Tag: accessory pattern

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 4 — Olivia Jane

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Oh My Goodness! It’s 4 days until Christmas Day. Wow! That’s so hard to wrap my head around. I hope you are more ready for the holidays than I am……I am so far behind now, I don’t know how everything is going to get done unless I forgo sleep until the 25th….

Happily, our December Sew Along gives me the chance to slow down a little bit and enjoy sewing something really fun. 

I am sorry, but it’s probably a little late to join in the fun of our December Sew Along at this point as we are now on Week 4 out of 5 weeks. However, you can still order the set of 5 Accessory patterns HERE and do the SAL at your own pace as I will add the December SAL along the right side of the blog so you can find the individual posts easily.

If you missed the December Sew Along projects so far, you can find them here:

Amanda Jane

Savannah Jane

Catrina Jane

Olivia Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 4
Olivia Jane is one sassy lady! Variety is the spice of her life. She has too many interests and hobbies to count and makes these cute patchwork totes in multiples just to keep her life organized. They are quick and fun and Olivia Jane can use charm square packs, fat quarters, and even her scraps and stash to whip up these great little totes. Each bag that she makes in truly one of a kind! Olivia Jane keeps a few bags empty so she she can take them shopping, antiquing, to her quilt guild meetings, to knitting club, or to her multiple book clubs. Whew! Trying to keep up with Olivia Jane is a difficult task for all her friends. To thank her besties for everything they do for her, this year Olivia Jane is making these fun bags for everyone. Of course, she started them early in the year so she would be ready for holiday gift-giving. Just one more to go.....

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Olivia Jane tote bag.

That’s right — this week, for Week 4 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind unique Charm Square Patchwork Tote Bag.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Before we get to my Olivia Jane tote bag, I wanted to talk a little bit about the pattern. Olivia Jane is a great pattern to add your own touch or to use your own finishing techniques. The pattern even gives you 3 different options for sewing your squares together! The tote works up quickly and it’s fun to play around in your charm squares and stash — we all need a reason to dive back into our own stashes, right? Or, head to your local quilt shop and gather up a beautifully-coordinated collection of fabrics to use for your tote bag. Whatever you do, Olivia Jane will be right by your side.

One of the cool things about bag-making is that there are a lot of different techniques to explore as well as a lot of different ways to get to the same end results. If you’re reading between the lines here, what I’m really saying is that I don’t follow directions very well — Mea Culpa….

Tricia’s Olivia Jane Sew Along Project

Here is my finished Olivia Jane tote! I just love how it turned out. Isn’t it adorable??? This would be a great tote for carrying books to/from the library, going to quilt guild meetings, or whatever. With its open top design, though, I wouldn’t use it as a purse because my wallet and personal items wouldn’t be secure. But beyond that, anything goes!

Here are my fun and sunny fabrics! I looked through my stash of partial charm packs and this blue and yellow one begged to be used. I added the leftover floral print for the lining and the tonal yellow for the strap. Ready to go!

The first thing I did was to sew my charm squares together. I chose to alternate my blue and yellow squares. Do likewise of you want or not. It’s your tote! Don’t forget to read over the pattern because it gives 3 different variations for the charm square arrangement on the front of the tote.

Shhhh, but I deviated from the pattern a little bit. I decided that I wanted a sturdier tote that would hold up to what I usually put in my tote bags like books and sewing projects on the go. I added a layer of Pellon Decor Bond, which is my favorite fusible interfacing for bags and totes. I fused Decor Bond to the back side of my charm square bag front, my lining fabric, and the strap. I really like this product because it gives my bags and totes body so they stand up without wilting. Love that.

Another option would be to add a layer of batting in your tote to give it a little bit more body. But wait — there’s more! Other possibilities include Soft and Stable foam from byAnnie’s, Flex-Foam from Pellon, or Bosal’s In-R-Form Plus fusible foam stabilizer.

Another adaptation I made was to add an inside pocket because you can never have enough pockets! 

I sewed 4 leftover charm squares together into a Four Patch block. Then I sewed the pieced pocket front right sides together with a same-size square of leftover lining fabric. I sewed around both sides and the bottom, leaving the top open. Then I turned my pocket right sides out and pushed out the corners. I pressed it well, folded the top edge down, and folded it down again to encase the raw edges. This little trick gives you a sassy little strip of fabric at the top of your pocket. 

