(Because I’m capable of domestic arts that aren’t just cupcake porn, doncha know…)
(But don’t worry, there will still be plenty of that!)
Every year, one of the no-kill cat shelters in town has an open house, sort of a fund-raising/awareness/adoption drive. They hold a bake sale, too, and put out the call for people to bring in baking to help the cause. I try to make something tasty each year, and one year I recall phoning in sick to work so I could stay home and bake a few dozen cupcakes (I’ve since improved my time-management skills).
I wanted to do something just a little different this year. Baking is fine, but homemade treats grow stale quickly, and what if they don’t sell? Isn’t there something a little more tangible I could do? Then it hit me: what about a couple of cute half-aprons? They make the perfect hostess gift, and can be tied on long after the cookies have turned dry and crumbly. I used fun faux-retro prints to keep things merry and bright, and had at ‘er.
To make them, I measured an apron of my mother’s and drafted up a pattern of sorts. They were really simple – I think I spent more time steaming my fingers with the iron than sewing – and generously-sized. I’m not a skinny girl, but the ties wrap all the way around my waist back to the front. The whole project would have been a great exercise in de-stashing, too (besides helping the homeless kitties), if I hadn’t gone out and bought fabric specifically to make these. Next year…
I even made little tags with care instructions:
But, you know, they did ask for baking and not for cute housewares, so I did bring something edible, too. My world city inner-circle famous Cuban Lunch candies, packaged and ready for giving, or just for enjoying yourself:
Hopefully I’ll help them raise a few dollars to help the kitties…what a nice start to the holiday season!
The Witty Child 