It's probably better this way

Sometimes I dream about having a little girl.  Someone who likes unicorns and rainbows and fairies instead of dinosaurs and superheros and weapons.  Someone I can dress in pretty colors and flouncy skirts.  Someone I can make things for and with.  Now don't get me wrong - I make things for and with my boys, but somehow, I just feel it would be different.  In fact, I'd probably end up making and wearing things with her like this Mommy and Me apron set that I made yesterday.

There'd be lots of photos of us wearing our coordinated outfits, smiling into the camera as she snuggles into my side.  It would be cute...for a while.  And then she'd turn into a teenager and resent me for squashing her toddler independence by making her dress like me and wouldn't speak to me outside of a growl or a shriek for 5 years.  Perhaps it is better this way...

Oh well.  They were still fun to make.  The pockets are roomy and sturdy, reinforced by leftover denim.

The apron body is, of course, made from upcycled jeans and the pockets and trim are all from an upcycled pillowcase. I love the pillowcases with the accents on the cuff; they make for neat pockets.

We'll see if someone at the festival this weekend thinks the aprons are as cute as I do.

Sewing on the road

I left home on Friday morning, not to return until the beginning of July.  While I brought a quilt that needs hand quilting, I wasn't convinced I wanted to be away from my sewing machine for that long.

Solution:  I brought it with me! 

And since I couldn't bring my whole stash with me, I collected up all of my Goodwill pillowcase purchases (OMG!  How did I end up with 19 pillowcases?  Especially considering that I've already upcycled 16 of them into reuseable grocery bags and aprons?) as well as some of my 2" squares to play with.

17 of the 19 pillowcases I have amassed through my pillowcase purchase addiction.

I spent Friday and Saturday at Princeton University where I presented at a conference and was interviewed on camera for publication online - nervewracking!

 

On Saturday night, I drove up to my MILs in Easton, PA where my kids were waiting for me.  I surprised them with an all day trip to Dorney Park (an amusement park) on Sunday.  I conquered my fear of rollercoasters and had a ball!  I even went on the ones where you go upside down!

Today, I walked my niece's dog while the boys rode their bikes all over the neighborhood (we live on a dirt road that goes straight up a mountain, so riding on paved roads is a treat for them), then went to the movies to catch Madagascar 3.  Needless to say, my kids have not stopped chanting "Circus, Afro, Circus, Afro, Polka Dot, Polka Dot, Polka Dot, Afro!"  Heaven help me!

After the movie, I decided to channel my inner Em and brought my sewing machine outside onto the deck to sew.  Time to tackle those pillowcases! 

Sewing on the deck

Two down!  Someone in my family will be getting some reuseable, washable grocery totes. 

Why is it so hard to photograph stripes?  The one on the left is red, white and blue stripes.

I love the 5 I made for myself, and use them every time I go shopping, whether for groceries or anything else.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make aprons.

I love vacation!

So stinkin' cute!

Remember the child-sized denim apron I made a while back?

My sister wanted it for her son, one of the cutest creatures on God's Green Earth.

But the apron is sized for kiddos about 8 - 12 years old, and he's just about to turn two.  You know what I had to do, right?  Make a toddler-sized one!

I thought I loved the first apron, but this one is my new favorite - it's just so stinkin' cute!  Stripes are FUN!

I'm sending it off tomorrow - hopefully I'll have a photo of him wearing it to share in the next week or so.

My leaders and enders work for this project was two of these blocks.

That brings my total of these blocks up to 17.  Sounds good, until you realize they are made with 1.5" squares and measure a mere 6" finished.  Gonna take many more than 17 blocks to make a serviceable quilt.

That's it for today.  I'm not going to mention the 294.75 hours I put in at work over the last three days...

I'd say "Thank God it is almost the weekend," but I have to work on Saturday, too. 

Boo hiss.

Going overboard

I'm starting to worry that I have an addictive personality, because I have been addicted to making pillowcase aprons today.  Half aprons,

a full apron,

and I even tried a denim AND pillowcase apron.

Note to readers who may be female and related to me - be forewarned, you will probably be receiving an apron as a gift at some point this year!

It's funny, I love wearing aprons, and I love making aprons, but I hate to cook...

She has no idea

Having a niece is SO MUCH FUN!  I struggle to think of things to make for my boys, but I can always find things to make for my niece.  She has no idea how much I appreciate having her to make things for. 

Her next package in the mail from me will be this little half apron, made from the leftovers of that pillowcase when I made the Creamsicle quilt top. 

I had to promise not to put my son's face in the photo...

I looked up a bunch of patterns and tutorials online, but none were exactly what I wanted, so here's my version.  I love the pleat in the middle - makes it kind of flirty and feminine, don't you think?

Pillowcase apron for my niece

I love the poiny ends!

And you know I have lots of thrift store pillowcases, right?  I used two coordinating ones to make two more half aprons - a "Mommy and Me" set.  I love my boys, but I think I'd have loved having a girl, too!

Mommy and Me Half Aprons from Pillowcases

I added the pocket on a whim - not sure how I feel about it

I think this is just the cutest little apron!