meme answers!

Want to see how your fellow guests answered the little apron/cooking meme? Here you go! Update: everyone's finished now! So go visit your fellow swappers and see what they have to say!

alicia; amanda; barb; cate; crystal; denise; elizabeth; erin; flo; heather; jennicakes; kim; kyrie; mary; mary ann; melissa; meredith; rebecca; sarah; shanna; thien-kim; vanessa

All about aprons!

sommerdesigns' Blue Willow Apron on flickr.

Are you all ready to start your aprons? Hope you've got some designs and fabrics in mind already! Just remember, the All Purpose and Kitchen Tested apron needs to be practical and functional (no matter how sassy and cute it might be); and it needs to be wash-and-wear, able to survive many trips through the washer and dryer. Pre-washing of fabrics, notions, and maybe even the finished apron may be a good idea here. (Although please use no scented products when washing & drying -- washing alone with no products at all is probably best!)

Here's some inspirations if you haven't made your choices yet:
tons of links to photos from Red Current to drool over
Amy Karol's fabulous Tie One On apron challenge
aprons at anthropologie
some free online patterns
some links to really cool articles, shops and sites about vintage aprons (found on a blog that's new to me but looks interesting, btw!)
more resources can be found at Vintage Retro Aprons
a history of aprons from the Saturday Evening Post
And there are tons of aprons on flickr, but if you want to narrow it down a bit try these searches: handmade aprons; vintage aprons; apron patterns; the vintage apron pattern group; and the vintage apron group.


frenchie_b's Vintage apron on flickr.

Recipe Card Galore!

sarah's kick ass recipe box!

Let's talk recipe cards shall we? First off, keep in mind your guests food preferences and the fact that the recipes need to be staple type ingredients that we all generally have on hand (flour, sugar, mayo, basic fruits and veggies, ect). The recipes need to be "Kitchen Tested", tried and true dishes that you think your guest would enjoy as well.The cards themselves need to be on 3x5 card stock type paper. The swap requirement is to do up at least 3 recipes for your guest but if you want to send more, by all means, go ahead! The recipes, as a whole, could have a theme and/or make a complete meal or perhaps your gal really loves cakes and cookies then they all could be sweets.


Decorating the cards is going to be the fun part! Keep in mind that the cards need to be fairly flat so don't go too crazy with the embellishments. Some ideas for 2D decor could be rubber stamping, scrapbook papers, photocopied images, printed graphics/clip art from the computer, stickers, and fabric. The edges of the cards could be cut with decorative scissors. Some low relief 3D embellishments could be eyelets or trims like rick rack or ribbon. Looking in the scrapbook section of your craft store is great for ideas. The recipes can be hand written (if you don't have chicken scratch handwriting..he he) with colored inks perhaps or typed up.

Here are a couple of recipe card ideas to get you thinking:

These bunnylumps recipe cards used to be carried by plain mabel.
Cute illustrations with the saying "I think I'll make some ______" !










cutesy cards by the small object. These cards are for recipes and other crafty type stuff.









If you have any questions/concerns about the recipes themselves or the cards...just ask!

*****************************

For the fun of it, here are some recipe card accessories out there in eBay land:

Recipe boxes:
a beautiful red one; the classic herb motif; and one for the mod 60s lovers.

Lots of modern boxes and card sets are out there too!


and a recipe card holder that is quite funny!:

FAQ

Since we've been getting some (good!) questions we decided to start a FAQ; we'll add to it as things come up!

Is this a secret swap?
Yes! No-one knows who drew you, or who you drew, not even us. So feel free to give people a peek at what you're doing as long as it doesn't reveal your intended guest.

Can I add extras that go with my apron/recipes?
Of course! Just don't go overboard or everyone will be asking us to rig it next time so they get you!!

Are we limited to 3 recipes?
No -- you are required to make three recipe cards (3" x 5" so they'll fit in a file box) but if you need to add something extra (to, say, complete a meal) please go right ahead!

Do I have to make my personal guest's "dream apron"?
Heck no!! That question was just to help give you a better idea of what they like. You are not supposed to be making an apron on request. The only thing you should do is avoid your guest's dislikes. For example, I like yellow and blue, but I cannot wear orange. That doesn't mean you have to make me a yellow or blue apron; but it would be nice of you to not make an orange one!

Any more questions? Ask away!

it's an apron/cooking meme!

Greetings guests!

As a part of the getting to know each other dance, we thought it would be fun for us all to do a little apron and cooking meme! Fill out the topics below and post on your blog (by this weekend would be fab!)! If you have pic's to include that relate, then by all means, include them along with any stories!


1. first apron (that you can remember)

2. last (most recent) apron

3. dream/favorite apron

4. dream sewing machine

5. what do you put in your pockets? or what strange thing have you ever found in them?

6. condiment(s) you can't live without

7. do you wear more showy aprons or dutiful ones?

8. favorite cooking gadget

9. cooking gagdet that promised the world but didn't deliver

10. a recipe that you know by heart and any stories behind it

ready...set....

