Patriotic Abundant Farmgirl Apron

This apron is my newest creation! I did this one tonight. It is made from a pretty dishtowel that I found at Kohls marked down to $1 and then 1 1/2 yards of homespun I had on hand. This one is for the farmgirl who just can't get full frontal coverage from splashs! My dear Bertie in the photo has a 46" bustline and there is room for up to a 52 in bustline in this apron, without the waist line rising up! I cut the neckline in a unique fashion so that it doesn't pull on the neck. I made bias tape from the homespun and applied it around the neckline. I am considering taking a section out from the neckline and having a button closure just to add a little interest to the back neckline. It would then have a V-shape rear neckline. I think it would be really pretty.

The hemline is a hand pulled fringe.
It looks really nice and is very, very comfortable.

In celebration of the 4th of July, I'll be doing a second apron similar to this in red white and blue with an apple pie theme! I should have it done and posted by Sunday. I have been in apron withdrawal for the past week. Ahhhhh felt good to create and sew tonight! This apron was really run to create and it is really pretty in person. The colors are luscious!

Close up of the chicken on the tea towel. The tan part has an all over star print. I sewed stars all around the pocket too.

Here is to a productive July!! Thanks for dropping in and reading my blog!
Love and hugs to all,
Georgann

Baby Crabapples

These are my baby crabapples. The tree is loaded this year, but I have never harvested them. The squirrels don't seem to eat them either. Does anyone know, are they poisonous? I know that sounds weird, but I have never picked crabapples. This tree was planted before we moved in here, so I know nothing about this tree.

Here are some other garden shots from this morning.

Pumpkin Blossoms

Butterfly Vine (I planted this three years ago. The Japanese beetles are eating this one up!)

Gotta hang my beetle bags today. They are devastating my roses too.

I have to feed some hungry children. Talk to you later,

Georgann

Thar be pumpkins!!!!!

It is hot and muggy and very, very Virginia right now. My youngest daughter's pumpkins are going crazy!! They love all of this rain. I think I'll run out in the dark and take a photo of them....hold on.... Well enjoy, gotta run to work it is a busy day.....talk to ya'll tonight!
Sending love to you all, Georgann

Retro Fashions

My mother sent this photo to me. Look at this lovely apron. Love the sweetheart neckline and the ruffly trim on the skirt part. I am going to have to draft this one out. I love it. I want one like this for myself. I think I know just how I'm going to do it too. I think I'll give it a nice feminine treatment on the backside too and give it a full back rather than a tie around the neck! Thanks Mom!! LOVE this apron. Oh, the other one you sent to me is the Bobbie June, but just a shorter version of it. It is the H back canning apron!



I love this retro dress. I will be sewing this in the next few weeks for myself. I also want to adapt an apron from this. I love the darts on the front of the dress. The way it wraps is slimming, love the V bodice. It is a super simple pattern with high impact...in my humble opinion. I might look like a 10 pound sausage stuffed in a 5 pound casing when I make this, but I guess I could always wear it to bed as a gown! LOL

Here is another Retro pattern that I bought. Don't ya just love the wasp waist and the neckline on this one. And the cute little jacket is to die for.....Unfortunately I don't have a wasp waist. Ahhhh....but I have two daughters to sew for! LOL OMGosh, what am I thinking with this second pattern. I couldn't wear a bra with it....egads! Well...can't have that! LOL

I love these retro reissues by Butterick. There are many more available in their new catalogs. Check them out, they ought to be pretty fun to make!

Sorry, no new aprons to post tonight. Starting my second week of new job orientation.

Have a great day!

Love, peace and joy to all,
Georgann

The Bobbie June

My mother requested an apron that would not pull or bind around the midsection at all, so here is the Bobbie June!
It is made of 100% cotton with an allover rose print. The arm holes are large, open and non-binding. The pockets are big enough to hold canning lids or a few extra apples or utensils. The back is open and feminine without being
binding. The tie on the back can be left off and this apron will stay put and not pull on the shoulders even during the hottest tomatoe canning session.

Sorry Bertie doesn't have any clothing yet. She is about a 22 to 24. I still need to size her down to my size, but haven't been able to wrestle her into a smaller zipper casing yet with my hands...soon though.


So Mom, here is your apron, soon to be in the mail. This is an pattern that I sketched after studying Amish styles.

This is a canning apron worn by the Amish.

Little Farmgirls and Aprons! Gotta love them!

My little farmgirl in her apron with a watering can taking care of her pumpkins! Can you see the humidity in the Virginia air? It is going to be a reallllllly hot day today. The heat isn't too bad, it's all of that humidity that'll get ya down here!

I was fixing breakfast today when the girls each tied on an apron and headed outside to water the plants. Gotta love them....

