A harvest apron gift

 I have not made an adult gift for quite a while but had come across a suggestion that I knew would be a perfect gift for someone who has an allotment. 

The harvest apron is a double apron with a larger front pocket that can be adjusted to hold allotment harvest without having to carry a basket. 

I did some research & some of the suggestions are rather large which wouldn't suit someone who is petite so I made my own notes & did adjustments. You tube has several videos that suggested the apron could be made quite quickly.  I was much slower than that because I was working out the process. 

I used earthy colours because it will be used on an allotment. The contrasting fabric is perfect to add some interest & it was the same fabric weight. 

You need fabric for the main body (2 pieces or one folded double) 

A waistband, two ties, a loop, ties for the apron part (I used a soft ribbon)

I pressed as I went along because I wanted a neat finish. 

* press over the fold over / harvest part of the apron, fold again & press again. Find the centre point & make a button hole over the fold. This is where the tie will come through.

* sew the two side seams of the apron, leaving about 1.5 inches at the top for the waistband part to be attached 

* trim the side seams with a pinking shears then encase the seam as a french seam. Press 

* make up the two straps on the waist band - right sides together, sew, trim,  pull it through then press & top stich all around the ties. 

* make up the centre tie that will attach to the waistband & hold the ties from the front apron, press all

*gather the top of the back apron to the waistband size (this one was 25 inches for a petite person). I only did a single row of thread for the apron gathering  & that worked fine. 

* The apron top is sewn then encased in the waistband which was quite fiddly to make sure the apron, ties & loop were all lined up to be encased in the waistband. 

Of course, the bobbin thread ran out before the last top stitching line so I had to redo the bobbin. This Brother machine has a top drop in bobbin so you can see the amount of bobbin thread which is useful .

After much pressing & stitching, it was a final press & snipping of loose threads - then ready to be packaged as a gift. 

I like the earthy colours of the fabric & because the apron seams are double sewn as a French seam, it will be hardy enough for regular use & to carry produce on the allotment. 

I hope it will be well received & well used. Perhaps I will make another to improve the process & smooth out the little snags I had to unpick. 

This would be well received as a gift for a keen gardener too, or for someone with hens & they need to collect eggs etc. 

Pressed & folded in to a fabric bag that can be reused for seeds etc. 

I hope I have inspired some to have a go at something else.  Thank you for stopping by, commenting & sharing the blog. 

Dee 🪡📍🧵

Little pancakes with apple

 I do love a quick pancake & sometimes, it is a spur of the moment thing. 

Today was such a day - with fruit to use up in the fridge & a slower morning, I quickly cut fruit & made up the pancake mixture. This is the recipe my late mother always made - I have shared it before but here it is again. 

I always just mix with a whisk & a bowl 

1 cup of self raising flour 

1 egg 

5/8th cup of milk (about 150-175ml) 

a little vanilla extract if liked 

Whisk together, adding a little milk to the mixture if it is too thick. 

Heat the pan & turn it down to medium. Drop tablespoons of the mixture on to the pan & wait until it bubbles then flip over - it is less than 1 minute each side. 

For the apple ones, I cut half an apple in to thin pieces (skin on still) and then as the first side of the pancake was cooking, I added the apple pieces to the pancake, let the bottom side cook then flipped it over. Watch that the apple does not brown too much (turn the heat down if needed) 

Serve the pancakes with fruit,  yoghurt or anything you fancy. 

They really do take less than 5 minutes to mix & a few minutes to make. This mixture makes about 9 (of the size shown in the photos) and the mixture can be doubled. 

Best served hot with orange juice or a tea or coffee. 

Do tell if you make them & what you put with yours.

Thank you for stopping by, 

Dee 🥞