One Yard Wednesday - Vintage Inspired Apron

A lovely, vintage inspired apron - perfect for St. Valentine's Day!

If you didn't get the chance to visit Between U & Me yesterday when I was guest posting, here is the project for our wonderful One Yard Wednesday.  We will be using a pillowcase and about a yard of gingham.  Feel free to mix and match fabrics as you choose to either coordinate or match your pillowcase, or what's available in your stash.  No pillowcase?  You can find out how to make one here, and use your stash or other repurposed fabric to make one.

 I found this vintage apron:

 in this awesome book.

(A is for Apron:  25 Fresh & Flirty Designs by Nathalie Mornu)

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try to make that apron for myself.  So just like all my other projects, I had to mentally pull apart the pieces to decide what made this apron so special.  Well, of course, the obvious attraction is that cross-stitching, which I'm sure was done by hand.  What a great way to accent that beautiful green gingham!  And I also liked how it was fitted, like a pencil skirt, instead of either just flat across the waist or gathered.  That makes it seem so classy and elegant, instead of so "everyday" - don't you think?!

So let's get started...

In addition to the pillowcase and gingham fabric, you will need thread that matches your pillowcase (mine was white), and thread that coordinates with your gingham or contrasting/coordinating fabric (mine was red).  You will also need a rotary cutter, ruler and mat, and a sewing machine, and you need to know how to use them (and safely!).  Have your iron and ironing board handy, too.  Oh, and pins would be pretty useful.  Well, actually necessary this time.

Remove the sewn end of your pillowcase.

And remove the hem.

Save the hem pieces for later - you'll see why in a little bit.

Next, we're going to trim it to a size that will fit across the front of your body and about halfway around the sides.  Like to where the seams are for your jeans.  I wanted the apron to cover the front of me, from just below my natural waist (because we'll be using a good-sized waistband), to just above my knee, leaving room for a nice-sized gingham hem.  Also, because my pillowcase was a pretty sheer white, I wanted it to be doubled.  This would give the apron a stability boost, too.  For me, this measurement was 33" by 25 1/2".  If you need to change measurements to fit you, feel free.  It's an apron.  This is good practice for newer sewists.  You may want to ask a friend or neighbor to help you meaure, or if you have to do it by yourself, lay your favorite pair of pants on the floor and measure on them.  Remember, our end product is going to be straight and fitted like the front part of a pencil skirt.  And it's an apron.  An extra half inch (or short a half inch) is not the end of the world.  Running out of chocolate is.

 Now, cut your gingham pieces per the diagram.

Here you can see how I cut the different widths and labeled everything so my poor over-40 brain could keep them straight.

 Now, it's time to start pressing.  Let's begin with the hem.  Fold it in half, wrong sides (the inside or back) together, and press.

 Match the raw (unpressed) edges to the bottom edge of your main apron fabric.  Stitch together using a 1/4" seam.  Press the seam toward the gingham.

 Next step is making a rolled hem on the side edges of the apron.  Press under 1/4".

 Then, fold over and press again.

 Stitch these side hems in place - just a straight stitch is fine.  I didn't even do the forward-back-forward reinforcing.  Try to stitch in the center of the hem.  I also stitched on the right (front) side.

This is where we start building that pyramid shape.  Or birthday/wedding cake if you prefer.  On the remaining gingham rectangles that are 3 1/2" wide, press each edge under 1/4".  Top stitch these into place after pressing.  I used my white thread to do this, so the stitching would blend into the gingham better.  On your apron, you decide which thread to use.

Take the longest of these rectangles, and press it in half.  Fold the main body of your apron in half, and match the centers, and also try to match the lines of the plaid.  If your rectangle goes one way or the other just a little, it's ok.  People will notice that less than the plaid going zigzag.  Think handcrafted versus homemade.  Yeah, it's one of those crazy little details.  You'll be thankful in the end - trust me!

 Pin around all 4 edges.  Once it's pinned, topstitch into place.  Again, thread color is your choice.  Repeat with all 3 rectangles.  Here's the finished pyramid/celebratory cake.  Starting to look like the picture, huh?!

 Well, this beauty isn't going to hold itself up without a little help...

For the waistband, take the 8" rectangle that stayed whole, and press one long edge under 1/2" toward the wrong (inside/back) side.  When we attach the waistband to the apron, this will be on the inside, and make a nice, finished edge.

Fold the waistband in half, with the right (outside/front) sides together.  Stitch both short edges, and use a 1/2" seam allowance.

 Clip the folded edge corner (just close to the seam but not through it), and trim the extra fabric from the seam.  Turn and press.  Like this.

 Before we attach the waistband, we need to add the darts, which is our new sewing skill of the week.  "What is a dart?" you ask.  That is an excellent question.  A dart is a glorified long triangle that takes something flat and square, and allows it to curve in all the right places.  If you look at the back of your favorite pair of dress pants, you will probably see a dart.  It probably starts at the waistband and works its way south.  This allows something flat and square (the plain old pant leg) to curve to cover your backside.   We want our apron to curve in the front, so the darts will go in the front.  Here is a close-up of the pinned dart.  Sorry, it's a little blurry, but I think you can get the idea.

