Valentine Theme Apron from Simplicity 4479 - undated pattern

Red & Gold scroll heart shapes cotton print paired with gold tone silk dupioni to create this vintage inspired frilly Valentine theme apron. My first time using this pattern so maintained the sizing and not many changes to the original details of Simplicity 4479
However, the waist tie was kept small and the shoulder straps were cut in 1 piece instead of two. Always needing to add an original touch, met that need by creating a hair bow to compliment the apron.
Apron front view:

Apron Back View:
Well this is a very slim dressform, and still the back does not close nearly as tightly as the pattern shows Whoo Whee - this one size fits all pattern, really only fits a slim person. Waist 24 to 28 inches. Well gosh, I have not seen that size in 40 years. So it will take some revisions to make this style fit a wider range of body sizes. :D

Still, it is cute as is and will look lovely on a slim frame. I think it will be worthwhile to revise, alter and update this pattern. The frills are enchanting. It was fun to make the ruffle, even though time consuming. My ideas are: to lengthen the bib to come higher and look more flattering on a fuller bust; to increase the width of the center panel just a tad; to make neck straps that tie/or a halter strap, rather than shoulder straps; keep the waist tie narrow.

For those of you who, like me, revel in details, construction specifics on my blog.

Enjoy!
Jane of Felt Sew Crafty and A Tranquil Nook

having an apron party

I saw this original pattern for sale somewhere- on Etsy maybe?- dated 1925, and thought it SO cute that I wanted to use it as inspiration for my own version of the pattern. Then I made a bunch of aprons to give as Christmas gifts this year. I'm so proud of myself because every year I want to make my gifts and then can't get it done. Well, this year I managed it. I can make this beauty in just a few hours time, so that was a major plus in my favor.

Here are the results:
Along with the apron, I collected a few of my favorite depression era recipes from a variety of original sources and made a small booklet to give to my family.
You are invited to download the (entirely free) recipe booklet here:
http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/images/Dep_recipebook.pdf
Find the apron (less expensive than the original was!) I call Clara Bow here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/63619858/womens-1920s-style-apron-pattern-sew

Happy Holidays from Sew Chic Pattern Co.!

Butterick B4087 - Retro Apron Cuteness!

I finished these aprons today. They're little extras for Christmas for Little Tornado's Nan and Great Nan.

I adapted the pattern a little and added the embroidery to personalise them a little. My first attempt at these, so hopefully they'll go down well! More about it over on my blog

Oh, and I did some cute little pin cushions using the same fabric, andsome vintage buttons, for my fellow "sewists" at college. (Also over on my blog)

Happy Christmas and a happy, healthy & prosperous 2011 to all at Sew Retro.

A taste of the 1970s home

Just thought that I would share this picture from one of my recent finds, a home decor ideas book from 1976. It has a huge range of projects, mostly featuring a lot of pscyhedelic embroidery, such this apron and oven glove set. This is so of it's era, and very fashionable at that time, but now I'm not sure if it's beautiful or horrific.

More eye popping decor ideas on my blog.
http://wheremylifeis.blogspot.com/2010/11/found-in-fish-and-chip-shop.html

Make & Mend Month: Minty Apron Conclusion

Finished an apron for my friend. She likes it! :)

Finished images on NVL.

VINTAGE APRON

Hi! This is my first post in this lovely blog, I love to visit this blog because I love vintage fashion and would like to sew many patterns I have seen here, so I hope some day I'll post about it. Well to sew this apron I used the reproduction of a Simplicity pattern , here I show you the original one. More in my blog.

dreamy sewing

My friend Zephorah and I love to sew, SO we decided to do a vintage inspired shoot, with my fab Montgomery Ward Signature machine from 1971. Check out a dreamy interview with Zephorah and more photos on my blog.

model: zephorah photos: lesley w. dress: 16 Stone vintage

Retro Apron Butterick 4945

Ok, only retro styling, not retro proper...

but still cute ?

more here

Lore
x

Addicted to Aprons....

I loooooooove aprons. I made this naughty vintage - inspired one for a friend to give another her friend. Its my own pattern, one of those make it up as you go along types! You can see more of my apron addiction over at my blog. 


Happy sewing...
Betty Darling xx

when is a vintage vogue not a vintage vogue?

When it's a vintage New York Pattern Co. reissue! I matched up the new Vintage Vogue apron pattern with its original, and to my surprise it is not a Vogue pattern at all:



What does this mean? I'm not really sure. But I'm excited to see an old pattern line revived this way! More matchups and rambling commentary about them on my blog.

♥ Sarah

My first ever apron!

A success, I think, and the first of many more aprons:

A little more commentary here....

