Little Chef Set Tutorial - Apron Plus Quilted Pot Holder and Place Mat

While I'm still dealing with a little lingering morning sickness (at 31 weeks! ugh!), thankfully I've been able to get a lot of sewing done. I'm hoping to share some of the knit shirts I've been making for Isabelle in the next week or so, but today is all about this sweet little apron set. I made it as a gift for my niece for her fifth birthday, but I think you could easily tweak the more feminine parts and make this perfectly suitable for a little boy as well.

I searched Pinterest for ideas and found a handful of apron styles and designs I liked, so I combined a bunch of them together. Then I thought it would be fun to make a matching play pot holder and a cute place mat- I don't have much experience quilting by machine and it was fun fun fun! The small size kept it really manageable and super quick to make. Instant gratification, yes, please!

Let's start with the apron.
I used a nice cotton for the front, and a poly-cotton blend for the back (for no other reason than I liked the color combination). You will want a cotton that holds it shape, maybe has a little weight/heft to it. You could certainly use a duck cloth or other stiffer fabric as well.

Sorry in advance for the wonky photos. It was cloudy one moment and then super sunny the next- I couldn't keep up. And this is a rather wordy tutorial. Sorry! I promise it isn't complicated, and hopefully the pictures will help.

Here are the basic pieces you'll use to make the apron with adjustable neck straps, two long side straps, and a solid pocket with contrasting band at the top. Of course you could put any type of pocket on, or none at all. Totally up to you.

approximately 1/2 yard cotton for front and another for backing
2 - 45" strips, cut 5 or 6 inches high
2 - 16" strips, cut 4 or 5 inches high
1 remnant for pocket, cut to size depending on apron width
1 - 4" strip, cut to roughly same size as pocket top
Velcro strip
Rick Rack

First cut out your apron front. This is basically the same principle used as in my nightgown tutorial. I wanted a sweetheart neckline and a scalloped hem, but first I cut a tapered "triangle" piece on the fold, with the top (neckline) about 12-14 inches wide. You can cut the sides here for the upper part, or do that in the next step, then create the scallops and the neckline you want.

Cut a second apron piece using the front as a pattern guide. If you didn't already cut the neckline/upper sides, do that now. Sew the front and back right sides together (RST) with a generous seam allowance, but remember to leave openings at the top for the two neck straps and at the sides for the two side straps- make one side opening slightly larger in order to turn apron right side out. Press apron; press edges of opening under.

Now you're ready to make the straps. For the side ties, I simply folded the strips RST and stitched a narrow seam along the edge; turn right side out, press. You can edge stitch or not- I did, just to make the ties a bit more sturdy. I inserted each one a few inches into the side openings and pinned in place. I could have stitched them in as I sewed the apron front and back together, but this just seemed much easier. Less fuss. That's nice. =)

For the neck straps, I did the same thing as with the contrast band, tucking one end of each in as I pressed it together. I thought the zig zag looked cute here, so I did that again, up and down each edge. Then I cut narrow pieces of Velcro and zig-zagged those on. Insert the straps into the openings and pin in place. Now you're ready to edge stitch the entire apron. This is why I suggested a wider seam allowance- it "catches" better so less chance of frayed edges where you're sewing the openings closed.

**My niece is very petite, and I wanted to be sure that she had lots of options for how tight or loose she wanted the straps around her neck; I would have probably only sewed in one long tab of Velcro on each strap for my own daughter.

For the pocket, fold fabric in half RST (top to bottom) and cut according to how wide and deep you want it. Iron; stitch sides. For the contrasting band, iron each edge, right side, toward wrong side center; iron folds together to form strip. Turn ends against crease and stitch a diagonal line- this is going to "wrap" around the top of the tapered pocket. I sewed one end and then placed it on the pocket to see exactly how long to make it, putting a pin in to mark the spot.

Turn pocket right sides out and press; press band.

It doesn't line up perfectly here, and that's okay. I sandwiched the band and the upper pocket edge and used a simple zig zag stitch for a little interest. I prefer making pockets this way, even if it's a smaller one and especially if it's a rounded or curved one, because pressing down teeny edges does not make me a very happy person. So I always sew them RST first, turn them out, and then sew them in place.

Now pin it in place on apron front and stitch along the sides and bottom; stitch a center seam up the middle. Hopefully yours will be straighter than mine because I had to stitch a second one and take out the first. Oops.