Today's is my youngest daughter's birthday! So we are going out to birthday lunch, birthday swimming, birthday cake shopping, birthday...well you get the idea! LOL

Have a Happy Birthday Day!

Love and hugs,

Georgann

Abundant Blessings

This is the very beginning of Abundant Blessings. The floral apron is a first cut prototype of a large farmgirl apron. It fits a 46 to 50 bust with good coverage. It is shaped to the waist. It still needs the 8 yards of bias tape applied to the edges, but I think this one will work. I've cut a couple in an attempt to expand the smaller MaryJane apron you see cut out in muslin on my smaller sewing figure, Andrea.

I am beginning to think that I could shape one that would be more figure flattering to the abundantly blessed, so I am going to be working on developing one for that purpose. This is still in the workroom stage, but it is getting there. Just wanted to show ya'll what I was working on tonight. Below is the backside view of the apronsl

It was hot, hot, hot today here in Virginia. I think it got to 97 degrees with about a 100% non-raining humidity. I have a feeling it is going to be another really bad hurricane year. Watch out when the hurricane names start getting into the G-K names...those are the whoppers usually!!

Well, I hope you all are well and staying cool where ever you are. Anyone I have promised packages too...they will be on their way tomorrow...Friday. Been a long week of orientation for the new job!

Love and hugs to all of you reading this blogg!

Georgann

The Gypsy Rose

I haven't had much time to sew or be on the computer the past three days. Finished day three of new employee orientation. Another sleeper! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Did pass my pharmacology test today with flying colors...no problem. I guess I am safe to pass medications. (Gosh I hope so after twenty years of doing so!) Anyway, I had a wonderful package I love her tea! I drank the gypsy rose tea while sewing this apron tonight.sitting on my porch when I got home from work today. Kathy sent me a beautiful fabric remnant that is now the Gypsy Rose apron. It is made for a bigger waistline, so it wraps around my sewing figure, Andrea, a little more than usual so the pockets seem spaced a little wider apart, but on my abundantly blessed farmgirl body, it is just right. I might just have to keep this one for myself. I used the gorgeous rose chintz remnant as the main part of the apron, then a cotton homespun for the pockets and waist and ties and added a touch of the antique cotton lace on the pockets. Hope you enjoy it. Kathy also sent me some fabulous goodies.....TEA!! she knows Also a to die for tea cup, it is very old and delicate. It is in my china hutch right now, just waiting for me to use it. I used my super size mug tonight because I was working with the machinery. She also sent the cutest Whinnie-the-Pooh scarf...I love it...and her precious Rosebud teddy is visiting with my girls for a few days. Dani is sleeping with Rosebud tucked under her arm right now! Kathy you are a sweetheart. I hope you are dancing nikked under the moon or bathing in that moonlight pool right now and enjoying this beautiful summer solstice!! I thank you for the wonderful goodies and the fabric is being pretreated right now. It is gorgeous!!! I think the jumper is going to be wonderfully beautiful!

One more day of orientation this week, so off to bed with me for now. Love you all and thanks for reading my blog. Don't ya just love long ties on aprons? I do. They might not be practical, but I think they look so feminine. Sometimes I like to wrap my ties around and tie them in the front too.

Hugs and lots of love to everyone,
Georgann

The Kathy Enchanted

I was inspired by my friend Kathy of the Enchanted Woods to pure whimsy tonight. Something about this apron just screams magik! I love the color play of golden yellow and periwinkle with a touch of pink. It is 100% cotton with handmade bias tape and vintage pink 50's rick rack. No pattern, just whipped it up tonight. Thank you to all of the farmgirls, friends and family who are blogging with me! Oh, and blueridgegirl.....I still need your address. I have a small fabric bundle all ready to go to the post office!

Love, peace and a touch of magic to all tonight!
Georgann

Welcome to Aunt George's House

We had our house painted last fall, it was about time it was falling down around our ears. Had to have half of the siding replaced, the front porch had to be rebuilt. Phew.......lots of money and work, took us 5 years to save up to do the work. Anyway, I was standing out there tonight, taking Cujo out and thought, gosh, it really does look pretty, so, welcome to my front porch. We like to sit out there on the rocker....bought at my favorite junk shop....and read or watch what is going on in the neighborhood. *g* My mom painted my watering can...I just watered the pumpkins, set it there for a moment, then took this picture. See Cujo on te front porch. He's my little sweetie dog.




These are some roses and million bells I planted by the mailbox this spring. I love the coral color with the silver sage green house.


