Another New Apron Style - the Full-Skirt Hostess

I have finally introduced a new apron style to my Etsy shop that I have been working on for a while.  

I have been wanting to modify this style (which I love):

to have a full skirt.  I wrote about this apron style and modifications that I did to the ties here.  This apron is constructed out of three main pieces:  the bodice and center skirt panel piece and two skirt side panel pieces.  I have tried full skirt versions of this apron by cutting the skirt and bodice pieces separately and gathering the skirt:

 

 

 

I liked how this turned out, but I was still interested in having the bodice and skirt (or part of the skirt) being connected without a seam.  So, I also tried longer side skirt panels that are gathered:

 

 

 

But this didn't give the fullness I was looking for in the skirt.  I could increase the length of the side panels even more, but I think that the finished apron might start looking weird with very puffy skirt sides and a completely flat skirt center. 

 

Then I remembered a vintage apron pattern that I have been wanting to use for a while where the entire apron is cut in one piece.  Simplicity 1756: 

 

 

My copy doesn't have a copyright, but I have seen other sites that list it as 1956.  These aprons are cut as one piece and then are cut along the waist line so that you can gather the sides of the skirt.  The waist/bodice is shaped with darts in the bodice and small tucks in the skirt portion.  I like this design because you get the fullness in the skirt, but the front is still smooth.  I started with View 3 (top left) and modified the straight neckline with the curved neckline from the other apron.   This is what I ended up with:

 

 

 

 

I really love the way it turned out.  Nice full skirt, but not too bulky.  I think that this may be the final version of this style because I like it so much.  

 

Here is a close up of the skirt:

 

 

And a closeup of the darts and tucks:

 

 

 

Sewing the darts and tucks was a little tricky for me at first.  I am not sure if the original pattern came with an instruction sheet, but my copy didn't.  You have to make sure that the dart and tuck are sewn along the same line so that the center part of the apron can lie flat.  I ended up sewing the dart and tuck first and then gathering the skirt afterward.

 

I have about three more of these planned (so far) in other fabric combinations.