Half Apron Tutorial

This half apron has a little pocket tucked into the stripe, it is reversible, and the straps are long enough to tie in front or in back.

The measurements of the front panel pieces are very fat quarter friendly.

Start by cutting your pieces. For the front panel you’ll need:

- 6.5″ x 21.5″ green – piece A
- 2″ x 21.5″ white – piece B
- 4.5″ x 21.5″ red – piece C
- 2″ x 21.5″ white – piece D
- 3″ x 21.5″ green – piece E

It would be helpful to arrange your pieces A-E in order as I have done below. Make sure all prints are aligned properly.

In the brown backing material you will need:
- two 41″ x 5″ lengths for straps
- 6″ x 22″ for waistband
- 18″ x 22″ for back
- 9″ x 5″ for pocket lining

In this tutorial all seams will need a quarter inch allowance. Backstitch a few stitches at the beginning and end of each seam. Iron pieces as needed.

Let’s start by making the straps. Take one of your brown 41″x5″ pieces and fold it in half lengthwise, right sides on the inside. Sew along the cut edges. When you come to the end, curve down towards the folded edge. Trim off the excess.

Now you’ll need to turn your strap right-side-out. If you do not have a go-to strap-turning-out method, you can try mine.

First, slip the handle of a kitchen utensil into the strap. Bunch it up until it is all on the handle.

Grab a second, smaller utensil (nothing sharp!) and hold it end-to-end with the first. Push the bunched strap from the large utensil onto the small one.

Continue transferring strap onto the smaller utensil. When you can see the righted strap end you are home free! Put down the large utensil, grab the strap end, and pull it all the way out. Hold the strap up to let the smaller utensil drop out of the opening.

Now top-stitch around the edges of the strap, 1/4″ in. I prefer to sew first and iron later when it comes to straps.

Repeat this entire process for the second strap.

Now we will work on the front panel.

The pocket will be constructed first. You’ll need the brown pocket lining and panel pieces B and C. Line up piece C with the pocket lining as shown below, right sides together. Sew them together from the left edge, stopping 1/4″ away from the lining’s right, or inner-facing, side.

Line piece B up with the other short edge of the pocket lining as shown, right sides together. Sew these pieces together, again stopping 1/4″ away from the inner side of the lining.

Arrange pieces B and C right sides together as shown below. The pocket lining will need to be folded so that these edges can meet. Sew these together, starting at the exact point where your previous seam left off and continuing to the right edge. Do not sew the pocket shut!

In this step you will sew together the inner edge of the pocket. Start at the precise point where your seams met earlier and sew down to the fold in the pocket lining, as shown.

You should now have a little pocket like the one below. The outer edge of the pocket will be sewn shut later, when the back of the apron is attached.

Pin the pocket into place so that it doesn’t get sewn in wrong later. Line everything up properly and pin all of the layers together as shown.

Complete the front panel by piecing together the rest of the front panel pieces as shown. Sew your seams all the way to the edges.

Add the brown 6″ x 22″ waistband piece to the top of the front panel in the same manner. Center it so that a bit of brown extends beyond the panel on both sides.

Now we will attach the 18″ x 22″ brown back piece.

Line it up with the bottom and sides of the front panel, right sides together. Do not cross the seam you just sewed (the waistband and piece A seam). Sew from that seam down, across the bottom, and back up to that seam on the other side. Sew only these three edges! The top edge will be left open. The top should extend beyond piece A.

With this step you should have also effectively sewn the remaining pocket edge shut.

Turn your work right side out.

Now we will attach the straps. Grab a strap and put it top-side-down onto the front of the waistband. Line it up evenly just above piece A, along the waistband.

Fold the waistband down over the strap as shown below. Sew the strap in and then back-up and do it again. You want this strap in there securely.

Repeat for the other strap and then turn the waistband right side out.

Turn to the backside of the apron. Tuck the large back panel underneath the waistband as shown.

Fold the waistband edge under evenly, as shown.

Pin the waistband edge into place, putting the pins in on the top side. Carefully feel through the fabric to ensure that the bottom of the waistband on the front and the back are in the same place. You’ll be topstitching on the front and if you are not careful here the back will turn out messy.

Make sure that the corners are layered neatly, with no raw edges visible.

Sewing on the top of the fabric, top-stitch a line 1/4″ above the bottom of the waistband, as shown.

That’s all there is to it!

You can use this basic technique to make a number of different aprons.

This one uses a different panel configuration and has two pockets, one on each side. There’s a ribbon tucked between the pieces and sewn in.

It could even be frilly!

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