Another view of the pocket. I think they're sturdier when constructed this way, and they look nice and neat from all sides, even the inside.

Next, sew on your rick rack with a narrow zig zag or straight stitch (I zig-zagged again). I used medium rick rack for the neckline and jumbo for the hem. There, apron's all done!

You could stop right here and have a darling little apron to give to a little girl in your life. Or you can make the complete set.

For boys: Obviously omit the sweetheart neckline and scalloped hem, including the rick rack. And most likely the pink and purple, ha. I would either keep both edges straight across, or I might try a jagged edge, think shark teeth, for the hem, with or without contrasting binding. There are tons of fun prints available for boys, and lots of great colors too. I'd try blues and reds.

Here's a glimpse of the apron back-

Now onto the place mat and pot holder.

I cut a square 7 inches by 7 inches for the backing for the pot holder. Next I cut and sewed the strips together. I didn't measure, but the cupcake print is slightly wider. It's pretty easy to figure out when you're doing it; trim pieced square to about 1/4 inch bigger than the backing square.

Next, pin the pieced square to a small piece of batting- or use a ratty old washcloth like I did; set your stitch length a little longer and start machine quilting. Have fun with it! It was very gratifying sewing all those lines. When you've quilted enough, pin front to back, with right sides out, so batting is sandwiched in between. 

The pot holder doesn't need to have a tab, but if you add it, be smarter than me and stitch it to the back, lining up raw edges- the tab will lay flat against the purple fabric when you sew the binding onto it.

Now cut some strips of coordinating fabric, approximately 2 to 3 inches wide. Don't worry about a bias because there are no curves to maneuver. Here is a great tutorial on binding if you aren't familiar with it...whoops, I can't find it now- there are lots out there, promise! I thought a wide zig zag would catch all the edges better, so again, that's what I used.

The place mat gets put together in much the same way. I cut a rectangle about 14 inches wide by 10 inches tall of the backing fabric and then some wider strips in the other fabrics. Honestly, you can make it whatever size you'd like. Since I didn't want to bind the place mat, I included the green strips into the design. After machine quilting the top and batting together, I pinned it to the backing RST (batting will be on outside in this step) and trimmed away any excess. Stitch together, again with a wider seam allowance, leaving a large enough opening on one side in order to pull it all right sides out.

Edge stitch all the way around, catching the turned under edges from the opening.

I thought the backing might shift a bit without some additional stitching, so I incorporated the same zig zag stitch up and down the edges of the green strips- you can see it (and the back of the pot holder) in the picture below.

If you wanted to bind the place mat like the pot holder, that would look adorable; likewise, if you wanted to sew the pot holder RST and omit the binding, go for it! Either option has a great finished look.

Now wrap this cute set up and give it to a special little girl...who maybe will help you make dinner tonight!  ;)

Remember, this could easily be adapted to suit a boy's liking. Two of my boys in particular love to putter around the kitchen and have each had aprons of their own when they were younger. I think they'd appreciate a half apron more now...I'll share if I get to that sometime soon!

**PLEASE NOTE: this pot holder is for pretend play only. It will not withstand heat. You would need to line it with a heat resistant batting material if you plan to use it with hot items.


Here is a link to a ruffled half apron I made a little while ago.

ps: I've changed things up on instagram - find me at roseandruffle to see shop items, special sales alerts, and fun tutorials like this one!

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DIY by Design 

Halloween Sewing: Laura Ingalls Wilder

I meant to blog this before December. Oops.

Isabelle and I read through the Little House books this year so it was no surprise to me that she'd want to dress up as Laura for Halloween. I was about her age when I did the same thing. =) I ended up using a blouse pattern (because I loved the wide collar) and extending it into dress length. With the apron I just sort of winged it...ha ha, literally- I used the technique from my nightgown tutorial for the angel wing straps. The back had a two-button closure- pretty easy.

I found the pail at WalMart. It was perfect! Although little miss stared at it and declared it too small to hold all the candy she was dreaming of. I pointed out that it was actually much larger than her little purple treat bag** she usually uses. Kids. Ha!

Our two youngest with Dad; the older two stay home to hand out candy or hang out with friends. There was no sewing involved for my hockey star. I sure am glad I'll get the chance to make more little costumes for the next few years!

And with Mama...and baby  =)

**Here's her little bag. I used puff paint- super fun and easy. All our kids used theirs for years and years, and the paint stayed on perfectly. Now I'll get to make another one!!!!!!

