It's often stressful for me to fill special orders when I'm making aprons...

Everyone has a different idea of what they like or want and it's impossible for me to read minds. (At least, I can't do it anymore since I passed retirement age.) So, special orders are always stressful for me. Usually someone says, "Can you just make something blue, or green, etc., with a little of this and a bit of that, and maybe some ruffles?" and so on and so forth. It always sounds more simple than it turns out to be. I much prefer to just make something from my own imagination and hope that someone will like it and want to buy it. Special orders always take longer, cost more to make and are rarely profitable.
Not so with the most recent one. A friend I met in Florida, who has bought several aprons from me, asked if I would make something sort of fancy for a relative's birthday. She gave me a general idea of what she wanted but didn't get too specific....so I was able to use my own thought process and pick out fabric and a design that I was comfortable making. I'm really happy with the way it looks.

I started with a very nice, smooth black cotton polka dot fabric which I cut in a similar fashion to my original baby-doll design, but without the little pleats at the bodice. Inspired by the previous half aprons you saw in my last post, I added a row of ruffled pleats across the bib along with some sheer, organza polka dot ribbon. I gave the same treatment to the pocket edge and then gave both areas a special touch with tiny crystal beads. It looks dressy, yet sophisticated. I'm pleased as punch. Take a peek. (If you click on the picture, you'll get a closer view.)
Beautiful, beautiful Labor Day Weekend here on the Cape. Lots of folks in town for a last hurrah. There's a big tent wedding at the Beach Breeze Inn down the street. We can hear the music as we sit on our front porch. A nice way to end the season.
Check us out on the web at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/

Finally got down to business and turned on the sewing machine.
I had to spend quite a bit of time looking through my fabric, reacquainting myself with each piece, since I haven't done any sewing to speak of, all summer. The yellow and black prints that I chose for "Aren't I Just So Pretty?" were initially purchased to make blouses. But I wasn't in a blousy mood, so we now have two new half aprons at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com
The little pleats on the pocket edge of "Aren't I Just So Pretty?" were inspired by Teresa Porter's headboard bench cover that she recently hand sewed for The Lettered Cottage's Layla Palmer. I was in awe of Teresa's workmanship and wanted to try making pleats myself. You can see Teresa's bench cover either at her blog cherrycheckers.blogspot.com or at Layla's blog, theletteredcottage.com.
Back to the apron; I love the bumble bee color combination of this fabric. It's really striking. The apron has a nice long sash, and the pocket is deep and generous with reinforced edges to prevent tearing. (Don't you hate how the pockets on aprons always are the first part to go?) I always name my aprons whatever comes into my mind when I look at them finished for the first time. I swear I heard this apron ask me, "Aren't I just so pretty?" Hence, the name.
You can see more pictures of "Aren't I just so pretty." along with lot of other aprons and tops at apronsgonewild.etsy.com

Finally got the "Emily" photos loaded on my apronsgonewild.etsy.com shop.....

Viewing my aprons on Emily instead of on a lifeless mannequin is like the difference between night and day; especially the aprons with the little head scarves. I had wondered about them after I made them. Seemed like a neat idea at the time. You know...keep your hair out of your eyes and out of your recipe. But...after I made them, I began to wonder. The ditty bags are always a hit and customers seem to really like them and find all sorts of uses for them. But, I hadn't had much feedback about the head scarves.

Well...putting one of those little triangles on Emily was all I needed for feedback. I think you'll agree...it looks adorable. She looks sort of like a little French maiden. I have to keep in mind that absolutely everything looks terrific on Emily, but seeing her in the apron with the matching scarf renewed my conviction that the head scarf is an attractive and useful addition.

I posted two new aprons today that are not pictured here. One is in an Amy Butler cotton and the other in a pretty turquoise batik. As soon as I get caught up with the house and the yard (post road race) I'll click on the sewing machine and start getting busy. I've got some great new fabrics that I can't wait to transform.

Check us out at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/

Our annual summer event is over.

The Falmouth Road Race of 2009 has come and gone. It was a glorious, sunny day...not too hot for the runners. We only had 6 running from our group of family and friends this year, but they represented us well. Our oldest grandchild ran for the first time and he was amazing! The race is 7.1 miles long and began 37 years ago when three local guys were at a bar in nearby Woods Hole. Because that bar was closing they ran 7.1 miles to another bar in Falmouth Heights that was open for another hour or two. Somehow, that silly event evolved into an international road race with prizes of $10,000 to $15,000 for the winners.

The race draws famous names, including former Olympians like Joan Benoit. Our home just happens to be at the 4.5 mile mark along the race route and we take full advantage of that. Son-in-law, Johnny, rigs up a sound system that rivals even the loudest rock band. Another member of our group does a terrific job with a wireless microphone, calling out runners as they pass, and whooping up the crowd. When the race is over, we celebrate with our very own Uncle Frank's famous sausage grinders and an assortment of other delicious dishes. We even have Aruban Pistache.
Our annual Famouth Road Race party has become a family reunion, of sorts. It's that day of year when everyone is welcome. Friends and family come from near and far and with a bit of luck, we even get in a few hours at the beach. The day always ends the same way...a big fire in the fire pit with everyone gathered around for singing and smores. Not a bad way to celebrate the waning days of summer.
In the midst of all this, I did take some apron pictures with Emily modeling. I'll be posting them to my etsy shop as soon as all our road race guests depart. In the meantime, check us out at apronsgonewild.etsy.com

It's fire pit time.

