I love cool cotton shirts to work around the house and yard in. Almost like scrubs worn by nurses. Made of light weight cotton with great big patch pockets for pruning shears or seed packets. I found this pattern on eBay for $2.00 new and uncut. What a buy because patterns are now anywhere from $6 to $15 new at Walmart. I wanted to make household smocks. Paired up with a pair of shorts or capris what can be better for around the farm.
I watch all year for pieces of cotton blend or maybe seersucker fabric to go on sale specifically for this purpose. It takes about 2 1/2 yards of fabric to make one and at 1.00 and 1.50 per yard I can make these for under $5.00 each counting the thread and maybe bias tape that I like to go around the sleeve hems with. They can each be made in a few hours and will last at least a couple years with very hard wear. So far I have 3 made and will make 3 more giving me 6 for the season. Made in multicolor calico that will match most of my blue denim or khaki capris and shorts.
I chose a V neck variation of this smock similar to traditional scrubs.
When I was a child just about all of my clothing was homemade. My mother was a professional seamstress and had actually worked at a garment factory before marriage. During the war the garment factory had been converted to a parachute factory and she has sewn parachutes. Mama made all our clothing when we were small and even made homemade diapers. She made our curtains and even upholstered our furniture. I learned to sew from a young age and likewise made many of my daughters dresses as children, also curtains, place mats, napkins and quilts. I not only do all my own mending but make some of my own clothing such as these everyday blouses.
Cool, lightweight, durable and inexpensive. Maybe not what you are seeing on the Paris runway but for this farm girl it fits the ticket and then some.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
Looks better than the Paris runway to me. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize patterns had gotten so expensive!
Wish I'd had the sense when I was little to get my grandmother to teach me to make clothes. My mom did not sew.
Sadly, it didn't interest me then. I love your shirts and may need to relearn sewing (8th grade home economics being too many years ago), because I am never cool enough.
How do you know if a pattern is right for you?
I have boxes of patterns all the way from 1950's I thought of selling them on ebay, just never took the time...I too made my own clothes, curtains, furniture covers etc. in those days, I was a skinny minnie an a yard of fabric would cover me ...:o(
ReplyDeleteLove the shirts you have made, and the ones we make last a lot longer then those that you buy in the store. I'm including a link (I hope) of my mom's wedding dress made from my dad parachute. Maybe one your mom made!
ReplyDeletehttp://basketsbyrosebasketsbyrose.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-is-it-wednesday_09.html
Beautiful Mamma Hooch! Good job!
ReplyDeleteI have a gardening *uniform* and a housework *uniform* :) What's the pattern number: the top looks perfect for one of my *uniforms*!
ReplyDeleteI love to sew...I wait until JoAnn's has their patterns on sale for a $1.00...but I like your e-bay idea...you can get some great retro-look patterns and now you can even buy fabric that looks like the stuff my grandmother sewed with.
About a month before Christmas, JoAnn Fabrics had patterns for a $1 a piece. I bought some pretty cotton fabric with cherries on it and some red gingham to make the cutest aprons. I couldn't decide which pattern I liked, so at $1/ea I bought all 3 :) They were SUPPOSED to be xmas gifts, but they're still sitting in the JoAnn bag, which are now next years gift!
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