A stitch in time saves nine

carhartt shorts repaired with pegs and incredibusy loom

No idea where this phrase comes from “A stitch in time saves nine” – probably should do some research.

BUT it’s something that I say a lot in the visible mending workshops that I host, as we all know how much easier it is to repair a wornout pair of socks, or a hole in your jeans, BEFORE it becomes an actual gaping hole…

So when you see something wearing-out, take my advice, get fixing.

Congratulations ergo, to my son’s friend for asking me to repair his treasured Carhartt shorts (why does that have two Ts?), BEFORE the small worn area beside his back pocket rips a big, underpants-exposing hole.

Quick post as it’s Easter, and I’ve rhubarb crumble to make – here’s a before and after so that you can see the work – this only took a couple of hours. The back actually took longer to tidy up than the visible patch on the front, and guess who forgot to photograph that to show you? before these shorts made their way back on a bus to Bristol??

Materials: I used cotton embroidery threads, bulk-bought from someone having a clearout on ebay, and the incredibusy salvaged speed loom of course. (link below)

Here’s a top-tangle-tip, once you slip those little paper bands from the embroidery threads, you are at imminent and inevitable risk of a major muddle of threads – simply raid your laundry bags for clothes pegs, untangle, and wrap the thread around the spring, and open and clamp the end of the wound thread in the mouth of the wooden peg – and don’t they look cute too!