Simple dishtowel apron pattern; very good "sorry pal, been missing ya" kind of project to keep the sewing machine from feeling lonely.  You know, because it has feelings.

I clicked on this Martha pattern long ago while clicking around at Tie One On, and thought it seemed like a good sturdy choice.  Dishtowels from Target; one in the pack had a nice waffle texture for the bottom part of the apron, good for damp hands. 

I've admired the flikr galleries for a long time, but this is my first month contributing to Tie One On.  I love the idea of this smock, I loved the planning it out.  I love that I got to use the leftover linen from the curtains I made for my bedroom earlier this month.  I love all those things. 

What I don't love is the fact that I have shoulders like a linebacker in that photo, and I only got this one picture before the deadline and then my camera batteries died and I can't figure out why I stood like that and what is happening with my arms, either... and, oh yeah, I also don't love my crappy prowess with the sewing machine.  On the first draft of this apron, I used tan thread to sew on the bias tape, thinking it would make a cute contrasting stitch.  You know what helps to make a cute contrasting stitch?  Being able to sew a straight line.  Seriously.  It looks much cuter that way.  Too bad that's evidently beyond my sewing skills.  And also, that bias tape?  May I humbly suggest that, before one begins sewing it on for the first time, it might be wise to consult the Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing before you try to sew with it.  That way you'll maybe know what you're doing, and your project won't look like poo.  I'm just sayin'.  Even after messing all that up, I stubbornly decided that I should carry on, and I sewed one of the top, horizontal linen straps to the wrong side.  At this point I realized that sewing, like knitting, may often require booze, temper tantrums, and ripping.  And also, just like in knitting, my projects may get neglected and lay in a crumpled heap in the corner for a few days.  With the deadline approaching, I bought some pink thread, ripped out all the offending mess-ups and started again.  The smock is done, I made it, there it is.  Amy, thank you for this great idea, and for hosting all these fantastic apron show-and-tells!  I learned a lot in the process of making this smock.  I think I need to follow a few more sewing patterns, though, before I try to just make something up on my own again!