Seven Hills Sheffield

I received a surprise call to speak to a newly formed WI in Sheffield about my Make Your Way Around Britain trip last week - and with no chance to prepare, I found myself about to address seventy women in a church hall in the city centre - help! This wasn't your stereotypical jam and jerusalem WI though - oh no...! The average age of the Seven Hills Women’s Institute is late twenties. When I asked what had drawn them to the WI, many said they were missing a sense of community, and wanted a place where women of different walks of life could get together and learn new skills. For new skills read traditional crafts - but definitely with a twist. Lindsay Garfitt, one of the women behind the new group, said that she’d been inspired by the creation of the Shoreditch Sisters in London, one of a growing number of “trendy” WI’s that are attracting a younger generation. Back in Sheffield, Lindsay and a couple of friends set about contacting the local press, and put out a message on the not-so traditional Facebook . The response was immediate and slightly overwhelming. Eighty-six new WI’s have been set up in the last year alone – many in urban areas. This is incredible for an organisation that’s seen its membership more than halve since the 1970’s to just over two hundred thousand. So what’s going on?

Back in time

Imagine going back in time and waking up in the 1940's - the era when Make Do And Mend really became a reality for the population. Well that's exactly what happened to me this weekend when I spent the day at the North Yorks Moors steam valley railway in Pickering. Re-enactment groups descend each year on this little town and work their magic. I could have sworn I'd time-travelled. Of course, being a fan of forties fashion, this foray into the past suited me down to the ground. The hats and costumes were wonderful. You can't help reflecting though on the slight strangeness of it all - why this fascination with the past? The nostalgia industry is a big one - and it seems its growing. Are we looking at it all through rose coloured spectacles? Are the teenagers buying Make Do And Mend books in Topshop missing the point?

Qualified stilt walker trouser maker

I can now confidently say I am able to make stilt walkers' trousers! Yes - it was an unusual request - and when I arrived at Jen's in Sheffield I was a little nervous about whether I'd be able to live up to the challenge. But we did it!! Jen offered me a very comfy bed for the night, as well as the best roast dinner I've had in months in exchange. I've been humbled really by how kind and welcoming everyone has been on this trip. We were making the trousers for Charlie who's a member of Greentop Circus - and they had to be over 2 metres long. We bought a simple pattern for elasticated waist trousers, then lengthened the leg ALOT! We really had to make do and mend though, as we didn't have enough fabric, so we improvised by raiding Jen's fabric stash - her handbag lining will now grace the circus instead. Big hitch when we realised that we hadn't reckoned on Charlie's feet being longer than the plate on which she rests them....oooops. Trousers far too narrow. SO we had to come up with a solution pretty fast. A very large triangular insert on each outer leg from just above the knee right to the floor. Such are the challenges of Making Your Way Around Britain! We finished at 2am - but I suppose I did have to rush out to address Seven Hills WI half way through the evening! Does anyone else have experience of producing circus clothing? Can you buy regular patterns?

Amy's Curtains

Amy from Derby contacted BBC Newsnight after seeing my film to ask if I could come and help her make some curtains for her spare room in exchange for a contribution to petrol money. Her Mum had an old pair which we set to work converting. It's a while since I made curtains - I remember helping a former boyfriend make a pair about ten years ago - but we cut them up with cheerful confidence. The only confusing moment came when we realised the original curtains were different lengths - I'm sure it was a test! However, we soon overcame that minor hiccup to produce these. Not bad at all for 2 hours! We didn't even have to sew, as Amy had some very handy iron-on tape for doing hems. You see - there really is NO excuse! Amy has recently joined a sewing group in Nottingham with some of her friends. Incredibly, the number of people signing up has quadrupled in a year to more than 450 people - 150 of them are taking basic sewing. That's quite a statistic. Amy was so welcoming. She even bought a hat - which more than paid for travel onto my next stop - Sheffield - and the stilt walker!

Freshers' Week

A busy day today. It took me forever to get outside as I tried to keep on top of the deluge of e-mail! When I finally managed to slam the front door behind me, I caught the bus down to The Affordable Vintage Fair being held in the student union at Nottingham Trent University. I’d happened upon it the day before after picking up an eye-catching flyer in a boutique.

Judy Berger, a former stylist, started these fairs in 2005. She has a passion for bringing affordable retro fashion to a wider audience – and true to her word – the majority of garments being sold were much cheaper than the usual offering. There were lots of £1 and £5 bargain rails full of decent and wearable clobber designed to appeal to the student market. However, there were a few gems too at decent prices, as well as a good selection of vintage textiles, jewellery and other bits and pieces. It being Freshers' Week , the place was pretty busy with all those new recruits scouring the rails for stuff to give them the style edge.

Of the vendors, one in particular sparked my interest. Rachel and Jenna, both Nottingham Trent graduates themselves, set up their company three years ago. They called it “Kathleen and Lily” after their Grandmas who taught them how to sew. Rachel in particular inherited lots of hand-me-downs from her Granny, but didn’t want to wear them in the same way, and that’s how she dreamed up a business doing customised vintage. As well as running a little shop in the city, the girls go to vintage fairs up and down the country offering to alter purchases on the spot.

Do they think the current craze for Make Do And Mend is just a fashion?

“Three years ago it was really hard to market what we did and to get people to understand it.” says Rachel. “However, since the credit crunch, we’ve been really busy, and more people than ever want their clothes mended. Everyone wants to look unique, so customised clothing is becoming really popular. Our shopping bags, made from recycled fabric are selling well - people are thinking more about the environment.”

Interestingly, many of the students I talked to hadn’t heard of Make Do And Mend per se…but when I asked them whether they’d make, mend or customise their clothing, most of them said that they would. Interestingly, few would consider just chucking something out. A new type of Make Do And Mend is emerging it seems - which embraces customisation. True, it’s not the hard-core stuff of the 1940’s – you get the feeling that the toughest jobs won’t get done. But there is a sense of responsibility, a growing unease about materialism that’s driving these youngsters, as well as a desire to look different. Yes it’s something of a trend, but it also feels like values have shifted. We shall see!

Make Do And Mend household tips...

My enterprising Aunt has created this natty and useful cupboard out of a former domestic appliance rather than bin it. I'm sure you can guess its former life! Please send me your ideas and I'll include them here.

Glad I wasn't camping last night!

A beautiful morning - but the first touch of frost on the ground - it's going to get colder from now on!