A totally topical and timely exhibition is running on the outskirts of London. As recession rumbles on and poppies help us remember round Armistice Day, Make Do and Mend taps a fine seam of austerity on the edge of Epping Forest.
Contemporary examples of design recycling made by local young people sit neatly alongside stories of 1940's making do and mending and quirky items from the museum's collection, including a wedding dress made from parachute silk, all bound up rather splendidly. Taking its inspiration from a time when people hardly threw anything away the exhibition presents original items and personal accounts of forties thriftiness alongside the green thinking of the twenty-first century.
On the practical side, you can learn how to make a 'Fascinating Fascinator' next Saturday for just £4.50. The following week learn how to fix up and customise your clothing with a little help from the London College of Fashion. Take 2 items with you and come equipped with a little inspiration and just £6. The Museum might be just outside Zone 6 but it could be well worth the time and ticket if you can return home equipped to revamp your entire wardrobe.
Make Do and Mend runs until Tuesday 1st December at the Epping Forest District Museum, 39 to 41 Sun Street, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1EL. Admission free.
