Monday, May 25, 2009

Give Away!!!!!

I am participating in "Give Away Day" over at SewMamaSew . The giveaway starts May 27th and goes through May 31st. Here is what I am giving away: Winner's Choice!

1) a box of fabrics and trim--see pictures below

4 pieces of a very light weight decorator fabric (200"X16", 120"X 19", 62"X33")

4 pieces lustrous high-end mohair (48"X16", 2-24"X 10", 50"X12")--this is great for teddy bear crafts!

3 yards pompom trim--balls about 3/4" diameter

32" green tassel trim


OR 2) a 20X16 lumbar pillow with feather/down insert sewn inside. This heavy cotton decorator fabric is from P. Kaufmann and is trimmed with beige tassel trim. Same front and back.

All you have to do is leave me a comment below and tell me SOMETHING about aprons. I am looking forward to sewing aprons for my Etsy shop and for local craft shows, and I want to learn all I can about sewing aprons, apron-lore, and fond memories of aprons. So---leave me a comment and tell me something interesting. I love a good story, and I love tidbits. I will pick the one that I like best--or heck, if I can't pick just one--maybe I will give both gifts away! Good luck!

Have a great day, and come back and visit anytime!

49 comments:

Amanda W said...

Just thought I would tell you about an old folklore to do with aprons...

If your apron strings came untied and your apron falls off it means your lover is thinking of you ;-)

I adore the little lumbar pillow too - it's devine!

Trudy said...

Grandma in the Grandma's attic stories written by Arletta Richardson always wore an apron. They would get very dirty with all of the cleaning and baking. She would wipe her hands on them, wipe a dirty face with them, do a quick wipe down of a table top, etc. They had many uses. She had many aprons, and she would always put on a clean apron when one would get dirty; so she may go through three to five aprons in a day. One day she was so busy rushing to and fro with so much to do, that when an apron would become soiled, she would forget to take off the soiled one and just quickly throw a clean one on over it. At the end of the day, someone came knocking on the door, when she opened the door, they were a little surprised because Grandma had five or six aprons on and only realized it then herself. Needless to say, they all had a big laugh.

Grandpa, her husband, decided to make himself an apron with many pockets to hold things for him so he would have everything he needed right there as he did his work around the farm. Everyone thought that he was very silly for wearing an apron. But it actually saved his life one day. No one laughed after that. He was up in the loft in the barn working when he fell. As he was was falling, the rope with a hook attached caught on to his apron ties in the back and kept him from hitting the ground.

Also, Sense & Sensibility Patterns at www.sensibility.com has a lovely Edwardian apron that I plan to make.

I love aprons. I wear one everyday, all day, as I cook and clean. Anytime someone comes to my home, I almost always have an apron on.

www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

Trudy said...

Oh. I forgot to mention that I love the lumbar pillow.

Hope you enjoy my Grandma's Attic apron stories.

www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

Natalija said...

I love aprons from the 1950's. Because generally they were a lot bigger than they are today. They would have fancy ruffles, bows and some extras on them that would make them appear more like a dress or full garment.

Thank you for the giveaway! Please include me in the drawing.

stitchsavesnine (at) yahoo (dot) com

grendelskin said...

I love aprons but not the skirt style - I'm a messy cook, and if I'm going to dump the flour it's inevitably all over my chest! My Grandma used them every day, my Mom, never; I think it skips a generation!

Both parcels are lovely but the elephant pillow is my preference - it's beautiful.

EightPP said...

I fell in love with big flowy dress like aprons when I was a little girl. I used to hide under my grandmother's apron whenever we'd have company that I didn't know. Between her legs, under her big apron was the safest place I knew. I miss those days.
A great inspiration is The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort.

I prefer the box of fabric.

www.craftyheidi.wordpress.com

Tasha said...

I love aprons as my Nana always wore one. I still have one othem that I brought home with me when she passed away... I prefer the ones that wrap right to the back because I am always wiping my hands on the side of my pants!!Also I find the one with an ample bust coverage good to catch all the drips from tasting my cake batter! lol I would love to win the fabric box.

windycindy said...

