WWII Homefront

Originally begun during WWII, when there was a leather shortage, Hoy Saltwater Sandals were made from scraps from boot factories!!

Hoy Sandals are now offered in not only children’s footwear, but ladies as well.  Super durable, and long-wearing because of it’s vulcanized rubber sole, these shoes are NOT an emerging trend- they’re a continuing one!

Here are some examples of Hoy Saltwater Sandals offered on Amazon.com:

I was looking for a uniform for a friend online this morning, on ebay, and I had to contact no fewer than NINE sellers who didn’t list ANYTHING about the size of the uniform!  But I hadn’t told you nice people how par for the course this really is.

When you are shopping for clothing on a site like ebay, you want to know the sizes you are shopping FOR.  This doesn’t mean you go looking for dresses in a size 12.  If you are a modern size 12, you are FAR from a vintage size 12.  So, lets get your measurements ready! The ones you will need, that make the most difference in how the clothing fits are:

shoulders (you’ll need help for this one, unless you measure a garment you know fits already)

chest (circumference, and in case you have really bad math days, write down what half of it is as well, so you will know if someone says the chest measures 20″ flat from pit to pit that it will fit your 38″ chest with room to spare)

waist (no cheating!  nobody cares what your waist size is besides you, seriously. measure it around your navel)

hips (again with the no cheating!  you want your clothing to fit; you don’t want to look like someone pour 10lbs of dough into a 5lb bag)

inseam (measure from your ankle on up on the inside of your leg… you may want assistance with this)

height (shoes don’t count)

waist-to-knee (or thereabouts, so you will know where a skirt will fall on you if they mention the skirt length)

hat size  (this is actually quite easy- and Everything2 has a great chart and instructions for measuring)

Sounds easy, right?  Actually it is.

The things you need to remember are that A) sellers will rarely list measurements for things they consider to be ‘collectible’  B)you MUST check to see if their measurements are FLAT or AROUND. If they don’t say, don’t be afraid to ask them.  C) sellers want to SELL!  If you have any question at all ask them!  If they don’t answer, or are rude, move on. You don’t need it that badly.

Try this conversion chart on Vintage Swank if you aren’t sure.

Another thing to know ahead of time is your age. Don’t laugh. Some people have got it in their head that every woman in the 1940′s was a pinup, and that nobody really wore anything modest.  SOOOOO WRONG.

If you are in your 30′s or 40′s, and are not built like a swimsuit model, don’t be afraid to wear something that is NOT pinup styling. You can be beautiful in whatever dress you put on!  I myself have decided that shirtwaist dresses, cotton stockings, and oxfords are amazingly comfortable compared to heels and cocktail dresses, so I am not afraid to wear them.

So, go get your measurements, and go look for something hot!

While we’re on the subject of temperature manipulation in your living quarters,  let’s touch on tent heaters. I myself do not have a heater for my tent- I have a dachshund. Not only are dachshunds fun and irresistible for the public, they make excellent heaters. (as do  most short-haired dogs who are disinclined to shed)

However I know that soon after the hot summer weather is upon us, we will be surprised yet again by the sudden drop in temperature at night.

Things you need to know about tent heaters:

1. “Tent” heaters are actually space heaters. They are designed for areas that have some sort of ventilation. Why this matters to you is that if your tent is tied up tighter than a prize horse at market you will actually put your health in jeopardy.  Fuel based space heaters emit fumes.  Even if a heater is sold as a tent heater, it will have a warning label on it regarding this.

2. They emit heat. This may sound fairly logical, but this means they are a fire hazard.  This means your ultra cool, super rare, owned-by-Patton-himself pencil set is potential tinder for a superbly colorful bonfire.  You are also in danger of burning yourself on it if you touch it, even by accident. You can’t mess around with heaters. Heaters=fire hazard. Plain and simple.

3. Fuel cells are not cheap.  While not precisely expensive, you can’t just buy a heater, you have to buy the fuel for the heater as well.  Now if you’re camping in a GP medium, and you have a great space cleared for the heater, and you have your bed set up properly so as not to lose body heat through the bottom of your cot, you will do just fine. But you will be investing in more fuel cells than if you were set up in an 8×12′ wall tent.

So… enough said on why they are dangerous. Lets show you what is currently on the market!

So remember- read the fine print.  Do not assume that because it says it is an outdoor heater that you can use it in a tent. Read the labels, read the boxes, and if you are ordering online, check out the product descriptions on the manufacturer’s website.  Be an informed consumer, and keep warm safely!

Imagine my surprise when a friend of mine called me to say “I found your post on camping at events, it helped me a LOT”! I was thrilled!   I was also entertained by the fact that he sent the link to his wife! Camping out shouldn’t be uncomfortable, and if you know the right way to do it, you will be snug as a bug during cold weather, and cool and comfortable in warm weather. Here are a few notes that were not in the last post, but are helpful.

1. If you have a tent that will allow the sides to be pegged or rolled up during the day in hot weather, (and you can keep your personal belongings from looking like a rummage sale) DO IT! You will have a temperate living space, instead of overheated oven that will bake you and everything you own. Even vented tents, like Sibleys will benefit from the breeze through the bottom of the tent. If you can’t figure out how to make your tent do this, don’t panic. If you have doors at either end, like on a wall tent, tie one side of your door about 1/3 open at each end of the tent, to give you a cross breeze.  Still at a loss?  Keep spare stakes on hand, and use them to hold up the ground corners of your tent to let the air move.

2. If you don’t have enough blankets to keep one under you and one over you while you are sleeping on a cot, put your belongings under the cot while you sleep, to keep the night breeze from stealing your body heat from beneath you.

3. Invest in a tent fan. They’re small, and you can get them online so you never have to set foot in the camping goods store.  They are small, but excellent at moving the air around enough to keep you from sweltering.  Try any of these:

These tips should help you get through some uncomfortable weather! More to come

Think you’ve got what it takes to make your own ‘vintage’ clothes?  Good for you!  You may have noticed by now that I post a lot of links to books here… it’s because research is key. So here, my friends, is a great place to do some research!

Why so many links for quilting books, you ask? Because they are going to show you reproduction prints of cotton fabrics that are going to make trips to the fabric store a whole new experience for you Go to the bookstore, or order online from the comfort of your own home, but check out what these books have to offer!