Tutorial Tuesdays- Napkin Apron

This is another attempt at adding some structure to my blog! On Tutorial Tuesdays I'm going to share a tutorial with you! Usually it will be something I made, but if there is something completely awesome out there that you just have to see, I'll share that too!

For today's Tutorial Tuesday, I'm going to teach you how to make a cute half apron from a cloth napkin! It is super easy to do and makes a perfect hostess gift for all of those holiday parties you're going to be invited to! :)

 I love it! It's cute, ruffley, and oh-so girly. And these half aprons are so handy for both cleaning and cooking! Want to make one? To make one, you'll need...

• Cloth napkin (I got mine in a pack of four on clearance at Target!)
• Coordinating fabric (1/3 yard or so)
• Yard of coordinating trim
• Regular sewing notions (sewing machine, scissors, pins, matching thread, iron/ironing board etc.)

First, we need to round the edges of your napkin. To do this, take a dinner plate, line up the edges against the corner of your napkin, and trace along the rounded edge.

Trim those edges. See how nice and round they are? It just adds to the girliness of the apron. :)

Next we need to add the ruffles to the napkin. Open up the trim and sandwich the napkin between the two layers (basically, this is just pretty bias tape.)

Pin all the way around, being extra careful around the curves. Once it's pinned, sew around the ruffles, making sure to catch both sides so it stays securely in place.

You're done with the apron part! I told you it was super easy! Next, we're going to cut out a long strip of fabric to make the ties. It should be long enough to tie around your body, and four times the width of what what you want it to be. (It'll make more sense in a minute.) Mine was 80 inches long and three inches wide (Actually, I cut two 40 inch strips and sewed them together.)

We're going to make our own bias tape! It's actually very easy, all you need is an iron! Fold that long strip in half (wrong sides together, the hot dog way) and iron down, creating a crease.

Open up your strip, and fold one edge into the middle crease. Iron in place.

Fold the other side to the middle and iron down again. (Ewwww...maybe my next project should be making a new ironing board cover!)

Fold your very own bias tape down and iron over it one more time, crisping up those creases. And you've done it! You've made bias tape! Now we can add it to the apron!

Fine the middle of the bias tape and the middle of your apron and mark those points. Line up the bias tape with the line on the apron and sandwich the tape in between the napkin (just like before with the ruffles.)

Pin the tape down all the way across the apron, leaving long strips hanging off. That's what you'll use to tie your apron on!

You're going to need to sew your bias tape together all the way across, even the part that's not attached to the apron, so you'll need to finish your edges. Make a small slit along the middle crease and fold down the edges.

And then fold your bias tape together, hiding the edges. (Yikes! I'm sorry I keep showing you my horrendous nails. I  need to paint them more often.) Starting at the end you just finished, sew all the way down your bias tape (on itself, through the apron, then on itself again.) Finish the other edge the same way.

See how you now have strings to tie around your waist? You're almost done!

Next, we're going to add the pockets. Cut out two rectangles, 14 inches long and 7 inches wide.

Fold the rectangle in half to make a square, and round the unfolded edges the same way you rounded the napkin (I used a cup this time, instead of a dinner plate.)

Sew around the three unfolded sides, leaving a two-inch opening for turning. Clip the rounded edges and seen above to help it stay flat. Turn it right side out, and press flat. 

I added some trim to the top of my pockets, but that's totally optional.

Arrange your pockets on your apron in a way that you like, and pin in place. Then, sew around the sides and the bottom, leaving the top open (it is a pocket, after all.) Trim all the excess threads aaaand....

You're done!! Tie it on and flaunt your creation. Or...wrap it up and give it to someone you love. :) Hopefully whoever ends up wearing it is a little bit taller than me...it's a bit long on my 5'3'' frame.

Happy sewing! And make sure you check out all the places I'm partying in my "Link Parties" tab!