My youngest daughter brought home a cup of pumpkin seed sprouts a couple of weeks ago. Couldn't throw them out and we have no sunny garden space, so I planted them in a pot in the front yard in the sun....they are going crazy. They take alot of water, about a gallon a day. They are huge. My daughter of course is thrilled! You can see where my little Shih Tzu pees on the driveway. He hates to pee in the grass....LOL!!

This is my side front garden. Can you see the tiger lilies in bloom? I wonder if I caught a ghost in the lower right hand corner of the photo, or is it a relection off of the white porch railing. This garden is off to the right of the front porch. Hmmm come to think of it, the flash didn't go off, so maybe? There are lots of reported hauntings in Virginia. It is supposed to be one of the most haunted states!


Oh, just had to show you how my vintage pillowcases cleaned up. The ones on the right were far worse than the ones on the left. I used Mary Jane's suggestions on how to soak vintage linens. I left these in to soak for one week and they look snowy white and pristine! So Nancy Jo, get a soakin'!! Be sure to click on this picture to see a close up of the fine workwomanship that went into these pillowcases. And I only paid $3 per pair....an absolute steal! I think the discoloration turned everyone else off of buying these!! Or perhaps I just ruined the value by cleaning them, but I use the vintage things that I buy. The girls want to sleep on the clean ones tonight!

Well, started my new job today. First day of orientation done....yeah....I won a nice rolling ice chest/beach tote with the hospital's logo on it. I was the loudmouth that spoke up the most to answer questions. I'm NOT shy! LOL

Have a great night, talk to you tomorrow I hope.

Georgann

Okay, I'll post a photo of myself

This is the most recent one of me. It is my sister, me and my two daughters on mother's day this year. My mom and sis drove here to Virginia to be with us for mothers day. They live in Illinois. I love them dearly! My sis is the funniest person I know and my daughters adore her. She inherited my grandmother's storytelling ability and she is fabulous with little children. I am the blonde dressed in a pink top. My sister is in green. The two little cuties are my darling sweethearts. Oh, we are standing in my kitchen and my mom is behind the camera. Do you see the teddy on the kitchen counter. I made that for Hannah. It is just like Mr. Bean's "Teddy." She loves Mr. Bean and wanted his teddy. Well, so now you know what I look like. I wonder if I look like how I sound in writing!

Love and hugs, and my stomach is churning....I hate having my photo taken.

Georgann

One of my Sanctuaries

Dani and I visited a very unique garden center today. It is one of my places to go just to feel closer to nature. They have a pen of new baby chicks with a big hen walking free around the place. Here is a photo of Dani standing at the entrance to the garden center. It is called Sanctuaries Unique Garden Center in Midlothian, VA. It is run by three farmgirls who are just as nice as can be. They loved Dani's dress that she is wearing and asked where they could buy one, so I offered to make dresses for both of the ladies there today. They were ecstatic. She said, "Do you realize you could sell these like hotcakes!" She wants me to do a dress up for her to hang in her garden center and she will take orders for me for the dresses! I invited them to come to MaryJane's Farm website and join in on the fun. I also asked if they would like to become part of Sweet Virginia Breezes MJFarm chapter and they said they would love to!! Here is Dani in her dress sitting in one of the hand made bent twig chairs that they sell.


It is such a lovely garden center. I feel like I am way out in the country, but it is on the edge of the city. Love this place.

Just a little look of one of my favorite places around Midlothian! I tell ya, one can meet the nicest people when you are a farmgirl at heart!




The building just below and to the right sits to the left of the Sanctuaries Garden Center. It is the main house, the Garden Center is the back/side yard of this home built in 1740. It is an antique store now, but was closed today. They have two lovely old homespun aprons with matching bonnets from about 1908 or so. The seams are machine stitched, but it is hand finished. The seams are hand bound with thread to prevent raveling of the fabric. I love those aprons, but don't want to spend that much for them. I found out from The Aprons book that Nancy Jo sent to me that fabric used to be only 24-25 inches wide, so now I know why there were seams in the skirt of the apron. This old home was a tavern in the 1700's. The inside is fabulous. You can go up and downstairs and they have it filled with antiques appropriate to each room. Bedrooms, kitchine, dining room etc. Love it. I'll try to get in it next week and snap interior photos if they will let me.

I promise to take my camera more around Richmond and give ya'll a tour of this historic area and the wonderful people I meet as I get around this Capitol of the Confederacy.

Love and lots of hugs,
Georgann

The Apron Fairy Visited!!

Lookie what the apron fairy left on my doorstep!

I was shocked and totally ecstatic when I opened the package!!!

