New Meets Old

Here's my finished creation...

The two parts are connected at the waist band and seperate down the sides. The overlay is a vintage table cloth. The underskirt is new fabric from JoAnns. I thought the curves on the new fabric mimicked the scallop and curves on the table cloth. The edge is done in bias tape. I have a new found LOVE for bias tape after this project. SO EASY! I made this for Frieda who requested a full apron. I couldn't get my mind around how to do full with this table cloth and design idea for the bottom, so instead I made it extra long so it could be tied at a higher waist line. These fabrics are totally not me, but I LOVED it anyway and might make another for myself. Here was the package all ready to go...

...unfortunately when I got to the post office I couldn't find the card or recipe anywhere! So I sent it off without them. Well, they were recovered this morning and will be on their way to Frieda soon. The matching napkins did make it to Frieda, though. Enjoy!

Beatiful Gift

Look at this awesome apron I received today from Lucy:I wore this gorgeous creation all around the house tonight. My 2nd born really loved it and kept telling me how pretty I looked wearing it!

Thanks Lucy for my package which included this amazing apron!!

I love it!!!

My swap partner Deb sent me this great package.

She made the apron from a vintage table scarf.

She also sent me two doilies and a dish soap bottle cover.

She also sent me a great "Banana Flip Bars" recipe.

I haven't made them yet but they sound great.

Banana Flip Bars

1 yellow cake mix

1 box instant banana pudding

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

Beat all ingredients well.

Grease and flour two jelly roll pans.

Divide cake batter into pans and bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes. Cool.

Filling -

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Crisco

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp banana extract

Mix until fluffy.

Spread on one cake.

Flip the other cake on top.

Refrigerate.

Rock-A-Doodle-DOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Christy was my partner for this latest swap! I don't know how I managed to get so lucky!

She was my partner in the last Hot Mama apron swap.....she is a wonderful partner to have!

I about freaked when I saw this........I don't think I could have cut such a pretty vintage tablecloth!

She nailed my colors with this apron! And the roosters! I use Fiesta Ware every day so the colors really were perfect...and although I am not a crazy rooster/chicken woman, I do have several in my kitchen. (we eat a LOT of chicken...hah!)

I was dancin around the kitchen like a crazy woman. But....evey my husband loved this one so that was a *bonus*!!!!!

Plus, the extras...the matching potholders simply ROCK! I had just written down 'wooden spoons' on my grocery list and now don't have to buy any!

Thank you Christy!

Thank you, Thank you .

Thank you again Carla ... It's a Hit!
I want to share with every one the beautiful apron Carla made for me.. i sent her a thank you , and i hope she doesn't mind that i sort of re wrote what i said to her to share and describe it to you ..
this apron is absolutely delicious from the the delicately embroidered pillowcase bib topped with the sweet little eyelet trim to
the vintage sunflower button in the center and the charming vintage brown buttons on the side all in line with the cool creamy braided trim at the waist, which takes you along stripes of pale pea green and light chocolaty brown that travel down the flow-y skirt to the deliciously vanilla-creamy rick-rack that trims the bottom, along with all the goodies you sent and the recipe for your Aunt Sassy's Apple Stack Cake.... your right it is better the next day and oh so delicious ... oh, about the apron and your package.....Well, Its the BOMB!
Thank you for my apron and for making my first swap so Fun!!!!...

Shawnee , I just cant say thank you enough ! This was my first time ever swapping and I have had a BLAST ! ( happy dance, happy dance, happy dance! ) Thank you!for all the work you put into this for us to participate in . Thank you! for being so kind and patient with us new swapers . Thank you! for just being You! XXXXX

I can't wait till the June swap . I know there are others out there i could play in , but i neeeed to get my garden done and my time zone is just now hitting prime time for the second round of plantings .... so I will have to wait :( ... but that gives me time to come up with a nice "package goodies"collection... :)

Till Next time XX
Grace

p.s.
My husband likes it too, so Carla, you definitely hit the "flirty" part as well.. (insert Betty Rubble giggle here )

Blast from the Past: Apron Style

Hello! I just received a fantastic package in the mail containing my vintage apron from Kimberly! It was filled with goodies that I love including my beautiful apron in a black and white motif. I think it's the most formal one I now own. I can't wait to show it off.


