Aprons, mysteries and my own personal disaster

I met one of my best friends, Jess, in college. That first week of class freshman year we just kept crossing paths—same dorm, same program, same major—clearly, we were meant to be friends! I vividly remember skipping my first class of college with Jess. We met up to walk to history together, walked all the way across campus, traipsed up the steps of the Humanities Building . . . and then both hit a dead stop, turned and looked at each other, and practically wordlessly, turned and walked to the union for breakfast instead. Jess is one of the reasons I am so happy to be back in Cincinnati after six years! She's now married with three beautiful little boys, all of whom I am determined to spoil silly.

Anyway, being the incredible mom she is, Jess has been wanting to learn to sew aprons for the boys so they can "help" her in the kitchen. I told her I'd help . . . and then I got excited and decided to make a "practice" apron last night.

The top is a blue and green seersucker, and the backing is brown Kona cotton. I made one long side strap that will wrap all the way around and velcro on the right side, so the boys can put them on by themselves.

I raw-edge appliqued a green star on the front. This way, each of the boys can have a different symbol on their aprons to tell them apart—but not so different that one will be "better" than another. I don't have kids, but I still want stuff of my sister's, and we're in our late twenties, so I'm sure it pertains to boys ages 2-6, too.







I made a little something for Jess, too—hey, kids shouldn't get ALL the attention, just because they're occasionally adorable!

It's a surprise so I can't tell you what it is just yet, but hopefully the picture-teaser is enough for now.





In other news, I am going to show you these pictures despite my shame and disorganization. This is my very own personal craft disaster.

I am not proud. I have a whole room that I am paying additional rent on to currently be a storage room for a mound of fabric. Then, to make matters worse, I go root around in the disaster, find what I want, and go sew in my dining room. So, not only is my spare bedroom a disaster, so is my dining room. This cannot go on.

Therefore, you should officially consider these the "before" pictures. "After" pictures will hopefully be coming down the pike in about two weeks!!!!!!!!!!

Be still, my beating heart—a place to put my fabric (sigh)!