I have a terrible problem with hording all manner of things which I think eventually might prove useful for years. This often proves at odds with my desire to lead a clutter-free life. Quite often I’ll read unclutterer.com and embark on an enthusiastic purge of junk, but some stuff stays for years.

For example, around 6 years ago, the babies’ step-mother gifted me with some fabric and a pattern which she no longer had any use for, the fabric was partly cut into the pattern. Given the style of the pattern and the fabric, I estimate that she’d had it for around 6 years before she handed it off to me.

An so it all sat in my stash doing not a great deal, amazingly surviving the giant (more than 2 large suitcases full) fabric purge when I moved in with Don.

Around a month ago I realised the fabric was suddenly fashionable and dragged it out so that I may make a skirt with Bessie, who is well on her way to developing masterful skills in the feminine arts.

Given that I’d spent a great deal of my time in 1983-84 making very similar skirts, we scoffed at the idea of a pattern and free-styled.

The challenge was to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and let Bessie do the majority of the sewing (although I did insert the zipper – mostly because I needed the practice for a project I have on standby).

The results were most pleasing:

Looks quite a lot better in Real Life than in photographs. When I dropped J/F off on Friday night, Bessie was wearing the skirt with black tights and ballet flats and she looked quite marvellous.

Am not sure what the lesson from this is.

Perhaps I should I hold on to everything just in case I need it one day?

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