Using Color To Brighten The Home Front On Thrift

I'm listing a lot on eBay right now, including, this weekend, many vintage needlework book -- so be prepared for a plethora of pattern scans *wink*

The following is from Coats & Clark Laces and Edgings: Rich and Rugged? Or Filament-Fine? Book No. 199, H-4427 C-20, copyright 1943. I find the thoughts on wartime needlework and linens especially charming:

Color Is The Cure

There's no need to let your household linens look "war begone" from a lack of lovely color. You don't have to ration your originality. Now, more than ever, you should use your native artistry to brighten the horizons on the Home Front with Clark's O.N.T or J. & P. Coats threads in Boilfast * colors. For modern, dramatic or quaint peasant effects... use solid, shaded or variegated shades in these wonderful versatile art threads.

From there they continue to praise the easy-to-wash charm of their threads, as you can see in the scan (below). But what struck me was the fact that in spite of promoting the use of color at home, the book itself was void of it -- besides the spot-color covers, of course. Apparently thrift applied to wartime printing, not needlework. *wink*

This also reminded me of my Aunt Vickie. During lean times, she tried to liven up the family meals by adding dashes of food color. Pink rice was weird, but nice. But green, as you can imagine, was now akin to veggies, so that was a bust. And blue mashed potatoes? No one trusted them enough to eat them. The first day, anyway. With money so tight, they couldn't be thrown out so they returned, reheated, the next night where they were eaten -- if only to avoid day three.

Have you used color to brighten the mood of economic rationing at home? If so, share your story!