Feel at Home Apron

Inspired by: Close to Home from designer Sandra Starley

Quilt tester: Diane Tomlinson

Finished apron: 17×18" with a 74-1/2"-long tie

Finished block: 8" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

• 10" square each cream print, blue print, and yellow print (apron pocket)
• 1/2 yard red print (apron pocket, apron waistband and tie)
• 9×21" piece (fat eighth) dark green print (apron pocket)
• 5/8 yard light green print (apron skirt)
• Lightweight tracing paper or other foundation material of your choice

Cut pieces in the following order.

From cream print, cut:

• 2—2-1/2×4" rectangles
• 1—2×3" rectangle
• 2—2" squares
• 1—1-1/2×4" rectangle
• 1—1-1/4×4" rectangle
• 1—1-1/4×3-3/4" rectangle

From blue print, cut:

• 1—3×5-1/2" rectangle
• 2—1-1/2×2" rectangles

From red print, cut:

• 2—5-1/2×42" strips
• 1—2-1/2×3-1/2" rectangle
• 2—1-1/2×3-3/4" rectangles
• 2—1-1/2×3-1/4" rectangles
• 2—1-1/2×2-3/4" rectangles
• 3—1-1/2×2" rectangles

From yellow print, cut:

• 1—1-3/4×2-3/4" rectangle
• 2—1-1/2×2" rectangles

From dark green print, cut:

• 1—8-1/2" square
• 2—1-1/2×8-1/2" rectangles
• 2—1-1/2×6-1/2" rectangles

From light green print, cut:

• 1—19×34" rectangle

Click on "Download this Project" above for foundation patterns.

1. Use a pencil to trace each foundation pattern onto lightweight tracing paper (or other foundation material of your choice), tracing all lines and numbers.

2. Cut out each traced foundation pattern roughly 1/4" outside dashed lines to make foundation papers A, B, C, and D.

Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam toward darker fabric.

To foundation-piece, stitch fabric pieces to a foundation paper with marked side of paper facing up and fabric pieces layered underneath. The resulting pieced unit is a mirror image of the foundation paper.

1. Using an A foundation paper, cream print 2×3" rectangle (position A1), blue print 1¹⁄₂×2" rectangles (positions A2 and A3), and cream print 2" squares (positions A4 and A5), work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit A (Diagram 1). Do not remove foundation paper. The unit should be 1-3/4×6-1/2" including seam allowances.

2. Using a B foundation paper, red print 2-1/2×3-1/2" rectangle (position B1), cream print 2-1/2×4" rectangles (positions B2 and B5), cream print 1-1/2×4" rectangle (position B3), and blue print 3×5-1/2" rectangle (position B4), work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit B (Diagram 2); do not remove foundation paper. The unit should be 2×6-1/2" including seam allowances.

3. Using a C foundation paper, yellow print 1-3/4×2-3/4" rectangle (position C1), red print 1-1/2×2-3/4" rectangles (positions C2 and C3), red print 1-1/2×3-1/4" rectangles (positions C4 and C5), and cream print 1-1/4×4" rectangle (position C6), work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit C (Diagram 3); do not remove foundation paper. The unit should be 3-1/2×3-3/4" including seam allowances.

4. Using a D foundation paper, red print 1-1/2×2" rectangles (positions D1, D4, and D5), yellow print 1-1/2×2" rectangles (positions D2 and D3), red print 1-1/2×3-3/4" rectangles (positions D6 and D7), and cream print 1-1/4×3-3/4" rectangle (position D8), work in numerical order to foundation-piece Unit D (Diagram 4); do not remove foundation paper. The unit should be 3-1/2×3-3/4" including seam allowances.

5. Referring to Diagram 5, lay out pieced units. Sew together units C and D. Add units B and A to make a house unit. Use tweezers or blunt end of a seam ripper to remove foundation papers. The unit should be 6-1/2" square including seam allowances.

6. Sew dark green print 1-1/2×6-1/2" rectangles to opposite edges of house unit (Diagram 6). Join dark green print 1-1/2×8-1/2" rectangles to remaining edges to make house block. The block should be 8-1/2" square including seam allowances.

7. Layer house block and dark green print 8-1/2" square (Diagram 7). Sew together edges of layered pieces, leaving a 3" opening in one edge for turning. Turn right side out through the opening. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push out the corners; hand-sew opening closed to finish apron pocket.

1. Turn one long and both short edges of light green print 19×34" rectangle under 1/2"; press. Turn under again 1/2"; press. Topstitch 3/8" from pressed edges (Diagram 8) to hem.

2. Place apron pocket on hemmed rectangle 6" from one short edge and 5" from bottom edge (Diagram 8). Topstitch pocket side and bottom edges to make apron skirt.

3. Sew a basting stitch 1/4" from raw edge of apron skirt (Diagram 9). Pull threads to gather edge to measure 17".

1. Piece and cut red print 5-1/2×42" strips to make:

• 1—5-1/2×76" strip

2. Referring to Diagram 10, fold red print 5-1/2×76" strip in half lengthwise, finger-press fold to crease, and unfold. Turn edges under 3/4"; press to make waistband.

3. Lay waistband wrong side up on flat surface. Referring to Diagram 11, center apron skirt right side up on waistband, aligning gathered skirt edge with bottom waistband edge. Fold waistband in half to enclose gathered skirt edge; pin.

4. Topstitch waistband edges to complete apron (Diagram 12).