Click HERE if you want to read an update on our surprise pregnancy. Have a great day!

Tutorial: Girls Maxi Skirt with Walking Slits

Everyone loves a reliable, easy, and fast sewing project. That, my friends, would be the maxi skirt.

 
Maxi skirts are one of the best projects because they're a cinch to whip up and perfect for beginners. You can cut them straight down, literally two rectangles, or in a slight triangular shape for some flare at the hem. This skirt is cut with a faint flare and features modest walking slits, which requires the smallest bit of additional work, but I think it's worth it.

First, decide how long you'd like the walking slit to be. I prefer a very modest slit, one that makes the skirt comfortable to move in (climbing stairs, getting up into our van, etc.) but doesn't scream, "Hey hey hey! Look at my long legs!"  Once you've settled on that, simply backstitch when you've reached the right spot and leave the rest of the edges open. You can see how I angled the cut with the pinking shears above the open sides.

Next, you're going to press a narrow edge (toward the wrong side, just like a normal hem) on the open seam, and then fold it over itself and press again. Stitch the pressed edges. If stitching this in one continuous line seems daunting, just stitch up one side and backstitch above the slit, and then repeat on the other side. You can stitch on an angle to form a point if you like as well, but it isn't necessary.

Lastly, sew up your waistband like you would any other maxi skirt with an elastic waist. Then press whatever size hem you want in place and stitch. Voila! 

The back looks longer in the photo, but it isn't really. Must be all that hip-jutting and strutting and such.  =)

Note: If you prefer to fold the fabric in half from top to bottom, so that you have only one side seam to stitch and the other side is the fabric fold, that works too- just make one walking slit in the sewn side. Done and done. And even faster!

Current Handmade Clothing Loves

Good Thursday morning to you! Just popping to share some cute new clothes that I've made for Isabelle in the past two weeks. There's a little something fun for each of them, so I will do some tutorials and tips posts soon. But not today...today I'm taking my girl to the beach for some fun in the sun!

This adorable maxi skirt is made with a crisp seersucker fabric- I think it's a poly/cotton blend, which I don't typically use, but it holds its shape really well. This skirt took less than half an hour to complete, start to finish. Now that's my kind of project!

Next up is this cute ensemble. It's made with a cotton seersucker plaid, definitely not wrinkle resistant like the blend above, but super sweet. I followed the pattern...mostly. Of course I had to add my own little details! I'll share them later.(We visited one of our favorite farms with my Mom yesterday to celebrate one of our adoption anniversaries, plus some other thoughts on the orphan crisis. I love barn animals so much! If I could just afford to hire out for all that they require, I'd be good to go!)

Grainy photo, I know, but you can see most of the dress. She is in looooove with this dress. Wants to wear it everywhere, all the time. It was a total make it up as I go kind of project and I love the end result. (I was slightly super nervous that she was going to trip and fall during her concert because I made the dress just a bit too long, but she didn't. Social crisis averted. Phew!)

Easy Ruffled Apron Tutorial

Hello! This is a tutorial for a little girl's ruffled apron, perfect for a beginner wanting to try out some new skills and actually finish a project in an hour or so. The sky is the limit in terms of fabric combinations. These aprons were for a birthday party, so cupcakes and flowers worked beautifully. You could choose anything!

Oh, and sorry in advance for the pics - the sun kept going from blinding to hiding behind a cloud, and I couldn't keep up!

Here's a little tutorial for making the apron:

Basically, it's just squares and rectangles...super easy and fast to make! These are the measurements for a size 6 (I deduced by about 2 inches for a size 5) but you could use whatever sizes you want. I think fat quarters would work very well for smaller sizes.

Ruffle One: 24" x 6"
Ruffle Two: 24" x 9"
Body of Apron: 17" x 15"
Tie: 3 1/2" x 45"
   **I simply cut the strip along the edge of the 45" fabric, but it was barely long enough for this size- next time I'll cut longer strips**

Next turn up the edges on the sides and bottom to iron the hem
Stitch the sides first, opening out one fold on the bottom - this makes for a clean, neat finish

Now stitch along the bottom

Finish the sides and bottom of all three pieces

Next you'll gather the ruffles

If you do things properly, you'll baste the ruffles together and then neatly pull the thread to even everything out...I simply pinned the edges to the pink apron body along the top, and eyeballed it as I worked the layers through my machine.

