Includes Patterns & Instructions for Matching Potholders
FAT QUARTER
APRONS FUN and FUNCTIONAL RETRO DESIGNS for TODAY’S KITCHEN
Mary Beth Temple
FAT QUARTER
APRONS FUN and FUNCTIONAL RETRO DESIGNS for TODAY’S KITCHEN
Mary Beth Temple
Text Š 2016 Mary Beth Temple Photographs Š 2016 by Danielle Atkins, except where noted All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electric or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the Publisher. Publisher: Paul McGahren Editorial Director: Matthew Teague Editor: Kerri Grzybicki Design: Lindsay Hess Layout and Illustration: Michael Douglas Photography: Danielle Atkins Spring House Press 3613 Brush Hill Court Nashville, TN 37216 ISBN: 978-1-940611-39-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016937039 Printed in United States of America First Printing: June 2016 Note: The following list contains names used in Fabulous Fat Quarter Aprons that may be registered with the United States Copyright Office: Therma-Flec, Loops & Threads, Fabric Quarters Fat quarters for aprons and accessories provided by the following companies: Old School: Dunroven House Simply Stripes, Sashed Diamond, Spicy Barbecue, Ruffles, Retro Ric-Rac, Patchwork, Reversible with Pockets: Fabric Quarters Mix and Match: Sugar & Spice Textiles Bodacious Pockets, Scallops: Loops & Threads All potholders and oven mitts: Therma-Flec Therma-Flec provided by James Thompson & Co., Inc. The information in this book is given in good faith, but no warranty is given nor are results guaranteed. Neither Spring House Press nor the author assume responsibility for the use of this information. To learn more about Spring House Press books, or to find a retailer near you, email info@springhousepress.com or visit us at www.springhousepress.com.
Contents 8
11
14
18
22
25
28
32
35
38
42
45
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7: Mix and Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1: Simply Stripes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8: Ruffles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2: Old School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
9: Spicy Barbecue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3: Sashed Diamond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
10: Patchwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4: Christmas Pleats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
11: Reversible with Pockets . . . . . . . 42
5: Scallops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
12: Retro Ric-Rac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
6: Bodacious Pockets . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Getting Started
Those of us who love to sew know that stash breeds stash. Fat quarters accumulate like dust bunnies under the bed and seem to breed like other kinds of bunnies! But cleaning up the stash is a lot more fun than sweeping under the bed. This book contains a dozen fabulous aprons you can make using anywhere from two to six fat quarters, each of which has an oven mitt, potholder, or hot pad to go with it. Though some of these patterns have a vintage or retro appearance, and some look more modern, each design has been planned very carefully to ensure no raw edges are exposed. This means your apron will last through wear and washing—cute is good, but practical is better! Although you can copy my patterns exactly, you can also re-arrange parts from project to project to take advantage of the materials you have chosen. Use matching or coordinating fat quarters; fabric from your stash, some that you couldn’t resist at the shop, or a little of both! Embellish with ribbons, buttons, or other trims, or go plain Jane and let the print be the star. Use these patterns as a jumping-off point, and let your materials and your imagination run wild to create the apron of your dreams.
S E L E C T I N G FA B R I C Fat quarters are generally 18 inches tall by 20 to 22 inches wide, with a selvedge along the 18-inch edge. In the instructions for each pattern I will tell you whether I want you to cut the fabric horizontally (from side to side, including a selvedge edge) or vertically (from top to bottom) (see figure). Before you cut, it is important to take a glance at the print you have selected to make sure it will look good in the layout you have chosen. You don’t want flowers or other design elements to look like they are off-kilter on prints that have a strong direction. Also, all of the threads in this book were chosen to coordinate rather than stand out. You can change up your thread colors to contrast for an added dash of color if you like.
There are a few general notes I want to go over before you get started so that your apron comes out exactly the way you want it to.
D I F F I C U LT Y L E V E L
Vertical Cut
Selvedge
I’ve labeled each apron with a difficulty level, starting with ✹ as the easiest and ✹ ✹ ✹ ✹ as the most difficult within this book. Someone with only the most basic of sewing skills will be able to happily finish an apron with one star. Designs with two stars require a little more effort in cutting or sewing. Three-star aprons bring you some more interesting construction techniques, and four-star ratings are for sewists with excellent top-stitching skills and no fear of pleats or collars.