This apron is on my list of to dos!! What a great idea on hemming. I never would have thought of doing it this way. Look closely at the hem. This apron artist did a facing as a hem, that way she could shape the outer edge any way she wanted without trying to do a turned hem. I LOVE this idea!! So may aprons so little time! I am really going to try to reproduce many of these lovely aprons!! I'll try to make patterns of them as I go too!! And Nancy Jo, thanks for being my apron fairy, you are so sweet, I just don't know how to thank you enough!! You are right, I don't really want to go to work this next week. I want to stay home and make aprons. Maybe I'll make a nursing utility apron to wear to work....hmmmm....I think I will!! A nurse can never have too many pockets! Do you think the patiens would love to see a chicken pocket on their nurse? *g*

My husband said the other day, that he was amazed at the farmgirls. He just shook his head and said, I'll never understand women. Great!!! Let's keep those men a guessin as to what we are gonna do next! LOL

I went shopping in my attic!

Hit the jackpot too! Found these really cute prints. My daughters want aprons out of the green tweeny print and the yellow floral prints. I also found about 7 yards of homespun in dark blue and black...not vintage though. I'm so happy I went shopping up there!

Say does anyone want that blue care bears fabric? There are about 2 yards of it, and my daughters have outgrown carebears. Email me and I will send it to you.

This next photo is of some patterns I got at the Goodwill for I think .85 each. I made that wrap dress on the left back in the early 70's and loved it then...it is so figure flattering...well, back when I had a figure that is! LOL

This next snapshot is of an adorable set that I found in the 1/2 price bin at my favorite junk shop. It was marked $3.60, so I got it for $1.80. It is a really nice cotton baby sheet and pillow cover set. It has applique work and freehanded machine embroidery. I couldn't believe it was only $1.80 and of course, I couldn't resist it!!

One of my daughters has laid claim to this cute set, she wants to save it for her children....*g* she is only 8 right now. I am so glad that she is learning an appreciation for the past and for the work that goes into sewing, cooking and argh.....laundry!!

A writing exercise about the wind.

This is how I start a poem. Just free thought writing, asking myself a question, putting myself in another set of shoes and going with it. This is just a first draft...just as it came out. It is very, very rough, but it is a basic skeleton of a poem or story.




What If I could play with the wind?


The wind whispered in my ear today.
Come with me, come play.
I’ll take you far, far away.

Where shall we go, oh where shall we go?

Anywhere you desire the wind whispered.
For I cover the earth, and I fill the sky.

Whatever shall we do, whatever shall we do?

Anything you desire the wind whispered.
I shift the sands,


I sail the seas,



I tickle the leaves in the tops of the trees.

I spread my arms and danced with the wind.
Take me with you, my invisible friend.

We danced on clouds.
We sailed on a breath over the mountains
We floated on fingertips of snow.




And rippled through golden seas of wheat.

Free to be nothing and everything.
Thank you my friend,
Thank you wind.

How about some tea? Personalized one for a teacher gift!

Finished one tea cozy. I still have to quilt the other cozie, but it is almost done. They turned out wonderful!!! This is the Simplicity pattern 4341. Very, very pretty and easy to make. I can see many, many potential alterations to make this unique for the teapot lover! In the picture to the left, you can see the other unquilted cozy on the table next to the Sunny Days tea cozy. I thought my girls would love the whimzy of this fabric. Below to the right is a 3/4 top view of the cozie. I love, love this pattern!!



Wish you could come for tea!!







Going to bed now...happy days!

Much love and lots of tea drinking times,
Georgann

Update on the tea cozy. I personalized this cozy to give as a teacher present. My older daughter's teacher loves tea, but doesn't have a pot, so we are giving her a teapot and cozy. She loves ladybugs and collects them, so we added two little ladybugs to the outside. One represents the teacher and the one following represents my daughter. I wrote an inscription on the inside of the tea cozy with their names and a heart surrounding BFF (best friends forever) with the date on it also. Just thought I'd show you the bottom of the cozy for construction purposes. Their is an 8" piece of elastic which makes the cozy tuck nicely around the base of the teapot and makes it very stable!

Love and hugs. Not doing much more sewing today. My left hand is really throbbing today.

Georgann

Today's Apron...I got one done! A repurposed tablecloth!

What started as this. Check the close up, stained, holes edging ripped.
















Ended up as this


I cheated a little bit, but I couldn't resist! I found this vintage card table cloth in a $1.00 bin. It has holes and staines, but it has hand crocheted rick rack lace as an edging. It also has embroidery on the outer front corners. The fabric is a really nice linen. I tried to work around the stains. Made a pocket out of some of the edging. Made my own bias tape to match the waist band and ties, and made an extra long tie to wrap around or let dangle down the back, Oh, I had to put the pocket where I did to cover a bad stain. So this is another repurposing apron. I kind of think perhaps our grandmothers would have remade an item rather than throw it away. Andrea is wearing a dark skirt that I made for the 3rd grade play.

