My local library is having an auction this weekend - a "retro" auction they're calling it... and they've put out a call for "white elephants" for the auction. They're looking to raise money to help support the library museum pass program (something I never heard of in New York where I used to live, but I think is great - the library has an annual pass to local museums and patrons can "check out" the pass to use the museum for free or for a discounted rate).
I really wanted to do something to support this. About a month ago, we used a pass to the SEE Science Center in Manchester, and loved it.
And given my crafty instinct, my first idea was to make something.
The top fabric is for the donated apron, the bottom for mine. The bottom fabric reminds me of my favorite apron.
I'd purchased these fabrics over four years ago with the idea of re-creating an apron my husband got me when we were first dating. Yeah, what boyfriend gets his girlfriend an apron as a birthday gift? Except this is me, and I LOVED (and still do love) getting anything kitchen related. I adored that apron. He had gotten it for me when we lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They were selling these aprons at our favorite local bakery, Two Little Red Hens (oh my, it looks like they aren't in Park Slope anymore and Ladybird Bakery is in their old location!).
Here is one of my favorite pictures of me in our old kitchen with a pregnant belly beneath that apron:
But sadly, the apron has seen better days. And I knew it wouldn't be long until it disintegrated in my hands. Wednesday night, with the deadline for submissions to the auction looming, I got my butt in gear and 1) pre-washed those beautiful fabrics, 2) traced out a pattern from the original apron and 3) cut out not one but both of the fabrics to make into two aprons (one for me to keep and one to donate to the library).
On Thursday, I quickly pressed the ties and neck strap, top-stitching the folded-under edges together. I pressed and top-stitched a rolled edge around the entire apron, and then attached the neck strap and ties. It was so quick to finish once I started - really only taking 20 minutes. I opted to get the apron for the auction finished and leave my apron to another day.
I even decided to print up a quick little hang-tag that gives my blog's address. No, I don't make aprons and try to sell them, nor am I selling anything at the moment here - but I would like more people to find out about my blog - and maybe even read the story behind the apron I made for the auction!
This apron is very basic and easy to make. The ties and neck strap are basically three strips of fabric 30" long and 2.5" wide which are then pressed in half and then the edges pressed under by a quarter inch and top-stitched together (this is a quicker, one-step way to creating the ties - I wanted to avoid folding it in half, right-sides facing, stitching, turning it right-side out, pressing, and THEN top-stitching). I folded the ends of the ties twice and stitched to give a finished end.
The body of the apron is basically a rectangle that is 29" long and 20.5" high (before the bib-rise) - the rise is 9.25" and the top width of the bib is 9.5". I pressed under a quarter inch double-roll hem all around the apron, starting at the sides, then the bottom, then the slope at the arms, ending at the bib, which was actually folded over 2.5" then the edge of that pressed under a quarter inch. I top-stitched everything then attached the ties where the slope meets the sides of the apron, and attached the neck strap at either edge of the bib. I have no photo of me wearing the auction apron (I didn't have the time to get out my tripod), but I can say that it fits just like my Two Little Red Hens apron... and I'm so happy to now have a pattern I can use in the future!
Oh, and I can't wait to finish off my apron!
