A Plus Sized World

Before I started making aprons for sale, I was a great customer of all the folks who make aprons on Etsy and EBAY. I am a size 18-have been for 20 years.  Most of the aprons I purchased, barely fit. So I started to look at patterns. Now aprons are far more forgiving in size range than any other garment. So why was I receiving aprons that I could only knot at the waist-without even enough strings for a bow? Some of the patterns I started using had you cut strings at 30 inches.If you had already cut the strip across the width of the fabric to construct the string-why stop at 30 inches, why be skimpy with the fabric? Use the full 42 inch width of the fabric. That is what I do. So now, even with my zaftig figure, I have the pleasure of bringing the ties around to the front-with a small bow. The bean counters say that the average size of the American woman is a 14. Have retailers figured that out? I worked for Cold Water Creek for 3 years as a visual lead, they never figured it out. I was encouraged to showcase their clothes on  the job, but 85% of what was in the store didn't fit me. (My other major beef with them was that every dress they sent us was sleeveless. If your target market is women over 40-not many of us wear sleeveless to occasions. The corporate answer was to sell the customer a matching cover. No kidding.) My mother wasn't slim, my grandmother wasn't slim. I am healthy and active on our hobby farm at age 58. No high blood pressure or diabetes. And I want pretty, sturdy clothes that fit-things to wear while collecting eggs, and gardening, and chasing the horses ,baking, canning and sewing. I no longer work in retail and offices, but you can't take the Glamour Girl out of the farmer. I want pretty things.

To this end, I have started show casing plus size aprons in my Etsy shop. No worries if you are smaller-the apron just wraps more fully around your frame. While almost all my previous patterns were large enough for me, I am taking it a step up from there. Here is my latest-it's for a size 3-4x, it's feminine, it's functional , and it has a few ruffles.  

 And here is my most popular style sweetheart apron on my size 20 dress form.

In the future I am photographing all my aprons on the vintage fantasy mannequin I usually use, and my size 20 dress form. Because I am Susie, I am a size 18, and I like to be pretty.

I am linking this to:
 http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2013/03/open-house-party_20.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20NoMinimalistHere%20%28No%20Minimalist%20Here%29