Reminiscing and Making

    One day about five or six years ago when I was just getting into quilting, I started to recall my very first real sewing project in my seventh grade home economics class.  I never had any formal sewing instruction before and I had never used a real electric sewing machine, I had only sewn little doll projects with a needle and thread by hand and they were not pretty.  I was a very eager student, and even though my projects were not perfect, I was always happy with my makes and I would wear them.  I took sewing in place of cooking whenever I could.  I only took cooking one semester and it was because the school made me take it.

    The teacher was starting from scratch with most of us and she had a genius half apron pattern that was made with gingham fabric that she taught us.  I can't recall what size gingham it was, I want to say it was 1/4".   We were told to buy a certain amount of fabric in whatever color 1/4" gingham we wanted.  I remember I picked out a lovely lavender color. 

    To make the pieces for the apron we measured by counting squares of the gingham.  It was a one size fits all pattern.  It was super simple and all the students had a finished apron at the end.  It was a easy way to learn how to cut pieces for a pattern. then the teacher could concentrate on teaching us how to use a sewing machine to sew our pieces together.  I have looked on the Internet for an apron pattern like it but I can't find anything.  Darn it.

     I was so nostalgic for that project, that I decided to create my own half apron loosely based on that gingham pattern.  I cut a large rectangle of fabric for the skirt, large enough to gather it up to give it some flow and make it feminine.  Then I cut three long narrow rectangles about 6 inches wide for the waistband and ties.  I even put a patch pocket on it.  I ended up using every inch of the piece of this fabric I had.

     I thought this dachshund fabric was the cutest.  It was designed by M'Liss Rae Hawley.  It was about this time that I learned a very valuable lesson about designer fabrics and that is once a design of fabric runs out, it will probably never be available again.  That was a sad realization, because sometimes I find fabric that I want to make into everything so now when I find a fabric that I love I try to buy enough to make bags/potholders/towel toppers or whatever else and also have enough to add into scrap quilts so I don't feel deprived.