According to Wikipedia, serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally stumbles upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated.

During my charity shop hunt for a coat to cut down into a child's coat for this challenge, I came across a tatty lilac bed canopy and a very pretty embroidered green shawl. They screamed at me "pettiskirt!" And that is how the Serendipity Skirt was born.

The underskirt consists of countless metres of lilac net, cut into strips and gathered. The waistband came from the bed canopy's velour trim and the shawl became the skirt overlay. The ribbon is from my mother's stash, which had been given to her by a woman whose relative worked in a ribbon factory. The three spools of thread that went into the skirt are brand new, as is the waistband elastic.

I could just as accurately have called this the Strictly Come Dancing Skirt because it is so completely perfect for dancing. It will even dance on its own if it is hung up in a draught!

Practicalities: It is a trifle loose on my petite 2 year old and would fit her for at least another couple of years. Handwash separately - the lilac dye bleeds copiously. Wear with pleasure, and expect lots of compliments!

Blogged here: http://lespetitsanglais.blogspot.com/2009/12/upcycling-is-new-black.html