How to Make an Apron

Whether you are working in garden or washing dishes in kitchen, apron forms a very important part of your gear. It prevents your clothes from getting dirty and also offers defense against water. A wide variety of aprons is available in the market, catering to varied needs, pockets as well as styles of people. An apron can also make a good gift for your mother as well as your ‘garden lover’ father. The best part is that it can be made easily at home, giving it a personalized touch. In case you want to make your own apron, whether for using it or for gifting it, the tips and instructions given below will surely help.

How to Make an Apron

Items Needed

Fabric
Kraft Paper
Yardstick
Pencil
Scissors
Dressmaker Pins
Dressmaker Shears
Fabric-marking Pens
Iron
Sewing Machine
Thread

Instructions

First of all, you need to choose fabric for your apron. If it is intended for gardening or other outdoor work, heavy fabrics like denim or canvas will be the best. In other cases, a medium-weight fabric will work just fine.
The length of the fabric should be around 1¼ yards. Make sure to pre-wash the fabric before using it for making the apron.
Spread the Kraft paper on a fabric cutting board and using a yardstick and pencil, measure it to 36 inches by 25 inches. Now, cut along the measurements and position the paper in such a way that the 25-inch ends make up your left and right.
Measure 8 inches down from the top left corner, on the left short edge, and mark it with a pencil. The same way, make a mark 10 inches from the top left corner, on the top long edge.
Rotate the paper, towards the right, in such a way that the short left edge gets at the top.
Taking the first pencil mark as the starting part, draw a line that curves down and out, towards the second pencil mark. This line is meant to be used for forming the bib portion.
Take the fabric that you intend to use for the apron and fold it lengthwise. Now, place the 36-inch edge of the paper pattern on the fold.
Making use of dressmaker pins, attach the fabric to the paper. Make sure that the paper's edge lines up evenly with the fold.
Now, you need to cut the layers of fabric that are just outside the paper's outer edges, making use of dressmaker shears.
Cut along the curved line made in a previous step. Remove the paper pattern and set aside the cut-out fabric.
From the remaining fabric, you need to cut out 8 fabric strips - four measuring 29 by 2 inches and the rest measuring 19 by 2 inches.
With the help of an iron, press in all raw fabric edges, towards the wrong side of the fabric, on the strips as well as the apron piece.]
Turn an additional ½ inch under all edges on the apron piece and pin the fabric into place.
Next, stitch the turned-under edges into place, with the help of a sewing machine.
Take two strips of equal size, cut out from fabric scraps, and lay one on top of the other, in a way that the wrong sides are together.
Using the dressmaker pins, pin the pieces together. Sew along all sides, about 1/8 inch from the edges.
Repeat the process with all the remaining fabric strips.
The shorter strips will be attached to the top of the apron. For the purpose, place each strip about ½ inches in from the sewn edges.
Now, position it in such a way that about ½ inch of each end goes behind the top of the apron.
Using the hemlines made in a previous step, stitch over each strip end.
Take the two longer fabric strips and attach them at the side of the apron, where the bib portion ends. For the purpose, repeat the procedure used in case of shorter strips.
Your apron is ready!

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