It's a month of kitchen stuff...and of course Pauline would make us some Tea Towel Aprons ( 2 more special guests today again)

Welcome everyone...to another Sew We Quilt tutorial...
and thank you Mdm Samm for asking me to share a tutorial 
for something you would find in the kitchen ...

...what would be more useful in a kitchen than a tea towel and an apron.


Hi, I'm Pauline and I blog over at Quiltnqueen,

My tutorial today is an apron made with tea toweling and a 1/2 yard of coordinating fabric.

Tea towelling by the yard has become more readily available lately.

The toweling I used for this apron is Moda's Toweling Pastel Plaid

and the coordinating fabric is 
Moda's Hideway by Lauren and Jessi Jung. 

 It's from my stash from a few years ago...and went perfect with the toweling.

The toweling is available at Crazyquiltgirl.

To start you will need:

• 3/4 yard of toweling measuring 16" to 18" wide
• 1/2 yard of coordinating fabric
• cut 1 - 6.5" x wof (width of fabric) for ruffle and pocket
• cut 2 - 4" x wof for ties and neck loop
• cut 1 - 3.5" x 24" or 29" for neck strap (see To make the neck loop instructions below)
• 6.5" of ric rac
• buttons are optional

To make the ruffle:

• take your 6.5" x  wof strip of fabric
• cut a 6.5" square off one end and set aside.  We will use it later to make the pocket.
• using the long piece, remove salvage then fold in half length wise with right sides together and stitch 1/4" seam at both ends

• turn right side out, keeping raw edges even and press 
• make a ruffle, using your favorite method, to fit the width of the toweling .

• stitch the ruffle to the bottom of the toweling right sides together.  Gently press ruffle down and top stitch on the toweling close to the seam line.

To make pocket:

• with the 6.5" square, turn down the edge with the salvage 1.25" right sides together.  Stitch a 3/8" seam on both sides securing seam just past the lower edge of folded area, clip corners, 

• turn right sides out and press.

• stitch ric rac on pocket front catching the hem on the back in your stitching.

• position pocket on toweling by measuring down from the top of the apron 17" - 17.5" and measuring from the side seam over approximately 1.25" - 1.5".  Pin pocket in place and top stitch to apron.

To make the ties:

• take the two 4" x wof strips of fabric.  You will be making 2 ties by folding right sides together and stitching the long edge to approximately 2" from the end, pivot and stitch on the diagonal, trim and cut corners leaving the one end open.  Turn (I use a chop stick to turn my ties) and press.  Top stitch all the edges of the ties close to the edge  and set aside until you complete the top of the apron.

To make the top  of the apron:

• if you have a serger, serge the top of the apron, if you do not have a serger, use a zig zag stitch or turn under 1/4" and turn under again to finish the edge.
• fold down 1.25" with wrong sides together  to make a facing.  Press and top stitch lower edge of facing in place.

• measure over 3.5" on both sides, mark with a pin and make a pleat that ends at the side stitching on the toweling, pin pleats in place.  
• the top of the apron should now measure approximately 11". 

• measure down 9.5" from the top of the apron and insert the ties in the pleat.

• starting at the top of the apron, stitch the pleat down catching the ties in the pleat

• stitch to the bottom on the ties, across the bottom of the tie, up the side close to the edge of the towel and across the top of the tie to secure the tie.  Repeat for the second tie. 

To make the neck strap:

• take the piece that measures 3.5" x  24" to 29". 
• pressed a 3/8" seam to the wrong side on all the edges of the strip of fabric, 
• fold in half wrong sides together and top stitched around all the edges.
• attach the straps to the back of the apron top as shown.  For this apron I used the 24" measurement.

• or by top stitching them to the front of the apron and adding some buttons as shown here. For the neck band attached to the front of the apron I used the 29" length.

This apron is made using
Moda's Granny Garden toweling and
Moda's Amelia by Me and My Sister Designs 
both fabrics are available at Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop


I hope the instructions are clearer than mud...
...if you have any questions please email me
or leave your question in your comment.

Thanks for reading to the end...
...and because you made it to the end of my somewhat lengthy tutorial
I have a give away......


Leave a comment on this posting and you could win
1.5 yards of toweling and 1/2 yard of coordinating fabric....
You can make your own apron and a matching tea towel.


Come visit me at Quiltnqueen and enter to win a second giveaway
1.5 yards of toweling and 1/2 yard of coordinating fabric....


Winners will be picked Monday April 16


happy stitching

Congrats JULIE

you are the winner..you have been notified

please send details...an apron for you 

is on its way....