These days in the West, those of us who like to get our sew on choose to do so as a creative outlet. However, but two brief generations ago, women in the UK had to practice their sewing skills in order to make the most of their limited resources as a response to the increasingly strict clothing, fabric and wool rationing during and after the Second World War. The Government assisted by distributing leaflets including tips and tutorials to make your garments last longer as part of the Make Do and Mend campaign. I have long been fascinated by the skills and techniques everyday women deployed as a response to their situations during that time, and feel a huge responsibility to learn and share as much as I can, not only to preserve the skills and techniques and honor these women, but also perhaps so they can form part of the response that people today will hopefully choose to help combat the threat of climate change. Read my post over at Colette patterns, your planet needs you!
3 comments:
Are you Zoe of London Sewing Meetup fame? If so, this post makes me sad you left London, because we definitely share an interest! Get in touch if you want to swap make & mend tips.
My aunts left school in Brisbane Australia at the beginning of the war. By the end of the war, their school uniforms had been refashioned into office clothes. Shame we've lost this level of thrift of resourcefulness.
I stumbled upon your site last week while searching for sewing projects. Very informative post!
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