An Apron for Every Occasion, or Day of the Week, or Outfit, or ....

Deciding what to blog about next has proved to be a bit of a challenge. I've been storing up little projects and recipes for over a month now and I've got quite a selection to choose from. But since I needed to dig out the sewing machine to work on a couple of necessary house keeping projects, I decided to share with you a quick little apron project. Now this little project brings up a couple of points I'd like to take a moment to discuss. 

 The first being my terrible sewing skills. Now sewing for me is a love/hate relationship. I love all of the amazing things that can be created with a needle and thread - but I HATE the precision and attention it requires to complete a "decent" looking end result. And I'm sure that if I ever took the time to learn and master a couple of basics, sewing could become a real joy. Unfortunately I have a rather hap-hazard approach to most of my projects and so I have resigned myself to only sewing things with straight lines - such as squares! Pillows, curtains, palcemates, I can even manage a bit of quilting if it has a purely geometric design.

Now the second point to talk about is my new obsession for aprons! I'm sure this is a result of my recently bestowed InnKeeper title and you better believe I am fully embracing it! Every where I go, I'm searching out new aprons. And I'm a bit particular about what aprons I like. The years I spent waiting table have probably contributed to my love of half aprons, which are not as easy to come by (at least not beyond solid colors). So I've decided to get creative, do a little thinking outside the box, and come up with some easy and simple ways to feed my obsession! And the first one I'm tackling is the decorative dishtowel apron. This project couldn't get any easier - even for a non-sewer like me!

So what you will need:

• A large decorative dishtowel (I found mine at WorldMarket for $2.99)
• A roll of 1" twill tape
• Some sewing pins
• A pair of scissors
• And a sewing machine

To begin you'll want to cut you twill tape to the length that works best for you. I personally like to tie my apron in the front so I did a full wrap around the waist and added enough to tie it. Once you've got your tape measured and cut you'll pin the tape to the interior side of one of long sides of the towel. Make sure that the center of the tape is lined up perfectly with the center of the towel - you don't want to end up with un-even ties!

Now once you've got it pinned down the only thing left to do is run two straight lines on the sewing machine!

 

One at the top of the tape - and one at the bottom. This will ensure that its securely attached and that the tape won't curl or fold.

Okay - so there's one more itty bitty step. You'll want to fold over the ends of your tie and give it a quick stitch - just to ensure nothing frays.

And there you have it my friends. A quick, easy and inexpensive way to feed your apron obsession! Or simply liven up the heart of the home with a little color and seasonal flare!

 

Hope you enjoy!!