Apron times two

As my last post of the year, I wanted to share the two aprons I made for my youngest's daycare teachers. Both were based on this vintage pattern, though I made enough changes to the first apron that it's virtually unrecognizable as the same style:

The apron on the left (in my photo and on the pattern) is a simple design--one piece, cut on the fold.  The only sewn seams are at the shoulders (not counting hem and finishing).  It was pretty boxy and straight, so I slashed and spread at the armholes to make it more "pear-shaped".  The back button tab was shaped to make it more interesting and I added a waist tie.

Linen seriously wrinkles!  Closeup of the button tab and buttons:

The neck and armholes were finished with matching bias binding (I'll have to write another post extolling bias tape makers) and a contrasting fabric facing for the back openings.

After trying the apron on my husband (while clearly not the same shape or size as the teachers, I needed a model bigger than myself!), it seemed as though the chest area might be a bit tight.  I added a panel of fabric and shirred it for more wearable give.  In the end, I love the effect!

The fabric is a sweet Japanese import, of linen/cotton blend.

The pattern for the second apron was followed exactly, using another Japanese import of medium-weight cotton fabric.  The waist ties are sewn into the front darts, which makes the unlined inside more clean-looking.

It's pretty scary making apparel for non-children-type people, so even though these are unfitted aprons, I'm a little anxious about how they fit!

I'm excited for the upcoming year.  I'll be embarking on a new and challenging sewing adventure, which I'll share soon.  At the same time, I'm going to be working at my "regular" job more than ever, so we'll see how it all shakes out!  Happy New Year!