For Christmas my 2 years old little dude got a wooden kitchen from his Grandparents. He absolutely loves it and spends hours a day putting food in pans, heating it, putting it in the oven, closing doors and turning the temperature up. It's fascinating to watch him. He loves to dress up, he is always wearing a hat when I pick him up from nursery; last week he was a policeman and bob the builder.
The apron that came with the kitchen was OK but I felt like I could do better, so I made one using some of my woodland fabric. It was super easy so I thought I would let you know how I made it.
It now gets used every time we do baking too. If I ask him if we want to bake, he runs to his kitchen and grabs his apron and oven glove.
This pattern is free for anyone to use for personal use and it only uses a fat quarter of fabric. I even used scrap bits of binding.
YOU WILL NEED
Fat quarter of fun fabric
Small piece of coordinating fabric (optional)
4 metres of binding
Scrap piece of wadding
Tape measure
Tailors chalk or fabric pen
Sewing machine
Pins
Fabric Scissors
PATTERN
I thought it would be easier to give measurements rather than a template because it is so easy and, even if yours ends up being a slightly different shape, it doesn't really matter. If you look in the gallery you will see the only difference is the green one has curved edges and the blue has mitered edges. I have highlighted them in bold so it is easier for you to follow the option you decide to go for.
METHOD
1. Fold the fabric vertically so that the amount folded over is 7.5" (I try to make everything as fabric saving as possible).
2. On the top edge of the fabric, make a mark 4" from the fold. Make a mark 6.5" down. With your fabric pen or chalk, join these marks together to make the arm holes, as pictured. I have used paper weights to keep the fabric from slipping.
3. Cut out your apron using the edge of the fabric and your pen mark as the guide.
If you decide to make the curved option, cut this when it is still folded in half to ensure an even curve on both sides. You could use the edge of a plate as a guide.
4. You could add a pocket if you wanted to. I have used a bit cloud fabric from my scrap box because I thought it added a nice contrast.
The pocket measures 15cm wide and 12cm tall. Fold over the top edge twice and straight stitch across, this is all I did for the woodland one.
For the rainbow one I have added a pretty ric rac detail. Clicking on the image below should take you to the ric rac if you want to add it. Another alternative is to sew your binding along the top edge to add some contrast.
5. I did a zig zag stitch along the remaining exposed sides so they don't fray. I used the selvage so I didn't need to zig zag that side. Fold over the three remaining sides by around 1cm, as pictured.
6. Fold your pocket in half to make a centre line and line it up with the fold line on your apron to ensure it is centre. I placed mine more or less in line with the bottom of the arm hole. Pin it in place and sew the three sides down, leaving your top open for the pocket. You will need to back stitch at the start and end so your stitches don't unravel.
7. Do the binding along the top first. Sew the binding to the wrong side of the fabric and then press it to the right side. I carefully placed some coordinating ric rac under the binding to add some detail. This is optional.
8. Do the bottom bit next.
With the curved edge, you will need to sew on the wrong side, clip the curves, press and then pin in place. It may take some manipulating when you sew it.
I have taken pictures of the mitered corner process. Start by sewing down the binding on the reverse, as normal, until you get around 1cm from the first corner. Now follow the first two pictures. Start sewing around 1cm from your new edge and continue around, repeating at the next corner, until you have done all three edges.
Please accept my apologies for my hands, they do not do well in the winter. Press your binding out as normal but fold as shown when you get to the corners. Pin or use clips to keep it in place. Sew close to the edge of the binding.
9. Now time for the binding around the arm holes which also doubles as the ties. I decided to do both neck and back as ties. The one we got with the kitchen had a large hoop for the neck which makes it really baggy. The ties mean it will fit for much longer.
You will need 1 metre of binding for each side. Around 30cm into the binding, pin it to the bottom part of the arm hole, on the wrong side of the fabric. First sew the binding to the main apron, clip at the curves. When your press it over to the right side, press the excess (the ties) on each side in half, folding over the ends, so as not to leave raw edges (second picture). Sew the whole length close to the edge. Repeat on the other side. Your apron is done!
10. The finished oven glove is around the same size of my hand when I place it on top so I used my own hand as a guide.
11. Use your template to cut out two pieces pf fabric. There should be enough left over from one fat quarter. Don't do what I did and make them both the same. The fabric needs to mirror each other. This is why I have odd fabric on my rainbow one (I ran out after getting it wrong). With the right side facing out, place your oven pieces on top of some wadding and cut around.
12. Attach binding to the bottom edge on both pieces.
13. Place right sides together so the wadding is on the outside. Place a bit of folded binding or ribbon in the seam near the edge so you can hang your oven glove. Sew around the edge with a 5/8 seam allowance.
14. You will need to trim the seam allowance close to your stitch line around the curves and at the point the thumb meets. At the thumb point, cut a V as close as you can get away with without snipping your stitches. Turn the right way and you are done! As you need to clip the seam allowance down I decided not to over lock or zig zag the edges because it will be too fiddly but you could so if you wanted.
ALTERNATIVE
To save fiddling around with bias binding, I have done this a couple of times double sided. Just cut the apron out twice and sew it ride sides together, make sure the ribbon is sewn into the seams and leave a gap to turn it out. Do a top stitch all the way round.
I would love to see your version if you give it a go. All pictures I get sent using my fabric or tutorials get entered into my Facebook Maker of the Month.
