I grew up in Phoenix, AZ so you can pretty much figure out why I am a SUNSHINE lover! Back in the olden days when I grew up, children played outside as much as possible, because being inside -- at least, at my house -- meant you had to work. I was so dark-skinned in those days, people thought I was Mexican. When I moved to Ohio when I was 16, someone asked me if I was Italian. Are Italians dark-skinned?
We didn't get to "go to church" this morning because our internet service decided to move SLOWER than a turtle going backwards. We couldn't watch Roku last night, and I couldn't read my email this morning. I decided to call AT&T -- our internet provider -- and after 30 minutes talking to some technician guy, I handed the phone to Jerry as the guy started asking me hard questions I could not answer. Jerry was on the phone with him for TWO HOURS. I am able to type this post to you on my DESKtop computer, but my LAPtop isn't picking up any signals today.
Since we couldn't do church, and I felt bad leaving Jerry alone up here in the sewing room talking to the guy that I had gotten on the phone in the first place, I decided to finish the project I started yesterday.
I had NO INTENTION of making this item anytime in the near future, but you know how I cleaned up my sewing room last week so I could make a new video.
Well, when you clean up your sewing room, you find all kinds of things you forgot you bought. Plus, Phylly told me I should show you where I keep my fabric -- like there is enough battery life in my camera for that -- but I decided to start looking around to SEE where I keep it all.
I opened one of the closets and found a stack of cute fabrics I had purchased to make aprons with.
My Mom always wore an apron. Did yours? My Mom wore the most beautiful clothes to work and to church, and she had to have an apron to cover them when she cooked or cleaned. My mother didn't own a pair of jeans, and I'm not sure she owned a pair of slacks until I was older. I NEVER saw her in a tee shirt in those days.
Look at this actual pattern of aprons on top of fancy dresses. One lady has PEARLS on! The aprons in the picture are fancy enough to wear to church as a skirt! I would have to wear an apron OVER my apron if it was that gorgeous!
Anyhow, I like aprons, and OCCASIONALLY, I have a decent outfit on that requires a cover-up.
I had lined up about 10 empty bags that I keep from Braum's. Nice, strong paper bags with sturdy handles. I got out my fattest, darkest marker and wrote "GOODWILL" across all the bags. Then I started filling them up. I started by putting ALL the apron fabrics except for one into one bag. I continued filling all the bags with clothes I kept for "just in case" the grandkids came when they were young and forgot something and clothes for great grandkids in case I was ever to keep one or more of them. As you know, I'm not permitted to see my only great grandchild, so I decided to get rid of all the baby things and little kid things. There were books and gadgets and socks and toys and shirts and jeans and ....
BUT, I decided to keep ONE of the apron fabrics and make an apron. I figured it would only take an hour at the most. After all, is it really necessary to do fitting adjustments to an APRON?
Let me answer that question for you.
YES, YES, YES, YES!!!
Now ERASE FROM YOUR MIND the aprons in the picture above or you will throw up when you see mine. This one will actually have wet hands dried on it, doggy hairs wiped off on it and Kleenex in the pockets. You KNOW my "non-shedding" dog, Jackie? Well, that was another one of life's big jokes!
First FITTING issue, was I had to put in some short bust darts to keep things from falling into the sides of my apron into the gaping fabric on the sides. The pattern gave five choices of pockets. I chose these cute gathered ones. I shortened the apron by four inches.
The side of the apron and the cute pocket again.
I did NOT have any double-fold seam binding in a color that matched this fabric. I had this SINGLE fold narrow seam binding. It took me hours to put this stuff on, and I ran out. I had to put a piece of white binding at the center back neck. Fortunately, it won't show.
You can almost see it in the picture below up under my hair.
I have a RTW tee shirt on, and it shows you very plainly WHY I sew for myself.
I could sign up to be a ski slope for fleas and ants, I suppose, but I would rather make clothes that are crooked so they make me look straight.
The RED lines are straight.
The blue lines are ME.
The good news is, I am not the only one.
You probably have something crooked too. Or maybe something bigger than something else. A foot or a boob, for instance.
I need to get ready to go fishing with my husband. I am so very THANKFUL that I still have a husband after that awful cancer, that I will do most anything for him.
Actually, he JUST walked in.
Hugs, Joy
I think your apron is really cute. It does look like one that I would wear, if I ever remembered to put one on. At the moment I have a spot of cheesy tomato sauce on my knit top because I didn't put one on. However, your apron probably wouldn't have covered that anyway. I need more coverage up top than the low sassy neckline on your apron. That rounded V area is exactly where all the grease pops on my front. Or the spaghetti sauce pops on me. I'd have to have a "'faux tank top" to catch all the grease and tomato pops. At least the sides would catch all the times that I wipe my hands on my hips.
ReplyDeleteI think of an apron as being a useful generic item that is made to cover me up, not something that needs to be fitted. So, no, I wouldn't worry about the fit of an apron except maybe the length. If I don't adjust the length above the waist then the waist hits me at my hips and so it wants to tie way too low to be useful. I would probably have raised the neckline on the one you made so my chest would be covered with the apron instead of grease and tomato spots. But, if you think your apron needs to be fitted, I say "Go for it."
An UNFITTED apron! Good heavens! What if I went to work at a Pizza place, and I was twirling one of those pizza doughs up in the air, and I accidentally dropped it, and it FELL RIGHT INTO THE HUGE GAPS on the side of of my unfitted apron at the bust line! NOBODY would want to eat my pizzas!
DeleteCute apron!
ReplyDeleteWith all of your sloping lines, do you make a slopped shoulder adjustment to your tops? I know you do a sway back, and upper round back, but what about one shoulder being lower than the other?
I need to do this and it is a pain to always need to draft both a left and right pattern.
Carol
I cut from 1/2" at the low hip side of the waist and taper to nothing at center back and center front for PANTS and SKIRTS. I don't have to do that in a dress without a waist seam. I do the same thing at the shouler seam on the low shoulder, only I just come down 1/4" at the shoulder point and taper to nothing at the neck when I sew the shoulder seams together, and that interprets to 1/2" Then I lower the armhole under my arm 1/2" and taper to nothing at the notches. Another real fast fix is to put a lift in my right shoe, BUT that doesn't work with sandals or flip-flops because it would not stay put and it is quite ugly.
DeleteI do not draft a left and right pattern. I just fix the one side after the pattern is cut out, and I am putting it together.
Hugs, Joy
do you have a file or info about your experience when u started using SFD?
ReplyDeleteThis comment came through. I actually made you SIX short videos making a new SFD pattern. Only problem is, my video software is frozen and won't open, and the internet speed here is very, very, slow for uploading to You Tube. I will do it again when I am at my other house in a few weeks with SPEEDY internet.
DeleteHugs, Joy
thanks so much...tht is really nice of you...what pattern is the black & white fish dress on the right side of your blog ...it looks so comfie & what I would love to wear to work.....like you I quilt & sew clothes & do embroidery...I love it all...have a great week.
ReplyDelete