A Lovely Christmas Apron

December 26, 2020December 24, 2020 ~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

We’re all in a lockdown here, so we can’t celebrate Christmas this year like we have in years past. We can’t have family over, and I won’t be making a big Christmas dinner. However, I did do one thing to cheer myself up a bit.

A few years ago I sewed up a few aprons – one for Em, one for her mom, one for a dear cousin, one for another friend. And for some reason, I don’t have a photo of a single one of them. So, I’ll share my most recent make, and some photos with links to the one I kept.

I’ve used cotton apron panels for these. and they’re pretty, functional, and very easy.

Mine are changed a little in that I make mine double-sided. I love a double-sided apron. They can be reversible, but I only put a pocket on the front.

Here’s my Christmas apron.This is a Northcott panel called Angels Above. As soon as I saw it, I really just had to have it.

This panel didn’t have a pocket, so I cut out two angels, and made a double-sided pocket. I like a finished pocket too, rather than it being unfinished on the inside.The pocket is the same coordinating fabric I used for the back of the apron.

Here’s the back, or reverse side of the apron. Oh, that’s pretty. I’m very pleased with my new Christmas apron.

My favorite apron panel that I made for myself is this one.

Oh, I love my very-well-worn one too. As much as my new one. If you love it it too, there’s a link in the photo.

I used this coordinating fabric to do the reverse on my apron. But if you search for Willington Prints – Della Terra, you’ll find a lot of other fun prints you could use for the back too.I hope every is safe and healthy! I’m looking forward to celebrating Christmas in early (I hope) 2021! Happy holidays and happy creating!

A Custom Watson

December 19, 2020December 12, 2020 ~ Michelle

I recently made a lovely Watson bra for a friend. She loves it but she also wanted a little more coverage. I showed her a photo of the longline style.Yes. A longline is what she wanted.

However, she also needed a little more coverage on the side. It was time to use some of those skills I learned in the professional classes I took. It was very exciting to know just how to change the pattern.

The bra turned out very well.Isn’t this pretty? I don’t usually wear white, but I really do like this.

Here’s the side view with the higher underarm and side. I can’t wait to see it on her. I know she’s going to be a lot happier with more coverage.

Happy creating!

Paleo Pasta

December 12, 2020December 6, 2020 ~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

It was about 5 or 6 years ago I started following a Paleo diet. It was at the recommendation of my doctor, but it was a big adjustment. However, I saw health improvements right away.

For the most part, I don’t mind eating this way, but I did miss a few things – like pasta.

I have a few Paleo cookbooks, and most of them suggest zoodles or another vegetable in place of pasta. And many of those recipes are good, but they’re not pasta. However, recently I came across a Paleo pasta recipe that’s a game changer!

I found it on the blog southern BYTES. This is a photo from their blog. This was my first glimmer of hope. Piles of homemade paleo pasta on a white wooden board. This looks like pasta! I had to try it.

It not only looks like pasta, but it tastes like pasta! I was so happy.

My first time making it, I made it the same as shown in the photo. Then I made it this same way again – into noodles.

The third time I made it, well, I’d been thinking about this and if it works as noodles, then it could work as lasagna noodles too. I decided to try it. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this was. It still is. I’ve frozen half of it, and am enjoying every week or so. I’ll definitely be making this again.

I’ll have another bra or two to share with you next week, but until then, Happy creating!

An Angie for a Friend

December 5, 2020December 1, 2020 ~ Michelle

A friend recently came to me. Completely fed up with bras. We had a chat and I asked her just what was bothering her so much. It was the wires. No matter what bra she bought, the wires were digging in under her arms, pinching her in some way, or poking her. It turns out she’s an Omega shape too. Not as pronounced as me, but enough that the wires in her bras are hurting her.

She’d just bought three new bras online, and I was thinking it would be an easy fix for her to swap out the wires. No, she’d sent them all back. She wanted me to make a bra for her.

Then she told me she couldn’t stand lace. It was itchy to her. And no seams. I told her to make her a bra, even a foam cup, there would have to be seams. Okay, so then she didn’t want a diagonal seam. What could I make her?

I showed her my Angie bra and she loved it. And the elastic trim seemed soft enough that she thought that wouldn’t bother her.Unfortunately, due to covid and lockdowns, I’m having to mail her the bra and then we’ll use video to test the fit. It’s not ideal, but I should still be able to get close to what adjustments I’ll need to make.The one benefit I had making her bra is I’ve had so much experience with Omega adjustments. She got most of them, and everything came together quite well.I did a little something different on the back this time. I don’t love how the lightening stitch looks on the strap elastic, so I decided to look at my RTW bra. It has the same lightening stitch along the outer edge, but it has a zigzag on the other side.Isn’t that nicer?