Sassy Apron Swap

I maybe have blogged about this before but here we go again, with a little more detail.

Somehow, through craft blog surfing, I found a post about a certain apron swap and for some reason joined in the fun. Why? I don't know, I don't have the time, my sewing machine stays inactive a good portion of the time and I have other crafty obligations that I am currently procrastinating. In any case, I went to the blog that was hosting and signed up.

A couple of days later I got my gal that I would be making an apron for and went to check out her blog to get a sense of who she is and what kind of apron I should make. I was reading one of her posts and she mentioned a pattern or recipe (I can't remember) that was her Grandma B_____. That last name is my Grandma's maiden name, ok, small world, not a common name but she is in the Western US, distant relative probably. I read further about how she and her family went home to Missouri. Hmm, my Grandma's brother lives in Missouri, still a small world. Then through further investigation (blog nosiness) I clicked from here to there and found that this gal who I am making the apron for is the grand-daughter of my Grandma's brother! Out of over 150 swap participants, the organizer not knowing me and me not knowing her, I am linked with a second cousin? And this will maybe give it away if by chance the recipient finds my blog before the package gets to her, the organizer is my Mom's cousin! My Grandma's niece.

What is even more coincidental is my Grandma had been talking a lot about this brother because he had just had a heart attack and was not doing well. Through this weird connection of the apron swap, I contacted Lucy, the organizer, about the relationship and she thoughtfully kept me updated on her father so I could keep my Grandma updated. Unfortunately, her father passed away a couple of weeks ago (about 4 days after this connection was made).

It was great to find this family connection through random circumstances and made this swap a lot more fun. The theme is Spring, so I thought a bright and colorful apron would be great to pull anyone out of the End of Winter Doldrums. And include a soup recipe. And it needs to have a pocket. Here is mine. The bird's name is Skippy-loo.

I just finished an apron for Caroline and need to make 2 more for little girl birthdays that are coming up.

I am also including in the pockets pictures that I borrowed from Grandma and scanned and printed. My grandma is the only girl, with four brothers (one was in the house reading). They called her Mimi. The gal's grandpa is the one right behind Grandma. The little boy in the front is the youngest and they called him Whitey. Their dad (Glynn) would make up stories about the Adventures of Mimi and Whitey. Their mom, Lucile, is who the organizer of the swap is named after.


My Great-Grandpa was a farmer/rancher. They kids would spend time out on the ranch and in the city. My grandma is the little girl on the left, the gal's grandpa is sitting next to her with the hat pulled over his eyes.

And these are the Great Grandparents on their wedding day. Glynn and Lucile. I grew up hearing story after story from Grandma about the adventures that she and her brothers created. So many stories. She has always told us family history, connected the dots, given us all a sense of who we belong to, where we came from.

I hope this gal likes her apron, it is BRIGHT!!! but it was fun to make and even more fun to prepare the whole package. It was fun for my grandma to go through pictures with me and tell me more stories, some repeats, some new.