Farewell old faithfuls

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I am finally going to have to say goodbye to my old gardening trousers. I have had these trousers for years – decades in fact. I’m fairly sure my mother bought them in the 1970s from a shop that was having a closing-down sale. I remember she bought several pairs of a similar style in different colours, I think they were 50p each. Flares were in fashion at the time, so nobody wanted these. Later (when narrow trousers were back ‘in’) I remember wearing them to school, when we had some special event and it was a non-uniform day. I wore them with a white ‘Princess Di’ style blouse with a little round collar and a lace yoke. They have been in and out of fashion many times. When trousers were wider, they stayed in the bottom of the drawer, then when narrow trousers were back ‘in’, out they came again. At one point they were relegated to gardening duties, but then when they became trendy again I gave them a wash and brush-up and they were back to smart occasions. I fitted a pocket, and replaced the elastic ‘stirrups’ that go under the feet. But finally I think I have to admit they are past it. They are hardly fit to be seen, even in the garden, since the fabric at the inside top of each leg is all worn into huge holes (from wearing them when cycling) and they have big snags all over from getting caught on thorns. And there's a smear of paint I can't get off. I don’t think I can find even one small usable area of fabric I could make into something else! Still I’m having trouble actually throwing them out. I need to just do it. But first I will save the button and zip for use in some future project. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2023.