Did anyone see the solar eclipse? We enjoyed observing it through a pinhole projector my sister, MJ, made from a cardboard box. We also took advantage of small holes in our barn’s tin siding, which acted as giant pinhole projectors and spread several crescent-shaped patches of light across the barn floor. It was so neat to experience! The heavens declare the glory of God!
It was as if the eclipse then ushered in a cool front. The breeze has taken on a delightfully crisp edge and the view outside my window has grown increasingly more autumnal.
I tell you, it has been a pleasure to experience this first fall in our new home! We’ve discovered the Beautyberry bush, loaded with its rich clusters of purple berries, adorning the corner of our little homestead. It’s been exciting to see the splashes of color, familiar, yet new, as we watch the trees turning their autumn hues. And, though it may sound strange, I’ve also enjoyed seeing the waving blooms of goldenrod growing so close to the house.
The goldenrod made a lovely backdrop to share my latest sewing project: an apron for a dear friend’s birthday gift!
Cami is a marvelous crafter, seamstress, knitter, decorator, gardener, letter-writer, and a kindred spirit who shares (and multiplies!) my enjoyment of lovely handmade and vintage things. So, with her birthday coming up, I wanted to make something special.
It was while hunting through our fabric stash for some other project that I spotted my inspiration.
This charming kitchen print, filled with cheery colors and details, has a bit of a backstory. It found its way into my collection when I was blessed to win a $100 gift certificate to a small fabric company through a blog giveaway! I enjoyed agonizing over what to purchase with such a treat and this piece was among the cheerful prints selected. It was stored away for quite a while, but this time, I knew it would make the perfect pockets for an apron for Cami! (And cutting the waistband from the top of the kitchen cupboards in the scene, with all the colorful dishes, added an extra dash of color!)
I continued searching our stash and found this lovely teal calico and some tiny yellow rick-rack to pull it all together. When choosing the pattern, I went for Simplicity 6173 (published in the 80’s, also from the stash), view 1, with my own improvisations. I love the square neckline, wrap-around style, and how it has some retro fun, while still being a practical, throw-it-on-and-bake-a-chocolate-cake apron meant to be used.
This simple apron went together smoothly (aside from a piece that somehow got cut out upside-down twice!) and this gift was very warmly received! 
Aprons hold such an aura of womanly charm. The act of slipping on a practical apron before whipping up a delicious, healthy meal for my family is a true pleasure.
I think this is one thing I love so much about this kitchen print: these women represent ladies who enjoy looking lovely while knowing how to work, ladies who know the value of taking care of their family and are contented (and excel!) in their important role, ladies who know and appreciate the value of keeping a tidy home that’s a place of practical beauty, and ladies who know the simple joy of community and doing all these things together alongside friends. What a sweet reminder of the joy and blessing of womanhood!
And to quote Elizabeth Elliot, I say, “Let me be a woman!” – a woman boldly living to the fullest of God’s purpose!
Thanks for allowing me to share this sewing project here! It inspires me to look through my apron collection and pull out one of the pretty ones to wear more often. Or maybe make another? I still have some of that print left… 🙂
Now, I’d absolutely love to hear… Do you own an apron (or perhaps a whole collection!)? What is the most special gift you have ever received? Who is the most inspiring homemaker you have known?
Because of Jesus,
Maggie ♥
Leave a Reply