Domestic Bliss

An article by Rachel    5 Comments

As I mentioned before, I received Amy Butler’s In Stitches book for Christmas.  Of course, I have big plans to make just about everything in the book. Yet for the past three months, I’ve just looked at the pretty pictures.

A couple of weeks ago, I was inspired by this beautiful fabric to actually make something.

Thus this cute apron.

I love it! I believe I only made one modification to the pattern. I shortened the length to match my short stature. In fact, I made a point of following the assembly instruction. Normally, I think my sewing skills exceed the pattern instructions. So what’s the point of following the pattern? Not this time.

I’m happy to report that I learned a few new tricks. I really like the instructions for adding the trim to the bottom of the apron and the pocket trim. The trim is more than a decorative thought. It really adds weight and sturdiness to the apron. Since a apron has potential to see lots of heavy use, I think this is important. I was also pleased that no raw edges show on the back. That’s a pet peeve of mine. The back is neat and tidy.

I use one of my new tricks to achieve a neat look. When it was time to topstitch the waistband over the raw edges on the back, I use Roxanne’s glue to hold everything in place. It worked like a charm. Since the fabric was bulky from the apron and the waist band material, pins would have create more bulk. By using the glue, I was able to secure all the raw edge inside the waistband and top stitch on top. This allowed me to watch what I was doing on the front. Of course it would look even better if I hand sewed the waist band down, but I was too anxious for the finished project.

Now I’m ready for another Amy Butler project. I’m leaning towards hot pads from the leftover apron fabric. They’d add some charm to the kitchen. Not to mention, I really could use them.

On a side note, I’d like to point out my chairs. They officially have three coats of paint. In my book that means that they are done.

Now they need seat cushions. I’ll probably tackle that project in July or August. May and June are already booked.