No, I'm not making a silly apron for my dog to wear; I'm sewing an apron because of her. After I moved I started looking for a rescue dog to adopt, preferably a large dog over 5 years old. And I found one - this mostly-Plott (yeah, I didn't know what a Plott was, either), 8-year-old-ish sweetie moved in with me in October. (Many thanks to Brother Wolf Canine Rescue for taking such excellent care of her for so many months while she waited for me to find her.) She has beautiful indoors manners, but...take her outside on a leash and she turns into Marmaduke from the comic strips, pulling and dragging me whenever something grabs her attention. So...we're starting obedience lessons next month, and one of the requirements is a carpenter's apron to hold the 50 mini-treats we'll be using in each class. I have 6 tons of fabric in my house, so I wasn't about to spend money on a plain canvas apron from the hardware store. After digging through several bins (and finding several UFOs) I came across this remnant I've been carrying around for years and years - dogs feasting from the trash cans behind a Chinese restaurant - perfect for this project and just the right size.

This would be a handy apron for all sorts of crafts - painting, drawing, cooking, scrapbooking, and, of course, carpentry. Just be sure your fabric is sturdy enough to support whatever will be in the pockets. This fabric is a bit heavier than most quilting cottons; otherwise I'd have backed it with a contrasting fabric for added strength.

Basically, it's just a rectangle of fabric folded in half, plus a long strip of fabric for the binding & straps (cut on the cross grain). I turned under 1/2" at the short sides of the rectangle, then bound the long top edge with Bias Binder #84, leaving long straps at each side. I made a double hem in the other long edge, stitching it in place with Edgestitch Foot #10. Then I folded the long edges together, aligning the top edge of the hem with the outer edge of the binding. Remember the 1/2" folds at the sides? I lined up the folds at the sides of the apron, then edgestitched them together, again using Edgestitch Foot #10, reinforcing the stitching at the upper corners by stitching back and forth a few times. One final line of stitch up the middle to create the pockets and it's done! Now I just have to find some soft treats that won't wreak havoc on my senior pup's digestion...

Did you know Benartex is having a contest featuring their new Woodstock and City Girl fabric collections? I've been collecting fat quarters - I'm especially partial to the brown & blue & green City Girl colorway (back right). This stack might become a lightweight throw - something to take out on the porch on chilly spring evenings - with big blocks, maybe just rectangles with a layer of flannel in the middle. I love the bright colors of the Woodstock fabrics, too (left & front) - these go great in my office - maybe I need a little quilt in here, too? Too bad I'm not eligible to enter the competition! Contest prizes include a BERNINA aurora 440QE, a trip to Quilt Festival, deluxe software from Electric Quilt, and - just imagine! - a year's worth of fabrics from Benartex. Visit www.benartex.com for more information on The Piece, Love and Quilts Contest.

Happy Valentine's Day! Since everything in the stores seems to be red and pink today, I decided to post my little red BERNINA CD Case. This is the artista Make It & Take It gift for the artista demo promotion going on through the end of March. I used the v5 BERNINA Embroidery Software to create my monogram, then added one of my favorite designs from the Studio BERNINA Creative Genes collection. I made the design a bit smaller to fit on the pocket, and actually stitched this on a Deco 340 rather than an artista. I usually embroider on an artista 630 or 730, but I've been getting some questions about the Deco and wanted to spend a little more time with it. The Deco did great, just isn't as fast as I'm used to. I was going to stitch this in pink & purple, but didn't think they'd show up as well as the cream & tan (you thought it was all white, didn't you?). You can embellish yours any way you want - embroidery, freemotion stitching - just have fun with it!

I made my first REAL garment when I was 12 years old.  Mom had taught me how to use her sewing machine a few years earlier, but I still hadn't learned to use an actual pattern. I was in Jr. High, and we all had to take sewing as part of Home Economics (even the boys - those were the good ol' days!). Since I came to class already knowing how to use a sewing machine, my teacher let me pick out a more advanced pattern to start with. I thought I was so cool because I didn't have to make a pillow or pajama pants like everyone else!  I chose a long ruffled skirt with a laced yoke and a zipper in the back (the bottom right pattern illustration), and I used a tan corduroy fabric.  And I'll be danged if that wasnt' the hardest thing in the world I ever had to sew! 

I had no idea how to put in a zipper, or work with a fabric with a nap like corduroy, or even how to make gathers. My teacher was absolutely the best, and took time to work with me on all the details, even sewing in the zipper.  I worked so hard on that skirt, and remember ripping out the gathered seams again and again until they were just right.  I was so proud when I finished it, with a zipper and everything! I haven't seen that skirt since High School, and although I looked high and low, I couldn't even find a picture of myself in the skirt.  But, let me assure you, it isn't forgotten! And neither is my teacher, who through her patience and kindness, helped me to learn to love to sew.

Another first sewing project, this one from Kristie Smith, Educator with BERNINA of America.

"I was thinking about my first project and how far I've come with my sewing. I was 19 years old when I took my first sewing class at Jacksonville State University. Sewing was not remotely related to my major, but I had an internal desire to create and signed up for a basic clothing construction class. I had wanted to sew since I was a little girl and was elated at the prospect of unleashing my creativity.

"Many of us call college the "lean" years. I seldom had extra money for a potato, much less fabric. I remember getting just enough fabric for the project and praying it wouldn't go over budget. The project was a classic button down shirt, topstitched with precision on a Bernina 830 (a machine in the school's sewing lab). Every seam was carefully constructed and finished with an overlock stitch on the serger. An edgestitch foot was used to topstitch around the edges. Wearing the shirt was a huge highlight, especially when someone found out that I made it (what a self-esteem booster!). I keep the shirt in my closet and occasionally slip it on to remember the excitement of my first class and what I learned from a basic shirt. I'm so thankful that my school had Bernina machines because I know the superior machine contributed to my success and promoted my love of sewing."