This Pretty Aqua Vendor Apron is Back in Stock

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This pretty little apron sold out in one fell swoop when a catering company down in Texas bought all six.  Well, I was finally able to find a bit more of the contrast fabric!  So, as of today, there are a few more available here

 

Once these are gone...I'm afraid there will be no more.  Enjoy this refreshing, simple beauty while you can!

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I've been working on a this new pattern for a while now.  I am personally a big fan of flat front chef aprons..BUT they can be so boring.  So, I've designed both a full and half chef pattern that add a little more color and femininity to the traditional chef apron.  Probably my favorite aspect of the new style is the more universal fit.  This apron fits all gals from the very slim to the more substantial figure with ease.

The "modern chef" apron will wrap further around the back for smaller ladies, and for us larger gals...lay a little more flat on the front.  As always, plenty of coverage where we need it most!  I'm currently wearing the apron with the meandering vines and red on red chevron for all my baking--and I'm loving it!

In other news, I was out picking tomatoes and stray pumpkins in the garden today and I happened onto a truly creepy crawly scene.  I'm not usually a fan of arachnids, but this garden spider sure is a beauty.  He/She has been working overtime keeping all the flying pests at bay. Thanks to the frog I introduced at the beginning of summer and this bug eating machine, our harvest has been totally organic this year--yay for us !

Have a wonderfully spooky Halloween...and stay safe!

New Aprons Today!

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After all that raving about chevron, I figured I better put my sewing machine where my big mouth is.  So without further ado...here are my latest apron creations. I am SO in love with this chevron print (this is the medium 2 inch pattern) by Riley Blake Designs. 

First, I paired it here with some leftover honey gold fabric I had on hand, but the possibilities are endless!

And then for a new twist on my vendor apron pattern...paired with the "Delighted" geometric floral pattern in red (also Riley Blake.)

I only have one of each in the shop right now, but I'll have several in the shop in the next week or so...enjoy!

P.S.  More chevron fabric in different colors and sizes will be arriving at my door soon :)

Garden Makeover- Jacuzzi Spot to Garden Plot

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The spa is gone and I've FINALLY got my veggie patch back!!!

Having an 8 person jacuzzi when your kids are in high school is definitely the way to go.  For several years there was always a weekend gathering at our house. Yes, that giant vat did serve a purpose...keeping the kiddos and their associates close to home and out of any involvement in unsavory shenanigans (that we know of anyway.)

However, what with a now empty nest (most of the time) and no desire to keep an extra 500 gallons of hot water on hand, the hubby and I actually wondered , "what would we like to do with the newly available space?" My idea of turning it into a grape stomping venue was nixed immediately--dang! Once we tricked enticed the neighbors into taking the beast off our hands--we realized that we'd freed up the sunniest spot in the whole yard.  Notice I didn't say "all that space," as we DO live in Santa Barbara County, we ARE NOT rich or famous AND our backyard is the size of one and a half postage stamps. Voila! There is just enough room for a nice little vegetable garden.

Due to the lack of space we decided to go with the Mel Bartholomew's "square foot" gardening method.  His  book is fantastic and we've been employing his method for decades, always with great success. The odd shaped 11 x 12 foot area gave us room for two 7 x 3 foot raised planter beds.  That's a whopping 42 squares for planting--just perfect for the two of us.  Thankfully my man is handy, and my son (home for the summer) was willing to help with the grunt big muscle work.

If you're not great with tools and a bit of math, there are numerous sites where you can purchase a pre-made raised bed kit. We used 2 x 6 treated redwood, stacked to have 12 inch deep beds, since we basically live on a sand dune. Having extra room for root development is a must in our area, but with normal soil, a 6-8 inch depth is just fine.

Our local landscape supply company delivered the planting mix after we calculated how many square yards we needed here's for the formula.  We used 2/3 planting mix and 1/3 organic matter--mixed and dumped on the driveway. The boys worked while I cheered them on (darn hand surgery.)

Square concrete paving stones filled in with pea gravel finished the whole thing off nicely.  We used twine hemp (mostly because it was in the shed) to mark off the grid for planting.  I tapped a small nail at one foot intervals and wove the twine in a grid pattern. "The Square Food Garden" blog was VERY helpful in figuring out what veggies liked being neighbors--check out their companion planting guides for sure! 

We're already enjoying the fruits veggies and herbs of our labors.  P.S.  That cute little gardening apron in the last picture is now in the shop  :)

Make it a great day...or not.  The choice is yours!

Back in the saddle...a.k.a...the revival of an apron!

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And here she is...

terrace-hill photo

I FINALLY got a chance to sit down at the sewing machine today--whew! This apron sold out over Mother's Day and I've had a  very tough time getting  much sewing done this summer. The sun is shining, my veggies are growing, my house is kind of clean and my hand/thumb/wrist is about 75% functional. (Hooray for opposeable thumbs!) I'm SUPER appreciative of the patience of those of you who have been waiting for me to get to this beauty back in the shop--your apron(s) are officially in the mail :) I HAVE been reorganizing my creative space/sewing room/sometimes guest room--yikes, what a job.  Once I get the tornado cleaned up, I'll post photos of the update.  So far, so good though...no swearing today as I worked :)

Make it a great day...or not...the choice is yours!

New Apron in the Shop Today!

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Well, it's officially been 10 very long weeks since my thumb/hand surgery, and (drum roll please)...I'm finally back at the sewing machine.  Although I must admit, it's a bit slow going.  It's taking me a lot longer to get things done these days, but the healing continues and things are moving better and better each passing week.

Probably the worst part of this whole process has been having fabric arrive in the mail--seeing it--loving it--and having to wait, wait, wait to play with it.  That sure was the case with the fabric on this latest Vintage Style apron in the shop.  It's made from Kate Spain's latest fabric collection  "Serenade" for Moda.  This particular print is called "Autumn Thistle" and I LOVE it.  It's got an awesome pop of all the bright colors that I love--orange, blue and green in a geometric thistle pattern. I paired it with a coordinating gray fabric on the neckline and pockets, since the gray trend seems to be here to stay! Since this fabric arrived while I was still in a cast, I was thrilled to have it be the first bolt I went to when my thumb started opposing again :)

Someone once asked me, "How do you choose the fabrics for your aprons?"  Well, being an avid cook, gardener, and house cleaner...my first thought/requirement when falling in love (with a fabric, of course) is most likely..."What color stains will not really show up when I spill/splatter/splash them on this fabric?"  Sad but true--I wear aprons not just because they are pretty, but because I am one messy gal.  So, this new apron will do very nicely when whipping up a batch of fresh pesto, or a few jars of apricot jam.

Make it a great day, or not...the choice is yours!

Hot Glam, Girl!

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I do love getting photos from "real" people wearing their Terrace-Hill aprons. This is my adorable niece Kailey in the Vintage Style she's sporting these days. If you didn't know to look for it--you'd probably miss the "baby bump" hiding under the bold floral camouflage.  But since that's my very first great-nephew in there, I noticed it--woo hoo!  Thanks again for sending the photo Kailey. It really suits you.  Oh, and I  can't wait to meet the little guy hiding under that apron :)