Create this super cute apron and put your own personal spin on it. This apron would make the perfect gift for your family and friends or even something to make for yourself.
Credit the image to Kellie Brown winner of the September SewAlong in Australian Sewing Advice and Inspiration Facebook group.
Optional Embroidery instructions are included to create monograms with the HyperFont software. If you want to include the embroidery, the instructions are at the bottom.
Shopping List
- One 20” x 45” cotton fabric (for apron front)
- One 21” x 7” cotton fabric (for waistband)
- Four pieces of 4” x 30” cotton fabric (for apron ties)
- One 3½” x 20” heavy fusible interfacing (for waistband)
- One 8” x 8” cotton fabric (pocket lining)
- One 15” x 12” cotton fabric (pocket front fabric)
- All-purpose thread for construction
- Pocket template
Optional Embroidery Shopping List:
- One medium weight fusible interfacing 15” x 12”
- One heavy cut-a-way stabilizer 8” x 10”
- Contrast rayon thread for monogram
- Bobbin thread for embroidery
- Chromium Embroidery Needles
- Hand sewing needle
Fabric Preparation:
- Apply the 3½” x 20” heavy fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the 21” x 7” waistband, lining up the lengthwise edge of the interfacing to one lengthwise edge of the fabric. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for fusing.
- If doing the optional embroidery, follow the instructions for Embroidery Fabric Preparation & At The Computer here.
At the machine:
- If doing the optional embroidery, follow the instructions for At The Machine here before proceeding.
- Trace the pocket template around the embroidery. Cut out the pocket.
- Cut the pocket lining from the 8” x 8” fabric.
- Place the right side of lining to the right side of pocket front and pin.
- Leaving a 3” opening for turning, sew around perimeter with a ½” seam allowance using a straight stitch.
- Turn the pocket right side out and press.
- Hand stitch the opening closed.
- To position the pocket on the apron front, measure 4” down from top edge of the apron skirt and 7” in from the right side. (This is where the right side edge of the pocket should be positioned.)
- To apply the pocket to the apron skirt, topstitch the two sides and the bottom edge of the pocket ⅛” from the pocket’s edges. Backstitch at the beginning and end points for added strength.
- Turn the ½” seam allowance on each side seam to the wrong side of the apron skirt, then press.
- Fold ½” again and then press the fabric to the wrong side.
- Straight stitch ⅜” from the fold’s outer edge on the right side, to finish hemming the sides of the apron skirt.
- To hem the bottom of the apron, fold ¾” to wrong side and press.
- Fold the hem an additional ¾” to wrong side and press.
- Topstitch ⅝” from the lower fold’s edge on the right side of the fabric. Set the apron skirt aside for now.
- To make the apron ties, take two of the four 4” x 30” fabric tie sections and pin with right sides together. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch two long sides and one short side, leaving one short end open. Repeat for the remaining two ties pieces.
- Trim the corners on the ties and then turn right side out. Press.
- Topstitch ⅛” from edge all around ties. Set the ties aside for now.
- On the main waistband, press a ½” fold on each of the short sides of waistband, pressing toward the wrong side of fabric.
- Fold waistband in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together. Press and then unfold.
- Mark the center of the waistband with a pin. Mark the center of the apron skirt front at the top edge with pin. This will help center the apron to the waistband once the skirt fabric is gathered.
- To gather the apron skirt to fit the waistband, first set machine for a basting stitch by adjusting the stitch length to 4 and the tension dial to 2.
- Stitch ¼” from the raw edge of apron skirt, sewing on the right side of the fabric. Leave a 5” thread tail at the beginning and the end of the stitching. Do not reverse stitch at the beginning or the end of the stitching.
- Sew another row of basting stitches ¼” below the previous row.
- To gather apron fabric, pull both of the bottom threads gently towards the center of the apron until the gathering equals the length of waistband.
- Pin the right side of gathered edge to right side of interfaced waistband edge.
- Set the machine to its normal tension (the “S” setting) and the stitch length to 2-3. Sew the waistband and apron using a ⅝” seam allowance.
- Press the seam allowance towards the waistband.
- Press ⅝” of the free waistband edge to the wrong side and press.
- Fold the waistband along the pressed fold line (lengthwise along center of the waistband).
- On the wrong side of apron, pin the waistband’s folded edge slightly below seam allowance.
- Slide the unfinished ends of the ties into the waistband openings. Pin in place.
Stitch close to the edge all along the sides and bottom of waistband. Press. - Topstitch along the top edge of the waistband to finish.
Optional Embroidery Instructions for Singer FUTURA™
Fabric Preparation:
- Apply the 15” x 12” medium weight fusible interfacing to the 15” x 12” fabric piece (pocket front) following manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Place the interfaced fabric in the center of the large hoop.
- Position the 8” x 10” heavy cut-a-way stabilizer underneath the hooped fabric.
Machine Preparation
- Set the Singer Futura™ Sewing and Embroidery Machine for embroidery. Connect the machine to computer with USB cable. Turn the machine on.
- Fill the bobbin with bobbin thread. Insert bobbin into the bobbin case.
- Attach the hooped fabric to the machine.
At the Computer:
- Turn on the computer. Open the Futura software. From the Main Menu select Create. Then scroll down to open HyperFont.
- Select Next and then type the letter desired for the monogram.
- Click on Select and choose the desired font (for this project, French Script MT, in Bold style and in Italic was used).
- Select Next and choose Fill stitch.
- Select Finish.
- Right click, then in the pop-up menu, click Stitch it.
- To change the size of the monogram, select Design and scroll to Change Size.
- In the X: box, type in 4.0 inches and click OK. (The software will automatically adjust the Y: measurement proportionately.)
- From the main menu, select Design and then scroll down to Center Design.
- Select View and scroll down to Realistic View. (Realistic View allows the monogram to be viewed as it will appear after stitching.)
- If desired, select View, scroll down to Zoom, then select 100% to see the monogram at a larger magnification.
- Select: File and scroll down to Transmit to Futura machine.
- In the Machine Navigator box select Send Block.
At the Machine:
- Thread the top of the machine with the rayon embroidery thread.
- Press START/STOP button on machine. Embroider the design.
- Remove the hoop from the machine arm. Take the embroidered fabric out of the hoop.
- Convert the machine to regular sewing mode.
- Thread the top of the machine and the bobbin with all-purpose thread.
- On the back side of the fabric, carefully trim away excess cut-a-way stabilizer from around the edge of the embroidered monogram. Press.