Sew Cute: Ruffled Apron
I’m a pretty messy person. I’m also a fan of baking. Combined, that means I often end up with splotches of cupcake batter on my shirt, kitchen walls, dog, etc. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of aprons. But if I’m going to cover up, I want it to be cute! So I whipped up this simple half-apron in some charming printed fabric, and added a wide ruffle on the bottom and some sweet little heart pockets on the front. Don’t be intimidated by the number of directions—this project can easily be completed in an afternoon!
Materials:
- Colorful cotton for the apron
- Colorful cotton for the apron tie (this can be the same fabric if you’d prefer)
- Thread in a corresponding color to the apron fabric
- Thread in a corresponding color to the tie fabric
- Basic sewing needle
- Straight pins
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Ballpoint pen
- Safety pin
- Iron and ironing board
- Optional: sewing machine
Craft away:
- Draw the outline of the apron onto the fabric. Make your shape 17 inches wide at the top, 16 1/2 inches long, and 25 inches long at the bottom
- Fold each side of the apron in 1/2 inch, towards the back of the fabric. Iron and pin the fold to set it in place.
- Stitch the fold down using a sewing machine or needle and thread. If you’re using a sewing machine: use a basic straight stitch. If you’re using a needle and thread: use a simple in-and-out motion.
- Draw two 6 inch wide hearts onto the fabric and cut them out.
- Fold the sides of each heart in, towards the back of the fabric, and stitch the fold down using the needle and thread.
- Pin each heart onto the front of the apron, and stitch them in place using the needle and thread. Be sure to leave the top of each heart unstitched!
- Draw the outline of the ruffle onto the fabric. Make your shape 4 inches wide and 29 inches long. Round off the two lower corners.
- Fold each side of the ruffle in 1/2 inch, towards the back. Iron and pin the fold to set it in place.
- Stitch the fold of the ruffle down using a sewing machine or needle and thread.
- Using the needle and thread, stitch across the top of the ruffle, right under the seam you just sewed. Keep your stitches very wide, about an inch each, and leave a tail at each end. Don’t knot your work—you’ll be removing this thread soon.
- Size the ruffle to fit across the lower edge of the apron. To do this, gently pull on the loose ends of thread you just stitched to begin creating waves in the fabric. When you have pulled the ruffle to fit the apron, pin it in place, seam-to-seam. You can remove the long thread.
- Stitch the ruffle to the apron using a sewing machine or needle and thread.
- Out of the fabric for the apron tie, cut three rectangular pieces: one 4 1/2 inches wide and 17 inches long, and two 4 1/2 inches wide and 32 inches long.
- Fold the 17 inch long piece in half, hot-dog style. Iron the fabric to set the fold in place, and pin the two sides together.
- Stitch the piece together on the long side using the sewing machine or needle and thread. Keep your stitches 1/2 inch from the edge of the fabric, and don’t stitch the two short ends. You should now have a little tube.
- Attach the safety pin to one of the short sides of the tube. Using the pin as a guide, turn the tube inside out so that the seam is on the inside. Remove the safety pin and iron the tube.
- Pin the tube to the top of the apron, placing the edge 1/2 inch in on the apron. Sew it in place.
- Repeat the same steps to turn the two long pieces into tubes—fold them in half, iron them, and stitch along one long side of each piece, but also sew one of the short ends of each piece shut. Then turn them inside out (don’t use the safety pin on these pieces, though—it’ll get stuck inside!).
- Pin the unstitched end of each long tube to the unstitched ends of the short tube, and stitch them in place to make the ties of the apron.
- You’re finished! Now you can make tasty treats in cute, clean style.