Well, I think I might sew up a couple of tea cozies that I cut out last night. Have a great night everyone!

Thank you for blogging with me tonight.
Georgann

Sunshine's Lace

The most exquisite hand crocheted lace I've ever seen!!

Be sure to click on the picture so you can see this lace close up. It is just not to be believed!!









And look at this really cute vintage store wrapped box she sent this in!! I haven't seen anything with Carson Piere Scott on it since I was a little girl!



Thank you Wendy! You truly are a ray of sunshine in the lives of those you touch.

The Nancy Jo is done!

UPDATED: JULY 2, 2005....THANK YOU NANCY JO FOR THE PHOTOS!!!!!!

Nancy I was originally going to do a pure muslin one but when I started on this Antiqued Rose repurposing apron, I kept thinking of you. Petite, very pretty with lovely little grandchildren gathered around you baking cookies. So out of it came the final Nancy Jo apron. This apron is a totally designed by me from a skirt that I had made for the 3rd grade play. I had limited fabric and used every inch of it. I had alot of fun doing this one. No seam binding, but enlarge the photo and see the tiny burgandy rosebuds at the pockets and the bodice. Oh, Andrea wanted to go outside today for her photo! It is beautiful sunny day. You can see part of the bird reserve out back. The wilderness comes right up to our back door!
Here is Nancy Jo in her apron. Look at her lovely front garden!!!



Below are a few snaps of my sewing room.

You can see my Kenmore machine by the window. I sit there and sew with the window open and a fan blowing across me. I love fresh air and the sounds of fans in the summer. Don't get me wrong...I adore air conditioning, but there is just something about fans that take me back. When my windows are open, I feel more intune with what is going on around me rather than being locked in a climate controlled sinus drying box. You can see a few new fabrics I lined up on my wicker sofa. It sits in the middle of the room. My girls sit there and watch Bewitched on DVD while I sew. We love that old TV series. Now tell the truth...who didn't want to be Samantha? Hmmmmm??? In the corner cupboard you can see my vintage rick rack and lace stash. Below that are jars of buttons, ribbons and other findings and closures. My Mom crocheted the gorgeous floral afghan on the wicker sofa! It is very special to me. My Mom crocheted it while she was on a pilgrimage, one might say, to visit the gravesite of my baby sister Kirby Lynn. Kirby went to be with the angels before I was born, so in one way this afghan is my link to her. I shall treasure it always.

The next photo is what I look out on when I am sitting at my sewing machine.
As you can see our house is surrounded with shade and woods. I also don't have anything out for the squirrels right now, those little devils are always stirring up trouble! LOL

Well just wanted to give ya'll a peek into my little sewing world.

I'm really tired today, I was up almost all night with one of my little girls. Had her at the clinic at 8am this morning when the doors opened, we shot through that door like a bullet from a gun. We got in and out seeing the MD. She has a pretty bad ear infection. Had been vomiting and screaming in pain all night. So I've had about 2 hours total sleep since last night. She is resting right now and I got a little nap in, so thought I'd visit with my farmgirl friends for a few minutes before I clean the kitchen.

Oh, in the photo with the fabrics on the wicker sofa, on the left are beautiful homespuns that I got at Wal-Mart for $2/yd. The colorful fabrics on the right will be little girls aprons. Got alot to get done! Found a fab, vintage one yard apron pattern the other day....hmmmm, on that is an apron that my mother described her mother wearing, so the Lela V is soon to be born!

Later, may you have peace (and sleep)
Georgann

A repurposed skirt (work in progress)

I used this fabric originally for a skirt for the third grade play, but I thought it would make a great long apron, so I cut it up and have it pinned onto Andrea. This is not yet sewn together...what do you think? I love the criss cross back...it will be buttoned to the waistband in back like you see. I am doing a single pleat down the center front skirt rather than a gathered waist. Thought it would give it a different look. The pockets are large and placed slightly slanted coming off of the side of the apron. I might move them in a bit though when I get to the final stitching process. This one will be good for holidays! Now if it would just fit me! LOL Need to make this in a plus size, but I only had just so much fabric to work with.

Hmmm....Nancy Jo, aren't you 5'1" and petite?



Well it is cold and rainy here in Virginia today, so I thought I'd sew another apron! LOL

No really, I'm done sewing for today. Need to do some laundry and other things, so I'll sew this one perhaps tomorrow. Until then it can stay pinned on Andrea!
My youngest wore the babydoll apron to school today. She put plastic easter eggs in the pocket. I asked her why she was wearing it to school (she's in first grade) and she said today was career day and she wanted to be an organic egg farmer like Mary Jane Butters. LOL LOL.....I love my babies!!!

