Applique Apron

I like wearing aprons.  Partially because I'm a klutz and spill things on myself and partially because I forget to take them off for hours after I'm done baking or cooking.

I've been wanting to make another apron since I finished my $5 dress.  I wanted to use my extra fabric that I cut off to make the waistband and pockets and use some brown and cream striped fabric for the rest.  It was a match that could either look really good or really bad, so I decided to check my other scraps to see if I had something that matched a bit better and ended up changing my mind about how I was going to make the apron.

I compared a couple different apron patterns I have and really liked the fullness and length of D, but wasn't too wild about the rick rack or faux needlepoint part of it (the center one was my second choice but the lace makes it and I don't have enough of it or the right color).

It looks like a picnic with rick rack

I made the bottom right one a couple years ago

I've been wanting to try reverse applique ever since I got an email showing how to do it from SewDaily (part of Interweave Press) a few months ago.  Perfect.  I would do reverse applique on the pockets.  No idea what I was going to applique yet.  And I didn't have the self-adhesive, tear-away stabilizer or freezer paper.

I had already cut out one layer of my pocket in the stripey fabric and one layer in the print and sewn them together.

wrong side of pocket

I cut out a third piece of the stripey fabric to back the print fabric because I wasn't sure how sturdy just the print would be.

stripey backing fabric

After looking at the contrasting fabric, I traced out a leaf from the print onto some parchment paper and made sure it fit over the pocket.

patterned

I traced my leaf design again and cut out the leaves so I could pin them to the fabric and use them as a pattern to sew around them.  On the second pocket, I drew the stem first in chalk which made it lot easier/smoother to sew the stem lines.

I used a straight stitch around my parchment paper pattern and then used some scissors to cut through just the first layer of stripey fabric so the print would show through.  After sewing around all of the leaves and cutting them so the print showed, I stitched around the leaves again several more times but slightly off center in both cream and green thread to give it a bit more texture and color.

Then I continued on the with pattern to finish the apron. It has some super cute pleats at the top, which the pattern says to sew down using embroidery floss and needlepoint... but that wouldn't look good with my pockets.  For now, they're just pressed down and unless I can think of a decorative way to sew them down and keep the style of the pockets.

super cute pocket applique

pleats

finished apron

Oh, and this will probably end up on etsy because we have way too many aprons around here.  I think it was 6 at last count.  This wasn't meant to be a big advertisement for that... but I really don't need the apron.

Oh, and in other etsy advertising, my old roommate, Mary, makes aprons for potters. They are super cute split leg aprons so while at the wheel, your legs don't get caked in clay.   She doesn't have any up right now (I grabbed a link from one she had sold), but if you're interested, message her to see if she has any that aren't currently posted on etsy.