Sew, it Finally Happened

I've had a few sewing projects that I wanted to conquer and I was able to sit down today and finish two, YES 2, aprons...

here is a little story about my aprons, with pictures even...

The first apron I made, Apron A, started out with a pattern...
you might not know me, but I don't do patterns...
but I figured that since I'm really not a pro at sewing I'd take a crack at what professionals (aka: the pattern makers) say I should do...But then I started reading the pattern...something that they need to offer college level courses in how to read...and after a little bit of confusion, decided that I wasn't thrilled with how they wanted me to do the pockets, I sort of felt it was a HUGE waste of material (material = gold in ChambersMade land)...so smart little me decided to ...modify...the pattern...the pattern that I wasn't completely sure that I was reading correctly in the first place...and after my "mod'ing" and a few frustrating moments I finished my apron, and realized that my frustrating moments could have been avoided had I just followed the pattern like I was supposed to...but it turned out and I saved a ton of gold...I mean material...

...so I discovered if I take my own pictures in the mirror

 the flash flashes out my face so no need to crop the pic, 

but I must remember to wash my mirror next time...

so I think it turned out okay,
things I didn't like
* how high the pockets were
* I wanted the waist band to be thicker
* it didn't wrap around my waist and thighs as much as I wanted

...so now that I've mod'ed the pattern why not just totally throw the whole pattern out the window and make a new one...
so new, but very similar pattern...
* I used the same base, but just cut it about 2 inches wider all around
*cut the waist band and ties twice as thick (6 inches, that will be folded in half = a 3 inch waist and ties)
*decided to go with just one pocket and place it down lower on the apron (my problem last time was dealing with the pocket, bias tape, and waist band...so not having the pocket up by the waist line elliminated the entire problem!)

I want to stop right here and thank my friend Rayna for introducing me to Bias Tape...I am now in love.  I'm also sure that at some point in my life my mother tried to teach me the finer points of Bias Tape and I didn't pay attention, so sorry mom!  When trying it on my own on an apron I made last year, I become totally frustrated and just decided that it was not needed, then Rayna showed me how using an iron with the bias tape will change your life...thanks for that life changing lesson Rayna...

adding a little heat will allow you to mold the bias tape anyway you want !  magic!

My finished project...I really wanted to give you all the steps, but I'm a beginner sewer...
(not a word right?...think seamstress is the right word)... and feel that trying to walk you step by step through a project that I threw the pattern directions out the window on, would be the blind leading the blind...probably more like the blind and deaf leading the blind.....

but here is my apron, Apron B... thicker waist band, wider overall apron, covering more of my waist/hips/thighs, and only one pocket!

lessons learned today...
*don't "mod" a pattern until you know what you're doing
*bias tape is my friend
*taking pictures in the mirror with the flash on allows me not to stress over how bad I will look in a picture
*wash my bathroom mirror before taking pictures!

that's the story of two aprons...and I really did make both of these today!  I can hardly believe it myself.
...and YES, my family had a home cooked meal, with vegetables and everything!
And the boy child even got a bath!
and YES, it's past my bed time...good night!

blog edit...or add on...

after a good nights sleep I re-read my blog and looked at the pictures and you can't really see how cute the material is, so here's a closer look...

it's a blue with coffee beans (brown) and then a cream with a pretty brown pattern and teeny tiny blue hearts every once in awhile.  so cute!