Better aprons = better cooks (or baristas)

Drum roll, please, for the last of the Christmas present wrap-up ... aprons! This week, my sister and her fiancé are opening the coolest new coffee shop in Dallas, Stir Coffee. Teaming with the ladies of Good 2 Go Tacos, it's a winning combination, and I'm just bummed that I won't be there for the opening. In light of her new venture, I decided to make Vanessa a couple of coffee-themed aprons using some of the great fabrics from Robert Kaufman's Metro collections (Coffee Beans in Brown (from Metro Cafe 2) and Coffee Cups in White and Cream (from Metro Kitchen)).

I started off with the full-length apron. I used this tutorial from the Michael Miller blog, with a few tweaks to make the apron a bit bigger. (I used an apron I already had as my pattern.) It's reversible, with a red gingham on the back side. (The camera didn't like the gingham; it looks better in person, trust me.) One pocket on each side sports an appliquéd "V" for Vanessa. I also changed up the pockets from the tutorial because I liked the look of the smaller, rounded ones instead.

For the half apron, I used one of the patterns from the great intro sewing book Bend-the-Rules Sewing. I've mentioned it before, and I'll recommend it again, especially if you're relatively new to sewing. Anyway, I used one of her apron tutorials and added two small, square pockets.

Since making these (and after Christmas, of course!), Kelly over at Sewing in No Man's Land decided to do a whole apron week, with tutorials and patterns for several very cute aprons. Yeesh. Maybe I'll have to upgrade Vanessa's for her wedding present. :)

The combo look (not really recommended):