Page 32 of Second Chances at the Board Game Café

‘What if you can’t sew?’ said a woman at the back.

‘Well, I’ve already mentioned tie-dye. You could also use glue to stick something onto your garment. There’s iron-on webbing too. And fabric paint. And don’t forget, I’m here if you want guidance or you’d like to learn new skills. Honestly, anyone can learn to sew.’

‘I’m dying to get going. You’re an inspiration.’ Kate beamed at Taylor and then turned to the audience. ‘She’s brilliant, isn’t she?’

Yes, Taylor was brilliant, Harry thought as there was another smattering of applause, and Kate wasn’t doing a bad job as interviewer either.

‘Let’s make a start,’ said Taylor. ‘You’ve all brought along so much stuff. The best thing to do is to have a look through and see what appeals to you. Look for fabrics that are of a similar weight as these might work well together. You might go for similar shades too – or for a complete contrast. I’ll come round so ask if you need some help.’

‘Unleash the clothes,’ said Kate, and a couple of women began to tip bags full of clothes onto the trestle tables.

Everyone swarmed round the tables, Harry stood on the spot, uncertain of what to do with himself. A couple of teenagers began pulling out dresses and holding them up against themselves. A woman near him was rummaging through a large pile of clothes, pulling out one thing after another, then discarding them again. The whole place now resembled a jumble sale.

‘How are you doing? Not feeling inspired?’

He turned to see Taylor standing beside him. ‘I um…’

‘What do you fancy making? Would you like to upcycle another pair of jeans?’

‘That’s probably beyond my skill set. I’m not very creative, to be honest. More of a numbers man. Perhaps I could help with that side of things. I could calculate the costs of making each garment, you know, to demonstrate how cost-effective recycling is.’

‘Upcycling,’ said Taylor. ‘Good for the planet, good for the purse.’

‘Exactly. Does wonders for the world, and wonders for your wallet.’

Why on earth had he come out with that?

Taylor laughed. ‘I think you should have a go. You might surprise yourself. Check out the clothes and see if something speaks to you.’

Clothes had never spoken to Harry. ‘Yes, I might do that,’ he said, and wished he didn’t sound so stiff and formal.

He watched as she walked over to the teenage girls and began chatting to them, pulling out other garments from the pile, and holding them together so they could see the different fabrics. She seemed to get more gorgeous every time he saw her; how could that be possible?

He sensed someone watching him now, and turned to see Kate on the other side of the room. She caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up and then looked pointedly at Taylor. He knew immediately that she’d guessed he had a crush. Was it that obvious? Hoping no-one else had noticed, he walked over to the nearest trestle table and began to look through the clothes.

In the pile of old dresses, skirts and T-shirts, something caught his eye. It appeared to be the end of a dragon’s tail. He eased the fabric out from underneath the pile and discovered that it was indeed a dragon; a red pillowcase featuring a bright green dragon. It was clearly something a child would have on their bed, yet the dragon wasn’t a cartoon-like, friendly looking dragon, but a proper fierce one. He thought of the Dungeons and Dragons guys from the Thursday board game group. They often wore T-shirts printed with dragons not unlike this one. Harry wondered what this creature might look like, emblazoned across the back of a shirt, in the same way that Taylor had stitched the red rose onto the denim jacket. He could picture it; it would certainly be eye-catching, but he didn’t have a clue where to start.

‘Found something?’ Taylor was by his side again now.

‘No, I um…’ He hastily shoved the pillowcase back in the middle of the pile.

She took it out again and looked at it. ‘Nice. What were you thinking?’

‘Perhaps a shirt? I could appliqué – was that the word? – this onto the back?’

‘Yes, that would work,’ she said. ‘It’s a nice, lightweight fabric so would work well on shirt. Shall we look for one?’

‘I can’t sew,’ he said. ‘Not really. The odd button or two. That’s about it.’

‘I’ll help you.’

An image popped into his mind now of himself and Taylor in her cosy little shop, huddled over her sewing machine, their heads close together, so close that he could smell her scent, taste her breath. Her hand would touch his as they guided the fabric under the needle. He’d turn to her as she turned to him, and they’d pause for a moment, drinking each other in, before his lips finally met hers. He shook his head, casting away the daydream. The reality was that she’d be helping him to do this here, in the very nondescript room above the board game café, with the teenagers and the ladies from the Oxfam shop looking on. There would be no lips touching. In any case, it probably wouldn’t be safe to get romantic with the needle of the sewing machine whizzing up and down.

‘How about this one?’ She was holding up a cherry red men’s shirt.

Harry frowned. ‘Bit bright.’

‘Or this?’