Check Your Pockets!

Wahoo! I finally had a chance to sit and relax at my old buddy the sewing machine. I think the other day I referenced an apron pattern I wanted to take for a test drive. Well today I gave it a whirl and failed miserably. But I figured out why relatively quickly and recovered, which resulted in making my own pattern and I like it even better. Can't beat that, right?

What I did was start with the cleaning apron pattern I found, followed the instructions as best I could - as you should all be well aware by now, pattern reading is not my strong point - and got started. I was probably almost to the half-way point of completion when I started asking myself why I was doing this or that and things really stopped making any sort of sense at all. I gave up, took a break, watched the live video feed of Vicci Martinez at the IHeart Listener Lounge today in Dayton, Ohio (because I sadly had to pass on an opportunity to be there myself), prepared and ate lunch then went back to the drawing board. Literally.

 First I got out my cheat sheet for joining
two strips to make a long waist band.

 I don't think it turned out too bad for a first try!

Then I pinned one continuous 19" wide x 48" long piece
of fabric to form my apron and front pockets.

 The finished product is a horse grooming/braiding apron with a tie waist band, two strong side loops for hanging spray bottles on and six deep front pockets to hold rubber bands, combs, hoof picks, gloves and, well, whatever else will fit!