Shower gift for Heather

My youngest son, Ben is getting married to Heather on June 2, 2007. We had a shower for Heather on Saturday evening and I made a Mary Englebreidt apron and matching hotpad. The hotpad design is an 80's pattern which is becoming popular again with new fabrics! I have no idea who designed it, so cannot give credit for it. The apron is from a pattern by Lazy Girl Designs Apron Options #207.

These hotpads are a great way to use up up bits of leftover fabrics. You only need a 5" strip of each colour plus a bias binding and backing to complete a hotpad. It's also amazing how little the fabrics need to match and still look nice! As long as they have a contrast, it's works (to a point, of course :-)!


Since my trusty 15-88 Singer treadle was set up to free motion quilt the wedding quilt I'm making for them, I pulled out my Singer 27 from 1904. This machine is exactly like the one my mother has. I learned to sew on my Mom's machine at age 7 when my 6 year old sister and I bugged Mom long enough and she finally decided she might as well teach us how to sew on it properly :-). I found this machine at a yard sale at a senior's home. It is in beautiful shape and had the puzzle box of attachments in the drawer as well as the manual. It also had several coffee jars of old buttons and other sewing goodies in it. I had not sewn on a treadle machine for 21 years, but it was like riding a bike...I instinctively knew how to thread the bobbin and the machine! I sewed on my Mom's treadle 'til I was 19 and got my first sewing machine which not only had zigzag, it even had reverse! Now I'm back to sewing primarily on straight stitch machines :-).