ysabetwordsmith | #pocketwin: Lagenlook Aprons

While researching something else, I stumbled across lagenlook aprons. These come in nice fabrics with big pockets, and are designed to be worn over other clothes. They differ from kitchen aprons in that they are meant as fashion wear, not just for messy tasks; but they still add pockets for practicality. Alas, they are also ruinously expensive; see examples from America and England.

However, aprons are among the easiest garments to make. Even if you can't sew, you could probably make one with fabric glue or ironing tape. You just take a rectangle of fabric, taper the top if you wish, put a wide strip across the bottom and make channels to divide that into pockets, then attach a neck loop or ties and waist ties. You can actually put a lot more pockets than that, but remember weight; the more pockets you want, the heavier the fabric needs to be. For a lightweight fashion fabric like calico, one bottom row is probably plenty. With denim, you can trick it out like a carpenter's apron if you want to.

Here are some patterns so you can make your own tie-on pocket garment:

https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/make-a-no-sew-waist-apron

https://shop.mybluprint.com/sewing/article/how-to-sew-an-apron/

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2012/01/16/free-patterns-for-three-apron-styles

https://abeautifulmess.com/2018/01/sew-your-own-half-apron.html

https://weallsew.com/charming-pocket-apron/

https://www.allfreesewing.com/Aprons

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

>> Yep. And when one is buying retail fabric, one cannot compete against fast fashion, even if one has skills and a sewing machine already. <<

That depends on what you are trying beat them at. I made better looking and fitting clothes in high school. Probably before then. Cheaper? Well, maybe not cheaper to make. But if you divide the cost by number of wears, then cheaper over the life of the product. Hell, the only place I can leave a raw seam on a garment is inside a collar. Everything else is rolled or Frenched or otherwise finished.

>> And it's very hard to find good patterns that address sizing issues. (I know that the catalogs of patterns for several lines are now open source, but printing them is going to be a deal.) <<

True, but I have found that drafting isn't that hard. It's harder than making an easy pattern, but it's easier than making something fussy like a fitted blouse. It gets even easier when you look at base concepts -- there are only so many ways to make a sleeve hole or a bodice or a skirt, even if there are a zillion fashion variations on sleeves or trim. Once you have the measurements and a garment in mind, the pattern almost draws itself; it's just a little geometry and connect-the-dots.

It really depends on how good you are at finding fabric, how good you are at picking your capsule pieces, and if you've got the leisure. Also how quickly you need something and if you can borrow someone for any Two person preferable stages.

And now even 'pricey' fabrics aren't needfully very good quality, and life is too short sewing bad cloth.

The Lost Art of Dress gives an account of a woman who back in the day had such boss skills she could look at a thrift shop item, know that it was sufficient for her cut down needs, and then utterly remake the garment into something no one would guess had had a prior life.

>>It really depends on how good you are at finding fabric, how good you are at picking your capsule pieces, and if you've got the leisure. Also how quickly you need something and if you can borrow someone for any Two person preferable stages.<<

Agreed.

>> And now even 'pricey' fabrics aren't needfully very good quality, and life is too short sewing bad cloth.<<

I love the latter part as a quote. :D

I do know one reliable source for high-quality fabric, quilt shops, but expect to pay through the nose for it.

>>The Lost Art of Dress gives an account of a woman who back in the day had such boss skills she could look at a thrift shop item, know that it was sufficient for her cut down needs, and then utterly remake the garment into something no one would guess had had a prior life.<<

Impressive!

>>life is too short sewing bad cloth.<<

I love the latter part as a quote. :D

Needs to be cross-stitched in a biker/tattoo script.

Quilt shops tend not to be on bus routes. I miss when regular fabric shops could make their money turning over their stock and weren't gambling on Ladies That Power Suit Lunch buying a serger.

The book is well worth the read, that story is just one of many that should have more distribution.

#pocketwin: Lagenlook Aprons

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