Retro All-In-One Apron TUTORIAL

You know I love vintage Singer sewing things. Here is a super fun project from one of my favorite little booklets that Singer put out. It is from "How to Make Aprons," from 1962.

Here are the original instructions and pattern from the booklet:

If you want to make it as they have it, for an adult, you can. Or I have adjusted the pattern to make it toddler sized. Here it is:

Isn't it cute? And the best part? You can make it from a fat quarter of fabric!

Here is how to make your own toddler sized Retro All-In-One Apron:

Difficulty: ❥❥
Cost: ❥ (less than $5)


Supplies:
❥1 fat quarter of fabric (or you can make 2 from 1/2 yard)
❥1 1/3 yard of 1/2 inch wide rick rack
❥1/3 yard mini rick rack (or 2/3 yard if you would like 2 pockets)
❥2 buttons (1/2 inch)
❥Thread


Some of their instructions were a little unclear to me so I have changed things a little bit. Also I adjusted the layout so it would fit on a fat quarter so don't use the layout from the booklet, use the layout on the pattern.

Here is the pattern.  

Let's get started. 

-First print the pattern, cut on the dotted lines, and connect the heart shapes to make one large pattern piece. 

-Fold your fat quarter of fabric and lay the pattern on it with the fold where marked on the pattern. Pin well in each of the pieces you will cut out. Cut through the paper and fabric at the same time. 

You should end up with the following pieces:
-Apron body
-2 bands (2.5" by 18")
-2 extension bands if needed for piecing (2.5" by 2.5")
-2 pockets (2.75" by 3" with curved corners)

-Now, cut the slash in the apron that will be the gathered sides of the waistline.

Here are the instructions, changed with the correct measurements for the toddler's apron:

-Cut between bib and skirt from one side toward fold as indicated on pattern. Gather both edges of slash. Machine-base, 1/8" from edge, from point of slash to 1/2" from edge. Draw under threads gathering the two edges to 1 3/4". Tie threads at each end. Pin together gathered edges, right sides together, and baste. Stitch ,starting at the edge with a 1/4" seam and taper to a point 1/2" beyond end of slash. Press seam and overcast edges. Here is the diagram from the booklet:

And here is how it looked when I did it:

-Repeat with the other slash. It should look like this: 

-Now apply the rick rack. This will be a cute edge and makes it really easy to hem around the whole thing. It's great for curves. Start at one of the slashes and put the rickrack on the right side of the fabric, matching up the edges. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch around the whole apron and overlap the end of the rick rack just slightly. 

-Press the apron, folding the rick rack back, so the points stick out from behind. 

-Top stitch around the skirt of the apron, starting at one slash and ending at the other. I used my straight stitch foot and matched up the edge of the fabric with the inside edge of the right toe of the foot. This stitches a super tiny 1/32" from the edge. It looks dainty and professional and it's not too hard to do. 

See?

-Then do a second line of top stitching, this time matching the outside of the right toe of the foot to the fabric. This puts your second line about 3/32" away from the first. It will look like this:

Now the pocket(s):

-Stitch the mini rick rack, face down on the right side of the fabric, all the way around the pocket. 

-Turn and press. Then top stitch the top edge of the pocket starting before the curve and ending after the other curve, then do a second line of stitching as you did on the skirt of the apron. 

-Repeat pocket steps if you would like a second pocket. I just did one pocket but two would be adorable.

-Place the pocket(s) on the apron where desired and pin well.

-Top stitch the pocket sides and bottom onto the apron, matching your stitches to where they ended on the top of the pocket. Then do a second line of stitching as before Be sure to back stitch well so the pocket is on securely.

Now to make the bands:

-Add a 2.5" square extension piece to the end of each of your bands, then press the seam open.

-Fold one of the bands the long way, right sides together, and sew along the side, backstitching at each end. Repeat for the second band.

-Make a point in the end of each of the bands. Just mark the stitch line with chalk or a pencil or chalk.

-Stitch on the lines you drew, then clip the corners and trim the seams.

-Turn the bands right side out. I use the eraser end of a pencil to force it right side out.

-Press the bands well.

-Mark where you will make your buttonholes at the end of each of your bands, starting 1/2" from the end and make the buttonhole 3/4" long.

-Make the buttonholes.

(At this point you may want to test fit your apron to make sure the straps are the right length for your toddler. The straps cross in the back. For my apron I made the straps 19 inches long when finished, from the end to the point).

-Find the center of the top of the bib. Mark it with a pin. Place your straps 1 3/4" from the center of the bib to the inside of the strap. Pin the straps on the back of the bib. 

-Now you will top stitch the bib and attach the straps at the same time. Starting at the slash, top stitch around the bib to the other slash, making sure you stitch over the ends of the straps as you go. Then do a second line of stitching along your first line of top stitching as you did on the skirt, meeting the ends of the topstitching around the skirt of the apron.


-Sew your buttons onto the ends of the slash. I used 2-hole buttons and had the holes horizontal on the apron. I used my button sewing foot but you could sew them on by hand if you want.

That's it! Your Retro All-In-One Toddler Apron is done!

I hope you have as much fun with it as I did!

Mini Sewing Kit

I wanted to make a present for my friend for her birthday. She loves sewing so I wanted to make her something cute and fun. Here is what I came up with: a mini sewing kit. It fits easily into a purse for on-the-go sewing.

I bought a cheap sewing kit to fill it. You can get reasonably decent sewing kits at the dollar store to fill your mini sewing kit. 

