Compact emmeline apron

This is my favourite emmeline apron I've made. I finished this a few weeks ago but hadn't had a chance to take a pic. I think I have enough of these aprons now... ;o) I noticed that I'm often out and about, and we stop at a cafe, and that's when I spill food/drink on my clothes - everything seems to land on my huge 6 mths pregnant tummy. I really need to be able to on-sell my maternity clothes once the baby is born and I can't if they get stained. So I made a lighter weight, non-reversible emmeline apron that I can fold up really flat and small and keep at the bottom of my handbag.

The straps at the neck don't tie - I tried it on and made it so it is the same strap that goes up one side of the bodice, around the neck, and back down the other side of the bodice. I did that strap with the grain, not on the bias. Somehow I prefer it that way. Also, I made the bodice taper about 0.5 cm on either side only right at the top, so that the bodice lies flatter at the top & doesn't gape. I made the straps at the back shorter too - the apron can only be tied up at the back. I did line the bodice and and a tiny bit of the top of the skirt, as I felt the stripy material was so thin it might not protect my clothes on its own if I spilt tea etc (sometimes I drop whole cups of tea on myself - unbelievable!). Finally, I cut about 5 inches from the tapering out of the skirt at the bottom. I think I could have cut another 3 inches off either side of the tapering again, because I only wear this as an eating apron, not a cooking apron. It would make it fold up even smaller.

I'm really happy with it, and its saved my clothes more than once. Phew.