Foghorn Hannah and my pup, Cujo.

This is one of the fabulous illustrations from my unpublished but fully illustrated picture book. Hope you enjoy this. The colors are fabulous!!

This is the best I can do. I had to take a photo of my computer screen because it is in a professional pdf file format and that can't be uploaded.

The copyright belongs to my illustrator, Karen Stormer-Brooks.

(c) Karen Stormer-Brooks

Here is my little shaggy faithful companion. Where ever I am, he is always by my side. His name is Cujo and he is a 1 1/2 year old Shih Tzu. He realllly needs a grooming. Don't worry, I keep the hair out of his eyes, but for some reason, I caught him with his hair down! LOL

Don't ya just love that little smirk and the way he has his paws crossed? He is a little character and LOVES his cookies!!! He is soft as down and loves to get little doggie massages by my massage therapist son!! What a spoiled little brat dog! No he really has a loving spirit and a big dog bark.

Babydoll apron

This is a refigured child size cotton babydoll style top. It is 100% cotton and I was going to pitch it, then I decided, hmmm....why not.....make it into an apron, just as an experiment. It turned out pretty cute. I used lots of vintage rick rack in orange and red. The ribbon just below the waist was already part of the little babydoll top. My girls loved the top when it fit them, now I hope they like the apron. Oh, the pocket is the front placket from the top. I couldn't bear to not use the snaps, so I formed a pocket out of it. I also added a gussett to the pocket so that it could be unsnapped so more could be fit into the pocket. The pictureon the left shows the pocket unsnapped and expanded. The picture on the right is with the pocket snapped and empty. What do ya think? The color is a little off, it is a creamy background with some rust and red in it. It is a child size apron, Just put it on Andrea to take a picture of it. Well hope ya'll are having a great sewing day! Thanks for reading along with me.

Love to you my friends and family,
Georgann

Captain Quirk is on apron patrol

This one took me a couple of days simply because I have been mucking out the closets, family room, laundry stacks...all those things that are way behind due to surgery and recovery. Still have lots to do though. I don't really have a name for this blue apron other than I'll use it as an everyday apron. Any name ideas? Maybe I'll call it the Georgie Girl. It is made from royal blue seersucker with the vintage white cotton rick rack around the arms and throat. It has a small hankie pocket on the right. I used bias tape around the bottom, but ran out of it....duh...should have measured first! So I finished it with the rick rack. It is very, very light weight fabric and should be a comfortable summer apron for baking cookies or bread. I made the neck straps long enough so that they could actually be tied to the waist tie either straight down or crisscrossed in back. I was looking at some old aprons and this was sometimes done rather than sewing it down or buttoning it. It is tied in the front on Andrea, but I usually lengthen the waist ties so this can be done. I love to wrap my apron ties around and tie them in front! Just my little quirk. Hmmm.....sometimes I feel like Captain Quirk with my idiosyncratic methods of doing things! *g*


Here is my next apron project: This one is the Nancy Jo Apron. It is the one on the left, it has a lovely full back on it that buttons at the neck and then ties at the waist. I am going to add large pockets for gathering grandchildren's little scattered toys or eggs when making cookies! I bet you can even put a can of Clabber Girl Baking powder in the pocket. I want to experiment with some fancy pleating and lace additions to the bottom of the skirt part. This would also be very pretty in a Christmas print or calico! It looks like a really easy one to put together.

Did I mention I'm planning on doing a matching grand-daughter or daughter apron to the Nancy Jo? Hmmm....any name suggestions for the Little Nancy Jo? I LOVE the back on this little girl's apron!! I will probably just do some antique lace at the hem. I think I will be stacking and cutting at least three of these little ones. Set up some production line sewing for this. I have some adorable pink and brown calico for this apron in addition to the muslin Little Nancy Jo.

Below is one of the dresses I made for the play: Of Mice and Mozart. This was the dress that Mozart's sister Naneral wore in the play. It is a lovely all over blue rose cotton print. The white inset is a white on white cotton. I trimmed it in the prettiest silk braid. The little girl who wore this dress said: "I feel like a princess in this dress! Thank you so much for making it for me." Aww, she was so sweet! Everytime she wore it, her mother fixed her hair in banana curls and put the prettiest pink make up on her!

