Ever since Helen’s Closet released the apron expansion for the York Pinafore, I’d been meaning to make one. Four years later, I’ve finally made not one, but two! But neither of them are for me. This post features my mum and sister with matching York aprons!
I got this lovely Rifle Paper Co. canvas from someone in a fabric swap at Patch, as well as a smaller cut of the same canvas print in the darker colourway. I was going to make an apron for myself out of that at the same time as these ones, but there wasn’t enough so I had to order a little bit extra to supplement what I had. My apron will happen later! I had juuuuust enough of this fabric to make these two aprons for my mum and sister. I had to piece a little bit to get the second apron out, but I used a French seam and with the nature of this print, it’s not visible whatsoever. Can you tell which apron has the extra seam from these photos? It’s very satisfying to be using fabric I got for free from a swap AND being able to use up virtually all of it. The only thing I had to purchase was the bias tape to finish the edges!
I had traced off three different sizes when I was getting organized for these two plus my own future apron, since we were three different (but consecutive) sizes in the sizing chart. But after having tried on these two, I am just going to make the same size for myself as my mum is wearing. With the open back, the difference between two adjacent sizes is not dramatic enough for me to bother keeping three different traced off sizes in my pattern envelope. I think for my own I will also do the lower neckline option. These aprons feature the higher of the two neckline options and they look great, but for myself I think I would prefer it to be a bit lower.
The apron expansion features two extra pocket options, and I used the one that features two pockets instead of one long pocket. They’re very roomy, as you can see below! Lots of room for gardening tools or cooking implements. Or snacks! You can also see the bias tape finishing in the last photo below. Sewing this was very funny because the apron feels like a giant mobius strip – the bias tape edge is completely continuous! It’s satisfying because you only have to join your bias ends once, and then just sew a really big loop.
These aprons were a very satisfying project to whip up, and the recipients were surprised and very pleased to receive them last night! I think this pattern expansion is awesome, and I’m excited to make myself one. Halter aprons always made my neck tired, so the crossback will be great for me. I think this is a good pattern to make for a gift as well, because the fitting doesn’t have to be as precise with the open back, and it’s a pretty quick and simple sew!
