Our Gathering Apron moves up.
Aprons are essentially work clothes. Their job is not only to keep you clean but to help you do your job. They should carry your things in such a way as to not impede your ability to act. Not sure what I mean? Take our first Drawstring Gathering Apron. We were thrilled to make it enormous. We wanted to be able to carry lots of veggies and it did. The problem was that the bag was so big and heavy with veggies, that it hung down to the knees, banging against them as you headed to the house….It’s kind of funny to look back on it now. It took several tries to come up with a bag as large as we could create and still allow our customers the ability to head back to the house comfortably without bruised knees.
Our Drawstring Gathering Apron has been out there for many years and people trust it to carry their goods. But I have noticed and some of you have as well, that when the load is heavy, such as potatoes or squash, the waistband can slip out from underneath the ties. The apron slips down your hips a bit even though you have the tied ties tight around your waist. NOt a disaster the waistband doesn’t need to always lay underneath the ties but the comfort level we seek is not achieved.
Oh sure, you might say, should we be carrying so much weight in our aprons? Well why not. Especially when you are heading back to the kitchen while chatting on your cell and possibly holding a baby on your hip too. You want your apron to work as hard as you do.
We thrive on feedback. We thrive on design work. We strive to strengthen that relationship between your work and the apron you wear. We are not the type to tell you that you shouldn’t carry so much weight. We hope we can step up to the challenge and make improvements so you can carry on your work. We think we have done so in this instance.
From now on, every Drawstring Gathering Apron that heads out will have 2 belt loops on the waistband. These will hold the ties in place so the apron bag will not slip down further than you want. It has worked here in testing, we await your feedback as always.
Here is our suggestion for wearing it. Cross the ties in back and bring to the front, looping through the belt loops. Tie a small bow to tighten the apron in place. Then tuck the tie ends behind the waistband. This keep them out of the way while you work the bag part of the apron. It’s important to tie a small bow as anything bigger will impede the drawstring.
Incredibly Helpful Pictorial
Cross the ties in back, bring into the front putting thru the loops. Tie a small bow.

Take the long tie ends and tuck them behind the waistband so they are out of the way.

Now the waist will stay in place no matter what you carry and the waist ties will not interfere with the drawstring of the bag as you open and close it.
Another Incredibly Helpful Pictorial
And if you aren’t familiar with how this Apron works, here are additional photos.
Open it completely to dump out contents. Use the waistband loop to tie up the drawstring to create two open pockets. Gather the bag and tie the drawstring in a bow to create a bag as open as you like. Use the drawstring and the waistband loop to create the bag as open or closed as you need. Now with belt loops, carry weight comfortably and it won’t interfere with the drawstring.
And please know that we do already sell an apron for the mighty collectors. Made from denim only, as it is the strongest fabric that we offer. It is our Drawstring Apron with a bib top. It distributes weight evenly around the waist and from the shoulders.

The back straps offer 2 length choices for a good fit accommodating body type.

And some choose (as seen in this photo) to wear it more on the hip. This works well when bending a lot, you eliminate the bulk on the waist.

Regarding our Ruffled Gathering Apron, they, too, will now receive belt loops for the exact same reasons. We hope these improvements help you get your chores done more comfortably.
For those who don’t want a bow in front, tieing in the back still works.
As always, let us know your thoughts, we are only here because of you!
Susannah