Kitchy Kitchen Prints

I'm a sucker, or rather a collector, of novelty fabrics.  It started with typewriter prints, then eyeglasses, then sewing prints, and my latest favorite is kitchen prints--perfect for making aprons, something else I love.  Thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.  Apparently, Michael Miller Fabrics shares my obsession with nostalgic kitchen images, because all three of the prints you're about to see are from MM Fabrics.  And they're all fabulous! 

First up is this happy print, Fifties Kitchen, seen here sewn up in (what else?) my favorite flapper apron: 

It was that happy little stove that drew me in; it reminds me of the stove in my Grandma Sayers' kitchen, the stove upon which she cooked all sorts of delicious meals.  She was a wonderful cook and also a wonderful seamstress!  I still have the Barbie clothes she made me when I was little.  Of course I still have them--who gets rid of their Barbie stuff?!  Anyway, this print is so cheerful and happy and that's how I feel when I look at it.  Which is the whole point, right? 

Coming in a close second, is Kitchenette--with a different, but equally wonderful vintage vibe: 

Did I have a conversation with myself about "how many kitchen fabrics does one really need"?  Well, yes, but it was a short conversation.  As you can see, these prints are so different that they really can't be compared.  So obviously I needed both of them.  (This apron is available in my etsy shop in case you are interested.) 

Last, but not least, is "Home Ec."  Which is how I still refer to what is now called "Family and Consumer Science" at our local high school.  It was, it is and it always will be home ec to me.  Check this out: 

I haven't quite decided what to make from this yet.  I'm considering kitchen curtains or a table runner.  In the meantime, I enjoy looking at it.  It's good to let ideas stew for a while.  

Thanks for looking, hope you've enjoyed.  For your own shopping information, I have purchased my yardage of these prints from various etsy sellers that I can't quite remember--but a quick etsy search should get you what you want if you need some of these prints for your own collection.  

Pretty Flowered Aprons

Sewing is one of my greatest joys during the bleak winter months.  I HATE winter; truly, I detest cold.  My body recoils from it and mostly what I want to do is sit in front of the fire under warm blankets and watch TV (which means I fall asleep in about fifteen minutes.)  However, my sewing room is cozy and a wonderful retreat from the cold world outside.  And because this January has been particularly harsh, disheartening, and sad....I need to spend as much time sewing as possible.  Here are a couple of aprons I've made recently:

I used this 1944 pattern, Simplicity #1162, with a some slight changes:

As you can see, I substituted a much more utilitarian neck strap than what the pattern shows; as adorable as that bow is, I felt like it would get in my way and bother me--because aprons are made to be worn!  A big floppy bow really isn't my style.  Also, I'm horrible at making or even tying bows, so my fear was that I couldn't actually create a pretty one.  The floral print fabric is certainly pretty enough on it's own anyway. Instead of an embroidery transfer as shown on the pattern, I added some decorative stitching at the top of the bib, waistband, and on each pocket.  I also put on two pockets instead of just one.  This pretty fabric is from Joann's; I've noticed that in the last year or so, Joann's selection of cottons has greatly improved.  Their "premium" or "artist's" brands are entirely comparable to quilt shop fabrics.  A closer view of the decorative stitching detail:

I love this little scallop stitch; most of my sewing is done on my Singer, but I also have a Brother LX2500, which is a very handy little machine that has a good variety of stitch patterns to choose from and this one is my favorite.

Initially, my plan was to make this apron from one of the vintage feedsack fabrics I found at an estate sale last fall, but there wasn't quite enough.  Instead, I returned to my trusty flapper apron for the feedsack fabric:

I say this is feedsack fabric because that's what I think it is; I can't be entirely sure.  The big blue pockets are leftovers I've had for a couple of years.  Again, I like pockets on my aprons!  This one will be available on my etsy shop very soon.

And one more feedsack flapper, another print from the same estate sale (nothing better than buying a whole bunch of fabric at once!):

This one is already available in my shop, in case you are in need of an apron.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but this one has a large pocket in the middle--it's the same fabric as the rest of the apron so it blends right in.
Thanks for looking!

Everyday Aprons & Such: Grandma's Duster

A couple of weeks ago I was sorting through various boxes of stuff in preparation for our garage sale. I had several boxes in my storage corner of the basement that haven't been unpacked since we moved last year and I couldn't remember what was in the boxes--so really, rather like Christmas to open them and find things I'd forgotten about!  Or been searching for and couldn't find....like this, for instance:

This snap-front smock apron belonged to my Grandma Price and I recall her wearing it in the 70s and 80s. She always referred to it as her "duster."  Anyone else ever heard an apron called that?  I never gave it much thought when I was a kid.  Now that I think about it, it seems rather charming and very Grandma-like.  I think that she had someone make it for her; my grandmother didn't sew, but she would have a lady she knew sew things for her: she'd pick out the material and pattern and take them to Goldie's house for her to make.  I can vaguely remember going to Goldie's house with my grandma.