Next I measured about 2″ up from the center bottom of the lining fabric and centered my pocket on the lining. (Yup, that’s a friction pen I’m using to mark my lines on the lining fabric. With a quick press of my iron, the lines will disappear!) Finally, I sewed around both sides and the bottom of the pocket. Done! Now I have a place for a bottle of water or my keys or a small notebook…or whatever fits. LOL!

I also added a little fun to my strap by using one of the gazillion fancy stitches on my sewing machine. I stitched this really cute spiral design down the center of my strap. It actually helps to keep the strap from stretching; however, it looks like a fancy-shmancy embellishment. 

Adding little details like this to any bag or tote raises the bar for its uniqueness. Little details like this are also the difference between a 2nd place and a first place finish at your local fair or show. Just sayin’……

The last thing I did to change up Olivia Jane was to box the corners of the bottom of my bag. This gave my bag a flat base so it could stand up, which works better for me and my stuff.

Boxed corners aren’t hard to do. First you make sure the inside of the lining or bag is on the outside and then fold the bottom of your bag so that the side seams create a point like you see in the first photo above. I decided to use 1.5″ as my measurement for making my boxed corners because I didn’t want to make the bag much smaller in size. In the second photo you see my Frixion pen line, which is measured 1.5″ from the point. Then simply sew on the line, back-stitching at each end. Repeat for both sides of the lining fabric as well as the the corners of the charm square bag front. Some people trim away the waste triangle at each side, but I leave them there to add a little extra support to the bottom of my bag.

There are actually lots of other things you can do or add to your Olivia Jane tote to make yours individual to you. You could add a flap and magnetic snap, velcro, or a button to secure the top of the bag. You could add more pockets — even on the front and back of the tote. Make 2 straps instead of just one or use ready-made bag handles as another option. Make the strap(s) longer or shorter to suit your needs. Make the bag bigger by adding more charm squares — just remember to make the lining fabric the same size. Another idea would be to use batting on the inside of your bag and practice your free motion quilting to quilt the front of the bag and the batting together. All of these options make bag-making really fun because you can start with the same pattern and end up with totally different bags.

My sewing partner….Griffin. He’s the studio supervisor, of course!

Okay, now it’s your turn! I hope you will enjoy making your Olivia Jane tote!

Time to get your Patchwork Tote made this week (between Thursday December 21at and Thursday December 28th) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Olivia Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 5 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 5 project is Petula Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 28th. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Petula Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Olivia Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Merry Happy Jolly Holidays to You and Yours.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 3 — Catrina Jane

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Are you ready for another fun Accessory pattern project for Week 3 of our December Sew Along? I really hope that you are sewing along with me. These accessory Rose Card patterns are not only fun, but fast, too! Of course, I’ve only picked 5 for this Sew Along, but there are more. You can find all of our current Accessory patterns HERE. Don’t forget that we are planning to add more Accessory patterns in 2024, so you’ll have to stay tuned….

Did you order your set of 5 patterns for the December Sew Along yet? There’s still time for you to jump in (you’d better get cracking,though!) and sew along with me.

Or you can save the projects for when you’re ready to do a little fun sewing after the hustle and bustle of December. I will add the December Sew Along to the right side of the blog so you can find the posts whenever you’re ready to sew. That’s definitely one of the cool things about an online Sew Along, you can do it anytime you’re ready, even in the middle of the night wearing your pajamas and eating a bowl of ice cream.

Get your pattern set HERE.

If you missed the December Sew Along projects so far, you can find them here:

Amanda Jane

Savannah Jane

Catrina Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 3
Catrina Jane is a scrap saver, but more importantly, she is a scrap user. Quilts are just not complete until you use at least 100 different prints in them. One background fabric??? Absolutely not -- when 57 are better! Catrina Jane dove into her stash of scraps and small pieces and whipped up a dozen of these delightful little Pattern Card Holders! Now to decide which quilty pal gets which one. Decisions....Decisions.... And of course, Catrina Jane plans to slip a few Villa Rosa Designs Rose Cards into her cute little Pattern Holders before gifting them.

