Holiday Apron

I can't even remember how long I have had my apron. I tend to be a messy cook and this apron has saved so many of clothes from oil stains, sauce splatters, and caked flour. This apron will be a great help in the kitchen as you're rampin' up for all that holiday cooking you're about to do. These are super easy (I can make one in about an hour) and they make excellent holiday gifts.

What you’ll need:

½ Yard each of two different kinds of fabric, I like to use a thick cotton

Scissors

Sewing machine (you could stitch this by hand but it might take awhile)

Iron

2 big buttons

Pen

Measuring tape

This apron is made for a size XS/S. For a S/M, add 2 inches to the width of each piece. For a M/L, add 4”. Diagrams below are not to scale. 

1. Wash and dry your fabric. I always do this before I sew any piece of clothing. You never know if your fabric will shrink once it is washed, so it is best to do it before you start sewing. It’s also best to iron it before you start to work. This will ensure your lines are straight.

2. Decide which fabric you want to be Fabric A and which one you want to be Fabric B. Fabric A will be the bulk of the apron while Fabric B will be the waist band, neck, and bottom ruffle.

3. Set Fabric B aside. Fold fabric A in half lengthwise, right side to right side so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing out. With the fold to the right side, starting at the bottom right side of your fabric, measure up 1” make a mark. Let’s call is Point A. Starting from the Point A, measure out 12” from right to left and make a mark. Let’s call this point B. Using your measuring tape as a guide, draw a straight line between Points A and B.

4. Starting from point A, measure up along the fold 15” and make a mark. Lets call this Point C. Starting from point C, measure out from right to left 9” and make a mark. This will be Point D. Draw a straight line from Point C to Point D.  Using your measuring tape as a guide, draw a diagonal, but straight, line between Points D and B. So far, your fabric should look like this:

5. On to the next piece! Starting from Point C, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point E. Starting from Point E, measure out 5 ½” from right to left in a straight line (try to get it as square as you can) and make a mark. We will call this point F. Draw a straight line between E and F.
Along the right side of the fabric, starting at point E, measure up 8” and make a mark. Let’s call this point G. 

6. Starting from Point G, measure out 4” from right to left. Again, try to make it as square as you can. Place a mark here and let’s call this (you guessed it) Point H. Draw a straight line between Points G and H. Draw another straight line between points H and F. Your fabric should now look like this:

7. In the upper left corner of your fabric, draw a rectangle using the same method we used above that measures 2” by 5” Do not draw this piece on the fold. You will be cutting out two of these little pups. When you’re all done, your fabric should look like this:

8. Time to cut your pieces! Cut out all of your pieces, leaving about a 1” edge between the line you’ve drawn and your actual cut. These lines we drew will be your sewing lines, not your cutting lines. Leave your fabric folded while you cut. This way your pieces are perfectly symmetrical and you don’t have as much cutting to do. When you are finished you should have the following pieces:

9. Set these pieces aside and now it’s on to Fabric B! Fold Fabric B in half cross-wise (opposite the way we did with Fabric A). Situate your fabric the same way we did before with the fold on the right side.

10. Starting at the bottom right hand corner, measure up 1” and make a mark. We will call this Point A (we’re on a new piece of fabric so we can do this). Starting at the bottom left hand corner, measure up 1” and make a mark. We will call this Point B. Using your measuring tape, draw a straight line between Points A and B.  

11. Starting from Point A, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point C. Starting from Point B, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point D. Draw a straight line between points C and D.

12. Starting from Point C, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point E. Starting from Point D, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point F. Draw a straight line between points E and F.

13. Starting from point E, measure up 2”, and make a mark. We will call this Point G. Starting from point F, measure up 2”, and make a mark. We will call this Point H. Draw a straight line between Points G and H. Your Fabric should look like this:

15. Starting from Point I, measure up 4” and make a mark. This will be Point K. Starting from point I, measure up 4” and make a mark. This will be Point L. Draw a straight line between K and L.

