How to Sew an Apron From One Yard of Fabric

You need one yard of 42 to 44 inch wide cotton. Lay it out with the selvage edges at the sides, then fold one selvage edge in so the folded piece measures about 13 1/2 inches. Trim off the selvage to leave 13 inches at the fold. Make sure at least 15 inches of fabric is left over for the straps. Square up the top and bottom with a ruler and rotary cutter.

Keep the body folded and cut 8 inches off the bottom. That strip becomes the pocket. Now make the slanted sides. Measure 5 inches in from the fold at the top and mark it with a pin. Measure 13 inches down the open edge and pin again. Lay your ruler between the two pins and cut. Unfold and you have the classic bib shape.

From the leftover fabric, cut four strips 3 inches wide for the waist ties and two strips 2 1/2 inches wide for the neck strap. Trim the neck strips to 24 inches. Trim the tie strips so they all match, about a yard long each. Stack each pair with right sides together, ready to sew. That uses nearly every inch of the yard.

Take the stacked strips to the machine. Sew all the way around each one with a quarter inch seam, leaving a gap of a few inches on one long side so you can turn it. Sew all three straps together in one sitting. Clip the corners close to the stitching so they turn out flat instead of bulky.

Turn each strap right side out through the gap. Push the corners out with a point turner or a chopstick. Then press every strap flat with a hot iron, tucking the raw edges of the gap inside as you go. Topstitch close to the edge all the way around each strap. That closes the gap and gives a crisp, finished look.

Fold the 8 inch pocket strip in half with right sides together. Sew around the open sides with a quarter inch seam, leaving an opening at the bottom. Turn it right side out, push out the corners and press it flat. Run two rows of topstitching along the top edge. The other edges get stitched when you sew it onto the apron.

Lay the apron body wrong side up on the ironing board. Fold the top edge over a quarter inch and press. Fold it again and press, then pin. Repeat on the slanted sides and the long sides. Do the bottom last, and make it a little deeper if you like. Hemming in this order gives you neat, square corners.

Pin one end of the neck strap into the top corner, lined up with the hem so it gets stitched in the same pass. Leave the other end free for now so you can adjust the fit later. Pin a waist tie at the bottom of each slanted side, again lined up with the hem fold. Check that nothing is twisted.

Sew around the whole apron close to the inner folded edge of the hem. The neck strap and both ties get stitched in as you go. Go back and forth over each strap a couple of times for strength. Then try the apron on, mark where the free end of the neck strap should go, and stitch it in place.

Try the apron on to decide where the pocket should sit, then lay it flat and pin the pocket in place. Topstitch down one side, across the bottom and up the other side, close to the edge, leaving the top open. A line down the middle makes two pockets. Give the finished apron a final press.