Shabby schoolyard style

I have noticed around the town, people carrying their laptops in fabric bags - all types of bags! Pyjama bags, shoe bags, recycled shopping bags, etc, etc. It seems that the padded satchel just isn't always that appropriate...or stylish. It got me thinking that there could be a market for a prettier version of these...

I stitched one together for my workmate and fellow blogger Mrs Tiff - of Mrs Tiff Living Creatively fame. I really wanted to give her something that would show how much I have appreciate her support and encouragment. She was the one who introduced me to blogger after all...and she landed the job of being my report proofreading buddy (poor Tiff!).

I know that Mrs Tiff loves fabric yo-yos, so I just had to embellish it with a few. I matched the yo-yo fabric with a ruffled bag that I knew she had made for herself. The checkered fabric is vintage and I picked the apricot roses up from a fabulous shop of treasures - Retallack's Creative Sewing in Port Macquarie.

If your laptop did need to be packed away for safe keeping in its proper satchel...the sack could always be used to house important documents and letters.

The same week that I gifted the laptop sack to Mrs Tiff, she handed my reports back to me in a plastic sleeve. It wasn't until I got home to make the ammendments, that I found she had inserted a gorgeous and mysterious little parcel inside...almost too pretty to open!

However, when I did, what a heavenly surprise! A lanyard to hold my classroom keys and whistle. I just love, love, love it and feel so special every time I put it on and waltz out into the playground.

I love placing it on my desk when I'm not using it, somewhere in clear view, as it puts a smile on my face. Takes me briefly to another place of whimsy, birdcages, cotton tape, amazing blogs and creativity! Thank you so much Tiff.

xx