Say hi to the Amber Apron, sewed and designed by me for my first entry in the
Sew-vivor competition! This week's challenge was to be inspired from one of the judges tutorials, so I based mine off of the
Baking Day Apron found at
Ruffles and Stuff. I'm going to try and give you a tutorial on how I made my apron, although it may be a little difficult. I don't always do a ton of tutorials because I make a lot of my stuff without measurements or I custom fit it on myself. But I took lots of pictures to show you guys so that should help!
I started out with this sketch...
..and this fabric, thread, and bias tape to create the apron. It's a cotton twill fabric by the way.
The first thing I did was cut out my fabric. I used Disney's (the one whose apron tutorial I was inspired from) measurements that she gave but added about two extra inches on each side. I just wanted to be absolutely sure it would fit. I get paranoid like that sometimes haha.
My measurements:
Bodice: 25" x 14"
Skirt: 44" x 30"
Waistband: 5" x 23", plus the two sash pieces I sewed onto the waistband: 5" x 35"
Two neck sashes: 3" x 25"
Bias tape: depending on where you want to use it will determine how much you need but I used three packages of double fold and one package of single fold
So I cut everything out and waited to finish the edges. Because I put bias tape on a lot of it, finishing edges wasn't necessary on a lot of parts of the apron. To make the two pleat like things on the front of the bodice, I measured in where I wanted them, folded it, and then sewed super close to the edge. You can see how I pinned and folded it and then how the finished result turned out.
For the skirt, I just wanted big pleats all the way across. They ended up being two inch pleats, and to do them, I would just follow
this tutorial here, just like I did. Pleats are actually very simple and easy (at least these ones that I did were)! I pinned them and then sewed all the way across.
The bodice was too big so I had to cut it in. I kind of wanted a cool curve on the side. So at the top I measured in how I wanted and then also measured the other length I wanted at the bottom. About halfway down I measured in the same amount from the bottom, made a line, and then kind of just free-handed a curve from that. You don't have to follow this step, but it's just what I wanted to do. If you just want it straight all the way down, just measure in, cut and then hem.
Then I sewed both of the pieces together, making sure the waist wasn't too low and exactly where I wanted it.
I took the waistband and sash pieces, folded them in half and then sewed them all together to create one long sash. Then I took some grey double fold bias tape and pinned it on the waistband all the way across. It took me two packages of bias tape to cover the whole sash--1 package for each side. Remember these were folded, so I didn't have to do any edge finishing on that either.
Then I sewed bias tape at the top of the bodice as well at the hem of the skirt. I folded the single-fold bias tape in half (so that it was skinnier), then pinned and sewed it to the little neck sashes and sewed those to the bodice. I tried on the apron and then just measured where I wanted them from there. On mine I did them right outside the little bodice pleats.
And the pockets! I don't even know if this is the right way to make pockets, but I'll tell you how I did it. I just cut two slightly diagonal 6-inch lines in the skirt, measuring where I wanted them and everything, then I took one of my skirts with big pockets, traced the pattern and cut it out and sewed the pockets in. I sewed bias tape on top for embellishment as well as the two buttons.
All done!
Now you can go put on your apron, bake some chocolate-chip cookies and eat them. Everyone will marvel at your cooking and sewing skills.
There's the tutorial.
NOW GO VOTE FOR ME HERE PLEASE!!!! (sorry I just really wanted you to notice that part! I would love to make it to the next round so if you like my apron, I would love you forever if you went and voted for me and also told your friends to vote for me, every vote counts!)
