Birthday Girl Apron

I know that all moms say that they can't believe how fast their kids are growing up, but it seems that every child's birthday sneaks up on me and catches me off guard.  My youngest just turned four this week and I barely got her present done in time.  Thanks to a husband who stood guard outside of my sewing area, I finished my daughters birthday apron just in time for her party.

I love aprons.  They are great practical gifts, and it was high time my littlest helper got her own for when she helps me with the dishes and when she cooks in her play kitchen.

This is a reversible pinafore apron with a crisscross  back.  I like these for little kids because they can get them on and off without anyone having to untie them.  Sorry, I didn't use a pattern for this apron, but here is a free pattern by Japanese sewing books that is similar.  You could use to get the same style.



I love the retro coffee pots and tea kettles fabric (by blank textiles) on this side of the apron.  I added some useful pockets and decked them out with some scrap binding and bows.



The reverse side was made from a butterfly fabric that's been in my stash for awhile now, and I scrounged up just enough apple fabric to make two pockets on this side too. I was happy with how quick this came together and my daughter is thrilled to have an apron "like Mommy's" when she helps out.



Since I had everything out already, I went ahead and made a second apron for my niece.  I used the same brown butterfly fabric for the reverse, but did a full pocket on the front with some appliqued birds.  Since I'm trying to do at least one future Christmas gift or project every month this year as part of the Ho Ho Ho and on we sew link-up party (see my links to the right --->, I'm going to stash this away until Christmas.  I might add a child sized oven mitt to her gift too.

Giveaway 1 - Apron

The Giveaway is now closed!  Thank you to everyone who participated and left comments!

Oh my Gosh, Thank you to everyone who entered their recipe ideas in this giveaway.  There were so many great comments that it was extremely difficult to choose the winner.  In fact, I had to seek help, and the winner was chosen by a family and friends consensus.  It was tough to choose only one!

The winner is Victoria with her spinach cheese squares!  I look forward to hearing back from Victoria and posting her recipe here this coming week.

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I'm so excited to be participating again in the Sew Mama Sew giveaway day.  It's always fun to get to meet other bloggers from all over the world and exchange ideas and insights.  I also find that it's a great way to find wonderful blogs that I haven't had the chance to follow yet.

I will be hosting 2 giveaways so make sure to comment on either or both, and make sure to visit the Sew Mama Sew giveaway page to enter into all the other wonderful giveaways being hosted by other bloggers too!

This giveaway is for a cute little front tie half apron made of a great pink/orange umbrella fabric with a fully lined pocket and pintuck detailing along the waist band.  The giveaway will be open from Monday the 9th through the 13th, and I will be shipping internationally if the winner lives outside of the United States.

To enter this giveaway, please tell me about your favorite holiday dish; the one that if you didn't make it Christmas would just not be the same :)  It can be anything from a side item to a desert.  What is it and why do you love it.  The winner must be willing to share the recipe!!!

I will announce the winner on the 14th and then make and share their recipe on this blog :)

No Reply Commenters, don't forget to include your email or I can't contact you!

Forgive the pictures, my nine-year-old was stand in photographer since Daddy is on a work trip :)



This picture shows the pintucks in better detail.  I love the extra stiffness they give to the waistband fabric.

I love a tie front apron with extra long strings since it's so convenient for making an apron fit many different shaped bodies.

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Please feel free to browse around and visit my other projects and tutorials, and if you enjoy my projects, I'd love for you to become a follower (although it's not required to enter the giveaway).

Don't forget to leave your recipe comment below (be descriptive, tempt me!) and visit my other giveaway too.  Good Luck!

Apron Exchange

This month I've been busy on lots of projects, but one of the most pleasurable has been researching, planning, and sharing ideas for the crafty cooks apron exchange that I've been participating in.  I've been stalking my secret partner and have come up with an Asian inspired apron for her.

I really hope that she likes it.  It has a nice wide waistband and ties around the front.  Do you recognize the fabric on the pocket side :) ?  This was one of my recent purchases from the Im Patchworkhimmel shop that I found here in Germany.  You can read more about my German Fabric trip here. 

The three pockets should hold anything that my partner wants to stow away while she's cooking or working.

My partner is also a quilter and loves the little details, so I appliqued a cherry blossom branch on the corduroy side of the apron and added a border that reminds me of one I'd use on a quilt.  Plus, who doesn't like binding?

Now, because I've been stalking my partner, I've gotten to read a bit about her two beautiful children, and I couldn't let her little helpers go without their own aprons too.

Her little lady is a bit older than my model, but I hope that she feels special in her apron that is made to coordinate with her Mommy's.

I got to go a bit more girly with this apron by adding a frilly edge to the umbrella fabric that matches the main fabric on the Mommy apron.  As you can see from above, it also ties in the front so that her little girl can tie and untie it more easily by herself.

She also has a little man that I just couldn't leave out either.  So he got a manly cars apron.  I didn't think that  he'd want to match the ladies ;)  

I also created another little extra that I'll be posting (with a pattern) soon for everyone to enjoy.  For now, I hope that you like my aprons, and feel free to visit my apron pinterest board for more apron inspiration.