~The Oscars~

~The Oscars. Always a lure. Even though we don't see as many of the nominated films anymore, we still watch. I think it's because of the evening gowns. Love seeing the beauties as well as the grand faux pas that is always mixed in somewhere. This year, we were invited to an Oscar party held out at the pool here in our condo complex. The invitation said, "dress optional." That was enough for me. Hubby tried to find the nearest closet to hide in, but I eventually got him involved in a get-up that he agreed to. As long as it was comfortable and not too "out there" he was game.
~I intended to buy some gaudy fabric and make a kaftan but accidentally found one already made that was reduced from $48 to $9. Who could beat that? Added some gaudy jewelry and worked a flower hair clip into something more dramatic. $5 sunglasses and lots and lots of makeup (even did the false eyelashes) and I felt like Liza Minnelli. Hubby's outfit was non specific at first. Mimicking a Hollywood "has-been" merely called for a big, silky shirt, some gold bling and a great hat. Found everything but the bling. Ah Ha! Not to be denied, I enlisted some brass plated swag lamp chain, added a lion head medallion and he looked the part. Friends at the party began calling him "Kid Rock" and he accepted the role.
~Well...Liza and Kid Rock had a rockin' good time and even won a prize...not for the costumes but for hubby scoring the highest grade on a movieland quiz that was passed around to each guest. (We are a wealth of useless information.) But we enjoyed the gourmet popcorn prize immensely.
~Back home that night, curled up in my pajamas, I watched the entire show even though hubby gave up halfway through. It's a ritual. Every year I'm in the same spot on Oscar night. But this year, the costume party was an added treat!
~Enough fun. Back to work. I'm currently making a pink and brown batik apron. The fabric is gorgeous. Absolutely. I should be posting it sometime tomorrow if I can discipline myself to stay seated at the sewing machine.

~Until then...check us out at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com
~We love our aprons. You will too.

~I want you, I need you, I love you...

~I want a new couch. Not for here in Florida, but for our home on Cape Cod. I know exactly what I want. I know the color, the fabric, the print, the style, even the size. I know exactly where I want to buy it; Angel House Designs. I know how much it will cost; $850. I know the color and pattern; Wigrose in black and tan. I know all these things. There's only one thing I don't know...if I'll have enough money saved by spring to buy it.

~Right after Christmas, I decided to designate all the profits from my http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/ apron sales for one purpose...to buy this couch. It's going to reside in our new kitchen/tv room. It's going to look spectacular. I just know it.

~Shopping for it will be almost as much fun as owning it. Angel House Designs is located in an 18th century salt box in Brookfield Ma. It's a treat just to visit the house! And...inside the barn where the sofas and chairs and fabric samples are located, you can inhale the colors and textures of the colonial pieces that Angel House Designs creates, replicating furniture of the past. That's where our new sofa will begin and end...that is...until it gets to our house.

~I want it, I need it, I love it....

(Must get busy and sew, sew, sew!)

The Pile!

~There's a pile on my floor and table. It's fabric. Blues, reds, greens, browns. One as pretty as the other. But they're all over the place. I have no room! There's another pile. It consists of elastic, ribbon, trims, and appliques. Then there's the bag of thread. And the jar of buttons. All this couched in a small space in our cute little Florida condo. Whew!
~I was never the most disciplined kid on the block. I was the one coming up with wild ideas. I was always organizing something or other that required costumes or uniforms or a function that needed fabric and trim. Once in 6th grade, I organized a cheerleading squad for the 6th grade basketball team. I loved the cheerleading part, but I reached fever pitch when my mother gave me 4 cotton percale sheets and a box of dye out of which I created the most darling cheerleading skirts for all of us girls. They were powder blue. (Never mind that our school colors were green a white. Mom had a package of blue dye, not green, so blue it was.) They were circular skirts that opened up fully when we twirled around. We all had to wear tights underneath lest our underwear be exposed. Oh, how fantastic they were! Our disorganized little squad got out on the floor of the gym during every break and cheered our hearts out, twirling till we were dizzy. We were glorious.
~And so it continues. Even into my retirement years. I am surrounded by fabric and the rest of the lot. Dreaming up aprons in my head now. Pretty aprons. Cute aprons. Practical aprons. Each night when I rest my head on my pillow hoping to drift off to sleep, I imagine the next one. Will it be green, will it be blue, will it be yellow? Have to check the pile.
~The pile, by the way, continues to grow. Whenever and wherever I see fabric, I am drawn to it like a bee to honey. My heart beats a bit faster and my step quickens. Most women get excited when they see shoes, or handbags or designer fashions. I get all a flutter when I see fabric.
~And so it goes. The pile grows. The imagination wanders. The inspiration comes. And a new apron appears. But first...I have stop gawking at the pile and get back to work.
~Check and see what comes out of the pile next at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/

And Another!

~I'm on a roll. This one makes me wish I was still a young mom having a birthday party for one of our kids. I'd love to be wearing this happy apron!

http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/

Back to work! Back to work!

