Apron Tutorial

Aprons are beautiful things. They save our clothes from getting dirty. Gather the corners up and they work as impromptu baskets for gathering flowers, fruit and vegetables. Their strings can act as an extra and secure hand a little one can hold on to. They are often a stand-in for towel or pot holders. And in a pinch they can even wipe away tears.

Here at StoneGable aprons are daily attire . I have kitchen aprons and garden aprons and company's coming  aprons. Sometimes I even forget to take them off until I get ready for bed!

So when I spotted this beautiful feminine vintage feeling material I just knew I had found my newest apron...

I am particularly smitten with the color combination. Soft dreamy aqua and coral pinks. The rose motif has a bygone-days feel.

This will start out as a company's coming apron and if it is very lucky, after years and years will end up as a garden apron.

If you like to wear aprons, making them yourself can be very satisfying! 

I have kept this apron's styling very simple and tried to give detailed instructions. You can make this apron in a couple of hours. It is really quite easy and would be a great beginner project. I hope you will soon be wearing your own homemade apron!

StoneGable's Apron Tutorial

1 yard heavy, apron worthy material (mine was on sale at Calico Corner's- decorator fabric)

matching thread

ric rac

large paper grocery bag

colored pencils

ruler

old bib style apron (as template)

Wash and dry fabric.Press. This is an important step~ do not skip it!

Cut a paper grocery bag to open it up. Iron to take out wrinkles. This will become your pattern.

Iron your old apron. Fold it in half vertically as pictured and place on the brown paper.

Carefully trace the apron onto the brown paper. I used a white colored pencil.

Using a ruler, add 1 inch to the pattern.

Cut out the pattern on the red line.

Fold fabric lengthwise as shown. Put pattern on material matching the center edge of the pattern with the FOLD of the fabric. See picture.

Pin pattern to fabric. Pin, pin,pin!

Cut out apron on the outside edge of the pattern. Remove pins.

Begin by sewing apron SIDES first.  Clip cures on each side of apron just under 1/2 inch. Doing this will help curved seams lay flat and not bunch when sewing.

Fold under 1/2 inch seam allowance and press. Do this for each side of the apron. 

Fold seam over again 1/2 inch. Press and pin.

Sew seam close to the inside edge of the seam allowance.

Sew both SIDES of the apron.

Sew the BOTTOM of the apron. Turn 1/2 inch seam allowance and turn over another 1/2 inch like pictures above. Press. Pin. Sew close to the inside edge of the seam allowance, as pictured above.

Sew the TOP of the apron in the same way.

To make the apron ties, cut 2 - 30" x  3" pieces of fabric.

On both sides of the length of the tie, turn 1/4 inch seam allowances to the wrong side of the fabric and press.

 

Fold in half lengthwise and sew all three open edges close to the edge. Sew the second apron string the same way.

Cut 2- 4 1/2 x 30 inch pieces of fabric. These will be the neck straps.

Sew 2 neck straps using the same technique that was used to make the apron strings.

Sew apron string and neck scraps to apron body. I stitch a  box pattern to secure the strings. See pictures below.

Cut a rectangle out of the material for a pocket. If your fabric has a design, make sure to center the design on the pocket. I made this pocket 18" x 22".

Fold 1/2 inch seam allowances on the SIDES of the pocket. Fold another 1/2 inch amd press. Sew sides.

Fold the BOTTOM  and the TOP of the pocket the same as the sides. Press and sew.

Add ric rac to the TOP of the pocket by sewing it to the WRONG side of the pocket.

 The peaks of the ric rac should stick up from behind the TOP of the pocket when RIGHT side is facing you.

Fold pocket in half vertically and press. Fold apron in half vertically and press.

To position pocket, line up folds. I placed my pocket 6 inches from the bottom of my apron. Pin, pin, pin.

Sew the SIDES and BOTTOM of the pocket to the apron.

Sew ric rac to the TOP of the apron using the same technique as the pocket.

Press and enjoy!

Remember to