Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Giving in?


Lately I have had such trouble with modern patterns.  The ruffles aren't full enough.  Hems are cut too low.  Special details mean a flower pin?  I spent time researching retro patterns or remakes and became even more frustrated with the amount of paper and ink it took to print them out.  So I gave in and went to my favorite internet vintage shop...Etsy.


Clearly I did not stumble on these at an estate sale but they are amazingly gorgeous and wonderfully cared for.  I am in awe of not only the packaging but also what I can make with the tissue paper inside.


Can't decide what I like best about this pattern because it is all so genius to me.  The front of this pattern speaks so perfectly the 1950's era of Housewife sophistication.


This one just screams me...gingham and covered buttons.  Stitching pattern enclosed.  Just try to hold me back from making this in every color of gingham I can get my hands on.


Sample pattern?  This one is in a larger envelope than the others and has very little printing on it.  Short of the pen marking on the ladies curls.  This is obviously a hostess apron for those women who hang out around the cosmetics counter at the department store.


Oh and then there was this one...pang went my heart strings.  A button off cobbler apron. ( See here is the problem.  They make these cute covers and then I want them just like they are drawn.  In that sweet fabric!)  How could you not want to clean in this?  Why oh why did we switch from these to sweats?  Giving in might have been the best idea I have had all week...

15 comments:

Jane said...

Such cute apron patterns! I remember one of my (thrifty) aunts making two aprons from an old pink gingham dress. She used the puffed sleeves to make pockets for the aprons. I thought that was so clever! Wish I had those aprons now - even one of them!
Jane-Jacksonville

Kathy said...

Oh! Gorgeous! Advanced? Really? I own one Advanced pattern from the 1950s and THERE IS NO PRINTING ON THE TISSUE! Argh! You just have to be smart enough to figure out which piece is which and what direction the grain should go and, and... oh my. Those women knew their craft.

Into Vintage said...

I love that the aprons are far more interesting and elaborate than the outfits the models on the pattern envelopes are wearing. It looks so ... glamorous(!) to be wearing an apron. :-)

Nan said...

I found out I love the Advance patterns they are the best and I actually never sewed with them until lately.

Musings from Kim K. said...

Such a fun collection. The images are just divine.

PS. I tucked another vintage apron pattern in the mail for you yesterday after work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed you don't have it already. The apron styles reminded me of you so much. Lots of gorgeous ruffles.

retrorevival.biz said...

Boo hiss to sweats! It's so much more fun to flit about the house doing chores when wearing something like a sweet apron! Looking forward to seeing what you create with these patterns:)

~Cindy

Laura said...

We love those apron patterns, they bring back memories! So far we only made two, one each. We are still amatures when it comes to sewing, but we love it. Maybe you should check http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome for fabric.

Scrap for Joy said...

You totally amaze me Renee! You blog almost daily, you Pin, you sew and you have kid's activities...how do you do it all? I have just been catching up with your posts this morning. I love your new apron...Sara's cards are amazing and I have a few but now her fabric is so charming and the apron you made is great! These new patterns are aprons that I remember of my Mom's. She sewed almost all of her clothes (and even went on to learn millinery)and she made a new apron for all of her hostessing events. I remember the black tulle apron with a huge poinsettia on the pocket. Where are those aprons? I have no idea but I wish I had them! If you go to this blog post of mine and scroll down...you'll see a journal I created last year using the image from the last pattern you showed.
http://scrapforjoy.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-quick-postreally.html
I have a nice collection of aprons but they're all newer. I love to come here and visit!
xoxo
Joyce

GardenOfDaisies said...

How fun! I hear and understand that frustration with modern patterns. If I wanted to draw or print it myself, I would have designed it myself. When I buy a pattern, I want a REAL pattern that I can pin to the fabric and cut out. Sigh. Anyway, these are such great finds and I can't wait to see how you make them come to life!

Diane Mars said...

I think a great seamstress like yourself just had to bite the bullet and purchase some good Vintage patterns, I cannot wait to see the magic you use in re-creating these wonderful aprons~ Good Luck! Hugs & Kisses, Diane

Mecky said...

I love old apron patterns and have been collecting them for years. I have the one with the pink flowers and want to make it. I haven't yet.
Back when i started collecting then, they would be a dollar at the antique shops. Not anymore!!!

Hearts Turned said...

Oh, so fabulous, Renee! I LOVE the graphics on these beauties--can't wait to see what you create with them!

And, I'm with you...why did we switch to sweats? We've lost so much glamour, haven't we?

Thanks for sharing, my friend...would LOVE to copy that first pattern front, if you don't mind!

Hope your day is wonderful...

Julie

PNW Quilts said...

my mom was in an apron from morning till night! she made aprons a fashion statement! thank you so much for sharing these little treasures and the memories they have given me! indeed, i will have to make my own aprons for my granddaughter's to remember me in and the story of their greatgramma! `xo`

donna said...

Love your finds on etsy. Your apron patterns are so cute. I have been looking for vintage apron patterns too. But always seen to forget about etsy. Your aprons always turn out so cute. I can not wait to see what fabrics you are going to use.
Hugs
donna

Barbara said...

I've collected a lot of vintage apron patterns, and I've never seen a single one of these. It's amazing how much variety there was! p.s. Saw your comment on Sarah's blog about Lutheran confirmation classes - I spent every Saturday for three years at confirmation and was pretty jealous when my kids went once a month. It is a l-o-n-g haul.