Canvas and Cotton Apron

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 1 1/2yds canvas
• 1/2yd cotton
• 1/2yd medium weight interfacing
• Ruler
• Rotary cutter & cutting mat
• Iron
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine & matching thread

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut one Apron Body out of the canvas on the fold.
2. Fold the bottom edge in 1/2" and iron; then fold it in 1/2" again and iron and pin in place; leave the corners unpinned.
3. Fold the bottom side edges (you will not need to hem the top edge or the curved side edges at all) in 1/2" and iron; then fold it in 1/2" again and iron and pin in place; leaving the corners unpinned.
4. To cut down on the fabric bulk on the hem corners, make mitered corners. Instead of piling so many layers of canvas on top of each other at the corners, you will cut the excess fabric off and fold the hem in so that it meets at a diagonal, like a picture frame.
5. Unfold your hems at the corner and notice how the pressed lines make four squares. Looking at the square from a diagonal, there’s one square, then two squares, then one square. You will cut an angle running through the diagonal center of the last square, see illustration._x000B_Fold the cut diagonal edge in 1/2" and press with your iron; then refold the hems on each side - it should make a mitered corner. Press with iron and pin.
6. Sew along the side and bottom hems.
7. Next, cut a 2 1/4"x 11 1/2" rectangle out of canvas. Zigzag stitch along one long edge and then pin the opposite edge (the raw long edge) to the top of the apron, right sides together.
8. Stitch along the top edge, then flip the rectangle behind the apron and press with your iron. Trim excess fabric off of the rectangle so that it aligns with the curved sides of the apron.
9. Cut two strips of canvas on the bias (at a 45-degree angle across the grain of the canvas) that are 2 1/2"x 72" - you will have to attach two lengths together to achieve the full 72". These strips will be both the apron straps and will be a bias tape along the curved side edges of the apron. Cutting the canvas at a 45-degree angle across the grain of the canvas will help give the strips extra flexibility to maneuver around those curved edges.
10. Fold the two strips of canvas in half lengthwise and press with an iron as you fold. Then, fold the raw edges in 1/4" on each side and press with an iron as you fold.
11. Secure the length of the strip with straight pins and, at the ends, fold the raw edge in twice, press with iron, and sew.
12. Enclose the raw, curved edge of the apron’s side in between the folded canvas strip. Allow the strip to extend for 5 1/2" past the bottom side edge of the apron. Let all the rest of the length extend from the top of the apron.
13. Make the loop at the side by folding in the 5 1/2" length of canvas strip. Overlap with the apron interior 1/2" and sew in place.
14. Repeat steps for the other side.
15. Cut at 17 1/2"x 20" piece of cotton fabric, and a 17 1/2"x 10" piece of medium weight interfacing.
16. Fold the cotton in half, long edge to long edge, and press with your iron. Open the cotton and use the pressed line as a guide to apply the medium weight interfacing to the wrong side of half of the cotton fabric.
17. Fold again at the pressed line, so that right sides are together, pin and sew up the two short sides.
18. Turn back right side out, press with your iron. Fold the bottom edge up 1/2" and press.
19. Topstitch across the top edge.
20. Fold in half, short edge to short edge, and press with your iron. You will use this pressed line as a sew two sections onto the pocket.
21. Place cotton on the apron, centered, with the top of the cotton about 3-4" down from the bottom of the side apron loops. Pin in place and sew, beginning with the center line, then moving to the bottom and edges.
22. To finish, take the apron straps, cross them, and put them through the loop on the opposite side of the apron. Tie the straps together.