Cross-posting this here, because holy crap I need help with designing this!

[lafarat]

So at work, we get a bunch of antiques coming through, and I picked up this hand-made apron and dress set there. I want to turn it into my halloween coord; 'Mother Hen', that can be dressed down for daily wear (I.E Hang up that apron and bounce around in the OP only). My friends all call me Mama Hen anyway, might as well run with the inside joke

Comments

[pirateonthebay]

Any chance you might post a photo of the actual items to be salvaged? Just thinking it might be easier to imagine what to do with them that way. ;)

I think if I were trying to do this for me, I'd end up looking at pictures of different breeds of chicken to see if any real-chicken color schemes inspired me. (Which ... sounds bizarre when I re-read it. Inspired by real live chickens! But whatever.)

I also think that if it were me I'd try to do some kind of feather headdress or bonnet with other feathery accessories? Wrist cuffs or brooches or other removable things, so that the dress and apron could also be worn non-hen style?

You could also do something with eggs, since, uh, hens lay eggs, right? Don't ask me what. ;) That just popped into my head and that's all I know. Egg applique? Carry a basket with some eggs in it? Or maybe add fluffy chicks somewhere...?

I kind of think of hens as giant and fluffy, so maybe lots of ruffles on the base dress would help give that impression?

...I think that's all I have in my head on this topic at the moment. No idea if any of it helped, but ... there it is.

[lafarat]

The egg basket thing sounds like it would take the coord from believable, if borderline lolita straight out into costume territory. Anyhow, here's some pictures. Mind you, the apron has not been cleaned, or repaired. The dress itself hasn't been shortened either, only given a thorough hand-wash and dye bath in deep, chocolate brown. It was stained as well, and the lace around the sleeves and the peter-pan collar were really faded, but hand-washing and the dye bath took care of that and revitalized the color.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/shattaga/20140920_135514_zps892a1652.jpg

Here's the dress on its own. The camera didn't pick up on it very well, but it's actually got very fine polka dots. I think it needs some embellishments (Something else I'm taking suggestions on), and it needs to be shortened, but it's otherwise set.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/shattaga/20140920_135856_zps5a35d6d3.jpg

Here is the apron on its own. It was obvious that this thing was once dyed as well, but the dye has broken down and has faded in places. The color is REALLY drab and gross now, and while it has a good base, it is in dire need of repair.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/shattaga/20140920_135938_zps932d6952.jpg

Close up of the biggest stain, right in the middle of the chicken applique too on the breast! So sad.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/shattaga/20140920_140318_zps881b2293.jpg

The two of them together. I want to salvage that apron really, really badly, as it's absolutely adorable and so BIG, but I have no idea what direction to take.

[pirateonthebay]

Oh, I think my fashion sense in all styles is always borderline what other people consider "costumey," so I suppose I may completely lack that filter (unless it's triggered by cheap Halloween-store-quality fabric or horrible fit, etc.). I'm sure everyone who has read the Babysitter's Club books would be terribly shocked to know Claudia was one of my favorite characters. ;) And the idea of wearing it for Halloween probably made me think OTT, where it seems like if wearing a cake on one's head is fine, a basket with eggs is fairly tame.

The current color of the dress (at least the way it's showing up on my monitor) makes me think it would look good with a sort of deep rusty orange ruffles, though I don't know how that would go with the apron. It looks really blue on my monitor, while it's actually gray, right? So my color suggestions could be way off (plus, my taste is already in question, so that could be a problem itself ;) ).

You may have already tried this, but possibly Dawn dish soap would help get the grease stains out. It's what I use on greasy kitchen rags, though sometimes they need multiple soakings.

[lafarat]

...To be completely fair, you're absolutely right about the timing of it. You can, and in some cases are supposed to, go completely OTT on Halloween. o____o I sounded like a jack-ass for that comment, my apologies.

A deep rusty orange might work well for the apron itself. What do you think about wine red or burgundy? Trimmings?

[pirateonthebay]

Oh, no worries. ^^

For some reason I like the idea of either rusty orange or burgundy best for the apron, though that could just be me. And trim - maybe gray? Or even gray and black? I think I'm thinking of some speckled hens I've seen with that idea, there ... And the speckled hen color patterns especially make me think of scalloped trim, personally.

[lafarat]

Scalloped lace sounds cute. What about chick-shaped pockets on the apron?

[pirateonthebay]

Personally, I think chick-shaped pockets would be adorable. And possibly small egg appliques near the trim somewhere, though possibly that could come off as ambiguous little ovals instead ... ;) Maybe a brooch with an egg.