I have a love-hate relationship with sewing. Mostly, I love love love what I can do with my sewing machine. (Kind of like working out I guess – everyone loves the end result.) But the doing it? Well, the sewing part (as in pushing the peddle and guiding the fabric through) is just great! But, the big old tissue paper patterns, the measuring, the impossible instructions, the cutting...and cutting....and cutting...well you get the point. It is often tedious and frustrating. And then throw in a few words that you hear all the time but have no clue like “on the bias” and forget about a button hole, zipper, or ruffle foot...I might as well just give up!
So, hopefully I am not the only one who feels this way? So I have come up with the easiest project on Earth, with the cutest results. (Because, yes, I know a pillow is easy but I’ve already made 6,000 of those.) I have found that the key is not doing the whole project from scratch – it is all about embellishing!
So, I picked up one of those cute kids’ aprons at Hobby Lobby. It was only $2.99! And they come in all different colors. I love red and I thought it wouldn’t show as much dirt, so I grabbed it. And at home I found a fabric scrap (another thing I love is projects that only take a little fabric, because if you haven’t noticed really, really cute fabric is quite pricey!) And I decided to add a pocket to this little gem.
Here’s how you do it:
- Cut your pocket (or pockets) to the size you want it, leaving about an extra 1/2” all the way around for hems. (I did one wide pocket, but sewed vertically down the middle to turn it into two pockets.)
- Press your top hem to about an inch. (I don’t measure, another funny thing I never liked about sewing. Details!) Sew the top hem.
- Press the other three sides of the pocket to a 1/2”ish hem.
- Pin the pocket in place. I like the pockets closer to the waist so keep that in mind.
- Sew the two sides and bottom to the apron. (Do not sew the top closed. And no, of course, I have never done anything like that, er...)
- I did a double line of stitching along the sides and bottom because you don’t need some crazy kiddo (I mean your darling child) pulling off the pocket.
- Sew a straight line up the middle of the pocket to turn one wide pocket into two.
- Sit back with a cup of hot tea and marvel at your handy work!
And ta-da! There you have it: the easiest project! Great for gifts, for art camps or classes, for tiny chefs or even little gardeners! Have fun!