~I absolutely must get back to work. Hadn't even had the sewing machine out since we arrived here in Florida almost a month ago. Just can't seem to get in gear. Last Friday, I dragged out all my fabrics and looked everything over, hoping for inspiration. Set up the sewing machine, thread, pin cushion, scissors...all in order on the table next to the machine. I'm ready. Everything is waiting. So why is it now Monday and I still haven't touched any of it? Ugh. I need a kick in the pants, as my mother used to say.
~Today is rainy and dreary. The perfect day to sew and be creative. I swear, I will get back to work. I will. I will. I'll let you know tomorrow!!

Get up and get going!!

Seems like every morning, just as I'm waking up, I say to myself, "C'mon, Joanne. Get out the scissors and fabric and the ironing board and start sewing. You've been waiting all summer for some sewing time." But it's hard to convince myself to stay indoors on these beautiful fall days.
We spent the Columbus Day weekend in Vermont with our oldest daughter and her three little ones. It's a very lively household up there, especially compared to the laid back lifestyle we enjoy now in our retirement years. Once back home, I took a bewildered look at the many projects on my list and decided to get back in the groove of sewing....but not until after I took apart and put away all the summer furniture on the back deck, did three loads of laundry, ran some errands, and cut and sewed a new ironing board cover. Always makes me grumpy when I start a sewing project, only to discover that my ironing board, (which gets a lot of use), has a big rip in the cover, right in the most important spot. (It's like when you rip your pants in the crotch.) Can't properly sew anything unless the iron and board are in tip top shape.
Making a new cover took me over an hour, for some unknown reason. Guess I'm getting slow. I always try to make my covers in some sort of fabric that corresponds with my living room decor, since the only place I have to iron in this old house is in the living room. Fortunately, the red toile fabric that I've been using to cover it recently, blends in with our pillows and couch upholstery so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb when it's set up during the day.
Anyway...after all this delay, I ended up with two new aprons. One is constructed out of a beautiful Amy Butler fabric called "Lacework in Olive." Amy Butler fabrics are especially gorgeous, not only in color and design but in the quality of the fabric, as well. This fabric is a dark brown with lush greens and a touch of pink. I named it "Chocolata Cutie."
Styled with our trademark baby-doll pleats at the bodice and a deep, fully lined pocket, Chocolata Cutie is your party apron. It's dressy and just a bit fancy, with its pleated ruffle on the pocket and it's polka dot ribbon trim. Chocolata Cutie is edged in a soft sage green polka dot that is the body of the other new apron I sewed. That one is named, "Sage Dottie." It's also sewn in our exclusive Aprons Gone Wild design with subtle baby-doll pleats at the bodice. You can see the fit of the baby-doll styling on our model, Emily, by visiting our online shop at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com
Sage Dottie is trimmed in the same brown Amy Butler Lacework in Olive fabric that our Chocolata Cutie apron is sewn in.
Two new, very pretty aprons. I feel accomplished today!

http://www.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/

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

Please go away and come again some other day. I'm sick of you!! I know we need the rain for the lawn and the flowers and all that, but I need some sunshine. The sky is so gloomy and cloudy. Everything outside is wet...the picnic table, the chairs, the grill, the benches. Even the flowers are wet. I brought in a bouquet of lilacs yesterday to put in the guest rooms for our daughter and a friend who were visiting. Had to dry them out with paper towels before I could even arrange them.

We had a wonderful dinner last night. Mashed potatoes, London Broil, baked beans and a big salad. Sometimes, the simplest menu is the best menu. Topped it off with a carrot cake. My stomach still felt full when I woke up this morning.

I've been doing a lot of cleaning lately and therefore haven't been doing much sewing. So, I'm going to share some cleaning tips. We use a several products here that aren't well known. Three of them have been recommendations by friends who watch the Home Shopping Network and QVC. Since we're all supposedly trying to eliminate use of potentially toxic cleaning products, I can highly recommend "Supercloths." They are made in Italy and are available on QVC or directly on the Internet. Supercloth is an ecological suede like cloth that can be used on any surface from windows to floors. Just wet the cloth with tap water and wipe down the surface. The shammy like quality of the cloth creates a sort of "drag" that not only cleans the surface but dries it to a shine. Supercloths come in sets of 3. I keep one for the bathrooms, one for glass and appliances and one for wood surfaces. They seem to last much longer than the 4 months they claim on the package. Matter of fact, I've kept my original order for several years now, even though I did re-order one more shipment of new ones last fall. You do not need to use any cleaning solutions, sprays or powders with Supercloth. Just tap water and that's it.

My next favorite thing is "Pro Shot Floor Restorer." This stuff will take your wood floors to a new level. I don't know how it works but when our friend Robin comes to clean, I am always in awe when I return home and she has done the floors with Pro Shot. Somehow, it doesn't leave any build-up and it makes your floors absolutely glow. Robin gets Pro Shot on one of the home shopping channels, but I've noticed you can buy it directly online from several sites.

