July 10th

There are so many lovely vintage fabrics. These are from the forties and are very vivid yet soft. The forties were a time of worldwide conflict and hardship due to WW2, followed by postwar rationing and dealing with the millions of displaced refugees trying to find a place to settle or to return home. It was also the time of the division of Europe under the Allies to the West and the Russians to the East. For millions of ex-servicemen it was returning home, meeting wives and children for the first time in years and having to adapt back to civvy street.

My husband only met his father when he was five years old as he was not yet born when his father left to serve and never returned home for the duration of the war. Various schemes were developed for the servicemen and his dad and mine took advantage of the schemes for ex-servicemen to study further. For all the women who had been WAAF's, Land Girls and worked in the factories and shipyards to release men for the war, were now expected to return to their pre-War life of being mothers and homebodies.

Britain had spent every penny it had and borrowed huge amounts for the war. It could not afford luxuries, in fact they could barely scrape the credit to buy necessities. As if this wasn’t enough, because the Allies had forced an unconditional surrender from the Germans, they were legally and morally obliged to take care of Germany. Germany was in a worse condition than Britain with it’s entire infrastructure destroyed.

Hard emotional adjustments to be made by so many people meant that they looked for beauty and comfort. They embraced colour where it was available and home became a place that was encapsulated in the saying "An Englishman's home is his castle". The fabrics drew on idealised visions of English gardens and roses. I hope that this puts these beautiful designs into a different perspective.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Extra information from dig-for-victory.

Credits: Hootenannyvintage, Cozykittensquilts, KimberlyZfabrics, Cushttie, Vintage Home, Susan Meller, SISONS Happily Married – eBay