Jumping Bean Soup: Toddler Apron Tutorial

What do you do when you find a tiny little portion of really awesome fabric in a scrap bin? You make a tiny apron of course. Today I'll show you how!

Isn't this vintage Raggedy Ann and Andy fabric AWESOME?!?

As you can see I didn't have a whole lot to work with.

Here is what you will need to complete your toddler apron.

Front and Back Panel Pieces Measuring 12 1/2 inches x 11 inches

One pocket of the same or coordinating fabric measuring 6 x 6 1/2 inches

One Tie (you can piece it together if you need to) measuring 5 1/2 inches x 34 inches long

Front and back pieces with pocket laid out.

This is my strap before it was pieced together.

First I pieced together my strap.

Fold your strap in half length wise with right sides together and stitch down long edge. Leave the two ends open. Turn right side out and press flat.

Tie after it was turned right side out.

Tie nicely pressed with two short edges still open.

Next press the top edge of your pocket a 1/4 inch under and top stitch it with a pretty decorative stitch. You can of course just stitch it with a straight or zigzag if you wish. I went for a decorative stitch with a light pink thread to match my Raggedy Ann and Andy polka dots.

Isn't that pretty!

Stitch the length of the pocket top.

Next iron the sides and bottom of the pocket 1/4 inch under and pin to front of apron piece where you want it.

This is the back side of your pocket after you have top-stitched the top and ironed the sides and bottom.

Next top-stitch the pocket onto the apron front only. Also, make sure to only stitch the sides and bottom.

I did two lines of top-stitching for prettiness and to make the pocket really solid in case it gets over loaded with toys!

Finished Pocket on Front Panel.

Remember not to sew the top down!

Now put right sides together of completed front with pocket, and back.

Sew around side bottom and side. LEAVE TOP OPEN.

Front and back pieces with right sides together.

Turn Right Side Out. Press.

Right side out.

Pressed.

Leave long tails on your threads and BASTE close to the top of your apron. You will use these to gather so you leave the tails long and want the stitches wide.

Top of apron basted.

Then use your bobbin thread to pull the top of the apron into a gather. You may have to do it from both sides if the stitching is tight. Gather until you are satisfied.

Yay Gathers!

Now this is the tricky part. On your tie you need to find the center and the center of your apron and match them up. Find where the apron front edges end along the tie and mark them with a pin on the tie. Then take your seam ripper and rip the sewn bottom edge of the tie only as wide as the apron front. Next, slip the apron (front, back and basting string) up into the tie center portion that you ripped. Your tie bottom edges should still be folded under a 1/4 inch which is why we pressed it! Pin in place.

This is my apron front inside of the two portions of tie. Forgot to take a picture with the pins but this is it basted.

Baste your tie center to your inserted apron piece so you can remove the pins and work more easily without them.

Now turn your tie edges that you left open under a 1/4 inch and close with a zigzag top-stitch.

This shows the zigzag edge of tie and decorative bottom edge of tie that runs the length of the tie.

Along the bottom edge of the tie from corner to corner top-stitch (here I used my decorative stitch again) so as to stitch the apron panels inside the tie. Then remove your basting string with seam ripper.