METRIC CONVERSIONS In this book, I’ve used inches and yards, showing anything less than one as a fraction. If you want to convert those to metric measurements, please use the following formulas:
Fractions to Decimals 1/8 = .125
Imperial to Metric Conversion Multiply inches by 25.4 to get millimeters
1/4 = .25
Multiply yards by .9144 to get meters
1/2 = .5
For example: • 1 1/8 inches to millimeters: 1.125 in. x 25.4 mm = 28.575 mm • 2 1/2 yards to meters: 2.5 yd. x .9144 m = 2.286 m
5/8 = .625 3/4 = .75
4
Multiply inches by 2.54 to get centimeters
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
Horizontal Cut
TOOLS You will need a few basic tools for each project: a sewing machine, an iron and ironing board, pins, and scissors. Some projects require a handsewing needle, yardstick or long ruler, or marking chalk or pencil visible on solid fabric.
USING BIAS BINDING Bias binding is used in many projects in this book, whether as an embellishment or as a hidden detail to enclose raw edges. When you remove the bias binding from the package and look closely, you will see that one side is very slightly wider than the other (see photo). When stitching, make sure the wider side is away from you, with the shorter side closest to the sewing machine needle. This enables you to be secure when you are top-stitching that the sewing machine is going through all layers.
cases, the bib) have their raw edges bound and the parts top-stitched onto a wide ribbon. As with neckbands, this is a pretty easy swap to make—if you have one less fat quarter than the materials section requires for an apron with a practical waistband, you can easily switch to ribbon, and if you have one more coordinating fat quarter than the materials section requires for a ribbon waistband project, you can change to a practical tie.
Practical Waistband 1 Cut a fat quarter into four even pieces horizontally.
2 With right sides facing, stitch these pieces, short edge to short edge, for one long strip.
3 With right sides facing, fold in half horizontally. 4 Cut an angle on each short side. Beginning at the fold, point the scissors on the diagonal to the cut edges.
5 Mark the center of the waistband with a pin. At the top, measure out 9 inches or half of the desired width from each side of the pin and mark those spots with a pin. PHOTO BY MARY BETH TEMPLE
6 Using a 1/2-inch seam allowance, sew from the angled edge to the first pin you come to, leaving the center 18 (or adjusted number of) inches open.
7 Trim the seams and corners. Turn the waistband right side out and press, pressing the seam allowances of the opening up between the two sides of the fabric. Keep the narrower side of bias binding on top of what you are sewing to ensure you are sewing through all the layers.
NECKBANDS Most of the full-length and bib aprons need something to keep the upper part in place. Some, like Sashed Diamonds (page 14), have a fixed neckband sewn into place; others, like Old School (page 11), have long strips of ribbon that can be tied. It is perfectly fine to switch from one style of neckband to another, depending on what materials are on hand or your preferred way to wear the apron. Just check to make sure you have the appropriate material for the ties you prefer before you begin.
WA I S T B A N D S The aprons in this book have one of two types of waistbands: practical waistbands, in which a fat quarter was cut to make a coordinating waistband; or ribbon waistbands, in which the skirt (and in some
Attaching a Ribbon Waistband 1 Cut the ribbon to 2 yards or desired length.
2 Mark the center of the ribbon with a pin. 3 Gather the top of the apron skirt to the width noted in the project directions.
4 Cut a piece of extra-wide double-fold bias binding to the width of the gathered piece plus 1 inch.
5 Press under each raw edge of bias binding ½ inch. 6 Pin the bias binding into place over the raw edge of the top of the apron, adjusting gathers evenly if needed, and top-stitch into place, making sure to stitch over both short ends.
7 You can remove the basting threads used for gathering, or simply trim the threads close.
8 Mark the center of the top of the apron with a pin. Align the bound gathers under the bottom edge of the ribbon, matching the pins, and making sure the bias binding is completely hidden. Top-stitch the ribbon into place with matching thread.
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
5
GETTING STARTED
(continued)
Finishing the Ends of a Ribbon Waistband Although different finishes are shown for different projects, you can finish yours in one of three ways.
1 F old the ribbon in half lengthwise and cut out a center notch beginning at the fold, about 1 1/2 inches from the short edge, and angle your scissors on the diagonal toward the point of the selvedge.
