Barbara (Oodles) recently introduced me to her neighbor, Patty, who has just started a blog (Petalier). Patty and I have a lot of the same interests, including quilting, sewing, and vintage fabrics. Today on her blog, she shared a simple apron pattern as a fun project to teach a young girl how to sew. I wish I had thought of this when my daughter was little.
Patty’s apron project reminded me of the first real garment I tried to make. It was in 9th grade Home Economics (one semester of cooking, one semester of sewing). After spending what seemed like forever stitching holes in notebook paper (first lined, then graduating to unlined), and eventually making a pillow, our teacher decided we should learn to make a flat fell seam. For my FFS project, I chose to make capris — tight capris — I’m talking the ones like Laura Petrie wore, and mine were so tight, the pattern called for little zippers at the ankle so you could get your feet into them. The fabric I purchased was a red plaid cotton. Seriously, my mom couldn’t believe it when I brought home the capri pattern with the plaid fabric and the little zippers, but when I told her I had to make flat fell seams, she started laughing so hard that she kind of freaked me out.
I made those pants (with my mom’s help), but I never wore them. The leg seams were a mess since I was sewing the second seam inside of this deep tube of fabric where I could barely see; the plaids didn’t match of course; and I accidentally put the zippers on the inside of the legs instead of the outside. Why couldn’t I have just made a nice little apron.
Here is a 1926 apron pattern which seems not nearly as simple as Patty’s, but it has such a cute illustration (which I had to trace because my digital image was so poor).
This is so cute! I think it would be a great project for Helena once she gets comfortable with sewing! Thanks Martha! Hugs, Mickie
I love your home ec. story! We made sundresses and mine never was completed. 🙁 I wish I had paid better attention in class, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything! Cute little apron pattern!
This is adorable! I love the graphics and the way the pattern is described.
Your Home Ec. story had me grinning! We made these awful shirts-wish we had made aprons!
Oh Martha! You are so wonderful to post this, especially when I need it the most. I have been recruited to teach a 6 yr old to sew. This is definitely a sweet little project for little fingers with guidance. Thank you!
Oh, and about your sewing project…. don’t let me get into how I used interfacing for the facing of a collar on a dress I wore to school. I had made it myself and the Home Ec. teacher pulled me aside to gently give me instructions of facings should be of the same material 🙂 Thanks for recounting your sewing memory. I was grinning in the knowledge that it is a path all sewer journey!! That is what makes it a sisterhood. 🙂
Honestly, I’m pretty sure you and Patty were separated at birth!
I have a vintage apron like this one. If this is an apron for a beginner, how was the bias sewn on? I have a vintage machine with about 20 specialty feet (foots?, haha I have no idea!) that I don’t know how to use. Is there one for sewing bias? What does it look like and how is it used? Thanks!
p.s. Don’t you love how those scraps are not wasted? Our society can learn a lot from those who’ve gone on before us!
What a great apron design! I’m tempted to try making one for a friend’s daughter.
We had to make a “dirndl” skirt and short-sleeved blouse for Home Ec in the 8th grade. That class was the start of my sewing obsession! Loved your capri pants story! And yes, I have a bunch of feet for my Singer Featherweight and I don’t know what to do with all of them. I think the bias foot has a curved slot where the strip of bias fabric fits. It is turned to encase the edge as you sew.