Vintage 1957 Apron

I finally had a chance to finish something!!

I recently redid my kitchen chairs with home dec rooster fabric (My Honey's choice, not mine). There were about 2 yards left so I decided to make an apron.

I tried about 5 different patterns but none of them worked because of the directional layout of those darn roosters (did I mention that My Honey chose the rooster fabric?).

I finally found a pattern that would work--a cobbler style pattern that had been my great-grandmother's. I never saw her or my grandmother wear this style of apron but it had her writing on several pattern pieces.

This pattern was an "'instant' apron: Paper pattern is one piece for each fabric in each view; pin to fabric according to cutting layouts and cut instantly."

As I mentioned in my May 8th podcast, the pattern is designed to be laid on the open fabric. But, my great-grandmother laid the pieces on the fold (like, I did). But, and this is where we differed, instead of folding the pattern piece in half, she cut the piece down the middle!

This apron tested my bias tape application skills but I am pleased with the overall results:
You can access the podcasts at Grandma's Sewing Cabinet

Vintage Apron Pattern

For Mother's Day, I made this apron up for my mom. The pattern was given to me by my grandmother, who found it amongst her stored stuff. You can see that a mouse has chewed on the priceless heirloom a bit. When Grandma gave me the pattern, my mom strongly hinted she'd like one, so here I am (for once) obliging her wishes.

It was my first time to sew with an unprinted pattern, and it wasn't as hard as I'd feared, although sometimes the notches and little holes in the pattern didn't line up like they were supposed to, and the instructions were very...sparse.

I followed the pattern except I cut a few inches off of the straps to make it (hopefully) fit my mom better, who is both shorter and a little heavier than I am, but not quite the "large" that the pattern is sized for.

I also did not follow the pattern instructions regarding the bias tape that finishes the edges, because they called for hand-sewing the bias tape. Not in your wildest dreams am I hand-sewing that much bias tape on. I did make the bias tape myself, out of the black and white gingham, since I wasn't going to make a special 20-mile trip just to buy bias tape. I wish it showed up better. Gingham bias tape is really cute!

I also just finished a baby quilt (not remotely vintage) for my new nephew , and pictures are here on my blog if you are interested. Just scroll through the apron stuff.

Vintage Apron

It seems that the only projects I can finish these days are aprons. Please pardon the dark pictures – I finished it late last night:



I used this vintage pattern, published in 1948:



Here’s a close-up of the pocket:



This apron was my submission to the Sassy Apron Swap The theme was “Spring,” and my partner left all color decisions up to me, so I chose a very light green cotton with a crisp, white eyelet for accent. The eyelet ended up being thinner than I reckoned for, so I put a piece of green & yellow floral behind the white in the waistband.

Overall this pattern was quite easy to put together. I used a few new-to-me techniques: I ran a zig-zag stitch over a piece of crochet cotton to make the gathers and I serged around the round edges of the pocket, making it a snap to roll the edge to the inside to make a tiny hem. Who knew it could be so easy? I’ve struggled for years to get that perfect hem around the bottom edges of pockets and you can bet I’ll be using this technique in future!

Cocktails, anyone?

Here it is, my September project. The hostess apron.



I love it. I can't believe it took me almost two years to actually put this together, but I did.



And here's my action shot, trying to photograph the back of the apron myself. Of course, I realize now I should have just spun the apron around, but the picture shows how much of a goof I can be. Why not admit it?

My goal now is to find a pattern like these and make a few of these apron smocks.



I can see using them at home for working on my DIY projects but also as regular weekend wear, especially that red & white striped one.

...getting there...

Here is my July project. I might not be able to wear it this year (though it was 83 degrees last week) but at least it has been washed and dried and is all cut out. See?



However, the big news is that... surprise!!!

I am done with my August projects. Here is the proof.


Simplicity 5914
Here is the gray skirt, front and back and the back of the red skirt.
(At this point, I got frustrated with setting my camera up for the timed shots and besides the front of the red skirt looks exactly the same as the back anyways.)

Here they were hanging in my closet last week to let the hems stretch.



Finally, the hand sewn hems.



In addition, I did start planning my September project. This one is very simple. It has been laying low in my sewing drawer for over a year, ever since I found this incredible fabric at Old Navy. It was actually a skirt, a 13 1/2 inch long skirt. No wonder there were so many on the clearance rack!

Well, when I held it up to waist to see just how short it was, my first thought was "cocktail apron" Not the apron that you actually cook in but the one you change into when your guests arrive and all that's left to do is make a mighty fine cocktail. I definitely see mine worn with cigarette pants and ballet flats.