Also included were delicious Lemon Snaps that I immediately opened to share with my kiddos. A couple of sets of vintage looking washcloths and napkins. These are perfect for my kitchen. I use napkins everywhere.

A Mormon Cooking Book that is full of tasty recipes I have never tried. A mortar and pestle, which I've always wanted! They are incredibly useful and eye catching.

And finally two stunning crochet hot pads made from crochet thread. I know these must have taken you forever to make! Thank you so much! I love it all!

Deadline Has Passed

Hi ladies -- Just a quick reminder that you need to get your aprons into the mail lickety-split if you haven't already!!! I've heard from several people that are running behind for a variety of reasons, and have also received several confirmations and thank yous -- not 100 though. I'm trying to update the spreadsheet and website but that still leaves A LOT of people who haven't checked in yet.

PLEASE remember to send me a note when you mail, and copy me on your thank you note when you receive. PICTURES are great, too. =)

And, you all still have time to enter your creations in EllynAnne Geisel's Giveaway-Not-A-Contest, details HERE, for some fabulous prize packages.

This little swap has been so much fun. I'm so humbled to have you all participate in my brain-child.


IF you're interested in another apron swap, Lucy and I are teaming up again with a Club Swap. Details HERE, deadline to register is May 6.

The next Flirty Apron Swap will be for summertime, so keep an eye here!

Beautiful Apron Received

How did my swap partner know that vintage "hankies" were one of my favorite? This is a beautiful apron. I love the pleats! It is so girly. Hopefully you can see the vintage hankie, with a jewel, as the front pocket.

The goodies were also much appreciated. The dish towel with the farm animals is so awesome!

My children absolutely loved the "smell" of the package too. My swap partner, Grace, included a sachet of lavendar in the box!

Thank you so much Grace! I truly enjoyed this swap experience!

Ta-Dah!

Here it is! I really love how it turned out. If you read my earlier post I had grand plans of duplicating the flowers and sprinkling them about the layers to give it a 3-D appearance. I tried it, but the flowers made it look too heavy, and I was also afraid it would be impossible to iron. I may try it again in the future -- the flowers came out beautifully, by the way, so I highly recommend those books -- but on a less-grand scale. I also love the Shiva Paintstiks; another tool for future projects.

Everyone has posted such beautiful aprons, and I have to confess that each time one was posted I was hoping that one would wind up on my doorstep. My own swap apron arrived yesterday, though, and I absolutely adore it. It was made by Tiffaney C., and she really should have the pleasure of posting the picture. Shawnee, this was a fabulous swap theme, and the people involved really produced some incredible aprons. Thanks so much for the work you put into running it, and thanks to all my fellow swappers for sharing their creativity. I'll be borrowing your ideas to spice up my aprons in the future!

Jackpot!

I feel like I hit the jackpot! This is a beautiful apron. I love the pinks with brown and white. The dogwood print is lovely. After I opened it on Monday, I pranced around in it for the rest of the day. Then again on Tuesday. Glenna also sent me a copy of (apron-ology). How did she know I have been longing for a copy? The finger tip towels are great, dainty with colorful embroidery. She even sent a recipe for my favorite cookies, Shortbread. I have never baked them before, but with a ready apron, I will have to try her recipe. I hope she knows how much I absolutely love everything! Thank you Glenna! Wonderful.

Vintage Curtain to Apron

I don't remember where I found these vintage cafe style curtains...I am forever haunting thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales. I am glad I had an excuse to turn them into an apron. I really love the print and colors. Hope my partner enjoys it. It's on its' way!

Vintage Recipe

Here is my vintage recipe, it comes from a cookbook my mom has had for over 30 some years. It was made for women who already knew how to cook. Some of the recipes in it say things like "bake at moderate temperature"! My recipe is quite simple and has been approved by my aunt who must've had the same cookbook.
Impossible Pie from the New Brunswick Women's Institute
4 eggs
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk
1 cup coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
Place all ingredients together in blender until mixed. Pour in greased 10 inch pan (set in dish of water) and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.

As for my apron, I designed my own pattern and it's been more complicated than I thought. It was ready to go on Tuesday and then I saw a small hole in the bias tape I used. So I had to do some repairs. While doing repairs, I made another little mistake but I am hoping that it's not that noticeable! I think I just expect it to be the perfect apron I see in my head and it's hard for anything to measure up to that image. I should have it in the mail tomorrow. Yay!