This lovely model is my darling daughter! She is doing a proper curtsey! I gave the girls durtsey instructions for the play. I had to laugh though, because the girls that I made elastic waist skirts for, kept pushing them down to their pubis bones like how some boys wear their baggy pants. I was so afraid they would trip on the hems since I measured them from the waistline to the floor, not from their pubic bones to the floor! LOL LOL

Oh, and the following photo of me is NOT for the faint of heart. My youngest daughter caught me in the kitchen looking my utmost beautiful! LOL...I really don't have many photos of me, since I am the one behind the camera most of the time. My mother sent me some taken on mother's day...I'll have to see if I can pull them up, but until then.....Meet Captain Quirk...aka Aunt George...I know it is a little fuzzy, but you know what? I'm wearing my most favorite shirt in the whole world. I'm wearing it right now even! LOL Have a wonderful night! Hope you don't have nightmares from my photo below!

Sometimes I forget to breath...

...I really do forget to breath sometimes. I know, I know, it is an autonomic response, but there are times when my life feels like this winding road. I can't see what is around the corner, and I'm rushing to see what is there, always thinking that I have to get everything done, but getting my wheels stuck in that little muddy rut and spinning, and spinning and getting nothing much accomplished. Losing my breath. There are times I really feel my own mortality. I feel like I'm careening toward the future everyone shares and it is so close that I have to do as much, feel as much, taste as much as I possibly can before that winding road comes to an end. I don't want to miss out on anything. In high school, we had to pick a senior quote that summed up our philosophy of life, not being much of a reader at that time in my life, I searched for something and found a sentence that I thought would make me look smart and forward thinking. Little did I know how that one short sentence would set my life course toward always wondering what was just beyond that next bend. That sentence was this: "My eyes are set toward the future, because that is where the rest of my life is." Hmmmm....I am breathless even now, 30 years after that sentence was pegged under my young, smooth face, full of hope, full of vitality, full of visions of how I would change the world. Am I still full of hope? Yes, always hope should never be taken away from anyone. Am I still full of vitality? Sometimes, especially when I've found something to be passionate about. Have I changed the world? Not on a grand scale, but I have changed my own little world, I know that in the quiet of the night, to many I changed their world too...I've heard many last words, I've been that last human touch, I've been the bridge between loneliness and comfort...that's what nurses do, and this privlege has often left me breathless. My children often leave me breathless with the love they show to me. I try to be their touchstone between family and community, between ancestors and their own futures. I encourage them to look past that bend in the road, to wonder what is there, how humble I feel in their tiny arms. To my husband..well, I love him with all of my heart, and soul. He says I saved his life, but he actually saved my life. Just looking at him takes my breath away! My mother...what can I say, except that she is the person who has always loved me unconditionally, completely and without any strings attached. Loving my mother makes me breathless! She gave me the strength to walk that winding road, and the wings to fly above it when I couldn't walk it. Thank you mom....so yes, I do forget to breath when I think of this gift, this life, this winding road. So, George.....breath, don't forget to breath.
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What in this life leaves you breathless? Do you take the time to think about it? When you do...don't forget to breath!!

Love and hope, laughter and blessings to my family and friends,
Georgann

http://www.nmu.edu/counselingcenter/relax.html Here are some great tips on how to relax. If you still can't relax, then there is always one thing that works for me: sew!

I need to join AA

Apronaholics Anonymous!

Here are some fabulous apron making supplies I gathered today! Hancock had their Simplicity patterns on sale for $1.99 each so I picked up these. Can you see the blue vintage reproduction fabric? I am going to make the apron on the lower right in the shorter version for my mother. I'll make bias tape for the edges out of simple unbleached muslin. She likes things loose. I love this pattern. I think it is 5201. This is the Bobbie June apron. I am going to change it to add big egg pockets to hold the eggs while gathering in the henhouse. Also a small glass can be stored in the other pocket to put over the chicken's head so she won't peck little hands that are helping mama!

NEXT...

I found this vintage polished cotton in a beautiful pink background floral trellis. It will take the shape of the apron top middle. I wanted something lovely and simple to showcase this soft feminine fabric. I will call this apron: The Lela Vee (My grandma spelled it Lela V though, didn't want it called the Lela 5!)

I want the Lela Vee to look lovely whether entertaining the parson and his wife or just stirring up a pot of pinto beans and a pan of cornbread. Because that was the essence of Lela V. Child on her hip, a pot of beans on the back burner after a long day of working in the fields and lovely to look at till the day she passed through the Pearly Gates!

Then look what I found!





I am a sucker for hand emboidered linens. These have hand crocheted edgings also. They need some oxypower cleaning, but they are without holes and the stitching is good and strong. I am amazed by the precision this farmgirl had when attaching her crocheted trim. It is crocheted directly into the pillowcase edges. These beauties were 40% off of $5.00 for the set of two! I got them for $3. I might just have to break the piggyband and go back for the other 4 sets of these! I don't embroider so this is the only way I'll be able to have any of these beauties gracing our beds!!

