The name of the design was 'Daisy Chain' and it was available from John Lewis stores. As you can see there were several gorgeous colourways available. My mum could never resist buying pretty fabric and acquired quite a bit of Daisy Chain, not for making curtains but to turn into aprons which she sold to raise money for various charities. The aprons, which were made in all sizes, were very popular.
A few years ago I inherited the contents of my mum's sewing room and still have a few remnants of Daisy Chain in my stash. It always brings back fond memories of my mum and the many shopping trips we made together to choose fabric.
In the playroom today Posy was busy at the sewing machine and guess what she was making . . . a little Daisy Chain apron.
The apron was soon finished and the purple and pink combination toned perfectly with her knitted outfit.
On seeing Posy's handiwork four other dolls decided an apron was an absolute 'must have' for them also and enthusiastically began choosing and trying the various colours available. After much thought Posy agreed that if she made aprons for the other dolls they would no longer have an excuse not to wash the dishes . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . Posy showed the four friends the large stack of dirty crockery and pans waiting to be washed. On seeing the stack it was quickly agreed that perhaps aprons weren't such a good idea after all.
Everything went very quiet in the playroom after that and so Posy neatly folded the Daisy Chain fabric and put it away. Somehow though, I don't think she's heard the last of the apron making idea.
If you'd like to knit any of the dollies that you see in my blog posts you will find patterns for them in my Dollytime Etsy shop.
Meanwhile, to make an apron for your own doll or teddy simply follow Posy's easy pattern below. The apron is designed to fit toys 33cm - 38cm (13in -15in). If you cut out a paper pattern you can check it for size against the toy in question. It is very easy to make the pattern longer, shorter, wider or narrower. You will require a piece of fabric no less than 15cm (6in) x 18cm (7in) and approximately 1m (just over a yard) of tape for the ties.
Cut the fabric on the solid black line as a single turn of 6mm (0.25in) has been allowed. Use your sewing machine to neaten the edges with zig-zag stitch before turning them under, or use 'Fray Stop'. Alternatively you can bind the edges with bias binding. If you decide to do this then don't forget to make the apron a bit smaller all round as you won't need to turn the edges under.
The cutting line from the waist to the top of the bib can be straight (cut on the solid line) or curved (cut on the broken line). Posy cut her apron on the curved line.
1). Fold and stitch the sides.
2). Fold and stitch from waist to top of bib (straight or curved).
3). Fold and stitch the bib top
4). Hold the apron against the toy and adjust the hem if necessary and then stitch.
5). Stitch tape to the apron. Each piece will be approx 25cm (10in) but toys' necks and waistlines vary so check before cutting the tape.
When finished, enjoy a nice cup of tea!