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TOTOShopUA Split Leg Cross Back Apron

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Look what I made...a really cute and very, very nice apron.

This is a full coverage apron that is nicely finished and turns out amazing! I'm super pleased with the finished results and want to share my experience sewing this split leg apron with the Erin pattern from TOTOShopUA.  

It's designed to be an apron for a potter and if you've ever thrown pottery on a wheel, it is SO messy.  It covers you head to toe in clay splatter so this apron is full coverage.  

Even though it's designed as a potter apron, it's also just a great cross back apron. The split leg style makes it comfortable to move around in and the seam in the center provides some structure to hold up the fabric. I made a cross back apron before but it felt like it was wearing me. The middle was bulky and saggy since there weren't waist ties to cinch in the middle and it felt like I was wearing a big tube of fabric.  I was hoping this one would feel better to wear and it does!

Pattern Pieces

This is like my Grocery Bag pattern in that some pieces are included, but the big rectangles are measure and cut. To me this is the perfect compromise! There are only 8-pages to tape together and these give you the straps, top, and pocket(s). I was more than happy to not need to print and tape the many additional pages that would be needed for the skirt pieces and then have a giant pattern piece to store somewhere.  

Seam Allowance

The pattern includes a 1/4" SA, which is a common SA for professional sewing, but a little narrow for a lot of home sewers and it should not be used for fabrics that fray. 

The good news is the apron style is very forgiving, so it is easy to make modifications and not be too concerned about fit. For some perspective, I made a large according to my measurements and a small to use less fabric for the sample. I can wear either one.  The small is a little short at the top for me and doesn't close as much in the back, but I can get it on.

If you, or your fabric, aren't up for the 1/4" allowance, either add in additional allowance, add additional allowance in some places (like the length of the top), or sew it with a larger allowance knowing it will come out a tiny bit smaller/shorter. Don't forget to use the same allowance for the straps so they fit where they attach at the back.  

Fabric Widths

The instructions give cutting layouts for the different sizes and fabric widths. 

For the large size, you should consider one of the wider fabric widths. See how it says 45" wide fabric in the instructions?  In the US market most fabric will not be wider than 44" and that includes the selvedge and is before skrinkage.  For the large size you MUST have 43" of usable fabric and that is if you use the 1/4" SA. For a larger SA you will need more than 43" of usable fabric so keep that in mind.

Top

The top portion is short and that is on purpose for this style of apron. The seam should be at or above your natural waist so the split portion falls correctly while seated. If you are short-waisted, the top length should be fine. Look at the model--she is 5'5" and she looks short-waisted to me. If you are tall or have a regular or long waist, you'll want to add to the bottom of the top to make it longer.  

Straps

The straps are short to help hold the apron close to your body and keep the apron from wearing you.  If you want/need the top longer, another option is to make the straps a little bit longer.  

The straps are also easy to sew on wrong in the back!  There is a photo, but it's hard to see exactly how they are supposed to be inserted. From experience, I'll tell you there are steps where it really isn't possible to show what is happening in a picture and this is one of them.  So here is how I started sewing this part:

With the top turned mostly RS out, straighten up the straps, cross them, tuck the raw ends of the strap opening down into the center, and then insert the strap ends into the openings. Then pull that section out the bottom, neaten everything up, and sew the seam. In the photo above, the strap on the right is tucked in and the one on the left is pulled down and ready to be sewn.  

Many Other Aprons

TOTOShopUA has a lot of other patterns for different apron styles.  It looks like there are 10 different styles.

Next I'd like to sew the Gardening Apron. There's not much to gather around here as far as veggies and fruit, but I think it will make a roomy work apron or vendor apron.  

If you are on my email list, I've sent you something special to go with this post so check your email before going shopping!  If you are not on my email list, you should consider joining.  I'll give you a little sneak peek at what you get by being on the email list: Take 20% off any pattern in TOTOshopUA with the code NEWAPRON20

Thank you TOTOShopUA for the excellent apron and instructions!

P.S. Check out this etsy collection for cotton/linen and Oxford fabrics I think are be perfect for this pattern. These fabrics are all fairly stable and easy to sew.

