jane's apron

shortbread cookies

Let the baking season begin...the best part of the holidays.  I've had pie for breakfast for the last two days so the season actually started a few days ago but you get the idea.  

With three kids, it's not really feasible to have a completely "handmade" holiday but baked goods make easy handmade gifts (plus they get consumed so the recipient doesn't have more stuff around their house).  I made these shortbread cookies for an exchange with my friends from school.  They are simple, pretty, good and, baked in paper cups, they are easy to give.

4 sticks butter; softened

1 C sugar

4 C flour

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 C milk chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla and combined flour and salt.  Stir until combined.  Stir in chocolate.  Line muffin pans with paper baking cups and scoop 2 Tbsp sized drops in each cup.  Flatten slightly. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes until they brown slightly. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.  

craft apron tutorial

I love Bend-the-Rules Sewing...the book's approach and language are a perfect fit for someone like me.  I am completely sure that this tutorial bends some sewing rules...and it's not because I'm a sewing rebel but rather that I don't know any better.   

This tutorial shows what happens when an engineer sews...it's a study in efficiency of time and materials.  The craft apron is made from a single piece of fabric and, not counting the little things to finish the apron, it has only 4 start-and-stop stitches. 

Materials:

fabric: 34 x 18 in.  For this tutorial I used a heavy cotton that I thifted

wide cotton twill: 2.5 yards long (or slightly longer if you want to tie it easily in the front)

 

Turn all of the edges in about 1/4 inch, turn again, and press. Fold the panel in half to help you make the rectangle "square".  You may have to mess with the hem a little...this step is the hardest part.

Looking at the entire panel with pressed hems, stitch only the bottom short-side hem.  Fold up the stitched end to form a pocket panel...I made this pocket 9 inches. Press pocket into place being careful that it is square with the panel.

Place the twill ribbon under the top of the pocket panel so that only half of it is covered.  

 

Pin twill ribbon in place, unfold the pocket and stitch only the bottom of the twill (the part that will be under the pocket).

Fold the pocket back in place and pin.  

Starting at the top right corner of the panel (the part that, at this point, is just hemmed), stitch around the entire perimeter of the apron....right down the side, stitching up and over the twill, onto the pocket edge, and all the way around to the other side.  Stop sewing at the corners, keeping the needle in the fabric, turn and keep stitching until you return to your starting point.  

 

Fold the top of the panel back so that it is even with the top of the twill ribbon.  Press in place and pin the twill in place. 

Stitch along the top of the twill.

 

At this point, the apron is constructed and the only thing left is to finish it.  Top stitch through the pocket panel to make as many pockets as you like.  I stitched a single partition in the middle to make two big pockets.

I stitched a printed twill tape measure to the bottom hem. Do this so the tape measure is upside down so you can lift it to measure something.  I also added a small ribbon loop to hold my glasses.

* * *

That's it!  My first "real" tutorial.  Please let me know if you try this or have any questions.  I'd love to see any finished projects so send me links! 

rocknrolla

I have everything finished, tagged, inventoried, and packed to drop off at the Rock n Roll Craft Show on Monday.  It turns out that train cases and suitcases are a great way to carry your stock...and whatever gets carried back home will make its way to my etsy shop with plenty of time for holiday shopping.  

I'm bringing lots of my postcard sets to the show this year and hope the tattoo girl is a good seller (these are also available in my etsy shop).   Sometimes artwork doesn't transfer to a postcard really well but this one is a perfect match to the original.  I'm looking forward to trying some new ideas with some of my collages...pretty cards or prints.

If you are in St. Louis, give the show a try.  Despite the goofy name, the items and artists at the show are all unique and varied and it's a great chance to buy handmade (we even bought our son a handmade bongo drum last year).  

