Quick and Easy Craft Fair Apron

Back in March, the day before my first craft fair selling rope bowls, I got the idea to whip up a simple half apron to hold cash and my phone. Considering I still had a very long list of things to do to prepare and a firm cut-off time so I could drop Pippi (my machine) off for a much needed cleaning, I was not surprised when I got the "you are nutty" look from my husband when he realized what I was doing.

I quickly dug through my scrap pile and decided that the leftover fabric from Hazel the Hedgehog would perfectly match the colors of the rope bowls that I would be selling. Because everyone needs their apron to match the merchandise.

After 5 minutes of perusing Google Images, I decided to use the measurements from Sugar Bee Crafts combined with the ties from More Like Home (except I added a little length because I wasn't using bias tape). I liked the design from Crafty Staci the best, but there was no time for zippers and snap pouches. I had less than 2 hours from cut to finish! And I also didn't have a zipper in my stash that matched the fabrics. I was determined to make this a cheap, if not free, project.

Instead of using interfacing, I lined each layer with leftover cotton duck from the Sewing Circle Tote. I liked how it added stability but didn't make the apron stiff.

I zoomed through making the apron part and then realized that I didn't have enough fabric for the ties. I considered using the little time I had left to dig through my stash to look for new fabric, but, knowing what's in there, I realized that nothing would be as perfect as the fabric I had chosen. So I decided to pack things away and pick up some more of the tie fabric when I dropped Pippi off. After all, I had my old sewing machine in the attic that I could use to quickly make the ties....

You see where this is going, right? There is a reason why I got a new sewing machine 6 years ago and why my old one was confined to the attic. She is pretty but she is the devil. She never stitched nicely, always jammed, and was a constant source of frustration. Plus, I don't even know if I still have bobbins to fit her. This led me to question why I even still keep this machine under our roof. And yet, I still asked my poor husband to pluck her from the attic. And then she sat on the floor by the dining table untouched for 4 days and was then returned to the attic after I got Pippi back.

So my apron didn't get finished in time for the craft show. Not a huge loss since the show was kind of a bust and I wasn't constantly running to and from my cash box. The small crowd that was there wasn't buying anything from anyone and they weren't really our target audience anyway. We had a bunch of wonderful friends and family who came to support us though. Thank you to everyone who came out! One of my two non-family sales had me sign the bottom of the bowl!

A couple of months later was my second craft fair, Handmade Hopewell, and the apron worked out wonderfully. And it was a great crowd so not only did we sell a ton of bowls, but we got to chat with a bunch of really awesome people. Here I am, newly pregnant and dealing with crazy unseasonably cold May weather for PA/NJ. It was raw and chilly but we made the best of it. We'll see you there next year!