I am happy to report that the Friday Night Apron is finished!

Overall, I'm very pleased with the way the apron turned out. In fact, the 'inside' looks as great as the outside. I'm going to remember this the next time I use this pattern and make the whole thing reversible - nothing like getting two aprons in one! :

So let's talk a bit about the pros and cons with this pattern. I'll start with the bad stuff first:

Cons: Only part of the pattern pieces are given to you - you are responsible for cutting and measuring your own apron skirt, strings, and neckband. Additionally, the instructions calls for you to use a saucer to round out the edges of the skirt (something that I really don't like doing because of a fear of unevenness!). The halter portion of this apron is also a bit large on me and I suspect will be on most who are not a larger cup size. If you're looking for a perfect fit (is there such a thing in an apron?) you'll have to fiddle around with the pattern a bit. My last minor complaint is about the pocket - although it's cute, the pocket shape and size (horseshoe design) make it fairly non-functional. You'll need to draft your own pocket on this one if you're interested in holding something while you're cooking.

Pros: Let's face it, the biggest pro about this apron is the fact that it's so adorable. I love the halter style of the design and there are several (subtle) changes you can make to this apron to give it a different look (adding rick rack trim, making the neck strap one piece or two). The directions are clear and are full of illustrations so even if this is your first time constructing an apron you shouldn't have any problems. The other nice aspect of this project is that it's not time consuming - if you had a long afternoon to sit and sew, you could easily get this apron finished. However, the best part about this apron is the fact, it's fully lined. Not only does it keep you from having to make hems, but also makes a fantastic looking inside - so much so you could make this project fully reversible!

Since I haven't produced an finished apron yet, I bet you're thinking I've forgotten all about that project that I started last week. But, I promise you, I've been sewing! In fact, here's what I have so far:

So far, this apron has gone together without too many glitches - I did attach the strap so that the bodice pieces were opposite each other (the outside edges were facing in) which caused me to have to grab the trusty seam ripper and reattach. ARG! Otherwise, this apron is looking pretty good inside and out. One thing I did notice is that this apron, even though it isn't noted on the package, might be able to be made so that it's reversible. It is fully lined and from reading the directions looks to have really nice finishes so I don't see why your inside material can't be as beautiful as the fabric on the outside.

Up tomorrow - a bit of news (o.k. big news) and updates!

I did it! Yesterday I sat down and cut out the material for the Friday Night Apron. In my opinion it took far too long to get it all done - why? All that cutting and measuring with the rotary cutter and mat! I'm sure that if I was a better quilter I might be able to whip these measurements out more quickly, but since I'm paranoid that I'll cut wrong and waste my precious material I go by the rule measure twice (or in my case three or four times), cut once!

Now to get to work today on sewing it up! What are you all creating this week?

As far as the world of sewing goes, yesterday was a fantastic day! To begin with, the mail was so very kind - not only did my latest Burda arrive (I loved this issue even though I'm not a fan of metalics), but also my Fabric Mart swatches (of which I found several I liked) and Biker Babe Jacket pattern! To make things even better - I won a yard of fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew! I selected Heather Ross' Gnomes. Now I just need to figure out a great project for that print!

I also whipped out the directions for the Friday Night Apron and started reading over them (I've also added project information on the sidebar). I've got the pattern pieces cut, however in addition to the pattern pieces, I'll also have to do some rotary cutting and measuring on this one too (for example the straps, apron skirt, etc.). Call me lazy, but I'd rather just have all the pattern pieces in one place and work with that instead of trusting my measuring skills to create my own pieces!