Quality remains long after price is forgotten. I bought a harlequin cotton Canterbury rugby jumper decades ago and it has stood the test of time, still intact although benched.

Knowing I would see Max this weekend for our family trip to Toowoomba (ref Sew 228) – I decided while watching Hercule Poirot (there are puzzles in both) to refashion the jumper as fancy pants since the first pair (ref Sew 202) went well. Reflecting on the harlequin jumper – made in Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand (home country) – I realise they were probably created as a way to use off-cuts from single-coloured jumpers. The jumper began life with thrifty values, worthy of refashion rather than bin. 

From the Max stash (unworn treasure too good to toss), I chose a blue cotton jacket and set about chopping and resewing these two garments into leg-sized pieces, with pockets in suitable places and using zigzag stitch to secure the new joins. To finish off, I resewed the blue jacket’s ribbed waist as an elastic waistband for the fancy pants. The Poirot show was over before I finished, as well as news and comedy. I had fun making the pants which Max loves, as he does gorgeous girlfriend Steph, right at Gabbinbar.

There could be no other trousers like these in the world – although Max and Steph said similar ones were for sale at a Splendour market stall, so upcycled may becoming trendy.