Posted By FarmerJ on November 7, 2010

My Buddy had a birthday in September [yeah, I know it's November already and I'm just getting around to sharing this with you].  She is the one I share sending blessings back and forth in what we’ve deemed as Buddy Boxes.  So, I wanted to give her something special, yet something she would use rather than something she would just have to dust.

When trying to think of something special, I recalled the adorable apron she’d made me as a going away gift when we moved to Nebraska.  Every time I wear that apron, I think of her and smile.  So, I thought I’d reciprocate and do the same for her.  For her birthday, that is.  She’s not going anywhere.

Choosing the fabric wasn’t difficult at all, which was really nice for a change.  Usually I spend hours agonizing over deciding which is the perfect fabric for whatever the particular project may be, but this time, it was simple.  My buddy had sent me a white floral print in a buddy box several months ago.  She’d used it as ‘padding’ so other items in the box wouldn’t break.  Why, she’d even included a spool of matching thread!  Wasn’t that incredibly clever of her to nudge and poke me so subtly?!  So, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with using a fabric she’d sent me ~ she bought it, therefore, she liked it.  That’s the kind of simple logic I long for these days!  I’d intended on making something for my kitchen with the other two blue fabrics, but hadn’t gotten around to it.  And, now I know why.  I needed them for this project!

I perused around the internet for some pattern ideas, but couldn’t come up with the ‘perfect’ one.  I like this about that one, and that about this one ~ so I decided to create one that combined all those this and that’s into one.  I’m pretty sure she and I were sliced from the same pie, so I felt relatively safe in making the assumption she would like the same features I like in an apron.

It needed to have a bib, rather than just begin at the waist.  It needed to have a solid piece around the neck, rather than tie ~ it can get uncomfortable wearing a big knot on the back of your neck all day…plus your hair gets caught up in it, and that hurts.  And, it needed to have pockets.

The pocket on the bib wasn’t included in any of the patterns I borrowed ideas from.  No, that pocket has a very specific purpose.  That pocket was made precisely to hold a cell phone.  Her cell phone.  You see, my buddy and I have a tendency to yack throughout the day.  But, neither of us want to take away from the time needed to care and provide for our families while we do so.  So, we put our phones on speaker and yack away while we carry on about our business.  Now she doesn’t have to worry about carrying her phone from one place to the next ~ just put it on speaker, drop it into the pocket and she’s good to go!  [I know, I know...but it's a wonderful way to share blessings with each other and still remain productive, yes?]

There wasn’t enough white floral fabric to completely line the apron, so I did a little patchwork with the remaining pieces of blue used for the pockets.  Nothing earth shattering, by any means, but it does seem to add a little character to it.  My main goal was to eliminate the raw seam edges and add a little durability.  [I was assuming my buddy would even wear it!]

The daisy buttons are not really functional, other than to secure the little pocket flaps in place.  But, they were perfect for this project.  They reminded me of my buddy, because the first summer she came to visit me on the Farmstead, she planted some daisies in one of the flower beds we’d built ~ so, hopefully, they will remind her of the same and bring a smile to her face just as they did mine!

There you have it.  The story of my first apron creation.  I still don’t know how to sew, but I sure had a lot of fun making it ~ and it was a great opportunity to pray for God’s blessings for my buddy and her family.

Oh!  While I have it on good authority that my buddy wears her apron, she has made far too much of a fuss over it.  She had her hubby take her to get some Scotch Guard because she is afraid to get a stain on it, and she keeps saying she’s going to put it inside a pillowcase when she washes it so that it’s protected.  Goodness!  I hope my stitching would hold up to washing better than that!

It’s just an apron, Buddy ~ wear it out!  [I mean, don't wear it out of the house...just 'use it up' kind of wear it out.  Heehee!]  ♥

Categories: A Needle Pulling Thread
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