Craft Hope: Project 17 (Pt 1)

(I mentioned this over on my shop blog, but I think it bears mentioning here, too...please bear with me if you happen to have seen the other posts.)

Craft Hope has announced their next project, Project 17: Aprons for Haiti.  Reading through the note that was posted by Rebecca of Haiti By Hand, who will be delivering the aprons and other collected items, I really felt called to take part.  The last time I felt capable of completing something was way back at Project 12 (mentioned here and here), last summer.

We're swimming in fabric over here, but I wanted something special, so whipped out my JoAnn coupons and picked up a couple of fat quarter bundles specifically for these aprons.

I've made aprons in the past and there are a lot of awesome apron tutorials out there but, to be completely honest, I'm kind of winging it here.  Rather than assembly-line the aprons, I've been playing with the fabrics and letting each one take on it's own personality.  It takes a bit longer, but I'm really happy with the results thus far.

So far, two aprons are done, and I have two more to stitch up tomorrow, children willing.  Still playing with fabric options on the others.

Large lined pockets and a lined apron front.  Sturdy!

Longer apron skirt and *super* long ties.

Over on the Craft Hope facebook page, they've asked people to post pictures of their aprons as they finish them.  There are some neat aprons going up, and links to some great tutorials and blog posts, too.  I was really surprised (and really flattered!) to find out that one of my aprons had been featured on the Craft Gossip blog post about the donation.

I'm really excited to get more of the aprons done and see what personalities they take on as they come together.  My goal is to fill a medium sized Priority Mail box with aprons, and possibly some of the other requested donation items, by the May 31 deadline.  (That's the Craft Hope deadline, but Haiti by Hand will be accepting donations of items through June.  They also keep an up-to-date list of needed items on their home page.)