My third favorite thing is my Joy Mangano "Huggable Hangers." These hangers are very thin and have a velvety covering, so nothing slips or slides. Your blouses, shirts, t-tops, even lingerie stays right where you put it. Plus, the thin profile of the hangers doubles the amount of clothing you can put in your closet. Recently, I've seen copies of the original Joy Mangano hangers in stores like Home Goods and TJ Maxx. They aren't quite as well made, but the difference in price makes them well worth the purchase. I've given all our plastic hangers to Goodwill and we now have Huggable Hangers exclusively in our closets. They are that good.

It's still raining. So, I will take my Supercloths and do some cleaning and afterward I'll get out the ironing board and iron some shirts and hang them on my Huggable Hangers. The Pro Shot floor job will have to wait for a nicer day.

Check out our etsy shop at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com for some really pretty aprons and tops for the summer.

Somehow in the midst....
of all the work we have to do around here, I managed to whip up another apron. This one is a half apron, made out of Amy Butler's "Seeds in Okra" with her "Royal Garden in Turquoise" fabric for the pocket. One thing about making half aprons is that I find I can spend a bit more time being fancy with the pocket. This one has a "V" opening with a ruffle (see close-up). It's cute. I like it. Check out the details at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com
It seems like there is just sooooooo much to do each spring to get the house ready for summer. I like to be relaxed when our daughters and their families are around. But, I have this "fault" that prohibits me from enjoying myself unless all the basics are taken care of. In other words, I can't enjoy myself at the beach, or sitting on the porch, or going shopping...things like that...unless the trim paint is touched up, the windows are washed, the decks are painted, the outdoor furniture is bleached and scrubbed, the flower beds are weeded and edged and the lawn is in good shape. Not to mention the guest rooms being scrubbed from top to bottom along with the guest bathroom. This year, we have some extra projects. The garage doors are looking sad, the front fence needs repair, and our favorite zero gravity chairs are showing peeling paint and worn out supports. I'm guessing it will all get done, but I have my doubts about the yard sale I'd planned for the last weekend in June. Just one look at the attic and I cower in fear of how much time and effort it will take to get all that stuff organized, priced and set out for a sale. My big ambitions might have to wait a year.
The problem is age old; not enough energy. We're slow starters and we peak after about two hours. It's rather frustrating when I think of the things we once were able to accomplish in half the time it takes now. I've been trying to discipline myself lately to get outdoors first thing on nice days. It worked yesterday, but this morning, I ended up sitting in that zero gravity chair for over an hour, sipping coffee and enjoying the warm sun on my face.
We'll probably end up getting everything done but it won't be without some stress. Such is life on Cape Cod in the summer.
Be sure to check out my etsy shop at www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com
Lots of pretty aprons and a couple of new summer tops that I really enjoyed making.
On a serious note...a "Thank You" to all those whose sacrifice we memorialize on this Memorial Day.

Our own little bundle of Joy...

Just this past week while we were busy and preoccupied enjoying the company of our Vermont daughter and our Ohio daughter and her family, I noticed a tiny, gray ball of feathers nestled under the hedge in front of our condo. A closer look revealed a good size yet obviously young, gray dove. She didn't move when I came closer so I left her there with the intent to check on her later. As soon as she heard the slap of the screen door closing, she hopped over to the grassy area and revealed a broken or deformed leg. She'd try to fly off but couldn't get a good lift off the leg and once she was airborn, she couldn't land well with only the one good foot. As the day wore on, several of our neighbors joined in the effort to care for her, some even putting out bread crumbs so she wouldn't starve. We named her, "Joy."

Doves apparently take good care of each other and are usually seen in pairs. Eventually, we noticed that the mother and father of our little "Joy" were hovering and hopping around, keeping a close eye on their injured offspring. They even came and fed her. It became quite a sight to see Joy trying to lift off and then settle on something with Mom and Dad close by in case she missed her landing. Not much different than a set of human parents watching their offspring try and ride their first two wheel bike.

Joy is still out front where we are all keeping a close eye on her. I have faith in this little dove, that she will soon lift off and make it to a tree branch where she'll be safe from prey. But I do wonder what her future holds? How does a wounded dove find a mate and carry on a dove's cycle of life? We'll all be keeping a lookout to see if she survives and remains in our midst. She'll be easy to spot, that's for sure.

I didn't get much work done these past ten days with the daughters here but I got lots of sun and beach time. The most recent aprons are posted and two of them were sold to a good friend and neighbor here who is bringing them home to Canada as gifts. One was a lovely deep blue batik and the other was "Miss Modern Mauve," already pictured in an earlier post. The newest blue apron is a really pretty print with shell buttons on the bib and pocket that I have named, "Blue Medley." It's bright and happy and as blue as the sky is here in sunny Florida right now. It's looking like another great day is in store.

Be sure to check out all our aprons and tops at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/