My Aprons

All of my aprons are made from vintage linens, most from the 1940’s and 50’s. Many are made from tablecloths, but I also use pillowcases, dish towels, and even feed bags. They are embellished with vintage hankies, dresser scarves, doilies, rick rack, and lace. Needless to say, every apron is truly one of a kind. You might find small imperfections like a tiny hole or faint stain, but that’s because these all lived with real families. Linens designed during this period are so beautiful, but oftentimes are no longer used. I love being able to “upcycle” these heirlooms into something new, fun, and useful.

Something old is now something new.

The Old and The New

Penny Bellus  ~  penny@ohsewpenny.com  ~ 707.942.5034
Calistoga, Napa Valley, California

Where to Buy Penny's Aprons

The 2011 Summer Market season is coming to a close, but I still have Markets and Fairs planned for the Holidays. YES - It's time to start on your Holiday Shopping!

Here's what I know about so far:

October 29  ~  Calistoga Farmer's Market  ~  Saturday morning from 8:30 AM to 12 noon.  Across from Town Hall, next to the Police Station

November 4 & 5 ~ Nevada City Holiday Fair ~ Friday 12:00 noon - 7:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.. Sierra Presbyterian Church, 175 Ridge Road

November 19 ~ Granite Bay (near Sacramento) Holiday Fair ~ Saturday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Luthern Church of The Resurrection, 6365 Douglas Road

November 20 ~ Fairfield Holiday Fair ~ Sunday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Rancho Solano Golf Course, 3250 Rancho Solano Pkwy

November 26 & 27 ~ St. Helena Holiday Fair ~ Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Carnegie Building, 1306 Oak St.

December 2, 3, 4 ~ Lafayette Holiday Fair ~ Friday 11:00am - 7:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary's Road

December 16, 17, &18 ~ Monte Rio Christmas Fair - Friday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Monte Rio Community Center

Penny - The Woman Behind the Aprons...

My mother taught me to sew when I was eleven or twelve. She was a fabulous seamstress who made most of my clothes when I was growing up, as well as my prom dresses when I was in high school. She later made beautiful dolls for her five granddaughters.

I made a few things for myself in high school, and then made sundresses for shops when I lived in Hawaii in the 1970's. A few years later I started sewing for my own daughter, including matching mother/daughter dresses that embarrassed her years later when she saw the pictures. I made little girls' dresses and baby quilts for a children's shop in the 1980's, and then took a hiatus from sewing for over 20 years while I worked at "real" jobs in retail management and merchandising.

Now I am back doing what I truly love. I am having a great time creating aprons and other items from vintage linens. Those tablecloths and hankies and doilies that have been stuffed in drawers and closets for years, can now have new lives as something beautiful and useful once again. I love being able to “upcycle” these heirlooms into something new, fun and useful. I hope you enjoy my creations as much as I love bringing them back to life.

- Penny Bellus, the woman behind the creativity of Oh Sew Penny.

NEW! ~  Commissions ~ Penny will make an apron from YOUR tablecloth
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