What makes them special?
Originality
Because of the material’s re-purposed provenance, you’re unlikely to see an identical one elsewhere.
This beautiful fabric was a large remnant I found on eBay.
It’s ‘Strange Blooms’, a hand-printed heavy linen, made by east-London studio “Bird in the Hand”.
Hand-crafted
Seams are machine-sewn but every other stage, from sourcing, selection and preparation of the fabric, to the construction and finishing of the pinafore, is done by eye and by hand.
This dress was made from heavy linen curtains found in Berwick’s wonderful Salvation Army shop.
The cut
Generous, so there’s a nice swing and flare.
This was a throw in a previous life.
The finish
Careful matching including – wherever possible – of pattern and/or stripes; top-stitching throughout.
It was a very pretty duvet cover but is even nicer as a pinny !
Reversible
(pinnies only)
Can you ever have too much of a good thing?!
Being two-sided makes them flexible and interesting, and the added ‘body’ means even light-weight fabrics hang beautifully.
(The ‘fruity’ side was a tablecloth until I found it….)
Does anything else make them special?
100% Natural Fabrics
Well, that’s my policy & it’s usually true. Until, browsing an Edinburgh charity shop recently, I came across a huge pair of lovely, charcoal grey curtains. Looked like linen, felt like linen. Neither the till lady nor I could find a label but I took a chance.
At home, while shaking them out in readiness for the washing machine, I spotted a tiny label: “100% polyester”. Aaagh…..
It seemed wasteful not to use it and so it’s now in my stash: dresses & pinnies made wholly or partly from this fabric are sold at ‘special offer’ rates.
Differences between Dress & Pinny?
Dress
- Fully-enclosed skirt, with popper fastening at waist
- Adult sizes only
- Size-specific: I can make them in sizes from 8 to 26 (pls see size guide table, below)
- Single-sided
- Two large patch pockets set into side seams
- Front and back of dress are separate pieces, joined with side seams
Pinny
- Open-backed. No fastenings: no bows to come undone, nor knots to dig into neck (… no strings to dangle in the loo!)
- One-size-fits-most (from size 8 to 16)
- Also available in ‘Tween & Tot sizes (8-12 yrs & 4-6 yrs respectively)
- Reversible
- One small pocket at centre-fronts
- Main body of each side is (usually) all one piece
Size Guide
1. Pinafore Dresses – pls remember to allow for blouse/sweater underneath!
| XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | |
| Approx UK | 8 | 10-12 | 14-16 | 18-20 | 22-24 | 26-28 | |
| Waist | 28-29″ | 32″ | 36″ | 40″ | 43″ | 47″ | 50″ |
| Length bib top to hem | 34.5″ | 35.5″ | 36.5″ | 37.3″ | 37.5″ | 37.5″ | 37.5″ |
2. Pinnies
| Adult | ‘Tween | Tot | |
| Length bib top to hem | 30.5″ | 26″ | 20″ |