More Pretty Ditty aprons by Jamie Christina

I would love to own all these Pretty Ditty aprons by Jamie Christina. I simply can't choose a favourite!










(This one informed my fabric choice for the one I made my sis-in-law!)





Check out all Jamie's patterns here, buy them postage-free in Aus from Kelani Fabric here, and also check out Jamie's fabric shop Phat Fabric.

Completed project: Pretty Ditty Apron

One of my favourite crafty things is a fantastic indie pattern. I love the thick pattern paper, the detailed instructions, the customisation options and the fact you can find extra tips and photos on the pattern creator's blog.

My sister-in-law's birthday was a week ago, the day before mine, and I was determined to stick to my 2011 crafting resolution to make more things for family and friends. I found the Pretty Ditty apron pattern by Jamie Christina in the Kelani Fabric shop. The reason why I chose this particular apron is that for your $19.50 - which seems like a lot for a mere apron pattern - you get three adult sizes and three child sizes, which means I can use it for almost every birthday present I'll be giving this year (except the men in my life who wouldn't be flattered by the gathered bodice). Bargain!

Pattern designer Jamie Christina runs her own online fabric shop, Phat Fabric, and her Flickr album of aprons she's made from Echino fabrics make me drool. I can't really afford to spend about $80 on apron fabric (less if you go one-sided rather than reversible), but Jamie's samples did give me inspiration of what colour and print combos to search for in the Spotlight clearance sale.

My sister-in-law's wedding colours were chocolate and caramel or something like that, so I used those a guideline in my fabric choices. I wanted something pretty without being totally girly; something that could be worn to prepare for a party and then kept on for the event. I mixed up the pattern's recommendations on which pieces to cut from which fabric because I wanted the neck and waist ties to match, with one girly side and one groovier side. This is my result.















She loved it! It's a great present because the recipient gets a sized apron with fabrics chosen just for them, and I get to sew something that isn't green, yellow and tan. I can't wait to make more.

Paradise Lost

I write with the sadness of one just returned from a long-awaited holiday.



























Wish I was here.

Four months

And here's my baby girl at four months, which I think was a week and a bit ago.



Such a strong neck! Such a drooly girl!

Three months
Two months

Three months

I'm a bit behind with my monthly photo chronicle of Baby Amy's life! Here she is at three months, end of December 2010.



She is so adorable in yellow. In a blink (or as long as it takes me to create another blog entry) she'll be four months!

Two months

The invisible zip that ate my afternoon

I've probably made about 120 cushions with invisible zippers in the past two years. So why am I suddenly getting it wrong?

I sew the first side of the zipper down and it opens and closes without a problem.

I sew the second side down and now it won't close. If I pull really hard the tab moves up while the teeth stay open.

This has happened a few times this year (hmm, since I got my latest delivery of zippers). I sew three cushions at a time and I'll get the zippers in two right, and one goes berzerk.

I'm sewing slowly and carefully, making sure the teeth are going through the invisible zipper foot properly.

Today when a zipper went berzerk after having opened and closed smoothly when only one side was sewn down, I unpicked the second side and reattached it carefully. Again, the zipper wouldn't close. I unpicked it AGAIN and reattached it VERY carefully. It wouldn't close. I unpicked the whole thing and it closed without a murmur. I got a different zip, sewed that in and the bastard wouldn't close!!!

I rubbed some soap on it, although I don't know that works for plastic zipper teeth, and after another ten minutes of finessing I finally got it to close, skipping a couple teeth here and there.

So what is my problem? Is it:
a) Defective batch of zips;
b) Defective invisible zipper foot; or
c) Defective machinist?

In other news, this afternoon Jack learned his first crafty word: 'thread'. He pronounces it the same as that old playground swearword, 'frick'. Last week he learned to say 'flag' but pronounces it the same as that old sailor swearword also beginning with F. It was quite difficult for Hubby T and me to keep straight faces through T's citizenship ceremony while Jack waved his Aussie flag saying "F***! F***!" Jack's lucky he wasn't the one applying for citizenship.


Zip image from DIY Fashion