snow day photo shoot

It was one of those lemons-into-lemonade days. Yesterday was my daughter’s second consecutive snow day and I had a lot of work, looming deadlines, to-do list a mile long. You know the scene. Fortunately she likes to help with photo shoots so we did the one I had planned for this Saturday.

I am also very lucky that she is one of my biggest fans so she gets excited to see the new work I bring to the shoot. And she has an excellent eye - a real gift for fashion photography. Here’s a little story with pictures of how the shoot went. I chose the above red checked skirt as an outfit for the darker aprons, but it looked a bit too Dorothy-in-Oz in the finished pics. This picture makes a super sweet portrait of photographer and model though - Edie's own brilliant composition.

This is one of my favorite aprons so far. Blue gingham is a big part of my visual vocabulary. I spliced together two button-down shirts to make the skirt. The sash and pocket are from a piece of vintage home-décor fabric. I cannot bear to part with this one just yet. I picked up these shoes cheap at a thrift store and thought they might work for photo shoots, but I just cannot manage the heels. I’ll have to re-shoot this one later.

Then we tried these sandals. No, not quite. A bit distracting. I think they will work with the spring/summer skirts, though.

We decided these classic mary-janes would work the best. They blend in with the dress to make the background outfit more uniform.
This is another favorite apron. The fabric combo just sings for me: repurposed orange linens, new flame roses print, striped sash and pocket from a button-down shirt, surfer-print shirt collar trimming below the sash. Some, like this one, I need to photograph in poses appropriate for a variety of juries. “Tattoo alarm,” said my photographer.

Trying another pose hiding the ink.


This lovely Springy apron was made from an XL shirt. I kept the line of the hem along the back and side which I used for the skirt. The sash and pocket are a vintage print in fantastic Florida-orange colors, trimmed with a blue gingham collar.

Another pose.


Catching the model tying one on. We both love the soft percale lining all the bibs. Just like the sheets on the bed at Grandma’s house. Very cheery. I use this on the black and earthy aprons, too.

I call this pose the "apron salute." This apron is rather...unusual. Sometimes I make something and I think, I’m brilliant! Then immediately I think, No one will ever buy it. It’s too weird. Time will tell. This is new mustard fabric in a print of frogs, turtles, and lily pads-with-flowers, the sash and pocket are a vintage 70s (?) floral in murky mud-at-the-bottom-of-the-frog-pond colors, and I trimmed it with a bright pink plaid collar.


Trying different props. I am wrapping this up with one of my photographer’s fave aprons. I cut apart, then pieced the shirt back together so I could have a large enough piece for cutting the skirt in the circle-skirt-like pattern. The pocket and sash are from one of Jack Thurston’s shirts (more on him in an upcoming post). Here is Edie’s analysis:

"The green collar brings out the wonderful green in the rainbow stripe. The blue thread noticeable on the pocket blends the pocket and the stripe together wonderfully. The light purple fabric is perfect for the blue thread on the front and the red on the back. The paisleys on the trim and pocket have superb detail and the gingham is a beautiful summer green."