Voting is Up!

In case you saw my post earlier (or didn't see it) I'm in a sewing competition and I need your help for votes! I made a cute apron and I really want to make it to the next round, so if you could vote for me that would be swell :)

The link is HERE and I am Contestant #3...THANK YOU!!! :D

The Amber Apron

Say hi to the Amber Apron, sewed and designed by me for my first entry in the Sew-vivor competition! This week's challenge was to be inspired from one of the judges tutorials, so I based mine off of the Baking Day Apron found at Ruffles and Stuff. I'm going to try and give you a tutorial on how I made my apron, although it may be a little difficult. I don't always do a ton of tutorials because I make a lot of my stuff without measurements or I custom fit it on myself. But I took lots of pictures to show you guys so that should help!

I started out with this sketch...

..and this fabric, thread, and bias tape to create the apron. It's a cotton twill fabric by the way.

The first thing I did was cut out my fabric. I used Disney's (the one whose apron tutorial I was inspired from) measurements that she gave but added about two extra inches on each side. I just wanted to be absolutely sure it would fit. I get paranoid like that sometimes haha.

My measurements:
Bodice: 25" x 14"
Skirt: 44" x 30"
Waistband: 5" x 23", plus the two sash pieces I sewed onto the waistband: 5" x 35"
Two neck sashes: 3" x 25"
Bias tape: depending on where you want to use it will determine how much you need but I used three packages of double fold and one package of single fold

So I cut everything out and waited to finish the edges. Because I put bias tape on a lot of it, finishing edges wasn't necessary on a lot of parts of the apron. To make the two pleat like things on the front of the bodice, I measured in where I wanted them, folded it, and then sewed super close to the edge. You can see how I pinned and folded it and then how the finished result turned out.

For the skirt, I just wanted big pleats all the way across. They ended up being two inch pleats, and to do them, I would just follow this tutorial here, just like I did. Pleats are actually very simple and easy (at least these ones that I did were)! I pinned them and then sewed all the way across.

The bodice was too big so I had to cut it in. I kind of wanted a cool curve on the side. So at the top I measured in how I wanted and then also measured the other length I wanted at the bottom. About halfway down I measured in the same amount from the bottom, made a line, and then kind of just free-handed a curve from that. You don't have to follow this step, but it's just what I wanted to do. If you just want it straight all the way down, just measure in, cut and then hem.

Then I sewed both of the pieces together, making sure the waist wasn't too low and exactly where I wanted it.

I took the waistband and sash pieces, folded them in half and then sewed them all together to create one long sash. Then I took some grey double fold bias tape and pinned it on the waistband all the way across. It took me two packages of bias tape to cover the whole sash--1 package for each side. Remember these were folded, so I didn't have to do any edge finishing on that either.

Then I sewed bias tape at the top of the bodice as well at the hem of the skirt. I folded the single-fold bias tape in half (so that it was skinnier), then pinned and sewed it to the little neck sashes and sewed those to the bodice. I tried on the apron and then just measured where I wanted them from there. On mine I did them right outside the little bodice pleats.

And the pockets! I don't even know if this is the right way to make pockets, but I'll tell you how I did it. I just cut two slightly diagonal 6-inch lines in the skirt, measuring where I wanted them and everything, then I took one of my skirts with big pockets, traced the pattern and cut it out and sewed the pockets in. I sewed bias tape on top for embellishment as well as the two buttons.

All done!

Now you can go put on your apron, bake some chocolate-chip cookies and eat them. Everyone will marvel at your cooking and sewing skills.

There's the tutorial. NOW GO VOTE FOR ME HERE PLEASE!!!! (sorry I just really wanted you to notice that part! I would love to make it to the next round so if you like my apron, I would love you forever if you went and voted for me and also told your friends to vote for me, every vote counts!)

Funny

I was just thinking how funny it is how people come and go in our lives. How people matter one day and a few months, a year, a few years later, we don't really care anymore. We've moved on and gone on with lives.

The best part about this though is the memories. They never leave...we have experiences with people--good and bad--and we don't forget these experiences. Sometimes we want to forget, out of shame or from hurt. The happy ones make us feel warm inside and put a smile on our faces. The tough ones make us think and help us grow.

We need both experiences, the good and the bad ones. Without the good, we would never want to move forward, and without the bad ones we would never grow.

Together, they are life.

All About Accessories

This outfit was worn on a nice spring 70 degree day. :) I wore shorts and flip flops and it was wonderful. And my toenails were a wide array of pinks and purples! This outfit really used accessories to make it stand out. Sometimes I'm not a huge accessories girl but they really can make all the difference in an outfit!

You might wear a watch...

Have a bag....

Wear a cute sun hat...

Or just liven up your top with a necklace!

Usually it's just one or two of these for me, but this outfit had all of them, which worked out well too. I love accessories! Which is your favorite to wear?

As of Late

March was a busy month filled with many social activities and exciting things! This might become a jam-packed post, but I'm willing to take the risks. So in no particular order...

Making tacos for dinner one Sunday afternoon

One guy in our ward got a bunch of lanterns for his birthday and we all went to the bottom of Y Mountain and floated them up. Let me tell you, it was sweet. Tangled got it right!

Floating boats at the Duck Pond stream for FHE

Celebrating Kelsey's and Olivia's birthdays (one right after the other)

Hunger Games midnight showing of course (read about it here)

After 5 months of having it in our apartment (and at least 2 months of having it as a fire hazard) we burned our Christmas tree. We poured some gasoline on it and it just blew up into flames and was nothing but ash in a matter of minutes. We invited lots of people to come to the bonfire so that was fun :)

Sorry for the blurry pic, that's what happens when you have to take it through fire smoke

My old roommate Katherine's bridal shower! We got her some sexy lingerie (and you bet I'm holding the panties!) and also some stuff in symbolism of our apartment. Basically we have this little tally thing where you mark a tally and have to get the roommates something when one of them happens (ever heard of a first kiss with a guy equaling getting your roommates ice cream? That's the system). So we got her that stuff and also made some delicious cupcakes for it. And I went before to help decorate :)

Hunger Games party! SO FUN.

Just another random FHE where we were playing Smurf.

Also, I went to jail. Baha, just kidding! Heidi is a Dietetics major and had to look at the Utah County Jail kitchen for one of her classes, so I went with her as the photographer. Man that kitchen is huge, and was surprisingly clean from what you envision jails to be when you're a child. Although it did smell a little funny, but that's probably partially due to the fact that I hate vegetables. And forgive me for saying this, but man, some of the convicts are really cute. :)

And that is all. Except also I have the Hunger Games score (not the soundtrack, the SCORE) in my head because it is so incredibly amazing!!! Waiting until I get my next paycheck to buy it on itunes. :) Yes, I'm still super crazed and obsessed over the movie. It was just so wonderful! And now...good night! Watch conference tomorrow at 10...you know I will be!