Turning Trash into Treasure: Recycling a Useless Dress into a Child's Apron

I found a beautiful ramie (think of it as Asia's version of linen) dress with lovely delicate flowers embroidered onto it at a local thrift store. In my size too! While I was trying it on at home and thinking about wearing it to our church's auction, the zipper broke. I didn't even wear it once, and with a broken zipper (Oh, how I HATE replacing zippers), I couldn't even send it back to the thrift store. So there's the beautiful fabric that's going into the trash.

I hate waste. I hate needless waste more. I'm the person who cuts all of the buttons off of worn shirts before throwing them out because those buttons will still be around when the shirt has disintegrated into nothing. Buttons are useful too. So this dress laid around the house for weeks, and I couldn't get rid of it. 

Then came along my newest project. My church has a Hogwart's / Harry Potter themed summer camp, and I'm the cooking teacher this year (Edible Transfiguration: Professor Thomasina Natalie Crumpets or T.N. Crumpets for short).  I need aprons for the kids since I don't want them to get dirty while we create our tasty treats.  I've been sewing aprons for several days when the thought hit me - there is probably enough fabric in that dress for a child's apron.

I used Simplicity's Sewing for Dummies pattern #2824, not because I'm a dummy at sewing, but since I knew it would be a quick and easy no-frills apron.  And when one is making about 40 of the same thing, quick and easy are important.

Laying out the pattern pieces was a little tricky. Since real women have curves, dresses for real women have curves too. I had to cut some pieces out first (like the main body) before the fabric in some places would lay flat so that I could cut the others.

I try to get all of the ironing of seams and edges done at one time. At one point I never ironed when sewing, but in the end it does save time and looks much less sloppy. One cool thing about using a finished garment is that I can use the existing bottom hem. One less thing I have to do.

I learned a trick years ago on how to turn straps right side out once the inner seams have been sewn. Use a large safety pin or a diaper pin. It's easier to show you:

All total it took me less than an hour to make, including the time to glue back on legs for a couple of action figures. And the button is reused - told you buttons are useful.