Christmas 1946

 

Fellow crafters!  You know how it is at this time of year - so much to create, so little time!  And what you do create you can't share on line as its secret until 25th December.  I'm busy getting ready for another craft fair on 15th too.  I'm aiming to really get down to my family and friends' gifts after that - but only 10 days!  I'm definitely in panic mood - but hey, what's new, I kind of like it that way.  It wouldn't be Christmas without a few all-night crafting sessions!

But what to blog about?  I thought I'd share some of my old magazine collection again over the next couple of weeks.  The first is this edition of My Home magazine from December 1946.  In the UK wartime rationing was even tighter during the years following the declaration of peace so it was another "Make Do & Mend" Christmas for all.  I can imagine that home was where everyone wanted to be, with family and friends and thoughts of those lost held close.

Almost everyone was a maker in those days.  Mums knitted and sewed, Dads made things with wood, tin and other scraps.  Children loved to make presents and decorations and there were a lot of secrets to be kept and half made gifts hurriedly hidden when someone came into a room unexpectedly - happy times!  I love this knitted teacosy and only wish I had time to make one.

Turning the pages of old magazines really does bring the past alive for me.  I love reading the stories, finding crafty ideas and patterns, even following the recipes on occasion.  I love the adverts too.  Here are two products I still use every week and we always have a tin of Quality Street chocolates to dip into on Christmas day.  That distinctive tin is a tradition in our family and in many other families too I'm sure - though perhaps its not so much of a once a year special treat as it was when I was a little girl!

And if you want to see these pages up close right click on the image, from the drop down menu pick open link in new tab, click on the new tab and then you can zoom in.