I feel like I should tell a bit about my latest apron adventures, since really that's about all I've been doing in the creative dept.
I made the cherries aprons almost a year ago because I had so much cherry fabric collected and just had fun making them. Then more recently I got in my mind to make these half aprons.
I think I saw that patchwork across the bottom on someone else's blog, and I thought it a great way to use up scraps. I love the way I can add chenille to trim the pockets. Found a big ol' roll called "Chenille It" at a good quilt store in my recent travels. It's just bias cut cotton stripping that fluffs up after you wash and dry it.
Let's see...so then; I found this old apron of my grandmother's that I've kept in the kitchen towel drawer for 20+ years.
I was so pleased with the fit and ease of construction when I put it on that I immediately started cranking out aprons based on the pattern:
During this time, I pulled an old box of family collectibles out of the closet...just being nosey, I guess. I was amazed at the good condition everything was in...all the way back to my grandmother's baby clothes and a set of never-used embroidered kitchen towels that my grandmother's mother had made! Only problem was they smelled mildewy After two days of soaking and washing in mostly vinegar and oxyclean they're now pretty much odor-free but I'm afraid to pile them back into storage again so Lord knows how long they'll teeter in this pile
Among these multi-generational linens, I came across a couple of flashbacks. First, a granny-style reversible apron that I bought in 1979. I remember that day vividly; a finally cooling off San Joanquin valley day in autumn. I spent the day with my aunt JoAnn...drove up to the river, had a sandwich of cream cheese and black olives (first and last time I ever had that!) and stopped at a couple of tourist shops. I also clearly remember smoking pot with her that day. Why else would I have picked such an apron OR sandwich?
Also hidden away in this musty time-capsule was and still is this lil apron I wore when I was two...almost 50 years ago and I've been carting it around ever since. Funny...
Okay, so then when I was down south visiting the folks I was telling my mom that even tho I basically just inherited the one apron from her mother, I was so glad I did because I was now using it as an original pattern. She goes, "Oh, you mean something like this?" and goes down the hall and whips out this even cuter version
and oh my goodness I just had to have it (see how fickle I am?) so will be making these instead from now on: (YAY! FInally got the flea market fancy fabrics!)
Hmmm...Then I came across this cute towel set at K-mart and thought up an apron pattern for them...you can pretty much figure it out by looking at the before and after pic. They're fun to make, and now I'm always on the lookout for cute kitchen towels.
I was so happy to be able to use some vintage trims on these. I used an 8cents per pack zig zag on the chicken apron. Got so danged mad when I pulled it out of the wash that I threw the rest of the trim pack away, but here's another package in pink just like it to give you an idea; basically most of the black, that appears to be woven in, washed away. And not even in a uniform way. I then spray-n-washed it and washed it a second time to get the rest of the black out and it wouldn't budge. argh! What the heck is THAT about?
Okay, just ONE MORE and I promise I'll be done. For now. I'm making six of these because the fabric was on sale at JoAnn's and I loved not only the look but the fact that both selvages were bordered identically, so I can get six gathered half aprons out of three yards. Pretty cute, huh? I pulled out the decorative stitch cams from my 30year old sewing machine to do the scallop hem in green thread (can't see it too well in the pic)