How to make a recycled shirt apron inspired by the book Sewing Vintage Aprons

Today I have a fun recycling project to share with you inspired by the wonderful book Sewing Vintage Aprons: Classic Aprons for Today's Lifestyle. I also have the pleasure of being included in the book! (Well, a little story from my childhood about a fun apron experience in my grandmother's kitchen.) If you like aprons, good stories and recipes then I bet you will love Sewing Vintage Aprons: Classic Aprons for Today's Lifestyle. And since it's Wednesday, that means it's today's giveaway book!

Leave a fun apron, cooking, or kitchen comment in today's post by Midnight Wednesday September 7th, 2011 and you are in the running for a copy of Sewing Vintage Aprons: Classic Aprons for Today's Lifestyle.

This is the full apron I made from a shirt and a half apron.

I had scored 2 half aprons hand made by an older lady that were donated to a clothing swap. I don't wear half aprons so I flipped through Sewing Vintage Aprons: Classic Aprons for Today's Lifestyle and it occurred to me that I had a few shirts that I could repurpose into the top half of an apron, one of which had already been cut and altered into a halter style top. Perfect!

All I had to do was stitch the shirt to the waistband of the apron and trim off the excess shirt.

One other alteration I made was I felt that the apron was a tad too long but I didn't want to lose the cool ric rack hem so I hemmed it above the ric rack trim.

Here is a close up of how I used my cutting board grid to fold the hem up. I could see the grid through the fabric so it was so easy to keep the hem the right length!

I'll keep you posted on how the other apron gets a top half when I figure that one out! But in the meantime, check out:

Sewing Vintage Aprons: Classic Aprons for Today's Lifestyle

by

Denise Clason

For decades, smart stylish women have worn different aprons to suit their various needs. They are a must-have in the kitchen and elsewhere. This book brings new life to vintage styled aprons that women of today will find irresistible.

Denise Clason has been an artist/designer for over 35 years. Her designs have been published and licensed in the craft, decorative painting, sewing, and quilting industries. She is the author of 8 books.

Comments

[melissa]

That's a great idea! I wear aprons all the time and have been lucky to have friends that have given me several over the years-like you tho, I don't wear half aprons. I'm rather short and seem to get more on the top part of me than the bottom! I can't wait to dig my stash out now and give this a whirl!
Thanks!

[Aimee]

I still have the little red polka dot apron my mom made me to help her in the kitchen when I was two or three. She used white rick rack to edge the apron and added three off center rick rack stripes. It is tiny! I wish I had a full-size version.

[Denise]

Great looking apron Stefanie! Love how you altered the shirt to make the top so cute! Thanks for the book review, too!

I found a great looking summer dress to convert into an apron, just by opening up the back, it already has the ties and the front really looks like an apron already!

hugs,
Denise

[Carah Kristel]

Hooray for aprons!

[Lynda Taylor]

I remember the first thing we ever made in sewing class.
A gingham apron.
Mine was yellow with ric rac trim.
We also had to embroider our names on them!
I should wear an apron more often, I quite often spill on me but usually the top half.lol.

[Suella]

A great example of an Eco garment, keeping two thinks our of the landfill and inspiring us all. Old shirts have such a wonderful amount of fabric. I have a stash,as yet unused.

[Sandi]

What a great idea. I have aprons hanging all over my kitchen. Can never have too many as far as I am concerned.

[Debbie Boswell]

I love vintage aprons, cute idea with the shirt for the top of the apron. Just made aprons for the crew at my church that cooks for Wed nite meals, we are so cute in our matching aprons

[Loraine]

I still have the first apron I made in school. It was made out of gingham with cross stitch added.

[Linda Harbin (MidwestieLady)]

I love aprons and how popular they have become. I really like the idea of using a blouse for the top of a half apron! I make denim aprons from recycled jeans and handpaint them with animals and kitchen designs.

[Kristen]

Such a great idea to re-use clothes. My mom turned a skirt that we bought at a thrift store into the skirt of an apron.

[Janice]

My grandmothers all wore aprons as do I when baking. When my daughter took a cooking class in high school years ago, she had to have a butcher's apron with her name on it. There was no way she was going to have a boring apron so we painted the top half! She heard a lot of comments about it each time she wore it.

[Becky Stancill]

I live and breathe aprons! This book looks wonderful. Thanks for the chance to win.

I especially appreciate what you did with your shirt and apron - upcycling is one of the best ideas ever!

[Char]

I made my first apron in 4-H. It was blue with chickens and eggs on it and I LOVED it!

[Laura/Readerwoman]

I make aprons for my daughter out of vintage clothing - she is a floral designer and wears the aprons at her shop! I LOVE the creativity in making aprons, and the simplicity and ease in creating them. Would love to win this book and "ramp up" my apron collection!

[Kristi]

I love aprons for about every project. I have a funny kitchen comment about two young girls making brownies from scratch...The girls got to the part about egg whites, they didn't understand what egg whites were-and they didn't ask-a few minutes later they asked Mom why they couldn't get the egg whites into the batter correctly---they used the white egg shells, lol.

[Luvenia Jenkins]

Im wear aprons all the time, no halfs for me, either! I also make aprons out of cotton tea towels. I have made app. 150! Given most away to friends and family! Would love the book!

[Sherry J.]

I make aprons for gifts all the time and have a small collection of vintage aprons. would love to have this book. thanks.

[Angela Flickema]

I cannot believe how many women, or men have never seen anyone use an apron. I appreciate your styling and feel the thrill of getting down to serious work in the kitchen once I don my 'princess of the kitchen' apron. Sometimes I wear my tiara too! Hope to win the book. Love your blog.

[MelodyJ]

I'm getting better at planning meals and finding new recipes.

melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com

[turtle]

i love the altered apron you made! My mother in law is not overly crafty but wants to be. She has a great apron pattern she made up years ago that uses exactly one yard fabric. She loves it when i hand her a yard and ask her to make me a new one, it makes her feel needed. (and i do love her aprons!) I wear one daily it seems! Right now one is waiting to be washed from the three salsas i was canning yesterday. One today will need to be washed i am sure after the major blueberry and blackberry picking that must be done! :)

[Anne Louise Mizoguchi]

I love the few aprons I have that my Grandmother, who I never knew, made. They are my only material connection to her. I make aprons as gifts for friends and they are aleays appreciated.

[Diane Offerman]

My grandmother was never without an apron. I have one of her patterns that she used repeatedly. When my two granddaughters were playing house one day, they came running to me and asked if I had any of those "kitchen things". I asked what they meant and they informed me about those kitchen things that you wear when you are working in the kitchen. And indeed I did.

[Lori Bradley]

That's really great. I wouldn't have thought of using a shirt like that. Thanks for sharing!

[Joanna]

In grammar school I was in a play for the holidays, and my mother had to make my costume, which was an apron made with Christmas fabric and a little ribbon with jingle bells handing form the waist. I still have the apron.