WWII mags and going green

I received some old issues of McCall Needlework 1944 and 1945. Wow, the knitting patterns for dresses and suits are amazing. Did people really make these? The talent, the patience, the finish product must have been amazing. What also caught my eye were the tips and ads geared towards penny pinching and rationing. Sewing machines, for instance, were advertised as being in limited supply, waiting lists and refurbished models were mentioned. In the same ad it was mentioned that sewing machines were available at your local Singer store for rent by the day or you could take home and rent by the month. There was also a call for all unwanted or broken machines. "People need these machines" it said. The sewing machine was a huge asset during wartime. You could make your own clothing, decorate your house, make toys for the kids and make supplies for the troops.

The trend was to make what you had last as long as it could so as to eliminate waste. Lots of tips that would be called green today. In fact we should be trying to eliminate waste just as they did but the government is sending us money to use towards consuming more. It's a personal goal to consume less and get the most out of what I already have. It's been a process that started a few years back. So it seems that not spending that rebate check will bankrupt the world, at the same time I don't need anything so that check will be going to the bank for use at a later date and probably not to a big box retailer.