Wartime
Wednesday: World War II DIY
During the 1920s a large number of women set aside
their sewing machines in favor of affordable ready-made clothing. The industry
boomed, and little girls stopped learning how to sew.
Then came World War II when the War Production Board
issued Regulation L-85 rationing natural fibers because domestic supplies of
wool, cotton, linen, rayon, silk, and nylon were diverted to the military for
uniforms and supplies (tents, parachutes, etc.) To save on fabric, the War
Production Board even regulated style, limited color choices, and restricting
skirt length and the fullness of pants. Cuffs were prohibited, and dresses were
limited to one and ¾ yards of fabric. The number of ration stamps needed for
clothing was high, and people were limited on how many items they could
purchase per year.
The result? It was now considered patriotic to sew. Women
dragged out their sewing machines and taught their little girls how to “make do
and mend.”
Patched clothing became a fad, and women would piece
together garments from remnants, mixing and matching colors and patterns. Feedsacks
were popular sources for aprons, dresses, and children’s play clothes. House
wives would swap with friends so each woman would have enough matching sacks to
create an outfit. The pattern industry boomed. Hollywood Pattern Company put a
star on the upper left corner of their envelope to indicate the pattern
complied with Regulation L-85. Reminiscent of pioneer times, women cut down
their cast off adult clothing to make garments for their children. There were even patterns for making slippers.
Women also used their sewing skills to support the war
effort directly. Projects were created and raffled to raise funds for
organizations such as the Red Cross. Items were also knitted and sewn for
military members as well as victims of war-torn countries. One newspaper
article touts the work done by a volunteer group in Texas that created 446
woolen garments, twenty-eight knitted garments, and two quilts.
My mother is an excellent seamstress, and now an avid
quilter. She made nearly everything my sister and I wore as well as our
bedspreads, curtains, and chair covers. Me? I gave away a pair of pants rather
than re-attach the button that had fallen off.
How about you? Do you sew or shop for your clothes?
______________________________
Midwife Pia Hertz and her mother Sabine have been
delivering babies long before the Nazis came to power. Now, the Third Reich has
implemented mandates that require Jewish babies and other “undesirables” to be
killed as part of The Final Solution. Is Pia’s new faith in Christ strong
enough to defy the laws of man?
Despite the agony of the injury at the Battle of Drøbak
Sound that took his arm, Dieter Fertig is relieved he’s no longer part of
Hitler’s army. He returns to Berlin and discovers Jews are being deported by
the thousands. When he realizes the Nuremburg Laws require his best friend’s
baby girl to be killed, he must find a way to spirit the child out of Germany
before the Nazis discover her existence.
Inspired by the biblical story of Shiprah and Puah,
the midwives who saved Jewish babies during Pharaoh’s reign, Love’s Belief shows how one person’s
actions can change the world.
Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/2MB3Elo
