Sewing on My Mind and Simplicity 3701

Wow, I go away for a week and now all I want to do is read blogs and catch up on what you are working out there in sewing blogland.  Mr. Lucky, the dogs and I have been visiting long time friends in Vermont....yes, right after Hurricane Irene had devastated so much of the state.  Their home on Lake Bomoseen was not harmed but we did see hundreds of utility trucks returning to the middle states after their hard work in New England.   Although we had rain for much of the visit, we also had wonderful walks, talks, lake boat ride and food....as well as this magnificent sunset.

Right before leaving I did sit down and sew up two new aprons for moi.  I've been culling my fabric resource center (a never ending Sisyphean job), posting some woolens on Baltimore's Craigslist  
 and deciding what to sew in the next  month and a half that we'll be here in Maryland.   

2nd apron with Fabric Mart fabric

August was a heavy canning and cooking month and I noticed that I could use an apron of my own.  I made one for Mr. Lucky from Threads magazine instructions  a year  or so ago.  Patternreview with Mr. Lucky's apron While cleaning out patterns I noticed this Simplicity Daisy Kingdom pattern which fulfilled my needs for full coverage and some adjustability.  

What did surprise me was that I would need alterations even on an apron pattern.   I had to raise the bottom portion of the apron 2" to make the ties hit me at my waist in the back.  I know that I am short waisted and have high hip fluff but wow, that was a major torso alteration.  On the first apron, made with some crab themed quilting cotton that a friend had given me, I cut a seam right above my waist and took out those two inches to make the back ties more comfortable.  

Apron with crab applique

Back ties with that adjusted seam showing

The second apron was made with some quilting cotton that I picked up at Fabric Mart last year expressly to make myself an apron.   I like how both of them turned out and am now busy cooking up a few things for tonight's garden club meeting.  I'm a last minute hostess since one of the women fell and hurt her wrist and can't cope yet with baking and cleaning in time.  It's soggy in our yard so not much of a showing but here are a few things in bloom.  

Japanese anemones

Black-eyed Susans, the Maryland State Flower

One of the garden pots that did not burn out in the summer drought

I'm eager to see what everyone else has been sewing, especially since this is National Sewing Month.  Guess I'll have to get busy on some projects of my own to celebrate appropriately.