Day Five

Today's the last day of t-shirt week.  It's been a lot of fun, but it's time to move on.

For my last project I decided to try an apron.  Here's how it turned out -

Here's How I Did It:
You'll need a long sleeve tee to get enough fabric for the straps.  Alternatively, you could you 2 different shirts.

Lay the shirt out with the back up.  Cut the top straight across.

Draw out the curve you want for the apron skirt, and cut it out, being sure to make it symmetrical.  Don't cut through the front of the shirt!

Turn the shirt over and draw another curved shape for the apron bib, with the logo where you want it.   Cut it out also, making sure the sides are symmetrical. 

Cut the remainder of the shirt into 2" strips for the ruffle.  4 should be plenty, depending on the size of the skirt and how full you want the ruffle.

Cut off the sleeves and cuffs.  Cut the sleeves into 4" strips for the straps.  You will need 5.

To make the bib a little stiffer, I traced my bib onto the leftover from a different t-shirt and cut that out as well.

Sew the 2" strips end to end, to make one long strip.  Trim all the seam allowances very close to the stitch line.  Put a line of gathering stitch along one side.  (On most machines, if you turn the tension all the way up it will automatically gather the fabric as you sew.)

Pin and sew the ruffle all the way around the curved edges of your apron skirt.  Press the seam allowance toward the skirt and topstitch all the way around.

 For the straps:  Sew 3 4" strips end to end to make the long waist strap. 

Fold the other 2 4" strips lengthwise and sew right along the edge.

Turn right side out and press.

Fold the long 4" strip in half lengthwise also, and sew it closed, leaving a small opening in the middle for turning.  Turn it right side out and press.

 Lay the back bib piece right side up, and place the shorter straps with the open ends up, along the seam line in the top corners.  Lay the front bib piece right side down on top, matching all the edges.  Sew around the outside, leaving the straight side open for turning.

Turn it right side out and press.  

 Topstitch all the way around the bib.

 Mark the center of the bib, skirt, and long strap with a pin.

Pin all three together, matching the centers.  Have the raw edges of the bib and skirt overlapped behind the waistband.

Sew a double line of stitching along the edges of the waistband, firmly attaching the skirt and bib, and sewing over the little space you left open to turn the waistband.

 Go put it on!