C R E AT I N G H E M S Though you may want more coverage rather than less, a nice-sized hem adds stability and drape to an apron. Most of the side hems in this book are 1 1/4 inches, and most of the bottom hems are 2 inches or more. Feel free to adjust the hems to be smaller or larger depending on the finished measurements you desire, or the size of your available fabric.
2 C ut the raw edge on a 1 1/2 inch diagonal line from selvedge to selvedge. PHOTO BY MARY BETH TEMPLE
3 M ake a 1/4-inch hem and top-stitch it into place.
C R E AT I N G G AT H E R S Run two lines of machine basting along the edge to be gathered, 1/4 inch apart, making sure the second line does not cross over the first line. Pull the top threads of both lines (not the bobbin threads), and slide the fabric from the outside edges in toward the center. Adjust the gathers evenly across with your fingers before binding or top-stitching the gathers into place.
Step 3: Trim the lower seam allowance.
PHOTO BY MARY BETH TEMPLE
If you are using a practical waistband, the gathers will be enclosed in it. The aprons with ribbon waistbands have had the raw edges enclosed in bias binding, but if you prefer to use a serger to finish the edges, you may do that instead.
SEAMING The vast majority of the seams in this book are flatfelled to give each apron a long life while it’s being used and cleaned. Unless otherwise noted, all seam allowances are 1/2 inch. To make a flat-felled seam:
Step 4: Fold the upper seam allowance over the lower one.
1 With the right sides facing, seam two pieces of fabric together.
2 Press the seam allowance to one side (do not PHOTO BY MARY BETH TEMPLE
open the seam allowance and press it flat).
3 Trim the lower seam allowance to 1/4 inch (see photo).
4 Fold the upper seam allowance over the lower seam allowance so the lower is encased in the fold. Pin into place, and press (see photo).
5 Top-stitch along the fold (see photo). Step 5: Top-stitch along the fold.
6
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
POTHOLDERS AND OVEN MITTS Although there are all sorts of different-looking potholders and oven mitts in this book, the general rules for assembly are the same for all of them.
Using Quilted Heat-Resistant Fabric All of the accessories in this book were made using a quilted heat-resistant fabric. I used Therma-Flec, a quilted fabric that has thick cotton batting on one side, and silver, heat-resistant fabric on the other. When using Therma-Flec, you want the silver heat-resistant side to be closest to the hot object you are grabbing. Hanging Loops Most of the accessories have hanging loops made of a 7-inch length of bias binding sewn along its open side, then sewn into place. Feel free to omit these if you don’t like them. Oven Mitts 1 Using the pattern on page 49, cut out two mitt shapes each in Therma-Flec and your fat quarter. Make sure to flip the pattern horizontally 180° for the second piece so that the right sides of the pairs mirror each other.
2 Make a sandwich of the four cuts of fabric: the bottom layer is Therma-Flec, batting side down; fabric, wrong side down; fabric, right side down; Therma-Flec, silver side down.
3 Stitch along the outside of the sandwich, trim the seam allowance close and clip where the thumb meets the palm, then turn the mitt right side out between the two layers of fat quarter.
4 Use bias binding to cover the raw edge, pinning the material for the loop into place under the bias binding near one seam. Topstitch the bias binding into place.
Potholders The potholders here come in two styles: stacked, in which the fabrics are cut to size and then the whole potholder is encased in bias binding; and enclosed, in which the fat quarter is essentially sewn into a bag, a Therma-Flec piece is inserted into the bag, and then the bag is sewn up. In all cases, there is some topstitching used to keep the batting from shifting with use and cleaning.
Stacked Potholders 1 Cut the fabric pieces. Assemble as a stack: bottom layer is the plain side of design right side down; Therma-Flec, silver side down; embellished fabric, right side up. Pin the stack into place.
2 General binding directions: Whether you top-stitch or bind first will be specified in each project’s specific directions.
3 If a hanging loop is desired, seam the open side of a 7-inch length of bias binding. Fold it in half and pin it into place so that the loop is at a corner. Align the raw edges of the loop with the raw edges of the potholder stack.
4 Pin or baste bias binding all the way around the potholder. Fold the final raw edge under by 1/2 inch and use that folded edge to cover the raw edge at the beginning.
5 Top-stitch the binding into place with either a straight or zigzag stitch.
6 Fold the hanging loop up so it extends past the edge; top-stitch the fold.
Enclosed Potholders 1 With right sides facing, stitch around three sides of the fat quarter fabric. If a hanging loop is desired, place the folded hanging loop inside the bag, with raw edges aligned.
