Retro Indie Market - Boynton Beach - South Florida

I've already talked about this show here, and here but I'm doing so much sewing and prepping... I just wanted to post about it again.  See you Saturday at the Boynton Beach Women's club, right on Federal Hwy.  Come anytime from 11am to 6pm (but a little birdie told me there will be free goodies for the early folks so try to get there early)

New Apron design

Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my other designs, but I've been playing around with a more classic style apron.  I love the girlie stuff too much to get away from the frilly skirt, but this new pattern has a simple bib instead of the more shapely dress-like aprons I'm accustomed to making.
I think it turned out pretty cute, so I'm gonna make a few more in this design and see how it goes over at my next show.  (or you can find it on Etsy or at AddictedtoRocakbilly)
I adore the fabric and am pretty sure that I'm gonna have to get back over to the fabric shop and get some more to make me a tiki-style jumper.  :)

I heart Zebra print

For awhile my friends used to point out things and say, "that looks like you" and nine times out of ten, whatever shoes, dress or jewelry they were pointing to was black & white polka dots. I admit, I ADORE polka dots! However, lately I've noticed a new trend.... Zebra.

My husband is from Zimbabwe so we have tons of safari themed decorations in our home and I've been seeing it show up more and more in my wardrobe. The half apron in the pic up there is one I have in my shop, and of course, I made one for myself too. The only difference is the one I kept for me has red trim on the outside. The one in the pic has red trim on the underside.

The only problem with liking bold prints like polka dots and zebra print is that you can't wear it all at once.
I even have zebra stuff up in my other shop too.

A fantastic idea from a really cool local entrepreneur

Sunday night I got an email from the owner of Wellness Bakeries. She had a photo shoot coming up and had a fantastic idea for an apron to wear in her picture and wondered if I could make it. I was excited to get to participate and agreed. She planned to wear a blue dress and wanted an all white apron to wear over it. Honestly, I never would have considered making an ALL WHITE apron. I am insistent on making my aprons just as functional as they are pretty and it just didn't seem practical for it to be all white. I know how messy I get in the kitchen! But, as I was sewing, I started thinking about how many times my red apron is covered in flour, and flour only. Why not an all white apron?!?!
Back to the functionality aspect, I made one side in shiny poly/satin for a fancy look and the other side in cotton eyelet, sweet and innocent. Totally machine washable and as long as you aren't cooking with spaghetti sauce or red wine, it will be perfect.
When Kelley arrived to pick up her apron she tried it on and looked fantastic in it. I cannot wait to see her picture! She even brought me one of her cake mixes as a thank you.
What a fabulous customer. Willing to wear MY work in her photo shoot AND brings me yummy gifts. Turns out she is an FSU grad too so that makes her even cooler. Check out her company... hopefully soon we'll see some pics of her in a custom Kitschy Apron.
www.wellnessbakeries.com

I made another one to offer up on my site too. Once I get it up, I'll add a link.

Jungle boogie, jungle boogie ... for the kitchen!

I adore this apron! Of course, maybe it is because I have a love of Zebra prints, who knows. One side has a solid black bodice with leopard print pockets and the other (my favorite side) has Zebra print side panels with corset lacing up the middle. So fun!

If it doesn't sell on Etsy or at the show I'm doing on the 25th, I may just have to keep it for myself! My half birthday is coming up next month ya know.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23566202

Newly created aprons - Tomato, Nascar, Swirlies & Flowers

Last week's aprons up on eBay. All are the fitted corset top style with full skirted pockets. Some are reversible, some are recycled, Check it out.
-Shelley

Latest Kitschy Apron is going to a Good Cause

I have donated my latest Kitschy Apron to benefit Mike & Dianna Dore. Recently they were in a really bad accident and their friends have pulled together to throw them a benefit to help. I immediately volunteered an apron and went through all of my fabrics to make sure and find a really awesome combination. I'm proud of how well this one came out and hope it will fetch a decent amount at the raffle. The green side is sturdy and made with fabric that is chemically treated for stain resistance, and the floral side is a much lighter soft woven cotton. Both sides have four big pockets. It is like two aprons in one!

I know that many of you reading this are not here local, but figured I would post anyway because these two people are some of the warmest hearts you will ever meet and your prayers on their speedy recovery are appreciated.

After a short break, I'm back to crankin' out aprons!