16. We’re almost done, you just have one more piece to draw. Starting from Point K, measure up 2” and make a mark. We will call this Point M. Starting from Point M, from right to left measure 10” and make a mark. This will be Point N. Draw a straight line between M and N

17. Starting from point M, measure up 2 ½” and make a mark. This will be Point O. From point J, measure up 2 ½” and make a mark. This will be point P. Draw a straight line between Points O and P. Draw another straight line between Points N and P. Your fabric should now look like this:

18. Cut out your pieces. Again, leave your fabric folded while you cut. When you are finished cutting all your pieces from both fabrics you will have the following pieces (I have labeled them for easy reference for the next steps. Feel free to use masking tape marked with the proper number to mark each piece):

19. Let’s start with Piece 1. The thing about sewing is, it involves just as much ironing as it does sewing. This is to ensure you get nice crisp edges to your projects. Starting with the short edge of piece one (this will be the top of your apron) fold each corner down and iron as shown below:

20. Now fold the edge and iron as show below. Do this with the two diagonal edges as well. Try to get all of your folds as close to the line you drew previously.

21.  Sew each edge that you ironed as shown:

22. On to Piece 2. Starting with the long edge (this will be the bottom of your apron) fold each corner and iron. Now fold the edge and iron. Fold and iron each diagonal edges. This is all just like we did with Piece 1.

23. Sew each edge that you ironed (again, just like we did with Piece 1).

24. Onto the waist strap! Take Piece 4A. Fold up each long edge to the line you and iron as shown. Repeat this with Piece 4B:

25.  Arrange Pieces 4A and 4B wrong side to wrong side and pin them together. We will call these Piece 4 since they are pinned together. Using your measuring tape, find the mid point of the strip and mark lightly as shown:

26.  Take Piece 1. Measure along the unsewn edge and mark the mid point of that edge. Line up your marks on Piece 4 and Piece 1. Insert Piece 1 between Pieces 4A and 4B and pin as shown. Pin to secure.

27.  Starting all the way at the edge of your strap, sew along the long edge. Piece 1 will now be sewn between Pieces 4A and 4B as shown:

28. Take Piece 2 and find the mid point on the unsewn edge as we did before with Piece 1. Lightly mark. Do the same on the bottom edge of Piece 3. Line up your marks and insert the unsewn edge of Piece 2 between Pieces 4A and 4B just like we did with Piece 1. Pin to secure.

29. Sew as we did before with Piece 1. Your apron should look like this so far:

30.  Let’s finish the strap. Take Piece 3A. Fold and iron each corner as shown below. Fold each edge and iron as we have done so before with other pieces:

31. Fold the whole piece in half lengthwise and iron as shown:

32. Repeat steps 30 and 31 with Piece 3B.

33. Arrange Piece 3A over one edge of Piece 4 like so and sew each edge of piece 3A as shown below. Repeat on the other side with Piece 3B.

34. Let’s make the neck strap! Take Piece 5 and fold and iron each corner and edge like we did with pieces 3A and 3B.  Fold in half length wise and iron (again like we did with pieces 3A and 3B).

35. Sew around the perimeter of your folded Piece 5. Sew one end of Piece 5 to the upper left hand corner of Piece 1 and the other end of Piece 5 to the upper right hand corner of Piece 1. Make sure the strap is not twisted when you sew it. Your apron should look like this: 

You pretty much have an apron now! Good Job!  You can wear it like this, but if you want to add a few more details then complete the following steps:

36. Let’s make the ruffle to attach to the bottom. Take Piece 6 and pleat along one of the long edges, using pins to hold the pleats in place. Like so:

37. Sew along the pleated edge to hold the pleats in place.

38. Next we have to finish the edges. We only need to finish the un-pleated edges. Do as we have done before: fold and iron the corners. Then fold and iron the edges. Then sew. Make sure to use the bottom edge of your apron as a guide for how long the pleated strip needs to be.

39. Next, arrange the unfinished edge of Piece 6 behind the finished edge of piece 2 and pin. Sew the edges together.

40. Once that is done, all we have to do is add those buttons. Glue or sew one button in the upper left corner of Piece 1 on top of the neck strap edge. Do the same on the other side:

And there you have it! You have a cute new apron to wear while you bake either my previous or next post: Apple Barnstars or Bourbon Soaked Apple and Hazelnut Biscotti.