total Coupons Left: 66

Happy sewing!