It will be a busy week around here next week but I plan to post a tutorial for my craft apron on Tuesday...I've got pictures and everything.  Sewing a craft apron is certainly nothing new but my nerdy way of making it is a study in efficiency of time and materials.  

roasted applesauce

 

There are certain foods that don't seem worth the effort to make yourself.  Like butter, bread, croutons, mashed potatoes...and smooth applesauce.   Last year, my mother-in-law gave me this thing that she used to make mashed potatoes and applesauce.  It's not a ricer and I think it has a french name...it's a big cone-shaped thing that sits on a stand and has a wooden cone-shaped stick that you use to press the food.  Anyone know what it is called? Anyone?

Thanks to Anna for the correct name...it's a chinois (knew it was french!)

The idea is that you cook the apples until they are soft and then put the whole apple into it and the core, skin, and seeds stay in the cone and the applesauce gets sifted out.  Fun for the kids...a pain in the butt to me.   But, in general, I will sacrifice convenience at certain times of the year...like Thanksgiving.  

I made a Martha Stewart recipe for roasted applesauce last year and it was worth the effort.   It smells good, tastes good, and you can make it ahead.  Plus, it was something that the kids are still talking about and makes a nice little family tradition...it's a keeper that I plan to make every year.

The pictures are from a cute recipe book that I got at our church garage sale at the end of October...so cute and fall-like (and I have no idea why they are so large...same camera settings, same width in typepad...it's a mystery).

I want to thank everybody for the birthday wishes and grey hair "support".  My 7-year-old taught me how to use photo booth and I took pictures of myself and added it to my About link (nothing else there yet but it's on my list).  

fall 1962

They say that the season you are born in is "your" season and I think that's true...I'm a fall girl and my house is a fall house.  I also think this might be true for the year you were born.  Of course I was a little too young to remember the early 60s and have no true memories until later but, somehow, the year 1962 fits my personality.  Not really in a nostalgic way but in a design kind of way.  

I have several sewing catalogs from Fall 1962 and used images from one to alter a cool Samsonite train case (love that the 'Mad Men' have been talking about the "Samsonite account").   I also bought a few rub-on letters to spell "Sew" on the case.  I wasn't sure if I could decoupage over the letters but it worked great....something new to try again.  

My birthday was Saturday and I'm at the point where I have to do the math to figure out my age...1962 to 2008...so that makes me 46.   I decided last year to stop coloring my hair.  Most of my grey is up front and the back is still really dark...gives me a little bit of a funky look.  I'm still on the fence about it and feel that any moment I could run right back to the other side.   Is there a support group for girls that choose to go grey?

sewing notions

I was at Archiver's this week and they had a small group of Amy Butler papers and extras including a package of die-cuts.  It's always hard to see what exactly is in those packages but I could see sewing notions...I'll take that please.  

I am getting ready to submit my inventory list for the craft show I'm doing later this month and wanted to add a few more collages to the list.   All in all, I have been a very reasonable crafter...making only a small-ish set of just a few items for the show...not making myself crazy. I was inspired by my pile of papers from the scrapbook store and made two collages that I love. 

I generally don't like words on my collages but this time I used a small "lovely" piece from the die-cut pack.  I love the pink of the girl's blouse with the pink of the patterned paper...the Amy Butler print gives the collage a nice modern look.  And I love the girl's face.

While I was at it, I used another two-sided paper I bought to create a collage using a sewing pattern page that I've been wanting to use.  The two little girls are wearing cross-stitched gingham dresses and, get this, ...each carrying a sewing kit and embroidery hoop.  Too cute to believe.

vintage embroidery kits

 

This 'sewing apron' is the needlework kit that was sitting next to the table runners that inspired me to sew this craft apron...the one with the tape measure sewn upside down so you can lift the bottom of your apron to measure something.   I have purchased a new sewing machine (more on that later) and have been working on a tutorial (more on that later too).   I love this kit because, as the package says, it's "ready-sewn".   All I have to do is attach the tape measure, pin cushion, and scissor loops.   And embroider the bottom...but I can do that. 

 

Packaged with the sewing apron was this kit for a holiday panel...a 20x49 table runner. The kit is called "White Christmas" and it's a cute winter town scene complete with a snowman.  Check out the Glo-Met gold embroidery floss...which describes MYLAR as "DuPont's Reg. Trademark for its Polyester Film"...so space age.  As much as I'd like to think I will make this kit, it would be much better off at the home of someone that loves to embroider.  

