Koukla's Apron

My sweet friend Trisha had a great idea for this Christmas. She had a apron that belonged to her grandmother, or affectionately referred to as Koukla. It was an apron Koukla wore until she passed away in April at the age of 86. Trisha asked me to take the apron, cut it up and make it into four aprons: one for her mother, her two sisters and herself. I felt honored to be given this project. I only met Koukla once, but she was unforgettable kind and I knew instantly why she was beloved by her family.


Trisha found an apron pattern she liked on Pinterest.
Moda Vintage Pleated Apron

 

I was able to find some vintage re-prints from Riley Blake at my local quilt shop to mix in with original fabric. It was so fun to take the apron and cut it apart. I removed the sleeves and turned them into the pockets. The front facing was re-purposed into neck straps. 

Since there wasn't enough of the original material to make four identical aprons, each one would be a little different and one of a kind. The neat part about the Moda pattern is that each apron is totally reversible, making them all even more unique. 
The pattern called for rick rack and I think it was the last touch that really finished the aprons off and gave it the sweet retro look.
Each apron has a pleated bodice and pleated skirt with make it flattering for almost every body type too.

Here are the four finished aprons. Each one was my favorite until I finished the next one!
 

It was a fun project but it had such a deeper meaning and that made it feel even more special. When you sew, you have a lot of time alone to think. As I worked, I reflected on my own sweet grandmother. She was kind, hard working, spiritual - all the things I knew of Trisha's Koukla. I look forward to taking something of my grandma's and turning it into an item I can treasure and use, like these sweet aprons. Thank you Trisha for trusting me with this idea and I hope it keeps the spirit of Koukla alive in a little way.  

Ins and Outs: Baby Sellman

 

My sweet friend Jessica is having her second baby in August. The new baby will be a wonderful addition to their family. As with her first child, (Dane, an amazing nine year old) Jessica and her new husband Jake have decided to find out the gender of the child at the birth.

I like the idea of not knowing for the simple fact of not buying into the typical "pink for a girl" or "blue for a boy" stereotypes. I also wanted to stay away from the generic, "here's your yellow and green quilt...since we don't know what you're having..."

Starting with 1/2 yd of four different Riley Blake prints, (which jumped out at me for Jessica. Adorable, but not kitschy, and classic)

I cut 6" x 8" squares, and 3" strips of the fabric to make each of the blocks. Adding skinny 1 1/2" white sashing between the blocks and 5" border pieces to join the rows, really made the squares pop!

After I completed the top, I added a neutral backing and quilted it on my Handi Quilter long arm machine with an all over bubble pattern.

 

After quilting it, I added a pieced binding with the leftover strips. I opted to not hand stitch the binding. With baby quilts, I know they get laundered frequently, so a stronger, machine stitched binding was the best way to go.  

 

This was such a fun quilt to make for a baby that I can't wait to meet. I know she or he will be loved so much and will have a wonderful life in a lovely family.

Here's the finished quilt!

 

 

 

My Quilt Featured on Camelot Fabrics blog!

Check out this wonderful post Camelot Fabrics wrote in reference to my quilt that I designed with Jackie McFee's fabric collection, Paisley Please. Their kinds words were overwhelming, as the design of this quilt was a labor of love. Each block tackles a different and interesting technique. Their high quality fabric was inspiring and a joy to work with. 

I will be posting the tutorials of each block as I teach them throughout this year in my classes here in Idaho. 

Check back often!