As part of my Dirty Dozen largesse donation, I wanted to include some simple aprons for those who would rather not have gathered and smocked styles. For one in particular, Pieter Bruegel was my source of inspiration. I remember looking at his painting Peasant Wedding (1567) before and thinking that in addition to my favorite method of string + linen square = Apron, the child in the lower corner has another possible set up.
I think that this close up of the child’s waist could be interpreted two ways. Method A, in which you have a band of trim, or straight grain tape across the top, and the top of the apron rectangle is sewn to that, with the corners left loose (just like this one at Mylla’s Musings). This seems to be quite popular reenactors at the moment.
Or you have Method B, which is what I first thought the painting of the Bruegel child must be depicting. Looking at it again though, I think that it is possible for it to be either method. I figured I’d give method B a try, and add the result to my Dirty Dozen entry.
Rolled Hem, mostly just because I was in a hem rolling mood.
Picking up itty bitty stitches, using pulled thread.
A finished corner. I admit, I am trying to show off my new itty bitty hem making skills here.
I have been on something of a perfectly straight seams kick lately, particularly when the fabric allows for pulling threads like this one. I use the needle to pick up a single thread wherever I plan to cut the fabric.
Pulling the thread out all the way.
After pulling the thread out, you are left with a perfectly straight line to cut along.
I like to save the threads when I have a colored fabric, so I can sew with them, and match the fabric color exactly. Some fabric’s threads are too weak for this, but this pink/red linen had nicely usable threads.
There’s no major reason to seam the fabric along an angle like this, since it isn’t bias cut trim, but I think that the ends of my strips were angled, so I sewed them together angled anyways.
Some quick whip stitching to attach the apron string seams.
I often like to iron things like this before sewing, it makes it easier to just concentrate on stitching.
Making apron strings! It looks like the result is thin, but it’s still quite strong. Should do fine for holding an apron tightly about the waist.
Of course, I couldn’t find my wide awl when I needed it, so I had to improvise with a smaller one, and various paintbrush handles to help widen the eyelet hole.
Once it looked wide enough to take the apron string, I whip stitched around the inside to keep it open.
Then I made another one on the other side.
Now, if I had been clever, you would see the completed apron here, preferably being displayed in action on a body. But I did not get such a picture, so here it us among the other Dirty Dozen aprons, toward the farther end.