 

Denyse Schmidt Darling Posie Plaid

 

Denyse Schmidt Darling Posie Plaid in Zinnia and Blue

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Denyse Schmidt has a new fabric collection for Windham called Darling and the Posie Plaid print really is darling!

Posie Plaid in Zinnia

I ordered some in the pink and blue colorways. There is also a brown colorway called "Nut" which I hope to get later. 

It looks like it was released last month, so it's probably arriving in shops now. There are only a handful of etsy shops with it so far, but there should be more soon. 

Posie Plaid in Nut

If you want this print specifically, I'd make sure to get some soon. The Plaid Posie will likely be the one that sells out first and then becomes HTF, or at least HTF without paying extra.

I've put together a small collection places on etsy you can buy this print. There are other shops with it out there, but I prefer to do my fabric shopping on etsy when possible.  

Posie Plaid in Blue

Striped Essex Linen Drawstring Mason Jar Bag

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A drawstring bag has been on my sewing radar for a while now and so I've been thinking about what size, what shape, which style of casing, blah, blah, blah.

Then I got tired of thinking about it and went to my etsy favorites and found the Jars to Go Single pattern by A Tiny Forest and I was off to my sewing machine!

After making two of these (pint & half pint), here is a quick summary of my thoughts on this project:

• The finished bags are super useful for any jar lover.
• They are quick to make. It took less than 45 minutes to make the first one.  
• A Tiny Forest allows cottage production so you can sell the finished bags you make.
• I learned a new trick! The trick has to do with holding the lining in place. It can probably only be used if you make a drawstring bag following this same general construction, but it's a good one.  

The fabric used for the half pint bag shown here is this striped Essex cotton/linen and a floral print from Sevenberry.  This listing includes both of these fabrics.

I made a fabric drawstring to match the lining and it's a scant 3/8" wide.  So, so skinny! 

To make this without burning my fingers off I use these Bohin glass head pins to hold down the fabric on a wool mat. The pins stand in for my fingers and the mat raises it up and together they make it possible to press these thin strips without losing my mind or melting off my fingerprints.

The final thing to say about this pattern is these bags also have just one seam down the side/back. If you've made one of the Tiny Bins you might have enjoyed this time saving technique and I was delighted to find it in this pattern.  

 

Speaking of Tiny Bins below is one in these same fabrics (they do look beautiful together!).

This is my Wonder Clip bin. It plops down nicely right in front of my sewing machine and as I sew the clips get tossed into the bin. Then I grab the entire thing and take it with me back to the cutting table.  

Happy stitching!

-Michelle

New PDF Sewing Pattern - Sawtooth Star Pincushions

Ah ha, look at this...a new pattern is ready for some sewing fun!

In the last few years I've discovered how super satisfying it is to sew Sawtooth Stars and after making a couple blocks with really tiny stars, I wanted to use them in a project that wasn't a quilt.

At first, the idea was to make the smallest star (just over 2" measuring tip to tip) into a pincushion cuff. The Rose Pincushion Cuff is one of my most popular patterns and I'd love to make a second style of pincushion cuff, but after experimenting with the little star it just never quite came together.  The block is so small and it needs to be smaller still to be comfortable to wear and it just got to be too challenging.  

Once the cuff idea was off the table, I didn't want to abandon the idea of a Sawtooth Star pincushion because the pincushions I made while trying out the cuff idea were just getting better and better!  I figured out how to make them as nicely square as possible and then a few sold and people asked about the pattern and so here we are with a pattern so anyone who wants to make these can stitch them up.

The pattern comes with pieces for three sizes.  There is also a measurement chart on the second page of pattern pieces if you'd rather rotary cut them. 

Size 1 is smallest one and it is just adorable and feels like a nice accomplishment to sew, Size 2 is more of a standard size pincushion, and Size 3 is a pretty big pincushion for those with a load of pins.  

In the image above, these are the three sizes, but Size 2 is a patchwork pincushion.  It's one of my favorite pincushions and I'll definitely be using the Size 2 pieces in the pattern to make more patchwork versions!

They don't take that long to make. This is a 2-3 hour project for most people. 

They don't use a lot of supplies, or need more than fairly basic sewing tools. 