Mock-Apple Pie

Many years ago, as a new bride, my mother-in-law Ann Cason made this pie for dinner and explained that it was not apples at all but 'crackers'...she did not use Ritz crackers, but plain saltines. It was so good! I really was fooled. She explained that during the depression, people couldn't always afford things, so they improvised...here's the recipe:

Mock-Apple Pie

Pastry for two-crust 9-inch pie
36 RITZ Crackers, coarsely broken (about 1 3/4 cups crumbs)
1 3/4 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Grated peel of one lemon
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate. Place
cracker crumbs in prepared crust; set aside.

2. Heat water, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil in saucepan
over high heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and peel;
cool.

3. Pour syrup over cracker crumbs. Dot with margarine or butter;
sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll out remaining pastry; place over pie.
Trim, seal and flute edges. Slit top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Bake at 425 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is crisp
and golden. Cool completely.

Makes 10 servings

Vintage Recipe: Stupid Pie

My Grandma Nellie raised seven children in a one bedroom house in the backwoods of Southern Illinois. They weren't rich, and often had holes in their clothes as they would play barefoot in the woods. She had to learn to feed an army on little money and ingenuity that could only come from a great need.

It was a wonderful surprise when my mother passed along to me my Grandma Nellie's Church Cookbook. I've had fun reading the odd recipes that my Grandma added. Of them all, however, the "Stupid Pie" made me laugh the most. I can imagine her with all the boys and girls crowding outside the kitchen screen door wanting to charge in for the dinner meal. Most likely they would keep on walking out the next door with their plates since the kitchen was no bigger than walk-in closet.

So, here it is, Stupid Pie, courtesy of my Grandma Nellie who passed away in a car accident when I was but 4 years old.


"STUPID PIE"

3 egg whites
1 Cup (granulated) sugar
20 Ritz crackers, finely rolled
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup chopped nuts

Beat egg whites until very stiff; slowly add sugar. Add all other ingredients. Put in greased pie plate and bake at 360 degrees for about 25 minutes (no more). Cool. Top with whipped cream or toppings such as Cool Whip. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.

Nellie

To Grandmother's House We Go.

My grandmother's meatballs melted in your mouth with an explosion of flavor! They were so moist but they never fell apart. What was this little Polish Princess's secret? MILK!

Ground beef and pork 75 to 25

Milk and bread for tenderness

A single egg, no more, to bind it

Onion, salt, pepper and parsley

Brown in a frying pan

It is really that simple. The biggest mistake when making meatballs or meatloaf is too many eggs; makes the meat to firm. Salting beef is important because it pulls out the blood and the flavor of the meat. Next time you make meatballs try adding a couple of slices of toasted white bread soaked in whole milk instead of rice, breadcrumbs or ketchup.

Here's My Vintage Recipe

I can't post a picture of the apron I made because it hasn't been received yet, but here's the recipe I included. I can't really call it 'my' recipe, because frankly I've never made it. My husband bakes, and this is one of his most requested. I don't have a picture of it because if I left the room to get a camera the pie would probably be gone before I got back. It's very rich, so you'll probably want to serve small slices (yeah, right). Enjoy!

Joe's Justly Famous General Store Fudge Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

6 tablespoons butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place pie dough in a pan and prick bottom with a fork.  Flatten a layer of aluminum foil across the crust and bake pie 6 minutes.  Remove foil, bake 3 minutes more, until just faintly brown.  Remove and turn oven down to 350 degrees.  Let pie crust cool.

Melt butter and chocolate together over hot water in top of a double boiler.  Stir to mix thoroughly.  Cool.

Beat eggs vigorously.  Add sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract, beating well.  Mix in chocolate.  Pour into prepared pie shell.  Bake 45 minutes.  

Remove pie from oven and let it cool. (It will deflate considerably.)  Serve at room temperature or even slightly chilled, topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Finally Finished !

