Cafe Apron Blog Feature

Just wanted to give a big THANKS to the folks over at Etsy Fort Worth for featuring my Cafe Apron Tutorial today!  These are a great group of fellow Etsy artisans.

Head on over and take some time looking around their site - some super talented creative-ness going on over there.  

And, don't forget to tell me about your apron making experience!  I'd love to hear your comments and see any pictures.

Half Price Sale at Whoopsie Daisies

It's a new year, and Whoopsie Daisies is headed in a new direction!  Time to clean out the old and make room for the new.
Here's your chance to snag some great deals - please spread the word - I would be much obliged.  The sewing room (dining room that is not "dined" in) is busting at the seams.

Size Medium Adult Lounge Pants - Just $19!

Size Large Adult Lounge Pants - Just $19!

Sweet Upcycled vintage Apron - Just $17.50!

Adult Size Small Lounge Shorts - Just $15!

The "Rooster" Apron - $17.50!

Pumpkins - $10 and $7.50!

Vintage Pillowcase Apron - $17.50!

Fabric Flower Pin/ponytail holders $4!!

More sale items are at my Whoopsie Daisies Etsy Shop - HERE!  Happy New Year - Happy Shopping!

I'm also on Twitter now!  Come find me so we can "Tweet"!  It'll be tons of fun!

Pretty Vintage Pillowcase Turns Cafe Apron - A Free Tutorial - Super Easy!

Since this is one of my most popular blog posts ever, I am re-posting it!  It was originally posted back in June of 2008.  

Some of you have asked about easy instructions for a beginner apron. So, here you go!

This one is made from two vintage pillowcases. They are so much fun to use because of the unique embroidery work you find on each one.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'd love to hear from you if you plan to make one, or have one completed.  

Materials Needed:
1 Vintage Pillowcase
2 6"x19" pieces of fabric for pockets
2 2 1/2"x about 40" pieces of fabric for ties (can use upper portion of pillowcase)Vintage Trim - Rick Rack or Ribbon
White Thread
Sewing Machine and/or Serger
Straight Pins
Iron
Rotary Cutter and Mat
Transparent Ruler
Scissors

Instructions:
1. Press your pillowcase using your iron and spray starch.
2. Determine the length for your apron. (Mine is 21") Add 2 1/2" for the waistband. Using a rotary cutter       and transparent ruler, cut across your pillowcase.
3. Determine the width of your apron. (Mine is about 33" wide) Flip your pillowcase over, and cut a slit down the middle. Lay it out flat on your cutting mat and cut to the desired width being careful to center the motif.
4. Hem the sides by serging; zig zagging; or turning under 1/4", press, turning under another 1/4", press, then stitch in place close to the folded edge.
5. At the top of your apron, turn down 2 1/2" towards the back for the waistband and press.


6. Open back out and turn under 1/4" along the raw edge. Press back down.
7. Using rotary cutter and ruler, cut 2 strips of fabric for the apron ties 2"x about 40" (twice the width of your pillowcase works great!).
8. Press under 1/4" on the 2 long sides and 1 short side of each apron tie. Press under another 1/4" on the 2 long sides.

9. To avoid bulky tips on the apron ties, fold the material back out and trim the corners. Fold the short end to make a pointed tip and press. Stitch around the apron ties close to the folded edge.

10. Insert ties into the sides of waistband. Pin in place. Stitch all the way around close to the folded edge.

The basics are done - now it's time to embellish!

11. Cut 2 pieces of fabric 6"x19" for pockets. Fold with right sides together and press. Stitch around with 1/4" seam allowance - Be sure to leave about 2" opening (to turn right side out).

12. Trim the corners and turn right side out. Press well. Stitch opening closed.

13. Pin pockets in place. Stitch around 3 sides close to edge.
14. To create smaller pocket sections, stitch down the center of each pocket.
15. Add desired trim along the bottom using a straight stitch.

Congratulations! You're done!

Let me know if you have any questions- I'd love to hear from you once you complete your apron.

Don't forget to visit Whoopsie Daisies on Etsy for other cool gifts and accessories for you vintage lifestyle!  You can also find Whoopsie Daisies on Facebook, Twitter, and Whoopsie Daisies Days blog.

Indie Craft Show

All in all, I had a successful day Saturday at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar.  These pictures were taken the night before, and now I'm wishing that I had taken a few on Saturday because you could have seen some of the other vendors in the background.  Here is a link to the Flickr pictures if you care to take a look at what other vendors were selling.  I have to say, it was a very talented group of people.   It was really nice to be at a show where everything was 100% Handmade, and 100% Indie.
Thank you to everyone that came out to support me and the rest of my Etsy Fort Worth group.  Mark your calendars for the March 19, 2011 Spring show!

Mommy and Her Little Cupcake

I've just finished a Mother/Daughter set of aprons - so super sugary sweet, you can taste it!

These are headed to Birmingham, AL shortly. Wishing that I had a child's size dress form for the little one....

Don't you just love that pink polka dot fabric? Wishing I had several more yards of that too!

"Keep Calm, Cupcake" (Apron)

Doesn't this little girl's apron just make you think of pink cupcakes with sprinkes?? I made this for a sweet, sweet little girl who is turning 4 years old - she's all pink, all the time, and sweet as sugar! I cut out enough pieces to make another apron to post on Etsy, soon..... (again, it's a time thing....you can relate, I know!)Why am I thinking I'd like to eat a nice, big, pink cupcake? Well, it is lunchtime - and I keep looking at this magnet on my fridge - probably not the best thing when you're trying to be healthy - but, seriously, can cupcakes be all that bad? Really?