Hello, I collect vintage aprons.
I have a couple from my paternal grandmother that she hand embroidered. My dad says that his mom wore an apron daily and one of her uses of it, was to scoop up the baby chickens when it would start to rain. I also have a few aprons that my mom wore and my aunt. They mean a lot to me! Aprons are a fun thing to collect. So many styles and fabrics!
Thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

Holee said...

I recently found a Simplicity pattern for tiny old fashioned aprons to be used as ornaments. First I turned them into pin cushions, barbie aprons, recipe holder, etc.

One day I was going to the nursing home to visit and needed something to take along to put a smile on the ladies faces. The gift of the day was bottles of hand lotion. I quickly sewed elastic on the little aprons and slid them on the bottles.

The sweetest thing happened. A little old gentleman turned down the glass case offered to the men and asked for an apron because it reminded him of his mother. The stories of his mother & her apron flowed for the next 2 hours and kept everyone entertained, many jumped in with a story of their own. I learned an apron is not just an apron, but a world of memories!

Holee said...

Forgot to mention I love all the wonderful fabric.

LoraBelieves said...

About aprons. . . I never use one. I know two people in bloggy land who make cute ones though. Here's their blog links...
http://www.chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/
and
http://www.modernmyrtle.blogspot.com/

QuiltChick said...

Very lovely items! Hope I win!

Susan said...

Oh, I love the pillow! I'm sure my daughter-in-law would steal it away from me if I won it though!

Aprons...my grandmother always wore an apron. I have several of her old aprons (stains and all) and often have one hanging on a hook in my kitchen.

sandyandcosmo said...

I love the trim, great giveaway!

sandyandcosmo@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I wrote a whole post on aprons not too long ago. http://babasfarmlife.blogspot.com/2008/12/apron.html

Thanks so much for a chance to win.

Molly said...

Awesome giveaway!! I love your site. Thanks for sharing. I happen to love aprons too!! I have made myself a couple and my favorite is black toile with ball fringe on the bottom. It's kind of fun and flirty.

Mama Lusco said...

My favorite apron is made from one of my great-grandmother's hand-embroidered teatowels. I love aprons!

Bobbi said...

I love that little pillow!

As for aprons I'll tell you what I *need* and that's an apron that goes round to my bum. I'm a hand wiper and often use my hip side. I have an adorable couple of simple farm aprons from my great grandmother but they don't go round my bum enough so I tuck a towel into the waistband to wipe my hands on! LOL

Harley Dee said...

I love aprons.. my mom recently gave me one of my great-grandmother's aprons that I played with when I was a child.. it even has a knot in the back of the neck (where it goes over your head) because it was too big for me :)

Digital Misfit said...

Nobody in my family ever wore aprons. I dont know why. I love them. I just feel more inspired when I am dressed for the job.

The stash goodies are wonderful, but that pillow is just GORGEOUS! I love that elephant fabric.

heidig@gmail.com

Rachel said...

The museum in my town had a really neat show a few years ago of old aprons. It used to be that they were used everyday and were an important part of a woman's wardrobe. I would love to win the box of fabric and trim.

Barbara said...

Ohh, the fabric looks great.
I guess my thought is just that aprons aren't just for women anymore. I was recently making aprons for a few women in my husband's family and he watched quietly for a couple of days and then finally said, you know men cook too. He then requested an apron for grilling. I made him a great two sided apron (and matching oven mitt) that he can use when he grills! And my nephew has a tool belt apron that he wears when he does "construction work"...or destruction work as the case maybe.

Louisa said...

Oh aprons... I recommend pockets for aprons. Good to put things in like a dish towel.

A Joyful Chaos said...

Aprons are so very handy. My mother always wore one and it served as a tissue to wipe tears. A potholder to grab a pot on the verge of boiling over.It took the place of a pail or a bowl to gather garden things to bring into the house. To wipe the dust off a neglected dresser, a towel on which to wipe wet hands.
And of-course to keep her dress from getting dirty as she spent all day being a homemaker.
You are having a great give away! Everything is great and I'd be happy with any of it!

Anonymous said...

