All Sprung Cleaned!!

Well ... holidays are over at the Meares' Madhouse and it was back to work for my Beloved Geek Boy and me this morning ... the alarm was NOT our friend when it went off, let me tell you! :0) As always, we felt like we needed just one more week to REALLY get everything done we'd planned ... but I suspect that no matter how long our holiday was, we'd always want 'just one more week', wouldn't we! Tee! Hee! Hee!

We did, however, cross a lot of things off our "To Do" list ... including the bulk of the spring cleaning we wanted to get done ... OK ... NEEDED to get done might be a better way to put it! A few of you have been giggling at me cos I said the layer of dust was so thick that if we waited much longer we'd need to call in an archaeologist to excavate the layers to find what was underneath ... I didn't take 'Before' photos cos it would just have been too embarrassing, but that archaeologist was on standby! :0) And now, we have lovely cleanness all around us ...

The pretties are all sparkling clean and enjoying being displayed on dust-free surfaces ...

The bears have been brushed up and fresh flowers again enjoy clean, dust-free vases. I don't know how long this cleanliness will last, given that we live in a Federation cottage that seems to attract and suck dust in like a vacuum! At least ... that's MY story and I'm sticking to it! It has nothing to do with the fact that we both seem to have missed out on the "Tidy" gene! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Once the boring cleaning chores had been crossed off the "To Do" list, I rewarded myself by heading into the sewing room ... windows open, fan on, ice water in my drink bottle,  Enya and Loreena McKennitt keeping me company ... AAAAAHHHH! BLISS!!! :0)

First project tackled was something to get me out of hot water ... you see ... for some months now, every time I pop in to my Home-Away-From-Home, Marion has been teasing me about the state of my handbag. It has been my "go everywhere" bag for quite some time and let's just say that it had seen better days ...

... stitches were pulled out, triangle trims were curling up, bells were missing, the fabric had worn through to the wadding and the straps were so twisted up, you couldn't see what fabric had been used ...

... not to mention there were some grubby 'ugly spots' that wouldn't come out no matter how often it was washed. SIGH!!!  It really was time to retire it, the problem became finding the time to actually sew something for ME. Yesterday was it!!!!

I had been hoarding saving some Rural Jardin charm squares for just this event to make myself a version of this pattern ...

"French Shopping Spree" (available in downloadable format pattern). The original was made using another range of French General fabrics, "Pom Pom de Paris". The "Rural Jardin" version turned out like this ...

Ta da! A new bag that won't embarrass me when I catch up with Marion next time. :0) It's a great, roomy bag with a double pocket on the inside to keep my keys, phone and sunnies safe and a wide, reinforced strap with yummy giant rick-rack set in both edges ... everything a gal needs to survive a busy day of shopping ... er ... work! :0)

So once that project was finished it kind of led to another ... a new pouch to keep my surprise Christmas giftie from GB safe ... he bought me an iPad. :0) So it was back to the sewing machine to make ...

A matching French-inspired pouch. I added a narrow strap because while I'll mostly slip the pouch into my handbag to carry, there are sure to be times where I want to travel light and just take my iPad. Most times the strap can just be tucked inside the pouch out of the way.  And in case you were wondering ... I didn't pop off to France for my photo shoot ... unfortunately!! :0) The Eiffel Tower background is one side of a double-sided room divider screen that my good friend Lynda gave me for Christmas ... Thanks Lynda! Or as the French would say ... MERCI!!! :0)

Not a bad day in the sewing room, right? But wait ... there's MORE! :0)

Three phone pouches all destined to be gifted to friends, so ... SSSSHHHHH!! Don't tell them ... it's a surprise! :0)

So ... not a bad sewing start to my year ... think what I could have achieved if I had that extra week off! Tee! Hee! Hee! But since I don't, I'll just have to fit in some sewing amongst everything else.

Hope you're all having a great start to your week ... are you keeping an eye on the countdown on my sidebar?!?! Not long to go! :0) But right now I'm off to find a cool drink ... 35 here today, which is a bit unusual for our city on the 'hill'. Still ... beats being cold! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS