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My first 4-H project (though I may be lying here, because I have no idea whether it was the first) was to make an apron. In those days it was customary to wear a bibbed apron for serious kitchen duties. But for show—to wear when dinner was being carried in to serve hubby at the table--a dear little flowered demi-apron was just the thing, trimmed with ruffles or rickrack.
This apron is the simplest form of sewing: a rectangle for the skirt, another for the waistband, and two long, skinny ones for the ties that meet in mid-back in a neat, sweet bow. Gather the large rectangle with two rows of running stitches along one long edge. Neaten the sides (the two shorter edges of the rectangle) with a narrow hem. Apply one long edge of the waistband, right sides together, to the gathered rectangle, then fold the waistband in half, turn under a seam allowance on the long edge, and stitch the waistband to the wrong side of the skirt. Or, if your teacher is an old-fashioned type, sew it by hand, neatly, instead of by machine.
Narrowly hem the two long sides of each of the sash rectangles as well as one short end. Alternatively, you could fold and stitch these to make tube-like ties. Insert the ties into the two openings of the waistband, turning in the edges of the waistband. Ideally you would have pressed these to the wrong side a long time ago, but I forgot to mention this.
Double-stitch the ties to the waistband openings. Hem the bottom of the apron. Press the whole thing and admire the gathered waist and long tails that you will tie into a neat bow at your back.
Did you forget to tell me that you wanted a pocket? Apron pockets are handy. So make a patch pocket, which you should have done earlier but can still do now on the finished apron. Cut a rectangle. Fold one short side down to make a hem at the top, then press the seam allowances on the remaining three sides to the wrong side. Stitch this onto the apron in a place convenient to your needs (to the right of center if you are right-handed, for example). Be sure to sew only three sides of the pocket, leaving the top open. Otherwise you won't have a pocket but a decorative patch.
Wear your pretty apron for company or for romantic dinners for two. For actual cooking, hook a sturdy bibbed apron around your neck and get to work.
Musings blog: http://www.scenesfromthejourney.blogspot.com
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