apron for p's granny

i made this wrap around apron today! i know, it's not flattering at all! it's for p's granny who's turning 90 this week. i posted before about planning to make this, i checked again with p's mum and she thinks granny wouldn't fancy velcro (i thought it might be easier for her arthritic hands to have velcro fastenings, but she's still managing fine with the strings) so i went for the classic strings.



i'm modeling it here (excuse the blurry pics, p took them and he's not used to taking pictures) and it's too wide around the shoulders and too tight around the hips, which should make it a perfect size 12... to make the pattern i put granny's old apron on a sheet of newspaper and traced around the back and the front, good job there weren't any darts... i noted where there would be bias tape and where seams and hems, and i measured the length and noted that as well (it's about a meter long, although this one is only about 93 cm because i didn't have enough fabric). i still managed to forget to add the side seam allowance when i cut the fabrics, so it's smaller than her old apron, hope it'll fit!)



the fabric is cotton 'yarn dyed' westfalenstoff, bought in germany. the bias tape and the pocket are made from a pale green cotton. i made the tape with a clover bias tape maker, the 18mm one. i used one fat quarter and got over 6m bias tape! that was a bit much but i'm sure i'll find a use for it. (i'm thinking of getting some plain tea towels and put some applique on them, in the same fabrics, or maybe i'll make pot holders). i did the 'continuous bias tape' method and i was nearly sure i was getting it all right without looking at the instructions when i discovered i sewed it together the wrong way and was going to get 8 circles of bias tape instead of one continuous length of bias tape, but i realised just before i was going to cut.

the armholes and the neck and crossover parts are done with bias tape, i wonder did i stretch the fabric a bit while i was sewing because i think it's a little wavy.

anyhow, i like the result, not sure if it is because it reminds me of my own granny who died when i was 14 or because it's actually nice. it's not figure enhancing or anything, but that's not high on p's granny's agenda, she just wanted a new wrap around apron and couldn't find one in the shops. her last one is navy with white daisies printed on it, and some of the daisies have worn off completely at this point, it didn't wear very well. this one hopefully will!

p's granny lives on a farm, she had 10 children (so did his other (maternal) granny by the way) and she used to cook over an open fire when she was younger. last year we were a bit worried about her, but since she got her new hip this year she's very chipper again and up to date on politics and everything. she still bakes her own soda bread, she likes to keep doing everything she can and says that's what kept her fit for so long. i've tried many times to get her soda bread recipe off her but she does it without any measurements, a good amount of flour, some soda and salt, buttermilk and also normal milk...

hmmm a bowl of greek-yoghurt-and-honey ice cream appeared in front of me... must stop writing, must eat!