So for whatever reason, The Sew Weekly has been giving me grief over the past few weeks. Either my photos get rearranged or they just don't get posted. Hopefully Mena will get everything sorted soon enough; it would be a shame to let things slide this late in the year, when so many people have participated all along. I guess there's no harm in posting my most recent projects, since they are past due online anyway!
I made up this super hippie apron dress just because...well....I had the pattern and we were all sewing aprons. Who knew it would be so unflattering? I guess most people knew, since you don't see them anymore:
(I took this photo very late one night and I looked like shit warmed over, so to speak, hence the disguise.) Very little shaping to the front bodice meant that it was as flat as an apron - and gaped open around the neckline and on the sides. Not a very secure thing for this old mom to be wearing out in public. That may have flown if I were a pert young thing back in the bra-less '70s, but I just can't imagine getting away with it now!
Fortunately, the pattern pieces took up so much yardage that there is plenty to recut into something less prone to public wardrobe malfunctions. It'll be easy enough to convert to a wrap skirt in an hour or so.
I'm also working on a super top secret project that I won't be able to talk about until the end of the year. Intrigued? Here's the most I can reveal without getting into trouble with the big boss involved:
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I think this pattern just showed up at the sale at our sewing guild meeting...and since many of probably tried it the first time around, it was still there when I left hours later. But I do like you choice of fabric.
ReplyDeleteI see it on Etsy a lot too, and it's usually factory folded. Now I know why! It's hard to see from these poor quality snaps, but the fabric actually bled quite a lot when I washed it cold, so I wasn't really in love with it and didn't mind wasting. Now that I've seen it made up into a garment, I like it more and will definitly reuse it.
DeleteI made up one of these 70s apron dresses last year and had the same issues...so I guess that much gaping and so little shaping is normal! Mine is still languishing in my closet, but remaking it into a wrap skirt sounds like a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI remember there was a brief reappearance of apron dresses back in the '90s, but they were more fitted and had a zip, and were worn with white Ts underneath to avoid the gapage problem. I tried this apron dress with a blouse underneath - I just looked like an absentminded chef who forgot to wear trousers!
DeleteI'm new here, and what a great blog! But I too made a 70's dress very similar and had similar issues. Which led me to find that I have a narrow rib cage . So all my BA adjustments still didn't fit well,now I do a rib cage adjustment and bodices are fitting better. Not sure if that is your issue. Anyway the fabric is great and would make a great skirt too!
ReplyDeleteI actually have a larger back than front, which I learned through lots of trial and error sewing. I made my usual adjustment, but it wasn't enough. I think this pattern is going in the donation pile, and I'll show the skirt when altered!
DeleteIt's a lil bit scandalous - perfect for whipping up tasty treats in the kitchen, amiright or amiright? Sorry. I've had too much coffee before reading this. I love the fabric and what is this mystery garment you've sneakily revealed? LOVE that fabric!
ReplyDeleteThat's more shwe shwe from Botswana. I'm almost finished using up my African stash - this calls for another trip.
DeleteWe never got to see this over at TSW. I Tweeted Mena over the weekend and asked her to let the SW Contributors know what's going on with the site. She's moving house and has no internet connection. I still think a message in our inboxes would of worked a treat.
ReplyDeleteAs for your perky apron I'd wear a Tee under it or a wrap skirt it is.
Ah, I figured it was something like that (and was hoping it wasn't anything more serious). Thanks for solving the mystery.
DeleteAck, I had one of those 90s versions with the white tee underneath! Much prefer the 70s version. Too bad its cuter in theory than practice. I like the wrap skirt idea, and I agree with Meg, you could always wear it in the kitchen like an actual apron. Yeah I'm bummed that SW seems to be falling a bit to the wayside. Wish Mena had asked for our help in maintaining the site or something.
ReplyDeleteI made that pattern! It was the worst.
ReplyDeleteI just took it to the Montreal meet-up, and I believe that Heather Lou of Closet Case Files snapped it up! I should warn her......
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