2 Trim the seam allowance; turn right side out. 3 Place the Therma-Flec piece into the bag, with the silver side toward the plain side of the potholder design.
4 Sew the opening closed. 5 Top-stitch as directed in project directions.
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
7
Simply Stripes
This is a very simple and quick apron to make. I used grosgrain ribbon for the waistband and the hem so that you can use every inch of two matching fat quarters in the apron body for maximum coverage. Most aprons are adorable, but coverage is the name of the game if you want them to be functional as well! difficulty level:
✹✹✹✹
Tip: I had two fat quarters that matched. If you have two you want to use that do not match, do not join them in the center as shown here. Instead, cut the first fat quarter in half vertically and seam the halves on either side of the second fat quarter with a flat-felled seam.
M AT E R I A L S Apron: Fat quarters, 2 Coordinating sewing thread 2-in.-wide grosgrain ribbon, 3 yd. (or more if you want a longer tie) Coordinating double-fold extra-wide bias binding to secure gathers, 1/2 yd.
M A K E A M AT C H I N G P O T H O L D E R
Potholder: Fat quarter, 1 Therma-Flec, 8-in. square Extra-wide double-fold bias binding, 1 1/8 yd. Coordinating sewing thread
SEWING Potholder:
1 Round off the corners of the 8-inch square of Therma-Flec.
2 Using the Therma-Flec piece as a template, cut two pieces out of a fat quarter that coordinates with the apron.
3 Stack and sew the potholder as directed on page 7.
4 Top-stitch through all the layers horizontally at the center, vertically at the center, and diagonally from corner to corner.
5 Follow the directions for adding a hanging loop, if desired, and bias binding, as shown on page 7.
8
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
9
SIMPLY STRIPES APRON
(continued)
Apron Body: 1 Arrange the two fat quarters with right sides facing each other.
2 Stitch the fabric together along one side with a flat-felled seam, as shown on page 6. This is now the center seam.
3 Make a 1 1/4-inch hem on each side by folding the edge in 1/4 inch toward the wrong side and pressing it, then folding the pressed edge in 1 1/4 inch toward the wrong side and pressing or pinning it. Sew the hems.
Sew the side hem.
Adding the Ribbon Hem: 4 Cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon the width of your assembled apron hem plus 1 inch.
5 Fold the raw edges of the ribbon 1/2 inch toward the wrong side and press.
6 Fold up the bottom edge of the apron 1/2 inch toward the right side and press or pin it into place.
7 Align the ribbon along the bottom of the apron with the wrong side of the ribbon facing the right side of the apron fabric. Pin into place.
8 Top-stitch around all four sides of the ribbon.
Sew on the ribbon hem.
Waistband: 9 Gather the top of the apron as shown on page 6, adjusting the gathers so the finished piece measures 16 inches or the desired width.
10 Attach the ribbon waistband and finish ends as shown on pages 5–6.
Attach the ribbon waistband
10
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
Old School
This heavily gathered, bibbed apron combines muted checks and stripes for a rustic, homespun feel. The sweetheart neckline and twill ties add to the retro feel. difficulty level:
✹✹✹✹
M AT E R I A L S Apron: Fat quarter for bib (A), 1 Fat quarter for waistband (B), 1
Tip: Before you commit and cut, re-arrange your prints several different ways to get the most pleasing combination of fabrics.
Fat quarters for skirt (C, central; D and E, contrasting), 3 1-in.-wide twill tape for neckband ties, 1 1/2 yd. Coordinating sewing thread
M A K E A M AT C H I N G O V E N M I T T
Oven Mitt: 9 in. x 12 in. piece of Therma-Flec, 2 Fat quarter, 1 Coordinating sewing thread Extra-wide double-fold bias binding, 3/4 yd.
SEWING Apron Bib:
1 Cut fat quarter A in half horizontally. Using the template on page 50, trace and cut the sweetheart shaping on one short side of both pieces of fabric for the top of the bib.
2 Cut two 25-inch-long pieces of twill tape for ties. Knot one end of each with an overhand knot.
3 With right sides facing, pin the front and back of the bib together. Insert the raw edge of each tie between the fabric pieces and center one on top of each curve, aligning the raw edges. Sew it all together along both sides and the top; leave the bottom edge open.