I know I am a little late, (it has been a crazy month), but I finally finished my apron for the swap. I hope she likes it. I like it so much I want to keep it for myself :) I used an old vintage sheet, and some gingham and pink eyelet fabric. For the kitchen linen, I embellished a dishrag with a piece of the sheet, to match. I searched for vintage linens, and couldn't find much here, so I used the sheet. The neck line is adjustable- my favorite part- and I left the ties extra long for fit and if you want to tie it in the front. :) I hope she likes it! It will be on its way soon!

And it's off!!

This was such a fun swap! I am a little late but I hope it will be worth it for my partner.

I loved how this apron turned out! I do have to give the credit to Glenna for the needle work on the pocket. She had given me this unfinished pocket in swap we were in a year ago. I was sad to give it away because I loved it so much but new it would be perfect for this apron.

Miracle Whip Cake

I know, this recipe sounds funky. I promise that you can't taste Miracle Whip in the final cake. This is one of my grandmother Nana's recipes, and is my Papa's favorite cake. The cake is not too sweet or rich but the icing really adds a sweet chocolaty punch to it. The icing's so delicious that you could just eat it with a spoon, not that I've ever done that or anything.
Hope you enjoy!

Miracle Whip Cake

Sift together into a large mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa

Add:
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and pour into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing
Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cook for one minute then pour icing over warm cake.
You could also stir some nuts into the icing or sprinkle them over the cake if you like.

Ice Cream Cookies, a vintage recipe

This recipe is one of my grandmother's....and it is a family favorite! I used to make them only at Christmas but now I make them more often....they don't last long!



Here is the recipe:


Ice Cream Cookies


(I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE!)

6 tablespoons softened butter
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 beaten egg yolk (important)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
candied cherries (cut in half)


Cream butter and sugar. Then add egg yolk, vanilla and flour. Mix well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Press one half of a cherry into the center of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
You'll get 30 cookies.


here is how they look....




here is how they look when I make them for Halloween...


Enjoy! Val

Finished Up and a Request

Hi Everyone,

I didn't get any pictures of my apron taken before I wrapped it all off and sent it to beautiful Nevada.

I made a two layered apron with a sheer fabric for the underneath layer. The colors are white, blue, green and yellow. I think it looks flirty and a little whimsical. I hope my partner loves it too. I also made a matching oven mitt and included my Nana's recipe for Miracle Whip cake.

Would anyone be interested in posting the recipes that their partner sends or your own favorite "vintage" recipe? I love to cook and would be delighted to try out some tried and true favorites.

I am at work right now, but I'll post my recipe this evening when I get home.

What do you all think, wanna join in?

My Swap is on it's way!

Here is the apron I made for the Vintage Flirty Swap.

This is the first time I've made this style of apron.

I really like how it turned out.

I found some Vintage fabric reprints on a vacation for this swap.

Here is the package me partner will receive.

I sent it out yesterday.

Here are the vintage dish clothes I found for the swap.

OMG! I LUV IT!

Isn't this the sweetest apron?

OMG!!! look at the awesome apron I received today from my swap partner, Mindy....

Oh Mindy, Thank you so very much,,,if I lived closer i'd be giving you a great big hug...

The apron looks so wonderful, & yes I wore it tonight while making dinner, my husband also complemented on it....I also want to thank you for all the wonderful goodies....This week end I will pick out one of the recipes from the cook book to make while wearing my sweet re-purposed apron.

I wish I were a better photogrpher so you all could see the goodies better.

Thank you again Mindy.

>^..^<

Finally Done

I didn't think I would make the deadline. We were hit by a Spring blizzard.It started snowing Wed night and didn't stop until Sat around midnight. Also we didn't have power until Sunday. There are still 3000 resident with out power yet today. We ended up with over 3 feet of snow. So... no sewing was going on around here.

Anyway...here is my reversible apron.
This side with the chickens is a clothes pin style with pockets across the bottom. The middle is a cross stitch from a vintage pillow case along with vintage button and trim.

On this side.... the little chick pocket is from a
corner of a vintage table cloth.

