The Ministry of Information first distributed its publication Make Do And Mend in 1943 at a time when food and clothes were still being rationed. Its catchy title outlined a valuable practical ethos for a generation who had little choice but to became adept at recycling all sorts of household linen and clothing. More than 60 years later, I'm finding references to the make do and mend mantra everywhere; suddenly thrift, recycling and making things (rather than buying things) is making headlines. Most of the embroiderers and creative people that I know tend to favour the kind of life that embodies this ethos anyway. While they may have a shamefully large stash of fabric and thread, they will also recycle fabrics, scour vintage shops and certainly are always first in line for a bargain. I, like Louise Baldwin (p16 of the magazine), am a fan of car boot sales and in the past have reupholstered vintage finds from my local auction house, although Aiveen Daly (p36) takes it to a whole new league (and career). Our feature on Deirdre Nelson shows how she had to get creative with very limited materials while on a residency in a remote part of Australia. While the times we face may be uncertain, we can only follow another war time saying 'keep calm and carry on' as creatively we can.
Jo Hall