Cutting Cookies, A Reversible Child's Apron designed by Rachel Measham-Pywell from Four Wise Monkeys
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 10:15AM
Cutting Cookies is a quick to make childs apron inspired by cookie cutter shapes. Make a cute apron for boys by using a star or gingerbread cookie cutter for inspiration or trace around their toy sized tools for a fun appliquéd apron. Using only 3 fat quarters and some scraps and create this apron in an afternoon. It’s an economical and satisfyingly quick project to complete and with waist and neck ties it is versatile enough to fit children from ages 3 – 6.
What you need
*A quarter inch seam allowances has been used unless otherwise stated. Iron all your fabric before starting.
What you need
Three fat quarters – I have used one yellow, one green and one floral
55 cm of ric rac trim
Small amount of vliesofix
Scraps of fabric for the appliqué and four buttons. DMC thread for appliqué optional
Getting started
Print your pattern and trace the two pocket pieces. Cut out your pieces and tape the two sections of the apron together matching at points A and B. (If you like you can print the pattern pieces twice and cut the pockets out of the second version). Make sure you select “none” on print scaling when you print!
* Note that that to save paper the pocket pieces are used for both the pocket and pocket lining. Fold at the line marked on the pattern to cut the front pocket pieces and the full pocket for the pocket lining.
From the yellow fabric cut
2 x 18’ strips (neck ties), 2 x 21.5” strips (waist ties), 1 x Pocket 2 on the fold (front), 2 x Pocket 1 (front)
From the floral fabric cut
*Fold the fabric like this so you are left with enough fabric to make the pockets. The fold should be made so the fabric measures 7 ¾” across. Place the pattern piece placed on the fold.
1 x Apron on the fold, 1 x Pocket 2 on the fold (pocket lining)
From the green fabric cut
1 x Apron on the fold, 2 x Pocket 1 (pocket lining)
From the ric rac cut
1 x 10.5” strip and 2 x 5” strips
Onto vliesofix, trace 4 flowers, 2 stems and 4 leaves leaving a gap between each shape for cutting out. Following the manufactures directions fuse the vliesofix to the wrong side of the fabric scraps (I have used scraps of pink and orange and green scraps from my fat quarter). Cut around the shapes. Set aside.
Step 1 – Pocket Construction
Lay out your yellow front pocket pieces and place along the top edge your 5” strips of ric rac. Using a scant 1/8 inch allowance, stitch the ric rac to top of the pocket. Repeat with the two remaining yellow front pocket pieces, adding the 10.5 inch strip of ric rac to the larger pocket top. Trim any overhanging ric rac from the edge of your pocket.
Lay the pocket lining over the pocket front, so the ric rac is encased between the fabric, and sew across the top edge. Open up the pocket and press the seam up towards the lining. On the right side of the pocket, just above the ric rac, top stitch along the lining fabric.
Step 2 - Adding the appliqué shapes.
Using the pocket diagram as a guide, iron the appliqués into place using a warm dry iron. Don’t forget to overlap the appliqué pieces for the flower stems and leaves. Leaves down first, then the stem, then the flower on top.
Applique the shapes using your favourite method. I used 2 strands of matching DMC thread and the button hole stitch technique. Raw edge or machine appliqué would work too. Sew a cute button to your appliqué or fussy cut a flower from your floral fabric to the centre of your flower.
When the appliqué is complete, fold your pocket pieces in half, right sides together and press. Sew around your pocket edges, leaving a small gap, around 2 inches wide for turning in the side of the pocket. Clip the corners and clip tiny cuts round the pocket curves, the turn your pocket through the small gap. Use the end of a paint brush or a chop stick to push the corners out. Tuck with fabric into the gap creating a smooth edge, and press your pocket with your iron. Repeat for all three pockets. Set aside.
Step 3 – Make your ties
Using each of the four strips cut for the neck and waist ties, fold in half so that the right sides are together and sew along one short edge, and the long raw edge creating a tube shape. Clip the corners of the short end and turn right sides out. Use the end of a paint brush or a chop stick to push the corners out. Repeat for all 4 ties. Iron the ties flat.
Step 4 – Adding your pockets and ties
To add your pockets, first add the two small pockets to the front of the floral apron pics. I found using a square quilting ruler and measured the point from the bottom of the arm hole down 4.5” and then moving the ruler across until the ruler is 1.5” at the edge. See pins on the photo. Line the pocket up against the ruler and pin into place.
Repeat on the other side of the apron for the second pocket.. Sew the pockets to the apron by stitching 1/8 around the sides and bottom, leaving the top of the pockets open and closing the turning gap as you sew.
With your green apron front, fold the fabric in half and finger press along the centre, creating a crease. Mark the centre of the pocket the same way.
Measure 8.5” from the top of the apron along the central crease. Mark this point as the centre top of the pocket. Match the creases to centre the pocket. Pin the pocket into place.
I stitched along the centre crease of the large pocket, to create a split pocket. This is optional.
Sew the pocket to the apron by stitching 1/8 around the sides and bottom, leaving the top of the pocket open and closing the turning gap as you sew.
Lay out flat one of your apron fronts. Measure at each corner of the armholes, and mark a ¼ inch. Pin just outside the ¼ inch mark, the two neck ties to the top of the apron, right sides together. Follow the same steps to pin the two waist ties to the underside of the armholes. Baste the straps in place, or leave pinned if you prefer.
Step 5 – Finishing your apron
Place the second apron front on top of the first apron front, right sides together encasing the straps (make sure that you pin your straps to your pocket so they won’t get caught as you sew around the apron). Match all the sides together and pin into place.
Sew around your apron, leaving a small gap, around 2 inches wide for turning. Clip the corners and clip tiny cuts round the armhole curves, then turn your apron through the small gap. Use the end of a paint brush or a chop stitch to push the corners out. Tuck with fabric into the gap creating a smooth edge, and press your apron.
Top stitch around the entire outside of the apron, so that the turning gap is closed and the ties are anchored into place.
You are finished! A reversible child’s apron ready for hours of fun.
Tutorial, reversible child's apron
Reader Comments (5)
I just made this apron for my sister's daughter. I LOVE how it turned out. A couple changes I made: added a ruffle to the top of the pocket. I also added a ruffle on the bottom. Thank you very much for the pattern!
Featuring this wonderful post on my "Walk Around Blog-Land" today!
http://estherscardcreations.blogspot.com/2011/07/walk-around-blog-land-8_18.html
Thanks for this lovely child's apron pattern, my grand children will love them.
Hi
I love this little apron and would love to do a video tutorial for it on my you tube channel if you don't mind. However, I can't seem to get the upper part of the second print out . Some of it is always left blank. Could you e-mail the pattern?
RE: NECK AND WAIST TIES -- I see the number to cut, as well as the length, but what width do you cut the ties?