Nana's Reversible Half Apron (with tutorial)

During the deployment, I hosted several Sew Domestic Friday nights with other military wives - a sort of "crafting as therapy" for war.  A couple of these evenings were just for aprons, and I miss it - not the deployment, mind you - but the whole camaraderie of venting-while-apron-making.  It was on one such evening that I realized my newfound respect for my Nana and Grandpa, who endured a similar (well, more difficult, really) separation during the Korean War.

This past Christmas I made Nana this reversible apron and oven mitt set.  She loved it and put it on as soon as she opened it.  She was adorable and I regret not having a picture of how proudly she wore it.

Links of Interest:  My First Apron (with bib), Tie One On (a fun apron-along & source of inspiration),  Guide to Vintage Aprons

Continue reading this post (click on link below) for a tutorial outlining my take on making a half apron.  There are endless ways to modify this. If you have favorite links to apron inspiration or other apron tutorials, please share!

Basic Apron Without Ruffled Bottom:

Materials Needed:

• 2 pieces complementary fabric, 15"x24"
• 1 strip of fabric for top binding & apron strings, 4"x 55" (or use a measuring tape to determine your desired length - you may have to sew two lengths together)

1. Right sides of both apron pieces together, sew bottom and sides; clip the corners (figure b.)

   

2. Turn right side out and press.
3. Using your machine's longest stitch, sew a basting stitch 3/8" from the top edge, leaving a long tail of thread at the end.
4. Pull the top thread carefully, loosely gathering into a slight "ruffle" (figure c.)
5. Press the fabric strip in half lengthwise.  Open and fold the raw sides into the center.  Press. Fold closed and press again (figure d.).

   

6. Center the fabric binding over the gathered top edge of the apron and pin in place.
7. Starting at one end of the binding, topstitch the binding closed, stitching close to the bottom edge (figure e.)

.

(Optional) Apron with ruffled bottom:

1. Fold a 3 1/2" x 36" length of fabric in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
2. Using the longest stitch on your machine, sew a basting stitch 3/8" from raw edge.
3. Pull top thread carefully, slightly ruffling the fabric until it is approx. 23" long.
4. Place one piece of apron fabric right side up. Line up the raw edge of the ruffle with the raw bottom edge of apron fabric, ruffle pointed toward the inside.  The ruffle should start and end 1/4" from the left and right edges of the apron piece (figure f.).
5. Continue with Step 1 of Basic Apron (above)

Comments

[music]

1.

very interesting.
i'm adding in RSS Reader

[Jill]

2.

Hi, I just found your site on Sunday. I love that you share you patterns. I fell in love with this half-apron, and made two already. I gave them as gifts this morning, but I thought they were so adorable that I had a hard time giving them away. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[Jill]

3.

Hi, I just found your site on Sunday. I love that you share you patterns. I fell in love with this half-apron, and made two already. I gave them as gifts this morning, but I thought they were so adorable that I had a hard time giving them away. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[Stephanie]

4.

I've never been able to follow sewing patterns and instructions before. I just made 2 aprons from with you helpful pictures, and I even added pockets!! Thanks so much!!

[Sheryl-lyn]

5.

I actually made this apron yesterday when I was feeling sick and tired (literally!) I modified it to make it longer and added pockets to both sides. Thanks for such an easy tutorial! At least I accomplished something good while feeling under the weather.

[Helga]

6.

Wonderful and informative web site.I used information from that site its great.o

[nonlineargirl]

7.

Thanks - that was easy and looks great!

[Brittany]

8.

Oh I think I'll try to this for my mom for Christmas, true she doesn't use aprons but it's cute :3

[Kelly]

9.

great illustrations! thanks for sharing!

[Hashi]

10.

Thanks for the great tutorial. I made the ruffled version in about an hour; it's cute, soft and pretty! I really love it!

[lora]

11.

excellent texture.y

[Keno]

12.

Big thanx to webmaster!e

[Vincent3231]

13.

http://www.forumov.net/hlink323/0 cool
http://www.forumov.net/hlink323/1 cool

[Vincent854]

14.

http://www.goodsite.com/854/hlink It's a bad link

[Vincent854]

15.

http://www.goodsite.com/854/hlink It's a bad link

[vilyi]

16.

Awesome!!!r

[myriam13]

17.

hello!!! thank you for the tutorial...I am french and I love your aprons....

Myriam

[myriam13]

18.

thank you for the tutorial...I'm french and I like your aprons....myriam

[Vincent17978]

19.

http://www.goodsite.com/17978/hlink It's a bad link

[susan]

20.

thanks for your tute and all the links! now im off to make myself a seamstress's craft apron!!

[Crystal]

21.

And another TOTALLY CUTE apron idea(I have been planning something like this for a bag, but hadn't thought about it as an apron - too cute): http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/2007/02/valentine_tree__1.html#comment-60190726

[Crystal]

22.

Here's a vintage-inspired pattern I found: http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/

Scroll down 2/3 of the page and look for "Happy Homemaker"

[KBG]

23.

I know, I know, another apron post (love the violin concert, by the way, I was trying to convince my husband the other day that he should get me a violin and lessons for my birthday - maybe I'm a tad old).
Anyway, I found another link for you:

http://craftapple.wordpress.com/2006/09/07/the-seamstress-apron/

And it should mix your two hobbies - aprons and sewing!

[Crystal]

24.

Thanks for the apron swap link! I sent an email but it may be too late to join (cross your fingers).

A tut on the oven mitt--hm, I guess I can do that. By the way, it's Denise-Schmidt inspired.

[KBG]

25.

Hey - I think this one is new. I'm not sure if she's still accepting people, but she has a lot of good links!

http://www.apronswap.blogspot.com/

Oh - and what I'd really enjoy is a tute on the mitt!