I have created a holiday section in my etsy shop and will add this kit today.  The holiday shop has my postcards, some cute new patchwork clipboards, and the coolest striped ribbon ever.  I may add more items as inspiration strikes but plan to close that section of my shop on December 6th.  I don't know how to describe it but holiday ideas and magazines kind of stress me out as the middle of December hits...I have learned to get rid of any holiday catalogs and put away any books or magazines because they can bring on a "Oh, I should have done that!" panic which I try to avoid.  How's that for a nutty explanation...but it can't just be me...right?

 

office chic

I saved this page from the April 2008 Country Home magazine because of the clipboards and binder clips... aimed right at the office supply junkie in me.  The instructions said "Make binder clips and memo boards cook with 1940s apron fabric" but included too many steps for me (iron fusible interfacing to fabric...huh?).   With all of the pretty scrapbook papers that look like fabric (especially the Amy Butler papers), I thought I'd give it a try.  The paper versions worked really, really well.  I used the biggest binder clips I could find but the technique should work on any size clip.

• Remove the silver arms of the binder clips.  This is easy...just place the arm against the clip and squeeze the sides of the arm and it slips right out.  
• Cut a piece of pretty paper to fit the clip. 
• Coat the paper with decoupage glue and press onto the clip.  I was surprised that the paper held so well to the clip...no issues with the slick surface of the clip.    
• Put the clip arms back in place.   

I like to use the clips as memo holders by setting the clip on its flat end and keeping the arms folded up.  In the photo, I placed an index card in one to remind me to "buy more paper"...as if.

And one more idea...I did something similar at a classroom Valentine's Day party last year.  I had the kids make a red paper heart with their picture on it, secured it in the binder clip, and tied a red gingham ribbon to one of the clip arms...a little piece of artwork for mom or dad's desk at the office.   

more vintage albums

Vintage albums are not on my thirfty hit list...but sometimes they just jump out at me and are hard not to bring home.   Who could possibly resist the graphics on the "Learning to Tell Time is Fun" album.  This record was still in its shrink wrap from 1964 and had clock hands inside to attach to the clock face on the back of the jacket (which I did).

The last time I altered an album cover, I attached it to a 12x12 canvas and didn't keep the back of the jacket. This time I simply added two large eyelets and tied each with olive and black gingham ribbons...keeping the cute back of the jackets in place.  

I think I have ruffled some feathers by doing this kind of thing to vintage albums but, really, it's just cardboard and I love to take something that's neglected (and possibly headed to the trash) and turn it into something else...something to be enjoyed in a whole new way.

arftul blogging

I've read a few times about artists being surprised to find they've had something published...a magazine mysteriously appears in their mailbox.  "How could something like that happen?" I'd wonder.  And then it happened to me.  

To explain, I knew I had submitted an article and pictures to Artful Blogging but expected it to be in the Spring 2009 issue.   When I suddenly found myself in the Winter issue, I was completely surprised and happy.  Happy that I now wouldn't have to obsess about "When does the Spring Issue get published?"...."When will it be mailed to me?"..."Where, oh where, is that flippin' mailman?"...you know, stuff like that.   

So anyway, Jane's Apron is included in yet another beautiful issue of Artful Blogging.  When the editor first contacted me, she told me to try to write an article that addressed "specific incidents" that showed how blogging fits into your life.  I choose to write about the day I created this collage.   

My blog turned 2 years old yesterday and this quote from the article best describes why I'm still at it...

One of my early posts was about the excitement of making something and the fun of running to show it to someone.  It reminds me of the way I felt when I was a little kid and couldn't wait to show my mom what I made.  I feel the same way each time I share a project, a recipe, or a really great thrift store find. Half the fun is in the sharing. 

We are finishing up soccer season at our house and I will soon have lots of spare time for collages, train cases, sewing, and house projects...and looking forward to sharing them all.