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Catrina Jane Pattern Card Holder.

That’s right — this week, for Week 3 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind unique 2 Pocket Pattern Holder.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Tricia’s Catrina Jane Sew Along Project

Like Catrina Jane, I perused my own oversized stash and settled on these fun fabrics. The red and blue floral is an older Minnick and Simpson print. Then I added a tonal red and a creamy white to the mix. Yes, you can make a Pattern Holder out of a single fabric, but also like Catrina Jane, I love a scrappy but coordinated look. 

Now to cut out all the pieces and get sewing!

After I made my tab, I centered it on the left side of the main print. Nope, I didn’t measure a thing! My secret to finding the center of pretty much anything is to fold it in half and make a crease at the center. Then I just line up the creases and done. Easy Piezy!

Once I centered the tab on the main print, I placed the pocket fabric right sides together on top on both sides of the main print. If needed, go ahead and add a couple pins to hold things in place. Then I stitched the sides. I pressed my seams towards the main print on the back and voila! My tab ended up in the right place. Whew!

Now let’s place the lining fabric right sides together with the main print/side pockets. I learned a great little tip a while back at my quilt guild — at the corners, instead of trying to make them 90 degrees, pivot and stitch a couple stitches at the corner to gently round the corner instead of making a sharp corner. It makes a much nicer, smoother, and sharper corner than turning 90 degrees! Try it sometime. Don’t forget to leave an opening for turning your Pattern Holder right sides out.

I turned my Holder right sides out and used my handy dandy chopstick to gently push out the corners. I also like to run my chopstick along all the seams on the inside to help the seams to behave.

Time to fold over the pockets and sew. The directions called for using a zig zag stitch, but I chose to use a straight stitch on mine. Do the same if you like, or maybe you’ll explore some of the million embroidery and fancy stitches on your machine. 

Instead of velco, I decided to put a cute little red snap to secure my Pattern Holder. Fun, fun, fun!

The very last thing to do is to fill up the pockets with cards!

Wouldn’t this be a great little gift for your favorite quilting friends? Add a couple Rose Card patterns inside and instant swoon-worthy gift. The Pattern Holder takes around an hour to make, depending on your finishing options, so it truly is a great last-minute gift idea.

Some Fun Ideas to Personalize Catrina Jane:

  1. Add ric rac, buttons, or other embellishments.
  2. Add a monogram or initials to the front cover if your machine can do that.
  3. Try a fun button as a closure instead of velcro or a snap.
  4. Add a few small pockets to the front cover and/or inside to stash cash, a credit card, or even more Rose Card patterns.
  5. Make it bigger to hold more cards — with 4 pockets instead of 2. You would need to basically double the width of the lining and main fabric while keeping the length the same. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll try this idea sometime.
  6. Shrink it down and use it to hold business cards.
  7. What else could you stash inside the pockets? How about handmade note cards? Wouldn’t that be a sweet gift to yourself or someone else?
  8. Add a layer of fleece or batting to make a firmer Pattern Holder.

Okay, now it’s your turn!

Time to get your Pattern Holder made this week (between Thursday December 14th and Thursday December 21st) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Catrina Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 4 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 4 project is Olivia Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 21st. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Olivia Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Catrina Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Ho. Ho. Ho. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Quilt Stories · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 2 — Savannah Jane and Our NEW VRD Patterns for December

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Are you ready for another fun Accessory pattern project for Week 2 of our December Sew Along? Of course, I also have the NEW December Rose Card patterns to share with you, too. Lots of great fun this week.

So, how’s your holiday shopping and preparations coming along? I am happy to say that I’ve gotten started a bit this last week. I put up the outside Christmas decorations and lights (not that I do a lot of decorating, but at least we’re not a dark house for December). I don’t have that much more Christmas shopping to do, but I do still have some Christmas sewing and makes to get done. I haven’t started decorating inside yet nor have I started baking or wrapping gifts. Guess I’d better get to it, huh?

Speaking of gift gifting, I think you’re going to love Savannah Jane, our wonderful and quick Week 2 Sew Along project.

Did you order your set of 5 patterns for the December Sew Along yet? There’s still time for you to jump in and sew along with me.

