Pattern Description:
This is a sweet, fun, and easy-to-sew vintage apron pattern featuring ruffles and a retro flair. It is a darling project suitable for beginners and experienced enthusiasts.
The design often includes a wide waistband and a round-ish shape with lots of ruffles. It is a large pattern, offering nice coverage on the front and sides.
Materials Needed & Measurements:
- Main fabric for apron pieces and straps: Approximately 1 yard. (Cotton fabric or light to medium weight canvas fabrics are recommended; heavy weight fabrics like denim are not suitable).
- Fabric for ruffles: 20 feet by 2 1/2″.
- Fabric for belt: 5″ by 60″.
- Apron pattern (available via a link in the original instructions).
- Matching thread.
- Pins.
- Scissors.
- Soft interfacing (optional): 2 1/2″ by 60″.
- Bias tape (optional): 1/4″ bias was used.
- Sewing machine.
- Iron.
- Ruffling foot (optional).
Instructions for Making the Retro Ruffled Apron Free Sewing Pattern:
Preparing the Fabrics
The construction begins with preparing your chosen materials. You should start by washing, drying, and ironing your fabric.
Next, you must access and grab the apron pattern pieces. Cut your fabric according to the pattern. The resulting pieces should include 1 piece for the apron top, 1 piece for the apron bottom, and 2 pieces for the belt/ties.
Recommended fabrics are cotton or light to medium weight canvas; heavy fabrics such as denim are unsuitable.
Constructing the Belt and Ties
If you are using soft interfacing (which is optional, measuring 2 1/2″ by 60″), you should cut this material 1/8″ narrower than the belt pieces. Then, fuse the interfacing to the belt fabric.
Next, take both strips of fabric designated for the belt/ties. Sew these strips together with the wrong side facing out.
Stitch all the way around the perimeter, except for an opening of approximately 6 inches, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Through this opening, turn the entire belt right side out. Gently push the corners out using a poking tool that is not too sharp.
Note that this step may be tricky and require some time to perfect. Once turned, close the 6-inch opening using an edge stitch, and then steam iron the entire finished belt piece.
Making the Ruffles
For the ruffles, you will need a long strip of fabric, ideally about 20 feet long and 2 1/2″ wide. Use your sewing machine settings to ruffle this strip.
If you are using a Singer 1507WC machine, suggested settings for ruffling are a stitch length of 4 and a thread tension set at 6. An easier option is to use a ruffling foot, which creates beautiful, even ruffles in a single pass.
The total ruffled fabric should be sufficient to border the top and bottom pieces of the apron, excluding the portions where the pieces attach to the belt.
Take the apron top piece and place it right side out. Match it up with the ruffled fabric strip. Pin the ruffle in place and sew it onto the top piece.
Cut the excess ruffled strip about 1/4″ away from where the stitching stops; this cut piece will be used for the bottom apron section.
Attaching the Neck Straps
Determine the desired length and width for the neck straps. To form the straps, fold the fabric in half lengthwise, then fold each half toward the center, and finally, fold it again where the first fold began. Sew along the open side of the strap. Knot one end of the finished strap.
Decide where the straps should attach to the top apron piece, make corresponding marks, and secure the adjustable neck straps temporarily with a pin.
Finishing Raw Edges with Bias Tape
Use bias tape (1/4″ bias tape was used optionally) to finish the raw edges. Open the bias tape and place it on top of the ruffles.
Position the bias tape so that one of its folds aligns exactly with the stitch line where you attached the apron piece and the ruffles.
Pin the bias tape into position and stitch all the way around that fold mark. Remember to remove the pin holding the strap while stitching through that area.
After the first stitch, fold the bias tape over to the back (the wrong side) of the apron piece. Pin it down and stitch using a 1/8″ seam along the open edge of the bias tape.
Repeat these bias tape steps for the bottom piece of the apron, skipping the parts involving the straps.
Joining All Pieces Together
Take the bottom apron piece and ruffle approximately 12″ of its top edge. Join the bottom piece and the prepared belt by placing them right sides together.
Pin them at the top edge and stitch, ensuring that you catch a small amount of the ruffle in the seam.
Fold the belt outward so that its right side is facing you. Place the top piece of the apron onto the assembly, ensuring the top piece is wrong side out. Pin and stitch the top piece to the belt, again making sure to catch a bit of the ruffle in the seam.
Finally, finish the belt seams on the inside of the apron. This can be achieved by using bias tape as described previously (making sure to fold the ends in) or by opting to serge or use a zig-zag stitch. Once these steps are complete, the pretty DIY apron is ready to wear and enjoy.