 And here is how we make it.  Fold one side edge of the apron to the center, with the right (front) sides facing.  On this folded edge, measure down 3" from the top and mark it with a pin (in the photo above, it's the red one).  From this folded edge, measure in 1/2" and mark with a pin (the gold one).

 Before we start the next step, just take a deep breath and relax.  Aaaaaah - doesn't that feel better?  Making darts makes some people really nervous.  I don't want you to be nervous.  Embrace your new skill, because here we go!  You are going to stitch, in a generally straight line, from your top pin to your bottom pin.  If you want to mark lightly with a pencil or some tailor's chalk or a special marking pen before you stitch, that's ok. Maybe use more than 2 pins.  Whatever will help you get from Pin A to Pin B successfully.  When you are done stitching, press the dart on the wrong (back) side toward the side edge.  The front will now look like this.

 Repeat for the dart on the other side.  If you need/want smaller or larger darts, or you don't want darts at all, feel free to adjust as necessary.

Let's attach the waistband now - the baby will be awake soon, or the kids will be home from school any minute!  Match the long unfolded edge of the main waistband piece to the top edge of your apron, matching the centers.  The waistband will hang off the edge on the sides, and that's ok.

 Stitch together, using a 1/2" seam allowance, and press the seam fabric up toward the waistband.  This is also when you press that bottom edge up (where it's not attached to the apron) 1/2".  It's not tricky, just watch your fingers with the iron.  Fold the already-pressed edge over the top of your seam, and match your waistband edges.  Pin, and use as many pins as you need to keep your edges straight and cover that inside seam.  Topstitch all 4 edges.  Here you can see the back side of the waistband, all stitched into place.

To add the ties, take the remaining two rectangles, and press under all 4 edges 1/2" toward the center of the wrong (inside) side.

 Fold in half, with the wrong sides together, and long edges matching.  Pin as needed, and topstitch all 4 sides.

 Now, my ties are smaller (cutting error - my bad!), so you'll have to pretend a bit.  Overlap the short edges of your ties with the main waistband about 1-2".  You can adjust for the length you want your ties to be.  Plus, remember you have to match the lines of the plaid if you are using gingham.

 Stitch a box, going around all 4 sides of the overlapping rectangle area.

And you can quit here if you'd like.  You have a lovely, fitted apron!  However...

If you want that cool stitched effect, you can play with the decorative stitches on your sewing machine.  Even super basic models of machines usually have some type of zig zag, and I haven't seen a model made after 1970 that didn't come with some type of buttonhole stitch (which is also just a really tight zig zag).  My machine has 3 different cross-stitches, so I decided to try the 2 I use the most to get a general idea of how they'd look.  This is where you put your scrap "main body" fabric and a piece of "accent" fabric together, and you play with thread.  Use a color that you need to use up, or you had to buy for one project and you'll never use again.  Save the good stuff for your apron.  I liked the alternating crosses for the edges, and straight-row crosses the insides.  It seemed to mimic the original in a way I liked.  Choose stitches that you really like for your apron.

 Here is a close-up of the finished stitching on the body of the apron.

I used the straight-line stitching across the areas where the rectangles met, and also around all 4 edges of each waistband piece.  Stitch where it makes you happy.

And here's the finished apron! Sorry, forgot to put my foot up on the wall...

Dig out those pillowcases that are long since past their prime and put them to good use.  Cover stains or wear spots with accent fabric and stitching, and turn something that's "eh" into a "WOW!"

Enjoy your new apron!

One Yard Wednesday - Ruffled Apron

A cute little apron - perfect for hosting a Super Bowl party!

This cute little number is based on the "Kitschy Kitchen Apron" pattern in One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins, on page 56.  The original was designed by Mother's Apron Strings, as noted in the book.    One-Yard Wonders is a great title to have in your craft library - great little projects, complete patterns and diagrams.  Each project has room to be personalized in some way to suit your tastes.

For this project, Rebecca and Patricia used one piece of a bordered fabric.  This would be a great way to repurpose a bordered tablecloth that may have too many stains in certain areas to make it practical to use anymore.  I'm using up some of my stash.  Make it from your stash, from fat quarters and jelly roll strips, in your favorite team's colors, or Christmas colors, or any color(s) that you choose.  Make it from one piece of fabric or many.  Make one or a dozen - these would make lovely mother/sister-in-law and prayer partner/secret sister gifts.

For our new sewists, today's two new skills are gathering stitches and attaching a set-on waistband.

So let's stop chatting and start sewing!

Here's what you need:
3/4 yard fabric A, cotton fabric, about 45" wide
1/2 yard fabric B, cotton fabric, about 45" wide
Rotary cutter and mat (or ruler and scissors) and other basic sewing supplies
Knitting needle or long, narrow pointy object for turning apron strings

If you choose to do this from one piece of fabric, it's best to follow the diagram in the book.  These girls really do know how to stretch a yard of fabric and get the most out of it!  If you are doing it from more than one piece, you may want to make a sketch of how your pieces are going to fit on your fabric.  Here is the diagram I made for myself, based on the measurements given in the book.