I had ordered something to include in my package, but because of the storm there has been no mail delivery for the last 4 days and it has not arrived. So....With my apron I have added some of my vintage sewing notions, including lots of buttons.
I inherited thousands of then. Hopefully my secret swapper will have some use for them.
~~~~~~ENJOY!~~~~~~

Feedsack remix

So I was able to finish the apron at 3:00 am Sunday morning (I don't sleep much) after some issues with my rolled hem foot. I really had to fudge some with this pattern because the feedsack material was only 33-inches wide instead of 45-inches. Even though I had a full yard of the fabric, because of the pattern printed on it, I couldn't play around too much with the pattern layout to make everything fit just right. Good news is, I'm more confident on any alterations to patterns that I would need to do.


You'll have to pardon the wonky way the apron drapes-- my daughter was no where to be found when I needed a model for pictures-- and the back of the dining room chair doesn't do it justice.

I do have to say that I love this pattern, and I didn't think I would. I've got some leftover fabric from a holiday apron swap that must be used with this pattern. My favorite part of the whole thing is the pocket because it starts out as a straight piece of fabric-- which is saying something since I like plain jane pockets for the most part.


The knot of the bow has been handstitched so it won't come untied.

And what apron is complete without a little ric-rac?


It wasn't easy finding a coordinating fabric in the right color for this vintage feedsack material.

I just hope she likes it.

Done and On It's Way!

My apron is finished and on it's way to it's new owner!

I honestly wasn't sure if I'd be able to fulfill this swap. I have several vintage linens, but they mean too much to me to alter them in anyway or give them up (most of them have been in the family since my great-grandmother). Then, I found this cute vintage sheet and thought it would make a pretty apron. After looking through all my books and patterns a million times trying to find a pattern I liked, I gave up and created my own. This is what I came up with:

So, the apron was finished, but now I needed to find a linen to go along with it. That is not an easy task around here. I had finally decided that I would just stop at a local store that has vintage-inspired flour sack towels. It's not what I really wanted to do, but there wasn't any other option. On my way to town, my mom called to see if I wanted to go to the Antique Flea Market that was in town this weekend! We went, but there was nothing in the way of kitchen linens. So, off we went to that local store when a garage sale sign caught my eye. We decided to stop, and there I found the perfect little hand towel! It was hand embroidered by the lady's mother many years ago.

For the recipe, I decided to share a recipe that almost all Nebraskans love - the Runza. It's been around much, much longer than the restaurant, and it's known by a different name that I can't think of right now. They take some time to make completely from scratch, but are well worth it!

Finally, ready to go! Enjoy Partner!

Hello apron swappers! My apron is finally ready to go. This one was a little more challenging for me. The fabric was thicker and I used a denim backing, so I had to take a bit more time putting it together. Patience truly is a virtue!

The "vintage" material is an old quilt top. The quilt squares and triangles were painstakingly sewn by hand. This is a beautiful eclectic vintage mix of fabrics!

I also included a "vintage", circa 1972, recipe book of Georgia recipes and a "vintage" linen dish towel.

My picture is a bit fuzzy, my husband made off with my digital camera this morning...of all days!!

Hopefully my partner can take a few photos and post those as well when she receives them.

ENJOY!

Apron safely achieved !

Kathy, my secret partner has recieved her apron and she loves it !

Oh my god, I am so happy that it reached her safely. I was so anxious that it it got lost somewhere in between.

Her comments are very nice. I sew this project with all my heart and I must say that it means a lot to me that she appreciate it so much. This swap is a geat experience, really. All the more so, that it gave me the oppportunity to get to know very nice girls like Paula. thank you, Shawnee for organizing it.

Now, I can show the final result to all of you.

Just in the nick of time...

I've had a few setbacks in this swap including a last-minute trip out of town, sick kids, sick me, and a fickle sewing machine. Which is why I finished my apron just in time to mail it out the day it is due. I hope that my partner, who lives in another country, will be patient with me...it's on its way!

I chose fabric that I inherited from my Gramma's stash (I thought it was a table cloth when I chose it), and I used a super simple pattern that reminded me of an apron that might have been worn by a frontier woman. In fact, I will be including a copy of my favorite book that tells the story of a frontier woman who was tough enough to survive the challenges of the Arizona territory. She even carried a gun in her apron pocket. I don't know if the pocket I put on my apron will be used for a gun, but hopefully my partner will enjoy both the book and the apron.

So, here's a peak of the finished product that will be sent out tomorrow.

My Reversible Apron is Done!

I hope she loves it! The paisley fabric was my great grandma's and the blue fabric came from a bedsheet.