Get Your Children in the Spirit to Bake Cookies with the Barclay Vintage Apron from Ruby Jean's Closet

If you read my post in The Night Before Christmas Series, you already know that for me the holidays are filled with baking!!!  I am loving all the chances to bake with my kids and watch them learn and grow in the process - it might be messy, but it sure is fun!

To help with the mess, you need to check out the Barclay Kitschy Apron from Ruby Jean's Closet.  This is such an adorable pattern with so much style.  Whip up a couple of these and wrap them  with some baking essentials and you have a perfect gift to place under the tree.  Grab the pattern for 20% off today and tomorrow (12/20-12/21 EST) with the code APRON20

Want to make some cookies with your own children?  Here are a few of my favorites:

img source: Marthastuart.com

 Martha Stewart Lemon Cookies:  These are going to become your new 'go to' sugar cookie.  These are a light buttery cookie with a faint lemon undertone.  The cookies hold their shape perfectly making them a great base for the traditional Christmas cookies - no more unrecognizable blobs!  The recipe includes a great royal icing recipe for a very professional finish, or you could pair with your favorite butter-cream and they would still be sublime.

img source: allrecipes.com

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:  This recipe from Allrecipes.com  (my go-to for any recipe need) is a great holiday take on the classic chocolate chip cookie.  With dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, these look quite festive on a holiday tray or given in a tin or bag as a gift to the neighbors.  *I sub out vanilla for brandy when I make the recipe.

img source: Bakerella.com

Coraline (Button) Cookies:  I am a sucker for the classic peanut butter blossom cookie at Christmas (you know, peanut butter cookie, Hershey kiss jammed on top - yummmmm).  But thanks to Bakerella, I think I may have found a new version of that Chocolate/Peanut butter combination for this year.  These would make such an amazing gift for any of your sewing friends.  Just wrap a few in a cellophane bag, tie with a ribbon, and Voila!

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Now that you have some recipes that are making you itch to get into the kitchen, grab your discount code for 20% off (APRON20) and get into the kitchen with some littles in your life!

• This review was completed by a 3rd party objective reviewer who received a complimentary copy of the pattern in order to complete the review. Neither Pattern Revolution nor the reviewer received any additional compensation for this review

Barclay Vintage Apron from Ruby Jean's Closet

Review by Kara Orr

The Barclay Vintage Apron by Ruby Jean's Closet is SOOOOO cute!  I love it!  I couldn't wait to sew this apron for my "little", who loves to play in her kitchen.  I couldn't resist making the apron Christmas themed because every little girl needs a Christmas apron!

I am very serious when I say this pattern is super easy.  I would rate the Barclay Vintage Apron as a beginner pattern.  If you have never sewn anything, this is a great pattern to start with.  

The apron can be upcycled from a shirt or pretty fabrics can be used.  There are so many options for this apron, I would even let my daughter choose all of her own fabrics.

I made this apron and oven mitt in about an hour or less, super quick sew!  The instructions are super simple and easy to follow.  Lots of pictures in the pdf will help if you get stuck on a step.  I love that the pattern designer suggests that you contact her if you have ANY questions, so sweet!

Remember when I mentioned the oven mitt earlier?  You can see the mitt here on her right hand.  (Never mind that she should have the mitt on the hand holding the muffin tin instead of using it to open the oven!  lol!)

The Vintage Apron has all pattern pieces that need to be printed out.

I really think this apron would make a great gift for Christmas or for a fun and unique birthday gift.  I love the pockets on the front and the button detail on the front bib adds some character.

Happy Sewing!

XOXO,

Kara

The Perfect Bow and the Baby Proof Sash Tutorial

Every morning it is a struggle to dress my feisty 2 year old. All her pretty sashes hang untouched in the closet, while the dresses they go with get worn over and over. I love the look of a pretty bow, but my baby wont hold still long enough to tie it nicely, and in the miraculous event that she does, she unties it and removes the sash a few minutes later. GRRRR!!! Tell me I'm not the only one with this problem???

And so I fiddled around in my sewing room and came up with just the right answer. 

There are 3 pieces to the baby proof sash. The Bow, the Bow Center, and the Sash. 

Supplies: Sash and bow fabric, thread, sewing machine, scissors or rotary cutter, needle Kam Snaps and snap pliers. Kam snaps, by the way, are my FAVORITE things for garment closure for my crazy toddler. Fast and easy, but still secure.

Decisions, decisions....

First, you need to determine your sash length and width. Measure your child's waist while wearing the garment, add 2" for sash length.  Decide how wide you want the sash, double that and add 1/2". Cut your sash.

Then, you need to determine the bow width and tail length that you like.

This is all a matter of preference, and you can experiment until you find the bow size you like. Some people like big floppy bows, others like neat and tidy little bows.  The bow portion of the sash is one long strip. The width of the strip should be the same as the width you chose for your sash. The length should be the bow width x 2 plus the tail length x 2. Cut your bow strip. My bow here was 14" wide (yep, that's a big ol' bow!) and 45" long. (Tail length 13" X 2 + bow width 9.5" x 2 = 45")

Your bow center is going to be 6" long, but you must decide how wide you want your bow center to be. Just eyeball it, you really can't go wrong. Then double that number and add 1/2". Cut your bow center 6" long by width x 2 plus 1/2" . 

Making it!

Cut your sash strip and your bow strip according to the above directions, then fold right sides together along the length. 

Set sash aside for now. 

Pin bow ends closed.  Then fold your bow strip in half lengthwise with the fold on the left, matching up the ends. 

Lay edge of sash on the bow width line and stitch down using a straight stitch, making sure to backstitch at beginning and end. This closes the 1 sash end and attaches it to the bow.

Time for a tiny bit of hand stitching. 

Time to make the bow center. 

That's it! You did it! Snap it on your baby girl. No tying, no nothing. Snap and go!