What is YOUR sign?

Happy 24th Birthday to my daughter Meagan, a Libra. One might be wondering what this has to do with sewing.  While I was rummaging through my stash to see what other fabrics, might get included into my holiday collection,  my eyes fell upon this astrological fabric I bought several moons ago so I pulled it along with the other fabric I had paired with it for making an apron.  I tossed all the fabrics I had pulled onto the large cutting table I have in the basement near where the fabrics are stored.  One thing I noticed right away was that this one dark orange fabric with a metallic swirl that I had purchased to coordinate with another group of fabrics, simply called to be paired with the astrological fabric.  Since there was only 1/2 yard of this fabric and a full yard is needed to make the flip side of an apron, the obvious solution...a tri-colored apron.  Looking through my stash, I needed to find that 3rd color.  Many fabrics applied, including the fabric I had originally paired with the astrological fabric but the decision was make to hire this tone on tone golden fabric.  As I was making the pockets, I snapped a couple of photos of the way I sew the top hem which I talked about in a previous blog.  Rather than use the tie down feature on my machine or reverse, I flip the fabric around, sew into the corner (photo on right) and then I raise the pressure foot, flip the fabric around and then sew across the hem (photo on left) and then reflip to secure the sewing,  Is it just me ot are fabrics are not as wide as they use to be?  When I first started sewing, most of the fabrics were 44" wide.  They have gradually been shrinking and once they have been washed and dried, you are lucky if you have 42" and usually it is 41".  This was the case with the astrological fabric so once I had side one cut out I had about 11 1/2" for the blocks which make the apron 22" long before the bib was attached.  The bib ended up being the tone one tone golden fabric and it was 10 1/2 inches long.  It cried out for something so I fussy cut one of the designs from the fabric and appliqued it on the bib.  As I was executing the applique visions of other items that these fussy cut blocks could be worked into came into focus.  The first item of business was to make a matching hot pad using a fussy cut block to see the effect.  Since this seemed like an effective use of this fabric, I could see making these fussy cut block as the centerpiece of some balsam pillows and sachets.