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| Make Do and Mend (1943) |
Then it dawned on me I could just buy it, because such pamphlets were widely distributed. Reproduction prints are available but it's not worth it, because the real thing is available for less. So I bought a 1943 copy from ebay.co.uk, then I scanned it and cleaned it up for you. For YOU, dear reader. (If you're wondering, copyright has expired.)
That's right: free, downloadable, and printable!
That's right: free, downloadable, and printable!
Context
This pamphlet "Make Do and Mend" was published while the UK was fighting the Nazis in WWII. Many everyday products that were imported to the country, like food, became scarce due to submarine attacks on cargo ships. At the same time, local production was focused on supplying the soldiers on the front line. Everything from wool for uniforms, silk for parachutes and maps, leather for boots, metal for munitions, rubber for tires, even soap and paper -- everything you could think of -- became hard to find, expensive, and even rationed.As a result of the war, householders had to "make do" with things they already had. Decorative gardens were plowed under to become vegetable gardens, new fashions a thing of the past, and everyone had to get good at repairing things or making do without.
The booklet I have uploaded is focused on mending clothing. Lots of different things are covered, from repairing holes and wear in everything from stockings to overalls to towels; repurposing larger clothes into smaller clothes; modifying too-small or worn-out clothes to extend their life; and unpicking knitted items to reuse the woolen yarn in something else.
There are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, all clothes at the time were made of natural fibers or rayon (a semi-synthetic fiber made of wood). So all those great indestructible polyester fabrics you see in disco suits at the thrift store were not around during the war. Also, women were "traditionally" expected to do all the household labor and had to know how to: sew items from scratch and make repairs; knit; crochet; and make or at least embellish other items like hats. Not to mention do all the laundry for the household along with all the ironing (this helped extend the life of garments) and you know... all the other chores. Cooking, gardening, tidying, shopping, keeping up the utilities, organzing repair specialists (for machines, carpentry, etc)... All of it.
So there's your context! I find the topic of wartime making-do to be pretty interesting, so if you have any questions please, the comment area is open!
