Farmhouse Aprons

Writing a new post, I will tell you that every post of mine begins with the comfy chair piled with the right pillows, a fresh cup of coffee made from the good coffee and music that helps me get into writing mode. I am not a writer by profession, it’s a struggle that I find void of any confidence  but I do find the good chair, good coffee but mostly the music lets me find words easier then I might have otherwise. (Isn’t that what they call a run on sentence?) Today I write to the sounds of Indigo Girls. I forgot how much I love them. Is this what they call an overshare?

Here’s what I have to tell you.

Designing the new Farmhouse Aprons is pushing my boundaries. They are testing my patience and the boundaries I have created for my business. We make Aprons that are Regular Size and Plus Size…. period….that’s it, two versions of almost everything. We have all been happy for years with that offer.

I have worked these last days on this new design, I have struggled between my vision and my need for simplicity for the business. No matter how many hours I spend draping the  dressform, the new Farmhouse Apron design really needs to be more precise to look the way I want it to on my customers. Predicting a bit of this already, I offered to make them in 3 size groups instead of two…. but the dress form is showing me that even this won’t work. I have tried. I have struggled. I have crafted pattern after pattern. This new Apron is rebelling and refusing to fit everyone in a group. It’ won’t play nice. It wants to enthusiastically drape one woman at a time.  It wants to fit a size 6, or a 1x. It wants to fit one woman well, not a group.  It is winning. If I want this design, I am going to have to offer it in many sizes. I can’t have Regular and Plus and keep the design.

More specifically, for this Apron to become my vision, I actually need a customers waist measurement. Short of stepping into the role of personal dressmaker to all our customers, the only compromise that works is offering all 8 sizes. I cringe even typing that statement.

On the other hand, my partner has responded with, “What if this works?”…. “What if people find this awesome?” ….”What if we are offering pieces that people can’t find and they are excited?”…….. I thank you for your thoughts, Oh Ray of Sunshine.

Well, honestly, sticking to Regular and Plus Size does limit our designs because the design has to be generic enough to vary a lot in fit. Generic fit means giving up some really cool stuff. More detailed designs mean more yardage, more seams, so more labor, more pieces and it all means more cost.

But, dam, we could do some really awesome aprons.

This is the dress form wearing the mock up Farmhouse Apron. It seems to whisper “8 sizes, 8 sizes, make me in 8 sizes so I can look great on everyone”

I press on.