The Art Smock

Maybe it's because I grew up during the '80s, but I just LOVE  those old reversible raincoats.  In my constant search to find materials to salvage and make into something else, raincoats are one of my favorite finds.  I spend a lot of time thinking about what I can make out of which materials.  I had this brainstorm about making an art smock for my daughter, because she's forever painting with those so-called "washable" paints, that always seem to leave color in her clothes.  But if you know Ally, any smock would have to be pretty special to go over whatever her outfit-du-jour is.  Old raincoat...washable...perfect art smock!

Lucky for me, I found this amazing opalescent purple girls XXX raincoat at the Salvation Army.  It had a few stains on the INSIDE...how perfect is THAT?  So I paid a whopping $3 for it, and brought it home.  The result was the new "FAB" art smock.

Now, leave it to Ally to wear it over a chicken costume...but the good thing is that you an see what it looks like. It was a simple kids apron pattern, Simplicity pattern 3802 (Which I got on sale at Joann for $1!!).

Just three pieces and some double fold trim. I must admit, I used new trim, not reclaimed. I was too excited to finish it to wait to find just the right one. I also stole the pockets from the front of the raincoat and put them on the front, which was a bit different than the original pattern.

 

I'll have to have Rob take some better pictures, but if you look closely, it's been used already, and has been christened with some blue paint near the collar.  And Ally loves it.  Mission Accomplished!