Crisp new natural-fibre fabrics are lovely to feel, yet the softness and malleability that comes with age has great appeal too.

The men in my family often come with hands outstretched when their favourite trousers or shorts need mending (they’re good at housework and cooking so it’s a quid pro quo). I love that we have this family ethos of treasuring things for sentimental reasons rather than monetary ones.

Staying overnight recently with my friend Georgie Somerset on her and Rob’s beef property at Durong, I took this photograph, below, of their mending pile stacked in a corner waiting for a spare hour or two in between cattle work, community work and board meetings! 

Of course it is cheap to buy new … what you can’t buy is the intrinsic care and nurturing stitched into favourite clothes when they’re patched up and can go out into the world for a little longer. 

Sew 142 is a pair of Darcy’s trousers that are on their second mend and he’s been warned they won’t be patched a third time.

I’ve repaired them for now by placing some denim offcuts behind the tears, then zigzagging to strengthen and repair the incursions. Two inside buttons had gone missing, so I replaced them with stray ones.

I know there is only limited wear left in these trousers but as favourites, they’re worth a bit of effort and TLC (tender loving care).