Day three of needling 4 hours a day, this is usually the day the diets die. My sewing room was thrilled to welcome me back up and into its thready sanctuary.
Fall is here in the Midwest, without warning the temperatures went from 93 to 65. I love it, I will finally be able to distinguish my hot flashes from merely walking outside. Another fun aspect, it's time to change to the autumnal door quilt, the fall table linens and the warm browns, golds and oranges of my latest table runner. But not that tired apron - it is time for a fresh one sans gravy & cranberry stains of feasts long forgotten, well except in my rubenesque rear. I get to dive into the stash and drag out my apron pattern.
My apron pattern dates from my Junior High Home Ec days, it's a classic chef style that I have made 37,659 times. I choose a yard of two fabrics that twinkle when placed together and cut out both at the same time. I cut two 5 inches strips of a third fabric that sets off both the apron fabrics for the neck strap and ties. If I only make one apron, I am left with an extra neck strap which I put away in case I ever repeat that strap fabric choice. This is why quilters and sewers need sewing rooms. You can sew anywhere but housing the stash, the bits of fabric and the extra neck straps? Now you're talking studio, cabinets and storage systems. Because you never know when you will need this. I think the show Hoarders deals with this very topic. Should I keep or should I throw? Is it fabric? Keep, duh! Anything else, throw! Seriously, do you want your sister in law to see you on Hoarders?
Yesterday's apron reinforced my holding onto neck straps. My new apron has a brown fall theme in coffee fabrics and yes, I already had a neck strap made of coffee bean fabric. An hour later I had a crisp new apron to absorb the grease and tomato sauce that life would throw at it. I never cook without an apron and quite frankly, I don't understand people who don't wear one. My life has been one unexpected drip and spill after another and I wish all of life's overflowing moments could be caught on an apron. Here's my additional secret reason for always cooking in an apron - you can "forget" to take it off and voilà, adult bib. You're welcome ladies with little stains all over your tops.
Time to clean up the sewing room and I had an odd scrap leftover. I used to keep those semi curved pieces but now any fabric that I can't be cut into usable strips, I cut into 5" by 7" and 5" by 7¾" rectangles. Take one of each fabric and stitch ¼ seam at the short ends, right sides together while you still have the machine in the apron thread. Turn it inside out and press it so you have a little bit of the lining fabric peeking out at each end. Fold the long rectangle with the two peeking sides inside and overlapping at the center. The short folded together end should measures 3", now stitch it together. Turn it inside out and you have a cute little pocket Kleenex cover plus an awkward scrap eliminated from your stash. Throw out the other little crumbs unless you are saving misc pieces for a miniature quilt destined for Thumbelina. Put a Kleenex purse pack in there and give it as a hostess gift, a happy to see you present or just a small gesture for no reason.
I wish that all the other dribs and drabs of my life could be neatly cut up, recombined and turned into something useful. From the one yard pieces you've got protection from grease, gravy and great soups gone rogue. As a bonus, you've created a way to say I care about you and your drippy nose to people in your life. Not bad for a couple of hours in the sewing room.
I know you're counting, and yes, I did my other two hours, by hand. And no, I am not going to write about them. Hey, I need to blog tomorrow also!
I love my U of I apron!
ReplyDeleteI am glad!
ReplyDelete