The Flower Pot Apron

With “National Tie One On Day” approaching I thought I should make an apron. I bet you’re wondering what “National Tie One On Day” is. It is celebrated the day before Thanksgiving every year. To celebrate this odd little day, people are encouraged to give someone a new apron and a baked good wrapped in the apron.

I chose this vintage pattern that belonged to Grandma Doris. I could tell the pattern was from the 1940’s from the graphics on the front, but would have to do more research to find out the specifics about it. I paired this pink, reproduction flour sack fabric with some very old rick rack from Grandma’s stash. I do love rick rack!

I decided for this “National Tie One On Day”, I would raffle this apron off, with the proceeds to go to my Aunt Carol’s Memorial Scholarship. For fun, here’s a picture of my Aunt Carol, and little me, horsing around in the driveway.

I opened up this pattern envelope to get the pieces out of it, and make sure they were all still there and saw that this pattern was very different from others that I have sewn. The pattern was marked with holes rather than printed instructions.

This pattern is an Advance pattern. They were in business between 1933 to 1966. Advance patterns were sold exclusivly at JC Penney.

Typically there are illustrations for each step in a pattern. This one, however, had only a few illustrations and the rest was written instructions.

I also took notice of this. The Bureau of Standard of the U.S. Department of Commerce was created in 1901. Their purpose was to make sure everyone was using the same standards of measurements. This didn’t just apply to the fashion industry but all domestic measurements and standards. They still exist today but under a different name. In 1988, they changed their name to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

It reminded me though that during the 1940’s and WWII the US government encouraged the fashion industry, and pattern makers to keep fashions as simple as possible. The government wanted clothing items to use less resources, and to be something that could be used for many years. Between 1939, the beginning of WWII and 1945, patterns had only minor variations. Things stayed in fashion longer, therefore the wearer could be in fashion all while doing their patriotic duty of using limited resources, so they could be diverted for the war.

Because of limited resources caused by the great depression, and then WWII, women began to utilize flour and feed sacks for clothing. Those items were all packaged in fabric back then. The flour and feed sack companies caught on and started printing flowers and designs onto their packaging to make their product more desirable.

Here is an example of a feed sack being reused as something else. This is a bed pillow that I found at Grandma’s house! Now I’m not sure who made it, Grandma Doris, or someone else, but I do love it! I come from some of the original upcyclers!

Back to the sew! The pattern pieces are blank tissue paper. I was really going to have to pay attention!

Each piece was marked with a perforated letter.

All of the pieces were present, so I decided to get to work on View 2, the flower pot apron.

I pinned the pieces paying careful attention to each piece. I could only tell by the holes in the pattern whether the pieces needed to be cut on the fold of the fabric or not.

I began to sew it together. The first pieces which were the apron front were to be sewn together using french seams. Good thing I knew what that meant! You first sew the seams together with the wrong sides together.

You then fold it over and sew it again so there are no raw edges exposed. Pretty fancy for an apron!

I then carefully measured and pinned my rick rack into place.

All pinned and ready to sew!

Slowly sewing on the rick rack.

I then sewed the rick rack onto the pockets.

I then pinned the pockets into place. Notice their flower pot shape, must be why the apron is named the way it is.

I then began piecing the apron bodice together.

While sewing this apron I thought about the pattern a lot! Some old patterns have the copyright date printed on them. Others are a mystery. I decided to research this pattern a little harder and jackpot!

Here is the “Fashion News” Advance Pattern book from May of 1945. On page “7” is the Flower Pot apron. I decided to post all of the pictures from this old pattern book. You really get a feel for the fashion and times that this pattern came from.

Here it is, in the bottom left corner! “At Home Charm”, indeed!

Here is the finished project! My version of the “Flower Pot Apron”, ready to be raffled!

I will be drawing the winning ticket Tuesday, November 22, 2022. If you live near me and win, you could have this beautiful apron in time for “National Tie One On Day”, to give away with a baked good, OR to keep for yourself and dazzle everyone on Thanksgiving Day!

If you win and I have to mail it, sorry that you won’t get it in time for “National Tie One On Day”, or Thanksgiving, BUT it would make the perfect Christmas gift for that hard to shop for person. You can of course, keep it for yourself and dazzle everyone at Christmas dinner!

Who wouldn’t want this cute apron made from an original 1945 pattern? It looks great for being a style that is 77 years old!

Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5. You can Venmo me, or catch me in person.

With a little luck you could be the owner of a “sewingwithgrandma.com” original!

It is, after all for a good cause. The Carol Ankele Glenn Memorial Scholarship has been helping kids reach their college goals for several years. As her family, we all like to do a little good in the world in her name.

You can be part of it too!

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance if you decide to participate in this raffle!

As for me, onto the next!

(And good luck to you all!)