When a full-coverage apron can feel like too much, our lightweight half apron is perfect for casual cooking and serving. This little beauty is a fast, fun, beginner-friendly project that takes just a couple yards of fabric. Make one for yourself; make one for a friend… make enough for everyone! The design uses a combination of three coordinating fabrics; be creative with your color and design. The waistband and ties are surprisingly easy to make, but give the apron a pro finish. And the three jumbo pockets can hold utensils, recipe cards, or just your hands as you spin around the kitchen, lovin’ your brand new apron. 

You’ll also love how the full-width pocket panel, which is divided into three sections, is attached with a clever flip-and-fold seam rather than traditional edgestitching. This apron is all about easy!

We originally used fabric from the Bella collection by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics. This is an older collection that is no longer available. As an option, we found lots of lovely new quilting cotton choices at Fabric.com. The motifs and feel are all similar to our original trio: bright, cute, and kicky. The swatches below are shown in order: tie, skirt and pocket. Click on a swatch below for more information.

Our apron finishes at approximately 18″ high x 30″ wide at the bottom with an 18″ waistband and 30″ ties.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: Our yardage recommendations allow some extra for fussy cutting.

• ¾ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the main apron skirt
• ½ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the pocket panel
• ½ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the waistband and ties
• All purpose thread to match fabric
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins

Getting Started

1. From the fabric for the main skirt panel, fussy cut ONE 17″ high x 31″ wide rectangle, centering the fabric’s motif.
2. From the fabric for the pocket panel, fussy cut ONE 10½” high x 31″ wide rectangle to best feature the pattern. You want the fabric’s motif to be centered nicely both side to side as well as top to bottom within the pocket panel for a pretty reveal.
   NOTE: The pocket panel will finish 8″ deep with each of the three pockets 10″ wide; there will be a ½” bottom seam and a 1″ double-turn hem along the top (accounting for the other 2″ of the original 10½” cut). This means your “centered design” should focus on the motif 2″ down from the top raw edge and ½” up from the bottom raw edge.
   
3. From the fabric for the waistbands and ties, fussy cut THREE 4″ x width of fabric (WOF) strips to best center the pattern. We cut so a dominant “bead stripe” fell ½” from one raw WOF edge.
   
4. Cut TWO of the THREE strips down to 31″; cut the remaining strip down to 19″.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Hem the panels

1. Find the 17″ x 31″ main panel. Make a ¼” double turn hem along both 17″ sides. To do this, fold under the raw edge ¼” and press. Then, fold an additional ¼” and press again. Pin in place. Do not stitch the side hems at this time.
   
2. After you create the pressed ¼” double turn hems along both sides of the main panel. Repeat to create the same hems along each 10½” side of the 10½” x 31″ pocket panel. As above, just press in place, don’t stitch in place yet.
3. Along the top of the pocket panel, use the same technique to create a 1″ double turn hem. Instead of ¼”, simply fold and press 1″ and then an additional 1″.
   
4. This top hem you DO stitch in place now, staying close to the inside fold.
   
   NOTE: If you are new to making simple hems, you can read our hemming tutorial.

Assemble the panels and stitch the pockets

1. Place the pocket panel right side up and flat on your work surface.
2. Place the main skirt panel, also right side up, on top of the pocket panel, aligning the pressed sides and the bottom raw edges.
   NOTE: Yes, the two panels are right side to wrong side, which is a little different than the traditional right sides together. It’s okay, the pocket will fold up into place and all will be right with the world.
3. Pin the two layers together along the bottom raw edge.
   
4. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch the layers together.
5. Press the seam open.
   
6. Fold the pocket panel up into position on the right side of the main panel. This means the seam you just made now becomes the bottom edge of the apron.
7. Press the pocket panel in place, making sure the bottom seam line is straight and flat. Align the pressed side hems of the pocket and the skirt, and pin the pocket panel in place.
   
8. Working from the back of the apron, so you can best see your hem, edgestitch all the side hems in place with one seam. In other words, stitch from the bottom of the apron, across the pocket, finishing at the top of the main panel. You’ve secured your side hems and secured the pocket panel in place with just one neat seam along each side.
   NOTE: Working from the back means your bobbin thread stitch is what shows on the front, so make sure you have thread to match your fabric in both the top and bobbin.
   
9. Place the sewn apron/pocket panel right side up and flat on your work surface.
10. Using a see-through ruler and fabric pen or pencil, measure 10″ in from the right side hem, mark and draw a vertical line through the pocket. Then, measure 10″ in from the left side hem, and mark and draw a second vertical line. These lines are the pocket divisions.
    NOTE: You are working on the right side of the fabric, so make sure you choose a marking pen or pencil that will easily wipe away or vanish with exposure to the air or the heat of an iron.
    
11. Stitch along each drawn line from the top of the pocket panel to the bottom of the apron.
    
    NOTE: If possible, use a lock stitch at the beginning and end of your seam for a neat finish. If you do not have this function on your machine, you can leave your thread tails long and hand knot at the back to lock the seams or simply be very careful and precise with your backstitching to lock the seams. 
12. Along the top raw edge of the apron panel, stitch two rows of gathering stitches. These are simply two lines of machine basting within the ½” seam allowance. Do not lock either seam at the beginning or the end, and leave the thread tails long. If you are brand new to gathering, we have a Machine Gathering Tutorial you can review prior to starting.
    
13. Pull the stitches to gather the top of the apron from 31″ down to 18″.
    

Waistband, ties and finishing

1. Find the waistband and tie strips. Place one 31″ strip on either end of the 19″ strip, matching the 4″ ends. The strips are right sides together. Pin in place.
   
2. Stitch  together, using a ½” seam allowance. Press the seams open. You now have one continuous strip 4″ x 79″.
3. Fold this strip in half, right sides together (so it is now 2″ x 79″). Pin in place from each vertical seam out to the end of each tie. The middle 18″ waistband section should be left un-pinned.
4. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch each tie. To do this, you will start at the waistband/tie seam, stitch towards the end of the tie, pivot at the corner, and stitch across the end to finish. Remember, this leaves the center 18″ waistband section open. Clip the corners.
   
5. Turn the ties right side out through the open waistband section. Gently push out the corners with a long, blunt tool, like a knitting needle, point turner or chopstick. Press both ties flat.
6. Match the gathered top edge of the apron panel right sides together with the top 18″ raw edge of the waistband opening. To determine the top, position the band so the tie seams are facing down. Pin the layers together across the 18″ opening. The gathered edge should be a perfect fit within the 18″ opening of the waistband. If it isn’t, loosen or tighten the gathers until it fits exactly.
   
7. Using a ½” seam allowance stitch the gathered apron panel to just that one layer of the waistband. It’s easiest to work with the gathers on top so you can make sure they stay in position.
   
8. Press the seam allowance up toward the inside of the waistband.
9. Press back the remaining raw edge of the waistband ½”.
   
10. Bring this folded waistband edge down into place to cover the gathered seam at the back of the apron.
11. Pin in place. Make sure the folded edge is below the original seam line; your final stitching will be done from the right side and you want to be sure you catch the back edge all the way across.
    
12. Edgestitch the waistband in place, stitching on the right side so your seam line is nice and straight from the front.
    NOTE: If you are brand new to edgestitching and worried about your accuracy, you could hand stitch the folded edge in place across the back with a tiny slip stitch.
    

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation and Instructional Outline: Michele Mishler