Getting Out of a Patriotic Spot

Fourth of July shirts and I do not get along. I usually do not invest in special shirts for this holiday because they tend to come in four colors: red (I don't wear red), gray (I don't wear gray), navy blue (I rarely wear navy blue) and white. The year I bought a white shirt with a flag design on the front, I didn't make it as far as the bar-be-que before I slopped a massive bar-be-que sauce stain front and center. There was not enough stain remover in the world to completely remove that stain.

This year, the bar-be-que was not at our house. Instead, I attended a flag-raising ceremony followed by a pancake breakfast. I wore my off-white shirt. I thought I was safe because I had most of it covered by an apron. I still managed to get apricot jam on the front of my shirt.

I treated that shirt with stain remover and oxy-clean -- twice -- and still ended up with a massive dark gray stain. In other words, something did not like the lemon juice in the apricot jam. What to do -- toss the shirt or try to salvage it?

I had this quarter yard remnant in my stash and came up with this. Yes, I considered making a bright quilt block, but fell back on my favorite monochromatic color theme.

Oh, and by the way, when using spray fabric glue, spray it on the back of the design to be placed on the main fabric. If you spray the main fabric first, and then place the piece to be appliqued on top, the glue on the shirt sticks to the bottom of the presser feet when you sew around the edge of the design.

I'm teaching the California granddaughters how to make aprons. Since I am using a different pattern than what I have used before, I decided to make one for me first in a PATRIOTIC design. When I wear it next Fourth of July, I plan to cinch it up under my chin like a bib. Also, I am not calling it a Fourth of July apron. If I were to do that, I know I would be asking to end up with another horrible spot in the middle of it -- maybe yellow-green or hot pink! Nope, it is a PATRIOTIC apron that I can also wear for on Flag Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day and on any other day of the year.