At this point, the ruffle layers should be stitched to the top of the apron body, laid out like this, not Right Sides Together.

I thought about stitching right sides together to form a tube, but...I didn't want to have to pull them all back through! Also, I wanted them to have a little extra something to make them more stable.

Iron both sides so the edges meet in the middle

Open out ends and put right sides together - you'll stitch these ends like so

Trim the edge and turn out  (you may have to poke the inner corner a bit)

On the home stretch now...
Center the tie over the apron and ruffles, and create an apron-tie sandwich
Pin carefully for this part so it doesn't get shifty on you.

You'll stitch through all the layers
I placed the tie so it was about halfway down onto the apron - it might be easier to place the fold line directly over the top of the apron if you're worried about things moving around too much
Take your time - it's pretty bulky

And that's it! Tie it on an adorable chef and get lunch made for you!  =)

 

We I whipped up a few of these as party favors for Isabelle's birthday party guests (and then promptly forgot to post the tutorial...oops!). The girls decorated their own little pizzas, and while those were baking, they added frosting and sprinkles to some giant sugar cookies we'd made ahead of time.

Thanks for reading! I hope you're having a fantastic day today!

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Tip Junkie

Friday Favorites: Sofia the First Inspired Nightgown

It's Friday!!! We've got a lot going on this weekend that I'm super excited about...hope you have a good one, too!

I thought I'd share these Sofia the First-inspired nightgowns that I made for a customer recently. Now, I have never seen the show, and all I had to go on was a small picture sent to me by my customer. I tried and tried to find other images, but nothing! I think they turned out so cute- they're for twin girls who are adopted, which makes my heart so happy.

The sleeves should fall to the elbow or just below, and have a little "poof" to them. It's often a gamble about how tight to make the elasticized part, since I don't know if the recipient is teeny tiny or a bit more solid, so I tend to keep them on the looser side. I don't know many people who prefer to have the elastic digging into their skin, so that's something to keep in mind when sewing for others. I added the little bow details as a sort of compromise for the cartoon character's woven-ribbon cinching; the elastic is more durable and will hold up to washings much better than the alternative. I think the bows look sweet.

I hope they like them, and I hope she sends me a picture of her little girls wearing them.  =)

I'm working on a tutorial for you, so stay tuned....

Tips for Sewing a Halter Dress (And Making it Modest)

Whew! Winter lasted ForEVER and now we're melting in 90 degree humid heat! Little Miss was super excited about this halter dress because it lets her back be "free" and "cool."  =)

Isn't this just the prettiest fabric!?! I found it at JoAnn's last year. Such a nice, smooth cotton with luscious color.

Here are the pieces all laid out. When I cut the bodice front pieces, I added an inch or so to each center edge to get a more modest top, and then gradually tapered the amended cut edge to the original pattern piece so the straps would not be wider than what was initially called for.

I wish I'd cut the strap pieces a bit longer, though. Next time.

It's fairly easy to adjust the sizing at this point. When I tried the pieces on Isabelle, I marked (okay, I didn't! I'm an eye-baller through and through) I made a mental note of where I should have the front pieces lap and tacked them together. NOTE: I wanted to include a small ruffle on the back piece, so I cut the band a little taller. If you make adjustments to any side pieces, don't forget to make those same adjustments to the each side, where they will "meet up." Even if things aren't perfectly aligned, you can trim the raw edges even with each other...no problem!

Next, we tried the elastic back band, which was way too loose. I had to take out one end of stitching and pull the elastic more to make it tighter. Don't be worried if the elastic band seems smaller than the bodice front- I wanted the back a little more snug, just so it fits better, especially when she's jumping around and such.

Lastly, sew your front and back side pieces together. Top-stitch along a narrow edge for a nice, clean finish on the outside, as well as keeping down the bulk on the inside.

The last step is to attach the skirt. I had to pull a little here and there to get the width I needed. One time I had to go back and sew an extra side seam into the skirt because it was just too big and I couldn't make it fit snugly to the bodice pieces. It's all good.

For tips on sewing a smooth hem on a rounded skirt without using bias or hem tape, read this tutorial.

This halter dress is going to get tons of wear this summer! It's perfect to toss on over a swimsuit, too, so basically, she won't be taking it off for the next three months.

Happy Sewing! Email me if you've got any questions! 3sonsplus1{at}gmail{dot}com

You can see my latest sewing projects on instagram at roseandruffle & on Pinterest HERE.  =)