Today we have a special guest poster!!!! Brianne made a fab apron last December using the Angie pattern and I begged her for a tutorial! Today she is sharing that tutorial with us!!!!!
So grab your
Angie pattern and your
Betsey pattern and be sure to leave Brianne a nice comment so she'll guest post again - I hear she has another amazing idea for the Betsey up her sleeve....
I used the SisBoom/Scientific Seamstress Angie bodice with a sweetheart neck and added a 3/4 circle skirt. Isn't my model handsome?
Do you want to make this sexy little apron? I've sewn up a new bigger and better version still using the Angie bodice but added the Betsey skirt. The apron is 100% reversible. NO visible seams and NO serger needed!
This is unbelievably simple; a beginner can have it competed during nap time (unless of course you're the one napping).
- Angie Pattern
- Betsey Pattern
- 1 to 1.5 yards of each fabric (front and back) depending on size. Maybe a bit more if the fabric is directional. Honestly, I don't know here. Totally guessing. Buy a bunch of pretty fabrics
- Tracing paper
- All other sewing paraphernalia
- Do NOT need binding as indicated in apron pattern.
Take your Angie bodice and lay a piece of tracing paper over it. I love Swedish tracing paper.
Trace starting a little bit up the neckline, down the fold, across the bottom, up the side and slightly into the arm cycle. Something like this.
A few things to remember. The Angie bodice side goes to your side, obviously. We don't want the apron to go all the way to the side, but stay on the front of your torso. So, draw a curve up starting on the fold line. Make the curve as big or little as your sexy self desires. When bringing the curve down, make sure to angle the straight edge out ending before the side seam. Like below.
Don't worry about it being perfect. The way we put the apron together, there is room for lots of error. You could definitely bring it in more narrow!
All three compared to each other.
Mark the dart on your tracing paper. Cut out your new pattern piece.
Trace and cut your new bodice pattern on both of your fabrics (Side A and Side B)
Punch little holes into your pattern piece for the three dart points.
Using a marking tool of choice, mark the dart points on both sides of both bodice
Cut out all pieces indicated in the the Betsey apron tutorial.
You need 2 apron skirts (Side A and Side B)
Two Bow pieces (optional Side A and Side B)
Bow center (only if sewing the bow)
2 waistbands (Side A and Side B)
4 side ties (2 Side A and 2 Side B)
2 Neck ties 5"x22" (or longer) (Pick any fabric)
1/4" seam allowance used for tutorial.
Grab your neck ties and fold hot dog style right sides together. Sew down a long side, down one short side and up the other long side; leaving the last short side open.
Clip corners and turn right side out. Press well. Repeat for other neck tie and set them aside for now.
Sew all 4 darts on the two bodice pieces as indicated in the Angie pattern. Side the bodices aside.
Grab a waistband and two of the same side ties. Lay the waistband down. One each side side, lay a side tie down right sides together. Sew each short end to create a really long strip of fabric. Press your seams apart. Repeat for other waistband and the other two side ties.
Fold a waistband in half, matching the seams connecting the ties. Mark the middle of the waist band (mark to and bottom). Repeat for other waistband/tie strip.
Grab one of your bodices. Find the bottom middle and mark.
Take the coordinating waistband piece and match up middle markers. Lay the waistband on top of the bottom of the bodice, right sides together. Pin entire bottom of the bodice to the waistband.
Sew waistband on and press seam towards bodice. Repeat for other bodice and waistband/tie strip.
Take the coordinating skirt. Fold in half to find the middle. Mark the middle.
Remember we also marked the bottom middle of the waistband? Match up middle markers on the skirt and waistband. Pin the entire skirt on the waistband. Sew it on. Press the seam towards the skirt.
What side A will look like.
Repeat sewing the skirt on Side B. Lookin' awesome!
Take the neck ties. Raw edges matching, place the short side at the top of the bodice. Slightly angle the strap up in the middle. Pin
Baste the strap on, following the curve of the bodice. Repeat for other strap.
Now we are going to sew the two sides together. Pin the straps down so they don't get caught up in the sewing.
Lay one side on top of the other, right sides together.
Pin around ENTIRE, and I mean ENTIRE apron, including the side ties. Make sure to match seams.
Along the skirt bottom, mark a 6 inch gap. That might be hard to see here. I have to big purple lines.
Starting at the first marker, sewing towards the second marker, sew a long basting stitch.
When you get to marker two, change stitch length to normal, back stitch and sew around entire apron, including the ties back to marker one, back stitch at the beginning of the basting stitch.
Clip bodice curves. Snip open valleys where the bodice/skirt meet the ties.
Clip or use pinking sheers along the curve of the skirt. DO NOT CLIP SEAM ALLOWANCE ALONG 6" BASTING LINE. We want to keep the full seam allowance here.
Pop open the 6" basting stitches. (there is a reason for my madness)
Birth your apron. Push out corners. Put your hand in and smooth out the curves. Press the apron along the seam. Don't iron your hand.
Now fold the bottom opening along the now perforated basting line. This makes it easier to fold the seam along a curve. Press each side of the skirt in along the line. Pin the hole closed and top stitch around entire apron.
If you are making the bow, and you should be, sew it together as described in the Betsey pattern. I did not use bias tape to bind it. I simply sewed the two bow pieces right sides together, leaving an opening to turn then top stitched.
and...you're done! Wear it with pride!
