apron dress tutorial

How to make a cute dress for a toddler in less than an hour.
Step 1: Purchase a half apron from your local op shop.
Step 2: Remove the ties from the sides.
Step 3: Re-sew the ties on as shoulder straps, removing any excess.
Step 4: Add a button and button hole at the back.

I even managed to do this while my toddler was awake. Amazing!

I'm sure there's a child somewhere under all that hair ...

this is ... my treasured childhood possession

I'm only five days late with my meme post this week. Still not great but getting better ...

I'd like to introduce you to Seranja. I'm not quite sure of the spelling of her name because I invented it before I learnt my ABCs.

Admittedly, Seranja is quite a scary looking girl. I think it's the teeth that does it. In fact, my partner insists that I ensure she is hidden in a fully closed drawer each night for fear that she will come to life and strangle us in our sleep.

I wouldn't exactly say that Seranja was well-loved but I did treasure her as a child because she was handmade by an aunt, and again as a teenager because I realised that she had provided me with much of my sense of style. (Thank goodness that Barbie was banned in our house!) Note in particular Seranja's black boots (I was a doc Martens devotee), stripey tights, petticoat and dress.


As a child, I as always fascinated by Seranja's knickerbockers too. Luckily, I never took my mimicry of her that far.

And now that I have a child of my own, I find myself wearing ric-rac-embellished aprons.

Thanks to Angela of Three Buttons for the "this is" meme and Danielle of teacups on treetops for this week's topic.

apron's away

As promised, here is the sassy apron that I made and have sent off (Only one day late. That's not bad, is it?)

Even though I left the construction to the last minute and I have never made an apron before, I decided to make do without a pattern. I also wanted to use this project to push myself to mix fabrics and add more embellishments than I normally would. And just to complicate things further, I thought that a double sided apron would be a good idea so that I could double my chances that my swap partner would like it.

Funnily enough, none of these factors were as troubling to me as the theme. With 4 degree mornings and days of endless fog, I had real difficulty making anything fit for summer. Ah well, while I'm not entirely happy with the end result I do think that it turned out better than it might have! I was also amused that while I was busy sewing the apron, my partner was watching The Stepford Wives.

This was my first swap and will probably be my only swap for a little while, but only because the end of semester is looming and assignments are due. After that, watch out! You may just be partnered with me...

Oh. And while I'm on the topic, I thought I may as well show you some of my favourite aprons. The orange one is thrifted but the other two are hand-me-downs from great aunties. They make me happy :)

apron love

Yesterday there was a package waiting for me at the front door when I arrived home from work. "What have you been buying now?" I was asked. I plead innocence then thought about it. No, none of my purchases were expected yet. Then the brain cells started connecting and I remembered reading that some super-organised people participating in the sassy apron swap have sent their parcels already. Could it be?



Oh yes indeed, a beautiful package wrapped up in ric-rac and made especially for me. I was so excited I was literally jumping up and down.

And looky looky at what I got. A beautiful watermelon apron with matching tea towel, recipe card for watermelon lemonade and cocktail umbrellas to decorate the glasses. She even included the pattern used to make the apron. Thank you so much, Jodie - I truly feel spoiled!

[I find it ironic that the theme of the apron swap is "summer" yet I had trouble taking a decent photo because we are getting less and less daylight here at the moment. There was even ice on the car the last two mornings.]

I really like the look of the umbrellas all lind up.

Olive liked them too.

She wasn't so happy after I took them away, though. The poor dear has a fever and hives at the moment - this week's gift from childcare.

Now I really have to get moving and work on my own sassy apron to send off. Watch this space for progress report, hopefully very soon.