I thought the many restaurant servers in my life might get tired of the old standard black twill waist aprons that they wear day in and day out.  I set about trying to find a similar pattern to find that there is none.  Everything is a full-length bib apron/butcher apron style.  No longer!  I’ve designed a pattern and will be offering it in my shop soon.

Above is a photo of the first prototype.  I’ve never worked as a server but I can understand being particular about the design of the tools of my trade.  The aprons to the left were thrown back at me as not being acceptable.  The pockets simply MUST be deep enough to hold wrapped straws or the apron is worthless.  So I tucked my sewing tail and decided to now pursue the apron thing.  Until my husband, a local restaurant assistant manager, announced that he had 3 servers waiting on their holiday aprons using their required dimension.  So after a day of joy, and a day of re-designing and a day of cutting and sewing, I was able to produce 6 of the second prototype which you see in the photo to the right.  Fingers crossed!  These went to work with him today.  Let’s see how they work.

I’ve been needing something to keep me organized in meetings. A briefcase or portfolio is too big and too cumbersome for most things I attend. But one must always have somewhere to doodle when meetings get boring or sermons get long. I found this pattern during the annual quilt show trek. It is a new line of patterns I’ve not seen before. This & That Patterns are original patterns from Sherri K. Falls. I’m looking at designing my own line and I really was drawn to these because they are not the standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper folded in half. They are folded in quarters.

Anyway, this Charm Pattern named “Just a Note” is great. I will make more of these. Hopefully to sell and give as gifts. I had to whip it up in some appropriate fabric. There are so many customizations I can do. And it also makes me want more of her patterns.

I’ve been trying to pick out just the right fabrics. It would have happened sooner but my husband had hidden the fresh notepads after leaving his former employer. Oh, and the inside is fabulous as well! (Notice the sewing diva lining.)

This quilt just makes me happy. I have always loved this color even when it wasn’t cool. We called it chartreuse then. But now it is called kiwi or lime or acid green. Whatever you call it, I always have a shirt in that color. This is a graduation gift and hopefully by the time this posts, I will be able to track down the recipient and give it to her.

She is graduating from high school and she ALWAYS has on an article of clothing in this color. Always! So this color makes me think of her and how soccer cleats in this color really did not ever match her red and white soccer uniform but she didn’t care and wore them proudly.

I fell in love with the 2 border fabrics and snatched them up in April. Much to my surprise, almost every vendor’s booth at the AQS Quilt Show this year had a sample quilt made up in these exact fabrics and color combinations. So for once in my life, I am “in style” with this creation. And the pattern is a new twist on an old favorite. Its a Twisted Nine-patch I picked up from Eleanor Burns.

There is no movie associated with this one. But, I have recently become a Gleek (a fan of the TV series, Glee) and in order to keep up with the current shows, I Netflixed the first half of the first season So while singing along with the TV show, I cut and sewed this little jewel. I even splurged on the expensive machine quilting thread from the best company along with their matching appropriate titanium needle. The thread wow’d me because it was exactly a match to the green. But it broke every 6 inches, requiring me to re-thread the entire machine every time it snapped. No tension adjusting or bobbin cleaning or needle changing would produce better results. But even that frustration could not dim the power of this quilt to make me smile!

My quilt is so bright, you gotta wear shades!

I will be the first to admit this is a rush job but it turned out well nevertheless. A special person close to my family got married last weekend and I decided much too late into the engagement to make her a quilt. I debated over colors and pattern much too long, never really feeling like I had the perfect combination. But it turned out beautiful. The fabrics blended well but the four-patch pattern was nothing outstanding. And the sad thing is I determined the colors by sneaking a peek at the dinnerware the bride had registered at a local gift shop.

I finished the quilt 2 hours before the wedding yet attended the wedding without my gift. Good thing as it was coming a flood when it came time to go to the reception. Now, if I can get it wrapped and delivered by the time she returns from her honeymoon, I will good.

Oh, the Mildred Pierce reference is again, to the movie that was on while I worked on it. It was a black and white film so I have no way of knowing if Joan Crawford was wearing turquoise or brown, but I imagine a fashion great like Joan had them in her wardrobe somewhere. She was so stylish and was a good Mildred, the self-made woman that rolled with life’s punches but still struggled with her daughter.