Or you can save the projects for when you’re ready to do a little fun sewing after the hustle and bustle of December. I will add the December Sew Along to the right side of the blog so you can find the posts whenever you’re ready to sew. That’s definitely one of the cool things about an online Sew Along, you can do it anytime you’re ready, even in the middle of the night wearing your pajamas and eating a bowl of ice cream.

Get your pattern set HERE.

If you missed it, you can find the December Sew Along Week 1 — Amanda Jane — HERE.

Here’s Molly’s version of Amanda Jane! Don’t you just love her mod fabric choices??? isn’t she just rockin’ this Amanda Jane apron with style?

Thanks for sharing your project, Molly!

Savannah Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 2

Savannah Jane is a sophisticated gal with an artsy streak.  She just loves this wonderful and versatile pieced scarf -- she can add an artsy touch to her wardrobe without breaking the bank.  Savannah Jane can make this scarf in about an hour, so it's a snap to whip up a new scarf for any occasion or outfit.  Shhh!  Don't tell anyone, but she's made at least a dozen already.  And when she meets her gal pals for lunch, they ooohhh and aaahhh over her latest scarf creation.  Savannah Jane just smiles because she knows something they don't -- they are all getting their own one of a kind scarf for Christmas.

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Savannah Jane pieced scarf!

That’s right — this week, for Week 2 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind totally you Savannah Jane pieced scarf. Bet you can’t make just 1 (wink, wink)….

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Now, I’ve never made a pieced scarf before, so I was pretty excited to give Savannah Jane a whirl. And guess what??? If you like Savannah Jane, you’re going to LOVE her sister, Inessa Jane. Inessa Jane is an Infinity scarf!

Get Inessa Jane HERE

Tricia’s Savannah Jane Sew Along Project

Let me show you my Savannah Jane pieced scarf! Or should I say scarves??? I’ve already made 2 and have plans to make a couple more for holiday gifts. And maybe even one for myself. LOL!

I chose this charm pack for my Savannah Jane scarf. Don’t you just love the yummy colors? I have a special someone in mind for this one already!

The instructions are simple to follow and Savannah Jane goes together in about an hour! Nice — my kind of project!

Here you can see my squares all sewn together into 2 long long strips! I sewed them together randomly, just making sure not to put two like colors together.

I pressed all my seams in the same direction, pressing first on the back and then also on the front so those seams would stay as flat as possible. Who wants a lumpy scarf??? I even used a little of my favorite Best Press.

Are you familiar with Best Press? My favorite scent is Peaches and Cream, it’s so yummy (No, I don’t drink it, silly you for wondering that!). Of course, if Peach isn’t your scent, there are lots to chose from, including an unscented one which is perfect if you’re sensitive to scents. I’ve personally tried most of them and found Peach to be the scent for me.

Find Best Press HERE.

Anyway, after my seams were all nice and flat, I was ready to sew my 2 long long strips together on both sides — basically making a long tube with both ends open. I layered them right sides together, offsetting the ends.

Yay! Here it is all ready to turn right side out.

Ta Da! Here’s my scarf partially turned right side out. It reminds me of a snake shedding its skin — ick — not my favorite image, I can assure you.

Whew! All turned right side out now. Time to flatten the tube with the long seams centered on the front and back of the scarf so you see the offset piecing effect. Isn’t that the coolest thing? Sew clever! Sew easy! Sew beautiful! Especially with these batik fabrics!

Let’s finish the ends now. I folded them under about 1/4″ or so and tried to make each end as straight as possible, which meant I had to do a little fiddling as I pressed the ends flat.

At this point you could hand-sew the openings closed if you didn’t want to see any stitching, but I opted for simple and quick, sewing a straight line across the ends about 1/4″ in from the edge, back-stitching at each end.

Another thought would be to try out some of the wonderful fancy stitches on your sewing machine to finish your edges — that would add a little bit extra something something to your scarves. Or maybe just a edgy modern serged effect? Bet you can come up with even more finishing ideas for your scarves!

Done! In about an hour, no less. LOVE IT!

It was such a fun and quick project, I knew I had to make another one. Like I said, bet you can’t make just one….

