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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by a volunteer from Lincoln CSV Action Desk on behalf of Eileen Naylor and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Naylor fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

‘Make Do and Mend’ was the slogan for encouraging us to re-use outgrown or good quality goods. One case in particular that I remember well was this. We needed to raise money for the church Christmas bazaar. The vicar’s wife, Mrs N Jennings, encouraged us to collect girls’ black woollen stockings, either outgrown, or with no further use, and she showed us how to use the “legs” to make the bodies and heads of golliwogs. These were stuffed and decorated with oddments of felt wool and buttons etc, and proved to be very popular at the time. We also embroidered handkerchiefs and trimmed them with lace and made tray cloths cheval sets.

I received a quantity of white parachute nylon and with some help from Mrs C Walker of the WI I made an underset, a six piece, a fine underskirt and French knickers to match. They lasted for years! I also re-lined my dad’s “working” waistcoat with material from the lap of an old shirt. The laps were very long in those days.

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