teaching sewing confidence, tip by tip

Thursday 8 August 2013

Guests, Like Fish, Begin To Smell After Three Days ...

... but fortunately on this occasion, Benjamin Franklin was proved wrong.  My son, Joe, has just visited us from London with his girlfriend, Katie; they stayed 11 days without even an odorous whiff and we were sorry to see them go.

During their stay they celebrated their first anniversary so, as they both love cooking, I made them each a reversible apron to say 'congrats'.

 Up first is Katie modelling her apron.  Her chosen fabrics are Lotta Jansdotter glimma 'Marby'; Amy Butler Alchemy 'Queen Ann's Butterflies'; and Dear Stella 'Confetti Dot - Peony'.

 fussy cut front pocket

 pocket detail

 

Next, we're loving Joe's apron with a couple of fabulous 'tongue in cheek' fabrics: "ready for action" Alexander Henry; 'Keep it Sassy! Olive Sandwiches for Moda; and 'Labrinyth - Charcoal', Ikebana by Dear Stella.

 Fireman Sam close up detail ;)

 back fastened tie detail

 front fastened tie detail

 "You had me at Merlot!"


and then I made a third apron ably modelled here by Flicky.  This is also to be a gift and my chosen fabrics are "paseo de los muertos", De Leon Design Group for Alexander Henry and Belle Epoch by Kaffe Fassett.  Unfortunately, I don't know what the lilac straps are as I made them from a fat quarter that didn't have the printed selvedge edge.

 Flamenco dancing skeletons!


This whole 'photo shoot' was thrown together in less than five minutes as Katie had to get off to see a Broadway Musical Theatre Casting Agent - I don't think I've ever snapped so many photos so fast.  I did get the three of them to pose together though before we finished.


You may remember My Mini Adventure cushion and also my Roses For A Drama Queen quilt - well the cushion was a gift for Joe and the quilt was my welcome gift to Katie as, though we do chat on Skype, Facebook and Twitter, this was the first time we've actually met each other!


The pressies were a huge hit and we all had the best time together


and check out us girls jumping on Brooklyn Bridge!

It was all over way too soon, can't wait for them to come back and visit again - please don't leave it too long Joe and Katie, you really didn't start to smell ;D


You might be interested in seeing some other aprons I've made too, just click on an image below to read more about each one :)




Disclaimer: 
This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

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32 comments:

  1. What a fantastic family! Your aprons are so cute!

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  2. I hate to wear aprons, but yours are so cute! Lucky family!

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  3. What lovely presents, you'll be inundated with visitors if they all get gifts like that!

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  4. Smart aprons Chrissie, must have been a wrench to say goodbye to your visitors. Looks like you all had a great time.

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  5. You have such a beautiful family! Your children looks just as friendly as you, i bet they love their new aprons, i know i would! Great fabric choices..

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  6. What beautiful aprons! Pictures! and Family! I love the jumping picture! I know it hard to say goodbye when I visit with friends and family that live in other states... I can't imagine other countries!

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  7. Great aprons and I love fabric ranges used.

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  8. Your aprons turned out amazing! I love Katie's the best.

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  9. Oh, how different from the aprons my mum used to wear, or the Japanese ones I use, for that matter!!!
    Great apron tailor and chefs in NY!

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  10. LOVE these aprons and the sweet smell of your happy visit!

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  11. Looks like an awesome time! I see those pin-up fabrics all the time and often wonder what in the heck to do with em. :)

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    1. That's funny Susan, I'm left with a large piece of the Fireman fabric and only yesterday I was wondering what on earth I'm going to make with it - another apron anyone?!!!
      :)

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  12. Great post Chrissie! I love your aprons. So glad yall had a great time.

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  13. What a lovely family you have Chrissie - so glad you all had fun and I love the things you made for them.

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  14. So... which one of them cooked the next meal with his/her new apron??? :-) They are all beautiful - aprons and models! Thanks for sharing...

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    1. Thanks so much Denise and who cooked the next meal - that'd be my son Joe - his breakfast omelettes are the best! :)

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  15. Aw, Chrissie! I loved reading about your visit, and those aprons are fantastic! It's so great how you pull fabrics from several different lines, and they just look like they belong together!

