Back from a shorter than expected blogging break. I'd been planning to take today off from the shop and spend it with Henry but our week got shifted around and he's at nursery school, leaving me with an empty and most welcome day to myself. I made an apron.
My love for aprons is still in full bloom. I have a dozen or so vintage-y ones picked up here and there over the last few years, and despite being asked on occasion, I really couldn't part with a single one. I love them all. And they're quite hard to find now for less than $20. So it's been on my to-do list for some time now, a range of vintage-inspired aprons sized for children. At the annual gift show last month I couldn't help but notice aprons of every style and fabric imaginable hanging so prettily on the booths of every textile exhibitor. I imagine you'll be seeing a lot of them in stores in the coming months. I thought that rather than go the mass-produced route, I'd like to make a few myself using a mix of new and recycled fabrics, which is in keeping with the thrifty spirit of women who made aprons from tea towels and flour sack cloth back in the 1940s. This one is a thriftshop pillowcase cut in half (so half of the cutting/sewing work is already done) with linen ties and waistband and a kangaroo-style pocket. I'd say about two hours from start to finish, longer than I'd planned and mostly my fault for trying to eyeball the waistband and then getting into all sorts of trouble with the ties not fitting smoothly. But overall I'm quite pleased with it. I'm not much of an embellisher, but I can see this one looking super cute with some pompom fringe or a touch of embroidery on a corner of the pocket.
The groovy pink floral apron, a late '60s model I suspect because it looks just like the kitchen wallpaper in the house I grew up in, was the inspiration, and I referenced Amy Karol's pattern for the pocket.
5 comments:
Lovely apron! I have a few vintage aprons myself, made by my grandmother, most probably out of flour sack cloth or tea towels, except for one, made of white cotton and lovingly embroidered. These beauties have sat unused for a very long time before she gave them to me, and still, I am not using them either, for fear of staining them or something... but I have found a few months ago the perfect way to put the emboidered one to good use: I am using it to cover my lap when I am spinning at my wheel, so that I don't end up with woolly pants every time I spin (which is much less of a problem when I am spindle spinning). I am glad I now get to see and use this lovely thing on a regular basis!
ALOHA! Haven't you been the busy bunny since I left the big smoke. My stars. I'm just popping over to the shop blog for a look see. The apron is scrumptious. I had forgotten that aprons were one of your things so I'm now going to be on the looksee.
xxx
Spinning? Wow, Josiane, you are a crafty gal. Thank you for the great visual. I'd love to see your work sometime!
Nan! It's good to hear your voice. I'm glad you're back. Now I must see what you've been up to...
Oh! That brown and orange floral fabric looks so familiar - it's because my grandmother had those sheets. Lovely aprons.
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