The Picking Apron

“When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.”~Vietnamese Proverb

With Christmas behind me I wasn’t quite sure what to sew next. Then, a friend had a tangerine tree, and said we could pick as many as we wanted. So off tangerine picking we went. I soon realized what I needed, and what would be my next sew. I needed an apron with big pockets! Every summer when our peach tree is producing, I always think that need a “picking apron”, but never get around to making it. The tangerines made me remember, so off to my sewing room I went!

I decided on this pattern from 1956. The pockets on View 1 looked like they could hold a lot. I chose this fabric that I have had in my stash for a while. It’s very old, I’m guessing from the 1940’s, and was once a homemade curtain panel. It’s very thin, so it would make a great picking apron. Next, I picked out some rick rack because I wasn’t sure if I would do a variation of the apron by using some pieces from View 1, and some from View 2.

As you can see by the back of the pattern envelope, those are some pretty small measurements. This pattern is a small, which means it fits a 24-25 inch waist. Spoiler alert, that’s not me! So I would have to adjust this pattern for sure.

Laying out the front and back of the apron skirt. Since the fabric was an old panel, I didn’t have two layers of fabric to cut through, which would give you the two pieces needed for the skirt. I pinned and cut this first piece, then turned the pattern piece with it’s wrong side up. This gave me the mirror image for the second piece I needed.

Pinning the upper front of the apron onto a piece that I folded.

I decided to use the collar back of View 2, so it would slip over my head instead of having a fitted back. This would give me less to alter because of the pattern’s small size.

Time to cut the big pocket panel.

Sewing on the bias tape that goes around the inside neck edge.

I then sewed bias tape around the outer edge of the apron bodice.

Bias tape flipped to the front, time to stitch it down.

I then had to put bias tape around the pocket edge.

The unfinished edge of the pocket got pinned to the bottom of the apron, then I basted it into place.

Here’s where things went off the rails. I needed a bigger waist band so I just made my own! I attached the bodice in the center of the waist band/tie. I then gathered the apron skirt and pinned it into place on the waist band. Once it was sewn I hemmed the apron.

Then she was complete! The pockets are big enough to hold lots of fruit when its picking time!

The back worked out with the altered neck.

I’ll be ready for the next fruit tree that needs picking, or whatever vegetable that grows in my garden this year! I adore the fabric. I’ve held onto it a long time, so I’m glad that I got it put it to use!

Wondering what happened to all the tangerines? Well I share them with family and my neighbors! I ate a bunch and, because I didn’t want them to go to waste, I canned them!

I’ll be enjoying tangerines for a while!

Soon, I think I’ll need a baking apron. I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve decided to sew kitchen towels onto the waist band on both sides! I hate looking for the kitchen towel while doing lots of baking. That won’t be my next project, but it’s going on the list!

As for me, onto the next!