Hmmm…..I’m thinking I might need to make 2 or 3 more for Christmas, too. Now that I have this great go-to pattern, it’s going to be loads of fun to personalize my fabric choices for each recipient.

It’s also easy to customize if you need a shorter or longer scarf. Use a charm square pack or cut your own squares from your stash — it’s all up to you.

I’m thinking a flannel charm pack might just be the ticket for my own scarf for this winter. Now to hunt down some squares! Where did I put that flannel charm pack???

VRD NEW December Rose Card Patterns

Now that we’ve had some fun with Week 2 of our December Sew Along, it’s time to show off our newest patterns!

Aren’t they awesome! Every month just gets better and better. Our designers are simply the best! You can get the set of 5 new patterns HERE.

I promised a new table runner pattern for December, too. Sorry we didn’t have enough time to get one out for last month, but I think you’ll like my December runner. It’s fun and very fast. I chose a background fabric with metallic stars and assorted grey fabrics for the strips.

Get your own Frosted Window Panes runner HERE.

VRD NEW Project Updates

Before I close this post, I wanted to take a moment and update you on the projects we’ve been feverishly trying to get done for you.

Quilts of Honor (Quilts of Valor) Collection — this wonderful set of 12 VRD patterns sized just right for your Quilts of Valor donation quilts will be out very soon. You’re going to want this collection! And a portion of each purchase will be donated to the QOVF.

12 Quilts of Christmas — Sadly, we’re a little bit behind schedule with this one, but it should be out soon as well, just in time for Christmas. This collection features 12 brand new Christmas-themed quilts designed just for you by our talented VRD designers.

2024 Blog Hop — The 2024 Blog Hop is going to be pushed back a little bit to February/March as we’ve been working so hard on the other projects.

Okay, now it’s your turn!

Time to get your pieced scarf made this week (between Thursday December 7th and Thursday December 14th) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Savannah Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 3 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 3 project is Catrina Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 14th. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Catrina Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on our Week 1 project Amanda Jane and our Week 2 project Savannah Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Get your Merry on. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD

December 2023 Accessory Sew Along · Quilt Stories · Rose Cards · Tips and Tricks · villa rosa designs

Villa Rosa Designs Accessory Rose Card Pattern December Sew Along Week 1 — Amanda Jane

rosecards4 Comments

Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

Are you all geared up and ready for our fun December Sew Along? It’s not too late to join us if you haven’t gotten your Sew Along pattern set yet. You can get the set of 5 patterns HERE for the special price of $8.95.

This week, we are kicking off Week 1 of our December Sew Along with our Amanda Jane pattern.

Amanda Jane

VRD December Sew Along Week 1
Amanda Jane is a super busy and hard-working gal.  It's hard enough to find time in her crazy life to spend some quality time doing her favorite hobbies and interests, so losing important items like her scissors and measuring tape are totally out of the question!  Amanda Jane has it all covered in her cute and sensible work apron featuring 7 pockets!  Hello supplies!  And good bye wasted time looking for notions.  Amanda Jane loves her work apron sew much, she just might make a different one for each day of the week, just because she can!  And one for each of her crafty besties for the holidays, too!

Your Sew Along Challenge this week is to make your very own Amanda Jane work apron.

That’s right — this week, for Week 1 of our December Sew Along, you need to have your pattern pack in hand. Grab your supplies and create your own one of a kind totally you Amanda Jane apron.

Please make sure to join us on the Villa Rosa Facebook page to share your project this week and to check out the projects of your fellow VRD enthusiasts. The “social connection” is what makes sew alongs SEW much fun! Show us your fabrics! Any tips or hints for construction? Anything you need help with or don’t understand? Did you customize your project? Maybe you’re making 10 of them for Christmas! Please share because we ALL want to see your Sew Along “sew and tells.”

Villa Rosa Designs Facebook Page — you can use this link to take you to the VRD Facebook page. Make sure you are signed into your Facebook account and on the VRD page you can “like” us to join in the fun. The more folks that join in, the more fun it will be!

Tricia’s Amanda Jane Sew Along Project

I’m really excited to show off my Amanda Jane apron!

I had this adorable gnome Christmas fabric in my stash — it’s been begging to be made into something fun — and I thought it would be an awesome starting point for my apron! Not sure where it came from originally, but it is totally too cute NOT to use.

