Category Archives: In The Making Aprons

New colour for No4:5!

The No4:5 crossback split leg apron now comes in a glorious dusty terracotta/red colour canvas – first of a set of new aprons coming to the shop over the next couple of months. Designed for potters, artists and makers, the split skirt allows plenty of movement, whilst ensuring each leg is perfectly covered when sitting at the wheel or work bench. The easy-fit cross strap design means no ties around the neck, or dangly ties coming undone when your hands are covered in ‘muckiness’, and there are two good size pockets for tools, bits and bobs.

I also added a bit of new info to each listing, explaining the value of “a good work apron lasts many years longer than normal clothes. They retain their designed purpose and functionality, and also represent a special creative connection for the wearer”.

in.themaking.uk shop • etsy.com/uk/shop/InTheMakingAprons • folksy.com/shops/adoglikesparky

Kit Bag Boro

The newest addition to my ‘Boro Collection’ The Kit Bag 002, it’s not an apron!!

I’m very economic with apron layouts trying really hard not to waste fabric, only throwing away the smallest slivers of fabric, the rest I keep… piles of it! Some can be sewn together in a patchwork to make individual one-of-a-kind aprons for the ‘Boro Collection’; but some fabrics don’t lend themselves to that, the canvas for example becomes too stiff to drape. As canvas is a traditional fabric for bags I’ve begun to experiment. To understand the size and shapes involved, my first bags are made with larger remnants of fabric, before I move on to making pieced patchwork bags.

The 002 Kit Bag is made from two pieces of ochre canvas leftover from cutting out two No14:2 pleated split leg aprons (see photo – one rectangle is next to me partly under the ringbinder etc). It’s a large bag (56cm x 43cm) easily accommodating an A3 sketchpad, has a drawstring top with orange cord and black cord lock, and dark grey soft herringbone tape straps which are sewn securely with 12 bars of orange stitching.

£78 • In The Making Aprons online shop • Etsy • Folksy

  • Cutting out No14:2 aprons
  • Construction- Last stage: attaching straps – hand sewn tacking, machine sewing and threads sewn in by hand.

Working on a new apron

Lately I’ve been working on this calico toile and pattern, following an enquiry about making a split leg tie apron like the pleated No14:2 but without pleats.

Pleats help give a lot of fabric coverage, so without them the apron needed a much bigger skirt overlap – but it does give lots more space for a much bigger skirt pocket, an angled pocket with sections for tools and a loop to hang your cleaning cloth!

Waistcoats for park volunteers – update

Last year during lockdown I worked with the Friends of Brookmill Park (St.Johns, Depftford, SE London) to design a distinctive waistcoat for the volunteers…and here they are hard at work! Following the design consultations I drafted sewing patterns, making instructions and samples. One of the volunteers made the waistcoats and another made the prints for the back.

The park is a few minutes from from my house. It’s quite a narrow park along the banks of the River Ravensbourne between Eleverson Road DLR station and The Stephen Lawrence Centre – it has gardens, a lake, childrens play area and diverse wildlife. Find out more about the park and volunteering at brookmillpark.deptfordcreek.net

In The Making Aprons – online shop open

It’s been a long time coming … but my own In The Making – Aprons online shop is now open, find it at in.the making.uk

The final kick up the butt came from doing the PR Despatch tutorials, learning that a website/shop is the professional way of expressing my brand values and aesthetics and improves SEO to my products – they also point out that press/media features usually say ‘available from Etsy’ and may not even mention In The Making – Aprons … I also know Etsy shows all sorts of other aprons distracting from my own products. Etsy is great, I won’t be dropping it, but it’s a vast crowded platform with an ever increasing number of extra fees for sellers, so it will be good to give In The Makers – Aprons a wider reach.

NEW Bright orange No4:5!

Get your sunglasses out for the new vibrant orange No4:5! Made with 100% cotton drill, a smooth very close woven fabric that water and muckiness won’t easily penetrate. The split skirt feature of this apron is ideal for sitting at the wheel or work bench and the crossback design means it’s comfortable to wear all day long.

A special one

I made this apron last month, a birthday present for my niece, she needs aprons for her job at a little restaurant in Seattle. It’s made with 8oz denim with pockets made from different shade denim remnants. It needed to be a versatile but simple design, that is very easy to wear – ideally forget you’re even wearing it! I’m keen to expand on this design to introduce more colour/fabric combinations into the range and use fabric remnants to make one off pieces for the ‘Boro Collection’.

New colour for No23:2 ultimate makers apron!

No23:2 in black canvas – my ultimate crafters apron, packed with useful features! Split leg skirt, cargo pockets, skirt pocket, crossback adjustable straps, tough cotton canvas…and comfy too. Split leg aprons are great for ‘sitting down’ type of making activities, opening to give more movement and comfort. With this in mind I did lots of work on the design of the bib/cargo pockets so that they remain upright and accessible when the wearer is seated.

New apron for the Boro Collection No16.6

Constructed using denim remnants left from making my No4 aprons, balancing the shade differences to piece together one unique garment. Taking inspiration from Japanese Boro clothing and vintage French and American rustic aprons, my Boro Collection reduces waste whilst creating something useful and unusual that will last for years to come. This apron uses the No4:6 pattern, with asymmetric bib, crossback strapa and overlapped split skirt – a super comfortable design in medium weight denim. It’s worked so well I want to copy it to include in the main range!

New colour for canvas pottery apron No4:5!

Added to the shop today a brand new colour for the cotton canvas pottery apron No4:5, a wonderful fresh calamine pink. Beautiful but still utterly functional artists apron with split leg front and brilliantly comfortable crossback design. The overlapped split skirt allows lots of movement, whilst ensuring each leg is perfectly covered when sitting at the wheel or work bench.

Folksy shop

Etsy shop