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Happy Friday!  Today's tutorial comes to us from the brilliant Lara and Teegs, who run a screenprinting studio from the Great Down Under.  I think this is a perfect weekend project.  Not only is an apron essential when crafting, but with all the gardens and barbecues to tend to this summer, there's no time like the present to do it in style.

"Hello from Ink & Spindle! We're absolutely honoured to be sharing a project with you here on this blog. Today we're going to be making a full length, lined & adjustable apron!

Aprons play a very important role here at Ink & Spindle HQ. Yardage screen printing can be, no scratch that, IS a very messy business, so we wear our aprons whenever we are mixing inks or doing a print run. Along the way we've discovered a couple of important factors that make a good apron:

1) Make it lined! A lined apron is much easier to make (no hemming required!) but also if you're using it for craft then it's very important. There's nothing worse than wiping your inky hands and finding the ink has seeped through your apron onto your clothing!

2) Make it adjustable! People come in all shapes and sizes, and a saggy loose apron is nobody's friend. We've included an adjustable neck strap so you can wear the apron nice and high whilst it still being easy to put over your head.

So, let's get started!

Materials:

• Patterned fabric for front (65cm x 100cm / 26" x 40")
• Plain fabric for lining (65cm x 100cm / 26" x 40")
• Medium weight cotton twill tape approx 25mm / 1" wide (2.2m / 87")
• Two metal D rings to suit the twill tape
• Contrasting fabric for front pocket, optional (40cm x 23cm / 16" x 9")

You can find a kit containing all of the above materials here.

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Instructions:

1) Print & cut out out the apron pattern which you can download from here.  Simply set your printer to print the pattern pieces in A4 sections and tape them together.

2) Take your front and lining fabrics and fold them in half lengthwise.

3) Lay the pattern piece on top of your front fabric, with the edge marked ‘fold’ in line with your centre fold. Pin the pattern piece in place and cut the shape out through both layers of fabric. Repeat with the lining fabric.

4) From your contrasting fabric, fold and cut out the pocket piece as above.

5) For the pocket: Fold down the top edge by 1cm (3/8") and press. Repeat with the side, bottom and corner edges. Fold down the top edge a second time by 1cm (3/8") and press - this creates a neat clean finish to the top of your pocket.

6) Stitch two rows along the top edge of your pocket, approx 1cm (3/8") apart.

7) Pin the pocket piece to the front of your apron in the position shown. Topstitch close to the folded edge - down the sides, across the corners and along the bottom. Reinforce the top of each side with an X shape, if desired. Repeat with a second row of topstitching 1cm (3/8") in from the first line of stitching, so that your raw edges are enclosed and not visible inside the pocket.

8 ) Lay your front and lining fabrics together right sides facing.

9) Cut two lengths of twill tape each approx 80cm (32") long - these are the straps that will tie around your waist. Cut another length of twill tape approximately 25cm (10") long. This length will form part of the adjustable neck strap.

10) Take one raw end from each cut length of twill tape and hem it by folding it over twice (about 5mm or 1/6"). Stitch across several times.

11) Cut another length of twill tape to 40cm (16") long. This length will form the other part of the adjustable neck strap. Thread the two D rings onto one end of the tape and make a small loop to enclose them. Tuck the raw end in and stitch across several times.

12) In the positions shown on the pattern, pin all the neck and waist straps between the two layers of fabric, each with the unfinished end poking out and the length of strap coiled in between the layers. Make sure the neater side of your D-ring loop is facing the front fabric. Also, make sure the straps don't get in the way of any stitching you’re about to do! Pin them out of the way if need be.

13) Starting midway along the bottom of your apron, sew around the edge with a 1cm (3/8") seam allowance. Whenever you stitch across one of the straps, double back and forth over it to provide extra reinforcement. Continue around the edge until about 20cm (8") away from your starting position.

14) Trim excess fabric away at the corners, and at any curves.

15) Through the 20cm (8") hole in the bottom edge, turn your apron right side out. All your loops and straps will be revealed.

16) Push all the edges and corners out. Along the bottom tuck the raw edges of your fabric back into the hole so you have a straight bottom edge. Press it all flat!

17) To finish, topstitch around the whole apron about 5mm (1/6") in from the edge. Thread the shorter neck strap through both rings from back to front, and then back down through the bottom ring.

Et voila! One beautiful new apron to get good & messy

Enjoy!

xx Lara & Teegs"