Using a coordinating fat quarter, make an oven mitt according to the instructions on page 7.
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
11
OLD SCHOOL APRON
(continued)
4 Clip the seams; turn the bib inside out and press it.
5 Fold the bottom edges up 1/2 inch
E
D
C
D
E
into the space between both pieces of fabric. Press and pin into place. Top-stitch the bottom closed.
Apron: 6 Follow the instructions on page 5 to sew a practical waistband from fat quarter B.
7 Hold the central fat quarter (C) How to arrange the skirt pieces.
vertically; cut each of the two remaining contrast fat quarters (D and E) in half horizontally.
8 Arrange the fabric as shown. Seam all together with flat-felled seams as shown on page 6.
9 Make a 1 1/4-inch side hem on each side.
10 Make a 2 1/2-inch hem along the bottom.
11 Gather the top of the skirt as shown on page 6.
ASSEMBLING Apron:
12 Insert the gathered edge of the
The assembled waistband.
skirt fabric into the center opening of the waistband. Adjust the gathers if needed so they are spread evenly across.
13 Pin the bottom edge of the bib behind the waistband. Top-stitch all layers together.
14 Top-stitch the top of the waistband into place where it meets the bib.
12
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
13
INDEX aprons projects bib style, 11–13, 14–17, 18–21, 28–31, 35–37, 45–48 half apron style, 8–10, 22–24, 25–27, 32–34, 38–41, 42–44 bias binding, 5 difficulty level chart, 4 projects level one, 8–10, 14–17, 22–24, 25–27 level two, 11–13, 32–34, 35–37, 42–44 level three, 28–31, 38–41 level four, 18–21, 45–48 fabric selecting, 4 quilted heat-resistant, 7 fat quarters projects using two, 8–10, 14–17 projects using three, 18–21, 22–24, 35–37, 42–44 projects using four, 25–27, 28–31, 45–48
project using five, 11–13 projects using six, 32–34, 38–41 gathers, 6 hems, 6 hot pad, 42–44 metric conversions, 4 neckbands, 5 oven mitts general instructions, 7 hanging loop instructions, 7 projects, 11, 35–37 template, 49 pleats, 18–19 pockets, 25–27, 28–30, 38–40, 42–44, 53 potholders instructions general, 7 enclosed type, 7 hanging loop, 7 stacked type, 7 projects enclosed type, 18–21, 28–31, 32–34, 38–41, 45–48 hot pad type, 42–44
joined type, 22–24 stacked type, 8, 14–17, 25–26 reversible, 42–44 ric-rac, 45–48 ruffles, 32–34 sashing, 28–31 seaming, 6 templates, 49–55 Therma-Flec, using, 7 tools, 5 waistbands instructions cording, 35–37 finishing ribbon ends, 6 practical type, 5 ribbon type, 5 projects corded type, 35–37 practical type, 11–13, 25–27, 38–41, 42–44 ribbon type, 8–10, 14–17, 18–21, 22–24, 28–31, 32–34 twill tape type, 45–48
More Great Books from
Spring House Press
The Peace, Love & Potato Salad Cookbook ISBN: 978-1-940611-38-9 List Price: $16.95 | 80 Pages
The Natural Beauty Solution ISBN: 978-1-940611-18-1 List Price: $19.95 | 128 Pages
Weighted Blankets, Vests, and Scarves ISBN: 978-1940611-46-4 List Price: $12.99 | 48 Pages
Look for these Spring House Press titles at your favorite bookstore, specialty retailer, or visit www.springhousepress.com. For more information about Spring House Press, call 717-208-3739 or email us at info@springhousepress.com.
56
FA B U L O US FAT Q UA RT E R A P R O N S
Crafts & Hobbies/Sewing $12.99 US
Fashionable Fun for YOUR KITCHEN Those who sew know that a fat quarter stash can accumulate fast. In Fabulous Fat Quarter Aprons, Mary Beth Temple offers a dozen novel project ideas that are functional, fun, and will use your stash with a wink to the past. Ideal for the busy kitchen, your next holiday party, or that special gift for a friend, each design can be made with anywhere from two to six fat quarters and comes with a matching potholder, oven mitt, or hot pad. Best of all, this handy guide offers an excellent starting point for anyone looking to join the sewing community. So grab your stash and let your materials and imagination run wild to create the apron of your dreams.
ISBN 978-1-940611-39-6