Little Lady Aprons

March is a busy birthday month for my family. Luckily the Mumford side didn't add that many to the mix. I did not get an early enough start this year. RABBIT! (as Moff would say) I wanted to make my nephew that's turning one and LOVES books a quiet book. Alas this idea came to me a week before it would need to be done and I am but one woman with limited time. Maybe I will send it when I get it finished. He is too young to know that it's belated right? 

Anyway, so I have been working on birthday presents for two of my favorite cuties. My nieces Aubrey who will be turning 8 and getting baptized! And her sister Gracie who will be 6 (going on 26). She's got more spunk than women three times her age! I got the sewing bug one Saturday and wanted to make them something. I had some odds and ends of fabric and it was just enough to make some cute little aprons! YESSSSSS!

I started with some polka dotted remnant fabric from Wally World. 

The turquoise fabric is some cloth napkins. I bought a set of 4 on clearance at Target for $2. Extra buttons I had in my button bin.

Ribbon I had on hand.

This is the fabric for the other apron. Also Wal-Mart remnant fabric. I love the red and white striped flannel. It makes me think of Christmas morning flannel PJ's.

Spare white cotton fabric

White ribbon

Buttons from button bin

 

I didn't get a picture of this step since I didn't have my models to measure and I was too impatient excited to wait for my sister to get them to me. Measure their waist and cut about 8-10 extra inches, depending on how much you want it gathered.

Here's the pocket for one of them. I folded it in half to make sure it was symmetrical since I have issues there.

  

Pinned and ironed edges. Sewed them to give a nice edge seam.

  

There are several ways I could have gathered/pleated this apron. I chose to fold the top seam over and sew. I just eyeballed it because it doesn't need to be perfect since the sash will be sewed over the top of this.

  

Here's the fold in my fabric. Fold and pin to your hearts content.

 

 Sew straight seam along the top, keeping the folds in place

  

Here is what it should look like when you're done with that step.

  

Sewed ribbon along the bottom to clean up the edge. Also added it to the top to use as the sash to tie in back. Again, make this about twice the length of their waist measurement. They'll want room to make a bow in back

  

Some detail of the pocket on the polka dot apron. I hand sewed it since I wanted it to kind of have a visible, irregular, handcrafted stitch on the edge.

  

Some button detail on the bottom of the red one. Red button with white thread, white buttons with red thread.

  

Flowers on the front instead of a pocket. Made from ribbon and buttons using this tutorial.

  

I know a lot of people use No Fray but I don't keep it on hand and clear nail polish does the same thing. Painted it on the edges to keep the ribbons from fraying.

Finished product! (It needs to be ironed obviously:)

Hand stitching on the pocket. It makes me giggle.

Red-striped one. Don't you love the pleats at the top?!

My little flower friends

 Now some pictures of my muses:

Isn't she so happy and smiley?! Aubrey Vernene

Me and my Aubrey Girl

 Chillin on a Summer afternoon

Nothing livens up a road trip like a self-photo shoot of funny faces!

Isn't she just irresistible?! I love my Gracie Ann!

This was the day we were twins:)

Nothing like a snuggly princess in her jammies.

 Gracie is in love with Bryce my hubs. The weekend we traveled for him to meet my family before we were engaged she followed him around EVERYWHERE!

 Gracie and Aubrey and I

Gracie, Me and Aubrey Pioneer Day Parade

Thoughts of Spring

So Valentine's is all but officially over and who is ready for Spring? ME ME ME! I am ready for: 

•  Sunshine
• Flowers
• Springtime colors
• temperatures above 50 degrees
• NO MORE SNOW!

Since I live in Utah that is probably wishful thinking. It IS after all only the middle of February and we usually get snow until April. But a girl can dream. And dream I will. I don't know if I have E-V-E-R been so ready for Spring in my entire life. I literally feel like I will throw up if it snows again. I'm allergic to winter. Here are some of my favorite Spring-y things that are getting me thru:

 

Grey and Yellow blossom rug from Target

Multi-colored flower rug from Target. 

I wish I could have something like this in my home but alas, it has pink! I love the swirls with the flowers though. It reminds me of something David Bromstad would to on ColorSplash.

Colorful throw pillow from Pier 1. This is bright and fun, kinda Asian inspired. I love it!

I love this bedding from Pottery Barn. And the bed. How gorgeous are those legs?!

Lovin this door handle from Anthro. I love it so much I would spend $42 on it. I could do an entire post just on things I want to do with antique door handles. They are so full of character!

 

Fun pillow from Pier 1. This is literally blooming!

 

 This pretty rug is from Anthropologie. Mustard is my new favorite color these days.

 

Curtains from Anthropologie. Which I love and all but over $100 for curtains? Not a chance. Wouldn't this be great with the rug above? Mmmm loverly.

Vintage Stoves

We were watching some episodes of one of our all time faves "Everybody Loves Raymond" tonight and 80% of the episode took place in Deborah's kitchen. I couldn't help but notice (in between fits of laughter where I was within seconds of wetting my pants at Robert's pantlessness) the gorgeous stove gracing Deb's kitchen. HELLO! How have I never noticed that before?! I decided not to point it out to my hubs since he was busy laughing and I didn't wish to interrupt about a house/decorating detail...AGAIN! But I searched the web and found some beauties that I want in a kitchen of my own someday.

I see a shining ray of light. This is soso pretty! Courtesy of Old House Web

 

I can just imagine something like this in my Grandma's kitchen. Courtesy of Antique Gas Stoves

How cute is this?! The orange is fun, I wish I could be brave enough to have an orange stove. But I love the warming rack in the middle. Courtesy of Home Appliances

Ellie Bean

How cute is this little girl?! I cant even stand it! This is one of my 6 nieces (and 4 nephews) that live far, far, far away. So far away I sometimes wonder if I imagined it existed. I miss them terribly wretchedly. So much so it makes me cry when I hear their favorite songs on the radio, or see their picture on my fridge, or hear their cute voicemails on my phone. Positively gut-wrenching! But these pictures make me feel closer to them. And make me feel like MAYBE not as much time has passed as really has whenever I get to see them again. I love you Ellie Bean! You have a little piece of my heart that I will never get back. And that is okay with me.

  

Here is my sister's post about this diva's "outfit":

This morning Ellie came up the stairs wearing this! She was also demanding breakfast and her Uncle Jarom. This girl loves her some strawberry oatmeal and Uncle Jarom!! It is now 9:30...and she's still wearing most of this. The sunglasses proved too annoying to eat in so they had to go. Spencer snatched one of her necklaces and there was a small scuffle regarding Spencer's crocs...but in the end, Ellie Almighty won and now she's sitting on the couch in her morning garb, watching "Max & Ruby", her tummy full of strawberry oatmeal...but still no Uncle Jarom.

He's at school. You know, that wretched place that snags all her older playmates for hours and days and years on end. Not sure how this little thing will make it through when Jarom goes on a mission in a year and a half...and then to college...and then gets married and lives far, far away. I'm not gonna tell her about all that stuff yet.