GRAMA’S GIRLS
January 13th, 2010Here they are……Grama’s Girls (well, actually only two of my three granddaughters) wearing their aprons I made them for Christmas. That’s right…..I actually made five aprons this Christmas. One for each of my granddaughters and one for my each of my too daughter. Now….that may not seem like such a big deal, especially for someone like me who has sewn all her life and works in the fabric world….but that’s just the point. It’s sometimes hard to squeeze in a little sewing just for fun.
I decided to make this “the-year-of-the-apron” and simply made the time….and was delighted with the results. I used my Piccadilly fabric that I designed for Clothworks and it was perfect for the aprons. I used the Little Retro Aprons for Kids pattern by Cindy Taylor Oates which gives several cute variations.
This is Brooklynn.  You’ve met her before, as well as her big sister Josie. I can’t believe she’s in the first grade this
year…..where does the time go? Spoken like a true Grama, huh. She’s definitely a fashion fan and I wonder if she’ll grow up to be a designer. Now that would be fun. She loves working in the studio with me as do my other grandchildren as well. She’s kind of a pink girl so the pinks in Piccadilly were perfect for her.
This is her big sister Josie……and a great big sister she is. She loves green like Grama….so her apron, naturally, is green. Josie is very good artist……not that I’m partial or anything. I think creativity does run in families…..and all my grandchildren
got a nice healthy dose of it. Their mothers are also creative….but then they’ve all grown up in homes where we just make stuff! It’s part of our family culture. My mother was a wonderful artist, and I like to think that was a gift I got from her.
 Thanks for indulging me in my periodic Proud Grama Post. I enjoy sharing when I have created something for them. I just wish it could be more often.
Now, the ironic part of this apron story……I don’t even own an apron myself. My husband has a barbecue apron I do borrow once in awhile, but basically I just ruin a lot of clothes instead of putting on an apron. Silly, huh. For years I thought aprons looked nothing but dorky so I wouldn’t DREAM of wearing one! Who would have known they’d become a fashion statement and I’d be right there on the band wagon!! I wish someone would make me an apron………





My tree is covered with vintage looking shiny ornaments which I adore. Again, there’s a little sparkle and shine there. My grandchildren love looking at them time and time again. Even though there are hundreds, they know when I’ve added a new one and search each year for the favorites. When I travel, I try to pick up an ornament wherever I go…..which I’m sure many of you do as well. I just love pulling those out of the box and reliving the trip memories. Even if they suffer a little in the storage (translation: break) I tuck the remaining pieces into the branches. I just can’t bear to throw them away! 


I collect Santas…. and I display them in the dining room along with the table you see above. I take all the dishes out of the corner cupboard (yuk….the worst part of the job) and replace them with my mix of Santas of all kinds. Once I get them up there…..they stay awhile. I probably put them up in late November and leave them well into January. As long as they aren’t full time residents in the corner cupboard, I want to leave them there long enough to enjoy. I love stopping as I walk by and remembering where they’ve all come from. Again…I collect them when I travel and as you can see, I have many Jim Shore Santas . I particularly love the way he covers the surface with patterns of all types. My kind of look!

Here’s a little closer look. I particularly love the combination of the funky green and brown. You can see all the collection in the fabric section of my website. The fabric business…like many others……is changing or has changed in many cases. In case you haven’t noticed, fabric just isn’t around as long as it used to be. In other words, reordering that gorgeous print you love is often not an option for shops. Many fabric companies aren’t reprinting…even when it’s very popular. They’re moving on to the next new collection that’s coming along. So….the lesson here is that if you love it, you’d better buy it today because when it’s sold out at that shop, you’ll have to hunt around to find it still on the shelf at another shop.





























