Out of sight, out of mind

Girl's dress, to fit age 9 years.

It's taken me weeks to get to this point, but I'm in the thick of sorting and selling the contents of the third archive box from my friend's mother, a lifelong hoarder. Box 3 is full of clothes, dating from the 1950s to the 1970s, cut out and ready to sew. 

There are dresses to fit a girl of 7-9 years (these photos show two I sewed up earlier this week) and my friend is nearly 50 now!

Girl's tunic, to fit age 7 years.

There was a fabulous full-skirted '50s dress which went to a very good home yesterday. Having been stored away from the light all these years, the fabric was still crisp and bright – quite odd when you're used to soft and faded vintage clothes... It seems sad that so many projects were left unfinished. At least if they finally get out into the world, her time wasn't wasted after all.