Emmeline Apron by Meg McElwee

Back in July, I wrote about designer McElwee and The Sew Liberated-Apron. Since it is Friday and a day for finishing up projects, thought I would show how the apron and pocket project turned out. So here is a picture (too bad there is no cute young girl around to model it).

It is reversible, and each side has this a pocket made from a vintage apron, transfers, and embroidery.

A few of the steps on the embroidering of the flapper girl pocket are shown in the photo below and previously written up here.

Coloring with crayons on fabrice is a neat and easy concept. The idea was blatantly copied from giggleface studios for all steps of the Flapper Girl face.

The apron has a flattering fit over both the bodice and hips, and I'm wearing it today over crop pants.

Aprons - Making and Collecting Aprons

Aprons, especially vintage ones, have been on my radar for a few months. Not only are they making a comeback in style, but they are also making big impressions on bloggers. In a brief Google blog search, I found more than a dozen women who blog JUST ABOUT APRONS.

A brief history of the apron is given in Alana's blog:

The word “apron” actually originated from the word “naperon” which is a French word for a napkin or small tablecloth. And, some of you may be surprised to find that the apron did not start off as a piece of apparel worn singularly by women. Instead, aprons were mainly worn by men when they were first invented. ... men wore the apron while completing work in such professions as: blacksmiths, farmers and gardeners, fishmongers, meat and wood carvers, furniture makers, leather smiths, cobblers, tailors, jewelers, metal forgers, clock makers, barbers, and stonemasons to name just a few.

A few weeks ago, another post can be read here about Meg McElwee's figure flattering Sew Liberated Emmeline Apron. That project is almost completed, and I'm having fun putting the clever bodice together (it features three coordinating fabrics).

For your reading pleasure, here are a few fun blogs about aprons. They all have excellent graphics:

HER TIMES and Betty Ninja and Apron A Day and Flapper Girl Creations and Craft Chi and Lulus Vintage and Fuse Action and Rick Rack Attack and Tie One On and The Apronista (she is sponsoring two apron swaps for your participation) and Textiles and Quilts, which is especially for tips about collecting vintage aprons

For a quick pattern to make your own apron from one yard of fabric, visit: One Yard Apron.

Whew! On the right is a picture of a darling apron I purchased yesterday at the Farmers' Market in Palisade, Colorado.

It is similar to a wrap-around dress that goes over your head, made by Shelle Kareus and sold by her and her husband's business, the Uintah Trading Company.

Shelle and her husband are shown above with some of her aprons.

Don't you love it that Roy is a furniture maker and is wearing a catchy turquoise and red apron?

Leave me a comment and I will give you a contact telephone number if you would like to purchase one of Shelle's several types of delightful, hand sewn aprons.

Sew Liberated Apron

SewLiberated has this darling apron pattern for sale on the internet. It is named the "Emmeline" pattern.

It shows a high waisted, longer shift that goes great with jeans as a savvy sort of jacket. This flattering pattern is easy to sew, attractive to wear, and will brighten up an outfit and make wearing jeans a little dressier. Conversation will follow just by wearing it.

These are three coordinating fabrics I am going to use when making this apron:

Pictured above is the face of a Roaring 20's woman that will be one of the pockets to be added to the apron front. You can read about how this vintage pocket was hand colored with crayons and watercolor pencils and coordinating embroidery, here in a previous post.

Meg McElwee, the designer of this pattern, was interviewed on the podcast CraftSanity (catch it on a download from iTunes). Ms. McElwee was the featured guest on June 17, 2008 . McElwee is a Mexican expatriate and a current Montessori teacher. She has an interesting story about her designing efforts and how she started in the textile business. The podcast has some fun coversation about women wearing their liberation in a way that is both catchy, yet homespun. It is well worth a listen.

In the June podcast interview, Meg said that one of her readers' ironic comments was that the only bad thing about wearing her Emmeline apron was that her husband was constantly chasing her around the house (she must have looked so-oooooo cute).

Wearing aprons outside the home is going to be the next old-to-new trend, count on it. Wearing new styled aprons will say "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar" in a big way, while at the same time being ultra feminine.

Meg's blog "Sew Liberated" can be accessed here. Ready-made aprons can also be purchased on her website, if you are not one to sew. She will be moving to North Carolina this summer, and will have further independent sewing design patterns in the future.