Sense & Sensibility's Edwardian Apron
I made this apron in November 0f 2006. I was inspired by photos of ladies in aprons on the Sensibility Message Board and by a particularly lovely blog of a lady who routinely wears aprons. I needed a project that would not be time consuming, since I have been looking after my baby grandson many times per week.
I used fabric that was in my stash. It was a fabric I had originally purchased to make a Romantic Era Dress, but either I told the lady at the fabric store wrong, or she shorted me a yard! So I had this nice fabric, but only 4 yards. The pattern actually calls for 4 1/2 yards, but it fit well on just 4. I used bias binding from my stash, and was even able to make a lace medallion using a small piece of organdie from my stash, and a computer embroidery card that I bought two years ago (and never used!).
I am going to post some instructional photos, because one of the steps (step 2) is tricky and hard to visialize. I spent a lot of time thinking through how it was to be done. I ended up making the the apron using the suggestion of a lady named Rebecca, who recommended an alternative way of doing the step that made it much simpler.
Photo Instructions:
The first part of this pattern that may cause some confusion is the placement of the darts. One of them seems to be sitting ion the wrong place, and the temptation is to move it over next to the end of the strap section of the apron. Don't! It is there for a reason - it is needed to be in that position in order to do the next step and get the back "belt" of the apron in a nice square shape (see later photos to see what I mean).
This photo shows the darts sewn, with a yellow pin indicating where the top of the inside dart is. Notice how it seems to be in the middle of nowhere?
Now on to Step 2. This is the part where you will attach the back belt piece to the back main piece. This was initially very confusing to me!
Here the back belt is pinned in place. Notice how the edge with the single notch is overlapped past the strap edge? That is the seam allowance for the next part of this step.
Here is a photo of the seam sewn and the back belt section pressed upwards towards the strap. I put the yellow pin at the top corner of the single notch edge, just so you could see where it ends up.
Step 2 - a la Rebecca. One of the ladies on the Sensibility board suggested the following for doing the next part of this step: "Right sides together, I stitch the bottom edge of the band to the apron, matching notches. I then press the seam up and the side seam allowance under, at the dart. Pin and topstitch. It's easy as a wink and it stays together nicely."
Here is the side seam allowance, pressed under.
Here is is on the right side, pinned and ready to be topstiched.
I ended up mitering the corner, because with the narrow bias binding I was planning on using, I didn't think it would cover the raw edge if I left as was.
Here is the topstitched seam.
On to later photos - Step 6:
I also mitered the corners of the back strap piece for the same reason as above.
Here is the armhole, with the bias binding sewn onto the edges and mitered corners. (I'm sorry about the brightness of this photo, but you can just make out the bias binding in it!)
Here is a close-up of the lace medallion I made for the apron. I used Brothers embroidery card #29, style #5. I used a piece of organdie, lightly starched, and some water soluble stabilizer for the back, which I then soaked away.
Here is the apron being put to good use!