Who’s gonna rock Christmas in her apron this year, yeah??!!

Next I paired some coordinates straight outta my stash. What do you think? I wasn’t sure about the green, but I tried some other greens and this was the one that looked the best. Besides, I’m going to use the green on the back, so it really doesn’t have to be perfect. The teal was a complete no-brainer. And it had to have red polka dots, am I right here?

Hmm. I think I’ll use the red as the main fabric instead of the gnomes. And the gnomes as the big pocket so I’ll get to see more of the gnome fabric, because it really is all about the gnomes. The green definitely works as the back. Finally, the teal would make a great strap. What do you think? Oh! Then I’ll have a red pocket and a green pocket on the front. Cute. Let’s do this!

Well, I’d better stop chit chatting and starting cutting out my pieces.

Okay, I’m back. I got everything cut out, which wasn’t too hard, but I did have to dig out my really big square ruler to rotary cut my large pieces.

Here’s my gnome pocket, folded and ready to go. I’ve got the smaller pockets cut from leftovers of the red and green pinned and ready to stitch onto the gnomes.

You know, if you wanted even more color and fun, you could raid your scraps to find some coordinating fabrics for the smaller front pockets. Wink, wink. Just sayin’……

I know, I know…..I’d better get back to work. Can’t wait until I have a fun apron to use soon.

I think it would be great for wrapping gifts this holiday season. I’m always losing my scissors and tape in piles of paper…. What are you going to do with your apron?

Now I’ve got my big gnome pocket layered on my red dot fabric. I don’t know if you can see in the photo, but I’ve already got my sewing lines marked to create the large large pockets. I think it’s cool that one of the sewing lines goes right through the middle of my little red polka dot pocket to divide it into 2 smaller pockets. Nice! Now all the stuff I cram into the red pocket is less-likely to fall out when I bend over while wrapping.

Tags! Tags, anyone? I’ll know exactly where to find ’em when I need them. And I can tuck a pen or two in my handy dandy apron, too. Wow! I’m going to be the Inspector Gadget of Gift Wrapping this year!

Next I layered my apron front and back Right Sides Together (RST) and sewed along the bottom and the sides. Fingers crossed, I sewed relatively straight…. The I turned it right side out, smoothed and pressed the edges. And for a nice finish, I stitched about an 1/8″ inside the outside edge on both sides and the bottom of the apron.

Moving on to the strap — my goodness, that is a lot of strap. I think I could wrap my little house up in this strap. Wow! This step took me some time, but I nailed it!

AHA! Here I pinned my layers together with the apron sandwiched in between the long folded edges of the strap. To find the center of the apron, I folded it in half and marked the center top. Then I folded that long long strap in half and found the center, too. Finally, I matched up the centers and pinned that crazy strap into submission.

That strap seemed to have a mind of its own, though — it kept slithering away from me. Ugh! I think I need MORE PINS!

Huh! It worked! I got the apron pinned into the strap folds, sewed it, and it all worked. And it looks so so cute. Really! And it wasn’t difficult, once I got the hang of it. Take that, you crazy strap!

The final test — does it fit???

It fits! It actually fits me AND the strap wraps around my body back to the front just like in the photo on the front of the pattern — I won’t have to be a contortionist to tie it in the back, like most aprons! Awesome! I’m no skinny Minnie either — I’m a plus-size kind of gal and it fits me perfectly! I am thrilled.

Okay, now it’s your turn!

Time to get your apron made this week (between Thursday November 30th and Thursday December 7th) and share it on the VRD Facebook page. I’ll see you there and I can’t wait to see what you make and hear your Amanda Jane sewing story! Let’s add where you’re from, too! It’s lots of fun to see where all our VRD friends hail from!

See you next Thursday for Week 2 of our December Sew Along.

(PSST! If you’re one of those work ahead kind of folks — our Week 2 project is Savannah Jane which will officially begin next Thursday, December 7th. Feel free to have at it, but please don’t post any of your photos or progress on Savannah Jane until after next week’s blog post. Between now and then, let’s focus on Amanda Jane. Thank you!)

See you on the VRD FB page!

Sew. Laugh. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @ VRD