The Amazing Hot Pad Apron

“Did you put on . . . makeup?” my husband asks.

“Yes.” I had to take photos of my apron. Duh.

Heehee. You’d think he’s not used to seeing me in makeup, or something, since I now work from home. 🙂

I’ve been self-employed for about two weeks now, and all in all, I’d say it’s going pretty well! I’ve been keeping busy with freelance deadlines, sewing
projects, and weekend trips.

I won’t say I haven’t been thrown off by the change. The other day, I sat in the same spot for six hours working on my
laptop, until I realized my legs were going numb! It’s not uncommon for
me to get so caught up in a project that I forget to eat, stretch, or
look at the clock for hours.

I’ve commuted to work most every day for the last 7 years, so I’m still getting used to spending most of my time at home. The days flow
together one after the other, unless I make it a point to get out of
the house and see people. Although I’ve wanted to work from home for
years, I think I’m learning that even a good change is still, well, a change.

What’s that? You want to hear about the apron? 😉

Well, it’s the hot pad apron, a beginner-friendly sewing pattern from the book, “Fabric-by-Fabric: One-Yard Wonders!” I love this book, and this is actually the first project I’ve sewn from it, with this exception of this little guy.

 
As you might guess from the title, the apron has hot pads built in. Genius! I don’t normally wear an apron, but if it means the added convenience of not having to look for pot holders, I’m in. To keep them from flaying out of the apron, you can secure them with one or two little hand-stitched “tacks,” which allow you to slip your hands into the mitts and wear them, more like oven mitts.

I love this black-and-white print, because it’s a take on zebra
without being overly “wild.” You can ask my mom . . . I still struggle
with wearing prints that are very bold, and I’m way more comfortable
buying clothing in solids and earth tones. But this print still feels “clothing safe” to me, and I’ll leave the louder prints for quilts.

 

The fabric is Licorice Fizz by Carol Van Zandt, for Andover Fabrics. I was happy to meet Carol in my Sewing Summit class last month, and I am planning another project and tutorial with some of her other fabrics from the line, so stay tuned!

For another look at Licorice Fizz, you can check out Sara’s Sis Boom Rebecca Dress and read about the sew along she’s hosting. It’s a great dress pattern, and you can read my review of it here!