Sew 4 Home Apron Tutorial/ Review

My fabulous Hubby got me some amazing fabric that I had been coveting for Valentines day and I have had just the project saved - this cute retro apron from the sew 4 home/Janome projects site.  Liz Johnson, Senior Editor of Sew4Home kindly allowed me to post details on my blog of their instructions so here we go!

The first challenge I had was that I couldn't get bias binding to match my fabric and as there was an awful lot of binding required (6 yards) it would have been a bit of a challenge and fabric hogger to make my own so I decided to go ahead without.  I also liked but didn't love my lining fabric so decided that I'd make the flounce on the front of the pinny from the main fabric (you'll see what I mean when we get going with pictures).  So this is where the tutorial/review title comes from - not really a tutorial as the sew 4 home instructions are brilliant so this is partly a review of how I made the apron from their instructions.  Not using the bias might be a no brainer for some of you but as I sat and scratched my head for a short while (and went wrong more than once!) I thought it was worth a few helpful hints hence the tutorially bits about how I amended the pattern to not use bias binding.

Step 1 - I started by cutting out the pattern and getting my fabric out.

Step 2 - Next I cut out all of the pieces, you should end up with 2 Apron bodies (1 front/1 lining) , 2 flounces  (1 front/1 lining) and as many pockets (with a lining) as you are going to use - hope this picture helps

Step 3 - Now to the machine to make the pockets, instructions were easy to follow here the only amendment I made was on my lining pocket (pale colour below) I created a small hem on the top as I was not binding this pocket.  I'd also created a small bit of binding for my front side pocket (darker colour).  Here are the pockets all pinned and ready for sewing - thought I'd use my heart pins given the fabric was a valentines pressie!

 And here is my front pocket all lined and bound - I love how the lining fabric shows just a little - it's deliberate (honest) as it looks like a little bit of accented piping!

Step 4 - Ok so here's where I went wrong! But I know why and I know how to fix it.  The next step on the Sew 4 Home website it to attach the flounce but given that I wasn't binding the outer edge of the apron their instructions wouldn't work for me (it would have left the apron flounce open and unfinished.  Don't get me wrong, my idea worked it was just of a LONG way round!  I had the great idea that I'd sew all 3 edges of the flounce leaving the top open then attach the top of the front flounce of to the bottom of the front apron then the lining flounce to the lining apron! Sound confusing? It was!!  Here's what I ended up with - some complicated arrangement!

Had I have thought a little more (though I did start this at 8:30 pm once my little one was sleeping) I would have realised that I only needed to sew the flounce onto the front of the apron and that the other 3 sides of the flounce would be sewn when I turned the whole thing inside out to sew! So- flounce attached to apron (remember right sides facing, with top of flounce attached to bottom of apron) we can move to the next step - lesson learned!

Step 5 - Turn the apron inside out, so right sides are facing one another then iron down the top of the apron (see pic below).  We are leaving the top of the apron open so we have somewhere to turn out the apron to the right side but will need to top stitch it closed in a later step and this fold will make it easier.
 

Step 6 - Next, starting at the top left side of the apron sew all around the perimiter - this is where the flounce would have gotten sealed if I had thought it through, as it was I only needed to sew down each side!

Step 7 - Turn the apron right side out and then top stitch that opening closed.

Step 8 - Now for making buttonholes - I know some people don't like to do this so I guess you could put them in place in step 7 but my machine is so nifty and does them (shout up if you want me to post tut though there are a lot of good ones out there) so I followed the sew 4 home instructions and made the buttonholes and the straps too - all very easy -

Step 9  Wear your gorge little apron - how cute is it!! I LOVE it!!! (sorry pics are wrong orientation I'm still trying to work out why and don't seem able to have the functionality to change them)??!!

Outer of Apron 

 Apron with a little of lining peeping through

Reverse of Apron (with almost invisible pocket)

 Me happily wearing my new apron

(apologies for the hair, it's a lazy Sunday!)

So there you have it - hope you enjoyed and feel inspired to make one too, I'm going to be making them for a friend who has a new house, think it will be a great gift and can't wait to try other colour combinations for gifts too!

Keri