This charming kit has spots for a seam ripper, scissors, a measuring tape, a pencil, safety pins, needles, thread, and a tiny removable pin cushion. 

This project is great because it can be done with a fat quarter, however I made it with two different fabric prints so it's easier to show how to make it. (A fat quarter is about 18 inches by 20 inches).

Difficulty: ❥❥❥

Cost: ❥

Let's do it.

You will need: 

❥ Fabric: 1/8 yard for outside and the inside pocket
                1/8 yard for inside

❥ Thread

❥ 1/8 inch elastic: 14 inches
❥ 1/8 inch elastic: 2 inches

❥ 1/2 inch ribbon/rick rack: 10 inches
❥ 16 inches of 1/8 inch ribbon

❥ 1 snap 

❥ Felt: 1 5/8 inches by 2 3/4 inches
❥ Fleece: 4 inches by 8 inches for pin cushion
❥ Scrap of batting 4 inches by 8 inches
❥ Medium sized button for pin cushion

❥ Large button
❥ Scrap of cardboard: 3 inches by 3 inches

❥ Sewing supplies for kit: bobbins, scissors, safety pins, seam ripper, measuring tape, buttons, pins, needles

Here is the pattern. Make sure you download it and don't scale to fit so it will be the right size when you print. Here are the two patterns:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwGC9pS0wPAZbUJ2SnhTa3Z3c0k/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwGC9pS0wPAZbVhpWmNzeU40SEk/view?usp=sharing

And here is the pattern for the tiny pin cushion:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwGC9pS0wPAZakpnYnJydUwzUjA/view?usp=sharing

It's longer than a standard piece of paper so you will have to piece the pattern together by matching the dotted lines. 

Cut out the pieces. You need 1 each of the lining and outside pieces, and 1 pocket.

Cut the ribbon in half and tie a knot at one end of each piece:

Cut the rick rack or 1/2 inch wide ribbon in half. I have used rick rack.

Fold the long piece of 1/8 inch elastic in half. Starting about an inch from the loop end tie 4 knots, about 1 inch apart, like this:

Fold the pocket in half along the dotted line. Press fold.

Pink the edges of the 1 5/8 x 2 3/4 inch piece of felt.

Now we assemble everything!

Pin pocket to the end of the lining piece.

Fold the 2 inch piece of elastic in half. Pin it to the point of the lining like this:

Lay the 2 pieces of ribbon/rick rack on the inside piece where marked on the pattern.  Pin each end.
Lay the elastic on the inside piece where marked on the pattern. Pin each end. Lay the 2 pieces of ribbon on the inside piece where marked on the pattern with the not-knotted end on the edges. Pin each end.

Place the felt where marked on the pattern. Pinch up 1/4 inch of the felt, making a small bump in the felt. This will give you a place to poke in the needles in your kit. Pin on each side of the bump.

Stitch on each side of the bump:

Baste around the outside of the lining piece, 1/8 inch from the edge, making sure to stitch over the ends of all the ribbons, rick rack, elastic, and around the sides and bottom of the pocket.

Time to make the divisions in the pocket. Slip your tools into the pocket and pin through the pocket to the lining to make sure your tools will fit when the divisions are stitched.

Mark your stitching line. I used yellow tailor's chalk and a straight edge.

Starting at the top of each line, back stitch well, then follow your stitching line and back stitch again.

Now to put the lining and the outside together. Place the lining face up, then place the outside face down on top of it. Pin well.

Sew around the edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Leave a 2-3 inch opening so you can turn it right side out.

Clip across the corners and clip the corners at the base of the flap:

Pull the kit right side out through the hole in the side. Poke the corners out so they are nice and square. Press the edges.

Hand sew the hole shut. Top stitch around the whole edge, about 1/8 inch in.


Now to make the tiny flat removable pin cushion!

Cut out the pattern and trace the flower shape onto a piece of cardboard. I used the cardboard from a cereal box.

Cut out 1 large circle and 2 small circles of batting. Cut the small circle for the back out of fleece.

Cut the sun shaped piece of of fleece:

Take a large stitch in each "petal" of the fleece circle: 

Continue all the way around. Do not tie a knot or cut the thread:

Stack the 2 small batting circles together and place them in the middle.

Then put the large batting circle on top:

 Place the cardboard flower on top:

Pull the thread tight to pull the edges up around the cardboard and batting.

Stitch across the petals, securing them in place. Try to make them flat. Don't worry if it looks messy; it will be covered up. Tie a knot.

Place the small fleece circle on the bottom. Tuck the edges under and sew it down:

With a new piece of thread, tie a knot at the end. Take a small stitch in the middle of the back like this:

Pull the thread around to the front so it sits in one of the notches, then back to the back through the opposite notch and take another small stitch in the middle. Pull the thread tight.

The front now looks like this:

Repeat two more times so each notch has a thread through it and it looks like a flower:

Push the needle up through all the layers to the top of the pin cushion and sew the button on:

Go back through the pin cushion and tie a knot on the bottom.

Sew half of the snap on to cover the knots:

 Your tiny pin cushion is done!

Sew the other half of the snap on to inside of the sewing kit on the spot marked on the pattern.

Sew the large button onto the outside of the sewing kit where marked on the pattern:

Now it's time to fill the kit up!

Put needles into the felt needle holder:

Slip the bobbins into the elastic loops:

Put the seam ripper, scissors, and measuring tape in their pockets:

Put the safety pins on the rick rack. Thread the buttons onto the ribbon and tie a bow in the middle. Put pins into the pin cushion around the outside edge and snap it onto the kit:

Your mini sewing kit is finished!