As I wander through my favorite store, I am constantly reminded of the industry of farmgirls. They might have 3 or 4 children at home, but still find time to make the world around them and their children and their husbands just a bit kinder, just a bit sweeter and more like home! Perhaps that is why I love textiles and aprons and linens. When I hold these touchstones I feel a link to all women. I hope through my meager sewing attempts, others will have moments of enjoyment and perhaps wonder about the farmgirl who made it!

Love and hugs and blessings to all who read my words,
Georgann

The Lemon Fairy Apron

My youngest daughter loves yellow. I designed this apron for her. I was going to call it the Hannah Marie, but she insisted on calling it the Lemon Fairy Apron. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it. It is made with a soft homespun yellow gingham and a cotton lemon/lime print. Note the lots and lots of rick rack on the edges. (I love rick rack on aprons!)

I am currently designing a Nancy Jo, Bobbie June, Emma Mae and Katherine Enchanted apron (actually I think I'll name the full pink one the Katherine Enchanted apron), so check back and see what's new. I know, everyone is telling me to rest my hands, but....compared to what I usually do with these wrinkled, calloused appendages, this is light work! :)

Andrea (my sewing/apron model) decided she wanted to stand by my great-grandmother's table in my breakfast nook. She was tired of being squeezed into a corner of my sewing studio! *g* The skirt is even, I think Andrea was coming a little undone from her base when I moved her and is leaning a wee bit!

Have a wonderful night everyone and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Minerva Jane's apron

I made this apron tonight while thinking of my grandmother Minerva Jane. She was an Iowa farmgirl and wore aprons. Now she was much rounder than my dress form...which explains the really long apron ties in back! LOL....But this fabric reminded me of her. The fabric has a soft hand and is very light weight. It is vintage...not antique...but from the 60's. The rick rack is part of my find from the antique shop. It is the nicest cotton rick rack one could imagine. Can't find rick rack like this anymore! I didn't use a pattern for this apron. Just used a basic design and went for it! VERY easy for anyone to do.

This rick rack was a find! The guy at the antique shop said he was going to bring in more of the bolts, so keep checking back to see what he has. He picked up a huge lot of close outs when a long ago defunct notions manufacturer went out of business. The red one still has the original brown paper wrapping. It is a mini rick rack that must have a thousand yards on it! Do you see the little candle on top of my stereo? A very good farmgirl friend of mine made it for me. It smells heavenly.


I now have what my daughters and husband are calling my design studio. I love it!! We live in a two story colonial house with a formal living room, formal dining room and both are never used. For our 10th anniversary, I suggested that we convert the formal living room into a pool table room. My hubby nearly dropped his teeth! Never in a million years did he think I'd say that. Well since we never or very rarely have formal dinners....Ha....he suggested I convert that into my sewing area so that I didn't have to lug out my sewing machines, fabric, notions, etc every time I wanted to sew! Woo Hooo....never in a million did I think I'd here him say that!! So I now have my very own design studio! I found Andrea (my girls call my small body form Andrea) at my favorite junk shop, and dressed her in one of the costumes I made for the play...the white blouse and skirt...so that I can try the different colorful aprons on her. I have big Bertha...my body double...cloaked in another corner of the room waiting for me to resew the body cover to my exact form. Just can't wrestle it around on the floor dressing it with my hand in bad shape! LOL....now that was a site last week, like stuffing 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound bag! LOL Anyway, so much for my sewing adventures for today! Later, my friends!
G

Mozart's mother's dress

This is the gown I made for a nine year old mama mozart for my daughter's third grade play. Papa's knee length jacket was made with matching fabric. They looked really cute together! I'll post more of the costumes that I did for "Of Mice and Mozart" as I can get my daughters to put them on and pose for me. This costume was the biggest and would fit on my small dress form.

Apron Madness part 1

I have been looking at and feeling vintage aprons in the antique shops around here and decided to get some patterns and do up some new "vintage" aprons. This one I made for a Farmgirl friend. It is a lovely pink and yellow rose pattern with a tea stain colored background. Hope she likes it! It just went out in the mail today with some herbal and decaf tea sachets!


I'm looking for some homespun fabric to continue my quest to reproduce vintage aprons. It seems that simplicity was the key, durability was also a must. I saw a really lovely old set: apron and bonnet at a restored 1740 Inn that has been converted into an antiques shop. The set had been lovingly used. It looks like the seams were machine stitched, but the seam edges were whipped stitched by hand to prevent raveling. Lovely work! I'll post more aprons as I finish them. The half apron below is for my daughter. Lots of ruffles and rick rack and a big tied bow in the back

Apron Madness!

This cute ruffly one is for my 8 year old daughter. She picked the fabric and colors. It is a Mary Englebreit fabric.