Holiday Bazaar & Silent Auction in Fort Worth

I'd love to see some of you - stop by Booth #3!!!

My fingers are sore from pushing pins, my eyes are strained, my needles are breaking! But....boy have I got some totally cute stuff! Just hoping I can get enough to fill a 9x9 booth. It's been a few years since I've done a real show. I had to wait until my "baby" was old enough that allowed me some time to sew and create.

If you live close by, this one really is a good show - a great Silent Auction too. You be glad you came!

Great Show - a little drippy, but a great show!

We ended up having a great show - a little, well, a LOT wet, but still we had a good turnout and lots of fun!

We had necklaces, earrings, matchboxes, artwork, pumpkins, aprons, crocheted hats,.....

pajama pants, coffee cozies, burp cloths, diaper wipes pouches,........

good things to eat, good friends, a sweet doggie who acted as our welcoming committee....

and a lot of fun!

Thanks for supporting handmade everyone.

Visions of Things to Come -

As I'm packing a suitcase (to be out of town for a few days), doing laundry, chasing a little boy, washing dishes, and trying to find my other shoe (most likely floating in the dog's water dish)....I'm also trying to get ready for my Trunk show Wednesday.

Here are a few pictures of my work room - hope you enjoy!

Stacks and stacks of vintage bits....Aprons.....Diaper/Wipes pouches....Crochet Hats.....Burp cloths.....Pumpkins.....(limited time only!)Coffee Cozies.....

Adios to the Layer Cake Apron and Thank You to Haley!

Just wanted to say a big huge - "THANKS" to Haley! - This gorgeous Layer Cake Apron is headed to Atlanta, Georgia today, purchased from my Etsy site.  Haley, I hope you love it -it's really one of my favorites.   I personally love the bark clothe on the waistband and along the bottom.

I posted about it earlier and you and read about it here.

That's all for today - I'm a busy beaver finishing up another project for "Amy" in Texas which I hope to get to share with you before I head north to Indiana with the little munchkins for a few weeks.  Hoping for some cooler weather - fyi - it's 104 today!!!  Could get worse, it was 110 degrees the day my son was born almost 3 years ago!  Can't believe my baby is almost 3!  He's on his 2nd day of big boy underpants!  Wahoo!  What a big boy, I'm so proud!

An Apron Project

My daughter is "graduating" from Kindergarten this coming week and this is the apron that the parents are giving to her teacher. Another mom purchased the canvas apron with the name stamped on the top and then I added the pockets and trim as well as the applique on the top. The pockets are off of old camo that I have laying around - (I save everything!) - I also changed out the strap around the neck to make it adjustable - just cut it off, then made a button hole for the strap to come through.
Thought this was a cute, easy idea for a teacher's gift - maybe you'll give it a try?

My blog was visited by Bea of Bea's Blabber and she gave me this award.Thank you, Bea!

The rules for accepting this award are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I've been secretly visiting several blogs lately and I'm glad to have the chance to share them with you. Hopefully they will inspire you to get creative this summer!

So here my blog picks for the award. Be sure to check them out - you'll be so glad you did!

Stacie at Creative Crate
Eren at This Vintage Chica
Wendy at The Shabby Nest
Andrea at Everyday Beauty
Kelli and Rian at Presser Foot
Heather at Past Present Collection
Tif at Dottie Angel
Tracy at Tracy Porter - Be Inspired!
Mique at Thirty Handmade Days
Nikki at You SEW Girl
Amy at Tie One On
Julie at Jane's Apron
Daria at "Apron A Day
Wardrobe Refashion
Gabreial at Vintage Indie

Pure Vintage Sweetness Apron

I just posted this sweet apron on my Etsy shop. To me, it is the epitome of "upcycled" fashion. The fabric is from a 1940's (or so) flour or grain sack which someone recycled into a table runner by cutting it into a scalloped shape and adding the hand crochet work along the edges. I then got my hands on it to turn it into something for the 21st century fashionista! I added the two pockets, made from vintage napkins (side note - my son, who is supposed to be sleeping peacefully has now awoke from his slumber and is hollering for me to come get him...better make this one fast!)....so anyway, the pockets are vintage napkins.
Check out the cute buttons! They are so retro cool. The ties are extra long and made from a vintage pillowcase.
I couldn't decide which picture to post - so I'm putting some here on my blog that don't appear on Etsy.
Hope you likey!
Are you being affected by this darn Piggy Flu thing?! We sure are down here in Texas - many schools are closed and most extracurricular activities are cancelled. Crazy.
I figured out how to download a free copy of the Twilight manuscript from iTunes the other day...what fun! Now I can run around the house doing whatever I need to do....let's see....on the list today - clean up the mud all over my carpet from my darn dog, cleaning up stinky milk drips from the sticky kitchen floor - compliments of my 2 year old son, clean up little itsy bitsy pieces of foam that came off of my daughter's egg crate cushion thingy on her bed that had been drug out into the living room to act as some prop, and ah yes, clean the finger nail polish off of the wall in the kitchen that was mysteriously splattered there....must have little elves running around the house, I'm sure.