    Thank you so much for sharing this at Needle and Thread Thursday!

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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    1. Ah thanks Kelly - I'm not a fabric collection girl at all really, I might pick a couple of designs from one collection but I love walking the length of a fabric wall choosing contrasting and sometimes really 'in your face' fabrics and then working them together. When I'm picking fabrics in a store I've always noticed that there's a real 'love it' or 'hate it' thing going on for others shopping around me as they look over at my choices.

      I think the most comment I ever got was when I was choosing fabric for my 'Sparkle Plenty' quilt. I was making that quilt in a class and when we all shared our fabric choices everyone oooohed and aaahhed over each other's muted and pastel choices and they quickly passed over my fabrics without comment. I knew everyone thought they were pretty disgusting so I got even more pleasure 3 weeks later when the class ended and they told me how much they loved my quilt and that they'd never have dreamt of putting those fabrics/colours together but that it was the most amazing quilt from the class.

      So I'll just keep pulling fabrics and playing with colour!!! :)

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  16. Beautiful and being reversible is so practical. I love the extra long ties too. Visiting from TGIFF.

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  17. HAHA, I had to laugh seeing the fabric you chose for Joe! That's great! Your aprons turned out real neat! I'm glad you had a great time with family! Thanks for linking up!

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    1. That fabric was just perfect for Joe - if any guy could carry it off comfortably it's him and thanks we really did have a great time :)

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  18. Oh boy, that is a boat load of goodies! Very funny fabrics in the aprons!
    Esther
    esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo dot com
    Ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com

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  19. When guests come over, yes. Put them to use modeling. Very nice aprons! I think the fussy cut butterfly pocket on the Glimma apron is my favorite bit.

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    1. I'm so glad you like that detail Laura, I spent a while deciding which section of the fabric to fussy cut - what would show off the butterflies best without having to cut a section from the centre of the whole piece of fabric! That piece was from alongside an already cut edge and I'm really pleased with how it turned out :)

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  20. This is such a cute post! I love how the aprons turned out and I am fascinated by that view from your balcony. You have a beautiful family and I am glad their visit was a fun one. I am like you... I could spend everyday with my family and I miss them so much when we are apart. I love the picture of the three of you jumping on the bridge!! That is a great picture!

    Candace

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    1. Hi Candace, that balcony is off my bedroom, it's at the side of the apartment and looks out over tennis courts and a fountain area that they turn into an ice skating rink in the winter but the best bit for me is that it looks out to the entrance to the Holland Tunnel and I just love watching all the traffic queuing to go through (I must be a bit crazy?), oh and it also looks out to the New Jersey turnpike which at least twice a day warrants me breaking into a chorus of Simon & Garfunkel 'America' (now you know I'm crazy!). The view from the other side of the apartment has the WOW factor though - that's my view of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline and the whole of Hoboken - having lived by a forest in England, surrounded by trees this is soooooo different and whilst there's always something happening it's strangely very calming and peaceful.

      I miss the kids like crazy and I have no idea what life will be like in a few weeks once Flicky goes off to Uni in Scotland! I'd better get busy quilting!!! :)

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  21. I love aprons! I always line them but have never made mine reversable. Great idea!!! Looks like your visit was wonderful and with the presents you gave them they would have to be wonderful guests. Beautiful family and needle work.

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  22. Darling aprons! Looks like you had a great time with the family!

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  23. I'm so glad you had a good visit with your son. And I love the day of the dead apron. It's fabulous.

    Heidi’s Wanderings

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  24. Chrissie, do you have a pattern for this by any chance please? My Dad's just asked me to make him one :-)

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    1. Sorry Sarah I don't. I just took 2 aprons that I already owned and really liked (adult female and adult male), folded the apron in half lengthwise and drew around it onto newspaper (sellotaping the newspaper sheets together to make them large enough) and I've kept them as my pattern for all my aprons. The male one interestingly is pretty much the same shape as the female but cut narrower and longer. Hope you have an apron to hand that you can take a pattern from :D

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Chris Dodsley


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