Homemaker's Must-Have Apron

A homemaker’s best friends can be a pair of good-fitting rubber gloves and an appropriate apron.  These are two items I cannot live without!  I even take them with me when camping.  My favorite brand of rubber gloves are Playtex (the purple kind).  

One December, we had a sewing activity making aprons in Relief Society.  My two teenage daughters and I made aprons to wear when cooking or cleaning.  Aprons really save your clothes so I have lots of them.  Because aprons are so important to me as a homemaker, I adapted the pattern instructions so that everyone can see how easy making Sister Becky’s aprons can be.  (See Becky's Like Badge under Cottage Industries, to the right).  This also makes a great gift! 

All of the fabrics can be the same pattern, or you can go wild.  The fabrics in the following pictures are from my scraps pile.  You may want to start with scraps of fabric for the first apron so you can get the hang of things.  (Your practice apron can be worn to clean the bathrooms or work in the garden).  Here is the materials list:

3 yds. of 7/8” grosgrain ribbon

Matching thread

Approx. ¾ yd. fabric for the Apron Body

¼ yd. for the Pocket

½ yd. for the Lining

For aprons, I like to use a cloth that does not require much ironing.  Wash fabrics according to the directions you will find at the end of the bolt in the store.  Usually washing fabrics with like colors on cold is a safe bet.  Iron the fabric as directed before starting the sewing project.

Cutting Instructions:

Apron Body

Fold the ¾ yd. fabric in half, right sides together.

Cut a 17 inch width (folded) x 27 inch length (folded) piece of material.

With fabric positioned vertically place a pin 1 ½ inches from the cut side of material. 

Using a straight-edge (whatever is handy), and a chalk or marker, draw a slanted cutting line from the pin to the bottom right edge, then cut on line through both layers of fabric.

Next, print off the following two pictures to use as patterns for the curved portion of the apron. 
Print these pattern pieces at Google Docs.  

    

Trim to black lines on each.

 

Place apron pattern top curve as shown along folded side.

Place apron pattern bottom curve so it lines up with the top curve pattern as shown, lined up with cut side (slightly overlaps).

You can tape these two pieces to make pattern piece.  Pin in place and cut through both layers of fabric.

Now is a good time to trace your cut Apron Body onto freezer paper to make a more permanent pattern piece and eliminate many of the steps above.

Apron Lining

Measure 14 ½ from the top left corner of your Apron Body Pattern and fold the bottom half of the pattern under.  Now you have an Apron Lining Pattern.

Cut the apron liner making sure the straight edge of your pattern is on the fold like shown.

Pocket

Cut an 8 x 20 inch rectangle from the pocket fabric.

Sewing Instructions:

Pocket

Fold top ¼ inch to wrong side and press.

Fold top 1 inch to wrong side and press.  Sew top at sides, clip corners.

Turn to right side out, press, and top stitch top of pocket.  

Find center of pocket and mark with straight pen.  Match center of pocket to center of apron, matching up lower edge of apron with lower edge of pocket.Top stitch pocket to apron at pocket sides.  Stitch lines to create smaller pockets now.  Back stitch at top of pocket when sewing.

Lining

Turn lining lower edge under ¼ inch and press.  Turn under ¼ inch again and press.

Stitch lower edge.

Pin lining to apron, right sides together.  Stitch upper apron from top side to top of apron on both sides (sew curves).

Place a pin 1 inch from each end of the top of the apron.  Sew from pin to pin, leaving 1 inch open on each side.  This is where your ribbon will come through.  Adjust opening according to ribbon size.

Finish seams by serging, or zigzag stitching, or using pinking shears.

Turn right side out and press.

Finishing

Turn under apron side and lining side ¼ inch and press.  Repeat.  Stitch.

Turn under apron bottom ¼ - ½ inch (photo) and press, then repeat and stitch.

Ribbon

Mark front of apron 1 inch from edge, (I put a piece of tape on my sewing machine to mark 1 inch).  Top stitch each arm hole edge 1 inch from edge. This forms casing to run ribbon through.

Run ribbon through ribbon casings.

Measure ribbon to needed length by trying apron on, and trim to fit.  Place fabric glue along cut ribbon ends and let dry so ribbon won’t fray.

Now that I’m done with the trial apron, I need to get some fabulous fabric and trim to make the “real” apron.  For another cute apron idea, go to one of my favorite blogs, We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ:
http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2010/01/psyched-up-to-serve.html