wear it out

 I've been thinking a lot about this old adage lately:

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!"

A pair of comfortable leggings, well-worn by my daughter, as evidenced by a few stains and a small hole on the knee. Clothing these days is so easily gotten. With some patience in the clearance section, you can easily score shirts and whatnot for a few dollars. Heaven knows these leggings could easily be tossed in the trash and replaced with hardly any effect on my pocketbook.

But just because I can throw them away, does that mean I should?

I get such satisfaction from squeezing every last ounce of use from an item. Sometimes through repurposing, but also just by old fashioned mending. It's kind of a game I play: how long can I make something last? And not just last, but last in a fashionable way?

I mended the hole in the knee, then used freezer paper to create an seabird motif that covered the stains.