Vintage Apron

I love to wear aprons to protect clothing while working in the kitchen or a favorite hobby, but even more fun is choosing pretty fabrics to make them as gifts for a special one or a dinner/party host. Hello, I’m Cherry of Cherry Blossoms and today I’d like to share an easy apron, perfect for this holiday season.

Materials to Make a Vintage Apron

• 2/3 yd. apron front (Washed wood nickel)
• 2/3 yd. apron lining (Wish dot grey)
• 3/8 yd. neck straps & waist tie (Triangle tiles grey)
• 1/3 yd. ruffle & pockets (Small sunshine floral dk grey)
• 1/8 yd. ruffle trim (Tiny words grey)
• 5 3/4″ x 11 3/4″ lightweight fusible stabilizer
• 50wt cotton thread to match fabrics
• Water soluble pen or chalk marker (Sewline or Bohin)
• Cutting mat, ruler (I used a 3″ x 12″ and 8 1/2″ x 24″), rotary cutter
• Fabric scissors
• Sewing machine (I used a BERNINA 880 Plus)
• Patchwork foot #97D, #97, #57, or #57D
• Ruffler foot #86
• Regular stitch or straight stitch plate
• Download and print the Vintage Apron Pattern

Let’s get started!

All seams are 1/4″ unless otherwise noted.

Step 1: Pattern prep

Print the Vintage Apron templates – check your printer’s settings to make sure you are printing to “actual size”.

Place the pattern over a light source, align the dotted red lines and tape the pages together.

Cut the apron and square pocket templates on the black lines.

Fold the apron front fabric on the long edge with wrong sides together. Place the apron template with the center line of the pattern on the fold of the fabric and pin in place.

Cut out the apron front and repeat the process with the apron lining fabric.

Lay the cut apron lining wrong-side-up and transfer the apron stitch lines for the “v” using a water soluble pen or chalk marker (picture shows apron’s front fabric, but mark the wrong side of the lining fabric).

Add the “leave open” marks to only one side (picture shows apron’s front fabric, but mark the lining).

Now let’s mark the apron front on the right-side of the fabric: transfer the neck straps, pockets and ruffle placement lines.

Step 2: Neck straps, waist tie, pockets, and ruffle

From the 3/8 yd. neck straps and waist tie fabric cut:

(1) 2 1/2″ x WOF strip sub-cut into:
(2) 1 1/2″ x 21″ neck straps

(2) 5″ x WOF strips sub-cut into:
(1) 5″ x 43″ – waist tie A
(2) 5″ x 21 1/2″ – waist tie B

From the 1/3 yd. ruffle & pockets fabric cut:
(1) 5 1/2″ x WOF strip sub-cut into:
(1) 5 1/2″ x 43″ – ruffle

(1) 6″ x WOF sub-cut into:
(2) 6″ x 12″ – pockets front and lining

From the 1/8 yd. ruffle trim cut:
(1) 1 1/2″ x WOF sub-cut into:
(1) 1 1/2″ x 22 1/2″ – ruffle trim

Install a patchwork presser foot onto your sewing machine. I’m using foot #97D.

Select the correct presser foot, straight stitch length and needle stop position on your sewing machine.

If using foot #97, secure the seam guide for a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Neck straps and waist tie:

Fold a 1 1/2″ x 21″ neck strap on the long edge, right sides together and stitch it close on the long edge and on one short end, leaving the other end open to turn right-side-out.

Clip the corners, turn right-side-out and press (I used the Bow Whip Turn-It-All); repeat with the second neck strap; set aside.

Sew the (2) 5″ x 21 1/2″ waist tie B strips to the left and right short edges of the 5″ x 43″ waist tie A strip; press seams open.

Fold the A/B unit on the long edge, right sides together, and stitch on the long edge leaving a 6″ opening in the center to turn right-side-out.

Press the seam open, then stitch both ends closed.

Turn the waist tie right-side-out and press; set aside.

Apron ruffle and pockets:

Place the 5 3/4″ x 11 3/4″ lightweight fusible stabilizer, fusible side down, onto the wrong side of a 6″ x 12″ pocket rectangle, and following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse in place.

Place the fused pocket rectangle over the remaining 6″ x 12″ pocket piece, right sides together.

Place the pocket template on the stabilizer side, pin in place and cut out (2) pockets.

Transfer the triangle seam allowance and “leave open” marks. Sew the pockets with a 1/4″ seam allowance, carefully clip the “v” up to the stitch line and turn right-side-out; set aside.

Hem the short edges of the 5 1/2″ x 43″ ruffle strip with a double 1/4″ turn: fold the edge 1/4″ in and press, then fold once again. Press and stitch the folded edge down.

Hem the other short edge.

Repeat the process to double hem one long edge of the ruffle strip.

It’s time for one of my favorites, the BERNINA ruffler foot #86. I love, love the results! You get perfect pleats without the hassle of braking threads when gathering fabrics. Install the ruffle foot #86 on your machine, select foot #86 and set the stitch length to 3.5. Adjust the pleating lever to position #6. For more information, watch this video on how to use the ruffler.

To begin, feed the raw edge of the fabric into the ruffler, placing the short hemmed edge about 1/2″ behind the foot, then gather the fabric, stopping about 1/2″ from the end.

Gather the hemmed ruffle strip to measure 21 1/2″ long.

Fold the 1 1/2″ x 22 1/2″ ruffle trim strip in half, wrong sides together and press.

Center and pin onto the raw edge of the gathered ruffle; the trim extends 1/2″ beyond the ruffle on both ends.

Sew the trim down with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Flip the trim up and press; set aside.

Step 3: Assemble the apron

Pin the neck straps on the marked apron front and baste in place with an 1/8″ seam allowance.

Align the bottom edge of the pockets with the pocket’s placement line (8″ from the bottom edge of the apron) and pin in place.

Stitch the pockets down with an 1/8″ seam from the edge; back-stitch at the beginning and at the end to reinforce the pockets.

Place the trimmed ruffle on the placement line and pin in place.

Sew the ruffle onto the apron on both sides of the trim with an 1/8″ seam from the edge.

With the neck straps, pockets, and ruffle sewn onto the apron front, place the cut apron lining over the apron front, right sides together (picture shows apron’s front fabric, but keep the apron front on the bottom and the lining on top). Pin and stitch together with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving the marked side open to turn.

Being careful not to cut into the stitch line, clip the curves and the “v” point.

Turn right-side-out and press; pin the opening and…

… stitch around the entire apron with an 1/8″ seam from the edge.

Lay the assembled apron on a flat surface and center the waist tie on the apron, placing the top edge of the tie at the bottom of the curves; pin in place.

Sew the tie onto the apron with an 1/8″ seam, continuing to stitch on all the edges of the waist tie.

And you’re done!

I stitched a Christmas version with my Hearty fabric and used the optional round pockets included in the pattern.

I hope you’ll give this tutorial a try… perhaps have a holiday apron-making party with the girls?

Happy stitching,

Cherry