When Old Becomes New Again

Last week I had a bee in my bonnet. I dusted off my sewing machine and attempted to fashion a reusable shopping bag out of an old sheet. I, not being a seamstress, messed up the pattern and the bag didn’t turn out quite right. My husband said it looked like a tank top sewn across the bottom (which actually isn’t a bad idea, hmmm....).

Anyway I chalked this attempt up to a learning experience and vowed to make the next bag closer to pattern specifications. The experimental sack went to live with my girls and their playthings.

Today my daughter came downstairs with the sack over her arm. “This,” she announced, “is my new book bag.” By some miracle it was large enough for her planner, PE shoes and lunch.

I was on carpool duty so we drove across the street to pick up our elementary school neighbor. The neighbor girl, at eight-years-old, is trendy and fashionable. In fact the backpack my daughter ditched for her new bag was a discard from this neighbor.

“Where’d you buy that?” asked the neighbor girl as she climbed in the car.

“We didn’t buy it!” my daughter proudly retorted, “My mom made it!”

“Oh,” said the neighbor with a pregnant pause. I cringed.

“That’s awesome!" she finally said, "I wish my mom could make stuff like that.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. The bag met with eight-year-old approval (every one in their right mind strives for eight-year-old approval, right?).

I drove to school with two happily chatting girls and a set of old sheets who’d gained a new lease on life.