Apron - Use large scarf or cut out 28-inch square and hand roll edges. Sew two tapes to two opposite corners for ties. Cut a triangle off third corner and hand roll resulting straight edge. Attach a tape to ends of cut corner to make a loop that will go around the neck comfortably.
For a novelty tea apron use four identical colored or
printed 12-inch square handkerchiefs. Join two in a French
seam or a stitched fell seam . Gather top by hand
or machine.
Fold third handkerchief in half right sides together.
Turn back corners on top thickness to meet at center bottom
fold, and baste together. Then baste this edge to gathered edge,
right sides together, pulling up gathers to fit, and stitch. Fold
fourth handkerchief on diagonal and cut.
Join cut edges to sides in a stitched fell seam. The effect will be circular on the bottom and the two turned back edges on the top will make pockets. Finish top edge with 1 yards matching grosgrain ribbon, one-inch wide, stitching ribbon over apron top so that center of ribbon is in center of apron. Free edges will make ties.
Use one yard of 35-inch material. Selvages are on sides.
Bottom is narrowly hemmed by hand or with hemmer. Gather
top by machine with longest stitch. Pull gathers up so that
apron fits comfortably, and fasten. Finish off top with 1⅓ yards ribbon. Ribbon is attached to wrong side and turned
over and slip stitched to position on right side.
Cape : Fold 1¼ yards of 41-inch fabric in half in a length wise fold. Fold in half again with crosswise fold and cut an arc (quarter of a circle) along unfolded edges from top of fold to opposite corner. Cut through one thickness through second or crosswise fold down to lengthwise fold.
Cut out small arc at bottom, where two folds meet, about two inches up and out from corner, so that when opened out, the cape will fit comfortably around the neck. Narrowly hem all edges or finish with binding. For a lined cape, cut two pieces and seam, right sides together on three sides, leaving neck edge open. Trim seams, cutting close at corners, and turn inside out.
Finish neck edge with binding (see pp. 125-127) or trim off ½ inch from inside thickness around neck, opening seams for ½ inch down from top, turn outside edge under ¼ inch and ¼inch again over trimmed edge to inside. Baste to posi tion and slip stitch. Press and sew hook-and-eye opening on for front closing.
Half slip : Draw a rectangle 32 x 28. Measure in five inches on the 28-inch side from each end of the top and connect point to bottom corners to shape slip. Cut out and use as pattern to cut out two petticoat sections of silk or cotton. French seam the sides. Turn in top edge ¼ inch and ½ inch again. Stitch, leaving small opening to run in elastic. Run in narrow elastic to fit waist line comfortably. Stitch edges of elastic together and finish hem opening by hand.
Turn up bottom hem to desired length or finish with embroidered edging.
