Patchwork Pants

So I don't like throwing things out.  At all.  But I've learned to let go of things over the years and how freeing it can be.  In moving several times over the years I realize I don't want to haul all my "stuff" from one house to the next.  I've also learned that I don't need it all.  So despite my affinity for being a packrat...I've managed to thin out things.

One thing I have held onto is fabric and yarn.  I love crafting.  I love creating something with my hands or sewing machine and seeing someone enjoy it.  I love seeing something that was on it's way out the door being repurposed.  Little did I know that this thriftiness that I've been living would become the "in" thing.  I was just following in the footsteps of my family.

This week, the time had come to patch my Superheroes jeans.  They're blowing out the knees in all of their pants!  I knew my oldest would want them to look "cool" so I decided to be creative and dig in my fabric bin.  A little cutting, sewing , and fabric glue later...we had patched pants.  I only have a picture of one pair here because my almost 5 year old won't take his off (except to wash and dry at night).

My point in all this...before you automatically throw something out...see if you can make it into what you want.  We're in a "throw-away" culture.  We want something...we buy it.  We don't want something...we throw it out and replace it.  I am VERY guilty of that mind-set.  But I also know that I feel much more rewarded when I work with my hands or find a quirky little something at a garage sale or Salvation Army after a long hunt.  My kids seem to get into it too.  It's more rewarding.  It can become a family project.  It saves money.  It's fun!