To quote the beautiful Sophie Dahl ‘I have always been interested in food, primarily because I have always been interested in eating it’. This sums up entirely my third biggest hobby after sewing and knitting- baking! Just like the desire for pretty vintage style clothes feeds my sewing drive, the desire to eat cakes feeds my inclination to bake!
Recently I have been following the Paleo lifestyle inspired by my dear friend Emma who has a fantastic Paleo blog of all her wonderful cooking. This means no grains, no dairy, no pulses and no refined sugar. It sounds pretty bleak but with a few specialist ingredients from the health food store you can still bake the most delicious cakes- a few of which you may have noticed popping up on my instagram. So more of my time than ever has been spent in the kitchen recently experimenting and whipping up lots of concoctions which means that my need for pretty aprons has obviously dramatically increased. Hehe!
I have always LOVED vintage aprons. For me they are so representative of a time when people really put so much effort into crafting beautiful things, even if they were things that would only ever be worn around the house. My mother made me a beautiful little frilly apron when I was a little girl and I loved it so much I point blank refused to take it off before we went out on a shopping trip. Clearly I was onto something as an elderly lady commented on what a pretty dress I was wearing! Funnily enough she made it for me as I used to like playing what we called the olden-days game, where I would dress up and pretend I lived in a past era. When she was telling me this it occurred to me that I am pretty much still playing that game everyday now! Teehee.
It’s very easy not to end up making things like aprons and petticoats and makeup bags when you sew your own wardrobe as they kind of end up at the bottom of the to-do list, but I genuinely find they really give me just as much pleasure as the more sensible, worthy creations like winter coats. It’s nice to feel well put together around the house anyway, and yes I realise this makes me sound like a supressed 1950s housewife! Sorry about that!
Although I have a few vintage apron patterns and have made a few up in the past I didn’t follow a pattern for this particular one. My mother in law gave me a red and white apron with similar scallops on for Christmas so I thought I would make a springtime one inspired by that, I actually began this in apron in April and it sat around half complete in my workroom for longer than I care to mention! I used quilting cotton from Cotton Patch as I find this is a good weight for aprons, not too flimsy and not to bulky to gather.
I thought I would include a little collage of some inspirational vintage apron pictures for you -which is your favourite, I can’t decide!
Do you like sewing vintage house attire yourself?
Thanks for reading!
21 responses to “A little vintage apron”
The scallops are so cute you could use them on a dress or blouse – bet they were really fiddly!
They really weren’t too bad actually! Great practise for sewing nice smooth curves too 🙂
Cuuuuute!!! So pretty!!! And don’t worry – I’m still playing the olden-days game too and living in a rosy-tinted bubble! Only problem is I make wayyyy to much mess in the kitchen so my chintzy frilly apron is of a decidedly un-romantic, wipe-able, synthetic material! Sad times…
Aww Nat- when your cakes come out looking like they do who cares what the kitchen looks like!! Or your apron for that matter!
Glad I am not living in the rose tinted bubble alone! 🙂
I am EXACTLY the same! I bake as well as sewing and knitting and I am absolutely obsessed with 50’s fashion. Something about the cinched waists and the full skirts is just so flattering. I’d really love to hear more about these healthy cakes-my family aren’t too pleased with my constant baking when we’re trying to be a snack free house! Are there any healthy baking recipe books you use? My favourite apron of the four has to be the bottom left view B although top right with the hearts is adorable!
I follow lots of great Paleo
Blogs and actually a lot of Sophie Dahl’s recipes are on the healthier side. I try adapting things too by substituting the regular flours for non gluten alternatives and refined sugars for slower release ones- with varying success tho! Hehe!
I love that first one – the way the collar goes around the back of the neck is adorable.
Sadly, I often make things that I then only wear around the house!! This is usually due to me picking the wrong pattern or fabric for my lifestyle. I have too many dresses and not enough skirts and trousers. However, I am trying to address that by really thinking about it before I dive in headfirst to a new project.
