The “Mix Things Up” Apron

Here’s my latest apron . . . and I must say, I had LOTS of help! Here’s the scoop:

• The adorable design on the bib came from my blogging friend Megan of A Kitschy Kitchen. Click here, and this original drawing can be yours, too, as a gift from Megan! Since I used a heavy muslin (a remnant I had on hand) for the bib, I was able to simply trace the design. Then I embroidered it while watching TV when we were snowed in. 🙂 Megan has an Etsy shop, too . . . here’s a post about it!
• The skirt, bib ruffle, and neck and waist ties are made from this fabric I bought from Karen of KRS Designs. The cute baking motif was perfect for this project! You can find links to all of Karen’s shops on her blog.
• And now for the ruffles. The blue one was from a gift of fat quarters I got for my birthday. It has a seam in the middle, but it’s pretty well hidden. The fabric for the pink and brown ruffles came from Laura of LC’s Cottage. Click here for Laura’s blog, here for her Etsy store, and here for a previous post I wrote about her shop.

Details about the design are available on my Wonder Woman Retro Apron post . . . a free tutorial from the Jo-Ann web site along with a few tweaks of my own. The only thing I changed on this one was to line the bib to hide the back of my embroidery and make the top ruffle smaller so as not to hide the mixer.

I had SO much fun making this, and thank you to my friends for your lovely contributions! ♥

More Shop Love!

Last week I put out my first “Shop Love!” post.

I wanted to start promoting our blogging friends’ small businesses.

I’ve done a little more shopping . . .

and I won a giveaway . . .

so today I’d like to highlight four more bloggers and stores.

Once again, each one impressed me with both their BEAUTIFUL products . . .

and their QUALITY customer service.

Here are their contact links!

You can also check them out ANYtime on my new “Shop Love” page above. ♥

(1) The Original Thread: I fell in LOVE with this inspirational 2013 calendar, which is designed by Melanie of The Original Thread blog and sold as a fabric panel in her Spoonflower shop at Madex Designs. She has many other gorgeous fabrics as well!

(2) Terri’s Notebook: I recently won a lovely giveaway from Terri’s Notebook—two pdf patterns. I was going to wait until I made the items to share them . . . but that hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll share what they WILL look like. 🙂 The first pattern is for Stuff Baskets and the second is for a Checkerboard Set, and both are for sale at her Patchwork Trails Etsy Shop. You can also visit Terri’s portfolio here and her paper goods shops here. Terri’s motto is “Explore. Dream. Create.” Don’t you love that? ♥

(3) A Kitschy Kitchen: I’m just starting to make aprons myself, but I know someone on my gift list who will LOVE this one! It’s from Megan of A Kitschy Kitchen: The Life and Studio of an Apronista who sells her creations at her Etsy shop. Notice, too, the adorable fabric gift card holder! Stressing quality as well as beauty, Megan’s motto is “Buy Well, Buy Once.” She also has some other lovely items in her shop, such as embroidery, cocktail napkins, and coasters.

(4) TheHighNoteDotNet: I’ve followed Darilyn’s lovely blog thehighnotedotnet for a long time now and was so excited to receive my first purchase from her Etsy shop, which specializes in vintage music projects. Darilyn even included a little gift . . . a copy of my favorite quote, which I embroidered on a pillow and she offers to all of us for free to make an iron-on transfer. She graciously provides tutorials for her projects as well. And check out her craft room . . . it’s amazing!

 

Shop Love!

Following are blog posts about amazing people who sell their creations online that I’ve met through blogging, friends, and family. I look forward to adding lots more! Please take a few minutes to check them out, and remember to shop small businesses whenever you can! ♥

SHOPS:

• 1840 Farm Mercantile
• A Kitschy Kitchen
• Azulado
• Beverly Dyer Fine Art and Stationery
• By Hand London
• Christina Designs Art
• Claudine Hellmuth
• Clouds of Colour
• Clouds N Cups
• Country By Design
• Craft Schmaft
• Craftie Nellie
• Crafts n’ Coffee
• Cul-De-Sac
• D’arc Creations
• Drama Queen Seams
• Eco Felt Crafts
• From Scraps to Crafts
• Glitter in the Air
• GLOBAL GIRLFRIEND
• Gone Rustic
• Horsemark Cards
• I’d Rather Be Crafting
• I Love Cards & Design
• Jam Tarts SA
• Jewels For All by Stef
• Junebug Jewelry Designs
• Karalynn Creative
• KRS Designs
• Le Trango
• LC’s Cottage
• Lili & Mum’s
• Lizzie Rose Jewellery
• Make & Mingle
• Moosewood Vintage Wearables and Sundries
• Neldee
• Neecy’s Neccessities
• Nicky Grace Vintage
• Open Hand Creations
• Origami Owl
• Orit Hadad
• Pilgrim Cottage Collectibles
• P.S. I Love Soap Company
• Redbubble
• S&K Boutique
• Sew Michelle
• Sincerely Liz Boutique
• Stitch Knit
• Stitched Up Mama
• Susie D Designs
• Terri’s Notebook
• The Art of Creating Joy
• The Dizzy Izzy Shop
• TheHighNoteDotNet
• The Original Thread
• The Penguin Theory
• Trixie Lixie
• Unboxed Art
• Vicky Myers Design
• Wired for Impact
• Zuliganz

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES:

• Sarah Gives Thanks (Hey Look A Writer Fellow)
• Confessions of a Refashionista (Awesome Sauce)
• Bewitched Bedsheets (Awesome Sauce)
• The Ultimate Guide to Upcycling (Altered Upcycling)
• Make a Card Awesome! (Altered Upcycling)
• Adventures in Mixed Media: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Beautiful Art (Altered Upcycling)
• The Green Crafts Lifestyle (Altered Upcycling)
• Sewing World Magazine