MY international subscription to Selvedge is a luxury – one that will most certainly go if I, or my partner, lose our jobs – a possibility in this current economic climate.

When I read Polly Leonard’s editorial in the “Frugal” edition I was nodding my head over my morning cuppa. Leonard references the Boy Scout and Girl Guide motto - Be Prepared - and reminds readers that care for one’s possessions is by no means new, but may have been forgotten in a culture of cheap and cheerful, almost disposable, chain store options.

My mother was taught to sew by her mother, and in turn taught me. I can mend and hem clothing and launder and care for my wardrobe with its longevity in mind. My stepdaughter recently handed me a blouse I repaired not long after its purchase and is in need of mending once more. This time, however, I am not going to fix it. The item was cheap and nasty to begin with, and more than that, she didn’t follow the care instructions, nor cared for the item enough to even hang it in her wardrobe. While I could show her how to mend it herself, I know she’d rather fork out more cash for a replacement piece than take the time to make the repairs herself and continue to launder it carefully.

The "Frugal" edition of Selvedge advocated for a return to mending and making do, with an emphasis on refashioning clothing and caring for classic pieces. That old adage of a stitch in time saves nine, is so very true