spring cleaning....time for new aprons

~It is nearing spring here in Austin(even though we had snow this week!???!)and much to my utter delight, I have been working on a sleuth of new aprons for custom orders. I love aprons; for their utilitarian properties, as well as their capacity to evoke memories of comfort. Historically, aprons bring to my mind images of tender pie crusts and caring calloused hands. Personally, it is all about my Nanny's buttery wedding candies; stealthily slipped off the table by tiny paws, and a big bright yellow head of big bird cake she made for my 6Th birthday.


....But no frock, skirt, frilly blouse or gown makes me feel more feminine, and out-of-this-era than I do wearing one of my aprons ...
byMarcy Goldman from THE STRING THAT TIE, A SHORT TALE OF APRONS




Back in in early December, I had a bulk order of four aprons, for a salon. I had already, been trying to come up with an apron design that is simple yet not generic that I could make at a lower price than my standard bib apron. I came up with a designed based loosely on your basic butcher style apron. I had had a few request for fuller bibs and longer hems last summer and had worked maybe 5 or 6 aprons in the same manner (meticulously) as my classic bib aprons but offered more coverage all around. The salon order gave me the perfect opportunity to simplify the process and much to my amazement I came up with a pattern that satisfied me. I felt like I could make 2 of these aprons in the time it took me to make one of the others. I also felt the new design was even more user friendly yet still had all the quirks of an original belle and burger design.
Of course during the frenzy that is the hollydaze and the added obstacle of relocating our nest I was unable to post ore even photograph the salon aprons. I also made a few more undocumented versions the week of Christmas for a friend as a last minute gift. So needless to say I am thrilled to finally be able to share this pattern after six aprons have gone away, lost in my subconscious( I, as have claimed before, have a terrible memory)


~This is my classic bib style apron. I started with this apron because I wanted to compare the make time with the new design.( which turns out was even more than I thought) Also I wanted to really pour over an apron to get my feet wet so to speak. I had not made one of these designs since the summer, so I felt a bit deprived and really
The bib applique was actually made during my fabric scrap collage tutorial. the bottom layer is a cotton (linen like) material with a shear cotton vintage fabric attached ( the floral). The vintage buttons are decorative and the tie can go in the front or back. It has some beautiful details with vintage materials. This apron is the only one of these three that is still available. I will post it in my shop , in the next day or so. If anyone is interested you can send me and email or leave me a comment with your contact info.



~This is the pattern I designed for the salon job. And it was the choice for my "dear friend" apron client. The first step is to create yardage from scraps. I absolutely love doing this; I just pull out the boxes of scraps and start hunting. I build a pile of scraps that I would like to see as a yard of fabric and then I put them all together.(insert up and coming tutorial here) then I find a backing fabric that will be all one piece and compliment the patchwork( often times recycled linens) This double sided apron consists of a front panel cut from patchwork made from vintage and new fabrics all in purples and greens. The pocket is in the shape of a heart and cut from a lovely vintage scrap. The back panel is made from recycled ticking(love). Putting all these fabrics together gives this soft sweet apron a french country feel of . It is all cotton fabricand mostly vintage and recycled. It ties in the front or back.

~The gold bird apron is the first in a series of 4 custom works ; The goddess aprons. In this version of my new pattern the front panel is still a patchwork of fabrics but I am more deliberate in assembling the panel.The bib has beautiful vintage kerchief appliqued to a patchwork bib . The bottom center is the linen like cotton natural that was on the first apron. It has gold fabric on both sides that helps create a lovely silhouette.The pocket features an appliqued bird from a shear cotton vintage fabric. the bird is almost like stain glass. The back panel is yellow and cream and white printed fabric reminiscent of a quilt design.This apron can tie in the front or behind. I think it is quite a treasure the way the fabrics came together. The vintage pieces are accented and echoed by the new fabrics that I combined with them.

~I still have three more partials in the goddess series I will share those and the details of this interesting apron order in a later post. Until then, have fun spring cleaning and may we all be happy making our nests.