Do any stores still do the kid guarantee thing? If a child wears through their clothes before outgrowing them, you get to exchange them for free (if you still have the receipt of course)?

My mother patched many of our clothes. She is greta at sewing, so some of hte patches she was able to do so you coudln’t even tell they were fixed. Others, she made the patches into artwork — hearts, or stars or diamonds in contrasting colours.

I think we don’t see as many patches today because fewer parents know how to sew, or have the time to do it. It’s easier to leave your kid ragged (you wouldn’t believe the number of shredded snowpants I see at school each day!) or to replace them. We’ve become a throw-away society, and then we complain when we have no money! Luckily my daughter is still in the age range where I can buy a lot of her clothes second hand and she doesn’t know the difference.

Mary, the iron-on works best if you iron it on for position, then sew around the edges to fix it more permanently.

*wonders if leftover green patches on navy ski pants is too much of a stretch*

*imagines selection of ski pants available in stores in Ottawa*

*thinks green patches on navy ski pants is a fine idea*

I’ve darned one or two pairs of socks. Actually, I have no idea if I’m actually “darning” them properly. But when your very, very favourite pair of stripey socks gets a hole in the toe (and it’s annoying as hell to have that toe sticking out), you, too, might be tempted to turn it inside out and just use a few stitches to shut the hole and make th sock serviceable again. Sadly, you will find it extends the life of your favourite stripey socks by only a few weeks because that fabric has gotten just a little too worn.

Why no, I’m not attached to my socks at all, why do you ask?

I don’t even try to hide them… I decided to call it customization, so he gets funky ones when I can find them.

I never really got patches on my clothing growing up because my mother hated sewing so much (I had to get my mother-in-law to teach me how to sew). She really enjoys darning though. Actually, come to think of it, my mom never showed me how to darn either. Probably just as well since I don’t like the feel of darned socks.

And I was the lucky one, because I was the only one who had the same ‘sock siz’ as my Grandpa in the familly (tiny feet, really), the only size my Grandma seemed to be willing to knit.

A hint for the blue jeans: the next time you turn a pair into cut-offs or get ready to toss them, save the legs to make patches.