Awesome giveaway!

I love the pillow. I love aprons. I want to learn to make some.

I am 8. Check out my giveaway too. www.sewingsister.blogspot.com

My mom also has a giveway at www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

I love making aprons using old cut up sweaters and funky binding tape. A great way to get rid of old sweaters and come up with gifts for young friends!

Jeanne said...

I collect vintage aprons, most of them have rick rack on them, some have embroidery, some have red work, check out mary jane's farm magazine, she had a whole issue on vintage aprons awhile ago, she has a website which might have some info. on it, if you can find that issue it is well worth getting, tons of info. etc. Have fun with your aprons, thanks for sharing, your giveaway is GREAT. Come and visit mine, hand dyed wool and a wool applique kit.

http://jeanne-justjeanne.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

It is interesting how aprons have changed over the years... originally they were designed with a purpose, keep the dress clean so that you didn't have to wash it as often, and you could wash the apron which was less fabric and easier to clean. Then in the 40s and 50s with the woman's rights movement, the view of the housewife changed, people started making pretty/frilly aprons for woman to wear. I wonder if this was part of a ploy by someone to make more woman stay at home "Look you get pretty things to wear all day" or if this was a change that was brought on by housewives because maybe cooking had become less involved or something. I wonder!

My first apron came from my great grandma when she passed away, it was one of the things I got to remember her by. I think it ended up staying at my mother's house. I love that apron, thick fabric, cute print and functional!

Now I really have a hard time not buying aprons when I am out thrifting or yard saleing. I try hard to pass them up just because I already have so many of them. But they are lovely aren't they? :)

Good luck with your apron store! I hope it goes well. I love the box of goodies. The pillow is cute too! Elephants are my sisters favorite, the trunk pointed upward is supposed to be good luck or something.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Cassie
cmdoduck(at)gmail(dot)com

The Fair Weather Optimist said...

Gotta love aprons! I made 2 for Mother's Day, one for my mom and one for my grandma. The one I made my mom I think will never get worn, but the one I made for my grandma has been worn every day since. She comes from the apron era, and has crazy stuff in the pockets like dog treats and used tissues... Grandmas. Gotta love 'em.
Ok, so the only thing I really know about aprons comes from when I went to culinary school. At the school I went to the apron was more of a safety measure than anything else. It was there to protect you, like the rest of the clothing, in case of accidental spilling of crazy hot and dangerous liquids. So, wiping your dough or sauce covered hands on it was waaayy gross and would get you in trouble with the chefs because your apron should stay clean. Yay for food safety!
xoxoxo Jaime

The Fair Weather Optimist said...

Gotta love aprons! I made 2 for Mother's Day, one for my mom and one for my grandma. The one I made my mom I think will never get worn, but the one I made for my grandma has been worn every day since. She comes from the apron era, and has crazy stuff in the pockets like dog treats and used tissues... Grandmas. Gotta love 'em.
Ok, so the only thing I really know about aprons comes from when I went to culinary school. At the school I went to the apron was more of a safety measure than anything else. It was there to protect you, like the rest of the clothing, in case of accidental spilling of crazy hot and dangerous liquids. So, wiping your dough or sauce covered hands on it was waaayy gross and would get you in trouble with the chefs because your apron should stay clean. Yay for food safety!
xoxoxo Jaime

Ali said...

I love the set of fabrics and trim that you've put together. I love aprons and here are my thoughts: 1) I never remember to put one on when I need one.
2) Full aprons always make me stand up straighter.
3) More pockets! Why are there never enough pockets?

Michele P. said...

about aprons... one of my fave memories as a little girl was making peanut butter cookies with grandma. An essential part of the apron is the front pocket, it doesn't have to be HUGE, but gram always used a fork to press down her homemade peanut butter cookies-and that small front pocket was a perfect fork holder!

micaela6955 at msn dot com

Tawny said...

Can't say that I know that much about aprons. I made my first one a few weeks ago. But what I can tell you is that Ric Rak makes every single apron awesome! :D

Jenny said...

I have an apron with absorbant material that I love. Like a towel!
I think I'm going to win!
pjjllive(at)gmail(dot)com

Terri said...