I nipped over to the Paleo blog you mentioned and I must admit some of the recipes sound lovely. Are you following it for health reasons?
Hi Tialys- yes I loved that feature too! It’s this little details that make these things don’t you think?
Yep I have always had a tummy that isn’t happy with food- very frustrating when you have a constant desire to eat it! I also have terrible blood sugar dips and various hormonal complaints that are apparently not helped by various foods. Since following this new way of eating all those things have dramatically improved! I am
genuinely pretty shocked and utterly thrilled of course! I have been following it for about a month and am pretty sure I am a lifetime subscriber to this way of eating!
This is just lovely Ami. Pretty and practical too. Love your choice of fabric in the soft greens. Ann xxx
Aw thanks Ann- yes I was very drawn to these greens! 🙂 they are quilting cottons and think they would make the most beautiful patchwork too!
Gorgeous as always Ami! I am the same as you, in that an apron falls to the bottom of my sewing to do list. However I am like you and love all things vintage and to wear a gorgeous apron like yours would be divine. One day I hope to make one !! My two favorite patterns are the ones on the left. I too love baking as well as knitting and sewing, and have been looking into the Paleo diet, as I have just found out I am wheat, yeast, dairy, and egg intolerant. It’s a bit more of a challenge but I’m getting there.
Yes Helen, the fun little projects just do seem to don’t they! Oh well!
Gosh eggs too that is an extra challenge!! I hope you are coping okay and have found some nice things to eat to get you through the challenge of adjusting! Feeling better is always the best motivation to keep these things going so I hope you are feeling good on the new restricted diet at least x
That is adorable 🙂
Aw thank you! 🙂
Lovely! I know what you mean about risking sounding like a ’50s housewife, but then I think – oh, who cares?! If what you do makes you happy, then that should be enough. I have a frilly apron on my to sew list, in pale lilac gingham to match my kitchen! Must move it up the list methinks! 🙂 Love your blog, you are so talented!
Ooo yes lilac gingham sounds perfect! 🙂 you are exactly right- who cares!! Hehe!
Ooh.. you look so cute in it. Makes a great housewarming gift!
That’s such a nice idea Adeline! My sister is about to rip most of her house down and rebuild it so when she moves back in I will have to make her a new little apron 🙂
Pretttttty!!! Who cares what you sound like – the important thing is that you’re happy:). And not repressed LOL. I don’t know if you’ve seen Breathless which is a late 50s early 60s ITV series about doctors… well, that really shows repression at its worst and is a real wake up call for how lucky we women are not to live pre 60s… scary. But the clothes – oh, yes.
I made an apron from a vintage pattern a while back – a cobblers apron, but a full one with armholes – this pattern – Vintage-McCalls-Sewing-Pattern-1713-Misses-Cobblers-Apron- – huge pockets, great for carrying all my sewing tools up and down the corridor (I sew in one room but cut in the dining room) and also good to protect my sewing from cat hairs – I invariably get hairy at home so when I put this on I’m covered. (have two white fluffy cats, one persian, one not, and a mix who is longer haired than most shorthairs – the hair that comes off them is a nightmare even with regular brushing!)
Next year I shall make another one for summer sewing – not a sleeved one like this, just a half apron with huge pockets – as it’s too hot to use the one I made in summer….
How on earth do you bake madly and remain slim? my sis bakes and decorates amazing cakes for people and it is a nightmare to try to keep my figure!
Hi Ami
Really cute! My daughter wants me to make her a similar one and I’m considering it only the scallops look daunting! Can you give me some tips on how to draft them myself and roughly what size should each scallop be? My daughter is a size 10. I would appreciate your input or perhaps you could do a tutorial ( if you have the time) you are such a busy bee!
Loved your apron, which you wore to make pizza’s on Saturday night. Such pretty detail. BW Tamara