I've been looking at old pictures, reminiscing about our summer fires...one of our most enjoyable past times during the warm evenings of July and August. Those nights call for a blazing fire, a soft guitar and smores. There's even an outdoor movie now and then. We acquired our copper fire pit about 10 years ago when hubby gave it to me as a birthday gift. It owns a lot of dents now, and the shiny copper color is no longer, but it still serves us well each and every summer. The nice thing about a portable fire pit is just that...it's portable. We can have a fire wherever we want. Every August, on the evening after the road race, we move the fire pit out to the big area in front of the house where we have lots of room for lots of people. It's always the perfect ending to a perfect day.

The Falmouth road race now draws over 10,000 runners each year. We usually have eight or nine running from our group of family and friends. When the race is over, we all celebrate for the rest of the day with great food, music and a lot of laughter. As much fun as the day is, everyone really looks forward to the evening when we all sit around a beautiful fire with the little ones toasting marshmallows for smores. There's quite a bit of talent in our group. A good fire inevitably brings out the guitars and and a song fest ensues. This year's road race is only two weeks away. I'd better get busy.
Even though I've been bad, bad, bad about sewing aprons, do check out my etsy shop at apronsgonewild.etsy.com
I've got two new ones that will be posted this week.

No complainin' today.


We've had a good stretch of sunny weather. I almost welcome the rain this morning. I won't have to water the flowers. Our Queen Victoria's plume, pictured here, is moist and full on this dewy day.

Not much to report since last time. I'm still a bum in the sewing department. My etsy customers must think I've abandoned my shop. It's just not the right environment around here in the summertime, to haul out all my fabrics and trims, etc. in order to cut and sew some new items. I need quiet time to be creative. I dragged everything out one day last week and before I got to even sew a seam, daughter Joanne called about going to the beach and that was the end of it. Hard to stay indoors and sew while the sun is shining and the beach is calling. Of course....off I went, leaving the scissors and thread and sewing machine abandoned.
We lost a dear friend this past weekend. She was 89 so those who came to honor her life essentially were a gathering of friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time. It was actually fun to catch up. Just the kind of environment that Isabelle loved herself. Going back to Connecticut is always like a reunion of sorts for us. It's where we spent the big chunk of our lives when we raised our four children, so there are a lot of attachments and reminders.

I am sitting here this gray, drizzly morning writing this, listening to the fog horn. Not sure why I love the sound because it inevitably means no sunshine! But, it keeps me focused and reminds me of how close the water's edge is. Being near the water is something I never take for granted. It's like nourishment to me. When I don't have it, I feel starved. I remember the three years we spent living near Chicago when hubby transferred for his job. I felt as if I'd been dropped in a hole. The neighborhood where we lived had a community swimming pool but it was always crowded and noisy. The nearest thing to water for me was Lake Michigan. It's so enormous that it almost comes close to feeling like the ocean, but not quite. We bought a small sail boat and trucked it to the big lake each and every weekend to get our "fix," so to speak. But, I never quite felt right. The droning sound of that fog horn on mornings like this certifies that I am truly home now. And home this time, is in a truly spectacular place. Sooner or later, I'll get back to making aprons. In the meantime, check us out at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/

After several gorgeous summer days here...
we are back to the rain and drizzle. But...we did get in two days at the beach. Daughter Patti visited from Vermont with her three little ones, so we felt blessed by the warm sunshine and balmy breezes. A spectacular show of fireworks with a bird's eye view from the shore topped off our July 4th. Having young feet around is a trip. We never know what to expect next. When one is relaxed and wanting some quiet time, another one is wired and wants to play tag. I now know where the meaning of "never a dull moment" came from. Must have been someone with lots of young children. Of course, they are all so adorable you could eat them. The house will be quiet now for at least a few weeks. The teenagers don't make much noise. They are either working, facebooking, texting or sleeping. Oh...I forgot eating. They are always eating. But they are quite independent and don't ask for much. I try to maintain my "summer rules" about keeping their rooms in order. Sometimes they fail, but for the most part, they try to keep things reasonably neat.
I plan to get back to the sewing machine now that the house is quieter. I've been a complete failure since we got back from Florida. It just seems that there is always so much work to do on the house. Hard to find time to sew. My apron stock is sorely depleted. Meanwhile, the outside of the house trim, fences, decks, etc. all need painting. Hubby is limited this summer because of his back. However, his exercises are making him stronger and he's been able to do a lot more than he had anticipated.
I found two interesting "deals" recently. The Sheraton chair pictured here, I found on Craig's list for $30 while I was looking for sofa. The ladder back chair was at a yard sale for $5. It looks very old, partly because the seat is quite low. I've learned that the height of the seat is a good clue as to the vintage of a chair. People were shorter generations ago. Most of the furniture from the 1700s and 1800s is of a much smaller scale and height. Both chairs have very sound rushing on the seats. Replacing the seats in chairs of that age is costly and the major reason why people sell the chairs rather than fix them. For that reason, I felt fortunate to get them for next to nothing. The fact that they are black was an added bonus. I use a lot black in decorating our home because I find it is a grounding color that accentuates everything else.

I hope this will be the last post I write that doesn't feature a new apron. I'm determined to have something new added to my etsy shop to show you next time. Until then, check us out to see what we have at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com