Well, I don't know how many I'll actually "crank out", but I'm back to work. I took a little time off from sewing because I'm pregnant and had a really rough first trimester. On top of the all-day-long morning sickness, I had a few contract jobs that needed to be finished, so, unfortunately, the aprons had to wait.
So, to kick things back off again I've been working with "recycled" fabrics and am having a blast. This one used to be a set of children's Strawberry Shortcake sheets! I've listed it on eBay with only a $9.99 starting bid so we'll see where that will take us. If it doesn't go on eBay, of course, I'll put it up in my Etsy shop next.

Wonder Woman is my super hero, so I made a tribute apron!

I've loved wonderwoman since childhood. I used to stand on the end of the diving board in my wonder woman bathing suit and spin myself into the pool. In my head... I WAS wonder woman. Sometimes I still like to think that I am!

There have been plenty of different Wonder Womans through the years. She was created as a comic book hero by a psychiatrist to give little girls a role model back in the early 1900s. Today she is part of the Justice League. But my favorite wonder woman was the one Linda Carter played on TV in the late 70s early 80s.

I collect memorabilia from that time and back in college even created myself the most amazing Halloween costume ever. Last week, while reminiscing over past creations I talked about this costume several times. Then it clicked. I've gotten into the apron business, why not make a Wonder Woman tribute apron? Duh!

I had a mountain of projects to finish but having this apron idea in my head was a great motivator to work all weekend long finishing those up in order to get to this one. I finished it up last night and although it didn't turn out as perfect as I had it in my head, I adore it!

I have this first prototype up for charity auction on eBay right now and will be making a few minor adjustments to the pattern then making a couple more. One for myself of course, then a couple more to take to the Woodstock Craft Show in December.

If you'd like to check out the charity listing, click here.

Jeans that just longed to be out of the closet

I've got a huge stack of jeans that I can no longer wear (doesn't everyone?) so I decided to start breathing new life into them rather than throwing them out. It is heartbreaking to finally give up on fitting into a pair of jeans that you once loved, but it sure does feel good to turn them into something awesome! I adore this one. It is the first one I've made from my "recycled" jeans and if it doesn't sell soon, I think I'm going to have to keep it for myself. I've got it up online now, but if I keep looking at it, I may just have to make it mine.

Reversable Half apron with Skulls & Oversized pockets

The main fabric for this apron is Alexander Henry's "Astral Skulls" on black. The entire apron on one side is a giant pocket with two circular holes on each side.


The other side of this apron has a pair of patchworked pockets using both the black and the white version of the "Astral Skulls" fabric, with my favorite fabric... zebra.


The straps are extra long and can be wrapped all the way around to tie in the front if you prefer.


All the fabrics in this apron are 100% cotton so this one is totally usable, washable and durable.



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Story about Grandma's Apron

My cousin sent me this story. I'm not sure of its origin so, unfortunately, I cannot credit the author. This story describes how useful an apron can be. Now my challenge is to make 'em LOOK GOOD.....

I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

This apron makes me hungry - Sushi Please

I was cruising through the fabric store just before lunchtime with a growling stomach when I spotted this super kitschy fabric. The fabric is called "Sushi Please" by Dan Miller for Robert Kaufman. I snatched it from the shelf and later found out that it had just been stocked that morning. For a second I considered buying the whole bolt so no one else could have it (stingy me) but realized that although I loved it, I would end up hating it if everything in my stash suddenly became sushi-fied. So, I maintained composure and only bought enough for two aprons and some oven mitts and mabe a couple of hair bows or something small.
I ran home and paired it up with some bold black and trimmed it out in Zebra. I do so love zebra print. Then added in some extra funky black tulle... just because. Voila, Sushi & Zebra half apron!

If you've ever wanted to get all the attention...

I've heard women complain about how they have become invisible in their own home. The family is hustling and bustling about and no one seems to notice her. Well, with my newest creation, that is sure to never happen again.

There is no way that anyone, of any age, can look past someone wearing a zebra print apron trimmed out in hot pink metallic.

This apron is cut like a sexy dancing dress and is even reversible.

I'm calling her "Cathy"

First Apron up on Etsy!

I've just completed posting my very first item up for sale on Etsy. I am excited to finally be a part of such a great marketplace. I am so in love with the concept of having nothing but handmades (and of course, materials needed to make things too) all together on one site. The only bad thing is that I'm unhappy with the way that my pictures turned out. They are all blurry and you cannot tell anything about how wonderfully vibrant this fabric really is. I envisioned my listing to really pop, being that I've got such an eye catching product.

sigh.... if only I was a better photographer.