A Thrifty Apron for Liberty

Liberty LOVES to bake!

So I thought I should make her a pretty apron.

It really all started with this funny little chair I found at an Op shop for just $2.

You may be wondering how buying that chair led me to making an apron...

Well, you see, this super sweet fabric was covering the cushion on the chair when I bought it.

I didn't want the chair at all, just this piece of fabric!

I was surprised to find the chair cushion still had the original fabric on it.

I've had the fabric lying around for about 18 months...I finally decided it was time to get sewing.

A friend gave me the pretty striped fabric and the buttons came off Liberty's old clothes.

No pattern...I just made it up as I went!

I've said it before but sometimes I really surprise myself with what I can do.

I bought those super gorgeous measuring cups and spoons and the cupcake cookie cutters and rolling pin for Liberty for her 6th birthday.

The spatula we bought later, I took her to a kitchen shop and let her choose it, she had a great time!
The sweet little jigsaw puzzle came from Sabiha.

My happy little baker - dancing with delight!

And that little $2 chair...

after washing and repairing the original cushion I sold it on an auction website for $34. LOL!!

So that's got to be the thriftiest apron ever!

Mercedes

Time for some sewing...

I was sitting here on Friday night wishing I had a new outfit for Liberty. As it is two weeks before Christmas there is of course no money to spare. However, being penniless always makes one very resourceful!

I bought this little red dress at a second hand shop when Liberty was about a year old because it had French words on it. But the dress has never fitted her, it was always too wide or too short.

Freddy gave me this beautiful fabric ages ago and I've been trying to find some other fabric to go with it so I could make something. I've really wanted to make another ruffled skirt from this pattern here. (VERY easy to make!)

I cut the bottom part off the dress and used it for the lower ruffle of the skirt. The best part about that was that it was already beautifully hemmed! I already had that pretty cotton lace that I edged the fabric with.

When I cut the bottom of the dress off it left that pretty little frill around the bodice and I started thinking maybe if the top fitted her I could add some fabric to it. I LOVE frills!

The top did fit (that dress was a very odd size!) so a bit of fabric and another frill made from the leftover scraps from the dress skirt and voila! a new matching top!

Now, anyone with a five year old will know they only wear what THEY want to wear. Thankfully Liberty LOVES the new outfit. She decided she should 'pose' for this photo, lol!

Apparently it's very important to make sure you can fly in your clothes!

The skirt was finished on Friday night and the top on Saturday morning. She wore it very proudly to a barbecue on Saturday evening. I might have to go rummaging in the cupboards again and see what else there is that needs to be used up!

Mercedes

Sew little time!

I made this cute skirt for Liberty a couple of months ago. I used furnishing fabrics because I really wanted to make it but was looking after a couple of other kids that day and just had to use whatever I could find.

For some weeks I've been trying to make her another ruffle skirt. Originally it was to have been to wear for Christmas but after thinking every night up until Christmas Eve that I was going to have time for sewing it just never happened. Not being able to find the right fabric was also a large obstacle. Fortunately, she didn't have to go naked for Christmas as I remembered she'd only worn her birthday dress once and although her birthday is in winter (and Christmas here is summer) the dress was sleeveless so it worked perfectly. Even cuter because her little cousin had the same dress!

And look at that! She even considered her beautiful dress to be versatile enough to go from church to Christmas dinner to the sandpit!

So Christmas day came and went and still I thought I would make her a skirt for my birthday (December 28). She had a new top and I thought maybe I could find some fabric to go with it. I left the Boxing Day sales to those with more money (or maybe credit) than I but headed of to the local fabric store on the 27th after seeing they were extending their 20% off everything sale for another day. The husband gave me time off for good behaviour so I was able to go out on my own, ahhhh, what bliss! I almost turned around and went home when I got to the carpark at the shop, it was lookin' pretty full and the service in there is notoriously slow at the best of times, however I reminded myself that I was ALONE and wouldn't have anyone tugging on my skirt or crying because I wasn't buying any overpriced 'Dora' merchandise.

I even remembered to take the new top with me and after about half an hour of uninterrupted searching through about a hundred bolts of fabric found something perfect. Then unbelievably I was served within 30 seconds of arriving at the counter, that never, ever happens there!

I got home and thought 'I'll start that skirt tonight ' but of course by the time I'd cleaned up after everyone for the fiftieth time that day I was much too tired to think of sewing. So I thought I'd make it the next day before my party. MY party, har, har! Every year my husband invites everyone around for MY party and I spend the day in the kitchen preparing for it...and this year was no different. I didn't let go of my dream to make the skirt until 3:30 though (guests were arriving at 5pm).

However 2 days later I acheived the almost impossible, I made not one but two matching skirts! The second one is for Liberty's 5 year old cousin. In a perfect world I'll be able to find her a matching top. (Liberty's top was $6.99 down from $24.95!! - now that's a bargain in any currency!) So it became a New Year's Day skirt! The pattern can be found here, it's really easy, no really it is easy I wouldn't have made it three times if it wasn't!

I'd like to say I'll make more time this year for all the things I love to do but being a realistic sort of mother I know it'll never happen...so once again I'll just go with the flow and do what I can, with what I have, when I get the time!

Happy New Year!