MY BLUE APRON MADE FROM A USED SKIRT

Hello Everyone. Welcome to

my blog.

Today I will be showing you

my pretty blue apron. From start

to finish only took 2 hours! Now that

is what I call - fast!!

I like fast projects and I hope you do

also.

I will give you the tutorial on this posting

in case you want to try it.

 

I am so pleased at how good it turned out.

This is my finished apron. Some time ago

I had bought a used 100% linen skirt, a

size 4 from the thrift store. No, I wish that

I could have worn it cause I love linen. However

there was a time that a size 4 was too big for

my body - not the case now. Anyway I want

you to know that it does not matter the size

of the garment only that it has a lot of fabric.

This skirt did not have any holes in it and it

only cost me $2 and 50 cents when I bought it.

Also sometime ago I had bought a spool

of lace which cost about $3.00 - cheap lace!

The directions are not hard - just many!

This is the front.

 The fabric is a pretty blue.

Here is the back.

 This is the bottom of the apron strings.

 This is the skirt before I cut it up. It

was long.

 The color is a baby blue but just a tad darker,

not as dark as what the pictures show.

 This skirt was not hemmed on the bottom. It was

made like this. The ruffles are also not hemmed.

 The top had a drawstring which I used.

 Look who made this pretty skirt. It must

have been expensive. Anyway this size did

cover my body for an apron.

 This is what I did. I placed the skirt on my

kitchen table. This skirt had a side seam on each

of the sides of the skirt. The front and the back

did not have any seams. I took the side seams

and matched them up and I cut down the middle

of the back of the dress. Do not cut the seams

unless you have planned on how to cut and

wear your apron. You can tell by the scissors

that I just cut up from the bottom to the top.

 See here it is cut.

 Once you cut it like that - then it is

a big piece of fabric. Now what you cannot

see is that this fabric has 2 seams which will

hit your sides once sewed.

 I used a quick and easy apron as a guide. I did not

place the dark blue apron all the way to the bottom

of the skirt.

 Next, I cut me about 3 inches off of one side. This

is one of my apron strings. Cut this strip as wide

as you want.

 Then, I came to the arm section. I

determined how much I wanted to cut off

by judging the seams.

 In the end I decided about 3 inches would give me

plenty because I felt that the dark blue apron was a

little short in the front. So the added 3 inches will

help make the apron a little wider in the front like

I want. Then I cut it off - but only on the one side.

 Go to the other side of the blue skirt and lay your

already cut apron string on top. Use this as a

guide.

 Cut the other apron string out.

 This is what it will look like. No apparent change.

Now the right side under arm has to be cut.

 Take the piece that you cut off from the arm on left side. Use this

piece also as a guide. Put it on top of the fabric and

cut around it. These are your pockets.

 At this point pick up the skirt and go to the mirror

with some pins. Just pin each pocket on with one

pin. Place the apron back down on the table and

straighten the pocket and pin it down. Make sure

that they are placed evenly apart. Angle them if

you want to.  Notice that these pockets are already

hemmed.

 Take all of it to your sewing machine and

by the way, be sure to cut off those tags.

 I started with the apron strings. Just fold one

in half and sew down the length of it. Turn when

done. Then do the same with the other apron string.

 See, these are my apron strings. I am not going to

hem the bottom because the skirt is not hemmed. Love

those ruffles.

 Now it is time to sew on the pockets. REMEMBER

THIS - ALL SEAMS ON THIS APRON ARE
TURNED TO THE FRONT INCLUDING THE
POCKETS!! NO SEAMS ON THE BACK.

This is how I did both pockets. With the pocket

still pinned in place, fold a hem to the front of the garment,

finger press, take your lace and fold over

the top of the pocket and pin it down on top of the

folded edge to the skirt. Fold the pocket hem and lay the

lace on top and sew down as you see here.This hems as you go.

ALSO NOTE, THAT ALL OF MY LACE POINTS

OUT AWAY FROM THE POCKET AND APRON.

MAKE SURE THAT THE LACE FACES CORRECTLY

BEFORE SEWING IT DOWN. You do not want

to have to pull out any threads as this could damage

your lace.

 I hope that this picture lets you understand it better,

just in case I have confused you.

See the cut edge, fold it in and lay the lace on top

and sew all around the pocket. (You can also choose

not to hem the pocket and just lay the lace on top

and sew down. Be sure to use a small running stitch

for added strength).

 When you come to the end of the pocket, cut off about

an inch and turn it under the top so it is caught in the

seam on the inside of the pocket.

 Finish both pockets.

 I have enough lace to do the top and all of the sides.

 Now go to the top and turn under the front

seam TO THE BACKSIDE. This is because

of the holes of where the string once was. This

is the only seam to be turned to the backside.

 As you can see I have sewed it down.

 Turn the apron to the front side and sew on a strip

of lace on that seam and be sure to cut enough of

the lace on the edges to turn to the backside.

