Simple Smock Apron

I was whiling away my time on Pinterest t'other day (time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time, right!) when I came across this gorgeously simple sewing pattern from a Portugese blog

I mean, what's not to love! Ok, so I already have three four lovely aprons, but they're as boring as a buff envelope compared to this beauty. Which is ironic, because most of my clothes are bold and bright, and this is a very sedate, subdued colour.

So I checked the blog out, but the picture above was all the instructions they had. Then I checked my fabric stash, and of course I didn't have any charcoal linen ~ bolds and brights, remember? So I thought Oh well, never mind, I need to clean the oven anyway.

I didn't clean the oven.

I dug out a gorgeous vintage sheet and I started cutting. I tweaked the pattern, of course, and this is what I came up with.

You will need:

1 piece of 125 x 100 cm fabric
2 pieces of 50 x 15 cm fabric

Start with your large piece of fabric and hem the shorter side edges by turning over about 1cm twice. Then hem the top and bottom - turn up and pressing about 10cm, then turn under about 1cm from the cut edge, pin and hem.

Next make the straps. Fold the smaller pieces of fabric in half lengthways and sew a seam about 1.5cm from cut edge. Open out the seam and press the strap so the seam is in the centre. Turn right side out.

Mark the centre of the top edge and pin each strap 10cm either side of the centre. Sew in place.

Pin the other end of each strap to the opposite corner (see my sketch above) and sew in place. I sewed mine at an angle, as my buxom bosom caused the apron to hang at a very unflattering angle otherwise!



And that's it! Your apron is finished!

Not quite as chic as the original that I attempted to copy, and of course everything looks better on a slender Japanese model, but I love it just the same!

I hope you were able to follow these instructions, if you make one yourself I'd love to see a picture ~ why not share a photo on the Cheery Chicken Facebook page.