Apron № 106: Apples & Pears Giveaway Winner {plus a little apples & pears sidekick apron}

In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.
–Karl Reiland

This is the {finally } finished apron Joyce won in my giveaway a few weeks ago. It's on its way! I love the polka-dot fabric in the ruffle and pocket of this one.

While I had the Apples & Pears fabric out, I made a children's reversible apron using a pre-made white canvas apron. I took off the bias tape that made the ties and finished the raw edges and then cut a reverse side from the Apples & Pears fabric using the canvas apron as a pattern. I used some of the apples and pears as appliqués for the front, doing a messy free-motion outline ala Little Miss Shabby {scroll down to see her cute birds}. I also did a little appliqué monogram on the reverse. I sandwiched them wrong sides together and then applied a new binding. I think that the stripey bias binding is my favorite part about this little apron. It makes me smile.

I'm not sure what it is about these particular aprons, but they go a funny shape after they are washed {this one did too}. Either they are cut slightly off-grain or the template the manufacturer uses is not symmetrical and it is only noticeable after they are washed. I contemplated trimming the apron up before I finished it, but didn't want to loose any of the size of the apron. Looking at just how crooked it is now, I realize I should have done it anyway.

Don't tell, but I bought this apron, and another one just like it, for the Little Bugs several years ago. I stamped on them using craft inks, only the ink didn't come out pretty and bright like I wanted. I washed the aprons in bleach several times so that I could stamp them again with newly re-ink pads, but the ink wouldn't come completely out. So the aprons sat for a few years until I realized that I could make them into reversible aprons and put the stamped side on the inside and they'd be as good as new. The only problem with that was, by the time I figured out a new plan for the old aprons, the Little Bugs had completely out-grown them. I've been keeping an eye out for the perfect little sidekick to make a reversible apron for. I gave this one to the cutest little Cream Puff I know.

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