An Apron you can make from a Summer Skirt.
The attractive little apron illustrated on this page has been made with the expenditure of very little time and trouble, from a straight-gathered cotton voile skirt.
The simple gathered full type of skirt has been very popular for the summer frock during the last two or three years, and when this has lost its freshness for dress wear, the material will often be found to be in quite good enough condition to turn to account in the manner suggested.
At the top of the page the skirt is shown before its transformation; the two lower figures give the front and back views of the apron when finished, and you will see that it is quite a becoming little garment of the fashionable button-on-the-shoulder style, with straps crossing at the back.
To make the apron, first take your skirt and rip the gathers away from the band at the top, measure 30 inches from the centre front of the skirt folded together, and cut away the extra fulness from the back. The larger portion you have then forms the apron. If the skirt you are using happens to be one that fastens with a seam at the centre front, it will be best to use the back of the skirt for the centre front of the apron, to avoid a seam down the centre.
The Gathered Skirt which was used for the making of the Apron.
The back and front views of the finished Apron.
Unless the skirt is a very short one, you will find it will be quite long enough without making any alteration in the hem, but as most skirts have a fairly deep hem, it would be quite possible to let this down if necessary.
To form the curved sides for the under-arm, measure 12 inches along the top edge from the centre front, and cut a half-circle 7 inches deep and 12 inches across in each side of the apron.
Now take the piece you cut away from the back of the skirt, and from this cut a straight double strip 12 inches long and 4 inches deep for the front yoke band, and two further double strips each 17 inches long and 4 inches wide for the shoulder straps. Mitre one end of each of the shoulder straps and slant the other ends, taking 2 inches off the length for the outer edge of the strap. If your skirt should not be full enough to give sufficient material for the double straps, they could quite well be lined with some other material, or could even be made a little narrower.
Finish the back edges of the apron with narrow hems, also the armholes. Gather the front and place between the double yoke band. The backs are also gathered and placed between the slanting ends of the shoulder straps, putting the shortest part of the strap towards the back.
Cross the straps at the back of the apron, and fasten the mitred ends to the yoke band with buttons and buttonholes. Your little apron is then complete.
SPINNING WITH A DISTAFF IN BRITTANY.
Photo by
M. Parsons.