Benjamin Franklin, as Poor Richard, intones, “A stitch in time saves nine.” This saying means that regular maintenance can prevent much more expensive problems later. As a kid, mom took us to the Army Navy Store for school pants. The denim was heavier than was available at the department stores so the pants lasted longer. When trying them on, you took care not to drop anything because the knees would barely bend—if it hit the floor it stayed there. These pants were meant to last! When we outgrew them, we would hand them down to a little brother or cut the legs off to make shorts. Even these herculean pants would occasionally fall prey to the adventures of a young boy. Mom, not about to buy another pair of pants until absolutely necessary, would sew and patch them. The earlier she caught the tear, the better. If it didn’t get patched quickly the tear could get worse. Childhood involved a closet full of clothing in various stages of repair. When they got too ratty to patch, the fragments would find new life as part of a quilt. Read the rest of this entry »