You can stuff them with whatever you like. I'm stuffing mine with wool, which has become my preferred stuffing. It just feels nice and it doesn't seem to get as lumpy, bumpy as poly stuffing.  If you haven't used wool and would like to try it out, or just want a small amount, one ounce bags are available here.

The supplies needed are listed in the pattern description.  I also find these optional tools handy for making these pincushions:

• Mark-b-Gone pen: One end of this pen makes the blue marks in see in the instruction photos. I love, love, love these pens and always make sure to have a few on hand. This pen is my number #1 must have sewing tool and I've never been without one in the last 10+ years.  The blue ink is removed with water, so it sticks around until you are ready to remove it.
• Point turner: This tool is kind of new to me and it's turned out to be one of those "where have you been all my life???" tools. It's just awesome for pushing out seams and corners. 

Page 1 of the instructions has some helpful info and here are a few additional tips for making the pincushions:

For step #3 it's important to sew the diagonal lines fairly accurately. If you sew above the diagonal line, your point will be too short and you might need to cut new fabric pieces and start over.  Due to the tiny size, picking out a seam isn't really an option. The fabric doesn't hold up well to picking out stitches when the piece is only 1" - 1.5" square.  

You'll notice the instructions mention to NOT backstitch in step #3 and that's because with these little fabric pieces the fabric can bunch up. There just isn't a whole lot of material to provide stability and backstitching basically just drives the fabric into the machine plate and chews it up. 

For step #5, to match up the seams of the top, middle, and bottom sections, while you are sewing place the intersecting seams with the seam of the piece on top (i.e. the piece directly under the presser foot) one stitch length (1mm or so) forward the seam for the piece on the bottom. The presser foot will push the seam of the top piece into alignment with the seam on the bottom.  Also, don't forget you can also stretch the fabric will sewing to help match up the seams.

Well I hope you enjoy the new pattern!  It will be on sale on my website and in my etsy shop through 2/26.

Alfie & Rufus by Este MacLeod for Windham Fabrics

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This fabric from the Alfie collection by Este MacLeod for Windham Fabrics has been on my radar for a few months and last week I noticed the supply seems to be getting smaller, which means it's time to order!  Now I'm patiently waiting for it to arrive in my mailbox and that should happen today.  I'm super excited to see it in person! 

The fabrics in this collection are digitally printed, and if you look at my etsy favorites list for this fabric you might notice some sellers highlight this in the title and description.

I'm not 100% sure why they point this out, but maybe it has something to do with the base cloth?  In my own stash, the digitally printed fabrics tend to have slightly thinner base cloth than most (but not all) of the ones made through the traditional flat bed screen printing process used to make most quilting cotton.

Summer Roses in Fushsia

Or maybe they are highlighting the fact that digitally printed fabrics can have many, many more colors than screen printed fabric?  

Whatever it is, this digitally printed quilting cotton sewing fabric is beautiful and unique and I'm looking forward to having it in my stash!

There are a few others in the collection, like the ones above and below, that I'm interested in adding to my stash at some point. Thought I'd better get the cat print one ASAP since it might be the first to sell out.

Jolly Robins in Turquoise

If you'd like to see some of the places this fabric is available on etsy, check out my Alfie & Rufus favorites list here.  

if you like this fabric, but maybe don't have use for it in a sewing project, this illustration is also available as a 300 piece puzzle right here, or a limited edition print is available directly from Este MacLeod here.

Dashwood Studio Garden Menagerie

Garden Menagerie

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Are you familiar with Dashwood Studio fabric?  I started noticing some lovely prints from this UK company a year or two back, and so far have managed to acquire just one. But I'm ready for more!  Haha...can't stop buying fabric. Good thing it's useful.

This one pictured here is called Garden Menagerie and it's from the Hedgerow collection by Bee Brown.  I'm always partial to a dark blue background and this one has a few of my other favorite things--a packed print, birds, butterflies, moths, and flowers.  So good!

Another thing I'm also loving is these etsy favorites lists and I started one for Dashwood Studio fabric. Click here to take a look at some of the Dashwood Studio fabrics I'm coveting for my stash.