Coincidentally, this morning I decided it was time to actually use one of the many, many patterns I've accumulated and felt the urge to make another apron.  I recently picked up some of the retro/repro Simplicity patterns when they were on sale at Joann's:

I'm going to make version B in that orange floral fabric (from Joann's);  I really like full aprons best because I'm pretty messy! I wear aprons when washing dishes as well as when cooking--I tend to get water everywhere for some reason.  While I was pressing Grandma's duster to snap pictures, I looked more closely at the different versions of this 1970s pattern and noticed that version D is remarkably similar to the duster.

Not long after I picked up this repro pattern, I happened to get the original vintage pattern, from 1979, as part of a lot I purchased on ebay:

I could probably fit into a size small apron, but I like aprons to have a bit of wiggle room--so this one is for sale on my etsy shop if you'd like it for yourself.   It's uncut and still factory folded.

Seeing Grandma's duster again reminded me of how meticulous she was in her housekeeping and how she took the time to teach me everyday household tasks--the correct way to make the bed (something she strongly felt had to be done on a daily basis), how to fold linens, how to peel potatoes, and all sorts of various little things that she thought a girl ought to know.  I suspect she also feared that my mother, her daughter, wouldn't teach me these things, due to my mom's great lack of interest in housekeeping, cooking, etc.  My grandma was a farm wife for many years and she knew the "right" way to run a household.  If you do it the right way, running a household can certainly be a full-time job.

Recently I cleaned out my stash of thrifted fabrics and realized I have two complete sets of cloth napkins that I haven't used at all, so I decided we could start using cloth napkins--better for the environment AND cheaper than paper napkins.  I've even been ironing the cloth napkins before folding them and putting them away.  I can't help but think that Grandma would be really proud of me for that.  She had a spare bedroom in the farmhouse solely devoted to ironing.  Monday was wash day and on Tuesdays, she ironed.  I don't have a dedicated ironing day and I'm sure I never will, but when I press those napkins (sometimes while wearing an apron--how domestic is that!)I know I'm doing something that would make my grandma happy--and in turn, thinking of her makes me happy, too.  She's been gone for just over twenty years, but I remember the useful things she taught me and enjoy using things that belonged to her every day.

Vintage Pattern Love

Clearly, I love vintage patterns.  This isn't a new thing; I've been collecting them for a few years now.  It all started with this:

The image on these three collages came from a pattern I picked up at Market Day way back in 2009....long before I knew how to sew.  There was just something about this image.  The look on her face, that full skirt, the tiny waist...I'm not quite sure exactly what it was, but I  had to have it, and so I bought it.  Just because. (And it was only a dollar.) I had it about a year before I did anything with it, and it then led to a whole bunch of collages that I just had so much fun making.  I sold all the others, but the first one I did was always my favorite.  Here's a closer look:

If you've followed along with me here, you may recall that I even had this image printed on fabric a couple of years ago.  One of those mini-quilts was featured in Art Quilting Studio magazine last year, which was exciting for me.  This collage is available as an art print or a blank greeting card in my etsy shop, too, in case you might like one.  I've also used old pattern envelopes as journal covers too.  There's just something about those illustrations of the vintage fashions.  I find them irresistible!  I'll be making another batch of pattern journals for opening day at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market on May 7, because they make perfect Mother's Day gifts.

Yesterday I took a little time to tidy up my sewing room and hang these three collages up together.  The colors in these pieces seemed to go well with the apron I was working on.  I love the combination of aquas and reds together.  Here's the apron:

The fabrics used are from JoAnn's; the pattern is a vintage McCall's from 1966.  It's a "sample" pattern; I've never come across one of those before.  I bought it simply for the envelope illustration, which is retro and yet looks very contemporary to me:

Eventually I want to frame some patterns and hang on the wall and this will likely be one of them.

What's just as much fun as vintage patterns?  Vintage pattern print FABRIC, of course!

This fabric is by Michael Miller.  Love it.  I'm tempted just to re-cover a message board with it rather than sew it, so I can enjoy looking at it all the time.

Fabulous 40s Apron

This weekend's project:

Simplicity #1837, circa 1944

I scored some sweet vintage apron patterns from ebay and etsy recently.  I loved the wide straps on this one.  I haven't seen one where the straps cross in the front before.  Here's my version:

This fabulous floral & dot print is from JoAnn's.  It took just about all of the two yards I had to make the apron.  I did 2 pockets instead of just one; the more pockets, the better, in my opinion.  I would have preferred a contrast pocket, but I didn't have any suitable fabrics on hand.  I might make this pattern again and do just that.

I "adjusted" the pattern a bit to suit my skill level and personal preference: the pattern called for the straps to cross in the back and attach to the waistband/ties via buttons....which naturally demand buttonholes, and I don't do those.  When I tried the apron on before finishing it, I liked the straps better un-crossed, so I pinned and stitched them that way.  It works just fine.  The pattern also included embroidery instructions, which I omitted.  This print doesn't really need any embellishment anyway.

