Mrs. Gunn's Diary: Jan. 27, 1942

She mends clothes and writes fondly of her boys; widespread rationing is warned

“Today with the help of Susie [her maid] I have gotten a lot of mending done,” Mrs. Gunn wrote. “It takes a lot of sewing to keep four boys.”

She then wrote brief profiles of her sons, beginning with little Bob, who she said was “cute” and now weighed 32 pounds. Charles “is improving in behavior and reading.” She described Leigh as a “fine boy” and makes the curious comment, “It is a blessing we saved him.” Did he have some serious illness or accident?

“Ross Jr. is developing into an adult,” she wrote of her eldest. “He is handsome and will make his mark in time.”

Mrs. Gunn was smart to mend those clothes. It was announced in today’s Washington Evening Star that all consumer goods would be subject to rationing for the duration of the war. Paid subscribers can read on about what this meant.

The 1930s mending kit was used for repairing stockings and lingerie. As the war continued, I bet Mrs. Gunn made use of a similar kit to make her stockings last. This one is being offered by a dealer on Etsy.