The Helen’s Closet York pinafore has been my surprise hit garment of the past year.  I wear the first one that I made very regularly, and this one almost as much.  I’ve actually sewn it four times now, and am about to cut out a fifth!

I picked up this patterned flannel when Obus had an outlet sale of end of bolt and offcut fabrics. The piece of fabric was weirdly shaped but I was able to eke out the pinafore pieces.  I chose to make the version with the higher neckline this time around.  Because the fabric is brushed I knew that it would stick to whatever I was wearing underneath, especially my tights, so I fully lined it with some lining fabric I found in stash.

Lining was straightforward – I used the same pattern pieces as the pinafore but removed and inch from the length. To construct, I sewed shoulder seams of the pinafore and of the lining separately, then sewed the necklines together right side facing, then sewed each armhole together burrito style. I understitched all of the seams as I went so that the lining wouldn’t roll to the outside. Then the side seams were sewn in one long go. I don’t think that I’ve explained this all that well; take a look at this tutorial for the general concept.  I also topstitched around the neckline and armholes to add detail and provide a little structure and stability.

I really do love the huge curved pockets on this pinafore – so much so that I haven’t even tried out the kangaroo pocket!  Maybe for a future make.  I’d really like to sew this in a lighter weight fabric for summer to wear over a short sleeved tee.

The long sleeved tee I am wearing under the pinafore is my new favourite mashup pattern, which I will talk about in another blog post. The beautiful striped knit comes from The Cloth Shop, Ivanhoe.  This is an incredibly easy outfit to wear.  The lining makes the pinafore slide on so easily and stay comfortable in wear, and the high front and back necklines provide a little additonal warmth.  It’s no wonder that there are so many examples of this pinafore on blogs and instagram – it works well for many people of a variety of sizes, shapes and ages, and clearly fits in to many lifestyles.  It has the added bonus of being quick to sew.  What’s not to love!