Love the retro style!  As a friend said, she can easily imagine this over a crisp white blouse, with a skirt and anklets.  Exactly!

all about aprons

One of my goals this year was to expand my sewing skill-set beyond basic quilting.  Eventually, I'd love to be able to sew a simple skirt.  So I figured that aprons would be a good way to work my way up to skirts.

 Another skill I want to improve is my ability to follow a sewing pattern.  When I make quilts, I don't use patterns.  (Truly, I don't  see the point.  Half the fun is designing your own quilt, right? )

So I've been having a lot of fun looking through sewing books and my ever-growing collection of vintage patterns.  One of my favorite sewing books is this one:

(Disclaimer: I'm not being paid to promote this book; I just really like it.)  This book is a rather unique sewing book in that it contains lots of interesting historical info plus patterns.  Good stuff.  I chose the Flapper Apron and the end result looks like this:

The polka dot fabric is one I've had in my collection for quite a while.  It's from Hobby Lobby, and I purchased it a few years ago, before I even started sewing.  The pockets are made from an adorable crown print that I've used very sparingly and I had just enough left to make the pockets.

After the flapper apron, I went back to my old habit of making it up as I go along, and sewed some half-aprons using some fun fabrics:

The red dots print is from Riley Blake design and the pink print is from Lotta Jansdotter.  I've been holding on to both of these for quite a while, because that's what fabric hoarders do.  We buy fabric to cut up and then we just can't bring ourselves to cut it up.  Perfectly normal, right?  I think aprons are a perfect way to showcase those favorite fabrics.

Last week, I decided to challenge myself with a vintage pattern:

Butterick pattern #4166, 1966

Obviously, the pattern says "easy" but for me, this would be a challenge because it involved sewing darts, which I had never attempted before.  I looked up a bit more information in my copy of Sewing Made Easy, which gave a bit more information than the sewing pattern.  Vintage patterns assume you know how to sew! Then I dove in, cut fabric, stitched seams and the intimidating darts, and I'm pretty happy about the result.  It's not perfect, but totally wearable.

And wear it, I will.  I love this happy fabric, a JoAnn's clearance bin find.  As you can see, I didn't bother to make the belt.  I will also confess to cheating just a bit: instead of a button, I used velcro.  I haven't quite mastered buttons yet.

Eventually, I'll be listing some aprons on my etsy shop as part of a new product collection.  They are so much fun to make and personally, I think putting on a pretty apron does make housework a bit more fun.  As someone who definitely does not enjoy housework, I need all the motivation I can get.  Buying fabric and thinking about my next sewing project is good motivation.

Winter is for sewing.

I don't have much good to say about January in Iowa except for that it's a great time to get some sewing done!  It's much too cold to go outside, so I'm staying warm inside, having some fun with fabric.

I spent a few days re-organizing my sewing room.  I moved a desk out and some cubbies in.  I had a whole bunch of fun re-folding and re-organizing my fabric stash.  I had it stored in the closet, but I really like having it in the cubbies where I can see it.  I'm definitely a visual person, so this really works better for me.  I found some fabric I'd totally forgotten about, so sorting through everything was a bit like Christmas!  Another thing I've been wanting to do is to use up some scraps, and so I tried my hand at making a doll quilt.  It was so much fun that I made two!  And I'll very likely make more.  I like a project I can complete in a day or two.  Here are the results:

I was really pleased to finish 2 projects using only fabric that I already had on hand!  For some reason this feels like a real accomplishment.








One of my goals for the new year (in addition to sewing room organization!) was to expand my sewing skills beyond quilts.  A couple of years ago I managed to make an apron with a great deal of help from a friend who is an expert sewist, and so I thought I would start with an apron.

I managed to do it.  I had to re-do the waistband/sash because the pattern that I used as the basis for this very simple apron called for a much skinnier sash....which I found absolutely impossible to turn right-side-out.  Eventually I gave up and made a wider one.  Keeping that in mind, I soldiered on....

As you can see, this apron has a really big sash!  I like to wrap the sash around and tie my aprons in the front, don't you?  This apron has two layers: the top one, made from a linen calendar from 1974, is because I find myself wiping my hands on my aprons instead of grabbing a towel.  I thought this would be pretty useful.

During the week of apron-making, I did venture out to Joann's and lo and behold: they had dress forms on sale!  Now, I don't know about you, but there is just something about a dress form....I have wanted one for the longest time but couldn't justify the cost because I don't sew clothes.  But aprons are kind of like clothes, right?  And for $40 I decided that I would resist no longer.  So I brought it home and put a necklace on her (those are vintage 1950's beads) and had more fun than I should have taking apron photos.

I'm playing around with some new ideas for quilts too.  A few days ago I discovered a line of Jane Austen-inspired fabric called Ardently Austen.  Naturally I had to get some.  Showing admirable restraint, I ordered just one of the prints:

I can't think of too many things in the whole world better than this.  For me, this is especially wonderful, as it brings 2 of my very favorite things in the whole wide world together, Jane Austen novels and fabric.  I think that this fabric really deserves to be showcased in a quilt.  Don't you?

Happy sewing!