I make a harvest apron by turning up the end of an apron and sewing pockets in it. Then you can wear it out to the garden and fill it with vegetables, or fresh herbs, or eggs... anything, really!

Thank you so much for hosting this great giveaway! My preference would be the fabric, but I certainly wouldn't say no to the lovely pillow, either. :)

Super Fun Mama said...

I'm new to sewing so can't give an apron tip but I can tell you something from a customers view. I'm a plus size woman and am always wondering if aprons are one size fits all. It would be great to know that and if not have sizing on your site!

Nikki said...

I tried to make a apron out of dishtowels but at the time my sewing maching was broken so I had to hand sew it ..wansn't what I expected but I liked it till I washed it and realized I forgot to preshrink the 100% cotten towels..OPPS . also her's a fantastic site that has lots of tidbits on aprons and weekly giveaways too http://aprongoddesses.blogspot.com/2009/04/icemilk-aprons-monogrammed-apron-gift.html
thanks
Nikki
I'd love your Pillow :)

pinecone304 said...

When we were children we used to tie my mom's aprons around our necks as bibs when we ate a messy meal. I still remember my dad with an apron around his neck eating spaghetti!! I had forgotten about that so thanks for helping me remember. For an idea for your shop, it might be neat to have a line with matching mom and me (boy or girl) aprons. I know I plan to make a set for my daughter and son. THanks for the giveaway and good luck on your shop.

DangAndBlast! said...

Mmmm present 1 -- feathers make me sneeze, but the pillow's pretty too :)

Aprons? Make the Emmeline. It's easier than it looks, and it's the Best Apron Ever.

I have a new apron concept coming out, but my sister says she's going to make her fortune on it, so I'm not posting about it atm.

My mother's always had fun ones -- one that looks like a tuxedo (black skirt, white ruffled top w/bowtie, Christmasy cummerbund), one that had useful phrases in Swahili, and my favorite, in purple and orange, saying, "Who invited all these tacky people?"

affectioknit said...

Wow! What a great giveaway! Thanks! I have a couple of my Nanny's aprons - that I adore and wear often...

kerrykatiecakes2 said...

Hard to pick a favourite but I think the pink mohar would have to be the winner in my eyes!

I adore chickenscratch aprons from years gone by - have started collecing them a few years back.
Hugs,
Kerry

Carol R. said...

My favorite apron of all time was made by my mother. It was made like a skirt and featured a hand towel sewn into the waistband and two matching potholders that hung from a button on the waist. It had pockets all across the bottom.

If I should win, I would love to have the box of fabrics and trims.

Ginny said...

I don't know much about aprons, but I love the little ones made for girls & the mommy/daughter sets, so cute!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

I come from a long line of apron wearers and proud of it! -smile-
I've got a collection of vintage aprons for non-wear as well as wear and they all get a good work-out.
The Sense and Sensibility Edwardian apron is really pretty and useful.
If I win, please pick my prize...all are beautiful!

VickiT said...

It is said that Turning your apron inside out when seeing a full moon, then making a wish(es) and they shall be granted.

That gift #1 is wonderful. Such a great variety of rich looking items. Love that pillow as well and it sounds divine with the down but I'd have to say that if I won, I'd love the first gift.

Renee G said...

I really don't know much about aprons. I love many of the vintage fabrics and patterns, but haven't really found a pattern source yet. I agree that exploring aprons sounds like fun though.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo.com

Joske said...

I know there's a book about aprons....don't remember what it's called though. I happen to be making an apron for my SIL, and hopefully matching ones for my two nieces!

Jules@MoonCatFarms said...

What a great way to do your giveaway. I love the goodie bag of materials!!

I don't know much about apron lore, but as a child I loved digging through all the pockets that Gramma had on hers. She always had some neat little tidbit for us kids. She pretty much always had it on during the day. Gathering eggs was a lot of fun as she would allow us to place them in the pockets for her to carry up to the house.

Barbara C said...

The first apron I made was a 4H project made out of blue gingham with red chicken scratch along the bottom.

I love the pillow!