 If there are any little dog ears from seams, just cut

them off. Mine had dog ears, yours should have

them also if your skirt had side seams. This part

is the arm area.

Again, you must fold your raw edge seam onto the

front side. 

I pinned the lace along one edge so I could start sewing.

(Again turn your lace down to the backside over your

raw edge).

 I did the other arm also in the same manner. The

top and underarm areas are done. SO FAST!!

 Now, it is time to sew up the side edges. Turn your

fabric edge to the front and pin the lace on top to

hide your seam. If you need to, pin all the way down.

If you have the kind of apron that

I have then look at it for the placement of where to

put the strings. Apron strings are located around the under
arms to go around your waist.
Each apron string

only has one seam. Finger press the seam along the

edge of your desk and make sure that the seam

faces down towards the ground. Pin this apron

string under the lace as you see here before you sew

it down.

 The string that I pulled out from the waistband of the

skirt will not become the band around the neck.

The string was long - I cut off  20 inches. I knotted

the one cut end.

 I sewed them down at the top on both sides on the front

as this is how I liked it.

Plenty of neck room to get on and off. Plus I do not
have to buy anything extra. If you have an old apron
and want to use the hardware that comes with it, then
buy all means change the plans of this neck string. Do
your own thing at this point.

 Another picture - Looks sweet to me.

I hope you like what I have done.

Try it!!

Also if please you do this, then

refer back here as a link.

Thank you for visiting me.

Hopblogger



MY SEWING MACHINE COVER - 20 MINUTES TOPS!!

Hello Everyone!

How have you all been?

I went to the

Thrift Store the other day and found

this beautiful large Wall-hanging. It

is machine quilted, (something that I

do not do). The quilting has a pretty

design and the lady that made it did

a very nice job with her fabric choices.

I could not pass this up and besides

it was only $5.00. A STEAL it was for

that price. I surely did

not know what I was going to do with it.

Especially since it is large.

After I washed

and dried it - the thought became very clear! 

This Wall-hanging was destined to become

my new and only Sewing Machine Cover!!

I have procrastinated many times about making

a Sewing Machine cover and now that the

opportunity arose, it was fate - I tell you!

 

This is my finished Sewing Machine Cover.

 This is the left side.

 Here is the right side where the cords go in.

 This is how I always kept the dust off before. I

do kind of like this linen fabric. Maybe that is

why I always kept it on my sewing machine.

 Here is my sewing machine. Now it may look small

but I assure you that it is not. My sewing machine

is big! And it has a long handle across the top.  This

Sewing Machine cover that I made was not meant

to be used in transporting my machine. I just wanted

a cover to keep the dust off. If I have to transport it,

then there is no way that I will transport it with

any cloth cover! My machine was expensive and it

came with a huge

plastic cover that will safely keep my sewing

machine from getting damaged.

 See one of the sides of my machine. The right side angles.

It was not going to be easy to make a cover to fit

really good. So I opted on just making it fit the best

that I could.  No rocket science here. In fact I kind of

like it that it is like this, because now I do not have

to make sure that the cover is perfect, just pretty and

decent looking.

 I am so glad that the Wall-hanging was super large.

I measured my machine and this piece just fit top to bottom.

I did

not have to cut anything off of the bottom. Great, it

was already hemmed!!!

I hope that you can see the pretty machine stitching

that was done here.

 This was the back side. Just stitch up the sides is

all that I did. Nothing fancy. It only took about 20

minutes and that included measuring my machine.

I love fast projects like this!!

 See the pretty inside fabric.

 The only thing cut off was the 2 side seams. It looks

like a lot but I assure you that it is only about 1.5.

inches cut off. Maybe I should have just left it on

there. Oh well - too late for that reasoning.

I think that I am going to look at those CUTTER QUILTS

on ebay. They would

be so pretty and vintage looking! Since cutter quilts

are damaged quilts - then you do not have to worry

about getting fuzzy with making the cover. When I get

a cutter quilt then I will show you another Sewing

Machine cover, with pincushions and other

stuff that I make!

 

This would be a FUN PROJECT!!! Make it fun.

Hopefully

you will find a wall-hanging or a cutter quilt in a

thrift store near you.

Keep your eyes open!! you never know when

inspiration hits you!

 

Hmmmm what else can I get into. I already have

a few other ideas!

 

Thank you for visiting!!

 

Many hugs and kisses,

 

Hopblogger

 



Toothbrush holder or Inkpen holder??

I got a new pocketbook a few months ago.

Generally I never carry

any kind of ink pen or pencil in my purse

cause of damage to the inside. 

However I got very

tired of always asking to borrow someone's ink pen.

 Wal-Mart had a

cheap toothbrush holder for .97 cents.

The toothbrush holder does the job very

well. Now I do not have to ask anyone for

an ink pen, I have my own.

 

Thank you for visiting me.

Many hugs and kisses to you all.

Hopblogger