Fabric A

Fabric B

These are initial diagrams, and not to scale, but you can see how the pieces will fit onto the two different fabrics.  So after going through the whole process, here's what and how to cut the pieces for the apron.

Fabric A

1 apron base, 27" on the bottom, 22" across the top and 20" tall (trapezoid)

1 ruffle, 6" wide by 27" long (that's the other rectangle on the diagram - I changed the numbers, compared to those in the book, based on my personal preferences)

Fabric B

Cut 3 strips, all 5" x 31"

(also changed from numbers in book based on personal preference)

You can use extra fabric for pockets, if desired.  And speaking of fabric, these two are from Joann Fabrics.

Unless otherwise stated, use a 1/2" seam allowance.

Start by making a 1/4" rolled hem on your trapezoid, on both sides and the bottom.  You'll remember how to do this from the Little Shorts.

You can miter the corners, like we did for the pocket on the Little Boy Shorts if desired.  I did because I think it gave the hem a nicer finish.

This is what it will look like when you are done pressing.

Topstitch this hem on the right side (front) around all three sides.  I used a decorative stitch.  You can use a straight stitch or a zig zag or a decorative stitch - your apron, your choice.  I also used a matching thread.  You can match, coordinate, or contrast as desired.


If you are adding pockets to the front, now is the time to do it.  Measure where you'd like them to be, and stitch them on.  Not sure how to do a pocket?  Read here.


Press one short end of each apron string piece in 1/2".

Fold these pieces in half LENGTHWISE with right sides together.  Start sewing on the non-folded end, turn the corner and sew the long edge.  Clip the corner and trim the extra fabric on the sewn short end to 1/4" away from the seam.

Using a knitting needle, turn the strings so that right sides are facing.  If you've never done this before, here is how to do it.  Press well, and topstitch all the way around.  Again, whatever stitch and thread you choose.

Now, it's on to the ruffle.  Start by making a 1/4" rolled hem on one long side and both short sides, press and topstitch.

So let me share with you a secret I learned years and years ago, sewing a LOT of gathered skirts with set-on waistbands.  You will notice in the photo above a lonely red pin in the center.  Find the center of your ruffle piece by folding the short ends together, and marking the center with a pin.  Next, fold each short end to the center, and mark these "quarters" with a pin, and do the same thing for the apron front.

Back to your ruffle piece.  If you have a ruffle attachment, use that and stitch between the pins.  If you don't (or if you're like me and have one but have no clue how to use it), set the stitch length on your machine to its highest number of stitches per inch.  Pull out a looooong tail (mine was a good 6-8") of thread behind the needle and bobbin, then stitch at 1/4" between the topstitching on one end and the first pin.  STOP!  Repeat between each pin.  Only stitch between the pins.  When you are all the way across, pull out another looooong tail, then cut the thread from the machine.   Clip threads between the pins, leaving really long tails for each side.  These tails are what you will pull to make the gathers that make the ruffle ruffly.  You need to have enough thread so you can hang on to it.

Match the center of your ruffle to the center of the apron front.  Pin raw edges together at centers and quarters, matching the pins.

Pull thread gently in each section to gather.  You may have to try different thread tails to find which one works best.  Mine was the ending top thread.  I've done projects where it was the bobbin thread.  I think it probably depends on your machine.  Your goal here is to try to get roughly equal gathers between each set of pins.  Once you've done that, pin the top edge into place.  Use as many pins as you think you need.  Change the stitch length on your machine back to the number appropriate for your fabric.  Stitch the now-ruffly ruffle to the apron base, using a 1/4" seam.

For the waistband, press one long edge under 1/2".  You had to remove the pins from your apron base/ruffle while sewing, so find the center and quarters again, and mark.  Match the unpressed (raw) edge of the right side of the waistband to the right side of the apron/ruffle at the center and quarters.  Pin as necessary to keep the ruffles from getting attached in the seam.

Now this is the only really tricky part.  Stitch the waistband to the apron, 1/2" seam allowance.  I go VERRRRRRY VERRRRRRY SLOW, and I keep my left hand between the ruffle and the waistband.  I sew pin to pin.  It seems like it takes forever!  But!  I learned a long time ago, that it is a huge pain in the neck to have to go back and rip out sections to re-sew when you catch the gathers in your seam.  I'm trying to save you the pain.  Think of me as Human Aspirin.  Once you are all the way across, press the seam toward the waistband.  Be sure that you press the entire lower edge

Fold waistband in half, right sides together, and stitch short ends with a 1/2" seam allowance.  Clip corners, trim excess fabric, and turn right side out.  Press.  Match lower edges of waistband and pin.  Topstitch waistband on front side of apron.

Pin one apron string to each end of the waistband, overlapping about 1" - 1 1/2".  Stitch in place.  I used the same decorative stitch because it is also a good reinforcing stitch.  I also stitched one row to overlap the topstitching of the waistband, and the other row to overlap the topstitching of the apron tie.

In the book, an option is offered to add cute, vintage-type buttons.  If I had used them, I would have put them here.  It would have made a nice accent.

And now you're done!  Enjoy your new apron!