Pioneer Memories & a Free Apron Pattern For a Doll

Here in Utah, we celebrate something called Pioneer Day every July 24. It's in honor of the first group of Mormon pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley back in 1847. This upcoming holiday got me thinking of my own pioneer ancestors.  Do you have any pioneer ancestors?  I have a great grandmother and a great great grandfather who crossed the plains in 1863. In memory of them, I made this pioneer outfit. My favorite part of the outfit is that cute little apron, which I refashioned from a linen napkin.

  

I was given several linen napkins that had holes in them. I turned all of those sad-looking napkins into doll aprons.  If you happen to have some cloth napkins laying around, try refashioning them into doll aprons, you'll love all the detail a cloth napkin adds to it! In fact, let me show you how simple it is to convert a cloth napkin into a doll apron.  This project should take you about 15 minutes from start to completion.

Once the seam has been sewn, the basting stitches can be pulled out.  Iron the edge of the ribbon and you're done with your darling doll apron.  See, I told you it was easy.

If you want to add a pocket, use a corner of the napkin that you cut off and cut out a rectangle. Iron the edges under and then sew the rectangle onto the apron closely around the edges.

Depending on where the holes were in the linen napkin, some of my aprons turned out a little shorter than others.  No matter the length, a linen napkin makes the perfect fabric for a cute doll size apron.

Now, back to my great grandmother, who I mentioned earlier. For most of her journey across the plains, she got to travel sitting on top of a wagon loaded with stoves that her father planned on selling when he reached their destination. Toward the end of their journey, the wagon was going through a steep grade in Echo Canyon and started tipping over. Horrifyingly, the stoves fell on top of her. As luck would have it, she recalled that a folded carpet was used to cover the stoves and miraculously eased the blow of this fall.  Her children stated that she often told them that it was "the protection of an all-wise providence that saved her life." I am so grateful to God for protecting my great grandmother. 

So, if you'd like to join in the Pioneer Day celebration, or any pioneer celebration of your own, you'll want to make your own pretty pioneer apron for your doll. Happy Pioneer Day to all of you two weeks from this Friday! xoxo Grandma

Don't want to make this outfit?  Go HERE for a completed Pioneer Outfit.
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