tutorial: An Easy Apron (made from a dish towel)

Are you an apron person? I am not. 

Surprise!

 But I was asked to come up with a few apron tutorials for a women's activity. They had to be easy enough for a non-sewer to complete it with a little guidance in about 30 minutes.  So here is the first one. 

The most complicated. ;)  It involves sewing two straight lines.

You will need a dish towel that is big enough to be an apron. I suggest taking a few measurements before heading out to look for one. They often are packaged so that you can't unfold them and hold them up to check the size. You will also need ribbon. 

Fold the dish towel  in half and mark the middle of the towel at the top (the pin should be right under your chin....it is the black pin in the picture below). Then measure out from the center a few inches on each side and mark it with pins (the red and white ones below). Now hold it up to yourself again and make sure it is a width you like on the top.

While you are holding it up against yourself, mark where you want it to hit you on the waist. Then draw a line between the top side marks and the mark on your hip.

Calculate where you need to trim the towel. Measure out from the line: 2x the width of the ribbon you have + 1/4 inch + 1/8 inch. Mark it.

Cut along the line you just made to trim off of the corners of the apron.

Fold over the edge 1/4 inch and iron.

Then fold over the edge again and line it up with the first diagonal line you made. Sew along the edge (staying nice and close to the edge) to create a casing for the ribbon. Leave the two ends open so that you can string the ribbon through it. 

Start at the opening near one hip and string the ribbon up towards the top of the apron. Connecting a safety pin to the end of the ribbon while working it through helps a lot. Then go back down the apron on the other side. Leave room in the ribbon for it to loop around your head. Seal the ends of the ribbon with a match so they don't fray.

And you're done!

How was that for an easy apron? Come back soon for an even easier apron tutorial. Is that even possible?

Don't forget to check out where I party!