Friday, May 7, 2010

Every Princess Needs An Apron

Deep in the mountains of North Carolina, a beautiful little Princess lives with her daddy in a house by a river. Her name is Snow, but she fancies herself more of a Rockstar than a weather pattern. "You can call me Princess Rockstar, if you'd like," she says to everyone who comes to visit.
I will be going to the river soon,
and will give this apron to Princess Rockstar.
She will put it on and dance about on her tiptoes.
Princess Rockstar Ballerina Apron Girl.
She finds it curious that I would have wanted to be named "Princess Cowgirl" when I was a little girl; after all, what self-respecting little girl would want to be named after girl cows? However, just to be polite, she respectfully calls me "Princess Cowgirl".
She came to visit me one cool Spring afternoon recently; I was sewing baby bibs for my daughter-in-law's friend. She thought  they were beautiful.
As a matter of fact, I had so much beautiful fabric, she almost wished she was a baby so I could sew her a beautiful bib.

I realized that I could take my bib pattern and enlarge it just a bit, and add a skirt to make a wonderful Princess Rockstar Apron. She chose this skirt fabric with the Purple Girl, the Pink Girl and the Green Girl.

Here is simple little half-apron to sew for yourself and your little princess:

These measurements are for an adult apron.

Apron - If you sew and have a sewing machine, you can make an easy "half apron" from one yard of 36" (or wider) fabric without a pattern. (You can adapt the pattern simply by changing the length of the skirt and waistband to fit. See below.)

Cut a 22" x 36" strip of fabric for the skirt.

Trim side selvedges, fold edges over and stitch.

Fold a 3" hem, iron and stitch.

Cut two 3" x 36" strips for a waist band.
Sew one end together, fold down the length, top of fabric together and iron.

Stitch ends, and stitch from each end toward the middle, leaving a 22 1/2" opening to insert the skirt.

Turn and iron so that the unsewn part is folded down the same as the sewn seams.

Gather the top of the hemmed piece, and pin to what will be the inside of the back of the waist band.

Machine sew.

Hand stitch the top of the waist band to the skirt, and topstitch if you prefer a more finished look.

You can sew this same apron for a child. Just reduce the skirt measurements by measuring your princess from her waist to her knees and adding 3", then measure her waist and add 36" for the sash (18" on each side for the tie)

Later I will show write about the bibs, and offer the pattern to you.

Have a great weekend! And for you Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

deber