Hey guests! Check your inboxes this afternoon for a message from us -- we're ready to get this swap started. And watch this space for more info soon!

call to guests!

Hey everyone! If you have signed up and either:

you've been accepted but your name is not in the sidebar -OR-
you didn't hear back from us at all

please email us or comment on this post asap -- we have a few guests who haven't responded to our welcome email and we're trying to track you all down!

thanks!

running out of chairs!

Wow! Our guest list has been filling up faster than we ever expected -- we've got three openings left and now we're full! Sorry if you didn't make it in, but we plan to do a 2nd swap in late summer/early fall, so maybe we'll see you then!

If you've already been added, your name should be appearing in our list of links over there -- please check and make sure your name and link are correct!! And if your name isn't there, you probably haven't responded to your welcome email -- please check for it and drop us a line!

Also, if you're adding the button to your blog -- if you have a place you can upload a gif and you'd like the original gif version, please drop us a line and we'll send the file to you. (It is cleaner -- but for those of you who can only use jpgs, really, the jpg version is fine!)

Button, button, who's got the button?

Note to our guests! Thanks to everyone who's signed up so far, we're glad to have you!

Here's our official swap button! Right-click to copy it and add it to your blog (if you like) once you've been notified that you've been added to the guest list. Please upload the graphic to your own blog host/server space, and make the button link to the What's Cookin' site. Thanks!

(And if you haven't gotten your notice yet, sit tight, there's still room -- we're only able to get through the emails as often as two little busy toddlers will allow!)

All Purpose and Kitchen Tested!!

A functional apron and basic recipe swap! We hostesses figured an apron for getting the job done practically yet stylishly would be a swell way to kick off What's Cookin'!

The apron: should be a practical apron, something that's completely machine washable and dryable and suitable for everyday use. But that doesn't mean dowdy! The apron needs to be utilitarian but still have some sass to it. After all, who doesn't need a little fun injected into their everyday chores?

The recipes: The recipes should be inspired by the basic ingredients we all usually have on hand ...staples like flour, sugar, and even condiments like jelly and mayo. Family favorites, those tried and true recipes you can practically make in your sleep. Comfort food a plus! Remember, you'll need to send at least 3 recipes, so you can make a meal out of it if you like!

RSVP: May 15th-May 26th (or sooner if fills before end date). Our guestlist for this swap is set at 20.

The party happens: July 14th -- aprons and recipes should be delivered to your assigned guest. (Give or take a day or two, since we are all at the mercy of the mailman here!)

Please read the welcome page if you haven't already, then send us an email to sign up! Thanks for coming!

your hostesses,
sarah and mary

Welcome!

WHAT'S COOKIN'?
An Apron and Recipe Swap!

Hey Good Lookin'! What's Cookin'?

Why, it's a friendly little apron swap and recipe exchange! This swap is as easy as sewing up an apron and gathering some recipes to be put on handmade cards for another such domestic as yourself. Piece of cake, right? And to spice things up a bit each swap has a distinctive theme. So, please, won't you join us and be our guests at our little swap party?

Tidbits on being a guest (a.k.a, "the rules"):

1: You must have a blog and keep it fairly updated. This is to help your assigned guest get to know you better. (We will send out 'getting to know you' questionnaires to aid in this as well.)

2: You must have a mailing address in the US for your swapper to ship to (so no-one gets an unfair deal on the postage).

3: This is a .....shhhhhhhh! anonymous swap. We highly recommend that you stalk your guest and leave anonymous comments on their blog if you choose, but keep your pots and pans on the back burner about who you are. (We will give you a way to contact and question your guest without revealing your identity!)

4: The apron! It must be handmade by you, although you are free to use a pattern or other design for your inspiration. Please remember that it needs to be "gift quality" , in other words, no raw edges, or unwashable elements. Your guest needs to be able to actually use and clean their apron!!

5: The recipes! Recipe cards must be 3" x 5", and be handmade by you as well. Their design should be in keeping with the theme or dish but -- don't go overboard! We want these to be functional recipe cards, so nothing bulky or sticking out anywhere. These cards need to be able to fit into a recipe box without causing trouble! On the other hand, do remember that the cards should be ornamented in some way -- recipes written out on plain cards are not what we're talking about here. Recipes do not have to be original, but we'd like them to be recipes you actually use yourself.

6: The party! Each swap has a party date. Your package must arrive on your guest's doorstep by then (and hopefully at least a few days earlier -- and extra-early is fine too, if you need to send it out ahead of time for whatever reason). On or around the party date, please post to your blog with details on what you gave and what you got, and also send us a spiffy photo of the apron you made for our flickr gallery!

Watch the blog for swap announcements, and when the next one is launched, read up on it and if you're interested, join our guest list by sending us an email with your name and blog link to sign up. We do have a guest limit to each swap so get to steppin'! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. We're friendly gals.

your hostesses,
sarah and mary